God’s Power at Work Onboard the Good Ship Hotch Potch with the HTG Holiday Club
August 4th 2010 at 4:45pm
We’re in the middle of holiday club – a team of hardy souls from HTG and a crew of kids are on a nautical adventure aboard HMS Hotch Potch. At the same time we’re doing a week of free cafe mornings at HTG. It’s a long week and it’s exhausting. But it’s worth it so that people can hear the message of the gospel – the message of Jesus.
I did the devotion for the holiday club team this morning. Since we’re at the middle of the week and the team might be getting a bit tired, I wanted to encourage them. So I shared some thoughts from Isaiah 55:6-11, and I thought I’d share them here too.
Isaiah 55:6-11 says this:
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
This says at least three things about evangelism, I’ve tried to make them all start with P so they’ll be memorable…
First, it’s ImPortant (say it out loud, it almost sounds like it starts with ‘P’!)
Verse six implies that there will be a time when it will be too late to find the Lord, too late to seek him. The time to seek God is now, while he may be found. Leave it and it might be too late.
This reminds us that there will come a time when God will call time on all human history and there will be a final reckoning – the day of Judgement. On that day those who follow him will enter into eternal life, and those who reject him will enter into punishment.
It’s a sobering thought. It’s so easy to forget that we’re playing for keeps. When we share the gospel we’re sharing a message of the upmost importance – a message of life and death.
So evangelism is important.
The second thing this passage tells us is that evangelism is Possible – it’s possible because God is a God who forgives.
Look at verses 7-9 above – the wicked and the evil man are told to turn to God, and miraculously God will have mercy, he will freely pardon. How can this be? Well verses 8 & 9 say it’s because God is different to us – he is greater and higher than we are. Do you see the implication: God’s greatness is seen in his forgiveness – he is so brilliant that he forgives the wicked when they turn to him.
Now this might not sound like true greatness until we consider what it cost God to bring forgiveness. Forgiveness came only through the sacrificial death of his only Son. And not only was it costly, but forgiveness came as the climax of God’s salvation plan, worked out in his wisdom through thousands of years of history. What’s more God brought forgiveness in such a way that justice was served, even though we who are guilty escape judgement (check out Romans 3: 20-26).
Forgiving the wicked, without forsaking justice, that is God’s glory.
Evangelism is possible only because we know a glorious God who demonstrates his love and power and wisdom by forgiving sins.
So when we’re sharing the gospel we need to remember that this is Good News, Remarkable News even. The gospel is the news of life to the dead – in Jesus there is forgiveness, a fresh start, a second chance with God.
And the third thing this passage tells us is that evangelism is Powerful. God’s word is powerful and effective, it never fails to achieve God’s purposes.
Look at verses 10 and 11. We know a bit about rain here in the North East of England. Yesterday I mowed the lawn for the first time in 16 days (we were away for a bit and it’s been raining … and I’ve got other excuses too, but I’m saving them for next week). From a patch of lawn about 3m by 3m I carted off four armloads of lawn clippings. How’s that for effective? The rain does it’s work spectacularly. The rain comes down and the gardens grow.
And in the same way, God’s word goes out and achieves God’s purposes.
What is the purpose of the gospel? It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Does that mean that everyone who hears it will be saved? No; but those who believe will. And saving sinners is what Jesus came to do, it’s God’s rescue mission we’re joining in with.
So we can have confidence in sharing the gospel because God cares for the people we’re speaking to. And we might not be able to convince them it’s true, or worth listening too. But God can. And God does – even when we think the situation is hopeless. God’s word is powerful and effective. Like the rain it never fails to bring forth a crop, it achieves the purposes for which sends it.
So when we’re sharing the gospel we can have confidence in it – we don’t need to offer a free set of stake knives to make it more attractive, we don’t need to take out the bits that might seem offensive – we have to pass it on so that it can do it’s work. Evangelism is passing on a message that has power to bring life to the dead.
So if you’re a Christian, I want to encourage you to remember that evangelism is ImPortant, Possible and Powerful – and so to Persevere in it. And if you’re not a Christian – well listen to the message of the gospel: seek the Lord while he may be found, turn from wickedness and God will forgive you, because that is his glory and the purpose for which he sent his son.
And if you’re in the neighbourhood during the rest of the week I’ll see you at HTG for a free cuppa and some seriously tasty treats. And if you’re on the HotchPotch team, or in the creche or the cafe – keep up the good work, it’s worth it.