WEBVTT

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 Good job.

00:00:03.540 --> 00:00:05.219
 Thank you, Derek and Amy.

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 Derek has never looked better, has he,

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 than to have Amy up here with him

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 and not have that bow tie on too.

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 What time is it?

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 1050.

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 Thank you very much, Jake.

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 And just as in the first service,

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 he is a week early.

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 Because I'm not talking about that kind of time.

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 We're going to look at that kind of time next week.

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 What time is it in your life?

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 What is the season that you find yourself in right now?

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 What season of life is it?

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 Last year when we looked at the book of Ecclesiastes,

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 I used as sort of, it was a chart,

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 an example of looking at our lives

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 in terms of the four quarters of a football game.

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 And when I put that on the screen and talked about that,

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 I had more comments.

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 I had more requests for that chart

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 than anything I've ever done in this church.

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 So I want to use it again to kick off this message this morning.

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 We're going to begin to think about our stewardship of time.

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 Managing our time.

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 And next week it will be more about the hours in our day,

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 the days in our week,

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 the weeks of the month, the months of the year,

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 that kind of time.

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 But today I want us to think about time in terms of a season of life.

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 And we're all in one.

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 To use the football analogy,

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 the first quarter would be birth through 20 years old.

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 That's when you're growing up.

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 That's when you're learning about life.

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 That's when you're exploring a lot of things about who you are,

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 what life's all about.

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 Well, the second quarter, we'll call that ages 21 through 40.

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 That's when you start finding your place.

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 And it's important if you're in that season of life,

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 start finding your place.

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 That's when you start looking for and finding your mate.

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 For a lot of us in this room,

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 when we entered that quarter,

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 we were already or getting ready to get married.

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 That's when we start having children,

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 adding to our family.

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 That's when we start maturing.

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 And for some people, it may need to be emphasized,

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 that's the time to mature,

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 to grow up in the second quarter of life.

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 Then if we live, we enter the third quarter,

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 ages 41 through 60.

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 That's when you're established.

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 That's when you are hopefully focused.

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 You know who it is God's made you.

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 You're on the path that he's put you on,

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 family-wise, vocationally, the way you're serving him.

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 Those are the years your children are going to grow up and move on,

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 hopefully.

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 And you'll have an empty nest.

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 And those can be great years.

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 The third quarter of life,

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 there's just a lot of positives about it.

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 You get grandchildren.

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 Hopefully your children grow up,

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 they move out,

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 but they don't move far away.

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 And they bring those grandchildren into your life

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 that you get to play with and enjoy life with.

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 But you know, as you get older,

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 in that third quarter of life,

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 toward the end of it especially,

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 a lot of times your parents

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 start having some health issues.

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 And we need to pay more attention,

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 be more involved,

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 be there to help.

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 Well, if we're still alive,

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 we're going to move into the fourth quarter,

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 ages, we'll call that ages 61 through 80.

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 That's when most people are going to be closing out

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 their primary career.

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 But a lot of people,

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 and a lot of people in this church,

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 have started a,

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 what might be considered a second career

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 during the fourth quarter of life.

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 And for a lot of people,

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 it was not a paid career,

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 not a paid change,

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 but one that is very enjoyable.

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 Doing things that you really like,

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 you want to do.

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 And you don't have to be paid for it.

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 But it's also a time of adjusting

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 to a slower lifestyle,

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 slower pace of life.

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 For a lot of people,

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 maybe most,

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 that's when your health starts declining.

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 You go to the doctor more.

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 You're more

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 just susceptible to problems.

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 You're realizing your mortality.

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 You realize,

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 I'm not getting better.

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 I'm not staying the same.

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 Things are winding down.

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 And the reality is,

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 we're not going to live forever.

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 And the way your body

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 and just things change,

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 that's one of God's ways

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 of letting you know.

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 Things are winding down.

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 Well,

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 if you live past 80 in this analogy,

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 you're in overtime.

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 A lot of people in this country today

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 live past 80,

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 so they're in what we're calling overtime.

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 But for the overwhelming majority,

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 that is truly a time of winding down,

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 struggling to stay active.

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 That's a time for most,

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 many people,

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 if it hadn't already happened,

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 a spouse dies.

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 Children may have moved away.

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 And so that,

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 for many people,

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 is a time of increasing loneliness.

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 You can't get out like you used to.

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 It can be a time,

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 usually is a time of decreasing independence.

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 And then there's ongoing health issues.

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 And surely,

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 when we're in the overtime period,

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 as we're looking at here,

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 if we are just honest with ourselves,

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 we've got to face the fact that death

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 is not that far away.

