Proper 14
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Cycle A, THIRD EDITION
THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: 37:1--4, 12--18 (C)
Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery. Jacob sent his favorite son, Joseph, to check on his brothers who were tending sheep. Because Jacob loved Joseph more than the other sons and made him a coat of many colors, the brothers hated Joseph. As he approached, they conspired to kill him. Their plan changed when traders on the way to Egypt came by. They sold Joseph to them for twenty pieces of silver.
Lesson 1: 1 Kings 19:9, 11--13 (RC)
A discouraged Elijah hears God speak in a still, small voice.
Lesson 1: Jonah 2:1--9 (E)
While in a big fish, Jonah prays.
Lesson 2: Romans 10:5--15 (C)
We are put right with God by faith in Christ.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5 (RC, E)
Paul has great anguish because the Jews have not accepted Christ. Today we begin a new section of Romans; chapters 9--11 deal with Paul and the Jewish question. The question is, "Why don't the Jews accept Jesus as the Christ?" Paul is shocked, distressed, and deeply concerned that his fellow--Jews reject Christ. In complete desperation he wishes God would cut him off from Christ, if it would take that to bring them to Christ. They have every reason to accept Christ, for they are God's people and have the covenants, Law, and the promises of God. Above all, Jesus was a fellow--Jew.
Gospel: Matthew 14:22--33 (C, RC, E)
Jesus' walking on the sea frightens the disciples. Jesus sends the disciples by boat to the other side of the lake while he went up a mountain to pray. When the boat was far from shore, a terrible storm developed, and the disciples were frightened. Three hours before dawn they had a greater reason to be scared. They saw a figure walking on the water. When Jesus assured them that it was he and not a ghost, Peter asked Jesus to let him come to him by walking on the water. When Peter saw the waves, he lost faith and began to sink. In desperation he cries to Jesus for help. Jesus took him to the boat, the wind stopped, and the disciples in awe confessed that Jesus was the Son of God.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 105:1--6, 16--22, 45b (C) - "Remember the mighty works he has done" (v. 5).
Psalm 85:8--13 (RC) - "Show us thy steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation" (v. 7).
Psalm 88 (E) - "The voice of the Lord is over the waters" (v. 3).
Prayer Of The Day
"Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve. Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merit of your Son, Jesus Christ."
Hymn Of The Day
"Eternal Father, Strong To Save"
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel: Matthew 14:22--33
1. Made (v. 22). The disciples were "made" to go to sea. Jesus wanted and needed to be alone to pray about John's recent murder by Herod. In their obedience they ran into trouble, a storm at sea. There is a fundamental truth here. As Christians we will get trouble, hardship, and crisis as we obey God's commands. Jesus never promised all sunshine for his followers.
2. Fourth watch (v. 25). The fourth watch came between three and six in the morning, the darkest time of the night. Jesus came to the storm--tossed disciples after they futilely struggle against the storm throughout the night. A person's extremity is God's opportunity to rescue.
3. It is (v. 27). In our day we ask, "Who am I?" Jesus knows who he is and told the disciples who he is. Why didn't they know who he was? It was pitch dark. His figure appeared as a ghost. And who would expect a man to walk on water, especially in a storm at sea in the middle of the night? Since Jesus came to them, they had no reason to fear. No need to fear, for he comes not to harm but to help. No need to fear Jesus because he has power to save from destruction.
4. Come (v. 29). Note the bravado of Peter, "If you can do it, I can do it, too!" Jesus invited Peter to come to him by walking on the water. He asked him to do the impossible. And he almost did it, at least for a few steps. His failure was due to the fact that he took his eyes off Jesus and lost his confidence and faith.
5. Save (v. 30). Peter expressed the ultimate need of every human - "Save me." Each person has many needs, but basic to all is the need for deliverance from the threatening forces that are our undoing. On the sea of life, every person faces drowning. He needs to be rescued. At Peter's cry, Jesus "reached out his hand and caught him." Jesus said his followers were to catch men before they perish in the perils of the world.
Lesson 1: Genesis 37:1--4, 12--18 (C)
1. More (v. 3). Jacob loved Joseph "more" than his other sons. To love one more than another seems to be a family tradition. Sarah loved Isaac more than Ishmael. Rebecca loved Jacob more than Esau. Jacob loved Joseph more than the other children. It caused trouble. It made the brothers jealous and caused them to hate Joseph. For family peace and harmony, parents need to love each child equally.
