Community of Holy Friends
Opening up to others
November 12, 2006 AM
Pastor Brad Dyrness
Sparks Nazarene Church

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (KJV)

Matthew 5:16 “Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”  (The Message)

"I am safe, "
"I don't want to offend you so…"
"I'll keep my mouth closed and hope you'll find out somehow." 

Jesus says to us… “Once you understand salvation, I want you to pass it on to other people.”

Sharing our faith - Now, there's a word for this, it is often misunderstood.  It is the word "evangelism.” 

Now, one thing Christians and non-Christians have in common is neither of them like evangelism.

Evangelism is just the Greek word for “good news.”  

Acts1:8, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

What is a witness?  Somebody who just tells what they have seen. 

Jesus says it like this … By opening up to others; you’ll prompt people to open up with God.

The church that doesn't want to grow and reach out is basically saying to the world, “You can go to hell.” 

"There is no plan B."   We're it.

There are only two things you can't do in heaven.

Sin and…

Tell people who don't know the Good News about God's love. 

2 Peter 3:9, “God doesn't want anyone to be lost, but He wants all people to change their hearts and lives!”  

The right question is, “Should anybody be left behind?”

The answer is, “no!”

How???

1.   I must share with those in my world.  Luke 8, Jesus said this, “Go back home and tell people how much God has done for you.”

People are waiting to see and hear the truth!

2.  I must dare to reach beyond my world. 

Love demands I move beyond my comfort zone to people with different background, education, language, economics… 

Mark 10:29   “Jesus replied, ‘Let me assure you that no one has ever given up anything for love of Me and to tell others the Good News’” – that's the mission – “who won't be given back” – read it with me –  “a hundred times over.’”

3.  If I am going to be like Jesus Christ, I must care about the whole world.

Mark 16:15 “Jesus said to His followers, ‘Go everywhere in the world and tell the Good News to everyone.’” 

If you're not fishing, you're not following. 

Is anybody going to be in heaven because of you? 

This year, 19,000 people in Nevada will die in the next 365 days. Most of them will go into eternity without Jesus Christ. 

If we care, we must share.