MORE LIFE SEND THE LIGHT John 1:1-9 Archer Thorpe Jesus Christ is the light of the world. John tells us that He has eternally been that light, and He lights every person that follows Him. Wherever the knowledge of Christ comes, as the Light, He drives out ignorance, death and sin from the hearts of those that do not know God. Since Jesus ascended into the heavens, that light is spread through the message of the gospel. The knowledge of God is spread abroad as born again men and women become bearers of the light, and proclaim the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. We have a calling. Our call is to, Send the light, the blessed gospel light, let it shine from shore to shore. Our Call Comes from Above God sent Jesus as the light of the world. He now sends us as witnesses to the Light. The last picture of the people of God in the New Testament is not that of a bride or the body, but a lamp stand, a light holder. John saw the churches in the book of Revelation as seven golden lamp stands (Matt.5:14-16; Revelation 1:20). The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 2:15-16, Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. We are God s luminaries in a dark world, holding forth the Light of the gospel. Our call to send the light comes from above. Our Call Comes from Beneath Do you believe in hell? Jesus did! In fact, most of the references to hell in the New Testament come from the lips of Jesus. Jesus was the world s first preacher to make hell a major theme of His preaching. He knows what s beyond this life and what it s like. I don t know of a greater authority on the subject, do you? Jesus told the story about two men that died (Luke 16:19-31). Lazarus was carried by angels into the bosom of Abraham, and the other found himself in the depths of hell. In great pain, the man in hell shrieked out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. He was told that he would never receive any relief; his condition was one that was eternal. A split second later his attention then turned to his family on earth, and I can hear him shouting at the top of his voice, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Out of the hell comes the call, Send the Light! My brothers are in darkness, and unless they repent and receive the Light, they ll spend eternity in this darkness and torment. Oh God! Send the Light! I often hear the damned in hell s darkness voicing an appeal to heaven to send you and me to their brothers and sisters. If you and I spent 10 seconds in hell, we d never need encouragement to send the Light. Can you hear them too? Our Call Comes from Without When you watch the evening news, what do you hear? I hear the Macedonian call, Send the Light. Every time I see a crisis in our world, it is a shout to us, Send the Light. We are in a battle with darkness, and our call is to Send the Light. If we were as diligent about sending the light across Tennessee and around the world as business men are about sending Coca-Cola and Corn Flakes, our state and world would have a lot less darkness and much more light. Our nation is in the balance and our enemies are seeking to destroy us SEND THE LIGHT! Tennessee is a mission field SEND THE LIGHT! Church, can you hear the voices?! Conclusion Send the Light: (1) Every Christian seeking to spread the Light in their part of the world. If D.L. Moody sought to lead someone to Christ every day, you and I ought to share the gospel with someone personally each week. (2) Do you know for certain that God intended for you to get your mail at your present address? Are you open to going wherever God wants you to go to Send the Light? (3) Are you serious about the Light bill? Are you giving your money and talent to Send the Light?
MORE LIFE PRAYING FOR REVIVAL I Kings 18 Archer Thorpe Carl F. H. Henry, the first editor of Christianity Today, interviewed Martyn Lloyd- Jones, medical doctor, world renowned Bible scholar and pastor of Westminster Chapel, London. The question concerned whether there was any hope for the western world apart from the second coming of Jesus Christ? The pastor replied, There is only one hope, the only hope there is in our world apart from the second coming is for there to be a genuine revival. I m not talking about a campaign or any kind of human effort. For the last 50 years we have had a multitude of campaigns, and the world has gotten increasingly worse. I m talking about the kind of revival that comes as God s people humble themselves before God, and God Himself does something that makes the difference. Does that strike a chord in your heart? It does mine! Praying for revival is what happened on Mt. Carmel under the ministry of Elijah. Revival has three basic ingredients (1) A revelation of God. Israel was filled with skepticism and doubt. God was a faint blur. Elijah said to them, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Revival is God unveiling Himself in a way that burns away doubts and calls all men to make a decision about Him. (2) A revelation of God exposes everything that is not God. This one experience with God convinced all that Baal was not God. A million lectures and books could not have done what God did when He revealed Himself. (3) The result was a wholehearted personal response as the people laid prostrate before Him, and when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. That s what Martyn Lloyd-Jones said we must have. God will send that kind of revival when we pray like Elijah. Praying for Revival Is Motivated by Concern There are three primary persons in this account: Ahab, the wicked king; Obadiah, a prophet servant of the king; and Elijah, the one who is nobody s man but God s.
