I AM, TOTALLY ABANDONED TO THE GOSPEL

Romans 1:14 NKJV

I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.

I AM, TOTALLY ABANDONED TO THE GOSPEL!

Romans 1:14-16

Well, first off I would like to apologize to you, your Pastor had a Great former pastor lined up to Preach today, but for some reason or other he had to drop out late last night, so as a Last Resort, Bro. Ben called me to see if I could throw something together.

I said, well let me pray about that, so I called him back about an hour ago and said I’M IN! So here I am!

No, really, he texted me about 2 months ago and asked if I could come and preach today, and I said you bet, I would Love to!

So I thank Bro. Ben for the opportunity to be here, and it is an Honor and Privilege to come Back Home, and Preach God’s Word!

(Introduce family)

PRAY!!!!! (MESSAGE: I AM, TOTALLY ABANDONED TO THE GOSPEL)

Again, It is So Good to be with you on this Homecoming Sunday, as you Celebrate 193 years of Church History! Praise God! Amen! (Give the Lord a Hand this Morning!)

What a great time in the Life of a Church to Celebrate the Faithfulness of God down through the Years!

Now, there are many faces that are not familiar to me here today, But after being gone for 15 yrs now......, it should be expected! Amen!

But It’s always good to see those “Old Faces” as well, and I don’t mean in age, except for Bobby Cook, Right, he IS, OLD! Not Mrs. Peggy, just Bobby!

By the way, isn’t Mrs. Peggy a Saint, having to put up with Bobby all these years!

Many of you, and I as well, have done it for Years, but usually just on Sundays and Wednesdays, but Peggy! God Bless You! (Just kiddin’! I Love’m, they are Good People!)

But, Praise God, for OLD and NEW faces!

Some of you may not know, but I called this my home for 32 years.

I know what some of you are thinking, “Really, 32 years? You don’t even look 32, Right?” Well thank you, But it’s true I am a few years older than 32!

My Family, The Gullion family has called PHBC, home in some capacity for 58 years!

And it all started with my Grandfather, former Pastor Emery Gullion and his wife Lucille, back in 1966, and has continued on to my parents Dennis and MaryLou Gullion.

This is a place that brings back a flood of memories, for this is where I spent my Childhood, my Teens, and into my Thirties. It’s where I started a Family of my own.

So this Church holds a Special place in my Heart.

I had the Opportunity and Privilege, alongside Brothers and Sisters In Christ sitting out among you today, to build this Church Building you are sitting in!

And for me, those years surrounding that time, were some of the greatest years of My Life, with the Family of God!

My Christian Foundation started here, and faces I see out here in the congregation, and many that have gone on to be with the Lord, played a part in building that Foundation.

Faithful Men and Women such as: my grandparents Emery and Lucille, my mom and dad of course, my Uncle Wayne (former pastor) and Gayle Gullion, my Aunt Carolyn Jump, and U. Tom and A. Shirley, and others such as Bobby and Peggy Cook, Lonnie Dow and Wanda Poland, Diane Garvey, Robin Garvey, Lois and Edgar Towles, Shirley Jones, Tommy and Evelyn Boaz, Tommy and Judy Holbert, Joy Poland, Brenda Beach, Sandy Bishop, Pete and Louella Phillips, David and Erika Poland, Muriel Wilson, Brian (Opie) Richards, Dickie Wilson, Carolyn and Melvin Wilson, Lonnie Poland Sr., and many others have contributed to who I am today!

This Church, has been Blessed with a Great Heritage, (a Heritage that has been built by Godly Men and Women!)

A Heritage that started way back in 1831.

A time that was much simpler than the days we are Living in!

Days when people were more Dependent on each other, and The Church was more than just a possible place to be on Sundays, but it was a Way of Life!

Unfortunately, The Church in this Country as a Whole, seems to have forgotten, that we according to scripture are a BODY, and we still need One Another, even more so , as we”…See THE DAY APPROACHING!” (Heb. 10:24-25) AMEN!

But the question is, will that Heritage that started way back in 1875 (1839) Carry On into The Future, if the Lord Tarries?

And what exactly should be Carried On?

There are many things today that Churches quite frankly Carry On, and many of them are just Man-made Traditions!

There are many things that Churches are known for, that quite Frankly, are Not what a Church is to be Concerned About!

1) I want to suggest to you today, what Pleasant Home Baptist Church, not this Building, but the Family that Gathers inside this building, should be

Concerned, about Passing On to the next Generation!

a. Turn with me to 1 Cor. 15:1-4!

