Sermon Select
Check Your Position and Disposition 7/12/98
Romans 5:1-2
Page 1650 Come Alive Bible
Jesus Christ’s reason for visiting earth is explained in Romans 5: 8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
He is the focal feature, the empowering God who determines our position and disposition, in time and for eternity.
Romans chapter five concisely explains what it means to “follow Christ.” Therein, it is revealed:
We are saved by Christ’s death — objectively. He is the object of our faith.
We are saved by His life — subjectively. We, the subject, are impacted daily by His life.
Romans 5: 1 – 10 uses the word “sins,” plural. Christ’s death cleanses from them positionally.
Romans 5: 12 – 21 changes and uses “sin,” singular. Daily the life of Christ saves us from dominance by our old sin disposition.
I. WE ARE REDEEMED BY HIS DEATH
We are saved by His death positionally — we are in Christ. “…having now been justified by His blood” (Vs. 9a). We are “saved from wrath through Him” (Vs. 9c). The wonder of this salvation is that it is a gift. In verses 15, 16, 17, 18 we are told salvation is a “gift.” Twice redundance is used for emphasis. It is called a “free gift.” If it is free it is a gift. If it is a gift it is free.
The idea of doing something to earn, merit, or deserve the favor of God is alien to Scripture. The concept makes man and God look bad.
It makes man look bad because it appears everything he does is an attempt to benefit himself by getting something for doing it.
It makes God look bad because it appears He can be bought off.
Hear the Word of God clearly on this subject: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2: 8,9).
“Grace” means God’s unmerited favor. Thus, from a Biblical standpoint there is no sacrament or service that can merit salvation. Therefore, the only way to obtain it is as a gift.
Let’s celebrate your birthday. Suppose I were to come to you with a gift and present it to you. Immediately you insist on paying for it. It is a valuable gift and I want to give it so I decline pay. You reach into your pocket and pull out a penny saying, “I want to at least give you something for it.” If that penny were received you would have purchased it. The penny is unacceptable because I love you so much I want to provide it for you.
Then too, what if I were to insist on you paying a penny for this valuable gift and you didn’t have a penny. You would be deprived of it. Salvation is a gift.
I have purchased the gift and now offer it to you. For it to be yours one thing remains. You have to receive it. You can reject it. For it to be yours you have to receive it.
God offers the wonderful free gift of salvation, but for it to be yours you must receive it. You do so by turning from your sin and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ with a life changing trust.
Once we are saved we should seek to serve the Lord and work for Him. We do so not in order to get something, salvation, but because we have already gotten something as a gift, salvation.
Recently I met a delightful person, Jim Brawner. He is the N national seminar director for Gary Smalley’s “Love is a Decision Seminars.” That is the new Jim.
He played football at the University of Arkansas during their glory days when Frank Broyles was coach. He was not a Christian at the time. He told me of the day Arkansas defeated the University of Texas 31 – 7. After the game the exuberant team piled on the bus. Excitement reigned. Jim sat down on the front seat next to the window as wild as any on the bus. Coach Broyles got on the bus and sat next to him. Immediately he felt he couldn’t be quite as rowdy as he intended to be. Coach Broyles sat down and said, “We have to give glory to God for that victory. We owe it to Him.”
Jim said, “That wasn’t what I was thinking.” He was thinking what a whale of a game he and his team mates had played.
Jim said that after he got off the bus he couldn’t think of anything else but what Coach Broyles had said. He didn’t sleep a wink that night for thinking about it. Not being a Christian he nevertheless got up the next morning and went to church. There he realized Christ was the missing element in his life and that he needed to be saved. Right then and there he gave his life to Christ and experienced transformation, new life.
It all happened because a Christian coach expressed his faith spontaneously.
II. WE ARE RENEWED BY HIS LIFE
When you come to Christ He changes you world view, that is, the way you look at things.
Recently I met Dr. Bill and Linda Burnett. She shared that she was born in Greece and learned Greek before English. Her dad was in the military and returned to the states for a few years before being transferred to France. There she learned French. She said that after a few months she realized she was thinking in French.
Then she made a beautiful application. When we learn Scripture soon we realize we are thinking in terms of the Scripture. It becomes our thought pattern. At that point the mind of Christ becomes ours.
An oft repeated theme in Romans is “much more.” In verse 9 it is used. Christ saves us, what then can he do for us —- “much more.” Time and again it occurs.
We are saved by His life dispositionally — Christ is in us.
“We shall be saved by His life” (vs. 10c)
When we come to Christ we come with a lot of baggage. We have a certain disposition, mind set, temperament, and world view. Our old lifestyle is unbecoming of the new life we profess. It is at this point the living Christ enables us to “be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). He can then save us from our former ungodly attitudes and character. We become new creatures. Your old nature need no longer control. The Spirit controlled temperament then characterizes you. Did you get that? It means Christ can enable you to live a spiritually victoriously life. Daily, by the living Christ, you are being saved dispositionally. Old character and conduct habits are broken and new life emerges.
Daily I am treated to an inspiring example. I get up around 4:30am. No one else in our family does. My wife isn’t a morning person. If she were not a Christian she would have assaulted me before 8:00am long ago.
The dual inspiration I have daily is first an example of resurrection. She gets up at one hour and wakes up at another.
The other is a demonstration of a disposition disposed to behave as a new creature in Christ. Though I know what her metabolism must be shouting inside her she always offers a warm cheery greeting first thing in the morning. Her responses are positive and optimistic. She does so because her disposition is determined by her position in Christ. Genes, hormones, glands, and metabolism aren’t allowed to control. They are, I am confident, struggled with, but it is Christ who controls.
