Doing What Others Will Not Do Part #2

Introduction

Are you sowing the sea of the kingdom? Brother in the morning are you sowing the seed of the kingdom? Brother in the king of the new sail for the harvest time is coming on the reaper what will soon be done will you will you garner any for the gathering of the arms? Are you sowing the seed of the kingdom? Brother in the still night are you sowing the sea of the kingdom? Brother for the for the hard time is coming and the reaper work will soon become Will you seem many? Will you garner any for the gathering at the heart so are you sowing the seed of the king of brother. Aready sowing the sea of the king of Rather you must be for the Lord time is coming off and the reapers work will soon be will you find and keep on God rehab.

Please be seated. As we were singing together tonight, I thought of how many congregations would love to hear singing like that on Sunday night. Wow. So many wonderful voices blended together. It’s very encouraging to see all of you tonight. We have a number visiting with us, and we’re glad that you’ve come.

Not beginning something new, and I’m not going to take the time to review everything we talked about this morning. The lesson is entitled Doing What Others Will Not Do. Instead of possessing the attitude that we talked about, let us do what we will do. We want to be better than average, not run of the mill. True leaders can take even challenging circumstances that might seem nonconducive or tough, and can demonstrate to others how to live, how to serve, how to be people of faith and character. And we looked at the examples of Jesus and the prophets and the Gentiles who expressed faith. One thing I did talk about in regard to the Gentiles that I noticed in my outline was the fact that the Jews, many of the Jews all around them did not display the same kind of faith.

1. Evangelism: Valuing the Souls of the Lost

And they were given much more than the Gentiles had. They were far more privileged as the people of God, the nation of Israel, than these Gentiles, and that’s why Jesus was so impressed with their faith, the uniqueness of their response to God. But I want to talk about three things basically, three areas where you can do things that others will not do and respond in an excellent way in serving the Lord. And it has a lot to do with the song, but Ed just led us in, sowing the seed of the kingdom, in evangelism, in zeal and enthusiasm for Christ’s cause, and valuing the souls of lost men and women. If we do not value the souls of the lost, and thus strive to teach them.

Who’s going to do that work? Who’s going to make that happen? A lot of folks realize the value of the soul when it is way too late. You remember a story like that Jesus told? The rich man and Lazarus, the rich man understood the value of the soul, but far too late. Not even just concerned for his own soul being in torment, but his five brothers that he wanted to send Lazarus back to warn not to come to this place. How much do we value souls? Paul said that is why he proclaimed the gospel. He said we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ to receive the things done in our body, whether those things be good or bad, in verse 10 of 2 Corinthians chapter 5, and then immediately follows that with one of my inspirational passages as a preacher.

And he says, knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.

It is going to be a day when men will be lost. And we need to do everything within our power to rescue lost souls. What do you have a zeal for? You know everybody has a zeal for something. What are you most zealous about in your life? If you don’t have anything that you’re zealous about, wow, life must be pretty miserable. What gets you excited? What do you like? Whatever that is, you must also develop a zeal for the things of God, and particularly as it pertains to the welfare of souls. That’s what this is all about. That’s why we have done tonight what many others would not do, and that is after a short afternoon. Come back again together on a Sunday night. You know, a lot of places are canceling Sunday night services due to a lack of interest.

Well, if people aren’t going to come. Maybe they tried some to change the program to do things different. People still aren’t coming. And so a lot of folks just go down to one service a day. Folks aren’t interested. Something different about you folks. Part of it is your zeal for spiritual things. You have chosen tonight, and I want to compliment you. Even if you’re not a member here, you have come to be with us. I want to compliment you for doing something that a lot of folks would not do. On a Sunday evening at 5 o’clock, especially if you’re a Green Bay Packers fan. Or if this is your nap time, or a time that you would like to go shopping, or whatever it is that you have a zeal for, you’ve chosen to be here, and I appreciate that.

