Saturday February 9, 2013

Read Matthew 5:16. Ephesians 2:8-10. Titus 2:11-14.

 

Good works are the under rated star of evangelism and outreach. Yesterday we talked about reaching the world for Christ. How do we do that? Primarily by good works. For far too long we’ve been afraid of good works and have felt the need to justify everything so that we definitively aren’t preaching salvation by works. No one is preaching that! Rest assured!

 

But we simply cannot avoid good works. Good works are the way that we reach the world for Christ. Good works are the way we communicate love and compassion to a desperate and needy world. Good works are fiber, the reality of our faith. As James says, ‘Faith without deeds is dead.’ In fact, God has created us in Christ Jesus to be doing good works. They are the reality of our faith, not the cause of our salvation.

 

I’ve heard of many different acts of good works that changed lives. One young lady went to a nursing home and asked the receptionist about who didn’t receive visitors. She was given the name of an old lady that had sat alone in her apartment for decades. This young lady visited the older lady and took her out weekly to have her hair done. They built up a friendship and over 3 years the older lady saw the love of Jesus in real, tangible ways. At 98 this lady passed away but over the last 3 years she saw and accepted the love of Christ. She passed away and went home to be with the Lord.

 

Another believer was going to the shop and decided to call into the young neighbours next door who were soon expecting their first child. It was a simple act or good work. Yet as the heavily pregnant soon-to-be mother was asked if she needed anything from the shop, she broke down and wept because she had never been loved so selflessly. After shedding tears, she received Jesus as her personal Lord and Saviour right there on the door step.

 

I’ll say it again. Good works are an indispensible part of our faith. Good works communicate powerfully to a lost and needy world.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

 

Adoration:

 

 

Confession:

 

 

Thanks:

Supplication:

¥ Pray that each and every believer in your congregation would be filled with a Spirit given desire to be doing good works. Pray for opportunities to be doing good works for people that changes their lives.

¥ Ask God to bring many into his kingdom through good works. Pray for the non believing people in your life by name and ask that he would bring them to faith through your good works.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Who are the non believers in your world?

2. What good works can you be doing for or to them?

3. What should a believer do if a person does not respond to your good works?