Listen to me, YOU, PHBC, should be Primarily Concerned, about Passing On The Gospel of The Lord Jesus Christ!

You should be Concerned about Passing On the Message of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection, of Jesus! WHY, YOU SAY?

Because just as our main text in Romans 1 will tell us, “...it is the POWER OF GOD to SALVATION...”

(PAUSE) Let me ask, by show of hands or by Amen, who believes that?

Who Believes the GOSPEL, IS, THE POWER OF GOD TO SALVATION? AMEN! I AGREE!

Who agrees that the Gospel is Powerful enough to Change an Ol’e Rotten Sinner into a Sinner Saved by Grace?

Who agrees that the Gospel Message is the ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN?

2) Do you as Members of Pleasant Home Baptist Church, understand what the Gifts that were given by The Spirit to the Church, such as the Pastor,

Deacons, and other Leaders of this Church, are supposed to be Producing?

a. They with help of the Holy Spirit, and with Cooperation from you, are to be Producing Disciples of The Lord Jesus Christ!

b. That is the Goal of The Local Church.

It is not to make sure you are Comfortable every time you Walk into this Building,...

...it is not to make sure you Feel Good when you Leave this Building,...

...it is not to make sure that your Preferences are taken care of,...

...it is not to make sure your Worship Experience is everything you Desire,...

...it is Not to Make Sure that the Truth of God’s Word does not Offend you, etc.,...

...folks IT IS as Eph. 4:12 says, TO “...EQUIP THE SAINTS, FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY, FOR THE EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST...”! (IT IS TO MAKE DISCIPLES!)

c. You see, The Pastor, Deacons, Teachers and other Leaders, are to be Equipping you, THE SAINTS, for the Work of the Ministry!

3) So Church, what IS, YOUR MINISTRY? What is it that YOU, have been Called into this Community to do?

a. 2 Cor. 5:17-20: (Stop after, “...if anyone is in Christ...” IF - Are you IN CHRIST?)

We clearly see here in these verses, what you are to be about as the Church of God!

b. Listen, hear me Clearly, YOU, PHBC have been Given the MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION!

The WORD of RECONCILIATION has been COMMITTED to YOU!

c. What’s that mean? YOU, PHBC, are AMBASSADORS for the LORD JESUS CHRIST!

What is an Ambassador? Someone that goes and speaks on behalf of another.

We have Ambassadors for our Country. And they go to other Nations and speak on behalf of the United States of America. (Not on behalf of themselves!)

When you are an AMBASSADOR, you are NOT PROMOTING YOURSELF!

A U.S. Ambassador does not go to other nations and talk about him/herself, they go to Represent OUR COUNTRY! Our Thoughts, Our Ideas, The Way we want to see things happen.

4) Listen Carefully, if you are AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOU AREN’T LIVING TO PROMOTE SELF!

a. (Ramp up!) You are Ambassadors for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

b. You are not here on this Earth to Promote yourself, you are here to PROMOTE JESUS CHRIST!

Lord FORGIVE ME! I don’t know about you, but at times in my Life, I have FAILED Miserably at that task!

c. We, YOU, are to PROCLAIM THE MESSAGE OF 1 Cor. 15:1-4!

5) Church, it is your Responsibility to Train one another, to Equip One Another, so that you are able to go out into the surrounding communities, towns,

cities, state, Country, World, and Proclaim the ONLY LIFE CHANGING, LIFE SAVING MESSAGE, that this World has ever known!

a. THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!

6) If there is One thing that I, and I say I, because I don’t know about you, so I’ll just speak for my self.

a. But if there is one thing that I daily need to remind my self of, it is WHO I AM! It is WHO I BELONG TO!

b. Listen, if you are going to be able to Give Out the Gospel Message and Fulfill your Calling IN CHRIST, as an AMBASSADOR, you are going to have to

be able to say 3 Things about yourself:

I AM A DEBTOR, I AM READY, and I AM NOT ASHAMED!

c. These are the 3 I AM statements that the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:14-16. So if you would, turn with me to Romans 1, and I will start reading in

vs. 14.

I. “I AM A DEBTOR” (Romans 1:14)

1) If there is one thing that We Americans Know about it, is DEBT!

a. The Average American Household debt is $104,215

The Average Mortgage Debt is $244,498.

Average Student Loan Debt is $37,853.

Average Credit Card Debt $8,674.

The Average Home Equity Line of credit is around $45,000.

Average Auto Loan for a new car is $40,927, and for used it is $26,248.

