1. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Today we begin our stewardship emphasis, Stewards Engaged in God's Work. Our text is Romans 1:16-17: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" The message today is entitled, “Stewards Engaged in Sharing the Gospel,” Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
2. We don't use the word "steward" much anymore, unless we're on an airplane. A steward is someone who manages another's property according to the owner's wishes. In Genesis 1 and 2, God made us His stewards over His creation. And just so we're clear, we are the managers, not the owners. I know, because I've tried to take over the ownership of my own calendar and it has never worked (Just ask my wife and kids). The greatest treasure God has entrusted to us isn't the land, our paychecks, or even our time. It is the Gospel: the good news that Jesus lived, died, and rose again for the salvation of sinners like you and me. By grace, and by the work of the Holy Spirit, we are stewards of the Gospel.
3. Notice how Paul begins: "I am not ashamed." Why would he say that? Because he knew the temptation. To the Greek, a crucified God was foolishness. To the Jew, He was a stumbling block. And if we're honest, we feel it too. We will talk with great enthusiasm about the weather, football, gas prices, and whether pineapple belongs on pizza, but when the conversation turns to Jesus, we suddenly find our shoes fascinating. We confess that we have been ashamed. We have kept quiet when we should have spoken, and we have buried the treasure like the servant with the one talent. Lord, have mercy.
4. And He does. That is the whole point of our text. The Gospel is not advice for better living or a five-step plan. It is "the power of God for salvation." It doesn't depend on our eloquence, our personality, or our nerve. In the Gospel "the righteousness of God is revealed." We could never produce that righteousness, so God gave it. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Jesus "came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10), and that includes you. Your sins, including your silence, are forgiven. "The righteous shall live by faith," and that faith rests on Christ's work, not ours.
5. Here is the freeing part. If the Gospel is God's power, then the results are His job, not ours. Paul writes, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). Our job is to be the mouth, hands, and feet. "How are they to hear without someone preaching?" (Romans 10:14). God has chosen to work through ordinary people like you and me: a neighbor, a coworker, a grandchild, a friend in the next boat. He didn't choose angels for the job. Frankly, I think He knew we'd need the humility.
6. That is exactly what our Lord commands. Before His ascension, Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:18-20). Notice the "therefore." Because Christ has all authority, because He died and rose, we go. Jesus did not say, "Go, if it's convenient and the weather's nice." And He promises, "I am with you always, to the end of the age." He told us where to begin: "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). For us, that means our homes, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, and beyond.
7. Peter tells us to be ready: "Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). Gentleness and respect, notice. Sharing the Gospel is not ambushing the guy at the gas pump (saying, the power of Christ compels you and throwing a Bible at him, LOL). And sharing the Gospel without love is like playing basketball without the basketball: there's a lot of running around, but nobody's scoring. Our words need to be carried by love. "Love one another with brotherly affection" (Romans 12:10). When people see that love, they will wonder why, and then we get to tell them. We can even brag a little, the way kids brag about their dads: "My Father sent His Son to redeem us, so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:5). Let's face it, that tops "my dad can beat up your dad."
8. Picture those women walking to the tomb on Easter morning. It is barely light. They speak softly, grieving, with their hopes buried. Then they meet an angel, who says, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said" (Matthew 28:5-6). Some of us have walked to the graves of our loved ones this year, bewildered by circumstances and afraid of the future. To us the angel says the same: "Do not be afraid. He is risen." Christ is "the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20), and we follow Him. Then, almost without taking a breath, the angel says, "Go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead" (Matthew 28:7). Go quickly. The first Easter sermon had no three-point outline, and it was gloriously short. (Take notes, Pastor.)
9. Why is this so urgent? Because every person, whatever else they say about themselves, wants to live. Sin and death have cut that life short, and no one can fix it on his own. The Gospel is God's answer: forgiveness now and life that never ends. When we share it, we offer the greatest gift of love anyone can give, and there's no gift receipt required. Like Peter and John, may we say, "We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20).
10. I hope that this message has challenged you to be more intentional in sharing the Gospel. I want to close my message with two very important thoughts. The first thought or point is that people embrace life, and they want a long life that does not end. Rev. Alfonso Espinosa in his book Faith that Engages the Culture writes. “Simply said, the single greatest instinct, desire, and drive in the hearts of human beings is to live. No matter what drives people or what people say to define themselves, people—all people—embrace life…once a person tastes the gift of life, they do not want it to end. God knows this. He created us for life, and He desires that we may enjoy it—literally—forever. God has done something about our great yearning: it is encapsulated in the Gospel.” Unfortunately, because of sin in this world, the perfect and eternal life that God had originally designed for everyone has been shortened to seventy or eighty plus years. Death has entered the world.
11. The second point is that, through the Gospel, God offers what people need and want and that is life now and a life that never ends. When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve in the Garden, God demonstrated His love for you and me and all people by sending His Son to earth to secure our salvation to all those who believe. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we have received the forgiveness of sins and life eternal with Him. When we share the Gospel, we are telling and offering people the greatest gift of love that can be offered.
12. So go, and use your voice, your hands, your gifts, and your offerings so that others may hear. You are not ashamed, because Christ was not ashamed to die for you. The righteous shall live by faith. Amen. Now the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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