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Summary

We'll go to Matthew chapter 18, Matthew chapter 18, looking at verse 10, and actually this is we're going to back up, we're going to just go, we're going to start at the beginning of 18 where it says, it says, at that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Let's go to Hebrews, the 11th chapter, a good way to find Hebrews, it's just go to book of Revelation, last book, slowly start working your way backwards, you're going to cross the John, you're going to cross the Peters, you'll hit James as you're going left, and then you're going to hit Hebrews. So let's go let's look at this banquet for a moment this banquet that's promised in Isaiah 25 so keep your hand at Psalm 23 and flip over we're going to go past the books of wisdom we're going to find ourselves in Isaiah the prophet Isaiah chapter 25 and we see this amazing banquet laid out this promise beginning in verse 6 where the Lord promises on this mountain. Let's go keep your hand here let's go to the very last book in scripture revelation revelation the last chapter of the last book revelation 21 verses one through five this is just amazing revelation 21 1 through 5 then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more and I saw coming and I saw the holy city the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying see the whole of God is among mortals he will dwell with them as their God they will be his peoples and God himself will be with them he will wipe every tear from their eyes death will be no more morning and crying and pain will be no more for the first things have passed away and the one who was seated on the throne said see I am making all things new the Lord God our shepherd will dwell with us amongst us absolutely no barriers for all eternity we can't even imagine how amazing and glorious that will be but we're promised that that is our eternal future and we are promised that what is to come is already now we don't have a future shepherd we are not future sheep we are sheep now and today and the Lord richly bless now and today even when we go through a valley we're walked through with the shepherd when we have our highest height highest height the Lord is there when we have our lowest lows the Lord is there because the Lord is with us always go to Psalm 23 again we're going to take a breath and we're going to read this together one more time thinking of who our shepherd is and who he is to us for us for his lives say let's read the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me lie down in green pastures he leads me beside still waters he restores my soul he leads me in right paths for his name's sake even though I walk through the darkest valley I fear no evil for you are with me you're raw and your staff they comfort me you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies you annoying my head with oil my cup overflows surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long Amen you Heavenly Lord, we thank you so much for your word. Would you open your Bibles, please, with me, to John the first chapter for our time in God's Word today, if you're using a Pew Edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that in the New Testament on page 80, John the first chapter. Jesus did not give a caveat when he called to his disciples and said you are to go out and to proclaim you are to be my witnesses there were no seminaries they knew Jesus they knew the truth of who he was and who he was in their lives that's the experience that they brought to their witness you know who Jesus is you know who he is in your life that is the experience that you bring to your witness as you proclaim of all that he has done but what if we're not sales people what if we're just not born for sales we're gonna cut that one short really quick when we are evangelizing when we are proclaiming the good news we are not selling anything because when we're selling goods there's a chance that that good will fault her fail erode the good news of salvation in Christ and Christ alone it will never fail the good news that you are righteous because of Christ will never erode or rust or fade it is a promise eternally golden resting in the richness of God's own love and mercy for you now we're gonna get to the conviction part for those of us who like to talk and think that evangelism or neglect of evangelism may not apply to us I was on a plane once I had been in Omaha for a week and I was tired it was a short plane ride I just wanted to get home and I sat down and there were two women that were sitting next to me and I found out they were and soon enough they started chatting and they were talking about the Bible and I said to myself nope nope we are not gonna intervene we are not gonna say anything and they continue to talk and I couldn't help it by God's grace while I wanted to neglect evangelism while I wanted to neglect these two saints that sat next to me the Lord did not allow me he opened my lips and it was the most fruitful conversation they were just coming to know the Lord and it was such an honor and privilege to be able to share in that conversation I have other times other stories in my life where I know that as a talker I have chosen to not speak I have chosen to neglect the opportunity to share the good news I confess that to you as I confess it before the Lord because neglecting evangelism we are all guilty of that regardless if we like to talk or if we like to keep to ourselves we are all guilty of neglecting sharing the good news I want to encourage you this week encourage you to keep your eyes open to those around you who may not have heard the good news they may be in your own household they may be in your workplace your school room they may be in the grocery store we have heard many times about God's saying divine appointments for us what is evangelism but meeting that divine appointment to share the good news the good news that Christ has died Christ is risen and Christ will come again my brothers and sisters you are the disciples of Christ you are the witnesses of what he has done for you I encourage you I encourage you to go forth go forth this week seeking the people that God is sending you to seeking the people that God has placed in your lives to share the good news and just as Paul says go forth not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who has to the Jew first and also to the Greek for in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith as it is written the one who is righteous will live by faith go forth knowing that you are righteous in Christ I would call me a conversation with a lovely young lady and she shared with me a major, major controversy.

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