LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Experts claim that in the first three years of life a child is not capable of understanding true sharing and sacrifice. They are self-centered and want what they want when they want it. At around age four, they begin to understand the concept of giving, but unless it is nurtured they will quickly decide to remain in their selfish ways. They will continue seeking to fulfill their lives by getting more for themselves. They will become little “devils” and soon alienate their peers. They will grow up to be teenagers who are hurtful and hateful, seeking to improve their own lives at the expense of others. They will become adults who are judgmental of others. If someone dares to point out their flaws and offer words of correction, they quickly jump on the defensive and attempt to discredit the criticism and solidify their own position. Such was the status of the people of Jesus’ generation.

Luke 7:31-35 “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and ‘sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

Jesus compared the people to children at play. When they would get together at their playground called the marketplace, they would imitate the adults having either a wedding dance or a funeral procession. One group of children would decide to have fun by pretending to play flutes in celebration of a marriage, and the other children would not be interested in that game. The same would happen when they tried to mourn and wail as if in a funeral march. No matter what games were chosen by some, the others would reject them.

Jesus said that the adults of his time were the same way. John the Baptist came with the seriousness of a funeral procession and preached repentance from sin or suffer death. He modeled the seriousness of the message with his lifestyle choices. This should have appealed to every person who was self-righteous, and they should have praised his choices and external appearance. But self-righteousness is a destructive bondage that refuses to admit wrong, so repentance was out of the question. They looked past the outward appearance and judged the condition of his heart to protect their own.

Jesus came with the same message of repentance, but wrapped in the clothing of grace and love. His emphasis was not on the external appearance but rather on the inner condition of the heart. But He too was rejected by the self-righteous people because they did not want to acknowledge the sin in their own hearts. They instead chose to focus on His externals, believing that if they could prove an action to be wrong then the message of the heart could also be rejected.

This brings us to one key point for today – wisdom does not judge others to protect self. God has called us to be children of wisdom: His wisdom. God’s wisdom is first and foremost humble, and humility never honors self. Humble people do not seek to build themselves up at the expense of others. Humble people do not cover their own sins and shortcomings by pointing out the defects in others. Humble people are not children who reject the suggestions of others, but surrender their own desires for the betterment of others. Humble people do not criticize other Christians because their methods are different than their own. Humble people expose their own weaknesses so that the grace and love of Jesus can have its full effect on their lives, which in turn will witness to others of His transforming power.

Ask yourself the question that stems from Jesus’ final statement in this passage – Does my life prove that I am a child of wisdom, living humbly and selflessly?

Now answer the question honestly.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

The circumstances of life tend to affect our perspective of faith. This was true of John the Baptist, who by faith had made the declaration upon seeing Jesus that this was “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Yet John’s perspective of Jesus was Messianic in nature, growing out of his faith in the “Expected One” who would deliver Israel from their national disgrace. When John was arrested for his preaching, doubts about Jesus began to overwhelm him. John was thinking that if Jesus truly was the Messiah than why is even the political leadership of the nation rejecting me. He had to clarify his faith.

Luke 7:18-23 John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’” At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”

 Notice several significant lessons from this story:

1. Jesus understands that some doubts are legitimate. Doubt becomes sin when it questions the validity of God’s Word. John had not stopped believing in the Messiah; he just needed to know if Jesus was the Messiah or if they were to wait a little longer for His coming. John’s faith in the promise of God was secure. He needed faith to believe the timing of God’s fulfillment of His Word.
2. John took his doubt to the source of faith. He did not seek input from even his own disciples. He sent them to talk to the One who knew the answer – Jesus. If his doubt was sinful he would have sought an answer from other sources in which he trusted. His contact with Jesus proved his faith. John was not questioning who Jesus was so much as he was questioning the process Jesus was using to reveal His kingdom to the world.
3. John’s doubt did not stop the work of Jesus. At the very time of John’s questioning, the process of the Messiah’s revelation to the world was progressing according to God’s plan. Our legitimate doubts do not interrupt or delay the glory of God’s purpose. Do not let Satan lay guilt on you for having legitimate questions that strengthen your faith.
4. Jesus gave John all the evidence he needed to totally trust Him. Jesus told John that things are progressing just as Isaiah promised – “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
5. Jesus called everyone “blessed” who trusts Him rather than trusts their circumstances. When times are bad, God is still good. Place your faith in the Person not in the process.

