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The River ChurchSermons

REACH, GATHER, GROW

Reach - Romans Road

Josh Yates · Sunday, 7 September 2025 · Romans 3:10-18; 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-10; 10:13 · 51:12 · 8,435 words

Romans S20 · 3:10-18; 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-10; 10:13 Lake Orion

There is no public page for this message yet — the transcript below is the whole of it.

What this sermon is about

Ranked by keyness against every other sermon in the corpus. Each one is a word this sermon actually said — nothing here was written by a model.

chair 35 grace 43 people 82 reach 19 common 12 jesus 84 single 19 believe 49 road 11 disciple 11 realm 4 worker 6

Topics

Faith 12 Grace 11 Salvation 3 The Gospel 3 Sin 2 Freedom 1 Atonement & Sacrifice 1 The Law 1 Condemnation 1 Prayer 1 Government & Authority 1

Scripture referenced 18

Verified against the transcript. A reference the recording does not support is never listed here.

Matthew 28:18-20 4:10 Matthew 26 5:06 John 15:16 10:26 Romans 3 15:47 Romans 8 18:15 Romans 1 18:26 Romans 1:18-23 18:27 Romans 6:23 21:21 Romans 5:8 22:39 1 John 3:16 22:54 Romans 10:9-10 23:27 Romans 10:13 24:06 Ephesians 2:8 25:57 Matthew 5:44-45 29:16 Romans 1 30:40 1 Timothy 4:10 35:50 2 Peter 3:9-10 36:58 James 2:19 41:08

Transcript

Every word, as spoken, with the second it was said. Each word links to its own entry in the index.

Pre-service announcement — 9 lines, 0:43. Excluded from every count and search on this site, kept here so nothing is hidden.

Hey everyone, my name's Rich, and thanks for checking out this message today.

We're glad that you're here, and we want to connect with you and your family.

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There we can answer any questions and even help pray for you.

You can also visit our website at theriverchurch.cc to learn more about us and what we got going on here at the church.

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please head to our website, click the Give tab at the top of the page,

and you can text the amount that you want to give to 84321.

Thanks again for joining us, and we hope that you're blessed by today's message.

Good morning, everybody. Glad to be here with you today.

Something I forgot to mention is that we are beginning our second series in the Book of Romans now.

I mean, it's all one big series, but we couldn't fit everything into one book.

And as our growth communities are beginning this week, we also have a lot of groups that do our sermon series.

And as part of that, we have devotions that we write at the River Church and Bible studies

for every single sermon series that we do.

And the new book for part two of Romans is actually available in the back.

These books are $15 if you want them, an actual paper copy.

They're available on the back. You can get those at guest services.

There are Bible studies for each week that we do in some of our growth communities,

and then there's devotions every single day.

You can also access it for free at our website at theriverchurch.cc and look at media and then our bookstore.

You can download the entire PDF copy of this if you want to.

You can have every single daily devotion emailed to you every single day if you'd like.

So we're not in it to make money.

We try to cover the cost of printing, which is about $15 for these books.

Some of you like to apparently go like this to books.

I don't know why, but you do.

They're like, I like the smell.

Okay, whatever.

All right, if you like the smell of a book, there's $15 in the back.

You know, it goes from there.

I personally like the smell of my iPad, I guess.

So, but yeah.

You can get it for free online, or you can get it paper copy if you'd like.

All right, just want to make sure you knew that.

All right, so as we begin today, every year at the River Church, there are two times we talk about our vision.

Why we do what we do.

We do it in September right now, and we also do it in January, just to keep it in front of us.

Because ultimately, when somebody attends the River Church,

we want everybody to be able to talk about what we're about here at the church.

Why we do what we do.

If we don't talk about vision enough, vision leaks.

It gets to the point where we forget why we do what we do, or we just kind of start doing things for whatever reason we may see fit,

rather than the reason why we actually gather together.

It's just too easy to have vision leak.

And so, everything we do at the River is centered around one thing.

It's the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We want people to know Christ and him crucified.

