Beyond The Golden Ticket To Heaven

REFERENCE: John 20:21-22 Again he said, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." 22 Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

Observation: When we receive Jesus as our savior, we also receive the responsibility to fulfill a call; to be sent out into the world in the same way that Jesus was. What was the nature of His call?

1. To identify with the people He was called to serve. In the same way we need to be willing to do more than just associate with those who already know Jesus, we need to invest our hearts and our lives in the unsaved.

2. To meet the felt, practical needs of the people He encountered. From multiplying food to driving out demons and healing the sick, Jesus always seemed to be willing to meet people at the point of their immediate need. It is the same for us. We need to see how we can simply find a need and fill it. It is out of that service that chances to share the gospel can flow.

3. To let people know what the path to salvation was. We need to go beyond building bridges of friendships and look for those divine chances to share Gods awesome plan for salvation. Jesus was always natural and comfortable and so should we be. We just don't want to miss the chances God brings our way.

4. To reveal, by words and deeds, what God the Father was like. For some we meet, we will be the only Jesus they will ever know. If He lives in us (and if we are a believers, He does) then it is simply a matter of letting His life and love flow through you. People need to have a new revelation of God, and we can help make that happen.

It is not a coincidence that Jesus gives them the Holy Spirit after pressing on them this call. We can not do any of this without the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. How important it is to every day ask for His presence in our lives and ask Him to bring those across our paths who need to know Jesus better. Ask the Holy Spirit to show us, practically, how we can show them Jesus by our lives or by a simple word. There is nothing more powerful than to be Spirit-filled and directed. Jesus proved that by His life and ministry.

Application/Confession: I simply don't know enough non-Christians. I am learning all I can about reaching out to the world like Jesus did. I'm not sure I know how, but I am open to the Holy Spirit directing me. I am asking every day.

PRAYER: Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit today and, today, give me someone I can move just a little closer to knowing You.