Be Ready: Urgency in Sharing the Gospel
Summary
### Summary
Welcome, everyone. Today, I want to emphasize the urgency of preparing ourselves and others for the coming of Jesus. Revelation 3:11 reminds us to hold fast to what we have so that no one may take our crown. Ellen White encourages us to strive to make heaven our home and not let anyone block us from making it in. We are living on borrowed time, and Jesus is just at the door. We must be ready to meet Him and share His gospel with others. The signs of His coming are evident in the calamities and unrest we see around the world. These are warnings for us to get ready and be prepared to meet Jesus.
It's not enough to be a good person; we must accept Christ and follow His ways. We need to recommit our lives to God and get serious about soul-winning. Jesus loved us so much that He died for our sins while we were still sinners. We can't imagine heaven without our loved ones, and we must reach out to them with the message of salvation. When Jesus comes, we don't want to be found running to the rocks or mountains. We want to be ready and help others be ready too.
God has given us a special mission to reach out to our immediate family, relatives, friends, and neighbors. We need to make an effort to talk to them, build relationships, and eventually share the gospel with them. Every member of the church should try to win souls. Mark 16:15 tells us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone. It's not just the preacher's job; we are all ministers and representatives of Jesus.
If someone asks you a question you can't answer, don't worry. Just tell them you'll find the answer and get back to them. This takes the pressure off you. If someone has a lot of questions, get the elders involved. Jesus wants each of us to be about His business. He comes first in all things. Make a commitment to reach out to at least one person. Do you love the Lord? If you do, stand up. Jesus died on the cross for us, and we should be willing to put down our lives for Him.
We need to activate our thinking and get motivated to write down the names of family members, friends, and neighbors who don't know Jesus. Pray for a bountiful harvest as we work to bring these individuals to Christ. We need everyone's support for our evangelistic efforts. Let's be about Jesus' business and bring individuals to hear the word of God.
In closing, remember the game of hide and seek. The base man counts while others try to find a hiding place. Some are still saying, "not ready," but the base man eventually says, "ready or not, here I come." Jesus is coming, and some of us are still saying, "not ready." We need to share the gospel now because when He comes, it will be too late. Let's be about His business while we still have time. All kinds of joy will come when we bring souls to Jesus. Let's pray for God's guidance and blessings as we start organizing and going out into the field to win souls for Christ.
### Key Takeaways
1. Urgency of Preparation: We are living on borrowed time, and Jesus is just at the door. The signs of His coming are evident in the calamities and unrest we see around the world. These are warnings for us to get ready and be prepared to meet Jesus. We must hold fast to the truths God has given us and not waver now. [06:21]
2. Recommitment and Soul-Winning: It's not enough to be a good person; we must accept Christ and follow His ways. We need to recommit our lives to God and get serious about soul-winning. Jesus loved us so much that He died for our sins while we were still sinners. We can't imagine heaven without our loved ones, and we must reach out to them with the message of salvation. [10:40]
3. Reaching Out to Others: God has given us a special mission to reach out to our immediate family, relatives, friends, and neighbors. We need to make an effort to talk to them, build relationships, and eventually share the gospel with them. Every member of the church should try to win souls. Mark 16:15 tells us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone. [25:12]
4. Handling Questions and Involvement: If someone asks you a question you can't answer, don't worry. Just tell them you'll find the answer and get back to them. This takes the pressure off you. If someone has a lot of questions, get the elders involved. Jesus wants each of us to be about His business. He comes first in all things. Make a commitment to reach out to at least one person. [30:01]
5. The Game of Hide and Seek: The game of hide and seek illustrates the urgency of being ready for Jesus' return. The base man counts while others try to find a hiding place. Some are still saying, "not ready," but the base man eventually says, "ready or not, here I come." Jesus is coming, and some of us are still saying, "not ready." We need to share the gospel now because when He comes, it will be too late. [35:51]
### Youtube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[06:21] - Urgency of Preparation
[10:40] - Recommitment and Soul-Winning
[25:12] - Reaching Out to Others
[30:01] - Handling Questions and Involvement
[35:51] - The Game of Hide and Seek
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Revelation 3:11 (NKJV) - "Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown."
