CrossRoads Full

The Great Divide
May 21, 2000 Coy Wylie
The Cross Roads of Life
The Great Divide

Selected Passages
1. If you look at a map of the Rocky Mountain States, you will notice a serpentine line that
winds its way from north to south, tracing through some of the highest peaks and roughest
terrain in the United States. If you look close enough, you will see that this line represents
what is commonly called "The Great Divide." It is a watershed that divides one side of the
continent from the other. Several times on skiing and hunting adventures, I have thrilled to
put one foot on one side and one foot on the other side of the Great Divide. What makes the
Divide so special is that all the moisture that falls on one side flows into streams and then
rivers that ultimately lead to the Atlantic Ocean. The moisture that falls on the other side of
the line flows into different rivers and streams that ultimately end in the Pacific.
2. The Great Divide that I want to speak of today is not a winding course across a great
mountain range, but a line that separates men and women, good and evil, even life and death.
There is a Great Divide in all our lives and it is the cross of Christ. The cross and the
message it represents divides us all.
3. The cross of Christ is of course a symbol. Though the ichthus or "the fish" and the dove
were earlier symbols, the cross is the preeminent sign of Christianity because it represents the
sacrificial death of Christ. As we begin this new series entitled The Cross Roads of Life," the
cross will symbolize the gospel message, that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose
again (1 Cor.15:3,4).
4. The American poet, Robert Frost wrote of a path that divided in the woods, a confrontation
between two choices. When anyone is confronted with the cross of Christ, he must choose a
new course. He cannot continue on as he always has. He must turn either to the right or left.
He must either choose new life, abundant life and eternal life in Christ or he must choose life
apart from Christ, which is no life at all but spiritual death.
5. In the weeks to come we will examine several people in Scripture who came to that
dramatic fork in the road and made their own decisions. By way of introducing this vital, I
want to show you how the cross divides our paths, thinking, relationships, priorities and
eternity.
6. Perhaps you are standing at that eternal crossroad in your life today. I pray that you
carefully make the right decision, your eternity hangs in the balance.
file:///C|/cbc/cr1.htm (1 of 8)4/30/2005 1:31:43 PM

The Great Divide
I. The Cross Divides our Paths (Mt.7:13-14).
In The Road not Taken, Frost wrote:
And both that morning equally lay in leaves no foot had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere in ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Jesus spoke of two paths also…
A. The Wide Path (v.13).
1. This path is "wide" and "broad." The way of the world is

easy, attractive, inclusive and permissive. There are few rules,
restrictions or requirements. This "broad" way is comfortable
and popular but it leads to "destruction."
2. "Destruction" means "ruin." Life apart from Christ leads to

ruin. Those on this pathway think that because they are "good
people" or because they go to church or have been baptized that
God will tip the scales in their favor. Not so! Pro.14:12 says,
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the
way of death." Psa.1:6 says, "For the LORD knows the way of
the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish."
3. This path does not have a sign above it reading "This way to
destruction" or "The Road to Hell." If it did, no one would
enter it. Still, this doesn’t change its reality.
4. Except for biblical Christianity, every religion follows the

same basic path. Do good deeds. Act religious. Do your duty to
mankind and your good works will outweigh your sins and you
will go to heaven when you die. Jesus tells us not to be fooled
for that way leads to ruin.
5. A few days ago, I spoke at a church in Houston. The pastor

picked me up at the airport and drove me to his home. If he had
asked me for directions I would have said that one way was as

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good as another.
6. Sadly, Jesus also says "there are many who go" by this path.
It’s the path of least resistance. They follow wrong directions.
Their philosophy is like that of the people of Noah’s day, "They
ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in
marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the
flood came and destroyed them all" (Lk.17:27).
B. The Narrow Path (v.14).
1. This path is "narrow." Some Bible teachers picture this

"gate" like a turnstile at an amusement park, we can only go
through one at a time. No one can go through for us and we can
bring no one with us.
2. Jesus said His path is "difficult." It’s a path of resistance. It is

like swimming up stream. We pay nothing for salvation but life
in Christ ultimately costs us everything. When a person is
genuinely saved and totally identifies with Jesus, Satan declares
war on him.
3. This path leads to "life." Jesus said in Jn.14:6, "I am the way,
the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me." He said in Jn.10:10, "I have come that they may
have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." He
said in Jn.11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who
believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live."
4. This path is taken by "few." Believers are not "few" because

the gate is too "narrow." There is no limit to the number who
can go through. There is no housing shortage in heaven. 2
Pet.3:9 says God is "longsuffering toward us, not willing that
any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
There are "few" means it’s much easier to flow along the wide
path than to give your life to Christ.
5. Jesus admonishes us at the beginning of v.13 to "enter by the

narrow gate." Why? Because when people do come to Jesus,
like Robert Frost’s poem, they find the "road not taken" makes
all the difference.

The Great Divide
II. The Cross Divides our Thinking (1 Cor.1:18-25).
A. Unbelievers believe the Message of the Cross is Foolishness and a

Stumbling Block.
1. Paul says in v.18, "For the message of the cross is

foolishness to those who are perishing." He says in v.23, "But
we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block
and to the Greeks [Gentiles] foolishness."
2. "Foolishness" comes from the Greek word moria from which

we get our word "moron." To the secular world the gospel is
moronic, silly or absurd. Modern man is a rationalist. He refuses
to try to comprehend the spiritual.
3. "Stumbling block" comes from skandalon, "a scandal or

offense." The cross is an offense.
About a week ago, ABC’s 20/20 did a broadcast concerning a 12-year-old Jewish boy from
the Dallas area who attended a Baptist church’s youth event where he claimed to been saved.
His mother was livid, saying the church tried to take away her son’s religion. The reporter
also interviewed Rabbi Eric Yoffie, head of Reform Judaism Union of American Hebrew
Congregations. He said, "Our view is that there are many paths to God." He called the
Baptists’ determination to evangelize Jews "outrageous and an insult to the Jewish
people." Also interviewed was Houston Hindu Amit Mithra who said of an evangelical tract
"The distortions, the misstatements that are in that booklet are offensive because they
are… lies." Further he added, "This kind of religious exclusivity just doesn’t belong in
today’s society anymore." Later in the broadcast, Barbara interjected, "There are other
mainstream churches that have stopped trying to convert people, especially Jews." The
reporter, Peggy Wehmeyer responded, "The Southern Baptists… take the Bible very
literally. So, when they see the NT… say that Jesus is the only way to heaven, they
believe it." Walters asked, "But other Christian denominations… do treat this more
liberally and say that other faiths can go to heaven. Is that it?" "Right," replied the
reporter, "They don’t always interpret it as literally as the Southern Baptist do." Walters
concluded, "Word for word… it’s a tough dilemma for them" (http://abcnews.go.com./
onair/2020/transcripts/2020_000512_baptist_trans.html).
4. Speaking of Himself, Jesus said in Mt.21:44, "Whoever falls

on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will
grind him to powder." When we stumble at the cross and are
broken we can be saved. When we ignore the cross we are
crushed in judgment.

The Great Divide
B. Believers believe the Message of the Cross is the Power of God and the
Wisdom of God.
1. In contrast to "us who are being saved" the message of the

cross is "the power of God." V.25 says it is both "the power of
God" and "the wisdom of God." "Power" is from dunimus from
which we get dynamite.
2. The cross is the power of God’s LOVE. God "so loved" the
world that He gave His Son as our sacrifice.
3. The cross is the power of God’s JUSTICE. God’s holiness

requires that He punish sin. Jesus became our substitute and
God’s satisfaction.
4. The cross is the power of God’s VICTORY. Satan thought

Jesus was finished but little did he know that the cross meant he
was finished. 1 Cor.2:8 says of hell’s legions, "…for had they
known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
5. The cross is the power of God’s TRANSFORMATION. 2

Cor.5:17 says it makes each believer "a new creation."
6. The cross is the power of God’s PERSEVERANCE. The

power that raised Christ from the dead keeps us going.
III. The Cross Divides our Relationships (Mt.10:34-37).
A. The Cross brings a Sword not Peace (v.34).
1. The Bible gives Jesus the title "Prince of Peace." He gives us

"peace with God" and the "peace of God." He brings the
greatest peace to hearts we can ever know.
2. However, in this text we see in terms of human relationships

that He also brought a "sword", another way of saying division.
3. When someone accepts the message of the cross, his faith will
automatically offend some. There will be a "sword" of division
in that relationship.

The Great Divide
B. The Cross sometimes even divides Families (vv.35-37).
1. Jesus tells us that to follow Him will bring division in the

closest of familial relationships. Sons and fathers, mothers and
daughters will be divided by the offense of the cross.
2. The words "set against" means to "cut into" or "alienate."

Many of us have difficult family relationships because of our
commitment to Jesus.
3. Jesus said that anyone who valued a human relationship more

than Him "is not worthy of Me."
IV. The Cross Divides our Priorities (Mt.10:38).
A. Unbelievers have Self-Centered Priorities. An unsaved person lives for

himself. He struggles to gain money, possessions and prominence. Even if he
gains the whole world, his heart will still be empty. Howard Hughes was the
world’s richest man but died in a miserable existence.
B. Believers have Christ-Centered Priorities.
1. Jesus calls each of His followers to "take up his cross."

When Jesus uttered these words, the cross had a different
significance. It was seen as a means of execution. It had not been
long since a Roman general ordered 2,000 followers of the
zealot Judas crucified along the road to Galilee. It was a symbol
of death
2. Jesus said that to take up the cross is to deny self, to put our
selfish priorities to death and live out his priorities. He said in
Mt.16:24, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."
3. Paul said in Gal.2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it

is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me."
4. Jesus also said His disciples are to "follow after Me." Where
do we go when we take up our cross and follow Christ? We
follow Him to the grave. There we bury our selfish ambition, our

The Great Divide
lustful desires and boastful pride. We then rise again with Him
to live a new life that reflects the beauty and glory of God.
5. Charles Spurgeon said, "There are no crown-wearers in

heaven who were not cross- bearers here below." Vance
Havner said in times like these, "We need men of the cross,
with the message of the cross, bearing the marks of the
cross."
6. The cross not only divides believers from unbelievers, it

divides genuine disciples from pseudo disciples. Believer, have
you nailed your selfish priorities to the cross and risen with Him
to a God-centered life?
V. The Cross Divides our Eternity (Mt.10:39).
A. Jesus said, "He who finds his life will lose it." This is the person who
cherishes temporary material possessions and influence who will lose
everything in eternity. Jesus illustrated this in The parable of the Rich Fool
(Lk.12:13-21). In The Parable of the Rich Man in Hell (Lk.16:19-31), He
spoke of a "great gulf" or chasm in eternity over which no one can pass. That
will be the final division of the cross.
B. Jesus also said, "He who loses His life for My sake will find it." The
person who takes the narrow, difficult road, who becomes a fool in the world’s
eyes, who holds no relationship dearer than Christ’s, who crucifies his
ambition will find a richer life than he ever imagined, both now and in eternity.
VI. Four Final Thoughts.
1. First, if you have not come to Christ today you stand at the crossroad of
eternity.
2. Second, it is possible to have an appearance of being religious, to look like

a Christian and never encounter the real Jesus.
3. Third, genuine believers are called to have a passion for the message of the
cross. This week when we heard Russian pastor Nicolai Epishin speak, God
awakened in me a conviction that I have become numbed by my comfortable
suburban lifestyle. I asked God to restore my passion for the message of the
cross.

The Great Divide
Years ago George MacLeod penned a marvelous bit of verse called Return the Cross to
Golgotha.
I simply argue that the cross be raised again

at the center of the market place
as well as on the steeple of the church,
I am recovering the claim that

Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral
between two candles;
But on a cross between two thieves;

on a town garbage heap;
at a crossroad of politics so cosmopolitan
that they had to write His title
in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek…
And at the kind of place where cynics talk smut,

And thieves curse and soldiers gamble.
Because that is where He died,

and that is what He died about.
And that is where Christ’s men ought to be

and what church people ought to be about.
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Coy M. Wylie, Pastor, Cornerstone Baptist Church, P.O. Box 7403, Amarillo, TX
79114-7403.

