WEBVTT 00:00:01.550 --> 00:00:04.669 Just a few weeks ago there was a terrible explosion 00:00:04.669 --> 00:00:11.689 in the downtown east side of st. Paul There apparently 00:00:11.689 --> 00:00:15.189 was a work crew from the local gas company that 00:00:15.189 --> 00:00:19.410 was doing some work outside the building and 00:00:19.410 --> 00:00:22.390 As they were performing their work the early 00:00:22.390 --> 00:00:25.809 conclusions seemed to be that a gas line was 00:00:25.809 --> 00:00:30.660 somehow damaged And the gas began to pour into 00:00:30.660 --> 00:00:34.140 one of the buildings and accumulate in the basement. 00:00:37.079 --> 00:00:39.679 Outside that store was a man standing who saw 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:41.880 all of this happen. He saw the gas going into 00:00:41.880 --> 00:00:43.979 the building. He was aware that the building 00:00:43.979 --> 00:00:47.420 was in terrible danger. He looked up and saw 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:50.359 that the apartments above were occupied. This 00:00:50.359 --> 00:00:53.200 was no deserted building. There was a store on 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:57.170 the main floor. People lived up above it. Amazingly, 00:00:57.329 --> 00:01:00.829 this man, instead of running into the building 00:01:00.829 --> 00:01:03.490 to warn people, decided to go to the other side 00:01:03.490 --> 00:01:07.730 of the street and he just sat down. He wanted 00:01:07.730 --> 00:01:09.790 to watch and to see what would happen when this 00:01:09.790 --> 00:01:12.829 building went up in a terrible explosion of flames. 00:01:15.189 --> 00:01:18.370 You say, what kind of a man was that? What kind 00:01:18.370 --> 00:01:20.409 of a man would be willing to sit down on the 00:01:20.409 --> 00:01:22.370 street while a building was in terrible danger 00:01:22.370 --> 00:01:26.469 and people's lives were at stake? Well, let me 00:01:26.469 --> 00:01:29.709 say to you it was a non -existent man. I've added 00:01:29.709 --> 00:01:31.829 a little bit to the story. There was no man who 00:01:31.829 --> 00:01:36.510 did that. But I wanted to talk about what happened 00:01:36.510 --> 00:01:40.329 and the terrible tragedy it was to illustrate 00:01:40.329 --> 00:01:43.870 to you this morning that we who are the children 00:01:43.870 --> 00:01:50.750 of God can sometimes act just like that man that 00:01:50.750 --> 00:01:57.069 I told you about. because we know exactly what 00:01:57.069 --> 00:02:02.310 this world is coming to. We know the end of the 00:02:02.310 --> 00:02:08.050 life of sinners and yet so often we are content 00:02:08.050 --> 00:02:11.849 to sit in our churches and to worship and to 00:02:11.849 --> 00:02:19.009 feel good and let the world go to hell. If I 00:02:19.009 --> 00:02:22.750 were to list this morning the sins which the 00:02:22.750 --> 00:02:26.650 church needs to repent of, it would probably 00:02:26.650 --> 00:02:34.009 be long. There would be sins of commission, sins 00:02:34.009 --> 00:02:39.030 of omission. There would be big sins and little 00:02:39.030 --> 00:02:43.189 sins, public sins and private sins, but few sins 00:02:43.189 --> 00:02:46.810 on the list would be less common than the sin 00:02:46.810 --> 00:02:51.030 of silence. And that's the sin I want us to think 00:02:51.030 --> 00:02:54.449 about this morning in this message of S .O .S. 00:02:54.770 --> 00:02:58.729 It is an urgent message, if not for our sake, 00:02:58.789 --> 00:03:02.389 for the world's sake, that we talk about the 00:03:02.389 --> 00:03:08.909 sin of silence. God is not a God who is speechless. 00:03:09.770 --> 00:03:15.129 He has spoken. He has spoken in creation as the 00:03:15.129 --> 00:03:17.710 verse on our worship folder this morning reminds 00:03:17.710 --> 00:03:24.439 us. for since the creation of the world, God's 00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:27.340 invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine 00:03:27.340 --> 00:03:31.139 nature have been clearly seen being understood 00:03:31.139 --> 00:03:33.800 from what He has made so that men are without 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:37.240 excuse. God speaks to the world in creation. 