Be Ready

1 A MISSIONARY TO AFRICA 2 • TOLD THE STORY OF AN ELDERLY WOMAN • WHO WAS REACHED WITH THE GOSPEL. • THOUGH SHE WAS BLIND AND COULD NEITHER READ NOR WRITE, • SHE WANTED TO SHARE HER NEW FOUND FAITH WITH OTHERS. • SHE CAME TO THE MISSIONARY • AND ASKED FOR A COPY OF THE BIBLE IN FRENCH. • WHEN SHE GOT IT, SHE ASKED THE MISSIONARY TO UNDERLINE JOHN 3:16 3 4 • IN RED AND MARK THE PAGE IT WAS ON SO SHE COULD FIND IT. • THE MISSIONARY WANTED TO SEE WHAT SHE WOULD DO, • SO ONE DAY HE FOLLOWED HER. • IN THE AFTERNOON, JUST BEFORE SCHOOL LET OUT, 5 • SHE MADE HER WAY TO THE FRONT DOOR OF THE SCHOOL. • AS THE BOYS CAME OUT WHEN SCHOOL WAS DISMISSED, • SHE WOULD STOP ONE AND ASK IF HE KNEW HOW TO READ FRENCH. • WHEN HE SAID “YES” SHE WOULD ASK HIM TO READ THE VERSE THAT WAS MARKED IN RED. • THEN SHE WOULD ASK, “DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?” • AND TELL HIM ABOUT CHRIST. • THE MISSIONARY SAID THAT TWENTY-FOUR OF THE SCHOOL BOYS • THAT LADY LED TO THE LORD BECAME PASTORS. 6 • GOD HAS CALLED ALL CHRISTIANS TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL • SOMETIMES WE MAY THINK WE ARE NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE 7 8 • OR DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT SKILLS • MAYBE WE THINK IT JUST NOT SOMETHING WE ARE GOOD AT • WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR GOD TO PUT US IN THE RIGHT PLACE • AT THE RIGHT TIME TO USE THE ABILITIES HE HAS GIVEN US • TO PREACH THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE LOST • TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT GOD PUTTING 9 10 • PHILIP IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME • TURN TO ACTS 8:25 • THE CROWDS IN SAMARIA HAD HEARD PHILIP PREACH • THEY HAD SEEN SIGNS AND WONDERS 11 • THEY HAD BELIEVED AND BEEN BAPTIZED • PETER AND JOHN HAD COME FROM JERUSALEM • AND LAID HANDS ON THE PEOPLE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT HAD COME UPON THEM • LUKE CONTINUES: ACTS 8:25–29 12 SO, WHEN THEY HAD SOLEMNLY TESTIFIED AND SPOKEN THE WORD OF THE LORD, THEY STARTED BACK TO JERUSALEM, AND WERE PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO MANY VILLAGES OF THE SAMARITANS. 13 BUT AN ANGEL OF THE LORD SPOKE TO PHILIP SAYING, “GET UP AND GO SOUTH TO THE ROAD THAT DESCENDS FROM JERUSALEM TO GAZA.” (THIS IS A DESERT ROAD.) SO HE GOT UP AND WENT; 14 AND THERE WAS AN ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH, A COURT OFFICIAL OF CANDACE, QUEEN OF THE ETHIOPIANS, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF ALL HER TREASURE; 15 AND HE HAD COME TO JERUSALEM TO WORSHIP, AND HE WAS RETURNING AND SITTING IN HIS CHARIOT, AND WAS READING THE PROPHET ISAIAH. THEN THE SPIRIT SAID TO PHILIP, “GO UP AND JOIN THIS CHARIOT.” 