I think that we all have done some things with the wrong
motives in our hearts.
A. When we were little, we didn’t misbehave if we
at all thought that there might be a reward coming.
1. We were actually phonies...we weren’t
being good because we loved and honored
our parents.
a. We were only good for what we could get
out of them.
** Lets not look too pious and innocent......we all did it at
one time or other.
Some parents even slipped into a dangerous trap by
rewarding their children for being good.
A. Children should be good......because they should
be good.........NOT for any kind of reward.
1. Rewards should not regularly be attached to
proper behavior.
a. If we let this happen, our children will
need to be bribed into proper behavior.
1.) If we don’t have a bribe....we may
have a ball of trouble on ourhands.
Children are not the only ones who do things with
improper motives.
A. Adults can be just as bad, Even in the Church, we
see many things done from improper motives.
A. Many try to win over the lost for some
of the wrong reasons.
I. It’s a “numbers game” to some.
Matt. 22:10-14 - 10“So those servants went out into the
highways and gathered together all whom they found, both
bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a
man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12“So
he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without
a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13“Then the
king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take
him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14“For many are called,
but few are chosen.”
** We must understand that not all will choose to put on
“robes of righteousness”.
1. This is even more true as we, daily approach the
the “days of Noah” that Christ promised would
happen just before He comes back (Matt. 24:37).
A. We aren’t a success if we don’t reach some
arbitrary number of bodies in the pews.
1. This motivation will allow for a lot of
“adjustments” to achieve the number goal.
a. The worst thing that can happen to
someone who has this mindset is to have
someone physically leave the Church.
1.) It may not even matter that they
spiritually “bailed out” long ago.
a.) This concern isn’t especially
a concern for a soul that is
now headed to ultimate
torments.
b.) The concern for this person
does not extend to finding
out what is wrong......long
before this person decides to
physically leave.
** The important thing for this individual is that the
numbers went down.
1. What this individual wants.........more than
anything else........is BIG NUMBERS!
II. Then there are those who work very hard at winning
those who are of the world........because they view them
as a challenge.
A. There is a certain amount of pride involved in this
view of conversion.
1. It may not be perceived by those who don’t
understand.......this person wants to be
applauded for being able to convert a really
“hard customer”.
a. A drunk.
b. A prostitute.
c. A person with a mean streak.
d. An atheist.
** Don’t get me wrong......it’s great that this happens and
it will still be effective for the person coming to Christ..
but it might also be the undoing of the proudful person
who is only in it for the challenge.
III. I am convinced that some people only work at winning
souls, because others are.......a form of envy and
jealousy.
Phil. 1:15-16 - 15Some indeed preach Christ even from
envy and strife, and some also from good will: 16The
former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely,
supposing to add affliction to my chains.
A. There is always the danger of peer-pressure being
the motivation for work in the Kingdom.
1. Again, the results of the work may be very
good and quite positive, but the heart of the
person doing the work may be sick and even
nigh unto death.
a. God can and will use anyone to further
the gospel.......he even used a donkey, in
the Old Testament to correct a man......
but let me say that it was not to the
donkey’s credit......it was credited to the
one receiving the instruction.
** Nobody should be preaching, teaching, or going out of
their way to win lost souls because they feel that they
are in some kind of contest with their fellow Christians.
IV. Next, we come to the type who views every warm
body as a dollar sign.
I Peter 5:2 - 2Shepherd the flock of God which is among
you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly,
not for dishonest gain but eagerly
** Is it any more “honest gain” if the only real reason that
we are bringing lost souls to Christ is for their purse?
A. These know that if a person is properly trained,
they will......at some point in time......start to
financially support the physical work.
1. This is especially true.....the smaller the group.
a. Preachers cannot be paid or put on full
time support with only a handful of
people financially supporting the work.
b. Bills may be hard to pay without acertain
amount of money coming in.
1.) These are the cold, hard, facts of
life.
2. What needs to happen, however, is a trust and
faith in God’s providential care needs to be
cultivated.
a. This doesn’t always happen.
1.) Instead......Christian’s attempt to
solve the problem by bringing in
more “warm bodies” with check-
books.
** Again.......to this type of individual.......the worst thing
that could happen is that someone fall away or move
away.............they are not concerned for any good or
sound reason.....................they are concerned because
they see dollar signs going out of the door.
V. Then there are those who seek to convert others
because of the preaching.
A. You might be saying.......”Isn’t that what is
supposed to happen?”.
