How To Be An Effective Witness Series

Romans 15:14-22

Getting on the same Page as God about How to Be an Effective Witness

Introduction

A. Most of us work at a job were we receive at least a yearly performance review

B. In the performance review our boss looks at how we have done

C. He looks at the task that we have accomplished

D. The tasks that we were suppose to accomplish

E. And the task that we did not accomplish

F. Evaluates all of that and fills out our performance review

G. If God were doing a performance review on being an effective witness how would you do?

H. Sadly, a lot of us would not do so good

I. But we want to improve that. So that makes us ask the question

J. How can I be an more effective witness

K. Today we are going to look at how to be an effective witness specifically

a. What to say

b. How to say it

c. And who to say it to

I. (14-16) What to say

A. Explanation

1. Keep something in mind here, quick review of Romans will reveal that Paul hits the readers of this letter over the head with a big bat

a) A lot of what Paul said to the Romans was stuff that was hard to take

2. Paul knows that he has been hard on the people, but the only reason that he has been hard on people is because he cares for them and cares about the subjects that he has covered

3. He does something here that we should all take notice of, he takes the opportunity to say some good things about them in order to build them up

4. Now you might read that and say “hey that is not the big of a deal” but taking those couple of words probably meant more to the reader then you will ever realize

5. In these three verses (14-16) what is the key word? GRACE!

6. Right there in verse 15, GRACE.

7. Because of the grace that God showed Paul, Paul has in turn become a minister of Christ Jesus

8. Because of that Grace, Paul desire is to see the gentiles, know God, to be able to offer their bodies as living sacrifices

9. To be Sanctified – Set apart – Different from the World

10. Now I want to point something out here

11. In Verse 16 we have a strong support for the whole Trinitarian concept

a) Paul mentions he is a Minister of Jesus Christ

b) Who Job is to preach the Gospel of God

c) And he did this threw the Holy Spirit

12. I know that the term trinity was not mentioned until around 400 years later, however, it was clearly evident here, the trinity is true

B. Application

1. How can we apply all of this to our lives?

2. Guess what, you are a sinner.

3. You were saved by grace.

4. That should motivate you to be a minister

5. To tell others of the Grace that God showed you and is willing to show them

6. What to say to the other person?

7. Tell them about what God has done for you

8. Tell them about How God has change your live

9. Tell them about what God wants to do for them

10. Tell them about how God can change them

11. Tell them despite everything that people have told them, despite everything they have done, despite all the trouble they have caused, God loves them

12. Take an opportunity to remind them of whom they are.

C. Illustration

1. When we took the group to Edinboro a couple of weeks ago, I got to speak to them. Guess what I got to tell them? I got to tell them that they are special

2. That they do matter, that despite what the world has told

3. Despite the number of people that told them they were useless

4. That is it is not true, God loves you. God Cares for you. God sent His Son to die for you

5. What a privilege it was to say that, it was amazing the look on some of the kid’s faces. It was one of amazement and some of them seem really puzzled

6. Take the opportunity to tell people what God did for you and wants to do for them

7. Really is there anything better you could tell someone then about the Grace of God?

II. (17-19a) How to say it

A. Explanation

1. Take a look at verse 17. In fact let just go ahead and make it our verse of the Week. Romans 15:17 (Read it)

2. Now lets explain it here, The word “glory” here means “boast, take pride in”