Sermon Central
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Principles To Being Sold Out
Contributed by Dave Kinney on Sep 14, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: At times we have to strip ourselves of the stiff and wooden qualities and disrobe ourselves of the contentment and complacency that strangles our devotion to holiness and boldness.
There’s no doubt about Paul - he was sold out for Christ! He could not have accomplished such a life of faith without this trait!
A verse that stands out regarding being sold out for God is...
Matthew 6:33 “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...”
The word “seek” in not in the passive form but rather is passionate in action!
So as believers we are all called to seek after the Kingdom of God with a continual passion and power that’s fueled by the Holy Spirit in us. Maybe that happened to your life when you got saved last year or 10 years ago - but now that fuel source is 87 octane instead of 93 octane!
Are you SPUTTERING along instead of ZOOMING along like you use to!
SLIDE: Would the word curious or complacent best describe your hunger with God? Does inquisitive or insensitive best describe your obedience to God?
LifePoint: At times we have to strip ourselves of the stiff and wooden qualities and disrobe ourselves of the contentment and complacency that strangles our devotion to holiness and boldness.
A.W. Tozer wrote, “In the midst of this great coldness towards God there are some, I rejoice, who deliberately long after God. They want to taste,
to touch with their hearts, and see with their inner eyes the wonder of God.”
4 Principles To Being Sold Out
1. Eagerness. Vs. 13
Paul was saying to the church at Rome that he was experiencing some kind of hindrance that caused a great delay getting to Rome.
This wasn’t the first time this happened to him.
1 Thessalonians 2:18 “We wanted to come to you time and again, but Satan hindered us.”
What was behind his drive? To be fruitful for God!
Colossians 1:10 “Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Does the word “Fully” describe our eagerness to be fruitfulness?
Bottom line - don’t let self or Satan hinder your commitment to being sold out for Jesus!
2. Indebtedness. Vs. 14
“Debtor” = being held by some obligation, bound to some duty.
He was obligated to the truth that had changed his miserable life!
Paul felt a great obligation to simply serving others! Wether they were rich or poor, Jew or gentile - he was obligate to the great message of Jesus Christ!
1 Corinthians 9:22,23 “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.
I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. NIV
3. Readiness. Vs. 15
Readiness comes in all sorts of different ways: ready to go, ready to pray, ready to give and ready to encourage!
The way I see this in Paul’s life had 3 components to it:
a. Faithful to the obligation to the gospel.
b. Flexible for the opportunity of the gospel.
c. Fearless at the opposition to the gospel.
How much of this is in each of us when it comes time to really live for Jesus?
David Livingston the great missionary to South Africa dared to pray, “Lord, send me where You will, but go with me. Lay any burden on my heart, but sustain me. Sever any ties in my life, but the one that bids me to Thee.”
4. Shamelessness. Vs. 16
Think a moment, Paul had a lot of reasons why he could have been ashamed of Christianity and the good news connected to it:
• Christianity belonged to a poor carpenter who was killed as a criminal. Imagine going to this mega city of 1 million and telling them about Jesus who died and paid for their sins!
• At this point in Christianity, there were no wealthy people, no great philosophers. Christians were considered 2nd rate folks, trouble makers to Nero. No special right only special persecution!
• This talk of the resurrection was silly in Rome and Athens as it is still today in America!
In all that, Paul was not about to step back from the miracle of the gospel and shut up with the message of grace!
3 Subjects Paul Was Not Ashamed Of:
a. The Person of Christ.
Augustine in the 4th century was seen by one of his old friends of his pagan days. This person came up to Augustine and said, Aren’t you ashamed of the terrible things you used to do?”
And to that Augustine replied, “Yes I am ashamed of the dirty things I did in my past, but I’m not ashamed of the One who saved me from my past!”
Hebrews 11:16 “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
