Certainly in varying degrees, and it's certainly true in some degree in our church, that there's a gap in what we say we believe and the way in which we actually live that out.
That at given moments in any of our days, you can look at us and say, this person doesn't love Jesus at all.
And so two weeks ago, I kind of began this charge to discipleship as we're taking a bit of a break from Mark for the month of February,
and began by talking about how if we are going to follow him, then we have to care about what he cares about.
That the primary thing we should be concerned about is the advancement of the gospel, the building of the kingdom, the making of disciples.
This was his great commission, the big charge that he gave to the church.
Our church, as a local expression of the universal church, has a responsibility to this.
And not that it's a burden, but it's a joy that God has given us to his mission in the world.
Last week, we looked at the ongoing way that this activity is encouraged and supported, and that is in the life of a congregation,
in the way in which the church meets, or at very least, should meet together.
And I emphasized the fact that the primary way in which our church is going to do this,
the specific way that our church is going to do this, is through our community outreach groups.
We're going to be pressing at each other to have our actions match the things that we say that we believe.
That we're going to press at each other in this way.
And I said to you last week, as this week's sermon is going to be about the particulars, the biblical parameters for evangelism,
finding people becoming, that first step of becoming a disciple,
that one sermon on evangelism is not enough for you.
In fact, if I were to preach a sermon on evangelism, how to evangelize every single week for the rest of this year,
it wouldn't be enough, because you need more than that.
Not just hearing it, you need to be putting it into practice, and we need one another to do this.
The accountability and the pressing, we need to be encouraged in this direction.
Living for God in the kingdom opposes the desires of our flesh.
Praise God we have new spirits, we've been made new creations,
and God has given us a community called the church to push each other in this way.
And so this is what we talked about last week.
And so this week we're going to talk a bit more about the specifics of sharing the gospel,
and then next week, discipleship.
How do we go on from there?
Once we see people come to faith in Christ, what do we do?
What are the responsibilities we should take up?
And how do the scriptures guide us in that process?
And so our major text for today, I had you in Mark 8.
Turn back just a few pages to Mark chapter 4.
I'm going to read to you a rather large chunk of Jesus' teaching here.
I hope that you'll stick with me.
I'm going to come back and address specific parts of it,
but Jesus' teaching is taken here in this completion,
and he begins with this parable called the parable of the sower.
And I want to draw your attention before we read the entire thing together,
because in verse 10, we see that the disciples don't know exactly what he's talking about, right?
And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
This one specifically, he says,
And he said to them,
To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God,
but for those outside everything in parables,
so that they may indeed see but not perceive,
may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.
And he's giving these parables in such a way that those with spiritual illumination will understand them,
and those without will not.
And then in verse 13, he says,
Do you not understand this parable?
How then will you understand all parables?
So this is a very important one for us to get right,
and he goes on with a couple of other parables.
Also, mostly, at least two of the three,
have this agrarian theme to them as well,
to help them get some understanding of the way in which the kingdom is going to come about,
and their part to play in that.
So follow along with me as I read Mark chapter 4,
verses 1 through 32.
Here we go.
Again, he began to teach beside the sea,
and a very large crowd gathered about him,
so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea,
and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.
And he was teaching them many things in parables,
and in his teaching he said to them,
Listen,
a sower went out to sow,
and as he sowed,
some seed fell along the path,
and the birds came and devoured it.
Other seed fell along the rocky ground
where it did not have much soil,
and immediately it sprang up
since it had no depth of soil.
And when the sun rose,
it was scorched,
and since it had no root,
it withered away.
Other seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew up and choked it
and yielded no grain.
And other seed fell into good soil
and produced grain,
growing up and increasing
and yielding thirtyfold
and sixtyfold
and a hundredfold.
And he said,
He who has ears to hear,
let him hear.
So we see that there's these
varying types of soil,
and the reality of this
is that the scene would have been
very familiar to them
as this was an agrarian society
by and large,
that they had many, many fields
around the cities,
and there would have been
these hard-worn paths in between.
And in fact,
a lot of the roads
that were traveled in this day
were simply these paths
between the fields.
So this hard path
is what he's referring to there.
And the sower goes out,
and as he's scattering his seed,
as he's throwing it to the wind
so that it'll be scattered
across the field,
it lands in various places
and various things happen.
We see good soil,
we see a rocky soil,
we see one that's choked out
by thorns,
and we see another
that the birds come along
and eat it up.
So he's giving us
this picture
that they would have
totally been able
to wrap their minds around
that this is the way
in which the word of God
is going to be received
in the world.
So let's get down
to his explanation.
Verse 14,
the sower sows the word.
The seed is the word of God.
It's the gospel.
And these are the ones
along the path
where the word is sown.
When they hear,
Satan immediately comes
and takes away the word
that is sown in them.
And these are the ones
sown on rocky ground,
the one who,
when they hear the word,
immediately receive it with joy.
And they have no root
in themselves,
but endure for a while.
Then, when tribulation
or persecution arises
on account of the word,
immediately they fall away.
And others are the ones
sown among thorns.
They are those who hear the word,
but the cares of the world
and the deceitfulness
of riches
and the desires
for other things
enter in and choke the word,
and it proves unfruitful.
But those who were sown
on the good soil
are the ones who hear the word
and accept it
and bear fruit,
thirtyfold
and sixtyfold
and a hundredfold.
And he said to them,
Is a lamp brought in
to be put under a basket
or under a bed
and not on a stand?
For nothing is hidden
except to be made manifest,
nor is anything secret
except to come to light.
If anyone has ears to hear,
let him hear.
And he said to them,
Pay attention to what you hear.
With the measure you use,
it will measure to you,
and still more will be added to you.
For the one who has,
more will be given.
And from the one who has not,
even what he has
will be taken away.
And he said,
The kingdom of God
is as if a man
should scatter seed
on the ground.
He sleeps and rises
night and day,
and the seed sprouts
and grows.
He knows not how.
The earth produces
by itself
first the blade,
then the ear,
then the full grain
in the ear.
But when the grain is ripe,
at once he puts in the sickle,
because the harvest
has come.
And he said,
With what can we compare
the kingdom of God,
or what parable
shall we use for it?