The good news that Jesus died for the sins of the world.

He rose from the dead and is alive today.

The good news that all come to him.

And believe that he is who he says he is, the son of God, and believe that he did what he said he did.

He died and he rose from the dead.

You will be saved if you give him your life.

It's the reason behind what we do.

Now, our vision ultimately has three words, and you see them on our slides, you see them in our lobby.

It's reach, gather, grow.

It's three things that we always intend to do with everything we do, whether it be Sunday morning, all the way to the events we have.

We want to reach the lost.

We want to glorify God by reaching the world.

We want to gather together in the worship, glorify God by gathering the saints, and we want to grow in Christ together, glorify God by growing together in the word and deeper in our relationships with God.

We want to make much of Jesus.

We want to make much of Jesus.

Every single one of us, we want that to be our desire, glorifying him every chance that we get and following him in the process.

And this is all based upon two main passages of scripture.

It's the great commandment and the great commission.

The great commission.

The great commission is the first one.

It's Matthew 28, 18 to 20.

It says this.

And Jesus came and said to them, all authority on heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.

Jesus commanded us to make disciples who make disciples.

He called us to make disciples, not just come to church and kind of sit here.

It's why we do our growth communities.

We want you to grow.

We want you to learn what it means to help somebody else learn what it means to follow Jesus.

See, Jesus didn't save us just from sin.

He saved us to go out and reach a dying world with Jesus Christ.

And there's three verbs in this great commission.

It's go, baptize, and teach.

Go and tell people, baptize, bring them into the fellowship, and teach them what it means to follow Jesus.

Then the great commandment in Matthew 26, sorry, 22, 36 to 40 says this.

Teacher, which is the great commandment of the law?

And he said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your mind.

This is the great and first commandment.

And the second is like it.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

And on these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.

So the second commandment that Jesus gives us is that we need to stay focused on him.

Our motive is to love God and love people.

Love God and love people.

Let me say, trying to run off the bat, you can't love God if you don't love people.

You also can't love people if you don't love God.

Both are a requirement.

We've got to do both.

We've got to do both well.

But Jesus in his life showed us how to love God, love people, and to make disciple makers.

And so we always have to take a look at the life of Christ when we do that.

I love visuals.

And you saw a bunch of people.

I saw a couple guys pulling up a bunch of chairs real quick.

Those of you that have been around the river here at Lake Orion for any period of time

kind of probably know where I'm headed a little bit this morning.

But we all need the reminder a couple times a year.

I like visuals.

And there are four chairs, and it's called the four chairs of discipling.

This isn't something I came up with.

Dan Spader came up with this years ago.

But it's something that I've kind of integrated into my ministry.

I think it's great to understand kind of a process of what it means to start and where we're headed.

If we go to a gym, I say it often, if we go to a gym, what's the first thing they want you to do?

Well, first they want your checking account information because they want to bill you every month, right?

No, I'm kidding.

That's not what we do here.

That's not what we do here.

But what do they do next?

They want you to meet with a trainer so that you actually know how to use the machines

rather than look like some of the people on YouTube that have no clue what they're doing.

Right?

The people we laugh at.

But in the church, you come to church and you're like, okay, I'm just going to sit here.

And if I'm honest, I've been in ministry since I was 18.

I turned 47, so that's 29 years.

I've seen a lot of people sit in pews, sit in chairs, and do nothing for 30 years

because we don't know what to do next.

We don't want to be about that.

We want to help you take the next step.

And so that's why I love to have a visual of where we're headed.

These chairs aren't better than one or the other.

It's just where you currently are.

And what your next step could be.

So this first chair, let's see, for me, I always start over here in the first chair.

All right?

This first chair right here is the chair of what would be called the unbeliever or the lost person.

Again, sometimes people go, you call somebody lost, that's derogatory.

No, if your phone is lost, what are you going to do?

You're going to frantically terrify your house to try to find it.

Right?

We're going to freak out.

Or there's always one person that goes, I don't need my phone that much.

Okay, fine.

Your wallet.

