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Sermon Reources available here...

                      

Heart Resolutions

Romans 9:1-5

Over the next few weeks I will unwrap the heart of the mission of our church. This is not a message on the three C’s but more of a look at the essentials necessary to carry it out effectively.

For years we have put a great deal of effort into the Sunday and now Saturday services. While we always put a great deal of effort into making the services meaningful and helpful it is critical that we accept the responsibilities that come with being a part of the body of Christ.

My intention with this sermon is to reveal a glimpse at the heartbeat of the mission of this church. Our mission is: Leading people into a growing relationship with God.

If we are going to embrace this mission it will take a proactive and genuine concern and love for people. It will mean that we view relationships as important. While this sermon does not deal directly with relationships (those sermons will come later) it does lay a biblical foundation for our interaction with people.

People are lost. Do you care?
People are hurting. Do you care?
People are addicted. Do you care?
Homes are falling apart. Do you care?
Hearts have been broken. Do you care?
People are lonely. Do you care?
People are searching. Do you care?

How much do you care? The writer of Romans 9 expresses his level of care and concern for others. We read these words beginning in verse 1.

“I tell you the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God, Amen.” Romans 9:1-5 (NKJV)

Paul is expressing what should be the heartbeat of every Christ follower. He is expressing his concern for others. He sounds like a man obsessed with the Message. He knows what it can do to change lives and he longs for others to experience it. This concern that Paul talks about is what drove him to spend his life in ministry to and for others.

Following Jesus time on earth the early church seemed to have been obsessed with the message of the gospel. In every circumstance and in every job or any place they happened to find themselves they were ready and willing to give a simple explanation about the tremendous change that God had done in their life. Needless to say the message of the gospel of Christ swept the world. These early believers were accused of turning the world upside down with their message.

We must begin to ask ourselves some questions.

Has the message of Jesus Christ changed? No
Has the ability of this message to change lives changed? No.
Does God care any less about people then He did when Paul wrote these words? No
Is Christianity working in America? No

Have we affected the culture or has the culture affected us? Which do you think has influenced the other one more?

Someone has said, “We worship our work, work at our play and play at our worship.”

When we think about the early church we can think about it like this: “Christ went up, the Holy Spirit came down, witnesses went out and the lost came in.”

Do you think we have lost any part of that statement?

A.W. Tozer said, (paraphrase) “In the early church, if the Holy Spirit would have been withdrawn 95% of what they did would have stopped. In our day, if the Holy Spirit were withdrawn about 95% of what we do would still go on.”

Here’s the big picture. There is a common heartbeat that all genuine Christ followers share. God said we are like a body. He is the head and we are the parts that make up the functioning pieces of the body. We are to be hands, feet, mouth, etc. . .

There is one thread of unity that will hold us together. We may not agree on every doctrinal point or practice our faith identically like the person sitting next to us but genuine Christ followers will care deeply about lost people.

There is a startling disconnect between many so called Christians and the mission that Christ left us on earth to accomplish. He didn’t leave us on earth to just live little happy lives. He left us with the mission of touching others with His life changing message. That means we bear a responsibility. How responsible do you feel?

I find that as I talk with others Christians about the heartbeat of this church there can be a glazing of the eyes and an intentional effort made to miss the point. People get hung up on the music or the fact that we allow someone to drink coffee in the sanctuary and completely miss the point of the purpose for which we exist.

A pastor was preaching and pouring out his heart one time on the subject of ignorance and apathy. One man leaned over to his wife during the message on ignorance and apathy and asked, “What in the world is he talking about?” She responded with a yawn, “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

There is one thing that I believe that will keep us from losing the heartbeat of God for lost people and that is to practice the spirit that Paul wrote about in the verses I read to you earlier. He had a genuine concern for others. He cared that the world was lost and people were dying without a chance to hear about Jesus Christ.

How does this apply to our church? Let’s look at four ways that we can live out the heartbeat of the mission of this church.

1. I will make caring a part of my conscience

“my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit. . .”

Paul felt the need to share the message so deeply that he said it had become a matter of his conscience. Usually we think about the conscience only functioning to keep us from doing wrong but in this case it was functioning to keep him doing right!

Our zeal for this mission will never be greater than our convictions about the need. Simply put this means that we will take seriously the words of Jesus to his first disciples: “You will receive power and you will be my witnesses.”

This matter of sharing the message is not for a handful of outgoing people with the “right” personality. The call to practice discipleship and ministry is for every Christ follower. When serving Christ is a matter of your conscience it will change every decision you make.

When you care about other people you will quit doing things that you know are wrong and start pursuing God with a passion and a hunger that won’t quit until it is satisfied.

Do you know how far modern Christianity has sunk? Do you understand the levels of sin that are accepted as normal practice? Wayne Jacobson tells this story in his book, The Naked Church.

“She had called me 20 minutes before on a friend’s recommendation, needing to see a pastor. She was barely 20 and she blurted out, “You have to help me.” The look in her eye confirmed the desperation in her voice.

“What can I do for you?” I asked, trying to feel out the situation. Tears began to flow. “The man I am living with moved out on me a month ago. To get back at him I’m having an affair with his best friend. I’m so torn up inside. I can’t sleep at night. I’ve got to find some peace.”

Amazing! She didn’t seem the least concerned about her immorality or vengeance. “Why did you come to see me?” “I’m a Christian”, she said, looking shocked that I had asked. “What do you mean you’re a Christian?” “I love God you know. Even went forward a couple of years ago to be born again. I believe he died on the cross and all that.” I couldn’t believe my ears. “You see no conflict between your confession of Christianity and the lifestyle you are living?” “Should I” she said in a shocked voice.

