We are told that man and women, boys and girls must call upon the name of the Lord to be saved.  That He is “not willing that any should perish” (II Peter 3:9).

However, they (the lost) will not call unless they have been moved upon by the Holy Spirit to believe in Him, and they cannot call on Him (believe) unless they hear about Him and they cannot hear about Him unless the Good News of the Gospel is brought to them.

Romans 10:14-15 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

The Gospel Message will not be taken to the unbeliever until someone is “sent”.  For that to happen, the God of Heaven has to call someone to go. Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. and somebody has to surrender to go and somebody has to “send”.

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

The Church is called to go and the Church  is called to send (missions).  Unless, they hear, they cannot be saved period!!!  You can pray.  You can send food and clothes and blanket and medicine.  That’s ok.  But unless they hear the Word—the Good News—The Gospel of Christ---the Message of the Cross, there will be no salvation.

I Corinthians 1: 17-18, 21  “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

Think about it..How many more souls could be SAVED if soul winning was important to us.

People are dying and going to hell every second of every day and believers are worried about something that is passing.  Believers are fighting and arguing over their positions and who is right about the fight.  Meanwhile, the devil scores a touchdown!!

Let me tell you what it takes to get a person saved.

1. It takes the Word of God.

Romans 10:13-17 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

2. It takes the Work of Calvary.

Galatians 2:16, 21  “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

Ephesians 2: 8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

3. It takes the Wooing of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit calls men to Christ.

John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 16:8 “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”

4. It takes the Worker of Faith. A worker of faith believes God and goes and tells others.

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

5. It takes the Wonder of Faith. A worker of faith believes God and goes and tells others.

Romans 10: 8-10, 13, 17 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

6. It takes a Willing Prayer Warrior.

Luke 10:2 “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

The Mandate  “Go"

The Message  “Gospel”

The Method   “Preach”

The world isn’t going to be changed by our average style of Christianity. It is going to be changed by the presence of true disciples of our Lord.  John Wesley wrote, “If I had 300 men who feared nothing but God, hated nothing but sin, and determined to know nothing among men but Christ, and Him crucified I would set the world on fire.”  According to John the apostle, a disciple is someone:

1.     Who Continues in the Word

 John 8:31:  “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;”

2.     Who Demonstrates Christ’s Love

John 13:35:  “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

3.  Who Bears Much Fruit

John 15:8:  “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

Of course, we all realize, I’m sure, that it all begins with the New Birth

John 3:3-7:  “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?  can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,  Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

Our Lord never put discipleship in fine print in the contract.  He calls on us to forsake all, to deny self  and to love Him more than anything  else.  We are not our own, we are bought with a price (I Corinthians 6:19-20).  We are the personal property of Jesus Christ with no right to anything.  Love  so amazing,  so  divine,  demands  my  soul,  my  life,  my  all.

1.  A Disciple has the Right Priorities:

 Jesus first, He is above all.

2.  A Disciple has the Right Perspective:

He counts the cost

Luke 14:33,  “ So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

3.  A Disciple has the Right Purpose:

            To be salt

          To be consistent

Luke 14:33-34,  “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?”

What accounts for your drive for Christ?

You have a work to do, laid out for you in the secret counsels of eternity; no other can do it.  If you neglect it, it is not true that some other will do it; it will remain undone.  If  you know your heart today, you should rather die than not be used by God in building up His Kingdom.

Another word that begins with “d” is likened unto disciple and that word is discipline and it isn’t a very popular word.   The lack of it turns students into fools, children into culprits, athletes into losers, and a garden into weed patches.

One thing that is very clear about Jesus is that He knew He had been sent.  An awareness of a purpose and a mission should be obvious as being the sons of our Father.

 “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”    Hebrews 13: 17

During the 38 years that I’ve been at T.B.C., we’ve lost a lot of members.  Fortunately, we’ve gained considerable more than we’ve lost.  I’ve often wished I could keep everyone and that I could keep them gruntled.  But I’ve learned that isn’t possible; through the years I’ve had to deal with my share of disgruntled souls.  They bash the Lord’s work, listing all the things they are unhappy about ---the clothing the teens wore, inadequate follow-up on visitors, a perceived snub from another member, a children’s event that they felt was too wild …  etc… etc…etc. . There is always something for them to be disgruntled about.

Every church faces this and no pastor is exempt.  In our highly mobile society, people move around a lot; and with a consumer-oriented generation that eschews loyalty and demands quality, we’re going to lose some along the way.  We are ministering to a generation of church-hoppers.

Here are some things I try to remember as I cope with it:

1.Some losses are gains.  God not only gives us wonderful additions but blessed subtractions.  Just as a fruit tree needs occasional pruning.  God prunes His church.  Those who are leaving may represent a blockage in the spiritual life of the congregation, and their removal will allow God to work in newer, fresher ways.

2.We can use departures as occasions for improvement.  We can lean to improve from the loss.

3.When families leave, ask God to keep you from taking it too personally.  The loss of one family may prompt changes that will keep others from leaving later.

4.Ask God to send two people for everyone who leaves.

5. Don’t succumb to discouragement.  Jesus once preached a sermon that cost Him most of His congregation. (John 6:66-67 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?) Cast out self pity. In the end, our Lord had provided redemption for the whole world.
6. Remember that it’s not your church, God has the right to move people whoever He desires and my job is just to be faithful. Blessed are those who don’t complain about the way He does His business.

No one understands how hard it is to be a pastor. When families or individuals leave, it feels like having a tooth pulled without anesthetic. I usually take a moment to pray for the poor pastor who inherits any problem.

                                      Thoughts taken from: Nelson’s Annual Preachers Sourcebook 2005 Edition

Isaiah 53:6 says,  "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one.........us all."

Romans 3:23 declares that "....all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Matthew 1:21  "........for he shall save his people from their sins."

Acts 4:12   "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men,   whereby we must be SAVED."

                 When Jesus looked at people, He saw their need.  First, He saw their greatest need, salvation, and the forgiveness of sins.  No matter what the situation, Jesus dealt with the heart of the problem, which was the problem with the heart.

                 He dealt with the religious man, Nicodemus, in John 3, a Pharisee who came by night: And Jesus told him of the "New birth" without which no man could see heaven.

                 He dealt with the Samaritan woman by the well and told her of water that if she drank she would never thirst again.  The woman who had had five husbands and livings with a man who was not her husband who got gloriously saved and then told others of the Christ.

                  But one of the greatest examples of repentance is the dying thief on the cross.  Matthew 27:44 tells us that both "thieves also, which were crucified with him cast the same in his teeth."

                 But then something happened to the one thief who said: "Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Luke 23:42 and Jesus said, "........Today thou shalt be with me in paradise."

                Jesus did not say, "Straighten up and Live Right" , "Pay Your Debts to Society" , or  "Read the gospel of John" --all good things to do.

                 But this dying thief could only do one thing: CHANGE HIS MIND.

                 His attitude in Matthew 27:44 was a critical one against Christ but he changed his mind.  He couldn't beat upon his chest (hanging on the cross), he couldn't fold his hands or drop to his knees and pray.  All he could do on that cross was change his mind.

                He changed his mind about:

                                                       the Saviour -- "this man hath done nothing amiss" (Luke 23:41)

                                                       about sin-- we deserve what we are getting--"for we receive the reward of our deeds"  (Luke 23:41).

That, my friend, is Repentance!

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I Thessalonians 5:18