Rescuing the Perishing

Believe in him whom they've never heard how will they hear about him and somebody doesn't deliver the news that I go to church won't train and send and subsidize them and pray for the family gathered together on the Lord's day we sing Gloria Martin that we come from the trench doing time bursting with news from the front.

The gospel is living in his freshwater pick up a Bible or a gospel tract and God used the power of his word to save the Bible contains everything necessary for having a relationship with God.

However, most of the time people come to understanding of the gospel through conversations Christian friend or family member talks to them takes them to God's word and explains the gospel, God is given us the responsibility of proclaiming the truth of the gospel, but Christians often neglect that responsibility. Today Stephen Davey is going to challenge us regarding evangelism here on wisdom for the highlighter attention to Romans chapter 1014 and 15 and as I have studied this this week. I would tell you that I believe that this is perhaps the most compelling portion of Paul's letter are we hear his heart. It's as if he just opens it up and bears little it's back up to verse 13 for whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

How then shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher and how shall they preach unless they are sent just as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things while I normally begin my sermon with some story or illustration to point to the need of the text want to do this morning is begin by giving you my outline.

I know that sounds exciting. Hold your applause. Here it is okay you probably already noticed. In fact, a lot of your pencils out that you have here for questions and one commendation. Each of the questions and the commendation begin with the word how it's on my outline. I just wanted to point that out.

There's one approach for you students of the word. The first two questions reveal the unbelievers response the second two questions challenge the believers responsibility. Or you could outline it this way, the first question relates to an unbeliever acting in faith, Paul asks how shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed the second question relates to an unbeliever hearing the facts. How shall they believe in him whom they've not heard the third question relates to the believers speaking. How shall they hear without a preacher. The fourth question relates to the believers sending how shall they preach unless they are sent.

Or you can arrange these four questions along these lines. The first two questions have to do with the message the second two questions have to do with the method. Or you can approach it this way, the first question has to do with the miracle of the gospel. The second question has to do with the message of the gospel. The third question has to do with the messenger of the gospel. The fourth question has to do with the ministry of the gospel, so we have calling upon Christ, hearing about Christ preaching Christ and sending in the name of Christ, or you can dissect these verses by simply studying the verbs calling, believing, hearing, preaching, sending, or you can turn the text around it, outline it this way, the believer sends the messenger. The messenger delivers the message the unbeliever understands the meaning and the unbeliever accepts the Messiah. This text, ladies and gentlemen is easy.

No outline but it's difficult to live out it's hard to live out it's so easy to be satisfied with a few obliterated words delete chapter 9 if you were studying with me and you probably left a little overwhelmed with the fact that salvation is all up to God and maybe for you was a little unsettling within this chapter. Chapter 10 arrests scholars in the linguists and the students in all in one fell swoop. You get halfway through chapter 10 and you are overwhelmed and a little upset with the fact that salvation seems to be all up to us. Chapter 9. Your salvation is predestined by the intentional foreknowledge of God acting upon the counsel of his electing decree chapter 10. It's just go tell the world the gospel so they can believe the gospel, because if you don't tell them they can't believe resolve the paradox of these two chapters I will tell you you don't because you can to camps both the will of man on the will of God and redemption are part of the picture. Charles Spurgeon himself once said to denial action and free will is to lose your soul to try and understand them is to lose your mind one covenant theologian, whom I enjoy reading from time to time even though he so wrong on so many things admitted that it was clear from this text and erode from the thrust of Paul's message that the church is responsible to take the gospel to the whole world not just because it is responsible, but evidently because without it, whoever will believe will not be able to believe, for they will not know what to believe event in whom they must believe said see in chapter 9 we have read the startling truth that salvation is entirely up to God. In chapter 10, you read the startling thrust of his passage this message and you discover salvation seems to be all Thomas God depends upon us. This is what Paul talks about when he says we are laborers together with God first Corinthians 3 verse nine salvation is the work of God. Yes, yes, but God has chosen to deliver it through people like you and me and we can leave today saying with Jesus Christ.

