Reaching Your World with Luis Palau

One of the most commonly quoted and well-known verses of the Bible is John 3:16. You likely know it by heart or have at least heard it many times. Today I just want to look at the first part. "For God so loved the world that He gave."  We serve a God who is love, and out of His love He gives. If we're trying to be like Him, we too should be givers!  God gave more generously than we could ever repay.  He does beyond what we could ever ask or imagine.  He works in incredible ways and gives us things we don't deserve and could never earn.  And, the gift of His Son is the greatest gift ever given.Are you giving generously?  If God has been so generous to us, we should be eager to give generously to others! If you're keeping all your things to yourself, you're missing out on one of the main secrets to true joy and contentment.  Paul says in Philippians that he has learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  In 1 Timothy, the Bible says that, "godliness with contentment is great gain."  In Hebrews, the Bible says, "be content with what you have."  The first step toward true contentment is giving of yourself, your time, and your money.  Give.  In so doing, find contentment and reach your world.

We live in an age where nothing ever seems to be enough.  We are constantly trying to acquire more, make it to the next level, and outdo others.  Have you ever noticed this?  While there is nothing inherently wrong with things or achievement, we must be sure that we are always seeking to exalt Christ first.  We must seek to proclaim His name and give Him glory before anything else.  St Augustine said it well, "Jesus Christ is not valued at all until He is valued above all." St Paul writes in Philippians, "Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things." Take Paul's words to heart and exalt Christ first!  As you do, you will more effectively reach your world! Don't miss out on God's calling and purpose for your life - the calling to reach as many as possible with His love and forgiveness.

I come across people all the time who say, "Wow, you are so important.  You share the Good News of Jesus Christ with thousands of people."  Each time I hear this I cringe.  While it is a blessing to share the Gospel every day, evangelists and pastors are neither more important than others nor is their calling any higher.In fact, I'd like to tell you a story... I have a friend in Vietnam who is an engineer.  He designed a communication device, like our radio, that could share the Good News with thousands.  Then, a businessman financed the operation.  Sure, an evangelist shared the Good News, but if it hadn't been for the engineer and the businessman, the evangelist would have no audience and many would not have heard the Good News on that day.God has you where you are for a reason.  There is a task in His Kingdom that he wants accomplished through YOU.  God has given you gifts, talents, and abilities for a reason.  Paul says in Philemon, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."  That challenge is just as important to you, in your place of life, as it is for me.  Take it seriously today.

My wife, Pat, told me about a major turning point in her life. It came one summer when she was working as a counselor at a Christian camp. One of the main reasons she was there was to look for a marriageable man. All summer long as she counseled, her "antennae" were out, looking, looking. But it didn't work. And in her soul she knew she had to quit scheming. So, Pat made the final decision to stop trying to force God's hand. She decided to register at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon to become a missionary. That November, she and I came face to face. God had a plan all ready-for both of us!Are you trying to live the Christian life through self-effort? 2 Corinthians says, "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again." Christ in you is what others need to see. Let go, and witness for yourself the great opportunities God has for you!  He will use your life in a tremendous way to reach others for Jesus Christ.

I recently heard about a man I've known for many years. He was a a minister. He graduated from one of the best universities in the southwestern United States, and one of the best seminaries in the land. He attended some of the best training courses and pastored great churches with good elders and staff. Yet he ended up getting a divorce. I don't know how or when the problem started with my friend, but divorce doesn't happen overnight. It builds over a long time. Many times, immorality is involved. It was so sad to see my friend turn from the Lord to gratify sexual desires.How do you respond to someone like that? Galatians 6:1 says, "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently, but watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." Although you might want to hit him over the head to wake him up, remember your own sinfulness! Ask God to help you respond in truth and in love. Then share with him the restoring power that comes from one place, and one place alone: the blood of Jesus Christ!  "It purifies us from all sin."

I had a good friend in Argentina. When we were 17, we started to seriously serve the Lord. But one day when he was 21, he went to live in another city. He had a physical problem and went to see a doctor. This doctor told him that his problem was due in part to the fact that he had been chaste. He prescribed an immoral experience for my friend. Then my friend followed the advice of this physician, even though he knew better! I didn't know anything about all this until I saw him years later. I noticed something completely different on his face. Something happens, you know, when a person commits immorality. Something leaves you that never quite comes back. My friend repented.  He's sort of back with the Lord, though not the church.  What a pity!  Too many people fall away from the Lord because they believe lies instead of God's Word. So often we judge them, when instead we need to show the compassion of the Savior. The book of Jude says, "Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy." It's "God's kindness that leads you to repentance," Romans 2 tells us. Show someone that divinely-given kindness today!

