♪A Note of Thanks ♪
“His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV)
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
“He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they would live.” Acts 17:26
Reaching Your Neighbors With Christ
God has set the times and places, for those made alive to God in Christ, to live for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). Christ inaugurated His earthly ministry by reading from Isaiah that He came to “preach the good news.” And as the Father has sent His only Son, Christ sends us, the Church, to do the same in our neighborhoods where God has placed us. Wherever you are – there is the Church. Your life can be used to serve another in need.
I have a question for all of us to pray about and ponder…
If you don’t reach your neighbor for Christ – who will?
Your neighbors make up the community where you live. Your neighbors are those you are around where you work and where you live. It would include whoever lives on your street or block.
Plant Some Seed
As you begin to pray for your neighbors, it is important that they know where they can turn for spiritual help. Introduce yourself, if you don’t know them. Give them a little note with your name and phone number on it. Real estate agents have found that if they maintain regular contact with homeowners in an area, a percentage will use their services when they are ready to sell a home. We should remember this same principle in helping people.
Pray for Them
Intercede in prayer for your neighbors. Be prepared to minister to them, help them, and pray for them. Be loving and available should they need you.
Invite Them
Give them a personal invitation to church. As we have heard recently in a sermon by Michael Ethridge, in modern times, the greatest percentage of those that will come to church are those invited by a close friend (neighbor) or family member. Invite them to special events (i.e. Church Picnic, special sermon series or special musical presentation). You have credibility in your neighborhood. Offer them God’s Grace. Your neighbors will be more willing to listen to you.
Don’t wait. Get started today. Take the first step. If you don’t reach your neighbor, who will? You can offer the love of God and use it to reach your neighbors!
Perhaps we should develop a motto coined in the 1950’s: “Each One Reach One.”
“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” John 4:35
“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Matthew 9:37
“I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”
-Edward Everette Hale
Heavenly Father, thank you for our neighbors and the opportunities we have to minister to them. Help us to minister to them by demonstrating Christ’s love and showing them in tangible ways that we care. In Jesus’ precious and Holy Name. Amen.
What a joy as we serve along-side each other.
Your friend,
Mark David Jackson
