Unless We Are Sent, Part 2

What your dentist or a doctor or a stay-at-home mom.

Whether you're a teacher of all the different callings you have in your life when you're sure of is you are called to make Jesus known to the people around you and around the world talk about God's will is for my life. I know what a big part of it is by the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all come prepared to repent so I should tell I'm your host Molly's. The Bible says faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. When you hear that they give you any urgency about sharing the gospel with people in your community, even around the world today. Pastor Jeannie Greer leaned into the truth that those of us who have heard and embraced the message of the gospel have an obligation to share or send an grab your Bible and open to Romans chapter 10 as pastor JD continues to make it without a preacher and how can they preach unless they are set very sobering truth in which you get your mind around this. In the New Testament. The gospel is only ever preached the human mouth searchable of acts from start to finish.

You will not find a single example of the gospel being shared.

Apart from the human instrument, even in the story of Cornelius the angel doesn't share the gospel not been much more efficient.

The Angels Artie buries audio.please attention to document what you gospel wears out a belief but the angel won't do it because it is seemingly it's against the rules. Only a human instrument and share the gospel. The gospel can only ever be proclaimed through a human mouth, you understand that God may be working in.

Somebody out there because he intends to raise you up and send you to that the reason he stirs his people is because he is people that he is preparing around the world. People can only be saved by hearing about Jesus and they can only hear about him.

The witness of a believer which leads to Paul's final premise. Your premise number six the task is urgent. The task is urgent if all this is true if what Romans teaches us about the gospel is true, what must this mean for our lives at most one third of the people on earth claim to be Christians. That means there are at least 4 1/2 billion people on the planet who confess openly that are not Christians.

The Joshua project which is a missions research company estimates that about half of those have about four to have billion have little or no access to the gospel. That means that right now. This morning they have no real chance as it stands right now no real chance to ever hear the gospel before they die. They say that if you live these people up five across right.

They would circle the globe five times when you who hear the gospel every single weekend you sit in a nation of gospel privileges where you turn on the radio the TV and pick up a book and turn on one of the Brazilian podcast and come here hear the gospel every weekend.

I want you to get in your mind a group of people. Five. Across circling the planet five times that are marching headlong into destruction without a single chance of escaping what is in front of them because they just have never heard. I want you to reflect on this and every single one of those is somebody that is made in the image of God just like you. That means that they have the same emotions that you do. That means that they know what it's like to be lonely and afraid that means they love their children and care about the children's what you care about yours. That means they were loved and cared for by their parents, but you were probably careful about yours.

It means that going to hell for them is every bit the tragedy that it would be for you. Don't turn 2.2 billion people don't turn that number into a statistic.

Were not talking about a demographic problem. Buses were talking about people just like you that are no less worthy of the gospel than you were when you heard it and it's just not right.

It's just all right. Paul says for you to hear so much and do so little to those who have heard nothing at all, students you care about suffering and oppression before the great things about your generation you care about about helping provide clean water in Africa advocating for education reform or women's rights in the Middle East you care about marginalizes suffering groups right here in our own country and that's awesome that you understand that the worst kind of suffering is eternal suffering right you understand that you know that you not to hear about that your college classrooms and then I was special about it on CNN but if you understand what Romans is teaching you the worst kind of suffering of all is eternal suffering kind of thing that people care about the world and believe the gospel devote their lives to is making sure other people have a chance to hear and believe.

So yeah we go and we did well for clean water and yes will provide hospitals and yes we get involved in education.

Yes, we advocate for people's rights. But most of all we proclaim the gospel to them. That is one way by which they can be saved to the church.

Paul says, how can they call on him and who may have not heard how to make your letter sent. This is just an echo in fulfillment of what he said in chapter 1, Romans 114 balls and I feel like I'm under obligation to both the Greeks and the barbarians the people he never never really met never spent any time with. I'm under obligation both to the wise and to the ignorant explain you back in Romans one that the word he uses thereunder obligation literally means better like you owe somebody money and I asked you this question. He never met these people, how can he feel an obligation over, but the boys ever met. Never answer that question answer is twofold as to ways to be in that you know somebody money because you bought it from them. The other way you can be in that lesson is you can be given money for somebody else and so you owe it to give it to them so you worked as the CEO will feed the children and you just been given a huge donation of $1 million million dollars to help feed the children what what people think about you if you decided to just stash that money away for a while and prove your house a little bit let again some interest to live off the interest you would say to yourself that's not your money you're stealing it.