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 Seasons of life,

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 we're all in one.

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 I want to encourage you,

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 at the very beginning here,

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 embrace where you are in life.

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 You can't do anything about it.

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 There may be some of you,

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 you're in the first quarter,

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 and you wish you could move on quickly.

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 Don't wish that.

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 Because it'll be here before you know it.

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 Some of us,

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 like me,

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 you look at that chart,

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 it's sort of depressing.

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 I can't believe I'm in the fourth quarter.

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 Just starting the fourth quarter now,

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 in the lower parts of the fourth quarter.

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 But I want you to think,

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 where are you in your season of life?

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 You can't do a thing in the world about it.

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 You are there.

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 The only way to get out of it is to die.

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 So embrace where you are in life.

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 Embrace this time,

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 because this is where you are,

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 and this is where you must live.

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 If you're in the younger quarters,

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 by the grace of God,

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 you'll live,

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 but you're going to move on into another quarter.

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 Now,

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 I want you to think about all the different quarters

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 you have already gone through,

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 or the one you're in.

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 Think of all the relationships,

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 the emotions,

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 and the experiences that have taken place thus far

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 in your life,

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 in all these quarters.

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 The third chapter of Ecclesiastes

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 summarizes all of our experiences

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 and emotions and so forth

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 in the various seasons of life.

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 I want you to turn with me

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 to the book of Ecclesiastes,

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 chapter three,

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 and this is just going to be

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 how we begin the message this morning.

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 Chapter three,

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 verses one through eight,

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 is probably the most famous poem

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 ever written on the subject of time.

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 A time for everything.

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 In Ecclesiastes,

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 chapter three,

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 and let's read

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 verses one through eight.

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 For everything,

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 there is a season

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 and a time

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 for every matter

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 under heaven.

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 A time to be born

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 and a time to die.

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 A time to plant

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 and a time to pluck up

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 what is planted.

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 A time to kill

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 and a time to heal.

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 A time to break down

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 and a time to build up.

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 A time to weep

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 and a time to laugh.

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 A time to mourn

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 and a time to dance.

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 A time to cast away stones

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 and a time to gather stones together.

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 A time to embrace

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 and a time to refrain

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 from embracing.

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 A time to seek

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 and a time to lose.

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 A time to keep and a time to cast away.

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 A time to tear and a time to sow.

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 A time to keep silence and a time to speak.

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 A time to love and a time to hate.

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 A time for war and a time for peace.

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 The preacher, as the author of Ecclesiastes refers to himself, Solomon,

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 begins by stating the big picture of life and death there in verse 2.

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 A time to be born and a time to die.

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 The beginning and the ending.

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 And basically in this poem, the rest of the verse describes what happens in between.

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 The life situations that most of us have experienced or will experience

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 or will at least observe people who do experience them.

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 I want you to note how the poem expresses the complexity of life

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 by pointing out the emotions and actions that are polar opposites.

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 Look at it.

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 Verses 3, 8, and 8.

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 A time to kill and a time to heal.

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 A time to love and a time to hate.

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 A time for war and a time for peace.

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 But not all seasons of our lives have an opposite that's necessarily good or bad.

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 Look at this.

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 In verse 3, a time to break down, a time to build up.

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 A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.

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 A time to keep silent and a time to speak.

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 Each of those can be good or bad.

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 It just depends on the situation.

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 This poem shows the complexity of life as well as the variety.

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 You think about your life, wherever it is, whatever quarter you're in.

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 Think about where you've come from, where you are today.

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 In your life, your seasons of life, there's hard times.

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 There's great times.

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 In between times.

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 And then there's just a lot of in between times, isn't there?

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 Some of the times of our lives, we have no control over.

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 It just happens to us like war.

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 War and peace.

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 But most of what we see in this list, if you just glance at these verses, takes place in a relationship with another person.

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 Our seasons of life are lived in relationship with other people.

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 And he's bringing that out.

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 Think about it.

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 He talks about a time to dance.

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 You dance with another person.

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 He talks about a time to laugh.

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 You laugh with other people.

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 If you laugh too much just all alone, people will start, you know, looking at you funny.

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 You dance with another person.

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 You laugh with other people.

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 You mourn the death of people you loved.

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 That's what makes mourning at death.

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 I mean, there's people who've died this week in Pickens County that you don't have a clue who they were.

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 I don't know who they were.

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 And I don't think about it.

00:13:24.620 --> 00:13:33.920
 But when people die that you knew, that you loved, that you had a relationship, there's mourning, there's grief.

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 I want you to think.

00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:42.379
 You don't love everybody.

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 We're supposed to.

