Become Saviors of Men (2)

Become saviors of men: the church's forgotten calling

This Sunday at ICC, Bishop Emmanuel Nterful stepped up to the pulpit to remind the whole congregation of a truth we all know, but live out far too little: God saved us so that we, in turn, would become saviors of men. The starting text is short, almost easy to overlook: "Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's" (Obadiah 1:21). Around this verse, the Bishop built a direct, no nonsense call, grounded in the vision of the dark ocean that God gave to William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army.

Outline of the message

1. The world of the last days: men who love themselves
2. The church has forgotten why it was saved
3. William Booth's vision: the ocean, the platform, and the Superior Being
4. The eleven attitudes of the saved toward those who are perishing
5. Paul's broken heart: "I have great sorrow" (Romans 9-10)
6. A vision for this year: win one person a month

1. We are living in the last days of a self centered world

The Bishop opens with 2 Timothy 3: "Understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, slanderous." He insists: this description is not only about pagans. It also describes the spiritual state of many Christians today. "We have more knowledge, more resources, more money, and more grace than any generation before us. And yet we are the ones doing the least for the kingdom of God."

2. After salvation, most Christians have forgotten why they were saved

The Bishop says it without hesitation: since Jesus, there is hardly anyone left who thinks about the souls of men. "We think about ourselves, our jobs, our prosperity, but we do not think about souls." Yet Jesus left a clear command: "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). The church exists for one reason alone: that this world of sinners would come to know Jesus, love him, and be saved by his blood.

He illustrates this with the striking image of a dying father's last words. If you called your children to your deathbed, would your last words be, "Make sure you wash every day, brush your teeth, eat well"? No. Your last words would be the ones that truly matter. Yet Jesus' last words on this earth were: go, make disciples. These are his most solemn words.

3. William Booth's vision: the dark ocean and the platform

To make the call even more concrete, the Bishop takes the time to read the vision God gave to William Booth. He introduces it through Ezekiel 40, where the prophet is brought to a very high mountain to receive a vision and share it with the people: "Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel."

Here is the vision Booth received: a dark, stormy ocean. In that ocean, a multitude of human beings of every kind, drowning, cursing, floating, dying. Then, from the depths of the sea, a great rock rises up like a mountain, with a platform on it. Some of the drowning manage to grab hold of it and are saved. But what do they do once they are safe on the rock?

4. The eleven attitudes of the saved toward those who are perishing

The Bishop details Booth's observations. Each item is a mirror held up to the church.

1. Saviors. Some of the saved actively work to bring others back onto the platform.
2. Organizers of salvation. Others build ladders, small rescue boats, a whole system to save those who are struggling.
3. Personal sacrifice. Some, though already saved, throw themselves back into the sea to go save others.
4. Many had forgotten. Many, saved long ago, had completely forgotten that they themselves had once been through that dangerous sea.
5. Many were unconcerned. They saw the shipwrecked, heard their cries, even attended conferences describing their distress, and it did not move them.
6. Absorbed day and night in their business. There had to be commerce, after all, to live comfortably on the platform.
7. Those who grow flowers. Others spent their time decorating the platform, painting, playing music, admiring the scenery, eating, all in full view of the creatures who were perishing.
8. Those who argue. Some spent their time quarreling over the poor creatures who were drowning, each one defending their own doctrine.
9. Religious ceremonies on the rock. Others were content to hold curious ceremonies, convinced this fulfilled their duty toward those who were perishing.
10. The upper platform. Some had found a path to a higher platform, far from the dark clouds, and spent their time singing songs about how happy they were to have arrived there.
11. The Superior Being. Moved with pity, the great God sent his Son into the sea to save the shipwrecked. This Superior Being labors, cries out, weeps, sweats, bleeds, and keeps calling those he has already rescued to come and help him. Strange thing: those on the platform worship their Savior, say they love him, yet remain too busy with their careers, their savings, their pleasures, and their families to join him in the water. Some even shout to him, "Come out of the water and come make us even happier!"

5. Paul's broken heart: our model

After the vision, the Bishop turns the congregation toward Paul. "I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart" (Romans 9:1-2). Then Romans 10:1: "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved." This is the heart we must have. A heart that bleeds for those who are perishing, like the heart of Jesus, who has pity on the men and women who are dying, on the young people trapped in drugs, prostitution, wickedness, on those who, in our own homes, at our own workplaces, chase after this world without knowing where they are going.

The Bishop puts the question directly to France: this country has about 66 million people. Go on Google, type "Christians in France," and look at how many are truly born again. The reality is harsh. "The church must go where it will end up." It must go where our eyes are watching, or it will never go at all.

6. A concrete vision: twelve souls this year

Then comes the application. The Bishop gives a precise vision: "Every month, one person will be saved through you this year." Imagine what would happen if every Christian in this congregation won twelve people this year. That is not unrealistic. It is simply the Father's heart applied to your calendar.

He closes by recalling Jesus' dialogue with Peter in John 21: "Simon, do you love me? (Yes, Lord.), Feed my sheep." Our love for Jesus is proven in only one way: when we carry the same heart he has for souls.

Key takeaways

• Salvation is not an end in itself, it turns you into a savior, a rescuer of men.
• In the last days, selfishness and the love of money will spread even into the church. Resist it.
• William Booth's vision is a mirror. Which of the categories on the platform describes you?
• Jesus is already in the water, laboring. He calls those he has saved to come help him.
• Paul's heart (Romans 9-10) is the normal heart of a Christian: unceasing anguish for those who are perishing.

Personal application

1. On William Booth's platform, which of the eleven attitudes do you recognize in yourself today?
2. Who, in your family, at your workplace, in your neighborhood, has not yet clearly heard the gospel from your own mouth?
3. Is the vision of "one soul a month" possible for you this year? What would be the first concrete step this week?
4. Does your love for Jesus show up in caring for souls, or only in songs and ceremonies?
5. What needs to be laid down before God to receive a new heart, a heart that bleeds for those who are drowning?

Verses cited

• Obadiah 1:21 - Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion
• 2 Timothy 3:1-5 - People will be lovers of self in the last days
• Matthew 28:18-20 - Make disciples of all nations
• Ezekiel 40:1-4 - Look, listen, declare
• 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 - God loves a cheerful giver
• Romans 9:1-3 - I have unceasing anguish in my heart
• Romans 10:1 - My prayer to God is that they may be saved
• John 21:15-17 - Simon, do you love me? Feed my sheep
• John 3:16 - That whoever believes in him should not perish

FAQ

What does it mean to "become a savior of men"?

It means taking up the role of the saviors announced in Obadiah 1:21: men and women whom God uses to bring other souls to Jesus. It does not mean dying in their place (only Christ has done that), but carrying your cross to go find them, just as Jesus came to find us.

Where does the ocean vision recounted in the sermon come from?

It comes from William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, known as "Who Cares?" The Bishop introduces it through Ezekiel 40 to remind us that a vision received from God is meant to be shared with his people. It describes the real attitude of many Christians toward the lost.

How can I concretely win one person a month this year?

Start with a specific list: five to ten unsaved people around you. Pray for them by name every day. Look for a natural moment to share what Jesus has done in your life and invite them to a service, a meal, a time of prayer. The first step is a touched heart, and a mouth that opens.