What Happen if We Do Not Go?

INTRO:

Illus - What would happen if I decided to not do my taxes? What about if chose to not pay my electric bill? Or scarietst yet, what would happen if I decided I wasn’t going to help out around the house anymore? I’d be in big trouble!!!

There are many things we do, sometime difficult or even unpleasant things, because we know about and have thought through the potential negative consequences that will happen if we don’t do that thing.

However, there is at least one thing, an extemely thing, that we often often overlook or choose not to do, because we haven’t spent time thinking about and carefully considering the consequences that could come. What is this thing? It is the command we’ve been given by Jesus Christ to go out and spread the good news.

REINTRODUCE THEME

This morning, we will confront this issue head on by asking the ever-important question: What happens if we do not go?

READ ROMANS 10:9-15

TRANS

Before we look at why it is so imporant that we take this call to mission so seriously, let’s use this passage to get a better handle on the gospel message exactly what it means to be saved.

How to Be Saved

For as long as people have been searching out the creator, they have been asking the question, “How can I be saved?” I think everyone, at one point or another, realizes that they have done wrong, that they are separated from God, and wants to know how to solve that problem.

Some choose to decide that God doesn’t exists. See? Problem solved. No intelligent being put us here, so there’s no one’s glory or standard of perfection to live up to. Wrong! What a sad and dangerous view

Others will try to work their way in to heaven. This is the most common approach. Do this thing, be good enough, give enough money, and all will be well. Just think it logically through. That doesn’t make any sense.

Then there’s God’s answer. He sends His Son, God in the flesh, to live among us, preach his word, die a sacrificial death for our sins, and then rise from the grave, defeated death and giving us the hope of eternal life. God solved the sin problem in the way no man ever could. But there is still something left for us to do, and Romans 10:9 spells it out so perfectly clear.

Let’s look at the 2 parts of this verse, starting with the second half.

BELIEVE in your HEART that Jesus ROSE FROM THE DEAD

Belifve - that’s faith

In your heart - that means a inward and honest conviction

that He rose from the dead - that tells us what we are to believe. This is so vital! Belief in Jesus without the belief in the resurrection is no belief at all. Without the resurrection our faith is futile and we should be pitied.

This means that YOU, personally must make the decision to have faith in Jesus and that he rose from the grace

CONFESS with your MOUTH that Jesus is LORD

Confess - to acknowledge, admit, agree, assert, to profess, to promise

with your mouth - this is the outward confession that stems from a profound inward conviction

Jesus is Lord - the greek word here is kyrios - literally means owner. You are saying Christ is my owner, master, and Lord. He commands and I go.

This isn’t to say we are perfect in this, for we are forever learning what it is to let Him be Lord, but the confession is stating that we are committing ourselves to this.

Illus - the other ways the title Lord is used

What’s the result? SALVATION - you will be saved!

Let’s stop here, before we look at anything else, and let me ask you - have you made this decision? Have you believed in your heart that Jesus rose from grave and confessed with your mouth that he is your Lord? If so, you are saved! If not, we’ll come back to that.

TRANS

No that we understand what the gospel message is, let’s get back to why we are to go out with this message?

What Happens if We Do Not Go?

Scripture gives a great promise here - “all who call on the name of Jesus will be saved!” Not all who hear about Him, but all who call on Him, in the way we just learned about, will be saved. Think about that for a moment!

So what happens if we do not go? PEOPLE DON’T HEAR THE MESSAGE! We are confronted with a tough question, “How will they hear, believe, or call on His name if no one goes out and shares the message with them?”

The answer to that question is a tricky one. Why? Let me explain.

A common mistake people make when deciding whether or not they will share their faith with others is thinking, “If I don’t go, somone else will.” That’s actually true. God won’t let His Church die. He will make sure the message goes out. But you’re not thinking about the whole picture. God won’t let His Church to die, but He allows churches to die all the time.

Illus - Reading the book “Autopsy of a deceased church.”

Members of the dying church weren’t willing to go into the community to reach and minister to people. They weren’t willing to invite their unchurched friends and relatives. They weren’t willing to expend the funds necessary for a vibrant outreach. They just wanted it to happen. Without prayer. Without sacrifice. Without hard work.

When local churches lose their passion for going out with the gospel message they have entered a death spiral. I have seen it so many times.

So many churches today talk about “the good ole days.” They forget that the “good ole days” happened because men and women did the hard work and payed the price of going out.

TRANS

We’ve know what the message is, we’ve seen the consequences of what happens when we do not go, so what will it take for us to get to the work at hand?

Understanding the Blessing that Comes from Going Out

Listen again, to how Scriptre describes the person who is committed to sharing the gospel. “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

I love that! Those who are willing to go, whether across the street or across the world are beautiful, in God’s eyes and in the eyes of those they share the message with.

But that doesn’t mean it’s easy! Beautiful feet are often bruised and broken. Listen to how John Piper put it on his message on this passage.

bringers of God’s good news—are so precious that we see even their soiled and bloody feet as beautiful. Beautiful feet are not soft, manicured, painted, well-tanned feet. Beautiful feet are like the dirty, worn, wrinkled, leathery, scarred feet from many miles of trekking into remote places with good news that could not be heard any other way.

Beauty comes from paying the price.

Death comes from staying home and keeping the light to ourselves.

CONCLUSION & INVITATION