The Centerpiece of the Church
May 28, 2000 Coy Wylie

Selected Passages
1. When we began Cornerstone Church a little over two years ago, I sat down with a pencil
and blank piece of paper and doodled until I came up with a crude form of the seal or logo of
our church. Don Ketelle, our resident graphic artist and Internet guru took my rough design
and made it much better. The seal is not just a nice logo to help identify our church, it has
much deeper significance. The OUTER CIRCLE represents our place in the unity of the
body of Christ, the family of God, the redeemed of the ages. The INNER CIRCLE signifies
our unity as a local church. The ROCK in the center signifies Christ as our Cornerstone, the
Solid Rock and our commitment to the foundational truths of Scripture. In the very center of
this emblem you see the CROSS. It reminds us of the glorious gospel message that Jesus
died for our sins was buried and rose again (1 Cor.15:4-5). The message of the cross is the
centerpiece of our church. Our very reason for existence is to lift high the cross of Christ in
an unsaved world. The great question before us today is "Do we?"
2. As we continue this series called The Cross Roads of Life, I want to speak very plainly to
our church of our responsibilities as guardians of the gospel. In 1 Tim.3:15, Paul said that
"the church of the living God" is "the pillar and ground of the truth." Today we will
consider the challenge, the commission and the commitment of the cross.
I. The Challenge of the Cross (1 Cor.2:1-5).
A. The Weakness and Power of the Apostle.
1. Paul reminds the Corinthians that he did not come "with

excellence of speech or wisdom." The NCV translates it "fancy
words or a show of human wisdom." In other words, "I didn’t
try to dazzle you with my great oratory ability and an
intellect greater than your own." Paul didn’t try to put on a
show.
2. Rather, he faithfully declared the "testimony" of God. He

wasn’t there to magnify himself but to magnify God.
3. Paul tells them that he was "determined [resolved] not to

know anything among you…" He wasn’t interested in

discussing politics, philosophy or the sciences.
4. Paul says his only focus was "Jesus Christ and Him
crucified." The theme of Paul’s preaching was not five steps to
a better self-image. He preached the cross.
5. Paul did not only preach evangelistic messages. He told the

Ephesian elders in Acts 20:27, "For I have not shunned to
declare to you the whole counsel of God." Acts 18:11 says of
his ministry in Corinth, "And he continued there a year and
six months, teaching the word of God among them."
However, no matter his subject, he always made "a bee-line to
the cross."
6. In v.3, Paul says he came to them "in weakness, in fear, and

in much trembling." Paul was not a timid individual. He was
not fearful of Corinth, he was reverent before the Lord. To him,
the message of the cross was so powerful, so vital, he treated it
with great respect.
7. Therefore, he did not come to Corinth with slick "persuasive

words of human wisdom." He didn’t come with a slick
marketing package to manipulate the people. Rather, he came
"in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." He came in
utter dependence on the work of the Spirit as he proclaimed the
cross.
8. He did this that their faith would not be "in the wisdom of
men but in the power of God." He didn’t want to manipulate
the people but magnify the cross.
B. The Issues of Relevancy and Culture.
1. Times change, cultures evolve, fads fade in and out. Certainly

our times are indicative of this. Consider how we have changed
in 50 years.
2. We have transformed from a nation founded on biblical truth

to culture set adrift in the aimless sea of relativism, where
nothing can be known for certain.

3. The Bible and the church are no longer respected by our

society. People once had a strong work ethic where everyone did
his part. Now we are marked by consumerism and a "me first"
mentality. People don’t come to church and say, "How can I
serve here?" but "What can this church do for me?"
4. People used to have a basic grasp of biblical truth. A

generation ago you could preach in a public meeting with
confidence that at least the audience would know what you are
talking about. Not any more, even in the church there has been a
"dumbing down" of biblical illiteracy. People want application
not strong teaching.
5. We now live at such a fast pace, we scarcely have time to

reflect on God and eternal issues.
6. We live in a time of pluralism where everyone has a right to

believe what he wants to believe because there are no absolute
truths.
7. We live in a vastly different culture than we did 50 years ago.

Because our society has changed so much, we must adapt in
order to reach it. Imagine a missionary who went to another
culture but refused to learn the language. He ignored the
customs of the people, wore a jacket and tie and preached in
Elizabethan English from a KJV. No one would hear him. If we
remain tied to our old traditions, no one will hear us either.
8. Let’s read 1 Cor 9:19-23. Underline what he said in v.22, "I

have become all things to all men, that I might by all means
save some." Wherever the apostle went, he adapted and made
himself relevant to the culture.
C. The Necessity of Truth and Orthodoxy.
1. In what I believe is a sincere attempt to "become all things to

all men" some churches have drifted away from the message of
the cross. They value "excellence of speech" and human
physiological "wisdom." They know many things but rarely
speak of "Christ and Him crucified." They have slick
marketing and many "persuasive words" but lack the
"demonstration of the Spirit and of power." As a result, many

put their faith in "the wisdom of men" rather than "the power
of God." We need to change to be relevant to our times but we
cannot change or ignore the message of the cross.
I recently read where Joseph Stowell sat down with Billy Graham to discuss what needs to be
changed in how we preach now in comparison with the 1950’s. He said he expected some
profound analysis and contextualization of our societal shifts. Rather the great evangelist
said, "Nothing has really changed in terms of the needs of people. Wherever or what
ever you preach, you must remind people of their sin, speak to them of heaven and hell,
show them the Cross and urge them to come to the Savior" (Shepherding the Church,
p.55).
2. There is a danger that in our desire to reach great crowds and

influence lives that we may forget that the genuine conversion in
the lives of men and women takes place by the power of the
cross. This is why the cross must truly be the centerpiece of our
church.
D. The Balance of Message and Methods.
1. What then are we to do? We are to differentiate between the

methods and the message, between the form and the formula.
We must know what is essential and what is not.
2. The message of the cross must always be the centerpiece. The

message must always stay the same. We must handle it in "fear
and in much trembling."
3. However, the methods, the forms must always stay fluid. We

must not be locked down to doing things a certain way just
because churches have done them this way for a long time. The
last 7 words of a dying church are, "We’ve never done it that
way before."
4. Our challenge is to ever elevate the cross not traditions.
II. The Commission of the Cross (Mt.28:18-20).
How do we elevate the cross? We follow The Great Commission. This passage is succinct
statement of the marching orders of the church. Jesus tells us that because of His cross, His
death, burial and resurrection "all authority" has been given to Him. We are to "therefore"
go. "Therefore" means "on the basis of." On the basis of the fact that Jesus won the battle at

the cross and has "all authority" we are to "go" to "all the nations." We need a great
commitment to the Great Commission! Let’s note the three elements of the Commission.
A. Evangelism.
1. First, Jesus says we are to "make disciples of all the

nations." It means to "make learners" or "teach."
2. Jesus mission statement is found in Luke 19:10, "For the Son

of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
We are never closer to the heart of God than when we are
sharing the "good news."
3. We live in difficult days when it comes to sharing our faith.

Relativism, pluralism, consumerism and other factors make
sharing the gospel tough. However, we must remember that the
gospel thrived in the first century in a culture that was far more
hostile than ours.
4. Recently I saw the film Gladiator in which Russell Crowe

plays Maximus a betrayed Roman general who becomes the
great hero of the arena. There are some spectacular scenes of
battles and beasts in the coliseum. As I watched, I couldn’t help
but remember that many of our forefathers in the faith were
slaughtered like that. How could Christianity spread in the face
of such persecution?
Stowell writes: The NT strategy in that context was simply to be committed to living out
the principles of righteousness in such a way that the results of righteous living –
believer’s good works – became such compelling evidence of the reality of their faith
that those in a world whose unrighteousness brought disintegration and despair noticed
the dramatic contrast and in time came to inquire what it was that had made such a
dramatic difference between believers and the world around them" (p.46).
5. Jesus said in Mt.5:14-16 that we are to be "the light of the

world." His light is to shine through us in such a way that others
may "see your good works and glorify your Father in
heaven." The key element is not so much what we say as how
we live.
6. However, we are to speak up for Christ. We need to pray for

the lost, speak to them of our faith and take advantage of

opportunities.
Church we must keep the gospel in the center! In A Passion for God, Ray Ortlund wrote:
"Imagine the Evangelical church without the gospel… We would have to replace the
centrality of the gospel with something else, naturally… An introspective absorption
with recovery from past emotional traumas, for example. Or a passionate devotion to
the pro-life cause. Or a confident manipulation of modern managerial techniques. Or a
drive toward church growth and ‘success.’ Or a deep concern for the institution of the
family. Or a fascination with the more unusual gifts of the Spirit. Or an appeal to
consumerism by offering a sort of cost-free Christianity Lite… Or a determination to
take America back to its Christian roots through political power… In other words,
evangelicals could marginalize or even lose the gospel and still putter on their way,
perhaps oblivious to their loss." He concludes, "Every generation of Christians must be
retaught afresh the basic truths of our faith. The church is always one generation away
from total ignorance of the gospel… Rather than carefully assume the gospel, we must
aggressively, deliberately, fully and passionately teach and preach the gospel…" (pp.205-
208).
B. Identification.
1. Second, Jesus says we are to be "baptizing them in the name

of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." In the
early church era, to be baptized was to publicly identify with
Christ. They didn’t have aisles to walk or membership cards to
sign. The point of identification with Christ and His church was
baptism.
2. Baptism doesn’t save us, it identifies us.
3. Some rightly understand that baptism is a symbol but wrongly

believe that it is unimportant.
4. If you have come to Christ but have not publicly aligned

yourself with Him through baptism, why not?
C. Discipleship.
1. Third, Jesus says we are to be "teaching them to observe" all

that He has "commanded."
During the spring, Deb and I enjoy yard work. We fertilize, water and mow our lawn. We
plant and care for flowers, shrubs and trees. The other day, Deb set out some bedding plants

while I was out of town. I usually do the watering and she forgot. The hot weather and dry
winds cooked them until they almost died. In the same sense if new believers are not cared
for, they will wilt.
2. Note that when on the basis of His authority we do go out to

evangelize, identify and disciple people, we can know that He
will always be with us empowering us (v.20b).
III. The Commitment of the Cross (Rom.1:14-16).
A. We are Debtors.
A man called the police and reported that all of his wife's credit cards had been stolen. Then
he added, "But don't look too hard for the thief. He's charging less than my wife ever
did."
1. Paul didn’t mean that he owed a debt of money but that he

was "bound by obligation and duty." He owed the debt of
sharing the gospel.
2. I am a "debtor" to many great preachers. I stand on the

shoulders of men like Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon and
G. Campbell Morgan. I am indebted to men of my own
generation like Jerry Coffman.
3. As a believer, because Christ has saved me, I owe a debt to all

men regardless of their station in life to share the message of the
cross. So do you.
B. We are to be Ready. Paul said, "So as much as is in me, I am ready to

preach the gospel." He was impassioned with the gospel. Are you "ready" to
share it today?
C. We are to be Unashamed. Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of

Christ." He had seen all the world had to offer and he knew that the message
of the cross was true.
Not long ago a Doonesbury comic strip featured the pastor of the Little Church of Walden
discussing his church with a prospective couple. He asked, "So what would you like to
know about the little church of Walden, folks? Don’t hold back – I know how difficult it
can be to choose a church." The husband asked, "Well, what is your basic approach here,
Reverend? Is it traditional gospel?" "In a way," said the pastor, "I like to describe it as 12-

step Christianity… Basically, I believe that we’re all recovering sinners. My ministry is
about overcoming denial, it’s about re-commitment, about redemption. It’s all in the
brochure there." The wife interjected, "Wait a minute – sinners? Redemption? Doesn’t
all that imply… guilt?" To which the pastor replied, "Well, yes, I do rely on the occasional
disincentive to keep the flock from going astray. Guilt is a part of that!" The husband
mused, "I dunno. There’s so much negativity in the world as it is." "That’s right," replied
his wife, "We are looking for a church that’s supportive, a place where we can feel good
about ourselves. I’m not sure this guilt thing works for us." The husband observed, "On
the other hand, you do offer racquetball…" The wife interrupted, "So did the Unitarians,
honey. Let’s shop around some more."
The cross is either the centerpiece of our ministry or it isn’t. Which will it be?
notice.
79114-7403.

A Day of Good News
June 4, 2000 Coy Wylie
A Day of Good News

2 Kings 6:24-7:20
1. The word "gospel" comes from the Greek word euaggelizo from which we get our word
"evangelism." It literally means, "to announce good news." The gospel is "good news." The
apostle Paul said in 1 Cor.1:18, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who
are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." The death, burial
and resurrection of Christ is the greatest news ever (1 Cor.15:4-5).
2. As we continue our summer series concerning the cross of Christ, the message of the
gospel, we find ourselves in an obscure OT passage. We find "four leprous men" who
declare in 7:9 what may be true today of many believers, "We are not doing right. This day
is a day of good news, and we remain silent."
3. This is the story of a military siege, or the devastation of starving people and the grace of
the Lord. It is a tale of four desperate lepers, the divinely amplified sound of their march and
the terrified retreat of an army. It speaks of the spoils of war, the greed of men and the good
sense to share the Lord’s blessings.
4. Come, open your Bible. Let’s explore this ancient text together and learn some 21st
century principles of the gospel message.
I. An Amazing Account of an Ancient Event.
A. The Siege of Samaria (6:24).
1. The context of this passage is a period in the history of

national Israel called "The Divided Kingdom." The kingdom of
Israel was to the north with Samaria as its capital and the
kingdom of Judah was to the south with Jerusalem for its capital.
This state of affairs left both kingdoms vulnerable to attacks
from their enemies.
2. Our text says Beh-Hadad, the king of Syria "gathered all his
army and went up and besieged Samaria."

