Paul’s Passion for the Gospel

RECAP: Pastor Bob’s message can be heard at the link below.

http://www.togetheratgac.com/sermons

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:15-27

Points of thought:

1. Paul’s Passion To Share The Gospel

2. Paul’s Sacrifices For The Gospel

3. Paul’s Submission To The Gospel

Today Pastor Bob spoke to us about sharing the gospel.  He had three great points that he delivered in ways that were really convicting.  His first point was about how compelled Paul was to preach.

16 Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!

Pastor Bob challenged us about why we lack compassion to preach.  What we have received freely we should be giving freely.  We forget people are are dying without Christ.  The point that he made that really got me the most was when he asked us, “Why did God leave us here on earth after we became Christians?  Why on earth are we on earth?”  Is it to worship?  We could do that in heaven.  Is it to bless us?  We could do that in heaven too.  Is it to witness?  YES!  We could truly be blessed and worship God more in heaven face to face but He has left us here to witness to others.  It really encouraged me to get my paper work done so I can volunteer at the hospital and play harp for patients.  It’s been something I have felt God calling me to do ever since we bought my daughter a smaller harp that is very transportable.

Bob’s last two points focused on how Paul loved without limitations and was submissive to the gospel.

19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.

21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law,I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

Bob made a great point that in order to engage people and share the gospel with them we might have to surrender something.  He encouraged us to share our story and care about the consequences that people suffer who are lost without Christ.  Personally I’ve found the most success I’ve experienced in sharing the gospel with others is when I have told them something personal about my life and how God was there for me.  I’ve shared my testimony about my depression, anxiety, infertility and overspending addictions with audiences of people over the past 4 years.  It never fails that many can relate.  People have been touched just as I have by how God used those things in my life to make His presence and awesomeness so obvious to me.  Perhaps lately I have been taking things for granted since things are currently going well and we have experienced many blessings.  To hear Bob preach about this today encouraged and reminded of my story and the healing that God has brought to my hurts and hang ups.  Not to mention the miracles He has done in our family.  I can’t forget where I have come from and to continue to share these stories.

My FAVORITE point that he made this morning though was that we have A LOT in common to those whom we are preaching to…SIN.  We have the same struggles the world has.  Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we’re not human.  We still have human needs and desires Christian or non-Christian.  The difference is we have a Savior to help us.  I love that Pastor Bob encouraged us to be humble enough to share what God saved us from because that is our sin.  If we are not real with people than how are they really going to know how amazing God really is if we don’t bother to share what God saved us from.

I remember the first time I spoke out about my depression, wanting to commit suicide and my infertility and than later the Celebrate Recovery Program.  It was at my CD release concert….not exactly what people thought they were coming to hear.  But my latest CD was recorded as a healing process for me and it was the hymns on that CD which brought me through my dark days.  At my concert I shared a part of my story before I performed each hymn.  I spoke about how each hymn related to me and helped me through my suffering.  I was honest and real.  I had it all written down, I planned it and I was ready to be transparent and lay it all out before God and my audience.  It wasn’t easy but it was a necessary part of my healing.  Now I have so much comfort knowing my story has encouraged and helped others.  Sharing my story has also helped me to continue to learn about myself and feel totally at peace because my story is not a secret anymore…it’s a story about how God helped me, comforted me and brought me out of the miry clay.  Sharing my story has allowed me to rejoice about it over and over every time I share it.  It doesn’t get any more encouraging than that.

So please share your story, don’t keep what God saved you from a secret it’s nothing to be ashamed of.  This world is a hurting place and people need to see real people and hear about how real people have been helped and saved by God’s grace.

In the clay,

Chantal Dube