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 We're supposed to love other people.

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 Try to meet their needs.

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 Recognize them as persons created in God's image.

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 Things of that matter.

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 But we don't.

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 We struggle with some.

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 And what I'm getting is we don't embrace everybody.

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 And there's probably someone that you may even hate.

00:14:08.179 --> 00:14:19.000
 And if you don't embrace them or want to embrace them, and you struggle with loving because you sort of hate them, that's a sign of a bad relationship.

00:14:20.339 --> 00:14:23.039
 Something has happened to cause you to feel that way.

00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:30.860
 We measure time and seasons of life in this world more by relationships than anything else.

00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:33.579
 More than the clock or the calendar.

00:14:33.580 --> 00:14:37.460
 I want you to think about your growing up years.

00:14:37.780 --> 00:14:40.280
 Think about the first quarter of your life.

00:14:41.280 --> 00:14:43.500
 I thought about that some this past week.

00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:45.320
 Not just in reference to this sermon.

00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:47.379
 I've just been thinking about that for some reason.

00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:53.540
 When I think about the first quarter of my life, those growing up years, I think about people.

00:14:54.759 --> 00:14:57.379
 I think about my parents, my grandparents, and other relatives.

00:14:58.040 --> 00:14:58.580
 I think about friends.

00:15:00.259 --> 00:15:01.220
 People I grew up with.

00:15:01.220 --> 00:15:02.720
 People I played sports with.

00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:07.000
 When I think about the first quarter of my life, it's all about people.

00:15:08.019 --> 00:15:09.080
 Relationships with people.

00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:13.860
 If you think about the past activities you've been involved in.

00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:15.920
 The work you've done.

00:15:16.019 --> 00:15:17.200
 The sports you've played.

00:15:18.560 --> 00:15:22.139
 Don't you think more about the people that you worked with, that you played with?

00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:24.259
 Your coaches, your leaders, your boss.

00:15:24.540 --> 00:15:26.160
 The ones who worked for you.

00:15:26.160 --> 00:15:29.759
 And you do the actual thing.

00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:35.700
 Today, almost every part of our lives involves a relationship.

00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:38.460
 Today, right now.

00:15:38.460 --> 00:15:44.200
 Almost everything going on in my life involves my family, my church family.

00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:46.580
 And a few other people.

00:15:47.920 --> 00:15:52.180
 Most, everybody in this room, except the guys who are on staff at this church.

00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:54.480
 You have a family.

00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:55.600
 You're a biological family.

00:15:55.700 --> 00:15:56.660
 You have a church family.

00:15:56.920 --> 00:15:58.580
 And you have a work family.

00:15:58.840 --> 00:15:59.440
 Most everybody.

00:16:00.259 --> 00:16:01.519
 You have classmates.

00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:05.699
 This is my work family and my church family.

00:16:05.779 --> 00:16:07.319
 And Brian's and Jeff's and Mike's.

00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:11.460
 And so, right now, my life.

00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:13.579
 My season of life.

00:16:13.939 --> 00:16:15.620
 As I just think about what's going on.

00:16:16.439 --> 00:16:17.480
 It's all about people.

00:16:18.319 --> 00:16:19.740
 It's all about relationships.

00:16:19.740 --> 00:16:29.440
 And when I think about my spiritual life, I don't think about the concept of God.

00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:38.180
 When I think about my spiritual life, I think about God as He's revealed Himself in His Word, in Jesus.

00:16:39.580 --> 00:16:41.379
 I think about Him as my Heavenly Father.

00:16:42.379 --> 00:16:43.940
 That I talk to in prayer.

00:16:45.340 --> 00:16:47.639
 That I, when I read the Bible, I think this is God's Word.

00:16:47.680 --> 00:16:48.600
 This is God's speaking.

00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:55.700
 When I think about Jesus, I don't think about a man who lived in this world and just died on the cross 2,000 years ago.

00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:56.759
 I think about Jesus.

00:16:57.200 --> 00:16:58.220
 He is the Son of God.

00:16:58.480 --> 00:16:59.620
 He did walk this world.

00:16:59.899 --> 00:17:02.300
 He died on a cross for my sins and He arose.

00:17:02.540 --> 00:17:03.580
 But He's alive right now.

00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:04.299
 And I talk to Him.

00:17:07.160 --> 00:17:14.839
 I think about a relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Lord and Savior Jesus when I think about my spiritual life.

00:17:14.839 --> 00:17:19.759
 The times and seasons of our lives.

00:17:21.619 --> 00:17:27.759
 The things that matter most in them involve relationships with other people.

00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:30.879
 Think about it.

