Christ Centered Evangelism Session 2

Chapter two once again That's where we'll be parked tonight as we continue on in this doctrinal foundation For doing God's work God's way for God's glory We'll be on page six in the workbook if you're just joining us tonight And if you don't have one, please feel free to take one They're free if you'll come along and we'd love to give you one Paul is speaking.

I want to remind you in verse 12 and second Corinthians 2 that he says furthermore When I came to Troas to preach Christ gospel and a door was open to me by the Lord I had no rest in my spirit Because I did not find Titus my brother But taking my leave of them I departed from Macedonia now, thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and through us Diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in every place For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who were perishing to the one where an aroma of death leading to death and to the other the aroma of life leading to life and Who is sufficient for these things for we are not as so many pedaling the Word of God but as of Sincerity, but as from God we speak and the sight of God in Christ we Concluded this morning.

I submitted to you that if we're going to do God's work God's way for God's glory the first truth that we need to apprehend and apply from this passage is We must learn to focus on our position in Christ Paul testified thanks be to God who always Leads us in Triumphing Christ no matter the circumstances I'm walking in victory because Jesus has already won the victory no matter the way things appear on the surface God always leads me in triumph in Christ no matter even the response to the gospel God leads the born-again child of God at all times in all situations in all Ways he leads that born-again child of God in triumph Now how could Paul testify?

To this triumph was such a confident assurance Well notice letter C page 6 he could testify he could solidly embrace the spiritual reality Letter C because he says I'm being led by the sovereign victorious King and notice number one Jesus has a certain Purpose in every situation I find myself in whether I'm on the mountaintop and the wind is at my back Or I'm walking through the valley of adversity and the winds of affliction are howling in my face If I'm in the middle of the storm Jesus is sovereign over the storm But I'm facing problems Persecutions pressures perplexities Jesus is Prince over all that I'm in the middle of a Greek crisis a catastrophe.

Jesus is king over the crisis and the catastrophe and he's working how many things together for the good all the Good and the bad the clear days and the storms the mountaintops and the valleys He's in control of it all may I even say in the born-again child of God's life He's allowed that storm of adversity May I even go further and say he has ordained that valley of adversity And he has a certain purpose in it This is why Paul could say no matter what situation I find myself in God is leading me in Triumphant Christ amen but also because number two Jesus has given me a sure Promise he gives it to every born-again disciple in Matthew 16 18 When the Lord Jesus says I? will build my church Notice he does not say I might build my church Or I certainly hope I can build my church or father.

I've got my fingers crossed you think we're gonna be able to build my church I don't know son That United States of America. That's a collapsing culture down there. I don't know if we can build your church Is that what he said no all that the father has given me will come to me No wonder Paul could say God always leads me in triumph in Christ now Notice a letter D the Roman triumph Procession when you think of victory, maybe you think of Mississippi State actually beating Alabama last night But listen that doesn't even scratch the surface of this word triumph This word triumph that Paul is using was taken from the Roman Triumph procession when a victorious Roman general would return from the battlefield The Empire would give him a procession a parade.

It was called the Roman triumph and four million Roman citizens would fill the street to observe the return of that conquering general All the dignitaries of Rome would be there and as the procession entered into the city of Rome It was led by the Roman senators following the senators. There would be trumpeters musicians Playing the songs of victory following the musicians There was a long train of carriages carrying all the spoils that were gathered from the plundered battlefield in the cities that were Defeated and following the carriages.

There were white bull oxen that would be sacrificed to celebrate the triumph and Then following those animals listen, there would be incense bearers Roman priests walking through the streets swinging these censors that were filled with burning incense and those censors were Saturating the streets of the city With this pleasing fragrance Following the incense bearers came the conquering general standing on a royal chariot drawn by four white horses Wearing the victors crown on his head Then following the victorious general there was the defeated army conquered chained Many of them headed for certain executions Following them there was the victorious army Rejoicing in the victory celebrating the triumph now listen to this as they walk through the streets of Rome that were literally permeated with this fragrance To the victorious army that aroma was an aroma of life victory celebration But to the defeated army to the captive soldiers the same aroma was a fragrance of defeat and death That's the word Paul's using When he says thanks be to God who always leads the born-again disciple in triumph in union with Jesus who's our victorious general?

