‘Spend more time with non-religious people,’ Mandrell preaches

“There’s only two things that ultimately matter,” said Ben Mandrell, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, to The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s chapel audience, March 5. Those two things, he said, are the Word of God and the souls of people. In light of that reality, Mandrell encouraged the Southwestern Seminary and Scarborough College community to “spend more time with non-religious people,” explaining that “they need the Lord.”

Mandrell preached on the calling of Levi in Mark 2:13-17, titling his message “Jesus Eats with Non-Religious People.” Mandrell drew five observations from the text and encouraged his listeners to follow Jesus’ example.

Mandrell’s first observation is that Jesus saw Levi. This was particularly significant because, as a tax collector, Levi was a “well-hated” man, said Mandrell.

“Most of the Jews had written him off, but there was one Jew who had not written him off, and His name was Jesus. Jesus saw him,” Mandrell said. “And I think so much of evangelism is just choosing to see the people whom God puts in your path. … When you and I make a choice to just stop long enough from our busy schedules to see a non-religious person, we are already down the road of evangelism.”

Second, Mandrell observed that Levi followed Jesus, and third, Levi invited his non-religious friends over to dinner in order to meet Jesus—the One who had transformed his life.

“In 17 years of pastoral ministry, here is the one thing I still can’t figure out: why is it that in every church it’s the newly converted who are the best evangelists?” Mandrell asked. “They’re the ones who are bringing their non-religious friends. They’re the ones who can’t wait to introduce them.”

He continued, “What is it about us that, as we get further along in ministry, we become less inspired to share Jesus? … The natural trend is to begin as fishers of men, but to morph into keepers of the aquarium. Many will graduate who choose to ‘go pro’ at church and to spend their waking hours within its walls. Without knowing it, many Christians become Pharisees.”

Mandrell next observed that Jesus was judged for eating with tax collectors and sinners. But in response, Mandrell noted in his final observation, Jesus revealed His mission.

“Without question, the focus of Jesus’ personal life was on the far-off,” Mandrell explained. “If you just follow Him through the Gospels, He was always with the unbelieving, uncouth, unchurched, unsaved—whatever ‘un’ you prefer. He had His eye on people who had no felt need for religion.”

In light of these observations, Mandrell encouraged the chapel audience to consider whom God is placing before them—that is, what non-religious people they continually “bump into” throughout their daily lives. He encouraged the audience to pursue those individuals, love them, form relationships with them, and ultimately share their faith with them.

The chapel service ended with a prayer of commissioning for the students participating in Revive This Nation the following week who will be traveling across the country to preach the Gospel in local churches and communities. Evangelism professor Matt Queen prayed for their protection—both spiritual and physical—and that the Lord would save many souls through the students’ efforts.

Queen concluded, “Lord, may we leave this place looking for sinners so we can tell them the life-changing Gospel and see them accept it.”

During chapel, Mandrell also took the opportunity to present the 2020 LifeWay Pastoral Leadership Award to Master of Divinity student Taylor Wood. Wood grew up in Eastern and Central Europe as a missionary kid and currently serves as pastor of the First Baptist Church of O’Donnell, Texas. The LifeWay Pastoral Leadership Award is given annually to students from each of the Southern Baptist Convention seminaries, with each recipient chosen by his respective school’s faculty for demonstrating outstanding pastoral leadership in the local church.