Totally Abandoned to the Gospel | Part 2

Are you living totally abandoned to the gospel? Listen until you are ready to die for Christ, you're not ready to live for him. In Romans chapter one, the apostle Paul describes the heart and mind of someone totally abandoned to the gospel. He recognized his obligation to yield to the opportunities to the gospel. But how can we remain fearless of the opposition to the gospel?

If you have your Bible, turn to Romans chapter one will begin in verse 14 as Adrian Rogers concludes the this powerful message totally abandoned to the gospel. Are you ready to go? I mean, if Jesus Christ were to say to you, I want you to be a preacher of the gospel. I want you to be a missionary.

I want you to do this thing or that thing. Friend, you must be ready to live and ready to die. You must be ready to go and you must be ready to stay. You must be ready. Are you ready? Are you? If God were to speak to you today, would you say, yes, Lord?

Yes. One of the greatest missionaries who ever lived was David Livingston. I want you to hear these pregnant words that he said, listen to this. He said, send me where you will, but go with me. Lay any burden on my heart, but sustain me. Sever any tie, but the one that binds my heart to thee. Are you ready to go?

And are you ready to stay? Sometimes it takes more grace to stay and pray and support and give than it does to go. I remember we put our son on a plane to go to Spain and he said, I want you to be a preacher of the gospel. And he took his precious wife Kelly and our little grandson Jonathan and Joyce and I stood there in the airport with scalding tears coming down our cheeks.

The happiest and saddest the two could be at the same time. He wasn't going over there like a person goes when they're in the army to come home. He's going to Spain to stay, to take the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it takes as much grace to stay as it does to go. Are you ready? Ready to live? Ready to die if necessary? Ready to go?

Ready to stay? And I don't mean with a half heart. Paul said, with as much as in me is, I'm ready. Now you understand, now you understand what made this man the great man that he was.

Now watch it. Paul was faithful to the obligations of the gospel. Paul was flexible for the opportunities of the gospel.

And here's the third thing. Paul was fearless at the opposition to the gospel. He was fearful about the gospel of Jesus Christ. But he says in verse 16, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

He wasn't fearful about the gospel. Now there were many reasons why he could have been fearful. There are many reasons why he could have been intimidated.

There are many reasons why he could have been ashamed. For in the first place, the gospel of Jesus Christ was identified with a poor Jewish carpet. There was a carpenter who was crucified.

Can you imagine going to Rome, the imperial city? Rome with its might, its power, its armies, and saying, I want to tell you about a Jew? Well, the Romans had no appreciation for the Jews, especially one who was not one of the mighty philosophers in their mind, but a carpenter, one who was crucified.

Who would put faith in a Jew that was crucified? They were such a proud city. They had subjugated the land of Judea. Here was a gospel coming out of Jerusalem, not out of Rome.

Why should Rome listen to anything that came out of a conquered place? And the Christians of that day, they were not the big shots of that day. Paul had to say to the Corinthians, you see your calling, they didn't have a lot of philosophers. They didn't have a lot of generals.

They didn't have a lot of wealthy people. The Christians were the off-scouring, the scum of the earth of that day. And even Paul himself, when he went to Rome, he went to Rome as a prisoner. And yet he didn't hang his head in shame. Rome was known for the great philosophers of that day. Who's going to pay any attention to a fable about a Jew?

Who rose from the dead? But Paul was bold for the Lord Jesus. Now I want to ask you a question. Are you ashamed of the gospel? Are you ashamed to put a Bible on your desk at work? Are you ashamed to bow your head in the cafeteria? Are you ashamed to invite people to Jesus Christ? I say, are you ashamed of the one who died for you?

You say, well, pastor, I just don't believe in wearing my faith on my sleeve. A little boy had a dog, I'm told, and somebody asked him what kind of dog he was. And the little fellow said, well, he's a police dog. He was just a mongrel. The little boy said he's a police dog. His friend said, well, he doesn't look like a police dog. The little guy said, well, he's in the secret service. I'm afraid that many of us who are in the secret service, we ought to be open and bold for the gospel of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

Who, who could be ashamed of the person of the gospel? Did you know in all of the history of the world, about 60 billion people have lived? In the history of the whole world.