It is like a grain
of mustard seed,
which,
when sown on the ground,
is the smallest
of all the seeds
on the earth.
Yet when it is sown,
it grows up
and becomes larger
than all the garden plants
and puts out
large branches
so that the birds
of the air
can make nests
in its shade.
Let's pray together.
Father God,
I would ask today
as we open up your word
that you would humble us
before it.
we recognize
that all scripture
is breathed out by you
and that it's
profitable for us.
Not simply for us
to gain
for our own sake,
but that we might
live righteously
before you,
that we would
please you,
which is
certainly
great gain.
I pray,
Father,
that you will work in us
a miracle
by your Spirit,
that the scriptures
will be illuminated
to us this day,
that you will change
our hearts
by the listening
to it
and the application
of it.
Find us, God,
not to be
simply hearers,
but doers also
of your word.
Find
working in us
the great mark
of Christian
maturity,
which is obedience.
And we pray this
in Christ's name.
Amen.
So,
three points
I want to give
to you today.
And the first one is
that we must
share
the gospel.
We must
share
the gospel.
And I know
that that is
maybe even
somewhat trite
in your mind.
You've heard this
many times before.
Of course we must
share
the gospel.
But here is a
point at which
I think that we
know this to be true,
but so very rarely
prove it.
We very rarely
express that
and walk it
out.
Remember verse
20 of chapter 4.
Those that were
sown on the good
soil are the
ones who hear
the word.
We're all
saying,
we're all
expressing when
we say we're
disciples of Jesus
Christ that we
are good soil.
We have received
the word.
We accept it.
And he says
it bears fruit.
Thirty-fold,
sixty-fold,
a hundred-fold.
That this will be
a necessary
outcome of the
life of a
disciple of
Jesus Christ.
The bearing
of fruit.
Verse 21,
And he said to
them,
Is a lamp
brought in to
be put under
a basket or
under a bed and
not on a stand?
For nothing is
hidden except to
be manifest,
nor is anything
secret except to
come to light.
And he's being
very tongue-in-cheek.
Why would anybody
ever light a lamp?
Why would God
illuminate our
minds and our
hearts and then
have us hidden
away somewhere?
This is not the
job of the believer.
The job of the
believer is to be
out in the
darkness,
giving light to
people who
desperately need
it.
It's the obvious
thing that you do
with light as you
expose it to the
darkness.
I want us to have
the mind that was
Paul's mind as he
shares in Romans
and in 1 Corinthians.
Romans 1.16,
he says,
for I am not
ashamed of the
gospel.
We are so often
ashamed of the
good news of
Jesus Christ,
for it is the
power of God
for salvation to
everyone who
believes, to the
Jew first, and
also to the
Greek.
This message
that we
proclaimed is
the message by
which we came to
believe, and it
is the very power
of God to bring
others into his
kingdom.
those who are
without this
message eternally
damned, eternally
separated from him,
and they will
suffer torment
forever.
There's a general
grace to this
world right now
that keeps people
who have sinned
against God from
not being just
destroyed.
People generally
experience and
enjoy the warmth
of the sun, the
goodness of food,
the celebration
of family, but
someday when they
pass, those things
will pass away,
and they will be
tormented forever
and ever.
And it is the
gospel that is the
power of God to
save them from it.
Paul writes again
in Romans chapter
10, verse 13 and
14, for everyone
who calls on the
name of the Lord
will be saved.
How then will
they call on him
in whom they
have not believed?
And how are they
to believe in him
in whom they've
never heard?
And how are they
to hear without
someone preaching?
Beloved, don't
get caught up in
the cultural
narrative that
there are multiple
ways to heaven.
There are not.
Jesus is the way,
the truth, and
the life.
People must respond
in faith to
gospel proclamation.
And what Paul is
expressing to us
here is that we
are the tools by
which the gospel
is proclaimed.
I may feel like a
heavy burden laid
upon your shoulders,
but let me say to
you that God
doesn't need you.
God is God.
He would cease
to be God
if he needed
you.
But God,
in all of his
infinite wisdom
and his love
for us,
has chosen to
use us
to be the
instruments
for gospel
advancement
for the sake
of our joy.
To experience
the blessing
of being part
of his work
in the world.
So we must
preach.
We must go.
We are tools
in his hands.
In Romans 9,
1-3,
Paul says this,
I am speaking
the truth in
Christ.
I am not lying.
My conscience
bears me witness
in the Holy Spirit
that I have
great sorrow
and unceasing
anguish
in my heart.
For I could
wish that I
myself were
accursed
and cut off
from Christ
for the sake
of my brothers.
The longing
of Paul's
heart to see
those that
were his kin,
other Israelites,
those who had
been given
so much revelation
of the truth
of God,
and yet had
not responded
favorably to it.
He so desired
to see them
be part of
the kingdom
that he said
he himself
would be willing
to be cut off
from God
for eternity
to see that
be the case.
Is this true
of anybody
in this room?
1 Corinthians
chapter 9.
Turn to this one
with me.
1 Corinthians
chapter 9.
1 Corinthians
chapter 9.
Verse 19.
Paul gives up
his liberty,
puts aside
some of the
things that
he has been
granted access
to in the
gospel of grace
for the sake
of others.
He says,
For though I
am free from
all,
this is 9,
19,
I have made
myself a servant
to all,
that I might
win more of
them.
To the Jews
I became as a
Jew in order
to win Jews.
To those under
the law I became
as one under
the law,
though not
being myself
under the law,
that I might
win those
under the law.
To those outside
the law I became
as one outside
the law,
not being outside
the law of God,
but under the
law of Christ,
that I might
win those
outside the law.
To the weak I
became weak,
that I might
win the weak.
I become all
things to all
people,
that by all
means I might
save some.
I do it all
for the sake
of the gospel,
that I may
share with
them in its
blessings.
Now there is
so much that
could be said
about becoming
all things
to all people
and what that
means in our
day-to-day living.
But the emphasis
that I want you
to get from here
is how desperately
he wants to see
people come into
the kingdom,
that he might
share with them
in its blessings.