Her responses are explained in Romans 5: 11: “And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
The more you become preoccupied with Christ the less you are absorbed with yourself and He begins to instinctively control your disposition.
Dispositionally He saves us from:
ANXIETY: There is a delightful little best seller called “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,” and all stuff is small.”
If we view the events of life from that perspective we avoid anxiety, that is, worry.
Take for instance the moment a car cuts in front of you in traffic and slows you down. Do you blow your cool? That’s sweating the small stuff. How much were you slowed down? Probably .6 of a second. Not worth sweating.
BITTERNESS: Dr. Dean Ornish, who has pioneered vascular damage reversal treatments. He says bitterness is the most toxic of personality traits. We are concerned about preventing toxins getting in our water, food, and atmosphere. When they are there we go to great lengths to remove them. We need to do the same in our spiritual life.
Bitterness is the only personality trait that is harmful to ones health. Get it out.
Forgiveness is the cornerstone to good health. It removes toxins.
A moment ago I used the word “transformed.” Let me illustrate that.
As a college student in the bayou country of southeast Louisiana I had a favorite retreat where I could enjoy solitude and occasionally study. I would use a pirogue, that is a small shallow one person boat, and pole it, you can’t paddle a pirogue, way down in the swamp. The sounds of nature was all to be heard.
One day as I lulled away the afternoon reading in the pirogue a big water bug crawled up the side and perched on the prow of the boat. With those big bug eyes he just sat there looking things over. Down in the tannic water among the decaying leaves his friends were scurrying around in the mud.
As the afternoon passed the crusty shell of this creature began to dry. I watched for some time as gradually the back of the shell began to crack. Slowly, every so imperceptibly the crack widened. Then a miracle happened. The creature in that shell emerged through that crack. It sat motionless for some time as the sun dried it.
A trimmer went through its little body. Next it spread its wings and barely fluttered them. This it did several times. Then it strutted its gossamer wings and lifted off in flight.
As it circled overhead in its new world I looked back down in the water. There were its old companions still crawling around in the mud and decay. Overhead rose the transformed new creature. It had been born again with a new life and lifestyle. That’s transformation.
How to Interpret God’s Scheduled Delays 3/15/98
John 11:33-44; John 11:14-15
Page 1572 Come Alive Bible
JESUS CHRIST left Jericho and proceeded to Jerusalem. He was about to perform His last miracle. It was to be on the southeastern slopes of the Mount of Olives in the little town of Bethany, home of some of His dearest friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
I. COMPLICATIONS (Vs. 6)
When Lazarus became ill his sisters, Mary and Martha, knowing of the many Jesus had healed immediately thought of Him. They had entertained Him in their home. They had been gracious hostesses for Him. Surely, if He would heal persons He didn’t even know He would come to their rescue in their time of need. He didn’t. Question: “Why?”
The issue wasn’t love. Verse 35 describes Jesus as weeping. His emotional response led people to properly conclude, “See how He loved Him” (Vs. 36). He did. The Greek word translated “loved” is the verb form of PHILIA which means “human affection,” or “brotherly love.” He affectionately loved Lazarus and his sisters knew it.
In verse 5 it is recorded that Jesus also loved Mary and Martha. The Greek word translated “love” is AGAPE, divine love.
When God delays in responding to your need it is not because of a lack of love for you. What ever the reason it is not a lack of love.
Do you ever question God? Sure we do. Often we don’t come up with a clear easy answer. Sometimes we simply have to believe and respond in trusting faith.
After receiving word of the death of His dear friend Lazarus, Jesus delayed two days before going to Bethany. By the time He arrived Lazarus had been dead four days.
Does it ever seem God delays in dealing with your problems? There is always a reason. Most often these reasons aren’t obvious initially. His delays demand our faith. Faith is confidence in God’s character.
Jesus delayed in order to bring a greater blessing. “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you” (Isaiah 30:18). This text reveals His delays are purposeful. Three are noted:
(1) “That He may be gracious to you,”
(2) that He may be exalted,”
(3) that He may have mercy on you.”
Often there is a time lapse between when we pray and an answer is obvious. Sometimes God answers “No.” However, that is an answer. Sometimes He says an immediate definitive “yes.” At times He says, “You have got to be kidding.” At other times He says, “Wait a while.” We are such people of the immediate moment we had often rather have a immediate “no” than a “wait a while.” Why these “wait a while” responses?
Often the time between when a prayer is offered and when it is answered draws a person closer to the Lord than the answer. There is dependency on Him while waiting on Him and that is good for us. Give God time to be God.
When He delays He is often getting the answer ready for us. That is, He is working out circumstances to our advantage.
Often He delays in order to get us ready for the answer. He has to condition us.
If God is making you wait on Him it is a gilt-edged guarantee. He is preparing a blessing for you. It might not come in the package you are expecting but it will be another equal or greater blessing. His delayed blessing is often one you would not have recognized initially. He may be making you wait for something even greater than you would have recognized initially. Don’t rush God and demand second best. Wait!
Poetically it is said: “His purpose will ripen fast, unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.” Isaiah said, “Blessed are all those who wait for Him” (Isaiah 30: 18).
Let Him determine your outlook and it will always be a bright upward look.
A young boy walking along one bright summer day spotted a penny at his feet. He was elated. He picked it up and clutched it with pride. It was his and cost him nothing. He resolved to always be on the look out for lost money. Thereafter he always kept a watch for lost money. He even kept a record. During his life he found 302 pennies, 24 nickels, 41 dimes, 8 quarters, 3 half dollars, and one worn dollar bill. His total = $12.82.
It had cost him nothing. Nothing but, the breathless beauty of 30,127 sunsets, the colorful splendor of 1,327 rainbows, babies growing, white clouds floating across the brilliant blue sky, birds flying, animals running, and smiles of friendly faces.
By not focusing on Christ it costs us dearly.
It diminishes our understanding of what He is trying to do in our lives.
It costs us the serenity that comes from sensing His presence. It costs us the joy inherent in seeing Him at work on our behalf.
II. COMMITMENT
The mood among the religious leaders in and around Jerusalem was hostile related to Christ. Rumors persisted there was a plot to kill Him. Going near the city was risky.
Vs. 16, Thomas thought Jesus would be killed. In loving response he wanted to die with Him. Thomas had strong love but weak faith.
Martha bemoaned, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died” (Vs. 21). What a brutal game to play. “If only …”
To be the effective Christians we must be aware that there are three essentials in which we must trust: God’s will, God’s power, and God’s timing.
God knows what He is doing. He has the power to do it. His timing is always perfect. The Lord knew what He was doing then, He had the power to do it, and His timing was right. He knows what He is doing now, He has the power to do it and His timing is right.
Often all three are questioned. Martha questioned only one.
Jesus said to Martha, “Your brother will rise again” (Vs. 23). Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection in the last day” (Vs. 24). She believed His will: “our brother will rise.” She believed His power: He will “rise.” She doubted His timing: “in the last day,” not after just four days. She believed Jesus would resurrect him in the future, but she couldn’t believe He would resurrect him after only four days. How like us she was. We profess to believe Jesus will come again in the clouds on a white horse. Deferred victory we attribute to Him, but we have difficulty turning the keys of today over to Him. We profess His ultimate eternal victory but when it comes to trusting Him for today’s bread we have an anxiety attack evidencing we don’t have confidence He can act today. Trust Him for today and eternity.
Martha’s confession was made in the pit of despair (Vs. 27).
III. CONSTERNATION
The setting and circumstances is summed up in the shortest verse in the Bible. “Jesus wept” (Vs. 35). Literally, “Jesus burst into tears.”
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
Jesus appeals because Jesus feels.
Jesus is limited only by His PURPOSE not His POWER.
I am glad Jesus wept and thereby revealed even more fully His capacity for human love. He was God. He was man. He was the God\man. His human emotion verifies, “we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Eighteenth-century Scottish poet Michael Bruce in “Christ Ascended,” wrote: “In every pang that rends the heart, the Man of Sorrows has a part.”
Theologians have debated why He who said, “Let not your hearts be troubled…” would weep. We will never fully understand the reason. However, it has been suggested that He who came from heaven, Jesus, knew what it was like and it broke His heart to think of calling Lazarus back from that place of glory to this gory place.
When our beloved ones die in Christ we need to keep that in mind. Who among us would pluck the diadem of blessings from the brow of their beloved who is in heaven. Would we remove the palm of blessing from the hand that will never again know pain?
Dare we compare the emptiness of our lost love with the enjoyment of a loved ones presence with the Father?
To resent the going of our beloved is to resist the blessings they have coming.
Jesus said, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (Verse 40) “believe…see.” We want the order reversed.
The voice that wept as a man now speaks as God. In the Greek it is, “Lazarus, hither! Forth!” (Vs. 43). Jesus used a “loud voice” not in order to awaken the dead, but to inform the living.
“He cried with a loud voice…” He shouted not to wake the dead but to focus the attention of the crowd. It was His way of saying, “Presenting, center stage, live and in good health, Lazarus.”
If Jesus had not called Lazarus by name the authority in His command would have brought forth all dead.
The very name Lazarus is meaningful. It comes from the name Eleaser which means “one whom God helps.” There has never been a more appropriate name.
This is a foreshadowing of truth revealed in I Thessalonians 4: 16, 17: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
IV. COOPERATION
Jesus gave a command that involved the people: “Take away the stone” (Vs. 39). This shows divine and human cooperation. The disciples had to act first and do their part before Jesus acted. Divine operation often waits on human cooperation.
Just before this Jesus had told a story in which one of three personalities kept their gift wrapped in a napkin. Now these persons had Lazarus wrapped in the napkin of grave clothes. If opened a blessing would be released.
What is in your napkin? Are you reluctant to release it for Christ’s use.
V. CELEBRATION
“Loose him and let him go…” (Vs. 44).
Only then was the purpose of Lazarus’s sickness and death properly understood. Christ stated it: “This sickness … Is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (Vs. 40).
Jesus came to Bethany that day prepared to deal with physical death. It is a graphic of Him coming into the world to deal with our spiritual death.
In essence Jesus came into the world to deal with humanities death, our funeral.
Jesus came to Bethany as a humble voluntary act.
He came to Bethlehem as a humble voluntary act. Jesus came to a family in need in Bethany.
He came to the human family in need at Bethlehem.
He didn’t really have to deal with Lazarus, but love compelled Him to act.
He didn’t really need to deal with us, but His love compelled Him to act.
Jesus said it best, “I am come that you might have life” (John 10:10).
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (Vs. 25).
That is a message that needs to be heard today. We need confidence in someone who have power even over death. In making a way of victory for Lazarus He proved there is a way for us.
Jesus said, “Do you believe this?” (Vs. 26). Belief is the human side of salvation. For the Christian death is simply the escape hatch to glory. Belief unto salvation is trust in Christ in time and for eternity.
