I'm thinking today of Romans chapter 10. It's a unique message for an important
time of year. In Romans chapter 10, Paul is talking about getting out the gospel.
How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? That's verse 14.
Or how are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard and how are they to
hear without a preacher? That's the rest of 14. And then down in verse 16, in the
middle of the discussion about how the Word of God has to get out and how the
Word of God will grow faith, there is this kind of excerpt. It says, however, they
did not all heed the good news. For Isaiah says, quote, Lord who has believed our
report, unquote. The bottom line is this, even if someone has sent, even if someone
goes, not everyone will hear the gospel. Not everyone will respond positively to
the message that God is willing to save souls. I remember in the story of Lazarus
and the rich man, the rich man is begging the angel at the gate to send somebody
back to his brothers to warn them. And he says, no, they have Moses and the prophets.
And even if they saw somebody come back from the dead, even then they
wouldn't listen. And that's exactly where we're living today. Jesus has come back
from the dead and believers have been born again and are now living on this
earth and delivering the message about Jesus. And still there are those who will
not believe. It does not lessen our obligation to share, but it reminds us
that even this year, even this time as we are celebrating the coming of Jesus, who
is the most spectacular way that God declared his love and his salvation
available, people sometimes won't hear. Tell them anyway.