Preparation, proclamation, and pedicures

Jim Cymbala preaches at a church in the slums of New York. He tells the following story: It was Easter Sunday and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform, pulled down my tie and sat down and draped my feet over the edge. It was a wonderful service with many people coming forward. The counselors were talking with these people.

As I was sitting there I looked up the middle aisle, and there in about the third row was a man who looked about fifty, disheveled, filthy. He looked up at me rather sheepishly, as if saying, “Could I talk to you?”

We have homeless people coming in all the time, asking for money or whatever. So as I sat there, I said to myself, though I am ashamed of it, “What a way to end a Sunday. I’ve had such a good time, preaching and ministering, and here’s a fellow probably wanting some money for more wine.”

He walked up. When he got within about five feet of me, I smelled a horrible smell like I’d never smelled in my life. It was so awful that when he got close, I would inhale by looking away, and then I’d talk to him, and then look away to inhale, because I couldn’t inhale facing him. I asked him, “What’s your name?”

“David.”

“How long have you been on the street?”

“Six years.”

“How old are you?”

“Thirty-two.” He looked fifty--hair matted; front teeth missing; wino; eyes slightly glazed.

“Where did you sleep last night, David?”

“Abandoned truck.”

I keep in my back pocket a money clip that also holds some credit cards. I fumbled to pick one out thinking; I’ll give him some money. I won’t even get a volunteer. They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don’t give money to people. We take them to get something to eat.

I took the money out. David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, “I don’t want your money. I want this Jesus, the One you were talking about, because I’m not going to make it. I’m going to die on the street.”

I completely forgot about David, and I started to weep for myself. I was going to give a couple of dollars to someone God had sent to me. See how easy it is? I could make the excuse I was tired. There is no excuse. I was not seeing him the way God sees him. I was not feeling what God feels…(1)

Seeing people the way God sees people, feeling people the way God feels about people- that is hard work. Can I ask each of you a pretty direct question this evening? How do you feel about those outside the scope of the church. We call them “lost” “pagan” “heathens” “non-believers” and other terms. I am not asking for a rationale of your term of choice, I am asking how do you feel about them?

Our text this evening is one of my favorite pieces of Paul’s letters. But before we get there I want to backtrack a chapter to . In Paul tells his heart for the people outside of the scope of the church. Listen to what he says:

The New International Version Chapter 9

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! d Amen.

Listen to the words that Paul is using here- anguish, great sorrow- Paul is burning inside for these people, for these people are his friends, his neighbors, his family, his kinsmen, these are not faceless, nameless people- these are HIS PEOPLE. Paul says that he cares so much about the people of his country that he would forfeit his own salvation in order to obtain theirs. That my friends is passion, that my friends is the heart of God. Jesus says “THIS is how much I love my people, my brothers, my sisters, my children!” And he laid down his life for us...

Church, many of us need to repent. We need to repent of dehumanizing the people we are called to bring the Gospel to. We need to repent of the times that evangelism is rooted not in changing lives for the Gospel but in our own needs- “if the church does not grow we will close!” “If we don’t get more money we will not meet budget” “Without younger families the church will die!” No matter how true any of these statements may be, if they become the primary reason for evangelism we have completely missed the heart of God!

So, what is the heart of God for the lost? What does it look like? How does it feel?

English Standard Version Chapter 9

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

(1) https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/19704/work-by-davon-huss?ref=TextIllustrationSerps