Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Romans chapter 10 as we look at how the world will call on Jesus, believe on Jesus, hear about Jesus. I think most of us know the answer to that, but I also believe there is much confusion, much distraction towards what the Lord wants us to do. It is like we are being pulled in two different directions and there will come a point when one is going to lose and the other win out. R. Kent Hughes put it this way:
North Americans are consumption mad. Many people go around believing that without things they will simply disappear. North Americans are pleasure minded, self-indulgent, materialistic, and selfish. This vision has captured the hearts of many Christians, young and old. Many Christians try to live according to two visions – to enjoy the best of two worlds – to remain Christians while at the same time pledging to uphold the faith of consumption. Sooner or later, however, one vision, one spiritual force, will gain the upper hand, will become the directing, the determining force in our lives.
- R. Kent Hughes
That may be offensive to some of you and I guess it should be if this is an area you are struggling with, and I think I can safely say we all struggle with this to some degree. We try to find excitement, happiness in the material things of the world while people are dying every single day not knowing the Lord! Do we get excited to share our faith? Do we rejoice when someone comes to know the Lord? Is there more excitement with the things of God or when you buy a new car, or that new house, that new pair of shoes, that vacation or whatever? Maybe you don’t think it is so bad, but listen to this and you will see where we are.
Did you know that 97% if the world has heard of Coke-a-Cola? Did you know that 72% of the world has seen a can of Coke-a-Cola? Did you know that 51% of the world has tasted a can of Coke-a-Cola? Coke has only been around for some 100 years, not too bad! In knowing that, compare it to the fact that only some 10% of the world’s population has heard the Gospel message! We need to get our attention back on that which is eternal and focus on the lost, and we will see that here in our study this morning!
In Romans chapters 9-11 Paul is dealing with a section on the election of God, and specifically the nation of Israel. In Romans chapter 9 Paul dealt with Israel’s past election. In Romans chapter 10 he deals with Israel’s present rejection of the Messiah. And in Romans chapter 11 Paul speaks of Israel’s future restoration.
Now, just because Israel has rejected the Messiah as a nation, does that mean they should be ignored; the Good News is no longer for them? Not at all and we will see that in our study this morning and then apply these things to our own lives to help us to grow and walk as God desires us to. With that said, let’s begin reading in Romans chapter 10, starting in verse 13, and see what the Lord has for us this morning.
God is no respecter of persons, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord, whoever calls upon Jesus shall be saved, both Jews and Gentiles. The thing is, if they do not hear of Jesus, if they do not hear the Gospel message then how can they believe? They can’t, and thus, for those who go forward with the Gospel message, bringing it to people, they are forging a beautiful path, their steps are filled with glad tidings of the good things of God. You see, it all comes down to this, faith begins, it grows, and our faith will end when we go to be with the Lord, for we shall be with Him, and all of this is in response to hearing and applying the Word of God to our lives. Thus, we give to people the Word of God and pray that their faith will grow in the Lord!
Obviously not everyone will want to hear the Word of God, but that should not stop us as Paul told Timothy, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” II Timothy 4:1-5. We must give to people what they need, not always what they want, and the Word of God is living and powerful and has the ability to transform lives! Preach the Word!
As we read through the Scriptures there are at least four reasons why we are to send out missionaries, which is not only speaking of sending them abroad, but also within our communities, work places, and-so-on. There is THE COMMAND FROM ABOVE, THE CRY FROM BENEATH, THE CALL FROM WITHOUT and lastly, THE CONSTRAINT FROM WITHIN. So with the remainder of our time this morning we are going to be looking at these areas to help spur us on in the work of God.
Now, let me say this before we look at these areas. I am so blessed to be a part of this church because of the focus it has on the lost. When I first came up here some 8½ years ago about 8% of our budget went to missions. Last year, in 2003, almost 25% of our budget went to missions. Some went to missionaries throughout the world. Others went to support Calvary Satellite Network, our radio station. Some went to support our radio program, The Sustaining Word. Some went to support the Bible studies we are sending out to the men and women who are in prison. Some went to the outreaches we do in the community and-so-on. I think we do a great job as a church, my prayer is that as individuals, God would spur us on to take the Gospel message out from our hearts and bring it to people so they may hear and believe!