A Day of Good News
3. What is a "siege?" It is "a military blockade of a city or

fortified place to compel it to surrender" (Web.). We Texans will
always remember the siege of the Alamo in which the Mexican
army surrounded the Texas volunteers for 13 long days before
putting them all to the sword.
4. The primary purpose of a siege or blockage is to starve the

enemy to the point of surrender. In this respect, Syria or Aram
had great success over Israel.
B. The Devastation of Starvation (6:25-30).
1. V.25 says there was "a great famine" in the land. Almost
everything that could be eaten had been eaten by this time.
Chapter 7 implies that the only animals left were a few of the
king’s horses.
2. The siege inflated the prices of what little food there was.
V.25 also says that the Syrians "besieged it [Samaria] until a
donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver [Jesus was
sold out for only 30!], and one-fourth of a kab of dove
droppings for five shekels of silver." Only the wealthiest of
families could afford to dine on "donkey head soup" and "dove
dung cake."
A few years back, Deb and I toured the site of another famous siege - Vicksburg, Mississippi.
As the Union troops blockaded the river and bombarded the city with artillery, the residents
were forced into caves where they subsisted on the flesh of rats and other rodents. Starvation
caused their eventual surrender.
3. If that sounds bad, hang on it gets worse. One day, the king of
Israel, Jehoram was walking the walls of the city, viewing the
misery of his people. A woman called out to him for help. You
can hear the desperation of an exhausted leader in his voice
when he said, "If the Lord does not help you, where I can I
find help for you?" (v.27) As a pastor, I’ve felt that way! He
mentions both "the threshing floor" and "the winepress." He
could not help her with food or drink.
4. In pity, he asks, "What is troubling you?" The woman then

spins the saddest tale of the desperation of a starving people. She
describes how she and another woman had become so hungry

A Day of Good News
they made a pact to eat two of their children. They "boiled and
ate" this woman’s son but when the next day came, her partner
hid away her child so he would not be eaten.
5. Cannibalism in the nursery! The king was outraged in his

misery. He "tore his clothes" and beneath them revealed that he
wore "sackcloth on his body" the garment of mourning and
humiliation.
6. Because he blamed the prophet Elisha for the siege, he said,

"God do so to me and more if the head of Elisha the son of
Shaphat remains on him today."
C. The Promise of Grace (6:31-7:2).
1. When the king’s entourage came to Elisha, the mighty

prophet of God had a fresh word from the Lord.
2. He said, "Tomorrow about this time a seah [about 8

gallons] of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs
of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria." In other words,
within 24 hours God was going to bring an end to the famine
and the siege.
3. One of King Jehoram’s trusted officers said cynically, "If the

Lord would make windows in heaven could this thing be?"
Elisha promised, "In fact you shall see it with your eyes, but
you shall not eat of it."
D. The Decision of the Lepers (7:3-4).
1. From the prophet’s house, the scene shifts to the city gate
where "four leprous men" lay. Like the rest of the people of
Samaria, they are starving. Because of their hideous disease,
they are not even allowed inside the city.
2. They know they have little strength left. They know that soon
they will be too weak to move so they ask, "Why are we sitting
here until we die?" So, they survey their options:
a. If they stayed they would certainly die.

A Day of Good News
b. If they entered the city they would still die

because there was no food for them there either.
c. The only other option was to "surrender to the

army of the Syrians." They reasoned, "If they
keep us alive [feed us!] we shall live; and if they
kill us we shall only die." They thought it would
be better to eat in prison than starve in freedom.
E. The Deliverance of the Lord (7:5-7).
3. Resolved to surrender the lepers "rose at twilight" or the dusk

of evening. They drug their hideously decaying bodies across the
plain under the cover of darkness "to the outskirts of the
Syrian camp." I love the way v.5 ends, "to their surprise no
one was there."
4. They found the camp completely deserted. V.7 says the

Syrians had "fled" and "left the camp intact." The starving
lepers looked about and saw tents, horses, donkeys, weapons,
gold, silver and most importantly food in abundance.
5. What happened? As the four lepers drug their putrefying flesh

across the plain, V.6 says, "the Lord had caused the army of
the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of
horses – the noise of a great army." They believed this sound
could only come from the armies of the Hittites and the
Egyptians that the Israelites must have hired to fight for them.
So, they "arose and fled at twilight… fled for their lives"
6. As a point to ponder, could it be that God supernaturally

amplified and augmented the sound of four lepers walking so
that it sounded like two mighty armies?
F. The Day of Good News (7:8-20).
1. Our starving leper friends now found themselves alone in the

overwhelming luxury and wealth of the deserted camp. They
gorged themselves on the Lord’s provision.
2. They went in "one tent" where they "ate and drank" and
then "carried from it silver and gold and clothing and went

A Day of Good News
and hid them." After this they "came back and entered
another tent" and repeated the process. It seems they intended
to continue this from tent to tent. Reality then sat in.
3. They said to each other "We are not doing right. This day is
a day of good news and we remain silent." They knew they
shouldn’t hoard all this for themselves. They said, "If we wait
until morning light some punishment [calamity, evil] will
come upon us." They decided to "go and tell the king’s
household."
4. King Jehoram didn’t believe Elisha’s prophecy and was

skeptical of the leper’s report but sent two chariots to
investigate. Indeed the spoil was great and the people looted the
camp. Indeed flour and barley were sold cheaply just as the
prophet predicted.
5. The officer who had so cynically sneered at Elisha’s word

from the Lord was assigned to the gate and witnessed the fall of
inflation but was trampled by the people and never ate of the
rich spoil.
II. Powerful Principles for the 21st Century Church.
A. We are to be Going not Staying.
1. God’s army in this battle was four lepers limping across the
plain. He used them because they were willing to go.
2. As soon as someone was willing to go out and meet the

enemy, God gave a victory and ended the famine. God was
waiting on someone, anyone to go.
3. It never entered the lepers’ minds that they would become

God’s army. They did not go because they had great faith, a love
for God or a determination to be used of God. They went
because they were hungry.
4. Where were the mighty warriors of Israel? They were stuck

inside the walls of the city eating donkey heads and dove dung!
They were waiting in misery for the enemy to come to them
instead of taking the fight to the enemy!

A Day of Good News
5. This is very accurate picture of many churches today. So

many sit behind the walls of church buildings starving to death.
They build the walls high to repel the attacks of the enemy: false
doctrine, compromise and worldliness. Yet if we stay instead of
go, if we merely defend instead of attack those same walls that
protect become walls that imprison us! When that happens a
church dries up.
6. God’s people today are not starving for Bible teaching, songs
of praise, fellowship, books and materials. We have all these in
abundance. We are starving for A GENUINE OUTPOURING
OF THE POWER OF GOD! We are starving for REAL
REVIVAL! Without God’s blessings all these other things are
donkey’s heads and dove dung!
7. Because the real army wouldn’t go, God raised up four lepers
who would. The real army had the training, the equipment and
support to go but wouldn’t. The lepers from outside the gate
who did everything else wrong did one thing right and they won
the victory!
8. So often the local church looks with disdain upon parachurch

organizations. "We don’t need these groups, this is the work
of the local church," some say. Maybe so, but when the real
army stays home and won’t go they shouldn’t criticize the lepers
who do go!
9. I’m afraid we’ve become a generation of spiritual couch

potatoes. Like the guy who sits on the sofa all day eating potato
chips, watching TV and complaining about the world but never
doing anything, we sit behind our walls of distinction,
bemoaning the sad state of the world, belittling the work of
others but doing little ourselves.
10. The Bible clearly teaches that the husband should be the
spiritual leader of the family. However, God bless those wives
who lead their families spiritually when the husbands won’t.
Men should lead the church, but when the men won’t God bless
women who step up. The local church should lead the charge
into Satan’s realm but when she won’t God bless those who do!

A Day of Good News
B. We are to be Sharing not Hoarding.
1. The lepers sensed that if they remained "silent" about their

wonderful blessing evil would come upon them. They decided to
declare the "day of good news."
2. We live in the ultimate "day of good news." On this side of

the cross we have the good news of Jesus’ death, burial and
resurrection to share! We have the promise that the gospel is
"the power of God" to change lives!
3. We have great teaching, great music, a great facility, great

technology and great comfort. Yet, like the lepers we tend to
hoard, not share these great blessings. We tend to keep them for
ourselves, gorging ourselves, tucking them away for safe
keeping. We easily become CONSUMERS of God’s blessings
instead of PRODUCERS of His blessings!
4. When we hoard God’s blessings, we become selfish. We begin

to think, "what can I get" instead of "what can I give." We ask,
"what can be done for me" instead of "what can I do for others."
We become preoccupied with "having our needs met" instead of
"meeting the needs of others." We become SELF-CENTERED
instead of CHRIST-CENTERED. The Christ-centered church,
the church that upholds the gospel will always be reaching out in
love and compassion to others!
5. When we hoard God’s blessings, divisions always come.

Show me a church that is fractured by schisms and cliques and
I’ll show you a church that is not centered on the gospel. Show
me a church that is fighting and grumbling and I’ll show you
one that’s lost its focus. Those lepers would have devoured each
other had they stayed. Folks, that could happen here. However
people who are centered on the gospel do not have the time or
the inclination for bickering and infighting.
6. When we hoard God’s blessings, faith becomes stale. Imagine

if I were to buy a baker’s dozen of double chocolate chip
chocolate muffins and told my family they were all for me. The
first 3 would be good but they would get stale before I could eat
them all. God’s manna turned to worms when it was kept
overnight. Almost everything goes bad when it is hoarded. God

A Day of Good News
blesses us that we might share.
Why do people "remain silent" on the "day of good news?" Maybe they are HUNGRY
themselves. Maybe they are FEARFUL or DISCOURAGED. Maybe they LACK
CONFIDENCE in sharing their faith.
The real question is do we really believe the gospel can change people. If we do, we pray and
witness. If we don’t we do nothing.
notice.
79114-7403.

How to Pray for Unbelievers

Luke 11:1-13
1. A father took his small son with him to town one day to run some errands. When
lunchtime arrived, the two of them went to a familiar diner for a sandwich. The father sat
down on one of the stools at the counter and lifted the boy up to the seat beside him. They
ordered lunch, and when the waiter brought the food, the father said, "Son, we'll just have a
silent prayer." Dad got through praying first and waited for the boy to finish his prayer, but
he just sat with his head bowed for an unusually long time. When he finally looked up, his
father asked him, "What in the world were you praying about all that time?" With the
innocence and honesty of a child, he replied, "How do I know? It was a silent prayer." So
much of our praying is so silent that we really never pray at all, that much of our public
prayers are more sermons for the saints than supplications to the Savior.
2. As we continue this series concerning the message of the cross, I want us to learn from this
passage of Scripture how to pray for unbelievers. Almost all of us have someone near to us
who does not know Christ. How are we to pray for them? Will our prayers do any good?
What are we to pray for them? Prayer is our greatest resource in bringing people to Christ.
The great scholar J. Sidlow Baxter once wrote, "Men may spurn our appeals, reject our
message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons - but they are helpless against our
prayers."
3. If we are to be an evangelistic church, we must be a prayerful church. E.M. Bounds who

wrote so much about prayer said, "What the Church needs today is not more machinery
or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost
can use--men of prayer, men mighty in prayer." Oh to be a church whose prayers shake
the foundations of hell. I want to have the reputation of John Knox of whom Mary, Queen of
Scotland said, "I fear John Knox's prayers more than an army of ten thousand men."
4. As we examine our text, let’s learn four priorities in praying for the salvation of
unbelievers.
I. Pray With Consistency (vv.1-4).
A. We Must Learn To Pray (v.1).

1. As this chapter opens, we find Jesus "praying in a certain

place." Many times in the gospels, we see Jesus setting aside
time for prayer. He said in Lk.19:10, "For the Son of Man has
come to seek and to save that which was lost." Surely He
prayed for unbelievers.
2. Imagine how that must have intrigued the disciples. Perhaps

they experimented a bit, following His example. Respectfully,
they waited until His prayer time had "ceased" and then they
asked, "Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his
disciples."
3. In the Scriptures we see three great activities of God’s people:

praise, proclamation and prayer. It is interesting that we do not
have to be taught to praise or proclaim the grace of God but we
do have to be taught to pray.
B. We Must Have Priorities in Prayer (vv.2-4). These verses are known as

The Model Prayer. They serve as an outline, a framework or a blueprint upon
which our personal prayers can be directed to heaven.
1. We are to pray in WORSHIP. Jesus prayed to "Our Father in

heaven." We are addressing Almighty God, the Ancient of
Days, the First and the Last, the omnipotent, omniscient,
transcendent, radiant God of the universe. Yet, He is our loving
"Father." His name is to be "hallowed" or made holy in our
eyes. We are to long for His "kingdom" and His "will" to be
done.
2. We are to pray for our NEEDS. We to ask for "daily bread"

our daily necessities. We are to bring everything, even the
simplest needs to God. A pastor friend told me about how his
mother used to stop in the store to pray over which shirt to buy!
(Phil.4:19).
3. We are to pray with CONFESSION. We are to ask God to

"forgive us our sins" as we at the same time "forgive everyone
who is indebted to us."
4. We are to pray for GUIDANCE. We are to pray that we will

be lead "in the paths of righteousness" not "into temptation."
We are to bring God all our decisions.

