The Power of One
June 1, 2014 Morning Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: God can use you to make a difference in His kingdom.
Focus Passage: Romans 5:12-19
Supplemental Passage: Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)
Introduction: When dozens of East Berliners showed up at the Bornholmer Strasse border crossing on a cold and gray November evening in 1989 demanding to be let into West Berlin, Lt. Col. Harald Jaeger asked for guidance from his superiors.
By the time the crowd grew into the hundreds and became more demanding, it became clear to Jaeger that he would get no guidance from his superiors.
The excited East Germans converged on the border crossing that Jaeger commanded because hours earlier Politburo member Gunter Schabowski announced to the international media gathered at the government's press center in East Berlin that "the ruling Communist Party had declared East Germans were free to travel immediately."
People were screaming and shouting. They wanted to be let through the wall that had kept them from the Western world and the situation was escalating dramatically.
He thought it would not be long before people would turn violent against a handful of border guards outside the command post, who were helplessly confronted by thousands of angry East Berliners now.
That's when Jaeger decided, shortly after 11 p.m., to give the order, "Open the gate," making the checkpoint at Bornholmer Strasse the very first one to let a couple thousand East Berliners through into West Berlin. [This ultimately led to the complete collapse of the Soviet Union.]
http://abcnews.go.com/International/BerlinWall/man-opened-berlin-wall/story?id=8880273&singlePage=true
I. The Power of One to Sin
a. Sin for all mankind entered all mankind through Adam
b. That sin, the sin of disobedience, is still our downfall
c. We are not born with sin, but we are born with a nature that will sin, when given the choice
II. The Power of One to Forgive
a. Forgiveness for all mankind came through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
b. All mankind has access to this forgiveness if they believe
c. Forgiveness is not automatically given to everyone; there is no “universal salvation”
III. The Power of One to Obey
a. Noah obeyed and was used by God to save mankind from total destruction
b. Abraham obeyed and the “almost” sacrifice of Isaac became a foreshadow of the sacrifice of Jesus
c. Moses obeyed and was used by God to lead the Hebrews out of captivity
d. Caleb and Joshua obeyed and saw the Promised Land while those who disobeyed perished in the desert
e. Joshua obeyed and was used by God to conquer the walled city of Jericho
f. David obeyed and was used by God to conquer Goliath and the Philistines
g. Daniel obeyed and was used by God to have King Darius proclaim God to every kingdom
h. Joseph obeyed and protected Jesus and Mary as they fled to Egypt away from Herod
i. John the Baptist obeyed and was used by God to prepare the way of the Lord
j. Peter obeyed and was used by God to bring the Gospel to the gentiles
k. Paul obeyed and was used by God to bring the Gospel to Greece and the Roman Empire
l. Thomas obeyed and was used by God to bring the Gospel to India
m. John obeyed and was used by God to record the Book of Revelation
n. Fanny Crosby obeyed and was used by God to write some of our most beloved hymns
o. Billy Sunday and Billy Graham both believed and were used by God to bring millions to repentance and salvation
p. Thousands of anonymous missionaries have obeyed and were used by God to take the Gospel to countless millions of nearly every nation, tribe, and tongue
Applicaion/Invitation: What can God do through you if you only obey? Obey what? The command to make disciples, the command to be holy, and the command to love others