1. It sure is.......but the movement should befrom
a heart of love and concern.............not from
a real or perceived pressure from the preacher.
a. Preachers can be big pains in the ears......
some have figured out that the only way
to get the preacher off our case is to go
through the motions of doing what he
says.
b. When the pressure is off......so is the
work of winning lost souls.
1.) The preacher wears out.
2.) The preacher finds another “hobby
horse”.
3.) The preacher moves away.
a.) Voluntarily or involuntarily.
** Simply the pressure created by the preacher will not
guarantee the right motives and attitudes for winning
lost souls to Christ.
I John 4:18-19 - 18There is no fear in love; but perfect
love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he
who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19We love
Him because He first loved us.
VI. Now we come to a motive that may.....at first.....look
like a proper motive......a person feels the pressure,
from the Bible, to go out and win lost souls.
A. Again, you may be saying......”So, what’s wrong
with that.......I thought that we SHOULD be
moved to do righteously by the Bible?
1. Here is the problem......if a person is simply
moved to win lost souls because he fears
God’s condemnation, only.......this person is
still operating under the wrong motives.
a. The work that this person does, will be
blessed by the Lord, and those who come
to a saving knowledge of the truth will
certainly benefit from this person’s
efforts.
2. If, however, this is the ONLY reason for
seeking to win lost souls to Christ, this person
has missed the most important reason.
AND JUST WHAT IS THIS MOST IMPORTANT
REASON?
LOVE
VII. God’s love of all mankind causes Him to yearn for
every person.
John 15:12-14 - 12“This is My commandment, that you
love one another as I have loved you. 13“Greater love has
no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
14“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
A. This was a love so rich.....so deep....that the God
of heaven was willing to sacrifice Himself on a
torture stake for ALL OF MANKIND.
John 3:16-17 - 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. 17“For God did
not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but
that the world through Him might be saved.
1. This can make a person all warm and fuzzy
inside.......until.......we think about it a little
further.
a. God loves, and yearns, and died for that
repulsive person at work......for that
cashier at the local “Buy and Fly”......
He loves and died for Mr. Bob, across
the street......and on the list goes.
B. If God loves EVERYBODY....and died for
EVERYBODY......and wants to see EVERYBODY
saved from the torments of hell......................
and if we are the one’s who have the only
message of salvation...................LOOKS LIKE
WE HAVE OUR JOB CUT OUT FOR US.
1. BECAUSE WE LOVE GOD!
a. You see......it is the LOVE OF GOD....
THAT COMPELS US to bring those
lost and loved souls to Him.
VIII. Lastly, it is our love for mankind that should compel
us to work with a desperation to bring as many as
possible from the brink of eternal torments.
A. We should understand the most.......because we
were there at one time.
1. We no longer live for self......we are His and
we have God’s love coursing through our
veins.
a. What God loves.....we love.....because we
are His children.
b. What God hates......we hate.....because
we are His children.
2. God loves every person in this world.....past,
present, and future.
a. It is not His will that any person should
be cast into hell.....it is His will that
every person be saved from his/her sins
and live for eternity.......as a child of
God.......in heaven.
II Peter 3:9 - 9The Lord is not slack concerning His
promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering
toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance
Ezekiel 33:11 - 11“Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord
God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but
that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from
your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of
Israel?’
3. We’ve found the way to do this.....we know
the way.........and if we truly love our fellow
man, as God loves them,.......there would be
nothing that could keep us from seeking those
lost souls and bringing them to where we are.
LOVE
CONCLUSION:
What really is our motive for winning lost souls to Christ?
A. Are we into the numbers game.
1. Is success measured in numbers?
B. Do you view the converting of a lost soul as some
kind of contest......some self-made challenge?
C. Then there is envy, jealousy, and peer-pressure.
1. We try to win lost souls because Billy Bob
is, and we aren’t going to be outdone by
Billy Bob.
D. Money can be a motivating factor in bringing in
lost souls.
1. We might understand this kind of motivation,
but we should also realize that this is an
improper motive.
a. It also reflects a lack of faith and trust
in the God who heads up the Church.
E. Perhaps we are intimidated by the preacher to do
the right thing.
1. This comes under the label of.....”Right thing..
wrong reason.”
F. Maybe it is simply a pure, raw, intimidating fear of
God that moves us to go out and seek to bring the
lost to Christ.
What our motivation should be is simply.....LOVE.
A. The example of the loving, sacrificing God of the
Cross.
B. Our reception and salvation because of this love.
C. Our love for all of our fellow man.
1. We realize that they are destined for a horrible
fate if we remain stationary or silent.
** Another song from Don Francisco was entitled....
“I Gotta Tell Somebody!”
1. If we are, indeed His children, we have to tell
somebody, also.
