(Skit) Person positioned outside of entrance: "Street person" sitting on ground dressed in rags. When parishioners enter church, the street person taps them and asks, "If you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity?" Before lesson the "street person" walks in the sanctuary, unveils themselves, and it is an Elder. Documentation Used: "More to this than Just…The Street Bum" Author Unknown "One night at a small church in Atlanta, Georgia, a man shared how he had become a Christian while in Sydney, Australia. "I was at the street corner in Kings Cross," the man began, "when I felt a tug on my sleeve. Turning, I found myself face to face with a street bum. Before I could say anything, the man simply asked me, Mister, if you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity?' That question troubled me over the next three weeks," the man continued. "I had to find an answer, and I ended up giving my life to Christ. "The pastor of the Atlanta church was amazed that a man on a street corner could have such an impact. But imagine his amazement when, three years later, another man came to his church and gave an almost identical testimony. He, too, had been at Kings Cross in Sydney when a derelict had pulled on his sleeve and then asked him, "If you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity?" This second man, also haunted by the street bum's question, eventually sought and found an answer in Jesus. Shortly after hearing the second testimony, the pastor of that small church in Atlanta had to be in Sydney for a missions conference. On one of his nights off, he went to Kings Cross to see if he could find the man who had been mentioned at his church by two different people. Pausing on a street corner to look for someone like the street bum he'd heard about, he felt a tug at his jacket. He turned, and before the poor old man could say anything, the pastor blurted out, "I know what you're going to ask me! You're going to ask me if I were to die tonight, where would I spend eternity?" The man was stunned. "How did you know that?" he inquired. The pastor told him the whole story. When he finished, the man started to cry."Mister," he said, "10 years ago I gave my life to Jesus, and I wanted to do something for him. But a man like me can't do much of anything, so I decided I would just hang out on this corner and ask people that simple question. I've been doing that for years, mister, but tonight is the first time I ever knew it did anybody any good." God calls us not to be successful, but to be faithful. We need to obey God even though we can't see whether it does any good. When you share Christ with someone, for instance, or when you help a person in need, you aren't responsible for the outcome. It's God's job to form us into what we can be in Christ. On the other side of things, be careful not to judge others for what they are doing in the Kingdom of God, even when it seems foolish or unproductive. God uses all kinds of ministry in many different ways in order to fulfill his purposes. Just because you don't get the point of a particular ministry doesn't mean it's wrong or worthless." "Just Some Homeless Guy" Author Unknown "It was a cold winter's day that Sunday. The parking lot to the church was filling up quickly. I noticed as I got out of my car that fellow church members were whispering among themselves as they walked to the church. As I got closer I saw a man leaned up against the wall outside the church. He was almost lying down as if he was asleep. He had on a long trench coat that was almost in shreds and a hat topped his head, pulled down so you could not see his face. He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too small for his feet with holes all over them, his toes stuck out. I assumed this man was homeless, and asleep, so I walked on by through the doors of the church. We all had fellowship for a few minutes, and someone brought up the man lying outside. People snickered and gossiped but no one bothered to ask him to come in, including me. A few moments later church began. We all waited for the Preacher to take his place and to give us the Word, when the doors to the church opened. In came the homeless man walking down the aisle with his head down. People gasped and whispered and made faces. He made his way down the aisle and up onto the pulpit. He took off his hat and coat. My heart sank. There stood our preacher...HE was the "homeless man." No one said a word. The preacher took his Bible and laid it on the stand. "Folks, I don't think I have to tell you what I am preaching about today." Then he started singing the words to this song: "If I can help somebody as I pass along. If I can cheer somebody with a word or song. If I can show somebody that he's traveling wrong. Then my living shall not be in vain." Justice - When you get what you deserve Mercy - When you don't get what you deserve