Coming Up: Sonday August 17, 2014
Romans 9. A Hard Pill To Swallow.
Read Romans 9:1-5
In Christian circles we speak of the ‘lost’ to refer to those who are not saved, those who have not yet placed their faith/trust in Jesus’ Christ and who are, at this present time, facing eternal condemnation.
Throughout Romans1-8 Paul has described in detail God’s salvation and he understands completely the implications for those who refuse to come to Christ in faith and repentance. He knows that they will spend eternity separated from God, which is a very very very long time. What we see is a window opened up for us in vs1-5 that allow us to glimpse into Paul’s heart - a refreshing, yet sobering glance that challenges us and motivates us.
In verse 2 we see that Paul has ‘great sorrow’ in his heart. The Greek NT uses the word ‘mega’ to describe this sorrow. But he also has unceasing or continuing anguish/pain in his heart. I wonder if we have such mega sorrow and constant pain in our hearts concerning the lost. Or are we more concerned with our income, getting our lawns greener and making sure that we have enough entrées to serve at our next dinner party? Sometimes I wonder if I have any sorrow in my heart for the lost. It’s far too easy to forget about them or to simply argue that they’ve made their choice and they need to face the consequences. Paul’s heart is aching for the lost.
In verse 3 Paul opens the window a little further. He wishes, if it were possible, that he could be cursed and cut off from God for the sake of his own people, the nation of Israel. Being ‘cut off’ was an OT curse for those who refused to submit to God. It was, in a sense, the worst punishment possible. But can you hear the love of Christ in Paul’s cry? Paul knows that Jesus was cursed and cut off for him personally and he’s willing to show that love to his own people. How I wish that the church of today would capture even a fraction of this love for the lost. I’ve been in churches that have stated categorically that they do NOT want the lost coming into their churches. Others have said that their mission is not to the lost but to the found - a biblical sounding way of avoiding responsibility! If we could see more deeply the love that God has for us in Christ Jesus, if we took time to meditate upon Jesus’ love and sacrifice for us, I am sure that we too would come to this same conclusion.
When you think of the lost in your family, in your local community, in your nation and in your world, do you have the same heart that Paul has?
Do you pray as Paul prays? Do you work as Paul works to bring many into the Kingdom of God? We simply cannot go on to talk about election and predestination if our hearts remain hard and calloused towards the lost.
Prayer:
Having read today’s passage and notes jot down various prayer points in each:
Adoration;
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¨ Pray that God would give you and everyone in your cell/church opportunity to preach the gospel clearly to non believers. Pray that you would preach it clearly as you should and that God would bring in the harvest through you.
Evangelism has become a dirty word in some circles. Rather than see it as a dirty word, get out there and get your hands dirty in people’s lives. Love them. Serve them and tell them about Jesus.
1. List just 3 people you’d love to see come to faith in Christ and commit as a group to pray for them each day this week.
2. Why should we have a heart for the lost?
3. What biblical motivations can you produce for evangelism? See if you can come up with at least 20!
4. How can you cultivate a greater heart for the lost?
Intro: We live in a world where people care only about themselves. But God wants us to care about everyone especially about their eternity and to do our utmost to help them find salvation.
Discuss a time that God has used you to bring salvation to others. Discuss what happened and how you felt.
Read 1 Cor 9:19-23.
What was Paul’s attitude towards the lost?
What does God want our attitude to be?
who can we be seeking to bring salvation to?
Pray together that God would use you to preach clearly to others.
Intro: It’s often the macho thing to care only about ourselves. Those who care about others are often called sissies. But in God’s eyes caring for others is great. He wants us to care about their eternity too.
Discuss a time that God has used you to bring salvation to others. Share what happened and how you felt.
Read 1 Cor 9:19-23.
What was Paul’s attitude towards the lost?
What does God want our attitude to be?
who can we be seeking to bring salvation to?
Pray together that God would use you to preach clearly to others.
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