P. Schaller

One little work I want you to do. Stand with me and turn to Romans 1:16. That’s the phrase I want you to memorize, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” Again. One more time. Are you? Or me? Am I ashamed? Why does he say it? A little work I’ll have you do is turn to your neighbor and say I have been ashamed or could be ashamed or it has happened I have been ashamed. I read I am not ashamed but it can happen that I am ashamed and why? Your neighbor will say why are you ashamed?

The Apostle Paul was in the city of Corinth. And they considered the gospel foolish. Paul was in the city of Phillipe and he was put in prison for preaching. He was in the city of Athens and they mocked him. He was in Galatia and they stoned him. He was in Jerusalem and almost killed, attacked, physically dragged, attacked, almost ripped apart and delivered by the Romans. Why after these experiences could he keep going?

Why when he was under pressure could he say I’m not ashamed of the gospel? For it is the power of God. DUNAMIS – we get the word “dynamite” from that Greek word. It is power. It is the power of God. Then it says in vs. 16 unto salvation. This word unto salvation means to rescue or save. It is the power of God to rescue a person. To save a person. It is real power and Paul knew that. Many of our missionaries when we read their newsletters we get a feeling of their personal excitement because they are seeing the power of God in the lives of people. It’s exciting when you are on the move and find when the Spirit is leading us and you find that the Spirit is doing this.

P. Adam Speedy has been working in Owings Mills and I called him to get a review of what is happening. When we started talking about, it we did it by faith and many Body members jumped in and feel right about it that Owings Mills is a place for us. It’s something the H.S. is saying about the church. It’s a part of Baltimore that this a separate city I suppose but in our range of interest as a church. The Spirit is moving in the U.S. of America and he must because this work is the health of the nation, the blessing of a family, the power of God to rescue a person. The power of God to take a person from the woods as P. Ray has been working with the team and has the numbers. How many have come out of the woods, heard the gospel and been born again. Is D.J. and his wife here? No, not right now. Their testimony at the lunch rap was a year ago they were in the woods and now they have their own apartment. They have been born again and God has helped them and done that work.

vs. 16. Let me explain something important to understand. We have the world’s population maybe 7.4 or 7.5 billion today. Some of them are called the elect.

2 Tim. 2:9 this is the Apostle Paul. I’m in prison, but the word of God is not bound. I can still speak. The Bible is still speaking. I have chains but I’m sharing and Paul had it as a habit of life as part of his understanding of the world.

vs. 10. I endure all things for who? The elect. The elect’s sake. Who are the elect? They are amongst us. They are here. They are everywhere in the world. They are the elect but I don’t know who the elect is. God knows them that are his.

It says in 2 Tim 2:19. The Lord knows them that are his. Are they in Vietnam, Korea, China, United States, Baltimore, Glen Burnie, and Belair? What does he say about it? I endure all things for the elect’s sake. It seems I will sit in the prison, I have chains. I will endure my trouble but in my trouble I will open my mouth and do all I can for the elect’s sake. Are they in the swimming pool at the health club? I saw twice a week and almost always I go over to the lifeguard. I say thanks for being here. If I ever go under, I expect you to pull me out. I say spiritual things to those young guys and girls. I say is God in the room? Is God here? I told them the gospel but they might say they already believe but I do not know and you do not know when you are speaking and what God is doing.

Ec. 11 we do not know how the bones grow in a woman’s womb so we don’t know the work of God. Sometimes it is very gentle like Ruth from Moab coming back to Bethlehem. Like Esther in the palace in Persia. We don’t know the work of God.

vs. 10. I will do whatever I can so they will obtain the salvation.

He that winneth souls, Prov. 11:30, this is King James. Winneth is the word “bring.” He that brings people. Brings souls.

The word is used in 1 Sam 16 a story you are all familiar with when they went to find David and Samuel went to Jesse and said I have to look at all your sons. Do you have any other? I have one more. Bring him. It’s the same word. Bring David. He that brings people. It seems we are all able to bring people. We all have influence on people. We are able to bring them. We are able to bring them mentally with our faith, our words, our love, our wisdom. We are able to bring people to a new way of thinking. God does that. God draws people to himself. It might not be automatic.