Enjoy letting your faith grow today as you consider these truths.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, July 15, 2019

It is increasingly dark around us. Normal, hopeful, peaceful life is dying. Dreams are dying, and with them the ambition to create new ones. Hope is dying, and with it the ability to believe in anything good. Peace is dying, and has taken security down the tubes with it.  We are surrounded by a large crowd that empathizes with our condition because it is so similar to their own. But instead of helping us carry out our dreams to fulfillment they come to carry out our dreams to a place of burial. We are left hopeless and helpless, with nowhere to go but to the graveyard of memories.

Luke 7:11-17 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out – the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”  This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

But Jesus comes along to resurrect the dream. He restores our hope and returns our peace. He says to them, “Get up!” and gives them back to us. That is my favorite part of this story – Jesus gives the son back to the mother. Jesus works to give us back what has been taken away. He does not do it for Himself; He does it for the one whom He loves. His heart goes out to us in our situation and He works His grace on our behalf to restore to us what has died.

This is how we witness to the world. We have the message of resurrection and restoration. We have the ministry of reviving dreams and hopes that have died. We get to come along and cross the paths of people mourning death and restore a spirit of celebration of life. Through Jesus we give them back their hope and their dreams.

What an incredible motivation to get up every day and get on with God’s work. We get to bring life to a dying world. News will spread quickly throughout our society when we become people who are known as the ambassadors of Jesus Christ who have been sent to help His people. People need help, and the help we have is Jesus Himself. Let’s bring His life-giving help to everyone in need.

We may not be much help in solving their crisis, but we can be their help in changing their perspective. It’s amazing how small and unimportant the problems of the world become when the focal point of life becomes Jesus Christ. The troubles of this world are not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us when we see Jesus face to face some day.

Deliver hope to someone today.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Friday, July 12, 2019

Every day we are surrounded by messages and influenced by desires to get more for ourselves. This even applies to the motivation some people have to seek out Jesus Christ. But Jesus never rejects them; he simply redirects their motivation to the right thing.

Luke 7:1-11 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, the entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.”  And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”  And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

The Jewish elders became advocates for a Roman centurion because of the personal benefits he provided them. They called him “worthy” of the gospel because he built them their church. These elders had no interest in understanding the true Kingdom of heaven; they only wanted their personal kingdom protected. They saw Jesus as a means to an end, not the End itself!

Jesus recognized that the centurion had not made his request for the wrong motivation, so he went to see him. Along the way Jesus discovered the truth of the centurion’s heart – he was humble and broken, not considering himself worthy of anything the Lord had to offer him. He understood completely the authority of the Lord and compared it to his own military authority. What a contrast between him and the elders. One focused on his unworthiness and the Lord’s authority: the elders focused on man’s worthiness and the Lord’s obligation to help. Jesus made it very clear which perspective He honors when He said, “not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 

Far too many Christians and churches proclaim Jesus gain an earthly advantage. We attempt to make Him palatable to a lost society by changing the message so it is less offensive. All that does is rob the cross of its power. Jesus honors only one kind of faith with salvation – a faith based on man’s total unworthiness and God’s total glory.

It is time to evaluate our own perspective of salvation. Is Jesus just a means to an earthly end for us? Do we believe He is obligated to help us because we are worthy of it? Must he heal us and provide wealth for us because we have done something to earn it? We must answer each of these questions with an authoritative and convincing “NO!”  Paul’s words in Colossians 2:6 are powerful – Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him. We received Jesus as Savior totally by faith in His grace, so what makes us think we can do anything now to deserve anything more?

Once we get that straight in our own lives, we will be able to spread the Good News more effectively because we will be spreading the right Good News. The Good News is not that Jesus will be your benefactor in heaven making your life sweet on earth. The Good News is that Jesus will save you from the horrible condition of your sin.

It is time for us to stop making the gospel politically and emotionally correct to the hearer, and start telling the Good News that Jesus saves from sin. Without a recognition of sin, the sinner cannot be saved. There must be repentance for salvation to happen, and repentance cannot happen without a recognition of sin.

Jesus healed the centurion’s servant because He recognized his faith – a faith that was based on his own unworthiness and the Lord’s authority to forgive sin. All salvation begins with that same faith. Let’s make sure we understand it, so we can tell that Good News to others.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, July 11, 2019

In Luke’s version of the sermon on the mount, Jesus spends a substantial amount of time speaking about doing good. But Jesus did more than just talk about it – He did good. When testifying to the integrity of Jesus’ life, Peter proclaimed in Acts 10:38, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and he went around doing good. Jesus not only preached the good news, but he also practiced it.

