Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Romans 10:14-17

Transcript

Romans 10:14-17 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

• 0:00
  Please take a copy of God's word and turn to me to Romans chapter 10.
• 0:08
  Our text today is verses 6-21 and I'll be putting an emphasis on verses 14-17.
• 0:16
  So let's read Romans 10 starting in verse 6 together.
• 0:23
  But the righteousness based on faith says,
• 0:26
  Do not say in your heart,
• 0:28
  Who will ascend into heaven?
• 0:30
  That is to bring Christ down.
• 0:31
  Or who will descend into the abyss?
• 0:34
  That is to bring Christ up from the dead.
• 0:36
  But what does it say?
• 0:38
  The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart.
• 0:41
  That is the word of faith that we proclaim.
• 0:44
  Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord,
• 0:47
  and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
• 0:50
  you will be saved.
• 0:52
  For with the heart one believes and is justified,
• 0:54
  and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
• 0:57
  For the scriptures say,
• 0:59
  Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.
• 1:02
  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek.
• 1:04
  For the same Lord is Lord of all,
• 1:07
  bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
• 1:10
  For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
• 1:13
  How then will they call on him whom they have not believed?
• 1:18
  And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?
• 1:22
  And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
• 1:25
  And how are they to preach unless they are sent?
• 1:28
  As it is written,
• 1:29
  How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!
• 1:33
  But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
• 1:37
  For Isaiah says,
• 1:39
  Lord, who has believed that he has heard from us?
• 1:42
  So faith comes from hearing,
• 1:43
  and hearing through the word of Christ.
• 1:46
  But I ask,
• 1:47
  Have they not heard?
• 1:48
  Indeed they have.
• 1:50
  For their voice has gone out to all the earth,
• 1:53
  and their words to the end of the world.
• 1:56
  But I ask,
• 1:57
  Did Israel not understand?
• 1:58
  Then,
• 1:59
  First Moses says,
• 2:01
  I'll make you jealous of those who are not a nation.
• 2:03
  With a foolish nation,
• 2:04
  I will make you angry.
• 2:06
  Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
• 2:09
  I have been found by those who did not seek me.
• 2:11
  I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.
• 2:15
  But of Israel,
• 2:16
  he says,
• 2:17
  All the day long,
• 2:18
  I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.
• 2:22
  This is the word of the Lord.
• 2:24
  Amen.
• 2:24
  Amen.
• 2:25
  Let us pray together.
• 2:28
  Father,
• 2:29
  Your word is powerful,
• 2:31
  and it is sharper than a two-edged sword,
• 2:33
  and it's living and active,
• 2:34
  working in our hearts.
• 2:36
  We ask,
• 2:37
  As the word goes forth this morning,
• 2:38
  You will humble us,
• 2:39
  that we will hear from the living God in His word,
• 2:42
  and experience His goodness.
• 2:44
  And Lord,
• 2:45
  we ask that my words would help make this word clear and understandable.
• 2:49
  In Jesus' name,
• 2:50
  Amen.
• 2:52
  The name of today's sermon
• 2:54
  is the Paradigm for Gospel Missions.
• 2:57
  A paradigm is a model to be followed.
• 3:01
  My aim,
• 3:02
  by the end of this exposition,
• 3:03
  is to provide all of you
• 3:05
  with God's authoritative model
• 3:06
  for doing biblical missions.
• 3:09
  Before we get there,
• 3:11
  though,
• 3:11
  I'd like to show you the major contours and structures
• 3:13
  of Romans chapter 10,
• 3:16
  as the main focus of missions is verses 14 through 17.
• 3:19
  So my intention is to walk you through the major thoughts in chapter 10,
• 3:24
  explain the teaching,
• 3:25
  and then we'll hone the rest of our time in on verses 14 through 17.
• 3:30
  So in Romans 10,
• 3:32
  there is four major thoughts that are being developed.
• 3:35
  The major thoughts are verses 1 through 5,
• 3:38
  verses 6 through 13,
• 3:40
  verses 14 through 17,
• 3:42
  in verses 18 through 21.
• 3:47
  So in verses 1 through 5,
• 3:49
  Paul's desire is to see the Jews to be saved.
• 3:52
  But the Jews have not placed their faith in Christ.
• 3:55
  They've placed it in their own works.
• 3:57
  And they're not seeing that all the law
• 3:59
  in the Old Testament institution points to Jesus.
• 4:02
  So then,
• 4:03
  in verses 6 through 13,
• 4:05
  Paul explains that saving faith
• 4:07
  comes through Christ,
• 4:09
  not our works.
• 4:10
  In verses 14 through 17,
• 4:13
  Paul teaches the only way for someone to believe in Christ
• 4:16
  is through the preaching of the gospel.
• 4:19
  And in verses 18 through 21,
• 4:22
  Paul explains how the gospel has been proclaimed
• 4:24
  throughout all of Asia Minor,
• 4:26
  saving many Gentiles,
• 4:27
  but the Jews still have heard and rejected Christ.
• 4:30
  Last Sunday,
• 4:32
  Nathan clearly laid out the gospel for us.
• 4:35
  And he reminded us that we are saved by grace alone,
• 4:38
  through faith alone,
• 4:39
  in Christ alone,
• 4:40
  not of any of our works.
• 4:42
  Our hope is in Christ alone,
• 4:44
  as the song we just sung reminds us so well.
• 4:49
  So now,
• 4:50
  let's look at the three last sections.
• 4:51
  We're going to look at verses 6 through 13,
• 4:53
  14 through 17,
• 4:55
  and 18 through 21 together.
• 4:57
  So in verses 6 through 13,
• 4:59
  Paul explains that saving faith
• 5:01
  only comes through Christ,
• 5:03
  not our works.
• 5:04
  Saving faith begins in our heart,
• 5:06
  and it comes out in evidence itself
• 5:09
  in outward action.
• 5:10
  And it's here that he declares
• 5:11
  that this outward action
• 5:12
  is a confession of Jesus Christ as Lord.
• 5:15
  His main assertion is in verse 9,
• 5:18
  because if you confess with your mouth
• 5:20
  that Jesus is Lord,
• 5:22
  and believe in your heart
• 5:23
  that God raised him from the dead,
• 5:24
  you will be saved.
• 5:25
  In these verses,
• 5:27
  we see that God rejects,
• 5:30
  in these verses,
• 5:30
  God rejects that man could do anything
• 5:32
  to earn or acquire salvation
• 5:35
  apart from saving faith.
• 5:37
  There is no tower
• 5:38
  that we can build to grasp God,
• 5:40
  and there is no sacrament
• 5:41
  we can perform
• 5:42
  to earn our salvation.
• 5:44
  It is by believing in our heart
• 5:45
  that Jesus rose from the dead.
• 5:48
  Salvation is by grace alone
• 5:49
  through faith alone.
• 5:50
  But we see here
• 5:51
  that faith is never alone.
• 5:52
  This faith is a living faith,
• 5:54
  and it produces good works,
• 5:56
  or evidence is good fruit.
• 5:58
  And here,
• 5:59
  the evidence of faith
• 6:00
  is a confession
• 6:01
  that Jesus Christ is Lord.
• 6:04
  Living faith,
• 6:05
  saving faith,
• 6:06
  submits to the Lordship of Christ.
• 6:09
  This is a submission
• 6:10
  that his will and purposes,
• 6:12
  not our own,
• 6:13
  are better.
• 6:14
  It is to understand
• 6:14
  that his way is better
• 6:15
  and not our own.
• 6:17
  It is to say,
• 6:18
  as John the Baptist says,
• 6:19
  he must increase,
• 6:20
  and I,
• 6:21
  I must decrease.