2. Mark 16:15 (NKJV) - "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.'"
3. Proverbs 11:30 (NKJV) - "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise."
### Observation Questions
1. According to Revelation 3:11, what are believers encouraged to do as they await Jesus' return?
2. In Mark 16:15, what command does Jesus give to His followers?
3. How does Proverbs 11:30 describe the actions and rewards of a righteous person?
4. What are some of the signs mentioned in the sermon that indicate Jesus' coming is near? ([08:24])
### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean to "hold fast" to what we have, as mentioned in Revelation 3:11? How can this be applied in our daily lives?
2. How does the urgency of Jesus' return, as discussed in the sermon, impact the way we should live and share the gospel? ([06:21])
3. Why is it important to reach out to our immediate family, relatives, friends, and neighbors with the gospel, according to the sermon? ([12:36])
4. How can we handle questions about faith that we might not have immediate answers to, based on the advice given in the sermon? ([30:01])
### Application Questions
1. Reflecting on Revelation 3:11, what are some specific truths or practices you need to "hold fast" to in your life? How can you ensure you remain steadfast in these areas?
2. Considering the command in Mark 16:15, identify one person in your life who does not know Jesus. What steps can you take this week to share the gospel with them?
3. Proverbs 11:30 speaks about the wisdom of winning souls. What practical actions can you take to become more involved in soul-winning efforts within your community?
4. The sermon emphasizes the urgency of preparing for Jesus' return. What changes do you need to make in your life to be more prepared for His coming? ([08:24])
5. How can you build relationships with your family, friends, and neighbors to create opportunities for sharing the gospel, as suggested in the sermon? ([12:36])
6. When faced with difficult questions about your faith, how can you use the strategy mentioned in the sermon to respond effectively? ([30:01])
7. The sermon uses the game of hide and seek to illustrate the urgency of being ready for Jesus' return. Are there any areas in your life where you feel "not ready"? What steps can you take to address these areas? ([35:51])
Devotional
Day 1: Urgency of Preparation
We are living on borrowed time, and Jesus is just at the door. The signs of His coming are evident in the calamities and unrest we see around the world. These are warnings for us to get ready and be prepared to meet Jesus. We must hold fast to the truths God has given us and not waver now. The urgency of preparation is not just about being aware of the signs but also about actively preparing our hearts and lives for His return. This means living in a way that reflects our faith and commitment to Jesus, ensuring that we are spiritually ready to meet Him.
Revelation 3:11 (ESV): "I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to ensure that you are spiritually prepared for Jesus' return? How can you hold fast to the truths God has given you in your daily life? [06:21]
Day 2: Recommitment and Soul-Winning
It's not enough to be a good person; we must accept Christ and follow His ways. We need to recommit our lives to God and get serious about soul-winning. Jesus loved us so much that He died for our sins while we were still sinners. We can't imagine heaven without our loved ones, and we must reach out to them with the message of salvation. Recommitting to God means renewing our dedication to live according to His will and actively seeking opportunities to share the gospel with others. This involves both personal spiritual growth and a commitment to evangelism.
2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV): "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."
Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear the message of salvation? How can you recommit yourself to God and take practical steps to share the gospel with them today? [10:40]
Day 3: Reaching Out to Others
God has given us a special mission to reach out to our immediate family, relatives, friends, and neighbors. We need to make an effort to talk to them, build relationships, and eventually share the gospel with them. Every member of the church should try to win souls. Mark 16:15 tells us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone. This mission is not just for preachers but for every believer. Building relationships and sharing the gospel requires intentionality and a genuine love for others.
