Do You Hear the Macedonian Call?

Intro:

Good evening.

The Gospel of Christ is the Good News; it is the best news; it is the most essential news the world can ever hear.

But have you ever asked the question — What happens if someone never gets a chance to HEAR the Gospel preached?

We often ask this question when it comes to mission work — What about the still uncontacted tribes in the Amazon, India or Indonesia?

What if they never get a chance to hear the gospel? Will they still be accountable to God?

I believe the Bible answers this question very clearly.

Let’s take a look at that tonight, and we’re going to ask another important question here in a little bit as well.

We are All Accountable to God:

The Bible is very clear about this.

Not only are we all universally accountable to God (once we reach the age of accountability), but we are all INDIVIDUALLY accountable to God as well.

Ezek 18 in the O.T. is a passage that we might not read as often as we should, but it answers both of these questions:

Are all men universally accountable to God?

And are all men individually accountable to God?

We’re going to read Ezek. 18:4-20.

V. 4 - ALL souls belong to God — God will judge all souls - All souls are universally accountable to God (once they reach the age of accountability).

V.5-9 - This reminds me a lot of Psalm 15, the Psalm that answers the question “Who shall dwell in God’s tabernacle, His holy hill?”

V. 10-20 — This section answers the question ...

Are all men INDIVIDUALLY accountable to God?

And the answer is yes.

(Read it).

All men are accountable to God.

But what about the one who has never had the Word preached to him?

There’s more than one answer to this.

Number 1 — The Creation itself SCREAMS that there is a Creator, and that we are accountable to Him:

Psalm 19:1–3 - “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is NO speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.”

(In other words, in EVERY nation, people understand God’s language, if you will, that He exists, because of the evidence in His creation!)

And throughout the history of the world, people have always felt the need to do what? WORSHIP someone/something!

Where did that come from?

In addition to Psalm 19:1-3, Romans 1 also teaches this:

Rom. 1:19 talks about what may be KNOWN of God in manifest (clearly seen).

Romans 1:20 says “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.”

Rev. 7:9 says people from “ALL NATIONS, tribes, peoples, and tongues” will stand before the throne of God — Universal, individual accountability!

Number 2 — Romans 10 is very clear:

We’re going to expound on this a bit more in our next point, but Romans 10:14–18 says:

“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? 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!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.””

Colossians 1:23 talks about how we need to “continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

Which brings us to …

Number 3 — Mark 16:15 - Jesus “said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (That the apostles did, and that we must do as well!)

Why? Because …

Jesus is the Only Way to Salvation:

We’ve already established the fact that we are all accountable to God.

Our sins make us stand GUILTY before God (Gen. ch 3; Isa. 59:1-2; Rom. 3:23 & 6:23).

What is the solution to this problem called sin?

Jesus Christ!

The following seven verses will show this readily.

1 Corinthians 1:18 - “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 1:23–24 - “But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 - “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Hebrews 5:9 - “And having been perfected, He (Jesus) became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”

John 14:6 - “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Acts 4:12 - “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””

Well, finally tonight we ask …

A Question:

Do you hear the Macedonian call?

We often sing the song “Send the Light, the blessed Gospel Light.”

Brother Mosher at MSOP used to tell us that’s a good thing to sing, but why not also sing it this way - “TAKE the Light.”

He would point out it’s good to send missionaries on their way — sending the Light.

But it’s also important to TAKE the Light — to BE the missionary when we can!

Valid point!

Anyways, “There’s a call comes ringing over the restless wave” (in other words, across the ocean to other nations around the world), Send the light, send the light! There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save; send the Light, send the Light!”

“Send the Light, the blessed Gospel Light, let it shine, from shore to shore; send the Light, the blessed Gospel Light, let it shine forevermore!”

It is the second verse of the song that I want to hone in on now:

“We have heard the Macedonian call today.”

Where does that line come from?

Let’s turn to Acts 16:

We’re going to read Acts 16:6-10.

(Read it).

The Macedonian Call!

The call to go preach the Gospel to those people in Macedonia that had not heard it yet!

Do you remember that question we asked at the beginning?

What about the uncontacted tribe of human souls in the Amazon forests of South America, or India, or Malaysia?

What about them? Are they accountable to God and subject to the Gospel?

The answer is — Yes.

If not, then why would Jesus have said, “Go preach the Gospel to EVERY CREATURE?” (Mark 16:15).

Matt. 28:19 - “Go therefore and make disciples of ALL the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!”

“Teaching them to observe ALL things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age! Amen” (v. 20).

If those words don’t apply to the one who has not heard, then by all means don’t preach to him, because then you give him a chance to reject the Word once he’s heard it!

Of course, it is the case that he IS accountable to the Word of God, and we need to help him hear it!

Someone says, “but what if he’s living justly like we read about in Ezekiel chapter 20 earlier, but just doesn’t get a chance to hear the Gospel?

Well, this is just my opinion on that, but my belief is that just like we read in Acts 16 a little earlier, if you’ve got someone like that in a place that hasn’t had a chance to hear the Word yet, then in my opinion, God through His Providence will make sure that the right missionary comes along and preaches the Gospel to that person.

Just like was the case with Philip in the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8, and …

Just like was the case with the Macedonians in Acts chapter 16.

And that’s where WE come in! Because God has entrusted the gospel message in MEN!

“We have this treasure in earthen vessels” as Paul says in 2 Cor. 4:7.

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom. 10:15)

Do you hear the Macedonian call?

Will you answer the call?!

(Give invitation).