For our words to be truly believable they must be substantiated by our actions. In fact, our actions should be the first form of witnessing that the world sees. That is why Jesus spent so much time challenging His followers to do good and charging His adversaries with hypocrisy. People who say one thing and do another are not credible. People who have been transformed by the Spirit of God so that their hearts are filled with the good things of God producing good works are incredible. People like you and me. People who have been touched by the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. People who have been forgiven for their sins. People who have been accepted into the family of God. People who are overflowing with the love of God. People whose actions are the product of the good God has stored up in their hearts.

But for good works to be a truly powerful testimony of the Good News, those works must go beyond what is ordinary and become supernatural. It is ordinary for all humans to do good works. If it were not, then the Scriptures would not tell us that our works of righteousness are as filthy rags. We can all do works of righteousness, but if they are done outside of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, they are worthless. Just look around at all the good that is being done by all kinds of people who respond to human tragedies. Man is capable of doing good.

But for good works to be a testimony to the Good News they must go beyond what is ordinary and humanly possible.

Luke 6:27-36 But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Good works that are the product of the good news will reflect the nature and character of God as modeled in Jesus Christ.

1. God’s work will be acts of true love with no “friend or foe” qualification. The ordinary works of the world meet the needs of friends. The supernatural works of God’s people meet the needs of enemies in a spirit of true love.
2. God’s work will be done unconditionally, demanding no repayment or reward. The ordinary works of the world are done to people who have the potential to return the favor. The supernatural works of God’s people are done for God with people as the benefactors, so nothing from people is needed in return.
3. God’s works will be merciful works, done to the most undeserving. The ordinary works of the world are done to people qualified as those who didn’t deserve to suffer. The supernatural works of God’s people are done to those who deserve to suffer.

As born-again believers in Jesus Christ, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to go around doing good, just like Jesus did. Then when the world notices true good being done, we will have the opportunity to tell them the Good News, and it will make sense to them because they have witnessed the transforming power of God in action.

Let’s spread the good news by doing good.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Historically, only a few weeks have passed since Jesus preached His first sermon of good news to the people.  He already has a following that totals well more than 12 disciples. A disciple is one who is a learner, or pupil, seeking to know and understand the spiritual philosophy of a teacher or rabbi. Out of all these eager learners Jesus needed to select a few who would be designated as apostles, or commissioned messengers of the good news. This was an incredibly important decision, and Christ models for us the one-step plan of how to make such choices – PRAY!

Luke 6:12-13 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.

Every day we are confronted with choices in such areas as finances, health, relationships, and recreation. While all those things are important, none is so important as this – to whom will I tell the good news today? As we pass people in the mall, in checkout lines, or communicate with them at work, who will God have us talk to about His Son? We have no greater resource with which to answer that question than the direction of the Holy Spirit available through prayer.

I’m sure that most of us spend time daily taking personal needs to God in prayer. Interruptions and inconveniences that arise throughout the day cause us to send up a quick request to our heavenly Father to give us the strength to carry on. We probably even ask Him for a specific outcome, hoping He will respond positively to our request for our objectives to be met. (Isn’t that amazing, that before we even ask Him to reveal His will and purpose we are asking Him for our outcomes.  That’s another issue for another day.)

But how many of us take the time every day to ask God to use us in a specific way to accomplish what He has already revealed to be his will and purpose – to share the good news? God has prepared people to be brought across our path every day so that we might touch them with His grace and love. Yet we tend to pass this off as insignificant when compared to our jobs or finances or health or pleasure.

Jesus didn’t. He spent the whole night in prayer asking God for specific direction in choosing those men who would become apostles. That should be our model also. Maybe you don’t need to stay up all night praying, but why not try this – make the last thing you pray before you go to sleep and the first thing you pray when you wake up a request to be directed to the person that God wants to call into His Kingdom. You can still pray about all the other things, as you should and as God desires, but make the prayer for the unsaved your priority. Followed it with a prayer for spiritual sensitivity and strength to share the good news with the people God brings you.