You owe it to others to share it because they were the reason the money was given. That is why that money was given to you. That's what Paul feels about the gospel message. You were no more worthy other than anybody around the world. But God blessed you with it and with the privilege of hearing the gospel comes the responsibility of spreading the gospel and to not do that is stealing believing the gospel comes with an obligation to the gospel. It's just not fair. If you receive so much that you did not deserve and do so little for those who are no less worthy than you see. It was this reality that God used when he called me in the ministry I told you the story before but I was reading studying the book of Romans is a junior in college headed into some other career field.

One about a career field when I was headed there and and I went to the book of Romans and God just illuminated my mind to see that yes the whole world was condemned and yes got it offered a way of salvation that he did not owe to anybody. And yes I knew about it. And yes, I was under obligation to go in and tell them when I knew in that moment was another defining moment for me, that shape my life I knew that I had three options with this truth. The first option was I could deny this truth, we call this the path to liberalism. It's so uncomfortable that we start changing different parts of the Bible, so it feels better to us know I'm telling you that path is so inviting and I was standing right there on the edge of it because I didn't want the discomfort that came from believing that but also knew that once you do that there really is no in what you start changing parts of the Bible to fit what you want to believe and ultimately that makes you God not God because the Bible is not a salad bar when you take what you want and you leave what you want.

If he's God. He wrote the book been at the altar were not it's true. So I knew that Willie was an option. The second option I knew was to ignore it). I give mental assent to live like a one true not seem to be what most of the church was doing well. What's come to church and lets you know so little been a change in offering platelets for 10, but were just out trying to recruit people from their club in our club and it would be awesome and cartridges growing and I was like that doesn't make any sense. Is this true or is it not true. When I talk about recruiting people for club are talking about eternity, talking about the gospel which led me. The third option, which I knew was I could embrace it.

As I got. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with this. I know that I'm supposed to play a role. I don't know what jobs are to go to but I know that whatever job I go into kind called to make the message of the gospel plane and to help people understand it, you have to pray about that.

That's what God's calling is on your life.

Whether you're a dentist or a doctor or a stay-at-home mom.

Whether you're a teacher. Whether you are whatever you are. Of all the different callings you have in your life. The one you're sure of is you are called to make Jesus known to the people around you and around the world were called to talk about Arnold God's will is for my life. I know what a big part of it is why the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance and will come repentance unless you tell Paula say I told you before us, like interview walking to downtown Raleigh and and you go about railroad track, and there's a child on the railroad track choose gotten confused and hurt and and and there's a train coming using trains run over the kid you don't stop at that moment. Get down on your knees and say Lord I sprint you show me what your will is in this moment.I pray to give you peace in my heart about what I'm supposed to do with like no we know what God's will is pick the child up the Lord is not willing that any should perish, you want all Kundera beds. We know what God's will is I used to think it was unfair for God to condemn those who hadn't heard. Now I see from Romans that that is not true that is not true. It is fair because we've all rejected God in the gospel is an undeserved second chance.

But what I see now is that what is unfair is that for those about to have heard so much to do, so little to those who have heard nothing at all about a God who is done everything so when we conclude with a few practical steps that I have for church. Because of this. Number one, we need to pray the people in our church will say yes to God. So my family are we not right to ask God to raise up people from our midst.

For this great task. I know God had called everybody but I think is called a lot of us did Jesus command us to be.

St. Matthew nine the horses plenty the laborers are few therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest, but he will send out laborers into that harvest. We have to start with prayer daily prayer that God will raise up messengers from our midst. Her sons or daughters and people in our small groups and maybe us see what I realize is that's going to come in and in three varieties. I think primarily for our church. Number one, there were those of you who will leverage your career to go overseas.

I was with a summit team over there a people who sat right here in one of our campuses.

Some of them became Christians here. They got this vision of how God had given them a skill that they could take overseas and pay for themselves to be there and be part of a church planting think I saw a group of people that are living in one of the most unreached places on planet Earth that have a thriving community built their part of a great church that is is growing and reaching people bad relationship for their sharing the gospel and seeing people come to faith in Christ that may never have heard apart from them being there and understood that this is sustainable we can do this in God's gonna call some of you into that there are some of you that are not going to call the leverage your career number to the summa unit will be called to leave your career, which means your sense that God is calling you to walk away from a very lucrative career and just plunge yourself full-time and into this. I'm thinking of people on our team who had very promising careers here very promising careers here in the United States walked away from that, because they knew God was telling them to devote themselves wholeheartedly that task. He uses people like Hudson Taylor and had an arm judgment history done that there are some of you. Thirdly, who will be called the lead lead leverage leave and leave. We meet seminary students and church leaders will go over to help Pastor. Some of these international churches in these big cities that serve as a hub for ministry mobilization for those that we sent something about places like London and quality born in Mumbai. These are so strategic in it and that's what I think God is going to raise up a we need to be praying for that number two number two for you. We need to give to help others go.