2. Here I am (v. 13). When Jacob asked Joseph to go see about his brothers, he responded, "Here I am" or "I am ready." It points to Joseph's obedience. When God asked Isaiah who would go for him, Isaiah likewise responded, "Here am I. Send me." When the Father in heaven asks us to do a job for him, are we as willing to obey?
3. Deliver (v. 21). Reuben was the hero of the day. When his other brothers planned to kill Joseph, Reuben spoke up and urged them not to kill Joseph, but to throw him into a pit. His plan was to rescue Joseph later and send him home. If it were not for Reuben, there would have been no Joseph to save the Hebrews from starvation as Joseph did when he was prime minister of Egypt. Christians, too, have a greater deliverer, Jesus, who delivers us from sin and death.
Lesson 1: 1 Kings 19:9, 11--13 (RC)
1. Came (v. 9). There is no hiding place from God. Elijah fled to a cave in a wilderness because he was afraid of Queen Jezebel's revenge. No one but God knew where he was. Wherever we go, "Behold, thou art here." Here is an illusion of grace. God comes to Elijah who is frightened. He is in need of encouragement and assurance. Elijah needs to be sent back into the fray. This is grace - God takes the initiative and comes to us who are in trouble.
2. Jealous (vv. 10, 14). Twice God asks Elijah, "What are you doing here?" Elijah explains that he is jealous for God. Enemies have destroyed God's altars and killed his prophets. The people have forsaken God. Elijah is jealous for God. He wants God to be adorned, obeyed, and followed. Apparently he failed to bring his nation to that point. He feels he has failed God. He runs away as a defeated warrior. God did not condemn Elijah for being jealous, but he brought Elijah out of the discouragement resulting from his zeal for God.
3. Voice (v. 12). It is a problem of epistemology, the knowledge of God. A cure for despondency is to know God. He is not known in the spectacular, majestic phenomena of nature: wind, earthquake, and fire. God reveals himself in the quiet, intimate "small voice." The Word (Bible) is God's primary way of revealing himself. If we are to hear God's still, small voice, we must get quiet and listen.
4. Go (v. 15). A cure for despondency is action - "Go." God told Elijah to return to society and to resume his service to God by anointing both political and religious leadership. When in despair, a cure is often found by getting out and doing something for God and people.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5 (RC, E)
1. Truth (v. 1). A recent researcher claims the average person tells 100 lies daily. Was it the same in Paul's day? Apparently, telling lies was a practice, for Paul felt it necessary to assure the Roman Christians that he was not lying but telling the truth in Christ. It is not merely telling the truth but the truth in Christ. It is the truth in relation to Christ - spiritual truth.
2. Conscience (v. 1). Paul says his conscience confirms that he is telling the truth. Conscience in itself is not always a sound guide, nor an infallible proof of goodness. A conscience may be dead or not enlightened. A conscience, to be a reliable guide, needs to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
3. Accursed (v. 3). Paul is deeply concerned about his fellow--Jews who have not accepted the gospel. He is so concerned that he would be willing to be excluded from the kingdom if it were the price of getting the Jews into the kingdom. He is willing to go to hell if his going would keep the Jews from going there. In this age of pluralism, witnessing to non--Christian Jews in behalf of Christ is considered presumptuous and in bad taste. Would Paul agree?
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Gospel: Matthew 14:22--33
1. Faith During Troubled Times. 14:22--33
Need: It is easy to have faith when all goes well. It is not much of a test of faith when we sit in comfort and prosperity during church services. Faith is seen like a lamp when night comes. The disciples had a night experience on the sea when their faith was challenged. The sermon is needed to encourage people to develop their faith in good times that their faith fail not in times of crises.
Outline: A faith for troubled times.
a. Faith of obedience - v. 22.
b. Faith for a crisis - v. 24.
c. Faith to conquer fear - vv. 26, 27, 31.
d. Faith to confess - v. 33.
2. You Got Me Into This, Now Get Me Out! 14:22--33
Need: The trouble we are in may not be our fault. Because we are Christians and obey Christ's commands, we are subject to innocent suffering. God got us into this mess. Now let him get us out of it! In this Gospel lesson Christ does exactly that.
Outline: In this text we see -
a. The trouble of obedience - vv. 22--24.
b. The deliverance from trouble - vv. 25--33.
