Mission work cannot be overemphasized in relation to church growth. God demonstrated his passion for soul winning by sending his only son, Jesus Christ to come and save the world.
Upon the completion of the work of salvation which is the basic of all other mission work here on earth, Jesus also gave the great comnission (matt 28:18-20) to all christians to go and do likewise so that other will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Mission work requires people living their comfort zones,seeking the lost souls and bringing them back to God. Psalm 126:5-6.
LESSON FROM THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SON.
1. Forgiveness and reconciliation is not free. To restore the prodigal son, it becomes neccessary for him to share again from his elder brother's portion of o. Reconciliation is at great expense of forgiveness. Vs 29-31
2. There is a missing ideal elder brother. The prodigal son languished long in his (though- self imposed) misdirection because his elder brother care less for his return.every lost thing requires someone that cares enough to seek and find it. That's why Jesus told three similar parables consecutively. The lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. Luke 15:4-32. In the first and second parables: There is a lost object, There is someone searching for the lost object, who when he found it brought it home with joy.
3. But for the parable of the lost son, the listeners really expected that someone would set out to search for the lost son and bring him home. But to our suprise, no one did.
4. The responsibility of setting out to seek the lost brother is reasonably that of his elder brother. It was his job to sustain family unity and existence in the community.
5. Unfortunately, the prodigal son had a pharisee for an elder brother; he didn't have a true elder brother.
6. In Jesus we have true elder brother. I. Jesus came all the way from heaven to earth to seek and find us.
He didn't just open his wallet/treasury to bless us but also pour out his life for us. III. He is the one who paid not just a finite cost but an infinte debt.
7. When the father says to the elder brother "everything i have is yours" that is literally true of Jesus (and of that elder brother in that parable who by tradition had two-third of the father's in heritance) vs 31. Jesus had all God's glory, equal glory with the father, but he emptied Himself for our sake Phil 2:4-10.
8. Where would our "best robe" have come from? Jesus was stripped naked for us on the cross so we can be robbed.
9. How do we get father's feast? It is because Jesus took the cup of wrath that we might have the cup of joy and He is not ashamed of us. Hebrews 2:11.
10. Like that elder brother in the parable, Jesus came to the earth and truly obeyed His father and never disobeyed His orders; but much more, He loves us as His younger brothers.
CONCLUSION.
1. God places us on earth to go and seek our lost brothers.
2. We have to leave our comfort zone to seek the lost.
3. We have to use our God-given resources to accomplish this task.
4. God want us to be a true elder brother to someone close or faraway.
5. Soul winning (the home wants the return of our younger brothers) is what gives our father joy. The church must not be pharisee in this 21st century. Will you be a true elder brother?
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