Prayer is the one-step plan to personal evangelism. Start praying.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Everything Jesus did was motivated by His desire for people to hear the good news of salvation. Early in His ministry He addressed the issue of a religious society that was attempting to earn the favor of God. People needed to hear the good news of the grace of God that provides salvation and freedom from the law.

Jesus is still in the first few months of His public ministry and He is already making waves of tsunami proportions. The Pharisees were big on obedience to the law, and Jesus wanted to confront the condition of their hearts. While the Pharisees measured their spiritual value by their methods, Jesus measured it by their motives.

When we dig into a person’s heart and get beyond the outward appearance of righteousness we have touched a very sensitive nerve in most people. We are all experts at creating a visible force field of holiness based on good works. We hope it will protect us from the scrutiny of true heart searching that may reveal impure or selfish motives. That was the case with the Pharisees, and Jesus wanted to get that out in the open.

Luke 6:1-9 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

The Pharisees were so entrenched in their legalistic ways that they looked for ways to accuse Jesus of doing wrong. It says that they watched Him closely (the Greek word here means to inspect closely for the purpose of finding fault). It is so sad to see people who are energized by the fuel of faultfinding. But Jesus would not let them get away with it. He confronted them directly and healed the man with the shriveled hand right in front of them – and on the Sabbath day besides.

There’s a lesson from this story about sharing the good news. The good news is not a new set of laws. The good news is not obedience to the old set of laws. The good news does not give us permission to judge everyone else by their conformity or non-conformity to the law. The good news does not make us better than anyone else because we understand and obey the law.

No, the good news is that there is freedom from the law, and what the world needs to see is people who live that way. Our witness to the saving grace of God will only be so effective as our ability to live by grace and model it to the unsaved.

Jesus modeled grace from the beginning of His ministry. He would not give in to the temptation to be acceptable to the legalists of His day. Instead, He modeled grace and acceptance, not based on obedience to the law but based on faith in the Giver of the law. When we share the good news, we must not simply offer a person a transfer of bondage from one law to another, but rather we must offer them freedom from the bondage of all law so that by grace they freely submit to the law of Christ. That is God’s love. We are not in bondage to Christ, but we are compelled by His love to serve Him.

Let the world see Christianity for what it really is – loving acceptance of all people based on the grace of God. They do not need to hear about their evil and their unworthiness compared to our righteousness. We have only the righteousness of Christ, and they can have it also.  Anyone can! Let your life of grace show them the way.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Here’s a challenge to you. Read one chapter of Proverbs every day for thirty-one days and write down one or two things in a daily journal that the Lord uses to renew and refresh you in your faith.

Beginning today, I want to share some of the things God is teaching me through doing this.  Also, with their permission, I want to share what others are learning from this spiritual exercise as well.

We begin at the beginning, which is always a good place to begin. I am the type of person that likes to know the goal before I start out on any adventure. God’s call of Abraham to simply go east would really be a test for me. I am thankful that Solomon sets forth the goal of Proverbs right at the beginning.

Proverbs 1:1-4  The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: ² for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; ³ for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; ⁴ for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—

Solomon says that these proverbs have five primary purposes:

1. They are the learning center of wisdom and discipline;
2. They teach us how to think clearly;
3. They produce a God-honoring lifestyle;
4. They enhance one’s common sense;
5. And they help even the young to make good decisions.

WOW! Just think, by reading, studying, and applying these Proverbs to our lives we will tap into the eternal Source of all wisdom. The result will be that our lives will become more disciplined. We will be able to think clearly about every circumstance in our lives. We will be transformed into people who obey God and love doing His will because we understand our eternal purpose. We will no longer be simple-minded but be blessed with an abundance of common sense. We will be confident in our ability to make good decisions no matter what the choice may be.

That sounds like the kind of person I want to be. How about you?

Let’s start studying.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, July 8, 2019

In the Gospels of Luke and John we read three different accounts of the calling of the first disciples to follow Jesus. Luke tells us the story of Levi, better known as Matthew. John tells us the story of Andrew and Philip. There is a common theme in each of these stories: the men who responded to the call of Jesus to follow Him immediately went out and invited someone else to come and meet Jesus.

Luke 5:27-31 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

 I see three types of invitations to meet Jesus.

Matthew planned a dinner party with Jesus as the guest of honor. Matthew was not prepared to go out and tell the good news to his friends, but he did use the resources he had available to introduce both friends and business acquaintances to the Author of the good news. Matthew had financial resources, a home that was big enough for entertaining large groups of people, and a network of personal contacts. Everything he had was immediately available for spreading the good news of Jesus the Messiah.

