Title: PASS IT ON-Evangelism
Date: 6/29/14
Place: BLCC
Text: 2 Kings 5.1-15
CT: To live for him we must serve his mission to evangelize.
FAS: There's a scene in Herman Melville's (author of Moby Dick) novel White Jacket that focuses on the ship's chief surgeon, Cadwallader Cuticle, M.D. The doctor is bored with the voyage because he has little work to do, but one day he has the chance to do an exciting operation. A sailor has been shot in the leg and the leg must be amputated. The ship is in port so Dr. Cuticle invites surgeons from other ships to observe his impressive surgical skills on display.
Once the audience gathers, Dr. Cuticle chokes up as he explains, "This is my first important case of surgery in a nearly three years' cruise." Cuticle launches into a detailed lecture about anatomy, surgical techniques, and the many difficult operations he's performed in the past. As he proceeds with the amputation, the patient keeps shrieking and passing out. But Cuticle ignores the shrieks as he continues his long-winded monologue.
[Here's a small part of Cuticle's lecture, pompously delivered to his audience as he conducted the surgery:
Young gentlemen, you will perceive that precisely at this spot—here—to which I previously directed your attention—at the corresponding spot precisely—the operation has been performed. About here, young gentlemen, … the great artery was. But you noticed that I did not use the tourniquet; I never do. [A finger] is far better than a tourniquet, being so much more manageable, and leaving the smaller veins uncompressed. But I have been told, young gentlemen, that a certain … surgeon of Seville, has recently invented an admirable substitute for the clumsy, old-fashioned tourniquet. As I understand it, it is something like a pair of calipers, working with a small Archimedes screw—a very clever invention ….]
Finally, the steward of the ship interrupted Dr. Cuticle's lecture and said, "Please, sir, the patient is dead."
Cuticle nonchalantly replied, "I predicted that the operation might prove fatal; he was very much run down. Good-morning," and then walked away.
While church members and leaders debate nonessential matters, like music, order of service, programs, projects, etc., lost people are dying without Christ.
LS. The Main Thing
It’s easy for any enterprise to lose focus of the main thing. Dr. Cuticle sure did. Even the church is guilty of this.
Jesus said in Luke 19.10, For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
He also stated the same mission before he left this world in Matthew 28.19-20, Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
This same command, The Great Commission, can be found in the other three Gospels and Acts. It must be important.
I. A. We are in our fifth week of the sermon series I am presenting called PassIt On. This week we are dealing with the concern we must have for others in sharing our faith with those hurting and lost. Evangelism. Our job as Christian adults and leaders is to pass the baton of our faith to those who come behind us. If the baton is dropped the consequences can be eternal.
B.Once again we go to scripture to get some insight into how to pass this baton. This week we actually have a good example given by a Jewish slave girl and her interaction with a great commander of an army. We read in 2 Kings 5.1-15, Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
Aram and Israel were enemies but had a shaky peace treaty. During a skirmish between the two a young Israelite girl had been taken captive and became a servant of Naaman’s wife (v.2).
Can you imagine how this young girl had to feel? She was in a foreign country forced to work for nothing but her food. Most folks would become bitter and maybe even felt some pleasure in the fact that her master was afflicted with a horrible disease. But this girl was different. Though she was treated as property with little value, she believed in the value of every person-even the ones who had taken her from her family. She said to her mistress. If only my master could be near the prophet in Samaria, the prophet there could heal my master’s disease (v.3).
The girl was speaking of Elisha. Elisha was God’s superstar prophet who had done many miraculous things like the great prophet before him Elijah. The young slave girl knew Elisha could help her master and for some reason she wanted to see him healed. For some reason Naaman listened and upon the advice of a simple slave girl he and his entourage headed to see Elisha.
9 The king told Naaman to go find Elisha, so Naaman showed up at Elisha’s door with his horses and chariots. 10 Elisha did not show his face to Naaman, but instead sent instructions: “Wash yourself in the Jordan River seven times. The waters will heal you, and your skin will be back to normal. You will be cleansed.” 11Naaman boiled with anger as he left Elisha. He had come to his house expecting something much different. Naaman: What is this! I came here thinking that Elisha would come outside and call upon the name of the Eternal One his God, and that Elisha’s hand would pass over my sores and heal my skin disease, not the waters of the Jordan River. 12The Abanah and Pharpar Rivers in Damascus are greater rivers than all the rivers of Israel combined, so why couldn’t I just go bathe in those and be healed?
You see, Naaman was used to being catered to. He was an important man. He felt humiliated.
This was exactly what Elisha intended. He knew Naaman needed more than healing from leprosy. He needed a lesson in humility as well. But let’s not be too hard on Naaman. None of us like being treated as if we are not important. The more famous you are, the harder this can be. Just look at how some of the folks in the media circus of TV and movies turn out.
Naaman almost blew it, but some wise bodyguards traveling with him changed his mind. As Naaman was fixing to leave in disgust they said.
If the prophet had told you to do some important thing, wouldn’t you have done what he asked? Why is it difficult for you to follow his instructions when he tells you, “Bathe yourself in the Jordan River, and be cleansed”?
Naaman decided to return and did just what Elisha had told him to do.
So Naaman swallowed his pride, walked down to the Jordan River, and washed himself seven times, just as the man of God had instructed him to do. There, the miracle occurred. Naaman’s disease was healed: his skin was as new as an infant’s, and he was clean from the disease. 15Naaman and all his entourage went back to the man of God.
Naaman: I am convinced that there is no God who exists in the entire world like the True God in Israel.