00:17:31.679 --> 00:17:33.240
 You only laugh and cry with people.

00:17:33.740 --> 00:17:35.359
 You work and play with people.

00:17:36.019 --> 00:17:37.519
 You live and die with people.

00:17:38.099 --> 00:17:38.959
 Think about this now.

00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:48.279
 We're going to spend eternity with the Lord and with His people.

00:17:48.840 --> 00:17:51.299
 That's what heaven is going to be all about.

00:17:52.380 --> 00:17:54.920
 Relationships with God and God's people.

00:17:55.880 --> 00:17:56.799
 Now I want you to think.

00:17:56.799 --> 00:18:06.500
 What are you doing right now to make sure that the people God has placed in your life,

00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:15.000
 what are you doing to make sure that they know the way to spend eternity with the Lord?

00:18:16.079 --> 00:18:17.579
 And you, if you're a Christian.

00:18:18.579 --> 00:18:19.799
 And all of God's people.

00:18:19.799 --> 00:18:30.240
 I want you to look next is now is the time to take an interest in the spiritual condition of the people we already have relationships with.

00:18:31.099 --> 00:18:35.579
 I want you to look on the screen at what I hope will be a familiar sight to you.

00:18:36.059 --> 00:18:40.000
 This concentric circle image here.

00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:46.940
 I have shared this on many occasions because I think it's the best way for us to think about.

00:18:47.619 --> 00:18:53.599
 God has placed individuals, people in our lives that we know, we love, we have relationships with.

00:18:55.200 --> 00:19:05.319
 Who are not Christians for the purpose, one of the reasons for us to influence as Christians,

00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:11.439
 point them to Jesus, and even share the gospel with them so that they'll be saved.

00:19:12.099 --> 00:19:16.259
 I want you to look there and I want you to think with me, this is going to be real quick.

00:19:16.819 --> 00:19:17.559
 You've heard it before.

00:19:17.700 --> 00:19:20.539
 I hope, I hope you've heard it before.

00:19:21.819 --> 00:19:24.279
 But I want you to think in your life right now.

00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:25.779
 Begin in circle one.

00:19:26.639 --> 00:19:27.639
 You begin with self.

00:19:28.119 --> 00:19:29.819
 You've got to be a Christian for this to matter.

00:19:29.819 --> 00:19:37.339
 You've got to be living in close fellowship with God, wanting to obey Him, wanting to do what He's told you to do,

00:19:38.179 --> 00:19:42.059
 and sharing the gospel, making disciples, being Jesus' witness.

00:19:42.700 --> 00:19:44.980
 So you begin with yourself and your own right relationship with God.

00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:52.419
 But I want you to think in your immediate family, people who live with you, parents, children.

00:19:52.420 --> 00:20:02.800
 Think next about other relatives, people that are close to you, kin to you, but maybe they don't just live with you.

00:20:03.100 --> 00:20:05.180
 Then circle four, think about close friends.

00:20:06.340 --> 00:20:14.480
 Circle five, you have neighbors, coworkers, school friends, people you do things with socially.

00:20:15.580 --> 00:20:21.259
 Think about acquaintances, people you just casually know, the person who cuts your hair,

00:20:21.259 --> 00:20:27.039
 person who does things to help you around your house maybe.

00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:34.879
 And then number seven is important, circle seven, person X, the person that God brings into your life for a brief time.

00:20:35.660 --> 00:20:40.660
 Now as you think about the people in your life, I'm sure that a lot of those people are already Christians.

00:20:42.500 --> 00:20:44.220
 But they all are not.

00:20:44.220 --> 00:20:50.240
 Maybe by the grace of God, all your relatives, close friends are.

00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:59.819
 But if you look at those seven circles, there's a lot of people in our lives, if we look, if we think, if we notice,

00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:02.120
 they are not Christians.

00:21:04.360 --> 00:21:10.079
 Think of those individuals as people that God has brought into your life.

00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:16.759
 Probably for many reasons, but one of them is for you to be a witness to.

00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:20.599
 The first way we're all witnesses is by the way that we live.

00:21:21.899 --> 00:21:27.419
 By us professing to be Christians, coming here, being a member of this church,

00:21:28.139 --> 00:21:33.179
 when people see us and know that, they look at us and think, that's a Christian.

00:21:33.180 --> 00:21:42.000
 And for many people, they evaluate this whole idea of a relationship with God, Christianity, with what they see in us.

00:21:42.580 --> 00:21:43.900
 And so we are a witness.

00:21:44.080 --> 00:21:50.539
 We are an influence, for good or bad, to everyone we know, everyone in our circles who knows we are a Christian.

