Revelation 3:20

Saturday, June 17, 2017

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” 

Jesus is a gentleman. He doesn't knock the door down, forcing His way into your heart. No, He patiently waits for you to open the door from the inside. 

 

And when we invite Him in, He wants to spend quality time with us -- like eating together. 

So now we've covered the basics of becoming a Christian:

   A.  Admit that you are a sinner. 

   B.  Believe Jesus died on the cross and came back to life. 

   C.  Confess that Jesus is Lord of your life

So now what? Do we just pat a new believer on the back and say, "Congratulations. Now you're on your own." Hopefully we will be in a situation where we can start showing them the ropes. It's a hard concept for people to realize, for instance, that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit where He now resides. And it is their responsibility to take care of themselves out of respect for God. 

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Next week we'll look at some of the ways to tutor a new believer. 

But first, here's something I've thought about this week as we've looked at how to present the plan of salvation with someone. 

Not everyone will accept Christ as their savior when you talk to them about it. But you should continue to pray for them. 

• You never know when someone else will share with them and, because of their conversation with you and others, they will invite Jesus to live in their heart. 
• Don't take it personally. They are not rejecting you but Jesus!

Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lord, give us the courage to share the Good News about salvation when you direct us to. Help us to be clear in our witnessing so that the lost can understand your plan. And help us, as well, not to get discouraged if they say no.