We're rapidly approaching 6 billion right now. But of all of the people, of all of the 60 billion who've ever lived, only a handful have made any mark true to the mark on history. I'm talking about scientists, philosophers, rulers, military people, only a handful, but there's one, one name that stands above all other names. That is the name of Jesus. And while I am speaking to you right now, listen to me, this very moment, there are multiplied millions of people, this moment, attending to his words and seeking to do his will. That one name, that name, that name that is above every name, are you ashamed of Jesus Christ? A young preacher had been called out of a life of sin to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He totally thoroughly repented of his sin, was made new, but somebody who knew his old life wrote him a note and said, aren't you ashamed of yourself?

You up there telling people to get right with God. Those who had known this man in his past listed all of those sins in detail. You know what the young preacher did?

He read that note, bowed his head in prayer, stood up and said, ladies and gentlemen, I've received a note and here's what it says. And then in front of that whole crowd, he read every one of those sins without leaving out a one. Yes, I am ashamed of myself, but I'm not ashamed of my savior. Not ashamed of my savior. Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

It's the gospel of Christ, the person of the gospel. And I won't tell you, I hope I'll never be ashamed of him, but not only was Paul not ashamed of the person of the gospel. He's not ashamed of the purpose of the gospel.

Look in verse 16, look at it. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. That's the purpose of the gospel.

I'm not ashamed of the person of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. There's no greater business or occupation than sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let Wall Street handle the finances.

Let Hollywood have the fame. Let the military people figure out what to do in the Middle East. The people in the Middle East of this world are trying everything they can do to save civilization. The gospel is not intended for any of the things that are lost. You see, think about it. There are a lot of kinds of losses. It's tragic to lose your health, to lose your wealth, to lose your friends, loved ones, to lose your life. But how tragic to lose your soul. What should it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Listen to me, friend. Listen to me. How could we be ashamed of the gospel when the power of the gospel is the only thing that can help this world?

world today. The Gospel is the only thing that can make harlots pure. The Gospel is the only thing that can make drunkards sober. The Gospel is the only thing that can make perverts straight. The Gospel is the only thing that can make adulterers pure. The Gospel is the only thing that can give a hope that is steadfast and true to rescue the perishing and care for the dying and snatch them in pity from sin in the grave without the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There's no hope.

There's no hope. Paul said, I am not ashamed of the person. It's the Gospel of Christ. I'm not ashamed of the purpose unto salvation. Then he said, I'm not ashamed of the power of the Gospel.

Look in verse 16. For the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. And the word that he uses there for power is the word in Greek that we get our English word dynamite from. This world is enamored with power. We heard so much in our generation about atomic power, but if you were to take an atomic bomb and detonate it between the lapels of your coat there wouldn't be enough of you to bury.

We couldn't find you. You'd be vaporized, but that wouldn't take the sin out of your heart. There's only one power, one power that can wash and make you whiter than snow. That is the incredible power. You know, not only do we get our word dynamite, we get our word dynamo from that when you receive Christ.

There is a dynamo that comes into you. And then listen, not only is Paul not ashamed of the person of the Gospel, it's the Gospel of Christ. Not only is Paul not ashamed of the purpose of the Gospel, it's salvation.

Not only is Paul not ashamed of the power of the Gospel, it is by grace through faith, but he's not ashamed of the plan of the Gospel. Look at it. Here it is, I love it, to everyone that believeth. That's it. That's the plan. You say, Adrian, that's so simple.

Yes. It is gloriously simple, but it's simply glorious to everyone that believeth. Aren't you glad the Gospel doesn't say everybody wants to be saved, read so many chapters in the Bible? Some people don't have a Bible and some people can't read. Aren't you glad that the Gospel doesn't say everybody wants to be saved, take a walk around the block?

Well, you say, that'd be simple enough, except some people can't walk. Everybody wants to be saved, give $150. Well, that's cheap enough for eternal salvation, yes, but some people don't have $150. But friend, there is a whosoever in the Bible. That whosoever believeth.

That's it. That's the Gospel. There are always people who want to tell you, well, you've got to believe and. They say you've got to believe and to be baptized. Well, friend, the minute you put baptism on, you take whosoever out. That means nobody in the desert can be saved. That means nobody in an airplane can be saved. That means nobody in a submarine could be saved, surrounded by water. That means that nobody by himself could be saved because nobody to baptize him.

Do you see how silly that is? Friend, I believe in baptism. Somebody said, you and the king's army.

No, I'm in his navy. Listen, I believe. I believe in baptism. But water, whether a spoonful or a tankful, cannot take away sin. God's simple, wonderful, glorious plan is that anybody, anywhere, anytime can say, Lord, Jesus, come into my heart and save me, and he will.