00:21:50.840 --> 00:21:52.620
 And so it is important how we live.

00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:59.100
 It is vitally important that we be people of Christian character, integrity.

00:21:59.099 --> 00:22:01.519
 That does matter.

00:22:02.779 --> 00:22:12.719
 But it's not enough because no one's ever going to know how to become a Christian by just looking at us, observing us, even admiring us.

00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:21.459
 So the second way we're witnesses is by explaining the gospel, talking to people about who Jesus is, what he's done,

00:22:21.740 --> 00:22:25.159
 how they can be rightly related to him by trusting in him.

00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:27.519
 Don't you think with me?

00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:34.539
 People in those circles who are not Christians, but they know you, they have a relationship with you.

00:22:35.259 --> 00:22:36.579
 They trust you.

00:22:38.900 --> 00:22:40.379
 They will listen to you.

00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:47.720
 They will allow you to talk to them, if you have a relationship with them, about things that are important to you

00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:52.799
 because they're going to respect you as their friend, as their even acquaintance.

00:22:52.799 --> 00:23:04.379
 So we need to take advantage of those opportunities, those kind of relationships, to talk with them, ask them questions.

00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:12.119
 Let them ask questions of us about our relationship with the Lord, asking them questions about their relationship with the Lord.

00:23:12.119 --> 00:23:24.699
 On the second Sunday of this past January, second Sunday of this year, I preached a message on the importance of all of us building relationships with people in these circles of influence.

00:23:25.059 --> 00:23:28.019
 And I gave out this to everybody here that day.

00:23:28.459 --> 00:23:34.319
 There are some still available there on that corner and on the table at the back in the vestibule that faces this wall.

00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:40.399
 On one side, the circles of concern, on the other side, an explanation of the gospel.

00:23:40.839 --> 00:23:50.700
 I want to encourage you to get one of those and let that be a prompt to you to invest in the people in your circles and then learn how to share the gospel.

00:23:51.700 --> 00:24:01.819
 But I encouraged everyone on the second Sunday of this year to make sharing the gospel one of your New Year's resolutions.

00:24:01.819 --> 00:24:09.139
 On the first Sunday of March this year, I pointed out in a message on God's patience.

00:24:10.819 --> 00:24:24.859
 That if you have unsaved friends or family members in your life, it may be that God is patiently waiting for you to share the gospel with them.

00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:36.439
 It may be that God is patiently waiting for you to make yourself available to him to use you to influence that person to become a Christian.

00:24:38.619 --> 00:24:41.979
 He may not be, but he may be.

00:24:42.579 --> 00:24:51.819
 In that message, I also encourage everyone to ask God to help you to share the gospel with one person you know and love before Easter Sunday.

00:24:51.819 --> 00:24:54.799
 Which was April the 21st.

00:24:54.839 --> 00:24:56.679
 It was six weeks away at that time.

00:24:57.619 --> 00:25:03.779
 Then on March the 31st of this year, I preached a message with the title, Who is Your One?

00:25:04.579 --> 00:25:10.439
 And we looked at a passage of scripture, Luke chapter 5, where Matthew, who's also called Levi,

00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:13.299
 Matthew became a follower of Jesus.

00:25:13.299 --> 00:25:21.359
 And shortly after that, he invited his unsaved tax collector, social outcast friends to come to his house.

00:25:21.639 --> 00:25:27.700
 He threw a party with Jesus there because he wanted to influence his, or he wanted to introduce his friends to Jesus.

00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:35.259
 In that message, I pointed out how J.D. Greer, who's currently the president of the Southern Baptist Convention,

00:25:35.399 --> 00:25:37.519
 pastor of a very large church in Durham, North Carolina.

00:25:37.639 --> 00:25:38.359
 It's called The Summit.

00:25:38.359 --> 00:25:45.939
 He asked everyone in that large church at the beginning of a year,

00:25:46.939 --> 00:25:53.719
 if they would identify one person in their circles of influence who was not a Christian,

00:25:54.619 --> 00:26:00.559
 and then commit to pray for them and seek opportunities to share the gospel with them.

00:26:01.439 --> 00:26:08.240
 That took place at the beginning of 2017, and Greer described what happened at the end of that year.

00:26:08.359 --> 00:26:11.159
 This was in an article written in January of 18.

00:26:11.159 --> 00:26:12.299
 He said,

00:26:12.419 --> 00:26:14.959
 It is not an elaborate or complicated idea,

00:26:15.259 --> 00:26:20.419
 but this simple idea led to our most evangelistically effective year to date.