First century disciples had a zeal for the Lord that led to having a zeal for lost souls. They went everywhere preaching the word. Acts chapter 8 and verse 4. They were being persecuted. Saul of Tarsus, who would later become the Apostle Paul, he would be transformed. He would be changed. But he was ravaging the church at that time, wreaking havoc. And so the disciples spread everywhere, and it says they went preaching the word, sharing the gospel message. Yes, it was a different time. It was a different audience. This was new. People were listening to this message. Today the message of Jesus has become so mambi pamby, if that’s a good word for it. So watered down. And so little is required in the minds of many people to be a disciple of Jesus.

And we’re dealing with all of the denominational teaching that misleads people about Jesus, even in regard to salvation. And so we live in different times, and a lot of us, including myself, get frustrated. We’re not converting people. This baptistry goes unused. A lot of the time.

Why are we not successful in evangelism? And we decry the problems in our culture and the lack of interest in spiritual things, but that’s not all it is. Some of it is us.

If you live in a neighborhood, just think about the houses all around here in your neighborhood and the number of people that live in those houses. That are likely lost. We get frustrated and throw up our hands and say, What can I do? I’m not that proficient of a teacher. Tony’s much more proficient than I am. Or Mike is more proficient, or Ernie, one of our elders, Robert or Ken, Ed could do it. We got Jared now. He’s got some experience in that. We got a lot of guys, actually, that could do some teaching, but I really can’t do that. Let me tell you something that I think will help us to reach souls. And it’s something you can do. Someone says, I don’t know that I can do evangelism.

Boy, that might be asking too much. Could you bring someone to hear the message? Could you invite someone to hear the messages that are delivered here every Lord’s day? Some of you have done that. Invited someone to come with you. You can do that. And I think it’s not an option, well, I just can’t let us do what we will do. I can’t do evangelism. You need to confess Christ, don’t you? Jesus says in Matthew chapter 10 and verse 32, everyone who confesses me, I will confess before my Father who is in heaven. If we do not confess Christ, he’s not going to confess us. The way that we live needs to be a confession of him. I am loyal to him. I’m a servant of Jesus Christ.

And that ought to be displayed in the way that we act before others. But that’s not really what I’m getting at. That’s just, I’m getting to the point. Who have you prayed for who is presently outside of Christ? I mean, who have you specifically mentioned to the Father? Who is not presently in Christ? Who has not been baptized for the forgiveness of their sins? And then let me challenge you. Do what others will not do.

How many people did you bring to Christ last year? Let’s see. Okay. We didn’t convert ten people, did we? Did you? Where are those people that you converted? I don’t see them. And I know our business is to plant. Our business is not the results. It is God who gives the increase. And I’m not saying, and even if we did convert ten people, it’s not like we say, well, God, I’ve earned my ticket to heaven now. I’m not saying that. But let me give you something here. Instead of praying for the lost and wishing that we could convert people. Could you choose one person? Just one. Think about one person outside of Christ. Just one. And pray for them on a regular basis, if not daily.

Pray for them daily. Asking God for an opportunity to be used. I’ll tell you this a little scary because you start praying a prayer like that, you’re going to get an open door. We may not be able to reach the world. I am one person living in a very large community of Tomball, an even larger, extended community of Houston, millions of people, and then a larger world beyond that. But that’s not the task of preaching the gospel. It’s this person and then that person and this person and this person equipping that person to teach somebody else, 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 2. And that’s what’s happened here. Some we’ve taught some folks. And now they’re able to teach other folks. That’s the way this thing spreads.

Who’s your one person that you’re going to pray for in 2012 until you get an opportunity? Have you ever done that before? Have you ever prayed for just one person that might be rescued from their sins? It’s not that the rest of the lost world doesn’t matter, but look, we’ve not been having a lot of success. So let’s just try to reach one. And remember, with everyone we reach, their contacts have now extended our contacts. You pray for that person and you ask God to use you. You know, it’s not, Isaiah’s words were not, here am I, send someone else? Ernie’s praying, give me someone that Tony can teach. And Tony can influence. Send him to Tony’s doorstep. No, this is who can I teach? Send me somebody that I can influence.

