If you had the
knowledge, ability, tools, and opportunity to save a life, would you? If you
could make weak people strong, sad people happy, and dying people healthy,
would you? If you could share a map to heaven with misguided people headed for
hell, would you? Of course! Once the need is real, and it moves you to action,
you will run to the rescue!
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On September 11,
2001, millions of Americans watched helplessly while evil forces slaughtered
thousands of unsuspecting people in the World Trade Center in New York City.
Most of us were unable to help physically because we were so far away. However,
hundreds of heroic rescue workers rushed to the scene, entered the burning
buildings, and risked everything to try to save the perishing. They had no
guarantee that they would save anyone, but they were determined to give all
they had in the effort. Many of these valiant men and women died themselves as
a result.
What would you have
done if you had been there? Would your heart have moved you into action? If you
had had ready access to a reliable tool, would you have grabbed hold of it and
used it? What if you had known for certain that the tool would work, that you would
save dying people, and that you yourself would suffer no ill effects
physically?
Would you have
allowed selfishness, or apathy, or fear to keep you from responding? Would you
have waited for the professionals to do the work, while precious moments and
precious lives passed away?
What if you had
known and loved these victims personally? What if your boss had sent his only
son into the fire to lose his life in exchange for all those who were trapped?
What if the boss had ordered you to go in and show those for whom his son died
the way out to safety? What if you had known that they would certainly die
unless you acted? What if you had loved your boss with all your heart, soul,
mind, and strength, so that you would do anything for him?
To the Rescue!
Our mission … our
business … our purpose.
Committing ourselves
to the same thing to which Jesus Christ committed Himself.
Read with me Jude
20-25.
Jude 20-25: Revival, Rescue, and Reliance
Hear these words
from Jude in verses 20-21:
Jude 20 But you, beloved,
building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21
keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ to eternal life.
That’s revival
– strengthening our own faith, petitioning God, abiding in God’s love, and
anticipating the return of Christ.
Notice verses 22-23:
22 And have mercy on
some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire;
and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the
flesh.
Those who experience
revival become intent on rescue – loving sinners, rushing
into the flames to deliver them, and hating sin and its effects.
Finally note verses
24-25:
24 Now to Him who is
able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His
glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through
Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all
time and now and forever. Amen.
Revival and rescue
come through (and further increase) reliance on the God who is able.
Because of the cross He is able to sustain us, present us as spotless, and fill
us with joy. All the honor, all the greatness, and all the might are His alone,
today, tomorrow, and forever.
As our motivation in
rescuing the perishing is our love for God and the lost, our purpose is to
bring Him glory through the lives of others who will sing His praise for all
eternity – all because He used us to rescue the perishing.
Part of our great
joy that day will come from seeing people entering Heaven who escaped the
flames, found the grace of God and the blood of the Savior, and reached safety
through us.
Rescue the Perishing
Frances J. Crosby, 1869
1.
Rescue
the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
o
Refrain:
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
2.
Though
they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.
3.
Down
in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.
4.
Rescue
the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.
Rom 1:14-18 – The
Three “I Ams”
1:14 – I am under
obligation.
1:15 – I am eager to
share the good news.
1:16 – I am not
ashamed.
The Obligation of Grace
Imagine for a moment
that you have suffered terribly with a life-threatening tumor. A surgeon has
skillfully operated on you, removing your suffering and fear, along with the
tumor. You are healthy, peaceful, joyful, and grateful.
Then one day you
realize that someone else – a relative, a friend, or even a complete stranger –
has the very same condition you had. You think to yourself, “I cannot, I must
not, I will not keep this good news to myself. I have no choice but to approach
this person and offer to introduce him or her to the surgeon who delivered me!”
That is the way that
grace obligates us to rescue others by bringing them to Christ. Look at Paul’s
words. In one sense, grace paid his debt and removed his obligation. In another
sense, grace made him a debtor (for the Lord’s sake) to Greeks and non-Greeks,
to the wise and the foolish. Out of gratitude to Christ, love for the lost, and
a realization that only the gospel can save by making men right with God, Christians
accept a grace-based obligation to share the good news with others.
