Responsibility Comes With the Gospel

Transcript

GRM 1111
9/8/2013
Responsibility Comes with the Gospel
Romans 10:3-17
09/08/2013

While we were gone I did have opportunity to read several books and reflect on the ministry and thinking about the emphasis we've been having even this past week on evangelism. This is a reminder to us as a congregation of the honor and responsibility given to us by God to be giving forth the message of His salvation. So I was contemplating looking into the Word on that emphasis. I was interested last week on Sunday night; Mike Matiscik had that emphasis on evangelism and carrying the Gospel to the lost. And I want to pick that up with you in our study together today, the importance and responsibility of our bringing the Gospel to the lost and keeping the right focus on that.

Come back to Acts, we'll pick up where Mike was last time. The Second Missionary Journey starts in Acts 15:36 when Paul and Barnabas have a discussion about traveling through the areas and visiting the churches that they established on their first journey to carry the Gospel to really Gentile regions. This journey did not start off on a good note. Paul and Barnabas have a conflict, and as far as we can tell, Barnabas has been perhaps Paul's closest companion up to this point. And they did travel on that what we call the First Missionary Journey, bringing the Gospel to new areas. And now they have a disagreement on who should travel with them. And so they part ways. Paul takes a new traveling companion, Silas, and the account picks up following Paul's travel on this journey.

He goes through regions that they have visited. And Acts 16:5 tells us “the churches were being strengthened in the faith and increasing in numbers daily”. And then they move on to carry the Gospel to other regions; but the Spirit of God limits where they are permitted to go. And then finally in verse 9 there is a vision given to Paul in the night. And a man from Greece, Macedonia, calls for Paul to come over and share the Gospel. And that results in Paul and those traveling with him journeying over into Europe and bringing the Gospel to Greece.

At this point, just as a note of interest, evidently Luke, who is writing this history as we have the book of Acts, joins Paul at this point in time. You'll note in Acts 16:6 we have they passed through these areas. And then verse 7, “after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go to Bithynia”. Down in verse 8, they came to Troas. Then in verse 10, when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia. So evidently at Troas, Luke who is writing this history, joins the traveling party with Paul and will be part of that for some time as the book of Acts continues.

They come over into Philippi and there you have the first convert in Europe who was a lady and her name is Lydia. And she responds to the Gospel by the grace of God as the Lord opens her heart to the truth presented by Paul, verse 14 tells us. But then trouble develops and breaks out. There is a negative response to Paul's ministry and Paul and Silas are severely beaten with rods and thrown into prison. But God in His sovereign grace even uses that seeming tragic event of the beating of Paul and Silas to bring the Gospel to a Philippian jailer. You are familiar with that account as God miraculously opens the doors of the prison and provides the occasion for the Philippian jailer to be confronted with the truth of the Gospel. And he asks in Acts 16:30, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved ?” And they said to him in verse 31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household”, meaning anyone in your household can be saved who will believe this truth concerning Jesus Christ. And so the Philippian jailer and many in his household respond in faith and believe.

Then the leaders of the city of Philippi come, they release Paul and there is a lot of pressure put on him to leave the city. Good things have happened at Philippi and there is a church established there. It is a difficult time and Paul and Silas and his party do leave.

They journey down to Thessalonica in Acts 17 and there explain the Scripture and some respond. But again things turn negative and the city is put in an uproar and the result is Paul and his traveling companions have to leave Thessalonica under the cover of night. Acts 17:10, “And the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea”. They arrived in Berea and there seems to be a response to the Gospel. But soon trouble is stirred up and they leave Berea. We see a pattern here of opposition.

They come to Athens, and Mike in the previous study, talked about this section of Paul presenting the Gospel to the Athenians. But the response there is minimal as far as positive, and the general response of the Athenian seems to be negative. There is no church started in this area and Paul moves on, there are a couple of conversions. And we focus on these and praise the Lord for the way the Gospel is working. But you understand, you came to a city like our city—200, 225, 250,000, whatever it is—having been through difficulties and you present the Gospel and you see two or three people saved and the whole city is in an uproar against you, it's hard to think, things are going so well.