When I first moved to the United States, the Lord used a man named Ray Stedman in my life to deal with me very strongly. That summer I served as one of Ray's first pastoral interns, along with the now famous Charles Swindoll. Ray knew there was something in my life I needed to settle. He told me that I had to settle this matter now-and settle it right. But very self-confidently I said, "Oh, don't worry. I'll fix it." Ray put his arm around me and quietly said, "You know, Luis, you think that you can talk your way out of anything, don't you?" He told me that one day I was going to dig myself a deep hole and bury myself so deep that nobody would be able to get me out. Not even God. Whoa! Was I ever put in my place! That was the beginning of a great awakening in my life. Self-confidence like that could have hindered God from working through me. The Bible says, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him." Confidence in Jesus Christ, not in yourself, will make the difference in God changing lives around you.

While taking out my garbage the other day, I saw Jim, my 85 year old neighbor. Jim can't get around very well anymore and has done everything in his power to orchestrate his life so that he doesn't need to leave his home. But the more he sits in his 5500 square foot house, the lonelier he seems. I see him watch cars and people walk past him all the time. In our busy world of suburban life, some of us are often left with a sense of having been left behind. We may look like everything is fine on the outside, but we really want to cry out "Does anyone even realize that I'm here? Does anyone realize that I'm in pain?" I feel constantly convicted and challenged to reach out to Jim. His greatest need can only be filled by God. I bring him books and literature, but the only thing that will truly alleviate the loneliness is a relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm not sure when and how the Lord is going to draw his heart, but I know that I want to be part of it. Don't you want to be part of the amazing and miraculous act of a soul turning to God? Look around... your neighbors, your coworkers and the other kids on the playground... and ask God to use you in transforming their lives.

If you're like me, you've probably encountered many people.  When you try to talk to them about the Lord Jesus and about God the Father and how you can be forgiven of your sins and have the assurance of eternal life and heaven when you die and the Holy Spirit here on Earth - who will say to you "I know religious people who really misbehave."  You know, I used to get very defensive in the old days.  Now I say, "So do I.  I know a lot of religious people who misbehave and it's appalling.  But, I'll tell you what.  First, I'm not here to talk to you about other people.  I want you to get your eyes off other people and put them on Jesus Christ."  For you, as a believer in Jesus Christ, I want to tell you this.  Jesus said, remember, "If I be lifted up I will draw all people to myself."  My job and yours is to lift up Jesus Christ.  Speak well of Him.  Speak reverently.  Tell them what He's done for you, what He means to you, who He is, and let the Holy Spirit use what you say about Jesus Christ.  By lifting Him up, you're really helping to draw people to Himself.And secondly, quote key Bible passages.  That's the key to sharing the Good News.  The Word of God has power and when you give it out it carries power.  The Lord bless you as you try to win others to Jesus Christ.

We were in France, not so long ago, and a journalist interviewed me (in fact, two female journalists).  And they said to me, "Why are you here in France?  Most of us are atheists, you know."  If somebody talks to you and says, "You know, I'm an atheist.  I don't believe in the Bible, in God, in Jesus Christ.  I don't believe in the church."  How do you answer that?You've got to do it gently.  Usually I would say, "are you really an atheist or are you searching for truth and want to know for sure that there's a god?"  Secondly, you know what I do (and I've done it since I was a teenager) when somebody says they're an atheist I say, "Do you really want to know if there's a God?  If you do, I can tell you how to meet Him."  And they usually say, "Okay, tell me."  (If you're handling it nicely and gently and courteously.)  And the secret is this: if you really want to know God, get yourself a copy of the Bible.  Open it to the Gospel of John.  Get on your knees by your bed and begin to read from chapter 1.  As you read say, "God, reveal yourself to me. I want to know you."  By the end of that book God will reveal Himself to you.Do that with your atheist friends and let the Holy Spirit do the work.