Yes letter e the Lord Jesus Christ is our victorious general and number one tells us he has Defeated death hell and the grave brothers and sisters listen the victory is not in question It has already been accomplished It is finished and listen every born-again Disciple in this room has been brought into an irreversible irrevocable union with the Lord Jesus Christ the one who says I am the vine and the Lord Jesus is on mission in this earth conquering the hearts of his bride And if you're born again, you've been born again to be on mission with him and What we're learning here number two.

I remind you is that Jesus always leads us through the triumph procession of life 24 hours a day seven days a week 60 minutes an hour he faithfully leads me He lovingly leads me in this triumph Procession and number three we have the awesome blessing of being in the victorious army listen I'm following a general who's already won the victory It's not in question Amen the victory belongs to the Lord this march this procession is a Victory march and we are marching from victory unto Victory and listen the campaign cannot possibly fail No matter how depraved how corrupt this society becomes the campaign cannot Possibly fail the bride will be gathered Right that's what Jesus said And if you're converted letter F.

We've been sovereignly chosen number one to bear his name That's why they call us Christians Little Christ is what the words mean. We've been sovereignly chosen to wear his uniform Brother Chris to put on the armor of God to put on the Lord Jesus Christ We've been sovereignly selected number three to serve in his Army and the greatest privilege and all this earth is to serve not in the United States Army Although that's a privilege But to serve in the army of the Lord of hosts Amen, and we've been sovereignly selected number four to follow his commands to be doers of the word and not hearers only to be faithful fishers to be sores of the seed And this first truth That I preached this morning and this evening ought to be totally sufficient to bring back the joy in any disheartened believer's life Because as we are following the general we can never lose Ultimately, I'm not like the prisoners headed for judgment and execution We are more than conquerors through him Who set his saving love on us and no matter how many apparent?

Temporary setbacks there seem to be along the way one day every knee shall bow Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord one day the kingdoms of this world Shall become the kingdoms of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ So if we're going to do God's work his way for his glory we must first focus on Our position in union with Christ that brings me to number two If we're going to do God's work in a manner that's pleasing to him then we are called number two to be the fragrance of the person of Christ to see that the second half of verse 14 and through us he's speaking of born-again disciples through us he Defuses the fragrance of his knowledge in every place Every authentic disciple of Jesus has the privilege of Disseminating the sweet fragrance of the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through our lives and through our lips now He says the fragrance of his knowledge What is he talking about you remember the first verse this morning?

This is eternal life That you may what? know God the Father and Jesus Christ his son whom he is sent in this living vital Union with him so that our lives and our lips may Disseminate the aroma of his knowledge within the sphere of the influence of our lives now If you notice the second half of verse 14 very closely you'll see that it's the Lord Diffusing the fragrance of his knowledge in every place But if you're converted we are the means through which he disseminates that knowledge Amen Now let me say it in this way letter a We have been redeemed to be worshipers You recall the Lord Jesus is evangelizing the Samaritan woman at the well And you recall what he said he said God is seeking more Baptist Church members No, we have at least 11 million too many God is seeking worshipers who will worship him in spirit and he's describing there a generated heart that is boiling over an adoration of Jesus and allegiance to Jesus so that this sincere authentic heart has a passion and purpose to live the totality of their life for the glory of God that's what he means when he says to worship in spirit.

He's not talking about singing. He's talking about a life of worship Flowing from a sincere heart a genuine heart He's describing a man a woman who has a single-minded devotion to the Lord Jesus so that they have this desire and Determination to live for the glory of the Lord in every compartment of their life. That's what God is seeking He's seeking those who will worship him in spirit and those who will worship him in truth and That is to worship the Lord as he is revealed in the pages of Holy Scripture, we're not going to dilute the biblical vision of the Lord And we're not going to try to humanize the biblical vision of God and attempt to bring the infinite God down To the level so we can figure him out with our puny finite minds No, we go to the revelation of the scriptures we see God as he's revealed in the truth and we respond by having a determination to live a life that is governed and guided by the truth That's what God is seeking Those who will worship him in spirit and in truth so that they respond by making a deliberate dedication of the totality of their life to the Lord as a living holy acceptable sacrifice because they cherish the Lord Jesus above all other people or things they place their life at the disposal of the Lord That's worship This is your New Testament spiritual service of worship And when a man a woman a young person Begins to worship the Lord in that definition of worship They learn how to walk with God The true worshipper learns how to walk with God because they're trusting in the Lord with all of their heart They're leaning not on their own understanding but in all of their ways.

