Sermon Tone Analysis

We Should Expect Believers to Have a Desire to Evangelize

Why?

People are naturally seeking God (2-4)

Our popular culture proves this to be true!

People, mostly unbelievers, prove it by simply making these statements:

“How could God allow that to happen?”

“Out today enjoying God’s creation!”

They’ll even use His name as a cuss word!

When someone dies, we cry out to God...

When we get unexpected fortune, we thank God...

When we live in a sinful lifestyle and don’t want to quit, we say, “why would God have made me this way if it is wrong?”

People naturally seek God.

They seek wrongly (2)

Verse 2 says “they have a zeal for God, but their zeal isn’t based upon knowledge.”

Check out this verse in Proverbs 1:7

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

If you don’t start here, you don’t have real knowledge.

Check out Proverbs 1:29

The NT offers up a suggestion for us.

Take a look at James 1:5

If you desire wisdom and knowledge, turn to God and things of His.

Check out the opposite now.

We should have a desire to evangelize because people are naturally seeking God.

They do so wrongly: why?

Their salvation rests in themselves (3)

I like the NKJV and the HCSB rendering of the front part of verse 3.

Let’s go back to 1:17 and remind ourselves of God’s righteousness.

Writing of the Jewish people, Paul was saying in 10:3 that they had two problems based on their own righteousness, much the same way people do today:

They were ignorant of the fact that His righteousness was given by grace.

You and I, the Israelites back in the day, and your neighbors, friends, and co-workers all come to God through the gift of grace in His Son Jesus Christ.

They thought they could secure their own righteousness by observing the Torah, or the Law.

The is true today of the wanna-be-believer who claims to be a follower and base their right to be called an heir to the King through baptismal regeneration, reciting a prayer with the preacher, or church attendance.

Either way, their salvation rests in themselves.

More proof that people innately have a knowledge of God.

What do we do??

Christ is the only way! (4)

Christ is the “end of the law,” He is the fulfillment of the law, so that you and I may have salvation through Christ alone.

People look wrongly to the law, but Christ is the end of that law.

People look wrongly to religion, their pastor, or a family history of Christianity, but Christ is still the goal of the law.

People will try to explain away their need for forgiveness and reconciliation with God, but His name is still the only name under by which man must cry out in repentance.

Why?

People need to understand the difference (5-9)

I remember when we moved to Tennessee in 1988.

I was 12 and got to experience this whole new culture!

I was at school day and was actually eating the school lunch.

I was filling my tray with all the stuff you have to get simply because you are hungry, when lo and behold, I come across a deep dish of donut holes!

Donut holes on the lunch line!! Nobody seemed to notice them!

I was like, “What!?!?” I’m getting several of these!

Do you remember that time you poured yourself a glass of milk, but for some odd reason right before you drank it, you though you would taste pop?

Yeah, that’s what happened with the donut holes.

I popped a whole one in my mouth and it was a hush puppy!!

I didn’t understand the difference!

They looked alike to me!

Friends, we need to understand the difference between having religion and having a relationship with Christ.

When you have a relationship with Christ, I guarantee you’ll 1.) have a desire to share your faith, or 2.) feel guilty that you aren’t.

I’m not usually this blunt, but I’m going to tell you truth today.

If God told you not to do something and you did it, what’s that called?

Sin, right?

The same thing is true if God TOLD you to do something and you aren’t doing it.

You know He’s told you to share your faith.

If you aren’t, you are in sin.

People need to understand the difference.

Check out verse 5.

Most people try to follow rules (5)

The children of Israel were to live by the Mosiac law.

Whatever the first five books of the Bible said, they were to do.

People today do the same thing, except trying to follow a clear written code, they follow the code they themselves are designing as they go.

They’ll say, “I’m just trying to be a good person.”

What is good and who gets to say what they are going is good?”

They’ll say, “If you live by the golden rule, you’ll be okay,.”

Well, what if you are treating me like you’d want to be treated, but I don’t like the way you treat yourself?

They’ll say, “I don’t believe you have to go to church to go to heaven.”

These are the same people who also don’t share their faith, read their Bible regularly, pray with earnestness, or exhibit the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Believers, we evangelize because most people try to follow the rules.

Few actually follow Him (6)

Paul reminds his audience here that righteousness comes by faith alone.

Here Paul uses Deut 30:12 against his audience.

Moses was about to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land and he had to remind the people that God didn’t give them the land because of their righteousness, but because of the unrighteous people who lived in it and His goodness!

The Bible reminds us that very few people understand the fact that faith comes by grace alone.

Christ is the only way! (9)

People need to understand the difference between their salvation resting in a baptism done 40 years ago, church attendance, who their momma is, or if they “feel like it.”

Salvation comes by repenting in your sins, believing He died in your place, and confessing Him as Lord.

We evangelize because people simply don’t know the difference.

Why?

People need to understand there is only one way (10-13)

Belief in Christ alone (10)

Verse 10 reminds us that we are saved when we believe what God did through Jesus AND through our confession!

It is completely a gift!

You have to accept this gift.

Can you believe what God did through Christ and that be enough?

NO! Satan believes it!

The Christian believes in His name and receives Him as Lord.

This means their life is completely changed!

We evangelize because people need to know salvation comes through Christ alone!

He bears our shame (11)

Because He is the One Way, He takes on the punishment we deserve.

He is Lord of all (12)

It makes no difference if you are born into a Hindu family or grew up in church.

It doesn’t matter if you “really believe” there is no God, or your “heart tells you that you’re okay.”

He is still Lord of all!