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:43.199 God speaks to the world in the Bible. The Bible 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:45.639 is a unique book in all of the world as you know. 00:03:46.250 --> 00:03:52.409 And in the Bible, God speaks to mankind. Ultimately 00:03:52.409 --> 00:03:56.610 and finally, fully, God has spoken in His Son, 00:03:57.430 --> 00:04:01.509 the Lord Jesus Christ. And what He has said can 00:04:01.509 --> 00:04:05.650 result in the salvation of sinners deserving 00:04:05.650 --> 00:04:12.590 His condemnation. When one has the information 00:04:13.389 --> 00:04:17.189 that is needed to rescue others from their peril 00:04:17.189 --> 00:04:23.310 and does nothing with it. That silence is sin. 00:04:25.009 --> 00:04:27.790 I don't know any other way to describe it, but 00:04:27.790 --> 00:04:31.850 sin. For the Church of Jesus Christ to be mute 00:04:31.850 --> 00:04:38.389 when the world is burning is sin. It is a sin 00:04:38.389 --> 00:04:42.009 against God and it is a sin against humanity. 00:04:43.949 --> 00:04:47.490 All of us this morning, including myself, need 00:04:47.490 --> 00:04:51.709 to repent of this sin and seek to proclaim the 00:04:51.709 --> 00:04:55.949 message which alone saves people from everlasting 00:04:55.949 --> 00:05:00.430 ruin and from the fires of hell. Why is it a 00:05:00.430 --> 00:05:05.329 sin to be silent? I'd like you to open your Bible 00:05:05.329 --> 00:05:08.149 with me to Romans chapter 10 as we read our text 00:05:08.149 --> 00:05:12.670 beginning in verse 11. Romans chapter 10 verse 00:05:12.670 --> 00:05:18.000 11. For the scripture says, whoever believes 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:23.300 in him will not be disappointed. For there is 00:05:23.300 --> 00:05:26.019 no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the 00:05:26.019 --> 00:05:31.160 same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:35.860 for all who call upon him. For whoever will call 00:05:35.860 --> 00:05:40.540 upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How 00:05:40.540 --> 00:05:43.100 then shall they call upon him in whom they have 00:05:43.100 --> 00:05:46.019 not believed? And how shall they believe in him 00:05:46.019 --> 00:05:49.720 whom they have not heard? And how shall they 00:05:49.720 --> 00:05:52.980 hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:56.139 unless they are sent? Just as it is written, 00:05:56.339 --> 00:05:59.459 how beautiful are the feet of those who bring 00:05:59.459 --> 00:06:04.639 glad tidings of good things. In the text that 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:07.379 we've just read, I want us to notice three reasons 00:06:07.379 --> 00:06:11.220 why it is a sin for the Church of Jesus Christ 00:06:11.220 --> 00:06:15.620 to be silent when the world is burning and on 00:06:15.620 --> 00:06:19.899 its way to eternal destruction. Reason number 00:06:19.899 --> 00:06:27.720 one is because we have been sent to the world. 00:06:29.019 --> 00:06:31.220 We have been sent to the world. You'll notice 00:06:31.220 --> 00:06:34.529 in verse 15, he says, how shall they preach, 00:06:34.629 --> 00:06:38.550 how shall they proclaim unless they are sent? 00:06:40.449 --> 00:06:44.970 And then it speaks of beautiful feet. That is, 00:06:45.170 --> 00:06:47.769 feet are welcome, they are pleasant when they 00:06:47.769 --> 00:06:53.149 bring good news. Who are the ones called they 00:06:53.149 --> 00:06:58.629 in verse 15? How shall they preach? Well, there 00:06:58.629 --> 00:07:01.230 are some who say that's referring to the apostles. 00:07:02.819 --> 00:07:05.800 And in the most narrow, specific sense, that 00:07:05.800 --> 00:07:09.639 is certainly true. It is talking about the apostles 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:14.319 of whom Paul was one. If we broaden that out 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:18.860 a bit to a typical application today, we would 00:07:18.860 --> 00:07:22.620 say it's missionaries. This is one of the great 00:07:22.620 --> 00:07:24.920 missionary texts in all of the New Testament, 00:07:25.180 --> 00:07:29.910 as you know. How shall they proclaim Christ unless 00:07:29.910 --> 00:07:34.129 they are sent? And so we send missionaries. But 00:07:34.129 --> 00:07:36.329 the thing that we have been trying to underwrite 00:07:36.329 --> 00:07:39.430 in our hearts for the last couple of years is 00:07:39.430 --> 00:07:42.050 the fact that all of us are missionaries. All 00:07:42.050 --> 00:07:50.029 of us are included in the they here. We are the 00:07:50.029 --> 00:07:55.189 they that has been sent by God to the world. 