Sunday, July 31, 2011 pm
SERMONS IN SONG
“You Never Mentioned Him to Me”, #92
This song is interesting because it paints a picture before the judgment
seat of God. There is no
scripture that says what this song teaches will actually happen on that
day. AND WE KNOW THAT!
But imagine if it did happen?
Whether or not such a scene will actually unfold, the message is
a challenge to each of us as we move through this life.
Because the concept that the
souls of those around us ought to weigh heavy on our hearts IS found
within scripture. Do we truly think about others as we ought to?
This song is designed to remind of that need and to do something
about it.
There is no story behind this song, just a message with which we can
“teach and admonish one another”
(Col. 3:16). Let us
notice the message of this song.
a.
When in the better land
before the bar we stand – This is a description of judgment.
i.
The idea of the bar is
standing before a judge who is about to pronounce ruling.
ii.
The coming judgment is
very real – Act. 17:30-31
iii.
It will be a great day –
a bright day for some – and a sad day for others.
iv.
We will ALL stand before
the judgment seat - 2 Cor
5:9-10, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be
well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat
of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body,
according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
Romans 14:10-12 says that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.
WE shall each give an accounting for our lives.
b.
How deeply grieved our
souls may be –
i.
The souls of our
friends, loved ones, our neighbors and even our enemies ought to be a
source of concern to us. It
ought to grieve us that souls will be lost – especially when we consider
how terrible their eternal destiny will be.
ii.
It is a foregone
conclusion that most will reject the truth.
Jesus said twice, “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt.
20:16, 22:14).
The way to destruction is described as broad and heavily traveled (Matt.
7:13-14)
iii.
But not all will be
lost. There are honest souls
that are searching for the truth.
Men like Cornelius and the Ethiopian Eunuch.
Others have honest hearts and will receive the truth when they
hear it – like the Philippian jailer and Lydia, the Samaritan woman and
disciples of John in Ephesus who when they heard the truth changed, etc.
iv.
Our task is to find that
one lost soul. Do we see the
urgency in reaching them? 2 Cor. 5:11 says, “Knowing therefore the
terror of the Lord, we persuade men.”
Col 1:28-29, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in
all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To
this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in
me mightily.”
c.
If any lost one there
should cry in deep despair, ‘You never mentioned Him to me.’
i.
How truly sad it would
be if someone that you or I had a real chance to teach and we neglected
that opportunity.
ii.
In Acts 20:26-27, Paul
was speaking to the Ephesian elders on his way to Jerusalem.
Among the things he told them was this, “Therefore I testify to
you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of
God.”
iii.
Paul became all things
to all men that he might by all means save some
(1 Cor. 9:22)
a.
O let us spread the word
wherever it may be heard
i.
It is a command that we
strive to seek the lost. It is
our responsibility.
ii.
Mark 16:15, “the great
commission” while given to the apostles applies to all of us, as its
fulfillment required more than just the efforts of those twelve men
(actually 13).
2 Tim. 2:2 is an example of this.
iii.
1 Pet. 3:15, “But
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready to give an answer…”
iv.
Ezek.33:8, the text
attached to this song, speaks of responsibility to warn the lost and
that we will be accountable if we don’t.
b.
Help groping souls the
light to see
i.
There are many in this
world who are living their lives desperately searching for answers to
their problems. They are
groping souls. The word
groping at
www.dictionary.com when used as an adjective is defined as, “1. Moving or going about
clumsily or hesitantly; stumbling; 2. Showing or reflecting a desire to
understand, especially something that proves puzzling.”
While it is true that many who are desperately searching are not
interested in God, as we have noted, some are.
ii.
That light, of course,
is the gospel of Jesus – John 1:4 says of Jesus, “In Him was life, and
the life was the light of men.”
John 8:12, He said, “I am the light of the world.
He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light
of life.”
iii.
We need to help them see
the light.
1.
By being a proper
example –
We walk in the light as He is in the light – 1 John 1:7
Matt. 5:16, Phil. 2:14-15 – we are shining as lights in the midst of
this crooked and perverse generation.
2.
We also need to be
WATCHING! How diligently are we looking for someone who is searching for
the truth? Gal. 6:10 tells
us, “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially those who are
of the household of faith.”
John 4:35-36, “Do you not say,
'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say
to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already
white for harvest!”
c.
That yonder none may
say, ‘You showed me not the way.
You never mentioned Him to me.”
III.
Vs. 3 – deals with how
to do it.
a.
A few sweet words may
guide a lost one to His side –
i.
Not only am I reminded
of the power of a godly example, I cannot help but think of the way we
speak with others.
ii.
Col. 4:6, “Let your
speech always be with grace seasoned with salt…” (cf. Matt. 5:13)
iii.
Prov 25:11-12, “A
word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver.
Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise
rebuker to an obedient ear.”
iv.
Let us never forget in
our quest to reach the lost that the goal is not to win the battle but
to win the soul. Such will
require us to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matt.
10:16).
b.
Or turn sad eyes to
Calvary
i.
Never forget that the
answer we are striving to impart is found in Jesus Christ.
ii.
1 Cor. 2:2 Paul said, “For
I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified.”
iii.
Gal 6:14-15, “But
God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
c.
So work as days go by
i.
Heb. 9:27 reminds us, “And
as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”
We must constantly remind ourselves that we are working with a
deadline. And the problem is
we don’t know when time will run out – for us, for them or for all of
mankind.
ii.
Therefore we must make
it our aim to ALWAYS be ready (2 Cor. 5:9)
iii.
Jesus Himself taught, “I
must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is
coming when no one can work.” John 9:4-5
iv.
Col. 4:5 says, “Walk
in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.”
d.
That yonder none may
cry, ‘You never mentioned Him to me.”
a.
You never mentioned him
to me. You helped me not the
light to see.
b.
You met me day by day,
and knew I was astray – there are those we meet on a regular basis –
friends, school mates, fellow workers, family, erring brethren, etc.
We have relationships with some of these!
Are we seeking opportunities to turn our conversations into
teachable moments (as Jesus did with the woman at the well)?
c.
Yet NEVER mentioned Him
to me.
And
thus we see a song in which we teach and admonish one another to fulfill
our responsibilities to reach the lost.
Recently, I heard a sermon dealing with personal evangelism in
which the preacher presented an interesting thought about this song.
While it portrays a scene we certainly don’t want to face at
judgment (either literally or figuratively), there is something that
could be said on the Day of Judgment that is even worse.
Imagine you or I standing before God and giving account for our
lives only to hear Him say, “You never mentioned Me to him!”