In John 1:35-51, Jesus called two more disciples and they also invited others to meet Him. After spending a day with Jesus, Andrew immediately went out and found his brother Simon and brought him to meet Jesus. His first words to his brother were, “We have found the Messiah!” Simon already knew of the promised Messiah from his Jewish heritage, but it took Andrew to inform him of the fulfillment of the promise.

The next day Philip became a follower of Jesus and immediately found Nathanael, who also had a Jewish heritage but had a serious attitude problem. He would not believe that the Messiah could come from Nazareth. Rather than start a theological argument with him, Philip simply said, “Come and see.” Philip challenged Nathanael to investigate the evidence for himself and make a decision. He didn’t try to convince him, but rather left the convincing to Jesus.

There are three principles we can learn from these three situations that will make us more effective at bringing people to Jesus:

1. Use your resources and network of relationships to create opportunities for people to hear the good news and meet Jesus. The church helps us accomplish this by developing consistent ministries like AWANA, Life Groups, Tables of 8, sports and recreation events, and Bible studies. But don’t rely on the church to fulfill your personal goal of sharing the good news with your neighbors and friends. Be creative and provide opportunities using your own resources. Have a neighborhood barbecue at your house. You don’t have to specifically witness to anyone; just let them see the visible evidence of Jesus Christ in your life by how you live and relate to them. God will provide the opportunities to tell them the good news. Be a Matthew and create opportunities for people to meet Jesus.
2. Some people are ready to follow Christ if only someone would tell them they can. Even though our culture is fast turning its back on Christ and becoming a nation of humanists rather than God-fearers, there are still many people who have a knowledge of God and a desire to know Him personally. They just haven’t been shown the way. Be an Andrew and invite the spiritually sensitive to meet Jesus.
3. Let Jesus handle the tough cases. It is not our responsibility to win a debate and convince others that we are right. Challenge the critical thinker to thoroughly investigate the evidence and trust the Holy Spirit to teach them the truth. Our part in that process is to simply tell them the good news – not to try and prove the good news. Be a Philip and ask people to “Come and see.”

Each of these men was a brand-new follower of Jesus with no personal evangelism training. They simply went out and invited people to meet their Lord. You are fully qualified to do the same. Let’s start inviting!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Friday, July 5, 2019

For the past few weeks we have laid the foundation for joining the incredible adventure of sharing the Good News with people so that they can be saved from their sin. Now it’s time to learn some of the basic principles of witnessing. There is no better place to learn them than from the Master Himself.

Luke 5:1-11 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

In today’s story, which takes place near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, I see five things that are foundational to our efforts to evangelize the world. Let’s briefly look at them:

1. Jesus used whatever resources were available to Him to accomplish His purpose. In this case he used someone’s fishing boat as a pulpit from which to preach. This is a great model for us in the church: whatever we have is to be shared with whomever needs it to accomplish God’s purpose.
2. Jesus gave specific instructions as to where the “fish” could be found. He told Simon Peter to move the boat out to deep water and let down the nets. God’s direction for where we go with the gospel may seem humanly unwise, may take us out of our comfort zone, may be an inconvenience to us and may test our endurance, but God knows where the fish are and when they are ready to be caught.
3. Simon Peter obeyed Jesus. Despite his objections, Simon took Jesus at His word. He demonstrated great faith in what Jesus said and he trusted the outcome to the Lord. He set aside his personal preferences for the sake of following the Lord’s commands.
4. Jesus produced incredible results. When we follow God’s directions we experience God’s deliverance. Jesus delivered up to them a huge catch of fish, and He will deliver up to us a huge harvest of souls if we faithfully follow His guidance.
5. Jesus never expects us to do it alone. Simon signaled his partners to come and help him. We have partners also in this work of spreading the good news, and we need to call out to them to join us in what God is asking us to do.

After fishing, Jesus invited Simon to apply the principles he learned while catching all of those fish to a new fishing adventure – fishing for the souls of men. We should do the same. Here they care again:

1. Use your resources for God’s glory
2. Listen carefully to God’s directions
3. Obey God’s directions
4. Be ready for great results
5. Include others in your outreach

Jesus showed us how it worked with fish and He wants to show us how it works with people.

Anyone up for a fishing trip?

Pastor John