00:07:57.740 --> 00:08:01.439 In John chapter 17, the Lord Jesus was praying 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:07.639 to the Father, and he said, Father, as thou didst 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:16.000 send me into the world, so I have sent them. 00:08:17.579 --> 00:08:21.000 Now once again, he's talking most specifically 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:23.740 about that group of disciples who were with him, 00:08:23.939 --> 00:08:27.980 but he was also talking about all of us. who 00:08:27.980 --> 00:08:30.720 would then become followers of His through their 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:37.279 word. Father, as you have sent Me, so I have 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:42.220 sent them. A few days later, Jesus said to His 00:08:42.220 --> 00:08:45.639 disciples, as the Father has sent Me, so send 00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:51.759 I you. The word send or sent in those verses 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:54.659 is the same one that Paul uses in Romans chapter 00:08:54.659 --> 00:08:59.580 10. It is a Greek verb, and I'm going to give 00:08:59.580 --> 00:09:03.620 it to you because you need to hear it. It's the 00:09:03.620 --> 00:09:10.340 verb apostelo. Apostelo. And if you listen carefully 00:09:10.340 --> 00:09:13.159 there, you can hear that word apostle in there. 00:09:15.379 --> 00:09:18.240 There is a very real sense that although we are 00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:21.580 not apostles in the sense of that office in the 00:09:21.580 --> 00:09:27.210 New Testament, we have been apostles By Jesus 00:09:27.210 --> 00:09:31.730 Christ we have been sent by Jesus Christ to the 00:09:31.730 --> 00:09:36.490 world. For us then to be silent when we have 00:09:36.490 --> 00:09:42.570 been sent is sinful. For the reason that we have 00:09:42.570 --> 00:09:47.009 been sent is that we might proclaim And then 00:09:47.009 --> 00:09:50.250 when we proclaim, others can hear. When they 00:09:50.250 --> 00:09:52.889 hear, they can believe. And when they believe, 00:09:52.950 --> 00:09:55.769 they can call upon the name of the Lord and be 00:09:55.769 --> 00:10:01.309 saved. It begins with our being sent. And we 00:10:01.309 --> 00:10:06.409 have been sent. Jesus said, as the Father has 00:10:06.409 --> 00:10:12.730 sent me, He did not shirk His duty. The Father 00:10:12.730 --> 00:10:18.049 sent Him to do what we could never do. He gave 00:10:18.049 --> 00:10:22.490 His life as a ransom for our sin, suffered and 00:10:22.490 --> 00:10:25.350 died on the cross of Calvary, rose again from 00:10:25.350 --> 00:10:28.750 the dead on behalf of the sins of the world. 00:10:30.809 --> 00:10:34.730 He says, as the Father has sent Me, I send you. 00:10:35.409 --> 00:10:40.250 Jesus did not shirk His responsibility. We must 00:10:40.250 --> 00:10:45.659 not dodge our duty either. Our duty is to go 00:10:45.659 --> 00:10:48.580 to the world and to proclaim. He said, as you 00:10:48.580 --> 00:10:51.879 have sent Me into the world, I have sent them 00:10:51.879 --> 00:10:57.879 into the world. He didn't just send us into the 00:10:57.879 --> 00:11:00.419 church, into the walls of a building where we 00:11:00.419 --> 00:11:03.860 could feel good together and worship Him together 00:11:03.860 --> 00:11:07.419 and enjoy one another. He says, I have sent them 00:11:07.419 --> 00:11:12.690 like you sent Me, Father, into the world. The 00:11:12.690 --> 00:11:16.870 world is out there. It doesn't mean we don't 00:11:16.870 --> 00:11:19.129 have ministry within the walls. We do. We have 00:11:19.129 --> 00:11:21.950 things we need to accomplish here. But God has 00:11:21.950 --> 00:11:26.649 sent us out there into the world. It is a sin, 00:11:27.870 --> 00:11:30.169 therefore, for us to be silent. We have been 00:11:30.169 --> 00:11:34.690 sent to proclaim. Just as God is not speechless, 00:11:36.309 --> 00:11:42.159 neither is His people to be speechless. Rather, 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:47.159 we are called to be a people of witness, a remnant 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:53.580 with a message of heavenly origin. We must repent 00:11:53.580 --> 00:11:57.539 of the sin of silence because in the first place 00:11:57.539 --> 00:12:03.500 we have been sent by God to be witnesses. This 00:12:03.500 --> 00:12:08.220 week we have that opportunity. I hope you have 00:12:08.220 --> 00:12:12.139 been busy. praying and inviting others to come 00:12:12.139 --> 00:12:15.919 these days. That they might be under the sound 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:19.100 of the gospel in a very relevant manner. There 00:12:19.100 --> 00:12:21.679 are very few people that are not fascinated by 00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:25.080 science, demonstrations of science. What a marvelous 00:12:25.080 --> 00:12:29.159 opportunity for us to use this means to bring 00:12:29.159 --> 00:12:33.139 people under the sound of the gospel. We have 00:12:33.139 --> 00:12:36.500 been sent folks to the world for us to be silent. 