All right?

If you don't know where your car keys are, all right, it's lost.

That means there's importance to it, and I need to find it.

Right?

That's what Jesus says about a person that doesn't know him.

They're lost.

And he wants them to be found because he loves every single person on the earth.

What the unbeliever needs the most is that they would come and see who Jesus is.

And this is our idea of reach, and that's what we're talking about today, of reaching to those around us.

John 139, Jesus said to them,

So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

People need to come and see.

If they don't know Jesus, they need to come and see who he is.

This second chair is the chair of the believer.

Once you accept Christ as your Savior, you're now in the chair of the believer.

That kind of makes sense.

Right?

Now you believe in Jesus.

All right?

What the person in this chair needs is to learn how to follow Jesus.

Jesus has the call to follow me.

That's how we gather together.

How?

We begin to learn what that looks like.

Jesus said in John 143, the next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.

He found Philip and said to him, follow me.

That was his call to his disciples, to follow me.

And we need that.

And then once you are now beginning to follow Christ, now it's time to start to grow.

This is the chair of the worker over here.

It's the chair of the worker.

Now, the idea of a worker, sometimes we go, oh, well, that's like working in the nursery.

That's like doing events.

That's like, those are all good things and necessary.

The chair of the worker is somebody who's beginning to understand that they're called to go and reach people for the Lord.

Because the call that Jesus now is giving to the chair of the worker is to fish for people.

It's to fish for people.

Matthew 419, Jesus said, and he said to them, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

And this is where we grow.

This is how we begin to understand what it means to really be a follower of Christ and call others to follow him.

That's how we grow.

We are a disciple who makes disciples.

And then finally, in this last chair, in chair four, you're now becoming a disciple maker.

And the idea here is you need to bear much fruit.

John 15, 16 said, Jesus says, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.

So that whatever you ask the father in my name, he may give it to you.

We love to take that last little part of the verse and say, oh, I can ask Jesus for anything.

I want a Lamborghini, right?

No, it's in the context of bearing fruit for the kingdom of God, of pouring into the lives of others.

Of helping them see Jesus in your life, of being a disciple maker who's now going back and helping people know Christ for the first time and every other step of the process.

The thing is, is that we can get into one chair and then get into that chair and then go back to the other chair, go back to the other chair.

Here's the deal, guys.

Chair number two, that's the Barka lounger of the faith.

That's the lazy boy chair of the faith.

That's where the majority of Christians stay is in chair number two, because we're good.

I'm going to heaven.

That's really.

What was the goal?

And we don't grow beyond that.

We don't start actually.

I mean, let me, let me roll.

I'll step on a few pinky toes this morning.

When's the last time you actually shared the gospel with somebody else?

Like flat out said, look, I believe in Jesus and I want you to as well.

And this is what the God, this is what the Bible says about Jesus.

He died on the cross for you because he loves you.

When's the last time you actually shared the gospel with someone?

Or is your poor or is your idea of talking to other people?

Yeah, I love God.

Big guy upstairs.

And we think that's fishing for people.

One of the biggest misnomers of all time and things that, that a statement that I think

has been so overused and absolutely false.

I've heard it said, preach the gospel at all times.

Sometimes use words.

It's not how it works.

It's not like you're going to be a really nice person.

And somebody is going to go, Hmm, I think they know Jesus.

I don't think that's going to happen.

In fact, let's switch it.

If your life says, I don't know, I don't know.

If your life says nothing about Jesus, don't ever use words because we can do worse for

the gospel by doing it that way.

Our lives need to match up with what we say.

We believe, including when we fail, we're not being called to perfection, man.

I'm totally off base here, but we're off notes here.

We're okay.

The reality is, is we're not called to perfection.

We can show the gospel of Christ even when we mess up because it shows you need forgiveness

too.

And it shows how to seek forgiveness.

See, I think sometimes we think we've got to get it all figured out before we actually

do this thing, become a worker and start doing it.

Start telling others about what it means to follow Christ.

No, you're learning to follow Christ as you help others follow Christ.

