Compel - Week 2
January 11, 2009
A Compelling LIfe
2 Corinthians 5:11-21

What motivates you to tell people about Christ?

 

I want to start off this morning telling you a story about a man named Wesley Autrey. Wesley is as 51 year old construction worker and navy vet that lives in New York City. One day in January two years ago, he was walking his two young daughters ages 4 and 6 home before he started work. They were waiting for the subway at 137^th and Broadway in Manhattan when they noticed a young man begin to convulse and shake. Then the young man then fell off the platform and onto the rails of the subway. In just a few moments, the headlights of the on coming train appeared, barreling toward them at full speed. And in that second Wesley made a split-second and courageous decision. Instinctively, he jumped off the platform, pulled the young man between the rails and laid over him, compressing their bodies in a one foot space between the ground and the on coming train. The breaks of the train squealed and sparks flew, the people watching the whole thing unfold in front of them screamed out in disbelief. Finally the train crawled to a stop and they heard Wesley’s voice from underneath the train call out, "Tell my girls I’m OK". Now think about that. Here was a man that was facing certain death, there were lots of people standing around watching, but only one man jumped to action. Only one man did something to save his life. Only one man put his own life on the line! And because of the actions of one man, this young 20 year old student is alive today.

Now the reason I tell you that story is because there was something that compelled Wesley Autrey to action. There was something that motivated him to react while everyone else was content to just watch!

Now let’s think about that in terms of sharing the gospel. There are some people who are ready, active, who throw themselves into sharing their faith on a regular basis, and there are there others that are simply observers. I have a confession – for years I was in the observer category. I was in the ministry but I was reluctant to lead someone to Christ. I was afraid of what people would think. Afraid of the unknown, I didn’t think I was trained enough. I left it to those that had a "gift of evangelism". I was busy with my life and doing other things. And I convinced myself that evangelism was for a certain breed of Christian that was either super sold out or just real aggressive. But over the years, I have come to realize that when it comes to sharing the simple gospel message, I was not alone in my reluctance. Everyone raise their hands – now half put them down. Statistics tell us that 55% of believers will share the gospel in one year. That’s half will do something in a year to tell people about Christ. Now, all but two rows put your hands down. But we also know that only about 2% share the gospel on a regular basis. That means, for every 1000 Christians, only 12 are regularly telling people how to know God! Just twelve. Why? We are afraid. We don’t feel equipped. We want someone else to do it. We are busy. But what if Wesley had used those excuses? What if he had said, "I see that guy on the tracks, and I see the train coming…but I’m afraid, I’m not trained, I’m not sure what to do, I’m busy. What if he had done nothing. If he had done what everyone else did – that young student would be dead today! Thank God, somebody did something!

I think the real issue for all of us when it come sharing our faith is motivation. There has got to be something that compels us to action. There has got to be something that drives us past our fears and insecurity to take the risk, strike up the conversation, surge with boldness and spark a spiritual conversation. And that "something" is what I want to talk about today!

PAUL’S ENGINE

In this passage, the Apostle Paul is talking about his ministry as he is writing to the church in Corinth. And he is talking about his motive for sharing the gospel. There wasn’t a man – other than Jesus himself- that had more passion, more perseverance, more drive to share the gospel than Paul. He was zealous. This guy was at one time enemy number one of the church, chasing down Christians, throwing them in prison, watching as some were executed. And then one day he meets Jesus on the road to Damascus and everything changed. And his zeal to kill the church shifted to a zeal to birth churches and lead people to Christ. And he paid the price. (read 2 Cor. 11.23-27) Paul had every reason to quit talking about Jesus, but he kept going! Why? He was compelled! What compelled Paul? What motivated him so that nothing short of death could keep him for talking about Christ? What was the engine that revved up in him to talk about Christ. And how do I some of that?! Because just imagine what it would be like if running through your veins was this kind of passion for souls – this kind of urgency! Paul is letting us in on what compels him. And by the way it’s not guilt! We Baptist are really good and doing the old guilt motivation thing! We hear some rousing story of a person that wins their whole block to Christ and then the pastor says, "What have you done!" Or we are told "If you don’t tell people about Christ, then you don’t love God." Or we go to an evangelism conference and leave felling guilty, and worse than when we went. In the church we are quick to applaud the Wesley’s that jump in and help lost people but few are jumping in ourselves! That’s just a fact. So I just want to talk about the elephant in the room, and say, "hey –this is where we are, but how can we grow in this area!" God is stretching in personally in this. God is pushing me out of my comfort zone and I’m so glad He is!

