GREAT THINGS ARE INVOLVED IN STRIVING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST FOR
GOD'S GLORY & PRAISE.
(Philippians 1:27 ) Only let your conversation be as
it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent,
I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind
striving together for the faith of the gospel
*INTRODUCTION:
Strive or Striving - to devote serious effort to accomplish
the job.
* Endeavor - an extra effort to finish the
project.
* Let us look for the good example of the Christian who strives for the
gospel of Christ and has been successful to do a great job to strive and share
the gospel of Christ in their community very effectively.
( Acts 5: 17-20 ) 17 Then the high priest rose up,
and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees ,) and
were filled with indignation,
18 And laid their hands on the
apostles, and put them in the common prison.
19 But the angel of the Lord by
night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
20 Go, stand and speak in the
temple to the people all the words of this life.
1. THE FOCUS INVOLVE IN STRIVING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST .
( John 4:35 ) Say not ye, There are yet four
months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and
look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
* The Lord Jesus Christ encourages them to focus on the harvest of
precious souls. The field of precious souls are white already to harvest.
* Many times, Christians have the wrong focus or no focus on the great
harvest of precious souls.
* If you examine the background story of John 4:35, the Lord Jesus
Christ led their soulwinning drive. But the problem with the disciples was that
they were focusing on finding bread to eat instead of what they were focusing
on were the precious souls.
* If we are focused to the lost people, you will always pray to the Lord
for them to be saved. You will give them your precious time to share the gospel
Christ. You will do something to befriend them and follow up with them and meet
also even their family members. Having a focus for lost people will lead to winning
more lost people. I remember all the precious souls we have won so far, we have
won all their family members and the Church has grown in number because we have
precious souls who previously lost people.
* A good example for this is the Philippian Jailor whom Paul won in prison.
( Acts 16:30-34 ) 30 And brought them out, and said,
Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the
word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour
of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his,
straightway.
2. THE FAITH INVOLVED IN STRIVING THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
( Hebrews 11:6 ) But without faith it is impossible
to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
* In striving together the gospel of Christ, it involves strong faith in
God. The Bible says, “For without faith it is impossible to please God.”
* The Lord Jesus spoke about the importance of faith to make things possible
for God’s people. Even things that are impossible, through faith are possible.
(Matthew 17:20) And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:
for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye
shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall
remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
* "And faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of
God." We must always have strong faith in God in everything we do or any
goal that we want to achieve in our Christian life.
* There are many records in the Bible of great men of God who experienced
success and victory in them because of their faith in God.
* Noah obeyed God to build an ark he himself did not understand how big the
ark was. Fearing God, he was able to finish the great ark to save his family from
the judgment of God for the wickedness of the people in their time.
( Hebrews 11:7 ) By faith Noah, being warned of God
of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of
his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the
righteousness which is by faith.
* Through faith the Old Testament Christians were victorious in their
spiritual battles against spiritual battles in their lives.
( Hebrews 11:32-37 )
Heb 11:32 And
what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and [of] Barak,
and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets:
Heb 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Heb 11:34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of
weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight
the armies of the aliens.
Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were
tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better
resurrection:
Heb 11:36 And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourgings, yea,
moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain
with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being
destitute, afflicted, tormented;
* To strive together in the gospel of Christ involves strong faith in
God.
3. THE FAITHFULNESS INVOLVED IN STRIVING THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST.
( I Corinthians 4:2
) Moreover
it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
* In striving for the gospel of Christ is like a partnership with God in
the ministry of the Lord. We are all God’s steward in His great work. Because
God is a faithful God He wants a faithful co-laborer as His good partner.
( 1Corinthians 3:9) For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's
husbandry, ye are God's building
* Paul also made an announcement to those who want to be the Soulwinners
of the Lord Jesus Christ they must be strong and faithful.
( II Timothy 2:1-2 )
1.Thou
therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2.And the things that thou hast
heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who
shall be able to teach others also.
*One of the great marks of the Jerusalem Soulwinners in Acts 5 is that they
were faithful Soulwinners of the Lord Jesus Christ because even though they
were all imprisoned by the government authority. They remained faithful doing
the great work of the believers of Christ to win the lost at any cost. They
continued to share the gospel of Christ even though they were caught again and imprisoned.
(Acts 5:17-20) 17.Then the high priest rose up,
and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were
filled with indignation,
18.And laid their hands on the
apostles, and put them in the common prison.
19.But the angel of the Lord by
night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
20.Go, stand and speak in the
temple to the people all the words of this life.