You don't ever have it figured out.

I've told you many times, I'm 47, still don't got it all figured out.

And I've talked to Les Mack, he's 98, 98.

Les, do you have all your stuff together?

No, I don't think so.

So if Les doesn't have his stuff together, I've got no hope.

I mean, that's just the reality of it.

All right.

The reality is, is we're all learning and growing.

We walk the path together.

And as I was looking at this,

this week, we're going to be looking over something called the Romans road.

You all got these little cards, you know, these are for you.

I'll get to it in a minute.

There's at least, I think there's, well, there was one for like every other chair,

but we have some more if you want them.

But I got to thinking, we're, we're talking about reaching people for Christ this morning.

It's the first part of our vision here at the river church.

What are we actually calling people to?

Do we actually understand what we're calling people to?

The commitment we're asking people to make.

In fact, what is our commitment to the Lord?

So there's some basics we have to understand.

When it comes to reaching people for Christ and the Romans road is a fairly easy way to

discuss how to come to know Christ and the basics of what we, what you must believe in

order to accept Jesus.

Because my friends, there are things we have to believe.

This is not just intellectual ascent.

Yeah, I believe there's a God.

That's not a saving faith.

And I'm going to get to grace here in a minute, but a saving faith is not, I'm a Christian.

I believe in God.

No faith and repentance is what it is.

And that's what the Romans road is.

Romans road talks about.

And so the first thing on here, it says all have sinned, all of sin.

And we see in that in Romans three 23, which says for all have sinned and fall short of

the glory of God.

Every single person has sinned.

Every single one.

There's no one perfect.

In fact, in Romans chapter three, just ahead of that, Paul used some of the old Testament

and quoted the old Testament to talk about specifically what sin has done.

And I want to read that.

It's Romans three, 10 to 18.

It's not on the screen.

But I want you to listen for a second.

Paul says this as it is written, none is righteous.

I guess I did put it on the screen.

All right.

Prize myself on that one.

All right.

None is righteous.

No, not one.

No one understands.

No one seeks God.

All have turned aside together.

They have become worthless.

No one does good.

Not even one.

I mean, together they have become worthless.

Really encouraging this morning.

Verse 13, it gets worse.

Their throat is in.

They use their tongues to deceive.

Just look at social media today.

The venom of asps is under their lips.

Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.

Oh my God, who's listening to music today?

Their feet are swift to shed blood and their paths are ruined in misery and the way of

peace they have not known.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

We live in a society that's trying to tell everybody you're good.

You're enough.

You are a good person.

You have good in you.

That is contrary.

Completely contrary to what the Bible has to say.

We can do good things as people, but in our hearts, we are inclined to do evil all the time.

We are.

I read something on social media recently.

It's this new meme going around talking about, I finally come to a point where, you know,

I no longer believe that God is angry at me all the time.

And yeah, you're right.

Because if you know Jesus, he's not.

The whole point.

If you know Jesus, yes.

And yet we still want to become more like Christ.

And I still feel guilty over the things that I shouldn't do.

Paul talked about that a few weeks ago.

The things I know I should do, I don't do.

The things I do, I shouldn't be doing.

I'm a moron.

That's my translation.

But that's what Paul said.

And I'm the same guy.

I would imagine you're the same man or woman.

He also says in Romans chapter 8, there is now no condemnation.

And yet God is right to be angry at sin.

He talks about it in Romans chapter 1.

In fact, in verse 18 to 23, he says this.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness among,

of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them.

For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature,

have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world

in the things that have been made.

So they are without excuse.

We are without excuse.

I've shared this before, but not everybody's heard it.

I had somebody early on in my ministry come to me.

It was a dad who was like, I'm having a hard time believing in Jesus.

I don't think he's fair.

I'm like, why?

He goes, well, and these were his words.

He goes, so you're telling me or what happens to the Wanahakalugi Indians on an island somewhere

that never hears about Jesus.

He says, I've never had a Christian tell that straight to me.

And I said, well, here's the thing.

