How to Lead Someone to the Lord
One of my driving goals in life is this … I live to make hell smaller and heaven bigger.
If you have known me for more than 5 minutes … you have likely heard me say that very phrase.
I live to make hell smaller and heaven bigger.
My heart beats with a passion to tell people about Jesus … about His great love for us … about His amazing grace … and about the abundant life He is willing to give each one of us.
I love looking someone in the eye … and gently saying, “Hey! Could I tell you about Jesus?”
Could I tell you about my Savior and my Friend?
Could I tell you about the One who makes life worth living?
Could I tell you about Someone who was willing to die for you?
And then … the conversation generally leads to a moment of decision.
Now … not everyone wants to hear about Jesus … and when that happens … I can just smile and say, “It’s all good. I’ll be praying for you.”
However … one of the greatest delights of life is to lead a person into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!
Hell just got smaller and heaven just got bigger when that happens!
“The salvation of a single soul is more important than the production or preservation of all the epics and tragedies in the world.” – C. S. Lewis
So … When was the last time you led someone to the Lord?
Have you ever led someone to the Lord?
Do you know what it means to “lead someone to the Lord”?
Well … let’s talk about that today.
Let’s talk about salvation … forgiveness … and how to lead a person to the Lord.
Let’s talk about heaven … eternity … and an abundant life here on earth.
Let’s go …
We live in a temporary body made of flesh, blood, and bones … but this fleshly body won’t last forever.
Someday … our bodies will die.
None of us gets out of here alive … not even you.
When our body ceases to live and breathe and function … what happens to our spirits?
Our spirits are eternal beings and will continue to live even when our bodies cease to exist.
Isn’t that exciting?! There is a part of you that will live forever!
Eternity is real and you get to choose where you would like to spend it.
But it is not only the issue of eternity that we need to talk about … we also need to talk about sin.
Sin. It’s only a three-letter word, but it reeks of death.
Hate. Crime. Gossip. Cheating. Abuse. Stealing. Killing. Bitterness. Infidelity. Adultery.
The list goes on and on, doesn’t it?
Sin has built a wall between humanity and God.
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23
Sin blocks our pathway to a wonderful, loving relationship with the Father who created us.
Sin is the chasm … the unsurpassable wall … the battleground … the void.
“For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23
How do we build a bridge that will deliver us to the Father’s arms and heart?
There is only one way … through forgiveness.
There is only One who paid the price for forgiveness and His Name is Jesus.
God loved us so much that He couldn’t stand to be separated from us, His beloved children.
God the Father send His only Son Jesus to become a man … to become one of us.
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.” – Luke 19:10
Jesus came to make salvation and forgiveness possible. He died on the cross and took the judgement that we deserve.
“God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, “I love you.”” – Billy Graham
On the cross, Jesus Christ took the punishment of our sins … He was our substitute. He suffered so that you and I didn’t have to suffer. Its called … amazing grace!
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8
His blood built that bridge between sin and God … between you and heaven.
Salvation is a gift … forgiveness is a gift.
But … as with any gift … the receiver must receive it in order to enjoy it!
You must respond to the love of the Father … confess your sins … accept His forgiveness … and then receive His gift of eternal life.
“If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – I John 1:9
In some ways … it sounds too good to be true … doesn’t it? But this is the beauty and the mystery of grace … we receive a forgiveness that we don’t deserve!
“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through Me.” – John 14:6
So … perhaps … you would like to pray this prayer with me today … or you might want to share this prayer with someone you love.
“Dear Jesus … I am a sinner and You are a Savior, so we are a perfect match! We are a match made in heaven! Thank You for forgiving my sins. I invite you to live in my heart and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I thank You, Jesus, for abundant life on earth and for eternal life when I die. Amen.”
Thanks for listening to my heart this week. As you know by now, my heart is truly not a perfect heart, but it is a heart that is filled to overflowing with gratitude for the life I have been given and for the people who walk with me. And, it continues to be a heart that is relentlessly chasing after God and all that He is!