Sermons
Saving A World That Doesn't Know It's In Need
SAVING A WORLD THAT DOESN’T KNOW IT’S IN NEED
Can it be done? We may feel it’s a daunting task that is just too big for us to overcome. When we look around at the world we live in, it can be quite overwhelming.
Many of us remember when school began each day with prayer, when stores were closed on Sunday. When school and community sports didn’t conflict with Wednesday or Sunday bible study and worship.
We remember when TV shows had a moral code. Now TV is used as a medium for normalizing sinful behaviors.
We must come to the realization that we are no longer living in the days of Andy Griffith and the Beverly Hillbillies. As much as some might like to, we can’t go back to those times.
Methods that once worked at reaching the lost must change to meet the times. People used to believe in God even if they didn’t worship Him. Most people at least knew a little about Jesus, and also respected those who accepted and worshiped Him.
Our world is several generations away from those times when parents would teach their kids about God. They do their best to prepare their kids for the future, but they do so without any reference to God. Not just the kids, the parents haven’t a clue of what Jesus has done for them!
Churches throughout our country have been on a downward spiral for years now, with few exceptions.
What will we do about it? What can we do about it?
Do we just give up and close up shop? Do we convince ourselves that it’s just too big of a task? Do we do nothing and hope someone else does something?
The choice is ours. Do we just cow down in passivity? Or do we step up to the challenge? I pray that each one of us makes the decision to accept the challenge!
Where we start is simple; the bible.
Our world today although different in so many ways than the world found in biblical times, shares a lot of similarities as well. Christianity did not have an easy start. The world back then for the most part didn’t want to hear about the one true God. Pagan worship was rampant everywhere that the early disciples went with the good news of the gospel.
They met with opposition from the Jews that were violently opposed to change. The early disciples were mistreated, kicked out of their homes and communities, and beaten, jailed and even killed! But they never said, “Woe is me!” They never gave up. They persisted through hardship to preach the gospel. They did so because they felt that the story of Jesus was more important than anything, even their lives. They felt a need to share the good news with their fellow man. To let them know that Jesus is the answer for all.
They were able to break through to the minds of many with the truth.
When Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount, He knew what the people’s needs were. He taught like no one before Him ever did. He met the people where they were and met their many needs.
What can we do?
We need to look to God’s word for the answers.
Let’s start in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 beginning at verse 16-23:
When Paul says that he became all things to all men so that he may win a few for Christ, he wasn’t implying that he compromised his faith. He wasn’t saying that he worshiped the gods of the people. Or that he joined them in their sinful behavior.
Some have misinterpreted Paul’s approach. We are not to become hooked on drugs to win a drug attic, or become a hit-man to win the mob!
What Paul is saying is that he met people where they are without judging them. He understood that he had to temporarily overlook their actions and activities because they didn’t know God’s word or the teachings of Christ. He knew that given time, God’s word would work the change in their lives. He felt a responsibility to the work and word of Jesus to teach the people about this new way of living and thinking. He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but that didn’t stop him. He must have felt duty bound to the great commission issued by our Lord.
He was to proclaim a totally new and different way to look at the world. It was and is a life changing message.
Change is almost never easy to accept. Think about it, we don’t even like the idea of changing where we sit on Sunday mornings.
Think back to when you made the decision to follow Jesus the Christ. You didn’t change overnight. It took time. The more you learned and accepted from God’s word, the more you changed your life style and way of thinking. Change is still taking place in the life of a Christian. This life is one of perpetual growth.
Paul knew this. That’s why he accepted people where they were. He knew change doesn’t happen overnight. If Paul were to approach people and immediately condemn them and their way of life, they certainly would have turned him out and probably chased him away.
This is bared out in {Acts 17:16-34}
Paul’s approach in Athens was something all of us can learn from. Athens liked hearing different people speak on philosophy. They liked hearing varying debates. They even had a place built for hearing these speeches. The place Paul was invited to speak was called, Areopagus, which is translated – rock outcrop.
Paul couldn’t help but notice all the statues and altars to quite an array of gods all throughout the city. Athens had to be a spectacular place to see. Buildings and architecture that was amazing to most.
Many of the learned of Athens wanted to hear from Paul. He accepted the invitation to speak at the Areopagus and looked around at all those gathered with anticipation to hear him.
I wonder if Paul thought about what the Lord had said to those He sent out with the good news of the gospel when He said, “Don’t worry about what to say, the Holy Spirit will give you the words to say!”
Paul could of used different approaches in what he was about to say.
He could have said, “As I walked through your city, I couldn’t help but notice so many statues and altars to so many gods.
Why I even seen one to an unknown god. You people are nuts! You claim to be so smart but you’re so dumb!” “You are living in sin and ya’ll going to hell!”
