Prayer and Evangelism

Intro

Where we began..... United in Evangelism… United on God’s mission...... we are a mission minded church with a kingdom view (personnell manual history)....... We are by God’s grace going to continue in this by the power of the Spirit at work within us!

Last two weeks, we have addressed the opportunity for evangelism, the need last week to be fully-devoted disciples.... and this week..... we are out to answer....What are our first steps of joining God in his mission to make disciples, expand the kingdom?.....

When God is about to do a mighty new thing He always sets His people praying. - Jonathan Edwards

Luke 10:1–3 ESV

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.

1. We pray with the harvest in mind

a. The harvest is plentiful

One aspect of the harvest...... Is the reminder of the end of the age..... the great harvest.... the final harvest....

In the parable in Matthew 13 Jesus says this truth.....

Will you be harvested for eternal life or eternal fire?..... a weed or wheat?..... child of the devil or the son of life!

There is no escaping this day, everyone reaches the end.

Matthew 13:39–40 (ESV)

39 The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

b. We need eyes to see the reality of the harvest

John 4:34–38 ESV

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

April 15th, December 25th, July 4th..... Those dates have meaning each year......

Your heavenly appointment before God has a date..... that you do not know..... how should that change if we were to know that day? We live in light of never knowing that day, but knowing the reality that awaits us.

2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

2. We pray to the Lord of the Harvest

In the world of the church..... we can debate all the reasons why people are reluctant or disobedient to share their faith....... Fear, knowledge, it’s someone elses job… etc.

But this morning, instead of focussing on this, I believe praying to the Lord of the Harvest reveals the overwhelming positive, motivator, and truth that you share your faith.

Jesus saves people from their sins..... you don’t have to!

a. Jesus Saves I do not

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Hebrews 5:9 ESV

9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

John 6:44 ESV

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

b. Pray for an awareness of God’s movement in our sphere of influence

It can be easy to stop and think that if God is responsible for salvation, and that he doesn’t NEED us to in order to save someone.... then we can take a back seat and watch the show...... BUT that is not what the Bible says.....

We see over and over again, that we aren’t zapped to heaven so that we can represent God here on Earth.... as ambassadors of reconciliation...... little Jesus’ walking around in God’s power, in God’s plan to JOIN him in bringing others to the knowledge of Jesus Christ to be their Savior!

We are tools in God’s hand ready to help build HIS kingdom!

Where has God placed You..... Esther 4:14 or

o Who has God placed you near? Jeremiah 29

o What can you do to share the Gospel in that place and time?

The prayer Jesus is asking for is more laborers, not for souls to be ready to hear the gospel or hearts to be changed...... that is a given.... the end of the age is coming.... the need for laborers is the prayer.

How many intentional moments are you placing yourself in for the sake of evangelism?

Paul in Acts

Athens

Before the rulers

In Prison

Jesus in John 4

Peter in Acts 2

3. We pray earnestly

a. Intensity – beg, beseech, plead

Luke 11:9 AMP 9 “So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

o The parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18

o Blind, lame….. beseeching Jesus to be healed….

Mark 1:40 ESV

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”

o Your heart is engaged…. Not perfunctory

Matthew 26:44 ESV

44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.

b. Intentional – On Purpose, In Focus…..

o Matthew – Watch and Pray

Matthew 26:41 ESV

41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

o Acts the Early Church Focus was on Prayer

Acts 1:14 ESV

14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Acts 2:42 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Acts 12:5 ESV

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Acts 13:3 ESV

3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

o Acts – prayers for boldness and building shakes

Acts 4:29–31 ESV

29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Where you treasure is, there your heart will be also...... Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks......Jesus said these telling verses as a barometer of our hearts.... a real life mirror for whats happening in our life.....

If you were to take a log of all the prayers you have prayed this last month.... where have you been most earnest?..... most begging God for something?

Heart Check moment..... how many times in the last month have you prayed for the salvation of someones soul? The reality of the Harvest, to the Lord of the Harvest, with Earnest pleading?

In Focus –

A.) Personally – Who is in your sphere of influence?

- Parents and Grandparents – Are you pleading with God to save your children and grandchildren, and great grandchildren?

- Extended family -

- Neighbors-

- Co-workers –

- People in our city – Waitress….. or insurance agent…. Doctor

Many of us cannot reach the mission fields on our feet, but we can reach them on our knees (Thomas Bach).

Grandparents in the room......

Parents in the room.....

If we have a desire to see others come to Jesus as their Lord and Savior.... and if we desire to see the future of our church family..... the legacy we are building begins on our knees in our hearts in prayer.......

a. the building doesn’t matter

b. The carpet color doesn’t matter

c. the type of Music doesn’t matter

d. the names and types of our programs doesn’t matter

Jesus matters.... God’s Word Matters...... Right belief matters....... PRAYER underrides all of it! And as we celebrate the future generations coming to faith.... Lord willing it is your grand children and great grand children..... or if you look to the left and right of you.... those chairs.... those chairs could hold your friends children.... friends grand children......

And here is the best part, if we are a praying church..... a church that says God has placed me here for a reason..... then the outside world sees it and goes..... .WHAT is happening there? How can you have a church that is thriving with THOSE ASSORTMENT of PEOPLE!

B.) We will pray for our community –

a. Street Names for 1 Year

b. Prayer doorhangers are being made available for you to go and pray over homes in our community.

c. We should be known by our commitment to PRAY for our city..... specifically, earnestly, for their souls and not their earthly health, wealth, and success!

During our time of invitation….. I am asking you to respond in a specific way this morning.

1. Around the room are names of the closest 100 streets to LCBC.

2. I am asking you to get up and go choose one of these street names to pray for over the next year….. to put in your Bible… your mirror at home… .your desk…. And pray over the souls that live on that street.

If you desire to join this church, be baptize, come to know Jesus as your savior…. This is also a time to respond as well…. Come and talk with me as others are moving towards street names….. I am asking everyone to do this, children, adults, everyone…. To move, to commit…. To be a Community church that is on our knees and Earnestly praying for the sake of the lost in our community!