ICS Daily Devotions
A Passion to Reach the Lost
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Have you ever been at the deathbed of someone who is really close to you? What would they say to their loved ones if they know that there are only a few breaths remaining before they pass on to glory? Through the gasping they will share to their loved ones, things that are closest to their heart, something that they desire to see done after their death. It is very important to them.
Jesus said quite a few things before He ascended to heaven. These are important words, a commissioning and the passion of Christ. Unfortunately, it is oftentimes the most neglected aspect of the church. We get so involved in what God can do for us rather than what we can do for the Kingdom of God.
Jesus’ last command should be the church’s first concern. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness then everything else will be added to it.
The heart’s desire of Jesus is for us to have the urgency to preach the gospel to the lost and make disciples for Him. He not only shared with us what is closest to His heart but He also promised that He will always be with us and He reminded us the capabilities of a believer!
Mark 16:15-18 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
We must be carriers of revival by preaching the gospel and helping to deliver those who are oppressed by the devil. We must be convicted that we have the mandate and the authority to do what is required of us.
Jesus’ ministry in heaven is in the area of intercession and the Holy Spirit lives in us to prompt us to do what is important to Him. We are the body of Christ representing Him but He needs us to yield to Him so as to fulfill His heart’s desire. Jesus needs us to act on it! He has enabled us through His Holy Spirit to cast out demons, heal the sick and speak out in new tongues so that we can spread the good news with power from above.
A newspaper article once reported a car accident where the vehicle lost control and plunged into a reservoir. There were many who witnessed the accident and gathered around but nobody was willing to save the driver and the passenger despite their plea for help, out of concern for their own safety. Finally someone picked up enough courage to jump into the water and saved one. Unfortunately, when he went back for the second person, he was found to have drowned with his hands clenched to a bunch of wires. He was trying to break free but drowned in desperation. It was too late. Both of them would have been saved if the people gathered responded sooner. These onlookers are like Christians who witness the sufferings of unbelievers but not willing to get out of their comfort zone to share the gospel and save them from eternal death.
While we all strive to be more Christ like in our character, we must not neglect to have the passion of Christ, especially for the people who are spiritually separated from God, lost without Christ, without hope and without understanding or knowing that God loves them.
Luke 4:42-43 Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them;43 but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
Jesus had the urgency to share the gospel with the lost in every city and village. We must also have the same urgency and not have a consumer mentality in our relationship with the Heavenly Father. Let us not seek His hand to bless us alone but seek what His heart wants us to do.
Luke 10:2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
Evangelism or outreach is a natural outflow of our relationship with God. We cannot be spending time with the Heavenly Father or doing Bible study without absorbing the heart and passion of Christ. Jesus ministered to the crowds as well as to individuals. Some came to Him and some, He went to find. He had compassion on all. Our love for Christ compels us to reach out our hearts and hands to the lost. We are the answer to God’s prayer.
Sermon Series: The Heart and Passion of Christ
