DON’T FORGET YOUR CHANGE
WE NOW HAVE GOD’S TRUTH
Romans 1.16
S: Bible
C: Evangelism
Th: Never the Same Again
Pr: CLEARLY COMMUNICATE THE TRANSFORMING TRUTH OF THE BIBLE.
?: How do we accomplish this communication?
KW: Practices
TS: We will find in our study of Scripture four practices that will help us accomplish communicating the good news about Jesus.
CV: We will clearly communicate the transforming truth of the Bible.
Type: Propositional
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Study the Word.
• Memorize the essentials.
• Communicate your change.
• Live the truth.
Version: ESV
RMBC 14 September 08 AM
INTRODUCTION:
I admit it.
I have aquaphobia.
I don’t like the water.
This is why I surprised my family when they determined to go white water rafting this summer, I decided I wanted to do it too.
It is kind of one of those “bucket list” things in my life.
I always wanted to do it, but I was too afraid, because I tend to panic in water that I cannot stand up in.
So I went.
And I gave very specific instructions to my children.
If for some reason we flipped over, and we were in the water, everybody’s first thought was to be, “Save Dad.”
Well, that did not happen, for which I am thankful.
And we did have a great time!
Are there things that scare you?
Are there things that fill you with fear?
Are there things that make your knees shake?
OUR STUDY:
For many of us, when we are asked to share our faith, this is something that makes our heart beat faster and our blood pressure rise.
But not so for the apostle Paul.
Listen how he views it:
Romans 1.16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
I am not ashamed of the gospel…
Listen to how The Message translates this.
I think Eugene Peterson catches the spirit of it well:
It’s news I’m most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God’s powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else!
So, let’s ask a hard question…
Are you ashamed?
Too often, believers in the Lord Jesus hide the good news.
Sometimes it is out of fear.
Sometimes it is out of shame.
No one likes to be rejected.
No one likes to be opposed.
No one likes to be considered foolish.
No one likes to be thought of different.
But for Paul, it is an honor to talk about the gospel.
The word gospel means good news.
And it was not an uncommon word in the Greek-speaking world.
It was gospel when there was a victory in battle.
It was good news when there was a wedding.
It was gospel when a son was born.
It was good news when an enemy was defeated or died.
For Paul, and all Christians…
The gospel is the birth, death, and resurrection of Y’shua (Jesus).
Y’shua is the Hebrew name for Jesus.
It is what His mom and dad called Him.
It is what His siblings called Him.
The name means, “The Lord is salvation.”
The Romans, at first glance, would not think much of the story of Y’shua.
It is the story of a poor Jewish carpenter that is crucified.
It is about a so-called criminal receiving the lowest form of execution.
It is actually a fascinating story.
One of betrayal.
One of followers fleeing and denying.
One of a man being mocked and scourged.
A story of a man carrying his instrument of execution on the longest route through the city.
A story of being stripped naked and ridiculed.
A story of being forsaken by God.
Forgive me for saying it this way, it sounds like a story of a loser.
But the death on the cross was not the end of the story, because we are talking about the greatest comeback of all time.
You see, a victory has been won – Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection has creamed, routed, trampled, eradicated, and obliterated Satan, sin, death and the grave.
This is what excites Paul.
Nobody does this except God!
There is power here.
The Romans were into power.
It is what they boasted about.
After all, they were conquerors wherever their army marched and fought.
But to Paul, the Roman power did not compare to the power of God.
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God…
Paul saw what the good news could do in the hearts and minds of men, women and children.
You see…
The gospel brings change.
The philosopher, Seneca, called the city of Rome a cesspool of iniquity.
The writer, Juvenal, referred to Rome as a “filthy sewer into which the dregs of the empire flood.”
If there was anywhere change was demanded and needed, it was Rome.
Paul says, it can happen in Rome.
God can change lives.
He can transform lives.
There is a Divine energy that brings salvation to the hearts and souls of men, women and children.
This is the same power that the split the Red Sea, brought down the walls of Jericho, shut the mouths of the lions for Daniel, cooled the fire for the three Hebrews, and even kept Jonah alive in the belly of a huge fish.
This is the same power that caused Jesus to be born of a virgin.
This is the same power that was seen when Jesus walked on water, calmed the storm, healed the sick, and raised the dead.
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…
When we experience the power of God, we are never the same again…
II Corinthians 5.17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
But we do play a role in all of this.
How do we receive this change?
How do we get to the place where we experience the power of God?
Well…
The terms must be accepted.
…it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…
What are the terms?
Belief.
Faith.
Trust.
The terms are that we have nothing to offer.
You see, God does not ask men to behave in order to be saved, but to believe.
It is faith in Christ that saves the sinner.
But it is not a once and for all event.
Belief is an ongoing activity.
The verb is continuing.
…it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who keeps on believing…
…that’s the terms, there…keep on believing.
So, as believers, what do we do with this good news?
Well, it is reflected in one of our values here at Randall.
We are to…
CLEARLY COMMUNICATE THE TRANSFORMING TRUTH OF THE BIBLE.