Jesus said something really, really straight.

No one comes to the father except through me.

It's all about what you do with Jesus.

So if they haven't met Christ, they won't be in heaven.

There's no other way to interpret God's word.

There really is no other way.

However, I also believe that God is extremely just and he is loving.

And I've heard way too many testimonies of people in like the Muslim world who really

want to follow God.

They're like, they pray and they ask God, reveal yourself.

And Jesus meets him in a dream.

And then they search and they find Christ and they're kicked out of their family.

I mean, it's just, it's sad.

But at the same point, it's beautiful because they find Jesus.

I truly believe what God also says that if you seek me, you will find me when you seek

me with all of your heart.

I believe that God's word says that.

And so if those want to hawk a loogie, Indians are seeking God with all of their hearts.

I believe either a missionary is going to show up one day or God will reveal himself

to them in some way.

I believe God is just.

And so the reality is, is nobody is without excuse.

You can say, well, well, I didn't know about God.

There are unreached people groups.

There are people that have never heard the name of Jesus still on this earth, mainly

in a certain longitude and latitude in Asia and Africa.

And we want to reach him for the cause of Christ.

It's why we send out missionaries.

But God is.

Revealed himself to us.

And all of us have sinned.

The second thing is this.

There's a consequence of sin.

Romans 6, 23 for the wages or the payment of sin is death.

But the free gift of God's eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

There is a penalty of sin and it's death.

It's spiritual and physical death, spiritual and physical death.

We're separated from those we love forever.

We're separated from God forever.

And we're like, wait a minute.

That doesn't sound like it's a loving God.

And people will say things like that.

But here's the thing.

God gives us what we ask for.

He gives us freedom.

If you don't want God, you don't have to have God.

But there are consequences to that decision.

If you want God, you can have all of him.

And there are consequences, though I believe very good consequences.

There are consequences of that decision too.

Because we surrender our lives to the one who made us in the first place.

Where we find more fulfillment and more freedom actually.

But we think we have a convoluted idea of freedom.

And there's consequences to sin.

And it's spiritual death and it's physical death.

But there's a free gift of God through Jesus Christ.

And then it says Christ died for us.

But God shows his love for us in this.

That while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

And this is the key.

This is how we know that God loves us.

I know that I can stand up here this morning and tell you that you are love.

And this is how I know that.

1 John 3.16.

By this we know love.

That he laid down his life for us.

And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

I know God loves you because he died for you.

He came to earth and put skin on.

And he died for every single one of you.

He died for me.

He died for you.

To pay for your sin.

To pay the penalty that we don't want to pay.

He did it.

And once we know those things, we confess and believe.

Romans 10.9 and 10.

Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.

And believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.

You will be saved.

For with the heart one believes and is justified.

And with the mouth one confesses.

And is saved.

You confess Christ with your mouth.

So in other words, it's an inward belief.

And inward, I'm putting my flag in the sand.

I am following Christ and giving my life to him.

But it's not just that.

Because if it's in here, it's going to come out here.

That's what we're talking about.

So we confess and we believe.

And then salvation comes.

Romans 10.13.

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

And this card right here gives you the plan of salvation.

I just spoke.

This is exactly what you could talk to somebody about.

This is what it takes to know Christ as Savior.

This is what it takes to believe.

And again, I've said this before.

But believing is not just going, oh, I just kind of believe it.

I just love God, whatever.

Yeah, Jesus is.

But I'm going to go do whatever I want.

Believing, again, I'll use another illustration I've used in the past.

I believe in this chair.

I believe in it wholeheartedly.

I love it.

It looks sturdy.

It's a bland color.

But it's good.

You know?

It's a good chair.

You ask me, well, Josh, why don't you sit?

Well, I don't, uh-uh.

I'm not so sure about that chair.

Do I actually believe in the chair?

I only believe in something when I commit my whole self to it and lean in the chair.

Because at this point, if this chair fails, my rear end's on the ground.

And embarrassment and all kinds of stuff, right?

So many Christians walk around going, I believe in Jesus.