• 6:23
  So then,
• 6:24
  Paul goes on
• 6:25
  in the next four assertions.
• 6:28
  He uses the word four
• 6:29
  to explain his argument
• 6:30
  that in verse four,
• 6:32
  saving faith provides justification,
• 6:35
  or, sorry,
• 6:36
  verse ten,
• 6:37
  saving faith provides justification,
• 6:38
  confession,
• 6:39
  evidence,
• 6:39
  salvation.
• 6:40
  We see in verse eleven,
• 6:41
  saving faith gives assurance.
• 6:44
  Verse twelve,
• 6:45
  we see that saving faith
• 6:46
  is without distinction.
• 6:48
  And in verse thirteen,
• 6:49
  saving faith submits
• 6:50
  to the Lordship of Christ.
• 6:51
  So as he's worked out
• 6:53
  this point,
• 6:54
  he wants to hit home
• 6:55
  that we are saved
• 6:57
  by faith alone.
• 6:59
  That's what he's hitting
• 7:00
  in verses six through thirteen.
• 7:03
  And then he hits home
• 7:04
  that that saving faith
• 7:05
  always produces fruit.
• 7:08
  So in verses fourteen through seventeen,
• 7:11
  Paul teaches that the only way
• 7:13
  for someone to believe in Christ
• 7:14
  is through the preaching
• 7:15
  of the gospel.
• 7:15
  And in this,
• 7:17
  we see that God uses means
• 7:18
  to bring salvation
• 7:19
  to his people.
• 7:21
  Paul,
• 7:21
  building on his argument
• 7:22
  in six through thirteen,
• 7:24
  contends that
• 7:25
  one cannot have saving faith
• 7:27
  unless they hear the gospel.
• 7:29
  And he summarizes this
• 7:30
  in verse seventeen.
• 7:32
  So faith comes from hearing
• 7:33
  and hearing through the word
• 7:35
  of Christ.
• 7:36
  In verses fourteen through fifteen,
• 7:38
  Paul lays out God's
• 7:40
  ordained means for missions.
• 7:42
  We could call this
• 7:43
  the church planting strategy,
• 7:44
  if you will.
• 7:46
  And here is what I have called
• 7:47
  the paradigm for gospel missions
• 7:49
  or God's ordained model
• 7:51
  for missions.
• 7:53
  This text here serves
• 7:54
  as a commentary
• 7:55
  for the Great Commission
• 7:56
  in Matthew twenty eight,
• 7:58
  sixteen through twenty.
• 7:59
  And for the church's
• 8:00
  sending authority
• 8:01
  in Acts thirteen,
• 8:02
  one through three.
• 8:04
  And if you are,
• 8:04
  if you remember
• 8:05
  in Matthew twenty eight
• 8:06
  that Jesus Christ
• 8:07
  has all authority
• 8:09
  and then he commissions
• 8:10
  his disciples
• 8:11
  who then plant churches
• 8:12
  and these churches
• 8:13
  then spread the gospel
• 8:15
  further.
• 8:15
  Well here in our text
• 8:17
  in Romans,
• 8:17
  we have Christ
• 8:18
  who has all authority.
• 8:20
  He's Lord over all.
• 8:21
  But no one will know Christ
• 8:23
  unless someone goes.
• 8:25
  So we have a,
• 8:25
  almost a reassertion
• 8:26
  of the Great Commission here
• 8:28
  with the emphasis on
• 8:29
  someone has to be sent,
• 8:31
  which reminds us
• 8:31
  of Acts thirteen.
• 8:33
  So read verses fourteen
• 8:35
  through fifteen with me.
• 8:35
  How then will they call
• 8:38
  on him in whom
• 8:40
  they have not believed?
• 8:41
  How are they to believe
• 8:43
  in him whom
• 8:43
  they've never heard?
• 8:45
  How are they to hear
• 8:46
  without someone preaching?
• 8:48
  And how are they
• 8:48
  to preach
• 8:49
  unless they are sent?
• 8:50
  As it is written,
• 8:52
  how beautiful
• 8:52
  are the feet
• 8:53
  of those
• 8:54
  who preach good news.
• 8:56
  There's a very simple
• 8:58
  logical argument here.
• 8:59
  Paul argues
• 9:00
  for someone to believe,
• 9:01
  they must hear the gospel.
• 9:02
  For someone to hear
• 9:03
  the gospel,
• 9:03
  they must be sent.
• 9:05
  And for someone,
• 9:06
  or they must be sent
• 9:08
  and they must share it.
• 9:09
  And for someone to share,
• 9:10
  they must be sent.
• 9:12
  Therefore,
• 9:12
  Paul's contending
• 9:13
  that the work
• 9:14
  is spread in the gospel
• 9:15
  through the ends
• 9:16
  of the earth
• 9:16
  is the church
• 9:17
  sending missionaries
• 9:18
  to preach the gospel.
• 9:20
  By the preaching
• 9:21
  of the gospel,
• 9:21
  people come to faith
• 9:22
  and churches are formed.
• 9:24
  And Paul supports this
• 9:25
  with quoting two
• 9:26
  Old Testament passages
• 9:27
  in our text.
• 9:28
  He quotes Isaiah 52,
• 9:30
  7 and Isaiah 53,
• 9:32
  1.
• 9:33
  I'm going to read
• 9:33
  Isaiah 52,
• 9:34
  7,
• 9:35
  or 52,
• 9:36
  7 through 10.
• 9:37
  And I want you to listen
• 9:38
  and hear the emphasis
• 9:39
  of the gospel.
• 9:40
  I want you to hear
• 9:41
  the mission drive
• 9:42
  of the text.
• 9:44
  Isaiah 52,
• 9:45
  7 through 10.
• 9:47
  How beautiful,
• 9:48
  how beautiful
• 9:48
  upon the mountains
• 9:49
  are the feet
• 9:50
  of him who brings
• 9:51
  good news,
• 9:52
  who publishes peace,
• 9:54
  who brings good news
• 9:55
  of happiness,
• 9:56
  who publishes salvation,
• 9:58
  who says,
• 9:58
  who says to Zion,
• 10:01
  your God reigns.
• 10:02
  The voice of your watchmen,
• 10:04
  they lift up their voice.
• 10:05
  Together they sing for joy.
• 10:07
  For eye to eye,
• 10:08
  they see the return
• 10:09
  of the Lord to Zion.
• 10:10
  Break forth together
• 10:11
  in singing,
• 10:12
  you waste places
• 10:12
  of Jerusalem.
• 10:13
  For the Lord
• 10:14
  has comforted his people.
• 10:16
  He has redeemed Jerusalem.
• 10:17
  The Lord has bared
• 10:18
  his holy arm
• 10:19
  before the eyes
• 10:19
  of all the nations.
• 10:21
  And all the ends
• 10:22
  of the earth
• 10:22
  shall see the salvation
• 10:23
  of God.
• 10:25
  How beautiful
• 10:26
  are the feet
• 10:27
  of those who preach
• 10:28
  the good news.
• 10:29
  Feet are not something
• 10:31
  we think of as being beautiful.
• 10:33
  My wife would agree
• 10:34
  with that statement.
• 10:35
  She does not like feet.
• 10:37
  But in Romans 10,
• 10:39
  they're pointed out
• 10:40
  because they're useful.
• 10:41
  It takes someone's feet
• 10:42
  to bring a message
• 10:44
  to someone.
• 10:44
  It was the idea
• 10:45
  of someone being sent
• 10:47
  from somewhere
• 10:47
  to go somewhere else
• 10:48
  and bring a message.
• 10:49
  The feet was the means
• 10:51
  to bring that message.