Paul moves on and comes to Corinth. We have a pattern developed here. He presents the gospel, he is presenting the truth of Christ and the opposition builds. Jews resisting him, blaspheming against the God that Paul represents. And I like verse 9 because it is an insight into what Paul is going through. God appears to Paul in a vision and He gives him two commands. He says, “do not be afraid, go on speaking”. Both of those commands are present tense commands, present imperative. Sometimes telling you to stop doing something or keep on doing something. That's why in your English Bible you have, do not be afraid any longer. Any longer is added there, because that present tense could imply that. Paul, don't continue to be afraid. It's easy to get the idea of the Apostle Paul as this fearless, rock solid man. He stormed into a city and there is not an ounce of fear in his bones and he just confronts people with the Gospel. And they may oppose him, they may fight against him, they may beat him, they may throw him into prison, but he is undaunted and unshaken. And even if he is driven out of the city, it is to the next city with that relentless courage.

Now here God reveals the condition of Paul's heart and mind. He says to him, Paul, don't continue to be afraid. You must keep on speaking. And a word of encouragement that I have many people in this city. There are going to be many people saved and there is a great church, the church at Corinth established here. But we know something of Paul's condition. In fact later when Paul writes a letter back to the Corinthians, do you know what he says? When I came to Corinth and was ministering in Corinth, I had great fear. I was trembling. And you know the amazing thing about the Apostle Paul it was not that he was a fearless man who carried the Gospel wherever he went, it was that he was a man who in spite of his fears carried the Gospel everywhere he went. We sometimes get the idea, if you don't have courage, if there is any fear, any trepidation, it must mean maybe God doesn't want me to do it. Paul's view is I have been entrusted with the Gospel. I must tell them and I am afraid; I'm shaking in my sandals. But I'm going to tell them the Gospel.

So we want to be careful where the effectiveness and power in Paul's ministry is. It's not in him as a person, it's in the message that he is conveying.

I want you to turn back to 1 Corinthians, Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. And he wants to remind the Corinthians of what the focal point is for the church at Corinth, which is the focal point for every church that God establishes. It is His work that calls together a group of believers to form what we call a local church. And the church at Corinth has lost its focus already. So the letter to the Corinthians starts out by Paul having to say, I have received a bad report about you, and even tells them who told on them. It would be like if I came back from vacation and I would say, I just want you to know that Don's family told me that you are dividing the church. We'd say, now we don't like him.

Paul doesn't see that as an issue. Chloe's family told me that there are divisions among you. Paul thinks that they should tell him, and it must be corrected. The problem isn't that someone told on them, the problem is they've lost their focus on Jesus Christ. He said in 1 Corinthians 1:11, “I've been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you”. Some of them like Paul and his ministry, some of them liked Peter and his ministry, and some of them liked Apollos and his ministry. The point is, they are dividing among themselves as though certain people, certain individuals, certain ministries were what they liked best.

Paul said, you have lost your focus. I mean, verse 13, he asked the question, confronts that. Some of you say I am of Paul, some of Apollos, some of Cephas who is Peter, some of Christ. Has Christ been divided? I mean there is only one head of the church, it is Christ. Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Nor baptized to identify with Paul, were you? What's the problem here? Paul is a slave of Christ, Peter is a slave of Christ, Apollos is a slave of Christ. You are picking out your favorite slave. You belong to the Lord of the church.

Verse 14: Paul says, “I thank God I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius so none of you can say, I was baptized by Paul”. Paul goes on to say, “I also baptized the house of Stephanas; I don't know if I baptized anyone else or not”. That's not important. You weren't baptized to be identified with Paul or Peter, you were baptized to be identified with Christ. Who baptized you is not an issue.

Then an important statement, 1 Corinthians 1:17, “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel”. Do you know what that makes clear? Baptism is not part of the Gospel; baptism is not part of your salvation. I have had extensive discussions with a couple of pastors in our city over this. They were adamant that baptism was necessary for salvation. It is not. I'm not saying baptism does not have a place and a responsibility for believers. It does not bring anything to you as far as being saved. Paul says, Christ did not send me to baptize. So my general practice wasn't to be the one who did the baptism. But He did send me to preach the Gospel. Simple. Why are people confused? Why do people think you need to be baptized to be saved? I mean, many Protestants and Roman Catholics teach you have to be baptized to be saved, official Roman Catholic doctrine. I was baptized as a baby in a Protestant church. My parents thought, get this kid saved early. They were lost as a goose, but you baptize them. So sprinkling water on that screaming baby's head did something. Paul said, no, I'm not a baptizer, I'm a Gospel preacher.