For the sake
of his joy,
he puts aside
trivial things,
things that are
not that important,
the way in which
he conducts himself,
what he eats,
what he drinks,
because he so
wants to enjoy
the blessing
of the gospel.
Back up a few
verses.
1 Corinthians 9,
16.
Paul says,
For if I preach
the gospel,
that gives me
no ground
for boasting.
I have no
space in this
to say I am
a preacher of
the gospel.
Good for me.
He says,
For necessity
is laid upon me.
Woe to me
if I do not
preach the gospel.
Is this the
mind that we
have within us?
That we must
preach the gospel.
That there is a
draw on our
hearts because
we so love
Jesus that we
love the things
that he loves.
That we recognize
that his great
work in this world
is about the
building of his
church.
The salvation of
souls that they
might come in
and be discipled,
that they might
sing his praises
forever.
We sang a song
and we said
again and again
and again,
Hallelujah,
which is a
Cobb Brown Hebrew
phrase,
which means
it's a command,
come and
praise my
God with me.
That's what that
phrasing means.
And that is the
hallelujah of our
life is that we
go and advance
the gospel.
We say to people,
come and praise
your God,
the God that
created you,
come back into
a right relationship
with him and
praise him with
me.
He is worthy of
all honor and
all praise.
We want people
as believers to
sing his praises
in greater and
higher degree,
at least I
hope.
That we do.
We must
preach the
gospel.
So do you
sow seed?
Do you sow
the word at
all?
And if you do,
how do you
sow the seed?
Because the
picture painted
for us here
would have been
a very liberal
sowing of the
seed.
There was
plenty of
seed,
so much
seed in
fact that
it was okay
that some
of it fell
on the
path.
It wasn't
all that
important that
every bit of
seed made
it onto
the field,
but that
the seed
was being
cast in
wide and
in liberal
ways.
Being
sown out
so generously
because we
so desire
to see
a yield.
We want
to find
the good
soil.
We want
the word
to fall
on the
good soil
that it
will bring
forth fruit,
that there
will be a
yield,
a harvest
to be had
at the
right time.
I think
that many
of us walk
around rather
than with
large bags
full of
seed that
we sow
and we
sow
and we
sow
and we
sow.
We have
maybe a
couple little
seeds we
carry around
in our
pocket and
we're maybe
looking for
that perfect
opportunity.
Maybe when
I spot some
good soil and
I'm confident
it's good
soil,
I've only got
a couple
of seeds so
I don't want
to put a
seed in any
kind of bad
soil,
I'll put
the seed in
the good
soil.
And I'll
say I'm
a Christian,
I'm following
Jesus,
I know I'm
supposed to
do this
thing.
Rather than
recognizing that
we have the
time and
the ability,
the grace of
God given
to us,
that we
would sow
and sow
that we
would plant
the word
everywhere.
You want
to know how
you figure
out where
the good
soil is?
You sow
the seed
everywhere
and you
see where
the good
plants come
up that
stick around
and yield
fruit.
That's how
you know.
How do we
see where the
spirit's at
work,
plowing the
field,
preparing the
soil?
That's not
our work,
that's his
work.
How do we
know where
that's
happening?
We sow
seed and
we see
what happens
with the
seed.
So we
have to
be sowing.
We must
share the
gospel.
We must
go and
go.
In verse
30 of
chapter 4 of
Mark,
Jesus says,
with what can
we compare
the kingdom
of God or
what parable
shall we use
for it?
He tells
us about
this grain
of mustard
seed,
which is
incredibly
tiny.
A grain
of mustard
seed is
a speck.
It's so
easy.
If I had
one in
my hand
and I
breathed on
it, it
would blow
off my
hand and
we would
totally lose
it in
this room.
A tiny
little thing,
but it grows
up into
something that
is large
in the
garden.
It has a
great deal
of usefulness.
And what
he's saying
here is
that our
little sharing,
it seems
so insignificant
sometimes,
it feels
often pointless.
Have you
had those
gospel
conversations
with somebody
where you
just feel
like you're
beating your
head against
the brick
wall trying
to talk
to them,
and you
just go,
I just
don't
understand
how it
is that
God
intends to
use me
to advance
this kingdom.
It seems
totally
insignificant.
This is
what he's
trying to
say.
But guess
what?
When it's
planted in
good soil,
it yields
a wonderful
bush that
has great
usefulness in
the kingdom
of God.
Paul says
in 1 Corinthians
3,
5-9,
what then
is Apollos
who was a
disciple?
What is
Paul?
Servants
through whom
you believed
as the
Lord assigned
to each.
I planted,
Apollos
watered,
but God
gave the
growth.
So neither
he who
plants nor
he who
waters is
anything,
but only
God who
gives the
growth.
He who
plants and
he who
waters are
one,
and each
will receive
his wages
according to
his labor.
For we are
God's fellow
workers.
You are
God's
field,
God's
building.
So our
responsibility in
this, as you
can see Paul
saying,
Paul is
saying that
I planted.
Another
disciple came
along and
watered,
but ultimately
and finally
God gave
the growth.
It is his
kingdom and
we have a
part to
play in
this.
He's
invited us
into his
work to
sow the
seed, to
sow the
word of
the gospel
liberally
everywhere we
go.
We must
share the
gospel.
Secondly, we
must share the
gospel regularly.
It must
become a
natural part
of our
life and
our living.
There's a
parable again
that we read
together,
chapter 4,
verse 26
through 29.
The kingdom
of God is
if a man
should scatter
seed on the
ground.
Here again
we see the
scattering of
seed.
He sleeps
and rises
night and
day and
the seed
sprouts and
grows.
He knows
not how.
He doesn't
understand how
it is that
the seed takes
any effect
in anybody's
life.
There's a
great mystery
of the
gospel that
the spirit
of God
comes into
people and
changes their
hearts,
completely
changes their
affections,
causes them
to do a
180 from
being an
enemy of
God to
being a
friend of
God.
Causes them
to be
eternally
condemned
before him
to being
justified
before him
in Christ.
It's
incredible
miracle is
what he's
communicating
to himself.
The earth
produces by
itself,
the blade,
the ear.
We get the
science behind
this.
They certainly
didn't.
God's work
in bringing
about the
harvest.
