[0:00] Good morning. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[0:13] It is good to be in your midst. Many faces that we know are friends, and many faces that we don't know that are probably our friends too.
[0:26] Thank you. I'm trusting that we're all friends. I want to greet you, bring greetings from Le Crete, from the church in Le Crete where things are going quite well.
[0:40] There's joys in life, in the church, in families, and there's also struggles, and I'm sure it's the same here. Yet this morning in Le Crete they are gathered, and we are gathered here to worship and to look into God's Word and to be encouraged, and it is an amazing privilege and blessing to be able to do so.
[1:03] It is a privilege for me to share the Word of God this morning. When I was a very new believer, I was excited to witness and to tell people about Jesus, and I would pray that God would make an opportunity that I could share the Gospel with someone.
[1:19] I did so, and sometimes I was rejected and sometimes not, but then God answered my prayer, and He made me a preacher so I can share the Gospel almost every Sunday.
[1:33] And it's a joy. It's a huge responsibility, but it is a joy to be here this morning and to share from the Word of God, and I trust that the Lord would just speak to us this morning. I'm encouraged this morning with the sharing, the prayer requests that were brought forth.
[1:52] We're here. We are fairly healthy. I'm assuming healthy enough to be here. We are glad to be here.
[2:02] Most of us are here because we want to be here, and it is good. And yet, as was shared from the congregation, the prayer requests, and in your bulletins, there's many people in difficult places in their life, going through struggles, health issues, and grief, and so forth.
[2:26] And it reminds me of our Scripture. In Paul's time, when Paul wrote the Book of Romans, Paul's letter that he wrote to the church at Rome, as we call it Romans, and Paul was in a similar situation where, on one hand, there was great joy.
[2:45] On the other hand, there was a deep grief. And I want to share that briefly with you. Just go back a little ways in Romans chapter 8, verses that we are probably quite familiar with.
[2:57] In Romans chapter 8 and verse 37, it is a portion of Scripture where Paul is rejoicing, and it's almost like just an outpouring of his gratitude and his adoration and his thankfulness to the Lord.
[3:20] He says, What an expression of just thanking God that he's always with us.
[3:46] We're confident, we're victorious, it is good. And then in verse 9, chapter 9, look at verse 2 and 3, it says that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.
[4:03] There is this great joy of the love of Christ, and there's also this sorrow. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen, according to the flesh.
[4:14] There are so many of his people that don't know the Lord. And it brings him just a deep grief, great sorrow and continual grief in his heart.
[4:28] And then if we go to chapter 10 and verse 1, we read these words, Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.
[4:41] He has this deep burden. For those that are lost, those who need salvation. In a sense, that is us today as well.
[4:55] Believers who have experienced the grace of God and the forgiveness of sin and the blessed hope of eternity and his presence with us even today and throughout our lives, it brings us great joy, and yet there are those who don't know the Lord.
[5:13] Perhaps a family member, mother or father, brother or sister, a nephew or a niece, or a co-worker, or someone that we know that we care for.
[5:28] I've entitled the message this morning that all would call on the name of the Lord and be saved. Seems like that's the heart of Paul and I believe that should be the heart of us as believers.
[5:43] Oh, that all would call on the name of the Lord and be saved. Now as you look through the book of Romans, Paul deals very specifically with salvation and we see that that is the focus of his letter to the Romans and that is his heart, what God has laid on his heart.
[6:03] And we read in verse 13, and it seems so simple. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Wow.
[6:15] Is it really that simple? Is it really that if one would only call on the name of the Lord, they could be saved right there and then?
[6:28] Yes. That is what the scripture teaches. That is what God is saying to us. As you think of our friends or family that are not in the faith, that have not committed their life to Jesus, I think they would all want to be saved.
[6:53] They would all want to have the assurance that when they die they would be in glory. They would want to be delivered from sin and from perhaps struggles and addictions or whatever is going on in their life.