C. Wow. A pagen general from an enemy nation had come to know the one true God because of the testimony of a young slave girl. Maybe the greatest thing we can do for those who come behind us, besides leading them to Christ, is to encourage them to become evangelists-faithful witnesses for Christ wherever God may lead them.
II. A. What about this young girl made her successful as an evangelist?
1. She was sensitive to her master’s needs. She did not bury herself in her own suffering or take pleasure in other’s pain. We are all surrounded by folks who are hurting. I know there are some of you here today hurting and in pain. Let’s work to lift each other up. Let’s be “refreshers” to one another not “drainers”.
This is what Jesus showed us how to do. He felt compassion for all he saw. He wanted to heal the leper, forgive the sinner, comfort the grieving and lead the lost to safety. This way of thinking needs to be learned. We as Christian adults must demonstrate this attitude to those who come behind us.
Jesus said in Matthew 25.31-46, that the ones whom he would call his followers in heaven would be the ones who took care of the “least of these”, who visited the sick and took care of those in need.
2. She spoke up with courage and clarity. This girl had courage. Think about it. What if it hadn’t worked out? She may have been punished for being so outspoken and causing her master humiliation. She had courage to evangelize. We must teach our next gen to communicate their empathy to the hurting in our world.
3. She had previously gained creditability. Naaman trusted the girl. She obviously was a good servant. She was honest and a person of integrity. We don’t know who her parents were but they taught her to have integrity and be authentic. She lived an authentic life. We as Christian adults must set the example for next gen.
1 Thess. 4.11-12, make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
4. She witnessed positive results. Can you imagine how good the young girl had to feel after Naaman returned. Their relationship had to be improved. We still can’t assume her life changed drastically. Often the evangelist goes unnoticed as angels rejoice over a repenting sinner. The best evangelists do not care about recognition. They get joy only from the results that come from sharing the gospel with others. Evangelism doesn’t require a Bible college degree. A lot of times it just requires a walk across a room or a caring word at the right time. It requires a desire to help those in need. It’s amazing what one person can do if God is involved.
III. A. What can we as a church learn from this?
The church needs to do more than meet physical needs.
John 6.35, Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!
Every member must know what it is and be responsible for doing it.
It is what the angel of the Lord told Peter to do after freeing him from prison. Acts 5.20, “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” He did not say tell about how bad or corrupt the government is or to start an uprising.
Peter did what he was told. Acts 5.42, Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
New people in the church are usually the best evangelists. They are excited and inspired. Every member should work to bring new people, not just to church, but to a real relationship with Christ.
B. Some Qualifiers
Evangelism must not take precedence over truth. Noah only saved eight people. To get on the boat you had to believe and repent. We are to make disciples, not just add numbers. God’s ideal and grace.
Evangelism is not the only purpose. We must edify and meet the needs of the church core.
Evangelism is not to be measured by comparative statistics. We are to be measured by eternal impact.
Practical Suggestions
-Preach to Christians in your congregation.
Growing Christians are more evangelistic than evangelistic sermons. Get church on fire to serve Christ. They will want to tell their friends.
Come and See
Do things so well and with so much inspiration that others will want to come. Remind all involved we are doing all we do here at BLCC to glorify God. Evaluate everything we do here by that standard! Have people remember their visit to BLCC as a place where we don’t half-way do things for God. Make them see a place full of people who love each other and love Christ.
-Remind people of the mission at BLCC?
We exist to evangelize the lost, edify the saved, minister to the needs of others and be a conscience in the community. (In that order.)
We want to grow spiritually as well as in numbers.
-Remind folks to invite their friends. Give them a reason to want to.
-Be considerate to guests.
C. Let’s imagine that you could take a quantum leap in time and that you landed in Southhampton, England, in mid-April, 1912. You see a newspaper headline that reads, “Titanic to set sail on maiden voyage today.” What would you do? You would race to the harbor and try to persuade as many people as possible not to get on board. You’d probably have very little success. “What do you mean you know the future? An iceberg? Fifteen hundred people die? Come on! Quit trying to spoil my vacation! Didn’t you hear? Even God can’t sink this ship!” You’d watch hundreds sail away on the ill-fated vessel, headed toward certain death. Then what would you do? If you cared about those people, you’d go rent a boat and chase after them. What size boat would you get? Would you go after them with a motor boat that would hold six people or a houseboat that would hold thirty? You’d rent the biggest yacht you could possibly afford. You’d risk everything, knowing that hundreds of lives were in the balance.
If it is true that man’s sin has separated him from God for eternity,
and if it is true that Jesus is the Son of God who came to this earth to die for sin, and if it is true that only through Christ can we have forgiveness of sin
and the hope of eternal life, then the task of bringing people to Jesus Christ is the highest mission of the church.
The Bible says that this world with all its pleasures is going to perish. It’s going to be destroyed by fire. People whose hopes are in this world are doomed. Our only hope is through Jesus Christ.
If we really believe that is true, we’re going to do everything we can to persuade as many people as possible to come to Christ while there is still time.
Christ’s love for us should compel us to do this whatever the cost.
Read from Bible.
2 Cor. 5.14-15, For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
CT. To live for him we must serve his mission to evangelize!!!
Conclusion: Are we truly living for Christ as Christians here at BLCC. Is God first in all we do? Does reaching the lost take front and center stage in all we do? Let’s reflect Christ in all we do as a church and as individuals. Choose to serve God and his mission being carried out in his Son’s church.
Pass it on to those who come behind us. The invitation is now open to come forward and receive the grace and forgiveness through baptism and the humbling of our hearts to Him.