Colossians 4:5-6 (ESV): "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
Reflection: How can you start building or strengthening relationships with those around you to create opportunities for sharing the gospel? What practical steps can you take this week to reach out to someone in your immediate circle? [25:12]
Day 4: Handling Questions and Involvement
If someone asks you a question you can't answer, don't worry. Just tell them you'll find the answer and get back to them. This takes the pressure off you. If someone has a lot of questions, get the elders involved. Jesus wants each of us to be about His business. He comes first in all things. Make a commitment to reach out to at least one person. Being involved in soul-winning means being prepared to answer questions and seek help when needed. It also means prioritizing Jesus' mission in our lives and being proactive in our evangelistic efforts.
1 Peter 3:15 (ESV): "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."
Reflection: How can you better prepare yourself to answer questions about your faith? Who is one person you can commit to reaching out to this week, and how will you start the conversation? [30:01]
Day 5: The Game of Hide and Seek
The game of hide and seek illustrates the urgency of being ready for Jesus' return. The base man counts while others try to find a hiding place. Some are still saying, "not ready," but the base man eventually says, "ready or not, here I come." Jesus is coming, and some of us are still saying, "not ready." We need to share the gospel now because when He comes, it will be too late. This analogy emphasizes the importance of being prepared and the urgency of our mission to share the gospel with others before it's too late.
Matthew 24:44 (ESV): "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you are still saying, "not ready"? How can you address these areas and ensure you are prepared for Jesus' return? What steps can you take today to share the gospel with someone who needs to hear it? [35:51]
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "To trust in Jesus is good to knowing because when there is turbulence in your life, When God talks about a special group called 144,000, the theologians, we are not quite sure how to adjust that. We don't know if it's literal. We don't know if it's a metaphor of a group. But we know that God has a special group, listen to me, that will be alive when he comes. his people. It could be you. You can go home and lay down, and there's no guarantees that you will wake up the next day. And how many people in the world know not of Jesus? And how many people know not of Jesus? And they're dying every day without knowing the blessed hope in Jesus." [06:21]
2. "I just want to remind you today that you could be a good person, but if you don't accept Christ and follow Christ's ways, you will not make it into God's kingdom. You've got to accept Christ. You've got to follow Christ. Sure, he wants you to be a good person, but he wants you to follow his precepts. Are you listening to me out there? So, thus, they blindly go about their usual routines and not even thinking about God. But don't be deceived. It's not enough to be a good person. We must know our Savior, and we must speak up for him. We must let the world know that Jesus came and Jesus died for our sins." [10:40]
3. "Get our hearts ready to meet Jesus. There's no time to enjoy the evil pleasures of this world. We need to recommit our lives to God and also get serious about soul winning. Letting people know that Jesus loved them so much that he went to a cruel cross to die for their sins. And what's so beautiful about it, he didn't wait until we stopped sinning. He died for us while we were yet in our sins. You can't imagine heaven without them. And oh, what a day of rejoicing it will be when Jesus comes in the clouds of glory and we see our Savior face to face." [12:36]
4. "A young lady one day was sitting in my car out of Auburn, Georgia and her family was not in the church. I never will forget what she said. She says, Pastor, we all are miracles. I said, what do you mean by that? She said, do you know we, many of us have sit amongst evangelistic meetings, tent meetings, and we accepted God's word and many individuals walked away from it. She says, we are a miracle. And when I thought about that, Sister Blake, I said, you know, we are. And some of us, some of us are miracles that we were brought up in the faith. Because if we weren't, if there was any other way, we would not perhaps be in the church right now. Come on, say amen." [26:20]
