Pastor Rod Thompson
Midland SDA Church
June 6, 2020
Who, would you say, is the most effective evangelist in the world? Is it Doug Bachelor, Walter Pearson, Mark Finley, Dwight Nelson, Kenneth Cox?
While you’re thinking about that question, let me ask you another one. How do people come to the Lord and the church?
If we were to actually sit down and write out a list we would probably say things like
Special needs (such as illness, divorce, loneliness, loss of job, etc…)
Walk-ins (people who live nearby or just come in uninvited)
Pastor
Door to door visitations
Sabbath School
Public evangelism
Church programs (health seminars, VBS, pathfinders, etc..)
So, who is the most effective evangelist?
In autumn of 2004 a survey was sent out to a sample of Seventh day Adventists in the North American Division to be given to the attending members in those churches on a specific Sabbath. The purpose of the survey was to discover their devotional and evangelistic practices.
There were 1, 689 surveys that were returned. What’s interesting about this survey is that it revealed some very surprising data.
Research shows that when it comes to people coming to the Lord and coming into the church through
Special needs (2-5% of the people in the church came to the Lord and the church by this method)
Walk-ins (2-5%)
Pastor (2-5%)
Door to door visitations (2-5%)
Sabbath School (2-5%)
Public evangelism (2-5%)
BUT ONE ADDITIONAL CATEGORY WAS ADDED
Friends / relatives (70-95%)
So – back to the question, who is the most effective evangelist?
I hope we see that the answer is – the person who takes personal interest in others and shares Jesus with them in a holistic and attractive way.
So who is the most effective evangelist in the world? The answer should be I am? (you are) or at least we can be.
You see, friendships are God’s preferred means of reaching people.
The research reveals that most people come to the Lord through the influence of a web of relationships and friendships. Therefore the absolutely most effective way of reaching people for the gospel is through personal influence.
So how does God reach policemen, by disguising full time ministers as policemen? How does He reach nurses and doctors, contractors, teachers, businessmen and women? He takes ordinary people like you and me, puts in the workplace and calls upon us to reach those around us.
We are all ambassadors of the gospel – we are called to be full time ministers where ever we are.
In Joshua chapter 6 you have the story of Israel going into the Promised Land. The first place they come to is Jericho and of course you know the story of how they marched around the city, gave a shout, the walls fell down and how they captured the city.
But something very interesting happens at the end of that chapter.
Read Joshua 6: 26
Isn’t that interesting? Joshua places a curse on anyone who attempts to rebuild the city or reoccupy the area.
In 2 Kings 2 Elijah is taken up into heaven and Elisha becomes the prophet of God. The prophets from the school of the prophets come out to meet Elisha and they say something very interesting to him.
Read 2 Kings 2: 19-22
This story is short and simple, yet its truth is profound and far reaching. This was a city controlled by Israel (the one Joshua had cursed). At first glance things look prosperous. There are beautiful buildings, trees, gardens, much activity – but no actual fruitfulness.
Literally the Hebrew says, the Land causes barrenness. This may indicate that the water contained minerals that hindered growth or fruitfulness.
There are some bible commentaries that suggest that the plants produced fruit but the fruit would drop off or the plants would whither.
Another suggestion is that the problem may have been related to human life. It may be that the water was polluted and caused sterility. This then produced barrenness related – not to plant life but to human life.
So they come to Elisha, recognizing his authenticity as a prophet of God and they ask for his help.
And I want you to notice what Elisha tells them to do. Bring me a jar. But not just any jar, but a new one. And then he says fill it with salt.
Now I want you to think about the symbolism used here.
In this story Jericho portrays the world which is under the curse of God. This is a curse that only God can lift by His plan of salvation as revealed in the word of God. The world stands as a hindrance, indeed, as a satanic fortification against men occupying God’s plan of salvation and deliverance in Christ.
Mankind and the world system of Satan offers substitutes – religious systems, and materialistic solutions. These substitutes may be pleasant at first glance, but the world solutions always result in bareness and are vain in fulfilling promises.
They may sound good, they may look appealing and they may satisfy the flesh for a while, but the ills of man just continue to grow worse. Only God can remove the curse.
Water in scripture is often a symbol of the word, of the Spirit who cleanses and refreshes, and even life. Water which is bad naturally portrays the opposite.
a. In place of God’s word, we have man’s futile view point, humanism, idolatrous systems, and ideologies.
b. In place of the Holy Spirit, there are evil spirits who promote the doctrines of demons
In place of cleansing, refreshment, and life there is pollution, weariness and death.
Read 2 Corinthians 4: 6-7
In this scripture, believers are portrayed as mere earthen vessels containing the treasure of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ so that the power of salvation might be clearly seen to be of God and not of man.
