Has God's Word Failed? Series

A. Last Sunday’s Friend Day was certainly uplifting to me, I hope it was for you as well!

1. We had a number of visitors, and we had a special fellowship meal. It was a great day!

B. I heard the story of a man who was experiencing problems with his new computer, so he called the help desk.

1. The computer technician on the phone began using all kinds of computer jargon, which confused the man even more.

2. The man politely interrupted the technician and said, “Could you please give me the instructions as you would give them if I were a 4 year-old.”

3. “Okay,” the computer technician replied. “Son, could you please put your mommy on the phone?”

4. We are about to dive into one of the most challenging sections of Romans and I’ll try not to confuse anyone with religious jargon, but I won’t be speaking to you as if I were talking to 4 year-olds.

C. I would like you to do something with me.

1. When my friend Dan Williams preached through this section of Romans, he asked his congregation to do a mental exercise and to use their imaginations with him.

2. I want to borrow his exercise and I want for us to use our imaginations with this scenario.

3. After we place ourselves in the imaginary situation, I will ask you some questions about it.

D. Let’s jump forward in our imaginations to the year 2045; about 25 years in the future.

1. In your mind’s eye I want you to picture yourself as a missionary, and you are returning from China.

2. Imagine that you have ministering there for 25 years, and after a 25-year absence you are finally coming back the states for a visit home.

3. You have been working in the southern province of China all that time, and your ministry there has been successful beyond your wildest imagination.

4. The mission had been tough at first: mastering a difficult language and connecting with such an unfamiliar culture was hard, but eventually your ministry was effective as first hundreds, then thousands, of Chinese turned to the Lord.

5. As a result you have been able to establish congregations in all the major cities of the province.

6. These new disciples are very earnest in their commitment to Jesus and so dedicated to spreading their new-found faith that they are not only sending out their own evangelists, but for the past decade they have totally supported your work – for ten years now you have received no funds from America.

E. Now imagine that during your time in China you have witnessed another remarkable development: as the Chinese people convert to Christianity increasingly they are abandoning Communism and moving toward democracy.

1. They form study groups to discuss the writings of Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton; they eagerly memorize whole sections of the American Constitution; and they even begin to hold local elections.

2. Although the number of Christians in China remains a fraction of the total population, and there are still many millions to be reached, the future looks bright, and so after your furlough in the states you look forward to getting back to your ministry in China.

F. Now, here’s the hard part: suppose when you arrive back in America you are shocked to learn that in the last 25 years, while you were off spreading the gospel in China, there have been drastic changes in your home country.

1. You discover the United States is no longer a democracy, but a dictatorship.

2. Because of a lack of self-discipline, a shortage of civic involvement, an abandonment of patriotism on the part of the citizenry, Americans lost interest in self-government, and willingly allowed military dictators to take control.

3. Elections have been canceled, individual liberties have been abolished, and democracy is but a distant dream.

G. But wait – it gets worse.

1. When you visit the congregation which once had supported your mission work, you are even more disheartened to find the building closed, boarded up, an empty shell.

2. In fact, everywhere you turn you discover churches all over the nation have been abandoned.

3. The flame of faith which once burned brightly in your home country has all but flickered out – and you recognize with dismay that your own people, your own family, have abandoned Christianity in their pursuit of pleasure and materialism.

4. When you visit with your former friends and family you earnestly speak to them of their need for God, but they aren’t interested.

5. In fact, many of them violently resent your message, and some even threaten to turn you in to the authorities and have you thrown into prison.

H. Now that you are contemplating this unsettling scenario, here’s my first question: How do you think such an experience would affect your faith?