King Ahab saw Elijah as the problem and called him the one that troubles Israel. Elijah had prayed that there would be a drought, but he was not the problem. Obadiah became a mediator activist between the King and Elijah; yet he was blind to the ultimate answer. There was just one man, Elijah, that clearly saw the problem and the answer. One was enough! If we wait for consensus like Obadiah sought, or national or even congregational agreement to become like Elijah, revival will never come. God is looking for one concerned, caring person who will pray for revival. One! One man! G. Campbell Morgan wrote The Practice of Prayer. In the author s dedication of the book he mentions Mary Ann Adalor. She was a member of Campbell s congregation. Earlier, she had been a member of F. B. Meyer s congregation. Meyer had invited the young D. L. Moody, the Sunday School teacher from Chicago, to preach in his church as he made his first trip to England. Adalor s sister was present in the service and rushed home to tell Mary Ann, her invalid sister about the service. Upon hearing the report, Mary Ann excused herself to her locked bedroom and asked not to be disturbed. Underneath her pillow she had a periodical that contained a story about Moody. She had been praying that God would bring him to her church. All afternoon she prayed for the service that night. God s Spirit did not move in the morning service, and Moody did not feel that much would happen that night. Moody preached and almost dismissed the service without giving an invitation. Moody said, If you want to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, stand to your feet. Scores stood, something over 100. He thought they were confused, so he asked them to sit down. He gave a greater explanation and asked those who would receive Christ to stand. Even more stood to their feet. Moody wanted to make sure the communication was clear, so he asked those who wanted to receive Christ to stay after the benediction. Almost nobody moved. People were counseled and led to Christ well past midnight. A revival had begun that would sweep England. Moody wanted to know why there was such a difference between the morning and evening services. He discovered one concerned person who in prayer had grabbed hold of the willingness of God and held on in prayer until God sent revival. Praying for Revival Is Based on Commitment Elijah let the worshippers of Baal build an altar. He said, Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the
people answered and said, It is well spoken. And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. Then the humor began, And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. Then, With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. It s the sacrifice! The burnt offering symbolized the complete, utter consecration and commitment of this one man to God. Evan Roberts was a part of a Bible study group. He felt such a burden for the people of Whales and need for revival that he bowed his head in the closing prayer and prayed with such intensity that those in the group thought he would die. He prayed, Oh God, bend me, bend me. He was putting the sacrifice on the altar. The fire fell, and Evan Roberts was used of God in a revival that swept Whales a revival that closed bars because bartenders were saved and houses of prostitution closed as the women came to Christ. It all began when one life was committed. Praying for revival is based on commitment. Praying for Revival with Confidence In the KJV, Elijah s prayer is 63 words. When your all is on the altar, you don t have to pray long. The burden of the prayer is that God might be known as God.
In the early 1990 s, D. L. Lowry was the Executive Director of the TBC. I heard him tell this account of a revival in the mountains of east Tennessee. Joe Hodson, Associational Missionary, was invited to preach a church revival. The first two weeks services were held both morning and evening. There was not one person who responded to the invitation extended at each service. As the third week began, George Tester was seated about half way back in the country church, and Mrs. Molly Watson was seated in front of him. That evening, George saw Molly lean her head on the pew in front of her and heard her softly say, Lord, our church needs revival. We need it like we have never needed it before. My children are lost, my neighbors are lost, our church is dead and we need revival. With tears in her eyes, she prayed with a broken heart. Then she said, God, whatever it takes, even if it takes my life, I want our church to have revival. The next afternoon when Molly s husband came in from working in the fields, he looked all through the house and could not find her. He went behind the house and found her praying under a tree. That third week they had the same preacher and the same congregation, but everything was different. People were saved in the services, people were saved in the fields, people were saved at home, and people were saved at school. Irene Smith walked five miles to church, and she had not been in church in years because her dad would not let her go. She was saved that night and returned home to tell her skeptical dad. He went the next night and couldn t get in the building. He stood outside and heard the gospel. When the invitation was given, he burst through the door and ran to the preacher. For 30 minutes he confessed his sins to God against his wife and children. The next 30 minutes he prayed, and then for another 30 minutes he shouted as Jesus came into his heart and his life was changed forever. It was glorious! It was real! Conclusion That s what I m talking about! I m praying for revival with confidence. Confidence that what God did on Mount Carmel, He will do among us.