Average Personal Loan Debt is $19,402

National Debt, yesterday was almost 36 Trillion, which figures out to about $106,681 per American!

b. If you didn’t know any better, you would think, that we Americans Love to OWE Others! We are ALL Debtors!

From the moment we come into this World we OWE our mothers for 9 months, of room and board! AMEN! (I still haven’t Paid mine off!)

c. But monetary debt is not what Paul was referring to here.

2) Paul says here in Romans that he is A DEBTOR! (And Brothers and Sisters, you and I are NO DIFFERENT! We OWE A GREAT DEBT!)

You members of PHBC, OWE a Debt to those who have come before you today, the Saints, some present, and some that are gone. That have Faithfully Worshipped and Served here!

a. As Paul writes this letter to the Romans, he has not yet been in Rome.

But he later arrives there, not as a Free man but as a Prisoner of Rome, to stand before Caesar!

b. Paul’s whole Ministry was about Paying Off Debt!

Shortly After Paul is Saved on the Damascus Road, Jesus reveals to Ananias, this about Paul in Acts 9:15-16:

“But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he (Paul) is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

c. We see here, that Paul was a DEBTOR! He was Chosen to Bear the Name of Christ before Gentiles, Kings, and the Children of Israel.

d. Because of this, Paul, as the NLT version puts it, says in vs. 14 - “I have a GREAT SENSE OF OBLIGATION to people in both the civilized world and the rest

of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike.

3) Paul understood and Knew that he Owed a Great Debt!

a. Paul said in 1 Thess. 2:4, that he had been Approved by God to be Entrusted with the Gospel! And therefore, he Spoke Not to Please Men, but to

Please God who Tests Our Hearts!

b. Let’s back up a little bit and read Romans 1:8-13, and hear Paul’s Heart!

Paul Longed to see the Roman Believers, He often Planned to be with them, he wanted to Impart his Life and some Spiritual Gift to them, he desired to bear Fruit among them, but God needed to Test him some more, so He hindered Paul from going.

But you No Doubt get a Picture of Paul’s Heart, Right!

c. You see, Paul Understood THE ASSIGNMENT! AMEN!

Once Paul came to a Saving Faith in Jesus Christ, he Understood that HIS LIFE was NO LONGER about HIMSELF!

Listen to Phil. 1:20-24 (Written in Rome) Paul was DEAD, he ONLY LIVED FOR CHRIST!

d. Because of what Jesus had done for him, Paul OWED Him a GREAT DEBT! And that DEBT, was to be IN DEBT to The World!

Paul would have Loved to Depart this World and be with Christ his Lord, but he also knew that remaining in the FLESH was more NEEDFUL to those he was SERVING!

4) Do you remember the verses I read to you from 2 Cor. 5:17-20, a few minutes ago? We are to be Like Paul!

a. ARE YOU A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST?

(Pause) If you are, then UNDERSTAND that you have BEEN BOUGHT! (Read: 1 Cor. 6:20)

IF you are IN CHRIST, you BELONG to GOD! He Purchased you with the Blood of His Son!

And when someone BUYS something, THEY, DECIDE what they will do with that which they Bought!

b. And God told us through Paul in 2 Cor. 5, that we are DEBTORS, just as he was to this WHOLE WORLD!

We have been given the Ministry of Reconciliation, WE ARE TO PLEAD WITH THE WORLD ON GOD’S BEHALF, TO BE RECONCILED TO HIM, THROUGH HIS SON!

PHBC, YOU ARE A DEBTOR! FIRST TO CHRIST, and then to THIS WORLD!

The 2nd thing you Need to be able to say about yourself is:

II. “I AM READY” (Romans 1:15)

1) We just heard how we are DEBTORS, and therefore we are to Proclaim The Word of God!

But the question is, “ARE YOU READY?” ARE YOU READY to PAY OFF YOUR DEBT!

a. 2 Tim. 4:2 says… “Preach the word! BE READY in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

How often did Paul tell Timothy to BE READY to PREACH? ALL THE TIME (“...IN season and OUT of season...”)!

Paul was a Great Witness because his Life was on Display for ALL to SEE!

Paul told others in 1 Cor. 11:1, to “...IMITATE ME, as I IMITATE CHRIST!”

So Paul was READY!

b. ARE YOU READY?

I’m not saying, you are to be Ready to come up here as your Pastor does and Preach God’s Word each week (Maybe some day if you are Qualified), but are you READY TO PROCLAIM THE WORD?

c. We have already heard that we have a mandate to take the Gospel to The World, but ARE YOU READY TO DO IT?

2) How was Paul READY?

a. Well, I Believe it was because Paul Removed TWO MAJOR ROAD BLOCKS from his Life!

