When in Romans… Share the Good News

The DQ That Doesn’t Serve Ice Cream

Our youth just returned from the National Youth Gathering, a week where thousands of young people across our denomination gather for worship, growth, and encouragement. We had a great group from our church, and it was amazing to see our own Shelly Schwalm shine as the keynote speaker on Day 3, sharing a powerful message of identity and belonging with thousands of youth.

I remember sitting in those same seats back in 2013 when the Gathering was in San Antonio. One memory stands out: the road trip from Colorado, packed in a hot, sweaty mini bus that smelled terrible. We were tired and thirsty when suddenly—our greatest hope—a Dairy Queen appeared in the middle of nowhere Texas heat.

So we go inside and I know what I am getting. Does anyone remember what I said the best flavor of ice cream is? Cookie dough! I go up. I ask for a medium cookie dough blizzard, and the worker behind the counter looks at me and says, “I am so sorry. We are out of ice cream.” A Dairy Queen. Out of ice cream. Why are you even open? What am I supposed to order, a hot dog? That’s not gonna help with this Texas heat! You see, a Dairy Queen that doesn’t serve ice cream. Isn’t really a Dairy Queen. Serving ice cream is the very purpose for what the Dairy Queen was placed there to do.

The Struggle of Evangelism

This morning, we’re continuing our sermon series through the book of Romans. In chapter 10, Paul turns our attention to the urgency and calling of evangelism. In many ways, he’s showing us that evangelism isn’t just an optional add-on—it’s central to what the church is here for. You could say it’s the ice cream of the church, not just the sprinkles on top. It’s part of our core purpose as God’s people. But here’s the question for you: Is witnessing to Jesus—speaking His name and sharing His hope—a central purpose in your life?

The hard truth is that the data says it is not. A recent Barna research study asked pastors to rate how effective their church was at evangelism. What percentage of pastors do you think viewed their church as very effective at evangelism? 1%! Only 1% said they believed their church was “very effective.” Can you imagine if 1% of Dairy Queen’s actually served ice cream? That’d be tragic! And it is tragic, because it means something has gone wrong with how we view our lives as followers of Jesus.

So how do we fix this? Is it just learning more tactics? The root problem is deeper—one we can’t fix on our own. Romans 10 shows that living out evangelism requires transformation of the heart, the eyes, the hands, and then the mouth. We often think it’s only about what we say, but without the first three, we won’t speak at all. Let’s dive in.

A Transformation of the Heart

First, evangelism requires a transformation of the heart. Paul starts off chapter 10 in a similar way he started of chapter 9. He says,

Romans 10:1–3 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.

Now, that word “longing” is not just like me longing for a Dairy Queen blizzard. No, this is something much deeper. We actually see this word used in one of the most popular Scriptures read at Christmas where the angels proclaim to the shepherds,

Luke 2:14 NLT

“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

To those whom God longs for the most. The greatest desire of His heart. You see, the longing of Paul’s heart is in alignment with the very heart of God. This is why Paul in Chapter 9 could says something as radical as this,

Romans 9:2–3 NLT

My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them.

That kind of love comes from a heart shaped by Jesus—the One who was cut off for us. Evangelism must begin here—not with techniques or training, but with a heart that aches. Do I have a deep longing, a bitter sorrow, an unending grief for those who don’t know Jesus? To be honest, many of us don’t. We’re unwilling to inconvenience ourselves for others. And maybe that’s your takeaway today. Because nothing else in this sermon will matter until this is addressed—not by trying to force love, but by confessing with David, “Lord, my heart doesn’t love like Yours. Create in me a clean heart; give me a heart that breaks for what breaks Yours.” Evangelism begins with a heart that hurts for the lost as Jesus’ does.

A Transformation of the Eyes

The second is that evangelism requires a transformation of the eyes. Did you notice in our Gospel reading how Jesus viewed the world?