Maybe God has not called you to live overseas but maybe he's given you the means to help send somebody else what we see is that sending is a whole church process and those who help send should be every bit as committed to the work, as those who go when John Piper says it is in light of what Romans teaches us to get three options go send disobey go center disobey.

And if you called to be a sender you need to be every bit as committed to the work, as those who are going. William Carey has this famous line. He was the father of the modern missions movement, he said to the group of Christians or send them out dangle from that rope for you there in India. If you promise to hold securely to the other side.

Those of us were called to stay have to be every bit as committed to this work. We have to bear the burden, as those who go sending as a whole church process is not just those who go it's those who stay in sin have an obligation to it's interesting to me that in Romans 10: say how can they hear less we go. This is how can they hear unless we are sent.

He recognizes that the whole church is involved in the process is not as those who go the whole sending process and so here's what we believe those who help send should bear the burden every bit as much as those who go one of the groups or teams worked with and in Southeast Asia. I was a single lady who runs what she calls there in this country.

The house of peace. She's a single lady but just love the children there and she's adopted into her home 20 kids who were orphans were brought up on the street no reason.

She stopped 20 with the government told her that she couldn't do it anymore. She got 20 living in our house. She has no real jobs because he lives at the generosity of people like us and being there. We were able to go in as a family into the devotions or be a part of the ministry for the day and I just I realize I might here's somebody's put themselves out there is bearing the burden and those of us who stay in sin, we ought to bear that burden with her is that not right, we were able to go in and visit the school started get this by our teams for refugees a few years ago, we were able to participate in the health clinic there for the neighborhood is over 500 kids come through that health clinic and that one day.

By the way this school that started a few years ago about our teams is doing such an incredible job that Pres. Obama when he was president several years ago came to visit it on here when his tour through that part of the world. There we are participating in this health clinic.

We need to feel the burden of those who are out there doing it dangling on the end of that rope you require something of us, maybe God and called you to be there but is called us to be a part of the process and for some of you it is to give radically to the point that you give away so much that you have to change your lifestyle. The urgency of this mission require something of a summit church. We who stay have to bear the burden is much as those who go number three you need to be sent to the people in your life need to be sent to the people in your life, you may not know everywhere that God may send you, but you can be sure that your scent of people in your life right now and I don't know if thing is to know about your life, but I know that the reason you are when you are is because God put you there because he had a word for people in your life.

How can they call morning not heard about how they can hear what you tell them how you hear unless you tell them every once in a while hear from a guy that I lived across the hall for me in college for two weeks only two weeks to get kicked out of his other apartment.

He was on school probation. He put them right across me for two weeks and want to semester things George the resist I may just leave the mess we talk late in every night talking about the gospel I was sharing Christ with right knee, which had one more night Thursday morning early morning, 3 AM, which Is okay school. I ease Isaac to get up on what will not now, is it is a site I asked a question. He settles walking downtown Raleigh all the stuff we been talking about.

My heart was just so happy with it is that I and I won't. I was going on and I just put my hands a sick dog what you want for me and looked up and there was a sign in and store window into said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Is it like I was trying to speak to me for like it. I think he was two and I that night. He professed faith in Christ at the end of Dewey's. I thought that was either that story. He contacted me about four years later, to pay off. I got so me to go into ministry.

He said I'm go to seminary, think it's a good idea.

I think you should follow whatever those first telling you I hear from him periodically� Every few years, last time he contacted reason I'm a Christian counselor. Now I have this practice were I see people and help them out with same problems. I did God put him there at a specific place specific time for me right and what I'm telling you is you got people in your life that way and you gotta be faithful to your post. You have to be faithful to. How can you call them your friends if you don't even tell him this was when I was a student pastor those a girl 17 years old and a student ministry. We let the Christ did younger sister who is 15 and she really wanted a younger sister to hear the message for six months. We pray for her younger sister doesn't just tell her invite her. She is scared to see you come to our saws like like in order house at our kitchen table. This golden subzero. She disappears me this 15-year-old girl talk. About an hour. She professes me to correct the first thing she says after she gets a issuance of executor.