2. Encouragement: Watchfulness and Compassion

Give me an open door. Help me to help this one person. Okay, you’re ambitious. Go for two. Two people. But by all means, start with one. Can you do something in evangelism that you’ve never done before? And should we not be zealous about it? So zealous that we would not forget to pray for this person. There’s a second area that, believe it or not, is closely tied to the first, and that is in encouragement. Which involves watchfulness and compassion. Do you realize how many people of faith throw in the towel, get discouraged, and give up? Sometimes they have regularly attended all of our services and then all of a sudden, boom, they’re gone. That particular week, they had just been going through the motions for a while, and now they disappear, they vanish.

I would hate to think how many people who used to be members of the Decorate Prairie Church who still live within driving distance no longer worship here anymore. Sometimes when we talk about evangelism, we always talk about those that are without. But what about those who are already within? What about an evangelism within? What about those who have already put on Christ, who are struggling in regard to faith, and they need to be encouraged. Let’s at least keep those that we already have. And that’s why we need to be about the business of trying to help as many as we can to encourage people to make connections with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Because we need to save them too. I think in evangelism, we think it’s always out there, out there.

We’ve got our hands full. Not that it can’t be done. The seeking soul is going to find his way or her way to the truth with or without us. I understand that. But we have opportunities with those who are already members of the body of Christ, that we need to make sure that we don’t lose them. The Hebrew writer talks about this in Hebrews chapter 12. When he says, strengthen in verse 12, Hebrews 12, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Would anybody take me on tonight and say it’s not evangelism when you say the limb that is lame?

I want to tell you that’s evangelism too. Keeping those among the saved who have already been identified with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I mean, it’s not just the problem sometimes that we’re not bringing folks in from the outside, we’re losing the folks we already have. So let’s focus on them too. Who can you encourage? What can you do that you’ve not done that might encourage someone? Some of you participate regularly in our group meetings. That’s one of the things that happens in those, where cards are sent to those who have struggles. Cards are sent to those who have attended our services. Who knows? Those things mean something to folks. What about sending a note or making a call to someone who’s perhaps struggling? What can you do in the area of encouragement?

3. Holiness: Watchfulness of Ourselves

Taking the focus off of ourselves and our busy lives and all the things that are going on with us, and thinking about the welfare of others. And doing what others will not do, thirdly, in the area of holiness. Also including the watchfulness of the previous point, the watchfulness of others, but the watchfulness of ourselves and our own steps. Be careful how you walk. Be careful to engage in good deeds. That would be the previous point, Titus 3 and verse 8. Be careful to engage in good deeds and be careful how you walk. In holiness. You want to stand out among your peers. Don’t value what they value. That’s immoral. Don’t wear what they don’t wear. Wait a minute. That didn’t sound right. But you know what I mean?

Don’t speak the way they speak. You’ll be unique. You’ll stand out. People will notice that person never uses profit. They’re different. Some of you are already doing, aren’t you, what others do. Not doing what they do. You’re doing what others will not do, and that is being holy in all your conversation, according to 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 14. And the reason why we ought to do that, be holy in all of our behavior, is because the coming of the day of God approaches. That’s what Peter says at the end of 2 Peter chapter 3. We’ll be studying this in our adult class on Sunday morning. When he’s wrapping up his last will and testament, he’s warning people look, we rapidly move toward the end.

Conclusion

And so what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conduct and godliness, 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 11. So we began talking this morning about leadership and setting an example, regardless of the atmosphere seems conducive to that or not. Being willing to be different. I’ve run across some quotes in regard to leadership that applies to our success in the three areas we’ve just mentioned. One is an older preacher from generations ago named Jonathan Edwards, who said, Resolve never to do anything which I would be afraid to do if it were my last hour. That’s a good way of thinking about it, isn’t it? Whatever it is that you’re contemplating doing, to think about, you know, if this is the last hour I had upon the planet, would I want to be doing this?