And every
year when the
grain is ripe,
once he puts
in the
cycle because
the harvest
has come,
and this is
something that
would have
happened for
this person
every year,
this regular
sowing,
this regular
sowing,
this reaping,
seeing the
growth,
reaping the
reward,
we are to
share the
gospel regularly.
In the past
two weeks I've
shared with you
on a white
board,
we're going to
put it up on
the screen
today because
this is all I
needed on the
screen,
on the board,
that this
tri-county area
that we live in,
where our church
property is,
is pretty
equilaterally located
between Dawsonville
and Dahlonega and
Gainesville.
So in those three
counties, Hall,
Lumpkin, Dawson
counties, there's
approximately 232,000
people.
And I've shared
with you that the
Chattahoochee Baptist
Association estimates
that 80% of that
population is
unchurched.
It's a fairly loose
definition, the 20%,
they don't give a
denominational, not
necessarily a
Georgia Baptist
church, Southern
Baptist in
denomination, but
80% unchurched,
that's 185,600
people.
This is kind of a
staggering number,
185,600 people,
just in this area,
right here where we
live.
That if we're
optimistic as I
think they are in
this estimation,
because we know
that if somebody is
in a church, it
doesn't necessarily
mean that they're a
disciple of Jesus
Christ, but if we
just say this is the
lost population
around us, this is
a staggering,
staggering number,
beloved, that
leaves 46,400
churched.
So let's again be
optimistic and let's
say that all of
those people are in
fact disciples of
Jesus Christ.
46,400 people who
claim the name of
Jesus Christ.
And what I say to
you is that if
these 46,400 were
actively involved in
sowing seed, we
would be reaping a
harvest.
That seed would be
falling on good
soil.
Now something for
us to know and to
remember about these
parables is that
Jesus is also trying
to communicate to
them that some
people will not
receive the word.
don't become
discouraged by that.
There are going to
be bad soils.
Soils that just
will not reap
harvest.
At least now, maybe
a bad soil becomes a
good soil as the
plowing work of the
spirit works in their
life.
But we should be
reaping a harvest
if we're sowing, if
we're finding the good
soil and planting the
word in it.
Now, the current U.S.
mortality rate, just
to make this, give us
an eternal perspective
on this, I mean, all
of these people, again,
assuming 185,600 people
are not saved, they're
not experiencing the
joy of the gospel here
and now, they're
separated from God
here and now.
These things are
horrible, but for
eternity they will be
separated if they
don't respond in faith
to the gospel of
Christ.
The current U.S.
mortality rate means
that 1,500 of those
185,600 will die this
year.
1,500 of those
people will die,
presuming that they're
not saved, that they
have not yet been
saved from their sin,
they are still enemies
of God, they are doomed
to eternal damnation.
This should break our
hearts.
This should press us to
the point where Paul is
at, where we would say,
I wish that I would be
cut off, that I would be
cursed, if just some of
these would come to
faith.
I'm willing to become
all things to all
people, I'm willing to
lay aside all of my
desires, all of my
wishes, because I know
Jesus cares about
these people.
I know that he wants
them to hear the
gospel of Jesus
Christ, that he wants
to give them opportunity
to respond in faith to
the good news of the
gospel.
I believe that the
life, death, and
resurrection of Christ
has great power.
I said to you two weeks
ago that I think we
often operate under the
assumption that God
doesn't want to save
people.
Our actions at least
seem to reflect that,
rather than operating
under the assumption
that he does.
He has good, eternal,
loving plans for the
world around us, and I
so want our church to be
involved in that.
Now, Paul, in speaking of
the ministry of
reconciliation that God
has given us in Christ,
said in 2 Corinthians 5
16, we regard no one
according to the flesh.
And so keep this in mind
as you leave this place,
you go out into the world
around you, you go grab
some lunch.
We ought not be looking at
people as temporal things.
Everything else in this
world you can view as
temporal, because it is for
sure.
But people themselves have
eternal souls.
Do not regard any of them
according to flesh.
And they're following one
of two ways.
They're following God and
obedience to him.
They're found in him.
They've been saved.
They will one day
eternally rejoice with him
in glory, or they're not.
And their end is destruction.
And they need the gospel.
Now, I know that often
statistics can be really
challenging.
I mean, this is just a
number on a screen, right?
It's zeros and ones on a
computer that projected an
image up onto a screen.
Much different than reality.
And so, you need to think of
people that you know that are
in this category.
Real human souls.
Not simply a digit on a
screen together, but there's
a reality to this.
And there are people passing
all the time around us.
There are people currently
separated from God that need
to know him.
They need to be made right
again with him.
And so we're going to take a
break from the sermon.
When you guys all sat down,
there was a piece of paper,
mostly blank.
So, one verse at the top of it,
and I want you to get it out.
I know many of you bring
paper with you on Sunday
mornings, and that's good.
I encourage you to be an
active listener and take
notes.
But I don't want any excuses
this morning.
So, you all have paper.
And right now, if you need a
pen, I want you to raise your
hand.
We have got pens galore.
Here we go.
They're coming at you.
You might be ready to catch
them.
And the guys are going to
make their way around with a
pen, and I'm going to tell you
what we're going to do with
these.
And what we're going to do,
again, may seem trite to you.
I don't care.
I want you to do it anyway.
Because I think that we too
often place ourselves above some
kind of exercise and practice
like this, and therefore we do
just nothing at all.
There are 15 lines on this piece of
paper.
After the fact, after I had
printed all these up, I did a
little bit of math, and I was just
curious, really.
And I took this 46,400 churched
people, right?
The remainder above and beyond
that, this 46,400.
And I just did a little math, and I
just said, if we could just get 25% of
these people, just 25% of that
population to actively be sharing the
gospel with their neighbors,
relatives, friends, coworkers, etc.
All the people that run in their
spheres of influence that are not
followers of Christ.
Then the responsibility of each
individual, and I know that this is
kind of a vacuum number, I get that
there's a lot of overlaps in those
spheres, but provided they were
evenly spread out across these
three counties, would be 16 people.
So I wish I'd given you 16 lines,
but I gave you 15.
Feel free to use the margin at the
bottom if you would like.
