Life Lessons with Dr. Steve Schell

What is a revival? It's a move of God which draws people to Himself with such power that it cannot be explained by human activity. What's taking place is not the result of some well-run ministry. Past revivals saw large numbers of people return to the faith in which they were raised; they came back to the Christianity they had rebelled against or ignored. But today the situation in America is different-much of the nation has lost its respect tor the church. Christians are generally viewed as self-righteous scolds who love to judge others but hypocritically practice the same things. And sadly that impression of us is borne out by surveys that show that on average our moral and relational health is no greater than that of our society. Evidently we lack the power to live holy lives.

Meanwhile, many in this society are becoming desperate. They've become addicted, their families are unable to stay together, they are controlled by anger, fear, lust, depression... compulsive forces which have grown so strong they are tempted at times to act out and do something outrageous. So people are frightened and want help but there's no real, affordable help available. People helplessly watch as their marriages, careers, friendships, or dreams decompose before their eyes, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that the secular world has no real help to offer. So people look to the church, but we appear in just as bad a shape. The only difference is that we are in denial. Because of this much of America has grown immune to the gospel. The gospel looks powerless because Christians look powerless.

What are people looking for? A power that can set them free so they can stay married (happily), raise their children, keep their jobs and rise in a career without seif-imploding or live free of depression without being constantly medicated. If there were a power that could actually set me free so I could live with energy and joy, if I could truly put the past behind me and start ail over again, if God could really do that, millions of people would turn to Him.

So here's the key to the next revival: when people see family and friends who they know well and have watched be cruelly held in bondage, wasting their potential, and then find the power to change... hope will ignite and many will long for that same power so they too can be free.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's book Understanding Romans, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge. The book has all the notes from each sermon in this series.

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

And if you would like to receive a copy of Pastor Steve's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation at no charge, we are still giving this book out as well!

It's so easy to give up. We may start out with high hope that a family member or friend will soon receive Jesus, but as time passes, those expectations weaken and may even die completely. We've prayed and tried to share our faith, but ail our attempts have been rebuffed repeatedly. The fact is some people are really... well, let's say slow to believe. They actually seem determined to refuse the gospel and may even grow defensive and angry at the slightest mention of Jesus. And that's when the danger arises: we too become defensive and angry and decide we don't care anymore. If we aren't careful, our attitude may degrade one step further as we decide that God doesn't care anymore either. After all, that person has been given more than their fair share of opportunities, if they don't want to go to heaven, so be it! They've made their choice, now it's time for us and God to move on.

This is the problem Paul is trying to prevent In this passage. Gentile believers in Rome were growing proud and starting to look down on Jews for refusing the gospel. He suspects they're beginning to think that God is as frustrated as they are and has stopped loving Jews and abandoned His covenant with them. Paul's solution is remarkable: He unveils a great mystery. He showed us what was happening from God's perspective. Actually, a divine plan was underway designed to bring in more Gentiles and Jews. Far from giving up, God was still mightily at work. Paul's basic message Is this: Please don't stop loving. No matter how hard someone may appear, God doesn't take "no" for an answer, and neither should we.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's book Understanding Romans, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge. The book has all the notes from each sermon in this series.

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

And if you would like to receive a copy of Pastor Steve's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation at no charge, we are still giving this book out as well!

God is so great He can use even human sinfulness to serve His purposes. During the time of the Exodus, He used Pharaoh to spread His reputation throughout the ancient world (Ro 9:17), and here in Paul's day He was using Jewish hostility to spread the gospel to the Gentiles. The rejection of Jesus by so many in Judaism had forced believing Jews to cease preaching in synagogues, and in some cases to flee for their lives. The focus of their evangelistic efforts were now turned toward the Gentiles (Ac 18:4-11). This shift had already resulted in the ingathering of thousands of new believers, and as the presence of the Holy Spirit transformed their lifestyles, their Jewish neighbors and friends could not help but observe the change. Paul passionately hoped that seeing the impact of salvation on the Gentiles would serve to provoke many Jews to jealousy; in time they too would long to have the same blessings. They too would long to possess the righteousness of faith.

Paul understood this shift of emphasis toward the Gentiles to be a strategic move on God's part which would result in more Jews coming to Jesus in the long run. That does not mean Paul thought God wanted to save Jews more than Gentiles. He's showing us that God was at work, making something good out of a bad situation. He was directing Jewish hostility so that it would not end in defeat, but in the salvation of more Gentiles and Jews. This is what Moses had prophesied would take place. He had said someday God would use the Gentiles to make Israel jealous (Ro 10:19; Dt 32:21). When those who initially rejected the gospel saw the Holy Spirit resting mightily on their Gentile neighbors, they would be forced to ask whether or not they had been mistaken in their rejection of Jesus. In other words, God had a plan to reach their hearts by another way. He hadn't given up. He'd merely changed tactics.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's book Understanding Romans, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge. The book has all the notes from each sermon in this series.