Now note here, to preach the Gospel not in cleverness of speech, not in wisdom of speech—in other words the Gospel in its simplicity. Now we slide into it, and this is the start of losing our focus. We think if you are going to reach certain people, you have to adjust your ministry. And it usually comes out in, we don't change the message, we change the methods. When you change the methods, you have changed the message. The audience is not the focus, the message is the focus. Paul said, I didn't use wisdom of speech, he'll give examples of this in a moment. But I want you to note here, he doesn't say these people are corrupting the Gospel itself. Like the Galatians they were adding to the Gospel works. He pronounced anathema on them. Here he doesn't say they have changed the content of the message, they have just put it in the context of worldly wisdom. And you see what happens when you do that? I didn't come with cleverness of speech, wisdom of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. When you put the truth of the Gospel into the context of worldly wisdom, you nullify its effectiveness This is what it means to be made void, canceled, no longer effective. That affects even Bible-believing churches, because they look and say, the Gospel is there, they haven't changed the Gospel. But when you mix it with men's ideas, man's wisdom, thinking you will make it more palatable, more acceptable to people, you have canceled its effectiveness for salvation. It may make it more appealing, it may be more attractive to people, but it is powerless for accomplishing salvation. So both the message and the method are inseparably joined together.

He notes the problem here and why we resort to worldly wisdom. And we all, if we are not careful, get drawn into this. We think, if we're going to have a man who can present the Gospel in an intellectual way, they would impress scholarly people. We think, I hope I can get so-and-so to come, because I think that will impress them, impact them. But we are doing what? The simplicity of the Gospel won't be effective for intelligent people.

We've had John Whitcomb here and John Whitcomb is a scholarly person, recognized in the scholarly world. He has a great grasp of scientific matters. And I've shared with you, I always appreciated him. Back to my seminary days he would say, gentlemen, the only apologetic for the lost is the Gospel. He said I go and present scientific material and show that the Bible is consistent with true science. I'm not doing that to reach the unbeliever, I'm doing that to encourage believers that the truth of their Scriptures is not inconsistency, inconsistent with the real truth of science around them. He said, that's not to reach the unbeliever. I can't reach them by trying to convince them with wisdom. The only thing that can reach them is the Gospel.

That's what Paul is saying. Note what he says in 1 Corinthians 1:18: “For the word of the cross is foolishness, it is stupidity to those who are perishing”. Two present participles here—those who are perishing and those who are being saved. Only two kinds of people in the world, those who are perishing and those who are being saved; those who have trusted Christ and those who have not. All humanity is divided into those two groups. There is no gray group here, there are no seekers out there that . . . There are the perishing and there are those who are being saved.

The message of the cross is stupidity, moronic, foolishness to those who are perishing. It's not for intelligent people. To those who are being saved, it is the power of God. We have experienced God's power of salvation, and that keeps working in our lives as what we call the sanctification aspect of our salvation that goes on as we grow more and more into conformity with the character of our Savior in anticipation of glorification and the completion of our salvation in the glory of His presence. We recognize this message of the cross is the power of God. You'll note, it is not about the power of God, it is the power of God. Remember Romans 1:16, follows with verse 17. Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”. No additions, no subtractions. The message of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross as payment in full for sin and the subsequent resurrection from the dead which demonstrates the finished work of the cross, that's God's power for salvation.

If you were asked to come to the university in our city and lecture the most intelligent professors, what would you say? Well, I wouldn't be the one to do that, I'm not intelligent enough, and I didn't get a college degree, and I wouldn't be comfortable in that environment. Who asked about your comfort? It's not about you, it's not about me. Are you saved? Have you trusted in the finished work of Christ on the cross as payment in full for your sin? Well, yes. Then you could tell them everything they need to hear and know, because the Gospel is the power of God.

