"But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things! 16 But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? 17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ. 18 But I ask, “Did they not hear?” Yes, they did:
Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.
19 But I ask, “Did Israel not understand?” First, Moses said: I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that lacks understanding.
20 And Isaiah says boldly: I was found by those who were not looking for Me; I revealed Myself
to those who were not asking for Me. 21 But to Israel he says: All day long I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people."
to those who were not asking for Me. 21 But to Israel he says: All day long I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people."
Good Morning Beloved,
Welcome to worship!
The Holy Spirit has given me a message for someone here today, and though I never know for whom it is intended, nevertheless, I trust that it will reach those who are in need of hearing. Whether directly by those who are present, or indirectly, through the sharing of this message.
Heavenly Father,
You have given us, the church, Your Word, a word that is clear and precise instruction for our lives.
Yet, as we look around, so much confusion in what church leaders are doing and Your people are doing when they demonstrate ignorance of Your word and display a clear rebellion of Your will. You have called us to be people of joy, to be the people that say to the world, "This world is unfair and unjust. I want to make a difference, to offer a hand to relieve your sorrow and your struggle. Allow me to catch your tears, and to suffer along side of you." However, this present world will never be any different, because it is broken and it is fallen; it lies in the hands of the adversary, Satan. Until Jesus comes back and establishes His earthly kingdom, which will be a kingdom of righteousness and justice, it will always be a fallen world under Satan’s influence.
Lord, lead us, whose hearts and lives have been transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, help us to be obedient to Your Word, so that the world may know we are Your disciples. That through our obedience, and love for You, for one another and others, would be a demonstration to this fallen world, that "we who are in Christ, are a new creation and old things have passed away." May those of us experiencing true righteousness, true understanding of justice, true understanding of wisdom, be a sanctuary of hope, of love and peace for this broken and fallen world.
All for Your glory!
In Jesus' name
May it be so
Amen
Today's Message: How Can They Hear
Our country has been enriched by the customs and cultures that people, from all over the world have brought with them. Some of them are good, while others, not so much. We have become so accustomed to a variety of different ungodly customs.
We have adopted a "me first" kind of lifestyle, our lives have become ruled by self, materialism, sport, leisure, technology and work. There is a lack of responsibility, of accountability. There is a lack of self discipline, which is reflected in the lack of discipline among the younger generations, a spiritual emptiness, lives that have only one goal and that is to get ahead of the person next to us, to make money, have fun spending it on themselves, and caring little, if at all, how we accomplish this.
We have become a society of excess; excessive drinking, excessive gambling, excessive abuse of drugs, excessive immorality, leading to the breakdown of the institution of marriage and family life,
excessive hatred, violence, racial tensions, and murder. Even more disturbingly, these things no longer shock or surprise us any more, as its become the "norm." Chaos and disruption, trying to destroy peace, harmony and joy.
All this is the odorless, invisible toxic poisoning of our country. In fact, it is so odorless and invisible that Christians, like you and me, can be easily poisoned by it as well. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the occult, in astrology. And studies have shown that many people have the belief that the stars rule people’s personalities, attitudes, behavior, successes and failures, and all of this leaves God out of the equation completely.
There is little doubt, that more and more people are filling the spiritual emptiness in their lives with rituals, meditations, lifestyle, with practices adopted from other cultures and religions. I read a message from someone, who was extremely concerned, that in a few years the church will cease to exist in this country. To say that the church will cease to exist, is to ignore the way God has preserved the church even in the face of the harshest persecutions and the severest indifference toward God and His love.
This is certainly nothing new, the world has been trying to abolish Christ and Christianity, since the beginning, back to days of Garden of Eden. Then the Romans did their best to wipe out Christianity,
the Chinese outlawed the church, and today, Christians are being persecuted in various parts of the world, even as I speak.
However, I believe, to a large degree, the church has become its own worst enemy. Yes, that is what I said and I meant it! Just bear with me for a moment, because of sin, corruption, false teaching, and doctrine, the loss of the true gospel, the church has indeed become its own worst enemy. Yet the Holy Spirit, for thousands of years, has managed to keep true faith alive.
