Sermon Central
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Back To Church Sunday
Contributed by James Webster on Sep 13, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: Sermon to preach about the importance of reaching lost people. Possibly preach the Sunday before "Back to Church Sunday" which is celebrated the third Sunday of each September.
MESSAGE
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2014
OPENING COMMENTS
Next Sunday is an exciting Sunday at our church for several reasons.
1) - National Back to Church Sunday. Churches all over the world have one effort and that is to get people to come back to church and be in church next Sunday.
As of yesterday there are 24,694 churches in the United participating in National Back to church Sunday and 1,290 international churches participating for a total of 25,984 churches. This is 4th year being a part of this celebration.
Our goal for next Sunday is 200.
2) - Secondly it is a special day because it is the celebration and dedication of our new church.
On the screen there is the line up for next Sunday.
COMBINED WORSHIP SERVICE @ 10 AM
SPECIAL MUSIC BY “NEW AGAIN QUARTET”
DOWEL RODS
SPEAKER, REV. HAROLD BERRIAN, DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT
DOWEL ROD PERFORMANCE
RECEPTION OF MEMBERS
DINNER IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL AFTER THE MORNING SERVICE
NO PM SERVICE
I hope that you will be a part of what I think is one of the greatest days in the 70 years history of our church.
TRANSITION STATEMENT: Everything we do in the church is for the purpose of reaching lost souls for Jesus Christ. So that is what I want to talk to you about today, reaching lost people.
1) - It was Jesus passion. Luke 19:10
Luke 19:10 Jesus said this to the people who was murmuring about Him going to Zacchaeus probably for dinner. There were those that murmured and said about Jesus, “He has gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner.”
Doesn’t the murmuring crowd depress you?
Don’t you just hate to be around a bunch of people that murmur all the time?
While they were murmuring Zacchaeus’ life was being changed, in fact while they were murmuring Zacchaeus was getting saved. He was confessing and repaying people for all the wrong he had done.
“Half of my goods I give to the poor; and I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” - Zacchaeus.
Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today Salvation has come to this house,….. would you read Luke 19:10 with me?
”for the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Every one of us should be rejoicing when we read that verse, because every one of us is found in that verse.
John Newton a slave trader before he came to know Jesus pinned the words, “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was LOST but now I am found.”
See the problem with today’s theology is nobody wants to be lost any more. But my friend, if you do not know Jesus Christ for the pardon and remission of sins, you are lost, and Jesus wants to save you.
Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost; therefore you and I should be concerned about lost people.
As Christians we have a responsibility to reach lost people.
LUKE 15- In Luke 15 there is a whole chapter dedicated to lost things.
There are three parables of Jesus in this one chapter.
• The parable of the lost sheep.
• The parable of the lost coin
• The parable of the lost son.
ILLUSTRATION
How many has lost something this week?
Maybe you lost your keys, or your car in a parking lot. I love the panic button on my key ring. You can hit it and see where your car is but don’t go directly to it, walk around a while till everybody leaves and didn’t know you had to use the panic button.
Maybe you lost your kid and you had to find him or her.
Maybe you lost your spouse in a mall you didn’t go and look for them.
We look for lost things all the time, should we not look with the same passion for people who are spiritually lost.
JESUS UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT MEANT TO BE LOST.
Jesus understood the meaning of being lost so much he used the word 5 times in this chapter alone.
Luke 15:4 “If any of you have 100 sheep, if you lose one of the, do you not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after that one that is lost?”
Luke 15:5-6 “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices coming home call his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.”
Luke 15:9 The calls her neighbors and invites them to rejoice with her because she found the missing piece which was lost.
Luke 15:24 The father had a party because his son who was lost, is found. He used that phrase to the servants and to the elder brother.
