Priorities For The New Year 2015-Evangelism Must Be A Priority
Evangelism Must Be A Priority
Series: Priorities For The New Year 2015
Scripture Reading: Mark 5:18-21
Date: 21, February 2015
Scripture Reading
Let us rise to our feet and read Mark 5:18-21
The word “Evangelism” is simply defined as the spreading of Christianity.
Gen. William Nelson, a Union general in the USA Civil War, was consumed with the battles in Kentucky when a brawl ended up in his being shot, mortally, in the chest. He had faced many battles, but the fatal blow came while he was relaxing with his men. As such, he was caught fully unprepared. As men ran up the stairs to help him, the general had just one phrase, "Send for a clergyman; I wish to be baptized." He never had time as an adolescent or young man. He never had time as a private or after he became a general. And his wound did not stop or slow down the war. Everything around him was left virtually unchanged--except for the general's priorities. With only minutes left before he entered eternity, the one thing he cared about was preparing for eternity. He wanted to be baptized. Thirty minutes later he was dead
What a tragic story, but how much more tragic to think that lost souls that we encounter in our homes, workplaces, schoolhouses and yes, even in the church house are surrounded by Christians and many will die and spend an eternity in a Lake of Fire.
When you think of an evangelist, you think of an overweight preacher with hair that has been sprayed with a full can of Aqua Net, toting a Red letter, Scofield King James Bible, stomping, snorting, shouting, sweating & spitting all over the place, telling you that if you don’t change your ways you are going to bust hell wide open!
While that may be a type of an evangelist, the fact of the matter, that you should see an evangelist when you look in the mirror. If you are saved you have a simple responsibility…. TELL OTHERS WHAT JESUS HAS DONE FOR YOU!
This story that we have read today illustrates perfectly what we are called to accomplish for Jesus. This man was greatly impacted and completely transformed by Jesus Christ and Jesus told him to GO, TELL OTHERS!!
I ask you o join me as we examine the account of this man who was possessed with a legion of Demons and consider the thought “Evangelism Must Be A Priority”
There are reasons that you do what you do: Why do you go to work? Why do you spend time doing recreational activities? Why do you go home at night? The reason that you do these things is because you have the motivation to do so. You go to wok because you need/want money, You do recreational activities to relax, you go home at night because you love your family. What is the motive for evangelism?
v18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
This man was possessed with an unclean spirit - v.2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
This man lived among the dead - v3a Who had his dwelling among the tombs;
No man could help him - v3b and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
(Ill. No one could bind this man, not even with chains. This story illustrates the power of the demonic force. Satan counterfeits the real. No one could bind Samson because of the spirit of might with which the Lord had anointed him. However, in the kingdom of darkness, that same power is many times
duplicated. I have seen several strong men try, unsuccessfully, to hold down someone who was demon-possessed.)
He was in continuous agony - v5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
This demon-possessed man was tormented by the demons inside him. He would cry often, and cut himself with stones. Demons try to destroy those whom they inhabit.
This man saw Jesus afar off, and ran to Him and worshipped Him. The demon inside him said, “What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.”
The demons knew that Jesus was the Son of God. They pleaded with Jesus not to torment them, because they knew that their time of torment had not come yet. The Lord is ruler over all—even over hell. The demons know that they are granted a period of time. Revelation 12:12 says that the devil knows that he hath but a short time. It is amazing that even
though they know they are defeated and will be tormented once the Lord returns, they still resist and try to fight against the Lord because of envy. Envy gives people no rest
He had an encounter with Jesus - v8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand ;) and were choked in the sea 14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
(Ill. Jesus asked the demon inside of this man, “What is thy name?” and he responded, “My name is
Legion: for we are many.” This phrase switches tenses; at first it is singular, then it is plural. This is easily explained. Normally, when a person is demon possessed, he has several demons (because demons are gregarious), but there is one king demon, if I could say that, that is the dominating force in that person’s life. The king of the demons responded by saying, “My name is Legion.” The Greek word for legion means “a regiment.” A Roman legion consisted of between 4,500 and 6,000 soldiers. In other words, this man had many demons.
The demon pleaded with the Lord not to send him out of that country. He knew that Jesus had the power to send him anywhere. He did not want to leave. It is believed that demons are the spirits of the former inhabitants of the earth. It is normal for people not to want to leave their hometown. Demons feel the same way. That is why they asked the Lord to not send them out of that region.