MORE LIFE NEEDED! HARVESTERS Luke 10:1-12 Archer Thorpe God is eternally sufficient and has no needs. Yet, Jesus talked about a need that is directly related to God. Jesus talked about the need for harvesters. Luke 10 is unique. These words are not found in Matthew or Mark. Luke, a Gentile, took special note of the words of Jesus that relate to all the nations. The sending of the 70 has a parallel to the 70 elders in Israel and the listing of the 70 nations in the book of Genesis. Jesus is establishing the new Israel and sending a messenger to each of the nations. It is interesting that the 70 sent out by Jesus were sent to the east side of the Jordon where the Gentiles lived. In verse two Jesus said, Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Needed! Harvesters, Because of the Divine Concern This incident reveals the divine concern on the heart of Jesus. God s concern always gives primacy to people not things. When Jesus said, The harvest truly is great, He was talking about people, multitudes of people. The divine concern has two points of focus 1. His concern for human potential. Jesus spoke two other times about the harvest. In each He was facing a tremendous need. a. The first is in John 4. In verse 35 He said, Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. The disciples were pessimistic about the Samaritans, but Jesus saw their potential. b. The second is in Matthew 9:36-37. Others saw despair, but Jesus saw potential. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. When you look at your mission field, what do you see? Do you see the human potential? 1.His concern for human vulnerability.
A field ready for harvest is extremely vulnerable to storms, plagues and fire. This vulnerability creates urgency. Jesus told His disciples, Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. The harvest is vulnerable, and the need to reap is urgent. There is the potential for harvest today, but the day of the harvest can be missed and lost! That s why we say, Needed! Harvesters, Because of the Divine Concern. Needed! Harvesters, Because of the Divine Method Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few... God s method is to work in such a way that labourers are always needed. 1. God s method is to work through people. If God is so concerned about the harvest, why doesn t He gather it? I don t know, it s a mystery. His method is to work through people. The whole world to reach, and Jesus had 70 labourers. The ratios have not changed. The method has not changed. Your family, work place, school and neighborhood will not be reached for Christ without a harvester. Everyone in this service was reached with this method, and those that are yet to be reached will be reached with this method. 2. God s method is to work through prayer. pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. God does send labourers, but He sends them in answer to prayer. You get a vision of the harvest, a burden for the harvest, and you get on your knees with a heart lifted up to God and say, Oh Lord, send more workers! God does send more, because that s His divine method. Martin Luther had a fellow monk friend who prayed and studied the Bible with him. Both came to the conviction that salvation is by grace alone. Martin Luther felt a strong call to leave the monastery and preach the gospel. His friend felt called to stay at the monastery and pray continually for him. One night Martin s friend had a dream. He saw a large, unnumerable flock of sheep, and in the midst of the flock was one shepherd. When he looked closely he saw that the shepherd was Martin Luther. In his dream he began to pray that God would send someone to help the shepherd. The dream continued, and he saw a field of grain that seemed to never end. It was a field that was ripe for harvest. In the field there was one worker. As he looked closer, he saw that the one worker was Martin Luther. He awoke from the dream, packed his bags, and left the monastery. He joined Martin Luther in shepherding the flock and working in the grain field. It s God s method to work through people and prayer. He often sends labourers from those that pray for the harvest.