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:47.059 is sin. There's a second reason why it is a sin 00:12:47.059 --> 00:12:51.320 to be silent. It is because they need to hear. 00:12:54.059 --> 00:13:00.779 How can they call and believe unless they hear? 00:13:02.779 --> 00:13:07.159 They, the they now is those still in the world. 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:16.419 They need to hear. They need to hear. Why? Because 00:13:16.419 --> 00:13:21.480 they're lost. Because they're dead in trespasses 00:13:21.480 --> 00:13:26.360 and sins. Because they're under the condemnation 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:31.759 of God. They need to hear. They need to be saved. 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:37.730 That word is used, isn't it? Whoever will call 00:13:37.730 --> 00:13:41.389 will be saved, the implication being that those 00:13:41.389 --> 00:13:45.370 who do not call are still in danger. The word 00:13:45.370 --> 00:13:50.289 saved means to rescue from danger. The world 00:13:50.289 --> 00:13:56.570 around us is lost. It is under threat. It is 00:13:56.570 --> 00:14:02.409 in jeopardy of eternal fires. It is lost and 00:14:02.409 --> 00:14:07.580 therefore they need to hear. They need to hear. 00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:10.500 You say, well, they can turn on the radio and 00:14:10.500 --> 00:14:15.620 hear. But not many of them do. We can't use that 00:14:15.620 --> 00:14:18.480 as an excuse for getting off our own responsibility. 00:14:19.740 --> 00:14:21.139 You say, well, they can pick up a paper, they 00:14:21.139 --> 00:14:23.620 can receive a tract. And yes, God uses all of 00:14:23.620 --> 00:14:27.200 those means, but God wants us personally to be 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:31.000 involved in witnessing to our realm of influence. 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:36.809 Work, neighborhood, family, etc. They need to 00:14:36.809 --> 00:14:39.129 hear your friends your neighbors. They need to 00:14:39.129 --> 00:14:41.590 hear if they're going to be saved They cannot 00:14:41.590 --> 00:14:44.610 call upon Christ unless they hear they need to 00:14:44.610 --> 00:14:55.470 hear they are lost They're dying Most of us have 00:14:55.470 --> 00:15:02.649 been saved as children Or we have been saved 00:15:02.649 --> 00:15:06.179 so long that we've forgotten what it's like to 00:15:06.179 --> 00:15:12.259 be lost. That's why it's so refreshing to talk 00:15:12.259 --> 00:15:14.860 to someone newly saved because they remember. 00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:22.860 A few weeks ago I was sat in a church in Denver 00:15:22.860 --> 00:15:29.019 and the pastor got up to preach and began weeping. 00:15:31.309 --> 00:15:34.629 Just before he got up to preach, a lady sang 00:15:34.629 --> 00:15:41.769 Steve Green's song, People Need the Lord. Most 00:15:41.769 --> 00:15:43.850 of us sat there and nodded our heads and said, 00:15:44.029 --> 00:15:49.750 yes, amen, isn't that true? The pastor got up 00:15:49.750 --> 00:15:55.129 and started weeping at his pulpit. I thought, 00:15:55.190 --> 00:15:57.110 what's going on? Is there something going on 00:15:57.110 --> 00:15:59.149 in this church I don't know about? What's he 00:15:59.149 --> 00:16:04.070 so... broken up about. As he began then to gain 00:16:04.070 --> 00:16:08.649 control and to speak, he was weeping because 00:16:08.649 --> 00:16:14.490 of the message of that song. And he went on to 00:16:14.490 --> 00:16:16.250 say, you know folks, most of you have been saved 00:16:16.250 --> 00:16:17.929 long enough that you don't remember what it's 00:16:17.929 --> 00:16:19.850 like to be lost and to have need. He said, I 00:16:19.850 --> 00:16:23.750 remember. He's been a believer now for a number 00:16:23.750 --> 00:16:27.590 of years. He's even been a missionary for some 00:16:27.590 --> 00:16:30.659 of that time. But he said, I remember what it's 00:16:30.659 --> 00:16:33.580 like to be lost. I was an adult when I got saved. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:36.700 And I know what it means to be lost, to have 00:16:36.700 --> 00:16:42.639 no hope. It was a strong message to all of us 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:49.539 there. When was the last time I wept, you wept? 00:16:50.440 --> 00:16:52.220 Because people need to hear, because they're 00:16:52.220 --> 00:16:57.909 lost. Most of us would sign any doctrinal statement 00:16:57.909 --> 00:17:01.549 that said we believe in hell because the Bible 00:17:01.549 --> 00:17:08.970 teaches it. But do we really believe it? If we 00:17:08.970 --> 00:17:11.750 really believed it, would it not cause us to 00:17:11.750 --> 00:17:18.390 speak more than we do? Could we remain silent 00:17:18.390 --> 00:17:22.450 if we truly believed our neighbors and our family 00:17:22.700 --> 00:17:26.059 We're on their way to a place of eternal fire. 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:36.140 Silence is sinful because they need to hear. 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:40.700 If they don't hear, they're never going to believe 00:17:40.700 --> 00:17:45.400 and be saved. They're lost and on their way to 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:52.220 hell. The wonderful news is that if they believe, 00:17:52.259 --> 00:17:55.819 they will be saved. They can call upon the name 00:17:55.819 --> 00:17:58.960 of the Lord. You and I have the glorious honor 00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:02.420 of being able to share with people how they can 00:18:02.420 --> 00:18:07.180 be saved. How they can come out of that death 00:18:07.180 --> 00:18:10.839 that they're in. How they can experience hope 00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:15.559 when they have no hope for the future. How they 00:18:15.559 --> 00:18:20.019 can know release from guilt. that eats away at 00:18:20.019 --> 00:18:27.539 them inside. Whoever believes in Christ will 00:18:27.539 --> 00:18:32.500 not be disappointed. Whoever will call upon the 00:18:32.500 --> 00:18:36.079 name of the Lord will be saved. It's interesting 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:41.400 that these broad statements, whosoever believes, 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:45.769 whosoever will call, are found in the midst of 00:18:45.769 --> 00:18:47.910 three chapters that talk about the sovereignty 00:18:47.910 --> 00:18:53.569 of God. In Romans chapters 9, 10, and 11, the 00:18:53.569 --> 00:18:58.609 sovereignty of God is exalted. His choice, His 00:18:58.609 --> 00:19:06.089 election is declared. But the fact is that God 00:19:06.089 --> 00:19:11.490 saves none of the elect unless they believe on 00:19:11.490 --> 00:19:16.509 the Lord Jesus Christ. unless they call upon 00:19:16.509 --> 00:19:19.309 the name of the Lord. He saves none of them. 00:19:20.809 --> 00:19:26.289 Now, the assurance is that they will. Our responsibility 00:19:26.289 --> 00:19:32.089 and privilege is that we get to tell them. Paul 00:19:32.089 --> 00:19:35.609 was so downcast in the city of Corinth, he was 00:19:35.609 --> 00:19:39.269 ready to give up. And the Lord appeared to him 00:19:39.269 --> 00:19:45.359 in a vision and said, Be encouraged I have many 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:48.839 people in this city now they hadn't been saved 00:19:48.839 --> 00:19:55.779 yet Yet the Lord says I have many people in this 00:19:55.779 --> 00:20:00.160 city Paul knew that his responsibility then was 00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:04.460 to proclaim Christ and God would bring to himself 00:20:04.460 --> 00:20:10.700 those that he had chosen Whosoever will call 00:20:10.700 --> 00:20:13.869 will be saved anyone who calls, who believes 00:20:13.869 --> 00:20:17.710 will be saved, will not be disappointed. What 00:20:17.710 --> 00:20:20.710 a wonderful message we can declare. What does 00:20:20.710 --> 00:20:23.710 it mean to call upon the name of the Lord? Do 00:20:23.710 --> 00:20:27.509 you remember back in the book of Acts when Paul 00:20:27.509 --> 00:20:32.890 was on trial? He felt himself in danger. He was 00:20:32.890 --> 00:20:37.170 in a difficult position and he said, I appeal 00:20:37.170 --> 00:20:41.980 to Caesar. Remember that? And it got him out 00:20:41.980 --> 00:20:46.019 of that court and guaranteed that he as a Roman 00:20:46.019 --> 00:20:49.000 citizen would one day have the opportunity to 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:52.900 stand before Caesar in Rome and there to defend 00:20:52.900 --> 00:20:57.500 himself before the sovereign. That word appeal 00:20:57.500 --> 00:21:03.980 is the same word as call here. Paul writes to 00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:06.700 the Romans and he says, whoever will appeal to 00:21:06.700 --> 00:21:10.119 the Lord will be saved. That's what it means. 