I believe in Jesus.

I believe in Jesus.

I believe in Jesus.

And something happens.

It goes, oh, that chair doesn't look so good.

There's no way I'm sitting in that chair because I don't trust it.

I truly believe in Jesus.

Now, that's not to say that we don't struggle.

I struggle with trust.

I struggle with trust in Jesus all the time.

But this takes us to our next segment this morning.

The differences between common grace and saving grace.

One last thing I want to make sure we understand and what I would add to the Romans Road, but it's not in Romans, is Ephesians 2, 8, and 9.

That says, for by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing.

It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

My friend, you cannot earn God's favor.

Because here's the deal.

God loves everyone.

Every single person on the earth.

And you're going to hear about it here in a second.

There's nothing you can do to make him love you less.

There's nothing you can do to make him love you more.

But it does take faith in God to have a relationship with him so your sins can be forgiven.

You cannot earn it.

I hear so many people think that, you know, man, I'm a good person.

That's great.

Being good doesn't save you.

It doesn't.

Only faith in Jesus Christ saves.

But let's think about this for a minute.

There's a difference between common grace and saving grace.

Every single one.

Every single one of us needs grace, right?

Every single one of us wants grace.

Sometimes until we're the one asked to give it to other people, though, right?

That can be hard.

But in order to understand grace, we have to have a quick definition.

Grace is getting something that I do not deserve.

That's grace.

Mercy, on the other hand, is not getting what I do deserve.

So we're talking about grace.

And God gives grace to the entire world around us.

It can be easy to really think that things are going well with God or somebody knows the Lord or whatever when things are going well.

I mean, especially when...

You know, the guys winning the Super Bowl.

Yeah, woo.

You know, they're all of a sudden giving glory to God because of whatever happened on the football field.

I don't know about the rest of the week, but at least at that moment, they're loving the Lord, right?

It can also be easy to think that if things are going poorly for someone, they're not going well with the Lord.

Everyone needs Jesus no matter how good or bad we think someone is.

But grace is given to every single person on the earth.

Every single one.

Just the fact that you have breath in your lungs, we have to understand that is the grace of God.

It is the grace of God that you can breathe every breath.

It's God's gift to you.

To every single person, it's God's gift.

We've also established, we've talked that all of us, every single one of us in this room, every person on the earth, we're evil.

We're sinful.

We're evil all the time.

How can God give grace and even blessing to sinners who, as Paul said, only deserve death?

That's what we deserve.

It's not what we get because of grace, right?

How can God do that?

Now, this isn't two kinds of grace, but it's how God applies his grace to people.

Common grace, as defined by Wayne Grudem.

Who's a theologian, says this.

It's the grace of God by which he gives people innumerable blessings that are not a part of salvation.

The word common here means something that is common to all people and not restricted to believers.

Jesus actually talked about common grace.

Matthew 5, 44 to 45 says this.

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven.

For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good.

And sends rain on the just and the unjust.

The sun and rain represent the daytime and life.

It's how food is given.

It's the grace of God.

So what is common grace?

Here's some examples of common grace.

In the physical world, I already talked about breath on our lungs.

How about the ground that produces food and materials for clothing and shelter?

That's the grace of God.

He created it for us.

How about the ability to make a living?

It's God's grace.

If we begin to think that we've accomplished something, then you need to figure out how to create a human being.

And make it breathe and be able to tell your heart when to beat next.

Because you don't know.

God is giving you grace to be able to make that living that you make.

It's God's grace.

We view everything through the grace of God.

How about the intellectual realm?

How about the fact that we have intelligence?

Some of us.

I'll leave that alone.

And understanding.

Right?

We have intelligence and understanding.

God gives it to people.

The reality is every single person has a knowledge of God.

We see it in Romans chapter 1.

Paul talked about it.

Nobody has it.

I mean, you look up and you have to know there's something out there.

We try to.

I explain it away nowadays.

But you have to know there's something.

How about science and technology?

Do you really think we can come up with all this on our own?

