An Effective Soul Winner is not ashamed of The Gospel (16)

Romans 1:16-17 “Soul Winner”

Charles Peace, a notorious criminal in England, was executed on February 25, 1879. Just before his execution, an Anglican minister halfheartedly read to him from The Consolations of Religion: “Those who die without Christ experience hell, which is the pain of forever dying without the release which death itself can bring.”

Charles stopped the minister and said, “Sir, if I believed what you and the church of God say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worthwhile living, just to save one soul from an eternal hell like that!

Hell is a real place and Mankind’s greatest need is salvation. God has ordained us Christians to be soul winners. Throughout history there have been many soul winners but none like the Apostle Paul.

CPS: Today we are going to look at what made him so effective and apply what we learn so that we too will become effective soul winners!

An Effective Soul Winner is not ashamed of The Gospel (16)

From the inspired word of God we see Paul proclaim that “he was not ashamed of the Gospel!” Ashamed is the Greek verb epaischynomai and it literally means to be ashamed of.

When hope and I got married I bought a 1991 Isuzu pup from her dad for $1500. It was white but stained black by years of sitting under a pecan tree. One night while getting ready to go to the elks lodge I made her ride in my pup, she laid low so no one would see her, I drove her up to the front door just like any loving husband would do. She was ashamed to be seen getting out of my pup!

I wasn't ashamed of that pup, it was paid for! The Gospel message tells me I’ve been paid for by the Blood of Jesus, purchased from the slave market of sin!

To better understand Paul’s statement we need some context, in A.D. 49 Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome due to the disturbance caused by Chrestus. Chrestus is a misspelling of Christ. To speak of Jesus could cause you great harm and removal from your home. Paul writes this in AD. 57, Claudius is dead and the Jews have been allowed to return but the threat still lingers as Nero become emperor.

In 1:8 the apostle tells us that the faith of the Roman Church has been spoken of throughout the whole world. Under great threat Rome was a launching port for the Gospel! In 1:11 we see that there is something Paul wants to impart to the Romans. I believe this is encouragement to continue to move the Gospel forward!

A. Paul’s Message

What is the Gospel? Gospel is the Greek noun euangelion which simply means good news! In Greek it is the idea of heralding the coming of a new king, or the report of a great victory!

Imagine a herald running through the streets of Rome screaming euangelion… good news I’ve got good news! There is a new King, His name is Jesus and He has brought us great victory! I doubt Nero would like that but this heralding is pleasing to God!

The Gospel in a nut share is John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

The Gospel is the news that Jesus entered into the flesh, lived in sinless perfection, and offered His life sacrifice for the sins of the world, then did what no other could do.. He arose from the Grave victorious over death, sin, and hades!

This news brings conviction of sin and reveals that Jesus has paid the sin debt for us at Calvary’s Cross!

Paul calls the Gospel the Power of God unto salvation. Power is the Greek noun dynamis which means ability to perform. The word dynamite is derived this word and many preachers say that the Gospel is God’s dynamite, but dynamite is used in demolition and the Gospel brings hope and a newness of life.

The Gospel tells rebellious men that” God is reconciled, that justice is satisfied, that sin has been atoned for, that the judgment of the guilty may be revoked, the condemnation of the sinner canceled, the curse of the Law blotted out, the gates of hell closed, the portals of heaven opened wide, the power of sin subdued, the guilty conscience healed, the broken heart comforted, the sorrow and misery of the Fall undone.

The Gospel is the only power that brings salvation and is God’s own power to save every soul that embraces it!

B. Paul’s Mission

It is easy for us to mouth “I am not ashamed of the Gospel” because we have never been tested, but everywhere Paul went he found persecution. He preached the Gospel in Jerusalem (the religious center of the world) and was mobbed. He preached the Gospel in Athens (the intellectual center of the world) and was mocked. Eventually Paul preached the Gospel in Rome (the political center of the world) where he would be martyred.

Paul was certainly not ashamed to preach the Gospel, he stated:

1. I am debtor to preach it.

He was obligated to the entire human race because all mankind stands in need of hearing the Gospel!