I want you to notice that Elisha request not just a jar, but a new jar (Joshua 2: 20), which portrays the believer, a regenerated, new person, ne creation of God, who is to represent the Lord in the world as an ambassador and priest of God who is to declare the excellence’s of God and His salvation in Jesus Christ to a lost and cursed world.
The salt is the most significant of the symbols that are used in the story of Joshua 2.
To see that let’s think about the uses of salt.
1. Salt is a preservative. It retards spoilage and decomposition
2. Salt seasons, gives flavor and makes food more palatable and enjoyable
3. Salt causes thirst. (You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink) Not necessarily – you can feed him salt and then he will drink
4. Salt irritates. Have you ever gotten salt in a wound?
5. Salt is a healing and purifying agent – it cleanses and purifies
Salt was one of the most important staples and commodities of ancient times. It was viewed right along with wine and oil as a sign of prosperity
In ancient times, because of the lack of refrigeration, meat would spoil almost immediately without salt.
In ancient times, salt was taken from the dead sea and from the surrounding marshes. This meant that sometimes it was impure. Salt from the Dead Sea was often mixed with Gypsum and if in sufficient quantities, the slat would become alkaline and lose its salty character.
So what does this have to do with us?
Read Matthew 5: 13
I want you to notice that Jesus didn’t say, TRY to be the salt of the earth. He said, YOU ARE the salt of the earth.
Followers of Jesus who are – poor in spirit, mourners for their lost innocence, meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted for His name sake – are the salt of the earth
You are to be an antiseptic to a sin filled world. Salt opposes the growth of disease, bacteria, and infection
Our anointing is the only help for a corrupt and lost people who are condemned and heading toward hell.
You are to be salt that makes one thirsty. The world is uninterested in the gospel, but salt makes one thirsty. Because we are the salt of the earth, our presence should make people thirsty for living water that only Jesus can provide.
You are the salt of the earth – as such you should be a preservative. Jesus is saying that the presence of Godly men and women helps preserve the sanity and sanctity of life
In 1730 John Wesley was converted. He was born again. His subsequent revival movement, lead to a great spiritual awakening in the 18th century in England. Secular historians now concede that this revival was the single most contributing factor that kept the nation from total collapse and upheaval.
You are to be the salt of the earth. Salt is seasoning. Salt makes things taste better. The true Christian in today’s world makes life more palatable. Salt makes sour things less sour. The salt of the earth are those people who seek to be more like Jesus – who had a burden for the lost, cared for the hurting.
The salt of the earth bring seasoning to every situation – they spice it up with hope, love, joy, peace, faith, mercy and compassion.
You are the salt of the earth. Salt is painful to an open wound. The person who lives the unhindered, grace filled life makes the world a better place – but they also bring the sting of conviction.
William Wilberforce spoke out against slavery and was hated by many for it.
Martin Luther King stung the conscience of this nation, and many hated him for it.
Today we live in a world where the sanctity of marriage is no longer upheld, there are many who support abortion on demand, there is racial and gender inequality, pornography is rampant, sex trafficking is thriving. And if you speak out against these things you may be hated for it.
Notice what Ellen White says about this
Conflict and courage, Chapter 218, P224
In casting salt into the bitter spring, Elisha taught the same spiritual lesson imparted centuries later by the Saviour to His disciples when He declared, "Ye are the salt of the earth." The salt mingling with the polluted spring purified its waters and brought life and blessing where before had been blighting and death. When God compares His children to salt, He would teach them that His purpose in making them the subjects of His grace is that they may become agents in saving others.
Salt must be mingled with the substance to which it is added; it must penetrate, infuse it, that it may be preserved. So it is through personal contact and association that men are reached by the saving power of the gospel. They are not saved as masses, but as individuals.
Personal influence is a power. It is to work with the influence of Christ, . . . and to stay the progress of the world's corruption. . . . It is to uplift, to sweeten the lives and characters of others by the power of a pure example united with earnest faith and love.
But remember what Jesus said,
Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
When we are no longer salty, or when we lose our saltiness we are useless to God’s purpose and kingdom.
So our task and our calling is to maintain our saltiness and be fully committed to influence the world for Jesus.
We are to be what Jesus called us to be. “The salt of the earth” We are to use our personal influence to bring flavor to the world, to be an antiseptic to disease and corruption, to cause others to thirst for righteousness and for living water. We are to preserve the sanctity of life, to bring conviction and most importantly to bring healing.
But the question that confronts us today is are we being the salt of the earth? Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to use us to influence the people around us?
God has called you to be the world’s greatest evangelist, through your personal influence to be the salt of the earth – or at least to all those within your sphere of influence.
Read Mark 9:49-50
Hebrews 10: 22-24 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our heart sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.
Is that the desire of your heart? Do you want to use your God given personal influence to stir up others to love and good works.
Philemon 5-6 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you, in Christ Jesus. Is it your desire to be effective in your personal influence?
If so, would you pray with me now?