Sermon Central
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Why Do We Twist Arms To Get People Saved? Series
Contributed by Jim Butcher on Feb 19, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: Why do we act like entering the Kingdom is a terrible deal for the sinner?
How We Often Talk About Becoming A Christian: We plead and beg and twist arms.
- “Sure, Christianity is a drudgery, but you need to avoid hell.”
How Jesus Talks About It: God’s offer is the opportunity of a lifetime – an unbelievably great deal.
- “Woe” v. “Wow.”
- “I can’t believe this!” Not as an atheist saying it, but as an overwhelmingly thankful new believer.
- List out what God has actually done for us - the amazing story of salvation.
How We Get There: Some deliberately seek it and some stumble across it.
- Notice that one of the people Jesus speaks of was deliberately seeking the treasure while the other just stumbled onto it.
How It Affects Us Daily: When we see it for the awesome offer it truly is, it infuses our life with joy.
- What we’ve signed up for totally affects our attitude. If I believe that I’ve done something that had to be done, but it’s a nuisance and a hindrance to me, then I’m going to whine about it and complain and suffer the negative attitude that comes with that.
- If I believe, though, that I’ve gotten the offer of a lifetime, an unbelievable opportunity, then every time I think of it, I smile and joy fills my heart.
- Challenge: How do you as a Christian think about your salvation? Does it overwhelm you? Does it make you smile? Do you see it as the best thing that’s ever happened to you?
What It Costs: It costs me everything.
- This doesn’t change the fact that it is the best deal ever, but it does remind us of the cost.
