WHAT CHANGES THE LOST TO BELIEVERS?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
Abraham replied, “They have Moses
and the Prophets; let them listen to them.”
(Luke 16:29)

MEDITATION:
Do you have concerns about others who do not believe in God, or Jesus?
What do you think it would take for them to become believers? What if
someone found relics from the days of the bible? What if some of the
cities could be found to confirm the scriptures? What if someone could
share a life changing story with them? What if someone could rise from
the dead and speak to them?

It is easy for us to think that indisputable evidence would make others
believe, but God’s Word says that even if someone rose from the dead,
they would not believe. If a person will not listen to the Word of God,
nothing else will convince them to believe. That’s what Jesus said in
the story of Lazarus and the rich man.

The rich man was in agony in Hades and he begged for just a drop
of water to cool his tongue because of the torment he was having
in the fire. Abraham reminded him of how good he had it in his life
before death (implied is, since he did not believe, he was doomed to
an eternity of agony).

The rich man then asked for someone to warn his brothers so they
could avoid his fate. Abraham told him that even if a dead person
went to them they would not repent. He said that they needed to
listen to Moses and the Prophets (which means they should listen
to God’s Word). When the Word of God is rejected, nothing else
is going to make a difference.

What unbelievers need is the Word of God. That is what will change
them; they will not be changed by discovered relics or cities, or our
stories. It is God’s Word and the Holy Spirit’s conviction that will
have the greatest impact. Praise the Lord for the pastors who have
answered His call for sharing His Word!

Don’t ever get the idea that preachers are not tempted like everyone
else. Pray for them often so they can continue sharing God’s Word
without being burdened with the guilt of giving in to temptations and
sin. If you want to know about a specific topic, then pray for the Lord
to guide them in covering that topic in a sermon.

Here is the entire story of the rich man and Lazarus
(read through it as a reminder of the
importance of God’s Word for the lost).

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen
and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named
Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the
rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The
time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to
Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.

In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far
away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,
have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water
and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received
your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted
here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great
chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you
cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not
also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have
Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes
to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to
Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone
rises from the dead.’”

This is a sad story regarding the rejection of God, isn’t it? Don’t
forget that as believers, we were also living out the story of the
rich man who was doomed to an eternity of suffering. But when
we chose to believe God’s Word, and realized the fatal state we
were in, it stirred something in us, didn’t it? We knew that the
only way for us to change our eternal fate, was to understand
and follow God’s path for redemption (salvation).

As are result, we confessed that we were sinners, that our life was
displeasing to God, that we believed Jesus died for our sins, that
He was crucified, then died, and arose three days later to be with
the Father, that we could receive forgiveness of our sins because
of what Jesus did, and we had a desire for a different outcome for
our lives.

Then, in humbleness we confessed our sins to the Father and asked
for His salvation. In addition, we committed ourselves to living a
new life of righteousness that included serving the Lord in the way
He wants us to serve (using the spiritual gift He has given us).

Now, we need to remember that day when we received His salvation
and the promises we made to Him. Today, we need to evaluate how
well we have kept our promises to Him. As members of God’s family,
we have become His disciples with a mission of reaching out to the
ones who do not belong to Him.

We have a story (testimony) to tell and God has equipped us with what
we need to fulfill our mission. He has given us the Holy Spirit to assist
us with navigating a sinful world and still maintaining our faith. The
Spirit also shows us how to use our spiritual gift (given to us when we
were saved) in serving the Lord where He has called us to serve. The
Spirit even prays our prayers for us when we have a struggle expressing
our innermost feelings.

Equipped with the Holy Spirit, our spiritual gift, our testimony, and our
confidence that God has promised to be with us at all times, we are ready
to move forward with serving Him out of a heartfelt concern for the fate
of the unsaved.

ACTION:
God has made it clear to us that in order for the lost people to receive
His salvation, they need to understand and believe His Word (Bible).
God has called all believers to participate in His earthly ministry to
reach the unsaved, and He would never ‘task’ us to do anything unless
He has provided us with what we need.

We may ask ourselves,
“How can I participate in His ministry? What can I do to
reach out to the unsaved? How do I get started and what
obstacles will I need to overcome? What are my strengths
that will help me fulfill His ‘calling’, and what are my
weaknesses that will handicap me in my efforts?”

Those are all good questions and to answer one of them, we
can start by living a life that is righteous and will serve as a
testimony of our faith. Does that mean we will need to make
some changes? Probably, but they may be the types of changes
we have been wanting to make for some time, but have been
putting off for some reason.

After God blesses us with His salvation, He begins the process of
sanctifying us (He purges unrighteousness in our lives and replaces
the void with righteousness). His intent is to help us develop a lifestyle
that more closely resembles the life of His Son, Jesus. That means we
should be expecting to make continual changes in our words, actions,
thoughts, and attitudes.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for saving me and
for making me a part of Your family. Although
I may feel uncomfortable initially, thank You for
including me in Your efforts to reach other lost
souls. Help me to realize, remember, and embrace
how You have equipped me to answer Your call for
me to serve. Teach me to overcome any ‘hang-ups’
that may be obstacles for me to overcome in order
to do what You want me to do. When I feel I will
be leaving my ‘comfort zone’, remind me that You
have promised to be with me to give me confidence
and the courage required to obey Your will for me.”

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