God gives the ability for us to be able to find out what we found out.

How about just the use of raw materials to make an iPad or an iPhone or your phone that you have?

If you don't like Apple.

You know, it comes from the earth.

This doesn't just come together.

It's silicon, lithium, copper, aluminum, neodymium for magnets, and europium for screen colors.

I had to do a little research.

Actually, AI did it for me.

But the reality is.

The reality is that these things come from the earth.

And who in the world figured out you put this together?

But that's what.

It's the grace of God.

Medical research and treatments.

I'm so thankful for medical research and treatments.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be walking today.

13?

I broke my foot.

My big toe and the metatarsal all the way to my midfoot completely dislocated from my foot.

No ligaments attaching it to my foot anymore.

Second metatarsal.

Completely destroyed.

Looked like a grenade went off.

They put seven screws and a plate in my foot to put it back together.

And by the grace of God, I can walk today.

Can't do a lot of other things because I've got arthritis because it hurts.

But that's also because I'm getting older.

But the reality is, is thank God for medical treatment.

They can figure out you can put a screw in bone and it heals in a certain way.

And I can actually even bend my ankle.

I mean, it's amazing what we can do.

How about how a car is put together and run?

I know all you.

Engineers just went, well, it's because of combustion.

All right, whatever.

But the reality is you wouldn't have that knowledge if it wasn't by the grace of God, too.

How about the moral realm?

God put his law on our hearts.

Every single person has an innate knowledge of what is right and wrong.

I know it's right.

I know it would be wrong for me to walk up to Ken Harrison and smack him right up the side of the head because he has a lion shirt on.

Yeah, that too.

There is a lot of blue out there.

Here, I just I do this real quick just so you can kind of see.

But we have an innate knowledge that that's not.

It's all right.

But we do have that choice.

See, in all of God's grace, God gives us choice.

That's why it's common to all people.

The reality is if it was survival of the fittest, like we are taught sometimes, our world would be really more like the purge than what we actually live.

If you saw the previews for that movie, it would be just out of absolute chaos.

The laws that we have come because of God.

And because of this, many people like look like good people.

And that's where people.

People get hung up because I'm a good person and I won't believe in a God that sends good people to hell.

See, that's why it's so important.

We understand what the truth is, because God has never sent anyone to hell.

We have a choice.

But in the creative realm, you ever appreciated a sunrise or a sunset?

For me, it's more sunsets, a piece of art, an amazing play in sports, a good movie, an awesome meal because of the creativity that God has given to humans.

It's the image of God in us.

He's the ultimate.

He's the ultimate creator.

But there are some awesome things that are created.

How about in society?

Human government is the result of common grace.

I know some of you went, what?

Human government is supposed to be God, is given of God.

Would we have roads?

I know, touchy subject.

We mostly have roads.

But we have roads, right?

The restraints of evil, the enforcement of laws.

Again, government's tarnished by sin, but it is given by God.

It's grace.

How about non-profit organizations that are formed to help people?

Businesses that make a thing.

They're a widget and then provide jobs.

That's the grace of God.

In the religious realm, here's a great question.

Does God answer the prayers of unbelievers, people that don't know Jesus?

I pose it to you that the answer is yes.

Because he loves people.

And sometimes he even answers them.

1 Timothy 4.10 says,

For to this end we all toil and strive, because we have our hopes set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

The word Savior cannot mean a saving grace, a saving that changes.

It changes your eternal destiny, because that would contradict the rest of Scripture.

This has to be the more general sense of the word Savior.

That means he rescues from distress or one who delivers.

There are times that God delivers the unbeliever from their distress and he hears their cry.

I believe that.

Because he loves people.

He loves every one of us.

But here's the thing.

Common grace doesn't save.

It doesn't change the human heart.

Though it can and does make people ready to hear the gospel.

Because they see what God does.

It does hold back sin, but it doesn't conquer sin.

The grace of the cross is what conquers sin.

And giving your life to Jesus is saving faith.

But why would God give us common grace?

It's in 2 Peter 3.9-10 where Peter says this,

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some understand slowness.

