Text: Rom 10:13-15, Title: Go, Send, or Disobey, Date/Place: NRBC, 8/7/11, AM
A. Opening illustration: video “Did You Know,” Martin Pena, saved this week, pierced by the truths taught at Camp Kaleo this year,
B. Background to passage: belief in the gospel by the Jews, Peru mission trip
C. Main thought: Go, send, or disobey and get out of the way, UUPGs
A. An Exclusive Gospel (v. 14)
1. Paul teaches a gospel that is exclusive. Biblical salvation only is granted to those who believe the gospel and call on Jesus. This is a difficult truth, but the clear teaching of the scriptures. This means that all who do not believe in Christ (the biblical one), and call out to Him, trusting Him alone to save them from their spiritual bankruptcy, will perish eternally. Believing is treasuring, loving, trusting, actively placing your hope in Him. It includes repentance and commitment.
2. John 3:3, 16-18, 14:6, Acts 4:12,
3. Illustration: at least 4 billion people in the world who have not called on Jesus, half of Tifton, parts of your family, and many of your neighbors, “you can’t think about it, you just gotta move on.” –Edward speaking of the helicopter crash,
4. We don’t say this lightly, or easily. In fact, we should hold this truth with broken hearts. But rather, knowing this truth, we do not act accordingly, warning every man. This truth should compel us to act. The truth is that most of us wake up and go to sleep about 6 days at week without even the thought that hell is real and a lot of people will go, and endure unending suffering because they have not believed. But really, how many people with whom do we share? How much do we give to those who are sharing in places that we can’t. How much prayer do we pray for God to rescue our friends and neighbors from their hell-bound path of trampling upon the God of greatest value? How much of our time goes toward ensuring that those near to us, and far from us, believe this gospel, call on the Lord, and are saved?
B. An Exclusive Method (v. 14)
1. God has given but one method for men and women to believe and call on Christ: hearing of the gospel. He has ordained the ends, but also the means to those ends. The word of God and Christ’s gospel must be proclaimed to lost people for them to be saved. He is preached, and they must hear. The word for preach in this text means to go before and announce, or to proclaim something to others. One commentator indicated his interpretation of the proclaimers as missionaries and pastors, but that is not what the text says.
2. Ezek 3:18,
3. Illustration: a person asked me recently regarding election (which by the way is in the NT, and even held to by classical Arminians), if God has chosen, why go? Tell of the church that told David Platt that they were glad he was going, so they didn’t have to, stats about the amount of missionaries and money that goes to unreached people groups, google earth overlay of UUPGs
4. You are plan A and there is no plan B. We must go or send to accomplish the goal. There are no other ways, and this one is not easy. And you have a role to play. You have been give wealth beyond your wildest dreams (not only $$, but time and skills, and other resources), but it comes with a responsibility to bless others and use those skills and resources to glorify Christ and advance his kingdom. What are you doing to get the gospel to those UUPGs? You will be held accountable
C. An Exclusive Glory (v. 15)
1. Now we can all feel guilty about the fact that we don’t do enough. And I want to lay this guilt upon you heavily. But a greater motivation that guilt is passion. This text speaks of the beautiful feet of those who bring good news of the gospel to men. A herald who went before the King, ran along those dusty roads, and his feet were nasty! The beauty comes from the message! And the message is not only that you must repent and believe, but that the God who commands those things is totally worth it. His glory and value and desirability and satisfaction exceeds our wildest imaginations of splendor.
2. Argumentation
3. Illustration: John Hughes always physically/emotionally affected by the visual presentation of the gospel
4. When we see the intrinsic glory of this God, and our hearts are ravished by His beauty, we desire to share, can’t help but share. My prayer is that we are motivated more by this God and His glory and the glory of the good news than by guilt. The main reason is that with guilt, apathy will creep back in. Motivation will fizzle. Things that seemed like a great idea a year ago, now seem like a burden. But Jesus said my burden is light, and John says that His commands are not burdensome when they are motivated by love. Therefore the best way to fight apathy and fizzle of our passion for missions is by fixing our eyes upon the incomprehensible radiance and value of Christ! Search the word for Him, meditate on His work in the gospel, His death, burial, and resurrection!
D. So what? Further Application
1. IMB is reducing personnel in Peru from 40 to 3-6 by 2014 to reallocate resources that it has more toward the unreached. This is painful to countries like Peru, but needful. But this allows us to pick up the slack.
2. So you can lead, handle logistics, train, herald the call to go, research, serve without a salary, retire there, raise money, make things, and go! But this list is only the tip of the iceberg…
A. Closing illustration: Dedication of a new complete bible translation in a new Quechua dialect in Huánuco, Peru this week, in Nov 2009 I stood at the door of a house in Julcan, Peru as a woman begged us to come and pray for her husband of many years who had just died…cemeteries in Pomocancha this week,
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
• Is Christ Exalted, Magnified, Honored, and Glorified?
