Pulling Them Out of the Fire: The Urgency of Soul Winning

[0:00] And let's go to the word of God to Jude. Jude 1. And some thoughts about pulling them out of the fire.

[0:15] ! The theme really is the urgency of soul winning in a world on the brink of destruction. And Jude 1 verse 22 reads, And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

[0:43] In the 19th century, Evangelist C.T. Studd was known as once a famous cricketer and then a missionary used of God.

[0:54] And I know my mum and dad liked the quote of C.T. Studd, Only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last.

[1:07] And so he had a mighty conversion and a conviction to then serve God. And here's one of his famous quotes. He says, Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell.

[1:22] I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell. And so he had this conviction to reach souls for the saviour.

[1:33] And it's a telling quote, isn't it, of what the work of the church should be as a rescue shop, a rescue mission.

[1:44] And how can we be that church that's in a way nearest the gates of hell, as it were, snatching people from out of the pits of hell.

[1:55] A rescue shop within a yard of hell. And Studd gave up his fame and fortune to be a missionary, to rescue lost souls.

[2:06] And his words tell us of this urgent call, the call of Christ to us, to be on the front lines, pulling souls from destruction, pulling them out of the fire.

[2:18] What a picture, what a graphic image that can create in our minds of that urgent mission that we're all called to. To rescue souls by the grace of God before they are lost forever.

[2:32] And it's a truth that people are in spiritual danger. This world is full of souls that are on the brink of eternity, teetering on the edge of destruction.

[2:43] Of course, we know it's God's work to save, but who does he use to tell them? You and me. Our soul winners. How are we to respond to this urgent need that people are in spiritual danger?

[2:56] The book of Jude warns us about false teachers, of their dangerous influence. It's an urgent letter. And there's this theme of combat, of contending, contending earnestly for the faith.

[3:12] And Jude issues these words of warning. And these words that we've just read. Of pulling them out of the fire.

[3:23] It's this theme of emergency, really. Isn't it? Of a fire emergency. And of a call. To mount a rescue operation.

[3:36] A rescue mission. To reach out. To reach out. Like a rescue shop. As it were. A mission post. Within a yard of hell. And Jude tells of people lost.

[3:48] That need spiritual help. And he tells of some. One by compassion. And of some. Rescued urgently. And forcefully. So.

[3:59] Note. Firstly. The call to compassion. The call to compassion. And of some. Have compassion. Making a difference. Jude says.

[4:10] Make a difference. He's telling here of the. The spirit's call. Of a discerning between truth and error. Through the book. And of. How we can approach.

[4:20] Others. To take the gospel. To other souls. And. The need for spiritual maturity. And wisdom. Guidance. And. It tells really of that.

[4:32] Theme. Of gentle compassion. For those that are in error. Again. In the context. The letter warns. Of false teachers. Of apostates. And. We need compassion.

[4:43] Because as many people. Led astray. Deceived in this way. We come across it. When we've been doing some witnessing. It's very telling. How many are in false religions. False philosophies.

[4:55] And even when we went out. Door knocking Saturday. The. The J-dubs were out in force. As we came to the church. And. We often see them about. And Mormons as well.

[5:06] And there's so much out there. That's false. And. Really. We've got compassion. Even to them. Because they've been deceived. Themselves. We've got compassion. For those. That are.

[5:17] In error. And. Astray from the gospel. And. Compassion is needed. It speaks of a tenderness. Of an understanding. As we reach out to those. Ensnared by false teachings.

[5:29] Because. But for the grace of God. We could be. So ensnared. And they're so active. It's no wonder that they have. Are reaching people. They're making. An impact.

[5:40] And we can make a difference. Ourselves. We can actually make an eternal difference. Jude says. Of some have compassion. Making a difference. We can.

[5:50] Each one of us. Make an eternal difference. An eternal impact. Because. Eternities can be changed. Like. Destinations can be changed.

[6:01] For people. We can share the gospel. Of Christ. And help others. Come to know him. And that makes a difference. Doesn't it? When people come to the savior. As each one.

[6:12] Reach one. One by one. One. And. Think of our Lord. He makes an eternal difference. To everyone. That calls upon him. When we're saved.

