Month: February 2010

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
Rom 10:13-15

We’ve been looking at evangelism the last several weeks, and the passage above fits right in with that topic. What a wonderful promise we have in v. 13. “Whoever calls…” What a message of comfort and hope we have for the lost! Can any soul be denied that calls upon the name of the Lord? No! God said so! Call upon Him, and He will answer. You will be saved!

But, we often remember v. 13 of the above passage and forget what follows. The apostle takes us on a journey backwards from the time an individual calls on the name of the Lord. Before that person can cry out to God, he must first believe in Him according to v. 14. What’s the point in crying out if nobody’s there to hear? As Heb 11:6 says, “…he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” There’s no reason to call out for the reward of salvation unless you first believe God exists and will respond to that call.

So does the journey start with belief? Nope, let’s go back further. How can a person believe in a God of whom they’ve never heard? They’ve got to have this Lord and Savior declared to them first, and that requires an individual who will declare or publish the Gospel message–a preacher! The Greek word meaning “to preach” literally means to “publish or proclaim openly.” It doesn’t have to be tied to an office but can describe the calling of every believer, for we all have been given “the ministry of reconciliation.” We are “ambassadors for Christ” who cry to the world, “Be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor 5:18-20)

But we’ve got one more step to take to find the origin of this salvation. Before the sinner calls to the Lord, before He believes in his heart unto righteousness, and before the preacher publishes the glad tidings of the gospel of peace, we read in v. 15, “And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” Someone does the sending, and it is none other that the gracious and merciful God that originated this plan of salvation. It all starts with Him! Before the prophet says “Here am I! Send me,” the God of the prophet asks, “Whom shall I send?” (Is 6:8) The Lord Jesus sends those who believe in like manner in Mk 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Aren’t you glad that long before you believed in Him, while you were still lost in unbelief, the Lord came looking for you! Do you remember how He rescued you from darkness? It’s no mistake His message entered our ears and then our hearts at the time in our life that it did. God prepared the soil of our hearts to receive the seed of His gospel and sent His messengers to disperse that seed at just the right time in our lives! You ought to feel pretty special, oh beloved of the Lord! Truly, the Author and Finisher of our faith is worthy of all our praise!

Jamie

“…our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant…”
2 Corinthians 3:5,6

The above verse is far too often overlooked when it comes to evangelism. God is in control. Evangelism is proper and effective only when we depend entirely on Him for the ability to do it.

We’ve considered a related passage before, but it’s worth bringing it up again in light of the above verse. The Lord Jesus told Simon Peter in Lk 5:10, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” Did you notice the wording here? It’s not the same as in Mt 4:19 and Mk 1:17 where Jesus says He will make them “fishers of men.” Simply being a fisherman does not guarantee you’ll successfully fill your boat with fish. But, Jesus says to Peter, “you will catch men.” Only the Lord can say that because the power of effectual evangelism is in His hands. And did Christ keep His word? I’d say 3,000 souls being brought into the kingdom after Peter preached in Ac 2 would constitute a pretty good catch!

Lk 5 reveals how true evangelism works, and why we know that feelings of inadequecy stem from a focus upon our own energy and ability instead of God’s. Peter had fished all night in his own strength. He was a seasoned fisherman, after all, but like I said, being a fisherman and catching fish don’t always go together. He had labored long and hard with nothing to show for it. Such is the case when we lean to our own understanding in evangelism.

Finally, after Jesus had preached the next morning, He instructed Peter to move the boat into deep water and let down his nets. Peter thought the effort to be vain (see where our understanding will get us), but reluctantly agreed, saying, “nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” He didn’t do it how he thought best. He did it the way Christ said was best! We know the results. The nets filled to the point of breaking! We need this kind of evangelism today. Not tactics mirrored after the ways the world finds success, but faithful preaching of the word of God according the Lord’s direction. Jesus not only told Peter where to put his net, but He also commanded the fish to be in that very spot! Only God can prepare the heart of a person for the Gospel message and then direct his minister to intersect that soul at just the right time with just the right word!

Jamie

Pr 3: 5,6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.