A Heartfelt Purpose 1/11/98
Daniel 1:1-8
Page 1297 Come Alive Bible
Jesus Christ is depicted as our ideal for inspiration. We are challenged to always be “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
Jesus had a rough and challenging road in life. Perhaps that is why you have found you can relate to Him and more importantly why He can relate to you.
A family with young children was walking a mountain path together. It was a bit challenging to the children. One of them exclaimed, “This is not a path at all. It is all rocky and bumpy. The older child enjoying the challenge replied, “Sure, the bumps are what you climb on.”
Having observed many lives and read many biographies I have never known of a person who achieved who didn’t have a bumpy path in all of life. Success resulted from learning to climb on the bumps.
We learn and grow by doing so. In a “Peanuts” cartoon, my favorite theologian, Charlie Brown is complaining about his team always losing. Trying to console him Lucy says, “Remember, Charlie Brown, you learn more from your defeats than you do from your victories.”
Charlie replies, “That makes me the smartest man in the world.” You may feel you are Charlie’s chief competition for “world’s smartest.” Remember, bumps are what you climb on. While doing so always keep your eyes on Jesus Who climbed His bumps.
Jesus Christ, Who masterfully climbed on the bumps in his path said, “Come out from among them and be separated…”
God has always looked for His separated band that He might use and bless. In the Old Testament is a classic example of some youth who qualified without qualification.
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had conquered Jerusalem and carried a number of the choicest youth back to Babylon. Note these characteristics:
AGE: “young” (Vs. 4a) It was king David who said, “I have been young, and am now old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken” (Psalm 37: 25).
APPEARANCE: “in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking”
ACUMEN:
1. “gifted in all wisdom”
2. “possessing knowledge”
3. “quick to understand”
AMENITIES: “who had the ability to serve in the king’s palace”
Daniel had taken a vow regarding his diet and total abstinence from drugs. The drug in question was alcohol. The king’s instruction was a command that would have violated Daniel’s convictions.
Here was an appeal to popularity, prestige, prominence, and power. In this story we can see —
I. TEMPTATIONS PHILOSOPHICAL PULL
A. Youth. What a fantastic time of life! Ambition is high and experience is low, BUT often that ambition drives one to excessive experiences.
This has left many youths as frustrated as a bird looking for a worm in AstroTurf.
As mixed up as a termite in a yo-yo.
As anxious as a sheep that is allergic to wool.
So nervous they could thread a sewing machine that is running.
It is a challenging time when hormones kick in. Internal stress and external strife often result. It is critically important that young people understand what is happening within them. Be patient with yourself and by all means don’t let your body chemistry separate you from your parents. Let reason take charge of your feelings.
B. Captivity. The greatest slavery the world has ever known is the slavery of a modern American teenager to the opinion of other teens. Rarely does Satan use physical violence to persecute us in America today. He does it psychologically by assaulting our ego, and our feelings. Satan doesn’t say, “I will pull off your nose if you share your faith with a best friend.” Or, “I will rip out your liver if you take a stand in this setting.”
He does impress us with: “You won’t have a friend left if you don’t go along with the gang.” Or, “Folks will think you are weird if you don’t do what they are doing.”
C. Flattery. “Hey, baby I love you!” “I need you.”
D. Isolation. Away from home. Teenage mobility today.
E. Futility. Nothing for which to live, homeland destroyed.
F. Loneliness. Ann Frank: “Youth is the loneliest time of life.”
Sometimes it seems no one wants to have anything to do with us. The dating period of life is a testing one. Excuses are often created for not wanting to accept an invitation to date. Such as:
“I’d love to go out with you, but I’m attending the opening of my garage door.”
“I’d love to go out with you, but I need to spend more time with my blender.”
“I’d love to go out with you, but it’s my night to pet the goldfish.”
“I’d love to go out with you, but I need to work on my cottage cheese sculpture.”
“I’d love to go out with you, but I promised to help my friend fold road maps.”
Maya Angelou, in her book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, describes her life as a lonely black child being shuffled back and forth among several families, and concludes: “Of all the needs a lonely child has, the one that must be satisfied if there is going to be hope of wholeness is the overshaking need for an unshakable God.”
Don’t let loneliness drive you to compromise.
These same things lead many people to opt for drugs in an attempt to synthetically seek to meet their needs.
As a result, between 1960 and 1980:
The delinquency rate has doubled.
The birthrate for unwed mothers is up 130 percent.
Suicide is up 130 percent.
Murder is up 232 percent.
A recent report in USA TODAY showed:
“Almost half of the teen drug abusers got involved before age 12. Cocaine, the drug of the middle-class kids, has risen in use from 7% in ’84, to 63% today.
61% of abusers use alcohol first; 30% used pot.
65% used drugs a year before their parents suspected it.
70% were introduced to drugs by a friend.
34% used drugs for the first time at home.”
WHY are youth doing this? The same appeal is being made to them as made to Daniel: captivity, flattery, isolation, futility, and loneliness.
II. TRUTHS PRACTICAL POWER
A. Daniel Purposed Not to Defile Himself. The word “defile” meant “to pollute.”
This had to be a difficult and challenging series of bumps for Daniel. You too may be climbing a seemingly unsurmountable series of bumps. Always remember: “Never doubt in the darkness, what God has told you in the light.” Daniel didn’t.
At times we must by faith cling to the truth of these couplets:
“Yesterday God helped me, Today He’ll do the same.
How long will this continue? Forever — praise His name.”
Chris Craft was asked: “When is the best time to make a decision?”
Underscore in verse 8 the big little word “himself.” Personal resolve is part of the solution. There are some decisions you don’t have to make but once. The decision not to “defile” himself.