[6:24] And there's many scriptures. Of course. That exhort us to. This ministry. This mission. Of reaching souls. As James tells. He which converted.

[6:34] The sinner. From the error. Of his way. Shall save a soul. From death. And shall hide. A multitude. Of sins. This is. A ministry. A mission. To save souls.

[6:45] From death. Proverbs 11. 30. In part. It says. He that winneth. Souls is. Wise. It's a wise thing to do. To win souls. To reach souls. And Jude says.

[6:56] Of some. He says. Have compassion. Making a difference. Do we have that compassion? What about compassion? This quality of compassion. Compassion. For the lost.

[7:06] A heart of compassion. To care for souls. To have tears. For the lost. Are we taking seriously. The need. For us to act. To take the gospel.

[7:18] With care. And with compassion. With genuine care. And concern. Think of our Lord. He's such an example. Of that. As we know. As he saw the multitudes.

[7:30] He was moved with. Compassion. Because they fainted. And were scattered abroad. As sheep having no shepherd. Our Lord had compassion. Such that he was moved. To that action.

[7:42] And as Christians. We're called to show compassion. This kindness. This mercy to others. Especially to those who are far from God. It's our Lord's mission. He tells of his mission.

[7:53] He says. The son of man has come. To seek. And to save that which was lost. Luke 19. 10. Our Lord Jesus came to seek. And to save. The lost. And it's important.

[8:03] We have that same mission too. And that same heart of compassion. Of our Lord. Think of it. When our Lord encountered. Situations. For example. The sinner. Woman.

[8:14] At the well. He didn't condemn her. But he led her to the truth. He had compassion. We see the compassion. Of the certain Samaritan. That he didn't just see the need.

[8:26] He acted. In Luke 10. And it's important. That we recognize. The condition. Of the lost. Why should we have compassion? The Bible tells us. In Ephesians 2.

[8:37] That the lost are dead. In trespasses. And sins. In Romans 3. 23. It tells us. That all have sinned. And come short. Of the glory of God. It tells.

[8:47] That many are in spiritual blindness. 2 Corinthians 4. 4. And that without salvation. Multitudes face. Eternal. Damnation.

[8:58] Some are trapped in false religion. Addiction. Or despair. Our Lord looks out. And he's moved with compassion. Doesn't he? What would you do. If you came across a drowning man.

[9:10] Calling out for help. You can picture it. A drowning man. You wouldn't hesitate. Would you? You wouldn't hesitate. To rescue the man. Yet many hesitate.

[9:21] To share the gospel. Don't they? To share the gospel. With those drowning in sin. Would we stand by. And debate theology. Or would we throw a lifeline?

[9:33] It tells us. That the love of Christ. Constraineth us. Christ's love. Captivates us. It takes a hold of us. It compels us. It drives us. It urges us.

[9:45] His love. Grips our hearts. It motivates us. It motivates us to act. The love of Christ. That's what moves us. And we must act. He gives us that purpose and passion.

[9:56] We're moved. To make a difference. The love of Christ is what. Is our motivator. Isn't it? And it's the personal responsibility. Really. Of every believer. To share the gospel.

[10:08] That's every one of us. That believe. We have that same ministry. Everyone has this same. Responsibility. How can we share compassion?

[10:19] Think of it. Maybe by listening a bit more. If people maybe had time for us to sit with them. To care for them.

[10:30] They might be more receptive to the gospel. Maybe meeting physical needs. Showing kindness. Building relationships. Like our Lord. He dined with sinners.

[10:42] In Luke 5.29. It tells how. He was. Very much. Reaching out. It was his nature. As we see.

[10:52] Time and time again. The individuals that he touched. Their lives. And he. Ministered. In practical ways. Think of it for yourself. What can. I do.

[11:03] Thinking of yourself. These questions. Can I identify. One person. In my life. Who needs. Spiritual rescue. Can I think of one. Unsaved person.

[11:15] And how can I show. That person. The love of Christ. This week. How can I pray for them. And reach out to them. This week ahead. We all have that responsibility.

[11:28] And also. There's an urgency. As the verse reads on. Note here. The urgency. Of rescue. And others. Save with fear. Pulling them.