1. Christ comes - v. 25.
2. The saving hand - v. 31.
3. The call for faith - vv. 27, 31.
3. Lend Me A Hand. 14:28--31
Need: Every person has a multitude of needs - to be loved, to be secure, to be happy. He needs health, a job to make a living. Of all the needs, the most basic need is to be saved from the perils of the world, from death, Satan, and sin. Peter cried for every person, "Lord, save me." As a person sinks, he begs, "Lend me a hand!"
Outline: In our deepest need -
a. We cry for help - v. 30.
1. Threatened by surrounding conditions - "when he saw the wind."
2. A sinking condition - "beginning to sink."
3. Lack of faith - "afraid."
b. We are helped - vv. 31--32.
1. Hears Peter's cry - "Lord, save me."
2. Offers his hand - "Reached out his hand."
3. Saved Peter - "caught him."
Lesson 1: Genesis 37:1--4, 12--28 (C)
The Cost Of Hatred. 37:1--4, 12--28
Need: Hatred is a common trait. The Arabs hate the Jews, the Capitalists hate Communists, whites hate blacks, labor hates management, some spouses hate each other. Christians are not to hate any person. They are commanded to love even their enemies by praying for them, feeding them, and doing good for them. In this pericope we see what hatred did to Joseph and his father, Jacob.
Outline: The high cost of hatred -
a. Hatred plotted murder - v. 18.
b. Hatred broke Jacob's heart - v. 34.
c. Hatred brought enslavement - v. 28.
Lesson 1: 1 Kings 19:9, 11--13 (RC); 1 Kings 19:9--18 (E)
Out Of The Depths. 19:9--18
Need: In this sermon we deal with a universal experience: discouragement, despair, and failure. Elijah proves that even preachers get discouraged! Though we champion the cause of God, we do not always meet with success. This leads to depression and discouragement. Elijah was just up on top of Mount Carmel, on the mountain of success, in championing God, and now he is in the valley of despair. This is a universal experience: We have our highs and lows. God finds the prophet in this condition and restores him to positive action. In this text we see how God can lift us out of our despair.
Outline: The way to overcome the blues.
a. Tell your troubles to God - vv. 9--10.
b. Renew your relationship with God - vv. 11--18.
c. Get busy - vv. 15--17.
d. Be assured of support - v. 18.
Lesson 2: Romans 10:5--15 (C)
Get Right With God. 10:5--15.
Need: In Paul's day the need was to persuade Jews to accept Christ as Lord. It was his heart's desire that they be saved by faith in Christ. A similar need exists today. Forty percent of Americans are not Christians. Only one--third of the world believes in Christ. Since there is, according to scripture, only one way to get right with God and thus saved, how can we get non--Christians to have the necessary faith? Most non--Christians think they will be saved by obeying God's laws. But who is able to obey all of them perfectly?
Outline: The way to getting right with God -
a. Confess that Jesus is Lord - v. 9a.
b. Believe in Jesus' resurrection - v. 9b.
c. Call on the Lord - v. 13.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5 (RC, E)
1. "I'd Go To Hell For You!" 9:1--3
Need: Paul is so concerned about his fellow--Jews not accepting Christ that he says he would be glad to be cut off from Christ to get them to come to Christ. George Whitefield had a similar passion for winning people to Christ. Once he even told a non--Christian that he was willing to go with him to jail or even to hell, but he was unwilling to go to heaven without him. This concern for the lost, this love for the sinner, this passion for the non--Christian are the taproots of evangelism. In a time when Christians are prone to seek Jews as Christian converts, this passage of Paul's concern for Jews may be embarrassing.
Outline: Why I'd go to hell for you.
a. To keep you from going to hell.
b. To persuade you that Christ is the Savior.
c. To enable you by faith to have an abundant life.
2. Every Reason To Be Christian. 9:4--5
Need: This text reminds us that Jesus, according to the flesh, was a Jew. The Jews have a glorious heritage of relationship with God. As a chosen people, Israel was given a special revelation of God, through the words of the prophets and the acts of history. This glorious background came to a climax in Jesus, a son of the Hebrew race. For this reason Christians should never be found guilty of anti--Semitism. A Christian needs to be grateful for the spiritual heritage of the Jews. Because of this heritage, we with Paul are concerned and alarmed that Jews reject Jesus as the Messiah.
Outline: A people (person) has every reason to be Christian.
a. A people in a covenant relationship with God - v. 4.
b. A people with the Law of God - v. 4.
c. A people with great religious leaders - v. 5.