Rom 1:14-18 – The
Three “Fors”
1:14 – I am under obligation.
1:15 – I am eager to share the good
news.
1:16 – I am not ashamed. For …
1:16 The gospel is
the power of God to save.
1:17 In it God’s
righteousness is revealed.
1:18 The wrath of
God is revealed from heaven.
Rom 9:1-5; 10:1 – My
Brothers
Ro 9:1 I am telling the
truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy
Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3
For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the
sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are
Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the
covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5
whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who
is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Ro 10:1 Brethren, my
heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.
Four Voices That Compel Us
Jimmy Allen has
described these four voices. Each by itself is powerful; the four together are
practically irresistible.
1. The Cry from Beneath – Those Now in Torment
Hear the words of
the rich man in Hell, when he realizes that his family members will be joining
him there. “‘Then I beg you, Father, that you send [Lazarus] to my father’s
house -- for I have five brothers -- that he may warn them, lest they also come
to this place of torment.’” Luke
16:27-28
Not a one of us
could hear their wailing, see their suffering, and stand by silently while
others follow them into eternal death.
Our eagerness to share Christ will grow in direct proportion to our
belief in Hell and our sympathy for others.
Is there really a
hell? Yes! Are people lost there, forever, without Jesus
Christ? Yes! Mark 9:43-48
What would people
now in hell say to us, if they could?
Some may be so evil
that they would not care to warn us.
Others may be
crying, “If only …”
If each of us spent
just 15 seconds in hell and returned …
Jesus allows us to
hear a voice from hell. Luke 16:19-31
“Father Abraham,
have mercy and send Lazarus …”
“Then I beg you,
father, to send him to my father’s house – for I have five brothers – so that
he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.”
2. The Call from Without – Honest-Hearted Seekers
Put yourself in
Paul’s shoes, when he learns that others are begging for spiritual help. And a
vision appeared to Paul in the night: a certain man of Macedonia was standing
and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Acts 16:9
If your neighbor
were starving and begging you for bread, and you had plenty, could you refuse
him? As Paul traveled to Greece to answer that request, would you go across the
street or down the office hall? Would you pick up the phone?
“Lift up your eyes,
and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” John 4:35
Let’s think some
more about those five brothers.
If your neighbor’s
house were on fire, and you heard him scream, and you had a way to rescue him …
Bartimaeus, the
blind beggar. Mark 10:46-52
Zaccheus, the chief
tax collector. Luke 19:1-10
The penitent
thief. Luke 23:39-43
The man from
Macedonia. Acts 16:6-10
“We have heard the
Macedonian call today!”
Were you ever
lost? Blind? Broken?
Desperate?
One who has been in
the ditch feels compelled to reach others who are still there.
Joseph’s brothers
ignored his pleas. Gen 42:21
“You Never Mentioned
Him to Me”
“But my neighbor is
not asking me for help.” Hmmm …
Try some
“pre-evangelism.” Ask him. Test
the soil. Offer. Invite.
Model. Love and influence. Stop, look, and listen.
Ask, “What do you
believe about …” “Would you like to see
what your Bible says about that?”
Marriage problems,
job changes, health issues, and other stressors may be an unspoken cry for
help.
3. The Command from Above – Our Lord and Savior
Pretend that you are
an apostle, hearing these words directly from Christ for the first time. And
Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them …” Matt. 28:18-20
What will you do in
response? If the explicit mandate of Jesus Christ will not cause you to teach
other people the Word of God, what will?
Is Jesus your Lord? If so, how
can you not do what He says? See Luke 6:46.
Telling others about
Jesus is not optional; it is required.
The Macedonian vision was actually from God, not man.