[11:38] Out of the fire. Notice. There's an urgency here. About the situation. There's people in immediate. Spiritual danger. As the Lord. Elsewhere.

[11:49] Speaks in parable. Compel them to come in. There's a sense of. This is something that. Should be pressing. It's something that should be. An urging.

[12:00] An urgency. As Jonah declared. 40 days. Yet 40 days. And Nineveh shall be. Overthrown. Jonah 4 verse 3. There's a sense where.

[12:11] Actually. Destruction. Is imminent. There's. Limited time. There's only. Really days. And for some. Not even that.

[12:22] That. Destruction. Is. Imminent. And. We need to capture this sense of. Urgency. Urgency. Urgency. Urgency. Urgency. Urgency. It says.

[12:33] Save. With fear. It tells of. Urgently. Pulling them. Out of danger. It's like. As you could. Kind of picture it. As happened. When the angels. Rescued Lot.

[12:44] From Sodom. Before the fire. Fell. At Sodom. And Gomorrah. We see the angels. We see Lot. Lot. And his family. And his family. And his family. And his family. Flee.

[12:56] The fire. Flee. The danger. And these angels. Grab Lot. By hand. There was a sense. Where they were. Pulling him. Out of the fire. In a way.

[13:07] And what a graphic picture. It is. Of rescue. Think of it. Of this rescue effort. Time is of the essence. I know there's a time.

[13:18] In. We lived in Munter. For a time. And we lived near the fire station. And when the fire alarm. The fire bell. Went off. We knew. Hey. There's going to be some action. And that the fire station.

[13:30] Was just. A few doors down. From where we lived. And there's this sense of alarm. Isn't there. When the. When there's a fire. How long is it. Going to take. For you to do.

[13:42] What God wants you to do. About those ones. That God has put on your heart. It tells of fear. Others save with fear. Pulling them out of the fire. Think of it.

[13:53] Brother. Sister. Here tonight. That we as believers. We ought to have a genuine fear. For the souls of the lost. There's a fear. It's fearful. It's a fearful thing.

[14:03] To fall into the hands. Of the living God. Isn't it? And some of the ones that we know. They're in fearful danger. It's a peril. That they're in. The souls of the lost.

[14:14] And this fear. That we have. On their behalf. It should motivate us. To action. Shouldn't it? To a boldness. To sharing the gospel. People's eternal destinies.

[14:25] Are hanging. In the balance. And we need to treat. The work of soul saving. As this emergency rescue operation. That it is. I know some.

[14:37] Folk that I know. Are involved with the CFS. And the SES. Noble causes. They're ready to respond. As first responders. To that emergency situation.

[14:49] But think of it. The emergency situation. Spiritually. That many are in. The work of saving souls. Is an emergency rescue operation.

[14:59] And with emergency rescue operations. They call for immediate action. You know. The bell goes off. The siren. And it's action stations. Isn't it?

[15:10] Makes me think of. In World War II. The Spitfire pilots. When they said. Scramble. And they had to just. Don their flying gear on. And they were out the door.

[15:20] Jumping into the cockpit. And the plane was already. Ready to run. To get in the air. And this sense of. Scramble. This sense of.

[15:32] Alarm. This sense. Of need for action. Of rescue. Of immediate action. And so this is a picture. Of emergency rescue. If you like. And when you're in. The emergency rescue service.

[15:44] Think of it. You set aside. All of the other priorities. You might have a whole list. Of things to do. But actually. This is on the top of the list. Isn't it? Soul saving. We might have a lot of things.

[15:55] On our to-do list. But we set aside. All the other priorities. Because this matters. The emergency rescue. And of the compelling burden. To save those in danger.

[16:05] Time is of the essence. We're talking about a fire. Notice. Also. This thought of fire. And. Just last Thursday. Just. This Thursday. Just gone. Julie and I took some time out.

[16:18] To go to Harndorf. And it was a restful setting. On Thursday. And. And we're having a pleasant time. But then we began to notice. The sight.

[16:28] And the smell. Of smoke. And staff at the nearby shop. They started donning fire. Warden caps. And clothes. And people around us.

[16:40] Were getting very restless. Unsettled. Some of them were getting into their vehicles. And making. Tracks. As we did. Also. A fire emergency.