• 10:53
  So the point Paul's making
• 10:54
  is that the feet here
• 10:55
  were how the messenger
• 10:57
  would travel
• 10:58
  to publish peace,
• 10:59
  to publish salvation,
• 11:00
  and to bring good news
• 11:02
  of happiness.
• 11:03
  They were the means
• 11:05
  of how the gospel
• 11:05
  was heard.
• 11:07
  He uses the proclamation
• 11:09
  of his people
• 11:10
  who are broken,
• 11:12
  who are saved
• 11:13
  by our Redeemer,
• 11:14
  to then bring it
• 11:14
  to broken people
• 11:15
  who need to be saved
• 11:17
  by our Redeemer.
• 11:18
  The means by which
• 11:19
  the gospel is heard
• 11:20
  is through those being sent,
• 11:22
  is through missionaries.
• 11:24
  The task of preaching
• 11:25
  the gospel
• 11:25
  is not merely local,
• 11:26
  but to the ends
• 11:27
  of the earth.
• 11:28
  Isaiah 52, 10 declares,
• 11:30
  all the earth,
• 11:31
  all the ends of the earth
• 11:32
  shall see the salvation
• 11:33
  of our God.
• 11:35
  Jesus is Lord of all,
• 11:38
  and he is spreading
• 11:39
  his kingdom
• 11:39
  through the gospel
• 11:40
  to the ends
• 11:41
  of the earth.
• 11:43
  It makes me think
• 11:43
  of Matthew 16, 18
• 11:45
  when it says,
• 11:46
  I will build my church
• 11:47
  and the gates of hell
• 11:48
  shall not prevail
• 11:49
  against it.
• 11:50
  Do you notice
• 11:51
  that language?
• 11:52
  Jesus will build
• 11:53
  his church.
• 11:54
  The gates of hell
• 11:55
  will not prevail
• 11:56
  against it.
• 11:57
  Jesus is on the offensive.
• 11:59
  It's militant language.
• 12:00
  He's building,
• 12:01
  he's working,
• 12:02
  and the defensive
• 12:03
  is the gates of hell.
• 12:05
  Our king is Jesus,
• 12:07
  and he is Lord over all,
• 12:09
  and he will defeat
• 12:09
  every power of hell
• 12:11
  that is against him
• 12:14
  in building his church.
• 12:15
  Nothing,
• 12:16
  no power,
• 12:17
  institution,
• 12:18
  king,
• 12:19
  or governor,
• 12:19
  or government
• 12:20
  can thwart
• 12:21
  the almighty power
• 12:23
  of King Jesus
• 12:24
  in expanding his kingdom
• 12:25
  through the gospel.
• 12:27
  Eventually,
• 12:28
  in one day that we long for,
• 12:29
  all the kings of the earth
• 12:30
  will bow their knee
• 12:32
  and confess Jesus Christ
• 12:33
  as Lord.
• 12:34
  He is ruler
• 12:35
  of the kings of the earth,
• 12:36
  Revelation 1, 5,
• 12:37
  and he is
• 12:38
  the king of kings,
• 12:40
  Revelation 17, 14.
• 12:43
  The church would do well
• 12:45
  to see the importance
• 12:46
  of this work
• 12:46
  and the importance
• 12:48
  in all the earth.
• 12:50
  The quotation
• 12:51
  from Isaiah 53, 1
• 12:53
  harkens back
• 12:54
  to Romans 9
• 12:55
  that we just spent
• 12:55
  a lot of time in
• 12:56
  and reasserts
• 12:58
  God's sovereign work
• 12:59
  in calling sinners
• 13:00
  to himself.
• 13:01
  The gospel
• 13:02
  is offered to all,
• 13:04
  but all do not come.
• 13:06
  Only those
• 13:07
  whom Isaiah 53, 1
• 13:08
  says,
• 13:09
  the arm of Yahweh
• 13:10
  has been revealed.
• 13:12
  God will call
• 13:12
  his sheep to himself
• 13:13
  and be the shepherd
• 13:15
  of all people.
• 13:16
  He will lead his people
• 13:17
  to green pastures
• 13:18
  and cool waters
• 13:19
  all of their life
• 13:20
  and one day
• 13:21
  he'll welcome
• 13:22
  all of his people
• 13:23
  into the paradise
• 13:24
  of heaven.
• 13:26
  Therefore,
• 13:27
  that is verses
• 13:28
  14 through 17.
• 13:30
  Now in verses
• 13:31
  18 through 21,
• 13:33
  Paul explains
• 13:34
  how the gospel
• 13:35
  has been proclaimed
• 13:35
  through all Asia Minor,
• 13:37
  saving many Gentiles,
• 13:38
  but the Jews
• 13:39
  have still rejected Christ.
• 13:42
  Paul's point
• 13:43
  in verses 18 through 21
• 13:44
  is summarized
• 13:45
  in verse 21.
• 13:46
  He says,
• 13:48
  but of Israel,
• 13:48
  he says,
• 13:49
  all the day long
• 13:50
  I have held out
• 13:51
  my hands
• 13:51
  to a disobedient
• 13:53
  and contrary people.
• 13:55
  While the gospel
• 13:56
  has gone to the Jews
• 13:57
  and Gentiles
• 13:58
  without distinction,
• 14:00
  the Jews
• 14:00
  have continued
• 14:01
  in their rejection
• 14:02
  of Christ.
• 14:04
  Paul emphasizes
• 14:05
  this point
• 14:05
  through quoting
• 14:05
  Old Testament scripture
• 14:06
  and you can see there
• 14:07
  there's three or four
• 14:08
  that are quoted in a row.
• 14:10
  In verse 18,
• 14:11
  he quotes Psalm 19, 4,
• 14:12
  to compare the spread
• 14:14
  of the gospel
• 14:14
  to God's general revelation.
• 14:17
  As God's majesty
• 14:17
  has been universally revealed
• 14:19
  in all creation,
• 14:20
  as the sun rises
• 14:21
  to its set,
• 14:22
  the gospel has been out
• 14:23
  to all of Asia Minor.
• 14:24
  It's been universally
• 14:25
  proclaimed there.
• 14:27
  Thus far,
• 14:29
  the gospel has been
• 14:30
  universally reached
• 14:31
  in that area.
• 14:32
  And the point
• 14:32
  he's making there
• 14:33
  is that the Jews
• 14:33
  have heard.
• 14:35
  In verse 19,
• 14:36
  he quotes Deuteronomy
• 14:37
  32, 21.
• 14:38
  Paul quotes Deuteronomy
• 14:41
  to demonstrate
• 14:41
  that because of Israel's
• 14:43
  rejection of the gospel,
• 14:44
  God is making the people
• 14:45
  jealous with the conversion
• 14:47
  of the Gentiles.
• 14:49
  In verse 20,
• 14:50
  Paul quotes Isaiah 65, 1.
• 14:53
  Because of Israel's wickedness,
• 14:55
  God has made the Gentiles
• 14:56
  his people.
• 14:57
  In God's work of saving
• 14:58
  a bribe from all peoples,
• 14:59
  he has used this
• 15:00
  as a judgment on Israel
• 15:01
  for their stubborn
• 15:02
  and disobedient heart.
• 15:04
  In Romans 11,
• 15:05
  we will explain more
• 15:06
  of this relationship
• 15:07
  of Israel and the church,
• 15:09
  of God's working
• 15:10
  amidst his people.
• 15:13
  And in this time,
• 15:14
  what will come clear
• 15:15
  is God's purpose
• 15:16
  of election,
• 15:16
  making his name known
• 15:17
  through Jesus Christ.