Lesson 1: 37:1--4, 12--18 (C)
Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery. Jacob sent his favorite son, Joseph, to check on his brothers who were tending sheep. Because Jacob loved Joseph more than the other sons and made him a coat of many colors, the brothers hated Joseph. As he approached, they conspired to kill him. Their plan changed when traders on the way to Egypt came by. They sold Joseph to them for twenty pieces of silver.
Lesson 1: 1 Kings 19:9, 11--13 (RC)
A discouraged Elijah hears God speak in a still, small voice.
Lesson 1: Jonah 2:1--9 (E)
While in a big fish, Jonah prays.
Lesson 2: Romans 10:5--15 (C)
We are put right with God by faith in Christ.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5 (RC, E)
Paul has great anguish because the Jews have not accepted Christ. Today we begin a new section of Romans; chapters 9--11 deal with Paul and the Jewish question. The question is, "Why don't the Jews accept Jesus as the Christ?" Paul is shocked, distressed, and deeply concerned that his fellow--Jews reject Christ. In complete desperation he wishes God would cut him off from Christ, if it would take that to bring them to Christ. They have every reason to accept Christ, for they are God's people and have the covenants, Law, and the promises of God. Above all, Jesus was a fellow--Jew.
Gospel: Matthew 14:22--33 (C, RC, E)
Jesus' walking on the sea frightens the disciples. Jesus sends the disciples by boat to the other side of the lake while he went up a mountain to pray. When the boat was far from shore, a terrible storm developed, and the disciples were frightened. Three hours before dawn they had a greater reason to be scared. They saw a figure walking on the water. When Jesus assured them that it was he and not a ghost, Peter asked Jesus to let him come to him by walking on the water. When Peter saw the waves, he lost faith and began to sink. In desperation he cries to Jesus for help. Jesus took him to the boat, the wind stopped, and the disciples in awe confessed that Jesus was the Son of God.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 105:1--6, 16--22, 45b (C) - "Remember the mighty works he has done" (v. 5).
Psalm 85:8--13 (RC) - "Show us thy steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation" (v. 7).
Psalm 88 (E) - "The voice of the Lord is over the waters" (v. 3).
Prayer Of The Day
"Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve. Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merit of your Son, Jesus Christ."
Hymn Of The Day
"Eternal Father, Strong To Save"
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel: Matthew 14:22--33
1. Made (v. 22). The disciples were "made" to go to sea. Jesus wanted and needed to be alone to pray about John's recent murder by Herod. In their obedience they ran into trouble, a storm at sea. There is a fundamental truth here. As Christians we will get trouble, hardship, and crisis as we obey God's commands. Jesus never promised all sunshine for his followers.
2. Fourth watch (v. 25). The fourth watch came between three and six in the morning, the darkest time of the night. Jesus came to the storm--tossed disciples after they futilely struggle against the storm throughout the night. A person's extremity is God's opportunity to rescue.
3. It is (v. 27). In our day we ask, "Who am I?" Jesus knows who he is and told the disciples who he is. Why didn't they know who he was? It was pitch dark. His figure appeared as a ghost. And who would expect a man to walk on water, especially in a storm at sea in the middle of the night? Since Jesus came to them, they had no reason to fear. No need to fear, for he comes not to harm but to help. No need to fear Jesus because he has power to save from destruction.
4. Come (v. 29). Note the bravado of Peter, "If you can do it, I can do it, too!" Jesus invited Peter to come to him by walking on the water. He asked him to do the impossible. And he almost did it, at least for a few steps. His failure was due to the fact that he took his eyes off Jesus and lost his confidence and faith.
5. Save (v. 30). Peter expressed the ultimate need of every human - "Save me." Each person has many needs, but basic to all is the need for deliverance from the threatening forces that are our undoing. On the sea of life, every person faces drowning. He needs to be rescued. At Peter's cry, Jesus "reached out his hand and caught him." Jesus said his followers were to catch men before they perish in the perils of the world.
Lesson 1: Genesis 37:1--4, 12--18 (C)
1. More (v. 3). Jacob loved Joseph "more" than his other sons. To love one more than another seems to be a family tradition. Sarah loved Isaac more than Ishmael. Rebecca loved Jacob more than Esau. Jacob loved Joseph more than the other children. It caused trouble. It made the brothers jealous and caused them to hate Joseph. For family peace and harmony, parents need to love each child equally.