They're acknowledging Jesus as Lord and what's the promise? He shall direct their path They learn how to walk with God They'll say with the psalmist in Psalms 25 for show me your ways Oh Lord, lead me in your paths and the psalmist says in Psalms 85 13 God shall make his footsteps my pathway Did you hear that God will make his footsteps My pathway The true worshipper learns how to walk with God and because they're now walking with God They're learning how to work with God because God will be initiating the activity and the service of this true Worship, er, they have a passion to cooperate with the good works that God has pre-prepared Preordained for them to walk in if you've been saved by grace through saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ I mean you are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works that God has already preordained for you to walk in If you're born from above God has some works for you to walk in He has works for me to walk in You know those works have taken me a hundred and sixty something times outside of our country and all over this country I would have never dreamed it but God Has some works for me to walk in And he has works for you to walk in right here in this county and the true worshipper They're learning how to walk with God and work with God and because they're walking with God and working with God.

They'll be reproducing Producing fruit that remains for the glory of God now notice the top of page seven if we are true Worshippers of God our lives will be number one submitted to his Will just after Paul says I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice Holy acceptable unto God.

This is your New Testament spiritual service of worship He goes on to say and be not conformed to this world But be being transformed by the renovating of your mind so that you may prove What is that good and acceptable and perfect? what will of God The true worshipper not only chooses to be a doer of the will of God they Cherish the very doing of the will of God they not only test the good and perfect Will of God they taste the doing of it as sweet to their soul.

They'll be submitted to his will In not only that number two the true worshipper will be committed to God's word We're thinking about evangelism and for the true worshipper the word of God will be their only instruction manual to carry out God's work of evangelism so they won't be turning to any other plumb line They won't be turning to any fleshly Concoctions of man that they won't be using on biblical traditions and techniques and tactics No, they have a passion to do God's work God's way So they look to the plumb line of the word of God and that's a true worshipper What else are they doing number three cooperating with God's works?

I'm submitting to you that God is seeking true Worshipers who will worship him so they learn how to walk with him work with him They produce fruit for his glory and as the born-again child of God's life is surrendered to Jesus in the New Testament consecration sacrifice of worship there's no doubt about it that life will be disseminating diffusing The fragrance of the saving knowledge of Jesus within the sphere of the influence of their lives and everyone who comes within that sphere of influence will be acutely aware of that aroma whether they like it or not Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus and worship hearing and eating his word and she's overcome with worship she goes away she comes back with that expensive alabaster jar filled with costly perfume the perfume was equal to a year's wages of a laborer probably her entire life savings but she's so overcome with reckless worship that she breaks the alabaster jar pours out the costly perfume and the next verse says the entire room was saturated with that aroma and everyone in that room whether they liked it or not was acutely aware of that fragrance notice letter b as we present our lives as a living sacrifice our lives will begin to manifest the fragrance of his knowledge in every place and i'll tell you if a man a woman a young person is worshiping with that definition of worship number one we will get in on his mission for true worshipers always become witnesses who begin to walk in the Lord's ways and work with him and his activities and begin to see the Lord reproducing fruit that remains through our lives i'm saying that if we're true worshipers in this definition of worship number two we will be ministers of reconciliation because those who present their lives yield their lives in the New Testament consecration sacrifice of worship god consumes that sacrifice with his very fragrance and that aroma will be manifested through that life who has a passion to fulfill the great commandment so flowing out of that passion they have a desire and determination to fulfill the great commission i'm saying true worshipers number three i'm just giving you some pictures painting some different pictures we will be ambassadors for Christ because this brother this sister understands that by the amazing grace of god they have peace with god they have peace with their past they have peace with their future destination and that gives them a flaming desire to go out and share the terms of peace with those around them who are still enemies of god just painting some pictures i'm saying the true worshipper number four we will become fishers of men because followers of Jesus always become fishers of men what are you saying brother ed well if you'll stick with me this week you'll come to understand that what i'm calling Christ centered evangelism is far more than just memorizing another sales pitch that has come down from Nashville it is to be a Christ centered message flowing out of a Christ centered life now this is a key point notice letters see who's the primary audience to this fragrance did you notice it in verse 15 for we are to god the fragrance of Christ who's the primary audience number one god is the primary audience to this aroma you say no brother ed you you drove up here from Mobile you've been attempting to teach this morning and tonight is pretty pitiful but you're giving your best shot to teach and we're the audience no it's true that i've driven from mobile it's true that i'm attempting to teach tonight but you're not the primary audience god is the primary audience and 24 hours a day seven days a week in everything that we do including our evangelistic outreach god is the primary audience we are the fragrance of Christ to god in the letter a we are living unto him first of all my unconverted neighbors on my block they're not the primary audience your neighbors relatives friends acquaintances workmates they're not the primary audience to this aroma of the saving knowledge of Jesus no god is the primary audience that's why the bible says whatever you do in word or indeed would that include evangelism whatever yeah it would include evangelism whatever you do in word or indeed do it heartily as unto the lord and not men paul also says whatever you do in word or indeed including your evangelism in its message and its methods do them in such a way that you can sign the name of Jesus to it whatever you do in word or indeed do it all in the name of the lord and that includes our evangelism why is it so important to do god's work god's way because i should be able to sign the name of Jesus to the message that i proclaim into the methods that i employ because whatever we do letter b we are living first for his glory amen whatever you do in word or indeed do it all to the glory of god my ambitions my attitudes my words my actions my reactions and my evangelism in its message and its methods i need to always keep before me that god is the primary audience this is precisely why we must do god's work god's way why we must use his ordained message and his ordained means to carry out his mission because he's the primary audience now think about that roman triumph procession with me again for a moment that procession concluded at the throne of the roman emperor and that fragrance was not only a pleasing fragrance fragrance to the victorious general not only was it a pleasing aroma to the victorious army but the emperor on the throne could smell that fragrance and it was a pleasing fragrance to him and as we offer our lives to the lord in the new testament consecration sacrifice of worship as we conduct our evangelism both in its message and its motives in such a way that we can willingly and joyfully sign the name of jesus to it i can just imagine that aroma ascending to the throne room of the universe and there's my father on the throne i recognize that fragrance that's the fragrance of my son being manifest through an earthen vessel that is yielded to him and this is a pleasing fragrance to god he's the primary audience amen now what does that tell me when we come to our present contemporary evangelism in america among evangelicals and baptists notice i remind you number two numbers are not the goal primarily instant numerical visible results using any kind of gimmick or gadget or some watered-down message is not the goal of this fleshly obsession with unbiblical traditions and techniques and tactics that cannot be found in the word of god because most of contemporary evangelism has this ungodly obsession with instant numerical success in decisions but that's not the goal we're not selling products to customers we are proclaiming the bad news and the good news to spiritually dead blind bound centers and we know this i'm preaching to the choir but i've got to remind you this is the curse of contemporary evangelism the all-consuming goal has become getting numerical results this is the infectious epidemic because people had this all-consuming goal to get decisions and so they look to watered-down messages humanistic techniques and tactics to try to get decisions and their timing when really the new birth this miracle of regeneration can only occur in god's timing imagine with me an imaginary line right down the center of this aisle and on one side of that line is what you're responsible to do if you're converted live a christ-centered life be involved in passionate persistent evangelistic intercession be willing