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Luke 4:17-20: Dr. Luke in the third
gospel book records Jesus’ visit to His hometown of
Nazareth. By now, the news had spread widely about the
miracle-worker from Nazareth; so His family, friends and
neighbors were anxious to see and hear him. It was our
Lord’s custom to attend public worship, He made his way on
the Sabbath to the place of prayer. Jesus was asked to read
the Scripture text and to give a sermon. The
passage He read was Isaiah 61:1,2, and He selected it as His
text. The Jewish rabbis interpreted this passage
to refer to the Messiah and the people in the synagogue knew
it. You can imagine how shocked they were when Jesus boldly
said that it was written about Him and that He had come to
usher in the “acceptable year of the Lord.” Jesus applied
all of this to His own ministry, not in a political or
economic sense but in a physical and spiritual sense. He
had certainly brought Good News of salvation to bankrupt
sinners and healing to brokenhearted and rejected people.
He had delivered many from disease. Indeed it was a
spiritual “Year of Jubilee” for the nation of Israel.
At first, they admired the way He taught, but it didn’t
take long for their admiration to turn into antagonism.
Why? Because Jesus began to remind them of God’s goodness
to the Gentiles. This message was a blow to the proud
Jewish exclusiveness of their congregation. Imagine this
hometown boy saying that the Jews had to receive Gentiles.
The congregation was so angry, they took action to kill
Jesus. Let me sound my trumpet, in spite
of their unbelief in Nazareth, the Scriptures declared that
Jesus of Nazareth is God’s Only Begotten Son, the Messiah,
and the Saviour of the world. These people who rejected
Him, will one day be judged by Him and receive the vengeance
of our God. John 12:48
I. TODAY’S
CHURCH IS CHALLENGED TO REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEBODY’S HAND
THROUGH EVANGELISM.
The most important work
of the church is soul-winning. Soul-winning is God’s No. 1
Business. The Lord said, God has anointed him to
preach the gospel to the poor. and God has sent him to heal
the broken hearted. Luke 4:18
Jesus said, For the Son of man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost. Luke 19:10
Charlie McClendon says, it is the church’s duty to save
souls and to keep souls saved. He is right. Proverb
11:30 says, He that winneth souls is wise. Why is he wise?
He is arresting a stream of evil influence, turning back a
human spirit from a downward direction to a direction to a
heavenward direction. He is originating a stream of
holy and helpful influence which will bring unimaginable
good. He is wise because he is rescuing the perishing
and caring for the dying.
Who are the
lost? The lost are those who are mesmerized
by rock and hip hop music; those who are addicted to drugs
and alcohol. The lost are muggers, robbers, clubbers,
and hip hop gangsters. The lost are entertainers who
glorify violence, sexual immorality, degrade women and
condone same sex marriage, and shaking up. The lost
are hot pants Jezebels and their Johns, and their pimps.
The lost are drug dealers, drug pushers and drug users who
corrupting our community. The lost are those who are
members of man-made churches, following man-made doctrines,
doing their so-called holy dance and claiming to speak in
tongues. Jesus said in John 8:24, If you die in
your sins, where I am you cannot come. Oh
can’t you see that we need more soul-winners in the church.
Have I a witness here? Our Leaning
Post and our Bridge Over Troubled Waters has permitted us to
witness the evolution time, the changing of the year. It is
not because we have been so good or so righteous; it is
simply the mercy of the Lord. The result is that I have a
bad case of "I thank the Lord-itis."
We
need more soul-winners in the pulpit, in the leadership, in
the membership, in the office, in the factory, in the bank
and the streets. I don’t know how you feel about it,
but I can tell the world… Though storm clouds may
rise, strong winds may blow, But I’ve found a Savior and He
is sweet I know. Every chance I get I’m going to tell
somebody about this wonderful Savior, tell somebody about
His unique church and his great plan of salvation.
Diana Ross’ signature song is Reach Out and Touch
Somebody’s Hand. She wrote the lyrics.
The Gospel Keynotes sang a song: Reach out and touch
somebody’s hand. And make this world
a better world if you can.
People are lost
today. People need Jesus today; they are, lonely,
confused, mixed up, depressed. All that I am asking you as
people of God to do is: Why don’t you just take a little
time just to help someone who has fallen on the way, to
reach out and touch somebody’s hand. And make this world a
better place if you can.
Would I be talking to a
stone If I asked you to share a problem that’s not your own.
Try a little kindness you’ll see It’s something that comes
very naturally. We can change things if we start
giving. Why don’t you? Reach out and touch
somebody’s hand. And make this world a better world if you
can. I think I hear somebody singing, Lift Him Up.
How to reach the masses, men of every birth, For an answer,
Jesus gave the key: “And I, if I be lifted up from the
earth, Will draw all men unto Me. By John Oatman, Jr.
II. REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEBODY’S HAND THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY OUTREACH.
Jesus helped people spiritually and physically, the 21st
church has a unique opportunity to help spiritually and
physically. The Internet has become one of the main places
that people ask their spiritual questions and is the natural
place people go to seek private and personal information
(such as medical, financial, sexual and spiritual
information). With the use of hand-held devices such as
PDA's, cell phones, IPads and IPods the possibility for
distribution of the gospel has become immense.
The 3
billion mark for cell phone subscribers was passed on July
1, 2007, in 2008 4 billion subscribers. The 1.1 billion
regular Internet users in 2007 and reached 3.3 billion
regular internet users in 2010 as cellphone use spreads and
people access the web, email, YouTube.
Itunes,
podcasts, video clips, etc. This vast usage on internet has
made it possible for evangelist outreach, edification
outreach and communication with church membership.
Why
21st Century Church Needs To Adopt Technology?
The primary reason that 21st century church needs to adopt
technology is because the people they are trying to reach
will have adopted technology and it will be their (the
target group's) primary form of communication. The New
Testament church was a church reaching out to the lost.
Acts 2:41 there were added unto them about 3000 souls Acts
2:47 the Lord added to the church daily Acts 4:4 the number
of the men was about 5000 Acts 5:14 believers were the more
added to the Lord, Multitudes both men and women Acts 6:1
the number of the disciples was multiplied Col. 1:23 the
gospel… which was preached to every creature which is under
heaven.
They didn’t have radio, television, telephones,
computer and internet, fax machines, E-mail, automobiles,
trains, ships, airplanes, but thank God that THE WORD OF GOD
WAS SHUT UP IN THEIR HEARTS AS A BURNING FIRE. This Good
News must be declared to dying men and women. Let the
Redeemed of the Lord Say So.
IF EACH CHRISTIAN AT CLINTON
AVENUE WERE CAPTIVATED BY OUR THEME: REACH OUT AND TOUCH
SOMEBODY’S HAND IN 2012, we will baptize 100 persons in
2012. Say amen, if you can.
If more of us were propelled
by the spirit of our theme, our Bible School and Bible
classes would be overflowing, our Sunday night service would
equal the Sunday morning in attendance, more Christians
would visit the sick, more Christians would be soul-winners
and support our Gospel Meetings, more Christians would give
as the Lord has prospered them, thus surpassing every
financial goal, and more Christians would love one another,
forgive one another, and encourage one another.
Now if you
have gone out of business, you ought to take down your sign.
May this congregation be strength to those who are weak,
hope to those who are in despair, and company to those who
are lonely, peace to those who are confused, and salvation
to those who are lost in the world's jungle of sin.
Dr. Eugene Lawton, Minister
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