2. Here I am (v. 13). When Jacob asked Joseph to go see about his brothers, he responded, "Here I am" or "I am ready." It points to Joseph's obedience. When God asked Isaiah who would go for him, Isaiah likewise responded, "Here am I. Send me." When the Father in heaven asks us to do a job for him, are we as willing to obey?
3. Deliver (v. 21). Reuben was the hero of the day. When his other brothers planned to kill Joseph, Reuben spoke up and urged them not to kill Joseph, but to throw him into a pit. His plan was to rescue Joseph later and send him home. If it were not for Reuben, there would have been no Joseph to save the Hebrews from starvation as Joseph did when he was prime minister of Egypt. Christians, too, have a greater deliverer, Jesus, who delivers us from sin and death.
Lesson 1: 1 Kings 19:9, 11--13 (RC)
1. Came (v. 9). There is no hiding place from God. Elijah fled to a cave in a wilderness because he was afraid of Queen Jezebel's revenge. No one but God knew where he was. Wherever we go, "Behold, thou art here." Here is an illusion of grace. God comes to Elijah who is frightened. He is in need of encouragement and assurance. Elijah needs to be sent back into the fray. This is grace - God takes the initiative and comes to us who are in trouble.
2. Jealous (vv. 10, 14). Twice God asks Elijah, "What are you doing here?" Elijah explains that he is jealous for God. Enemies have destroyed God's altars and killed his prophets. The people have forsaken God. Elijah is jealous for God. He wants God to be adorned, obeyed, and followed. Apparently he failed to bring his nation to that point. He feels he has failed God. He runs away as a defeated warrior. God did not condemn Elijah for being jealous, but he brought Elijah out of the discouragement resulting from his zeal for God.
3. Voice (v. 12). It is a problem of epistemology, the knowledge of God. A cure for despondency is to know God. He is not known in the spectacular, majestic phenomena of nature: wind, earthquake, and fire. God reveals himself in the quiet, intimate "small voice." The Word (Bible) is God's primary way of revealing himself. If we are to hear God's still, small voice, we must get quiet and listen.
4. Go (v. 15). A cure for despondency is action - "Go." God told Elijah to return to society and to resume his service to God by anointing both political and religious leadership. When in despair, a cure is often found by getting out and doing something for God and people.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5 (RC, E)
1. Truth (v. 1). A recent researcher claims the average person tells 100 lies daily. Was it the same in Paul's day? Apparently, telling lies was a practice, for Paul felt it necessary to assure the Roman Christians that he was not lying but telling the truth in Christ. It is not merely telling the truth but the truth in Christ. It is the truth in relation to Christ - spiritual truth.
2. Conscience (v. 1). Paul says his conscience confirms that he is telling the truth. Conscience in itself is not always a sound guide, nor an infallible proof of goodness. A conscience may be dead or not enlightened. A conscience, to be a reliable guide, needs to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
3. Accursed (v. 3). Paul is deeply concerned about his fellow--Jews who have not accepted the gospel. He is so concerned that he would be willing to be excluded from the kingdom if it were the price of getting the Jews into the kingdom. He is willing to go to hell if his going would keep the Jews from going there. In this age of pluralism, witnessing to non--Christian Jews in behalf of Christ is considered presumptuous and in bad taste. Would Paul agree?
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Gospel: Matthew 14:22--33
1. Faith During Troubled Times. 14:22--33
Need: It is easy to have faith when all goes well. It is not much of a test of faith when we sit in comfort and prosperity during church services. Faith is seen like a lamp when night comes. The disciples had a night experience on the sea when their faith was challenged. The sermon is needed to encourage people to develop their faith in good times that their faith fail not in times of crises.
Outline: A faith for troubled times.
a. Faith of obedience - v. 22.
b. Faith for a crisis - v. 24.
c. Faith to conquer fear - vv. 26, 27, 31.
d. Faith to confess - v. 33.
2. You Got Me Into This, Now Get Me Out! 14:22--33
Need: The trouble we are in may not be our fault. Because we are Christians and obey Christ's commands, we are subject to innocent suffering. God got us into this mess. Now let him get us out of it! In this Gospel lesson Christ does exactly that.
Outline: In this text we see -
a. The trouble of obedience - vv. 22--24.
b. The deliverance from trouble - vv. 25--33.
