8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!" Romans 10:8-15 (NKJV)
“...baby steps get on the elevator... baby steps get on the elevator... Ah, I’m on the elevator.” Bob Wiley (Bill Murray) in What About Bob?
1) Rom 10:15 contains a phrase that has always intrigued me. How beautiful are the feet… Feet are not generally thought of as beautiful - especially not mine (you don’t want me to run around barefoot)
- Babies’ feet are cute
- Sometimes ladies, who have taken care of their feet have nice looking feet
But in context, this is speaking of a MESSENGER. Paul is quoting Isa 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace Isaiah 52:7 (KJV)
I think it is safe to say the beauty here is not in the PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES of the messenger’s feet. The beauty is in the FUNCTIONALITY of the feet.
WHEN ARE FEET BEAUTIFUL?
When they are SURE (David: my foot well nigh slipped)
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. Psalms 18:33 (NIV)
When they are NOT BOUND (shoelaces tied?)
My eyes are ever toward the LORD, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net. Psalms 25:15 (NKJV)
When they are not LAME (tell story about stubbing toe just before trip to Disney world)
Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. Prov 25:19 (KJV)
When they are PROPPED UP on a footstool
He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. Psalms 47:3 (KJV)
When their way is LIGHTED
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalms 119:105 (KJV)
When they are CLEAN
Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. John 13:10 (KJV)
When they are not COLD… (text)
When the circulation is bad – your feet are the first to get cold... If there is a "spiritual dipstick" in our lives - something that can tell us how close we are to God - it is ARE YOUR FEET WORKING???
The key thought here is – beautiful feet are functioning feet. They are beautiful when they are getting somewhere.
Thus – the title for my message today: The Beauty of the Next Step
Our text describes two process – one of the hearer and one of the speaker:
HEARER: hear, believe, confess, call, saved
SPEAKER: saved, sent, spoke
It strikes me that the one who is speaking was once just like the hearer... But they took the next step.
Why are their feet beautiful? Because they always take the next step! The person speaking in this verse was very glad that the messenger was able to take the next step…
You are here today because someone took the next step…
Often times we are discouraged by the thought of:
- the distance of the journey
- the steepness of the climb
I have been reading in the book of Joshua in my Bible reading. They have just crossed over Jordan – and the story intrigues me.
They have a whole land to conquer. They have to get around 3 million people across a flooded river. The Lord tells the priests to take the ark and just start walking… As soon as their feet touch the water – the river backs up and gives them a dry place to cross.
I’m not sure where you are in your walk with God. We’re all stretched out along a long road that’s leading us somewhere… But the most wonderful thing you can do now, wherever you are – is simply put one foot in front of the other.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP!
The Lord has promised to be there every step of the way. All of those characteristics of beautiful feet that we spoke of… They are the promises of God to those that will walk with Him! When you give your life to God, when you determine to do his will… Take the next step. He’ll help you make that one, and every one thereafter.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31 (KJV)
All of us experience motion in life. We are all going somewhere, and we’re making progress. But in what direction?
Everyone will fly at some point, but the Lord will make it spectacular. (great times)
Everyone will run sometime, but the Lord will make sure it is far and fast enough. (desparate times)
But everyone spends most of their time walking, and the Lord promises to give us the strength to do that.
JUST TAKE THE NEXT STEP!
What is the next step for you?
Perhaps it is a simple prayer of repentance, and giving your heart to Jesus... Perhaps you’ve done that, and you need to identify with Christ in baptism
You have done that, you say.. I ask, like Paul in Acts 19 – Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?
Maybe the next step should be committing yourself to a church family. Perhaps it is stepping up to ministry within the church family. It might be involving yourself in a Missions effort outside of the church family…
Maybe it’s time for you to make a commitment to prayer. To ask someone that doesn’t know Jesus over for dinner.
WHATEVER THE NEXT STEP IS FOR YOU... TAKE IT!