Years ago I used to get invited to come to the University to the different classes, strange as it seems. And they would ask me to come and speak on death, on marriage. And I would always start out, if I had been asked to speak on marriage, and that's an important subject and you are young people. And it's something that some of you are contemplating or will contemplate. Let me tell you about marriage. Marriage can be a difficult relationship and I want to share with you what God says about why it is difficult. God says we are sinners, separated from Him, and then I would just go to the Gospel. Let me tell you what God says the only solution to sin is—the payment He made with His Son by His death on the cross. I didn't go down there and try to wow them with my intellect. If I did have the intellect to wow them, it wouldn't bring them salvation. It's the power of God that needs to impact their heart and mind. And I can't save them, but I can bring them the message that is God's power, it is the only thing that can save them. So note what Paul says here. The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. And we get intimidated by that. If I share this, they are going to think I am stupid. But it's the power of God, we recognize that.

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the cleverness of the clever I will set aside. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Or those that the world would respect, that the world might respond to, Jew or Gentile alike? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom, did not come to know God. No matter how intelligent, no matter how smart, man can't save himself. Only God can bring salvation. With all the wisdom, all the cleverness, all the ability to marshal intelligent arguments and debate, couldn't bring a person to the true knowledge of God.

Note this, God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. We keep coming back to this. It's the message proclaimed, the message given out. Word often used in these contexts, it has to do with a herald. And a herald was someone entrusted by someone in authority with the message that they were to go and give to someone else. It wasn't their job to try to decide whether the people that they were sent to wanted to hear it or didn't want to hear it; decide whether they thought this would be the best way to say it or not. They had a simple responsibility, go and tell them this message. How does God work? God was well pleased through the foolishness of the message proclaimed. Not just preached in a formal preaching setting, but wherever it is given out, proclaimed to save those who believe. You see, the method is the same as it was 2,000 years ago. Proclaim the message, proclaim the message. The power is in the Word. It is not in your ability to present the Word, it is not in the wisdom you think you might have to get it across. It's in the Word.

Come back to Jeremiah. This is not new, this is true of God's Word. We'll go to Jeremiah 23, pick up with verse 28 & 29. “The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain, declares the Lord. Is not My word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer which shatters a rock?” There is nothing to compare to God's word, there is nothing that can stand against God's word. People can refuse to believe it, but they will be shattered by it. God's Word is awesome in power.

Back up to Jeremiah 20. And you see Jeremiah experienced the same kind of problems that the Apostle Paul did. Jeremiah's ministry was primarily to Israel, a Jewish prophet to the southern kingdom in anticipation of fulfillment of their own captivity. People didn't want to hear it. Jeremiah 20:7, “Oh, Lord, you have deceived me and I was deceived; you have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; Everyone mocks me.” You see, those who are perishing, think the Word of God is foolishness, stupidity. Look at this idiot telling us this. Hasn't he ever gotten an education? Does he live in the Dark Ages, as people would talk today. Jeremiah 20:7 &8,”I have become a laughingstock, an object of ridicule. Each time I speak I cry aloud, I proclaim violence and destruction. Because for me the word of the Lord has resulted in reproach and derision all day long.” In that sense Paul could identify with Jeremiah, Jeremiah could have identified with Paul. It is difficult. People who are perishing don't want to hear what God has to say. They make fun of those who tell them what God says. They mock them, think they are stupid.

But if I say I will not remember Him or speak of Him anymore, then my heart becomes like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. In my heart, the word of God becomes like a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in, I can't endure it. I can't keep the Word back. That's the way it ought to be with us. I'm afraid, I don't like to be mocked, I don't like to be ridiculed, I don't like to be persecuted. But I have the truth, which is the power of God for their salvation, their only hope.

Come over to Hebrews 4, a passage we studied not too long ago. Hebrews 4:12, “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart”. You see the power of the Word of God. Often when I'm talking to men who are contemplating going into the ministry, I say, teach the text, teach the Word. Paul taught Timothy to preach the Word. Don't talk about the Bible, teach the Bible, present God's Word. We confront our lost friends, don't talk about the Gospel, don't talk about . . . Tell them the truth about the cross, talk to them about salvation. They don't know their wretched condition, they are perishing. I mean, would I go to a family and they are dying of a disease and I have the cure in my pocket and I walk out and don't give it to them. Why wouldn't you give it to them? I don't think they want to hear it, or would be interested. They'd probably make fun of me saying, that couldn't really be a cure. You say, that's criminal, you have the cure. I'm talking to people who are perishing, they could be in hell tomorrow. Well, I don't know that I should talk to them, and I'm not comfortable talking to them. They'll probably make fun of me and think I'm stupid if I do. None of that is an excuse, you understand. Well, I'm not good at presenting it. Get good, get good.