She has tears in her eyes just as I tell my older sister.

This message right so security processor sits her down there visual to me and says, tell her Moses for what you just told me I like security notice she's the one that invited me and you should've seen the expression on this girls face. She was like you know how long she's like six months section. I'd swear that died during that six months is kind of funny little awkward in the whole thing but listen is nothing funny and awkward in eternity. When you got a friend who says you called me friend you call me friend and you tell me about this even tell me that there was a way of salvation that I was under condemnation because of the choices that I made here and tell me there was a way you call me friend you to be sent to the people in your life number for you to start short-term start short-term, we believe that the summit church that almost every member should go on a short-term mission trip.

One on his trips as a way you can familiarize yourself with and share the burden of our missionaries so we have trips going out almost every week of the year feels like the place is far nearer to the close places like needy areas of North Carolina and as far as Nepal and Central Africa that might challenge all of you is this what if you go if you tithed your year.

Sometimes we talk about giving got a first in our best you like you're always a time treasured talent that you ever thought about treasures okay to export what we apply this to your time, what would you say God I want to type my hear what that looks like is one week out of the year 1/52. I'm a give to be a part of what you're doing around the world. That is my challenge for you. Which leads me last thing. Number five cross the boundary.

Paul knew that this work was good to get done a bunch of us are going to have to intentionally cross geographic and cultural boundaries. Yeah, it's easier to share with your roommate, yet it's easier to share with people in your soccer team. It's easier to share with people who look like you and think like you and talk like you to share your political affiliations. But Paul knew that at this job is going to get done.

There's gonna be a bunch of us going to have to be willing to cross boundaries to other neighborhoods.

Other parts of the city.

Those who even traveled a thousand miles away to people who don't speak our language. Listen, so my family gospel was not born in an English speaking contacts. It was not born to a group of Americans. It wasn't born whether your of African descent or Hispanic dissent or Anglo dissent. It wasn't born among us. It was born among a group of people cross the boundary to get to us when were talking about the people who first carried it to Africa. The people who first carried in the English-speaking world for the people who carried it to the Hispanic world or Asian world were talking about people who crossed the boundary many times at the cost of their life so that you and I can sit here this morning under gospel privileges brothers and sisters I will tell you right now.

2.2 million people in the world that are never heard.

It's our turn. It's our turn. And we know the gospel God to tell some of us, yet none of us know what you think about your life, but the Gospels were the you're here because somebody crossed the boundary for you Jesus and then somebody following him to be here because you're willing to cross boundary for them is my challenge yes of the table. But God put it on the map. I don't know God told you to.

That's really how my role right what I do know is that he called you to open your hands and say Lord here my Sydney might send you to your neighbors.

You might say to stay right where you are but every single one of us need to open our hands. As I got my sending men to where the Lord may be calling you calling you across the room across town, across the world. Only you can feel that tugging yourself think it's safe to say we are all called to do something today was the last sermon will hear from Romans until we rejoin the seriousness Paul so if you missed any part of this message, or if you'd like to catch up on the rest of our series there ramming you can listen online@katiegreer.com JD we began his new series in January and now we've just completed our second wave ketones a little bit about what your hopes are friends as we work through this series that you took more than a year to preach yet there's a lot of messages in this because Romans really is one of the deepest and richest books on the gospel in the entire New Testament but I don't let that scare you, because Romans has offered for me personally it was the lifeline that led me first salvation and then later the assurance of salvation. We spent one month going do it earlier this year, and later on in September when I wrap it up. We want you to be able to attend to marinade on Romans. Literally all throughout the year. In these, different stages or the biggest ways it that you can do that and get more out of it than just listening to the messages this to a brand-new Romans Bible study. It's good to be in three parts. If you were with us in January of the first part right now we can offer you the second volume so you say wait a minute I said when I need it the first for first yet, that's fine. You have the option to get it in the display box that will house all three studies you get any of these. The first one the second one the display box should be good JD grid.com you can see what I mean what is really really excited Bill put this in your hands because I think it will help you go deep in one of the deepest books in the entire Bible and one of the most rewarding studies on angular for an individual Bible study longer to study together in today's the last opportunity to get that second volume would love to get you a copy of the second study guide through remnants today and comes with thanks when you donate to support this program Senate life on the radio and online listeners like sewing you to name another listener to think things and you can extend my gift to someone else doing your part in this program to give today and remember to second volume of the Romans Bible study. Eight. Think safe.

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