* Striving together for the gospel of Christ is rest assured that we
reach the whole world by the gospel of Christ because of the faithful
Soulwinners of Christ.
* God has promised abundant blessings to all faithful Christians in the
ministry entrusted to them by God.
Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with
blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
* Let's stay faithful until Jesus Christ comes back dear Soulwinners of
Jesus Christ.
( Mathew 24:45-47 ) 45.Who then is a faithful and wise
servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in
due season?
46.Blessed is that servant, whom
his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47.Verily I say unto you, That he
shall make him ruler over all his goods.
( Proverbs 28:20 ) A faithful man shall abound with
blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
4. THE FIRST LOVE INVOLVED IN STRIVING THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST.
( II Corinthians
5:14 ) For the
love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for
all, then were all dead:
* The first love of the Lord Jesus Christ is precious souls of sinners.
This is the very reason why the Lord Jesus Christ came down into this dark and
wicked place just for me and to be saved.
( Luke 19:10 ) For the Son of man is come to seek
and to save that which was lost.
* For the love of Christ constraineth us, Christians, which gives great
concern for lost sinners to be won for Jesus Christ.
* The Jerusalem Soulwinners are constraineth by the love of Christ moving
in their Christian lives to go and have courage to win souls even if they are
imprisoned again.
* But look how strong and very courageous the Soulwinners are.
( Acts 5:26-29 ) 26. Then went the captain with the
officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest
they should have been stoned.
27.And when they had brought them,
they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28.Saying, Did not we straitly
command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled
Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29.Then Peter and the other
apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
* For the love of Christ constraineth us and no one can stop to win the
lost at any cost at any time and in any place.
*Our first love for souls involves striving the gospel of Christ in a
lost world.
5. THE FILLED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT INVOLVE IN STRIVING THE
GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
( Acts 1:8 ) Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive
power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth.
*The Holy Spirit is our perfect Partner in striving the gospel of Christ
together. He will give us the wisdom and power to perform the work of Lord with
great assurance that it will be accomplished. Because He will lead us to the
person in need and the right place to win the lost at any cost.
Acts 26-31, 35) 26. And the angel of the Lord
spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that
goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27.And he arose and went: and,
behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of
the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to
Jerusalem for to worship,
28.Was returning, and sitting in
his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29.Then the Spirit said unto
Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30.And Philip ran thither to him,
and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou
readest?
31.And he said, How can I, except
some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit
with him.
35.Then Philip opened his mouth,
and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
* The Holy Spirit will guide and teach us all the truths that we need to
share with lost people. We have a perfect Partner in striving the gospel of
Christ together.
( John 16:13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew
you things to come.
* The Holy Spirit gives us the clear vision of lost people who
desperately need to be saved.
( Acts 16:8-10 ) 8. And they passing by Mysia came
down to Troas.
9.And a vision appeared to Paul in
the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over
into Macedonia, and help us.
10.And after he had seen the
vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering
that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
*In Striving together for the gospel of Christ it involves the work of
the Holy Spirit to assure that our goal of reaching the lost is accomplished at
any cost.
6. THE FRUITFULNESS INVOLVED IN STRIVING THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST.
( John 15:16 ) Jn 15:16 Ye have not chosen me,
but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth
fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in my name, he may give it you.
* This is the exciting part of striving together for the success of
Christ with perfect unity, the Lord has rewarded our joint efforts in the
ministry of the Lord with bountiful fruits.
( I Corinthians
15:58) Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
* See the wonderful results of sharing the gospel with a large crowd.
( Acts 2:41) Then they that gladly received his
word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls.
*In Acts 5:42 the Church ceases not to teach and preach gospel Christ in
the Temple.
( Acts 5:42 ) And daily in the temple, and in
every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
*The fruitfulness of the Church cannot be stopped. This is a continuous
experience of the Church.
*( Acts 6:4-7 ) 4.But we will give ourselves
continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
5.And the saying pleased the whole
multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost,
and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a
proselyte of Antioch:
6.Whom they set before the
apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
7.And the word of God increased;
and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great
company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
* Lastly the striving together for the gospel of Christ are greatly
blessed by the Lord because He saw the results.
* Focus of the Church, for they look on the field for they are white
already to harvest. God saw the faith involved in striving the gospel of
Christ, God saw the Faithfulness of each individual member of the Church, God
saw the first love for precious souls of sinners, God saw the Spirit-filled
life of the Christians and last, the reward for your labor to the Ministry of
the Lord with bountiful fruits of precious souls saved. To God be the glory
( Philippians 1:27 )
Only let
your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come
and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast
in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
God bless you all always
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