I love this illustration from Sermon Central: A teacher was asking children in his Sunday school class, “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would I get to heaven?” “NO”! The children answered. “If I cleaned the church everyday, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would I get into heaven?” Again, the answer was “NO”! “Well,” I continued, “then how can I get into heaven?” In the back of the room, a 5-year-old boy shouted out, “You gotta be dead!”
Last week in Acts 7 we saw how Steven gave his life for the cause of Christ and went to be with the Lord. “To live is Christ, to die is gain!” And does the scripture not say, “It is better to be away from this body and at home with the Lord?” His death sparked a persecution against Christians that was lead by another young man named Saul.
Both Steven and Saul demonstrate commitment and dedication to a cause: Steven, as a willing sacrifice for Christ, and Saul as one willing to make sacrifices out of Christians.
But look at the results: Acts 8:4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Saul’s efforts to stamp out the faith only served to spread it abroad! Saul, even before he was a Christian or missionary, was a root cause of the early evangelization of the world outside Jerusalem. Later he became a missionary who freely spread the faith in foreign missions. Isn’t it ironic? Purposely or not, God used this man to accomplish his purposes through him. By the way, God still does this.
It was bound to happen. God had planned for the church to spread from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. But it was so nice in Jerusalem! So comfortable in Zion! Pentecost had pulled them together, persecution would scatter them all over the place. God had nudged them with a warning. He had hinted with a beating. This time he forced the issue. Persecution broke out like the plague! Now they will spread! Scattered all over the place these Christians scattered the seed of the gospel as they went. It was infectious!
I remember seeing a science fiction movie about a biological weapon that was accidentally allowed to leave the decontamination zone. Within days whole towns were dying from the infection. Before the end of the movie, entire countries were devastated and populations destroyed. Finally, someone somehow figured out an antidote and saved the world from total annihilation.
But just imagine the opposite of that. Imagine a good germ, (a seed, if you will), that has the potential to give eternal life to anyone in the world. Imagine a redeeming seed that when planted in the human heart has power to remove sin and guilt and reverse the process that leads to death and bring eternal life. Instead of being spread by germ of virus, it is spread by word of mouth. How would the world respond to such a thing?
We need not just imagine this, God has made it happen! The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power of God for eternal life for all who receive, believe and obey it. This is what the Apostles all taught. This is what they lived and died believing and teaching. This is what we as a church believe and stand on. Now, either this is true, or your presence here is a waste of your time and your offerings are a waste of your money!
Too many Christians today are halfway sold on the gospel. They want enough to get the benefits but not enough to share it with others.
When Jesus first called his disciples some of them were fishing. He told them to come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men! Paul Harvey has said, "Too many Christians have given up being fishers of men to become keepers of the aquarium."
May God help us here at Signal Mountain to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ with full commitment to the great commission of our Lord who said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he that does not believe shall be condemned.” This past summer in Nacaome, Honduras, it became clearly visible again that the message still has power to save! Before we left there the Lord added 21 new members of God’s family in that church. And that happened in only 4 1/2 days of work sowing and spreading and reaping for Christ. We arrived there Tuesday afternoon and began working Wednesday morning and left there Sunday after church. God can take our small efforts and accomplish eternal life for someone! You had a part in that work! Your prayers and support allowed some of us to go scatter good news seed among those Spanish speaking souls and see the salvation of Christ and the power of his word.
Through the Truth for the World correspondence teaching you can scatter the word to people all over the world! Many of you are doing that now and have students who are hearing and coming to know the gospel of Jesus Christ. Monday nights, you can come and scatter the seed of the gospel into hearts of Inner City kids who are dying for the love of God right here in Chattanooga. We need helpers like you. Just think how wonderful it will be to see the Lord some day and know that you told others about him.
Ray Boltz sang a song entitled: Thank You
I dreamed I went to heaven
And you were there with me
We walked upon the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea
We heard the angels singing
Then someone called your name
You turned and saw this young man
And he was smiling as he came
And he said friend you may not know me now
And then he said but wait
You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight
And every week you would say a prayer
That we would know the Lord
And one day when you said that prayer
I decided to obey his word
CHORUS
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I had a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave
Then another man stood before you
And said remember the time
A missionary came to your church
And his pictures made you cry
You didn’t have much money
But you gave it anyway
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that’s why I’m here today
CHORUS
One by one they came
Far as the eyes could see
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity
Little things that you had done
Sacrifices made
Unnoticed on the earth
In heaven now proclaimed
And I know that up in heaven
You’re not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord
He said, my child look around you
For great is your reward
CHORUS
I am so glad you gave
We serve a God who can turn a Hurricane into an opportunity for people to live forever.
We follow a Savior who can turn a war in Iraq into an open door for millions to be delivered from darkness and see the light of God’s love and grace in Jesus.
We walk with a king who pours his life out on a cross so that you and I can be filled up to overflowing and enter everlasting glory.
Who can you reach next? Who can you lead to Christ? Who has God put into your life that needs to know the saving message of the grace of God?
Are you scattering seed today? We have a friends and family day coming up here really soon and you and I have a golden opportunity to invite someone to something special here that might not otherwise come. Right now, take a card from the back of the pew and write the name of a person you would love to see saved that you can ask to come. Print their name clearly. Go ahead. Now pass that card to someone in front of you or behind you. I am going to lead us in a prayer and ask all of you to silently join me in this prayer and pray for the person on the card you received plus the name of the person you wrote on your card.
Here’s the instructions one more time: Write the name of someone you would love to see saved in Christ. Give that card to someone else in the row in front of you or behind you. I will lead us in a prayer and ask all of you to silently pray for the name on the card you receive plus for the name on the card you gave to someone else.
Paul told the Colossians in 4:3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ,
Ok, has every one written a name and given it to someone else?
Let’s pray: Father, we know that it is not your will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. We know that you have poured out your love for all mankind making it plain through the cross. Lord, your love for us is so wonderful! Let it shine through our lives and be heard in our words. Give us ears that hear your word, hearts that are open to receive it, wills that conform to it, minds that understand it, and motivation to obey it. Let us hear afresh the great commission of Christ to take the message to others. Lord, please open the hearts of those names we have written down this morning. Open our mouths to speak your word to them. May the light of your truth shine in them and may they come to Jesus and be saved. In Jesus name, amen.