The sad and bitter truth is that her story is not as isolated as you might think. Much of Christianity has been reduced to some kind of creed or formula that does not translate into the realities of everyday living.

This has to be addressed and will only happen when those of us in this room who know better engage those who don’t. It will only happen when you get beyond yourself make caring for others a matter of your conscience.

2. I will embrace compassion and let it drive my priorities

“I have a great sorrow. . .”

When we talk about compassion we are suggesting a deep love and caring concern. It is a feeling of great love and care. In one translation of this verse it quotes Paul as saying, “I have a great heaviness.”

There is a state of mind that we must learn to practice in the future. It is the practice of being burdened for others.

Tears are often an outward expression of compassion.

A condemned criminal was about to be executed when he was given an opportunity to speak. He said, “No man cared for my soul.”

In chapter 10 of Romans, Paul says, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”

We must be driven by a sense of compassion for lost people. It must and will drive everything, every program every ministry that we do.

I have a suggestion maybe we should begin this process by asking God to give us a new or renewed vision of lost people. I am asking you to join me this week in beginning to allow God to break our hearts for lost people.

Psalm 126:5-6, “Those who sow in tears will reap in with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping carrying seed to sow will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”

This kind of compassion must consume us.

I am praying for tears:

  • In our Sunday and Saturday services.
  • In our small groups
  • In our secret times of prayer.
  • In our families.
  • In our marriages.
  • In our neighborhoods.
  • In our daily duties at home, work and school.

I am praying for tears in our children’s ministry and our youth ministry and the work of the food pantry and music and any other ministry you want to name. We must do them with a sense of compassion.

3. I will endeavor to maintain a continual concern for others.

“I have a great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.”

Paul clearly taught that while he enjoyed and lived his life there was something that never left him. While he was smiling on the outside or even laughing there was a continual concern for others that never went away. It affected the choices he made. It was the driving force behind his travel schedule and mission trips.

The future effectiveness of this church will not be found in slick presentations, flow charts, ministry plans, committee meetings, mission statements, vision statements or any other of the many good things we spend our time on. The future effectiveness of this church will be found in the heartbeat of those who will rise to the challenge to care for lost people. Lost people matter to God. They matter to God twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week.

Paul had a continual concern that drove his ministry to others. In Acts 20:3 as he is leaving the church and ministry at Ephesus, he tells them, “. . . Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.”

4. I realize that a genuine concern for others may cost me something

“For I could wish myself accursed from Christ for my brethren. . .”

Ministering to others is costly. Money is the least of the cost. It is costly to care deeply. Paul is clearly stating that he would be willing to give up his salvation if he could just be assured that the Jewish people, (his people) would come to know Christ.

This depth of concern is not without precedent.

“The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive them their sin—but if not then blot me out of the book you have written.” Ex. 32:30-32

Psalm 86:15, “But you, O Lord are a compassionate and gracious God.”

Mark 6:34, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep with out a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”

In the movie Shindler’s List, Shindler who had personally saved hundreds of Jews from death began to think of those he could have saved. At the end of the movie he begins thinking of what he could have done and maybe even should have done. The Jewish community assures him he did enough and that generations will live because of what he did but he is heartbroken at the thought of people who were going to die physically.

Video Clip

How much more should you and I care? We are not dealing with rescuing people from a gas chamber or firing squad but we profess to be the holders of truth. Not just any truth life changing, life altering truth.

It is easier for most of us to give a little cash then it is our time. But the heartbeat of this church will be about time.

Time to care and time to experience life with other people.
Time to get involved with hurting people and needy people.
Time to prepare for the ministry that you are called to do.
Hurt, need and pain know no social economic boundaries.
We are called to minister to people who are above us economically as well as those who appear to be below are standard of living.

We are being called to ministry in this church that will extend beyond the Sunday celebration. This is not just another sermon about it. This is the beginning of the unveiling of the heart and soul of what ministry is about in this church. You are going to be hearing a lot about the DNA of this church.

DNA is useless without a heartbeat.

Personal Story:

I was driving into southern Ohio to visit my parents a month or so ago and as I traveled I was listening and singing to some great bluegrass music. It dawned on me that no one in my life shares this love of bluegrass. No one in my family, no one on the staff (although John Ballenger gets honorable mention for liking trendy bluegrass), and frankly no one in my small group! So I thinking to myself why do I like this when those around me don’t share this passion?

As I got closer to Waverly Ohio I began to think of the men in the church who had taken an interest in me. For whatever reason Bob Dyke decided I should play the harmonica and gave me one or two to try to learn on. I was invited to play when he and other bluegrassers would be playing. His willingness to get involved in my life continues to influence me to this day.

I could continue and repeat other areas of interest. I enjoy guns and grew up hunting. While my Dad took me a fair amount it was a retired guy named Merrill who picked me up many Saturdays took me hunting. Why did he do that? Why did he take the time?

Both of those men and others took time to show an interest in me and to this day I am interested in the things that interested them.

Who are you influencing? Who are you taking time to love and care for? There are people all around you who need you.

This is supposed to be the heartbeat of this church. Are you a part of that heartbeat. Are you willing to make some resolutions that involve your heart?

“At the same time, you need to know that I carry with me at all times a huge sorrow. It’s an enormous pain deep within me, and I’m never free of it. I’m not exaggerating—Christ and the Holy Spirit are my witnesses. It’s the Israelites . . . If there were any way I could be cursed by the Messiah so they could be blessed by him. I’d do it in a minute. They’re my family. I grew up with them. They had everything going for them—family, glory, covenants, revelation, worship, promises, to say nothing of being the race that produced the Messiah, the Christ, who is God over everything, always, Oh yes!” Romans 9:1-5 (The Message)



2008/01/06