That’s a good thought. John Maxwell, who’s written a lot on the subject of leadership, has a whole slew of books on the subject. He says, a leader knows the way, and he goes the way. And he shows the way. Margaret Thatcher, the former prime minister of Britain, says, you may have to fight a battle more than once to win it. My standard is not what any other believer chooses to do or not do, but what the mercies of the Lord deserve from me. Psalm 116 and verse 12 What shall I render to the Lord for all of his benefits? Or as we’ve looked at recently in Romans 12 and verse 1, we’re admonished to be living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And then this in 1 John chapter 4, because of Jesus’ love for us, it says, His love is perfected with us. He loved us first. We love because he first loved us, verse 19. And then in verse 17, he says, Because as he is, so also are we in the world. Doing what others will not do. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 16 is where we began this morning. Every member supplying his or her part. You get engaged in evangelism, you start praying for someone. You seek a lost soul. You get engaged in encouragement of others. It’s not all about me and how people are reacting to me. I need to look out and seek others that I can serve. And I’m going to live a life of holiness.

I’m going to show others the way Jesus tells us to live. That is an abundant way of living.

Well, how are we going to accomplish that? Actually, the three verses prior to that. Is it just utopia as we began? Is it just a pipe dream that you can actually get a congregation, every member supplying its part. Not if we pursue the three previous verses. If we grow into the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, and no longer be children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ. Can you do that? Sure you can. I’m not asking you to do something that is you’re incapable of doing. We can all grow up unto him who is the head, even Christ.

It’s easy to get lost in the crowd and say, I’m a part of this great church. Man, it’s growing, it’s thriving. There’s a lot of good people, a lot of good things. I’m a member of the Decor Prairie Church, aren’t we? Isn’t it a pretty good church? But it didn’t it become what it is? Because of the part you’re supplying. Or we’ve been riding the coattails of our elders. Or some of our members who are go-getters and enthusiastic and who do all these things that we’re talking about, serving others. What are you supplying? It must be me before it is we.

But you know, we talk about our sports team sometimes, and we use the word we.

Yeah, Mike’s doing a lot sitting there on his couch. Yay, go Packers. He’s a big part of it. Aaron Rodgers regularly said, that Mike Moriarty, we couldn’t do it without it.

But we’re good. We, you know, we identify with our teams. It’s us, and we can do that. It’s us, but you know, I’m doing very little with my sports teams to make them a success. What about our success as a church? What are you contributing? Could you contribute more? That’s what this lesson is probing. Somebody said these two-letter words, these ten two-letter words are some of the most powerful in the English language. You know you could put ten two-letter words together and make a good sentence. You’ve heard this too. If it is to be, it is up to me. Ten two-letter words. If it is to be, it is up to us. Let’s change that. A lot better. Let’s get in that group again. Let’s get out there and get them, fellas.

What about me? Well, I’ve always wanted to be on a great team. I actually want to be a participant on the team. I’m going to be a bench warmer. I’m going to sit down at the end of the bench, and the only reason why coach is ever going to put me in is if everybody else fouls out. Or even worse, I mean, he might have to call on me if everybody else fouls out. Let me be the water boy. Team manager. Let’s be active participants. I’ll give you some interesting passages here as we wrap this up. That are saying exactly what I’m saying to you tonight. Remember this text? Joshua’s farewell to the people, and he’s telling them, serve the Lord in sincerity and truth. And they say, Yeah, we’re going to serve the Lord.

And he said, You’re not going to be able to serve the Lord because he’s a jealous God. And they did serve the Lord all the days of Joshua, but after that things got a little tenuous in the era of the judges. Joshua could see that coming. But we know the famous thing that Joshua said. Choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. It didn’t matter what anybody else in Israel decided to do. That’s true leadership. That’s doing what others sometimes will not do. He said, But as for me and my house, we’re going to serve the Lord. That’s the kind of determination we’re talking about. Interesting. Micah, flip over to Micah at the end of his message in chapter 7.

I love the statement. I was noticing the context the context of this today in Micah 7 and verse 3. Notice his circumstances. Remember, we talked about tough, non conducive circumstances. Look at verse 3. His people. Concerning evil, they were experts. He says, concerning evil, both hands do it well. They’re ambidextrous in evil. They’re good at it. Concerning evil, both hands do it well. But he says in verse 7, but as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears attend to their prayers. Everybody else is proficient in doing evil. They can do it right-handed or left-handed. They’ve got it worked out.