[7:05] And yet, they're not there yet. We understand that we all need a Savior because we are all born in sin and under the condemnation of God's righteous judgment.
[7:24] However, whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Salvation does not come about except through an individual, each person for himself calling on the name of the Lord.
[7:43] to call on the name of the Lord in faith. And it sounds so simple. Except a few things need to happen for them to call on the name of the Lord.
[7:58] verse 14 of our text says, How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? Yeah, that's true.
[8:12] Will they call on someone in whom they do not believe? Most likely not. You know, if you have maybe an accident in your home and someone gets hurt badly and it's a life-threatening situation, we might just call the ambulance, right?
[8:32] Now, why would we call the ambulance? Because we have faith. Whoever comes to help has some training. They're coming with a vehicle with some equipment that might help.
[8:43] They have connections to doctors and to maybe whatever is needed. They have medication that might be required. And so we trust that the person that comes or the people that come will be able to help.
[9:00] How about if we have a neighbor down the road that says he's willing to come, but he would probably come in his coveralls that are full of grease and bring with him the toolbox that he used to help his cows when they're sick and he's dirty and maybe his truck won't start.
[9:25] Probably wouldn't call him, would we? Because we don't believe in the him. And so we only call on those that we believe in, that we have faith in.
[9:39] And how will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And so in order for those loved ones, those people that we are concerned about, for them to call on the name of the Lord, they need to first of all believe in him.
[9:57] Trust that he is able. that the one in whom we are asking them to call on is able to help him. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
[10:15] True. But then the next question is, and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? If they have not heard of this individual that can help them, they will not put their trust in him and will not call out to that person.
[10:40] So they must hear. In order to believe, they must first hear. because we cannot believe in what we do not know. And how shall they hear without a preacher?
[11:03] They must know. How can they hear if no one tells them? Sometimes in ministry, I plan a meeting or I'm part of planning a meeting.
[11:18] It's next week, Thursday. And I prepare for the meeting. I go over the things that will be talked about. And by the way, it's a meeting with couples. We bring our wives and sometimes we have meetings together with our wives as church leadership.
[11:32] And then, you know, I'm all ready for this meeting. And I mentioned to my wife Thursday afternoon that, you know, when we go to our meeting tonight, she says, meeting?
[11:43] What meeting? Well, I've been planning this for a week. I know what's happening, what's going to be talked about, but she doesn't.
[11:55] Because maybe I haven't actually told her. And so she can see me being busy and preparing and doing the things I do. But she doesn't know that there's a meeting coming up.
[12:11] You know, sometimes as believers, we are busy doing life and maybe even living good lives. Being a good example to those around us.
[12:22] Helping our neighbor. Do they know about Jesus? When we invite them over and we talk about all kinds of things or we see them uptown and we interact, have they heard about Jesus?
[12:45] You know, we can be friends with them for ten years. If we never tell them, they probably don't know. And so the gospel, the good news of Jesus, has to be verbally communicated.
[13:04] Now it's wonderful that we live good lives, that we live lives that honor the Lord, live in integrity and honesty, helping each other, doing good to others, especially to those of the household of faith.
[13:18] Those are good things. We are commanded to. Weep with them that weep and rejoice with those that rejoice. To love our brother and our sister.
[13:30] But we cannot live out the gospel. We can live out our faith, but we cannot live out the gospel. Because the gospel news needs to be shared verbally.
[13:42] when we live good lives, people will probably notice, and they might even think about God, and they might even realize that we go to church.
[14:03] But have you heard about Jesus? Because you see, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me. So when they realize we're good people, they still don't know about Jesus.
[14:23] Living a good life does not communicate that we're all born sinners. Living a good life does not communicate the need for a Savior to save us from sin.
[14:40] Living a good life does not communicate that Jesus is the only way that we can be saved. Living a good life does not communicate that Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, took our sins upon himself, and provided forgiveness.
[15:01] He paid the penalty for our sin. living a good life does not communicate that all faiths do not lead to God, but only one faith, and that is faith in Jesus Christ.
