Totally Abandoned to the Gospel | Part 1

One of the two most profound questions we could ask Jesus.

Listen to Adrian Rogers. Paul met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, and he asked the Lord Jesus two questions. Number one, who are you, Lord?

Number two, what would you have me to do? Ask those two questions, get the answer from him and follow him correctly, and you'll understand what life is all about. Know who Jesus is and know what Jesus would have you to do. Welcome to Love Worth Finding, featuring real truth that never changes from acclaimed Bible teacher and pastor Adrian Rogers. Without the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is no hope. The power of the gospel is the only thing that can save us from this lost world and rescue our souls from the grave. In Romans chapter one, the apostle Paul describes the heart and mind of someone totally abandoned to the gospel in three I am statements. If you have your Bible turned there to Romans chapter one, as we hear part one of totally abandoned to the gospel, here's Adrian Rogers. Today, we're going to be studying the heart and mind of a man who was totally abandoned to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

You know, if you will look at a man and just get down beneath the surface, get down into his heart, understand his motivation, see the philosophy of his life, and then you'll be able to understand his life. I believe we can do that with the greatest Christian who ever lived in my estimation, the apostle Paul, the one who wrote this book of Romans, and we're going to find some things about him. I'm going to read Romans one verses 14 through 16. He said, I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Now there are three I am statements right here. Look, if you will, in verse 14, he says, I am a debtor. Look in verse 15, underscore this, I am ready. Then look in verse 16, I am not ashamed. Now, if you just put those three I ams together and you're going to understand what motivated the greatest pioneer and spokesman of the church that ever lived. He preached and was a missionary just a few short years after Jesus Christ had ascended to heaven. And when Paul himself went to heaven, there was a Christian church, a little colony of heaven in every major city in the Western empire, a little man who had a heart of flame for almighty God, who could say, I am debtor.

I am ready and I am not ashamed. And old wood to God, listen to me folks, wood to God, wood to God that Adrian could say that, that you could say that, that every mother's child could follow the apostle Paul in those three statements for Paul said, you follow me as I follow Christ. You see, Paul met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus and he asked the Lord Jesus two questions. Number one, who are you Lord? Number two, what would you have me to do?

Ask those two questions and get the answer from him and follow him correctly and you'll understand what life is all about. Know who Jesus is and know what Jesus would have you to do. Let's look at these three I am statements. First of all, he says, I am debtor.

I am debtor. And that tells me that Paul was faithful to the obligations of the gospel. Paul saw himself as a debtor. The apostle Paul would write to the Corinthians, you are not your own.

You are bought with a price. And so Paul, first of all, saw himself as a debtor to the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you, do you see yourself in debt to Jesus?

What you say? I thought salvation was free. It is, but don't we sing this also, Jesus paid it all and all to him I owe. I am a debtor to the one that hung in agony and blood on that cross for me.

Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all. I'm not talking about trying to pay for your salvation. You cannot pay for your salvation.

Someone wrote these words. I cannot work my soul to save that work my Lord has done, but I will work like any slave for the love of God's dear son. Won't you?

Will you not? Don't you see yourself as a debtor to the dear savior who died for you? I'll tell you what else we are debtor to along with the apostle Paul.

We are debtors to the heroes of the past. Uh, Paul was there when Stephen was stoned. It was through the stoning of Stephen that Paul came under conviction. Paul was holding the clothes of those who were stoning the first Christian missionary. I believe that Paul had a debt to Stephen that he helped to kill.

I believe that Paul had a debt to those old Testament prophets who were stoned and, and the massacred for the cause of Christ. And folks, I want to tell you there are many heroes of the past who have suffered and bled and died that we might be here today. Don't you think we owe them something? We are debtors to those who've gone before us. We're debtors to our Lord.

I'll tell you something else. We are debtor to all of those around us. That's what Paul is talking about primarily.

Look if you will in verse 14, I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and unto the unwise. When he says the Greeks and the barbarians, he's talking about the cultured and the non-cultured. He's talking about the up and out. He's talking about the down and out. He's talking about the educated. He's talking about the ignorant. He's talking about the rich. He's talking about the poor. He's saying everybody needs to know Jesus. Do you believe that?

I hope that you believe that. Now folks, if we have received the gospel, Jesus said, freely you've received, freely give. Suppose there were a man in this state who was sentenced to be executed for a capital crime. Suppose the governor of this state called you and said, I'm going to pardon that man. And the governor said, I want you to take this pardon to the prison and deliver it to the warden of the prison because he has been pardoned. Suppose you took that pardon, put it in your breast pocket and then a friend calls you and says, you know what?

