“Evangelism” can mean lots of different things these days. In this presentation we’ll discover why good works of disinterested kindness are so important in the process of winning souls for Christ. At the same time, we’ll address the common misconception that making friends through good works IS evangelism. You won’t want to miss this important Bible study!

AMEN 2020 Virtual Conference – Touch of Faith

<p>“Evangelism” can mean lots of different things these days. In this presentation we’ll discover why good works of disinterested kindness are so important in the process of winning souls for Christ. At the same time, we’ll address the common misconception that making friends through good works IS evangelism. You won’t want to miss this important Bible study!</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Adventist Medical Evangelism Network (AMEN)

Morning Devotional

Kameron DeVasher

1. Off to a Good Start

Thank you so much, Brad, and welcome to the 3ABN hosting of the Amen Conference this year.

Obviously, the pandemic has thrown a lot of things into, well, let's just say adaptability is the new norm for the day, and we're so happy to be here with you this morning.

And I want to share a message with you entitled, Off to a Good Start.

Now this is the Adventist Medical Evangelism Network and what we want to do is be evangelists for Jesus Christ and all that we do and a lot of times people struggle with where do I even begin?

And that's the burden of our message this morning is looking at inspired instruction for how we begin this good work.

But before we do any study of God's Word, of course, let's begin with a word of prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for this beautiful day.

Really for any day of life, Lord, is a gift from you.

And at this time and this day, Lord, we would ask that you would send your Holy Spirit in a special way to Bless us now as we open your word, seeking not only to understand but to apply its truth in our lives.

Please Lord, make us more like Jesus, for we pray it in Jesus' name.

If you have your Bibles with you, I'd encourage you to take them out to John chapter 10.

We're going to be in the 10th chapter of John and we're going to look at something, actually we're going to look at several passages in pretty quick order, to establish something that I find particularly interesting.

That Jesus was often tested, he was often doubted about his divine credential.

And in John chapter 10 we see the enemies of Jesus approaching him with this very subject.

We'll start with verse 24, John chapter 10.

It says, Then the Jews surrounded him and said to him, How long do you keep us in doubt?

But then watch verse 25, Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe.

The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me." Now that's interesting.

You think about what Jesus is saying there is in response to their simple question, if you're who you say you are, just tell us, and he said, I've already told you and you don't believe me.

In fact, if you go down to verse 37 of the same passage, Jesus says, if I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me.

He's saying if I don't do what you expect or what should be seen of a Messiah, then don't believe my words.

Goes on to say, but if I do, though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him.

Now, of course, his enemies were always trying to corner him and pressure him and kind of undermine his ministry, but you find this same skepticism even in some of his closer associates.

Stay in the gospel of John, go to chapter 14.

John chapter 14, a very well-known encounter with his own disciples where they said in verse 8, Lord show us the Father and it is sufficient for us.

You can imagine how discouraging that might have been for Jesus, who was trying to demonstrate the love of God all of his entire life, and particularly in his public ministry, and then his closest associates say, if we could just see a glimpse of the Father.

Thus Jesus said in verse 9, have I been with you so long and you have not known me, Philip?

He who has seen me has seen the Father." So how can you say, show us the Father?

But then if you go to look in verse 11, he continues his explanation.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves." Think about what he's saying here.

It's like, even if you don't take my word for it, you have to at least recognize the quality of the works.

In fact, in the Desire of Ages, that inspired commentary on the life of Christ, we read this fascinating insight about the childhood of Jesus.

You know, he grew up in a home where not everyone was on board with his heaven-sent mission and even his mother at times questioned the veracity of his claim.

Find this on page 92 of the Desire of Ages, quote, at time she, that being Mary, wavered between Jesus and his brothers who did not believe that he was the sent of God.

But evidence was abundant that his was a divine character." Okay, so think about that.

She's wavering, she's in the valley of decision, yet something, this evidence, tipped the scales in the right direction.

She saw him sacrificing himself for the good of others.

In fact, she goes on to explain, Jesus was the healer of the body as well as of the soul.

He was interested in every phase of suffering that came under his notice, and to every sufferer he brought relief, his kind words having a soothing balm." None could say that he had worked a miracle, and that's an important point.

It wasn't like in Jesus' childhood he was like, you know, raising the dead or giving sight to the blind or anything like that, but something miraculous in his bearing, some disinterested benevolence exuded from him, that gave credibility to his claim.

Again, none could say that he had worked a miracle, but virtue, the healing power of love, went out from him to the sick and distressed.

Thus, in an unobtrusive way, he worked for the people from his very childhood.

And then the sentence that kind of knocked me back a little bit when I really understood what was being said is the next sentence.

And this was why, after his public ministry began, so many heard him gladly.

That Christ's preparation for his declaration gave credibility to the message he bore.

If you're there in John, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, right before you've got to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 7, starting with verse 20.