16 BE READY FOR GOD TO CHANGE OUR PLANS • SO, THESE FELLAS WERE; • “PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO MANY VILLAGES OF THE SAMARITANS.” • AS THEY HEADED BACK TO JERUSALEM • THIS WAS THEIR PLAN • BUT GOD HAD ANOTHER PLAN IN MIND • A PLAN FOR PHILIP, AN ANGEL SPOKE TO PHILIP SAYING • “GET UP AND GO SOUTH TO THE ROAD THAT DESCENDS FROM JERUSALEM TO GAZA.” 17 18 • THIS ROAD STARTS NEAR JERUSALEM AND GOES SOUTH • SO, AS THEY NEARED JERUSALEM THE ANGEL TOLD PHILIP • TO LEAVE JOHN AND PETER AND TAKE THIS ROAD 19 • WE NEED TO BE READY FOR GOD TO CHANGES OUR PLANS • THEY WERE DOING GOD’S WORK, PREACHING THE GOSPEL • BUT GOD HAD SOMETHING SPECIFIC IN MIND FOR PHILIP PROVERBS 19:21 20 MANY PLANS ARE IN A MAN’S HEART, BUT THE COUNSEL OF THE LORD WILL STAND. • NOW THE ANGEL MAY HAVE SPOKEN VERBALLY HERE • OR IT MAY HAVE BEEN IN A VISION OR DREAM • IT DOES NOT REALLY MATTER HOW THE ANGEL SPOKE • PHILIP UNDERSTOOD THE MESSAGE, THE PLAN HAD CHANGED 21 22 • GOD MAY SPEAK TO US IN ANY NUMBER OF WAYS • IN PRAYER, THROUGH CIRCUMSTANCES, THROUGH SCRIPTURE • WE NEED NOTICE WHEN GOD CHANGES OUR PLANS BE READY TO GO WITHOUT HESITATION • HOW DOES PHILIP RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE • “HE GOT UP AND WENT;” • NO HESITATION, HE DID NOT ASK THE ANGEL WHY • HE JUST GOT UP AND WENT 23 24 • WHEN GOD CLEARLY AND DISTINCTLY CHANGES THE PLAN • WE NEED TO BE READY TO ACT WITHOUT HESITATION • SOMETIMES OUR MESSAGE MAY NOT BE AS CLEAR AS PHILIP’S 25 • WE MIGHT NEED TO TAKE SOME TIME TO CONFIRM THE MESSAGE • LOOK THROUGH SCRIPTURE, GET SOME GODLY COUNSEL • BUT ONCE WE KNOW WHAT THE NEW PLAN IS • WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION 26 EPHESIANS 5:15–16 THEREFORE BE CAREFUL HOW YOU WALK, NOT AS UNWISE MEN BUT AS WISE, MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME, BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL. • TO MAKE THE MOST OF OUR TIME • WE NEED TO BE READY TO TAKE ACTION • WHEN GOD CHANGES OUR PLANS 27 BE READY FOR OPPORTUNITIES 28 • THIS ROAD WAS NOT AS HEAVILY TRAVELED • AS THE OTHER ROADS THAT LEFT JERUSALEM • SO, ON THIS MOSTLY EMPTY DESERT ROAD PHILIP COMES UPON; 29 • “AN ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH, A COURT OFFICIAL OF CANDACE, QUEEN OF THE ETHIOPIANS” • SO, GOD’S PLAN WAS FOR PHILIP • TO GO DOWN THIS ONE ROAD TO MEET THIS ONE MAN • IN ACTS 1:8 CHRIST HAD SAID; 30 BUT YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME UPON YOU; AND YOU SHALL BE MY WITNESSES BOTH IN JERUSALEM, AND IN ALL JUDEA AND SAMARIA, AND EVEN TO THE REMOTEST PART OF THE EARTH.” 31 • THE ROMAN EMPIRE CONSIDERED ETHIOPIA TO BE “THE ENDS OF THE EARTH” • THIS EUNUCH HAD COME TO JERUSALEM TO WORSHIP • BUT BECAUSE HE WAS A EUNUCH HE COULD ONLY BE A • PROSELYTES OF THE GATE, HE COULD NEVER FULLY PARTICIPATE 32 • IN THE JEWISH FAITH, DEUTERONOMY 23:1 FORBIDS EUNUCHS • FROM ENTERING THE ASSEMBLY OF THE LORD • AND YET PHILIP IS INSTRUCTED BY THE SPIRIT • TO; “GO UP AND JOIN THIS CHARIOT” THE EUNUCH’S CHARIOT 33 • WHEN WE FOLLOW GOD’S PLANS HE WILL PUT US • IN THE MOST UNLIKELY