Mark chapter number nine
The book of Mark chapter number nine and we're gonna begin reading in verse number 38 of Mark chapter nine
I want to preach to you this morning on it on a question that I've been asked many times
Maybe you've had people ask you this question many times people who are
Trying to throw a wet blanket on soul winning or maybe they don't really believe in what we're doing when we go out soul winning
And so they'll ask this question to somehow try to put you on the spot or ask this question to somehow
Prove to you that soul money doesn't work. And the question is this where are they all?
Where are they all?
Where are all these people that you've won to Christ or where are all these people that supposedly get saved out on soul winning?
And now you have the numbers in the bulletin here on the back and it says how many people have been saved
But where are all these people that have supposedly been saved? Well, I'm going to answer that question this morning
And in fact, I'm gonna give you three answers to the question. Where are they all number one?
And this is what we're looking at here in Mark chapter 9 verse 38 number one. They may be in a different church
Let's let's read together in Mark chapter 9 verse 38 the Bible reads and John answered him saying
Master we saw one casting out devils in my name and he followeth not us and we forbade him
Because he followed not us
but Jesus said
Forbid him not for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name that could lightly speak evil of me
For he that is not against us is on our part
So number one, where are they all? Where are all these people that have been saved number one?
They may be going to a different church
You see there's a big difference between getting saved believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and
Wanting to get in your car drive to a church that you've never been to where you don't know anybody and maybe even to drive
To a church like this you see some people would rather not come to a church like this
Some people and if you think think about this for a moment of all the people that we went to the Lord
You know that many of them have an aunt or an uncle mom dad
Someone in their family or in their circle of friends who goes to some other church
And those people never wanted the Lord of course those people never gave him the gospel
But as soon as they hear that they've been saved as soon as they hear that they believe on Jesus Christ
they're the first thing they're gonna do is try to invite them to their church and
They won't they won't get anybody saved
But they'll take people that you've wanted the Lord and they'll get them to come to their liberal namby-pamby church
Now in the story here in Mark chapter 9
We see here people who believe on Jesus Christ
They're serving Jesus Christ, but they were not following with the disciples now
Let me ask you something what church. Do you think these men in this story should have been going to?
Obviously they should have been following with John and Peter and James
They should have been in that church where Jesus was the first pastor
They should have been going to the greatest church at that time, but they didn't I
Wonder if it's because they maybe just didn't want to be that close to Jesus
Or maybe they just didn't want to be around these apostles who were so zealous and and so on fire for God
They wanted to go to some more namby-pamby
liberal
Sissified little church somewhere where the pastor doesn't preach on sin, or maybe where the soul winning is not emphasized
Hey, not everybody can handle coming to a church where the pyro's preach and where sin is called out by me
And so just because they're not willing to come to faithful word Baptist Church
That doesn't mean they're not saved
There are people who've been saved for years who wouldn't necessarily come to faithful word Baptist Church
There have been people who've been saved for years and years and years and yet
They choose to go to a liberal church. They choose to go to some community church
They don't go to an independent fundamental Baptist Church
Why because they don't want to be that close to Jesus they don't want to be that close to people who are true
Disciples and following Jesus Christ you see this church
It's for those who love God this church is for those who are on fire and zealous for God
There's churches for soul winners and so anybody's welcome in this church of course and and boy many times people get saved and
Immediately join and come in and start coming to our church
But the point is of all the people that get saved not every one of them is gonna be willing to attend Archer
Let me ask her does somebody have to come to our church in order to be saved
No
Does somebody have to go to faithful word Baptist Church in order for us to pronounce them saved?
No the only thing a person has to do to be saved is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
And thou shalt be saved and so everyone that believeth on Jesus will be saved whether they come to this church or any church
Ever and so where are all these people that we've won to the Lord you say pastor Anderson if you've won
All these people the Lord they should all be here in your church
Well, no, that's not true because many of them are going to a different church
Some of them are going to mom's church or their uncle's church or their aunt's church or their cousin church their friend church
And so that's where they're going they don't come to this church because they prefer to go to a mellower church
But number two
Where are they all well number one? You know that they could be in a different church
but number two
Maybe they're just too busy with the cares of this world to even come to church at all
Let me read this for you
You don't have to turn there 2nd Timothy 4 10 the Bible reads for Demas have forsaken me
Having loved this present world and is departed unto Thessalonica
crescents to Galatia
Titus unto Dalmatia
Demas had forsaken me having loved this prima
You see let me read this 42 before I go on Matthew 13 22
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the
deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he become an
unfruitful you see there are many people who are saying they're Christians as Demas was as
crescents was as Titus was
But they allow the cares of this world to choke them out so that they become unfruitful
They get so busy with their boat. They're so busy with their new car
They're so busy with following sports
They're so busy with the things of this world that they just don't have time to come to church even on Sunday morning
Let alone to come back on Sunday night or to come back on Wednesday night
They just don't have time for church. And so they're so busy with the cares. Let me ask you does that mean that they're not saved?
Of course, they're saved if they believe on Jesus Christ
I mean if they truly believe that they were sick that they were center on their way to hell
But they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ that his death
Burial and resurrection and the blood that he shed is a sufficient payment for their sins
And they believe that through faith of Jesus Christ, they'll have everlasting life and be saved forever
Of course, they're going to heaven
But
What if they're too busy to come to church
because the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and all the
Things that the world has up has choked them out to where they don't have time for the things of God
Hey, they're still saved. They're still going to heaven
And so that's what that's where many of them are. Where are they all past random?
Well, many of them are in a different church a more liberal church. Where are they all past random? Number two
Maybe they're just too busy with the cares of this world to even mess with church
But number three, why where are they all?
Number three many are shy or just too afraid to come to church
Let me let me read this for you in John chapter 12 the Bible reads in John 12 42
Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him
But because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the synagogue for they loved the praise of men
more than the praise of God
You say well, I'm not really sure those people were really saved
Well, look the Bible says right here. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him
The Bible says he that believeth on him is not condemned
But he that believeth not is condemned already because he had not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God
Hey believing on Jesus Christ is salvation and yet these people believed on Jesus Christ
They were saved but they would not confess him
They were afraid to identify with it. They were afraid to come to church. They were afraid to be seen going to church
They were too shy
Maybe or whatever
Look, there are people who are just too shy and afraid to come to church
Think about some people have never been to church their whole life
You think they're just gonna get in a car drive to a church where they don't know anybody
Walk into the service introduce themselves
Look some of us would not have a problem with that other people are too shy to do that
Does that mean that they're not safe because they're shy because they're fearful. Of course. It doesn't mean that they're in city
And again that goes back to my first point why some people
Will go to one of these more liberal churches that did not preach them the gospel that did not win them the price
the reason that they'll do it is
because
They have a friend there. They have a family member. They know somebody there
They're going to be much more comfortable going to a church where they already know somebody