So, how do we accomplish this communication?
Well, we will find in our study of Scripture four practices that will help us accomplish communicating the good news about Jesus.
CHALLENGE:
The first practice is…
STUDY THE WORD.
ILL Bible (S)
A father was approached by his small son, who told him proudly, "I know what the Bible means!"
His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you ’know’ what the Bible means?"
The son replied, "I do know!"
"Okay," said his father, "So, Son, what does the Bible mean?"
That’s easy, Daddy. It stands for Basic Information Before Leaving Earth."
B-I-B-L-E
Basic Information Before Leaving Earth
I think there is a lot of truth in that.
For…
All Scripture is for our benefit.
II Timothy 3.16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Folks, please make use of your Bible.
Please don’t think that what we do here on Sunday morning is an adequate use of the Bible.
This is only a start.
And if you are going to communicate it, and communicate it clearly, you are going to have to be in it.
Be in the Word.
Know it!
The second practice is…
MEMORIZE THE ESSENTIALS.
Here are the basics that I believe every believer in the Lord Jesus should be able to communicate in one form or another.
We need to get it into ourselves.
And what is really important here – hugely important – is the memorization of Scripture.
Get it into your heart and mind.
First…
God’s Purpose: Peace and Life
John 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 10.10b I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
God wants us to have life!
But we have a problem…
Our Problem: Separation
God created us in His own image to have life.
He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him, but He gave us a will and freedom of choice.
We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way.
We still make this choice today.
This results in separation from God.
We are condemned.
We are lost.
We are losers at the very core.
Romans 3.23 …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
But there is hope…
Romans 6.23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God’s Remedy: The Cross
Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem.
He died on the cross and rose from the grave, paying the penalty of our sin and bridging the gap between God and man.
Romans 5.8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Note again the terms…
Our Response: Receive Christ
Revelation 3.20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Romans 10.9 …if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
The terms…
It is belief – continuing belief.
It is trust – continuing trust.
It is faith – continuing faith.
These are the terms.
This means that there is nothing we can do except give up on earning our way and believe.
Those are the essentials we need to have in our heart and mind.
Memorize them.
The third practice is…
COMMUNICATE YOUR CHANGE.
You have been changed, right?
Don’t you think, then, that you have something to say?
Sure you do.
So…
Tell your story.
I Peter 3.15 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
Don’t forget your change!
It has happened to you.
You know the power of God in your life.
Which brings us to the fourth practice…
LIVE THE TRUTH.
Our faith is nonsense if we are not living it.
When our faith is truly believed, it is truly lived.
You see, belief is not just about faithfulness.
It is also about fruitfulness.
The choir sang earlier a song based on Psalm 119.33.
The words were simple.
They went like this:
Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statues;
And I shall keep it unto the end.
In other words, when it is real on the inside, there is an outward focus that is observed and seen by others.
That is what we are aiming for here at Randall.
We want His Word heard!
So whether it is from what happens here on the platform, or in Sunday School classes, or during ministry opportunities, or our everyday lives – here is our goal:
CORE VALUE: “We will clearly communicate the transforming truth of the Bible.”
It changes us.
It changes us because…
It is alive!
Hear the testimony of Scripture itself…
Hebrews 4.12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
In a moment, you are going to see a video, that will feature Casting Crowns’ song The Word Is Alive.
The words are understandable, but I wanted you to get an extra opportunity to hear and see them:
Looking out from his throne,
the father of light and of men
Chose to make himself known
and show us the way back to him
Speaking wisdom and truth
into the hearts of peasants and kings
He began to unveil the word
that would change the course of all things
With eyes wide open, all would see
The word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless and afraid
Breathing life into all who believe
The word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But his truth, it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The word is alive
Simple strokes on a page
Eternity’s secrets revealed,
carried on from age to age
It speaks truth to us even still
And as the rain falls from heaven,
feeds the earth before it returns
Lord, let your word fall on us
and bring forth the fruit you deserve
With eyes wide open, let us see
The word is alive
His word is alive
For Further Study: Habakkuk 2.4; Matthew 3.7-10, 21.18-19; Mark 16.15; John 1.12; Acts 4.12, 17.6, 20.24; Romans 3.26, 10.17; I Corinthians 1.18-31, 15.3-4; Ephesians 2.8-9
BENEDICTION:
Donald Christopher Carrato was born yesterday to Don and Missy, weighing in at 8’ 11”.
Ministry Fair
Operation Formation
Ideas for The Church Has Left the Building
As the postlude is concluded, I will be available to you for prayer and counsel down here in the front.
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to the good news and message of Jesus, to the only wise God, be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ. Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral:
Braun, Alan Truth as Powerful as Dynamite
Kilson, Jim The Ever Present Power of God
Malone, Steve The Gospel, The Power of God
Watts, Jerry The Release of the Gospel
Other:
Stern, David H. The Jewish New Testament Commentary. Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc., 1992.
Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament. Colorado Springs: ChariotVictor Publishing, 1989.
Wuest, Kenneth S. Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament. 3 vols, vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978.