Conclusion Close your eyes. Can you see what Jesus saw? Do you see the potential of those around you? Do you see that they can become children of the King? Do you feel the urgency, because they are so vulnerable? If you see the harvest, Jesus is calling you to feel the way He feels about the harvest and get out in the field!
MORE LIFE I AM SENDING YOU John 20:21-23 Archer Thorpe A missionary is one who is sent on a mission. Jesus said, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. It is my conviction that it is God s intention that every believer be a missionary. The believer may not cross language or cultural barriers or have a Damascus Road experience, but every believer is called to be on mission for Christ. Jesus had been crucified on Friday and placed in a tomb. On Sunday there were rumors that Jesus was alive from the dead. In fear of the mob that killed Jesus, the followers of Jesus were hiding in the upper room. Suddenly, without warning, Jesus stood in their midst, and they saw Jesus. Jesus quieted their fears as He twice said, peace be unto you. He showed them his hands and side, because He wanted to remove any doubts. With His identity assured, He said to the disciples, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. The disciples left the upper room that Sunday evening with a new awareness of their mission. They were in the world for a new kind of purpose. These believers had a new direction about who they were and what they were to do. We Have a Missionary s Commission The critical question in the words, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you, is who heard these words from Jesus? Who was in the room? When you also look at this account in Luke 24:33ff, it s obvious that there were more than the 10 apostles in the room. Jesus words were spoken to all of them. Send has the idea of sending with a charge, placing under mandate and commission. Southern Baptists commission people to serve as missionaries around the world. As important as that kind of commissioning service might be, every believer stands in the presence, not of denominational leaders, but in the presence of the resurrected Lord and He says, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
If you are not going, hear again these words, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. You may walk away from your church s mandate or denominational slogan, but you can t escape the words of Jesus, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. Where you go is His prerogative. Whether or not to be a missionary is not a prerogative for the believer. We have a missionary s commission. We Have the Missionary s Equipper As Jesus spoke, I think He could see their sense of inadequacy and fear in their faces. He might have heard them thinking, They put You to death on Friday, surely you don t want us to go to them. The Bible says, And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. In the account of creation, God took the dust, formed it into the likeness of a man and breathed into that which He held in His hands the breath of life. Man became a living soul. Now, the living Christ is establishing a new creation and he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. It s an admonition, not a conflict. Some see this as a conflict with Acts 2. This is not John s version of Pentecost. Some see Jesus giving the gift of the Holy Spirit on Resurrection Sunday and the power for service on Pentecost. I believe our text is preparation, building a sense of expectancy and preparation in the hearts of His followers. The equipper is the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit that brooded and breathed over the chaos and made it a cosmos. The same Spirit that came on the prophets in the Old Testament to equip and enable them for service. The same Spirit that came upon Jesus at His baptism and manifested Himself throughout Jesus ministry. Receive the Holy Spirit, not seek. The Holy Spirit is not the end of our quest; He is the gift of a generous God. The Holy Spirit is not a reward for service and sacrifice; He is God s gift to us based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Others may have more theological knowledge than you, but what equips you for service and witness is the indwelling and infilling Holy Spirit. There is no one in the world that can experience more of the Holy Spirit than you. We Have the Missionary s Message There is much controversy over verse 23. Jesus said, Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Mark it down, we cannot forgive or absolve sins. God alone forgives sins. We do play a part in people knowing about and experiencing God s forgiveness. We don t forgive sin, but our witness is used of God as the gospel is proclaimed. Here is how God works you share the gospel with someone and ask them to receive Christ. You pray with them as they repent and by faith alone accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. As the prayer ends and eyes open, you extend your hand to them and say, Your sins have been forgiven. God has forgiven you! Conclusion Here s the awesome thing, if you and I don t share the gospel, people will die in their sins. We share God s plan of salvation, people are transformed by a personal relationship with Christ, and sins are forgiven. You are a missionary, and God wants to work through you. You may not know all you would like to know about the Bible, but you know enough from your own personal experience with Christ. As a missionary, tell them what Jesus Christ has done for and in you. You are a missionary, and this is your mission field.