• 15:19
  So,
• 15:20
  stay tuned
• 15:21
  for that exposition.
• 15:23
  Now that we understand
• 15:24
  the general contours
• 15:26
  of Romans chapter 10,
• 15:28
  we're going to spend
• 15:28
  the rest of our time
• 15:29
  thinking about this paradigm
• 15:30
  for gospel missions.
• 15:32
  And we find that
• 15:33
  in verses 14 through 17.
• 15:35
  We will see this model
• 15:36
  looking at three areas
• 15:37
  of the text.
• 15:38
  We're going to look
• 15:39
  at the church,
• 15:40
  the missionary,
• 15:41
  and the message.
• 15:42
  We are going to look
• 15:43
  at the church,
• 15:44
  the missionary,
• 15:45
  and the message.
• 15:47
  To introduce
• 15:48
  this consideration,
• 15:49
  though,
• 15:49
  let us think about
• 15:50
  the concept of authority.
• 15:52
  Authority is the power
• 15:54
  to influence
• 15:55
  or command thought,
• 15:57
  opinion,
• 15:58
  or behavior.
• 15:59
  This power
• 16:00
  ultimately resides
• 16:01
  in a person
• 16:02
  and can be granted
• 16:04
  to others.
• 16:05
  The root of authority
• 16:06
  is that which
• 16:07
  authors life.
• 16:09
  Authority is that
• 16:10
  which authors life.
• 16:12
  God Almighty
• 16:13
  has all authority.
• 16:16
  It ultimately rests
• 16:16
  in him.
• 16:17
  He is the author
• 16:19
  of life.
• 16:20
  He authored life
• 16:21
  and creation
• 16:22
  of all things,
• 16:23
  and he's authoring life
• 16:24
  now through his
• 16:25
  providential power
• 16:26
  and works.
• 16:28
  God created man
• 16:29
  in his image,
• 16:30
  and man's design
• 16:31
  was to praise God.
• 16:33
  God gave him
• 16:34
  authority to legislate
• 16:35
  his just and loving commands
• 16:37
  and to make his glory known.
• 16:39
  He was to take dominion,
• 16:41
  being fruitful
• 16:41
  and multiplying,
• 16:43
  and to spread
• 16:43
  the glory of God
• 16:44
  to the ends of the earth.
• 16:46
  The whole earth
• 16:47
  was to be filled
• 16:48
  with the glory of God
• 16:49
  as the waters
• 16:50
  covers the sea.
• 16:51
  Habakkuk 2.14
• 16:52
  But,
• 16:54
  instead of authoring life
• 16:56
  and carrying forth
• 16:57
  God's glory
• 16:57
  to the ends of the earth,
• 16:58
  Adam failed
• 17:00
  in protecting the garden.
• 17:02
  Adam rejected
• 17:02
  God's authority
• 17:03
  and his actions
• 17:04
  authored death.
• 17:06
  Romans 5.12
• 17:07
  Instead of God's glory
• 17:09
  covering the earth,
• 17:10
  sin has marred the earth.
• 17:13
  Sin has affected
• 17:14
  every dimension
• 17:14
  of our life,
• 17:16
  and at the core
• 17:16
  of Adam and his sin,
• 17:18
  they asserted
• 17:18
  personal autonomy
• 17:20
  over God's authority.
• 17:23
  Instead of following
• 17:24
  God's commands,
• 17:26
  they followed
• 17:26
  Satan's deception.
• 17:27
  They believed
• 17:28
  falling their way
• 17:29
  was the best way.
• 17:32
  This is the same for us.
• 17:34
  We often trust
• 17:35
  in our own thoughts
• 17:37
  and ways above God's.
• 17:38
  We have been raised
• 17:39
  in a culture
• 17:40
  that is consumed
• 17:41
  with self
• 17:42
  and has made self
• 17:43
  the greatest end
• 17:44
  by which we live
• 17:45
  and work.
• 17:46
  The problem is,
• 17:48
  when we begin
• 17:49
  rejecting God's word
• 17:50
  as authoritative
• 17:51
  and his ways
• 17:52
  as good,
• 17:52
  we begin to reject
• 17:54
  authority
• 17:54
  for special preference,
• 17:56
  for individual passions,
• 17:58
  and personal sophistication.
• 18:01
  With the rejection
• 18:01
  of God's authority,
• 18:03
  one begins to reject
• 18:04
  his authoritative
• 18:05
  institutions also.
• 18:06
  Eventually,
• 18:08
  autonomy,
• 18:09
  novelty,
• 18:10
  and pragmatism
• 18:11
  are more relevant
• 18:12
  than God's authoritative
• 18:14
  word and institution.
• 18:15
  So eventually,
• 18:17
  autonomy,
• 18:18
  novelty,
• 18:20
  and pragmatism
• 18:20
  are more relevant
• 18:21
  than God's authoritative
• 18:22
  institutions.
• 18:24
  This is a sad reality
• 18:25
  we live in today
• 18:26
  where we see churches
• 18:28
  without the gospel,
• 18:29
  governments
• 18:30
  without godly legislation,
• 18:32
  and families
• 18:32
  without family worship.
• 18:33
  With significance
• 18:36
  towards individualism
• 18:37
  and pragmatism
• 18:38
  in our modern culture,
• 18:39
  the church,
• 18:40
  then,
• 18:41
  as God's authority
• 18:42
  to spread the gospel,
• 18:44
  has employed
• 18:45
  individually focused
• 18:46
  and pragmatically
• 18:48
  motivated practices
• 18:49
  to minister
• 18:50
  locally and missionally.
• 18:52
  The concern
• 18:53
  with these employments
• 18:53
  that we employ
• 18:54
  individual motivated
• 18:56
  and pragmatic
• 18:56
  methods
• 18:57
  is that
• 18:59
  they are not
• 19:00
  the way in which
• 19:01
  God has ordained
• 19:02
  gospel ministry.
• 19:03
  And often,
• 19:04
  they go against
• 19:05
  gospel ministry
• 19:06
  to emphasize
• 19:08
  personal aspiration
• 19:09
  and results
• 19:10
  in the mission field.
• 19:13
  Therefore,
• 19:13
  my hope
• 19:14
  in the next three points,
• 19:15
  the next three areas
• 19:16
  of focus,
• 19:17
  is to show you
• 19:18
  that the paradigm
• 19:19
  for gospel missions
• 19:20
  revealed in Romans 10,
• 19:21
  14 through 17,
• 19:23
  give us clear direction
• 19:24
  on the authority
• 19:25
  and means of missions.
• 19:27
  The authority
• 19:28
  to send missionaries
• 19:29
  is the church.
• 19:31
  The means
• 19:32
  is the missionary.
• 19:33
  The message
• 19:34
  is the gospel.
• 19:36
  To divert
• 19:37
  from church authority,
• 19:39
  missionary focus,
• 19:40
  and gospel-centric
• 19:40
  missions
• 19:41
  is to divert
• 19:42
  from God's
• 19:43
  prescribed model
• 19:44
  for missions
• 19:45
  in his word.
• 19:47
  Therefore,
• 19:48
  let's look at these areas.
• 19:50
  Number one,
• 19:50
  the church.
• 19:52
  In Matthew 28,
• 19:53
  16,
• 19:54
  Jesus has been given
• 19:55
  all authority
• 19:55
  on heaven and earth
• 19:56
  from God the Father.
• 19:58
  He has been coronated
• 19:59
  and he's about
• 20:00
  to take his throne
• 20:01
  and his heavenly abode.
• 20:02
  Before his enthronement,
• 20:04
  he looks at his disciples
• 20:05
  and he gives them
• 20:06
  a charge,
• 20:07
  a commission.
