To win more
Dr. Roberto Miranda(Audio: Spanish)
SUMMARY:
In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of sacrificing everything to be an effective evangelist. He references 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, where the Apostle Paul talks about the necessity of preaching the Gospel and the rewards that come with it. The speaker also compares the customer service mentality of secular institutions like Amazon to the mentality of the Church in serving people who need to know the Gospel, stating that the Church exists to bring customers to the Kingdom of God. The focus is on the obligation and expectation to be evangelistic as individuals and as a congregation.
In order to truly evangelize and lead people to Christ, we need to be humble, approachable, and willing to sacrifice our comfort and preferences. We should not be self-righteous or judgmental towards non-believers, but instead, make an effort to connect with them and build relationships. Our goal should be to bring as many souls as possible to the saving knowledge of Christ, as saving a soul from eternal perdition deserves any kind of sacrifice. We should have a passion for souls, like D.L. Moody, and be willing to do whatever it takes to lead people to Christ.
The church must be willing to make sacrifices and forget about personal comfort in order to become a truly evangelistic church. The pastor shares his own experiences of leaving a comfortable building in Cambridge to start a church in Boston, and how God has blessed their faith and willingness to sacrifice. He encourages the church to prioritize anything that leads to the salvation of souls, and not fall in love with their properties or programs. The church must have a mentality of distributing the Kingdom and not hold onto anything, even their privilege or leadership positions. The pastor also warns about the dangers of stagnation and resistance to change, and encourages pastors to not ask for revival if they are not willing to pay the price.
The church must be willing to change and die to its preferences in order to grow and serve the entire community. Sacrificing comfort and preferences is necessary to bring souls to the knowledge of Christ. Being a disciple means living 24/7 with the identity of a disciple and imitating Jesus in all areas. Surrendering everything to the Lord brings personal fulfillment and a fruitful life. Repent of comfort and desires to earn one's life and give it all to the Lord. Sacrifice all pleasures and everything loved for the glory of God.I want to read the Letter to the Corinthians, First Corinthians chapter 9, I am going to go to verses 16 onwards, First Corinthians 9:16, says the Apostle Paul: "Well, if I announce the Gospel I do not have to boast, because I it is imposed necessity” I am going to repeat that “imposed necessity” in other words is what? it is an obligation, it is something that comes from God and that God imposes on us, it is a necessity, it is something imperative, "and woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel!" say you: woe to me if I do not announce the Gospel! Listen to me, that is a very strong Word, woe is me if we do not share the Gospel.
"Therefore, if I do it willingly, I will have a reward, but if the commission has been entrusted to me unwillingly" in other words, if you preach the Gospel you make it joyful, don't spontaneously boast too much, but you will have a reward, and if you don't want to, you should also do it because you have received a commission from the Lord.