Not Saved for Self!
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Can one truly be a fisherman if he never goes fishing?
Can one truly be a fisherman if he never goes fishing?
There is a story told of a group that exists, who call themselves fishermen. The entire area where they live is teeming with fish, the streams, rivers, and lakes are filled with fish of every type. And they are hungry....
Year after year, these people who call themselves fishermen meet and talk about their call to fish… they talk about the abundance of fish available… and they talk about what the best practices of fishing are…
They continually search for new and better definitions of fishing… and new and better methods of fishing… They sponsor costly nationwide and worldwide congresses to discuss fishing… to promote fishing… and to hear about all the “latest and greatest” ways of fishing!
They build expansive… beautiful buildings with the newest, fanciest architecture and call them “Fishing Headquarters”… The plea goes out from them that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish…
One thing they didn’t do… however… is fish!
They organized a board to send out fishermen to where the many fish are… The board was formed by people with a great vision for fishing, and great courage for speaking about fishing… They defined fishing… and they promoted the idea of fishing in far-away streams and lakes, where fish of many different colors lived…
They hired staffs and appointed committees and held meetings to define fishing… to defend fishing… and to decide what new streams should be thought about… But they did not fish…
They only TAUGHT fishing…
Year after year, graduates were sent to do “full-time” fishing… some to distant waters filled with fish… Further, they built large printing houses to publish fishing guides… And a speakers bureau was provided to schedule special speakers to come a speak about fishing…
Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded, and were sent to fish… But… like the fishermen back home — they never fished…
Some also said they wanted to be part of the fishing party, but not to fish… you see, they were called to furnish fishing equipment, not to actually fish… Others felt their job was to RELATE to the fish in a good way, so the fish would know the difference between good fishermen and bad fishermen.
After one stirring meeting on “The Necessity of Fishing,” one young man left the meeting and actually went fishing.
The next day, he reported that he had caught two outstanding fish! He was honored for his excellent catch, and immediately scheduled to visit all the big meetings possible to tell “How He Did It.”
So… naturally… he quit his fishing in order to have time to tell about the experience to the other fishermen… He was placed on the “Fisherman’s General Board” as a person having considerable experience…
Now, it’s true that many fishermen had sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties… Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every day… They received the ridicule of some — who made fun of their fishermen’s clubs and the fact that they claimed to be fishermen, yet never fished…
They wondered about those who felt it was of little use to attend the weekly meetings to talk about fishing… After all, were they not following the Master who said: “Follow me and I will make you Fishermen!”
Matthew 4:19 (NRSV)
19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”
What has God called us — Christians — to do?
19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”
How are we supposed to do that? How do we FISH for PEOPLE?
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Let me put it in clearer terms for us, right here, in Bonham, TX:
“Go, therefore, into all of Bonham, Texas, and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.”
How are we doing with that?!
— How are YOU doing with that?!
I think… way to often… we are like those fishermen… We talk a good game… We like to get together and talk about what we are supposed to do… but we fail — or at the very least, struggle — to actually do it!
Why do we so often fail?
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness.
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 ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Jesus SAW the harvest!
Why don’t we?!
The answer is right there in this passage:
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Could it be that… We lack compassion? True Compassion… the kind that forces us to SEE the needs of others…
13 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
There is NO exception there! EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED!
If that is true, then why don’t we see a harvest? Why does it seem like we just can’t get people to seek Jesus?! Why are so many churches struggling to grow… to see real fruit… to see people saved?!
There is only one reason… and it hurts!
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus “saw the crowds”… He SAW their pain and helplessness… and HE HAD COMPASSION ON THEM!
Could it be that… We don’t SEE the harvest, because we lack compassion?
(Jill’s story — People’s Fellowship)
Is that us? Do we miss people… do we not SEE them… because they are not “our type” of people?!
Matthew says that Jesus had compassion for the people…
Luke says that when Jesus looked on Jerusalem, He wept with compassion for the people:
41 As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it,
42 saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
Jesus saw their condition… He saw their pain… He saw their suffering… He saw their despair… and HE KNEW… (He KNEW!!! do you get that?) He KNEW … why they were in that condition!
Church — We do too! amen?!
We know why people are in the desparate state they are in… We know why there is pain and suffering in our world… We know why people are struggling with depression, anxiety, and fear…
We have the ANSWER, amen?!
13 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
But… Here’s the problem — look at what Paul says next:
14 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?
15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
16 But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”
17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
How can people hear, If we do not share?!
Let me ask you something — “What made Paul — the man who wrote the majority of our current Bible — so effective in sharing the Gospel?”
