The Church Evangelizing, Part 2

In this part of the sermon: The first aspect of love to God as a motive for evangelism is grief over sinners' indifference to God's law, glory, and fellowship. This is illustrated by the Psalmist's tears…

The man with the inkhorn marking those who sigh and cry over abominations illustrates how love for God and His law leads to pain when others are indifferent to Him, motivating concern for the ungodly.

Ezekiel 9 and verse 4. The Lord gives a direction to the man clothed in linen who had the writer's inkhorn by his side. Verse 4. And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof. As the man with the inkhorn goes,

5:49 - 6:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because we cannot stand to see God pickpocketed and robbed before our very eyes, and not be stirred with desire to do something about it.

Paul's soul being vexed as he thinks of men worshipping the creature more than the Creator illustrates how love for God is grieved when His glory is robbed, motivating a desire to go to Rome and preach.

through, he is to find those whose love to God and his glory and his law is such that when they behold abounding indifference to God and to his law, they sigh and they cry out of the pain of their love to God not being shared by those about them. You see this as well in the apostle's treatment of the state of men in the first place. The apostle's treatment of the state of men in the first chapter of Romans, his soul is vexed as he thinks of men worshipping and serving the creature

6:19 - 6:59 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because we cannot stand to see God pickpocketed and robbed before our very eyes, and not be stirred with desire to do something about it.

Paul's soul being stirred in Athens when he beheld the city given over to idolatry illustrates how love for God is provoked in the presence of dishonor to the one true God, motivating evangelism.

forever? Amen. His contemplation of the glory of God, worthy of being worshipped by the creature, his soul is vexed when this infinitely glorious God is robbed of his rightful due. And you find the similar motivation in Acts 17 and verse 16, when the apostle there at Athens, it says, his soul was stirred within him when he beheld the whole city given over to idolatry.

7:51 - 8:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure your regular pulpit ministry and prayers feed the springs of love for God by exalting His glory and majesty, so people feel pain when others don't appreciate Him.

Martin describes having to forcefully contain himself from jumping up and singing a hymn during a sermon on God's attributes, illustrating how preaching that exalts God's glory naturally stirs a desire for others to know Him.

when they move amongst people who don't appreciate his glory, who don't appreciate his majesty, if they themselves do not have a heart throbbing with the sense of his glory and his majesty? How can anyone sit beneath this series on the attributes, on the attributes of God that Pastor Sarver is bringing us, and not want others to know this glorious God? I've literally had to forcefully contain myself from jumping up two or three times and saying, Mark, stop! Let us sing a hymn of praise.

13:36 - 14:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first aspect of love to men as a motive for evangelism is a longing for them to enjoy the wonderful privileges of the gospel. This is demonstrated by David's invitation to…

The analogy of tasting and seeing that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8) illustrates how once men experience God's goodness, their spiritual palates will be 'spoiled' for the world's husks, motivating a desire for others to enjoy this privilege.

A love that longs that they shall enjoy all the wonderful and distinctive privileges of the gospel. David's in a cave with the outcast of Israel. And yet he exclaims in the well-known text, Psalm 34, 8, O taste and see that the Lord is good. He knows if men will but once taste, their spiritual palates will be forever spoiled.

15:47 - 16:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The first aspect of love to men as a motive for evangelism is a longing for them to enjoy the wonderful privileges of the gospel. This is demonstrated by David's invitation to…

The story of the lepers in 2 Kings 7:9, who realized they 'do not well to hold our peace' about the spoils while their countrymen starved, illustrates how love for men impels believers to share the gospel's riches.

He stood and he cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. And then I've concluded with that text from 2 Kings 7.9. You remember, after God, marvelously discomfited the enemies of God and the lepers come upon all the spoils, they said, we do not well to hold our peace.

18:11 - 18:34 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I know it's not popular in our day to talk about being motivated in our witness and evangelism because of the dread of hell, but I tell you it's scriptural.

John the Baptist's cutting off the Pharisees' and Sadducees' argument ('We have Abraham to our father') 'in the womb of their own minds' is described as a 'mental abortion,' illustrating his urgency in warning them to flee wrath.

Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance, and do not think to say within yourself. He gets inside their heads. He wrestles with the arguments they're already bringing forth to exempt themselves from his call to flee the wrath to come, to bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. He cuts off their argument in the womb of their own minds.

20:27 - 20:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not presume yourselves to be Christians if you are utterly destitute of the weeping spirit and compassionate yearning that was in Christ Jesus.

Martin quotes Bridges' commentary on Psalm 119:136, which describes the 'yearning sympathy' and 'weeping spirit' of missionaries, illustrating the complex, multi-faceted motivation of love for God and man in evangelism.

Bridges' comments on Psalm 139 and verse 136 are very appropriate at this point, and with this I will close today. Psalm 119, verse 136. Streams of water run down mine eyes because they observe not thy law. Listen to the language of Bridges in his commentary on Psalm 119.

26:27 - 27:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate a deep, realizing sense of the preciousness of immortal souls that makes you look at every sinner as a soul to be pulled out of the fire and drawn to Christ.

A hymn is quoted to express the deep, felt yearning for dying men and the desire to snatch 'firebrands from the flame,' illustrating the emotional depth of compassion for those facing hell.

My God, I feel the mournful scene. My bowels yearn or dying men and feign my pity would reclaim and snatch the firebrands from the flame. My God, I feel the mournful scene. Someone meditating long enough upon the biblical doctrine of hell to feel the mournful scene.

29:12 - 29:41 Read in full sermon