00:26:20.879 --> 00:26:24.879
 What an incredible joy it was to have people come up to me at church and say,

00:26:24.979 --> 00:26:27.439
 Pastor, this is my one.

00:26:28.599 --> 00:26:31.359
 He said, they just repeated that phrase throughout the year.

00:26:32.339 --> 00:26:33.279
 Who's your one?

00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:46.519
 I emphasized back in March that we all need to ask God to help us to identify one person for us to invest in,

00:26:47.079 --> 00:26:49.740
 for their spiritual well-being.

00:26:51.740 --> 00:26:54.940
 I want to ask four questions about that now.

00:26:54.940 --> 00:27:01.920
 Have you identified one unsaved person in your life to focus on?

00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:06.759
 Most of you were here in January, in March.

00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:16.059
 Have you identified one unsaved person in your life that you have been focusing on?

00:27:16.059 --> 00:27:23.500
 If not, if you have it, you were here, but you didn't, or you weren't here.

00:27:23.899 --> 00:27:25.679
 If not, will you do so now?

00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:30.539
 Will you ask God to help you identify one person?

00:27:32.159 --> 00:27:36.119
 A family member, a friend, a co-worker, a classmate,

00:27:36.519 --> 00:27:39.240
 that you think is not a Christian?

00:27:39.240 --> 00:27:47.059
 And then number two, have you developed a relationship with them?

00:27:47.160 --> 00:27:53.259
 Have you been working on developing, growing closer to them in a relationship?

00:27:54.720 --> 00:28:03.000
 If you have, and you've seen progress, thank God because you see him at work.

00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:09.359
 But if you have been investing in someone, but you just don't think you're getting anywhere,

00:28:10.019 --> 00:28:11.019
 don't give up.

00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:14.220
 Sometimes it takes time, a long time.

00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:17.900
 And God may just use you here and someone else there.

00:28:18.140 --> 00:28:23.420
 A long time ago, we were living in Seneca, and we had a neighbor that was not a Christian at the time.

00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:25.099
 I got to know him.

00:28:25.180 --> 00:28:26.079
 We did things together.

00:28:26.740 --> 00:28:29.339
 And one time I mentioned something about going to church.

00:28:29.500 --> 00:28:30.900
 He just sort of brushed me off.

00:28:30.940 --> 00:28:31.599
 He wasn't rude.

00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:35.699
 He didn't have any problem with me, but he let me know real clearly,

00:28:37.199 --> 00:28:40.599
 no, I don't care to talk about that.

00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:45.980
 Then some time went by, and at church we had what we call back then a friend day.

00:28:46.359 --> 00:28:53.699
 And I asked him, would you and your family be my and Lisa and our boy's friend at church on such and such Sunday

00:28:53.699 --> 00:28:56.159
 were having this friend day emphasis?

00:28:56.339 --> 00:28:57.899
 He looked at me and grinned and said, yeah.

00:28:57.900 --> 00:29:01.580
 And he came a few times after that.

00:29:01.660 --> 00:29:03.340
 Then he moved away and we moved away.

00:29:04.120 --> 00:29:09.000
 Years later, one day I got a telephone call and he said, I want you to come to my baptism.

00:29:10.780 --> 00:29:16.660
 He said, God used you in the process to bring me to faith in Jesus.

00:29:16.660 --> 00:29:24.120
 Over time, over years, God used some person to plant a seed, to water a seed.

00:29:24.119 --> 00:29:30.259
 And eventually, maybe there were 14 people who influenced him.

00:29:30.299 --> 00:29:30.739
 I don't know.

00:29:31.739 --> 00:29:33.559
 But eventually God saved him.

00:29:33.559 --> 00:29:40.359
 And he was happy to let me know of what God had done in his life.

00:29:40.839 --> 00:29:42.819
 And God had used me in a little way.

00:29:43.879 --> 00:29:54.639
 If we'll just work at it, we may be surprised at just how God will use us in certain ways that we don't see any evidence of it now.

00:29:54.940 --> 00:29:58.500
 But down the road, we see how God used us.

00:29:59.419 --> 00:30:00.200
 The third question.

00:30:00.200 --> 00:30:02.720
 Have you been praying for this person?

00:30:04.259 --> 00:30:08.900
 Have you been praying that God will convict them of their sin, show them their need for Jesus?

00:30:09.900 --> 00:30:13.860
 Or would you just begin now to pray?

00:30:15.080 --> 00:30:18.720
 You've identified somebody or you make a commitment you will identify someone.

00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:21.279
 You'll work on developing a relationship with them.

00:30:21.720 --> 00:30:22.900
 But it's not just about you.

00:30:23.100 --> 00:30:25.180
 You're not the one who's going to save them or change them.