We live in a football city and all you have to do is talk to most people and they can talk about it, football statistics, what went good, what went bad. They can outcoach the coaches. Well, we're just not comfortable. Get comfortable. Doesn't mean you won't be afraid, doesn't mean you won't be shaking in your shoes. Paul says he was.

Come back to 1 Corinthians 1, look at verse 22. “For indeed Jews ask for signs, Greeks search for wisdom.” We preach Christ crucified. We are not an audience-centered presentation, we are a message-centered presentation. In other words, we are not thinking what will these people think, it's the same message. Whether it's Jews or non-Jews, Paul says, I preach Christ crucified. We think, if I were going to the University, what would I say? Say the same thing you say when you go to the city mission. It's the same message that brings salvation, right?

Paul said, I know what different groups want. Verse 22, the Jews want signs, special miracles; the Greeks want to demonstrate that what you are presenting is true wisdom. I just have one message, Christ crucified. That's for the Jews, doesn't matter to me what they want; that's for the Greeks, doesn't matter to me what they want. This is what they have to have, this is the only cure for their spiritual disease, so to speak. We preach Christ crucified. I know that will be a stumbling block for the Jews—a Jewish Messiah that is cursed by being hung on a tree. Can't get over that as a Jew. And for the Gentiles there is no real intelligence in this, it is not a demonstration of wisdom. You just want me to believe that 2,000 years ago a Jewish man died on a cross and I'll believe in Him and that will take care of my sin. That's not what intelligent people believe, never has been.

To those who are the called, verse 24, Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Now you see it, those who are perishing and those who are being saved. The foolishness of God is wiser than men, the weakness of God is stronger than men. In other words, man with his greatest wisdom, the Einsteins of the world as we would say, that intelligence doesn't bring them to God. What the world views as weakness, foolishness, people who, you know—the “fundies” and fundamentalist kind of people and people who haven't had maybe good education and learned to think things through on their own. Well, what the world views as weakness and foolishness is God's plan of redemption and there is no other plan.

And then he says, look at yourselves, Paul could be blunt, brethren, fellow believers. There were not many wise, according to the flesh, not many might, not many noble. Look around, we are a bunch of pretty average nobodies. Sometimes we would like to be able to tell people, you know who comes to our church? This person, and this person. Wouldn't it be great to have several well-known athletes here and a couple people that have prestigious positions. And we just sort of throw their names out so people know we're just not nobodies. We are all like that. If we're going to have a star athlete or entertainer come, we say, we can invite people because you know who is going to be coming here? So-and-so. It would be a way of saying, we're not just nobodies. We are nobodies, we're just average people. Anybody I might know come to your church? Well, there probably are some people you might meet from time to time. Anybody important? How many professional people do you have who are scholars or . . . No, we're just pretty average people.

That's what Paul says to them. There weren't many wise, not many wise according to the flesh. He qualifies that, because it's not true wisdom of God, but wisdom of men. Not the mighty, not the noble. But God has chosen. You'll note three times here he says, God has chosen, God has chosen, God has chosen. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, God has chosen the weak things of the world, verse 28, “God has chosen the base and the despised things so that no man may boast”. He will later write to the Corinthians and say, we have the treasure of the Gospel in these physical bodies so that all the glory for anyone's salvation will go to God and not to man.

You know one of the things that motivated me in thinking about this, I've been reading the evangelism reports of those who go out on Monday nights. I was interested that Greg mentioned this last week, because I've been thinking about it. And reading their reports of just going through the streets and neighborhoods of our city and stopping and talking to people, knocking on doors and just talking to them about the Gospel. And reading the different responses. They say sometimes we get to present the Gospel, sometimes people won't listen, sometimes they listen, sometimes they just leave material. It's like reading the book of Acts. Carrying the Gospel to our city, telling people wherever they are. How else will they be saved? This is God's plan.