1. THE COMMAND FROM ABOVE
Before Jesus was taken up into heaven, after His death and resurrection, He gave to us the Great Commission and in Matthew 28:18-20 we are told, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”
Notice what Jesus is saying here, all authority has been given to Him and now He is giving to us the authority to go into the world to make disciples, to share the Gospel message. The problem for many churches and individuals today is the Great Commission has become the Great Omission! Robertson McQuilken said in his book The Great Omission: “in a world in which nine out of every ten people is lost, three of four have never heard the way out, and one of every two cannot hear, the church sleeps on. How come? Could it be we think there must be some other way? Or perhaps we don’t really care that much?”
This may seem bold, but I will say it any way. If we do not go out into the world then we are negating what God has commanded us to do, we are disobedient to Him. In Mark 16:15 Jesus said, “ . . . ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’” May we do that, go out into all the world with the Good News, but lets first start in our own homes, neighborhoods, work places, and-so-on, for that too is a mission field! It is as Oswald Chambers said: “The thing that makes a missionary is the sight of what Jesus did on the cross and to have heard Him say, ‘Go.’” Are you listening?
We tend to do the opposite many times and tell people to “Come!” In other words come to church and let the professionals handle them, the pastor! That is not what Jesus is saying, He is telling us as Christians to go out into the world. Yes, some evangelism is done in the church as you invite family and friends to come, but the majority of evangelism is done as we go out!
You see, my responsibility as a pastor/teacher is “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:12-16. You see, my responsibility is to equip you to go out and do the work of the ministry and by the power of God’s Spirit the work can and will be accomplished.
In Luke 24:49 Jesus said to His disciples, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” They had the tools, they needed the power to go out and in Acts 1:8 Jesus says to them, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The result of the Holy Spirit empowering them for the work of the ministry is 3,000 souls were saved on the day of Pentecost and what was started on that day continues on today by the working of the Holy Spirit in and through the lives of believers! The command from above is to go out into the world with the Gospel Message!
2. THE CRY FROM BENEATH
This is one we probably don’t think too much about if at all, but it is interesting. The cry from beneath or the cry from the grave! In Luke chapter 16 there is a story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man had everything he wanted in this life and then there was Lazarus who was a beggar, he had sores all over his body and he just desired to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.
They both eventually died and the rich man went to Hades, a place of torment while Lazarus went to a place called Abraham’s bosom. And the rich man was in pain, in torment and desired to be comforted, to cross over to Abraham’s bosom but it was too late, his life was over and his decision to live apart from God was now sealed for eternity!
The thing I want to focus on is what the rich man says in Luke 16:27-28, where we read, “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’” His desire was that his family would be warned so they don’t end up where he is at, that they would make the right decisions in their life and spend eternity with the Lord instead of apart from Him in Hell!
When I do a wake or funeral I share with the people the love of Jesus for them and that if their dearly departed could come back and speak with them from the grave, they would tell them to turn to Jesus, to receive Him as your Lord and Savior! You see, it doesn’t really matter if they were a believer or not, in either case, they would say, “Get Jesus!”
Thus, those who have died, if they could speak, would be calling out from beneath to let people know the truth. The thing is why are we waiting for the dead to speak when we have the truth and thus, let’s speak it forth, let’s share Jesus with people before it is too late!
3. THE CALL FROM WITHOUT
In Acts chapter 16 Paul is on the move, he is on his second missionary journey going through Phrygia, Galatia but the Holy Spirit stopped him from preaching in Asia at this time. So he came to Mysia and tried to go into Bithynia but again the Holy Spirit stopped him from bringing the Gospel message to them at this time. So he then came down to Troas and in Acts 16:9-10 we are told, “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Here Paul has a vision of a man calling out for help and Paul immediately heads to Macedonia to meet the call of this man, it is a call from without!
As you look at people, listen to people, not many are calling out for Jesus and truthfully, we don’t see that here in Acts chapter 16 either. The call was for help! Guess what, don’t we hear that same call for help today? Of course we do! “My marriage is on the rocks, help!” “I can’t stop this alcohol or drug problem, help!” “My kids are out of control, help!” “I’ve lost the will to live, help!” And of course, the list can go on-and-on, there are many things people are calling out for help with!
You see, they are crying out for help, and the only one who will be able to help them is Jesus, the Great Physician, the healer of our souls! Has God given you a vision for people? I believe He has for the heart of Jesus is compassion for people and as we reach out to them in love, which is the heart of Jesus, and we are giving them the help they need, we are giving them Jesus!
