August 6, 2000, SM: Coming to Jesus

August 6th, 2000, Sunday Morning

-- FAITH PROMISE MISSIONS CONFERENCE --

DAY 4

"Coming to Jesus"

Why to seek Jesus for ALL your problems

OPENING: Luke 8:43-48, KJV

Luke 8:43-48: This true story is about a woman with internal bleeding who spent all her earthly finances and time on doctors and physicians. But in all that, they could not help her. She was lost and undone. She was finally resolved to seek Jesus.

This woman realized she had a need. She was finally going to reject the world's way--with all its earthly healing and meditation programs. She was going to get help from Jesus--who's way to reject solutions thought of by the world.

Luke 10:20: Coming to Jesus is the most important factor in your entire life. God has allowed medical science to further the lifespan of man. The lifespan today is much greater than it was hundreds of years ago. For that, you have that much more time to be saved and serve God.

Have you ever met someone who was sorry they were saved? Once you are saved, you are:

Saved
Free
Become a part of Christ's body

Luke 8:47-48: And as the story showed, this woman's need was met. (Note that Jesus wasn't mad she came to Him. Rather he was glad and encouraged her faith.) That is how lost people approach Jesus today and if you're one of them, this is how He will respond to you.

Matthew 7:13-14: If you walk the "streets of life," you are going to find more people of this world will go to hell than heaven. This is fact of life, folks.

Today, most people believe a little sprinkling of holy water here, a donation there, and top it off with a good work is sufficient. This will not save them. These people are not bad, just misinformed. Unfortunately, misinformation is enough to send you to hell if the truth is not found.
Until man learns about hell, he probably won't care or be impressed with heaven. Who cares about Jesus making heavenly mansions for us? Look how breathtaking earthly mansions are today? Sitting on high hills, looking out across the ocean? How much better could a mansion be that you can't see? Hell will make you think twice about this attitude.

"Either you're a saint, or you ain't." If you're saved, you're a saint for heaven. If not, you're lost and don't know Jesus and he doesn't know you (yet, hopefully).

THE "GET 'EM TO JESUS" VOICE

This lady in Luke needed to "get to Jesus." That's what this sermon is stressing--"GET TO JESUS!" When pastor Boulton was saved 16 years ago, he made a "hit list" of those who taught him--coaches, teachers, students. He found most of them were not saved. The road to destruction is wide.
True story: Pastor Boulton: "When you're in an elevator, you don't talk. You silently stand there and look at the 'Weight capacity' sign and count heads in the elevator. But when I'm in an elevator, I can't shutup." Pastor talked to one woman in an elevator on her way up to the infirmary where her mom was laying. Pastor asked the woman, "How is your mom?" and the woman said, "not good." Pastor said, "Well may I have your mom's name so I may pray for her?" and to this day the pastor hasn't had a "no" yet. In exchange for praying for the woman's mother, the pastor gave the lady a "tract" with his name and cell number on it.
We all should have a burden to reach every person possible to bring them to Christ.
"There's more to being a Christian than taking of 18 inches of pew space."
TESTIMONY (True story): There was a girl named Tammy. She was saved at age 14. But one day as she was taking a bath, she went into an epileptic seizure. She proceeded to violently bang her head back and forth against the faucet head and went into unconsciousness wherein she drown in the tub.

You never know at what time you will die. Get saved NOW!
Luke 15:7: Isn't it true that if you lose something for a long while (i.e., car keys), when you find it, you rejoice in that find more than in all the rest of the property you didn't lose? It's like if you were a shepherd of 100 sheep and lost 1 but found it a week later, wouldn't you rejoice more in that sheep being found that in the rest that stayed with you? If you are not saved, you are a lost sheep to the Good Shepherd and when you are saved, all of heaven rejoices for your return to the saved flock.
Luke 16:19-28: Amazing how most people don't have a burden for souls until they find out (or go to) hell.
- True story: Pastor used to know a man named Albert Lemke. Albert was a very good electrician but also a diabetic whose left leg was amputated. Albert was also an alcoholic (which by the way is a sin not a disease). Albert would put in a good, hard day at work and then race to the bar and spend his paycheck on alcohol. When he would run out of money, he would temporarily pawn his Seiko watch so he could drink more until payday came along Friday where he would get his watch back and use the remainder of his money to drink alcohol.
  
  Pastor decided to visit Albert one day. He brought a missionary with him. As Albert told them to "come in," pastor saw Albert's entire apartment was covered with dirty, old newspapers and empty beer cans. The only walkways through the mess were to the kitchen sink and the bathroom. "Hey guys--what's up?" said Albert. Pastor asked if Albert was interested in being saved and hearing about a man named Jesus. "Naw. I'm not interested in being saved or knowing about this man." Pastor said, "Well, may I at least leave this tract with you?" Albert replied, "I'd rather you didn't. Say! Wanna go down the street to the bar?" Pastor, thinking back to how fun it was to be back in a bar (before he was saved) said, "No thanks" and left.
  
  Pastor came back almost a year later and as he was pulling up into Albert's driveway, he saw Albert's front door open and Albert come racing out of his house in his wheelchair, down the wheelchair ramp next to his porch steps. Albert now had the other leg amputated. As Albert used his arms to pull himself into his car, pastor Boulton approached him. Albert said, "Hey Pat! Wanna go down the street to the bar with me? Pastor said, "no... but would you like to talk about being saved? "Naw," said Albert and rolled up his window and drove off to the bar.
  
  Several weeks later, as pastor opened the newspaper, he found a familiar name in the in the obituaries: Albert Lemke. In the end, Albert never got saved. For sure, Albert is in hell, now, crying out to those still here in earth, "COME!!!!! COME TO JESUS!!!! DON'T END UP HERE!!!!"
- If you do nothing else to help our missionaries bring lost souls to Christ-- if you don't become one or financially assist them, at least pray for them.

CLOSER

Your Faith Missions Promise (a financial contract between you and God to assist missionaries in reaching the lost--both here and abroad) is not just a church donation. It's not a contribution where a certain percentage of it is skimmed off the surface for other purposes. 100% of your money is the sewing that will do God's work AND come back to you after many days (see "Economy of God" (Thursday evening's missionary sermon) for details.

Can you hear as I do the voice from deep within that bids me hear the cries from souls lost in sin. Can you feel compassion flowing from the voice for all those sin-sick souls who need to make the choice. Can you hear as I do the voices from outside their cries so very desperate despair on every side. No place to run for comfort from troubles which abound in every walk of life no hope err can be found. We must reach out at once don't wait err its too late JUST GET THEM TO JESUS!! eternal life doth there await. Can you hear as I do the voices from above praying for the lost ones left behind--they love. Oh listen to the voices of the saints as they pray, "JUST GET THEM TO JESUS" so they'll be with us someday. Can you hear as I do the voices from below crying out in agony, "TELL THEM WHAT YOU KNOW" Tell them of the folly of Satan's evil way does ever devour he always makes you pay. A price so high, so final if you but only knew the payment eternal torment for the sin you did pursue. Tell them of salvation the message plain and clear just get them to Jesus and keep them out of here.

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