How Beautiful are the Feet

Review

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that our salvation is ultimately to the glory of God alone.

We said that faith alone saves, but a faith that saves is never alone.

We said that as we work in obedience, not only do we bring glory to God, but we experience more of the fruit of the Spirit.

Introduction

“If we believe Jesus is the only way of salvation, what responsibility does that place on us?”

David Platt:“We don’t have time to waste our lives on the American dream, not when people are dying without the gospel in their hearts and on their lips.” (Radical)

The Great Commission Matthew 28:18–20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Making disciples of all nations begins with proclaiming the gospel.

Paul shows us in this second half of Romans 10 that God’s mission advances through His people being sent.

Read Romans 10:14-21

I. The Logic of Missions (vv. 14–15)

Paul’s chain of reasoning:

How will they call unless they believe?

How will they believe unless they hear?

How will they hear unless someone preaches?

How will they preach unless they are sent?

John 6:37–40 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.””

God has ordained human messengers to carry the gospel. Missions is not optional—it is essential to God’s plan. And when our work bears fruit, we boast in the name of Jesus, not our own.

II. The Beauty of Proclamation (v. 15b)

Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.””

Gospel messengers are called “beautiful” not because of who they are, but because of who God says they are because of the message they bear.

Application: Every believer is sent in some way—locally, globally, vocationally, or prayerfully.

Charles Spurgeon:“Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.”

We’ll get here in a couple of weeks, but this is where we celebrate that we, as the Church are all called to the same mission, but not in the same way:

Romans 12:7–8 “if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

We are all called differently, so that we support the one who is called to long term missions through prayer, finances, and short term missions trips to aid and encourage them.

We can encourage those great evangelists who faithfully preach the gospel to thousands at a time while recognizing that we may only be called to evangelize to a few.

We can rest preachers around the world who serve their churches and communities, while also understanding that we too are called to preach the Gospel to those around us.

We all serve with our different gifts, but we all have the same mission, to make disciples of all nations.

And let’s make sure we understand what’s most important. If you are not yourself tasting and seeing that the Lord is good, don’t expect to be able to share the beauty of that truth with others.

We can’t expect to love our spouse if we haven’t first been filled by the love of God. We can’t expect to bring joy to our families if we aren’t resting in the joy of God. And we definitely shouldn’t expect to share peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self control with anyone outside of our home if we haven’t shared those fruit of the Spirit with those inside our home. And we can’t share those fruit inside our home if we ourselves aren’t full of those fruit from their eternal source.

The work that we do towards the mission to which we are called begins with you and me first. When I mentioned John Piper’s idea of Christian Hedonism, this exactly what he means. Our seeking our own personal pleasure in God is the place from which we bring God the most glory, and experience the fruit that the Holy Spirit brings the most.

D.L. Moody (Evangelical revivalist):“There is no better evangelist in the world than the Holy Spirit. But He uses us as instruments to carry the message.”

But as we work, we also must pray fervently for those who do not know God as their source of endless joy.

III. The Tragedy of Unbelief (vv. 16–18)

Not all obeyed the gospel (Isaiah 53:1). Even with hearing, many reject.

John Piper:“The greatest sin of man is that he does not believe in Jesus. All other sins flow from this one.”

Yet faith comes by hearing (v. 17)—so we keep proclaiming.

Application: Our call is obedience in proclamation, but then we rest in prayer, knowing that God’s word does not return void, and that the Son and the Spirit are working through us to carry out the will of the Father. We rest knowing that our work is to act in love out of obedience, but it is God who brings the increase.

IV. The Universal Scope of the Gospel (vv. 19–21)

Israel’s unbelief did not nullify God’s plan, but He has been faithful to those whom He chose from the beginning, and through Israel, God brought Jesus who has brought salvation for both Jew and Gentile.

God’s arms remain outstretched (v. 21). Missions is rooted in God’s heart for the nations.

Application: Our mission field begins in our neighborhoods but extends to the ends of the earth.

Conclusion

Tie back to the Great Commission: We are called to go, proclaim, disciple, and baptize.

Exhortation: Ask the church to consider:

Who near you has not heard?

Who far away will not hear unless someone goes?

How can we as a church be faithful senders and goers?

R.C. Sproul:“God has chosen to use the foolishness of preaching as His instrument of redemption. He could have written His gospel in the sky, but He chose instead to write it on the lips of His people.”

End with encouragement from v. 15—“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”

Recognize how far God has carried you. From death in sin, to life in Him. And from life in Him to child of God, heir with Christ. And now one who is called lovely, who is called beautiful, us who carry the good news of the risen King Jesus who is seated on the throne forever and ever amen.