[16:52] Was upon us. Could see smoke. Starting to. Shroud. The hills nearby. And we knew. Fire was on its way. You know. Fire has a way.

[17:02] Of motivating us. Doesn't it? When you think of it. Think of a bushfire setting. What about the reality. Even more so. The reality. Of hell fire.

[17:14] What of that? The fire in Jude. Is. Is. A picture of this dangerous spreading fire. Like a raging bushfire. And this fire. It demands immediate attention.

[17:25] And fire pictures for us. Imminent danger. Doesn't it? It speaks of the need for immediate action. Consider. Brother. Sister. The reality. Of hell.

[17:38] Hell is real. Hot. And forever. The Bible speaks of. Eternal. Torment. We must take the reality of hell. Seriously. And hell. Of course. It's not a popular topic.

[17:49] But it is a necessary one. And it's another motivator. For you and me. For us to be. Soul winners. To share the gospel. With urgency. The reality of hell.

[18:00] And as well as the need for compassion. We've got a need for a boldness. In proclaiming the truth. It's good for us to keep that reality of hell. In mind. And the eternal consequences.

[18:12] Of rejecting Christ. Of not sharing the gospel. When we believe in the reality of eternal damnation. It compels us to actively seek.

[18:23] And save the lost. We need to understand the nature and duration of hell. Of hell's torment. Many verses we could touch on. For example. Luke 16.

[18:34] The story of the rich man. And Lazarus. And the rich man says. I am tormented. In this flame. Mark 9. Talks about hell fire. Of unquenchable fire.

[18:46] 2 Thessalonians 1. Talks about everlasting destruction. From the presence of the Lord. Revelation 14. Talks about torment. With fire and brimstone. In the presence of the angels.

[18:58] And of God. Can we get a hold of the urgency. That hell is real. It's eternal. The urgency that we have. Of rescuing people. Pulling them out of the fire.

[19:10] Pulling them out of the fire. What a picture that is. We dare not be complacent. Or idle. Because souls are at stake. Consider the importance of immediate action.

[19:21] It's better that we go soul winning. Even if we feel limited. Better that we go soul winning. Even if we feel untrained. Better that we go soul winning. And join the fire rescue effort.

[19:32] Than if no one does. What if no one does? What if everyone thinks. As we might think. Oh. Others are doing it. I'm not qualified. I'm not able.

[19:43] I'm not a talker. I'm. I've got so many hang ups. And I'm not really. A good enough Christian. To tell anyone else. About the saviour. Now we could all think of reasons.

[19:54] And the devil would give you. All kinds of excuses to make. Why it's too hard. Someone else can take the effort. But the time is now. To join the rescue effort. To win souls.

[20:05] To win souls. Of course we know God's time is now. As we touched on earlier today. Behold now is the accepted time. Behold now is the day of salvation.

[20:17] The time to witness for Christ is now. It's now. May we view soul winning as a rescue mission. A kind of pulling people out of a building.

[20:28] That is burning. That's the picture. That's the graphic picture. Of Jude 1. It's akin to pulling people. From out of a burning building. That's a pretty graphic picture isn't it.

[20:40] And when I think of a fire. It makes me think of alarm. Of danger. Of hey. Do nothing. And that building is going to burn down. With the people in it. There's an old Puritan book.

[20:51] Called Alarm. To the unconverted. That's quite a title isn't it. Alarm. To the unconverted. And the old book tells of the seriousness of sin.

[21:02] Of God's wrath. It's an urgent call to true conversion. And it emphasizes again this theme of urgency. Of immediate action. We dare not delay.

[21:13] Death and judgment could come at any moment. And others save with fear. Pulling them out of the fire. Think of this again.

[21:24] This truth. This action. This action. Pulling them. Pulling them. It's like if you could imagine it. Parents.

[21:34] You see your child running into the path of a car. An oncoming car. And rescue them from harm's way. It's the picture of it isn't it. Pulling them.

[21:46] It's. They're about to be burnt. Do you want to pull them out of that harm? It's a picture of the urgency and the power of this rescue mission. And this verb depicts a sudden forceful snatch up.