5. We are to pray for DELIVERANCE. but that God will

"deliver us from evil." In Eph.6, after putting on the whole
armor of God, Paul tells us to be "praying always with all
power and supplication in the Spirit."
C. When We Pray Consistently, We Can Pray Specifically.
1. Do you notice that there is no "Amen" to this prayer? Do you

notice that this prayer is intensely personal?
2. These are ABC’s of prayer. God wants us to get beyond

merely praying for ourselves and move on to learn to pray for
others, especially the lost.
3. Work hard at prayer. LEARN to pray. Be consistent in prayer

and then you can pray powerfully and specifically for those
unbelievers around you.
II. Confess Your Weakness (vv.5-6).
After giving the outline in The Model Prayer, Jesus never said "Amen," but continued on
teaching about prayer by sharing a parable. He asked them to imagine going to a "friend…
at midnight" with the request to be lent "three loaves" of bread to sit before "a friend" who
has arrived at your home unexpectedly.
A. We Stand Between God and our Unsaved Friends.
1. This is a picture of a man who has two friends. He has a

friend with plenty of bread and a friend who is starving.
2. Every believer has these same two friends. We have our

friendship with God, the "Friend who sticks closer than a
brother," who owns the cattle on a thousand hills while at the
same time we have friendships with those who have not come to
Christ and are bankrupt spiritually.
3. In The Model Prayer we learn to pray for our own "daily

bread," In the parable we learn to ask bread for others.
4. In the Bible, bread was a staple and is always the symbol of

life. Jesus even said in Jn.6:35, "I am the bread of life. He who

comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me

shall never thirst."
5. We have no bread but He does. He wants us to come to Him

to ask for bread for spiritual life for others.
B. We are Weak and have No Bread of Our Own to Give.
1. The friend went to his neighbor "at midnight" and woke him
from sleep only because he had no bread of his own.
2. In Israel, fresh bread is made every morning. This man’s

family had consumed all their "daily bread" that day so there
was nothing left over. To have nothing to sit before a late-
arriving and unexpected friend was a terrible reproach upon a
Middle Easterner.
3. This man’s cupboards were bare. He had nothing of his own

in which to give the one who came to him so he had to get bread
elsewhere.
4. We have nothing of our own to give to unbelievers. You can’t

make that unsaved brother, sister, son or daughter come to
Christ. Only God can draw sinners.
5. So often our evangelistic efforts are based on what we can do.

We plan our events. We print our literature. We bring in our
speakers. However, if the Lord doesn’t supply the bread, if the
Holy Spirit doesn’t draw men and women to Himself no one will
genuinely be saved.
6. Turn with me to John 6:1-14 to the account of the Feeding of

the Five Thousand.
a. As Jesus taught, a "great multitude" followed

Him around the Sea of Galilee. There was nothing
to eat and no where to buy food. Mark records
Jesus said, "You give them something to
eat" (Mk.6:37). Here in John Jesus asks Philip,
"Where shall we buy bread that these may
eat?" but He said this to "test him for He
Himself knew what He would do."

b. Neither Philip nor the other disciples knew

what to do. Even if they had "two hundred
denarii worth of bread" they could not feed the
multitude.
c. Andrew went out and found a small boy who

was willing to give up "five barely loaves and
two small fish" but in bringing them to Jesus said,
"What are they among so many?"
d. Of course Jesus blessed and broke the loaves

and the food multiplied in His hands so that all ate
and were full. There were even "twelve baskets"
of leftovers!
7. In our own strength, we can’t bring anyone to Christ, but

when we go to the Lord for them He can. God hears our prayers
and makes up for our weakness. Paul said "For when I am
weak, then I am strong." God said to him, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in
weakness" (2 Cor.12:9-10).
A.C. Dixon said, "When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do;
when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon
eloquence, we get what eloquence can do, and so on. Nor am I disposed to undervalue
any of these things in their proper place, but when we rely upon prayer, we get what
God can do." (Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody, 1984, p. 108).
C. We Must Ask Specifically for Bread. The friend asked for "three loaves."
He knew just what his other friend needed. Sometimes we pray for lost people
in general but we need a burden for specific unbelievers.
D. We Must Serve the Bread God has Given.
1. The friend was willing to take the bread back to his guest.
Don’t pray for God to send someone else to talk to your lost
friend about Christ! Paul asked the Ephesians to pray "that
utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth
boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel" (Eph.6:19).
He asked the Colossians to keep "praying also for us, that God
would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery

of Christ, for which I am also in chains" (Col.4:3).
2. We are weak. We can do nothing of ourselves but as we pray,

God’s strength uses us to bring people to Himself for He is
"mighty to save" (Is.63:1).
III. Continue In Persistence (vv.7-8).
A. The Friend Persistently Asked for Bread.
1. In what may have been a humorous event from Jesus’ own

childhood, the Master describes the response from within the
house, "Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my
children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you."
No doubt he thought that it is better for one person to go hungry
than a whole household to be awakened.
2. However, the friend at the door will not leave. He keeps

banging on the door. Not only one household being disturbed
but the other neighbors are waking up too!
3. Jesus says that finally the master of the house "will rise and
give him as many [loaves] as he needs." He does so not
"because he is his friend," but because of "his persistence" or
"importunity" (KJV).
B. We Must Persistently Pray for the Salvation of Others.
1. The word for "persistence" literally means "without shame"

and is used only here in the whole Greek NT. It is also translates
"troublesomeness" or "boldness." The friend at the door was not
bashful or easily discouraged.
2. Yes we are to persistently call on the Lord for the salvation of

others. But we do not do this because God is like a grumbling
friend who has to be raised from His slumber to give us what we
need.
3. This is a Jewish form of teaching that argues from the lesser

to the greater. If a grouchy neighbor will rise in the night to meet
your need because you persistently call to him, how MUCH
MORE will a gracious, loving, faithful Heavenly Father give

when you call upon His name!
C. The Bible is filled with Persistent Prayer Warriors
1. We need to pray like MOSES who prayed that the Hebrews

would not be destroyed for their disobedience.
2. We need to pray like ESTHER who prayed that the Jews

would be saved from the wicked works of Haman.
3. We need to pray like DANIEL who prayed for Israel "with

fasting, sackcloth, and ashes" for 3 weeks (Dan.9:3).
4. We need to pray for the lost like PAUL prayed for

unbelieving Jews in Rom 9:3, "For I could wish that I myself
were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen
according to the flesh."
5. We need to pray like JESUS in the garden who said, "Not My

will, but Yours, be done" (Lk.22:42).
IV. Believe Through Faith (vv.9-13).
A. When We Pray, God Responds.
1. In v.9, Jesus continues this teaching by saying, "So I say to

you…" He compels us to go after God in faith. We are to "ask,"
"seek," and "knock."
2. These actions require faith. Heb.11:6 says, "But without faith

it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him."
3. Let’s read v.10. God promises to respond to our prayers. He

may not answer how we think He should or when we think He
should, but He will act on our behalf!
B. God Responds with Good Gifts.
1. When we keep on asking, seeking and knocking God will give

us good gifts.
2. Jesus asks what kind of father would give his son "a stone"
when he asked for "bread" or "a serpent" when he asks for "a
fish," or "a scorpion" when he asks for "an egg."
3. If an unredeemed, sinful father will give his children "good

gifts," imagine "HOW MUCH MORE" our loving, gracious
and faithful Heavenly Father wants to answer our prayers with
good gifts like the gift of the Holy Spirit who would soon be
poured out on the disciples.
Let’s not grow weary in praying for unsaved friends and relatives. God is "mighty to save"
and desires that we draw close to Him through prayer.
notice.
79114-7403.

Fired Up or Fizzled Out?

Acts 3-4; Revelation 3:14-20
1. A small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness to the stand in a trial, a
grandmotherly, elderly woman. He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know
me?" She responded, "Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you
were a young boy. And frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you
cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You
think you’re a rising big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you will never
amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you." The lawyer
was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs.
Williams, do you know the defense attorney?" She replied, "Why, yes I do. I've known
Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. And
he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking
problem. The man can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice
is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him." At this point, the judge
rapped the courtroom to silence and called both counselors to the bench. In a very quiet
voice, he said with menace, "If either of you asks her if she knows me, you'll be jailed for
contempt!"
2. Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, "I know your works…" He knows everything about
us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows this church and our attitude
toward Him and the gospel message. He knows if we are fired up or fizzled out.
3. What is our attitude toward the Lord and the gospel? Today we will examine two churches
and their spiritual condition. From their example we will draw some counsel for the
contemporary church.
I. Case Study #1 – The Jerusalem Church (Acts 3-4).
A. The Apostles in Prison (3:1-26-4:4). The scene is played out just after
Pentecost while the church is growing dramatically in number and in strength.
Peter and John go to the Temple and meet a lame man who is begging for a
handout. They have no money to give him but they offer him healing "in the
name of Jesus." The man’s legs are miraculously healed and he followed them
"walking, leaping and praising God." The crowds saw this awesome miracle
and were "greatly amazed." Peter then launched into a powerful presentation

of the gospel message. However when the religious leaders heard what had
happened, they arrested Peter and John and kept them in prison overnight.
B. The Gospel on Trial (4:5-22). The next day the apostles were brought
before a tribunal for a hearing. The Jewish leaders asked, "By what power or
by what name have you done this?" Peter told them it was "by the name of
Jesus Christ whom you crucified" and that there was "no other name under
heaven given among men by which we must be saved." It was when the
Jews "saw the BOLDNESS of Peter and John" that they "realized they had
been with Jesus." They warned them sternly to "speak to no man in this
name… not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus." However the
apostles replied, "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and
heard." Though the court threatened them further, they "let them go" because
of the people.
C. The Church in Prayer (4:23-33).
1. When they were released, Peter and John went back to the
church and "reported" all that had happened. What did they do
next? They didn’t file a lawsuit complaining about the violation
of their freedom of speech. They didn’t call a press conference.
They didn’t consider themselves victims. THEY PRAYED! If
the early church was persecuted, they prayed. If they were
challenged, they prayed. They had something we have lost, the
instinctive response to any situation was to pray.
2. They "raised their voice to God with one accord." Sounds

noisy! Sounds wonderful! Let’s read this brief synopsis of their
prayer in vv.24-30. What did they pray for? "Boldness" in
speaking the word and "signs and wonders" from the Lord.
3. The place was "shaken" and they were "all filled with the
Holy Spirit." Oh that we might ALL be filled or yielded to
God’s Spirit! Their prayer was answered for they "spoke the
word of God with boldness."
4. Thousands of believers were "of one heart and one soul."

They freely shared with each other and "had all things in
common." God gave "great power" to the apostles and "great
grace was upon them all." What a church! Would you like to
have a church like that today?

II. Case Study #2 – The Laodicean Church (Rev.3:14-17a).
- As we turn to Rev.3, we flash forward in time some 50 years. The gospel went out from the
Jerusalem church to the entire Mediterranean world even to the Lycus valley of Phrygia to
Laodicea. About 100 miles east of Ephesus, Laodicea was at the intersection of three major
highways, a busy center of commerce with many banks and financiers. They produced a
highly demanded wool as well as many ancient medicines. They built theatres, a huge
stadium, lavish public baths and shopping centers. It was a sort of Bank of America, Mall of
America and Mayo Clinic all rolled into one.
- The Church of Laodicea was never visited by Paul but he mentions that fellowship 4 times
in the book of Colossians. 4:16 suggests that he wrote them at least one non-canonical letter.
At least early on this was a great church for there is no correction from the apostle. But over
the years something happened. The believer’s passion had fizzled. They had become
indifferent, lax and apathetic. Jesus describes the church here in two ways: LUKEWARM
and DECEIVED.
A. The Church was Lukewarm (vv.14-16).
1. Jesus told John to write to the "angel," messenger or pastor of

the church. This is the last of 7 such messages to the churches of
Asia.
2. The Lord goes on to describe Himself in three ways. He is the

"Amen" or the final word. He is the "Faithful and True
Witness." He knows everything and hides nothing. Like the lady
on the witness stand, He "tells it like it is." He is the "Beginning
of the creation of God." Jesus is the origin of everything, first
in time and place. Col.1:17 says, "And He is before all things,
and in Him all things consist."
3. Again, Jesus says, "I know your works." He is saying,

"Nobody knows you like I do. I know you better than you
know yourself. You can’t fool Me."
4. Jesus tells them that they are "lukewarm and neither cold
nor hot." "Hot" here is from zestos, "boiling." We get our words
"zest" and "zeal" from it. Rom.12:11 says, "not lagging in
diligence, fervent [zestos] in spirit, serving the Lord." The
Jerusalem church was "hot."
5. Jesus also says "I could wish you were cold or hot." Why

"cold?" Not far away was Heirapolis which had natural hot
springs. Colossae was also close by and it was well known for
cold subterranean springs. Laodicea had neither. In fact, they
devised an underground aqueduct to bring water to their city. It
became tepid, lukewarm and visitors often spat it out as
unappetizing.
6. Because the Laodicean believers were not "hot" in their

passion for the gospel nor even refreshingly cold, because they
were tepid, lukewarm, Jesus said he would "vomit" them out of
His mouth. This is a more intense word than "spit."
7. They were neither "cold nor hot;" they were not pagans but
not sincere believers; they did not oppose the gospel but neither
did they defend it; they were doing no great harm but neither any
great good; they didn’t have a bad reputation but they weren’t
distinguished by holiness; they were not irreligious but neither
were they very excited about God’s work. In a word, church was
something they did on Sundays and that was it.
B. The Church was Deceived (v.17).
1. Underline two phrases in v.17: "you say" and "you are."