“… concluding that
God had called us … immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia.” Acts 16:10
“Follow Me, and I
will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17
Matt 28:18-20; Mark
16:15-16
Ivan Stewart’s book,
Go Ye Means Go Me
Seed > soil >
life > growth > fruit > seed > > > > > >
Each who receives
the seed reproduces the fruit.
“Must I Go, and Empty-Handed?”
4. The Constraint from Within – Our Own Hearts
Every heart that
beats for Jesus Christ beats for the salvation of lost people.
Hear Paul’s
explanation of this inner compulsion. “The love of Christ compels us, controls
us, ‘leaves us no choice.’” 2 Cor. 5:14
“For we must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ … Therefore, knowing the fear of the
Lord, we persuade men.”
2 Cor. 5:10-11 “For
if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion;
for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.
For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I
have a stewardship entrusted to me.”
1 Cor. 9:16-17 Is
your heart telling you to share Christ? If not, why not? If so, what will you
do about it?
“The love of Christ
constrains (compels, controls) us (leaves us no choice) …” 2 Cor 5:14
“I am under
obligation …” Rom 1:14
“I have great sorrow
and unceasing anguish in my heart … I could wish
that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ …” Rom 9:1-3
“Brothers, my
heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved
…” Rom 10:1
When I am enough
like Christ that I cannot bear the idea of people being lost, I will get up and
go after them!
Questions for Thought and Discussion:
1.
How
have the September 11, 2001, attacks affected your view of the world? Of evil?
Of lost people? Of God? Of your purpose on the earth? Of the gospel as God’s
answer?
2.
How
likely is it that those who died were prepared to meet God? Explain your
answer.
3.
What
would you have done if you had been there as a rescue worker? As a bystander?
4.
If
you had personally known one of those who died, and if you could turn back the
clock, what would you say to him or her?
5.
Do
you really believe that you are saved?
6.
Do
you really believe that people you know are lost?
7.
Do
you really believe that you are responsible to share your faith?
8.
If
you do not find a way to reach the people you know, who will?
9.
If
you (we) do the same things we have always done, in the same ways we have
always done them, can we expect to reach different results?
10.
Are
we winning people through “public evangelism?”
11.
Are
we winning people through “private evangelism?”
12.
To
what extent do you feel the obligation of God’s grace toward the lost?
13.
Are
you developing the compassion for lost people that Jesus feels? How do you
know?
14.
Which
of the four voices is most compelling to you personally? Why?
15.
Do
you have a close, daily walk with the Lord? Or do you still need personal
revival before you can rescue others? How are the two related?
16.
What
three things have primarily kept you from bringing more people to Christ?
Suggestions: “I lack motivation.” “I lack compassion.” “I lack courage.” “I
lack knowledge.” “I lack non-Christian friends and contacts.” “I lack time.” “I
lack a plan.”
17.
Do
you think that any of these three barriers is insurmountable? Why or why not?
18.
What
steps will you take to overcome these obstacles?
A Prayer in Song
Lead Me to Some Soul Today
Lead
me to some soul today,
O teach me, Lord, just what to say;
Friends of mine are lost in sin,
And cannot find their way.
Few there are who seem to care,
And few there are who pray;
Melt my heart and fill my life,
Give me one soul today.
Lead me to some soul
real soon,
It matters not if night or noon;
Any hour of any day,
The time is opportune.
I must go Thy love to show
To sinners lost in night;
Flood my soul with love and light
To warn men of their plight.
Lead me to some
soul, I pray,
Thy “Great Commission” I’ll obey;
I must tell men goin’ to Hell
That Jesus is the Way.
Men must know before they die
That Christ alone can save;
Give me pow’r to witness, Lord,
And faith to make me brave.
© First verse
written by Will H. Houghton.
The second and third verses were written by WDB.
The first verse was written in memory of D.L. Moody, who said:
“”I must speak to one soul each day about Christ.””
Possible hymns:
Lead Me to Some Soul
Today
Rescue the Perishing
He Loves Me
Why Did My Savior
Come to Earth?
Here Am I, Send Me