Make a decision now not to pollute yourself:
1. With drugs.
2. Morally. Pregnant teens: “I don’t know why I did it.”
B. Daniel Prayed – Daniel 6:10, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”
C. Daniel Proceeded to Trust The Consequences to God. He knew what we must never forget. God won’t keep us from trouble, but He will keep us while in trouble. There are circumstances in life that may hurt us but they can’t harm us.
God will never require anything of us that He will not enable. Otherwise He would just be mocking our weaknesses. That He doesn’t do.
III. TRIUMPHS PURPOSEFUL PRODUCT
A. He Gained A Healthy Body
B. He Laid a Good Foundation for Adulthood. Be kind to your tomorrow self.
C. He Was Admired By Man and Blessed by God.
Core Values That Count 2/8/98
Romans 1:14-17
Page 1645 Come Alive Bible
JESUS CHRIST touches and transforms lives. He did so for the most unlikely candidate. A brilliant though belligerent young attorney who was the apple of the judiciary eye in Jerusalem was assigned the role of special prosecutor to investigate rumors of the resurrection of Christ. His evidence turned on him and convinced him of the reality of the resurrection. He who gathered more facts about the resurrection was a skeptic. His material evidence and the collaborated testimony of eye witnesses changed his life. Thereafter, the life of Paul, filling it with joy so that it overflowed. That elation over salvation thrilled him so that he wanted to happily share it with others. The natural result of the in filling is the outpouring. What happened in the life of Paul was revolutionary. Ambitiously he wanted this spiritual revolution to sweep the known world. He had a sense of obligation to be an agent of achieving this end.
He had – – –
I. A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY “I AM DEBTOR” (VS. 14)
As a result of his redemption, he was completely owned by Christ. This gave him a sense of being completely obligated to Christ. Since Christ died for his sins and rose for his salvation Paul desired to do what Christ wanted and not what he wanted.
We are morally obligated to others as a result of being trustees or stewards of the Gospel.
When we receive something nice from friend, we feel a bit of indebtedness until we can do something nice for them. That wasn’t how Paul felt. He was not indebted to the people because he had not received something from them but something for them.
When Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, he became a debtor to Israel not because he received something from them but for them.
This indebtedness is to all persons. Greek culture permeated the known world. Therefore they were included. The term “barbarians” was a term used by the Greeks for anyone that did not speak their language. Other languages sounded to them like “bar bar” so they combined those words with “os” to make the word “barbaros,” meaning anyone not speaking Greek.
The words, “wise and unwise,” refer to cultured and uncultured. Thus, everyone is included. This is amplified in Colossians 1:28, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
About 500 B.C. “The Greek Miracle” emerged. In the lovely city of Athens the Greek culture was born. Their striking architecture was revolutionary. They raised knowledge of math to a new height. They became the first civilization to write history as such. They developed a new system of thought called logic.
Our American culture is indebted to Greek thought. They impacted the entire world.
The Greeks were the first to make their gods in their own image. God’s devised by other civilizations were ghoulish. Most were hybrids of lions/men or bulls/women, etc. Greek gods were like human beings. They said beauty is truth and truth is beauty. Their gods looked like Olympic champions or perfect females. Romans 1:23 describes this process: “and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man; and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”
Man was made the center of the universe. Humanism was given a major boost. Our society is currently following their trend.
Societies that do this should expect the result. Romans 1:24 reveals the result: “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves…”
The term “God gave them up” means God took off all restraints. It was a term used for removing the mooring lines from a boat and setting it adrift. God gave them up to depravity. Verse 18 notes the “wrath of God is revealed” against such persons.
An overlooked aspect of the wrath of God is that God often punishes sin “in kind.”
In the Old Testament era the people of God rebelled during the wilderness wanderings when God was feeding them with “manna” a perfect food substance. What they wanted was not the perfect food God wanted them to have. They complained and demanded meat. God gave them what they wanted. Numbers 11:18ff tells of the result. God said “…you shall eat flesh…until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome.”
God often judges us by giving us more and more of what we want until we become sick of it. In the process we often call it progress.
As a child I loved pickles. Note, I said, past tense, “I loved” pickles. One Sunday afternoon while my parents were hosting relatives on the front porch of our house I got my opportunity. Mom had just made a vat of my favorite home made pickles. I had some with lunch and mother said, “Son, don’t eat any more.”
While they were busy on the front porch I seized the moment to enjoy more pickles. I was just wafting down my third one when I felt the hot laser beam of mom’s eyes on my back. Moms, even on the porch, knew what was going on in the kitchen.
“Enjoying the pickles I told you not to eat?” “Yes, mam!” “Well have another.” What has come over mom? She is rewarding me for misbehaving. What a wonderful way to get another pickle. Down went another large one. Yummy!
With a warm smile mom offered another. Well, that was OK but not quite as good. Slowly I finished it only to be offered another. By now pickles were becoming a punishment.
Believe me, pickles taste a lot better going down than they do coming up.
God gave them up. Romans 1: 21-23 chronicles the behavior resulting in being given up.
IMPUDENT – “They did not glorify God…”
INGRATES – “Neither were they thankful…”
IMPOSING – “They become futile in their thoughts…”
IRRATIONAL – “professing themselves to be wise…”
IDOLATERS – “They changed the glory of the incorruptible.”
God gave them up to “vile passions” (Vs. 26). That is, passions of dishonor.
Our president is alleged to have participated in conduct that would come under this classification. I want to repeat “alleged to have.” My point is not to hint that he is or is not guilty. Mark that.