They said they were one thing, but Jesus "the Faithful and
True Witness" said in reality they were something quite the
opposite.
2. The Laodicean believers said they were "rich," "wealthy" and

had "need of nothing." "Rich" refers to an abundance of
material blessings, a thick budget with investments to spare.
"Wealthy" refers to increasing in wealth. They kept on
acquiring more and more things. They had "need of nothing."
Because of their bank accounts, they didn’t need to ask anything
of man or pray for anything from God.
3. In today’s terms, this would be a church with beautiful

buildings, a gifted staff, professional music and the respect of
the community… yet Jesus said they were "wretched,
miserable poor, blind and naked."
4. "Wretched" means to be callused or hardened to truth.

"Miserable" means to be the object of pity, like a homeless

person. "Poor" here means "beggarly," one who begs for

crumbs. "Blind" refers to being spiritually blind to the glory of
God, His vision and His compassion for unbelievers. "Naked"
comes from the Greek word from which we get our word
"gymnasium," in rags.
125 years ago, Charles Spurgeon wrote of this church, "This church which was so rich in
its own esteem, was utterly bankrupt in the sight of the Lord. It had not real joy in the
Lord; it had mistaken its joy in itself for that. It had no real beauty of holiness upon it;
it had mistaken its formal worship and fine buildings and harmonious singing for that.
It had not deep understanding of the truth and not wealth of vital godliness, it had
mistaken carnal wisdom and outward profession for those precious things. It was poor
in secret prayer, which is the strength of any church; it was destitute of communion
with Christ, which is the very life blood of religion; but it had the outward semblance of
these blessings and walked in a vain show" (www.biblebb.com/files/spurgon/
WARNLUKE.TEXT).
5. What is the difference in "you say" and "you are?" Why did
they see themselves so differently than the way Christ saw
them? They were judging by different standards.
Imagine a small Panhandle town football team playing the state finals in Texas Stadium.
After 10 minutes they are down 21-3. The coach calls a time out and gathers his players.
They say, "Wow aren’t these great uniforms?" "I see Lee Roy Jordan’s name on the
Ring of Honor!" "Look I see my grandma in the stands!" "Isn’t this fun?" What does the
coach say? He says, "Look at the scoreboard. We are not here to have fun but to win the
game." Church, are we really impacting the community with the gospel? We are swapping
fish in the fishbowl with great success but are we really trusting the power of the gospel? By
what standards do we judge ourselves? Are we more like Jerusalem or Laodicea?
III. Counsel for the Contemporary Church (Rev.3:17b-20).
A. See Ourselves for What We Are (v.17b).
1. A man goes to the doctor for tests but says, "Doc, don’t tell
me how bad it is, I don’t want to know." You know it is bad
when you don’t want to know how bad it is. We need to see the
truth!
2. Church, are we like Laodicea? Is there a difference between

what we say or think about our church and what Jesus knows we
are!

3. We may think that we are "rich," "wealthy" and have "need

of nothing" but Jesus knows better. He knows that at least in
some ways we are "wretched, miserable, poor, blind and
naked."
B. Return Again to What We Were (vv.18-19).
1. Jesus says, "Buy from Me…" This is reminiscent of Is.55:1,

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you
who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy
wine and milk Without money and without price." It means
get from Jesus what only Jesus can give.
2. We are to get from Jesus "gold refined in the fire." We are to

stop stockpiling the shiny stuff of the world (fool’s gold) and
find the genuine gold of heaven, tried and true faith in our
prayer-answering God! 1 Pet.1:7 says, "that the genuineness of
your faith, being much more precious than gold that
perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise,
honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
3. We are to get from Jesus "white garments." Believers are

positionally robed in Christ’s righteousness, but we are to put on
practical righteousness, personal holiness which only comes
from seeking Jesus with all our hearts.
4. We are to get from Jesus "eye salve." Many have developed

spiritual cataracts. We haven’t really seen God in a long time.
We need a fresh glimpse of His glory and a fresh tear-stained
vision of the world apart from Him.
5. Jesus said that it is because of His "love" for us that He will

"rebuke and chasten" us. Like a father paddling his children,
God wants to correct us. The key is to "be zealous and repent."
Are we repentant?
C. Open the Doors of Our Hearts to Christ (v.20).
1. Years ago I memorized v.20 as part of a gospel presentation.

In context, however, the picture is not that of Christ knocking on
the door of the heart of a sinner but knocking on the door of a

church full of saints!
2. "Stand" and "knock" are in the present tense, Jesus keeps on

standing and knocking. Every time the word convicts, every
prayer that is answered, every circumstance that blesses are His
knockings.
3. "Dine" refers to the principle meal of the day, a full course

dinner. He says he will "dine with him and he with Me." When
we make room for Jesus, He brings the feast. When Jesus is in
the house we will be "lukewarm" no longer. Are you fired up or
fizzled out!
Growing up I heard stories of my parents taking "castor oil" when they were sick. By my
day, pharmaceutical companies learned that kids take their medicine much easier when it
tastes good. Jesus has laid out our medicine in proper dosage. We are to "be zealous and
repent" we are to "open the door" and let Him come in. In taking this we find not only does
it work but also it is sweet to our taste!
The church can’t open the door, only individual Christians. Corporately we will not see the
power of the gospel until we individually welcome Jesus into the heart of our church.
notice.
79114-7403.

How to Give Away Your Faith
July 2, 2000 Coy Wylie

John 4:3-42
1. Bob and Lynn were a Christian couple who were so moved by their pastor’s message of
sharing the gospel that when they saw a moving van in front of the house across the street,
they decided to try to witness to their new neighbors. Lynn prepared some homemade bread
and together they approached the house. When someone answered the front door, Bob said,
"Hi. We wanted to welcome you to our neighborhood. Here's some bread for you." The
woman, who answered the door said, "Thank you very much for your kindness. Uh...this
is embarrassing. You see, we're not moving in. We're moving out. We've lived here 8
years." Maybe that hits close to home.
2. Committed Christians often have great intentions for witnessing but fail to actually follow
through with telling others about Christ. Some tend to think that evangelism is the job of the
pastor and the church staff or those who have the gift of evangelism.
3. Lieghton Ford tells about speaking at a crusade in Nova Scotia several years ago. Billy
Graham was to speak the next night and had arrived a day early. He came incognito and sat
on the grass at the rear of the crowd. Because he was wearing a hat and dark glasses, no one
recognized him. Directly in front of him sat an elderly gentleman who seemed to be listening
intently to Ford’s presentation. When the altar call began, Billy decided to do a little personal
evangelism. He tapped the man on the shoulder and asked, "Would you like to accept
Christ? I'll be glad to walk down with you if you want to." The old man thought it over
for a moment, and then said, "No, I think I'll just wait till the big gun comes tomorrow
night." Unfortunately, in the minds of many people, evangelism is the task of the "big guns"
not the "little shots" (Good News is for Sharing, Lieghton Ford, 1977, David C. Cook
Publishing Co., Page 67).
4. Every saved person has both the privilege and the awesome responsibility to share Christ's
gospel with others. In this passage, Jesus gives us four steps to telling others about Him.
I. Look for a Divine Appointment (vv.3-8).
A. Jesus took an Unusual Route to Galilee.
1. According to v.3, Jesus "left Judea" in the south and was on

his way to "Galilee" the northern region of Israel. "Samaria"

geographically divided Israel. Samaritans were half-breed Jews
who held a bitter rivalry with the Jews. Most Jews would not
even step on Samaritan soil.
2. Note in v.4 that Jesus "needed to go through Samaria." He

had no prejudice. Even more importantly, Jesus had a divine
appointment that He needed to keep.
3. Jesus and the disciples came to the Samaritan city of

"Sychar" which was the site of a historic well, known as
"Jacob's well." There was probably a historical marker telling of
how the patriarch Jacob had dug the well centuries before to
water his livestock.
4. V.6 says Jesus was "wearied from His journey." He had

walked all morning so He sat down "about the sixth
hour" (noon) to rest. V.8 says the disciples had gone into town
"to buy food."
5. While Jesus was resting alone "a woman of Samaria" came

to draw water. This was strange because normally women drew
water in early morning or late evening. She came at noon
because she was a social outcast. She was known as a tramp and
was despised by other women.
6. At high noon, Jesus commenced His divine appointment with

the words "Give me a drink."
B. God sets up Divine Appointments All Around Us.
1. God puts us in situations where we can witness for Him.
a. God may have given you your job so that you

could witness to someone and to provide for your
family.
b. God may have placed you in your class to be a

witness to another student and to get an education.
c. God may have placed you in your neighborhood

to witness to a special person and to provide a

home.
d. You may think you work out at your gym in

order to get in shape but God may have placed
you there for one other person.
e. You may be teaching that Bible study to help

believers learn, but it may be because God wants
you to lead one person to the Lord.
2. God knows just how to orchestrate our lives so we will have

the opportunities to share the gospel with others.
3. How tragic that we are often so concerned with our own

selfish needs that we are oblivious to the divine appointments
God gives us.
4. Stop and think of people that you know who are lost. Think of
how you've developed a relationship with them. It's not by
accident. It is the plan of God. How tragic that we pass on the
opportunity to share Christ.
The Times-Reporter of New Philadelphia, Ohio, reported in September 1985 of a celebration

of a New Orleans municipal pool. The party around the pool was held to celebrate the first
summer in memory without a drowning at the New Orleans City pool. In honor of the
occasion, 200 people gathered, including 100 certified lifeguards. As the party was breaking
up and the four lifeguards on duty began to clear the pool, they found a fully dressed body in
the deep end. They tried to revive Jerome Moody, 31, but it was too late. He had drowned
surrounded by lifeguards celebrating their successful season.
C. Today might be Your Divine Appointment!
II. Initiate a Spiritual Conversation (vv.7, 9-19).
A. First, Jesus Asked Questions.
1. Jesus said, "Give me a drink." In Greek it is more of a

question, "Will you please give me a drink?" Wells were deep
and without a pitcher Jesus couldn't drink.
2. One of the greatest ways to talk with someone about the Lord
is to ask him or her questions about what they believe about

God, church...
B. Second, Jesus Listened.
1. The woman couldn't understand why Jesus would ask her. He

was a "Jew" and she a "Samaritan." The verse adds "for Jews
have no dealings with Samaritans." She was a "woman."
Jewish men rarely spoke to women, much less Samaritan
women.
2. People don't want someone to preach to them. They don't need

someone pounding them over the head with a Bible. They need
someone who will listen to their problems, value them as
persons and lovingly talk about Jesus.
C. Third, Jesus used a Common Interest.
1. They were both at the well for water. Jesus used that hook to
tell her of her need for "living water." The woman responded by
telling Jesus that He has nothing to draw with, how could He get
"living water?"
2. She mocked Him by asking if He is greater than "our father

Jacob." This would be an insult to most Jews. You have to be
prepared for insults when witnessing.
3. Jesus explained His water is a "fountain... springing up into

everlasting life." It's not physical but spiritual!
4. How can you identify with your friends? Sports? Music?

School? Hobbies? Business? Common Friends? Use those hooks
to open a deeper conversation about God.
D. Fourth, Jesus found an Open Nerve.
1. The woman still didn't get it. She asks for the physical water
so that she won't have the exertion or social embarrassment of
coming to the well.
2. Jesus asked her to call her "husband." She responded that she
had no husband. Jesus tells her that she is truthful. He also says
that she has had "five husbands"

and the one she lives with now is not her husband. That's why
she was considered a prostitute in town!
3. Imagine her, standing there mouth hanging open. All she can
say is "I perceive that you are a prophet!"
4. Jesus found a raw nerve. I saw a sign reading "I only have
one nerve left and you are standing on it!"
5. Have you ever had a dentist touch a nerve in a cavity? Our

friends have raw nerves too: marriage problems, financial and
health problems, loneliness...
6. Because almost everyone feels some kind of pain, we can

introduce them to the healing authority of the Lord Jesus!
7. You may be struggling with much pain in your life right now.
You may identify more with the woman than with Jesus. That's
okay! Jesus wants to heal you today!
III. Avoid Being Sidetracked by Religion (vv.20-26).
A. Jesus would not be Sidetracked by Doctrinal or Cultural Differences.
1. She concluded that Jesus is "prophet" and so she shifts gears

to the subject to religion.
2. Pointing to Mt. Gerazim, She says her fathers said they were
to worship there. She then says that the "Jews" say that
"Jerusalem is the place." In other words, "Catholics say this,
but Baptists say this..."
3. Jesus didn’t become embroiled in a denominational debate;

neither does He deny his own religious heritage.
4. He says, "True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit

(heart) and truth (head)."
5. Suddenly, she gets the picture. She knows the "Messiah is

coming" and that "He will tell us all things." Jesus then reveals
Himself "I who speak to you am He."

B. We must center our Conversation on Jesus.
1. We can be sidetracked by religion, "Why are there so many

religions, denominations, and churches?" Salvation is not
religion; it is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
2. We can be sidetracked by the actions of others - "There are

so many hypocrites in your church!" I agree!
3. We can be sidetracked by racial issues - "You people don't

understand!"
4. We can be sidetracked by social/political issues, "What about

all the crime? What about the government? What about
abortion? What about the election?"
C. No matter what your religious question, the answer is Jesus! He is the

only one who can truly satisfy your soul. Jesus said in Mat.11:28, "Come to
Me [not a church or a denomination], all you who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest."
IV. Expect a Spiritual Harvest (vv.27-42).
A. The Return of the Disciples (v.27).
1. Meanwhile the disciples came back from Sychar with food.

