Romans 15:8-13

Good News for the Church

- The bad news is…that between 800-900 Southern Baptist Churches close their doors every single year

- These are churches who have sat on the corner for 100 years, who believe in the foundational teachings of God’s Word – yet God couldn’t keep their doors open.

- FACT: A Dying Church robs God of His glory!

- There are reasons for churches to close or cease to exist – There are instances where towns disband or where neighborhoods transform areas of industry and all that is understandable

- but most of the time these churches that close are in the middle of communities that are made up of people who are broken , marriages that are broken, drug addiction, concerns about children and the future, people who are walking through all kinds of physical and financial burdens, who need Jesus !!!

- And right in the middle of it all… a church closes its doors and God is robbed of His glory!

Romans 15:8-13

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised [the Jews ] to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs [isaiah 11 ]

9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”

10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

- The good news is that God is at work bringing dead things back to life !

Paul references Isaiah 11 as he establishes Christ as the promised Messiah and the future hope of Judah!

(Add in a picture of the Root of Jesse)

Stump = Judah

Root = Promised Messiah

Branch = Christ

- Out of dead things God breaths life!!

- And God is at work breathing life into dying churches in America and all around the world !

- Jesus has a plan for every church, He has a plan for our church…Henry Blackaby once said that “God is under no obligation, nor will He likely resource your plans for His church.”

- But God will spare nothing from Heaven to resource Jesus plans for your church.

My prayer is that we will not determine the plans for our church, but seek Jesus’ plans and how we need to change our agendas, plans and preferences in order to live in obedience to his plans.

- So that a church that is declining and even dying, can be a church that is thriving and making a difference in the Kingdom.

- A revitalized church is not necessarily a church that is larger in numbers…but is a church that has a pattern of:

- making disciples

- that can make disciples ,

- which makes its community noticeably better

- because the people of God are there among the community.

- My prayer is that this happens in our church…that FBC Diboll becomes a place where disciples are made , who can make disciples, who are sharing the gospel , see people come to faith in Christ, seeing people come into the church … and our church becomes a fabric in our community, so much so that if our church was to close our doors even people who never attended our church would recognize that our community is losing something very important.

- Because after all…those of us who have been dealt most generously with, should be the most generous people in our community, and no one has been dealt more generously with than those of us who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ.

- Not by our own works, but all because of Him. All a free gift and a product of His grace . So we need to be the most generous people with our time , our resources and our money .

-We should make a difference in our communities and if we follow Jesus ’ plan for our church…that will happen.