So we're going to take a break,
just a five-minute break.
We've got one song that's going to
get played over the speakers, and I
want you to do your very best to
list 15 people that you don't
believe are followers of Jesus
Christ, right?
It's kind of tough to tell in our
culture sometimes, because everyone
seems to say they are.
People that you don't think are
followers of Jesus Christ.
And it could be as simple as a girl
with blonde hair at Subway.
Like, you may not know her name, but
maybe you need to figure out what her
name is.
You may have specific people that are
coming to your mind.
I want you to make a list, if you can,
in this amount of time, do your very,
very best to make a list of 15 people
that you know, your sphere, right?
That you personally encounter
throughout the week, that you may see
this coming week, that are not
disciples of Jesus Christ, as far as
you may know.
And then we'll get back together in
just a few minutes.
So if you bring that music up, guys,
in about five minutes.
All right.
Now, if you're astute at all, let me
first say that there are 20 lines.
Because I had 15 lines, and I made
the font size bigger to give you more
space to write, and it bumped the lines
up.
So I started counting mine.
I thought, my gosh, oh, okay, the lines.
Oh, the lines are all messed up.
Okay, so there are 20 lines.
And good for you if you fill them all up.
Now, I'm just going to assume, and maybe
a lot of you couldn't quite get to 15 on
your sheet of paper.
But if there are that many, there are a
lot of souls represented by the people
in this room, the influences that you
have, the people that you get to be
around and give gospel proclamation to.
I think it's also probably pretty safe
to presume that there's not a lot of
overlap.
A lot of you are college students.
You may know some of the same people.
As a friend group, you may be ministering
and loving on some of the same people.
But there's probably not a lot of
overlap.
What a massive opportunity to be going
and to be pressing and to be sharing.
Now, if you are not a person that likes
this kind of stuff, you don't like it
when I start talking about statistics.
Let me read something to you by Charles
Spurgeon in a book he wrote called
The Soul Winner.
He said,
I am not among those who decry statistics,
nor do I consider that they are productive
of all manner of evil.
For they do much good if they are accurate
and if men use them lawfully.
It is a good thing for people to see
the nakedness of the land which statistics
of decrease.
That they may have been driven on their
knees before the Lord to seek prosperity.
And on the other hand,
it is by no means an evil thing for workers
to be encouraged by having some account
of results set before them.
We should see the failing
as well as be encouraged
by the success.
I should be very sorry
if the practice of adding up
and deducting
and giving in the net result
were to be abandoned.
For it must be right to know
our numerical condition.
It has been noticed
that those who object to the process
are often brethren
whose unsatisfactory reports
should somewhat humiliate them.
This is not always so,
but it is suspiciously frequent.
People who don't want to talk about numbers,
and I want to talk about growth,
typically are those
who would be very embarrassed
if they did.
This is what he is suggesting to us.
So, what do I want you to do
with this little sheet?
You know, it is conveniently
the size of your Bible,
likely,
will fit very conveniently in there.
Firstly,
begin to pray for the people
on this sheet.
Intercessory prayer is number one.
Pray for them.
Ask that God will be working
in their hearts.
Ask that He would be plowing
the soil
so that good seed
can land on it.
It's very possible
that some of these people
may receive the word
from somebody else,
but be in the process
of praying for them.
Ask that God would save
the souls
of the people on your sheet.
Secondly,
look for opportunities
to love them sacrificially.
Right?
As circumstances arise,
be available for people.
Go that extra step
for people.
Show people
that you care about them.
There are opportunities
abound to step
into somebody's life
and be a part
of the hurt
that's going on
in the world.
As the pastor
of this church,
let me tell you
that there are hurts
in our church.
And this extends
out beyond these walls.
Right?
This world is sin-infected.
We are all hurting
because of the rampant
nature of sin
in this world.
I jokingly ask people
all the time,
people talk about
health issues
and things like that.
I say,
you know why, right?
And they go,
no, I go, sin?
Right?
That's the thing
that's messed everything up
in this world.
Anything that goes poorly,
it's because of sin.
And it's running rampant.
So there's all kinds
of opportunities
to come alongside people
and love on people.
I tell you,
I can't do it all myself.
Right?
I need your help.
You've got to be with people.
You've got to be out there
in the community
loving them sacrificially
as the circumstances arise.
And thirdly,
commit to proclaiming
the gospel
to three people
on this list
in the next two weeks.
I want you to make
a star,
an asterisk,
a smiley face,
a swirly thing.
I don't care.
Whatever you want to make,
I want you to put next
to three people on this,
three people that you believe
that you'll be able
to share,
make gospel proclamation
to in the next two weeks.
Right?
It's a simple thing.
Don't ask their permission
to do it.
Say, hey,
I have something
I want to tell you
that's really important
and preach the gospel
to them.
And I'm going to tell you
a little bit more
about that in a moment.
But let's do that.
Three people
over the next two weeks.
If you're part of
a community outreach group,
share it with them.
If you're not,
get involved with one.
If you're a guest
with us today,
find someone
back where you are,
a group of people
that you can be
accountable to doing this.
And be flexible.
Right?
You might find that
through the process
of loving people
sacrificially
as circumstances arise,
that your plan may change.
And that is good
and fine.
As the Spirit of God
is moving
and working
in the lives
of these people,
be willing
to be flexible
and to make
responses to it.
Now,
do I expect
that simply because
we get active
doing some things
like this
that people
are necessarily
going to come
to faith in Christ?
No.
I don't.
I think that the fact
that we don't see
more people
coming to faith in Christ
is indicative
that we don't do
this like we should.
I think that's very true
of our congregation.
That we're not going
and sharing the gospel
the way we ought to.
But God has at times
in history
withheld blessing
and we should be
very aware of this.
Right?
There are going to be
different types of soil.
Some of these people,
you're going to be faithful,
you're going to get in there,
you're going to do the thing
that you're supposed to do,
and they're going to reject you.
They're going to laugh at you.
Right?
They're going to mock at you.
They're just going to think
you're kind of nutty.
Or they may just not really care
at all.
This is going to happen.
And every time I think about this
and I experience this,
I'm always drawn
to the life of Jeremiah
who was a prophet,
one of the major prophets,
prophesied for a very long time,
for decades.