They too "marveled" at the fact that He was speaking with such
a woman.
2. No one questioned Jesus. They didn't ask, "What do You

seek?" or "Why are You talking to her?"
B. The Testimony of the Woman (vv.28-30).
1. The woman "left her water pot" went back to "the city" and
spoke of her new faith "to the men." After all, she knew them
best!
2. She said, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I
ever did. Could this be the Christ?" She knew in her heart He
was! The men came to Jesus too, "they went out of the city and

came to Him."
C. The Seminary Lesson in Sychar (v.31).
1. "In the meantime" while the Samaritans were coming, the

disciples urged Jesus to eat the food they had brought. He says,
"I have food you know not of." They wondered who fed Him
while they were away.
2. Jesus clarifies things by saying that His "food is to do the

will" of God and to "finish His work."
3. It wasn't enough to win the woman, Jesus wanted the city. It

wasn't enough to be born of a virgin He lived sinlessly. It wasn't
enough to have a sinless life He died vicariously. It wasn't
enough to die He rose from the grave. It wasn't enough to rise
again He ascended to heaven. It wasn't enough to ascend He
SAT DOWN at God's right hand. He came to "finish" His work!
4. He points to the coming Samaritans and says "lift up your

eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for
harvest!" As they looked up they saw many Samaritan coming
to them.
5. Jesus tells the disciples that they are about to have an

evangelism class. They will "reap that for which you have not
labored."
6. When Jesus said the "fields... are already white [ripe] for the
harvest." He meant that people are ready to be saved. They just
need someone to tell them about Jesus. He said in Mat.9:37-38,
"The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers
into His harvest." Don't pray just for the lost, pray for yourself
that you'll have the courage to speak to them!
7. We don't share the gospel because we lose sight of spiritual

eternal needs by becoming preoccupied with the physical
temporary world.
8. We are preoccupied with our agendas, careers, finances,

possessions... We are hindered by our prejudices: racial, social,

economic... Our fear of being rejected outweighs our fear of hell

for the lost!
D. The Response from the Samaritans (vv.39-42).
1. "Many of the Samaritans...believed in Him." They had a

great revival. Notice that their belief was "because of the word
of the woman."
2. At their urging, Jesus stayed there "two days." The people

then believed, not because of what the woman said but because
they heard Him and knew that "this is indeed the Christ, the
Savior of the world."
There is a marvelous story of a man who once stood before God, his heart breaking from the
pain and injustice in the world. "Dear God," he cried out, "look at all the suffering, the
anguish and distress in your world. Why don't you send help?" God responded, "I did
send help. I sent you." God has sent each of us to help a hurting world find healing and
peace in the grace of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion: Patrick Kelly was a poet with rare insight that reached far beyond his 15 years.
You've probably never heard of him and the poem you are about to hear is probably the only
one he ever wrote... but when he wrote this one, he wrote with the soul of a young man
mirrored in millions of others. Listen with discernment the lines of a searching young man...
see if you, like me, hear the cry that is echoed not only by 15-year-olds like him, but often
among those of us with thinning hair and bifocals:
The sky is blue and way too high

I wish I could get beyond the sky
There's things up there better than dope
Is there some chance, is there some hope?
Stoned crazy, I'm out of my mind
I know there's something I cannot find
A home and love, is that what I've lost?
I've got to get there, whatever the cost
Is there a ticket I need to buy
To get off this earth and into the sky?
I hear there's a god in that ocean of blue
And he's calling and crying for me and you.
Is there a ticket I need to buy
To get off this earth and into the sky?

Pat Kelly wrote this masterpiece, carefully pinned it to his shirt, walked to a tree 40 feet from
his house, and hung himself. Somebody passed on a divine appointment.
notice.
79114-7403.

Witnessing to a Willing Heart

Acts 8:25-40
1. My first witnessing experience was with a person with a willing heart. I grew up with my
friend Gary. Our fathers knew each other. Our grandfathers knew each other. I was blessed to
be raised in a Christian home and I went to church each time the doors were open. Gary’s
parents were good people but they didn’t go to church. We spent a lot of time together
hunting and fishing and it just seemed natural that I invited him to our church. We were
about 16 and reveling in our newfound freedoms. I became convicted that not only was I
sometimes a bad example for Gary but that I had done nothing to share my faith with him.
One night after a church service, another friend and I sat Gary down between us on the bench
seat of a farm pickup and said, "You need to be saved." As best we could, we explained how
Jesus died for his sins, was buried and rose again. We encouraged him to call on the Lord
and he did. Today, my lifelong friend is actively serving the Lord as a deacon in my home
church. Though I’ve been privileged to share the gospel with many people over the years,
I’m thankful my first experience was with a willing heart.
2. Jesus told His disciples in Jn.4:35, "Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at
the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" There are people around us whose
hearts have been prepared by the Master. They simply need someone to share with them the
good news so they can believe.
3. Today we will examine three aspects of the wonderful story of the conversion of the
Ethiopian eunuch and then learn some lasting lessons for witnessing to a willing heart.
I. God Prepared the Encounter (vv.25-28).
A. God Always Initiates Salvation.
1. Jesus said in Lk.19:10, "For the Son of Man has come to

seek and to save that which was lost." I am saved, not because
I sought God but because He sought me. Rom.3:11 says, "There
is none who seeks after God." 1 Jn.4:19 says, "We love Him
because He first loved us." My relationship with God began
because He in His sovereignty drew me to Himself.

2. There are two obstacles that keep men from God. First there is
our SPIRITUAL DEPRAVITY. Eph.2:1 says we were "…were
dead in trespasses and sins." We could not respond to spiritual
stimuli. 1 Cor.2:14 says, "But the natural man does not
receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are
foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned." Jesus said in Jn.6:44, "No one can come
to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him."
3. The second obstacle that keeps men from God is SPIRITUAL

WARFARE. 2 Cor.4:3-4 says, "But even if our gospel is
veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds
the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the
light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of
God, should shine on them." In Mat.13:19, Jesus described
Satan as "the wicked one" who "comes and snatches away
what was sown in his heart."
4. The only way anyone can be saved is by God, in grace,

reaching down to call him to Himself. God always initiates
salvation. It is purely by grace apart from human works. In our
text we find a man who was drawn by God’s grace.
B. God used Philip (vv.25-27a).
1. Philip was a "preaching disciple." He was set apart as a

deacon in Acts 6:5. Early in chapter 8 we find him being greatly
used of God in Samaria. Let’s read vv.4-8.
2. Later the apostles Peter and John joined Philip in Samaria. In

v.25 we see the revival spreading.
3. In the midst of this successful evangelistic venture, "an angel

of the Lord spoke to Philip." He told him to leave Samaria and
"go toward the south." He was to follow "the road which goes
down from Jerusalem to Gaza." "Gaza" was an ancient
Philistine city. Interestingly the word "south" can also mean
"noon" as it is translated in Acts 22:6. The angel may have been
saying, "At noon travel south on the road to Gaza."
4. Note that "This is desert" or "a deserted place." The old city
of Gaza was destroyed in the 1st Century b.c., the newer city had

been built closer to the coast. There were two roads that went to
Gaza, one frequently used and one nearly deserted, going
through the old city.
5. "Philip "arose and went." He offered no excuses. He could

have said, "I’m in the midst of a successful revival," or "No
one travels that deserted road anymore" or "No one travels
in the heat of the day."
6. A true disciple, one who upholds the power of the gospel does
not question God. He goes. Like Abraham who "rose early" to
go and sacrifice His son, the Spirit-led believer instantly obeys
the word of the Lord.
7. God uses men and women of instant obedience!
C. God used the Questions in the Ethiopian’s Heart (vv.27b-28a).
1. As Philip followed God’s orders, he encountered "a man of

Ethiopia." The Greek word for "Ethiopia" means "burnt face."
Blacks inhabited this country south of Egypt.
2. The Ethiopian king was believed to be descended from the

sun and considered holy. All governmental affairs were handled
by the queen mother known by the title "Candace" which was
similar to Caesar or Pharaoh.
3. He had "great authority" and served under the queen by

having "charge of all her treasury." He was the royal Minister
of Finance, a VIP who was no doubt highly educated and had
great moral integrity. He was probably well born, influential and
very rich.
4. He is described as a "eunuch." Many ancient dynasties used

emasculated males in high offices because they were perceived
to be more loyal.
5. The eunuch had "come to Jerusalem to worship." Even

though he was rich and powerful, there was something empty
within him. He was disappointed and disillusioned with life. He
found no peace in his native religion. He probably became what
the Jews called a "God-fearer" hoping to satisfy his soul. At last

he went "to Jerusalem to worship."
6. In the holy city, he was denied access to the temple because

he was a eunuch (Deut.23:1). He did however worship the true
God at the temple gates.
7. Like many people today, the eunuch sought God and lived up
to what he knew about God. The Lord promised in Jer.29:13,
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me
with all your heart." Heb.11:6 says, "But without faith it is
impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him."
D. God used the Scripture in the Ethiopian’s Hand (vv.28b).
1. When Philip found the Ethiopian, he was "sitting in his

chariot… reading Isaiah the prophet."
2. Somehow, probably at great expense, he had purchased a

papyrus scroll of Isaiah. Maybe he bought Isaiah because of
what it says about eunuchs in 56:3-5.
3. God’s existence and His attributes can be seen in nature

(Rom.1:20) but saving knowledge of Christ, the gospel can only
be known through His Word (Rom.10:12-15).
4. God was at work creating a willing heart in the Ethiopian. He

put a longing in his heart that could not be satisfied. He drew
him to Jerusalem, the holy city. He helped him acquire the
Word. He sent Philip to meet him on the "desert" road, a most
unlikely place.
5. God was at work! Maybe He is at work in your life today!
II. Philip Presented the Gospel (vv.29-35).
A. Philip had Spirit-filled Boldness (vv.29-30a).
1. First note that "the Spirit said to Philip…" In v.26 it was "an
angel of the Lord." In the church’s first Gentile convert it
seems as if God used the prevalent OT messenger (the angel)

and the prevailing NT messenger (the Spirit) together to bring

Philip to the Ethiopian.
2. The Spirit’s timing is perfect. Philip was going south. The

eunuch was going south. At just the time the "chariot" passed
Philip, he no doubt heard the eunuch read the Scripture aloud. At
just this moment the Spirit whispered, "Go near and overtake
this chariot."
3. V.30 says "Philip ran to him." It is doubtful that an

important official like the eunuch traveled alone. He probably
had an impressive entourage. Yet Philip was not intimidated.
The prayers of the church in Acts 4:31 teach us that when we are
"filled with the Spirit" we will speak "the Word of God with
boldness."
B. Philip had Biblical Knowledge (vv.30b-35a).
1. Philip boldly asked, "Do you understand what you are

reading?" He answered, "How can I, unless someone guides
me?" Seemingly delighted to have a teacher, he invited Philip to
"come up and sit with him."
2. He didn’t "understand" what he read. He not only needed the

inspired Word, he needed a prepared teacher.
3. Some people say, "I’m just going to read the Bible for
myself. I don’t need anyone to teach me." Charles Spurgeon
used to say, "I cannot understand why some men set such
great value on what the Holy Spirit says to them, and so little
value on what He said to anyone else." God not only gives us
the Scriptures, He gives us gifted teachers as well.
4. The Ethiopian was reading from Is.53:7-8, the chapter of the

suffering Messiah. His question was, "Of whom does the
prophet say this, of himself or some other man." There was a
difference of opinion on this among the scholars of Jerusalem.
However, Philip "beginning at this Scripture preached Jesus
to Him."
5. Do you have enough biblical knowledge that you could begin

at any Scripture and proclaim Jesus? Let’s turn to and read

Rom.10:12-15.
C. Philip had his Focus on Jesus (v.35b).
1. He didn’t use a canned approach; neither did he weigh in with

heavy theological issues. He "preached Jesus."
2. The church cannot save. The denomination cannot save. Only

Christ can save. We must point men to Him (4:12).
We must be like the boy who returned home after attending SS in a new church. His mom
asked, "Who was your teacher?" The boy replied, "I don’t remember her name, but she
must have been Jesus’ grandmother because He was all she could talk about!"
III. The Eunuch Accepted the Savior (vv.36-40).
A. The Eunuch expressed Faith (v.36).
1. As Philip "preached" something happened in the eunuch. He

said YES to the Spirit’s call. He was saved. So, he asked, "What
hinders me from being baptized?"
2. Philip could have said he was from the wrong race, a Gentile,
and the wrong color, black. He could have noted his sexuality as
a eunuch. But to Philip’s credit and to the church’s eternal
edification, there was no objection.
3. A hymn says, "We make His love too narrow by false limits
of our own; And we magnify His strictness with a zeal He
will not own. For the love of God is broader than the
measures of the mind; and the heart of the Eternal is most
wonderfully kind."
B. The Eunuch made a Public Profession (vv.37-38).
1. Though v.37 is absent from many modern translations it is in

keeping with the context.
2. The chariot was stopped and then "both Philip and the
eunuch went down into the water." There Philip
"baptized" [dipped or immersed] him.

