Thursday, March 9
Sent to tell
Scripture: Romans 10
Romans 10:13–15 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
14 How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news.”
Observation
Paul quotes Joel 2:32 that everyone (Jew and Gentile) who calls on the Lord will be saved—a wonderful promise underscoring that the gospel is for everyone!
The problem of course is that you cannot call on a God in whom you don’t believe. And you can’t believe without hearing, and you can’t hear without someone telling (proclaiming, announcing), and no one will tell unless they are sent. “Sent” is the Greek word apostello (we get “apostle” from it) and it means to be sent with a specific purpose. “Preach” is the Greek word kerusso, which means “to announce.” It was used of an official herald who is sent to announce news.
Believing depends on hearing, which depends on telling, which depends on sending.
So who is sent? We all are. Every Christian is a missionary, a “sent one” who tells the good news so others can believe.
John 20:21 “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Application
A couple years ago I read an inspiring book by Ashley and Heather Holleman, Sent: Living a Life that Invites Others to Jesus. The big idea is that each of us who know Jesus are sent by Jesus to invite others to follow Jesus. We are the sent ones, the heralds who make it possible for others to believe.
I think “preach” is an unfortunate translation because we associate that almost exclusively with prepared sermons in church and disqualify ourselves. But that wasn’t the original context or meaning. Imagine instead something wonderful happened and you couldn’t wait to tell others about it. For example: “Hey everyone, I have an announcement: we are pregnant!” In this case, the announcement is the good news that Jesus has come to bring us back to the Father and give us new life.
I just bought Becoming Jesus People by my old friend Riley Taylor, and I’m looking forward to reading it. It is stories of people from Liberation House in Eugene in the Jesus People days of the 1970’s. I know many of the people. One of the questions that we commonly asked then was, “Do you know Jesus?” It led to great gospel conversations and lots of people saying yes to Jesus. We all saw ourselves as sent and tellers.
Today, I want to remember that most people don’t know Jesus yet, haven’t heard the good news and need to, and that I am sent to tell.
Prayer: Lord, I love you and I want to live sent and tell others the good news. Use me today. And I pray for a fresh revival that will inspire everyday Christian to become sent ones who tell others.
More: Numbers 17-18, Matthew 9