[15:28] How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Is God sending you?
[15:40] You know, we heard this morning of burdens that we have for others. That's God sending. That's God speaking to us. And it says, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things.
[15:59] Now, it's not talking about actually having pretty feet, but it says, the feet of those who bring the gospel are beautiful. In other words, it's a beautiful thing when we take the gospel and share it with someone.
[16:17] And it doesn't always feel very beautiful when we're rejected, when we share the gospel and we're told off. many years ago, I shared the gospel with a co-worker that was struggling, depression, and some drug addictions, often late for work and just struggling in life.
[16:44] I would share the gospel occasionally with him, and one day he says to me, shut up, you holy ruler. And I backed off, and I said, I'm sorry.
[16:57] And years later, I met him. We just visited for half an hour and all of a sudden he said, well, I got to go, but I just stopped in to say that I really appreciate what you used to do for me.
[17:12] You see, the gospel is beautiful. It might be offensive to some, but God sees it as a beautiful thing when we share the gospel with others. Because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, and they need to hear.
[17:33] And if we reject it, it probably means that it's hitting a nerve. And it's something that they're fighting against. They're not fighting against me, but they're fighting against God.
[17:44] And he is using us, his children, his church, his believers, to be sharing the gospel.
[18:02] Verse 16 of our text says, but they have not all obeyed the gospel. it's a fact. Should we then stop sharing? Actually, he says, but I say, have they not heard?
[18:16] Probably. Yet we're called to continue to share.
[18:32] It says in verse 18 of our text, their sound has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world. So it's been shared. And perhaps our friends, our families have already heard.
[18:51] We're still called to spread the good news. You know, when Jesus walked the earth, preached, he taught, shared parables, walked with his disciples, trained them.
[19:07] And when Jesus was with the people that came to listen, Jesus shared perfectly, with perfect motives, with absolutely the right words, in the right way, with the right attitude, and many rejected him.
[19:32] There was only few that actually accepted. His teaching and his words were rejected to the degree where the leaders and many people were determined to have him killed, arrested and killed, and that's what happened.
[19:54] Except, of course, he gave his life. He wasn't killed, but he gave his life, but that's a technicality. It's important to know, but he gave his life. But the point is that Jesus did it perfectly and he was rejected.
[20:08] And so when we share the gospel and we're rejected, that's normal. Because we can't do it better than Jesus, or Paul, or Stephen, or Isaiah, or Jeremiah.
[20:19] They were all rejected. But what did they do? Did they throw in the towel and quit? say, well, they've already heard and so then my job is done? No. They continued to share the truth of God's word.
[20:37] And today, the Lord calls us to do the same. In 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, in verse 18.
[20:58] This is Paul's letter to the Corinthians and it's Paul's letter to us. You see, the scriptures have many different purposes.
[21:09] When it was written, it was for the Corinthians. But the scripture, being God's word, is true and relevant and important and applicable to all time.
[21:21] And so today it's written to us. It says, now all things are of God, 2 Corinthians 5, 18. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
[21:38] So now that we're reconciled with God, he has now given us that ministry of reconciliation, that work of reconciliation. And it continues, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
[21:57] So God has committed to us the word of reconciliation, or we could say the gospel, the good news that Jesus saves. God has committed that to us. He has given that to us. He is calling on us to be stewards of it.
[22:10] He has given it to us. Now, what will you do with this? Will you just simply hold it, or will you actually use it, and continue to share it? And he says in verse 20, now then, we are ambassadors for Christ.
[22:25] We are representatives of Christ. Jesus is no longer here, but he has given us this ministry, this word of reconciliation, and now we are his representatives.
[22:36] And so we represent Jesus in everyday life. So we are ambassadors for Christ. In chapter 6, verse 1, he goes even further, he says, we then, as workers together with him, with Jesus.
[22:56] What? Workers together with him? Yes. Christ. You see, the Lord left. He gave us this message, the gospel.
