Facing the Unfinished Task - Part 1

And welcome to the � podcast with Charles Stanley for Monday, May 20 10 the terrible effects of the cover 19 crisis hail in comparison to the future that awaits those who don't know Jesus as Savior today will learn what part God is calling us to pray in his worldwide rescue effort in part one of facing the unfinished task everything that Jesus said while he was on earth was very important.

You never hear him or read about him saying I think so. Maybe it could be all not sure I'll ever think about it. I was wrong. You never hear him saying those kind of things. When he spoke he spoke with purpose. He spoke in clear direction and he always spoke the truth. Everything he said was very important. One of those very important things he said is our text for this message because he made a statement not only to his disciples, his apostles, but he made a statement to them.

That also applies to every single one of August because he intended for them to hand down the every succeeding generation those simple words, and I want you turn if you will, to the 20th chapter of John and Jesus was in probably the same upper room that they had met at before. Maybe sometimes they were afraid because of the crucifixion. And now Jesus is risen from the grave and the Scripture says in the 19th verse of this 20th chapter. So when it was evening on that day the first day of the week and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them please be with you. And when he had said this to them. He showed them both his hands and his side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

So Jesus said to them again, peace be with you as the father has sent me also send you this and that, as the father has sent me, I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit now when Jesus had ascended to the heavens. He had finished his part of the overall task.

It was not the finishing of the task but was finishing his part, because you see he had a part and then he delegated to those disciples. Their part and they delegated to the generations that have followed our part in that particular command.

Now how do people respond to this one a people's response when they hear these things and in our whole theme is facing the unfinished task we do when you face something well you certainly become aware of it.

You confronted our US questions about it, but ultimately when you confront something you have to ask the question what is my responsibility in confronting this thing, whatever it might be some of even a Christian for many, many, many years and yet you have never even attempted to sit down with someone and explain to them how to be saying is a lot of work around a lot of Christians let me just tell you this paren there are lots of people who name the name of Jesus Christ, who cannot tell you who he is, who cannot explain the gift of salvation to someone else so I have to ask the question if you can't tell someone else about it.

Why should I believe that you've experienced it. If you can explain it than what happened to you and whatever happened you was it salvation was a genuine forgiveness. Did you receive the gift of eternal life always is just a good feeling.

Was this a decision you made to change some things in your life. If you've truly been saved by the grace of God. Surely you can tell someone how and what happened to you, but oftentimes people cannot you live around people you work around people you work with people who cannot listen, you'd be surprised how many people in every denomination Baptist see Methodist Presbyterians, Catholic, Episcopalian, you name him who do not believe that Jesus Christ was sinless, who believe that our works have to do with salvation who not exactly sure where there's a hell not who think and hope that there is a heaven there so many unanswered questions in the minds and hearts of people who sit in church week after week after week.

Listen, and these same people are those who have the responsibility of sharing the clear presentation of the gospel with people you work with, no matter who and no matter where.

So how do people respond the whole issue of the task is very plain. But how do we respond was like in some ways people respond. Some people want to shift the responsibility say well I go to church. We have a pastor. We have pastors we have is that we pay them to do the work you missed the point.

The responsibility of sharing the gospel. Listen, is the commission of the Lord Jesus Christ is the responsibility of every church, and who is the church. The church is in an organization is the billing the church is you. The church is me the church is us.

We are the body of Christ we are the people he talks about when he speaks in terms of the church and so you can shirk the responsibility, but only as an act of disobedience to God, and that those people who say well listen. It's an impossible task impossible. The strength of man when it comes to counting how many people get born every day. How many people die every day we say will you not been trying to figure this out and it just seems to be impossible. That's not our business, our businesses, to be obedient to his command.

So it's not a matter of whether we can over the we cannot. It's a matter of all we involve personally what is God doing in our life. How we contributing and joining hands with the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave us a personal responsibility to do what he says as the father sent me, so send I you as samosas rollout they want to get to involvement because I believe that God will save anybody most to say and he'll save them when he gets good and ready. Well that parts true that's only half the truth, he can say the money gets good ratings about us as well. I don't believe it's our responsibility. I don't believe we have anything to do that. That's just what God does. All we have to ask is this, that sounds like a cop out to me. In fact, is not only a cop that is totally theologically untrue biblically on term as a question. If that were true, some others as well.

God he can get the gospel in the body.

He wants to.

And he doesn't need me that you think I'm making up something. There are churches whose theology is that missions is not the work of the church, God will save whom he will save and those whom he does not save is not my responsibility and let me ask you question why in the world would Paul make the state.

Paul said that whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed how they will. They believe in him.

If they have not heard and how will they hear without a preacher and how will they preach unless they be sent that the apostle Paul said, it's very important that there are people preaching and sharing the gospel, not just people in church billings, but people individually person the person face-to-face answer always opportunities a people have the solar shirk responsibility.

That is when I hear all watch this if you said it.

Please keep it to yourself.

Listen to this. You mean to tell me that I am responsible and I have responsibility and that all of the concern and people in Afghanistan and China and Russia and Germany and South America North America. Why should I be so upset about all this would look at our own country. We got people listen in our country of never never never trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior. People you lost. Why would you tell is that over two reasons.

Number one because Jesus said so listen. Jerusalem was not disquieted peaceful little town where everybody got say and nowhere does he say now you stay in Jerusalem until they'll get say no. He said you stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit is come upon you and when he's come upon you you to be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria.