When P. Satellite was here last year he said in China when people come they are unbelievers and they come for one year and they are processing the whole thing about being a believer or not. Here it looks like people make a decision in a meeting and raise their hand and get saved and they do, but in China we know these people that are seeking and searching and asking questions. When they make a decision, they say to the pastor I want to be saved and it might take a year. The church gathers around them and they have a party. They knew what they were doing and had been under the conviction of the Spirit.

The stories we read in Acts. Some people need to be brought. He that brings souls and bring them.

We bring them by the gifts of the Spirit of 1 Cor 12. The elect. You could say why are you sharing your faith and handing out tracts in Towson or Rosedale or Dundalk? Because of the elect. Why do you share your faith in the hair salon or university campuses? Why do you want to be known in your community as a Christian? Because of the elect. Why do you sow seeds of love and faith and encouragement in the people of our neighborhood? We have back yard talks or conversations. Christmas is coming and we would like to bring souls along. Bring them along the way. Answer their questions and care about them and encourage them in faith because I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God. I have a clean conscience. Where could I find this? I am forgiven of my sin.

Billy Graham’s organization has statistics on the average American neighborhood how many are contemplating suicide. In our neighborhood there are 8 people contemplating suicide. They maybe don’t do it but think about it. So many are depressed, have addictions and personal problems.

We are not ashamed of the gospel. We may be misunderstood. We may be considered to be inappropriately talking or labeled as a zealot. Maybe we are awkward with our communication. We don’t know how to communicate. One brother told me down in Florida he is a Jewish brother and in a nice neighborhood in Florida. He went soul winning where his neighbors were shopping and he said I would hide behind the corner of the building. I didn’t want my neighbors see me handing out tracks with these people. I’m thankful he was honest. We understand what he is saying. Think again. Many times people don’t know how to evaluate you and me anyway. Does it matter?

In Acts 10, the Spirit led Peter to Cornelius’ house. He was a Gentile. He gathered all his friends, not all of them, where his relatives and friends were in the house. Peter came up from the Tel Aviv area in Israel. We were just there so we know the geography a bit. The ruins of that city King Agrippa built is very fascinating. We were standing on these original streets…we were there and we could imagine first century Christians walking around Caesarea and a little on edge because they found something they never knew about that changed their world. One of them was Cornelius. Peter preached and the Spirit fell and they received Christ. For God to make it clear to Peter that these are sisters and brothers, they spoke in tongues like Peter did. They spoke in tongues in that city of Caesarea and Peter said what could prevent these people from being baptized. God has showed it to us. These are our sister and brothers. He went to Jerusalem and he was questioned. We heard you ate with the Gentiles. Unclean food. You had the joy of God’s work and the intimidating judgment of the religion. Peter struggled with that. When you find the joy of leading someone to Christ, nothing else matters. When you find someone comes to Christ and you realize this person’s life they have joy. It’s called the joy of the soul winner.

1 Thes 2:19, it’s a great sentence. Someone said it in our staff meeting on Tuesday. The joy of a soul winner. Child Evangelism Fellowship goes to soon 5 schools. These children are learning about J.C. These workers are happy to see the children and the parents come to Christ, be forgiven, be encouraged and it’s very exciting when the Spirit begins to move in their hearts. They start to walk by faith. They keep coming and come back and they keep coming and we are bringing them. I want to say could you bring someone. Could you care about it and know God is saying the elect are here. You meet them in the motorcycle group with P. Butch. P. Ray is bringing, the teachers are bringing, and I have to ask you, have you ever brought someone to Christ? Has it ever happened in your life? Has it ever happened in your life you were able to bring someone to Christ? The joy of it.

Jn 4:4, he must go through Samaria. vs. 6. Jacob’s well was there. It was about the 6th hour, noon. He is thirsty, weary there at noon and has a woman there who comes.

