Look At Your Feet

“LOOK AT YOUR FEET” Romans 10:13-17

FBCF – 11/27/22

Jon Daniels

INTRO – J & P video

I’ve spent a fair amount of time w/ these 2 people. They’ve spoken in churches where I’ve served as Pastor. I’ve eaten meals w/ them, once in Moscow. I’ve spoken to him on the phone several times, texted multiple times, emailed many times. My heart for the Chechen people is due, in large part, to my connection w/ these 2 people. I get a monthly newsletter from them to inform me what is happening in their lives & ministry. I’ve prayed w/ them & for them for a long time.

But I have never seen their feet. And yet I can say this w/out hesitation: Both of them have beautiful feet!

EXPLANATION – Romans 10:13-17 (pg. 946)

Romans 9-11 is a monumental section in the NT w/ foundational truths for our doctrine. Salvation is the overarching them throughout these chapters. Right here in the middle of that section is ch. 10. In this chapter, we learn that Paul had a passionate desire for the Jews to be saved b/c they were seeking to be saved on the basis of their zeal for God & their good works (v. 1-3). He knew that they would never be saved that way b/c the only way to be right w/ God is through believing in Christ alone for your salvation (v. 4). We see in v. 5-8 that there is no need to try to go up to heaven to bring righteousness down or go down into abyss to bring Christ up b/c He’s already been raised from the dead. Love what David Jeremiah says: “No worldwide journey is needed. Christ is absolutely accessible by faith, as near as a person’s mouth & heart. All they have to do is reach out & receive Him by faith.” (The Jeremiah Study Bible, p. 1553)

Then Paul gives us those signature verses in the Gospel in v. 9-10 – “That if you confess w/ your mouth that Jesus is Lord & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For w/ the heart one believes & is justified, & w/ the mouth one confesses & is saved.” And the Good News is that this opportunity is available to anybody & everybody, no matter what their race, social status, gender, or background, “For there is no distinction between Jew & Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him” (v. 12). Since God makes no distinctions, we shouldn’t either & should take the Gospel to everyone.

APPLICATION – God calls us to use our feet to go to those who are lost, whoever & wherever they are, & tell them about JESUS.

4 ways we use our feet: WE USE OUR FEET TO GO:

BOLDLY – B/c we believe v. 13 – that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

We use our feet to go boldly into our world b/c we believe that anybody anywhere & any time can be saved by calling on the name of the Lord. That’s why the Gospel is such Good News! We don’t have to shrink back or be afraid or embarrassed or timid in telling others about Jesus. We can & must go boldly! The Bible is clear:

- Everyone is a sinner – Romans 3:23

- Everyone who doesn’t know Jesus is lost & on their way to hell – Romans 6:23

- Everyone needs a Savior & His name is Jesus – Luke 19:10 – Jesus came “to seek & to save the lost.”

- Everyone who calls on His name & believes in Him will be saved – Romans 10:13; John 3:16

Read an article that said the 3 ingredients to Christian boldness are 1) Spirit-empowered conviction, 2) courage, & 3) urgency (https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/lord-make-me-more-bold).

- We will be bold when the Holy Spirit burns the conviction into our hearts that Jesus Christ is the only Savior.

- We will be bold when we have the courage to stand up for Jesus & speak out the Gospel.

- We will be bold when the urgency of a lost & dying world truly breaks our hearts – which leads to the next way we use our feet. We use them to go…

URGENTLY – B/c we believe v. 14 – This is God’s plan for missions & evangelism.

Great Commission – Matthew 28:19-20 – “…all nations…” – Gk – ta ethne – people groups. Jesus said to reach all people groups. I want to focus for a moment on people groups in the world who are known as UUPG’s – unengaged, unreached people groups – means that, in this people group, there is no indigenous community of believers who is able to share the Gospel, & there is no strategy in place to plant evangelical Christians churches w/in this people group. Don’t want to bore you w/ numbers but maybe these numbers will help you see & feel the urgency of the moment we are living in: IMB has 8 affinity groups around the world outside of North America where 3,552 missionaries are working. Listen & let these #’s sink in: