How Much Do You Care About The Lost?
Romans: Unashamed - Building the Church through the Gospel • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Attention:
Need:
BRIDGING SENTENCES
[Subject: Modifier:]
Textual Idea:
Main Idea: Does Your Care and Prayer Match the Need of the Lost in Your Life?
Interrogative: Well, what is their greatest need and I’ll tell you if my care and my prayer match it...
The greatest need of the lost is being released from their eternal death sentence by the grace of God through the shed blood of Christ on the cross who is their substitute.
Transition:
Body
Satisfaction
1. Does Your Care and Prayer Reveal A Desire to See People Saved?
1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
Explanation
Brothers and sisters in the Lord - Paul is writing to the church at Rome about a people near and dear to his heart - The Jewish nation.
We have already seen how Paul feels about he Jewish brothers and sisters in Romans 9…
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 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. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Do you see this guys heart for this heritage? I’m Finish by decent. By birth family is from Kalava, MI. I don’t have the same passion for their salvation that Paul has for his people.
Paul has a “heart’s desire” - It is his earnest wish that his people are saved.
Paul’s heart desire affects his prayer to God - Paul’s desire is affecting his prayer life.
Okay, so Paul understands the ultimate reality of his Jewish brothers and sisters if they do not repent and have saving faith in Christ. What is their ultimate fate? Eternal separation from God in hell for all of eternity.
I think it is interesting that Paul exhibits such a strong desire for the Lost Jews. It makes me ask. The question why? Why does he care so much that he would honesty prefer to change places with them if he could? Do you find his spirit as astonishing as I do? What is the difference between Paul’s attitude toward the lost and yours?
Honestly this is quite convicting to me.
How did Paul become so passionate for his lost brothers and sister of Israel?
Well, he wrote about what awaited them in 1 Thessalonians
While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
For Paul’s Jewish brothers and sister, eternal destruction awaited them.
Paul understood that eternal mean eternal and that after this life is over for them, they are not over. They will writhe in punishment and torment eternally paying off their sin debt that could have been paid for them if they just would have repented of their sin and placed their faith and trust in Jesus.
Paul’s desire for their salvation is inspiring.
Paul’ desire for their salvation is convicting.
Paul’s desire for the salvation of others should be our desire as well. We should care about the eternal souls of those around us whether we know them personally or not. There is no way Paul could have known all the Jewish people personally, yet he longed for their salvation.
Do you long for the salvation of your family? Do you desire to see your friends cross the line of faith? Do you care if the people of this world trust Christ as their savior? Do you pray to the Lord about the salvation of your family, friends, and people groups around the world?
What is your hearts desire regarding the fate of those
“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you’re not saved yourself, be sure of that!” — Charles H. Spurgeon
Argumentation -
Application - You will find time for your passions. What are you zealous about? Does the gospel fit into your framework of zealousness? What steps could you take to increase your zeal for something near and dear to the heart of God.
Review: Does Your Care and Prayer Match the Need of the Lost in Your Life?
Does Your Care and Prayer Reveal A Desire to See People Saved?
2. Does Your Care and Prayer Reflect Their Great Misunderstanding?
2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
Explanation
“For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God...” - “I can clearly see that the Jews are enthusiastic for God!”
“but not according to knowledge.” - Literally “without knowledge.”
You know that person. The person who is an expert on any given subject because they watched a YouTube video and did “research” at the University of Online.
Maybe even a better example of “Zeal without knowledge” is all the comments after someone writes a post about say abortion and then all of a sudden there zealous experts coming out of the woodwork espousing their vast stores of wisdom for all the world to read. UGH!
Or even better, the Hollywood actor who is trained in pretending, pretends to be an authority in geo politics and thus lectures Americans in the way more perfect.
All examples are of Zeal without knowledge.
And the Jews too were Zealous for God, yet without knowledge.
In what way were the Jews ignorant?
They were ignorant of God way of making people right with Himself.
In fact, they were not only ignorant, they were determined make their own way to God by following the Law.
2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law.
Allow me to take just a moment to give the Biblical process of obtaining a right relationship with God.
Humanities Problem
GOD IS HOLY
13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
GOD’S PRESENCE DEMANDS SINLESSNESS
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
YET WE ARE NOT HOLY OR SINLESS
SEPARATION FROM GOD
2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Scripture declares all people to be sinful. To “sin” means to miss the mark. The Bible declares “all have sinned and fall short of the glory (the perfect holiness) of God” (Rom. 3:23). In other words, our sin separates us from God who is perfect holiness (righteousness and justice) and God must therefore judge sinful man.
THE FUTILITY OF OUR WORKS
Scripture also teaches that no amount of human goodness, human works, human morality, or religious activity can gain acceptance with God or get anyone into heaven. The moral man, the religious man, and the immoral and non-religious are all in the same boat. They all fall short of God’s perfect righteousness. After discussing the immoral man, the moral man, and the religious man in Romans 1:18-3:8, the Apostle Paul declares that both Jews and Greeks are under sin, that “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom. 3:9-10). Added to this are the declarations of the following verses of Scripture:
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
1 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
No amount of human goodness is as good as God. God is perfect righteousness. Because of this, Habakkuk 1:13 tells us God cannot have fellowship with anyone who does not have perfect righteousness. In order to be accepted by God, we must be as good as God is. Before God, we all stand naked, helpless, and hopeless in ourselves. No amount of good living will get us to heaven or give us eternal life. What then is the solution?
God’s Solution
God is not only perfect holiness (whose holy character we can never attain to on our own or by our works of righteousness) but He is also perfect love and full of grace and mercy. Because of His love and grace, He has not left us without hope and a solution.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Who is this Jesus? What qualifies Him to save us?
4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
How Do We Receive God’s Son?
Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross, the Bible states “He that has the Son has life.” We can receive the Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior by personal faith, by trusting in the person of Christ and His death for our sins.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
This means we must each come to God the same way:
(1) as a sinner who recognizes his sinfulness,
(2) realizes no human works can result in salvation, and
(3) relies totally on Christ alone by faith alone for our salvation.
If you would like to receive and trust Christ as your personal Savior, you may want to express your faith in Christ by a simple prayer acknowledging your sinfulness, accepting His forgiveness and putting your faith in Christ for your salvation.
Illustration - It was October of 1991 (31 years ago).
Argumentation - If they misunderstand, We must help them understand. And this passion must be revealed in our care and prayer for them.
Application - What should this look like?
Salvation isn’t just getting the message right. There must be a working of the Holy Spirit. And you part is praying in the power of the Holy Spirit to ask God to open their minds and soften their hearts to receive the beautiful gospel message.
So we pray because we care about their eternal destiny.
Are you regularly praying for the lost in your life?
But also, I just gave you a clear and concise presentation of the gospel. You MUST know how to walk someone through the gospel so they can, at least, intellectually understand it.
They still may not believe, but it’s our job to look for and create opportunities to share God’s glorious message of salvation to those in need.
Do you know the gospel to the place that you can share it?
Review: Does Your Care and Prayer Match the Need of the Lost in Your Life?
Does Your Care and Prayer Reveal A Desire to See People Saved?
Does Your Care and Prayer Reflect Their Great Misunderstanding?
3. Does Your Care and Prayer Compel You to Share Christ So The Lost Will Believe?
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Explanation - This third point is rather simple and yet a profound realization of the true message of the gospel.
Christ is the “end of the law,” in other words, He is the fulfillment of the Law.
He flawlessly followed the Law ( something no Jew or gentile could ever do). His flawless following of the law proved His Righteousness. This is what He promised in...
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
And Paul’s point in verse 4 is, everyone who believes in Christ, that he is the fulfillment of the Law, is made right with God.
Illustration - Tony Beckett shared this with me and I to you...
“Without contact there is no impact.”
For example, a fly fisherman may spend hours in his garage making the most beautiful and exquisite handmade flys for fishing will never catch a fish in his garage. The fishing it done where there are fish.
Without contact there is no impact!
Salt can only do its job when it leaves the saltshaker. Light only makes a difference when it interacts with darkness; pointing a flashlight at the sun won’t accomplish much.
Without contact, there is no impact.
For us to be who we are called to be, we must engage the world around us. We must be seen by others, with the goal that people will look to God and give glory to Him.
Find a way to engage with your world. Have coffee with a neighbor. Mail a postcard to a shut-in. Encourage the grocery store worker, postal employee, and health professional… everyone that you see! Be salt. Be light. Be engaged.
Without contact, there is no impact.
Tony goes on to say...
Hoping, even praying, people will come to church to hear the gospel, while good, is not what Jesus modeled. The majority of His ministry was in the marketplace, the largest mission field in the world where many of us spend the majority of our waking hours every week.
We need to shift from the paradigm that looks at the Sunday morning crowd as a stocked pond for the master fisher, aka pastor. Instead, our missional mindset needs to view the church as our preparation place for when we will be in that largest mission field of our neighborhoods, shopping places, and workplaces.
Argumentation
Application
Conclusion
Visualization - Jesus took twelve ordinary men and created a worldwide movement. They literally changed the world.
What do you think He could do with us? Could he start a movement in our community?
Reiteration
Review: Does Your Care and Prayer Match the Need of the Lost in Your Life?
Does Your Care and Prayer Reveal A Desire to See People Saved?
Does Your Care and Prayer Reflect Their Great Misunderstanding?
Does Your Care and Prayer Compel You to Share Christ So The Lost Will Believe?
Action - Paul’s Care and Prayer drove him to change His world. His single most passion was the faithful communication of the gospel. Like Jesus, Paul desired to “Seek and to save that which was lost.”
If this was Paul’s passion...
If this was Jesus’ passion...
Should it not be our passion as well?
What will you do to align God’s passion with your own?
Do you care about the lost?
I leave you with Spurgeon’s sobering words...
“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you’re not saved yourself, be sure of that!” — Charles H. Spurgeon
Connection Group Reflection Questions
Why do you think Paul had such a passion for his people?
What are ways people misunderstand how to obtain eternal life?
Are we successful in evangelism is we share the gospel and yet there is no repentance and salvation?
Discuss ways we can increase our passion for the lost.