1. Christ comes - v. 25.
2. The saving hand - v. 31.
3. The call for faith - vv. 27, 31.
3. Lend Me A Hand. 14:28--31
Need: Every person has a multitude of needs - to be loved, to be secure, to be happy. He needs health, a job to make a living. Of all the needs, the most basic need is to be saved from the perils of the world, from death, Satan, and sin. Peter cried for every person, "Lord, save me." As a person sinks, he begs, "Lend me a hand!"
Outline: In our deepest need -
a. We cry for help - v. 30.
1. Threatened by surrounding conditions - "when he saw the wind."
2. A sinking condition - "beginning to sink."
3. Lack of faith - "afraid."
b. We are helped - vv. 31--32.
1. Hears Peter's cry - "Lord, save me."
2. Offers his hand - "Reached out his hand."
3. Saved Peter - "caught him."
Lesson 1: Genesis 37:1--4, 12--28 (C)
The Cost Of Hatred. 37:1--4, 12--28
Need: Hatred is a common trait. The Arabs hate the Jews, the Capitalists hate Communists, whites hate blacks, labor hates management, some spouses hate each other. Christians are not to hate any person. They are commanded to love even their enemies by praying for them, feeding them, and doing good for them. In this pericope we see what hatred did to Joseph and his father, Jacob.
Outline: The high cost of hatred -
a. Hatred plotted murder - v. 18.
b. Hatred broke Jacob's heart - v. 34.
c. Hatred brought enslavement - v. 28.
Lesson 1: 1 Kings 19:9, 11--13 (RC); 1 Kings 19:9--18 (E)
Out Of The Depths. 19:9--18
Need: In this sermon we deal with a universal experience: discouragement, despair, and failure. Elijah proves that even preachers get discouraged! Though we champion the cause of God, we do not always meet with success. This leads to depression and discouragement. Elijah was just up on top of Mount Carmel, on the mountain of success, in championing God, and now he is in the valley of despair. This is a universal experience: We have our highs and lows. God finds the prophet in this condition and restores him to positive action. In this text we see how God can lift us out of our despair.
Outline: The way to overcome the blues.
a. Tell your troubles to God - vv. 9--10.
b. Renew your relationship with God - vv. 11--18.
c. Get busy - vv. 15--17.
d. Be assured of support - v. 18.
Lesson 2: Romans 10:5--15 (C)
Get Right With God. 10:5--15.
Need: In Paul's day the need was to persuade Jews to accept Christ as Lord. It was his heart's desire that they be saved by faith in Christ. A similar need exists today. Forty percent of Americans are not Christians. Only one--third of the world believes in Christ. Since there is, according to scripture, only one way to get right with God and thus saved, how can we get non--Christians to have the necessary faith? Most non--Christians think they will be saved by obeying God's laws. But who is able to obey all of them perfectly?
Outline: The way to getting right with God -
a. Confess that Jesus is Lord - v. 9a.
b. Believe in Jesus' resurrection - v. 9b.
c. Call on the Lord - v. 13.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5 (RC, E)
1. "I'd Go To Hell For You!" 9:1--3
Need: Paul is so concerned about his fellow--Jews not accepting Christ that he says he would be glad to be cut off from Christ to get them to come to Christ. George Whitefield had a similar passion for winning people to Christ. Once he even told a non--Christian that he was willing to go with him to jail or even to hell, but he was unwilling to go to heaven without him. This concern for the lost, this love for the sinner, this passion for the non--Christian are the taproots of evangelism. In a time when Christians are prone to seek Jews as Christian converts, this passage of Paul's concern for Jews may be embarrassing.
Outline: Why I'd go to hell for you.
a. To keep you from going to hell.
b. To persuade you that Christ is the Savior.
c. To enable you by faith to have an abundant life.
2. Every Reason To Be Christian. 9:4--5
Need: This text reminds us that Jesus, according to the flesh, was a Jew. The Jews have a glorious heritage of relationship with God. As a chosen people, Israel was given a special revelation of God, through the words of the prophets and the acts of history. This glorious background came to a climax in Jesus, a son of the Hebrew race. For this reason Christians should never be found guilty of anti--Semitism. A Christian needs to be grateful for the spiritual heritage of the Jews. Because of this heritage, we with Paul are concerned and alarmed that Jews reject Jesus as the Messiah.
Outline: A people (person) has every reason to be Christian.
a. A people in a covenant relationship with God - v. 4.
b. A people with the Law of God - v. 4.
c. A people with great religious leaders - v. 5.