And it's presumed that he had,
depending on who you hear say,
that he had nobody turn back
to the ways of God
in his ministry.
Some people say won.
Guys, maybe he did.
The text gives us some clue to that.
He won in all of this time
that he was doing this.
And he was hated.
He was always telling people
about the destruction
that was going to come.
If they continued in their ways,
this destruction was coming on them.
Nobody liked Jeremiah.
And in chapter 20,
he laments this.
Chapter 20, verse 7,
he says,
Oh Lord,
you have deceived me
and I was deceived.
You are stronger than I
and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock
all the day.
Everyone mocks me.
For whenever I speak,
I cry out,
I shout,
violence and destruction.
For the word of the Lord
has become for me
a reproach and derision
all day long.
God, you tricked me.
You said to me,
if I follow you,
I'm going to do great things
with you.
Fooled, right?
I'm a total laughingstock.
I'm always telling people
bad news.
In verse 9,
he says,
If I say,
I will not mention him
or speak any more
in his name,
there is in my heart,
as it were,
a burning fire
shut up in my bones
and I am weary
with holding it in
and I cannot.
The word of God
to Jeremiah
was so powerful in him
that he had to share it.
Even though he had
these emotions of,
Oh, I've been tricked.
What a path to walk in.
It's miserable.
But yet God had given him
a word to give to his people
and he had to share it.
So we ought to be
in that position.
If people are not responding
in faith to Christ
by our work,
we ought to still be
influenced in this way.
Pressing on.
Pushing.
Intercessory prayer.
Sacrificial love.
Gospel proclamation.
I believe God
will reward our efforts.
We'll see.
But if he doesn't,
if he delays the blessing
of our efforts,
we ought to still work
at this very thing.
So we must share the gospel.
We must share the gospel
regularly
and we must share
the gospel rightly.
We must share
the gospel rightly.
Alright, we're going to scoot.
You ready?
We're running out of time.
Verse 14 of Mark chapter 4
says,
The sower sows the word.
The good soil bears good fruit.
So the word brings forth
the word.
More proclamation.
More seed planting.
But in the doing of this,
we must preach the whole gospel.
We must preach the whole gospel.
And I hate that there's some kind
of a qualifier placed on gospel.
We should say gospel
and everybody knows exactly
what we're talking about.
The word simply means
good news.
We understand it to be
the good news
of Jesus Christ.
But there's this
cultural press
to say the whole gospel
because so often
people are being preached
the quote-unquote
gospel
in an abbreviated form.
And that is primarily
across our nation
this morning
even happening
as people are neutering
the gospel
because they're taking out
the judgment of God
for sin.
They're teaching simply
that God is love
which He most certainly is
but they're neglecting
the fact that God
is also full of wrath
and vengeance
against His enemies.
They're saying that
we need to be saved
from something
but what?
What exactly
are we being saved from?
Or being taught
that there's a God-sized hole
in the middle of our hearts
that only He can fill.
Right?
That our life
will just be better.
We can experience
our best life now
if we simply add
this little thing called Jesus
to the mix
of what's going on.
And I'll tell you
that this is a major reason
that there is rocky soil.
That they see
this little spring up
people go
that sounds fantastic.
Right?
Place my faith in Jesus Christ
and things are going to get
a little bit better
and then they don't.
They get worse.
Right?
The sun of tribulation comes
and those people fade away.
This is happening
in such massive
staggering degree.
False conversion
after false conversion
because the gospel itself
is not preached.
Some little trite version
of it is preached.
But not...
That's the third time
I've used that word
this morning.
Trite.
They're not being told
of the wrath to come.
People are not fleeing
from the destruction of God
to the salvation of God.
Right?
We are saved
from God
by God
to God.
Those are all
important elements
of good gospel
presentation.
A guy,
a street evangelist
by the name of Ray Comfort
wrote a book called
The Way of the Master.
You may or may not
be familiar with him.
Let me just give you
a couple of antidotes
from this book
about the nature
of this type of teaching,
this neutered version
of the gospel.
In Cleveland, Ohio,
an inner city outreach
brought 400 decisions.
The rejoicing no doubt
tapered off
when workers involved
in a follow-up campaign
couldn't find
a single one
of the 400
who had supposedly
made a decision.
In 1991,
organizer of a Salt Lake City
concert encouraged
follow-up.
They said
less than 5%
of those who respond
to an altar call
during a public crusade
are living a Christian life
one year later.
A pastor in Boulder,
Colorado,
sent a team to Russia
in 1991
and obtained
2,500 decisions.
The next year,
the team found
only 30
continuing in their faith.
That's a retention rate
of 1.2%.
George Barna
of the Barna Group
says that the majority
of people making decisions
leave the church
in six to eight weeks.
In Leeds, England,
a visiting American speaker
acquired 400 decisions
for a local church.
Six weeks later,
only two were still committed
and they eventually
fell away.
It's not a new problem.
In November 1970,
a number of churches
combined for a convention
in Fort Worth, Texas
and secured
30,000 decisions.
Six months later,
the follow-up committee
could find only 30
still continuing
in their faith.
In Omaha, Nebraska,
a pastor of a large church
said he was involved
with the crusade
where 1,300 decisions
were made,
yet not even
one convert
continued
in his or her faith.
Pastor Dennis Grinnell
from Auckland, New Zealand,
who has traveled to India
every year since 1980,
reported that he saw,
get this,
he saw 80,000 decision cards
stacked in a hut
in the city of Raja Mundri,
the results,
quote-unquote,
of past evangelistic crusades.
But he maintained
that one would be fortunate
to find even 80 Christians
in the entire city.
We must preach
the gospel rightly.
We see this to be the case
with the life of Jesus.
And I'm going to get there
in a moment
where he gives
the law
to the proud.
He tells the proud,
the self-righteous,
about the judgment
of God.
And he gives grace
to those who are
already humbled
by the law
and by the judgment
of God.
So they've already received
that component
of the gospel message
and then he just
simply gives them
grace.
Now the law serves us
in such great ways,
beloved.