Because we've seen the enemies of Jesus doubt his claim, you see his own disciples doubt his claim, you see even his mother question his identity.

But if there was 1 person you think would never doubt and that would be his prophetic forerunner John the Baptist, but Lo and behold, Luke chapter 7 and verse 20.

When the men had come to him, they said, John the Baptist has sent us to you saying, are you the coming 1 or do we look for another?

Imagine how that must have felt in Jesus' humanity to hear that kind of doubt expressed from his own prophetic forerunner.

But Lotus, the response, now, let's think it through for just a moment.

He's been asked a very simple direct question.

Are you the coming 1 or do we look for another?

Obviously Jesus could have most simply and succinctly said, yes I am he.

If Christ were a false Messiah, isn't that exactly what a false Messiah would say?

So he needs to do more than declare the truth, he has to demonstrate the truth.

Thus we read in verse 21, And that very hour he cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits, and to many blind he gave sight.

Before he says a word to those who are questioning him, he turns around and does the works of him who sent him.

Then, verse 22, Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard, that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them, and blessed is he who is not offended because of me." Again, Desire of Ages, page 216, commenting on this interaction, the evidence of his divinity was seen in its adaptation to the needs of suffering humanity.

His glory was shown in his condescension to our low estate.

The disciples bore the message and it was enough.

And then she adds, the works of Christ not only declare him to be the Messiah, but showed in what manner his kingdom was to be established.

So the works of Christ not only gave his own personal signature of authenticity, but it also was a model, a template for the work that all of us should be doing as disciples of Jesus Christ, how his kingdom would be set up.

So time and again we see that whether it's by his foes, his followers, his family, or even his prophetic forerunner, the response of Jesus to the skepticism around him was always the same.

If you don't believe me, at least believe my works." This is why in Acts chapter 10 in verse 38 when Peter has the opportunity to preach Jesus to the Gentile household of Cornelius, he summarizes in 1 sentence the entire ministry of Jesus simply explaining how quote, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

He did all the doing good because God was with him.

This is also why Jesus, who knows firsthand the undeniable power of good works to demonstrate genuine godliness, commands us in Matthew chapter 5 verse 16, to let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

What we may not often reflect on, however, is that this disinterested benevolence, this doing of good for others, is not a New Testament notion.

It wasn't invented by Jesus as a novel way to open hearts to the reception of gospel truth.

In fact, this has been the expectation of God's people ever since he's had a people.

The quintessential do good for others passage in Scripture is actually found in the Old Testament book of Isaiah.

If you go to Isaiah chapter 58, you read the accounts of these people of the Lord who in by all appearances are genuinely interested in a revival experience in their own life, yet they're lacking the results they are expecting.

They're disappointed and it says in verse 3, why have we fasted they say and you have not seen and why have we afflicted our souls and you take no notice.

They seem to be frustrated with the Lord because they've tried to do all these good things that he'd asked them to do, but at the end of the day, they didn't experience the revival they hoped.

And Jesus explains to them the remedy in verse 6.

To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burden, to let the oppressed go free and that you break every yoke.

Verse 7, is it not to share your bread with the hungry and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out?

When you see the naked that you cover him and not hide yourself from your own flesh.

Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you.

2. Did Stephen Say Something Wrong?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for another day of life at all, but particularly for a Sabbath day of rest and worship, of fellowship and of service in your cause.

Lord, now as we study these words, we would ask that you would send the Holy Spirit, as you have promised to do, to lead us into all truth.

For we not merely want to be informed, we want to be transformed to become like Jesus.

So to that end, Lord, bless us today, for we pray it in Jesus' name.

To begin our study today, before we go to the experience of Stephen that we'll be getting to later on, I'd like to start with the life of Christ.

Always the life of Christ is a great place to start any study of God's Word.

And we'll start in Matthew chapter 19 this time, the very first book of the New Testament, Matthew chapter 19.

Here, Jesus has an encounter with a rich young ruler.

Hopefully all of us are well familiar with this but we're gonna look at 3 different stories right back to back in the life of Jesus and through these different encounters look for the common thread of the experience.

First the rich young ruler in Matthew chapter 19 starting with the verse 16.

Scripture reads, Now behold, 1 came and said to him, Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

Verse 17, So he said to him, Why do you call me good?

Now to be clear, sometimes people get confused on this particular passage and say Jesus was saying that he wasn't God.

No, what he was doing was testing that man's faith.

Do you truly address me as the God who sent me, right?

He goes on, but if you want to enter the life, keep the commandments.

And Jesus said, you shall not murder, you should not commit adultery, you should not steal, you should not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Now verse 20, the young man said to him, all these things I have kept from my youth, what do I still lack?

Clearly there was something in the heart of this young man that knew that yes, I've been in a household of faith and I've been a commandment keeper my whole life, but something in me is obviously off.