I've got a couple of extra plane tickets and we can go to Florida and have a few rounds of golf. And you say, well, that's wonderful. And you go down there and you come back and immediately you're a little behind in your work and you're trying to catch up and you're having your coffee and you're reading the newspaper and some print jumps out at you. That man that was pardoned has just been executed. And you reach up there in that coat pocket, you happen to be wearing the same coat and you pull out that pardon and there it is. He had been pardoned, but you had never delivered the message.

How would you feel? How will you feel when the clods fall on the casket of your next door neighbor and you never ever even told him about Jesus Christ, your mother, your brother, your father, your sister. Paul said, I am a debtor. I've been saved by the grace of God and Jesus paid it all, but all to him I owe. We need a compassion for lost people. We are blessed, but friend, we are an Island of blessing in an ocean of need.

We have a responsibility. Now, Paul said, I am a debtor. I've not just been called to be blessed. Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease while others fought to seize the prize and sailed through bloody seas. Next, here's the second thing he says.

Watch it. Look, watch in your Bible. First of all, see it in verse 14, I am debtor.

Verse 15, look at it. So as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. Not only was Paul faithful to the obligations of the gospel.

Now listen carefully, write this down. Paul was flexible for the opportunities of the gospel. Now you see, you've got to be both faithful and flexible. You have to understand that you are a debtor and as a result of that, you have to be ready. Paul says in verse 15, I am ready. Now of course, obviously he was ready to live for Christ. He said for me to live is Christ. You know, Paul was a great witness, but you know what made him such a great witness?

He was also part of the evidence. Is there anything different about your life? I mean, can your neighbor see a quality of life in you that would provoke him to spiritual jealousy?

I don't mean jealousy in the wrong way. I'm just saying, look at that family. Look at that man. Look at that life.

What is different about him? Are you ready? Ready to live for Christ? You're not if you're not ready to die for Christ. Paul said, I die daily.

Paul said, I count not my life dear to myself. Are you ready to die for Jesus? I didn't say, do you want to die for him?

You do that. You have a martyr complex. I say, are you ready to die for the Lord Jesus Christ? 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. Send me where you will, but go with me. Lay any burden on my heart, but sustain me and sever any tie in my life except 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 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 that 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, fearless at the opposition to the gospel. There was so much opposition to 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 carpenter who was crucified. Can you imagine going to Rome, the Imperial city, Rome with his might, its power, its armies and saying, I want to tell you about a Jew. 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. And Rome was 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 brother, not many mighty, many noble are called. 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 offscouring, 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 a 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 there are 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. But of all of the people, of all of the 60 billion who've ever lived, only a handful have made any mark, true 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. And that person 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. And then he said this, 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 want to 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 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. Let's us get out the gospel of Jesus Christ. The social engineers of this world are trying everything they can do to save civilization. The gospel is not intended to save civilization from wreckage. The gospel is intended to save people from the wreckage of civilization. That's what the gospel is all about. Jesus did not come as a social engineer.

Jesus came Luke, 1910 for the son of man has come to seek and to save that which is 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. Watch it at profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul. Listen to me, friend.

Listen to me. How can we be ashamed of the gospel when the power of the gospel is the only thing that can help this 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 and 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. And coming up tomorrow, we'll hear part two of this important message, but maybe today you have questions regarding your faith in Jesus. We have an insightful resource on our website called our Discover Jesus page. You'll find answers there you may need about your faith.

There's a response section as well. Share how this message or others have affected your life. Just go to lwf.org slash radio and click on the tab that says Discover Jesus.

We can't wait to hear from you today. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of the message that we've begun today, Totally Abandoned to the Gospel is the title, call at 1-877-LOVE-GOD to order it. This message is also part of the insightful Foundations for Our Faith series. For that complete collection, all 27 powerful messages, call 1-877-LOVE-GOD or go online to lwf.org slash radio or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. When the apostle Paul met Jesus, he asked two important questions.

Who are you and what would you have me to do? Today, ask those same questions so that you may know who Jesus is and what he would have you to do. And be sure to join us next time for part two of Totally Abandoned to the Gospel right here on Love Worth Finding. We love hearing about how these messages from Adrian Rogers have made a difference in your walk with Christ. Here's a note of encouragement. May the Lord continue to bless the ministry of Love Worth Finding as you all seek to continue carrying the banner of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for your continual support of this ministry through your prayers, through your gifts. As a way to say thank you for your support right now, we want to send you our booklet collection called Why, including booklets such as Why the Cross, Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People? This bundle gives precious insight into the big questions we ask ourselves in moments of doubt. Request the Why booklet collection when you call with a gift at 1-877-LOVE-GOD. If you've ever asked that question, why, I think this will really help you. And again, thanks for your support of Love Worth Finding.