Galatians 3,
23-27 says this,
Now before faith came,
we were held captive
under the law,
imprisoned
until the coming faith
would be revealed.
So then the law
was our guardian
until Christ came
in order that we might
be justified by faith.
But now that faith has come,
we are no longer
under a guardian
for in Christ Jesus
you are all sons of God
through faith.
Now the picture
that's happening here
for them is that
in this day
a wealthy man
who had a son
who was young
wasn't quite considered
a son yet.
While he had some
lineage there,
he was important
to the father.
He didn't have all
the rights of a son yet.
And the father
would hire for him
what was called
a guardian,
a tutor essentially.
And this man
raised the child
until the child
was ready to be
a son.
And this is the language
that Paul is using here.
That's what the law
is for us.
It's like a tutor.
It shows us
how desperately
we need to be saved.
It shows us
all our failings.
It's the light
that our dark hearts
are exposed to
so that we turn
to Christ.
That's why it's
significant in verse 26
he says,
for in Christ Jesus
you are all sons
of God
through faith.
We've been granted
sonship.
Even you ladies,
you want that
in this case
in this cultural
understanding.
You want all the
benefits of being
a son
of the living
God.
The proud
need
the law.
Spurgeon in a sermon
which was particularly
addressed to preachers
but certainly applies
to anybody
who claims the name
of Christ
and will be speaking
the gospel
says it is absolutely
necessary to the
preaching the gospel
of Christ
that men be warned
as to what will happen
if they continue
in their sins.
Ho ho
sire surgeon
old English
kind of for you.
You are too delicate
to tell the man
that he is ill.
You hope to heal
the sick
without their knowing
it.
You therefore
flatter them
and what happens?
They laugh at you.
They dance upon
their own graves.
At last
they die.
Your delicacy
is cruelty.
Your flatteries
are poisons.
You are
a murderer.
Shall we keep men
in a fool's
paradise?
Shall we lull
them into soft
slumbers
from which they
will awake
in hell?
Are we to become
helpers
of their damnation
by our smooth
speeches?
In the name of God
we will not
is how he finishes
that particular
paragraph.
That preaching
the gospel wrongly
gives false
assurance to people.
Tells them that
they just must be
good enough
and have a little
Jesus.
Walk down an aisle
fill out a card
and now
they're saved.
I've heard many
many many times
in my life
that if you have
any doubt
of your salvation
simply remember
the day
that you responded.
A lot of people
will write it in
the front of their
Bible.
There's a spot
for you if you
flip to your
Bible.
The day that
you became
a Christian
you go look
at that and
you go oh
there's the
day.
There's the
date.
Right?
That is not
how we are
counted in
Christ.
It's by our
fruit.
The measure
of that.
The fruit
that we yield.
That's how we
know that we're
good soil.
How do I know
that I'm alive?
I never think
about my
birth date.
I get the
evidence that
I'm alive.
I think
before I am.
I feel things.
Experience things.
I know that I'm
alive right now.
Robbie Flockhart
who was an
18th and 19th
century English
street preacher
said you must
preach the law
for the gospel
is a silken
thread and you
cannot get it
into the hearts
of men unless
you have made
a way for it
with a sharp
needle.
The sharp
needle of the
law will pull
the silken thread
of the gospel
after it.
Isn't that good?
One of my
very favorite
missionaries is a
guy named John G.
Patton who went
to a group of
islands called
the New Hebrides
now called
Vanuatu in the
South Pacific and
he went to this
little island of
headhunters where
one convert made
so this man would
stand over him
with a musket
while he was
doing his
studying and this
man was so bold
that these
headhunters would
come to him
with loaded
muskets ready
to kill him
and eat him
and he would
go up to the
leader of the
group and he
would grab the
musket in his
hand and lecture
him about how
evil he was
and the man
would be so
ashamed that he
would go away
and then a couple
days later they
would rebound
and come back to
him once again
and he went
through this
massive process
of this and
ended up seeing
many souls come
to Christ in
that incredible
boldness just to
go and tell people
that there is a
standard by which
they are to live
and that they've
transgressed it
and therefore
judgment is
theirs
so the proud
need the law
the humbled
need grace
those who have
already been
humbled by the
law by God's
standard they
need grace
we've been potty
training Judah
the past couple
of weeks which
has been pleasantly
enjoyable he
actually has done a
great great job
with it all and
he's very determined
to get his pants
off himself and
his little cute
little boy
underwear off
himself and get
on his little
froggy potty and
make it happen
and our tone has
changed with him
because we had in
the beginning some
just some accidents
right he's just
neglecting the work
itself he's playing
he's not paying
attention you ask him
if he needs to go
he tells you no and
then two minutes
later he's wetting
himself right and
your tone with him
then is not harsh
but you go oh buddy
like come on man
like we talked about
it I just asked you
you gotta pay
attention we gotta
go potty now now
he sometimes waits
too long the other
day he got himself
in there and said
Judy need my help
because you could
tell he was in a
hurry you need my
help he goes no I
got it daddy and he
goes in there and
all of a sudden I
just hear him bawling
and I open the door
to the bathroom and
he's standing like
this just standing in
a puddle with his
pants like pushed
down a little bit and
it just like totally
but he already was
broken about it like
he knew that he had
messed up and he
didn't need to go
oh man come on I
just asked you we
tried I asked you if
you needed help when
he needed it for me to
go buddy it's okay
it's okay like it's
alright you tried and
that's good right like
I'm not saying that's
what we do with the
law but there's a
there's a tone change
right you get you get
what I'm driving at
here there's a tone
change Martin Luther
in his commentary on
Galatians said to the
person who's broken
already says send
Moses away with his
law to those who are
complacent proud and
obstinate and in these
terrors and in this
anguish lay hold upon
Christ who was
crucified and died for
our sins right when
you are already broken
when a person comes to
you recognizing that
they are already guilty
before God show them
the mercy of God now I
had a bunch of
examples for you and
I'm going to skip over
them but let me just
tell you this is what
John the Baptist did
this is what Stephen did
is what Philip did is
what Peter did is what
Paul did and let's talk
about what Jesus did so
turn with me if you
will to I'm trying to
skip down a bit Luke
chapter 10 verse 29
excuse me verse 25
if you're getting
hungry don't be upset
at me be thankful I
just skipped a page and
a half of my notes I
just want you to see a
good clear example of
the way in which this
was done by Jesus
himself Luke chapter 10
beginning of verse 25
this is the parable of
the good Samaritan your
Bible probably subtitles
it for you it says and
behold a lawyer stood
up to put him to the
test saying teacher what
should I do to inherit