What do you think would have been their response to such an approach?
It most certainly would have closed every mind in the place to the Word of God. It may have even led to Paul’s beating or death!
But Paul, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, took a different approach. He stood before the crowed and began where they were. He began by saying he had seen an altar to an unknown god, and that he was there to inform them who this God is.
Talk about an eye opener and an attention grabbing statement! All who were gathered there must have, at that moment, gave Paul their undivided attention. Paul must have realized after walking throughout their city that they were aware of a higher power. He even said, “I see that you are a religious people.” And he surmised that they were afraid of upsetting that higher power, as demonstrated by the altar to an unknown god. They were living in a state of confusion, fear and conflict of the many gods.
Paul seized on that and began from where they were, and preached to them Jesus.
We read in this account that some turned away but more importantly, some wanted to hear more. And a few began to follow his teaching.
The key to opening their minds was meeting them where they were and not being judgmental.
Paul knew they were ignorant of the one true God. And he now had the obligation to teach them about God’s plan for all through the power of a risen Lord.
Paul had the patience and understood human nature in reaching people with the good news of the gospel!
We certainly can learn a lot from Paul’s approach to those in need of Jesus, even when some people didn’t even know they were in need!
Paul knew how to put first things first!
First; Paul accepted people where they were. He knew that in time they would come to realize changes in their lives would need to happen. Rather than condemning people, Paul knew that trying to force change would not work, but given time the power of the gospel would cause the change needed.
He said to those gathered, “What you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.” He wasn’t calling them stupid. He was just referencing their lack of knowledge of, to them, the unknown God.
He met them where they were in a non judgmental way. We must do the same if we are to reach people.
Not that we accept a person’s sinful lifestyle, we just understand that they really don’t know yet how God would have them live. Nor should we expect them to.
Again, change takes time!
Secondly, Paul took the time to teach God’s word to those in Athens. We must do the same. One sermon might spark someone’s interest but it will take a personal study to bring out God’s plan for their salvation.
This was C. D. Beagle’s approach when he sat down with Deb and I for a bible study. He didn’t start out by informing us of the biblical wrong we were doing. He didn’t begin the study by telling us that we were on a path to hell. He didn’t start by telling us that we had a lot of change to do to become God’s children. He accepted us where we were with the confidence that God’s word would eventually cause the change in us.
What he did was begin to teach us the Jesus of the bible. He didn’t begin by giving us his opinion on church doctrine and tradition. He had us read it for ourselves. C. D. let God’s word percolate in our hearts and minds.
And here we are!
I suspect that many of you have a similar experience.
What are we driving at this morning?
Isa. 53:5 – “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
It’s not about church doctrine. It’s not about religion. It’s not about Protestants and Catholics. It’s not about Baptists and Pentecostals. It’s not about politics. IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD THAT TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. TRUE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS ALWAYS POINT TO HIM!
There are some today that have left the centrality of the gospel, which is Jesus and the cross, and have drifted to extremes. Followers of Jesus will always point people to Jesus because they have not drifted to extremes. Their eyes are fixed on Jesus and they are living a cross centric life!
At the cross, Jesus was our sacrificial Lamb. At the cross, Jesus took away the penalty of sin, the power of sin and the guilt of sin! Those that fall at the foot of the cross and make Jesus their Lord and Savior are cleansed and set free from sin! Praise be to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!
My friends, we must point people to Jesus in our day. It’s all about Jesus not us. Let’s dare not live on the edges of doctrinal and traditional extremes! Let’s instead continue to live at the foot of the cross pointing people to Jesus! For Jesus alone is the answer. Jesus alone saves and sets people free from sin.
When we encounter people let’s be more understanding of their station in life. May we not judge them, but may we introduce them to the Savior. It’s a wonderful thing to watch someone learn for the first time that their lives can be full. That it is God’s word that works the needed change in their lives.
We, like the Apostil Paul must be tolerant and understanding of those who have yet to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We must be willing to meet them where they are at in life and not be judgmental!
It is our mission to reach out and go out to a lost world with the good news of the gospel.
(Read Matt. 28:6, 7) “Come see; Go tell!”
We can bring this world back to God one person at a time. Will we accept the challenge?
For anyone here this morning that has yet to kneel before the foot of the cross and say, “Lord into your hands do I give my life”, now is your opportunity.
As we sing this song, you are being invited to come forward and accept God’s forgiveness through baptism into the life that Jesus has prepared for you. Please don’t feel uneasy, you won’t be walking the isle alone. Jesus will be walking along side you. The Father stands before you with open arms.
If you feel you may need more study so that you can better understand this new life in Christ, please let us know. There are many here that are more than willing to study God’s word with you.
