Reach the World

Pre-introduction

Thank God for the blessing of the Sabbath and for the priviledge of prayer.

Prayer is a vital part of our religious privilege and duty. It is a privilege to be able to go into the presence of the Creator, the mighty Ruler of the universe. Though we are sinful and fallen, He reaches out His arms and invites us to talk with Him, to learn of Him, to listen to His instruction, to commune with Him.

“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17. 

Matthew 11:28–29 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

May God give you rest and peace on this Holy Day.

1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Let us cast out cares on Him and allow our minds to focus on the message today.

Introduction

Romans 1:1 “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,”

Who was Paul

For many years I’ve wondered why Paul introduce himself this way.

Roman citizen by birth. Born in Tarsus and a Hebrew of the tribe of Benjamin - raised in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel. Was a pharisee and kept the law to the tee.

Philippians 3:6 “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

Self rightious attitude reflected in the parable of Luke 18:9–14 “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Philippians 3:7–8 “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”

Philippians 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

Romans 7:9 “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.”

The Damascus Experience

The first mention of Saul in the bible is in Act 7 at the stoning of Stephen and there after it’s Saul on his way to persecute the church in Damascus.

It says he went house to house terorising the church.

The church is full of Sauls today - self righteous and persecutors of the church. How do you personally view yourself, are you constantly complaining about the church, church members, programs, leaders.

After conversion, God sent him to the church - the same church he was persecuting and there he recevied healing.

How does God regard the church -

The church is God's fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world.... It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts.

The church, enfeebled and defective though it be, is the only object on earth on which Christ bestows His supreme regard. He is constantly watching it with solicitude, and is strengthening it by His Holy Spirit. 

After seeing Jesus, Paul becomes a servant of God. Like Isaiah he responds to the call. God is calling you and me today to respond to the call.

Often times we are like Jonah - we hear the call, but we respond by running.

Jonah

Sent to go preach in Ninivah to the Gentiles and he runs.

We have been called to preach and share love to a dying world, and we run. The world needs us.

Jonah sleeps in the storm- how comfortable we get sometimes in sin. The world is spinning and beign rocked about and we surprisingly find peace and sleep. The world is looking for answeres, but we are fast asleep. The church must wake up. There is a storm around us, people are in need of God’s love. People need answers, but the church is asleep. The world is in need of resources, yet we sleep.

Praise be to God He will loves us too much to leave us sleeping. The sailers came to wake Jonah up, and Jonah remembered that there is a God in heaven. God sends reminders to wake us up, let us not ignore. Harden not your heart, the bible says.

Jonah arrives in Ninivah and preaches a very short sermon and a great rivival is born. The greatest repentance of a very sinful nation.

God can use you, you don’t have to preach an amazing sermon, you don’t have to be a special person. The little maid told Naaman about a prophet in Israel. David killed Goliath, and Ehud brought deliverance to Israel from Eglon king of the Moabites for 80 years. Ehud was hindered in the right hand

Call

The Lord is calling you to be His servant. Paul referes to himself as a servant because he has surrendered his life to Christ.

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

You may feel you can do nothing like Ehud - Paul says he has a thorne in his flesh.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Romans 8:38–39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

I want to be known as a servant of God.