eternal life so here's a
man likely a scribe who
had a lot of religious
training and the point of
what he's doing is to put
Jesus to the test this is
a haughty thing this is
not a humble thing what
should I do to inherit
eternal life and he said
what is written the law
how do you read it and he
answered you shall love
the Lord your God with all
your heart with all your
soul with all your
strength with all your
mind and your neighbor as
yourself and Jesus says
you have answered correctly
do this and you will live
but he the lawyer desiring
to justify himself said to
Jesus and who is my
neighbor but define for me
exactly what it is the
thing I must fulfill and
Jesus goes on to tell the
parable of the good
Samaritan very shocking to
the people that would have
been listening to this in
fact that it was the
religious leaders that pass
around this man and it was
instead the Samaritan the one
that they considered totally
unholy totally unrighteous the
Samaritans were like a like an
inbreeding of Babylonians and
Jewish they were considered
dirty to the Jewish people and
he's the one that would be
justified before God so he gives
to this man the law another
good example of that if you
turn to Luke 18 there's a
story of the rich ruler
18 18 and a ruler asked him
good teacher what must I do to
inherit eternal life and Jesus
said to him why do you call me
good no one is good except God
alone you know the commandments
do not commit adultery do not
murder do not steal do not bear
false witness honor your father
and mother and he said all these
I have kept from my youth he's
certainly a liar at that point was
he not when Jesus heard this he
said to him one thing you still
lack sell all that you have and
distribute to the poor and you
will have measure treasure in
heaven and come follow me but when
he heard these things he became
very sad for he was extremely rich
he worshipped his goods he
worshipped his stuff he had
neglected the mercy of the law he
had not kept the law and Jesus
exposes that in him right and
unfortunately to this man's
condemnation he goes away sad
because he couldn't give up the
things he had in this earth for
eternal treasure in heaven now let's
look at example of the way Jesus
responds to a man who comes to him
humble John chapter 3
now there was a man of the
Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of
the Jews this man came to Jesus by
night and said to him rabbi we know
that you are a teacher come from
God for no one can do these signs
that you do unless God is with him
this man would have been
incredibly influential in this day
and the reason he's coming to him
at night is because the group he's
a part of is opposing Jesus at this
time but he says I've got to go talk
to him right humbled comes to him
to speak to him verse 3 Jesus
answered him truly truly I say to
you unless one is born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God
Nicodemus said to him how can a man
be born when he is old can he enter
a second time into his mother's
womb and be born Jesus answered
truly truly I say to you unless one
is born of water in the spirit he
cannot enter the kingdom of God
that which is born of the flesh is
flesh and that which is born of the
spirit is spirit do not marvel that I
said to you must be born again the
wind blows where it wishes and you
hear it sound but you do not where it
comes from or where it is going so it
is everyone who is born of the
spirit the Nicodemus says to him how
can these things be he says are you
the teacher of Israel and you do not
understand these things truly truly I
say to you we speak of what we know
and bear witness of what we have seen
but you do not receive our testimony
if I've told you earthly things you
don't believe how can you believe if I
tell you heavenly things no one has
ascended into heaven except he who
descended from heaven the son of man
and as Moses lifted up the servant in
the wilderness so must the son of man
be lifted up that whoever believes in
him may have eternal life so you see
this gospel presentation and then the
ever famous rightly so John 3 16 is on
the heels of this very thing do you
know that this is who Jesus is talking
about this leader of the Jews who
comes to him humbled he says for God
so loved the world that he gave his
only son that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal
life for God did not send a son to the
world to condemn the world but in order
that the world might be saved through
him do you see the difference there
even though Jesus doesn't expressly
talk about the punishment of God for the
sins of man he does recognize that
Nicodemus is already aware of this he
already knows he knows the law and he
knows his inability to keep the law and
so therefore he gives to him the grace
of the gospel of Jesus Christ there are
literally hundreds of examples of gospel
proclamation in the scriptures the
epistles are full of them we see lots of
them in the historical narratives in the
gospels themselves in the book of Acts
they they abound as I said to you I
would have liked to share with you all
of the various ways in which let me
encourage you to go and read those
gospel proclamations right you're saying
but still what do I say right you know
the gospel if you don't know the gospel
very likely you're not a Christian if you
can't simply outline what it is that
you've been saved from and how it is
that you've been saved come to me I
will explain it to you clearly that you
might sort it out right you know the
gospel if you're a believer Jesus
Christ share the gospel Jesus Christ
your testimony is not the gospel it's a
result of the gospel you can very well
tell your story and interweave gospel
proclamation from the word of God but
let's be clear that you telling your
story about how you used to feel and
how you feel now is not the power of
God for salvation but the gospel is the
power of God for salvation know your
scriptures learn how to share your
faith it's scary it's scary you're
dealing with the things of God I tremble
to get up here and preach every Sunday
I don't know if you know that or not
sometimes I want to throw up in the
back of the room before I come up here
we do preaching earlier in the service
sometimes I wish we did it way at the
end all of a sudden we're doing the
offering I'm like what is it time oh my
gosh I got to get up there now I'm
extremely introverted maybe many of you
know that about me like I got to really
flip on a switch to get up and try to be
quasi charismatic when I get up here
right talking to people pressing into
things getting uncomfortable I love to
talk about politics I tremble talking
about that I don't want to make anybody
upset but there is eternal things on the
line here right who cares if you're a
Republican or a Democrat or a
Libertarian in the large scheme of
things but whether or not you're part
of God's family matters forever let's
be bold let's share how do we share it
we share the word we get into this
thing we understand it and we know it
you guys are equipped so much beyond
what you think and you have the spirit
of God within you who will give you
words to speak will give you words to
speak so you see we must share the
gospel we must share it regularly and
we must share it rightly let's pray
together