We must be about our father's business and what is our business will Paul reminds us in this text that it has something to do with beautiful feet. I want to go back to that first outline I gave you primarily because is the one many of you try to write down and gave up. I will tell you we've already spent many Sundays discussing the doctrinal points of these verses such as calling in faith and belief the gospel in the applied cruise of heaven and hell would I want to do today is speak in general terms, simply about the passion of Paul and the mission of the church and it wasn't long into my study that I realize we have to take two shots at this text before we could get through it and so this will be part one the first two questions reveal the unbelievers response and you'll notice that the responses twofold.

They understand the facts and then they call out in faith. Look at verse 14. Again, how then shall they call upon him in whom they not believe that is how they call in faith. How shall they believe in him whom they've not heard without hearing the facts. I must hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, if they never hear about him. They will never be able to call upon him, they got to hear the facts you say will we live in America, Stephen here in this country.

Everybody knows the facts do they, I think you're probably somewhat convinced before even give you what I'm going to give you in setting that up that early Americans don't in general know the facts.

According to data gathered from the Barna research group conducted a year ago people were asked these following questions. Americans were asked these questions do you believe that praying to deceased saints can positively affect your life and half the people said yes.

Do you believe the Bible, the Quran, the book of Mormon are all different expressions of the same spiritual truth. 4/6 said yes. Do you believe truth can only be discovered through human personal experience and 54% said yes. Do you believe that Jesus Christ send. Like other people when he was on earth and 42% said yes. Do you believe that when people are born, they are neither good nor evil.

They make a choice between the two as they grow older and 74% said yes and I words, the facts of been lost of Original Sin that corrupted human nature so that were all born sinners forget about the truth of Jesus Christ being a sinless substitute for mankind and forget about truth being propositional. Forget about the Koran or the book of Mormon or the Bible being authoritative or individually unique. There just saying the same thing and you just discover if you didn't read any of them as I have, that they say very different about how to go to listen. According to this, your best bet is to pray to some deceased person who can somehow bring positive impact into your life here and maybe your life to come. This is America, the average American no longer than knows the facts of sinful humanity and a sinless Savior, and the unique inspiration of Scripture and the absolute nature of eternal truth.

I'll give you the results of another poster. This one secular reported by NBC probably didn't know the implications of the results.

90% of adult Americans. They talk with believe in God. Now we know that somewhat elastic, somewhat very elastic. But you talk to the average person on the street you believe in God and they will serve court 9/10×82% believe in heaven and 75% believe in hell, just a little slightly less we understand 25% of the same adults follow this said they also believe in reincarnation. So now if 90% said they believed in God and you want out of for the same people said they believed in reincarnation, which God do they believe in Yahweh or Krishna or do they even know 50% of these same adults also said they believed in ghosts, meaning that there were departed spirit. The didn't go to heaven or hell we don't know whether just running around planet Earth spooking people we don't know to say. Don't be concerned with America, we need to get the gospel out there in the mission field. Ladies and gentlemen, America happens to be our mission field where you work where you play where you go to school where you live, that's the mission field and Paul says the unbeliever needs to get an understanding of the basic facts of the gospel before you can ever exercise faith in God happens to be talking about our world. How are they going to believe in faith when they've never heard the facts of the I want you to know even though this passage is usually used in missions conferences. Paul is not making an appeal heretofore in mission. He isn't even making an appeal.

The local missions. Paul is making an appeal for the church to become part of the mission. Wherever we are.

Be involved in the mission… It came to me after the first service. He said our construction. I was on a roof and a guy up there with me noticed that I had a hangover I looked miserable and he said to me you don't look too good. We stop hammering for a while. I said I don't feel too good and he said tell me about it. I told him about it is that I think I got with you to tell you that Jesus Christ and on the roof you ever wonder what they're doing up there on the roof working on their tans. Whatever somebody's up there maybe delivering the gospel that is his mission field. Somebody who is embraced the passion of Paul Nepal goes a little deeper with his penetrating questions until we realize he's pointing his finger at all of us. The first two questions reveal the unbelievers response the second two questions reveal or challenge the believer's responsibility. Verse 14 ends with Paul asking this pointed question, how shall they hear without a preacher, how are they getting here without a preacher and ours.