It is as Dr. A. B. Simpson said: “Press on our heart the woe, and put in our feet the go.” You see, Jesus is the healer of our souls as we can see here, as this South Sea Islander proudly displayed his Bible to a World War II G.I. and he replied back to the islander, “We’ve outgrown that sort of thing.” The native just smiled and said back to the solider, “It’s a good think we haven’t. If it wasn’t for the Book, you’d have been a meal by now!” Do you hear the call from without, the call for help from people that are hurting? I believe you will if you are listening and then you can step forward and bring to them the healing of Jesus!
4. THE CONSTRAINT FROM WITHIN
Not only do we have the Lord telling us to go out into the world with the Gospel. Not only do we hear the cry from beneath to speak forth the truth. Not only do we hear the call for help from without. But also, we have the constraint from within or as Paul put it in II Corinthians 5:14, “For the love of Christ constraineth us . . .” Or as The Amplified Bible puts it, “For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us . . .” It is as Hudson Taylor said: “I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up asking Him to do His work through me.” That is correct and that is powerful!
God has placed His love in our hearts and it is that love that then constrains us or compels us to go out and speak forth the truths of God to a world dying in sin. I know, at times we feel so inadequate. At times it can be so frustrating. At times it can become so discouraging and you might want to stop, you might want to drop out, don’t!
Jeremiah was, not a bullfrog, but a prophet of God to the Southern Kingdom of Judah for over 40 years and during all those years he had not one convert! It was hard, it was discouraging, and at one point he did want to drop out, he wanted to give up. In Jeremiah 20:7-9 we are told, “O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; Everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, ‘Violence and plunder!’ Because the word of the LORD was made to me A reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, ‘I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.’” We have probably all been there from time to time but notice what else he says in the last half of verse 9, “But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.”
You see, his heart burned within him to speak forth the things of God even though his mind was saying, “What’s the use?” And Jeremiah listened to his heart, the passion for the people and the love of God compelled him to go forward and speak the Words of God, to bring God’s message to His people!
And folks, the qualifications for a Christian to speak forth the Words of God, to share their faith, to share the Gospel message is simple, you have to be alive! I think all of you qualify, right? If you are not sure, take two of your fingers and place them on your wrist and if you feel a pulse, you are alive, if you don’t, we will take care of you after the service this morning! Now too often we think like the world in terms of degrees and education and meeting this requirement and that requirement. But that is not the case, if it were, listen to what would have happened to one of the greatest evangelists that ever lived. We are told in this letter:
To Saul Paul
Independent, Missionary
Corinth, Greece
Dear Mr. Paul:
We recently received an application from you for service under our Board.
It is our policy to be as frank and open-minded as possible with all our applicants. We have made an exhaustive survey of your case. To be plain, we are surprised that you have been able to pass as a bonafide missionary.
We are told that you are afflicted with a severe eye trouble. This is certain to be an insuperable handicap to an effective ministry. Our Board requires 20-20 vision.
At Antioch, we learn, you opposed Dr. Simon Peter, an esteemed denominational secretary and actually rebuked him openly and publicly. You stirred up so much trouble at Antioch that a special Board meeting had to be convened at Jerusalem. We cannot condone such actions.
Do you think it seemly for a missionary to do part-time secular work? We hear that you are making tents on the side. In a letter to the church at Philippi, you admitted that they are the only church supporting you. We wonder why.
Is it true that you have a jail record? Certain brethren reported that you did two years time at Caesarea and were imprisoned at Rome.
You made such trouble for the businessmen at Ephesus that they refer to you as “the man who turned the world upside down.” Sensationalism in missions is uncalled for. We also deplore the lurid over-the-wall-in-a-basket episode at Damascus.
We are appalled at your obvious lack of conciliatory behavior. Diplomatic men are not stoned and dragged out of the city gate, or assaulted by furious mobs. Have you ever suspected that gentler words might gain you more friends? I enclose a copy of the book by Dailus Carnagus, “How to Win Jews and Influence Greeks.”
In one of your letters you refer to yourself as “Paul the Aged.” Our new mission policies do not envisage a surplus of super- [aged] recipients.
We understand that you are given to fancies and dreams. At Troas, you saw “a man of Macedonia” and at another time “were caught up into the third heaven” and even claimed the “Lord stood by you.” We reckon that more realistic and practical minds are needed in the task of world evangelism.
