Gospel Dynamite with J. Allen Mashburn

Bound By the Lord's Purposes | Romans9:6-33 | J. Allen Mashburn

The first part of verse 6 carries our minds back to what Paul said in verse 1-5. There, we are reminded that the Jews had been the recipients of many divine gifts. Verses 4 and 5 contain quite an impressive list of blessings which they had been given. However, just the fact that they had been given these great spiritual gifts and manifestations, did not guarantee them that they would be saved. That having been said, let us remember that the Word of the Lord will be fulfilled, even to its smallest detail, Isa. 55:11; Matt. 5:18. That which God has predestined and foreordained will come to pass. Whether it is in the arena of prophecy or in the arena of salvation!
Paul wants his Jewish readers to understand that salvation is a divine experience. That is, it always begins and ends with God. He is origination, continuation and culmination of our faith, Heb. 12:2. It is all God all the way! In these verses, Paul seeks to explain the matter of God's divine sovereignty in this matter of salvation. He wants us to know, beyond all doubt, that God is in absolute control of the salvation of men's souls.  Paul tells us that we are all Bound By The Lord's Purpose. 

Burdened for a Lost People | Romans 9:1-5 | J. Allen Mashburn

We have arrived, in our study of the book of Romans, to a passage that is ignored and misunderstood by many great commentators and preachers of the Gospel. The next three chapters form something of a parenthesis between chapters 8 and 13. Many Bible scholars feel that this passage had no relevance to the church at all. However, as we shall see from going through these verses, there are truths that must be understood. Up until this point, Paul has been about the task of proving that salvation is a sovereign work of God brought about through grace by faith. He has been telling his readers that men are saved by trusting the finished work of Christ on Calvary, apart from any rituals or works. Any Jew reading Romans, up to this point, might get the idea that salvation by faith was for Gentiles only. He might come to the conclusion that there was no hope for those who were the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, Paul pauses in his teaching to let all of his readers know that God wasn't finished with the Jew! They still figured prominently in God's plan for the future. As we move through the next three chapters, we will see that they have a lot to say to the Jews. But, there is also some meat for the church as well.
In these opening verses of chapter 9, Paul reveals his heart for his people the Jews. In doing so, he teaches us a lesson about the kind of heart we should have for the lost around us tonight. I would like to preach for a while this evening on this thought: Burdened For A Lost People.

Christ-Like Praying in a Pagan World | I Timothy 2:1-4 | J. Allen Mashburn

First Timothy is the first of three letters written by Paul to young preachers. These letters, called the Pastoral Epistles, are Paul’s attempt at instructing and encouraging these young men of God. In these letters, we can find a great amount of material related to behavior in the church and also governing worship. Paul felt compelled to write these letters because Timothy and Titus were serving the Lord in a society that was very secular and openly opposed to the preaching of salvation through Jesus Christ and the lifestyle of separation and holiness that accompanies that salvation. He gives these young men some rules of thumb by which they can operate their ministries.
It seems to me that we live in a society that is growing more and more anti-Christian by the day. A society, which declares right wrong and wrong right. America is no longer a Christian nation, but has become a pagan nation where men live as if God were dead or irrelevant. 
We can complain all we want to about the situation we are in here in America, but this is where we are, and we have been placed here by the providence of Almighty God. As a result, we need to know how to live for God in a pagan world.

The Distinction of Spirit Life | Romans 8:31-39 | J. Allen Mashburn

Of all the promises made to the child of God relating to our salvation, to me, the most precious is the fact that those who are saved by grace are saved forever. Of course, I am referring to the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer. I know that many will take various passages of Scripture and string them together to try to prove that a person can be saved today and lost again tomorrow. I realize that, but what I want to know is this: Why? Why not just let the Bible say what it says and rejoice in the fact that if you have ever been saved, you will always be saved?
 