Many Christian sincerely say to me, "How can I answer a question when I don't know the answer?"  I've got two observations here.  First of all, don't be shocked.  I have been asked questions for which I don't have an answer.  The first answer to that question is "Give me time. I will research it. And if I find an answer, I will come back to you."  That gives you a chance to take your time, to talk to a more experienced Christian, to research it in books or on your computer and then come back and it gives you a chance to talk again.Secondly, when you have a question that you don't know the answer you can say "Look, why don't you read the Gospel of John for yourself.  Why don't you study it."  For instance, in 1 Timothy chapter 3 it says, "From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ."  And then it goes on to say in 2 Timothy 3, "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness."  You know, you don't have to answer every question but you can always give a passage of scripture and the Holy Scripture has great power.  That's why I encourage our listeners always - you memorize as many Bible verses as you can because it'll help you to answer questions from God's point of view.

Last night I was thinking about talking to you on the radio and this thought came to my mind: do you want to be a fisher of men?  If so, there's one big condition and here it goes: Jesus said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of me."When I was a child, in our church, we used to sing a song based on that church.  "I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men.  I will make you fishers of men if you follow me."  And I thought as a little boy, "I want to lead people to Christ.  I want to fish for men."  And, by God's grace, I've been doing it all these years.Many people say, "I don't have the passion.  I don't seem to have the words.  I don't have the answers."  Listen.  The key is this:  You follow Jesus Christ with all your heart, spend time with Him, read His Holy Word, think about the people you love in your neighborhood, at work, at school, and then say, "Lord Jesus, I am following you.  Please use me and make me a fisher of men and women and children and everybody else.  The secret is really not a secret.  You follow Jesus Christ closely and before you know it you'll consciously or unconsciously share the faith and He will use you to lead other into eternal life.  That'll be the greatest day of your life.

The other day my wife, Wendy, was out jogging.  A well-dressed woman came out of her home.  Now, this woman owns a very lucrative upper-class business and seemed to be doing rather well.  However, Wendy had a feeling that she was supposed to stop and ask this woman if she could pray for her.  Many would think that a thought like that couldn't be legit since this woman seemed to have it all, but Wendy didn't hesitate.  She went over to the woman and asked her if she could pray.The woman was shocked that Wendy would reach out to her and offer to pray.  It turns out that this woman had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer.  For this woman, to have Wendy pray for her, was a huge blessing.  Wendy's simple act gave hope and peace to a woman in need.  God whispered gently to Wendy that this woman needed her, and Wendy listened. In our lives, are we listening to the whispers of God - telling us to invite a lonely couple over for dinner, encouraging us to babysit a single mom's child, urging us to make a meal for our neighbor down the street?  These things may seem like little things, but they aren't.  These acts of kindness may be exactly what is needed to build a bridge and, eventually, introduce another to Jesus Christ.

Community service is a great thing! I'm sure that everybody would agree.  It's good for those who serve and good for those who are served.  It's good for our communities and cities.  It's a win-win situation.But, what about personal service? Do you embrace it as a win-win situation for both the person you are serving AND for yourself? Because it is! Jesus Christ Himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." The Bible also says, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."If you're like most people, you do not wake up in the morning eager to serve. Frankly, you'd rather BE served. It's easier. It's more fun. But what if you truly believed that it IS more blessed to give than to receive? Think about the radical personal transformation you would undergo! Instead of living for yourself, you would be living for God. You would look forward to making personal sacrifices for the benefit of others. Through everyday service you will bless others. And this will open doors for you to reach your world with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today, serve those in your world and tell them the reason that you do - because of Jesus Christ.

When you want to win a competition, what do you do? You prepare. You strategize. And if you're on a team, you cast the vision so your teammates will catch it. In other words, you DO SOMETHING.Now, I want to share with you an idea from a listener of this very radio program. He calls it "Each One Win One." I like it so much I'm going to share it with you. It's a bold and daring challenge for achieving God's Great Commission, which is found in Mark 16:15 of the Bible. It's where Jesus commands us to "go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."The "Each One Win One" challenge is for you to win just one lost person to Jesus Christ this year. Yes, YOU! First, won't you pray about it? Who would God have you reach? Next, commit to witnessing to and serving those who don't know the Lord. Finally, imagine bringing just one person to a faith commitment in Jesus Christ! Imagine if we all did this - just one person per year becomes a multitude of people saved for all eternity!Please think about this "Each One Win One" challenge. Be intentional with your time and efforts this year. Let God use you for His glory! Together, let's "each one win one!"