<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Untitled Document • Do You Even Care?
• Your actions dictate the answer to this question.

• Introduction:
• Let’s discuss the essence of our life as a Christian—caring for others.
• A.K.A—Servitude
• There are many false perceptions in the world around us.
• We must not let those false ideas keep us from being who we should be.
• The truth is that a Christian is to be a good person both, in the eyes of our brethren, and in the eyes of community around us.

• Introduction:
• Romans 12:17 says we are to, “Have regard for good things in the sight of all men”.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:12 say we are to, “walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing”.
• It is important to demonstrate a desirable life for all to see.
• We must remember “why” this is so important.

• Introduction:
• It is because we are trying to be effective in caring for others;
• with the hope of sharing the gospel with them;
• and sparing them from condemnation.
• Let’s consider this pursuit in our lesson.

• Caring Enough to Care
• Sometimes it is a struggle to care as we should.
• It is so easy not to care about the plight of others around the world, or even across the street.
• Sometimes even in our own families there is this problem of not caring about the soul of our loved ones.
• When parents provide everything for their child except a spiritual background, they are causing harm to the soul of their child.
• Selfishness is a sin that certainly does not care about anyone or their feelings.

• Caring Enough to Care
• And there are so many ways in which selfishness is cause to deprive others of what they need.
• We have to be careful not to let a person’s present actions to cloud our love for their soul.
• To keep this in proper perspective we must remember that God loved the world even when we were all lost in sin (John 3:16-18; Romans 5:6-10).

• Caring Enough to Care
• Reality for all is that they have sinned and need forgiveness;
• it is their only hope (Romans 3:23; 6:23).
• If Jesus died to give hope to sinners (Mark 2:17) who are we to be choosey with His offer of hope.
• We also must be careful not to allow our relationship with Christ to elevate our pride, against others.

• Caring Enough to Care
• To keep this in proper perspective we must remember that we need forgiveness as much as anyone;
• We have no hope of entering Heaven without forgiveness (Revelation 21:27).
• We are only in this relationship of hope by the grace of God and our obedience to His plan (Ephesians 2:8-10).
• If continuous goodness was a standard for acceptance, where would we be?
• As Christians, we must be known for our caring; so that others respect us and listen (1 Timothy 4:16); so that others can be saved, too.

• Caring Enough to Care
• Naturally this will not happen to people who live elsewhere.
• Our care is to be seen
• WHERE WE ARE,
• ALL THE TIME
• By those who meet and interact with us.

• Caring Enough to Share
• One of the most beautiful aspects of our heavenly treasure (Matthew 6:19-21) is that we are able to share it with others in full-portion.
• There is nothing else in the world is like the gospel, when it comes to sharing.
• You cannot share your full-portion of chocolate cake, without losing your portion.
• However, the beauty of our hope is, that we can give a full-measure to everyone we meet for the rest of our lives and still have our measure.

• Caring Enough to Share
• We must, however, be careful what we share.
• We are not sharing “the church of Christ way” of salvation—there should never be such a thing.
• This is a mistake that many make;
• thinking that all churches have their own authority to offer salvation as they see it.
• We must be careful to offer what we live.

• Caring Enough to Share
• The right to determine the hope of salvation belongs to no earthly group;
• it is God who supplies the one true gospel message (1 Peter 1:6-9).
• We must share the one hope Christ’s calling (Ephesians 4:1-6);
• the one message of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-10);
• and the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16).

• Caring Enough to Share
• As Christians, we must be known for our sharing.
• So that others will have the true hope God’s salvation (1 Thessalonians 1:6-9).
• So that others can be saved, too.
• The Worst Hate Crime: Is to not warn of impending danger; especially the soul heading towards Hell.

• Caring Enough to Want Them Spared
• Why does it matter anyway?
• All of this care, all of this sharing, what it is for?
• The answer is found in understanding what will happen to the souls of our fellow-man if we do not care for them enough to share with them the gospel.
• Without the forgiveness of their sins they will be separated from God (Romans 6:23a).
• Without obedience to God’s plan they will not be prepared for their life’s end (Hebrews 9:27) or the end of this world (2 Peter 3:9-11).

• Caring Enough to Want Them Spared
• Let’s consider our answer based on the one piece of information that we have actually received from the other side of the grave (Luke 16:24-31).
• The man in torment desperately wanted his brothers warned so that would not end up where he was.
• With our care for our fellow man, and our willingness to share the one true gospel with them, we can spare them from everlasting condemnation (Matthew 25:46a) in that place for the unprepared, away from all that is good (Matthew 25:30).

• Caring Enough to Want Them Spared
• We can spare them from the place of torment:
• unquenchable flame and unyielding worms (Mark 9:45-48).
• Hell is an everlasting place of abode for those who do not want to be with God (Hebrews 12:25).
• Yet once they get there, they will want to be with God, but there will be no hope of that.

• Caring Enough to Want Them Spared
• As Christians, we must be known for our desire for others to be spared from condemnation.
• So that others will be spared, by seeking forgiveness (Ephesians 1:6-8).
• So that others will be saved.
• I’m sure many will express regret on their deathbed that they did not serve God like they should have.

• Conclusion:
• We, as Christians, have responsibilities that will always “ring true”.
• We must be the kind of people who care for the souls of our fellow-man;
• share the one true gospel with them;
• and strive to see them spared from condemnation, through their obedience.
• If we are not willing to meet the needs of mankind we keep their only hope away from them.
• Souls who do not obey the gospel will not be saved.
• Can you honestly say, you care about the lost?

By Carey Scott based upon article by T. Sean Sullivan

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