TEXT: 1Co 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some. INTRO: TRANSITIONAL STATEMENT:
1. The Unorthodox: Faith TURN: Lu 5:26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day. When people were around Jesus they saw, heard and felt strange things. Why? God is supernatural. We need to comprehend that important fact in our dealing with people! A lost person may resist your invitations to Christian meetings and reject your Christian beliefs; but random acts of love and kindness are usually a key that unlocks even the hardest hearts. As Jesus carried out His rescue mission on earth, He wrapped His message in concrete acts of love, which many were unorthodox! = Not conforming to established way of thinking - touching the leper no one would touch, going to dinner with "sinners" the religious people avoided, going to a neighborhood where racial barriers said He should never go, or cuddling the children who came to Him. 1Pe 4:4 ¶ Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with [them] to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of [you]: Part of this unorthodox love will be what you don't do! Though your logic does not want to offend them, or raise the standard that would seem to distance you. That is our view, the big picture is what God does in the mean time, as they think about what makes you different! And they know who to go to when things go awry. That kind of love tears down walls between a believer and an unbeliever; it challenges an unbeliever's misconceptions about Christians and it creates curiosity. Mr 2:4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken [it] up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. I wish everyone was as zealous to get their friends to church! These guys waited until their friend couldn't argue and literally dragged him to church!! Like, these friends, go and get them to Church! Like Jesus, go and love them however! When there is no door, make one! 1Co 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some. How supernatural is God to you? How far are you willing to go for a soul? How unorthodox to your own mind will you let your faith work? 2. The Simple: Good Deeds Mt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. The good news is that any Christian can show Jesus' love to a lost person. It doesn't require a theological education or a Hollywood personality. Hypocrisy: by Michael P. Green. In any great forest you will find many huge trees. They tower above other trees and appear to be the very picture of strength and maturity. However, loggers will sometimes not even bother to cut down these huge trees. At first one wonders, “Why leave them? After all, a tree that big must contain twice or thrice the amount of lumber as a smaller tree.” The reason is simple. Huge trees are often rotten on the inside. They are the hollow trees that children’s picture books show raccoons living in. And they are the trees that are often blown over in a strong wind-storm because, while they appear to be the picture of strength, in fact their hollowness makes them weak. This is the essence of hypocrisy — appearing strong on the outside but hollow and rotten on the inside. We want to DO, Amen? We NEED to DO! A city set on a hill cannot be missed!! Mt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. What is simply required, to be light, is that you first focus on someone whose eternity you care about: Do you care about peoples eternity? 1 Million years from now that annoying part of them won't matter,nor will the hurt they caused, or the schedule that constrained your time from sharinng! Second, ask yourself this question: "Knowing what I know about this person, what things could I DO that would make him or her feel loved?" Maybe it's babysitting or caring for a live-in parent for free, filling in at work so they can have a day off, helping with a school subject that person is struggling with, providing transportation, maybe offering to do some "dirty work" for them, forgiving a debt, or providing work. You could introduce a newcomer to his new surroundings, open your home for dinner, repair a vehicle or an appliance, or just take an interest in something that matters to them. And in all this one important thing, or it is all for nothing - That it Glorifies God! How many times has someone said thanks to you and missed entirely that God is the reason? Mt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Flavoring: by Douglas R A. Hare,"The salt of the earth" has been naturalized into the English language as a designation for people we regard as especially good. This makes it all the harder for us to appreciate how strange the phrase must have originally sounded. We can perhaps catch its force better by substituting another seasoning: "You are red hot pepper for the whole earth!" In this way we are reminded that the statement refers not to status as if it said "You are the world's ethical elite," but to function "You must add zest to the life of the world." 1Co 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some. How much Zest are you adding to the lives of others? Are you showing the light? Are you sure that it glorifies your Father in heaven? Are you concerned for others eternity? 3. The Uncompromised:Message Lu 8:5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. Seed=Gospel/Word - Ground=Heart/Soul. As much as a persons heart must be ready, I believe it is also about the message. If our gospel is weak then the heart will not be strong enough! Witnessing: by Donald Deffner. A girl from a wealthy home was converted to Christianity, and for several years was a faithful witness to Christ. One day she was invited to stay with relatives whom she barely knew, and whom she had actually never met. She decided that she would not make a point about having become a Christian. On the day she left, a poised lady, an elderly relative of hers, was walking with her and asked, “By the way, where is your sister, and why didn’t she come? I mean your religious sister. It was because I heard she was coming that I am hear. I am sick of my empty life, and I so wanted to talk to a real Christian.” More and more has the comfortable, unoffencive and apathetic society we live in transformed the gospel we are given. So tempting is it to water down the gospel to our level of thinking and feeling that it produces at best complacent diciples and lightly changed lives. Usually it ends up with the seed either stolen by devil, or choked by the world! We are more interested in results than truth! More interested in numbers than changed lives. We aim too often on the quantity instead of the quality. We count on our ability to save someone when that is impossible. The Gospel has to be turned on by the Holy Spirit and all we do is speak. TURN: 1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; This means that the gospel will never, ever make sense or be accepted by anyone on their or your terms! It means that something supernatural must take place. When a pure gospel is preached then when someone is converted you can be quite certain on the strength of the transformation, for it should not make sense to you iether why they would say yes! 1Co 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some. Is the gospel you preach the one you you think works best or the one God gave? Do you preach the gospel? Are you giving the answers to the empty lives around you? Conclusion: In I Peter 2:12 "live such good lives among the pagans, that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us." He even says that "by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men." Like those friends in the gospel story, heres how you find the open door on a life you that you can't get into any other way. You make a new door with Jesus! Ron Huthcraft calls it "rescue loving" - it involves a conscious effort to identify what would make a lost person in your life feel loved. You can find a person's language of love by asking, "What need do they have right now that I could help with?" 1. You literally go looking for needs into which you can pour the kind of love with which Jesus has loved you. 2. You make sure that when possible that all the Glory goes to God alone. 3. Your message is not compromised to make a powerless gospel. 1Co 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some. Am I Making every effort to bring others to Christ? Am I Caring about others eternity? Am I Illuminating others with good deeds and adding zest to this life? Am I giving glory to God? Am I ready with the answers? Am I sharing God Gospel? |
