Are you ready?
Rom. 1:14 -- 16. 09/12/04
For the last three Sunday mornings we have been talking about the main business of the church. The main business of the church is to win souls to Jesus. We call that evangelism, and we want to be an evangelistic church. We want to see people come to Jesus as their personal Savior.
Last week we talked about four verses in the book of Romans that help so much in leading someone to Jesus. I saw people writing those verses down. I like that because it tells me you are interested in not only hearing about the verses but also to use them to win people.
Now the reason I have been preaching these messages is twofold actually. One, it is supposed to be the main business of the church and that the folks of our community can hear about Jesus. My purpose is to get you on the go. Jesus said in the great commission go and make disciples. Last Sunday we talked about the man Philip who got up and went Jesus told Legion who was healed by the Lord go and tell your friends.
Now this morning I want to pose a question for you. What will make us go? Now that we know that we ought to go, what is it that will make us go?
We turn to Paul again who was a great soul winner. He burned with a passion to tell people how to be saved. When he went to Rome, he wasn’t interested in history. He was interested in eternity. When he went to Rome, he did not go as a site seer. He went to be a soul winner. So, I am praying that the factors that motivated Paul to go will be the same factors that motivate us to get.
First of all Paul understood as a believer in Jesus Christ he had an EVANGELISTIC OBLIGATION. In verse 14 he says, “I am debtor.” A debtor is someone who owes something. A debtor is bound by an obligation. But Paul is not talking about a financial debt. He is talking about spiritual debt that he owes.
He understood what Jesus had done for him. Jesus forgave his sin. Jesus brought a peace in his life. Jesus made him a new man. He wasn’t going to hell he was going to heaven. Now out of a sense of obligation and gratitude to the Lord Jesus, he says I am a debtor. This was saying I am a debtor to the Lord and spent the rest of his life to repay the debt.
Can you imagine what it would be like around here if we have men like Paul who goes telling the story of Jesus? Now I want to ask you something. How many more will be saved before Jesus comes if it is left up to you? When you reflect upon what the Lord has done for you, how can you not sense an obligation to tell others? Don’t you think everybody has the right to hear about Jesus? To have a message like we have and not to tell others is a criminal act.
What if a man discovered a cure for cancer and only cured himself and would not tell his secret? Do you think he would be prosecutable?
You know we have a cure for sin. We have an obligation to tell others.
We see not only an evangelistic obligation but also we see an EVANGELISTIC PASSION. Paul says, “as much as in me is I am ready.” This sounds like a man who is ready. There is fire in that wood. What Paul is saying, I am heated up about something. He had a passion. You know what we need? We need evangelistic passion.
I want you to think about something. Your favorite basketball or football team has a new coach. The team is in front of him waiting their instructions. He says we will try this play and if it works, fine but if it doesn’t, then so what, it is just a game. Would you not want the coach to have more passion that?
Paul says I am ready to go. I am ready with everything in me to do the work of an evangelist. I am ready to tell the story, the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. I am ready to tell them all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. I am ready to tell them to wages of sin is death. I am ready to tell them that God commends his love to us while we will yet sinners, Jesus died for us. I am ready to tell them that if they will confess with their mouth and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ they shall be saved. Paul was ready to go with a burning passion. We need an evangelistic passion.
You want to know what made Paul so passionate about going? Paul believed certain things. He believed there really is a hell. He believed people without Jesus really go to hell. Do you believe people go to hell without Jesus? If you do, doesn’t that just create a little passion in your heart? Doesn’t that give you a desire to see people saved?
I want you to see lastly, an EVANGELISTIC AFFIRMATION. Look at verse 16. “I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” Paul is making a positive affirmation. Paul is saying I am proud of the gospel.
Now I know what you school kids get if you take a stand for Jesus. You will be called narrow minded. You will be called a dummy. You listen, it doesn’t matter about those words, the words you are looking to hear are found in heaven when you hear well done my faithful servant come in. Do you know Jesus?