PLACES • WHERE THE MOST UNLIKELY OPPORTUNITIES • WILL OCCUR TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL TO 34 • THE MOST UNLIKELY PEOPLE • FOUR YEARS AFTER THE TITANIC WENT DOWN, • A YOUNG SCOTSMAN ROSE IN A CHURCH MEETING IN HAMILTON, CANADA, 35 • HE SAID, “I AM A SURVIVOR OF THE TITANIC. • WHEN I WAS DRIFTING ALONE ON A SPAR THAT AWFUL NIGHT, • THE TIDE BROUGHT MR. JOHN HARPER, OF GLASGOW, ON A PIECE OF WRECK NEAR ME. • ‘MAN,’ HE SAID, ‘ARE YOU SAVED?’ • ‘NO,’ I SAID, ‘I AM NOT.’ • HE REPLIED, ‘BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED.’ • THE WAVES BORE HIM AWAY; BUT, STRANGE TO SAY BROUGHT HIM BACK A LITTLE LATER, 36 37 • AND HE SAID, ‘ARE YOU SAVED NOW?’ • ‘NO,’ I SAID, ‘I CANNOT HONESTLY SAY THAT I AM.’ • HE SAID AGAIN, ‘BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED,’ • AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT HE WENT DOWN; 38 • AND THERE, ALONE IN THE NIGHT, AND WITH TWO MILES OF WATER UNDER ME, I BELIEVED. • GOD MAY INDEED MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH TO SAVE ONE SOUL • HE MAY PUT US IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME • WITH THE RIGHT WORDS • BUT WE HAVE TO BE READY FOR GOD TO CHANGE OUR PLANS • BE READY TO ACT WITHOUT HESITATION WHEN HE DOES • BE READY FOR OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY ARISE • PHILIP WAS READY 39 40 ACTS 8:30–35 PHILIP RAN UP AND HEARD HIM READING ISAIAH THE PROPHET, AND SAID, “DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE READING?” AND HE SAID, “WELL, HOW COULD I, UNLESS SOMEONE GUIDES ME?” 41 AND HE INVITED PHILIP TO COME UP AND SIT WITH HIM. NOW THE PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE WHICH HE WAS READING WAS THIS: 42 “HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. “IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.” 43 THE EUNUCH ANSWERED PHILIP AND SAID, “PLEASE TELL ME, OF WHOM DOES THE PROPHET SAY THIS? OF HIMSELF OR OF SOMEONE ELSE?” THEN PHILIP OPENED HIS MOUTH, AND BEGINNING FROM THIS SCRIPTURE HE PREACHED JESUS TO HIM. 44 BE READY TO APPROACH PEOPLE • THE SPIRIT SAID GO, AND PHILIP RAN RIGHT UP • AS HE GOT CLOSER HE HEARD THE EUNUCH READING • NOT JUST ANY SCRIPTURE, A PASSAGE THAT FORETOLD • CHRIST’S SUFFERING AND DEATH 45 • SO HE ASKED THE EUNUCH; • “DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE READING?” • WHAT A GREAT WAY TO START A GOSPEL CONVERSATION • IT CAN BE PRETTY SCARY TO JUST WALK UP TO SOMEONE 46 • AND JUST START TALKING ABOUT GOD • I USED TO DO STREET EVANGELISM IN HOUSTON • JUST WALKING UP TO RANDOM PEOPLE • ASKING THEM IF ANYONE HAD EVER EXPLAINED THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST • I HAD PEOPLE YELL AT ME, • THROW THINGS AT ME, CALL ME HORRIBLE THINGS • I ALSO HAD PEOPLE RESPOND VERY KINDLY 47 48 • ASK QUESTIONS, AND SOME ACCEPT CHRIST • YOU NEVER KNOW HOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO RESPOND • SOME RESPONSES ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS BE READY TO BE HUMBLE • WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT WHAT PHILIP HAS BEEN DOING • BUT FOR A SECOND I WANT US TO LOOK AT HOW THE EUNUCH RESPONDS • HE IS NOT OFFENDED BY PHILIP’S QUESTION 49 50 • HE DOES NOT TRY TO ACT LIKE HE KNOWS WHAT THIS SCRIPTURE MEANS • THIS EUNUCH IS OF A VASTLY HIGHER SOCIAL STATUS THAN PHILIP • HE IS THE TREASURER FOR THE CANDACE OF ETHIOPIA, THAT’S THE QUEEN MOTHER • HE HAS HIS OWN CHARIOT AND DRIVER • AND PHILIP IS JUST SOME GUY RUNNING DOWN A ROAD • YET HE IS SO AMAZINGLY HUMBLE ABOUT THIS • “HOW COULD I, UNLESS SOMEONE GUIDES ME?” 51 • I THINK I WOULD HAVE LEARNED A LOT MORE IN SEMINARY • IF I COULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE LIKE THIS EUNUCH 52 53 PROVERBS 11:2 WHEN PRIDE COMES, THEN COMES DISHONOR, BUT WITH THE HUMBLE IS WISDOM. 54 • WHEN PEOPLE TALK TO US ABOUT GOD WE NEED TO BE HUMBLE • ONE OF THE WAYS WE CAN BE HUMBLE • IS STICKING TO THE GOSPEL WHEN WE TALK TO THE LOST 55 BE READY TO PREACH JESUS ONLY • THE EUNUCH WAS READING A PASSAGE FROM ISAIAH • THE VERSE CONFUSED HIM SO HE ASKED PHILIP A QUESTION; • “OF WHOM DOES THE PROPHET SAY THIS? OF HIMSELF OR OF SOMEONE ELSE?” • PHILIP ANSWERED BY CONNECTING 56 • THE VERSE THE EUNUCH WAS READING TO JESUS • IT IS POSSIBLE THE EUNUCH HAD HEARD ABOUT JESUS • HE HAD JUST BEEN IN JERUSALEM SO HE MIGHT HAVE HEARD SOMETHING • ABOUT THE LIFE, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 57 • THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH PEOPLE • TAKE THEM FROM WHERE THEY ARE IN RELATION TO GOD • AND BRING THEM TO JESUS • WHATEVER QUESTIONS THEY MIGHT HAVE • WE START AT THE QUESTIONS • AND TAKE THEM TO JESUS • IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SUFFERING • OR EVIL IN THE WORLD, START THERE • IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT POLITICS OR HISTORY 58 59 • START THERE AND PREACH JESUS • WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE PREACH JESUS AND NOT SOMETHING ELSE • IT IS SO EASY TO RESPOND TO PEOPLE’S QUESTIONS WITH • SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY, MORALS, PSYCHOLOGY OR EVEN COMMON SENSE • BUT WE NEED TO ANSWER WITH JESUS • GOD PROVIDES US WITH OPPORTUNITIES • WE NEED TO USE THEM TO PREACH JESUS 60 61 AUGUSTE COMTE, THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHER, • AND THOMAS CARLYLE, THE SCOTTISH WRITER, WERE HAVING A DISCUSSION. • COMTE SAID HE WAS GOING TO START A "NEW" RELIGION 62 • THAT WOULD SUPPLANT THE RELIGION OF CHRIST. • IT WAS TO HAVE NO MYSTERIES • AND WAS TO BE AS PLAIN AS THE MULTIPLICATION TABLE; • ITS NAME WAS TO BE "POSITIVISM". 