At first, only one demon was speaking, but then all of the demons inside of this man asked the Lord to send them into the swine. They wanted a habitation, a body to dwell in. Demons always want to inhabit something—people, animals, buildings, or idols.
Jesus gave them leave. They could not do anything until Jesus gave them permission. One can only imagine what happened when all those demons entered into the swine. They took control of them and they rushed down a steep place and fell into the sea. It is interesting that the number 2,000 is mentioned here. There were 2,000 pigs that were inhabited by the demons, and they fell down a steep place and died. Two thousand is the approximate amount of time allotted to the Church Age. At the end of the 2,000 years, all the demons will be cast into the pit of hell.)
Notice the change in this man after Jesus shows up: This man who couldn’t be bound with chains was now comforted - He was “sitting” & “clothed” Peace has replaced torment. Once that man was set free and came to know the Lord, his mind was renewed and restored. He had a right mind and was clothed with the garments of salvation. Instead of being driven about by the demons, he is calm and comforted. He is no longer out of control, he is completely sane and in the possession of a rational mind!
The man who had been demon-possessed told the Lord that he wanted to follow Him, but Jesus told him to go back home and tell everyone what the Lord had done for him. The Lord told some to follow Him, but others He told to go back to their hometowns and evangelize those areas. This is a very important principle. We have to be in the place of the Lord’s choosing. Of what value is it to go to North-India as a missionary or somewhere else and win people to the Lord in that country if the Lord wants you to stay in your hometown? We must know what God’s will for our lives is and where He wants us to be. That is the all-important thing.
You Don’t have to be a theologian
Definition of a witness - A witness is someone who by explanation and demonstration gives audible and visible evidence of what he has seen and heard without being deterred by the consequences of his action.
v19b “tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee,
This man went on to evangelize that whole area for Christ. People believed him because everyone knew him and they could see the change that had taken place in his life. He had a personal testimony to tell. Nothing can take the place of experience. A man with an experience is not at the mercy of someone with a theory. We need to press into God to have experiences so that we share from the heart and not from head knowledge.
18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
This is the word of God. Thanks be to the LORD. May the sweet Holy Spirit add His manifold blessings to our text this morning .... Amen! You may be seated in God's Presence.
Introduction
Today is week three in a series of messages titled “Priorities For The New Year 2015” Over the past couple of weeks we have examined some of the things that MUST take precedent in the lives of a Child of God. We have examined that Love Must Be A Priority. Last week we saw that Worship Must be A Priority, Today we move to the fact that Evangelism Must Be A Priority.The word “Evangelism” is simply defined as the spreading of Christianity.
Gen. William Nelson, a Union general in the USA Civil War, was consumed with the battles in Kentucky when a brawl ended up in his being shot, mortally, in the chest. He had faced many battles, but the fatal blow came while he was relaxing with his men. As such, he was caught fully unprepared. As men ran up the stairs to help him, the general had just one phrase, "Send for a clergyman; I wish to be baptized." He never had time as an adolescent or young man. He never had time as a private or after he became a general. And his wound did not stop or slow down the war. Everything around him was left virtually unchanged--except for the general's priorities. With only minutes left before he entered eternity, the one thing he cared about was preparing for eternity. He wanted to be baptized. Thirty minutes later he was dead
What a tragic story, but how much more tragic to think that lost souls that we encounter in our homes, workplaces, schoolhouses and yes, even in the church house are surrounded by Christians and many will die and spend an eternity in a Lake of Fire.
When you think of an evangelist, you think of an overweight preacher with hair that has been sprayed with a full can of Aqua Net, toting a Red letter, Scofield King James Bible, stomping, snorting, shouting, sweating & spitting all over the place, telling you that if you don’t change your ways you are going to bust hell wide open!
While that may be a type of an evangelist, the fact of the matter, that you should see an evangelist when you look in the mirror. If you are saved you have a simple responsibility…. TELL OTHERS WHAT JESUS HAS DONE FOR YOU!
This story that we have read today illustrates perfectly what we are called to accomplish for Jesus. This man was greatly impacted and completely transformed by Jesus Christ and Jesus told him to GO, TELL OTHERS!!
I ask you o join me as we examine the account of this man who was possessed with a legion of Demons and consider the thought “Evangelism Must Be A Priority”
Sermon
I. The Motive Of Evangelism v18
There are reasons that you do what you do: Why do you go to work? Why do you spend time doing recreational activities? Why do you go home at night? The reason that you do these things is because you have the motivation to do so. You go to wok because you need/want money, You do recreational activities to relax, you go home at night because you love your family. What is the motive for evangelism?
