Jesus taught His disciples that the love they showed for one another would be the means by which the whole world would know that they were truly His. In this lesson, Pastor Landis is teaching that this is a method of evangelism that must continue among the redeemed in order that we might accomplish as a separated people of God the outreach that God desires, which is that the gospel of Jesus Christ should be preached to the ends of the Earth and to every person. Listen and learn how Peter the Apostle concurred with this crucial doctrine which also was taught by Paul.
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 20:1 – 16 (KJV)
Ezek 20:1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me. Ezek 20:2 Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, Ezek 20:3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you. Ezek 20:4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers: Ezek 20:5 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I am the LORD your God; Ezek 20:6 In the day that I lifted up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands: Ezek 20:7 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. Ezek 20:8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. Ezek 20:9 But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt. Ezek 20:10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. Ezek 20:11 And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. Ezek 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. Ezek 20:13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. Ezek 20:14 But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out. Ezek 20:15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; Ezek 20:16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
New Testament Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2: 10 – 17 (NASB)
1 Pet 2:10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 1 Pet 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. 1 Pet 2:12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Pet 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 1 Pet 2:14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 1 Pet 2:15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 1 Pet 2:16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 1 Pet 2:17 Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
Transforming Power Statements:
#1) In the fact that God is Holy, Supreme, Sovereign, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Eternal, etc. beyond human comprehension and imagination and then some, and mankind consists of fallen sinners, justifies a few of God’s most merciful ministries toward mankind which are redemption, adoption, and the ministry of teaching. #2) God has provided one equal manner of receipt of Salvation as a free gift of His grace, which is through faith in the gospel proclamation of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, His only-begotten Son for forgiveness of all sin, which causes believers to become possessed (in-dwelt) by God The Holy Spirit, who seals us, leads us, teaches us, comforts us, guides us, convicts us, and develops us as the workmanship of the infinite God, for the purpose of placing His glory on display to draw all people to His Son, making all believers living epistles known and read by all men. (2 Cor 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all menJ #3) The most effective kind of evangelism is that of Living Epistles known and read by all men, since sinners do not read nor can they understand the sacred texts of Scripture which is the only other place in the world that truth from God can be accurately ascertained for application to the issues of this life and the life to come.
