What a great song that was, In Christ alone. That’s the kind of song that should move us to action. If we really believe all that we just sang we should be moved and excited to get this message out to others. And I’ll bet that many of us here do have a burden for people who don’t know the Lord and would love to share Him with them.
But where do we start? I mean, just how do we get the conversation started? Especially with people who are so different than us. We live in one of the most diverse places in America. Most people who live here are from somewhere else. And then there’s the age differences, cultural differences, socioeconomic differences, and even religious differences. So just how do we reach people that are so different than us?
The Apostle Paul was a master at planting churches amongst people of differing cultures. He didn’t just try to reach people who were like him – he reached out to whoever the Lord led him to. And God did some amazing cross-cultural things through him. So how did he do it? He decided to [2] be all things to all men. Paul did whatever it took to be able to communicate the message of life to whoever he could regardless of their cultural background or differences.
[Read I Corinthians 9:19-23.]
Paul cared so much about reaching the lost that he would do whatever it took to communicate the message of life to those who were lost – even if it meant loosing his own personal identity in the process.
This helps us understand why he and Timothy did what they did in preparation for his second missionary journey.
[Read Acts 16:1-5.]
So Paul selects Timothy to be his replacement helper for Mark and circumcises him before the head out on the mission field. But wait a minute! Why did he circumcise Timothy? I thought the Jerusalem council just decided that gentile believers didn’t need to be circumcised! And that was the major content of the decrees that Paul and Timothy were delivering to the churches they visited. Why was Timothy circumcised?
Well, let’s learn a little bit about Timothy. He was a young man in his late teens or early twenties who had a great reputation of faith amongst the believers there. He also had a Jewish mother who was a Christian, and a well-known Greek Father who was either dead or not a believer. (Since he wasn’t involved in this event.)
Now Timothy having both a Jewish and a Greek background would be helpful on the mission field. He understood both cultures and could help with cross-cultural communication.
But at the same time he could be a real hindrance to reaching the Jewish people.
Remember, Paul always went to the Jews first and usually preached in their synagogues. If the Jews got wind of Timothy, who was of Jewish descent but wasn’t circumcised, they would have assumed that he had renounced his Judaism and they wouldn’t have even let them into the building. All communication would have been stopped.
So in light of this, Timothy decided to [3] go the extra mile to do everything possible to help with communicating the message of life.
[Read Acts 16:3.]
Talk about becoming all things to all men! Timothy wasn’t a baby or even a boy when this happened. He was a young man who simply wanted to reach people no matter what it took. I think we need to be just as selfless for the sake of others. There’s things that we can choose to do or even choose to not do so that we can effectively communicate with others.
[Political argument, golf, missionaries drinking wine in Germany examples.]
We’ve got to be selfless and do whatever it takes to open up the lines of communication with those we’re trying to reach.
But let’s be careful and not take this too far. It’s never right to do the wrong thing.
[Drinking, smoking pastor, cursing pastor examples.]
It’s never right to do the wrong thing. But we should do whatever it takes to open up the lines of communication with those we’re trying to reach. And once those lines of communication are open, we fill the airwaves with [4] the gospel message of Jesus.
[Read Acts 16:4, 10.]
Paul knew that once he had the people’s ear it was his responsibility to give them the message of Jesus that could save their souls. Paul talked about the importance of giving the gospel message in Romans chapter ten.
[Read Romans 10:17.]
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and nothing else. People’s souls aren’t saved by hearing about morality. People’s souls aren’t saved when they understand the history of Jesus. And people’s souls aren’t saved when they attach themselves to some religious movement. People’s souls are saved when they put their faith in Jesus Christ.
In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Jesus claimed salvific exclusivity, Jesus demonstrated this through His miracles, and He proved it once and for all by His resurrection! Jesus is the only way of salvation. Everything else is false.
You see, there’s the gospel, which is the good news of Jesus Christ and how he came to provide a way of salvation – and then there’s everything else. When it comes to salvation, there’s Jesus who is the Way – and there’s everything else that leads to destruction. There’s no in between, no blurred lines, and no shades of gray when to comes to salvation. You either have it by faith in Jesus or you don’t.
When Paul became all things to all men he did this to open up the lines of communication, not to communicate a syncritized message. You see, once you change the content of the message to fit your audience, you’ve just thrown the gospel out the window. And without the gospel, there is no salvation. Jesus said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Once we have a person’s ear we must lovingly share with them the message of Jesus that leads to life. And once we do that, get ready to see [5] God do a work!
[Read Acts 16:5.]
Daily. Daily! These disciples were so into sharing Christ with people that every day new people were coming to faith and the church was exploding onto the scene! And it was because they went the extra mile to be able to communicate the gospel message of life to whoever they came in contact with regardless of what they had in common or didn’t have in common. They became all things to all men to save as many as possible.
And let me tell you something – this formula works!
[Leading Mrs. Patterson to the Lord in a Texas nursing home story.]
Listen, I know that sometimes it’s hard to talk with people that you feel like you have nothing in common with. But I bet that if would simply try, you’d find a way to become all things to all men for the sake of their salvation.
Paul said, “I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel…” Listen, Timothy got circumcised for the sake of the gospel!
These men were so completely selfless that they were willing to loose their own personal freedom so that others could hear about and come to know Jesus Christ.
But of course, didn’t Jesus do that very same thing for us? [6]
[Read Philippians 2:1-8.]
When Jesus took on human flesh He became all things to all men for the sake of reaching us! He gave up His freedom, He gave up His home and He gave up His comfort for our sakes. We are to follow His example and be selfless. Especially when it comes to reaching others for Him.
Is there someone in your life that you have a hard time communicating the gospel with because you’re just so different? Become all things to all men. Go the extra mile, give the gospel message, and watch God do a work! [7]
