A Broken Heart

Good morning, if you have a Bible and I hope you do, I want to invite you to open up with me to the book of Romans and we are going to be in Chapter 9.

I want to ask you a question this morning...Have you ever had a broken heart? You know, that gut-wrenching feeling that comes from within…perhaps it was the loss of a loved one, or a situation that cut you to your core. Whatever it may be, its that heaviness that you sense within your soul because someone or something you care deeply about is off.

There was a man that some of you know of know of, and he had a broken heart. But not for the reason you may think.

This man’s name was W.T. Edwards. Sound familiar? It’s about to. W.T. Edwards was a retired missionary and a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church here in town. And W.T. Edwards and 19 brothers & sisters in Christ had a prayer meeting on this side of town. And so on September 17th, 1958, W.T. Edwards and this faithful prayer group walked from Holmes Avenue and began to ascend the hill on Jordan Lane.

Him and his group stood on top of the hill on Jordan Lane, and one writer recounted this moment and said this. That after looking around, W.T. Edwards began to weep. He was crying. His heart broken. Why? He began to weep at the amount of lostness that existed in the neighborhood surrounding the hill & the amount of unchurched believers on this side of town. It shook him to his core. And so he wept.

And it was from these tears, that this prayer gathering would soon become a church. A church to be a light to the quickly developing McThornnor Acres and surrounding university area.

On September 29, 1958 the 19 people came together and voted to become the Cloverdale Baptist Chapel. They began meeting in homes, and by their third gathering they had outgrown meeting in the houses.

They began to search for a place to gather, and compelled by being present in this community, they began to meet at Johnson Auto Auction Barn on Jordan Lane. The 1st Sunday Service had 80 people in worsship on October 5.

This part is so funny to me. The historian that wrote on this said, “Being strictly and totally baptist, this group felt there was something holy and sacred about prayer meeting on Wednesday nights. But there was a square dance group in town that had the auction barn on Wednesday nights and they did not want to give it up for any other night. Dr. Edwards told them if they wanted to take the building on Tuesday nights and let the Cloverdale Baptist Chapel have it on wednesdays, they would pray for them. (Give up your night and we’ll pray for ya). But they said no. So the church prayed every Tuesday nights for midweek prayer. The writer said, “You know, prayer is just as good on Tuesday night as any other night.” God did eventually work this out for us and in July our midweek prayer changed to Wednesday night. He gives and takes away, right?

In October, they officially called Dr. Edwards as pastor and he had a salary of $50 a week.

And so from these tears, God began a new work, to reach a people far from him.

A tragedy happened in 1959, where W.T. Edwards suffered a heart attack and died ten days later. The church was in the middle of a building process and they began searching for a new pastor. In the Lord’s providence, he sent a man named Boyd Armstrong and he arrived on the hill on August 9, 1959. All the while, the church continued to grow. In march of 1960, the church offiically moved from the auction barn to the new chapel on the hill.

Boyd Armstrong served and during his 16 years here, the church on the hill had countless stories of providence and God weaved his grand story of redemption into this community.

At the 20th anniversary of West Highland Baptist Church (They had a name change later on), the writer said, “There is no way to give a complete history in this length presentation. There are thousands of doors that have been knocked on, hundreds of homes visited, thousands of contacts made to reach people for Christ. THAT IS OUR OBJECTIVE IN BEING HERE. A BEACON ON A HILL POINTING THE WORLD TO CHRIST.

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There are many things that this church has done. There are many things this church will do. But if you were to ask the question, “Why did God put us here”. The answer was in the tears of W.T. Edwards. To be a beacon of light, sharing the hope of the Gospel, and to do whatever it takes to reach those far from Jesus Christ. This is why we are here. Its not about us. But its about God, and his desire to save sinners in this place, right here, right now.

~~~

Paul in Romans 9 gives a glimpse into his heart for the lost, and I believe this is the same heart that Dr. Edwards had for this hill and the community around it.

9 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

FATHER, THIS TIME IS YOURS. THIS CHURCH IS YOURS. OUR HEARTS ARE YOURS. Now, I’m asking you to move now.

I have two questions for you today.

I - Is your heart broken for the lost?

And

II - Are you willing to do whatever it takes to reach the lost?

Let’s begin with the first.

I - Is your heart broken for the lost?

Paul says that he is speaking truthfully. That the words he is about to say are not a lie, but he totally, 100% means them. His conscience is sealed in the Spirit of God. So that whatever he is about to say, will be so outrageous that it will almost seem unbelievable, that it will sound like a lie.

Now what he says is this… I have a great sorrow and unceasing anguish. A level of depression and a never-ending anxiety. Why?

In verse three he says it. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

He said I want to be accursed and cut from Christ for the sake of my brothers. For those who don’t believe in Jesus, that they would trust in him.

The idea that he we would removed from Christ. The greek word is anathema. It means that he would rather be deemed a heretic and cast out from the Kingdom of God if that meant his brothers would come to faith in Christ. That he would lose his salvation.

This is the harshest possible thing someone could experience, a removal from God’s love himself.

It would be as if I was you were stranded in the desert with the person whom you love the most in this life. And there is only enough water for one to survive. And in love for that person, you chose to give them the water, fully knowing that this will result in your death. They will live, but you will die.

This is the level of sacrifice Paul is talking about here. That he is wiling to give his salvation away… a eternity in paradise, no more pain, no more sorrow perfect, basking in the glory of the Father…he would give ALL AWAY, so that those far from Jesus would not spend eternity in Hell, but eternity with the Father. He would give it all away.

~~~

Church, what is the condition of your heart right now towards those far from Jesus? Are they repulsive to you? Are they the problem to you? More often than not, there is an ever present temptation to shield the sheep of the church (which is not a bad thing), but to never open to the gate for a lost sinner to find the living water of Jesus Christ?

But if God were to peer into your soul now, what would he say about your? Would your actions affirm this?

Dr. Edwards had a broken heart for the lost. Paul had a broken heart for the lost. Jesus , even in his death, displayed his for the lost.

I - Is your heart broken for the lost?

Next,

II - Are you will to do whatever it takes to reach the lost?

Paul incites an impossibility. He mentions losing his salvation. But we know you can’t do that right? We know that God has saved us and redeemed us from our sins. And the chapter before Romans 9 is extremely clear. Romans 8: “Nothing cannot seperate you from the love of God. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” Nothing will change that. You are saved. You can’t lost it.

Now he says, "For I could wish” in verse three. In other words, “If I could lose my salvation so that they could be saved, I would do it”

Illustration:

Why would he say that? You can’t lose your salvation. Here is the point: This shows me he is willing to literally do whatever it takes to reach the lost, even if he was able to lose his salvation. He is using the most extreme example possible.

Church, this means much for churches.

When was the last time you opened your home for the lost? When was the last time you cross socio-economic lines, demographic lines, political lines, any distinction, any level of comfort to take the Gospel to the lost?

Are you willing to lay down your own preferences for our church services should be? Are you willing to give radically? Are you willing to move where you live? Are you willing to commit to extended prayer both individually and corportately not because you want the appearance of bing committed but because you ARE committed. Are you willing to call people to repent of their sins? Are you willing to share your death to life story with them? Are you will to rejected? Are you willing to be persecuted? Are you willing to lose friends? Are you willing to choose a calling over comfort?

Paul was willing to do anything for them… are you?

~~

He concludes his remarks in verses four and five by expressing the fact that these are not random people. But they are God’s people. They are his creation. He says, they are Israelites, and to them belong, the adoption, the glory, the covenant, so much more…Yet they do not have it.

Its as if a father is saying to his children, I have a home for you, I want to care for you, I want to bless you, but the children willfully say , no.

The people of Israel have all these things awaiting them as they trust in Christ, but in the present moment their hearts are far from the Lord.

The people of this community and the greater Huntsville area are made in the image of God. They are intrinsically valuble in the eyes of God. Your co-workers, your roomates, your neighborhoods, your classmates, your friends, all precious in the sight of the Lord. All of them are a CREATION of God, but not all are CHILDREN of GOd.

God desires this covenant with them. He desires to save them. He desires so much for them.

Do you feel the same way? A desire for them to know God in the way that you do now?

Listen folks, lost people are not a problem, they are an opportunity.

~~~

Today, I believe God has a clear intention for you. Look right at me. His desire for you, is to desire the lost. And to allow that desire, to move you from the pew to the mission field. 2020 was a strange year to follow Jesus. But perhaps God is preparing a harvest greater than we have ever seen in our day, in this place.

King of the Hill - Closing

You guys may or may not remember this, but there was a popular game that children used to love to play on the playground, it was called King of the Hill. Anyone remember that? The idea was the you would get everyone on the playground or field, and there was a set, designated area that if you were in the spot you were King of the Hill. And the if you held it long, you would win.

So kids would pull at one another, chase another around, do all these things so that they can become king of the hill.

Churches can play King of the Hill. They can run around, they can do whatever may feel right. And in the end feel victorious.

But let tell you something, you and I, we are not King of THIS hill. Christ is.

Before creation, God had a plan for this place and community. In 1958, the peach orchard that became a neighborhood, and then a college university center... would then provide a pathway for a church. We look to the Word, and we would look to what God has done in decades past... to see where he is taking us next. And I don’t believe the will of the Lord has changed. His mission THEN is his mission NOW.

Is your heart broken for the lost around you, and are you willing to do whatever it takes to reach those far from Jesus?

Let’s pray.