00:30:25.340 --> 00:30:27.500
 It's God, so you need to pray and ask him to do that.

00:30:27.500 --> 00:30:29.900
 To work in your life, to work in their life.

00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:33.319
 And then number four, have you shared the gospel with them?

00:30:34.620 --> 00:30:36.680
 Some of you were here in January and March.

00:30:37.140 --> 00:30:38.120
 We've gone through this.

00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:38.920
 We've talked about this.

00:30:38.980 --> 00:30:39.880
 Some of you made a commitment.

00:30:40.180 --> 00:30:41.799
 Some of you have talked about your one.

00:30:41.900 --> 00:30:46.660
 I've heard some thoughts, some comments.

00:30:46.660 --> 00:30:51.200
 But I want to ask you, have you shared the gospel?

00:30:52.779 --> 00:30:58.920
 It's important to identify someone, to pray for them, to develop a relationship with them, to love them.

00:30:59.100 --> 00:31:02.840
 But sooner or later, if you're really going to be a faithful witness of the Lord, you've got to share the gospel with them.

00:31:02.839 --> 00:31:14.379
 And I want to encourage you to ask God to help you to be prepared and then seize the opportunity when he does.

00:31:14.740 --> 00:31:16.339
 Just do it.

00:31:17.299 --> 00:31:20.859
 You know, there's only three weeks from, we're only three weeks away from December.

00:31:21.099 --> 00:31:21.699
 Can you believe that?

00:31:22.220 --> 00:31:24.480
 We're only six and a half weeks from Christmas.

00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:32.579
 Many people who are not Christians will attend church, or at least think about it, around Christmas time.

00:31:32.980 --> 00:31:37.099
 Many people who are not Christians, they know that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus.

00:31:38.640 --> 00:31:40.900
 And so they'll be thinking a little bit.

00:31:40.940 --> 00:31:41.480
 They've heard songs.

00:31:42.519 --> 00:31:43.779
 They see advertisements.

00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:45.400
 Jesus is the reason for the season.

00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:56.840
 So a lot of people are more at least open to your invitation to join you in church during the Christmas season.

00:31:57.460 --> 00:32:03.300
 You could invite them to come to your Sunday school class with you, to come to any service here on Sunday morning.

00:32:03.580 --> 00:32:10.400
 You could invite them to some of our special Christmas events, like our musical service on Sunday morning, December the 15th.

00:32:10.400 --> 00:32:17.400
 Our Christmas on the lawn on Sunday afternoon and evening, the night of December the 15th.

00:32:18.940 --> 00:32:22.500
 Our Christmas Eve service on Christmas Eve at five o'clock.

00:32:24.080 --> 00:32:27.620
 Let me ask you, who is your one?

00:32:28.380 --> 00:32:32.400
 Or who will you make your one?

00:32:33.920 --> 00:32:38.160
 I don't intend by any means to put you on a guilt trip.

00:32:38.160 --> 00:32:41.340
 I don't like to be put on a guilt trip.

00:32:43.340 --> 00:32:45.660
 But the reality is this.

00:32:46.880 --> 00:32:53.060
 Every person in your circle of influence is going to die.

00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:56.680
 And they're going to spend eternity either in heaven or hell.

00:32:58.060 --> 00:33:05.140
 And where they spend eternity depends on whether or not they have a true relationship with Jesus Christ.

00:33:05.140 --> 00:33:10.020
 Everybody needs to hear the gospel.

00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:14.920
 Everybody needs to understand that from God's perspective,

00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:23.759
 everybody is born with a sinful nature and naturally does things their way instead of God's way.

00:33:24.759 --> 00:33:29.240
 Everyone's born into this world with an inclination to just do their own thing.

00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:31.599
 And in the process, we disobey God.

00:33:31.700 --> 00:33:32.740
 We break His laws.

00:33:33.380 --> 00:33:38.140
 And the penalty for that sin is death, is separation from God for all eternity, ultimately.

00:33:38.500 --> 00:33:39.200
 And that's hell.

00:33:40.039 --> 00:33:41.339
 That's the bad news of the Bible.

00:33:42.920 --> 00:33:46.660
 But the good news of the Bible that people, everyone needs to hear,

00:33:47.420 --> 00:33:49.259
 is that God does love us.

00:33:50.200 --> 00:33:52.779
 God has shown His grace, His undeserved favor,

00:33:53.019 --> 00:33:55.700
 by sending His Son, Jesus, into this world.

00:33:55.700 --> 00:34:01.640
 And Jesus lived a perfect life and fully obeyed God's law for those who believe in Him.