5. "There's a game that we have all played. It's called hide and seek. Do you know how that game is played? Somebody goes to the base and they begin to count. Back in my day when I was younger, we said, we said it like this. Last night, night before, 24 robbers at my door. I got up and I hit them on the head with rolling pins. And all the children that were at the base, they were scattered while the base men were scattered. Say that little saying. And while they're scattering, trying to find a hiding place, the base man with his eyes closed can still hear someone tipping by saying, not ready. And so he goes back to the base again. And while they're trying to find a hiding place, he says, last night, night before, 24 robbers at my door. I got up and let them in. Hit them on the head with rolling pins. You just hear it in a little distance. He said it once again. Last night, night before, 24 robbers at my door. I got up, let them in, hit them on the head with a rolling pin. And still somebody is tipping around trying to find a hiding place. So the man on the base gets frustrated. And he counts like this now. Last night, night before, 24 robbers at my door. I got up, them in. Hit them on the head with a rolling pin. And still somebody was saying, not ready, not ready. And he said, one. Somebody still saying, not ready. Two. Somebody still saying, not ready. Three. not ready, not ready, not ready. Tears. And somebody is still saying, not ready. Then the man at the base says, ready or not, here I come." [35:51]
### Quotes for Members
1. "Behold, I am coming quickly, hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. Ellen White says that we ought to strive to make heaven our home, and we're not to let anyone block us from making it in. So I say to you today, hold fast to the truths that God has given to you. Don't waver now. We're living on borrowed money. Hold fast to the truths that God has given to you. Don't waver now. And Jesus is just at the door. He's coming, church, and we've got to be ready. But not only are we to be ready to meet him, God expects us to go out and to share his gospel with somebody else. Come on, say amen." [06:21]
2. "Jesus is coming again, and he's coming sooner than we think. When we study God's words, he tells us that we ought to look for the certain things that will take place in the elements. And he tells us that as we watch the signs of the times, we know that his coming is near. I was reading in the book called Evangelism, and Ellen White says where you see the greatest amount of destruction and calamities, she says that there's more sin there. Then she started talking about some places that we know to be very sinful, even though the whole world is sinful. But she says that great calamities are going to come upon them first." [08:24]
3. "We have loved ones in our homes that do not know of Jesus. We have loved ones in our families that do not know about Jesus. We have loved ones that are friends of ours that know nothing of Jesus and God wants to use us as his instrument to spread his word. Could I get a witness out there? God will praise each one of them. What a wonderful promise. And God himself will give us the praise personally for our crowns will be given one at a time. God himself will look into each of our faces and say, well done, thou good and faithful servant." [12:36]
4. "Now, I just want to point out to you that there are several things that we need to do to get ready to make ourselves ready to give Bible studies and to win souls to the Lord. The first thing that we should do is that we need to begin to reach out to our immediate family and relatives. Amen. I'm not going to pass this out today. I want you to understand what I'm saying. I'm going to give you this list next week. In the meanwhile, I want you to reach out to your family and friends that know not of the word of God. Okay? Just write their names down, the addresses, their telephone numbers. I'm looking for individuals in the church that don't mind making contact and even giving a Bible study to those individuals." [25:12]
5. "Every member of the church should try to win souls. This is my last text. Mark 16, verse 15. Who will read that? Mark 16, verse 15. Mark 16, verse 15. All right, read it for me, please. Now, let me tell you all something. You may not have known this, but I know my good buddy has been sharing with you out of his series, God's Christ Methods. And it's all of our duty go out into our neighborhoods and to share God's word. And God wants us to preach the gospel to everyone. And so it's just not the preacher's job alone. Amen. It's not the elder's job alone. All of us are ministers. We all represent Jesus." [27:53]
6. "Now, Jesus wants each one of us to be about his business. He comes first in all things. And I want to ask you today to make a commitment to reach out to win at least one person. One person. Now, I want to ask you this question first. Do you love the Lord? If you love the Lord, stand up. Do you realize what Jesus did for you? He died on a cross. He shedded his blood. Do you have someone near you that you love, that you want to know the word? And I got news for you. You may have a relative that may not be here in Atlanta, Georgia. We're winning souls. Let's reach out even across the, in other states. Get the word to them. Come on, say amen." [30:01]
7. "All kind of joy will come in this church when we begin to bring souls to Jesus. And it's a wonderful experience, my brothers and sisters, when you study with someone, you work with someone, and you've seen them come across the line, you see them baptized, all heaven is astir over one soul that gives their heart to the Lord. But the Lord says that if we carry His word out, it will not come back void." [37:13]
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