United In Christ · Growing In Grace · Reaching Out In Love

Sunday Morning Sermon Summary

“Respectfully Submitted”

“The end of a God-inspired mission is God”

Romans 16:17-20
May 10, 2009

Supposed to be a Mother’s Day message: yesterday we lost one of our Moms

            Security for churches due to decision about Prop 8

            Parental rights story earlier in the week

            More issues that divide Americans: Same sex marriage, Parental rights, abortion,

           Stem cell research: issues of morality, “Life-and-death” issues that have eternal
           significance – issues that go beyond a difference of opinion

            When we sign an important statement, something that described significant                        
            issues, we sign RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED.

            Romans is a letter that describes our God-inspired vision and mission

            Paul makes a summary statement at the end that describes the important stuff

            Call it RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED

Romans 16:17-20 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

1.         The end of a God-inspired mission is God! (For such people are not serving our Lord
             Christ, but their own appetites.)

             Problem of God’s glory: “When we lose sight of God’s ultimate purpose, His glory, we inevitably begin trying to claim what is rightfully His for ourselves.  Once we cross that line there is a sense in which it becomes risky for God to intervene on our behalf. To do so is to set us up for further offense.” (Stanley, p. 246)

CAN GOD COUNT ON US TO WORK EXCLUSIVELY FOR HIS GLORY?

2.         When God shows up, everybody in the vicinity is affected (Everyone has heard     
            about your obedience)

            Radical obedience is hard to miss.

            Example: sacrificial service, giving, going the extra mile, Titanium Rule, etc.

                             $23 K in Fireproof

            HAS “EVERYONE HEARD OF OUR OBEDIENCE,

                      Is it radical enough?

                      Are we doing more than pointing out what’s wrong

                      Are we demonstrating what’s right

3.         The victory is ours! (The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your                          feet.)

 Women and men; boys and girls; are being asked by God to put feet on our message; to be a church whose devotion to God serves as an open invitation for Divine intervention; a church known for our dependence upon and allegiance to God, a church that seeks His glory above all else

The end of a God-inspired mission is God

 “Futile the winds to a heart in port.” (Emily Dickinson)

John 17:20  "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:

 67,000 people (at a football game) don’t pay $25.00 a ticket to watch the team huddle. 67,000 people pay $25 a ticket to see what difference the huddle makes. What they want to know is, having called the play in secret, does it work in public? The challenge for the church is not what we do when we call our Sunday morning huddle, but what we do when we break our huddle and head to our Monday morning assignment.

            Everyone hears of our obedience

            Wise about what is good (make wise decisions in an unwise culture)

            God is glorified (made famous, we become “UNDENIABLY RECOGNIZABLE AS    THE PEOPLE OF THE ONE TRUE AND LIVING GOD.” (Stuart Briscoe)

Legend:

Green: Mission and Vision
Blue: Illustrations and quotes
Red: Scripture

Note to the visitor:  These are Pastor Paul’s sermon notes from Sunday Morning.  They probably won’t make much sense if you weren’t in the service.  Feel free to contact Pastor Paul if you’d like more detailed information.
For past sermons, please visit the Sermon Archive. 

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