Sermon Central
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You Have Been Sent Series
Contributed by Andy Flowers on Jul 10, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: Series in Romans
Title- You Have Been Sent
Text- Romans 10:14-17
Romans 10:13-17 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" 16 However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?" 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
I. The Importance of Hearing the Message
II. The Importance of Sharing the Message
III. The Importance of Believing the Message
Today we are celebrating the day of Pentecost. This day commemorates the arrival of the promised Holy Spirit and the initiation of the church. It is a day that is regarded by most as the inauguration of the church.
This isn’t a holiday that we celebrate very often, but it is one that is very important and meaningful. It is a day that commemorates the fulfillment of OT prophecy. It is a day that celebrates the coming of the helper that Jesus promised us. It is a day when the very Spirit of God moved among His people in a powerful way. Today we are celebrating the day of Pentecost, a day that radically changed the world forever.
There is a lot of confusion about the nature and work of the Holy Spirit. But the Spirit’s role is to simply glorify Christ. This happens in a number of different ways. Look with me at a couple of passages from the book of John. Here Jesus promises His disciples that the Spirit will come and help them.
John 14:16-17 16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
Now look at 15:26-27
John 15:26-27 26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
Finally look at 16:7-8
John 16:7-8 7 "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come from the Father. He would reside in them and He would guide them. The Spirit would enable them to share the message of Christ. The Spirit would convict the world of their sin. The Spirit would enlighten their minds so that they could understand the things of God. The Holy Spirit would empower them to go out and share the message of hope with the whole world.
Today we are celebrating the fulfillment of that promise. We are celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, but we are also celebrating the fact that the Holy Spirit has come into our lives, and that the Holy Spirit is still transforming lives today.
As we have already heard through the scripture reading and the music, the arrival of the Holy Spirit was marked by miracles, and powerful proclamation of the gospel, and people’s lives being transformed forever. The Holy Spirit indwelt the lives of God’s people in a new way.
You see in the OT the gift of the Spirit was something that was only given to select few people. It was usually only given for a short period of time and it was usually given so that the person could accomplish a specific task.
But all throughout the OT God promised that there would come a day when His spirit would be poured out on everyone.
Joel 2:28-29 28 ’And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