Matthew 9:35–38 NLT

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

Do you see the world as too far gone—too broken to be saved? “This generation has abandoned God and Christian morals, headed for destruction.” That’s how Jonah saw Nineveh. But Jesus saw it differently. He saw the same brokenness, confusion, and helplessness—and said, “The harvest is great.” To Him, brokenness wasn’t a barrier but a sign of a ripe harvest, full of people longing for hope.

What if you saw your neighbors, your city, your community that way—as a harvest ready for Jesus? The data even supports this hope. Gen Z has the lowest religious affiliation but is among the most spiritually curious. The harvest is great; the world is longing for real hope. What would change if your eyes were transformed to see it like Jesus does? What if you saw the brokenness of this world as a sign of a great harvest that is longing for Jesus? We need a transformation of the eyes.

A Transformation of the Hands

The third thing we need to live evangelistic lives is a transformation of the hands. Paul tells us in Romans 10:8–9:

Romans 10:8–9 NLT

“The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Many of you might feel the message of evangelism isn’t close at hand or on your lips. You wonder, “What do I say? I don’t know enough Bible!” We’ll get to what to say soon, but first, evangelism requires a transformation of the hands—how we live, the choices we make, and the priorities we set. Paul uses two verbs here: declare and believe. Declare is what you say—an outward confession. But belief is what you hold inside, and the clearest sign of belief is how you live.

Theologian Dallas Willard once said, “You can live opposite of what you profess, but you cannot live opposite of what you believe.” You may say “Jesus is Lord,” but does your life reflect that? Does your schedule? Your finances? If Jesus truly is Lord over all, does your life show it? If not, your words may be just a noisy gong, and you need to ask what you really believe. Our actions flow from our deepest beliefs. For effective witness, we need more than words—we need a transformation of the hands.

A Transformation of the Mouth

But in order to evangelize, we need words. And this is the last place of transformation that we need. Transformation of the mouth. Paul concludes,

Romans 10:14–15 NLT

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

In Romans 9, we learned that God saves by His sovereign work, but in Romans 10, we see how God saves: He sends. Starting with sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die and rise again for the world— for the lost, for you.

Now, as His disciple, God is sending you. You are His instrument to bring salvation to others—your family, your neighbors, your workplace—so they may believe. But where does belief come from? Paul shows it comes from hearing, which comes from someone speaking, which comes from someone being sent. The one part you control is speaking—sharing the good news. You have been sent by God. That’s the Great Commission. And what do you speak? Not complex theology or arguments. You speak Jesus. Evangelism is introducing people to Jesus.

My wife and I love having people over, and when I introduce her to others, I will often share her story—where she grew up, how we met, our life together, the impact she’s had on me. What if your evangelism looked the same? Instead of abstract doctrines, what if you simply introduce people to Jesus—who He is, what He’s done, how your relationship began, and how He’s changed your life. You testified to who Jesus is to you and the transformation He has brought.

I think about in Matthew 16 when Jesus is traveling with His disciples, he asks them,

Matthew 16:13–15 NLT

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

As we wrap up, I want to leave you wrestling with two vital questions. First: Who do you say Jesus is? Who is Jesus to you? If someone asked you right now, how would you answer? Remember, Christianity is not just a set of doctrines or ideas to believe—it’s about a Person to be known. That Person is Jesus. The good news of what He has done in your life, and what He has done for the world.

Second: Who is the one person in your life that Jesus is sending you to? Maybe there are many, but I want you to focus on one. On your way out, grab a “Who’s Your One?” card and write down their name. Commit to praying for them, to being ready to share Jesus with them. Maybe it’s as simple as inviting them to our outdoor worship service next weekend—a small step that could open a door to something life-changing.

Because Jesus is that good. Do we believe that the hope that we have in Jesus is truly too good to keep to ourselves? Do we trust that no one will be dissapointed in what they find when they encounter Jesus? Because He is the hope above all hopes. The love above all love. The life above all life. And we have been sent to introduce people to Him. Let us pray.