The point is that in public opinion polls 72% of the people say it doesn’t matter if he did it.
Though I am not passing judgement on the president I am critically judging the attitude that says it doesn’t matter. It does matter to God. Other societies that have become hardened in this attitude have experienced the “wrath of God.”
It is said God gave such persons “over to a debased mind.” That means a person is incapable of making a correct moral judgement.
Verse 22 says, “Professing themselves to be wise they become fools.”
We have the most learned society in history. We have more brilliant people today than ever. We are brilliant about many things. Ask about space exploration, lasers, the Internet, modern medicine and we are capable of giving brilliant answers. Ask about a moral issue and we fail the test. Listen to the average TV talk show and you will hear the wisdom of fools.
As verse 18 says we have “suppressed the truth with unrighteousness.” The truth has now become so popular in certain instances that it is thought to be wrong.
A second characteristic emerges in verse 32. It shows people seek agreement on sin. “You approve of my sin and I will applaud yours.” The ploy is not only to cover sin but to get society to applaud it.
II. A STATE OF READINESS “I AM READY” (VS. 15)
We, like Paul, can never repay our Lord for what He has done for us; but we, like him, should be willing to pay a little interest on the debt by faithfulness. The expression “ready” actually means “eager.”
“So” expresses the same intensity as the same word in John 3:16, “For God so loved…”
Paul was fervently eager to preach the Gospel.
He was mocked for preaching the Gospel in Athens.
He was mobbed for preaching it in Jerusalem.
It looks like he would have learned, but now he was ready to be martyred for preaching it in Rome.
Abraham Lincoln said he liked to see a man preach like he was fighting a swarm a bees.
Some preachers preach like they have just swallowed an egg and they are afraid that if they move, it will break; and if they don’t it will hatch.
What Paul was to preach was “the Gospel,” the good news not man’s views.
It takes time to get ready. Paul had to spend time alone in the Arabian desert with the Lord to get “ready.” No Christian should be reluctant to be trained to share the good news.
III. A SPIRIT OF RESOLUTENESS “I AM NOT ASHAMED” (VSS. 16,17)
It took bold faith not to be ashamed of the Gospel in Imperial Rome.
Paul had previously faced the wicked city of Corinth “in fear, and in much trembling” (I Cor. 2:3). There he saw what the power of the Gospel could achieve. Now with eager boldness he was ready to face Rome, a city that worshiped power, with a greater power, the power of the Gospel.
The Greek word translated “power” is DUNAMIS meaning “God’s power.” DUNAMIS gives us our English words dynamo, dynamic, and dynamite.
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor 6: 9 – 11).
The expression “The just shall live by faith” (vs. 17) was the theme that started the Reformation. It was a revolutionary thought in that era. Man through creedal religion was trying to earn, merit, and deserve God’s favor. Despair and futility resulted.
There is all the difference in the world in man’s self-sought righteousness and God’s righteousness.
READ: Titus 3:5; Eph. 2: 8,9; Romans 4:5.
The good news is revealed “from faith to faith,” EK PISTEOS EIS PISTIN, literally, “out of faith and into faith.” In other words, God does not speak to us directly; but faith comes from out of the heart and life of one believer who shares that faith and into the heart of one who by faith receives it.
The word “revealed” means “to take off the veil.” That is what sharing the goods news is. It is an unveiling.
In the Convent Library at Erfurt is a renown painting. It depicts Martin Luther as a young monk of 24 years of age reading a portion of Scripture in the early morning light. On the page he is reading can be seen the words, “The just shall live by faith.” Centuries before the prophet Habakkuk had penned these words and later the Apostle Paul repeated them. This painting depicts the renewal of humanity.
In the Library of Rudolstadt is a handwritten letter penned by Paul Luther the son of Martin. In it he relates a family insight as follows, “In the year 1544, my late dearest father, in the presence of us all, narrated the whole story of his journey to Rome. He acknowledged with great joy that, in that city, through the Spirit of Jesus Christ, he had come to the knowledge of the truth of the everlasting Gospel.”
Let me share a summary of that moment of enlightenment in the life of Martin Luther.
Still today in Rome you will find the Cathedral Church of St. John of Lateran. There are three parallel staircases in it. People walk up the stairs on the left and right, but the center one is considered special. On some of the steps of the center case there are coverings of plate glass through which red stains can be seen on the stairs. These steps are still climbed by anguishing would-be worshipers who stoop to kiss the glass covered stains. A late tradition says these were the stairs in Pilate’s Hall in Jerusalem, and these are the blood stains from Christ’s wounds.
As the devout young monk, Luther climbed these steps on his knees seeking thereby to gain the favor of God, the text which he had read in that early morning light came to his mind: “The just shall live by faith.” He jumped to his feet and went on his way rejoicing.
Now back to the Library of Rudolstadt and the handwritten letter by the son of Martin Luther: “Thereupon, he ceased his prayers, returned to Wittenberg, and took this as the chief foundation of his doctrine.”
It is the foundation of Christianity.
The Great Commission 5/3/98
Matthew 28:18-20
Page 1460 Come Alive Bible
Jesus Christ, the resurrected Lord, made numerous appearances to His beloved followers in the forty days following His miraculous bodily resurrection. As He does for us through His word He encouraged them. Promises were made to them and to us. It was a time of equipping and motivating.
The fact of the resurrection itself is reassuring to all believers. Thereby followers of Christ are given assurance of life beyond the grave, an eternal home, and the gilded edge promise of His abiding presence with us daily. The consolations consequenting from the resurrection are numerous. As He gave the Eleven the gift of His presence so He has bequeathed to us the promise of presence and power to work in us and for us. If you are a believer in Christ you are a benefactor of the resurrection.