[21:59] You know God's going to snatch us up. Isn't he? At the rapture. The believers are going to be snatched from the earth. And it's the same how we ought to be actively snatching souls from out of the fire.

[22:12] It's the same word. And so the picture there is very clear isn't it? He's going to snatch us out of this earth one day. And so we should be about the work of snatching souls.

[22:24] Pulling them out of the fire. And may we follow the example. It's hope. The hope of the gospel to a lost and a dying world. Think of it. Brother, sister. Of soul winning. That it ought to be a priority.

[22:36] And of course we can't always make necessarily organized soul winning efforts. As we have each week. But you can be about the work of soul winning day after day after day.

[22:48] With the people that you have in your circle of influence. The people that you have a reach into their lives. You can be a witness for Christ.

[22:59] And make evangelism a part of everyday life. A regular part of life. Another vital word here is save. Save. God desires to use his people to affect the salvation of others.

[23:13] Of course we know the work of salvation is entirely God's working. But he uses human channels. Like the song we sang this morning. Channels only. That's what we are isn't it?

[23:24] That we are his channel. God uses people. Basically you and me. That's who he's got. Isn't it? The church. He uses his own people. And you can have a part to play.

[23:36] What a precious part. To play that part. To help save another soul. And save. This word save. It's present imperative. A command. It's a command to save.

[23:48] He tells us go and save. He tells you it's a present imperative. And it's the sense of also having a continually evangelistic mindset.

[23:59] To continually having that mindset that God's spirit enables to save. And this save and snatching. It's like a spiritual intervention.

[24:12] Like for example when families intervene. When one of their loved ones is trapped in addiction or substance abuse. Or maybe in a cult. They're in some grave danger.

[24:23] They'll do everything they can to save the one they love. Well this tense here also speaks of continuous or repeated action. So what it's saying is continue rescuing.

[24:36] Keep at it. Maybe the first time you witness to someone they won't get saved. But you continue that work. It's a continuous and repeated action. Of continuing to reach out.

[24:48] Continuing to minister. Continuing to witness. Keep at it. And this is a work we should be constantly about. It's our ongoing duty. To save the lost at any cost.

[25:00] And we're meant to be actively about this work. Brother, sister, can we be challenged tonight. To see the condition of lost souls. It's desperate.

[25:11] The desperate condition. Think of where I was. Who I was. Where I was. My lost condition. And do we care for others outside. So this word save.

[25:22] Sozo. It's got this basic meaning of rescuing one. From grave to me. Save them. Pull them out of the fire. What a picture. It's as if as some preacher put it.

[25:34] They're singed by the very fire of hell. They're so close to the flame. They're in imminent danger. There's this sense of. They're so close to that fire.

[25:47] And it's our mission. To pull them out of the fire. Before they are burned. Get this picture of fire again. And of your role.

[25:58] You are the fire rescue team. You're it. God has said. Go ye. That's us. As an outfit. Isn't it? As the fire rescue team.

[26:09] The church of Christ. It shall be filled with the spiritual firemen. And fire women. Think of it. When the. The danger. Comes.

[26:21] When the alert comes. Down at the fire station. The firefighters. Are always on duty. They're always on high alert.

[26:34] Now. I know some firefighters. It sounds like it's a very cushy job. A lot of the time. Because they sit around. And play cards. Or. Or do some gym workout. Or. Or. Do some.

[26:44] Kind of carefree activities. While there is no fire. But at any moment. At any moment. They have to be ready. To. Jump into action. Don't they?

[26:55] They have to be ready to go. And rescue. Victims. They are always on high alert. And who knows. When that call will come. And the danger. That they're going to.

[27:05] Have to go into those. Situations of fire. And we can think of the fire. Of God's judgment. Can't we? Or don't we. To be always on duty. As it were. Ready. Willing.

[27:17] Able to throw the rescue line. To others in danger. We. You and me. Are part of God's rescue plan.

[27:27] It's his mission. It's our job. We are. The fire and rescue team. And. We could think about the method. Of rescue. That of course. Our Lord is the one.

[27:38] Who is the savior. But we are his. Servants. To take the message. We are his messengers. We are his ambassadors. And God chooses people. People.