1 Corinthians 1:30, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus. He's the one who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.” You can have none of this outside of Christ and His finished work on the cross. So Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2: 1, “And when I came to you, brethren, I didn't come with superiority of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. Then that verse I referred to, connecting it to Acts 18 where God told Paul, don't be afraid any longer. Keep on speaking.

I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. You see the impact of the message didn't have to do with the power of Paul's personality; it had totally to do with the power of Paul's message. My message, any of my preaching was not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men but on the power of God. I really wonder if we would say, the Apostle Paul will be here to speak next Sunday. We would say, Paul is going to be here, we all want to hear him. When he got done, we probably would say, I was expecting a little more. It was all right, but just the plain, simple Gospel. And you know, that's what the Corinthians were troubled about as he had to refer to later. People said, he writes powerful letters but when you see him and hear him in person there is not much to him. Not very impressive in his appearance, not very impressive in his presentation. Remember Eutychus, Paul preached long and he fell asleep and fell out the window. I've done that to some of you, thankfully, you don't have a window to fall out of. What was the power? Paul says the power is . . . We think, if I could have Paul's power. Well, you have the same message. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. There is no other way to be saved.

Come back to Romans 10. Romans started out by Paul telling the Romans that people have rejected the truth of God's revelation of Himself. They profess to be wise but they became fools. In Romans 10 Paul expresses his burden for the salvation of his people, Israel. The sad thing is, verse 3, “For not knowing about God's righteousness, seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God”. How many people in our city are like that? They are going about to establish their own righteousness. They are in churches today because they want to be righteous, they want to be acceptable to God. They are ignorant of God's righteousness provided in Christ.

Then he goes on down to present the Gospel. And he says in Romans 10:11, whoever believes in Him, in Christ, will not be disappointed. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches to all who call on Him. For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Then the questions. How will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? You can't call on God for His salvation in Christ if you've never heard the message of God's salvation in Christ. How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? People who don't hear about Christ will not be saved, they can't believe in one they have not heard of. And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things. From Isaiah's prophecy. However, they did not all heed the good news, for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report. So then faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.

You know the simplicity of the Gospel message. I was thinking about how our family first heard the Gospel and was saved. Simple. My parents were born in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the great state of Pennsylvania, some of you are familiar. Sort of like Nebraska, it is a long state. Pittsburgh would be like out in Scottsbluff and Philadelphia would be here on the east like Lincoln or Omaha. We were born in the suburb of Pittsburgh. My parents were not particularly religious people. I don't know that my Dad's parents ever attended church anywhere. But after my Dad came back from the war, World War II, I was young. Then we moved into government housing that the government built for former servicemen. You know those that they had put up on stilts, duplex kind of government housing. We lived in that, thought it was great. And my mother by her mid-20s had three gorgeous, beautiful boys. I was the oldest, I had a brother four years younger and a brother seven years younger at that point. Most of you know my sister, but she doesn't come into the picture until much later.

And somehow there were two widow ladies, one named Mrs. Davis. Old ladies, we called them, the kids. Sort of strange ladies. Lived down, not in our government housing, but down a ways. I don't know how my mother got in contact with them but Mrs. Davis started talking to my mother about Christ, and sharing the Gospel with her and encouraged her to read her Bible. So my mother in her mid-20s, with three young boys, this elderly lady talked to her about salvation in Christ. My mother started reading her Bible and got saved. Just happened. Remember the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. Why is this young 20-some year old lady interested in what this old strange lady who has queer religious ideas _________? But God was working. And then these old ladies gave some direction to my parents where they might go and hear more about the Bible. And so we started going someplace.

And then they told us we ought to go to a camp meeting. So we went to a camp meeting, old fashioned camp meeting where they preached and there was a sawdust trail and you got called to come down. I heard the Gospel ____________ needed to get saved. I was just a young boy nine or ten years old. I did go down, my cousin was with me. My aunts were there, my grandmother was there, my mother. Everybody has to come hear this. My aunts ended up getting saved, my grandmother ended up saved through all this. My cousin went down with me; I got saved, he didn't. He was about a year older than me. By his own testimony, he didn't get saved.

