Rom 15-That the Gospel Might be Preached
| That the Gospel Might be Preached! Romans 15:14-17
September 14, 2008 (NIV) 14I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. PRAY Scripture Memory:Romans 15:20a (NIV) – It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known Intro:Evangelism evokes strong emotions in many (most) people. What emotions do you feel with you think of evangelism? Fear? Guilt? Embarrassment? Passion? 1. Our motivation (in evangelism) (v. 15)2. Our duty (in evangelism) (v. 16-17) 1. Our motivation (in evangelism) (v. 15)The motivation of grace15I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me… The discussion at Calvary Fellowship on why evangelize…2 Cor. 5:14 (NIV) – Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 1 Tim 1:12-16 (NIV) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.What impact does/should the grace of God have on people? ☞ It causes people to trust God rather than themselves. ☞ It enables people to step out in faith rather than be paralyzed by fear in the midst of unknowns. ☞ It brings us to see ourselves in such a light that we can bear with others to a degree far beyond our natural capacity because we understand our own need of it.☞ It motivates us to help others experience this grace Six reasons people find evangelism so difficult & threatening:1. We are more concerned about what people think of us than we are about what is best for them.The ability to recognize the AIDS virus… 2. We feel like we don’t know enough.When God is seeking a person, he will not allow my fear, my feeling of intimidation or my lack of knowledge or experience to prevent that person from finding him. Rebecca Manley PippertBe to the world a sign that while we as Christians do not have all the answers, we do know and care about the questions. Billy Graham It is not a matter of WHAT you know as much as WHO you know. 3. We really don’t believe the gospel.If we did… 4. We feel unworthy to tell anyone else that THEY need Jesus.The Christian church is a society of sinners. It is the only society in the world in which membership is based upon the single qualification that the candidate shall be unworthy of membership. Charles Clayton Morrison To be a witness does not consist of engaging in propaganda or in stirring people up. It means to live in such a way that one’s life would not make sense if God did not exist. Emmanuel Suhard 5. We don’t reflect enough on the grace that is ours in Jesus Christ.For every one look at your sin, take ten looks at Jesus! (R. Murray McCheyne) 6. We don’t want to offend people.Jesus . . . wants us to see that the neighbor next door or the people sitting next to us on a plane or in a classroom are not interruptions to our schedule. They are there by divine appointment. Jesus wants us to see their needs, their loneliness, their longings, and he wants to give us the courage to reach out to them. Rebecca Manley Pippert 2. Our duty (in evangelism) (vv. 14, 16-17)The duty of priesthood (vv. 16-17)…the grace God gave me 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.Priests:Intercede for the people before GodPresent Offerings to God on behalf of the peopleTeach the People (Speak to the people on behalf of God) | | ☞ Intercede for the people before God2+… & ☞ Teach the People (Speak to the people on behalf of God)…the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of Godv. 14 - I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.The 3 prerequisites for being a priest:● full of goodness, ● complete in knowledge and ● competent to instruct one another.We have much to teach each other and much to learn FROM each other…In this context, though: the teaching refers to the proclamation of the gospel – (explain the gospel)If you know Jesus Christ, and you understand the gospel enough to be at peace with God, then you know enough to tell others… ☞ Present Offerings to God…so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.Proclaiming the gospel So that others might become an offering acceptable to God So that others might be sanctified by the HSAcceptable offerings:X Pure motives – ● out of love for God and for others● for the pleasure and glory of God – not ourselves and not other peopleX Realistic expectations – ● It is not up to ME to convert anyone● God normally brings people to Himself through the witness of His peopleX Wholehearted Service – ● Diligent follow through (Sacrificial Commitment)● Serving God BETTER than we serve moneyX Sanctified Offerings – ● Set apart for God – for HIS glory, for HIS pleasure – offerings that are WORTHY to be given to the King of Kings……so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.What better offering could anyone find than to present to Jesus people coming to know and embrace His love for them!!! Proclaiming the gospel So that others might be sanctified by the HSEvangelism does not end with our telling someone about Jesus and how to know Him as Lord and Savior. It also includes getting them plugged in to His church and into His Word.Follow-up – This requires more training… People say that it is so hard to bring Jesus Christ and present him before the lives of men today. Of course it is. It is so hard that it is impossible except by the power of the indwelling Holy Ghost. Oswald Chambers Summary / Review:If we truly understand the grace that is ours through Jesus Christ and if we truly have embraced it, then evangelism SHOULD be a desire of our hearts…If we truly love God and know that we are in a right relationship with Him, then we also need to understand that we are His priests. We are His normal way of reaching out to people. We are in a position to intercede for those around us that many of us give little or no thought to… A Truth to Remember: The grace of God makes you his priest. It makes you holy, acceptable and righteous in His sight. A Challenge to Consider:If you are, indeed, a priest of God, are you acting like one by interceding for others and by helping them to come to know Him as you do? One thing I heard this morning was… |