3. The Ethiopian’s baptism in v.38 was acting out his confession

in v.37. Baptism is aligning one’s self with Christ and the first
act of obedience in the life of faith. Believers who have not been
baptized are disobedient.
C. The Eunuch returned Rejoicing (vv.39-40).
1. When they came up from the water "the Spirit of the Lord
caught Philip away" and "the eunuch saw him no more." Like
Elijah and Ezekiel before him, it seems that God miraculously
placed him "at Azotus" miles away. Some Bible scholars
interpret this to mean that Philip was "caught up in the Spirit" or
so enthralled he did not come to himself until he reached Azotus.
2. Nonetheless, the eunuch "went on his way rejoicing." The

mark of true belief is to "rejoice with joy inexpressible and full
of glory" (1 Pet.1:8).
3. Though the Scripture is silent, Irenaeus said the eunuch

became a missionary to the Ethiopian people.
IV. Lasting Lessons for Witnessing to a Willing Heart.
A. Realize that Your Efforts Save No One. No matter how much we

proclaim the message, no one is saved until the Lord draws him. We are only
to proclaim, the power is God’s.
B. Rely Wholly on the Holy Spirit. The most important aspect of witnessing
is the work of the Spirit of God.
Ray Stedman said, "We Christians tend to dig channels for the flowing river of God, and
we say, ‘Come, O River of God and flow now through this channel we have dug for
you.’ And to our dismay there is just a little trickle of water that comes down through,
while the great flood of God’s power is moving out through the mud flats somewhere,
where we do not think He belongs" (http://pbc.org/dp/stedman/acts/0425.html). We can’t
anymore schedule a revival or the work of the Spirit than we can the weather.
C. Remember to Center You Conversation on Jesus. No one or nothing else

brings genuine salvation. How often has God sent willing hearts our way and
we have been content to talk of our new cars, our jobs or sports. May we live
out Jn.3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

notice.
79114-7403.

Witnessing to an Unwilling Heart

Acts 25:13-26:32
1. Unfortunately, when it comes to sharing the gospel, not everyone has ears to hear, not
everyone has a willing heart. Some people have hardened hearts. They are cynical and
skeptical of the foundational truths of the Bible. They don’t believe that Jesus was the Son of
God or that He died for our sins and rose again.
2. It is always a joy to share our faith with someone with a willing heart who is ready to
believe and respond to the gospel but how are we to respond to people with hardened,
unwilling hearts? Some will say, "They are not chosen, they are not God’s elect." Others
will say, "Why waste your time on someone with a closed mind?" It seems many
Christians write off the skeptics of the gospel as hopeless and neglect to witness to them.
This should never be our attitude. Jesus commands us "Go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature" (Mk.16:15).
3. Perhaps the Apostle Paul faced some of the most unwilling hearts in the world as he stood
before Roman officials. Under great pressure, he did not flinch. He boldly proclaimed with
convincing evidence the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and how the Lord had
changed his life.
4. In today’s message, we will sit in the royal "auditorium" of Governor Festus and hear
Paul’s powerful message to the hardened heart of King Agrippa. Afterward, we’ll identify
three lessons to be learned in witnessing to the skeptics around us.
I. Festus’ Dilemma (25:13-27).
A. The Context of Paul’s Imprisonment.
1. In Acts 21-25 we learn that Paul was arrested in Jerusalem on

the false charges of instigating civil unrest by preaching against
the Mosaic Law and defiling the temple by bringing a Gentile
into the inner courts.
2. He was rescued from death at the hands of the mob and

protected from assassination plots by a Roman commander

named Claudius Lysias.
3. He was then delivered to the Roman governor of Judea, Felix

in Caesarea. Felix listened to the charges of the Sanhedrin court
and Paul’s defense. He procrastinated judgment for "two years"
until his successor Porcius Festus took his place.
4. To get off on the right foot and "wanting to do the Jews a

favor," Festus proposed to send Paul back to Jerusalem for trial
because the charges were more theological than criminal.
However, Paul knew death awaited him in Jerusalem and used
his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar. Festus said,
"You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!"
5. This placed Festus in something of a dilemma because in

sending a prisoner to Caesar’s court, he had to write the
indictment. He still really didn’t know what crime Paul had
committed. He was delighted then to welcome a visit from the
governor of Israel, Agrippa and seek his counsel.
6. This was like our government’s quandary over Elian!
B. The Arrival of Agrippa (vv.13-21).
1. "King Agrippa" had the official name of Herod Agrippa II.

He was an Edomite king who ruled the northern part of Palestine
under Rome. His father, Agrippa I had James killed, arrested
Peter and was struck down by the Lord and eaten by worms for
failing to give God the glory. His great-uncle Herod Antipas had
John the Baptist beheaded and put Jesus on trial. His great-grand
father was Herod the Great who tried to kill the baby Jesus by
murdering the children of Bethlehem.
2. Agrippa is always mentioned with "Bernice" who was both

his sister and his lover. Their incestuous relationship was the
subject of great scandal. Their other sister "Drusilla" was the
wife of former governor Felix.
3. Agrippa controlled the temple treasury and had the right to

appoint the high priest. The Romans considered him an expert in
Jewish affairs.

4. Agrippa and Bernice "came to Caesarea to greet Festus"

and welcome him to the region. They stayed "many days" no
doubt discussing the politics of Rome. During this time, "Festus
laid Paul’s case before the king" and sought his expert counsel
(vv.14b-21).
5. Agrippa was obviously intrigued by the case and said, "I also
would like to hear this man myself." So they set an informal,
unofficial hearing up for the next day.
C. The Unofficial Inquiry (vv.22-27).
1. What a scene it was as "Agrippa and Bernice" came in to the

"auditorium" "with great pomp" and pageantry. The splendor
and power of Rome was evident in the presence of the
"commanders." Along with them stood the wealthy and
"prominent men of the city."
2. When everyone was seated "at Festus’ command Paul was

brought in." Scholars believe Paul was a small bald man with
very poor eyesight. His sufferings were etched on his body. He
wore the garb of a prisoner and stood before the august assembly
in chains. What a contrast!
3. Festus then laid out the charges as he knew them and his
assertion that Paul had done nothing wrong along with his
dilemma in what to write to Caesar (vv.24-27).
II. Paul’s Testimony (26:1-23).
A. Paul’s Courage and Courtesy (vv.1-3).
1. Fittingly, Agrippa took charge of the proceedings and said to

Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself."
2. As an eyewitness Luke writes, "So Paul stretched out his

hand and answered for himself." Can’t you see him? In grace
the chained hand reached out gesture and the brilliant mind led
by the Spirit gave him the words.
3. In v.2, we see his absolute delight to stand before the King.

He had a tremendous opportunity to share Christ!

4. He recognized Agrippa as "an expert in all customs and

questions which have to do with the Jews" and without fear
asked that he hear him "patiently."
B. Paul’s Judaism and Jesus (vv.4-11).
1. Concerning his early life and career in Jerusalem, Paul said

"all the Jews know." At one time he was their favorite son, the
fair-haired boy of Israel.
2. He said, "They knew me from the first." If any of them

would truthfully testify they would say he was of "the strictest
sect" and lived as a "Pharisee."
3. What happened? Why did they who once revered him now
want him dead? He said he was being "judged for the hope of
the promise made by God to our fathers." He said "For this
hope’s sake, King Agrippa I am accused by the Jews." What
"hope?" The hope that "God raises the dead."
4. The OT taught that there would be a great resurrection day. It

was not an "incredible" idea.
5. Paul simply believed that Christ had already been raised and
He was the "first fruits" of the resurrection.
6. He had given those years to "do many things contrary

[against] the name of Jesus." He arrested "many of the saints"
and had them "shut up in prison." When they were brought to
capital trial, he always voted guilty. He "punished" them in the
synagogues and tried to get them to "blaspheme" so they could
be put to death. He became "exceedingly enraged against
them" so that he even ventured to "foreign cities." Paul had
seen Christians as the plague and he was the cure.
C. Paul’s Conversion and Commission (vv.12-18).
1. In the process of going to Damascus to arrest even more

believers, Paul met Jesus. Let’s read his personal testimony in
vv.12-15. The "goads" were spikes on a chariot a stupid horse
would hurt himself on.

2. As the Lord had said to Jeremiah and Ezekiel, he commanded

Paul to "rise and stand." He told him he would be a "minister
and a witness." The persecutor would become a preacher and
the savage wolf would become a gentle shepherd.
3. Paul’s task would be "to open their eyes" and "turn them
from darkness to light… from the power of Satan to God," to
help them find "forgiveness" and "and inheritance… by faith"
in Christ.
D. Paul’s Ministry and Message (vv.19-23). Paul was "not disobedient" to

Jesus but witnessed "both to small and great" and gave the truth "which the
prophets and Moses said would come." Jesus the Messiah would suffer, die
and be the first to "rise from the dead."
III. Agrippa’s Response (25:24-32).
A. Festus offers His Opinion (vv.24-26). Festus thought he was "mad" to

believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Yet, Paul said his words were "of truth
and reason."
B. Agrippa is put on Trial (vv.27-29). The prisoner then put the prince on
trial. He called Agrippa to decide the truth. Agrippa said, "You almost [or
‘may shortly’] persuade me to become a Christian." Whether he was sincere
or cynical we do not know. Paul said he wished they were as he except for his
chains.
C. Paul is sent to Rome (vv.30-32).
IV. Lasting Lessons for Witnessing to an Unwilling Heart.
A. We must Seize Every Opportunity to Share Christ.
1. Paul was neither impressed by the pageantry of Agrippa nor

intimidated by the power of Rome. He saw Agrippa and the
court as men and women who needed Christ. His goal was not to
defend himself but to proclaim the gospel.
2. He was so determined that when people encountered Paul,

they encountered Christ. He said in Phil.1:21, "For to me, to
live is Christ…" He wrote in Gal.2:20, "I have been crucified

with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;

and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the
Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
3. As believers, we are Christ’s ambassadors to this world. 2

Cor.5:20 says, "We are ambassadors for Christ, as though
God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's
behalf, be reconciled to God." J.I. Packer describes an
ambassador as "an authorized representative of a sovereign.
He speaks not in his own name but on behalf of the ruler
whose deputy he is, and his whole duty and responsibility is
to interpret that ruler's mind faithfully to those to whom he
is sent."
4. Whether people respond or not, we are still to faithfully

represent our heavenly King here on foreign soil. We don’t
know what effect the gospel will have. We may plant a seed of
faith or water a seed already planted.
5. Paul was Christ’s representative before Jews and Gentiles,

before the powerful and the powerless, before princes and
paupers. So are we! No matter a person’s station in life, no
matter whether he accepts or a rejects the gospel, we are be
faithful ambassadors of heaven.
B. We must remember that Truth Produces Conviction.
1. To Festus’ assertion that Paul was "mad," the Apostle said on

the contrary that his words were "words of truth and reason,"
the stone cold truth. Our faith is not merely based on our
subjective experiences of God but our experiences of God are
based on the objective historical facts of history. Truth cannot be
denied.
2. Still speaking to Festus, Paul said of Agrippa, he "knows the

things for I am convinced that none of these things escapes
his attention."
3. Agrippa was well aware of the claims of Christ’s disciples for

"this thing was not done in a corner." It was no secret. He also
knew the OT. So Paul pressed him for a decision, "Do you
believe…?" He was asking, "King, do you believe what the

Bible says?" Note Paul answers his own question, "I know that
you believe." Paul knew that Agrippa knew his testimony was
true.
4. Agrippa felt the conviction of truth. The king protested that

Paul shouldn’t expect him to make a spur of the moment
decision. He was uncomfortable.
5. There are many people who profess to be open-minded,

thoughtful intellectuals, yet they reject objective truth. They
refuse to admit it even though inwardly they are convicted by it.
Why? It is not for intellectual reasons but for moral reasons.
Truth uncovers sin.
6. Agrippa would have to confess his ruthless rule and he would

have to admit his incestuous relationship with his sister. He
would have to admit his utter moral depravity and selfish sinful
desires. He was not prepared to do this.
7. Rom.1:16 says the gospel is "the power of God to salvation

for everyone who believes." When witnessing to hardened
hearts, we don’t have to convince them, we just have to tell them
the truth. God’s power alone brings about repentance and
conversion.
C. We must live in the Acceptance of Christ not the Exceptions of Life.
1. Note Paul’s statement in v.29. His prayer was that all of them
would be "as I am except for these chains."
2. Why did he say that he wanted them to be like him instead of

like Christ? Paul wanted them to know the light, love and
forgiveness of Christ he had come to know.
3. Paul’s only exception was "these chains." We have some

exceptions too. We might say, "I want you to be just like me
except for this sin… or this weakness… or this addiction."
All of us have exceptions.
4. Our exceptions are like a heavy load that weighs us down and
keeps us from being all Christ wants us to be. We often fail to
share our faith because of insecurity stemming from the

exceptions in our life.
5. Christ already accepts you just as you are! He knows your

sins but He says that you are His "workmanship" and that He
will complete the good work He started in you!
notice.
79114-7403.

