Each 1 Reach 1: The Ones that Drew Near

Each One Reach One: How Lost People Are Drawn to Jesus
As we begin a new year, many of us make resolutions that we struggle to keep. But what if instead of making a resolution, we made a covenant with God? What if our one thing this year was to seek after Jesus so we can help others know Him too?

What Does It Mean to Seek God's House?
David wrote in Psalm 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple." This doesn't mean David wanted to spend every day in the synagogue. Rather, he understood that God's house isn't a building made of brick and stone - it's the heart that has given itself to the Creator.

When Jesus spoke with the woman at the well, He explained that worship isn't confined to a specific location. We don't have to be in church to seek Christ, talk to our Savior, or ask Him the things only He can answer. Wherever we are can become a place of worship when our hearts are right with God.

Why Do Lost People Come to Jesus?

Jesus Draws All People to Himself
In John 12:32, Jesus said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness so that anyone who looked upon it would live, Jesus draws people to Himself when He is lifted up. Lost people instinctively know they need something greater than themselves.

Lost People Are Looking for Hope, Not Approval
In Luke 15:1, we read that "all the publicans and sinners" drew near to Jesus to hear Him. These weren't people looking for Jesus to approve of their lifestyle - they were broken people who knew they needed hope. Publicans were Jewish people working for Rome, considered traitors by their own people. Sinners were those labeled as wrong by religious society. Yet these outcasts were drawn to Jesus.

Lost people aren't looking for approval; they're looking for hope. And Jesus is hope.

How Do Religious People Push Others Away?

When We Become the Standard Instead of Jesus
The Pharisees and scribes in Luke 15:2 murmured, saying, "This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." They were bothered that Jesus welcomed broken people. When we make ourselves the standard instead of Jesus, we push people away from Him.

Jesus told them in Mark 2:17, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." When we act like we're the standard, Jesus becomes an offense to others, and they won't measure up.

A Church Can Be Doctrinally Right but Missionally Wrong
We can have all our doctrines correct, but if we're not fulfilling our mission to reach the lost, we're not what we're supposed to be. Knowledge without action toward our calling makes us missionally wrong, even if we're doctrinally sound.

What Is Our Mission as the Church?

We Are the Charging Station, Not the Destination
Church isn't the end goal - it's where we come to get spiritually strengthened for our mission. Think of it as a spiritual gym or charging station where we get filled with the Spirit so we can overflow into the world. We come together to learn how to be like Jesus so we can show everyone what the church really is - the body of Christ.

Each One Reach One
Every one of us has somebody in our lives that only we are going to reach. God has strategically placed people in your sphere of influence that you're uniquely positioned to impact for His kingdom. You don't need a great personality or special training - you just need to share what Jesus has done for you.

How Do We Lift Up Jesus?

Grace Has Gravitational Pull
Jesus didn't advertise, manipulate, or water down the truth. He simply was Jesus, and grace has a pull that draws people. When we genuinely seek after Jesus and allow Him to work through us, people will be drawn to the hope they see in our lives.

Start With Your Heart
Before we can effectively reach others, we must first seek after Jesus ourselves. Like David, we need to make seeking God our one thing. When Jesus becomes our heart's desire, others will see Him in us and be drawn to the hope we carry.

Life Application
This week, make a covenant with God to seek after Jesus so you can help someone else know Him. Your challenge is simple: tell one person about Jesus this week. It doesn't have to be complicated - just share what He's done for you.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Have I made seeking Jesus my one thing, or am I comfortable in my spiritual routine?
• Who has God placed in my life that only I can reach with the gospel?
• Am I more concerned with being doctrinally right than missionally active?
• When people look at my life, do they see Jesus or just religious activity?

Remember, most people will say no when you invite them to church or share about Jesus, and that's okay. Keep asking. Keep sharing. Keep seeking Jesus so that His light shines through you to draw others to the hope they desperately need.