He will. Paul's not ashamed of a Gospel like that. To everyone, that believeth.

To the Jew first and also to the Greek. Paul was not ashamed of the plan of the Gospel. There was an old timey preacher's name was Christmas Evans. Christmas Evans, in his wonderful way, said, the Gospel is so simple and so available, you could put a man in a barrel, nail the lid in on, and then whisper through a knothole how to be saved, and he could be saved inside that barrel. I like that.

I like that. You know, there was an old preacher named Baldwin who pastored in Troy, New York, and he pastored there for a number of years, 41 years. Here's what he said about the Gospel.

It's so wonderful, I want to share it with you. Listen to it. You'll get blessed at this. He said, this is a pastor now reflecting back. Now, he's a very old man, and here's what he wrote. He said, at 30, after examining the philosophies and religions of the world, I said, there is nothing better than the Gospel of Christ. Then he said, at 40, when burdens pressed heavily and the years seemed to hasten, I said, there's nothing as good as the Gospel. At 50, when there were empty chairs in the home and the mound builders had done their service, I said, there's nothing to be compared with the Gospel. At 60, my second sight saw through the illusions and vanities of earthly things, and I said, there's nothing but the Gospel.

He started out saying nothing better than the Gospel, then nothing as good as the Gospel, then nothing to be compared to the Gospel, and then finally said, there's nothing but the Gospel, and then he said, then at 70, amid many limitations and privations, I sang, should all the forms which men devise attack my faith with treacherous art, I had called them all vanities and lies, and bind the Gospel to my heart. You see, Paul said, you want to know what motivates me? You want to know what sends me? Three I am's. I am deader. I am ready, and I am not ashamed. I am faithful to the obligations of the Gospel. I am flexible for the opportunities of the Gospel, and I am fearless to the opposition of the Gospel. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.

Are you? Dr. Lee used to tell a story about something that happened in South Carolina. There was a schoolhouse fire, and the children were trapped in the schoolhouse, and the men of the community gathered to try to do what they could do, but the flames were so hot that they couldn't get near, and the children were trapped inside, and a father, a father saw the face of his boy in those flames, and the boy saw his father, and their eyes met. The little boy said, Daddy, Daddy, can't you save me? But the flames were such that strong men held him back, and he could not go, and that father had to stand there watching his son in the fire, and over and over again, the boy said, Daddy, can't you save me? That father stood there and watched his son wither like a flower held in the flames of an acetylene torch. Dr. Lee said that father didn't live but two years after that. Night and day, he could see the face of his darling son in those flames saying, Daddy, can't you save me?

And he realized he was powerless to do anything about it. And this old hell-bound sin-cursed world looks at science and says, Science, can't you save me? And science will tell you, I can tell you how far it is from the earth to the sun, but I can't save you. This world looks at culture and says, Culture, can't you save me?

Culture says, I can tell you how to dress for a party and hold your teacup just right. All I can do is to make this world a better place to go to hell from. This world looks at finance and says, Finance, business, can't you save me? Finance says, I can tell you how to gather money to leave it all behind, but I cannot save you. Philosophy, can't you save me?

Philosophy says, I can tell you more and more about less and less until you know everything about nothing. But I can't save you. Friend, I'm here to tell you, there's one who can save. Sing above the battle strife, Jesus saves, Jesus saves. I have given my life to declaring the glorious gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for yet the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Now, remember the gospel plan.

The gospel plan is to everyone that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Now, I want to help you right now to receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior. Here's how I want you to pray. Just pray out of your heart.

Dear God, just pray silently but fervently. I know that you love me. I know that you want to save me. Jesus, you died to save me. I know that you want to save me if I would trust you.

I do trust you. I believe you're the Son of God. I believe you paid for my sin with your blood on the cross. I believe that God raised you from the dead. I believe that salvation is a gift, and I receive it right now. Right now, I receive it. I don't look for it.

I don't ask for a sign. I stand on your Word. Lord Jesus, I trust you to save me, and I will not be ashamed of you.

I will make it public. I will not be ashamed of the gospel. Give me the courage to openly and publicly confess you.

Don't let me be intimidated by the devil. Help me, Lord Jesus. In your name, I pray.

Amen. And if you prayed to receive Jesus just now, we would love to celebrate with you and invite you to our Discover Jesus page on the website. You'll find answers there that you may need about your newfound faith.

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