63 • "VERY GOOD, MR. COMTE," CARLYLE REPLIED • ALL YOU WILL NEED TO DO WILL BE SPEAK AS NEVER A MAN SPOKE, • AND LIVE AS NEVER A MAN LIVED, AND BE CRUCIFIED, • AND RISE, AGAIN THE THIRD DAY, 64 • AND GET THE WORLD TO BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE STILL ALIVE. • THEN YOUR RELIGION WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO CATCH ON." • HERE WE SEE THE REASON WE MUST PREACH CHRIST AND ONLY CHRIST • NO ONE EVER SPOKE LIKE HE SPOKE, NO ONE EVER LIVED LIKE HE LIVED 65 • MANY MAY HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED • BUT ONLY ONE WAS RAISED ON THE THIRD DAY • CHRISTIANITY IS UNIQUE AMONG RELIGIONS • ALL OTHERS SAY YOU CAN EARN HEAVEN 66 • CHRISTIANITY IS UNIQUE AMONG PHILOSOPHIES • ALL OTHERS PRESENT MAN’S TRUTH NOT GODS • WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE PRESENT CHRIST AND ONLY CHRIST • WE NEED TO BE READY WHEN THEY RESPOND 67 ACTS 8:36–40 AS THEY WENT ALONG THE ROAD THEY CAME TO SOME WATER; AND THE EUNUCH SAID, “LOOK! WATER! WHAT PREVENTS ME FROM BEING BAPTIZED?” AND PHILIP SAID, “IF YOU BELIEVE WITH ALL YOUR HEART, YOU MAY.” 68 AND HE ANSWERED AND SAID, “I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD.” AND HE ORDERED THE CHARIOT TO STOP; AND THEY BOTH WENT DOWN INTO THE WATER, PHILIP AS WELL AS THE EUNUCH, AND HE BAPTIZED HIM. 69 WHEN THEY CAME UP OUT OF THE WATER, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SNATCHED PHILIP AWAY; AND THE EUNUCH NO LONGER SAW HIM, BUT WENT ON HIS WAY REJOICING. 70 BUT PHILIP FOUND HIMSELF AT AZOTUS, AND AS HE PASSED THROUGH HE KEPT PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO ALL THE CITIES UNTIL HE CAME TO CAESAREA. 71 BE READY FOR PEOPLE TO ACCEPT CHRIST • WE DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG PHILIP PREACHED JESUS • IT COULD HAVE BEEN FOR HOURS • BUT AT SOME POINT THEY CAME TO SOME WATER 72 • AND THE EUNUCH ASKED A QUESTION • “WHAT PREVENTS ME FROM BEING BAPTIZED?” • MAYBE PHILIP HAD EXPLAINED BAPTISM WAS SIGN OF BECOMING A CHRISTIAN 73 • MAYBE HE HAD TOLD THE EUNUCH ABOUT THE DAY OF PENTECOST • AND THE 3000 WHO HAD BEEN BAPTIZED • THIS IS THAT MOMENT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING FOR 74 • IT WAS ALMOST MIDNIGHT, WE WERE SITTING OUT SIDE A SKATEBOARD PARK • I HAD BEEN TALKING WITH THIS YOUNG MAN FOR NEARLY 2 YEARS • HE ASKED ME, “CAN I PRAY THAT PRAYER NOW” • WHEN PEOPLE ARE READY WE NEED TO BE READY BE READY TO ACT 75 • THEY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD • “AND THEY BOTH WENT DOWN INTO THE WATER, PHILIP AS WELL AS THE EUNUCH, AND HE BAPTIZED HIM.” • PHILIP IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT JESUS HAD INSTRUCTED MATTHEW 28:19 76 “GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, • NOTICE HE DID NOT MAKE HIM TAKE A CLASS • OR FILL OUT SOME PAPER WORK • HE BAPTIZED HIM RIGHT THERE ON THE SPOT • WHEN SOMEONE TRUSTS IN JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR • WE NEED TO BE READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP WITH THEM 77 78 • SOMETIMES THIS WILL BE BAPTISM, • OTHER TIMES IT MIGHT MEAN HELPING THEM STUDY THE BIBLE • MAYBE WE WILL