What hinders someone from coming to Jesus Christ? Is it wealth? Is it education? Or hurt and
pain?
When you experienced hurt and pain in your own family, you
will usually argued that you cannot go out there to serve Jesus. But with God
it is possible.
Illustration of a family scenario that can happen in any place in the world. He said a family was getting ready to go to
church on Sunday, but the parents were quarrelling and the children had
difficulties getting ready. Mom and dad
quarrelled over themselves and the children.
Everyone was angry with each other and they yelled as each other in the
car. However, when they arrived at the front door of the church while greeted
by the pastor, everyone smiled and said all was well. They behaved normally in Church but as soon
as they got off church, they were back to quarrelling. Many Christians behave this way.
Pastor Seumean said 80% of children who were brought up in
Church left Church in their teens when they attend college. The reason is that they observed that their
families behaved one way in church and another when they are out of
church. To them this is not real. We are losing our young people to the secular
world everywhere. We need to do
more. Why?
John 10:10 “The thief
comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full.”
Jesus has come to help us.
Why are we still struggling and hurting?
John 8:32 “ Then you
will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” We need to know the
truth of Jesus.
In Luke 4, Jesus was tempted by the devil. We are also tempted in many ways. If we put our hearts on something more than
God, these are idols. They can be our
hobbies, work, etc.
Hurt and pain got us to do things that are sinful. But there is good news. Let go of hurts and
pain. It will be easier to hear from God
and experience His love for us. We need
to do what He wants us to do. No need to wait until we are in heaven to
experience no pain and no hurts.
Wealth
Is wealth preventing any one from God? Not necessary. There are rich people who are
Christians. Money is not what is evil,
it is the love of money.
1 Timothy 6:10 “For
the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money,
have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Colossian 3:23 “Whatever
you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human
masters,”
Education
It is harder to share Christ with people who are
educated. This is not necessary
true. Paul was the most educated
disciple of Jesus. He was the Pharisee
of Pharisee. Yet, he met Christ, and
became a disciple. It is not about how
much or how little we know.
Act 4:13 “When they
saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled,
ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been
with Jesus.”
Many of Jesus’ disciples were uneducated men. The key was that they were with Jesus. The requirement to be Jesus’ disciple is not
education but to be with Jesus!
Christianity is not a religion but a relationship. It is our relationship with God. This is often connected with love, a loving
relationship.
Matthew 22:39 “And the
second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.”
We are commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves.
Our God is awesome and He is near us when we prayed to Him.
Deuteronomy 4:7 “What
other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our
God is near us whenever we pray to him?”
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