“Changing Lives for Time and Eternity” “Why?” #1
2 Timothy 4:1-5
(For the accompanying powerpoint - http://www.hueytownbaptist.com/pastorspage/sermondownloads.html)
> READ TEXT. Please notice the last three words; “fulfill your ministry”. What does this mean?
> First of all we know that specifically Paul was Timothy writing this message as a young Pastor. However, in a more general sense this message is for every one of us.
> Last year, we spent almost the entire summer in a series of messages entitled “to be or not to be”. During this series of messages we highlighted all of our statements, beliefs, and purposes. At the conclusion of this series of messages I highlighted for us what I sincerely believe to be our purpose statement. During these past months I have attempted to keep the statement in front of us. This simplifies all that we should attempt to be and do. It is a statement that will become our theme during the next six weeks. Our ministry, mission, and purpose, is “to change the lives for time and eternity.”
> It is one thing to make a statement, to have a purpose, to know your mission, but it is another thing entirely to know what that means. During these next week’s we will attempt to answer, from the Bible, several questions about our purpose. Today is the question “what”.
> What does it mean to change lives for time and eternity? What do we do? To properly answer these questions requires us to take a hard look at ourselves, our fellowship, our concepts, and our Church.
> I begin this message with a negative statement. If you want to see your Pastor get physically ill or become highly disappointed walk up to him and say this, “I like my little church the way it is“. Have you ever considered what this statement says about the one making the statement? The first four words are loaded with selfish-ness. The last four words are loaded with sinfulness. The only word in that sentence which carries any godly character is “Church“.
> The modern day American church, particularly the Baptist church, more specifically the southern Baptist church, seems to have given rise to the thought that the Church, buildings, & purpose is mine or is under my control or meets my standards.
> Candidly, since the beginning of time and certainly since the New Testament days Church has been perceived as being a change agent. The New Testament Church is not a building, a place of convenience, or a place of habit and duty; it is rather a place where lives are constantly being changed. But what does it mean for lives to be changed? What is it that we are called to do? If it is true, and it is, that we are to be about changing lives for time and eternity, what does that really, truly, honestly mean?
> Let’s look God’s word and discover what it truly means to be a part of changing lives for time and eternity. I will submit to you there are three things we have to do to fulfill our ministry and complete our task.
1) MATURE IN FAITH – What exactly does this mean? Paul says, “I wanted to speak to you as adults, but I couldn’t, I had to speak in “baby talk”. Let’s clear up some misconceptions and see the marks of a mature believer.
> Misconceptions a) “longevity equals maturity”. I’ve been a church member for years so “I’m now a mature believer”. B) “Knowledge equals maturity”. 2 Peter 3:18 which says “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”. While knowledge is needed, knowledge alone is dangerous. In 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, Paul is dealing with specific concepts relative to food being offered to idols, but the principle taught carries over this entire topic. (READ VS 1-3) Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. Paul enlarges this principle in the 13th chapter when he says, I can have all knowledge but if I don’t have love I am nothing.
> Marks. What then are some marks of maturity? Eph 4:13 says, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness
> Spiritual maturity is measured by our likeness to Christ. For instance, the reactions, purposes, or motivations of Christ compared to my own. How do they measure up?
> Consider this; When you mature in your normal development what is it that changes? Youthful pride normally is erased. Wisdom replaces knowledge.
> Here’s the truth; Maturity helps us discern the important matters and discard the unimportant ones. True maturity helps us have become “leaders”, “teachers”, and ‘people of purpose’. To change lives we must have our life changed, developed, and focused.
2) DISCIPLE THE SAVED – This is one of the great “OMISSIONS” of the modern day American church.
> Consider the “Great Commission” and what it does as well as what it does not say. It says, go (The saved are always told to ‘go’), make disciples (this is interesting because it doesn’t say make converts, but rather, disciples), baptize them (while this is NOT essential to salvation, it is necessary to demonstrate obedience and display the change in the new believer’s life), and TEACH them. This presents a huge question for us as Baptists in the USA. Why do we think that getting someone down the aisle, into the baptistery, and on the rolls of church to be all the responsibility we have toward people.
> Allow me to propose a question; Who among us would go to a doctor for treatment who has only been “admitted” to med school? Who among us would use a lawyer that has only been admitted to law school? Who would trust our finances to an accountant that has only been admitted to college? Or our taxes to one who just made the decision to become a tax preparer without any training? There is not one person here who would do that. Yet somehow we have gotten into our heads that when a person prays the prayer of faith God supernaturally imparts everything to that individual that he needs. And so we have literally discarded the need to be discipled.
> I submit to you that THIS is the area which has to be in place to truly change lives for time and eternity.
3) POINT THE SEEKER – Now please notice that I said “point the seekers” not “win the lost”. Let me explain how and why I say it this way. To begin with, I remember the story of Dr. R. G. Lee meeting a derelict man who came up and said, “Dr. Lee, I’m one of your converts” to which Dr. Lee replied, “it’s obvious your one of mine & not Jesus’”. Truth is, all we can do is point people to Jesus. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that “wins”.
> Now before some of theologians get up and run out of the building, let me say that I am keenly aware that in Proverbs 11:30 and I Corinthians 9 the “win” is used in relation to bringing people to Christ. The Hebrew Word (laqach) literally means to take, accept, bring, fetch, and the last meaning is “win”. The Greek word (kerdainoo) literally means to “gain”, get, and the last weakest is win, additionally this is the same word used in James 4:13 when it speaks of making a profit. I like to say this again we don’t WIN souls, we retrieve souls and point them.
> What are I am talking about? How did this happen? Give a practical scenario. Okay. My wife went to work in a small business. Next to her was a young mom name Angela. As Deb got to know Angela, she found out that Angela had a husband, Chris, and a little boy, Alek. Deb took an interest in Angela, hearing and seeing some of the attitudes and actions which gave Deb a understanding that this young couple was outside of the Lord. The process was slow at first as Deb simply lived a life which demonstrated the joy of the Lord, the excitement of being in a church family who was interested in people, particularly new people, and then being ready to engage Angela in talk related to God and the church. The short version is that because of this job, I was able to baptize both Angela and Chris after they came to faith.
> Let’s discern a couple of truths from this experience;
* First – Angela and Chris were seekers and they didn’t even notice it. We never referred to them as “lost” even though they were. Seekers by nature are seeking something which means they are lost.
* Next – had Deboria confronted them initially with a gospel presentation the outcome would have been markedly different.
* Next – Angela saw something authentic in Deb. She saw that the way Deb lived and worked was consistent with the beliefs she spoke about.
* Finally – Faced with this authenticity, the Holy Spirit was released to do His work in a wonderful way. Yes, we were able to pray with them to be saved.
Changing Lives for time & eternity – What – Pg 4
> Just please don’t miss this; we didn’t win them. They were pointed toward Christ by someone who had gained a hearing because of their love, consistency, patience, and desire to see them get their lives on track.
> Their lives were changed both for time and eternity.
> When Peter preached at Pentecost the Spirit did the work. When Phillip came to the Eunuch, Phillip explained and pointed, the Holy Spirit did the work.
> If we’ll consciously, consistently, considerately, and compassionately do our part, we can trust the Holy Spirit.
> But here is out eternal truth; We must point the seekers (those outside of Christ, those who have no part in the Kingdom, those who are bound for hell) to the Savior.
> There is only one way, one name, one hope, and one answer. That answer is Jesus.
> What does it mean to Change Lives for Time and Eternity? It means we must mature in our faith, it means we must disciple the saved, and it means we must point the sinners. Will you be a part of this process.
