Skip to main content

Step by Step - Romans 10:11-15

As you read the passage listed above, work through the progression of ideas that Paul gives us below:

A person calls on whom they "believe".
They believe when they "hear".
They hear when someone "preaches".
And someone preaches when they are "called".

This progression shows how nations come to know and share the knowledge of God.

After that quick glimpse at God's plan for a non-believer to hear the Word, let's work backwards through it to see how a believer in  Christ should respond.

V.15 - God's plan involves sending his servants, "unless they are sent."  When we accept Christ and follow him, we are signing up for whatever his plans are for our life.  He sends us out to tell others about him.

V.15 - Still in v.15 we see that God's servants preach the gospel.  Everyone is not called to become a preacher in full time ministry but we are all called to go and proclaim the gospel.  Just because you don't stand in the pulpit on Sunday mornings doesn't mean you're not instructed to tell others about Jesus.

So as believers, God sends his servants and we go out and preach.

V.14 - Paul tells us here that when the servants preach, people will hear.  And that once they hear they will believe.  Now, this passage is not teaching that everyone who hears the gospel will believe it, but it is teaching that as we preach the word some will believe.  And once someone believes and calls on the name of Jesus they will be saved.

So in looking at the steps of this plan, what is the most likely breakdown or failure point to it?  It's not the calling and sending out because God does that.  It's not in the hearing, especially with all the ways to communicate today.  The potential breakdown in this step by step progression is if God's servants do not go out and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone.

We are God's Plan A to lead the lost to Him and there is no Plan B.  Not all Christians are called to be in the pulpit or fulltime ministry, but we are all called to go and make disciples.

Lord, I pray that I do my part to hear your calling, to receive your word, to share your word.  I pray that when given opportunities to share that people hear and believe.  I pray that I have my heart and eyes set on you in a way that leads to compassion for the lost.  Thank you for your Word.  Amen.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

2020 is Hindsight...Finally!

Wow, what a year! 2020 could literally be an entire decade, maybe more, of history, change, and lessons rolled up into these twelve months. While many aspects of 2020 were kind of sucky and we would like to forget them, it will certainly be a year to remember. And it will be enlightening when this year is looked back on in 10, 25, or 50 years to be discussed. I wonder if we'll seem like geniuses or idiots? Probably both to some extent! While there is so much that I could consider and analyze about this year, I'll try to break some of it down into four dimensions - Physical, Spiritual, Mental, and Social/Emotional. These are events and happenings from my world and perspective and I'm trying to be open in sharing and would love to hear from others on events you found most transforming. Physical When COVID cause gyms to close, that messed me up. Our town and state were late to be hit with severe cases and therefore later than many across the country to close up shop. I'm n...

How to Pray - The Object of Our Prayer

In our College & Career Sunday school class this week, we started a series titled, "How to Pray."  I plan to try to and share the lessons each week in case anyone wants to follow along with us here...or you can come join us Sunday mornings at Tabernacle at 10 AM in room 218. Any good speaker, teacher, or presenter knows that the #1 rule of public speaking is to know your audience.  You don't want to prepare a discussion about retirement for preschoolers and a presentation themed with Disney princesses most likely wouldn't spark the interest of a group of businessmen.  In order for someone to prepare a dynamic and engaging presentation, they must know their audience, who they're preparing to talk to. The same is true in our prayer life.  The Point of this week's study is: "A right view of God fuels how we pray."  The conversations we engage in with our friends about are often focused on topics that interest them: their favorite team, favorite ...

The Waves of Change

I often hear older people talk about the "good old days" or "back in my day" and they wish that things would go back to the way they were back then. That will never happen. And sadly, many of us in the millennial generation may even make the same statements one day, if we haven't already.  A.W. Tozer said this, " Regardless of where you look these days, change is inevitable. Things are not what they once were. I am not one that bemoans the past for the simple reason that the past was not as good as we remember." People, technology, industry, work, laws, morals, relationships, social media, privacy and so many other things will always be changing. If you want to survive the storms of change in your life you must have some constant that holds you on course.  There is only one things that never changes, that has never had to change because He has always been good and perfect - God.  Malachi 3:6 reads, "For I the Lord do not change......