[27:49] Like you and me. Actually. It is people. You and me. They. They. We're it. We're it. And he uses you and me. Doesn't he? To spread the gospel. This is not theoretical.

[28:01] I'm not saying people. Like you and me. I'm saying. It is you and me. God wants us. To spread the gospel. And so it takes this personal engagement. To be willing. To go.

[28:12] To be willing. To show others their need. Of Christ. And so. Can I urge you tonight. To get this. This picture. In your mind.

[28:22] In your consciousness. Of the fire. Of the soul winning. The priority of it. When the alarm. Sounds. They drop everything. Down at the fire station. And.

[28:33] We should think. Of the church. Of God's church. That churches. Should prioritize. Evangelism. Above comfort. And programs. Evangelism.

[28:43] Really. It's not just another. Church program. We can think. Okay. It's the church program. You know. This is. This is the slot. This is the time slot. This is when we go soul winning. And we forget about it.

[28:54] The rest of the time. As if it's some program. But no. It ought to be the heart and soul. Of the church. It ought to be our heart. It ought to be his heart. In our heart. To see the need.

[29:05] To be prompted. To take action. And this work. It calls for persistent effort. Think of the old hymn. Rescue. The perishing. It encourages us. To keep on reaching out.

[29:15] Rescue. The perishing. Care for the dying. Snatch them. In pity. From sin. And the grave. Tell them of Jesus. The mighty.

[29:26] To save. Rescue. The perishing. Duty. Demands it. We've got that duty. That responsibility. And of course. We ought to have prayerful dependence.

[29:37] That it's God's work. It's not any fleshly effort. Or technology. Or terminology. Or pattern. That we might memorize. Or program.

[29:48] That we might. Make. Of our own. Thinking. It's God's power. It's working through channels only. Channels only. Only he can truly save. And at the heart of it all too.

[29:59] It's love. Having compassion. That's what drives us. It's our witness. At the heart of it. It's love and concern. For others.

[30:09] Well being. I've seen some. Videos of preachers. It seems like love isn't there. It's all about. Hammering people. You know. Some of these street preachers.

[30:19] I've seen some of them. They're not very. I don't know that they're projecting love. In how they're presenting it. I think that can be. It can be an error.

[30:31] To just hammer people. Actually. The motive that drives us to witness. Is love. It's concern for these lost souls. For their well-being.

[30:42] Their eternity. And it could be that. Missing opportunities to share the gospel. It could mean a loss of heavenly rewards. There's a sense where. Hey actually.

[30:52] We missed out. Because we didn't tell them. We could have had. A part to play. In. An eternal. Difference. Making a difference. Think of it. Of the reality. Again.

[31:03] Of eternal judgment. It's appointed unto men. Once to die. After that. The judgment. The rich man in hell. He begged for someone. To go and tell. Tell my brothers. Tell them.

[31:14] He asked Lazarus. Please. Send someone Lazarus. So that they could tell my brothers. So they don't come into this place. And he begged. For someone. To warn.

[31:25] His brothers. In Revelation 20. It tells that those not found in the book of life. Are cast into the lake. Of fire. Consider the reality of hell. And. We ought not downplay.

[31:36] Or deny hell. Some religions. Some cults. Deny hell. The Bible tells us clearly. There is a hell. It's a real destination. For those who reject Christ.

[31:47] A place of fire. Of darkness. Of unbearable suffering. Where the lost will experience. Unending regret. Separation from God. And hell is not God's desire for anyone. But it is the consequence.

[31:58] Of rejecting God's offer. Of salvation through Christ. Think about it. If you saw a burning building. You're driving along. And there's a burning building. You start to hear some screams.

[32:10] You know. Would you. Would you hesitate. Or would you say. Hey. I've got to do something. There could be a child in there. Could I do something. To pull them out. If it's your neighbor's house burning.

[32:22] What would you do. Of course you'd rush to help. You wouldn't hesitate.

[32:32] Would you. And the unsaved. Are in greater danger. Aren't they. Greater danger. Than a burning house. We must rescue the perishing. Respond.

[32:43] Think of. The words of others. Who've been. About the work. As William Booth. Founder of the Salvation Army. Put it. As he rescued souls. From sin. And despair. With Bernard.