And Jesus says to him in verse 21, If you want to be perfect, go sell all what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me." Jesus invites the man to come follow me, but first sell what you have and give it away.

And that's the rub in verse 22, but when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

The rich young ruler, Jesus spoke to him clearly, invited him personally, and the man turned away.

In John chapter 6, we were right there in Matthew, so turn to the right.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, then John, chapter 6.

Now we're not going to look at everything we could in this chapter, but I find it fascinating what Jesus encounters here and how he deals with the people.

In the beginning of John, chapter 6, and there in verse 1, it opens up the story of the feeding of the 5, 000.

And Jesus literally gives them physical bread, meets their temporal needs.

He basically does that disinterested, benevolent work of winning their hearts, right?

And then, after a little sliver of a miracle where Jesus walks on the sea, the next day – we pick up the story in verse 22, on the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there except the 1 which his disciples had entered and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but his disciples had gone alone.

However, other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks.

When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus." Now you get the context of the story.

In the first part of John chapter 6, Jesus had been feeding the 5, 000.

They were all so filled and pleased that the next day they go seeking Jesus again.

Now it doesn't take a great theological mind to ascertain what their interest is.

They got bread yesterday, what do they want today?

Well, after they find Jesus, Notice what we find here in verse 26, Jesus answered them and said, Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek me not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.

Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures for everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you because God the Father has set his seal on him.

So now he's transitioning, you notice he's like you are coming to me because of the physical bread.

I'm now transitioning from the temporal to the eternal.

We need to now talk about the bread of life.

Notice verse 35, Jesus is patently clear, where Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life.

He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.

Now you would think in our modern context, oh beautiful he's the bread of life, it's a well-known passage, but in that immediate context They had just had food yesterday, they've sought after Jesus and found him now today for another serving of their daily bread and Jesus now says no food for you except me.

I am the bread of life." And this starts a discussion and it gets more and more, well, perilous to the point that in fact verse 66 says, from that time many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more.

He fed them food yesterday, they came for food today, and he says, no more temporal food, Let's go to the eternal food.

And friends, it didn't go over very well.

When it says many of his disciples went back, how many were there yesterday?

Then Jesus said to the 12, do you also want to go away?

Which seems to imply that that many was a great many, if not the vast majority.

So much so that Jesus had to ask his core 12, are you going to?

Verse 6 says, And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leopard, a woman came to him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.

But when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, Why this waste?

For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor." What a, by the way, pious sounding reason to discourage this act.

But verse 10, when Jesus was aware of it, he said to them.

Now notice it doesn't say he drew them away privately to reprimand them gently.

It seems very clear that right then and there, on the spot, Jesus called out their hypocrisy.

When Jesus was aware of it, he said to them, Why do you trouble the woman?

For you have the poor with you always, but me you do not have always." And he rebuked his disciples right then and there.

Interestingly, the very next thing that Scripture records after that story in verse 14 now, then 1 of the 12, 1 of those disciples Jesus just chastened, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, what are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?

And they counted out to him 30 pieces of silver.

So from that time, he sought opportunity to betray him.

Apparently it had been in his back of his mind at some point, but there was a tipping point in the experience of Judas that that rebuke in front of everyone hardened his heart and made his decision.

Each of these vignettes from the ministry of Jesus recounts a time when people turned away from him.

Thus, from these 3 stories, we must ask the almost unthinkable question, did Jesus make a mistake in his dealings with people?

Should he have required such a sacrifice from the rich young ruler?

He didn't even ask his own disciples that.

But for this 1, he said, sell everything, then follow me.

And with the crowd that turned away in John chapter 6 after the feeding of the 5, 000, shouldn't he have understood their mistaken notions of the Messiah?

I mean we talked about this, even his own family didn't understand.

We saw later that John the Baptist still didn't even understand the nature of his true ministry.

Even when Jesus was departing after his resurrection, his disciples still didn't have the right conception of his ministry.

So Is it really their fault that they didn't understand who he was?

Back to Menu

Series

Morning Devotional

1. Off to a Good Start

Transcript

Description

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

The Doctrine of Personal Ministries

Part 2 - Who Fed the 5,000?

1h 13m

GYC SE 2013 Plenary Sessions

The Model Ministry

59m

Plenary

Why Was Jesus Always Talking About Plants?

48m

The Way of Love

The Way of Love- Part 7

31m

Emmanuel Training Sessions

4. Cycle of Evangelism Overview- Part 1

1h 3m

Closing the Back Door

Closing the Back Door - Part 4

49m

Discipleship: Our Church’s Desperate Need

45m

Plenary

GYC Beyond

1h 17m

Training Center Churches

3. Soul-Winning DNA, Part 1

57m

How Prophetic Preaching Touches the Heart

How Prophetic Preaching Touches the Heart - Part 2

54m

Sound Doctrine