NEED TO PRAY WITH THEM • WE NEED TO BE READY TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEP WITH THEM • NO MATTER WHAT IT MIGHT BE • MAYBE WE NEED TO HELP THEM FIND A CHURCH 79 80 • OR GET THEM A BIBLE, OR HELP THEM THROUGH A ROUGH TIME • YOU MAY NEED TO HELP THEM FOR SOME TIME • OR GOD MAY HAVE OTHER PLANS FOR YOU 81 BE READY FOR GOD TO CALL YOU TO SOMEPLACE NEW • GOD HAD OTHER PLANS FOR PHILIP • “WHEN THEY CAME UP OUT OF THE WATER, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SNATCHED PHILIP AWAY;” • PHILIP IS TRANSPORTED BY THE SPIRIT TO AZOTUS ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY • WHY DID THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CARRY HIM AWAY? • BECAUSE HE HAD TO GO ON TO PREACH IN OTHER CITIES. • HE HAD COME TO THIS DESERT ROAD TO PREACH THE GOSPEL • HE HAD DONE SO, HE WORK WAS DONE 82 83 • SO GOD MOVED HIM TO THE NEXT PLACE HE WAS NEEDED • SOMETIMES WE WILL BE PART OF PEOPLE’S LIVES AFTER THEY COME TO CHRIST • SOMETIMES GOD WILL MOVE US ALONG TO REACH OUT TO OTHER PEOPLE • WE NEED TO BE WILLING TO GO WHERE GOD DIRECTS US CHRISTOPHER WAS PLAYING BASKETBALL 84 • WITH HIS FRIENDS ON MAY 16, 1998 WHEN HE WAS SHOT IN THE CHEST, • THE BULLET PERFORATED HIS AORTA. • HIS FRIENDS HELPED HIM GET TO WITHIN FORTY FEET 85 • OF THE ENTRANCE TO RAVENSWOOD HOSPITAL • THEY WENT INSIDE AND ASKED FOR HELP. • THE HOSPITAL STAFF REFUSED TO HELP CHRISTOPHER • SAYING THAT IT WAS AGAINST THE HOSPITAL’S POLICIES • TO ADMINISTER AID TO THOSE OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL. • EVENTUALLY A POLICEMAN WAS ABLE TO GET A WHEEL CHAIR • HE WHEELED CHRISTOPHER INTO THE HOSPITAL • WHERE HE WAS HELPED BY THE HOSPITAL STAFF. 86 • IT WAS TOO LATE, HOWEVER, AND CHRISTOPHER DIED ABOUT AN HOUR LATER. • MANY TIMES CHURCHES ARE SURROUNDED • BY PEOPLE THAT DESPERATELY NEED TO HEAR THE GOSPEL, 87 88 • YET CHRISTIANS ARE CONTENT TO SHARE IT • ONLY WITH THOSE THAT MANAGE TO COME INSIDE THEIR CHURCH. • WE HAVE TO BE READY TO TAKE THE GOSPEL OUT WITH US INTO THE WORLD • WE CAN’T WAIT FOR THE WORLD TO COME TO US 89 WE SHOULD WANT TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL AS STRONGLY • AS THE BLIND WOMAN THE MISSIONARY TOLD ABOUT • BEING WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET • THE GOSPEL MESSAGE TO THE LOST 90 • GOD HAS CALLED ALL CHRISTIANS TO PRESENT THE GOSPEL • SOMETIMES WE MAY THINK WE ARE NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE • OR DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT SKILLS • MAYBE WE THINK IT JUST NOT SOMETHING WE ARE GOOD AT 91 • WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR GOD TO PUT US IN THE RIGHT PLACE • AT THE RIGHT TIME TO USE THE ABILITIES HE HAS GIVEN US • TO PREACH THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE LOST • TO TELL THEM GOD LOVES THEM • AND WANTS AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM • BUT WE ALL SIN…. 92 93