2. I am ready to preach it.

He was “eager” to preach in Rome., it was his desire but he had been prevented up to this point. Rome seems like a certain death sentence but if all roads lead to Rome then all roads leave from Rome! Rome was strategic!

Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel, he understood that eternal life depended on it. Do you understand this? Are you unashamed? Today’s lack of evangelistic effort points, yes.

An Effective Soul Winner Faithfully Shares the Gospel (17)

Paul was not only unashamed of the Gospel but was faithful to share the Gospel! He spoke before royalty, rabbis, rulers, and rabble—to him, it made no difference because he understood all are in need of the gospel.

When was the last time you shared the Gospel essage? When was the last time you lovingly told someone that they were a sinner and stood in need of Jesus’ Salvation? When was the last time you were moved by a deep desire in your heart to tell someone what Jesus has done for them? Some of you may be thinking isn't that what we pay you for!

Notice Paul’s words… Romans 1:17 “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith;

Circle from faith to faith. This term means that Salvation is completed from start to finish by faith. Faith is the Greek noun pistis which means complete dependability on the Gospel. By faith we are saved and from faithfulness we share the Gospel.

Often times we do not share the Gospel because we are afraid of losing. We afraid that things may not go as we hope for. But, what if I told you that there is something you can do with a 100% guarantee of winning would you do it?

When you share the Gospel and someone receives Christ.. Hallelujah.. WIN! When you share Christ and a seed is planted… Hallelujah that is a win. When you share Christ and He is rejected, it is still a win because you have been faithful!

Faithfulness is the Key to effective soul winning! Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, “we have no conversions because we ask not for conversions! The Righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith and in this text the righteousness of God simply means “God’s saving activity!” It is God who saves!

I used to get my hair cut from a barber who would ask me how many people have I saved this week? My answer was always the same....none… BECAUSE GOD DOES THE SAVING!

The effective soul winner is faithful, he understands that saving is not their responsibility... faithfully sharing is! But we often find excuses like, I’m not learned, nor charismatic, my talk is plan and dull.

I read a story about a minster whose sermons were so dull that the congregation voted to give him his notice. “May I have one more chance?” he pleaded. “If you’re not satisfied with my sermon next Sunday, I’ll leave.”

To everyone’s surprise, the following Sunday’s sermon was interesting and inspiring. The congregation not only voted to retain the pastor but to increase his salary. A church leader said to him: “That was the finest sermon I ever heard. But there’s one thing I couldn’t figure out. Just as you were about to speak, you raised two fingers of your right hand. Was there significance to that gesture?”

“Yes,” replied the minister. “Those were the quotation marks.”

The Gospel is nothing new it’s been laid out since Gen 3:15! And it’s laid out in front of you via a quote of the Old Testament!

The Just shall live by faith! What a verse! This is the theme of Romans! This text has had more impact on the kingdom of God in the past 500 years than any text I know of. It was this text that pushed Martin Luther out of mere religion and into the joy of salvation by grace, through faith and he became the fuel that the Protestant Reformation desperately needed!

It was this text that answered the question John Wesley wrote in his journal “I went to America to convert the Indians; but Oh! who shall convert me?” The result was the great Wesleyan Revival that swept England and transformed the nation.

The text is Habakkuk 2:4b and it simply means that man becomes righteous through faith! God’s saving activity is; that through faith in the Gospel message God makes men right, He puts them into the proper relationship with Him, Through faith God clothes a man in Christ Jesus and imputes unto him eternal life!

This is what Paul means when he writes 2 Cor. 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Through faith God no longer sees the filthy sinner becasue the righteousness of Christ covers him. The Gospel is God’s righteousness and Christ’s expense!

What a simple yet profound message we have! But what are we doing with it?

Conclusion: An effective soul winner is in not ashamed of the Gospel and is faithful to His Lord in action sharing the Gospel message with others. Today, I pray that we can purpose in our hearts to take a lesson from Paul and faithfully share the Gospel!

Holy Spirit please convict us this day to share the Gospel of Jesus with the lost dying world around us because it is their greatest need.