Who among you in Rome and not Austin carry will become preacher, don't worry, it is in your message. Don't have to be clever you just simply get up and repeat what God is already said, but who among us will accept this calling.

Are there any here who will accept the calling to be preachers. This is the calling that Spurgeon described is that he intends all absorbing desire for the work. The apostle Paul revealed in his own life when he wrote necessity is laid upon me. A woe is me.

If I preach not the gospel and I have to deliver the question to you. Where are the preachers where those who are saying we will enter this ministry of preaching and we will give our lives to it.

Necessity is laid upon us. Where will colonial find its preacher, where will the preachers come from. Next, who will feel and embrace this necessity. Do you sense it when you read this text. Do you dare to think it that God might call you into the ministry of preaching the gospel is your heart. Even now yearning for this thing called preaching.

I did tell you give your life to the list we all think were off the hook because were just talking to you. Those who will enter this ministry chair was so can be a word that refers to not only those who preach with their livelihood, and with their giving of time. It can mean to proclaim or herald the message.

This would include men and women in all types of venues where the truth of the gospel is delivered to all ages and all races communicating the truth of the gospel in a myriad of ways spoken prints broadcast televised sign interpreted translated webcasts projected dramatized song, you name it, just some way of getting out the facts of the gospel will we do it. See Paul is looking the believer in the eye and he is saying this rather unsettling truth, he is saying no one will come to faith in Christ and call upon him because of your life while your lifestyle may demonstrate your faith, it will not deliver the facts of your faith. Eventually we have to speak we have to say something. You don't have to be a preacher in the pulpit to join Paul in his passion. I think of Edward Kimball. He was this kind of passionate person he was a shoemaker he sold shoes in Chicago in the early 1800s probably heard a little bit about this man, if not him you heard about.

One of the young boys. He led to faith in Christ. He loved to go find the urgency ran the alleys in inner-city Chicago and bring them to a Sunday school class that he would teach one of those young boys came in.

Edward Kimball, in his own shoe shop actually led him to faith in Christ. His name was DL Moody DL Moody grew up to become a preacher and faithful preacher that was known in this part of the world. In 1879 Moody one a young man to the Lord by the name of FB Meyer. I have nearly all the books he is written.

FB Meyer was used in Great Britain and in America in wonderful ways and FB Meyer, one a young man to faith in Christ and his name was JW Chapman, JW Chapman grew up to be a preacher. He would preach an open-air Crusades and one semi professional baseball player who came to one of Chapman's meetings accepted Christ and he became a preacher and his name was Billy Sunday Billy Sunday would preach to more than a million people. In fact, he held these open-air Crusades middle of the last century and that he came to Charlotte, North Carolina, held the Crusade and it was so effective that they called for extended meetings and Billy Sunday invited his friend Mordechai Hamm.

The common preach and Mordechai Hamm preached in a teenage boy named Billy Graham got saved. Can you imagine six men trace their gospel lineage to Amanda wasn't even a minister by trade he made sure he saw while she but then life was more than shoes. He had embrace this action of declaring the gospel to those who would listen. The final question is in verse 15. How can they preach unless they are sent. See now. Paul finally points his finger at all of us in the great, aren't you glad you came this morning to have fingers pointed at you. How can they preach unless they are sent. We deserve to be pointed at a little bit don't think the church in our generation or than any preceding generation since the organization of her own country as a lost mission. The mission of the church as we have said in the past is not made up by how many we can see but by how many we can. What sin that is just across the ocean. It's across the street. We had this passion in this mentality that when we do leave this place.

We are entering the mission field. The churches forgotten that they do know that in our country today 80% of church growth is by transfer of letter 80% is one person leaving one church and going to another to the church in our generation today is in no way keeping pace even close to it is simply shifting from one location to another… Your ad by the way, that's what I did. I came here a believer. My wife came here believer. This church didn't win us to faith in Christ did it when you did it when you America one church every day will close its doors. One church every day, go out of business. Why because there's no business left because we have forgotten what our business is how are they going to preach unless their prayers and senders and givers would make a difference to us today. If we knew that if the offering.