Grace - When you get what you don't deserve" Lesson: Future and Hope • Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope". No Respecter of Person • Acts 10:34, 35 "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that heareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." • Romans 10, 11 "But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God" Psalms 51 (prayer of repentance) The God of all creation is a God of love and everything He's made is good and gives us happiness. He does not hide from us, even though we can't see Him; He has revealed Himself everywhere – in the Heavenlies, the marvels of the earth. Look at our bodies – the marvels of its workings. You can't tell me or make me believe that this wonder has evolved from a one-celled creature! Do you know Darwin denounced his theories before dying, basically saying that there must be a higher power to have created all of this? Scripture Memory: In Matthew 9:13, Jesus says, "For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." There is the lost who never knew, once knew, or refuse to know: That their most valued possession is their soul. • Matthew 16:26 says, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" • For we are subject to the Lord's judgment seat. And there, we will be without excuse o Hebrews 9:27 o Romans 14:10, 12 Excuses of the lost: "I lived a good life" Romans 3:12, 23; Isaiah 64:6 "I couldn't be saved; I was too bad" Matthew 9:13; 1Tim 1:15 "Too many hypocrites in the church" Romans 14:12 "I couldn't have lived it (walked the Walk)" Phil 4:13; "I was working at it; I went to church; paid my debts; I never hurt anyone" Eph 2:8,9; Titus 3:5 I was going to get saved but had things to straighten out first" Pro 27:1; 2Cor 6:2; 1John 1:9 The Backslider: once followed Jesus and then returned to darkness (sin) and needs God's forgiveness, forgiveness of his brother, and forgiveness of themselves But… God is of great mercy. We cannot fathom how deep God's mercy goes. King David committed adultery and murder but truly repented and confessed to God that he would be subject to the Law (Gal 5:19-21). • Jeremiah 3:22 says, "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." • Isa 55:7 says, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." • 2Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." • 2 Chronicles 7:14 • Hosea 14:4 • Philippians 3:13, 14 • John 8:11 The main causes for backsliding are: • Lack of spiritual insight and true commitment • Neglect of daily Bible reading, prayer and fellowship with other believers • Love of money and worldly pleasures • Corruption from evil companions GOD IS A GOD OF U-TURNS! God restores, but some feel they cannot be restored because of Hebrews 6:4. This applies to a person who refuses to return after God has "laid a stumbling block before him," (to get his attention – Eze. 3:20) and allowed a sufficient time for repentance. • Prov 29:1 • 2Pet 2:20 • Matthew 12:43-45 THE FORGOTTEN Who are the forgotten? • 2Tim 3:1-4 says: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God." People who are like this, are not usually regarded by the righteous. These people are forgotten. Those in nursing homes, retirement homes, hospitals, senior citizen housing, low-no income housing, convalescent centers are considered by some in society as undesirables. These people are forgotten. Those is oppressed countries such as Haiti, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Nicaragua, and the continent of Africa are remote to us, but missionaries have been purposed to go in and help with the people's needs and then are able to preach the gospel to them, but there are still more. God gave us two commandments after the Final Atonement of our Sin, Jesus Christ, came to the earth: • Matthew 22:37 " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind." The Lord gives us the 2nd commandment: • Matthew 22:39 "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." For it is with these commandments that we can love the forgotten and those who society considers undesirables. Pray for the sick, pray for the needy, pray for the lonely, broken, twisted, and hungry. Give to the sick, give to the needy, give to the lonely, give to the broken, the twisted, and the hungry. • Isaiah 61:1 – The Year of the Lord's Favor • Matthew 10:7 – Jesus Sends Out the Twelve • Matthew 24:14 – Signs of the End of the Age • Mark 16:15 – The Resurrection • Luke 4:18 – The Temptation of Jesus • 1Tim 4:2 - Instructions to Timothy This document is proprietary and confidential to His Indwelling Spirit Ministries and those who are being sent it to be forwarded to Moroccan Missionaries. Unauthorized use and distribution are prohibited. His Indwelling Spirit Ministries, All Rights Reservedฎ BBSOCS Ministries, a subministry of His Indwelling Spirit Ministries, Columbus, Ohio USA

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