Your Attitude and the Gospel

Romans 1:14-16
1. In the mid 1800’s, a group of prospectors set out from Bannock, Montana in search of
gold. Facing severe hardships, several of them died during the expedition. They were
attacked by hostile Indians who stole all their horses and warned them if they returned to
their country again they would all be killed. Defeated, discouraged and downtrodden, they
slowly made their way on foot back to Bannock. One evening as they camped by a stream,
one prospector found a gold nugget worth $12. The next day they all panned the stream and
found $50 in gold. As they hiked back to Bannock for supplies, they made a solemn vow to
tell no one of their find. However, when they headed back to mine their claim, some 300 men
followed them. Who had told the good news? No one! The prospectors’ beaming faces had
betrayed their secret!
2. The greatest discovery anyone can ever make is not gold in a stream but salvation in the
Lord Jesus Christ. When you think of the fact that Jesus died for your sins, was buried and
rose again in victory, securing forgiveness, peace and a home in heaven, does it cause you to
smile? Does your faith show on your face? How is your attitude concerning the gospel? Do
you really believe it? Do you believe the gospel, the good news changes lives? Do you really
believe Jesus is the only way to heaven?
3. The apostle Paul believed the gospel so strongly that it not only showed on his face, it
consumed his thoughts and filled every conversation. He believed so strongly in the message
of the cross that it became the utmost priority in his life. He dedicated himself to sharing the
good news with any and everyone.
4. In the last message in the series about the gospel, The Cross-Roads of Life we will
examine Paul’s BURDEN, BOLDNESS and BELIEF in the gospel and make some
applications to our lives.
I. Paul’s Burden: I am a Debtor (v.14).
A. The DEFINITION of being a "debtor."
1. Paul begins by saying, "I am a debtor." "Debtor" comes

from a Greek word meaning "an ower."

2. Vines’ Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

defines it as "one who owes anything to another, primarily in
regard to money" (p.269).
3. Jesus used this same word in The Model Prayer during the
Sermon on the Mount in Mat.6:12 where He taught us to pray
"And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Here
the context carries the meaning of "sins."
4. Jesus also used the word to describe the amount owed in The
Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Mat.18:21-35.
5. No one needs to explain the concept of debt to modern

Americans. Many are consumed by debt. It seems the American
Way is to pay everything out in monthly installments. Someone
said, "The only reason a great many American families don't
own an elephant is that they have never been offered an
elephant for a dollar down and easy monthly payments."
6. We all are "debtors" to someone for something. We owe for

our mortgage, rent, cars, taxes, utilities, and tuition, not to
mention the strangling extravagance of credit card debt. One
website on debts said, "Americans' reliance on plastic--bank
credit cards, charge cards, department store and oil
company cards, debit cards and ATM cards is at an all-time
high. The average American carries about nine cards, with a
balance of many thousands of dollars."
7. I got my first taste of debt when I bought my first car for

$900. Out of my $125 paycheck, my dad made me pay him $100
each week until the debt was paid in full.
B. The EXPLANATION of being a "debtor."
1. Paul says that he too is a "debtor." This statement begs the

question, "To whom did he owe a debt?" Paul didn’t owe Visa,
MasterCard or American Express. He didn’t owe the phone
company or the bank. Paul tells us that he owed ALL MEN. He
says it in two different ways.
a. First, he says, "I am a debtor

both to Greeks and to

barbarians." The "Greeks" were

cultured people. They built cities,
expanded the arts and sciences and
developed athletic contexts.
"Barbarians" means "those who
speech is rude, rough and harsh."
The Greeks used this term to
describe those not of their own
culture and language. Paul saw
himself as a "debtor" both to the
cultured and the uncultured.
b. Second, Paul says, "I am a

debtor… both to wise and to
unwise." The Greek word for
"wise" is sophos, which has the
quality of goodness. "Unwise"
therefore has the quality of
immorality. Paul was a "debtor" to
both the moral and immoral. He
was a "debtor" to ALL MEN! He
said in 2 Tim 1:11, "I was
appointed a preacher, an apostle,
and a teacher of the Gentiles."
2. We know Paul owed a debt. We know he owed a debt to all

men. The next question logically followed, "What debt did Paul
owe?" He didn’t owe money; he owed the gospel. When he
considered God’s amazing grace in his own life he felt a
supreme obligation to share it with others.
C. The APPLICATION of being a "debtor."
1. What kind of "debtor" are you in MATERIAL things? Is it

important to you to pay your bills on time? Do you want to be
known as a "slow pay?" Of course not. Most of us work hard at
being financially responsible and having a good credit report.
2. What kind of "debtor" are you in SPIRITUAL things?

You’ve experienced the same grace Paul experienced. You are a
debtor to all men just as Paul was. He said in Rom.8:12,
"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors; not to the flesh." Do

you feel the same obligation to pay your spiritual debt as you do
your material debts?
3. All believers are "debtors" in two ways. We are "debtors" to

GOD. We owe Him everything. Second, we are "debtors" to
MANKIND. We owe all men the gospel!
4. Paul’s debt to mankind was a BURDEN to him. He worried

about it. It was constantly on his mind. We need such a
BURDEN too. It’s easy to divorce ourselves from the lost world.
It’s easy to encircle ourselves with Christian friends and forget
the lost. It’s easy to fall into carnality and act just like the lost.
The greatest need our church has is a tremendous burden, a grief
for those without Christ!
5. Here are four ways to begin paying your spiritual debt.
a. First, pray specifically for lost people you know.

Prayer is great power in evangelism.
b. Second, work hard at being a faithful example.
c. Third, look for opportunities to share the gospel.
d. Fourth, support worldwide evangelism by

giving to the missions and ministries of your
church.
II. Paul’s Boldness: I am Ready to Preach (v.15).
A. The DEFINITION of being "ready."
1. "Ready" is from the Greek compound word prothumos. Pro

of course mean "fore or before." Thumos means "passion as if
breathing hard, fierceness." Therefore, "ready" means "a
predetermined passion and desire."
2. We might say that Paul could hardly wait for an opportunity

to preach the gospel to anyone and everyone!
3. One of my fondest memories of childhood is the anticipation

of Christmas morning and all the presents. One of the joys of

parenthood is to see that anticipation in my own children.
4. I still get that anticipation from time to time. I’m not normally
a morning person, but I rarely wait for the alarm clock on
opening morning of pheasant season!
5. That eager anticipation describes Paul’s readiness to share the

gospel.
B. The EXPLANATION of being "ready."
1. Paul said, "So much as is in me [with everything that is in

me] I am ready to preach the gospel. He had a predetermined
passion to share the message of the cross.
2. Paul had an eagerness to share the gospel with specific

people. He said, "to you who are in Rome also."
3. Our missionary to Saint Petersburg, Russia, Kevin Plaster has

that kind of burden for the Russian people. As we pray and draw
close to God, we develop a burden for certain people. Who is it
in your life that the Spirit is leading you to share the gospel?
I remember standing on the sidelines during high school football games. I would often
alternate with another defensive back bringing the defensive plays to the huddle. When the
coach wanted to change the defense, he’d send one of us in. I always stayed close beside him
thinking, "It’s my turn coach! Send me in coach!" That’s how Paul felt about preaching at
Rome. He was praying, "Send me in, Lord!"
C. The APPLICATION of being "ready."
1. The word for "preach" here is the same word from which we
get our word "evangelism." It means, "to announce good news,"
and not necessarily from a pulpit!
2. If someone were to say to you as the Philippian jailer said to

Paul, "What must I do to be saved?," could you answer him? If
not, you need to learn how to "preach the gospel" or share your
faith.
3. Most of the time, people are not going to approach us so we

have to approach them. Jesus said, "GO therefore and make

disciples" (Mt.28:19).
4. Do you have enough of a BURDEN to be BOLD with the

gospel? Are you standing on the sidelines saying, "Send me in,
Lord!" or are you hiding behind the water cooler hoping He’ll
forget you are on His team?
III. Paul’s Belief: I am not Ashamed (v.16).
A. The DEFINITION of being "not ashamed."
1. Paul says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ."

"Ashamed" has as its root the idea of feeling disgraced or
embarrassed. Therefore, Paul is saying that he is not
embarrassed or humiliated by the gospel. The TEV translates this
phrase "I have complete confidence in the gospel."
2. Paul believed the gospel was SUPREME. The three major

schools of thought in his day were Roman, Greek and Hebrew.
Paul had studied the power of the Romans, the wisdom of the
Greeks and the religion of the Jews. He was absolutely
convinced that the gospel exceeded them all!
3. When we truly understand the grace of God in the message of

the cross, we too believe that it is SUPREME above all the
contemporary religions and philosophies of the world.
4. Christians should never feel like ignorant hayseeds in an

intellectual society, but as ambassadors from God. 2 Cor.5:20
says, "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though
God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's
behalf, be reconciled to God."
B. The EXPLANATION of being "not ashamed."
1. Paul was "not ashamed" of the gospel because it is a

SPIRITUAL FORCE. Not only does the gospel make
intellectual and logical sense, it is "the power of God to
salvation." The word "power" comes from the Greek word
dunamis, from which we get "dynamite!"

2. I often meet people who say they came to church or to an

evangelistic event having already determined not to be moved or
make a decision. Yet, when they heard the gospel, "the power
of God" moved them to faith!
3. Paul was "not ashamed of the gospel" also because it

WORKS ON EVERYONE. He said it is "the power of God for
everyone who believes" and that includes "the Jew first"
because the gospel was first given to the Jews but "also for the
Greek."
4. The same gospel we proclaim today has brought people to

faith for thousands of years. The same gospel we hold precious
here in Amarillo, Texas is saving people in China, India, Russia
and even to four corners of the globe. Jesus said in Acts 1:8,
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
John Phillips wrote, "The world does not need a better system of education, more social
reform, or new ideas in religion. It needs the gospel. The gospel message grips the mind,
stabs the conscience, warms the heart, saves the soul and sanctifies the life. It can make
drunken men sober, crooked men straight and profligate women pure. It is a message
sufficient to transform the life of any who believe" (p.20).
Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine

H.S. Shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary
Committee's sub-committee last year. He included a poem he wrote: "Your laws ignore our
deepest needs, Your words are empty air, You've stripped away our heritage, You've
outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die,
You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question "Why." You regulate
restrictive laws, Through legislative creed, And yet you fail to understand, That God is
what we need!"
C. The APPLICATION of being "not ashamed." A true Christian will

witness. Jesus said in Mat.10:33, "But whoever denies Me before men, him I
will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." How’s your attitude?
When Napoleon was an artillery officer at the siege of Toulon, he built a battery in such an
exposed position that he was told he would never find men to man it. Napoleon put up a sign
saying, "The Battery of Men without Fear" and the battery was always staffed. The real
question is DO WE BELIEVE THE GOSPEL ENOUGH TO SHARE IT?

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The Great Divide

May 21, 2000 Coy Wylie

The Cross Roads of Life

The Great Divide

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I. The Cross Divides our Paths (Mt.7:13-14).

In The Road not Taken, Frost wrote:

Jesus spoke of two paths also…

A. The Wide Path (v.13).

1. This path is "wide" and "broad." The way of the world is

2. "Destruction" means "ruin." Life apart from Christ leads to

4. Except for biblical Christianity, every religion follows the

5. A few days ago, I spoke at a church in Houston. The pastor

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B. The Narrow Path (v.14).

1. This path is "narrow." Some Bible teachers picture this

2. Jesus said His path is "difficult." It’s a path of resistance. It is

4. This path is taken by "few." Believers are not "few" because

5. Jesus admonishes us at the beginning of v.13 to "enter by the

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II. The Cross Divides our Thinking (1 Cor.1:18-25).

A. Unbelievers believe the Message of the Cross is Foolishness and a

1. Paul says in v.18, "For the message of the cross is

2. "Foolishness" comes from the Greek word moria from which

3. "Stumbling block" comes from skandalon, "a scandal or

4. Speaking of Himself, Jesus said in Mt.21:44, "Whoever falls

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1. In contrast to "us who are being saved" the message of the

3. The cross is the power of God’s JUSTICE. God’s holiness

4. The cross is the power of God’s VICTORY. Satan thought

5. The cross is the power of God’s TRANSFORMATION. 2

6. The cross is the power of God’s PERSEVERANCE. The

III. The Cross Divides our Relationships (Mt.10:34-37).

A. The Cross brings a Sword not Peace (v.34).

1. The Bible gives Jesus the title "Prince of Peace." He gives us

2. However, in this text we see in terms of human relationships

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B. The Cross sometimes even divides Families (vv.35-37).

1. Jesus tells us that to follow Him will bring division in the

2. The words "set against" means to "cut into" or "alienate."

3. Jesus said that anyone who valued a human relationship more

IV. The Cross Divides our Priorities (Mt.10:38).

A. Unbelievers have Self-Centered Priorities. An unsaved person lives for

B. Believers have Christ-Centered Priorities.

1. Jesus calls each of His followers to "take up his cross."

3. Paul said in Gal.2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it

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5. Charles Spurgeon said, "There are no crown-wearers in

6. The cross not only divides believers from unbelievers, it

V. The Cross Divides our Eternity (Mt.10:39).

VI. Four Final Thoughts.

2. Second, it is possible to have an appearance of being religious, to look like

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I simply argue that the cross be raised again

I am recovering the claim that

But on a cross between two thieves;

And at the kind of place where cynics talk smut,

Because that is where He died,

And that is where Christ’s men ought to be

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May 28, 2000 Coy Wylie

The Cross Roads of Life

The Centerpiece of the Church

I. The Challenge of the Cross (1 Cor.2:1-5).