— Was it his charisma? NO!
— Was it his brilliant way of speaking? His insight? His educated intellect? NO!
— Was it the power and grace of his presence? NO!
— Was it his passion? YES!!!!
Paul was passionate about Christ, because he understood GRACE!
12 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service,
13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.
16 But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life.
That Grace — the Grace he experienced on the road to Damascus… the Grace that later called him into the service of God’s Kingdom… — caused him to have compassion on people, because he understood what they needed!
And he wasn’t about to risk them missing out on the Grace he knew!!!
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”
Paul was not ashamed of the gospel! It didn’t matter what people thought… it didn’t matter if he went to jail for it… if people ridiculed him for it… if people rejected him… He was not ashamed to share it!!!!
He was run out of Athens for it…
He was beaten for it…
He was imprisoned for it…
and ultimately, he died for it…
Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel!
Are You? (Are you ashamed of the gospel? — I’m not leaving this one til I get an answer…)
(now here’s a hard question — it hurt when God said this to me…)
Then, Why don’t you share it?
You see… Many of us claim to “not be ashamed of the Gospel,” but… then…
— We don’t share it out of fear — fear of reprisal… fear of reproach… fear of rejection… (let me tell you: You are not responsible for ANYONE’S salvation. You are only responsible for sharing the Gospel.)
— We don’t share out of judgment — “These aren’t my kind of people...”
— We don’t share because… We don’t “SEE” them…
Let me tell you… on the day of Judgment… on the day that we stand before our Lord… whenever that day is… We will not have to give an account for the things — the sins — we have committed… We will give an account of what we did with the Grace we have been given!
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
38 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
We cannot turn a blind eye! We must SEE the Harvest… and INVEST in it!
23 Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
Our love for Jesus should drive our compassion, and love, for people!
Why?!
Because of He LOVES them!
And that should drive us to go to whatever lengths it takes to share the gospel with them!
That is what drove Paul. His love for God… his compassion for the suffering of people… drove him to cry out:
16 If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!
Look at:
19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them.
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law.
21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law.
22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some.
23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
Listen to how “The Message” words it:
19 Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people:
20 religious, nonreligious,
21 meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists,
22 the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life.
23 I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!
Paul is not talking about “tricking” … or “manipulating” people…
He is talking about doing whatever it takes to build relationships with people… to connect with people… to open his own eyes in order to “see” people… so that they might hear the Gospel!
Paul was willing to do whatever he had to do in order to share the Gospel with people!
Why? Because it is literally life or death for them! (Just as it was for us!)
What are you willing to do for the sake of the gospel?
I want to share with you a true story from one of our missionaries a few years ago:
(this comes from the missionary reading book “For Whose Sake I Have Lost All Things”)
Now… This story involves a woman named Linda… She is from California, and she married a South African military officer after meeting him through her friend Lou (the missionary)… This part of the story occurs during a time when Lou had invited Linda to accompany her on her ministry circuit…
“A bump in the road jostled everyone, tossing Linda into the air. She landed with an uncomfortable thud and glanced worriedly at Marcy, who was supporting her weight. Marcy’s expression, however, held surprise rather than pain. Suddenly, she threw her head back in a loud, deep laugh that quickly spread to the others.
As she laughed with them, Linda felt joy that Marcy was there. Only a few short years before, Marcy was known as the town drunk. Her children were unkempt and roamed the town in dirty clothing that hung from their malnourished bodies. The women at church gathered, prayed for Marcy, took her food, and prayed more until their message was unmistakable—they loved her.
One evening, they prepared yet another meal for Marcy and took it to her home. With gratitude in her voice, Marcy falteringly asked the women to explain the kind of love that would motivate them to serve her—a neglectful mother whose children fended for themselves in the streets while she drank herself into confusion. Before the women left, Marcy prayed with them and came face to face with the source of their love.
“The next week, the women were shocked to find Marcy’s children scrubbed clean, just like her house, which seemed to shine from every corner.
“If God is going to live in me and my house,” Marcy said seriously, “it ought to be a place worth living in.” She didn’t touch alcohol from that day on.”
(Excerpt From: Timothy R. Gaines. “For Whose Sake I Have Lost All Things.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/for-whose-sake-i-have-lost-all-things/id845820106)
Look at Mt 28 again:
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Christ did not leave us to figure this out on our own… He didn’t say, “Go and figure out how to make disciples...” He gave us the formula!
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
To “make disciples” requires — or infers — a relationship is necessary!
It is through a relationship with people that the gospel is shared!
Marcy’s salvation was made possible by the relationship those women pursued with her...