And what would those be? HIMSELF and THE AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE!

3) If you are going to be READY, KNOW, that you must REMOVE YOURSELF, and THE AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE, from your AGENDA!

a. In Regard to REMOVING SELF: We have already looked at Phil. 1:20-21, but listen again, (Start at, “...so now also Christ...”)

(STOP at MAGNIFIED IN MY BODY. What does it mean to MAGNIFY Something? TO ENLARGE! You must make Christ LARGE IN YOUR LIFE! So LARGE that YOU, CAN NOT BE SEEN! I must Decrease, and He Must Increase!)

(CONTINUE READING)

“...For to me, TO LIVE IS CHRIST...”! Paul in Gal. 2:20 clarifies more (Read Gal. 2:20)

Who can say that? For to me, TO LIVE IS CHRIST? Those who put THEMSELVES TO DEATH!

No, Not Literal Death, but you have Died to THE FLESH, to your DESIRES and WANTS!

And you Now Live For CHRIST, HIS DESIRES, HIS WILL!

Remember, I mentioned that a bit ago, we ARE NOT TO PROMOTE SELF!

This is the Life of a Christian! You Live and Walk by The Spirit, Not by The Flesh! Your not Fulfilling Your Agenda, but Christ’s!

UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO DIE, YOU WON’T BE READY TO LIVE!

b. Which leads to that 2nd Roadblock, THE AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE! (If you are going to be READY to Proclaim the Gospel...)

2 Tim. 2:3-4 says this… “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare ENTANGLES himself with the AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

Your Life as a GOOD SOLDIER (Christian) is about PLEASING CHRIST!

And Paul says, you CANNOT do that if, you are Entangled with the AFFAIRS of this Life!

Do you Realize yet, that you are in a BATTLE? (Paul said we are Soldiers! AMEN!) Eph. 6:10-17 reminds us to Daily Put on The Armor of God!

WHY? Because Our Adversary, Satan, Roams about looking to DEVOUR YOU!

And folks, if you get ENTANGLED with the AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE, if you become more Concerned about this Temporary Life and All it has to Offer you, SATAN will DEVOUR YOU!

Listen, this is why we must be READY!

Satan is Tricking and Deceiving millions of people across this Country, some of whom may be sitting in here today, that things can’t get any better than the Life you are LIVING NOW, so Live it Up!

Do what you Believe to be Best, Do what is Right for You, Do what you Desire, because you are ACCOUNTABLE TO NO ONE!

And if you fall for it, he will help you Map your Course, Straight to Hell!

For God’s Word says in Heb. 9:27 - “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,...”

Listen to me Lost person, you may decide to LIVE IT UP ALL your Life, Choosing to do whatever it is “YOU” want to Do, BUT YOU WILL, STAND IN JUDGEMENT for it..

...And understand this, if that is how YOU CHOOSE to Live, then make No Mistake, YOU CHOSE, where you will Spend ETERNITY! (Don’t blame that on my God, He Loves you and made a Way for YOU! AMEN!)

For if you did not Live for Christ Now, in this Life, He will not force you to Live with Him for ETERNITY!

Please hear the rest of Paul’s Statement in Heb. 9:28 - “...so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

Listen to me, there is a BETTER DAY A COMIN!

And it is a Day that those who KNOW CHRIST are EAGERLY AWAITING!

Please don’t REJECT CHRIST, He came and Sacrificed His Life ONCE FOR THE SINS of MANY!

Will you be among that MANY? You can be, it is Simple!

Put your Trust In/Believe In Jesus Christ as THE ONLY WAY to Heaven!

GO to Him Humbly, Knowing that you are a Sinner, you have broken His Law, and you Know that there is NOTHING you can DO, there is no amount of Good Works you can Do, to Save yourself!

For Jesus did it ALL, He Lived the Perfect Life you could not, He became your Righteousness, He paid for your Sin Debt on the Cross!

YOU CAN LEAVE HERE TODAY, SAYING “I AM READY”!

c. Paul was READY TO GO, HE WAS READY TO DIE, HE WAS READY TO LEAVE BEHIND THE AFFAIRS OF THIS LIFE, ARE YOU?

AND Folks, why was Paul READY TO PREACH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST? Because he was NOT ASHAMED!

The 3rd Thing you Must be able to say about yourself is:

III. “I AM NOT ASHAMED!” (Romans 1:16)

1) As Paul wrote this Letter he was telling the Romans, “Look, I am Coming to you, and I want you to KNOW I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF

CHRIST!