So listen, if you are struggling in your motivation to share the gospel. If you are reluctant, hesitant, holding back – then just ask God to open your eyes today to a fresh new motivation! And lets look at what Paul says.

Eternal Perspective

Read 2 Corinthian 5.11-13

Look at that first statement – "Since, then we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men." What does that mean? Paul is NOT saying, "I try to persuade men to know Christ because I’m scared of God!" He’s not afraid God is going to punish him, zap him, or fry him like a worm if he doesn’t lead 10 people to Christ in a year. NO! So what does he mean then? To find out you got to look at what Paul was just talking about. In chapter 5 Paul is talking about heaven. God has prepared a permanent place for us in heaven. Our bodies, he says, are just temporary dwellings – like tents. We were never intended to spend forever in our bodies. And he says that since Christ has come into his life he has confidence that when he dies, he is going to go to heaven. Twice Paul uses the term "confident". In fact, there is a real desire to be with Christ, to go to heaven. And so now I live today with heaven in mind. I try to do today what will please God. I want to bring joy and pleasure to God. I want him to be happy with how I live my life. And then look at verse 10, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, weather good or bad."

Paul says, "I realize that one day I’m going to stand before God. And I’m going to give an account of my life. What I did with my opportunities. What I did with the gospel. Paul is most likely not talking about the judgment that determines if you go to heaven or hell – he is talking about the day when all believers will stand before God for accountability and reward. The words "judgment seat" is the Greek word "bema". It was the place in Greek culture where decisions were made, contacts were evaluated. It was also the name for the platform where Olympic athletes stood to receive their awards! It’s a place of accountability and reward. And Paul is saying, one day every believer is going to stand there! You are going to stand there one day. I’m going to stand there one day! Our life is going to be evaluated by Jesus himself! So Paul is saying, "I’m living my life now, for that moment!" I don’t want to stand before Jesus and tell him I did nothing with the gospel he put in my hands. And because I fear the Lord, because I live in a reverent respect for that day – I try to persuade men!

If your time on earth was over today and you were going to show Jesus what you did with your life and with the gospel he gave you, would you have anything to show him? Paul just didn’t want to stand before Jesus empty handed! Some of you are going to stand there – look Jesus in the eyes – and be empty handed on that day! I don’t want that. You see, Paul lived with one eye on eternity! He lived with an eternal perspective. We live so much for the moment. You have heard it said "some people are so heavenly minded their no earthly good". But that’s not our problem. We are so earthly minded, we are no heavenly good! And viewing life through an eternal lens was a powerful motivator for Paul.

Let me warn you – if you start living as if heaven is real, and eternity is coming, people around you won’t understand! They will label you crazy! Fanatic! Jesus Freak. Toby Mac is a popular songwriter and performer. Early in his career with DC Talk some secular producers came to them and said, "We can make you guys the next top hit – one catch, you got to stop singing about Jesus!" The next album was "Jesus Freak". You start living today with one eye on heaven and people won’t get it. They thought Paul was crazy! They called him a radical – out of touch with reality! (v13) "If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God." You may think I’m crazy, but I’m not living to please you – I’m living to please God! D.L. Moody was one of the greatest evangelists of all time. He left a lucrative career in sales. He had so much passion that he had a covenant to share the gospel with someone every day before he went to bed. They called him "crazy moody". But tell me, who was crazy? One eye on eternity – on that day of accountability and reward will stoke a fire in your heart!

But that’s not all. Let’s keep reading.

Love for people

Read 2 Corinthians 5.14-17

A second powerful motivator for Paul was love. "Christ’s love compels us". The incredible irrational love of Jesus for lost men and women compelled him. You see, when your eyes were on heaven – then your heart will be moved with love for people that don’t know Jesus! When you see people through they eyes of Christ – your heart can’t help but feel overwhelmed with love!