00:21:11.309 --> 00:21:15.910 When one becomes aware of his sinfulness, of 00:21:15.910 --> 00:21:19.490 his predicament, of his condemnation before God, 00:21:19.690 --> 00:21:23.289 and he appeals to Christ, he'll not be disappointed. 00:21:24.950 --> 00:21:27.849 He'll be saved and rescued from the judgment, 00:21:27.950 --> 00:21:32.190 though he deserves it. Somebody says, what if 00:21:32.190 --> 00:21:37.869 they don't listen? My family members, my friends. 00:21:40.110 --> 00:21:42.730 Our calling is simply to proclaim to them the 00:21:42.730 --> 00:21:46.890 truth. And to do that in a loving way, a sensitive, 00:21:47.829 --> 00:21:52.150 tactful way, not being crude or rude, but just 00:21:52.150 --> 00:21:56.250 telling them the truth. And as we do that, we 00:21:56.250 --> 00:22:00.630 leave the results to God. We simply seek in the 00:22:00.630 --> 00:22:03.230 power of the Holy Spirit to tell them the Gospel, 00:22:03.670 --> 00:22:08.470 to proclaim Christ to them. And as we do, we 00:22:08.470 --> 00:22:14.819 say, I leave the results in your hands. Silence 00:22:14.819 --> 00:22:19.660 is sinful because we have been sent, because 00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:23.180 they need to hear, and finally because the Lord 00:22:23.180 --> 00:22:28.539 is ready to save. We have here a universal offer. 00:22:29.559 --> 00:22:32.660 It's whoever will believe, whether it's Jew or 00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:38.009 Gentile, it makes no difference. Whether it's 00:22:38.009 --> 00:22:41.230 yellow or black or red or white, it makes no 00:22:41.230 --> 00:22:46.369 difference. Whether they speak English or some 00:22:46.369 --> 00:22:50.190 foreign tongue, it makes no difference. Whoever 00:22:50.190 --> 00:22:53.170 will appeal to the Lord will be saved. There 00:22:53.170 --> 00:22:56.490 is no distinction with God. He is called here 00:22:56.490 --> 00:23:01.690 the Lord of all. And it says that as the Lord 00:23:01.690 --> 00:23:07.150 of all, He is abounding in riches. for all who 00:23:07.150 --> 00:23:10.910 call upon Him. Not only is this a universal offer, 00:23:10.970 --> 00:23:14.269 it's an abundant offer, abounding in riches. 00:23:14.710 --> 00:23:19.329 There is no limit to His ability to save, His 00:23:19.329 --> 00:23:23.329 willingness to forgive. Just as that song said 00:23:23.329 --> 00:23:27.450 earlier, the love of God, it fills the oceans 00:23:27.450 --> 00:23:30.869 of the world and then there's more left over. 00:23:31.730 --> 00:23:35.859 There is no limit to God's love. to God's grace. 00:23:36.680 --> 00:23:41.640 And whoever will call will be saved. Such a lavish 00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:47.480 and generous proposition is this. Such a Lord, 00:23:47.720 --> 00:23:50.680 abundant with riches of grace and forgiveness, 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:56.019 deserves to be proclaimed. To fail to do it is 00:23:56.019 --> 00:24:02.819 sinful. The Lord is ready to save. He is not 00:24:02.819 --> 00:24:07.279 willing that any should perish, are we? He is 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:10.140 willing that all should come to repentance. Do 00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:15.279 we care? Our job is proclaim this Lord who is 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:19.000 abundant in His grace, in His riches of mercy 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:23.160 and forgiveness. He is ready to save, and for 00:24:23.160 --> 00:24:38.500 us to be silent is sin. The story is told of 00:24:38.500 --> 00:24:41.839 a terrible storm that struck on Lake Erie in 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:51.299 the last century. There was outside of Cleveland 00:24:51.299 --> 00:24:57.400 a lighthouse that had been erected to guide those 00:24:57.400 --> 00:25:03.519 steamers safely into port. In addition to the 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:09.279 lighthouse, there were also other lights that 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:15.740 had been established on a lower level. The lighthouse 00:25:15.740 --> 00:25:19.859 could direct the ships toward the harbor, but 00:25:19.859 --> 00:25:24.299 they needed to have other lights lit to direct 00:25:24.299 --> 00:25:28.119 them through the channel safely into the harbor. 