• 20:08
  He says,
• 20:09
  go therefore
• 20:10
  and make disciples
• 20:11
  of all the nations,
• 20:12
  baptize them
• 20:13
  in the name of the Father,
• 20:14
  the Son,
• 20:14
  and the Holy Spirit.
• 20:15
  Teach them all
• 20:16
  that I command you.
• 20:18
  His commission
• 20:19
  with all authority
• 20:20
  on heaven and earth
• 20:21
  to his disciples
• 20:22
  was to make disciples.
• 20:25
  And the work
• 20:25
  of disciple-making
• 20:26
  demands one,
• 20:27
  go,
• 20:28
  baptize,
• 20:28
  and teach.
• 20:29
  When we get to Acts,
• 20:30
  we see a similar address,
• 20:32
  a different perspective,
• 20:33
  if you will,
• 20:34
  and he commands
• 20:35
  his apostles
• 20:35
  to be witnesses
• 20:36
  in Jerusalem,
• 20:38
  Judea,
• 20:39
  Samaria,
• 20:40
  and to the ends
• 20:40
  of the earth.
• 20:42
  As the apostles preached,
• 20:43
  churches were formed.
• 20:45
  These churches then
• 20:46
  sent missionaries
• 20:47
  to preach Christ
• 20:48
  where he has not
• 20:49
  been made known.
• 20:50
  And if you read
• 20:51
  the book of Philippians,
• 20:52
  you see Epaphras
• 20:53
  who was someone
• 20:54
  who came to faith
• 20:55
  and went to another area
• 20:56
  and preached Christ
• 20:57
  and a church was gathered.
• 20:58
  And now he's writing
• 20:59
  to this church
• 21:00
  that was gathered
• 21:02
  because of someone else
• 21:03
  going from a church.
• 21:04
  So we see this
• 21:05
  all throughout
• 21:06
  the book of Acts.
• 21:06
  We see this in the letters.
• 21:08
  Missionary thinking
• 21:09
  bleeds all throughout
• 21:10
  the pages of the New Testament.
• 21:12
  As you read the New Testament,
• 21:13
  you see the thrust
• 21:14
  of missionary movement
• 21:16
  until one day
• 21:17
  all people are before God
• 21:18
  from every tribe,
• 21:19
  tongue,
• 21:19
  and nation.
• 21:21
  In Acts 13,
• 21:22
  one through three,
• 21:24
  the church at Antioch
• 21:25
  commissions Paul and Barnabas
• 21:26
  to begin the task
• 21:27
  of going to the ends
• 21:28
  of the earth.
• 21:30
  As Christ is building
• 21:31
  his church,
• 21:32
  he has legislated authority
• 21:33
  to an institution.
• 21:36
  That is the church.
• 21:37
  The church is the means
• 21:39
  and end of gospel missions.
• 21:41
  As the father has sent the son,
• 21:43
  the son sends his church now.
• 21:46
  What I'm about to say
• 21:47
  is very important to hear
• 21:48
  in our age of individualism
• 21:50
  and pragmatism.
• 21:51
  The sending authority
• 21:52
  in missionaries
• 21:53
  is not individual desires
• 21:54
  or aspirations
• 21:55
  or a sending agency.
• 21:57
  There is no such thing
• 21:58
  as lone wolf missionaries.
• 22:02
  Parachurch organizations
• 22:03
  do not have authority
• 22:04
  to commission missionaries.
• 22:06
  According to the authoritative
• 22:07
  word of God,
• 22:09
  the sending authority
• 22:09
  for missionaries
• 22:10
  is the church.
• 22:12
  God has instilled authority
• 22:13
  to the church
• 22:14
  to equip
• 22:15
  to model missions
• 22:16
  is not operating
• 22:17
  according to the paradigm
• 22:19
  for gospel missions
• 22:20
  found in God's word.
• 22:22
  And we see this
• 22:22
  in Romans 10, 15.
• 22:25
  How are they to preach
• 22:25
  unless they are sent?
• 22:27
  As is written,
• 22:28
  how beautiful are those
• 22:29
  who preach good news.
• 22:31
  So let me highlight two ways.
• 22:32
  I could do many more,
• 22:33
  but I'd like to highlight
• 22:34
  two ways in which
• 22:35
  the church does this work
• 22:36
  of sending.
• 22:38
  The church trains missionaries.
• 22:40
  The work of missions
• 22:42
  is a command of our Lord.
• 22:43
  The church is responsible
• 22:44
  for discerning one's call,
• 22:46
  evaluating their character,
• 22:48
  and providing them education,
• 22:50
  theological education,
• 22:50
  and know God's word well.
• 22:53
  In one's calling,
• 22:54
  God works in the desires
• 22:55
  of individuals
• 22:56
  to move them
• 22:57
  to gospel ministry.
• 22:57
  It begins in the individual
• 22:58
  saying,
• 22:59
  I feel this deep desire
• 23:00
  that people who don't know Christ
• 23:02
  to know them.
• 23:03
  And working in ourselves
• 23:04
  to conform to how Christ
• 23:06
  works in us.
• 23:07
  It begins individually,
• 23:08
  but individual desire
• 23:10
  is not authoritative
• 23:11
  without corporate affirmation.
• 23:15
  One's desire for missions
• 23:16
  does not qualify one
• 23:17
  to do missions.
• 23:19
  The authority has been given
• 23:20
  to the church
• 23:21
  to evaluate
• 23:22
  and send missionaries,
• 23:23
  to discern their call
• 23:24
  and their giftings,
• 23:25
  and say,
• 23:26
  I believe, brother or sister,
• 23:27
  you are called for this work.
• 23:29
  The church is the bodyguard
• 23:30
  of biblical missions
• 23:31
  and ultimately responsible
• 23:33
  for the work being done
• 23:34
  by the missionaries
• 23:35
  they send.
• 23:37
  Paul describes requirements
• 23:38
  for missionaries
• 23:39
  in 1 Timothy 3.
• 23:40
  A missionary needs to be
• 23:41
  theologically robust,
• 23:43
  able to teach,
• 23:45
  and possess mature,
• 23:46
  godly character.
• 23:48
  Theology and piety
• 23:49
  are the undergirding
• 23:50
  of healthy mission work.
• 23:52
  To lack theology
• 23:53
  will lead to unhealthy churches
• 23:55
  at best
• 23:55
  and will lead to
• 23:56
  unbiblical churches
• 23:57
  at worst.
• 24:00
  To lack piety
• 24:02
  will lead to destroying
• 24:04
  the work one does.
• 24:05
  If someone goes
• 24:06
  without godly character,
• 24:07
  the work they're going
• 24:08
  to do will eventually
• 24:09
  blow up
• 24:09
  because eventually
• 24:10
  their teaching
• 24:11
  will follow
• 24:12
  what they live.
• 24:14
  Listen to 1 Timothy 4.16.
• 24:16
  Keep a close watch
• 24:17
  on yourself
• 24:18
  and on the teaching.
• 24:19
  Persist in this
• 24:20
  for by doing so
• 24:21
  you'll save both
• 24:21
  yourself and your hearers.
• 24:23
  Keep a close watch
• 24:24
  on yourself
• 24:25
  and your teaching.
• 24:28
  Theology and piety
• 24:29
  is in that text.
• 24:31
  Number two,
• 24:32
  the church
• 24:32
  sends missionaries.
• 24:33
  So the church
• 24:34
  trains missionaries,
• 24:35
  the church sends missionaries.
• 24:37
  If there are men
• 24:38
  who are theologically robust,
• 24:40
  able to teach,
• 24:42
  and has mature
• 24:42
  godly character,
• 24:43
  the man is qualified
• 24:44
  biblically.