[23:07] And God wants to continue to do the work that Jesus did in proclaiming the gospel and touching hearts and saving lives, saving souls for eternity.
[23:18] And so that's God's work here on earth today, and he says, you are workers with me in this work. Workers together with Christ. Christ. Wow.
[23:30] Now, now we're responsible. Now we have, we better be at work when work needs to be done, being workers together with Christ.
[23:56] Even though they have already heard, we are still workers together with Christ. Verse 19 of our text in Romans 10 says, but not know.
[24:13] And the obvious question is yes, they did know. But he says, I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation. I will move you to anger by a foolish nation. Even though they have heard and they have rejected God, God has not given up.
[24:33] God still loves Israel. God still loves his people and desires for them to turn to him. He says, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.
[24:50] foolish nation isn't a group of people that are intellectually disabled, that are mentally incapable.
[25:03] There's probably businessmen, good farmers, kings, rulers, you know, people that are wise in managing a country.
[25:16] but he says they're a foolish nation. In other words, they don't know God. I would dare say that many of the most famous people in the world today are foolish in that they don't.
[25:37] how many of the richest, most famous, perhaps most successful people in the world are far away from God.
[25:53] The Bible would classify them as foolish, even though they're very smart intellectually. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.
[26:08] Those who say there is no God are fools. And so we represent Christ. We are ambassadors for Christ to tell them about Jesus, who he is.
[26:22] That they will come to that realization of this is someone that can help. This is someone that loves me. This is someone that has the answer to my problems, no problem.
[26:36] Isaiah is very bold and says, I was found by those who did not seek me.
[26:47] I was made manifest to those who did not ask for me. Israel was seeking God.
[27:01] The other nations were not seeking God, but the word came to them because someone told them. And today we have the gospel because someone shared the gospel with us.
[27:15] maybe the first time and the second time and the fourth time and the tenth time we rejected it. One missionary once said, studies have shown that we need to hear the gospel at least seven or eight times before people would turn their hearts or actually take it serious and consider the gospel.
[27:36] people. And so we need to continue to share. Verse 21 of our text says, but to Israel he says, all day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.
[28:03] Isaiah did this. Isaiah stretched out his hands to the people. He continued to tell them what God was telling him. But God also, God stretches out his hands all day.
[28:24] It says, my hands, my is capitalized, capital M, speaking of God, is stretching out his hands all day long to a disobedient and contrary people. God's desire for all to come.
[28:40] Whosoever, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. We see the heart of God.
[28:57] We see the heart of Paul. We see the heart of Isaiah. God here. Oh, that all would call on the name of the Lord and be saved.
[29:12] Think of God who is in glory, all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present.
[29:22] He knows the beginning from the end. Outside the confines of time, that great creator God stretching out his hands, pleading, come to me.
[29:43] Great God begging, come to me. That's the picture that I get. all day long I have stretched out my hands to disobedient and contrary people.
[30:00] Sometimes perhaps you get the picture of God, you know, I don't want that one. Yes, this one, not that one.
[30:12] No, it says whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord. So who does that include? When it says whosoever, well, we could say that would everyone, or we could say that it would include all of La Crete and Grand Prairie, or all of us here.
[30:41] But who does that include? until we can see that that includes me, and everyone can say that includes me, and it includes that person that God has given us a burden for.
[31:02] It includes everyone, not only a select few. God has so much patience, holding out his hands to a disobedient and contrary people.
[31:19] Oh, that people would turn their hearts to God. It is not our job to change hearts, change people.
[31:32] We can't. but the gospel can. We've been entrusted with the gospel. And as the gospel is shared perhaps once, perhaps twice, perhaps 20 times, there will come a time when the gospel will grip their hearts, and they will see the truth of the good news of salvation and freedom that is in Christ.
[32:03] when we look at the awful reality of eternity, banished from the presence of God forever, in a place of torment, in eternal fire, with no hope of ever escaping the flames.