That's what these verses are all about. If we had none of the other precious passages in the Bible that teach eternal security, John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 10:28-29; 1 Pet. 1:5, etc., Romans 8 would be sufficient to make that doctrine crystal clear. As we bring our study of this great chapter to a close this evening, Paul tells us about The Distinction Of The Spirit Life. There is one thing that sets Christianity apart from the rest of the belief systems in the world this evening. That thing is a distinctive plan of salvation that guarantees absolute, eternal security to everyone who is saved thereby. Let's look into these verses this evening and allow the Lord to teach us that if we are saved, we are indeed secure.

The Diligence of the Spirit Life | Romans 8:18-27 | J. Allen Mashburn

Verse 18 of our text reminds us of on of the most fundamental truths of the Christian life. That truth is this: we are not home yet! While we wait to be delivered from this world, we need to remember that we are living in a world that is under a curse. As a result of that curse, there is a lot of groaning and turmoil taking place. In the midst of all that, it is easy to become discouraged and it is easy to want to give up.
However, if there is one thing this passage teaches us, it is that the Spirit life is one of diligence. The word diligence means, "to be characterized by steady, earnest and energetic activity." It is the opposite of giving up! In fact, the Spirit of God is able to give us hope during the troubled times of our lives.
This passage concerns the struggle that is going on in and around all of us this evening. Paul shares with us three arenas of life where there is diligence in the midst of a devastated world. Let's look at these together.

The Determination of the Spirit Life | Romans 8:28-30 | J. Allen Mashburn

 I would like to remind you that the book of Romans was written to believers. It is a book given to those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Therefore, the message of this book is intensely to the Christian. 
 
And, while we will never solve the puzzle of salvation and just why Christ loved us, completely in this life, some of the answers to our questions are in these verses.
Today, we are dealing with "The Determination Of The Spirit Life." When I speak of determination I am referring to the determination of God rather than to the determination of the saints of God. I think we will see from these verses that salvation is something that produced by God and enjoyed by man. Salvation is one of those things that we had absolutely nothing to do with it becoming a reality in our lives. 

The Delights of the Spirit Life | Romans 8:14-17 | J. Allen Mashburn

Imagine being born into a family that was poverty stricken. A family that was dysfunctional and doomed. A family with no hope or prospects for the future. A family that was dying and that didn't even care for you at all. Now imagine that along comes a kind, gentle, and wealthy man. This man tells you that he loves you and offers to take you in as his own child. This man offers you everything your natural family could never give you and he offers it to you free of charge. All you have to do is come with him and consent to be his child. Sounds far-fetched, doesn't it? However, that is exactly what happens to every person who places their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!
As Paul moves deeper in this eighth chapter of Romans, he is continuing to illustrate the superiority of the Spirit life. He has already spoken of the deliverance of the Spirit life and the differences of the Spirit life. Now, in these verses, he speaks of The Delights Of The Spirit Life.

Unwrapping Heaven's Gift | Galatians 4:4-7 | J. Allen Mashburn

We all know that the Bible tells us that it is "more blessed to give than to receive.", Acts 20:25. However, at this time of year, in the midst of all the giving and the receiving, even the biggest Scrooge among us likes to receive a gift. For many, including myself, one of the best parts of receiving a gift is the anticipation and the excitement that accompanies the unwrapping of that gift. We are thinking, "I wonder what it is?"; "Is it what I want?"; "I hope I won't look disappointed if it isn't!". Everyone in this room knows exactly what I am talking about!
Well, regardless of whether you get a new tie, a new set of bunny slippers, or that new car you have been dreaming of, nothing you will receive this Christmas will come close to measuring up to the gift God gave the world on that first Christmas. Paul put it this way in 1 Cor. 9:15, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." He said that the gift God gave the world was great beyond description! What was the gift that God gave to the world 2,000 years ago? It was His Own darling Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, John 3:16. He gave His Son to this world so that sinners like you and me might be saved from our sins and from the wages of those sins, death in Hell forever, Rom. 6:23.
In this passage, Paul writes about the great, unspeakable gift of God. 
He helps us to understand Jesus, His mission and His ministry a little bit more clearly. In effect, he helps us to unwrap Heaven's gift.