The uttermost parts of the earth. He didn't say after you've converted all the Romans in Jerusalem after you change the society. Jerusalem was somewhere else. And so what happened limited. What really happened. They got sort of comfortable in Jerusalem and you know what happened. Persecution set in, and persecution. What did he do it sent them all over the known world a better day preaching and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Because you see that's why� Here, what in Jesus to save you and take you home that day if I should asking you honest if I said you haven't you been through enough pain-and-suffering and heartache since she was say you would like to have been saved and just taken on up that day. Look what you would have missed you know I left his ear� Here to users. He left is here to live through those he left this here to join with others. He left his hip to partner with us to do what to proclaim his message to share his gospel to the world.

That's why we are here. Most people don't live their whole life and never even think about why did God leave me here after he saved me he left us here. Listen to share the gospel message of Jesus Christ about us as well man I live such a sinful, wicked by ally my life been so unholy and so wicked I was into drugs. I was in the alcohol I was in a bit as I was in the bathtub and central wicked are been in prison all these things and you mean to tell me that God can use me.

Listen, you will become a trophy of the grace of God and the reason your life can make an impact, is because you can say I want to tell you, God can save the worst center of whom I'm cheap and look what he's done for me and if he can do this for me. He can do the same for you miss it you can get so wicked, God can save you and you can get good enough to make God save you.

It is by the grace of God, the goodness of God, the love of God, they shed blood of Jesus Christ. That's the reason you and I say we have a responsibility and all these excuses are absolutely listen on acceptable to the Lord Jesus Christ. Hello.

I know that because she is what he said. He said as the father had sent me, so send I you now this is how human nature works. My family, my job, my tears, my money mother's my plans, my goals is not the issue. The issue is who you belong to. He says you've been purchased with a price. Every single believer listen is the created possession. The redeemed possession of the living God, Jesus Christ, intends to be the lord and master of our life because, listen. He wants us to become the person he created us to be achieve the things in life he created us to achieve this and he is for us, loving us gifting us, equipping us why because, listen, he has chosen to use you to impact somebody else's life, and the question is, is it happening I think about this for moment even a Christian, 10, 15 years you work among people who are unsaved and you knew it, but you didn't take time to talk to them. You work among people that you knew needed Jesus, but somehow you are ashamed to bear witness why you and you can give a thousand excuses. This is why he said as my father has sent me, so send I you to your office out of your home among your friends, your relatives, those you socialize with. Listen we have an unshakable responsibility to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How many people say, oh God, forgive me. I should have but I didn't you know who you are working around who's not going to be here tonight or tomorrow. My friend limitation. You and I can never tell God how busy we are the we are just too busy. We were just too busy limitation. What's going to hit home one of your loved ones dies, it could be a son or daughter, a mother or father one of your dearest friends. And all of a sudden they're gone. You knew they weren't saved, you knew it all along and every once in a while you'd pray for them and they're gone and you never took a moment of your time to tell.

Suppose that your son or your daughter, you know there lost and they work around people that you know is saved good Christian people go to church but they never told your son. They never told your daughter. They never took the time let's get into the hard cold facts listen. Life is a matter of life and death. Let's think about this for moment, what is our task, our mission, our field is the world according to Jesus, going all the world preach the gospel. Our mission is to share the good news at our message is Jesus loves you and he will save you. If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your personal savior.

You're asking the question whether what can I do listen very carefully is what you can do here is the gospel, God the father so loved you and me that he sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. His sinless virgin born son into this world to reveal the truth about the father. The seeking to save those who are lost to give us an abundant life, but primarily to go to Calvary and down the cross when he went to the cross. He took all of your sin debt all your disobedience and rebellion and placed it upon him, and then he died. As your substitute in your place and paid your sin debt in full and what can you do, you can accept the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is his crucifixion for your salvation. You can ask him to forgive you of your sin.

You can place your faith in him to trust him as your personal savior. What should you do exactly that. Lord Jesus, I'm asking you to forgive me of my sins, not based on my conduct of my good works, but based on your death at Calvary and your promise to part B of my sin. What is God telling you to do to be saved, when is he telling you to do it today is the day of salvation is what he says what are you willing to do our hope before God, you will lose say to him right now that's what I want and that you will pray this simple prayer with me not to me but to him, but pray this simple prayer Lord Jesus, I have sinned against you, I rebelled against you. I wanted my way. I do believe that you went to the cross and took my place and paid my penalty. I am asking you to forgive me of my sin. I'm placing my trust in you as my personal savior I'm accepting your forgiveness and I give you my life to live for you all the days of my life by your help and your strength.

In Jesus name. My friend, I could not count the mail that I've heard over the years of people who heard a prayer that I prayed simply like that, whose lives have been transformed. You could put it in your words as long as you have a few of those things in their your trust in him is the crucified Savior you're asking him to forgive your sins. And by faith placing your trust. If you did that your eternal destiny.

Jess changed for all eternity night at the tell you this would parent listen to me carefully, you'd better give it your best while you government home. You'd better get them in church listening to the gospel until they are absolutely did listserv not only about what they believe their capacity share someone else. We have the most awesome opportunity and the greatest privilege shared here and around the world get involved.

Let God work in your life to make a difference.

Listen, you can live and die in your life. The meaningless as far as an impact upon the people. It's time to let Jesus get on the inside of you and you become listen, not just a follow-up, but an obedient servant of the living God, thank you for listening to part one of Dr. Stanley's message facing the unfinished task for resources to help you study God's word.

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