19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them.
How far are you willing to go for the Gospel? How far are you willing to go for the sake of people?
7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.
8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.
Let me share with you another part of Linda’s story (this time they are going to visit a woman named Elizabeth):
“Minutes later, they arrived at Elizabeth’s house, which was pieced together with bits of tin siding. Despite the dreariness of the day and the austerity of her dwelling, Elizabeth’s face shone with happiness as she opened the door to her guests.
“Welcome to my home!” she said exuberantly.
The women stepped into the house and surveyed their surroundings. The tin walls were adorned with colorful bits of newspaper clippings, comics, and wrapping paper that contrasted with the dung floor. A small bed was tucked in one corner, and a two-burner camping stove held a warming tea kettle. Two wooden chairs rested along one of the adjacent walls.
“Please, come in, sit down,” said Elizabeth, beckoning them inward.
As her guests settled into the cramped living area, Elizabeth produced a mismatched collection of tin cups and began to pour tea into each cup, still smiling widely. The metal of the cup was hot against Linda’s hand, but she welcomed the warmth on such a cold day.
“Beskuit?” Elizabeth held out a brown cylindrical package.”
“Dankie,” said Linda, accepting a wafer. Elizabeth only smiled. She continued to offer biscuits to her guests until Lou began the study.
Linda understood very little of the dialogue, but was able to make out Lou’s instruction to turn to the third chapter of Philippians.
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ,” Linda read along in English. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him” (Philippians 3:8-9a).
The words seemed to hang in the air. Linda’s thoughts turned immediately to Mark, who she knew would soon travel a dangerous road back to their home in George. She had gained so much in her marriage to Mark—the idea of considering him rubbish was harsh. Her face flushed as a single tear spilled down her cheek, coursing toward her chin.
“Is that not the truth?” Lou thundered authoritatively. She paused for a moment. “Is that not the truth?”
“Another tear slipped down Linda’s face as she considered the question. It is the truth, she thought, but can I really consider all my recent gains to be rubbish?
It was then that Linda heard her aunt pointing the question at her directly. “Do you really count all things as rubbish?” The words were sharp, unavoidable.
Lord, Linda prayed silently, you know that I just left my country and my family, so yes, I would say that I do.
What about your husband?
Silence. Linda couldn’t speak.
What about your husband? The question came again, patient yet persistent. Still, Linda couldn’t manage a response. She let her head drop.
One of the women noticed Linda’s distress and motioned to the others.
“Linda, what’s wrong?” Lou asked with concern.”
“Though she considered avoiding the question altogether, Linda attempted to still herself before she finally spoke.
“I have waited my whole life for Mark.” Her throat tightened. “If I come to the point where I call him rubbish, what will happen? Will I lose him?”
Another tear fell, and the other women, unable to understand Linda’s English, glanced worriedly at one another. Lou translated as Linda continued.
“My husband is the most important person to me, and it’s hard to think that losing what I’ve gained in him could actually be more of a gain. I know that I need to come to the point where I can let him go, and I know that Christ surpasses any gain I think I have so far. It is the truth. I thought that everything that I needed was connected to my husband, but I’m starting to wonder if everything I truly need is somehow in Jesus.”
“The others were silent for a few moments before a tiny woman raised her head to speak. Her piercing blue eyes shone out against her dark skin.
“You all know that my son is my world,” she said in a low voice. “After my husband left, everything I hoped for, everything I dreamed of, was placed in that little boy. I’m the same as Linda. I need to let go. I need to know that everything I thought was gain is very little compared to knowing Christ.” As she finished, tears flowed from her bright eyes.
One by one, each woman named what seemed to them to be their gains, and one by one, each explained how they now considered those things losses compared with the knowledge of Christ.”
(Excerpt From: Timothy R. Gaines. “For Whose Sake I Have Lost All Things.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/for-whose-sake-i-have-lost-all-things/id845820106)
What are you willing to do for the sake of the Gospel?
What are you willing to do for the sake of your relationship with Christ?
Christians aren’t saved for themselves!
You were bought and paid for AT A PRICE!
— It’s not about you!
— It’s about Christ… and its about His Love for the world around us!!!
We are saved for the sake of others!
Look at what Jesus said to Peter:
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Do you love Jesus?
— Then feed His people!
Understand — Our sacrifice is not without reward…
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence takes lives away.
When we lose ourselves… when we give up control… when we give up EVERYTHING…when we “suffer the loss of all things”… and “consider all things rubbish” for the sake of our relationship with Jesus… We receive the Tree of Life!
What is Christ asking you to do for the sake of the Gospel?