[32:25] And I think of the account of the rich man in Lazarus, the rich man in torment, begged for a drop of water to cool his tongue, realizing that he would never escape this place, perhaps just one moment, one second of a relief on one part of his body, on his tongue, one drop of water, and the answer was no.
[32:57] What a reality. no hope. That is one side. But God has given us the gospel, the good news of salvation through Jesus, who paid the price on Cal before our sins, that we would escape those flames forever and be with him in glory, free from sin, and in the presence of the Lord forever.
[33:24] And in this life, that he would give us the power to overcome evil and to walk with him and to grow in grace and knowledge and be sanctified and become more like him. Yes, we have our struggles as Christians.
[33:37] We're so far from perfect, but I trust that as God is working in our lives, that we're becoming more like him and we're growing in holiness. I trust that is happening in all of our lives, each one that knows Jesus that has gathered here this morning.
[33:57] We think of eternal condemnation, and eternal glory. Let's be ready and willing to share the good news of Jesus.
[34:10] We might have to start a spiritual conversation. I have a few ways that I like to use.
[34:21] One is ask a person, a complete stranger perhaps, ask them, are you a person of faith? And sometimes they'll slam the door shut and sometimes they'll continue.
[34:35] Or, do you ever think of eternity? Or, what is life going to be after this life? You can ask these questions. What is eternity like?
[34:51] Or, what is heaven like? Or, who will be in heaven? Just questions that we can ask and get our conversation going. So, today there are two groups.
[35:08] Those who have believed, who are saved, who have been given the responsibility to tell others.
[35:18] God says, go therefore and make disciples of us. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and 6 says we are ambassadors for Christ, workers together with Christ.
[35:31] And those who have not heard are those who have heard and have not believed. Perhaps those who have hardened their hearts. And we can't soften those hearts, but we can share the gospel.
[35:43] Show them love, and lovingly share the good news of Jesus. You see, today is the day of salvation. Perhaps we don't talk about it very much, but we all know that our days are numbered.
[36:02] Eternity is coming for each one of us and each one that doesn't know the Lord. Today is the day of salvation. And all day long, God is stretching out his hands to a disobedient and contrary people.
[36:19] God is so patient. What a great God. How thankful we can be that he does not deal with us according to our sin, but he is patient with us and our loved ones.
[36:35] I would not want to assume that everyone gathered here this morning is a follower of Christ. It would be wonderful if that was the truth and assumption that we can make.
[36:48] But God is stretching out his hands to anyone here this morning that has not accepted the Lord Jesus as their Lord and their Savior. And so today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart as in the rebellion, as you read in Hebrews chapter three.
[37:06] Because now is the accepted time. Now is the time. Now is the Lord. May the Lord just give us a burden for the lost.
[37:20] Anyone here this morning that is not saved, that God would just put on your heart an urgency to be right with God.
[37:33] So let us be faithful to him. Let us not harden our hearts simply to say, yes Lord, I will go where you call me to go, be obedient to you, and Lord, you will do that which no one else can do.
[37:49] We can't even begin to imagine because he is able. But he is calling us together with him so that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
[38:03] Let's close in prayer. Father, we thank you for your great salvation. salvation. We are so unworthy. We do not deserve your grace, your love, and yet your word tells us and we firmly believe that you desire all to be saved.
[38:29] That none should perish but that all should come to faith. Lord, I thank you for giving me and giving those who are gathered here the ability to first of all the privilege of hearing the gospel and the ability to receive.
[38:51] Help us, Lord, to be faithful in what you call us to do in our everyday lives. Those that we work with, those that we rub shoulders with, family and friends, Lord, if there are those who are not truly your children, Lord, help us to witness to them, not only in how we live but to share the truth of the gospel because we realize, Lord Jesus, that you are the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through you.
[39:26] We thank you for your grace, we thank you for your presence with us, and that you are always with us, you will lead and guide us and never forsake us. Thank you, Jesus.
[39:37] Amen.