Below is a condensed version of the Sunday morning sermon I preached on September 12, 2010. I only preached part of this sermon and told the congregation they could read the rest on this blog. So here we go
1. We are to Pray for Spiritually Lost People to be Saved.
Romans 10:1,4, “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved...4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” NKJV
Notice Paul’s prayer, he prayed that Israel would be saved. This is one prayer that you and I do not have to ask if it is God's Will. We know it is His will to save those who are spiritually lost. Paul's desire was that they would receive Christ in their heart, not simply in their mind. The orthodox Jew knew the Scriptures. I have heard that the average Jewish child knew the first 5 books of the Bible, the Torah, by memory by age 12. However, Paul's brokeness was due to the fact that they couldn’t recognize Jesus as God, even though He fulfilled the Scriptures right before their eyes!
Evangelist David Ring once said, “You can miss Heaven by 18 inches, the distance from your head to your heart.” Paul was praying that people not simply have a knowledge of God, but to grasp a hold of God down deep in their heart!
2. Salvation is not simply learned, it is also experienced!
Romans 10: 8-10, “8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” NKJV
Our world has been greatly influenced by the actions of Alexander the Great. His lasting legacy may not be his military genius however. It is stated that he believed he could change the world with 4 aspects of civilization, (1) education, (2) sports, (3) Theatre, and (4) religion.
Alexander was a Greek and when he would conquer a land he would divide it into 40 acre sections and give it to one of his generals. Each new city had a school, a sports arena, a theatre and a temple for the Greek religion.
The Greek philosophy was to place the human experience on the top of life's Totem Pole. Simply stated, the goal was to remove God and replace Him with the human experience. Today, that is called, humanism.
The Greeks wanted to place the mind on the throne. It appears he did a pretty good job doesn’t it? Today, we think analytical, always in search of more knowledge. We can send men to the moon, invent the internet, cell phones and High Def TV, but many cannot recognize that there is a God! Look at what Paul wrote to young Timothy, “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7 NKJV)
The Easterner, such as the Hebrews, doesn’t think that way. The Hebrew thinks concretely, in pictures or symbols. The next time you are reading the Old Testament or the words of Jesus, notice how much of it is pictures and/or symbols.
And the Hebrew takes possession of the picture or symbol. For example, when referring to God they may say, “He is My Shield, My Rock, My Fortress, My Shepherd.” Their faith is real and personal. You can feel this in Paul’s Words to the Galatians. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 NKJV)
This is the heart of Paul's prayer. He is teaching us to pray that people recieve Christ, not simply in their mind, but in their heart. That they lose their identity in Christ. Jesus said, "...he who loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10: 39 NKJV)
Practical Steps for Us as we pray for lost souls:
A. We need to pray that people will hear the preaching of the Gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Romans 10:14, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”This is why inviting people to attend a Bible-Preaching Church is so important!
B. We need to pray that God will call People into the Preaching Ministry!
Romans 10: 15, “ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
Reports suggests that many churches are closing because their simply isn’t enough people going into the ministry. I fear that we have become so saturated with power, fame and wealth that we no longer encourage our young people to prayerfully consider going into the ministry. Only God can truly call and empower someone for the ministry, however, I believe we can plant the seeds by encouraging young people to at least pray about it and then let God move on their heart.
C. We need to Pray that God will use us to Share our Testimony and our Faith to others.Romans 10: 17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. “ NKJV
Remember the woman at the well in John chapter 4. After she had an encounter with Jesus she went back into the city and told everyone who would listen what Jesus did for her!
John 4:29-30, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.”NKJV
