Matthew 28:19-20 Why Teach The Lost? audio

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Text: Matthew 28:19-20

Introduction

1. Thursday night, my family and I returned from Sevierville, TN where we attended Polishing the Pulpit.

   1. The elders, starting back with Tom and Eddie and not with John and Dan have graciously allowed me and my family to go for several years now.
   2. They do so at considerable expense to the congregation.
   3. Why?

2. Brian Lawson just recently returned from a mission trip to Guyana, South America.

   1. He took two weeks away from his wonderful wife.
   2. It cost a considerable amount of money.
   3. He put himself physically in harm’s way.
   4. Why would he do this?

3. Why do people devote their lives to saving the lost?

4. More than that, why should each of us strive to save the lost?

5. Motivation matters!

Body

1. REASON ONE – BECAUSE I LOVE THE LORD.

   1. Isn’t He worthy of our love?

      1. John 3:16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
      2. Romans 5:8. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
      3. 1 John 3:1. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
      4. Ephesians 3:19. To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

   2. His love for us leads us to love Him. 1 John 4:19. We love Him because He first loved us.

      1. Many will say, “Yes, I love the Lord.”
         1. Do you really?
         2. That statement has some consequences.
      2. If I love Him, I will obey Him.
         1. John 14:15. If you love Me, keep my commandments.
         2. 1 John 5:3. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
      3. One of His commandments for us is to teach the lost. Matthew 28:19-20. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
      4. 1 John 3:18. My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

2. REASON TWO – BECAUSE I WANT TO GLORIFY GOD.

   1. Mark 5:18-20.
      And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

      1. Think of this man’s condition before he met Jesus.
         1. He lived among the tombs.
         2. He was alone.
            1. He had no contact with family or friends.
            2. People undoubtedly avoided him at all costs.
         3. He was forced to do physical harm to himself.
         4. He probably felt as if he had no hope.
         5. Of all the different afflictions that tormented people during this time period, surely demon possession had to be the worse.
      2. Jesus had healed him. Mark 5:8. For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”
      3. Mark 5:20 is key. He departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him.
      4. If you had a horrible disease, and someone came along and took that disease away when no one else could…
         1. Wouldn’t you be incredibly grateful?
         2. Would you keep that to yourself or would you tell anyone who would listen?
      5. If you would do that for someone who cured a physical illness, why wouldn’t you do it for the One who saved you from spiritual death? Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

   2. 2 Kings 7:8-9
      And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it. Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”

      1. Sometimes, I fear that we act like these four lepers acted initially.
      2. They found a great bounty (Silver, gold, and clothing).
      3. Initially, they went and hid it for themselves.
      4. Sometimes, we are guilty of doing this with the gospel.
         1. We’ve received the forgiveness of our sins and, therefore, eternal life.
         2. We have all spiritual blessings in Christ.
         3. We have a wonderful extended family…
         4. And we want to keep it for ourselves.
      5. We need to realize, like the lepers, “This is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us.”

   3. Matthew 5:16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

      1. Any good that we do, and that includes winning the lost to Christ, brings glory to God!
      2. Sometimes, especially with preachers, you find that they preach Christ to bring glory to their selves.
         1. Not so with Paul and Barnabas. Acts 14:14-15.But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them
         2. Jeremiah 45:1-5.
            The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: ‘You said, “Woe is me now! For the Lord has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.”‘ “Thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.”‘”

   4. Let us be like Jeremiah.
      Jeremiah 20:7-9. O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; Everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, “Violence and plunder!” Because the word of the Lord was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.

3. REASON THREE – BECAUSE I LOVE THE LOST.

   1. If we love the Lord, we must learn to love what He loves.

      1. We have already demonstrated that He loves us more than we can fathom and that we, in turn, should love Him.
      2. In turn, we must love all men as He does.
         1. Matthew 22:39. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
         2. We don’t have to approve of everyone’s actions, but we must love them.
      3. We can’t love God if we don’t love our brother. 1 John 4:20-21. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
      4. If we love men as God does, then we will want them to be saved as God does.

   2. Matthew 16:26. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

      1. Jesus says that one soul is worth more than the whole world!
         1. Zechariah 12:1. The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him:
         2. Ecclesiastes 12:7. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.
      2. Think about it… when I, or you, bring one person to Christ, we have helped to save that which is more valuable than the earth itself!

   3. We need to see people as God does! Each soul is priceless.

(Delivered on August 26, 2012 in Streetsboro)