Preached at Faith Baptist Church
    By Pastor Steven Mays

    The "EVERY CREATURE" Feature
    Of the Great Commission

    Mark 16:15

    "And HE said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

    There are several features to what we call the Great Commission;

    1. Community Feature: All the world – That is one of the purposes of the Local Church. That we would come together and as a local body take, or see to it that Gospel got took to everyone.

    2. Command Feature: Jesus said "GO", Our soul winning Training program is called Operation Go! Why? Because that is what we are to do! Go! The Christian life is time consuming, energy draining, demanding… Free Loaders don't make good Christians, moochers don't make Good Christians, Selfish people don't make good Christians.

    3. Constitutional Feature: Preach the Gospel, the liberal will take food eg. Habitat for Humanity, Green Peace, Peace Corp., but God didn't say that, He said take the Gospel to them.

    4. Creature Feature: Who do we take this gospel all around the wold to? Those who will receive only?

    Tonight I want to deal with the every creature feature of the Gospel. Go back to how I was called to be the pastor of Faith Baptist Church. I said, Bro. Lundy, I'll just have to come… I want to be satisfied that those people know what I'm all about… a big part of all that is --- Reaching everyone with the Gospel! Many Independent Baptist Folk don't want to do that. I do! I am!

    May I say, the reason many don't want to come to a Good Fundamental NT Independent Baptist church, is because they want to be in a place where they can have status by being a member. Where they can show off their new hat or dress or be seen, they don't want to be in a place where Getting the Gospel to Everyone is the Main Thing.

    Stop on Eph. 4:11-12

    "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
    12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"

    Good preaching hits you where you live…. It says something… Preaching not Politicking.

    Tonight, I want to look at Hinderances to the Every Creature Feature..

    I. PASSIVITY

    LET SOMEONE ELSE DO IT…. IT'S NOT MY JOB….

    Some of you heard about the Crime that took place in a Las Vegas Casino last year. A 20 year old man took a 6 or 7 year old girl into a bathroom and raped and killed her. The criminal's friend saw what he was doing to the girl, and then saw him begin to choke her to death and walked out and told no one, under the law of the state he committed no crime! Well, I'd like to kill the fella. But I want you to know in the sight of God when we let folks go on there way to hell we are wicked and in sin!

    Ah, someone else will get them the Gospel.

    You know what it would take to blow the roof off of this Church? For everyone who claims to know God to do what they could!

    II. PROCRASTINATION

    PRETTY SOON I'LL START… When?

    James 4:13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow

    Good things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle. -- Abraham Lincoln

    The Procrastinator's Poem:

    I've gone for a drink and sharpened my pencils,
    Searched through my desk for forgotten utensils.
    I reset my watch, I adjusted my chair,
    I've loosened my tie and straightened my hair.
    I filled my pen and tested the blotter
    And gone for another drink of water
    Adjusted the calendar, and I've raised the blind
    And I've sorted erasers of all different kinds.
    Now down to work I can finally sit,
    Oops, too late, it's time to quit.

    God help us to get some Character in Our Lives.

    III. PREJUDICE

    I DON'T LIKE THAT KIND OF PEOPLE..

    Re 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people
    Colossians 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
    STORY OF STANFORD UNIVERSITY…

    A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston, and walked timidly without an appointment into the president's outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Cambridge, Mass.. She frowned. "We want to see the president", the man said softly. "He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped. "We'll wait," the lady replied. For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away. They didn't. And the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the president, even though it was a chore she always regretted to do. "Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes, they'll leave," she told him. And he signed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office.

    The president, stern-faced with dignity, strutted toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son that attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus". The president wasn't touched he was shocked. "Madam," he said gruffy, "we can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery". "Oh, no," the lady explained quickly, "We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard. The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, then exclaimed, "A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical plant at Harvard".

    For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. He could get rid of them now. And the lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a University? Why don't we just start our own?" Her husband nodded. The president's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. And Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away; traveling to Palo Alto, California where they established the University that bears their name, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.

    Folks we are going to Love the poor…

    James 2:1 ¶ My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
    2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
    3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
    4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
    5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
    6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
    7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

    Dr. in Manchester Tn. Took out the smelliest nastiest people in the church to lunch regularly.. a real enigma.

    A Black ministry – A Spanish ministry…

    We'll have it right here… If you don't want stuff like that, you don't want to be in this Church.

    Warning about not liking Blacks.. A man I used to pastor, was all the time talking about the "niggers" this, and the niggers that… you know what? His daughter is shacking up this minute with a black man… why? Not that that is worse than shacking up with a white man.. but God judged him for being prejudice! You be careful!



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