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

And if you would like to receive a copy of Pastor Steve's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation at no charge, we are still giving this book out as well!

 

Spiritual ignorance is one thing; refusing to believe is another. Every time someone says "no" to God, a change takes place inside. There are decisions that must be made every day, but most occur at merely a mental level. But refusing to surrender during one of those moments in which the Holy Spirit has opened my spiritual eyes to see His truth and assures me of mercy if I will repent requires me to harden my own heart. That's the only way I can escape the power of His call that's drawing me to Him. It's this sort of hardening of the heart that Paul is talking about in this passage. He says when a person refuses the witness of the Holy Spirit, they damage their own spiritual capacities which in turn causes God to withdraw His Spirit, leaving that person vulnerable to dangerous impulses which tend to escalate into open religious persecution. If it does, those who take part in persecuting God's people invite upon themselves His divine justice. God will see to It that those who harm His innocent people will experience the same sort of suffering. In effect, the prayers of Psalm 69 will be turned against them (Ro 12:19). Yes, God is a God of mercy, but He is also a God of justice. He is patient, but He will not allow His people to suffer forever. In time He will bring upon their persecutors the punishment they deserve. This is why it is so important for us to forgive those who persecute us.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's book Understanding Romans, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge. The book has all the notes from each sermon in this series.

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

And if you would like to receive a copy of Pastor Steve's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation at no charge, we are still giving this book out as well!

Have you ever heard someone say, "I wish I had faith like you do. For some reason I just can't seem to believe." They may sense something inside that prevents faith. For them it's a struggle to believe God exists or that they could have a relationship with Him. Faith is a remarkable quality. For some it comes as naturally as breathing while others find it hard to even imagine a spiritual realm exists. Why is this? Are some people "wired" by nature to perceive spiritual realities and others not? Actually, I suspect there is some truth to that statement, but in the passage we'll study today Paul says faith is available to all. He says when the gospel is preached, faith is present. God offers if to us as a gift. It Isn't something we can produce naturally; it's a miracle that's given to us, but we still have a part to play: that gift must be received. And that's where the problem lies. There are powerful forces at work in the human heart that can prevent people from receiving faith. Real faith is a miraculous change of mind implanted in us by the Holy Spirit, so any human being, regardless of their background, can believe and be saved when they hear the gospel. Yet many don't. Today let's listen to Paul explain why, and then let's reflect on how a believer can pray effectively for someone who struggles.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's book Understanding Romans, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge. The book has all the notes from each sermon in this series.

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

And if you would like to receive a copy of Pastor Steve's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation at no charge, we are still giving this book out as well!

 

To some people their need for God's mercy is obvious. They've lived a terrible life. They've done many things of which they are ashamed, so no one needs to convince them they are in trouble with God. They know their spiritual condition only too well. For these the challenge of the heart is to believe God actually loves them and wants them to be with Him in heaven forever. These are the ones who are amazed at His grace.But not everyone has lived a wild life. Not everyone rebels against the rules. Not everyone walks away from their family values or their religious upbringing. Some continue to go tochurch and give and serve. They say "no" to the voices that tempt them to "just try it once." And as a result they escape the havoc that tears apart the lives of some of their friends. Their families tend to stay together, they often succeed in what they do. They don't embarrass themselves or their loved ones, and people are proud of them. They are held up as examples of how people ought to live. And this kind of success is just what the Bible says will happen to those who obey its rules. Yet, there is a challenge of the heart for this group as well. It can actually be harder for them to be saved. These are the ones especially in danger of stumbling over the "stumbling stone."

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's book Understanding Romans, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge. The book has all the notes from each sermon in this series.

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

And if you would like to receive a copy of Pastor Steve's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation at no charge, we are still giving this book out as well!

 

What must I do to be saved? That question is the subject of much debate and much confusion as you might expect. But in our lesson today Paul answers that questionwith plain, unmistakable clarity. He says, "...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." There's nothing confusing in that statement. A child can understand it, and anyone can do it. He's telling us that God has already done all the work. He has provided everything we need for salvation and now requires of us only that we confess and believe, assuring us that if we do we will most certainly be saved. So why is that so hard for so many people? All the work has been done, and the response required of us is easily understood and quite doable, yet something inside the human heart still wrestles against it. Apparently, being saved is easy, but getting the human heart to take those steps is not. Confessing a Lord requires humility, a quality not initially present in most of us. And believing in a resurrected Savior means acknowledging my own desperate need and accepting as fact the most profound miracle imaginable. So the steps I need to take are simple, but preparing my heart to take them is not.

