Sermon: How Will They Hear?

Tuesday night I was awakened with a longing inside. I could feel this God pressing on my heart, an intense feeling. I woke up thinking about the people of the world who don't know Christ. I started to think why do I have so much and the rest of the world so little? I was reading about how rice has reached $1000 a ton and the Asian markets panicked, because governments are buying less rice because of cost and this caused other to buy more thinking there might not be enough to feed their people. The UN declared 2008 the year of the potato, because other staple crops are becoming too expensive, because there isn't enough to feed everyone and the potato can be grown anywhere. So there I was thinking here I am overweight, trying to lose weight and most of the world is facing food storage. A billion people are starving right now.

For me, for the first time in my life I'm afraid. How long will God allow this to continue? How long until God intervenes? Jesus said no one knows when the end will come; it will be a complete surprise. In fact he used the story of Noah as a back drop and how the people where 'eating, drinking and being given into marriage', up until the doors closed. People watched the ark being built in the desert, they watched the animals load up two by two and they just continued like nothing was happening. Then the rain came and it was over.

Jesus said something at the end of that chapter which is Luke 17, "where there is a body the vultures will gather." In the end we will know it was coming, there will be signs. I don't know about you, but I'm concerned. How much more time do we have? Which made me think about Paul and his concern for the Jewish people, which he voices this concern in Romans 10.

Here what he had to say, "for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:13-15)

Questions Questions
First Paul makes the point that all people who call upon the Lord will be saved. In this chapter he is thinking about the Jewish people, but makes the point 'everyone' can be saved, anyone can call upon the Lord.

Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord can be saved, but then he follows up with some serious questions. How, then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?

Paul is concerned the people who can know God will never have a chance because no one has told them. Paul is concerned that there is no one who can share. Paul is concerned for his people. I am concerned, I am concerned for the people of the world, I am concerned for the people of this community, I am concerned for my family. How will they know Christ, who is going to tell them? Who is sending out people, where is the sense of urgency, why are we sitting here! People need to hear about Christ! They need to know Jesus!

What if they don't hear? What if no one tells them? First of all they miss out on knowing a loving God. They will never experience the forgiveness of sin; they will face a God, who by His very nature is perfect and holy. Sin cannot be in his presence, sin cannot co-exist with God. The people who don't know Christ will be lost to their sin and they face being expelled from God's kingdom.

For it is through Christ we have the forgiveness of sin. The Bible say, "Jesus, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

Jesus, "I am the way the truth and the light, no one come to the father but through me."

There is no other way into heaven but through Christ, it is through the shedding of Christ blood do we have forgiveness of our sins. It is through Christ we can stand before a righteous God. When we stand before God he will see only the righteousness of Christ. Paul says in this same chapter, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

But how will they know Christ if they haven't heard? We have a job to do, we need to share Christ. I'm so burden by this, what are we going to do? Our job as a church is to bring the 'good news' of Christ to the world. We are to train people to share Christ; we are to send people out into the world. We are to go into our communities, and our families. To preach this message, the message of Jesus.

Feet

Paul finishes the line of questions by saying, ""How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" How beautiful is the one who bring this message to you, how beautiful is the one who is willing to share. How beautiful is the church who equips its people to go and share. How beautiful are the feet that carries the person who has this message and wants to share it.

We all can do this; we all can share Christ with others. We as a church are to equip and send out people. Last Sunday before the "After the Chase" concert. Sonia Burnell was here. She is a missionary, who is always looking for someone to go with her overseas. Every time we meet she always ask me if we have anyone who wants to go on a mission trip. I looked around and saw Joshua and mentioned Joshua might. I called him over and introduced them and Sonia asked Josh if he would be willing to go on a trip. Josh started to state all the reason why he couldn't go. Sonia looked at him and said, "if you can think of something more important than, reaching 50 people for Christ, you tell me and I try and help you get'. Josh stood there and just looked at her, unable to respond.

By Tuesday, Josh tells me he wants to go on a mission trip and he has recruited JJ his good friend to go with him. So Joshua and JJ have volunteered to go to the Czech this October for two weeks. So we as a church will have the opportunity to send and support two of our own on a mission trip.

As excited about sending out our own to a foreign country, we have people right here who don't know Christ. You and I can bring the message to them, blessed are the feet of those who bring the good news, we have the good news. We have the message of Jesus. I can't help but to think of the people in the video at the beginning"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!", who were hurting and so unsure in this world. People who need to know Jesus, people who are hurting, people without hope. We have the message of hope, we have the good news…Go and share it.

-ps