A few weeks ago I was talking about an event we are planning to reach teenagers this Spring, called Epic weekend! Our goal is to see 1000 teenagers hear the gospel. I was telling this to a friend who works in the schools. As I shared, she started to cry. And when I asked her what was wrong, she said, "I go through my classes and I think about who here knows the Lord. And she said, none of them do. And I just want people to care about them the way I do!" That friend was beginning to see those students the way Jesus sees them.

Paul said, "I love people because I’m convinced that Jesus died for them, and Jesus rose from the dead for them, that he can give them a new life! (v17) "If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone the new has come!" Paul was convinced that Jesus can and Jesus will change a person’ life completely if they will come to him! I think many times, we don’t share the gospel because we are not convinced that Jesus will really make a difference! We have forgotten what it’s like to not know Jesus.

Just think where you would be if it weren’t for Jesus? Just think what kind of life you would lead, hope you would have, peace you experience apart from Jesus! Now –now that is what your friend, your neighbor is living in right now apart from Christ! Paul said, "I can’t look at someone anymore from a worldly point of view." I just see them the way Jesus sees them! Oh that God would open our eyes to see people – love people –the way Jesus does!

Accepting God’s call

Read 2 Corinthians 5.18-21

Paul was motivated because Paul was convinced that God had put in his hands a "ministry of reconciliation". Now get this- the word "reconciliation" is a banking term. It meant to "credit someone’s account. When Jesus died on the cross a great exchange happened. God took all of you sin – all your rebellion that was in your spiritual account and he transferred it to the account of Jesus. And then God treated Jesus as if he had committed all those acts. As if Jesus had sinned – exploded in anger, lied and cheated, looked at porn, cursed, as if he had been violent, promiscuous, blitz on alcohol – all that horrible stuff we have done was transferred to Jesus, and he suffered the just punishment for it – death. Jesus paid for it instead of you. That’s why Paul says God doesn’t count men’s sins against them. They were paid for my Jesus. But that’s not all. God took all the favor, goodness, righteousness that was in Jesus’ account – perfection, and he transfer it all of it to you account! That’s why God can look at you and accept you, embrace you and use you. Because the righteousness of Christ has been transferred to you! And this is the way God has reconciled wayward rebellious people to himself. He has made a way for you to come home. For you to be forgiven! God has done all of this!

And now that he has erased your sin – removed it as far as the east from the west –now Paul says (v19) "He has committed to us the message of reconciliation". God has put in your hands and in my hands a message! It’s a message of hope. It’s the message that you matter to God! It’s a message that God has made a way for you! And that message is in your hands!

He goes on to say, "We are Christ’s ambassadors". We are representatives of Jesus. You are the ambassador of Jesus! Not the preacher. Not the super spiritual. Not the theologian. You! And God has sent you into your classrooms, your office, your neighborhoods, into your locker room, into your fraternity, into your relationships for a purpose. It is not coincidence you are where you are, you know who you know. God has placed you right where you are, in this moment in time, to be his representative. Listen, you have been given a special treasure called the gospel! And you have been deputized. Called. Commissioned as God’s representative to tell people about what he has done! And get this - when you share the gospel, it is God sharing his gospel through you! This is an amazing thing! When you are sharing the gospel – it’s God making his appeal through you. It’s God communication his message through you! It’s a wonderful, mystical, supernatural thing! God is a work through you when you are sharing the gospel more than any other time! You are his mouthpiece! You become his instrument! You become God’s microphone! And Paul is saying, "How can I not speak? How can I keep quiet! Because God has a message he wants to get out, through me!" Do you want God to use you? Do you want God to speak through you? Open your mouth and share the gospel!

WHAT COMPELS YOU?

So let me ask you – are you compelled? Does you heart burn to be used by God, to experience God in a new, fresh way?

Are you living with an eternal perspective?

Do you have a love for people because you see them the way God does?

Are you convinced that Jesus can transform any person?

Do you understand that God has you on this planet at this time to be his mouthpiece?

When it comes down to it. All people fall into one of two categories: Those who take the risk, who jump into share the gospel with those who are far from God – and those who stand on the sidelines and watch, applaud but never do anything. Which one are you? And if you are idle – why not pray, "God from this point forward, I want to be used by you!"