[32:54] On more than one occasion. He said. I care not. Where or how I live. Or what hardships. I go through. So that. I can. But gain souls. To Christ.

[33:05] Matthew Henry said. I would think. It a greater happiness. To gain one soul. To Christ. Than mountains. Of silver and gold. To myself. Rescue the perishing.

[33:16] It's not just a noble task. It's a divine mandate. And. Believers. We ought not to be ashamed. Of the gospel. Don't be ashamed. Of the gospel. And of course. We know.

[33:27] Humanly. I know for myself. People have got the gift. Of the gab. But hey. The call goes to you and me. Go you.

[33:38] It's wide open. Isn't it. And God has not given us. The spirit of fear. Many hesitate to witness. Because of a fear of rejection. What are we afraid of?

[33:49] Fear of rejection. He was despised. Live. We see. The call. To compassion. We've seen the urgency.

[33:59] Of the mission. We see lastly. The danger of compromise. Hating even the garments. Spotted by the flesh. And it's got this sense where. When we're out this. And doing this work.

[34:10] Hey. There's a certain caution. Called for. A guarding against sin. While rescuing others. And there's a certain toll. On the rescuers.

[34:20] We think. Of first responders. Hey. They can get pretty affected. By what they see. The toll that it takes. It tells the spotted garments.

[34:31] Speaks of defilement. Because they could get pulled under. By the drowning one. You know. They've got to be careful. So there's a certain care. In how we reach others. To maintain our spiritual life.

[34:43] It talks in Galatians 6. About restoring people. With a spirit of meekness. Lest you also be tempted. 2 Timothy talks about. Being a vessel fit.

[34:54] For the master's use. The firefighters. Got to wear protective equipment. Because they could get burnt. While they're in the fire. We're to be covered.

[35:05] With a spiritual armor. Ephesians 6. And a compromised Christian. Cannot rescue others effectively. It tells in 1 Corinthians 15. How evil communications.

[35:16] Corrupt good manners. So. We want to keep our witness. Sure. And not. Falter. We don't want to be. Compromising our witness.

[35:29] Now some try to witness. By compromising. It's not what it's about. You know. Some might try to. Save souls. By rock music. Or whatever it be. Using kind of things. That are questionable.

[35:40] To conform to the world. To use worldly methods. Worldly wisdom. But the Bible says. Friendship with the world. Is enmity with God. It's hateful to God. And 2 Corinthians 6. Says we ought to be separate.

[35:50] From sin. To stand firm. On biblical truth. So think of it here tonight. I present to you. That you are God's search and rescue mission. You're it. We are it.

[36:02] This is. This is the search and rescue mission. For this patch. Or for Adelaide. Amongst our number. But the world is perishing all around us. And we hold the lifeline. The gospel.

[36:12] Don't we? We hold this. This precious news. This message. Of life. And our mission. Is to combat. The forces of hell. The.

[36:23] Kind of theme of Jude. Is contend. Is contend earnestly. For the faith. There's a combat. This is a combat mission. As well as a rescue mission. Because we've got opposition.

[36:34] We've got opposing forces. And souls hang in the balance. Meantime. Will we stand by. Or will we step into the fire. That's the question.

[36:45] Time is short. The need is great. And we see. This. Picture of fire. What. What. More vivid. A picture. Can we see.

[36:56] Than a fire. With a house burning down. We see. The fire. Just destroys everything. And there's people. On the brink. Of destruction. They're on the edge. Of eternity.

[37:07] Time is short. The need is great. Believers here tonight. Or don't we. To be sparked. With a bit of. Yeah. I can see that now. Soul winning is both urgent.

[37:20] And it's necessary. Can we grasp the reality of hell. The urgency of rescuing lost souls. This is vital. It's not. Really. Just a program.

[37:32] Of the church. Just not just one little. Kind of element. It's. It's everything. It's everything. To prioritize the salvation of souls. Above all else.

[37:44] As if. We were the fire station crew. We actually are the fire station crew. Aren't we. And. To think of that. True understanding of hell's reality.

[37:55] Should compel us. Shouldn't it. To be passionate. To be compassionate. To be effective soul winners. Pulling as many as possible from the fire. Out of the fire.

