Developing a Healthy Church

Witnessing

The Glory of God in Evangelism

Romans 10:9-17

I. Man’s Lost Position (Romans 10:14) In Luke 15:24, the father in the parable of the prodigal son says, “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” The parallel of lost is dead. There are living dead just like Paul says in Ephesians 2:5 “even while we were dead in our trespasses and sins, God made us alive.” The lost are dead. Spiritually dead. Unresponsive to God.

In Luke 19:10, Jesus said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” The lost don’t just need finding; they need saving. This is why Jesus came into the world — not only to find people, but to save people. “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” The lost are dead in their sins and need saving in a way that only Jesus can do.

In John 17:12, Jesus says, “I have guarded them (the twelve), and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

 “Lost! Lost! Lost! Better a whole world on fire than a soul lost! Better every star quenched and the skies a wreck than a single soul to be lost!” CH Spurgeon

II. The Christian’s Loving Passion (Romans 10:15) The Christian’s role in the miracle of salvation for another person is that the Christian is the massager of the Word of God. It’s the believer’s passion for others to know Christ. Listen to Paul’s anguish for his own people to know Jesus. Romans 9:1-3 “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”

Romans 10:1 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.”

“If there be any one point in which the Christian church ought to keep its fervor at a white heat, it is concerning missions. If there be anything about which we cannot tolerate lukewarmness, it is the matter of sending the gospel to a dying world.” CH Spurgeon

Man cannot come to salvation apart from the supernatural miracle of hearing the good news of the gospel! 1 Peter 1:22–25 “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” Look at verse 22 of 1 Peter chapter 1. “obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love.” If we truly love someone we will have a burning passion for them to hear the good news of Christ that was preached to you like it’s stated in verse 25. No one comes to faith in Jesus apart from hearing the good news. Our passion as true believers must be the proclamation of the gospel.

III. The Christian’s Lasting Privilege (Romans 10:17)

“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you’re not saved yourself, be sure of that!” CH Spurgeon

a. Ambassadors of the good news. 2 Cor. 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
b. Agents the impossible. In Acts 26:17–18 Paul is sharing his testimony before King Agrippa. Jesus says, “I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
c. Administers of light. 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

(The Rescue House example)