• 24:45
  If there is no matters
• 24:47
  of prudence
• 24:48
  hindering the
• 24:48
  possible missions,
• 24:49
  the church should labor
• 24:50
  to work to send them.
• 24:52
  If they're not qualified
• 24:53
  and the church thinks
• 24:54
  that they'll be
• 24:54
  a great missionary,
• 24:56
  the church should labor
• 24:56
  to work to get them
• 24:57
  where they can send them.
• 24:59
  The work of sending
• 25:00
  missionaries
• 25:01
  is a really hard task though.
• 25:02
  When churches
• 25:03
  send missionaries
• 25:04
  that are qualified,
• 25:05
  they are often
• 25:06
  losing those
• 25:07
  who they love.
• 25:08
  Men and women
• 25:09
  who desire missions
• 25:10
  usually are doing
• 25:10
  the work of missions
• 25:12
  in their community.
• 25:13
  They're usually going
• 25:14
  and preaching the gospel.
• 25:15
  They're sacrificing
• 25:16
  their lives
• 25:16
  to take care of kids
• 25:17
  or to go out
• 25:20
  at really bad hours
• 25:21
  of the night
• 25:22
  to share the gospel
• 25:22
  or to counsel
• 25:23
  a brother or sister.
• 25:24
  Usually the people
• 25:25
  that go to the mission field
• 25:26
  are the people
• 25:27
  who you don't want to lose.
• 25:29
  They're the people
• 25:29
  that it hurts the most.
• 25:30
  But there is a greater unity
• 25:34
  that we have in Christ
• 25:35
  and a greater participation
• 25:36
  we have in gospel work.
• 25:38
  The sacrifice,
• 25:39
  both financially
• 25:40
  and relationally,
• 25:41
  is worth it
• 25:42
  to be faithful
• 25:43
  to our King Jesus
• 25:43
  and to see his name known
• 25:45
  and to see the lost
• 25:47
  come to Christ.
• 25:49
  So, number one,
• 25:50
  the church.
• 25:51
  Number two,
• 25:51
  the missionary.
• 25:54
  Verses 14 through 15 say,
• 25:55
  How then will they call
• 25:57
  in him
• 25:57
  whom they have not believed?
• 25:58
  How are they to believe
• 26:00
  in him
• 26:00
  whom they've never heard?
• 26:02
  How are they to hear
• 26:03
  without someone preaching?
• 26:04
  And how are they to preach
• 26:05
  unless they are sent?
• 26:06
  As is written,
• 26:08
  How beautiful are the feet
• 26:09
  of those who preach good news.
• 26:11
  The missionary is sent
• 26:12
  under authority
• 26:13
  to a particular area
• 26:15
  to then preach the gospel
• 26:17
  so that the nations
• 26:18
  would come to Christ.
• 26:19
  The end goal
• 26:19
  of a missionary being sent
• 26:20
  is that churches
• 26:21
  would be formed
• 26:21
  that worship Christ
• 26:23
  accurately,
• 26:24
  that they have proper teaching
• 26:26
  and that would develop
• 26:26
  maturely,
• 26:27
  have mature character
• 26:28
  and that's why it says
• 26:31
  their faith comes from hearing
• 26:32
  and hearing through
• 26:33
  the word of Christ.
• 26:35
  Since the missionary
• 26:35
  is sent under the authority
• 26:36
  of the church
• 26:37
  and their ploy,
• 26:38
  whatever means,
• 26:39
  work for them.
• 26:40
  The missionary methods
• 26:41
  are governed by the scriptures
• 26:42
  and they represent
• 26:44
  the church
• 26:44
  by which sends them.
• 26:46
  If we as Christ family church
• 26:48
  send a brother or sister
• 26:49
  to the mission field,
• 26:50
  we are authorizing them
• 26:52
  to do missions.
• 26:53
  We're in our authority
• 26:54
  given by God
• 26:55
  sending them per se
• 26:56
  and then we participate
• 26:57
  in that work.
• 26:58
  So if we are participating
• 27:00
  in a mission work
• 27:01
  that is producing
• 27:02
  unbiblical means
• 27:04
  or unhealthy means,
• 27:05
  we're also responsible
• 27:07
  for that work
• 27:07
  because we are
• 27:08
  the sending agency.
• 27:09
  We are the ones
• 27:10
  who have the authority
• 27:11
  as a church
• 27:12
  of Jesus Christ.
• 27:14
  Problem is,
• 27:15
  in modern times,
• 27:17
  pastors and missionaries
• 27:18
  have been influenced
• 27:18
  by individualism
• 27:20
  and pragmatism
• 27:21
  in ministry.
• 27:22
  Instead of gathering
• 27:23
  as a church
• 27:24
  being devoted
• 27:25
  to God's holiness,
• 27:26
  that we come
• 27:26
  and worship Him,
• 27:27
  we hear His word
• 27:28
  proclaimed,
• 27:29
  instead of gathering
• 27:30
  in the church
• 27:30
  for God's holiness,
• 27:32
  church has become
• 27:32
  a vanity fair
• 27:33
  for all the seekers.
• 27:35
  Instead of missionaries
• 27:36
  working hard
• 27:37
  to learn languages,
• 27:38
  to raise up elders,
• 27:40
  and to do the long-term work
• 27:41
  of healthy church building,
• 27:43
  church planning
• 27:44
  has become
• 27:44
  a fast food style
• 27:45
  method of church building
• 27:47
  where they spend
• 27:48
  a few weeks
• 27:49
  or months in an area
• 27:50
  that's a church
• 27:51
  and they move on.
• 27:51
  And we've seen
• 27:53
  in these practices
• 27:53
  the damage it's caused
• 27:55
  that pragmatism
• 27:56
  doesn't produce
• 27:57
  healthy churches
• 27:58
  or healthy results.
• 28:00
  It might give a number
• 28:01
  but it doesn't give
• 28:02
  what we're called to do.
• 28:04
  Healthy,
• 28:05
  mature churches
• 28:05
  that will last long-term
• 28:07
  to proclaim Christ's name
• 28:08
  and to the uttermost
• 28:10
  regions of the earth.
• 28:12
  Our theology
• 28:13
  always influences
• 28:14
  the methods we employ.
• 28:17
  So when missionaries
• 28:17
  or pastors
• 28:18
  employ pragmatic methods,
• 28:20
  it reveals
• 28:20
  what they believe.
• 28:22
  So if we're in a church
• 28:23
  that caters
• 28:24
  to pragmatic methods,
• 28:25
  we believe something
• 28:26
  about missions
• 28:28
  that governs
• 28:29
  how we do church.
• 28:31
  So as the church
• 28:32
  and labors of the gospel,
• 28:33
  we are bound
• 28:34
  to the paradigm
• 28:35
  for gospel missions.
• 28:36
  God's word
• 28:37
  authoritates,
• 28:39
  authorizes
• 28:40
  our methods
• 28:41
  and sustains
• 28:41
  our ministry.
• 28:43
  J.H. Bawink,
• 28:45
  he is the nephew
• 28:45
  of Herman Bawink,
• 28:46
  he was a professor
• 28:47
  of missions
• 28:48
  and he was a missionary
• 28:49
  to Indonesia,
• 28:50
  teaches that
• 28:51
  when someone
• 28:52
  has a question
• 28:53
  concerning missions,
• 28:54
  you should respond
• 28:54
  in this manner.
• 28:56
  Answers can be given
• 28:57
  solely on the basis
• 28:58
  of scripture.
• 28:59
  For the work of missions
• 29:01
  is the work of God.