And although, I do not believe, we are in danger of the church become extinct, we are however, at a cross roads. And, I believe how we deal with these issue, will ultimately set the course, determining future events, for years to come.
"A horrible, terrible thing has taken place in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it like this. But what will you do at the end of it?"
Jeremiah 5:30-31
"But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil."
James 3:14-16
Beloved, if we as the Body of Christ, do not take these issues seriously, if we don’t take seriously the Scriptural directives we have been given to share with others, to pass on to the future generations, our faith in God and His love for us, our nation will become ignorant of the fact that a God who loves and forgives even exists. When the truth is rejected demonic influences step into the void.
"Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s sanctuary, publicizing that he himself is God."
II Thessalonians 2:3-4
Open with me your Bibles, to the book of Romans chapter 10. Today, we'll be taking a closer look at verses 14-21. Romans 10:14-21. Allow me to read, as you follow along in your Bibles.
"But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things! But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ. But I ask, “Did they not hear?” Yes, they did:
Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.
But I ask, “Did Israel not understand?” First, Moses said: I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that lacks understanding.
And Isaiah says boldly: I was found by those who were not looking for Me; I revealed Myself
to those who were not asking for Me. But to Israel he says: All day long I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people."
to those who were not asking for Me. But to Israel he says: All day long I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people."
“How then shall they call upon Him in whom they haven’t believed?” They can’t call until they believe. “And how are they going to believe in Him whom they have not heard?” And that is to say, until they have heard the truth about Christ, they can’t believe. “And how will they heart without a” – what? – “preacher? And how shall they preach unless they’re sent?” This is not talking about the church sending, this is talking about the Great Commission.
Make no mistake, God provides us opportunities to show other people the greatest treasure that we can have in this world – Jesus. God opens windows of opportunity for us to help people find the true peace and the help that comes from knowing their Savior. The apostle Paul was pointing out the obvious when he said, "How will they believe in him whom they have not heard?"
The most important thing that we can do in this life, the most important job that God has given us Christians is to tell others what our faith means to us, help others see the love of Jesus, to encourage both young and old to trust God when days are filled with worry and grief.
Beloved, we have not been brought to faith, into a relationship with God, so that we can selfishly keep it for ourselves. We have been exceedingly, abundantly blessed in order that we can be a blessing to others. We have been called to show others the way, as sort of a compass for Christ, pointing others in the direction of Jesus. We have been called to be agents of the Holy Spirit to help others know what Jesus can do for them.
But we can’t tell others about the strength that God can give if we ourselves don’t rely on His power;
we can’t tell others about the transforming power of God’s love, and what that brings, if we have not allowed the power of God’s love to have any impact on our life.
If you have the idea that being a witness for Jesus is the pastor’s job, or that others can do it better, allow the Holy Spirit convince you otherwise.
If you think that God couldn’t and wouldn’t use you to point others to Jesus, allow the Holy Spirit prove to you otherwise.
If you think that the church exists to serve you and your needs. If the sole purpose of the church is to provide a place where you can worship and where your faith can be nurtured, then allow the Holy Spirit open your eyes.
God has called you, you have been chosen, "so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." I Peter 2:9
Allow the Holy Spirit give you the mind of Jesus.
Jesus loved the lost, the sinner, and the outcasts of society.
The father welcomed home the rebellious son.
The shepherd went looking for the single lost sheep.
The king invited the poor and homeless from the street to his wedding feast.
Allow the Holy Spirit help you to see that God loves every person, of every race and nationality and He wants us to demonstrate that same love.
Pray and ask for God’s help, to reveal those to you He wants you guide to Jesus and reveal those opportunities as they present themselves. Pray for those you know who are unaware of God’s love.
The light of God’s love and the peace that comes from knowing that your sins are forgiven fills your lives. May God grant that those who are in darkness see the Light of God through each of us.
I encourage you to remember, that the only light some people may see is the light that shines through you.
Our Lord said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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