A Heart for the Home Field
A Heart for the Home Field
Romans 10:1-4
Introduction: I want to take you this evening to a land of over 300 million people. A country containing somewhere between 3 and 5 million Muslims. Atheism and Wicca (Satanism) also continues to rise. The country I want to talk about tonight aborts 20% of all its pregnancies and has 3 million of its teenagers acquire an STD each year. Only 9% of its adults classify themselves as evangelical. If you haven’t guessed yet, the country we are to focus in the message tonight, is America. Last week, while in Ohio, I was able to talk with some of my friends I grew up with. Much to my dismay, the report they gave me of people I knew was disheartening. While these people I knew from church years ago may be Christians, they are far from being disciples of Christ today. What we fail to realize is the affect that American churches and their spiritual health have on world-wide missions. One of the most important things you can do for a missionary is evangelize, make disciples, and strengthen this church. We surely need more missionaries, but churches struggling to support the ones that are following the call to missions. We need more churches in America and for the existing ones to be strengthened and grow. Then more may be sent at missionaries, too.
One of the questions I had to answer in my life was, “how can I go to another country when there is a great need in my own?” I know we are called to the people of Moldova, but my heart is still heavy for America. Paul faced a similar situation and shares it with us in Romans 10:1-4. As we look at these four verses tonight, I want us to examine ourselves and see if we have “A Heart for the Home Field.”
I. A Heart for Your People – v.1
A. Paul’s calling – Gentiles
· Rom. 11:13
· Acts. 9:15 – “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:” – God speaking to Ananias
B. Paul’s longing
· We don’t witness to people mainly because we are not burdened for them.
· As we heard last night, we do not have compassion for the lost or a “first love” for Christ and His will.
· Bro. Travis Harris, has a burden for the lost here in America, too.
· Paul gives us a key ingredient for creating a passion in our heart for the lost: prayer
· I used to wonder if there were any passages that say we should pray for the lost.
II. The Condition of Your People – v.2-3
A. Religious – v.2a
· America is not lacking in religion. People in America talk of their god. People are zealous to defend their tolerant, only loving god, who is open to all ideas.
B. Ignorant – v.2b-3a
· People’s understanding of God, sin, salvation, etc. is very mixed up.
C. Lost – v.3b
· You don’t have to walk a block from church before you find people that are awaiting the wrath of God.
· How do you view the people you come in contact with?
III. The Hope of Your People – v.4
· Why send a missionary to another country? Because we believe the people will die and go to hell without hearing and believing the Gospel message.
· Why don’t we believe that those around us have the same fate?
· “Means to an end;” Paul tells us the end first and then the means
A. The end - Christ
· Steph’s song “Christ is all I need”
· Christ is the end of man’s ways to heaven-final answer, no more searching
· Rom. 10:13-14
B. The means - faith
· This means of salvation is not being given to the world. People believe they are righteous enough instead of trusting in Christ’s righteousness.
· What is the prerequisite for faith (Rom.10:14-15)….hearing the Word! How can they hear without a preacher?
· The call for preachers and call for laborers into the harvest was not a call for missionaries but for believers.
Conclusion: How’s your heart for the harvest here in America. Are there people you have witnessed to and are praying that they be saved? Do you see how the future of churches in America will have a direct influence on the state American-sent missionaries?