WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WISH?

READING: Rom 10:1-3; Ps 21:1-7

1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not
submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Ps 21:1-7
The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
2 Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.
5 His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.
6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
7 For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.

I. TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED, APPRECIATED, AND REWARDED?

A. In a similar manner as Jesus? (Appreciated by God - or man?)
1. Phil. 2:5-11
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of
men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under
the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

B. Who is going to shine? (before God.)

1. Phil. 2:12-16
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and
perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither
laboured in vain.

C. Who is going to be rewarded? (for eternity)

1. Rev. 7:9-17
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and
people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their
hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the
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throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be
unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and
whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on
the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of
waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

II. TO HAVE PRAYERS ANSWERED?

A. Then live a righteous life.
1. James 5:16-18 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions
as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of
three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth
her fruit.

2. Prov 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

3. Prov 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

4. Isa 59:1-2 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that
it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his
face from you, that he will not hear.

B. Ask according to God’s will.

1. 1 Jn. 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to
his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the
petitions that we desired of him.

III. TO ENJOY FELLOWSHIP, UNITY, AND LOVE?

A. FELLOWSHIP?
1. 1 Jn.1:5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is
light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness,
we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

B. UNITY?
1. 1 Cor. 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak
the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the
same mind and in the same judgment.

C. LOVE?
1. 1 Pet. 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned
love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
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2. 1 Jn. 4:7-12
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth
God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world,
that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our
sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in
us.

3. 1 Jn. 4:16-21
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love
dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are
we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not
made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath
seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

IV. FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO OBEY THE GOSPEL, OR TO BE RESTORED AND FAITHFUL?
A. That was Paul’s wish also.
1. Rom 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

B. How did he work toward that goal?

1. Acts 13:15-16 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent
unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give
audience.

2. Acts 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea : who
coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

3. Acts 18:1 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

C. What did Paul tell Timothy in regard to these things?

1. 1 Tim 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou
shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

2. 2 Tim 2:24-26 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach,
patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them
repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of
the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
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V. WEALTH? SHORT TERM OR LONG TERM?

A. Short term.
1. Mark 4:18-19 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the
cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches , and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the
word, and it becometh unfruitful.

2. Mark 10:23-25 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they
that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But
Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter
into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man
to enter into the kingdom of God.

B. Long term.
1. Matt 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure
is, there will your heart be also.

2. Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable
are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

3. Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of
his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

4. Luke 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure
in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Invitation: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess Christ as the Son of God, Be Immersed for the remission of
sins, and then grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, remaining faithful until death.

If you are a Christian and have sinned publicly, then you are invited to remove your
separation from God by public repentance so that prayers can be offered with you and for you.