We like these facts of “What’s in it for me?” That is our modern mentality. What is in it for us is incomprehensible. However, let’s not let our absorption with our benefits crowd out our awareness of our responsibility.
It was the resurrected Christ who met with the Eleven on a mountain in Galilee and spoke in their hearing a commission applicable to each of us. To us He said, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen” (Matthew 28:18 – 20).
That is the Magna Charta of the church. It is an imperative for every believer.
The Eleven obediently believed Him so fully they zealously responded in such as to be referred to as “these who have turned the world upside down.” They evangelized with such passion that they revolutionized their world. Their society was more corrupt and perverted than ours. They were hopelessly outnumbered and without resources. Their one asset was obedience. With abandonment, they went out as men whose lives were immortal to share the good news resulting from the resurrection. Happily they obeyed their Master. Hear the roll call of faith:
MATTHEW, the author of the first gospel, was slain by the sword in Ethiopia.
PETER was crucified upside down, unworthy of being crucified like His Lord.
JAMES, the oldest son of Zebedee, was beheaded in Jerusalem.
JAMES THE LESSER was thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple and then clubbed to death.
ANDREW was crucified in the Greek city of Patrae, and SIMON THE ZEALOT in Persia.
JUDAS, not Iscariot, died of an arrow wound.
PHILIP was hanged in Asia Minor.
THOMAS was run through with a lance while praying in India.
NATHANIEL was flayed alive in Armenia.
Only one, JOHN, died a natural death.
Yet, in their brief lives they spread the gospel from Spain to India.
They were compliant with the Commission of our Lord.
Biographers are waiting to write of the response of this present generation. Our Lord has put at our disposal the personnel and financial resources to reach our generation for Him. Technology makes it possible to fulfill the commission in our time. Consider:
I. THE SPHERE “ALL THE WORLD”
We are assigned the task of calling people from one sphere into another: from death to live, from darkness to light, out of the world into the church. If you are a Christian that is your responsibility.
Only when the enthusiasm inside the church exceeds the indifference outside the church are those outside the church going to want to come into the church.
The joy of the Lord was their strength. How strong are you? Is Jesus simply your ticket to heaven, a rabbits foot to be used when luck is needed, a spare tire for breakdowns, or a parachute when you need to bail out of difficulty? OR, is He your Master?
Is He your Commander in Chief? If your answer is “Yes,” then obey Him.
John Roberts, the Scotsman, told of a time in primitive Scotland when there was a village in which there was no fire. Fire was found in one small home. It was distributed from house to house until shortly every home in the town had fire. Is there spiritual fire in your home? If so share it with a spiritually cold culture.
There are over 250,000,000 Americans, one-third of them are non church members. One half have not been to church this year. Many are waiting for a warm hearted personal invitation to come to Christ. Will you dare be their personal living invitation?
A satisfied customer always makes the best salesperson. Are you satisfied with Christ?
In a quaint small town lived two mischievous brothers, Billy and Tommy. The two were blamed for almost everything that went wrong and were responsible for most of it. Their mother, very concerned wanted to correct this. She made an appointment for the boys to visit with the pastor who was known as a good counselor.
Upon arrival at the pastor’s office Billy was asked to wait in the outer office as the pastor visited with Tommy. Using his best pastoral skills the pastor sat across the desk from Tommy and sought to build conversational rapport by asking a simple question with a given answer. “Tommy, tell me, where is God?” No response.
After a moment of warm friendly remarks the pastor asked again, “Tommy, come on, tell me, where is God?” Still no answer.
With a broad friendly smile the pastor persisted, “Come on Tommy, you can tell me, where is God?” Operation Deep Freeze was in full operation. No reply.
Several such probes resulted in silence. Finally, the pastor blew his cool and pounded the desk demanding, “Tommy, where is God?”
Tommy jumped from his chair, bolted out the door, and ran toward home with brother Billy in hot pursuit. They ran in the house, up the stairs, into their room, and Tommy ran in the closet and held the door closed tightly.
Billy stood outside pounding on the door pleading, “Tommy. Tommy, what’s the matter?”
“Run Billy, run and hide. God’s missing and they are trying to pin it on us.”
Look around. God’s missing. He is missing from the media, from public education, from government, and from many churches. God’s missing and they are trying to pin it on us. Is that proper? If not, why not? Could it be our failure to comply with the commission of the resurrected Christ that caused this crisis?
The sphere includes the whole wide world, but it also encompasses the lovely community in which we live. In our local county 67% of the population is unchurched. The only solution rests in the hands of the 33% under the mandate of Christ to share His love with others.
To think of changing the world one person at a time may be a great act of faith, but to think of changing it any other way is a greater act of lunacy. Share His love!
II. STRATEGY “MAKE DISCIPLES … TEACH THEM”
You are at this moment in a discipleship class.
We call it “church” or “a worship celebration,” but when God’s Word is taught it is above all else a discipleship class. You are being taught to disciple others.
The Sunday School is the church organized for evangelism. If there is a breakdown in making disciples it is at this point. Every Bible study unit must be mobilized to reach out to others. If not the church merely “good times” itself to death.
Those of you who work with children and youth have a weighty responsibility.
At about the age of 12 or 13 a change occurs in the way children think. About that age they begin to think abstractly. Up until then everything is either black or white. At this stage they begin to say, yes, but there is some grey in between there. Thought patterns change.
Of those children not reached for Christ by the time they leave high school 66% will never be reached. God has given youth workers a golden window of opportunity.
