REACHING PEOPLE WITH THE GOSPEL
I woke myself up early this morning talking in my sleep, with only my wife to hear me. I was trying to convince people to get more involved and active in reaching out to those who need the Lord. However, people didn’t seem to be getting with it for some reason… So…o, thought I it might help to expand my audience 🙂
WITNESSES FOR CHRIST
We would love to see more door-to-door penetration in the communities and neighborhoods, sharing about the Lord and inviting them to come to church gatherings – while there is time! The Bible study groups and weekly Sunday gatherings need to be like a net where the fish can come – not to just go in and out, but where they are led to receive the Lord, get cleaned up, and productive in helping spread the gospel.
FISHERS OF MEN
Jesus wants to make his followers ‘fishers of men’. He said, ‘come’ follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men’ (Mark 1:17). When it comes to becoming fishers of men, Jesus, the greatest example extended invitations to His fishermen to become…
EXTENDING INVITATIONS
Invitations are a very important part of ‘fishing for men’! I can’t help but wonder how many invitations you and the congregations that you are involved with are making to loved ones and neighbors around there to gather with you to our meeting times? Most people need to feel lovingly welcomed to feel comfortable to attend somewhere that may be out of their normal habitat and comfort-zone…
THE BRIDE SAYS ‘COME’
Here are a few more thoughts about extending invitations, while we’re talking about the importance of inviting people to ‘come’. In Revelation 22:17 it says “the Spirit and the bride say, ‘COME’… and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” I highlighted ‘THE BRIDE’ — we know who the bride of Christ is – it is the church! (Ephesians 5:23-27) Also, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife has made herself ready… Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Revelation 19:7-9).
In Revelation 22:17 the Spirit of God in cooperation with His bride the church is to verbally extend an invitation to COME, that people might partake of the water of life freely. A natural question is – what might happen if the invitation to ‘COME’ is not extended??
Here are a few more Scriptural references to the invitation to ‘come’ (as well as the ‘coming’ of the Lord, while we are at it 🙂
Isaiah 1:18 – ‘Come’ now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;…
Isaiah 55:1 – Ho, every one that thirsts, ‘come’ you to the waters…
Matthew 11:28 – ‘Come’ unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 22:4 – … all things are ready: ‘come’ unto the marriage…
Luke 14:17 – …’come’ for all things are now ready.
Genesis 7:1 – Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark…”
Psalm 34:11 –‘Come’, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Psalm 66:5,16 – ‘Come‘ and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing… ‘Come’ and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
Psalm 86:9 – All nations whom You have made shall ‘come’ and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name.
Psalm 95:1 – Oh ‘come’, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Psalm 95:2,6,8 – Let us ‘come‘ before His presence with thanksgiving; .. Oh ‘come’, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Psalm 100:2 – Serve the Lord with gladness; ‘Come’ before His presence with singing.
Matthew 6:10 – Your kingdom ‘come’. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 14:29 – So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had ‘come‘ down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
Matthew 16:27 – Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to ‘come’ after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Matthew 25:34 – Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come’, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Luke 18:16 – But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children ‘come’ to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
John 4:29 – “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
John 11:43 – Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, ‘come’ forth!”
2 Corinthians 6:17 – Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”
I Timothy 2:4– who desires all men to be saved and to ‘come’ to the knowledge of the truth.
Hebrews 4:16 – Let us therefore ‘come’ boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 10:7,9,37 – Then I said, ‘Behold, I have ‘come’— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ ”… then He said, “Behold, I have ‘come’ to do Your will, O God.” … He takes away the first that He may establish the second… “For yet a little while, And He who is ‘coming’ will ‘come’ and will not tarry.
Hebrews 11:6 – he who ‘comes’ to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him
I Peter 1:10 – Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would ‘come’ to you,
2 Peter 3:9,10 – The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will ‘come’ as a thief in the night,
Jude 1:14 – “Behold, the Lord ‘comes’ with ten thousands of His saints,
Revelation 1:4,8 – Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to ‘come’… “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to ‘come’, the Almighty.”
Revelation 2:25 – But hold fast what you have till I ‘come’.
Revelation 3:20 – Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will ‘come’ in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
Revelation 4:1,8 – “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”… “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to ‘come’!”
Revelation 11:17 – “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to ‘come’, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
Revelation 15:4 – Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall ‘come’ and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”
Revelation 22:20 – He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am ‘coming’ quickly.” Amen. Even so, ‘come’, Lord Jesus!
