WE WILL GO…I WILL GO!

 

Some Who Were Willing to Go

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Our theme for 2020 is:  “We Will Go…I Will Go!” 

 

B.      Each month we want us to remind ourselves of this theme.  This is important because it is based off of Jesus’ words found in the Great Commission (Mark 16:15).

 

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

 

C.     Thus far, we have had five lessons involving our theme.

1.        The Great Commission:  The Charge

2.       The Great Commission:  The Communication

3.       The Great Commission:  The Conditions

4.       Why We Go

5.       They Must Be Taught

 

D.    In this lesson, let’s look at individuals who were sent on missions by God, and went.  Our title is simply:  “Some Who Were Willing to Go.”

 

I.             ABRAHAM

 

A.    In God’s scheme of redemption, He planned to build a nation. 

1.        This nation had to spring from the loins of a single individual.

2.       The man God chose was a man named Abraham.

 

B.      One of the first things that God wanted this man to do was to sanctify himself.

1.        He needed to separate himself from the idolatry and iniquity of his people.

2.       Thus, God commanded Abram to leave his home and go into a foreign land (Gen. 12:1-2a).

 

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee:  and I will make of thee a great nation…

 

C.     This would have been extremely difficult for any man to do.

1.        Leave a familiar environment.

2.       Leave family behind.

3.       Leave one’s livelihood behind.

4.       Pack up family and belongings.

5.       New associations and a new culture

6.       Rebuild a new life with its adjustments.

 

D.    Abram went.

1.        Genesis 12:4

 

So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him:  and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

 

2.       Acts 7:3-4

 

And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.  Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans…

 

3.       Hebrews 11:8

 

By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

 

E.      The purpose of Abraham’s going was different than ours, but what was involved in the going was much the same.

1.        It took faith.

2.       It took a willing mind.

3.       It took courage.

4.       It took sacrifice.

5.       It took hope.

6.       It took endurance.

 

II.           MOSES

 

A.    Moses left Egypt at the age of forty, lived in the land of Midian, married, had children, and lived a peaceful life as a shepherd.

 

B.      At the age of 80, God called him to leave all of this and lead the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt (Exo. 3:10).

 

Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

 

C.     After some excuse making, Moses finally went.

1.        Exodus 4:20

 

And Moses took his wife, and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt:  and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

 

2.       Hebrews 11:27

 

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king:  for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

 

D.    Again the mission of Moses was different, but there are some things we can learn from his going.

1.        Moses’ age did not deter him.

2.       Moses was going into hostile territory.

3.       Moses’ mission involved the remainder of his life.

4.       Moses took upon his shoulders a huge burden of responsibility.

5.       Moses would have to manifest a deep reliance upon God.

 

III.         ISAIAH

 

A.    God manifested His glory to the prophet Isaiah in the opening verses of Isaiah 6:1-7.

 

B.      God then poses a question (Isa. 6:8a).

 

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?

 

C.     Isaiah responded positively to the Lord’s question (Isa. 6:8b).

 

Then said I, Here am I; send me.

 

D.    Isaiah went as a prophet of God primarily to the nation of Judah and prophesied there for forty years.

1.        Isaiah prophesied before several of the kings of Judah.

2.       The message that he brought the nation was one of judgment.

3.       He constantly urged the nation to repent of their transgressions.

4.       Tradition holds that he was killed by being sawn asunder.

5.       There was one bright spot in his prophecy, the coming of the messiah and the messianic kingdom (Isa. 2:2-4; 7:14; 53:1-12).

 

IV.        JESUS

 

A.    God loved man even though man had sinned against Him.

 

B.      In order to pardon man, God needed a perfect sacrifice on man’s behalf.

 

C.     Jesus was willing to come to earth and accomplish the mission God had for Him.

1.        Philippians 2:5-8

 

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

 

2.       Jesus tells us plainly that His death was something to which He voluntarily submitted (John 10:17-18).

 

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.  This commandment have I receive of my Father.

 

D.    It is difficult for us to comprehend what being willing to go really meant for our Lord.

1.        He took on a new nature, that of a human being.

2.       He entered into a new environment, an environment filled with evil.

3.       He was now able to be tempted by the evil one.

4.       Yet, He was willing to come.

 

V.          WE MUST BE WILLING TO GO

 

A.    We must be the Abraham’s, the Moses’, and the Isaiah’s of our day.  We must be willing to go for the Lord.

1.        They were not different from us.

2.       We are no different from them.

3.       Whatever it was that caused them to go must be developed within our own lives.

 

B.      We must be willing to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and be willing to go to the lost and teach the gospel of Christ to them (Luke 19:10).

 

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

 

C.     Jesus said:  “Go ye into all the world…”  In essence He asks the same question that was asked in Isaiah’s day:  “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

 

D.    Will you go?  Will you say as Isaiah did:  “Here am I; send me”?

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    Our being willing to go does three things.

1.        It obeys our loving Savior.

2.       It brings the gospel to the lost.

3.       It ultimately causes the church to grow.

 

B.      In the past, some were willing to go. 

1.        Let’s follow their example.

2.       Let’s cast off our fears.  Let’s lay aside our excuses.  Let’s clear our schedules. 

3.       Let’s go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.