to be involved in voluntary sacrifice even suffering if necessary for the extension of the gospel into the hearts of sinners and the proclamation of the bad news so that we persecute the center of sin and righteousness and judgment the proclamation of the good news the proclamation of the gospel terms to plead with sinners to repent and believe and then we must not step across this line because on this side of the line is what only god can do in god's timing and that is to transform a rebel into a disciple by a miraculous supernatural heart transplant the great tragedy of the evangelical church in the last three quarters of a century is that most preachers evangelists soul winners have been stepping across the line trying to step into god's territory and help him out the great tragedy is when you step across the line you know what we create ish meals that's what abraham and sarah did god promised them i'm going to produce a supernatural miraculous birth in your old age but they would not wait on god's timing they tried to take it into their own hands they were going to have a birth in their timing and what did they produce an ish meal there are at least 11 million ish meals in the southern baptist convention stepping across the line we're going to help god out with our gimmicks our gadgets our manipulation our cohesions and we produce ish meal why because numbers have become the all consuming obsession but numbers are not the goal who's the audience god number three being pleasing to him is the primary goal if instant numerical results were the primary goal then steven was another failure you're prepared to say that if instant numerical visible results were the primary goal then the prophet jeremiah was a total failure you're prepared to say that i had the joy of teaching a church planters conference in ecuador just a few miles very close to the runway where jim elliot nate saint those other three missionaries went and were speared to death before they can even preach the gospel if instant visible numerical results were the primary goal then jim elliot was a total failure you're prepared to say that no because numbers are not the goal being pleasing to him is the goal diffusing the fragrance of his knowledge in every place we are to god the fragrance of christ you're with me but there's a secondary audience note his letter d and who is the secondary audience we see them in the second half of verse 15 among those who were being saved and among those who are perishing that leads us to page nine and paul is reminding us simply that there is a two-fold effect of a christ-centered gospel witness as we are the fragrance of christ to god through the message that we proclaim through the manner in which we live our lives as we pursue to live a jesus focused life as we involve our self-impassionate persistent evangelistic intercession as we herald a jesus centered message we must remember there's always a two-fold response this is clear it's obvious as we are the fragrance of christ to god fill it in there some will be saved some will repent and believe some will be converted to some that fragrance will be a fragrance of life leading to life but some will be lost some will reject some will refuse some will resist to some we will be a fragrance of life they'll be converted to others the same aroma that is a pleasing fragrance to god to them it is an aroma of death now this is a key point if you get this point you get today's message a faithful believer triumphs no matter the response of sinners because number two the true triumph is being the fragrance of christ to god that is the reality of walking in the victory as we faithfully live faithfully pray faithfully proclaim god is pleased god is glorified no matter the response of sinners now yes we have a burden for sinners we're praying for the conversion of these centers but my point is when they reject when they refuse you're still pleasing to god as it is being said of us out there as it is written of us in the word of god that is a pleasing fragrance to god no matter the response of sinners i'm just painting some pictures here again for a moment letter a as i am a living holy and acceptable sacrifice unto god worshiping him learning to walk with him learning to work with him he is pleased he is glorified and we are walking in the reality of the triumph right was steven walking in the reality of the triumph even though he was totally rejected and utterly stoned to death yeah when we are choosing to do the will of god cherishing to do the will of god and evangelism this is walking in the reality of the victory god is pleased god is glorified no matter the response of sinners letter b as i am a yielded vessel to god seeking to be a vessel of honor useful for the master pursuing to be clean sanctified set apart for his great mission available ready to be used willing to be used equipping myself to be used as i take opportunities and make opportunities to herald the message god is pleased that is a fragrance of christ to god just painting some pictures letter c as my life is telling the truth about the lord jesus through the message i proclaim in the life that i live as we are bearing a growing family resemblance to the lord he is pleased jesus is magnified and we are walking in the reality of the victory i'll say it one more time to get it through the heart of a born again heart number three god is glorified when your life manifests the fragrance of the knowledge of jesus no matter the response of people i'm in hulking cuba brother gary morrison the interpreter myself we've arrived to preach an evangelistic outreach is going to be four nights you can seat 500 people in this church hulking baptist church at that time there's 2000 members now but there were 500 members then and they when we arrived we discovered that the entire church had been praying for neighbors friends family workmates for a few months and three days before the outreach began the entire church 500 baptists had been fasting and praying for three days can you imagine baptist not eating and fasting instead they went all up and down the streets around the church knocking on doors and at that time if you knocked on the wrong door you could begin your prison ministry in cuba their goal every night was to fill the 500 seats with unconverted people so the believers could not sit down they would stand out in the street or stand in a room above us or behind us and pray for the entire two-hour service with no ac in 90 something degree heat and they did it every night was packed with unconverted sinners at the end of that meeting there were 184 adults who had testified with counselors i've come to jesus on his conditions so what did they do well 184 the baptist church members took those 184 professing believers and for the next four months one on one poured the fundamentals of the faith into them looking for fruit that remains i want to ask you a question was god pleased was god glorified let me ask you another question if they did all that praying all that preparation all that door-to-door proclamation invited all of those people in all 2000 or whatever of them of unconverted people all sat there and utterly rejected and refused and resisted the message and walked out would god still be pleased with those believers would god still be glorified that's the point now there will be a response and we'll see that response when we come back from this five-minute break