Paul isn't offering us mere words to recite here. Salvation doesn't come from a superficial prayer. He's inviting us to make two deep heartfelt decisions... and to continue in those decisions for a lifetime: To confess Jesus as our Lord and to live out the implications of that confession, and to cling to Him as our risen Savior, trusting that He forgives us and is our righteousness no matter what condemnation and shame try to come our way. So simple, but yet so hard!

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's book Understanding Romans, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge. The book has all the notes from each sermon in this series.

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

And if you would like to receive a copy of Pastor Steve's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation at no charge, we are still giving this book out as well!

 

 

Following Jesus can be very lonely sometimes. His moral standards and attitudes toward people are so different that the more we obey Him the more we find ourselves at odds with our culture. Awkward moments increase when we have to say "no" to something or "yes" to something others think is crazy. People view us with suspicion and wonder If we've taken this religious thing too far. Some friends stop socializing with us, employers may look for an opportunity to fire us or at least pass us by for a promotion. Teachers may drop our grades because they don't like what we write. Even family may act strangely around us. What was once a close relationship may grow strained and awkward.

Jesus, of course, said all of this would happen. He said the world doesn't like Him, so if we follow Him, it won't like us either (Jn 15:18,19; Mt 10:34-37). But when that process actually starts, it still comes as a shock. Surely our family and friends will see the good things God is doing in our lives. Surely in the bottom of their heart they know His ways are right. Surely when they hear our story they too will believe. And thankfully, some do, but others don't, at least for a long time. Even religious people, those who call themselves Christians, may grow angry and push us away. It seems the gospel, the real one that is, tests the human heart separating those who believe from those who don't. There have been seasons in history and places on earth when large numbers have believed. But at other places and times, those numbers grow small... and those faithful few can feel very much alone. The Bible has a name for these. It calls them "the remnant."

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's book Understanding Romans, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge. The book has all the notes from each sermon in this series.

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

And if you would like to receive a copy of Pastor Steve's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation at no charge, we are still giving this book out as well!

 

Some people, even after genuinely becoming a Christian, are not content in the Lord. They still hunger for the world. There's a feeling about them. They're restless and see their commitment to the Lord as a collar around their neck. They may be outwardly obedient, but inwardly they wish they were free. Apparently, they aren't able to rest until they "backslide." A backslider is not someone who openly renounces Jesus but who gradually becomes disloyal and falls in love with the gods of the world. Sadly it seems that the only way they can find fulfillment in Him alone is to discover how bitter life can be without His blessings. Backsliding is a dangerous game. We can get in way over our heads and become enslaved to forces we foolishly invite into our lives (Ro 6:15,16). We can get in so deep we can't climb back out. But if at any point in the process we repent, God will take us back, and not as a second-class citizen. He'll love us like a husband cherishes his wife and restore us so completely that the world will marvel and say, "Surely God is your father for He cares for you like you are His child!"

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's book Understanding Romans, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge. The book has all the notes from each sermon in this series.

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

And if you would like to receive a copy of Pastor Steve's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation at no charge, we are still giving this book out as well!

 

In the middle of an explanation about why so many Jews were rejecting the gospel Paul echoes one of the deepest questions that comes out of the human heart: "God, why did You make me like this?" For some reason most of us are displeased with what we see when we look at ourselves. This is true whether we're focusing on our physical appearance, our intelligence, our career path or even our spiritual gifting and call to serve Him. Something perverse in us always wishes we were like someone else. We consider what they do to be a great success but what we do to have little meaning or to be altogether a failure. We initially blame ourselves for this and set about to try harder, but as time passes, we discover there's a deeper root to the problem. We discover God has made us certain ways, and the more we struggle to change, the more apparent that truth becomes. I'm forced to admit I've been made a certain way, and there's no escaping it. And that's when Paul's words in these verses become so healing. He stops us in our tracks and asks, "...who are you, 0 man, who answers back to God... does not the Potter have the right over the clay to make... one vessel for honor and another for common use?" His words heal us because they go right to the root of the problem. It's only after we finally submit to the Potter that we find joy and become an honored vessel.

To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's book Understanding Romans, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge. The book has all the notes from each sermon in this series.

Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.

And if you would like to receive a copy of Pastor Steve's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation at no charge, we are still giving this book out as well!