Into All the World

Introduction

Paper airplane competition -

How would you determine the winner?

Let’s try it!

God’s Faithfulness

V. 13 is the end of a section

quotes from Joel 2:32.

Romans 10:13 HCSB

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Joel 2:32 HCSB

Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved, for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord promised, among the survivors the Lord calls.

In these times, one’s name was equated with their character and actual person. Like, this is Adam - and that meant the person and their demonstrable characteristics.

In the previous 12 verses, Paul really chastises the Jewish people for their disobedience as God’s chosen people - the instrument by which His salvation would be proclaimed to the world. He’s like - Jews - you’ve had the opportunity to hear about God’s salvation - you’ve experienced rescue from real bad situations. As Lt. Amanda shared in the first message, the Jews had followed the path of Jonah - they rejected the message and life of obedience that God had called them to.

Following his conversion, Paul the apostle shows us what it means to be a missionary in the way God’s heart intends.

Why would someone travel like this?

All the Maps

God is faithful to answer anyone who calls on Him for salvation.

Believer’s Responsibility

In the Revolutionary War, a small but pivotal battle took place on the morning of December 26, 1776. The night before, Gen. Washington led his troops across the Delaware River with the hope that they would catch the Hessian soldiers off-guard. Hessians were trained fighters and killers from Europe who were highly skilled, highly effective war fighters.

Washington’s ultimate hope was that the victory would boost the morale of the American soldiers and inspire others to join the war effort.

One British agent, whose name we don’t know, passed on a message to Hessian commander Johann Rall warning him of a potential American attack.

General Rahl took the note, put it in his pocket, and dismissed the lowly agent back to his post.

History now records that 2/3 of the highly-skilled, highly effective Hessian war fighters were killed in only one hour of fighting. The Continental Army captured Hessian officers and soldiers and a large supply of weapons that were transported back across the Delaware to their camp.

We live in a world where a battle rages.

Because this war rages on, every believer has a shared responsibility to deliver the message of Christ.

Romans 10:14–15 HCSB

But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things!

At least five times in chapter 10 Paul emphasizes the responsibility of the believers.

Paul’s burning desire is for all people to be saved. His neighbors, family, friends, enemies, everyone to be saved.

But how’s that gonna happen is people fold up the message and put it in their pocket.

Metaphorically, the Bible yells at the believer to proclaim the message.

Psalm 105:1, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15 just to name a few locations where God’s word demands this proclamation.

I can yell loudly friends. I’m not going to because it will hurt my back, but it is also very hard to listen to. This is in part why Paul emphasized the feet of the those who announce the Good News.

He didn’t say how beautiful are the lips, the words, or the eyes of those who announce, but the feet.

Every believer must ask “where are my feet taking me?”

Without the feet, the message of Christ would never make it through the jungle, over the walls, through the hills, through the desert, across the seas or across the street!

Distance is not the greatest factor in determining the success of missions - deliverance from sin is.

That people recognize that sin destroys, robs them of real life, steals meaning and purpose, destroys relationships, and always leads to death.

Missions is at the heart of God because He desires a relationship with His most prized creation - humanity.

But we have a responsibility to deliver the message of Christ. But we must have confidence and confidence in the right place. We must have

Confidence in the Message

Romans 10:16 HCSB

But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message?

Some people don’t believe, they don’t trust. In fact, they don’t obey the gospel. What Isaiah and Paul agree on is this:

The Gospel breathes the life and teaching of Jesus into our hearts and we are reborn with His message and life.

Romans 10:17 HCSB

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.

What do we share when the time comes? As individual believers, are we confident in the message of the Gospel - the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection?

Look, I’ve taught a lot of lessons in my life. As a teacher it was sometimes 7 lessons per day, 5 days per week, 36 weeks per year. I don’t that kind of math. I had confidence in my ability to craft, prepare, deliver, and evaluate the content I taught.

But when it comes to the Good News of Jesus, our confidence isn’t in our ability to craft, prepare, deliver and evaluate.

Our confidence is in the message of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the listener.

Missions are central to God because He seeks that none should perish, that by His grace every relationship with His created beings would be restored.

Paul journeyed all over the known world, enduring many great trials and hardships, because he cared about sharing the gospel with those who had never heard it. He was driven by compassion and love for the lost. This was a worthy cause, worthy of his sacrifice and his suffering in this life. Paul’s heart for the suffering and broken reminds us of the words of Jesus right before he sent out the twelve apostles: “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and 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’” (Matthew 9:35–38).

1. Treasure the message of Christ. 2. Make it your aim to proclaim.