“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:
- European Peoples – 233 UUPGs – 11.4 million
- N. African/Middle Eastern Peoples – 472 UUPGs – 113 million
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples – 463 UUPGs – 46.8 million
- Central Asian Peoples – 154 UUPGs – 25.2 million
- South Asian Peoples – 1013 UUPGs – 43.8 million
- Asian Pacific Rim Peoples – 472 UUPGs – 17.5 million
- American Peoples – 229 UUPGs – 1.4 million
- Deaf Peoples – 147 UUPGs – 13.2 million
- TOTALS – 3,184 UUPG’s – 272,703,318
I can hear some your thoughts right now: “But Jon, there are lost people right here, too. We need to reach them!” True! And we will – “God give us Flora!” But the difference is that you are sitting in a church that has about 1200 members who are all supposed to be sharing the Gospel. And 2 blocks away is another church that is supposed to be sharing the Gospel. And just down the road is another one. And just across the tracks is another one. And a couple more before you get to Livingston. And then there’s one at Livingston. In Madison County alone (pop. 110,000), there are 22 SBC churches. Pop MS – 2.9 million – 2100 SBC churches. By comparison, in these UUPG’s w/ pop. of nearly 273 million, there are NO churches & no strategy to start any churches at the present time. Do you hear the urgency in that??? It means that we need to use our feet urgently &…
OBEDIENTLY – B/c we believe v. 15-16 – Somebody has got to be sent to these people, & somebody has got to obey & GO & preach the Gospel, even when people don’t obey.
- Isaiah heard the voice of God saying, “Whom shall I send, & who will go for us?” And Isaiah said, “Here am I, Lord. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8) Who here is going to say that, too?
- Jesus said in John 4:35, “…lift up your eyes & see that the fields are white [ready] for harvest.” WHO here is going to lift their eyes up & see the vast fields ready for harvest?
- Matthew 9:36-38 – “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed & helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” Who here is going to have the compassion of Christ & go into the harvest fields?
Listen again: “How are they to hear w/out someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” Who among us is being sent? Who is going to hear the call of God & obey His voice & go? Is it YOU? Is God calling YOU to go? Is He sending YOU out into the harvest field? Are YOU supposed to go & give your life among one of those 3000 UUPG’s?
If you’re not called to go, then what will you GIVE so others can go? Maybe you need to obey & use your feet to go get your checkbook & write the biggest check you’ve ever written for the LMCO…to go to the bank & make a withdrawal…to go to that safe that you have at home & get some of that cash out…to go see your lawyer & change your will so that part of your estate will go toward sending missionaries out.
We are ALL called to be a part of the mission strategy of the Lord Jesus. Some will go. Some will give. Some will give AND go.
Finally, we will use our feet to go…
BELIEVINGLY -B/c we believe v. 17 – We believe that those who hear the Word of Christ will have the opportunity to be saved. Go preach the simple truth of God’s Word, the simple truth of the Gospel of Jesus b/c it’s not our words that will save someone’s soul, but the Word of Christ.
- Spurgeon: “I say the Word of God, delivered as we find it, is what brings faith to the souls of men when it is heard.”
CONCLUSION – So today I have used my feet to walk out of my house & get into my truck & drive here. I have used my feet to walk into this room & up onto this platform. I have used my feet to stand behind this pulpit & proclaim the life-changing Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ & issue a call to follow Him in obedience. Now I’m going to ask you to use your feet:
- To come to this altar to pray for the millions & millions who have never heard the name of Jesus
- To walk down here & let your church FAMILY know that you believe God is calling you to give your life to missions
- To step out in faith & give more than you’ve ever given to LMCO
- To take that first step of faith & give your life to Christ