A. A Life That Has Been Transformed By Jesus Christ
(Ill. Mark says there was one man, while Matthew says there were two men here (Mt. 8:28). However, there is no discrepancy here. Mark received his information from Peter. Mark was not an eyewitness, whereas Matthew was. Mark concentrates on one man, while there were actually two men who were possessed with devils. We must be settled in our hearts that there are no contradictions in God’s Word. Although there are many things that need explanation, there are no discrepancies in the Bible.)v18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
1) The Painful Past Condition
This man was possessed with an unclean spirit - v.2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
This man lived among the dead - v3a Who had his dwelling among the tombs;
No man could help him - v3b and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
(Ill. No one could bind this man, not even with chains. This story illustrates the power of the demonic force. Satan counterfeits the real. No one could bind Samson because of the spirit of might with which the Lord had anointed him. However, in the kingdom of darkness, that same power is many times
duplicated. I have seen several strong men try, unsuccessfully, to hold down someone who was demon-possessed.)
He was in continuous agony - v5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
This demon-possessed man was tormented by the demons inside him. He would cry often, and cut himself with stones. Demons try to destroy those whom they inhabit.
This man saw Jesus afar off, and ran to Him and worshipped Him. The demon inside him said, “What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.”
The demons knew that Jesus was the Son of God. They pleaded with Jesus not to torment them, because they knew that their time of torment had not come yet. The Lord is ruler over all—even over hell. The demons know that they are granted a period of time. Revelation 12:12 says that the devil knows that he hath but a short time. It is amazing that even
though they know they are defeated and will be tormented once the Lord returns, they still resist and try to fight against the Lord because of envy. Envy gives people no rest
2) The Powerful Permanent Change
He had an encounter with Jesus - v8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand ;) and were choked in the sea 14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
(Ill. Jesus asked the demon inside of this man, “What is thy name?” and he responded, “My name is
Legion: for we are many.” This phrase switches tenses; at first it is singular, then it is plural. This is easily explained. Normally, when a person is demon possessed, he has several demons (because demons are gregarious), but there is one king demon, if I could say that, that is the dominating force in that person’s life. The king of the demons responded by saying, “My name is Legion.” The Greek word for legion means “a regiment.” A Roman legion consisted of between 4,500 and 6,000 soldiers. In other words, this man had many demons.
The demon pleaded with the Lord not to send him out of that country. He knew that Jesus had the power to send him anywhere. He did not want to leave. It is believed that demons are the spirits of the former inhabitants of the earth. It is normal for people not to want to leave their hometown. Demons feel the same way. That is why they asked the Lord to not send them out of that region.
At first, only one demon was speaking, but then all of the demons inside of this man asked the Lord to send them into the swine. They wanted a habitation, a body to dwell in. Demons always want to inhabit something—people, animals, buildings, or idols.
Jesus gave them leave. They could not do anything until Jesus gave them permission. One can only imagine what happened when all those demons entered into the swine. They took control of them and they rushed down a steep place and fell into the sea. It is interesting that the number 2,000 is mentioned here. There were 2,000 pigs that were inhabited by the demons, and they fell down a steep place and died. Two thousand is the approximate amount of time allotted to the Church Age. At the end of the 2,000 years, all the demons will be cast into the pit of hell.)
Notice the change in this man after Jesus shows up: This man who couldn’t be bound with chains was now comforted - He was “sitting” & “clothed” Peace has replaced torment. Once that man was set free and came to know the Lord, his mind was renewed and restored. He had a right mind and was clothed with the garments of salvation. Instead of being driven about by the demons, he is calm and comforted. He is no longer out of control, he is completely sane and in the possession of a rational mind!
I. The Motive Of Evangelism
II. The Mission Of Evangelism v19
A. The Simplicity Of This Mission
v19a Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends andThe man who had been demon-possessed told the Lord that he wanted to follow Him, but Jesus told him to go back home and tell everyone what the Lord had done for him. The Lord told some to follow Him, but others He told to go back to their hometowns and evangelize those areas. This is a very important principle. We have to be in the place of the Lord’s choosing. Of what value is it to go to North-India as a missionary or somewhere else and win people to the Lord in that country if the Lord wants you to stay in your hometown? We must know what God’s will for our lives is and where He wants us to be. That is the all-important thing.
You Don’t have to be a theologian
Definition of a witness - A witness is someone who by explanation and demonstration gives audible and visible evidence of what he has seen and heard without being deterred by the consequences of his action.
B. The Subject Of This Mission
v19b “tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee,
This man went on to evangelize that whole area for Christ. People believed him because everyone knew him and they could see the change that had taken place in his life. He had a personal testimony to tell. Nothing can take the place of experience. A man with an experience is not at the mercy of someone with a theory. We need to press into God to have experiences so that we share from the heart and not from head knowledge.
It is not about us, or a church… IT IS ABOUT JESUS
v.19c and hath had compassion on thee.
In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, the Lord commanded the men who had been delivered from the demons to remain in that locality and evangelize. They were to tell the people “what great things the Lord had done for them.” The effect of this was that on a later visit, the people of this area heard Jesus gladly.
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
Luke 14:17-23 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
You should not have to be made to feel guilty about not sharing the Gospel. You shouldn’t even have to be reminded (weekly) that you have been commanded to tell others about Jesus. You should be motivated by the amazing change that has been wrought in your life!
It is not your duty to Convict!
It is not your duty to Convert!
It is your duty to Convey!
One day a lady criticized D.L. Moody for his methods of evangelism in attempting to win people to the Lord. Moody’s reply was, “I agree with you. I don’t like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do it?” The lady replied, “I don’t do it.” Moody retorted, “Then I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it.”
One day after an evangelistic service the speaker turned to Mr. Heinz and said, “You are a believer, but with all your energy why aren’t you up and at it for the Lord?” Heinz went home in anger. That night he couldn’t sleep, however,and at 4 o’clock in the morning he prayed that God would use him to lead others to the Savior. A day or so later at a meeting of bank presidents, he turned to the man next to him and told him of his joy in knowing Jesus. His friend looked at him in surprise and said, “Because I knew you were a Christian, I’ve wondered many times why you never spoke to me about salvation.” That gentleman became the first of 267 converts that Mr. Heinz eventually won to Christ! The world is far more ready to receive the gospel than Christians are to hand it out. —George W. Peters
If you are a Christian, you possess the greatest news in history, are you sharing that news with others?
Evangelism must be a priority!
C. The Seriousness Of This Mission
v.19c and hath had compassion on thee.
In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, the Lord commanded the men who had been delivered from the demons to remain in that locality and evangelize. They were to tell the people “what great things the Lord had done for them.” The effect of this was that on a later visit, the people of this area heard Jesus gladly.
I. The Motive Of Evangelism
II. The Mission Of Evangelism
III. The Method Of Evangelism v20
Step #1 - Surrender - v20a And he departed,
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Seek #2 - Seek - and began to publish in Decapolis
Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
Step #3 - Share - “began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him and all men did marvel.”
Luke 14:17-23 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Step #4 - Show - “and all men did marvel”
You should not have to be made to feel guilty about not sharing the Gospel. You shouldn’t even have to be reminded (weekly) that you have been commanded to tell others about Jesus. You should be motivated by the amazing change that has been wrought in your life!
It is not your duty to Convict!
It is not your duty to Convert!
It is your duty to Convey!
Invitation And The Final Challenge
A witness simply tells what happens! You can do the same today!One day a lady criticized D.L. Moody for his methods of evangelism in attempting to win people to the Lord. Moody’s reply was, “I agree with you. I don’t like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do it?” The lady replied, “I don’t do it.” Moody retorted, “Then I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it.”
One day after an evangelistic service the speaker turned to Mr. Heinz and said, “You are a believer, but with all your energy why aren’t you up and at it for the Lord?” Heinz went home in anger. That night he couldn’t sleep, however,and at 4 o’clock in the morning he prayed that God would use him to lead others to the Savior. A day or so later at a meeting of bank presidents, he turned to the man next to him and told him of his joy in knowing Jesus. His friend looked at him in surprise and said, “Because I knew you were a Christian, I’ve wondered many times why you never spoke to me about salvation.” That gentleman became the first of 267 converts that Mr. Heinz eventually won to Christ! The world is far more ready to receive the gospel than Christians are to hand it out. —George W. Peters
If you are a Christian, you possess the greatest news in history, are you sharing that news with others?
Evangelism must be a priority!
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