Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim

Interceding for the Lost
2 Cor 4:2-4

Introduction
Do you believe you are supposed to intercede for the Lost? I will go a step further and say some people are not going to be saved if Christians do not intercede for them.

Recently I read the story I have seen several times about a mother who was informed her son who was in prison had died. She had gotten a peace from the Lord about the salvation of her and in fact God told her he would preach the gospel.

She took out her Bible and knelt to pray saying "God I present before you this letter and your word which one do you want me to believe? She got up from her knees and wrote the prison stating they had made a mistake. Sure enough her son was alive.

He later got saved and did preach the gospel. His Mom interceded for his salvation. Very few Mother pray with that kind of faith and even fewer mothers pray like that without seeing their sons saved.
 
 
 

1.    Intercede for this person God has laid on your heart asking that the Holy Spirit will keep the forces of evil from adulterating the Word of God to this person. They need a\ clearer understanding of the Word and Satan and false prophets will distort the scriptures.
1 Cor. 4:2

Gen. 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" NASU

Illustration
Cliff Palmer, a prominent pastor from Arkansas, has a tape ministry through Bible Believers Cassettes. I get these tapes on loan and as he was preaching through one of the books of the Bible he said, "The number one tool of Satan is false doctrine." I was surprised to hear him say that and reflected upon the thought. Immediately I did not agree but today I think Cliff Palmer was right on target. The number one tool of Satan is false doctrine. If he can adulterate or confuse a person's mind related to Scripture, he has them pretty well in his grip. We as Christians need, as we intercede for the lost, to make sure that we include that Satan cannot adulterate God's Word.
 

2.    Intercede for this person God has laid on your heart asking that the Holy Spirit will remove the veil Blocking their understanding of the gospel message. 1 Cor.4:3

2 Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. NASU

Illustration
I had a wedding one time where the bridesmaid did not remove the brides veil and she tried to blow out her part of the unity candle through her veil. It did not work and I removed her veil for her. Some lost people need us to remove the veil in prayer.
 

3.    Intercede for this person God has laid on your heart asking the Holy Spirit to limit the blinding work of Satan. Pray for their mind and eyes to be opened through the conviction of God. 1 Cor. 4:4

Illustration
Ray and Mel were members of the Manchester Baptist Church I pastored in suburban St. Louis, MO. They both are fine men. Both of them have been Chairman of Deacons and served in many other positions. There became, after I left, quite a problem with the bus ministry and there was a need for additional workers but there was a great amount of discipline problem with the bus ministry children.

When I was there, I went personally and picked up a young lad and I drove about thirty miles round trip to pick him up. After I left, individuals would pick him up but there came a kind of money crunch and Ray said to Mel we are no longer going to pick that boy up. Mel answered, "why?" And Ray said it cost too much.

Mel placed down in front of Ray Brown an open Bible and asked this question. "Show me in there where it says we are to put a price on a child or a price on a soul." You see, even very good men can at times be blinded by finances or other areas that would confuse them.

2 Cor 2:11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. NASU

2 Cor.11:14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. NASU

1 Pet. 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. NASU

2 Cor 10:4-5 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, NASU
 
 

4.    Intercede for this person God has laid on your heart asking God to use you in praying and spiritual warfare to destroy any strong holds Satan's forces have gotten on this person. 1 Cor. 10:4-5

Recognize "In Christ" we have spiritual weapons. We "In Christ" have authority; we can destroy evil fortresses and strong holds.

A.    The strong hold of speculations and false arguments. v 5 a
            "We are destroying speculations. . . "

Illustration
I recently talked to a person who had very strange ideas. In the course of our conversation in my office, this person made strange faces, made all kinds of sounds, and the only word you could use to describe his actions would be that this person is weird.

As I reflected upon that, in fact, as I thought about it right in that moment, I decided that the person was demon oppressed or possessed. The reason that they have these speculations, have these false ideas, have this desire to adulterate the Word of God is because Satan has that person in his control.

I since have interceded for this person on a regular basis that God will enable me to intercede in this persons behalf, to break that stronghold on this young person and release them to trust Jesus Christ as his Savior.

2 Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. NASU

B.    The strong hold of proud reasoning. v 5 b
        ". . . and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, . . . "

Illustration
These people parade around like they have superior knowledge. Like they know more than their creator.

Phil 3:8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, NASU

C.    The strong hold of worldly thought and wisdom. v 5 c
        ". . . and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, NASU

1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS"; NASU

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. NASU

Recently I've had several opportunities to talk to a person who does not know the Lord. The last several times that I've talked to him, I would simply begin my conversation by saying how are you doing? And his answer is I am surviving. It has given me a perfect opportunity to say the Lord Jesus wants you to do a whole lot more than survive. He has come to give life and to give it more abundantly. I'd love to see you have that abundant life. This person just kind of turns me off and keeps walking. But I'm sure the Holy Spirit continues to remind him of the truth of God's Word.