LONG ROPES AND STRONG STAKES

ISAIAH 54:2

A. "ENLARGE THE PLACE OF THY TENT, AND LET THEM STRETCH FORTH THE CURTAINS OF THINE HABITATIONS SPARE NOT, LENGTHEN THY CORDS, AND STRAIGHTEN THY STAKES"
  1. Thy words of our text are directed to:
    1. The church
    2. And to the ministers of the gospel
  2. The call of God is:
    1. For wider vision, more a amplitude of view
    2. To make more room for new converts to God's truth
  3. The call indicates plainly that:
    1. The churches' vision of evangelization is far too narrow - the outlook too pessimistic
    2. What is true of the church is true of its ministers; many of whom are preoccupied with the cares of this life B. LONG ROPES AND STRONG STAKES
  4. Any camper acquainted with tents recognizes the figure:
    1. When you pitch a tent, if you lengthen the ropes you must strengthen the stakes
    2. Increased extension calls for increased stability
  5. Let us note four specific implications in our text:
    1. Wider vision, more amplitude of view; that means that before both the church and the ministers of the gospel can do effective soul-winning their vision of the inclusiveness of God's program of soul-winning is imperative. Examples: the gospel commission "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" Mark 16: 15-16; Matt. 28:18-20 "Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and unto the utter most parts of the earth" - Acts 1:8
    2. Make thy plans accordingly; enlarge the provisions to receive the large influx of new believers - Acts 2:46-47; 5:14; Is. 60: 1-5
    3. Organize and establish the new believers lest they shall fall prey to the evil one - John 10:15-16; Eph. 4:11-18
    4. Spare not, neither your means, nor your efforts; world evangelism demands sacrifice on our part; it calls for larger commitments of our means and effort; Examples: the early Christians pooled their means for the good of all believers - Acts 2:44-45. Sacrificial giving by the early Christians is indicated in Acts 5; for Ananias and Sapphire must have been impressed with the gifts for missions by the believers to sell their property, too bad that Satan put it into their heart to attempt to lie to the Holy Spirit C. EVANGELIZATION - WORLD-WIDE MUST EVER BE THE WATCH WORD OF GOD'S CHURCH
  6. We must never allow defeatism to dim or narrow our vision:
    1. "Where there is no vision, the people perish" - Prov. 29:18; Examples: Israel in the days of Samuel when he was a child - I Sam. 3:1 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" Hos. 4:6. Think of the famine predicted in prophecy - Amos 8:11-12
    2. Soul-saving faith must motivate our every thought and action - I John 5:4; James 2:24-26
  7. The gospel commission makes no provision for failure in evangelism;
    1. Preach, teach, and baptize - Matt. 28:18-20
    2. To accomplish all that, God has provided all power in heaven and in earth - that means success is assured because with God, for God, There can be no failure
  8. Three essentials for continued success in world-wide missions:
    1. It must be headed by the Holy Spirit ever - Rev. 22:17; Acts 13:1-4
    2. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord" - Zech. 4:6
    3. "Preach the word of life" 2 Tim. 4:1-6; 2 Cor. 5:19
    4. Practice the truth that you preach to others; James 1:22; Matt. 7:21-26; Luke 6:46-48 Is it not wonderful to know that God has so much confidence in men that he entrusts world evangelism to us.


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