• 29:02
  It is not lawful
• 29:03
  for us to improvise.
• 29:05
  At each step,
• 29:06
  we must ask,
• 29:07
  what does God demand here?
• 29:09
  Although it is not always
• 29:10
  easy to find
• 29:11
  the right course,
• 29:12
  our search must lead us
• 29:13
  to what God has said
• 29:15
  in his word.
• 29:16
  Our convictions
• 29:17
  and methods,
• 29:18
  our strength
• 29:19
  and work
• 29:19
  come from God's
• 29:21
  authoritative
• 29:21
  and imperishable word.
• 29:23
  This is our church
• 29:24
  planning methodology,
• 29:26
  is the word of God.
• 29:28
  The work of the messenger
• 29:30
  is a precious work though.
• 29:32
  We see that here
• 29:32
  in Romans 10.
• 29:33
  How beautiful
• 29:34
  are the feet
• 29:34
  of those who preach
• 29:35
  the good news.
• 29:37
  The task
• 29:37
  is ultimately motivated
• 29:38
  by Jesus Christ
• 29:39
  and the aim
• 29:40
  is seeing all people
• 29:41
  praise God.
• 29:42
  The believer's
• 29:43
  deepest motive
• 29:44
  is that Christ
• 29:44
  would be glorified.
• 29:46
  The missionaries
• 29:47
  is a herald
• 29:48
  of the most glorious person,
• 29:51
  the greatest victory
• 29:51
  and the best news.
• 29:53
  The work that the missionary
• 29:54
  does is an honorable calling
• 29:56
  and we should seek
• 29:56
  to love and support
• 29:57
  our missionaries well
• 29:58
  as they make
• 29:59
  all these different sacrifices
• 30:01
  to see Christ known
• 30:02
  to the uttermost regions
• 30:03
  of the earth.
• 30:04
  To give a good example,
• 30:05
  currently right now,
• 30:06
  we have brothers and sisters
• 30:07
  that we dearly love
• 30:09
  in various parts of the world
• 30:10
  who are seeking
• 30:11
  to learn languages
• 30:12
  so that once they learn
• 30:14
  a language,
• 30:14
  they can then
• 30:15
  go to a different region,
• 30:17
  a more remote region
• 30:18
  where there isn't a church
• 30:19
  and learn another language
• 30:20
  and then after learning
• 30:21
  that language,
• 30:22
  then they start translating
• 30:22
  the Bible
• 30:23
  and they start teaching
• 30:24
  in that language.
• 30:25
  It's a long-term,
• 30:27
  heavy-demanding exercise.
• 30:29
  While we get to be here,
• 30:30
  we enjoy our family,
• 30:31
  we enjoy the benefits
• 30:33
  of our society,
• 30:34
  we can get anything
• 30:35
  we want at a moment's notice,
• 30:37
  whether it's DoorDash
• 30:38
  or whether it's going
• 30:39
  to the supermarket.
• 30:39
  We have so many benefits
• 30:41
  here in the U.S.
• 30:42
  Our missionaries
• 30:43
  are sacrificing
• 30:44
  all those benefits,
• 30:45
  a lot of those relational
• 30:46
  things they dearly love
• 30:47
  so that Christ would be known.
• 30:49
  Important work
• 30:50
  because we want to see
• 30:50
  their task come to fruition.
• 30:52
  We don't want to see
• 30:54
  the task become harder
• 30:56
  because they don't have
• 30:56
  the support per se.
• 30:59
  But this is what we see
• 31:00
  as Paul's motive
• 31:00
  here in Romans.
• 31:01
  Romans 15, 20-21 says,
• 31:03
  Paul's aim
• 31:20
  and what he was zealous for
• 31:22
  is see that those
• 31:23
  who don't have a chance here,
• 31:24
  those who have never heard,
• 31:26
  to know.
• 31:27
  And that's why
• 31:27
  when he went to all
• 31:28
  Asia Minor,
• 31:28
  he didn't stay in Asia Minor,
• 31:29
  he then went to Jerusalem
• 31:31
  so that he could go to Spain.
• 31:33
  His aim was to get to Spain
• 31:34
  where the gospel's not gone
• 31:35
  so that everyone would know,
• 31:37
  so that this idea
• 31:38
  of universal
• 31:39
  revelation of the gospel
• 31:41
  in Asia Minor
• 31:42
  would appear
• 31:42
  to the ends of the earth.
• 31:45
  But obviously,
• 31:46
  we see God's sovereignty
• 31:47
  in him not completing
• 31:49
  that work.
• 31:50
  So we need to be those
• 31:52
  who support missions
• 31:53
  zealously
• 31:53
  because of the command
• 31:55
  of our Lord,
• 31:55
  or who would be willing
• 31:57
  to offer ourselves
• 31:58
  as a priestly service
• 31:59
  as a minister
• 32:00
  or a missionary.
• 32:02
  There's one or the other.
• 32:03
  We can either serve
• 32:04
  in a more active role
• 32:06
  or we can do our best
• 32:07
  to support
• 32:08
  the activity of the church.
• 32:10
  And I don't know
• 32:11
  if there is a middle ground there
• 32:12
  as I've wrestled
• 32:13
  with this sermon
• 32:14
  and thinking through it
• 32:15
  is to be faithful
• 32:16
  to God's missionary command,
• 32:17
  we should either support
• 32:18
  or go,
• 32:19
  what it seems like.
• 32:22
  Matthew 9, 37-38 says,
• 32:25
  There he said
• 32:26
  to his disciples,
• 32:26
  The harvest is plentiful,
• 32:28
  but the labors are few.
• 32:30
  Therefore,
• 32:30
  pray earnestly
• 32:31
  to the Lord of the harvest
• 32:33
  to send out laborers
• 32:34
  into his harvest.
• 32:35
  So let us as a church
• 32:37
  pray for laborers
• 32:39
  because the need
• 32:40
  for missions is so great.
• 32:42
  Without hearing
• 32:42
  the gospel of Jesus Christ,
• 32:44
  how will one believe?
• 32:46
  This is Paul's argument.
• 32:47
  There are millions of people
• 32:49
  who have never heard
• 32:50
  the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• 32:52
  This means that
• 32:52
  there are millions of souls
• 32:54
  that are living
• 32:55
  enslaved to sin
• 32:56
  that are worshiping idols
• 32:58
  that are working
• 32:59
  for their salvation
• 33:00
  that are living
• 33:02
  for themselves
• 33:03
  who will spend
• 33:04
  eternity in hell.
• 33:06
  The reality of
• 33:07
  eternal suffering
• 33:08
  is the fate of those
• 33:10
  who don't hear
• 33:10
  and believe in the gospel.
• 33:12
  They'll spend all eternity
• 33:13
  where the unquenchable fire
• 33:15
  will not end
• 33:16
  and the gnashing of teeth
• 33:17
  will continue
• 33:17
  and they currently
• 33:19
  have never heard
• 33:20
  the good news
• 33:20
  to save them.
• 33:22
  Do you believe?
• 33:22
  There should be
• 33:24
  a weight here
• 33:25
  that burns in our souls
• 33:26
  to see the nations
• 33:28
  know Christ.
• 33:30
  So for some statistics,
• 33:32
  there are 3,000 language groups
• 33:34
  that currently have
• 33:36
  no church in their language
• 33:36
  and most of them
• 33:37
  do not have the scriptures.
• 33:39
  Chances are
• 33:40
  there is not a single believer
• 33:41
  in this language group
• 33:42
  and chances are
• 33:43
  they'll never hear the gospel
• 33:44
  before they die
• 33:45
  unless someone goes
• 33:46
  to that language group.