But that’s not what I’m going to do. But as for me, I’m going to wait on the Lord and I will watch expectantly for him. Teachers will be accumulated because folks have itching ears. Paul warns Timothy. After he says to him, preach the word, be instead in season and out of season. Then he says in verse 5, but as for you, in contrast to those who embrace evil and promote what is not true, but as for you do the work of an evangelist. It doesn’t matter what other teachers decide to do. You have a mission, and I expect you to fulfill your ministry. Titus 1. There’s a theme here in all of these passages. Are you catching it? In Titus 1 and verse 16, people who profess to know God, but their deeds say different.

Detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. Titus, but that’s not you. But as for you speak the things that are fitting sound doctrine. Remember when I talked about Jeremiah’s day when he was decrying the situation among the priests and the lack of shame. We didn’t read that. They don’t even know how to blush. In Jeremiah chapter 15, have another whole sermon revolving around this verse, as he is admonished to extract the precious from the worthless. You will become my spokesman. They, for their part, may turn to you, but as for you must not turn to them. As a result of your preaching and teaching, Jeremiah, some may turn to you, but even if they don’t, you don’t turn to them. You be different.

And then finally, in Nehemiah chapter 2, he tells the king, I’ve got to go back to my homeland. I’ve got work to do. And I’m sure to the king, the request of Nehemiah, boy, that’s a bit overzealous. What good is Nehemiah going to accomplish? And Nehemiah’s attitude was if I get help, that’s fine, but if I don’t, I’m still going to do it. And with Nehemiah’s leadership, Israel rebuilt the walls. Much like his counterpart Ezra, when it says he set his heart to know God’s statutes, to learn them and to practice them. And again, it doesn’t matter what others do. John Maxwell says again, to measure a leader, put a tape around his heart, not around his head.

I cannot do everything, but I can do something. This lesson tonight is saying, okay, I want you to put the decor prayer church on your shoulders and run with it. It’s all up to you. Dave, get after it. It’s you. You’re going to put the whole church on your shoulders, you’re going to run with it. That’s not what we’re saying. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. I want you to think this week: what is the something that you’re doing? Can you do a little more? And that which I can do by the grace of God, I will do. You’ve probably heard this story. A clever little story about four people. Have you heard this one? Named Everybody, somebody, anybody, and nobody. You ever heard the story?

Preachers have been using this story for years and years and years, but every generation needs to hear it. Here’s how it goes. There was an important job to be done. And everybody was sure somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but nobody did. Now somebody got angry because it was everybody’s job. Everybody thought anybody could do it, but nobody realized that everybody blamed somebody when nobody did what anybody could have done. I first saw that little story under the title, and that’s the way it is. But I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be.

That others do not have. And yet we all desperately need. And that’s God as our friend. And as our help, and as our Savior. And as our redeemer. I began these lessons by talking about utopia. You know, I’m always going to pay too many taxes. Gasoline prices are always going to be too high. I get upset every time I drive by Kroger, and that number three is in front. I’m never going to have perfect neighbors on all sides. I’m not ever going to be driving down 249, and everybody is driving well. If we expect utopia here, we got another thing coming. But I want to tell you what the closest thing is. And that is being right with God. In the midst of a sometimes troubled life.

Because in his presence is fullness of joy, and at his right hand are pleasures forever. There is truly a utopia. And that will be in his presence for all eternity. And you don’t want to miss that. Are you prepared to meet the Lord? If you’re not prepared, know the terror of the Lord. We will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to receive the things done in our body, whether those things be good or bad. And knowing the terror of the Lord, you should be persuaded. And we try to persuade you. Do you know what is required of you to come into a right relationship with God?

Is there someone you need to talk to about that? Perhaps the one you are closest to in this assembly.

I can tell you exactly what Jesus said. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. Mark 16 and verse 16. But you still may not really apprehend what all that involves and what the Christian life will involve. Perhaps you need more information. You need to sit down with your Bible across the table from somebody who has the answers to these questions. And there’s a lot of people in this audience who have those answers.

Do you understand what the Lord requires of you? Are you ready to embrace his will and to belong to him? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high and that he is the Savior? He is the King, and you will give an account to Him one day. Are you ready for that day? Do you need to take the steps of preparation now? And we sing an invitation song to encourage someone’s response. Let’s stand and sing.