But that was the start of God's work. This little old widow lady takes the time to share the Gospel with this young mother that has three kids. She needs to hear about Christ. So our family gets saved, some of my aunts get saved, my grandmother gets saved. Then my Dad gets transferred, he worked for U.S. Steel, he got transferred from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. So we are out there, new believers, what do you do. We started roaming around, went to a Methodist church because that was my mother's background. They didn't give much of the Word. And we found some other groups that we went to and they taught the Word, holiness kind of groups. And so we started fellowshipping there. Then my parents after about three years heard about a church where the man was teaching the Bible and they had Sunday night service. So we went over on Sunday night and that was where we really got into the Bible and began to be taught the Bible. And then off I went to seminary; here I am preaching to you.

I mean, who would have thought this was going to come out of this little widow lady, who with her widowed friend, were just strange old ladies in the area. They weren't strange, they knew what we didn't know. They had been saved by the power of God, we were perishing. But we had to hear the truth before we could get saved. Were they ever used to lead anybody else to Christ? I don't know. But the impact goes on, how many years later. That was 1953 when I got saved. Some of you are that old but most of you, that's an age where they were still trying to get rid of the horses. That was a while back, the interstate still wasn't done from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia.

So the lady shares the Gospel and it multiplies, and it multiplies. It's not done. How many men have been saved and gone on and are out ministering? And each of you probably have a story of testimony like that yourself. Somehow you heard it someplace or your parents heard it someplace and the grace of God continues to work, continues to work. And then you stop and think, isn't it amazing how we clam up. Think about it, this past week how many unbelievers heard what they are going to have to hear if they'll ever have opportunity to believe the Gospel and experience God's power of salvation in their lives. And we multiply that out. How many in the last month? Not just those who are out Monday, they are an encouragement and a challenge. But how many people through the city heard the Gospel. I mean, look how many we are.

With Paul and his party, the accusation that we didn't read that was in the chapters where we were, those who have turned the world upside down have come here. And here we are. Is that what people say about Indian Hills? That's a church that is turning the city upside down. Every place we go we have something to tell you. We have people wearing jewelry with a cross on it. We say, that's interesting, that beautiful necklace you have has a cross on it. Why are you wearing a cross? Well, I just thought it was a beautiful piece. Do you know the cross is the most important symbol because of what it represents. It is most important to you. Do you know what the cross means? It means God has provided a Savior so you can be forgiven your sins. Do you know what happened . . . We are covered with opportunities. Well, I'm busy and it just doesn't seem right. Maybe we need to stop and think. I am carrying around in me, God says through Paul, in this physical body, this earthen vessel the power of God because the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. But how shall they believe unless they hear? And how shall they hear unless someone tells them?

So we have beautiful feet because we carry with us the message of God's power for salvation. Have you ever believed that message? You know hearing it does not save you, hearing it repeatedly does not save you. You must respond in faith and believe it. You may have heard many times that Jesus Christ, God's Son, died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin. He was raised from the dead because the penalty was paid in full. You may be able to talk about that and tell people about it, but the issue is have you ever believed it. Have you experienced the power of God's salvation in your life. It transforms you on the inside, it makes you new. And if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things pass away, new things come. And then we belong to God for time and eternity.

I hope we won't lose our focus as a church as the Corinthians did and had to be called back. We are a lighthouse in this city; each one of us individually are lights shining in the darkness. Everyone we come in contact with is either in the process of perishing or in the process of being saved. And we are called to present the Gospel because many, many, many are perishing and need to hear the message that can save them if they will believe it.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your grace. Thank you for the grace of your salvation. Thank you for the grace that you bestowed upon us when you gave us the privilege of hearing the truth of the cross. Thank you for those who were faithful, who in various settings, various situations, various times, perhaps, Lord, they didn't have the privilege and joy of seeing the fruit of their labor. But you were privileged to take that message of the seed of the Gospel and bring conviction to a heart and bring salvation. And Lord, may we count it a great honor and privilege to be entrusted with your power, the message that brings salvation to young and old, rich and poor, people in all strata, all situations; but one way of salvation, the way of the cross. Lord, use us today to bring the message of life to those we come in contact with. We pray in Christ's name, amen.