2) Why would Paul want them to Know that he was Not Ashamed?

a. There were various reasons that Paul could have been Ashamed of going into ROME!

For Paul was Preaching a Message that had brought him Nothing but Trouble in the eyes of many!

It had gotten him Beaten, Imprisoned, Shipwrecked, Left for Dead, Stoned, he was Preaching a Message that was considered to be FOOLISH among the Educated, the Wise, the Greeks!

The People that Followed Jesus were Persecuted, Ran out of their homes, and Killed.

The Gospel Paul preached was Identified with a Poor Jewish Carpenter that was Crucified.

And Crucifixion was used for the Worst of Criminals, that were Notoriously against Rome!

The Gospel was a Repulsive Message.

Not only did Christ suffer and Die a Bloody, Horrific, Death, but many thought that the Followers of Christ were Cannibals, because of statements like this from Jesus (John 6:54) - “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

The Gospel was a Message that Paul’s and Christ’s own people the Jews, Rejected.

So to many in Rome, The Gospel, “The GOOD NEWS” did not sound so GOOD!!

b. But Paul said, “IT IS GOOD”, and “I AM NOT ASHAMED”, because it is the POWER OF GOD TO SALVATION!

2) The Roman Empire Undoubtedly thought they were the Most Powerful Empire to Exist!

a. But as Powerful as Rome was, Rome could not CHANGE PEOPLES LIVES!

Rome was known to be a very Immoral place. The Roman Philosopher Seneca said that Rome was the “Cesspool of Civilization”!

b. Paul said that the Gospel was Powerful enough to SAVE EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES!

AND That my Friends is “GOOD NEWS”! There is NO ONE TOO BAD, TOO WICKED, TOO EVIL, to be Changed, to be made into a NEW CREATION!

c. And that is Why Paul was going to Rome! To Spread the Good News!

d. How about you? Do you Believe in the Power of the Gospel Message? OR ARE YOU ASHAMED OF IT?

Let me ask you a Question that will reveal that Answer to yourself! HOW OFTEN ARE YOU SHARING IT, WITH THE LOST?

If you Truly Believe it is Powerful, and that it CAN SAVE ANYONE, Are you Sharing it with others? Or are You ASHAMED!

e. You Know what, I think many of us and many of Our Churches OWE The Lost in Our Communities an Apology! For WE HAVE BEEN ASHAMED!

We come to Church Week after Week, we hear Messages about the “GOOD NEWS”, and the POWER that it Possess, The Power to Change the Worst of Sinners, but yet we Go Day after Day, Week after Week, Month after Month, Never Sharing THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST with the Lost!

Paul was NOT ASHAMED!

f. Look, we Share every bit of Good News there is in Our Lives with Others!

If we get a new job, we tell others.

If we get a raise, we tell others.

If we are getting Married, we tell others.

If we are going on vacation, we tell others.

If we get the top grade in our class, we tell others.

If we receive a good report from our doctor, we tell others.

If the Kentucky Wildcats win the National Championship, we tell others!

What BETTER NEWS do we have to tell than JESUS SAVES?

3) Listen, I Love this Church, I Love you the People of PHBC!

a. That is why I am Preaching the TRUTH TO YOU TODAY!

b. But it’s not this Church, that Our Lost Family, Friends, and Co-Workers Need to Hear about!

They don’t need to Hear you coming to their home, or approaching them out in the neighborhood, or going out for Lunch, and just inviting them to come to Church!

THEY NEED TO HEAR THAT JESUS DIED and ROSE AGAIN FOR THEM!!

They NEED TO HEAR THE POWERFUL GOSPEL MESSAGE OF CHRIST! UNASHAMEDLY!

I Would to God that Everyone—myself included—could follow the Apostle Paul in those three statements. Paul as I mentioned earlier said, “Imitate Me, as I Imitate Christ”!

Paul as he met the Lord Jesus on the Damascus Road, asked two questions of him, that you must ask him as well.

His first question, “Who are you, Lord?”, implies that he knew the Answer? DO YOU?

DO you Know WHO JESUS IS? IS He your Savior and Lord?

If he is, then ask Him this second Question, “What would you have me to do?”

And I know you know the answer to that, because we heard the Answer today! SO GET BUSY!

You can’t SAY, “I DON’T KNOW”, ANYMORE! No More Excuses! (ALRIGHT SO GET READY! This is your last chance to respond today!) REPEAT AFTER ME;

“I AM A DEBTOR, I AM READY, I AM NOT ASHAMED!

ARE YOU TOTALLY ABANDONED TO THE GOSPEL?