Children are fun to talk to but you have to be careful if you are a stranger and you are an adult. It might not be appropriate on the street. Talk to their parents if you can. If you have the platform for it, children are beautiful to talk to. The elect. A woman on a park bench. Someone in a dentist office, on a bus. At a bus stop. Someone in a nursing home. Being ready with an awareness. Not like I’m witnessing to everyone on the elevator or in the office but I’m aware and sometimes the Spirit can show you. You can have a polite and meaningful conversation where you are a good listener, not a preacher, but a listener. Seven times Jesus is giving her an opportunity to speak. I will lead you. God is working in your heart. My Father is showing it to me. I came here with a divine appointment in mind. You are the woman. It’s so exciting. It’s so precious. It’s so awesome. At the end of the story, the disciples come and they are amazed he is talking to the woman.

vs. 31-32. I want to change that a little bit. Eat, Lord. He goes I have meat you don’t know about. I have wisdom you don’t know about. I have joy. I have a connection with this woman you don’t know about. I have a vision in my heart for the world you don’t know about. That is one thing we are afraid of with our neighbors and people we have connection with. We are living in this one and this is where everyone is trying to be excited and happy. The Boston Red Sox win the World Series and this bit of info and I’m excited about Friday night. Jesus said I have something and I need you guys to know it.

In this house is joy better than the World Series, the Super Bowl, the lottery, a girlfriend, better than you hopes and desires. I have something going on and it’s the ministry of the Holy Spirit…one is wisdom. I am smarter than many of the greatest minds in the world because I’m on track with what the H.S. is doing. We have found the point. We have the whole thing. We have found there is heaven. There is God. There is a gospel. There is a resurrection, eternal life, forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, a living Bible. We have found Jesus is saying I have something going on you don’t know about.

The second word is “joy.” Everyone is looking for it. I got it. I’m a soul winner. I don’t mean I’m always talking about Jesus.

I talk in wisdom and looking for and Jesus is talking about the woman’s husbands. The husbands of the woman and her latest boyfriend. He is talking about her life. You can plug in any narrative. The cancer, the loss of a job, the depression, broken heart, and the dog died. In deep depression because the dog died. It’s exciting because God is caring about this world on the first floor of the house. We can talk there and bring them. For it is the power of God to rescue people. Rescue them. Amazing. Rescue them from hell. The word is shocking. Rescue them from judgment. Rescue them from this, you know.

I have joy you don’t know of. I have wisdom you don’t know of. What else could we say? I have relationship, purpose, faith and this is where we struggle. I can’t believe I would be reduced to the paint in the room. The paint is a big deal. I can’t believe I’d be reduced to a golf game or World Series or weather or politics. My life is reduced to comfort and convenience and money and joy and opportunities and popularity or reputation or passivity or indifference. One brother said I don’t soul win anymore.

I’m thinking we have this word landmarks. We have landmarks. I want to change it “mind marks.” I have mind marks. I have mind marks and they are not going to move.

If I stop being a soul winner and I have somehow, I go back to it. I know there are people that are the elect. It takes a tract, a conversation, a prayer. God answer our prayer winning people to you. Finding them. Going back and bringing them. Go back and bring them again. In the first six months of being a believer, I was very fragile like a tottering fence. Someone would call or put their hand on my shoulder and bring me along the way.

The value of a soul is worth the entire world. God gave you gift so you can bring souls. Bring people to the faith, to loving the Bible, to mission, to caring. A small little thing but it’s a beautiful thing because God is in it.

Let us not be ashamed of the gospel. It is so powerful. It is God’s message and work. On Saturday morning, we meet at the Fellowship Hall. Let’s pack the room out. Let’s have a good old fashioned time handing out tracts. Let’s go out with thousands of tracts. Everyone has a dog. Say, you have a beautiful dog. What’s his name? In a minute, you have an open door. Could I say something to you from my heart? May I ask you a personal question? This is what we want to do. Bring people. We are wise if we do it.