You have caused much trouble wherever you have gone. You opposed the honorable women at Berea and the leaders of your own nationality in Jerusalem. If a man cannot get along with his own people, how can he serve foreigners?
We learn that you are a snake handler? At Malta, you picked up a poisonous serpent which is said to have bitten you, but you did not suffer harm. Tsk, tsk!
You admit that while serving time at Rome that “all forsook you.” Good men are not left friendless. Three fine brothers by the names of Diotrephes, Demas, and Alexander the coppersmith have notarized affidavits to the effect that it is impossible for them to cooperate with either you or your program.
We know that you had a bitter quarrel with fellow missionary, Barnabas. Harsh words do not further God’s work.
You have written many letters to churches where you have formerly been pastor. In one of these letters, you accused a church member of living with his father’s wife, and you caused the whole church to feel badly; and the poor fellow was expelled.
You spend too much time talking about the “second coming of Christ.” Your letters to the people of Thessalonica are devoted almost entirely to this theme. Put first things first from now on.
Your ministry has been far too flighty to be successful. First Asia Minor, then Macedonia, then Greece, then Italy, and now you are talking about a wild goose chase to Spain. Concentration is more important than dissipation of one’s powers. You cannot win the whole by yourself. You are just one little Paul.
In a recent sermon you said, “God forbid that I should glory in anything save the cross of Christ.” It seems to us that you ought also to glory in our heritage, our denominationalism and program, the unified budget, and the World Federation of Churches.
Your sermons are much too long at times. At one place, you talked until after midnight and a young man was so asleep that he fell out of the window and broke his neck. Nobody is saved after the first twenty minutes. “Stand up, speak up, and then shut up” is our advice.
Dr. Luke reports that you are a thin, little man, bald, frequently sick, and always so agitated over your churches, that you sleep very poorly. He reports that you pad around the house praying half the night. A healthy mind in a robust body is our ideal for all applicants. A good night’s sleep will give you zest and zip, so that you wake up full of Zing.
We find it best to send only married men into foreign service. We deplore your policy of persistent celibacy, Simon Magus has set up a matrimonial bureau at Samaria, where the names of some very fine widows are available.
It hurts me to tell you this, Brother Paul, but in all of my twenty-five years experience, I have never met a man so opposite to the requirements of our Foreign Mission Board. If we accepted you, we would break every rule of modern missionary practice.
Most sincerely yours,
J. Flavius Fluffyhead
Foreign Mission Board
Secretary
- J. Harold Smith, “Your Good Neighbor”, November 1952
Folks, Paul said in I Corinthians 1:26-31, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God — and righteousness and sanctification and redemption — that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.’” May we not forget that, it is not about us, but the Lord and He will equip us and use us as He sees fit, all we must do is walk!
You may never go to the juggles of Africa, but you can support missionaries. You may never go to the deserts of India, but you can pray for missionaries. And the thing is, our mission work begins right here at home if we are willing to walk, to obey the Lord! It is as this story shows us:
In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. “Your Majesty,” said Prior Richard, “do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.”
“I understand,” said Henry. “The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.”
“Then I will tell you what to do,” said Prior Richard. “Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you.” When King Henry died, a statement was written: “The King learned to rule by being obedient.” When we tire of our roles and responsibilities, it helps to remember God has planted us in a certain place and told us to be a good accountant or teacher or mother or father. Christ expects us to be faithful where he puts us, and when he returns, we’ll rule together with him.
- Steve Brown, Key Biscayne, Florida
Why do we go on missions, support missions, have a heart for missions? Because the Lord has commanded us to go out and make disciples of all nations. Because there is a cry from beneath not to let another soul miss out on the glory of God and His salvation for them. Because there is a call from without for help in this present life and Jesus can be that help for them. And because the love of God constrains us, compels us to go forward and share the Gospel message with the lost! Go where the Lord has called you, maybe a short term missions trip this summer, maybe going out to witness in the park with Pastor Dave and the youth group, maybe just sharing your faith at the workplace, in your neighborhood, whatever it may be, just be obedient to His call, step out in faith!
I will leave you with this to think about from Theodore Williams of India. He said: “We face a humanity that is too precious to neglect. We know a remedy for the ills of the world too wonderful to withhold. We have a Christ too glorious to hide. We have an adventure that is too thrilling to miss.” AMEN!