00:34:02.279 --> 00:34:07.299
 And Jesus died on the cross as our substitute if we'll trust Him.

00:34:07.880 --> 00:34:10.760
 Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins,

00:34:10.820 --> 00:34:12.179
 the sins of all who will believe in Him.

00:34:14.079 --> 00:34:17.639
 He arose from the grave, which proves that God accepted His sacrifice.

00:34:17.639 --> 00:34:21.879
 And everybody needs to hear this word, this good news,

00:34:22.259 --> 00:34:25.900
 and be challenged to admit their sin,

00:34:26.379 --> 00:34:28.679
 turn from it, change their mind, repent,

00:34:29.359 --> 00:34:35.420
 and trust Jesus wholeheartedly as their Savior and Lord.

00:34:36.059 --> 00:34:37.339
 Surrender their life to Him.

00:34:38.159 --> 00:34:39.639
 Everybody needs to hear the good news

00:34:39.639 --> 00:34:42.460
 that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

00:34:42.460 --> 00:34:48.019
 The people in your circles,

00:34:48.199 --> 00:34:50.059
 people that you know and love and care about,

00:34:51.340 --> 00:34:55.860
 their eternity depends on how they respond to the gospel,

00:34:55.960 --> 00:34:57.159
 how they respond to Jesus.

00:34:59.960 --> 00:35:04.380
 What if no one ever explains clearly the gospel to them?

00:35:04.380 --> 00:35:08.160
 You,

00:35:08.160 --> 00:35:12.039
 being involved in their lives,

00:35:12.820 --> 00:35:14.400
 can make sure that doesn't happen

00:35:14.400 --> 00:35:17.539
 by making them your one,

00:35:19.019 --> 00:35:21.420
 building a relationship where they trust you,

00:35:22.140 --> 00:35:23.740
 praying for God to use you,

00:35:24.500 --> 00:35:27.160
 and then sharing the gospel with them

00:35:27.160 --> 00:35:29.579
 as God gives you the opportunity.

00:35:30.460 --> 00:35:32.220
 And then it's between them and the Lord.

00:35:32.940 --> 00:35:34.079
 You can't save anyone.

00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:35.420
 I can't save anyone.

00:35:37.719 --> 00:35:39.819
 Ecclesiastes assures us,

00:35:40.679 --> 00:35:42.679
 for everything there is a season

00:35:42.679 --> 00:35:46.559
 and a time for every matter under heaven.

00:35:47.759 --> 00:35:49.259
 And that includes sharing the gospel.

00:35:51.039 --> 00:35:55.679
 Don't miss out on this time to share the gospel

00:35:55.679 --> 00:36:00.219
 with the unsaved people that God's put into your life.

00:36:00.219 --> 00:36:02.879
 If you're not a Christian,

00:36:02.879 --> 00:36:06.819
 don't you miss out on this time

00:36:07.459 --> 00:36:11.139
 for you to respond to the gospel

00:36:11.139 --> 00:36:14.599
 by putting your trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

00:36:15.859 --> 00:36:17.959
 The Apostle Paul emphasized the importance

00:36:17.959 --> 00:36:19.819
 of trusting Christ now.

00:36:19.820 --> 00:36:22.980
 I want you to look at this quote from 2 Corinthians.

00:36:22.980 --> 00:36:25.180
 He's quoting the Old Testament.

00:36:25.700 --> 00:36:26.360
 For it says,

00:36:26.360 --> 00:36:27.700
 In a favorable time,

00:36:27.700 --> 00:36:29.099
 I listen to you.

00:36:29.099 --> 00:36:31.420
 And in the day of salvation,

00:36:31.420 --> 00:36:33.480
 I have helped you.

00:36:34.280 --> 00:36:36.360
 And then he applied it to the Corinthians.

00:36:37.260 --> 00:36:41.180
 Behold, now is the favorable time.

00:36:41.700 --> 00:36:45.720
 Behold, now is the day of salvation.

00:36:45.719 --> 00:36:51.039
 Now is the time for us as Christians

00:36:51.039 --> 00:36:53.799
 to get serious about obeying God,

00:36:55.099 --> 00:36:56.759
 identifying our one,

00:36:58.439 --> 00:37:00.539
 and asking God to use us

00:37:00.539 --> 00:37:05.699
 in their lives to draw them to Christ.

00:37:06.779 --> 00:37:08.079
 Who is your one?

00:37:09.659 --> 00:37:10.679
 Let's pray together.

00:37:11.259 --> 00:37:11.679
 Father,

00:37:11.679 --> 00:37:11.739
 Father,

00:37:11.739 --> 00:37:12.739
 Father,