• 33:48
  Some national statistics.
• 33:50
  Morocco has 38 million people.
• 33:53
  0.1% of the people
• 33:54
  are Christians.
• 33:56
  Iraq has 43 million people.
• 33:58
  1% are Christians.
• 34:00
  Iran has 88 million people.
• 34:02
  0.02% are Christians.
• 34:04
  And India has
• 34:05
  1,428,000,000 people
• 34:08
  and 2.3% are Christians.
• 34:11
  Do those numbers?
• 34:11
  Do you feel the weight
• 34:12
  of those numbers?
• 34:14
  Brothers and sisters,
• 34:16
  the harvest is plentiful,
• 34:17
  the laborers are few,
• 34:19
  and the task is needed.
• 34:20
  So I pray that this text,
• 34:21
  Romans 10,
• 34:23
  and the eternal reality
• 34:24
  will stir us all individually
• 34:25
  and corporately
• 34:26
  for gospel missions.
• 34:28
  If you look at the back
• 34:29
  of your bulletin,
• 34:30
  Spurgeon has a wonderful quote
• 34:31
  regarding missions.
• 34:37
  It says,
• 34:38
  If sinners be damned,
• 34:39
  at least let them leap
• 34:41
  to hell over our dead bodies.
• 34:43
  And if they perish,
• 34:45
  let them perish
• 34:46
  with their arms
• 34:47
  wrapped around their knees,
• 34:48
  imploring them to stay.
• 34:50
  If hell must be filled,
• 34:52
  let it be filled
• 34:53
  in the teeth
• 34:53
  of our exertions
• 34:55
  and let no one go
• 34:56
  unwarned
• 34:57
  and unprayed for.
• 35:00
  Briefly,
• 35:01
  we're going to talk
• 35:02
  about the message.
• 35:03
  I think Nathan did a great job
• 35:04
  explaining this last week,
• 35:06
  so I'm not going to belabor
• 35:06
  the point.
• 35:08
  Romans 10, 15, and 17.
• 35:11
  How are they to preach
• 35:12
  unless they are sent?
• 35:13
  As is written,
• 35:14
  how beautiful are the feet
• 35:15
  of those who preach good news.
• 35:16
  So faith comes from hearing
• 35:18
  and hearing through
• 35:18
  the word of Christ.
• 35:20
  The prescribed message
• 35:22
  for missionaries
• 35:22
  is the gospel
• 35:24
  of Jesus Christ.
• 35:25
  The gospel,
• 35:26
  as Romans 1 tells us,
• 35:27
  is the power of God
• 35:28
  for salvation.
• 35:30
  In it,
• 35:30
  we hold up
• 35:31
  our crucified
• 35:31
  and resurrected Lord
• 35:33
  so all may see.
• 35:34
  And we say,
• 35:34
  Behold him
• 35:35
  who died
• 35:36
  and who lived
• 35:37
  for thee.
• 35:39
  It is by Christ's
• 35:40
  active and passive
• 35:41
  obedience
• 35:41
  that we stand
• 35:42
  before God.
• 35:43
  And without his act
• 35:45
  and passive obedience,
• 35:46
  we can't stand
• 35:46
  before God.
• 35:48
  In this wonderful message,
• 35:49
  we declare
• 35:49
  that Christ perfectly
• 35:51
  obeyed God's law
• 35:52
  and sacrificially
• 35:53
  died for sin.
• 35:55
  By repentance
• 35:55
  and faith,
• 35:56
  this salvation
• 35:57
  is applied to us.
• 35:58
  We are clothed
• 35:59
  in Christ's righteousness
• 36:00
  and sin is no more.
• 36:02
  We stand justified
• 36:03
  and redeemed
• 36:04
  by the blood of Christ.
• 36:05
  There is great
• 36:06
  and unmeasurable hope
• 36:08
  in the gospel.
• 36:10
  Unbeknownst to me,
• 36:11
  I didn't know
• 36:11
  we were singing
• 36:12
  His Robes for Mine,
• 36:13
  but my next line
• 36:14
  is a quote
• 36:14
  from that song.
• 36:16
  So listen to this quote
• 36:17
  as we sang earlier.
• 36:19
  His robes for mine,
• 36:20
  oh wonderful exchanged.
• 36:23
  Clothed in my sin,
• 36:24
  Christ suffered
• 36:25
  neath God's rage.
• 36:27
  Draped in his righteousness,
• 36:28
  I'm justified.
• 36:29
  In Christ I live,
• 36:31
  for in my place,
• 36:32
  he died.
• 36:34
  Missionaries do not
• 36:35
  have success
• 36:35
  in fast and innovative methods.
• 36:37
  Their task is unashamedly
• 36:39
  to preach the gospel
• 36:40
  of Jesus Christ.
• 36:40
  Their success
• 36:42
  is in the Lord
• 36:43
  of the harvest
• 36:43
  calling sinners to himself.
• 36:45
  Romans 9
• 36:46
  is the theological undergirding
• 36:47
  for evangelism and missions.
• 36:50
  We sow and plant,
• 36:51
  we plea,
• 36:52
  we beg,
• 36:52
  we labor,
• 36:54
  but God causes the growth.
• 36:56
  Jesus Christ
• 36:57
  is the one
• 36:57
  building his church
• 36:58
  and his spirit
• 36:59
  is the one
• 37:00
  who opens the eyes
• 37:00
  to the blind,
• 37:01
  to seeing the king
• 37:02
  for all of his beauty.
• 37:05
  The gospel is offered
• 37:06
  freely to all
• 37:07
  and the Lord
• 37:08
  works freely to save.
• 37:09
  The missionary task
• 37:10
  is an empowered task.
• 37:11
  The messenger
• 37:12
  is the herald.
• 37:13
  God is the one
• 37:14
  who works.
• 37:15
  Praise God
• 37:16
  that evangelism
• 37:17
  and missions
• 37:17
  does not depend
• 37:19
  on our own efforts
• 37:19
  and our own words,
• 37:20
  but on him.
• 37:23
  In conclusion,
• 37:25
  the church missionary task
• 37:26
  is great,
• 37:27
  but we aren't
• 37:28
  individual in it.
• 37:29
  We join with all
• 37:30
  the other churches
• 37:31
  that are healthy,
• 37:32
  that know the gospel
• 37:33
  of Jesus Christ
• 37:33
  and labor
• 37:34
  that Christ
• 37:35
  might be known
• 37:36
  to the other
• 37:36
  most ends of the earth.
• 37:38
  There are organizations
• 37:39
  that train missionaries
• 37:40
  to go to the
• 37:41
  unreached areas now.
• 37:43
  We are in a task
• 37:44
  with a collection,
• 37:46
  with numerous churches
• 37:47
  to see this mission,
• 37:50
  this task happen.
• 37:51
  So we labor
• 37:52
  that the 3,000 language groups
• 37:54
  would have the gospel
• 37:54
  proclaimed in their language,
• 37:56
  that the scriptures
• 37:57
  would be translated
• 37:58
  in their language,
• 37:58
  and that churches
• 37:59
  would be planted.
• 38:01
  In this work,
• 38:02
  God gave us
• 38:03
  a prescribed model
• 38:04
  in his word.
• 38:05
  This is the paradigm
• 38:06
  for gospel missions.
• 38:07
  In closing,
• 38:08
  let me read Isaiah 6,
• 38:09
  8 to you.
• 38:11
  And I heard the voice
• 38:12
  of the Lord saying,
• 38:13
  Whom shall I send
• 38:14
  and who will go for us?
• 38:17
  And then I said,
• 38:18
  Here I am.
• 38:19
  Send me.
• 38:21
  Let's pray together.