Sermon Tone Analysis
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(4:18–22)
The following widely told story is a sobering parable of what the church’s concern for evangelism has often been like.
On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks were frequent, a crude little life-saving station was built.
The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted crewmen kept a constant watch over the sea.
With no thought for themselves, they went out day or night, tirelessly searching for any who might need help.
Many lives were saved by their devoted efforts.
After a while the station became famous.
Some of those who were saved, as well as others in the surrounding area, wanted to become a part of the work.
They gave time and money for its support.
New boats were bought, additional crews were trained, and the station grew.
Some of the members became unhappy that the building was so crude.
They felt a larger, nicer place would be more appropriate as the first refuge of those saved from the sea.
So they replaced the emergency cots with hospital beds and put better furniture in the enlarged building.
Soon the station became a popular gathering place for its members to discuss the work and to visit with each other.
They continued to remodel and decorate until the station more and more took on the look and character of a club.
Fewer members were interested in going out on lifesaving missions, so they hired professional crews to do the work on their behalf.
The lifesaving motif still prevailed on the club emblems and stationery, and there was a liturgical lifeboat in the room where the club held its initiations.
One day a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in many boatloads of cold, wet, half-drowned people.
They were dirty, bruised, and sick; and some had black or yellow skin.
The beautiful new club was terribly messed up, and so the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside, where the shipwreck victims could be cleaned up before coming inside.
At the next meeting there was a split in the club membership.
Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s lifesaving activities altogether, as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal social life of the club.
Some members insisted on keeping lifesaving as their primary purpose and pointed out that, after all, they were still called a lifesaving station.
But those members were voted down and told that if they wanted to save lives they could begin their own station down the coast somewhere.
As the years went by, the new station gradually faced the same problems the other one had experienced.
It, too, became a club, and its lifesaving work became less and less of a priority.
The few members who remained dedicated to lifesaving began another station.
History continued to repeat itself; and if you visit that coast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along the shore.
Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown.
What a striking illustration of the history of the church.
The work of evangelism, of spiritual lifesaving, is the purest, truest, noblest, and most essential work the church will ever do.
The work of fishing men and women out of the sea of sin is the greatest work the church is called by God to do.
Rescuing men from sin is God’s great concern.
Evangelism has been called the sob of God.
Concern for the lost caused Jesus to grieve over unbelieving Jerusalem (Matt.
23:37).
God sent His Son to earth for the very purpose of saving men from sin (John 3:16–17).
Jesus Himself came “to seek and to save that which was lost”
(Luke 19:10).
The Holy Spirit gives to those who believe “the washing of regeneration and renewing”
(Titus 3:5).
The whole Trinity is at work in the ministry of saving mankind from sin.
Father sent the Son to rescue us.
The Son dies so we can live.
The Holy Spirit draws us to God.
God’s concern for redeeming mankind should be our concern!
God’s people were to share His concern for the lost.
Moses was so desperate for the salvation of his own rebellious people that he cried to God (Ex.
32:32)
The writer of Proverbs reminded Israel (Prov.
11:30).
The Lord told Daniel (Dan.
12:3).
Evangelism was the great concern of the New Testament church.
Immediately after Pentecost, the new believers were totally dedicated to God and to winning others to Him. (Acts 2:42–47)
The first great persecution of the church in Jerusalem began under Saul they evangelized (Acts 8:1–4)
They did not despair over their hardship but took it as an opportunity to expand the Lord’s work.
We can do the same!!!
After Saul (Paul) was converted, his own great concern was evangelism (Rom.
1:14–16).
Paul was called to be God’s special apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15)
Paul had an overwhelming desire for the salvation of his fellow Jews (Rom.
9:3; 10:1)
He wanted everyone to be saved (1 Cor.
9:22)
Evangelism has been the heartthrob of faithful Christians throughout the history of the church.
John Knox pleaded with God, “Give me Scotland or I die.”
John Wesley considered the whole world his parish.
Like the Christian life in general, soul-winning involves a paradox (Matt.
16:25)
The life of evangelism involves sacrificing the greater for the lesser, the worthy for the unworthy.
(Matt.
16:25)
Forms of evangelize are used over fifty times in the New Testament.
Evangelizing is the primary thrust of the Great Commission (Matt.
28:19).
When Jesus called His disciples to Himself, He also called them to call others.
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