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 Click here to listen to the sermon. 21mins

John 10v1-9.  I am the gate.  V7.

Jesus the gateway to Salvation

Philip Clark last weekend was very helpful in four distinct ways:-

Good works.

He helped us affirm the good works we are already doing in sharing the love of Christ with others.

Matt 5v16.

Bringing people to Christ

He helped us to identify the hole in the centre of our church mission strategy of bringing people to know Jesus.

We had lots of things going on to help people in the community.

We have lots of things going on to cater for people within the church.

But we had very little to help people cross the threshold from the world to church.

We were reminded and saw how Jesus literally is the gateway into salvation from one to the other.

If we do not bring people into a living encounter with Jesus himself, they cannot enter into his salvation. He literally is the gateway in which we all pass through. Psalm 118v19-21. Matt 7v13. John 10v1-9.

Our attention in all our groups now, needs to be, to ask ourselves, “How is my group inviting and encouraging, people to meet Jesus for themselves in their lives?”

Sending disciples to incarnate (live) Christ in the world.

·        He showed us how vitally important it is to encourage our disciples of Christ to live Christ in their own lives out in the community, being the light for Christ, the salt. Matt 5v13-16

·        God calls us to work alongside him in the harvest, and to prayerfully witness the love of Christ so others and identify what the Holy Spirit is already doing in people’s lives, and invite them to come and meet Jesus. John 4v34-38(-42). Matt 9v36-38(ff).

Two mission models based on the Good News.

There are at least two theological Good News models which we can choose to use in order to bring people to Jesus:-

1. Penitential. We can first of all convince people that they are sinners, but God loves them and is ready to forgive them in Jesus Christ who died for them on the cross.  (Redemption theology). A hard message to share unless the person is already aware of their failings and brokenness.

·        It would be like a boy going to a girl and saying “Your ugly and smell but I love you, why don’t you clean yourself up and we can get married.”  Imagine the response in most cases.

(Acts 2v38ff  Speaking to wayward believers)

2.       Celebration. We can assure people that the one God who created them and the world, also loves them intensely, and longs for them and invites them to come and know his love, through his Son Jesus Christ.  (Creation theology).  A positive message to share with people already enjoying the fruits of life and the abundant beauty of creation. 

·        This would be like the boy saying to the same girl “I think you are beautiful and I love you, will you marry me?” He is much more likely to melt her heart with his love, which will create a significant devotion in response.

1 John 4v19. 1 John 4v7-21.John 3v16.  1 John 3v16.

In my own experience I came to know the love of God well before becoming aware of my own sins.

He melted my heart with his love and then I recognised just how far off from the Lord I had been, and I began willingly to put my life right with him, as he gently put his finger on one thing after another.

However some people feel so guilty and broken that the first message they need to hear is that they are forgiven, God loves them and Christ died for their sins! 

What was your story?

What model will you choose to work with, with the next person you help to know Jesus?