[38:05] Before it's too late. Are you willing for God to use you. To snatch souls. Out of the fire. Are you willing to prioritize the salvation of souls.

[38:15] Above your own comfort. And convenience. We've got to leave the place of complacency. And. Comfort.

[38:27] And actively engage in evangelism. We are called to this. This important work. Of rescue. Can we. Be. Moved to have compassion today.

[38:40] Maybe we could have a bit more compassion. They are. I work with them. I. I mix with them. They're my neighbors and friends. People I know. Because they're on the brink of eternity.

[38:53] And you know. Sometimes we can miss it. Can't we. Where we think. We hear someone's passed away. Oh. I missed that. From that. Can we pray. Use me Lord.

[39:04] Give me the heart of Christ. The urgency of a rescuer. To not. May that be a graphic picture. That you.

[39:15] At least remember that thought. Of. Of this message tonight. To see that. That thought. Of. The urgency. Of the rescue mission.

[39:27] And to think. Hey. Wouldn't it be good. If we were. As pictured here. Of this firefighter. Holding the. The infant. That they've saved. What a blessing it is.

[39:38] That you could hold another. Precious soul. That you had a part to play. In pulling them out of the fire. If you can share someone. Share the gospel with someone. Share the gospel with someone this week.

[39:50] Despite your fears. Even if you feel inadequate. Even if you feel like. Hey. I'm really not cut out for this. No excuse.

[40:02] Pray for a burden. Pray. God give you compassion for the lost. And prepare to share. Have some scriptures. In your mind. That you can meditate on.

[40:13] Memorise. That you can call them to mind. And use them. To share. And who knows. Well. At least you've done your part. Whether they refuse it. Or receive it. You've done your bit. And at least you've done something.

[40:26] Some people don't want to be pulled out of the fire. We know that. They don't realise they're on the edge of eternity. They think they've got time to play with. But they haven't. But our part.

[40:37] Is to be the fire. And rescue team. And take action. Speak to one lost person. This week. About Christ. Let us pray. Lord we thank you.

[40:48] That the mission. Is for us. And you choose. Human vessels. Inadequate. Weak. Fearful. Most often times. Lord. How frail.

[41:00] And faulty we are. How inclined we are. To put these thoughts aside. And to not care. Lord give us your heart. That we might have compassion. That we might make a difference.

[41:10] An eternal difference. That others might come. To become a brother. Our sister in Christ. Because of some. Token. We might. At least give some word.

[41:22] To guide them. To you. To pull them. Out of the fire. Give us that heart. Give us Lord. That sense of urgency. Of action. Lord of compassion.

[41:33] Burden us Lord. For souls. For lost souls. And Lord. We pray for us. Any here tonight. Yet to be saved. That they too. Might understand. They're on the brink.

[41:45] Of eternity. Your word tells us. It's but a step. Between this life. And death. And the eternity. Beyond. Lord. We know. It's but a step.

[41:55] And it can be just a heartbeat. A breath. And then we'll stand. In eternity. Lord. Help us to know. For assurity.

[42:07] Your saving love. That we can be saved tonight. By the virtue of your blood. That by faith. By your grace. We can say. Jesus. I trust you. To forgive me my sin.

[42:18] To take my sin. To pay for my sin. To cleanse my sin. To give me life eternal. Lord. Help us to put our trust in you. And then as those that believe.

[42:29] To act upon your word. That we might be messengers. Channels only. To tell others too. Of your saving grace. Of your love. Of that compassion. That moved you. To take you to the very cross.

[42:41] To pay for our sin. Lord. We thank you for it. Give us the grace. To get our feet walking. To get our mouth talking. To get our hands reaching out. To lost souls.

[42:51] Lord. Give us the words we need to say. Lord. The tact. The wisdom. The care. The compassion. Lord. Not to go out to. As it were.

[43:02] To win arguments. But to win souls. Lord. Not to enter into wranglings. But to see a soul. Trust you. Lord.

[43:12] Help us to see other souls rescued. In this mission work. This rescue mission. This fire and rescue operation. This emergency that we are in right now.

[43:22] This emergency of souls in danger. Help us to have that heart. And move us Lord. We pray. To that end. We ask in Jesus precious name. Amen.