Planting, watering and increasing.
Planting, watering and increasing.
1st Corinthians 3:1-9
February 12
Last week two different storylines were read and explained. The first was about Paul, Silas, and the Philippine Jailor who asked. “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
The 2nd was of Jesus and the Pharisee named Nicodemus. Jesus told him that in order for a person to enter into eternal life one had to be born again. This concept was completely foreign to him.
He could not reason within his mind how a person could enter into his mother’s womb and be born again. The very thought sounds ludicrous to us, but this man was searching and trying to make sense of it.
In both cases, I believe that the inquisitive questions were the result of the Jailor and the Pharisee witnessing the lives of Jesus and his miraculous ministry and Paul and Silas proclaiming the gospel and talking the talk and walking the walk.
In both cases, the Father had Jesus and Paul and Silas in the exact places at the exact time he needed them there. He opened the doors of opportunity, and they all were prepared for those opportunities and walked straight thru those open doors.
Another great example of this is found in Acts chapter 8: 26-40. The Apostle Philip was instructed to go south out of Jerusalem to Gaza. He didn’t question it, he went.
On the way, he ran into an individual who was along the roadside actually sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah. This man was a Jewish proselyte returning to his country of Ethiopia. This guy was no flunky on the street. He was a high-ranking official in the administration of the Queen of Ethiopia, Candace. He was the head of the national Treasury. It is noted as well that he was a Eunuch. If you want to know what that meant google, it cuz I’m not getting into that part.
Philip asked him. “Do you have any understanding of what you're actually reading?
The man responded “How can I understand, no one has ever explained it or tailgated me about it.
He was reading from Isaiah 53 which in part was “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearers is silent.”
The Eunuch's interest peaked. He asked Philip, “Is the prophet taking himself or about someone else?”
Philip took that question and ran with it. He told him it was about Jesus, and he shared the plan of salvation and redemption and on that day not only was the Ethiopian saved but he was baptized too.
As in the prior two examples God the Father placed Philip in the exact place and at the exact time that God needed him. The door was opened, Philip was prepared, and he walked right through.
He shared the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the blessed plan of redemption and salvation. And another soul was ushered into God's kingdom and inherited eternal life.
The common denominators in these 3 storylines are.
1. Jesus, Philip, Paul, and Silas were all willing to answer the call of being soul winners.
2. All walked through the open doors of opportunity.
3. Each, was personally prepared to bear witness of the grace and mercy of the Father and to know what to say and how to present the gospel.
4. All knew the art of soul-winning, they also knew the other gods’ areas of scripture that were of tantamount in their correlation to the gospel.
As in Philip knowing the words of Isaiah and what they meant to this Eunuch and the world. Knowing the scripture is what opened the real door of communication for Philip to explain salvation.
5. They all lived their lives in such a way that others wanted to emulate, and that others wanted what they had and what they didn’t and that was
Are you willing to answer the call to be a soul winner?
Will you willingly walk through the doors of opportunity?
Are you prepared to do the work to learn or continue to learn the scripture and to obtain the knowledge, the points, and the abilities to bring others to salvation.?
The first step is to live your life and be the Bible to anyone and everyone. As the saying goes. We may be the only Bible most people will ever read.
What are ways that we can step up and learn about sharing the plan of salvation and redemption when God gives us the opportunity to do so?
One of the best and most effective ways is to learn what is called the Romans Road of Salvation. This is a 6-step approach.
In ancient days there was a saying that “All roads lead to Rome.” The Latin term is Via Romana or Roman Way.
The Romans’ Road of Salvation leads to Redemption and Eternal Life. It began on the Via Delarosa or Way of Suffering, the road from Jerusalem to Calvary that Jesus journeyed upon to the Cross.
Unlike all roads leading to Rome, there is only one road to Eternal Life and that is the road of Salvation through Jesus Christ.
The following is one of the best explanations of this I’ve personally seen. It is derived from Christianity.com
This assists us in learning this great work and is a valuable way to verbalize it to those who need to hear.
First, this world and the human race have a problem. We are sinful before a Holy God.
Romans 3:10 and Romans 3:23 reveal this.
“As it is written, there is no one righteous, no not one. “And
“For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.”
Once we have established through God's words and by grace that everyone sins and thru it is separated from God the next step is simply explaining the depth of the problem through Romans 6:23a which represents the consequences of our sins.
“For the wages of sin is death” This is referring to spiritual death.
The second part or Romans 6:23b gives the first hint that there is hope for everyone.
“but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
It’s the greatest gift ever offered to anyone, anyplace, anywhere. But as with any gift, it must be accepted to qualify as a true gift for the receiver.
So, there is indeed real hope for all of humanity. One’s status means nothing, one’s skin color has no bearing. The hope we have is in Christ and Christ alone.
Romans 5:8 declares that hope. “But, God demonstrates his own love for us in this; while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!”
If we are able to even roughly express these texts with heart and conviction then we seek a response from the person, the sinner’s response.
I spent 20 years in sales against some really tough competition and I was always reminded to ask for the sale.
Ask the person you are witnessing if what you have said has made sense to them so far.
Here is when we seek their admission that they do or do not believe that they need a Savior. If they don’t ask if you can continue. If they say no. Then understand that Paul wrote that some plant the seed, some water it but ultimately God gives the increase.
You may not be the one to lead them to salvation, but you have done your part and God will ask another to finish the work.
If they say yes, lead them to Romans 10:9-10 and Romans 10:13
First 9&10
“If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Then ask the person if they believe this and ask if they would like to Call upon Hesus to save them from their sins.
Romans 10:13
“For, everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Explain that if they will do that then share what the results of it will be.
Romans 5:1-2
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
The result of their calling out to God and having their sins forgiven is that they will now be justified in the eyes of God. Just as if they had never sinned this will bring them peace with God, they have been granted access to eternal life by their faith and God’s grace.
And then the conclusion.
Romans 8:1 tell them they are no longer condemned to eternal judgment and separated from God and through Romans 6:23 they now have accepted that true gift of eternal life.
There are other things to learn, and other scriptures can be used, but the Romans Road is a surefire way to answer one's questions of “How can I be born again and what must I do to be saved!!!!