When we gave that the apostle Paul was in the board room counting the other men make a difference in the figure beside our name with a difference in the fact that we would like to be included matter of Paul took me know that he would evaluate the capability and passion in the way we exercise that gift sending those the crisis of the church remains because I fear we have become so wrapped up in our shoes.

We have forgotten about our feet. How beautiful are the feet who bring glad tidings of good things Paul wants to develop in us a deeper pity for the world the deeper passion for the work. How can they believe in him whom they've never heard about and how will they hear about him. If somebody doesn't deliver the news that I go to church won't train them and send them and subsidize them and pray for them and we all gathered together on the Lord's day, and we seeing Gloria Martin.

Have we come from the trench as doing time bursting with news from the front.

The gospel is living.

It is freshwater, or do we only sing and writer outlines and then go have lunch Ben Patterson leadership magazine a few months ago and I'm reading from his article.

The story of the Jesus film being shown to a tribe in the jungles of East Asia. A tribe could never heard the name Jesus Christ before. Can you imagine that they come in with their gear or generator in the movie projector. The missionaries gone ahead of them to prepare the groundwork to introduce himself and to save as much about the gospel in Jesus Christ as the Canon within a few days. Here comes the team set the generator often plug in the projector. It's dark. They got that sheet hanging from a limb and they show the movie called the Jesus film. He writes not only had these people never heard of Jesus Christ. They had never seen a motion picture before and it all at once on one unforgettable evening. They sought all the gospel in their own language translated into their dialect, visible in real they watched and listened as Jesus preach the gospel told the crowds who he was and why he had come.

You can only imagine how it felt for this, tried to see the movie portrayal of Christ to see them, healing the sick to hear them preaching to watch them loving children. Yet then they watched him being held without a trial. In being beaten by jeering soldiers and as they watched this this tribe of people came unglued. They stood up and began to shout at the cruel man on the screen. Assuming they could hear them demanding that this outrage stop when nothing happened. They ran to attack the missionary, assuming he was responsible.

The missionary quickly turn off the projector.

Betty did explain the story. It wasn't over yet.

There's more to come settle back down on the ground quite sure holding their emotions and tenuous check then events unfolded in your came the crucifixion. Again, the people could not be held back. They began to weep and wail with such loud grief that once again, the film had to be stop missionary again calm them answering their questions explaining the story wasn't over yet. There was more to come. Once again they compose themselves and they sat down, wiping their tears to see what happened next and what happened next was the resurrection. The stone rolled away. Jesus portrayed as alive, pandemonium broke out. This time, but for a different reason. The gathering and spontaneously erupted into a celebration.

The noise now was of jubilation and it was deafening. The people were jumping and dancing and hugging and weeping Christ was risen, they shouted Christ was arisen again.

The missionary shut off the projector but this time he did not tell them to calm down and wait for what was to happen next. For all that was supposed to happen next was happening. They were in effect calling upon this resurrected Lord in face. Having seen and heard the facts and say you leave, you know what I read that I thought behind the scenes.

There were people who were so impassioned about this project. They wrote the script they produced the movie they played the instruments they acted the part they made the costumes. They brought the movie projector they supplied the generator. They raise the missionaries in their homes. They train the missionaries in their churches. They flew the team to the field, they supported the team from mom. They gave their money for on a million things more occurred and what happened. These unbelievers heard they even saw the gospel and they understood the facts and God provided the face and the two intersected in human minds and hearts in this miracle of regeneration occurred.

They believed on this risen Savior and then a worse.

I hope today's lesson increased your burden for the lost and that you will take steps to share your faith as God gives you opportunity here on wisdom for the heart Stephen baby is working through a series entitled how to get to heaven from Earth. The title of today's message is rescue the perishing if it would encourage you to be able to listen to this message again, we have it posted on our website right now. Is it wisdom online.we also have this series available as a set of CDs. If you would prefer that call us for information. Our number is 86 648 Bible join us next time.

As we continue to bring you wisdom