00:25:29.059 --> 00:25:32.809 So you have this huge lighthouse, and then you 00:25:32.809 --> 00:25:35.630 have these smaller lights, all of which needed 00:25:35.630 --> 00:25:41.450 to be lit. In the ferocious storm that arose 00:25:41.450 --> 00:25:45.109 that night on Lake Erie, there were ships trying 00:25:45.109 --> 00:25:49.710 to make harbor. And the lighthouse indeed was 00:25:49.710 --> 00:25:56.849 lit. But those who were to light those other 00:25:56.849 --> 00:26:02.029 lower lights, either were unable to get to them 00:26:02.029 --> 00:26:04.950 or failed to do so out of fear because of the 00:26:04.950 --> 00:26:09.710 storm. And as a result of that ships were able 00:26:09.710 --> 00:26:12.410 to see the harbor and trying to make the harbor 00:26:12.410 --> 00:26:17.509 in several cases went on the rocks and many many 00:26:17.509 --> 00:26:24.190 lives were lost in that terrible storm. The news 00:26:24.190 --> 00:26:31.970 of that becoming well known Philip Bliss saw 00:26:31.970 --> 00:26:36.029 the obvious spiritual application. Philip Bliss 00:26:36.029 --> 00:26:41.450 wrote hundreds of hymns, gospel songs. He is 00:26:41.450 --> 00:26:47.410 the one who did the music for... What's the word 00:26:47.410 --> 00:26:52.569 I'm trying to think of? Very well known. What 00:26:52.569 --> 00:26:57.529 is it? It is Well With My Soul. He did the music 00:26:57.529 --> 00:27:01.309 for that. not the words. But this particular 00:27:01.309 --> 00:27:04.690 hymn, He did both the words and the music. It's 00:27:04.690 --> 00:27:07.849 not in our hymnal any longer, but some of you 00:27:07.849 --> 00:27:12.210 will recognize it. Brightly beams our Father's 00:27:12.210 --> 00:27:17.349 mercy from His lighthouse evermore. But to us, 00:27:18.650 --> 00:27:21.990 He gives the keeping of the lights along the 00:27:21.990 --> 00:27:27.500 shore. Dark the night of sin has settled, loud 00:27:27.500 --> 00:27:32.160 the angry billows roar, eager eyes are watching, 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:37.559 longing for the lights along the shore. Trim 00:27:37.559 --> 00:27:42.359 your feeble lamp, my brother. Some poor sailor, 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:46.259 tempest -tossed, trying now to make the harbor 00:27:46.259 --> 00:27:52.019 in the darkness, may be lost. Let the lower lights 00:27:52.019 --> 00:27:57.190 be burning. Send a gleam across the wave, some 00:27:57.190 --> 00:28:01.289 poor fainting, struggling seaman. You may rescue. 00:28:02.250 --> 00:28:07.809 You may save. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ 00:28:07.809 --> 00:28:10.809 is the lighthouse. You and I are the ones responsible 00:28:10.809 --> 00:28:15.109 for the lower lights and for us not to have those 00:28:15.109 --> 00:28:19.349 lights burning brightly so that those still lost 00:28:19.349 --> 00:28:22.450 in the stormy night of sin can make the harbor. 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:27.980 is sinful. Silence is sinful. God help us to 00:28:27.980 --> 00:28:30.579 open our hearts and to open our mouths to share 00:28:30.579 --> 00:28:38.880 Jesus. It's urgent. It's urgent. Let's pray. 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:49.700 Father, may we repent. May we simply not listen 00:28:50.089 --> 00:28:55.349 and go our way, but may we first repent of the 00:28:55.349 --> 00:29:02.470 sin of silence. For too often have we allowed 00:29:02.470 --> 00:29:08.089 ourselves to pass opportunities, to ignore them, 00:29:10.289 --> 00:29:12.990 and to permit our friends, our family, our co 00:29:12.990 --> 00:29:19.130 -workers to go on in their lostness when we have 00:29:19.130 --> 00:29:25.460 the answer. May that repentance work a deep change 00:29:25.460 --> 00:29:30.660 within our lives so that we will not be the silent 00:29:30.660 --> 00:30:01.359 one any longer. In Jesus' name, amen. If I'm 00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:12.380 saddened today But a friend of mine left me forever 00:30:12.380 --> 00:30:27.400 I'd not be so sad If she'd known what I had But 00:30:27.400 --> 00:30:39.319 I never thought twice To tell her Who would have 00:30:39.319 --> 00:30:50.380 guessed It would come this soon I'd always tell 00:30:50.380 --> 00:31:11.880 her Can't bring her back here I long for one 00:31:11.880 --> 00:31:32.140 more chance to tell her It came suddenly A young 00:31:32.140 --> 00:31:46.079 twenty -three That she died calling for me If 00:31:46.079 --> 00:31:57.019 only I'd been a concerned, loving friend My faith 00:31:57.019 --> 00:32:17.549 wouldn't be chose to be the silent one. Failed 00:32:17.549 --> 00:32:32.329 in my one obligation. But her was there for her 00:32:32.329 --> 00:32:42.400 dry thirsty soul. But I let it just slip through 00:32:42.400 --> 00:33:03.140 my fingers Excuses are few when the Lord questions 00:33:03.140 --> 00:33:19.380 you If your friends know about him For they are 00:33:19.380 --> 00:34:00.579 the ones he's chosen to tell The song is a bit 00:34:00.579 --> 00:34:05.619 haunting to me. When I was in high school, I, 00:34:05.859 --> 00:34:09.480 as a lowly freshman, was looked upon with friendship 00:34:09.480 --> 00:34:14.800 by a junior. That's unusual. His name was Ron. 00:34:17.239 --> 00:34:20.199 And one of the ways he showed me friendship was 00:34:20.199 --> 00:34:22.900 to invite me to sit in his car during the noon 00:34:22.900 --> 00:34:26.300 hour. Now that seems small to you, I know, but 00:34:26.300 --> 00:34:30.099 that was a big thing back then. I could sit out 00:34:30.099 --> 00:34:32.300 in his car and we chatted and others would sit 00:34:32.300 --> 00:34:34.579 in the car, but I was a freshman, he was a junior. 00:34:35.480 --> 00:34:42.179 I was a Christian, Ron was not. We parted that 00:34:42.179 --> 00:34:47.039 summer, he had his responsibilities, I had mine. 00:34:47.159 --> 00:34:50.380 I remember very well the night before school 00:34:50.380 --> 00:34:53.519 was to begin again that fall, someone coming 00:34:53.519 --> 00:34:59.639 into church and saying to me, Did you hear that 00:34:59.639 --> 00:35:06.900 Ron Flory drowned this afternoon? And the very 00:35:06.900 --> 00:35:09.079 first thing that went through my heart was an 00:35:09.079 --> 00:35:12.320 arrow of conviction that as many times as I had 00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:16.699 sat with Ron and talked with him, not once, had 00:35:16.699 --> 00:35:25.039 I ever mentioned Jesus to him. Not once. I remember 00:35:25.039 --> 00:35:28.969 Claire's son -in -law There's a policeman in 00:35:28.969 --> 00:35:34.349 Wisconsin told me a story of an accident now 00:35:34.349 --> 00:35:36.210 maybe a year, a year and a half ago. And I shared 00:35:36.210 --> 00:35:39.670 it with you at that time. He was called to a 00:35:39.670 --> 00:35:42.170 terrible accident outside of Black River Falls 00:35:42.170 --> 00:35:46.530 and rushed there. First one on the scene. There's 00:35:46.530 --> 00:35:50.789 a car on its top. It had turned over. A person 00:35:50.789 --> 00:35:54.980 is trapped inside. Someone is laying out on the 00:35:54.980 --> 00:35:58.179 grass. That person is alive. He ran to the car 00:35:58.179 --> 00:36:01.000 where someone was still inside. He climbed in, 00:36:01.159 --> 00:36:04.920 being on the roof, of course. The young man was 00:36:04.920 --> 00:36:11.320 hanging there, trapped. And he said, are you 00:36:11.320 --> 00:36:14.920 all right? And the young man looked at him and 00:36:14.920 --> 00:36:19.380 said, I'm dying, and I don't know where I'm going. 00:36:24.519 --> 00:36:27.460 I hope this morning that the point of conviction 00:36:27.460 --> 00:36:31.820 that we might feel regarding being silent will 00:36:31.820 --> 00:36:36.440 be turned around to an impetus, to a motivation 00:36:36.440 --> 00:36:40.800 for speaking and telling about Jesus. Because 00:36:40.800 --> 00:36:43.000 they need to hear. We've been sent. Our Lord 00:36:43.000 --> 00:36:47.800 is ready to save. We have our job to do. Let's 00:36:47.800 --> 00:36:51.699 be about it. This week and every day. Would you 00:36:51.699 --> 00:37:00.460 stand with me please? And now, Father, with these 00:37:00.460 --> 00:37:03.400 convicting thoughts on our hearts, and I trust 00:37:03.400 --> 00:37:07.619 that by the Spirit, a renewed motivation to witness, 00:37:09.219 --> 00:37:14.239 and to invite, and to tell. May we go from here. 00:37:15.300 --> 00:37:18.519 And I pray that as we go, the Holy Spirit will 00:37:18.519 --> 00:37:22.619 keep fresh what He has said in this hour to us. 00:37:23.019 --> 00:37:25.639 and produce the kind of change that would be 00:37:25.639 --> 00:37:30.199 pleasing to you where that's needed. In Jesus' 00:37:30.460 --> 00:37:33.260 name, Amen. God bless you.