The strategy is simply illustrated by a seminary class on preaching. The homiletics professor assigned a young minister to preach before the class. Privately he begged not to have to but the professor insisted.
As he stood before the class he said in halting words, “You all know what I am going to say.” They shook their heads negatively. He said, “Neither do I,” and sat down.
The professor insisted that he come back the next week and preach. He demurred but the professor insisted.
The next week as he stood before the class he said, “You all know what I am going to say.” Classmates all nodded their heads yes. He said, “Then there is no need to say it,” and sat down.
Not to be outdone the professor insisted that he come back the next week and preach. The student begged but the professor demanded.
The next week he stood before the class and said, “You all know what I am going to say.” Half shook their heads yes and half no. He said, “Very well, let those who know tell those who don’t know and let’s stand for the benediction.”
Evangelism is simply those who know telling those who don’t know.
Many conscientious people say I am reluctant to share because I am afraid I will fail. You might. However, if you don’t try you have failed. Don’t fear failure. One on my former friends in ministry used to say, “Where are you going to scare them into hell #2?”
Each of us is mandated to share the gospel. It must however be run through the final filter of our own personality and unique temperament. Doubtless you will find a Biblical model suited to your style.
A. PETER’S CONFRONTATIONAL APPROACH
Peter was a straight shooter. He had no problem with confrontational evangelism. He was bold and aggressive. He even tried to correct Christ on occasion. It is little wonder that our Lord chose Peter on Pentecost to tell the people they had crucified the Son of God and needed to repent.
B. PAUL’S INTELLECTUAL APPROACH
As a thinker and analyzer Paul used reason and well-structured logic to share profound truths. In Athens he started with an unknown Greek idol and quoted their poets to reveal Christ as the resurrected Messiah. (Acts 17)
C. THE BLIND MAN’S TESTIMONY
An unidentified blind man was given his sight by Jesus (John 9). When taunted by persons who wanted to engage him in a theological quarrel he did not use the confrontational approach of Peter or the intellectual approach of Paul, but used his testimonial method: “One thing I know. I was blind but now I see.”
D. MATTHEW’S INTERPERSONAL APPROACH
Matthew the tax collector used his business contacts. He threw parties for them and in the social setting shared (Luke 5: 29). Compassion and empathy were his strong points.
E. THE SAMARITAN WOMAN’S INVITATIONAL APPROACH
This woman was a most unlikely but willing witness. In her culture she had three strikes against her. She was a woman, she was a Samaritan, and she was living in adultery. When she met Christ at the well in a life-changing experience she simply went and extended invitations to others to “Come and see.”
A number of townspeople came and heard Jesus. At their invitation He spent two days in their town. Upon leaving the people said, “Now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world (John 4: 42).
F. DORCAS’ SERVICE APPROACH
The Bible describes Dorcas as a woman who was “always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36). She loved others and provided for their needs according to her ability. She made clothes for the needy and shared Christ as she shared clothing.
Neither of these is better than the other. Each has its strength. Unfortunately the only one related most often is the confrontational approach. It is good but it alone is not good. As there are different styles of sharing so there are different needs on behalf of hearers.
Stylize your method of sharing. Let Christ empower your strong points. Personalize your witnessing style.
III. STRENGTH “ALL POWER —- ALL AUTHORITY”
Christ said, “All authority is given unto Me, in heaven and on earth.”
He is the one through Whom the mediating power of God is manifested. He is our Mediator King.
One of our sons-in-love had an old pick-up truck with a straight shift. While visiting with them he offered to let me drive it. Not having driven a straight shift for some time my reflexes were rusty. I put my feet on the clutch and brakes, fired it up, and shifted into reverse. Looking over my shoulder I took my foot off the brake and depressed the accelerator. The motor raced but there was no response. I shifted again to be sure it was in gear. It was but as I pressed the accelerator again there was no response.
Then it dawned on me my other foot was still depressing the clutch. Only when I took my foot off the clutch did the accelerator and gears work and the truck respond.
Our Lord has “all power” and the only way for it not to be released is for the church to be sitting with one foot on the spiritual clutch. We alone can keep the power from being released.
The “spiritual clutch” is prayer. We are instructed, “Pray you the Lord of harvest that He will send forth laborers into the harvest.”
That is a dangerous prayer because the first laborer He is likely to send is the prayer. Who is better prepared. Let’s join in praying for Him to manifest His power.
IV. THE STIMULUS “I AM WITH YOU”
This is the near equivalent of “Immanuel,” God with us.
The focus of the commission is not the lost world, BUT Christ. Evangelism must be subordinate to preoccupation with Christ. When it is it becomes spontaneous.
When you love people and you have had a pleasant experience with Christ you want to share the Christ of that experience so others can have a good experience with Him.
He is with us when we go for Him. You don’t go in your strength, but His.
A reporter for the New York Tribune sat on a ridge overlooking what was the battlefield at Cedar Creek. The Confederate forces were on the verge of annihilating the Union forces.
He wrote: “I am witnessing the awful destruction of the United States of America.”
General Phil Sheridan was some distance away in Winchester when informed the battle had been enjoined. He rode at full speed to join his forces. As his horse charged onto the battlefield with him carrying his banner he shouted: “Come on! Here is Sheridan. Sheridan is with you. Follow me and we will save the Union.”
They did —- and they did!
Jesus Christ has said, “Follow Me….” If we do great spiritual victories are to be won. He who said, “All power is given unto Me….” Also said, “You shall receive power…” And of the gospel He said, “It is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.”
Let’s remove our feet from the clutches and let the power move us.