Mark 16:15-16(NKJV) And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
The scarlet thread running through the Bible reveals God’s passion, desire, and love for the lost. The unconditional Abrahamic Covenant is intended to ensure that nothing will be able to stop God from sending the Messiah to fulfil His plan of redemption of mankind to Himself.
We must hear God’s heart for the lost and accept His call to do His work. Every soul is precious in God’s sight, and He is mobilising His army of believers to seek and save the lost! The Great Commission is to the entire church: go to every part of the world and share the gospel with everyone. We need to advocate for local outreach to the lost and world missions, mobilise people to share the gospel, be willing to send missionaries to the field and be the people who go to share the gospel.
Jesus initially sent the twelve disciples to preach the gospel, then the seventy believers to minister, who came back with joy, and then the one hundred and twenty after their experience of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. He has commissioned all of us with the gospel and the ministry of reconciliation to the world.
We are drawing closer to Jesus Christ’s return daily. Every second, four precious people are going to an eternity without Christ. The church must not neglect Jesus’ last command to preach the gospel to the world’s end before the end comes, but make it our first concern since the Chief Shepherd will take good care of us.
Matthew 18:13-14 (NKJV) And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
The heart of God is not unlike a parent who has lost a child in a crowd or through abduction, and when the child is found, not only the parents but everyone who witnesses it will rejoice with them. Similarly, Jesus and His angels rejoice in heaven whenever someone returns to His bosom by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
There are sinners lost without God in this world. Jesus urgently visited every town and city to preach the Kingdom of God to the lost because this is the very reason He was sent. Likewise, we also need to share the gospel with our parents, friends, colleagues, and strangers with the same urgency so that we can share in heaven’s rejoicing.
Luke 15:10 (NKJV) Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Sermon Series: One Soul for Christ
在天堂的喜乐中有份
马可福音16:15-16 耶稣又对他们说：“你们往普天下去，传福音给万民听。信而受洗的必然得救，不信的必被定罪。
贯穿圣经的猩红血线揭示了神对失丧者的热情、渴望和爱。无条件的亚伯拉罕之约旨在确保没有什么能阻止神派遣弥赛亚来完成祂救赎人类回归自己的计划。
我们必须聆听神对失丧者的心意，并接受祂的呼召去做祂的工作。在神眼中，每个灵魂都是宝贵的，祂正在动员祂的信徒军团来寻找和拯救失丧的人！这是给全体教会的大使命：去到世界每个角落，把福音传给每一个人。我们要倡导本地教会向失丧者和普世宣教作外展，动员人们分享福音，愿意差派宣教士去到禾场，成为传福音的人。
耶稣最初派十二个门徒去传福音，然后派七十个信徒去传道，他们带着喜乐回来，然后又差派了那在楼上经历了圣灵的一百二十人。祂已经把福音和与世人和好的事工托付给我们每一个人。
我们一天比一天更接近耶稣基督的再来。每一秒都有四个珍贵的人进入没有基督的永恒。教会千万不能忽视耶稣最后的诫命 — 在世界末日到来之前，传讲福音直到世界的尽头，一定要把这作为我们的头等大事，因为大牧人会无微不至地照顾我们。
马太福音18:13-14 若是找着了，我实在告诉你们，他为这一只羊欢喜，比为那没有迷路的九十九只欢喜还大呢！你们在天上的父也是这样，不愿意这小子里失丧一个。
与那些在人群中不见了孩子或孩子被绑架的父母一样，神也是一样的揪心。当孩子被找到时，不仅父母，而且每个目睹它的人都会与他们一同欢喜。同样，每当有人接受耶稣基督为他们的主和救主，回到祂的怀抱时，耶稣和祂的天使们都会在天堂里欢欣鼓舞。
世上有那么多生命中没有神而迷失的罪人。耶稣急急地访问每一个城镇，向失丧者宣讲神的国，这正是祂被派来的原因。我们要以同样的紧迫感与我们的父母、朋友、同事和陌生人分享福音，这样我们才能在天堂的喜乐中有份。
路加福音15:10 我告诉你们，一个罪人悔改，在神的使者面前，也是这样为他欢喜。
讲章系列: 为基督赢得一个灵魂
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