But he is patient toward you, not wishing that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar.

And the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved.

And the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

My friends, there is coming a day when the patience of God will be exhausted.

And it will be too late for people to call on the name of the Lord.

And there's some of us, I would venture to say probably an overwhelming majority of us,

at minimum struggle with sharing our faith with other people.

We don't reach.

We just want to be nice.

We want to be kind.

And hope that a conversation starts.

And so we've been called to go and reach people with the gospel of Christ.

And so we've been called to go and reach people with the gospel of Christ.

And so we've been called to go and reach people with the gospel of Christ.

And so we've been called to go and reach people with the gospel of Christ.

And so we've been called to go and reach people with the gospel of Christ.

And so we've been called to let people know who Jesus is.

Not just come to church and let people try to figure out whether or not you're some incognito Christian.

And then they figure out, oh, you want to church?

And yet even in that, when people figure out you go to church, that's a great opportunity to say, hey, you want to come with me?

We struggle with inviting people to church, let alone telling them what Jesus did for them.

And I use this often, but I'll say it again.

If we had a cure to cancer, we would tell everyone.

Well, we might try to make money on it, but that's a side of the point.

But the reality is we'd want people to know.

When it comes to Jesus, maybe we don't actually believe that the day of the Lord will come like a thief.

And then the heavens will pass away with a roar.

And the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved.

And the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

And that God's patience is what holds him back.

Because there are people that need to know Jesus.

This is what I want us to go out of here this morning with.

My friends, walk with people down the road.

Go to the cross.

Help them see Jesus.

Questions about what they believe.

Ask them where they're at and what's going on.

We reach people for the gospel.

We're the ones that God has given the honor and the responsibility of declaring and carrying the name of Jesus to a lost and dying world.

You and me.

We need to declare that all have sinned.

We need to declare the consequence of sin.

We need to declare that Christ died for us.

That we have to confess and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

And under no other name under heaven is anybody saved.

It is the name of Jesus.

It's all about what you do with Jesus.

See, we can say, I believe in God.

Yeah, God, God.

We talk about God a lot.

But as soon as you say the word Jesus, things change.

You want to know why?

Because at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord one day.

And may they declare it now.

Because if they do it then, it's too late.

And I say that to anybody here this morning as well.

That if you don't know Christ as Savior, he died for you.

And you can have your sins forgiven right where you sit if you'd call on the name of the Lord.

So often you see me when I get most excited.

It's about this because I want to plead with you.

People need Jesus.

And we can't hold it in any longer.

See, the gospel calls a call away from sin to repentance, falling away from it and toward Jesus having faith.

But we have to know this.

James 2.19 says this.

You believe that God is one, you do well.

Even the demons believe and shudder.

You can say, I believe in God all you want.

That's great.

The demons believe in God.

But they're fighting against Jesus.

Who do you say Jesus is?

Have you given your life to him?

Wayne Grudem, that theologian, says again,

See, this isn't an intellectual assent.

This is putting all of yourself, your family, your finances, your future, your eventual death, all in Jesus.

There is no plan B.

He is the only plan.

Jesus is the way.

He is the way, the truth, and the life.

And his shoulders are big enough to carry it all.

I don't know why, but recently people's stories have really been affecting me.

It's hurtful for people.

Lost jobs, and you don't know what's next.

Loss of a loved one.

The loss of relationships.

Loved ones that have done something that's just crazy, that we don't know what to do with.

Another friend lost their dad and grandpa last week out at Oakland Christian.

He was 80, but I've often asked God to break my heart over the things that breaks his.

And maybe as I get older, I see it and I feel it more.

I don't know.

But at times, when I feel it more, I don't know.

But when I hear all of this, I think, what difference can I make?

Is there anything that I can do?

And as I was finishing this message, I've got to tell you, every week, almost every week,

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, depending on the day, I'm like, oh, I don't know how to end the message.

I don't know where you want me to go, God.

And God just almost, I'm going to say 90% of the time, he smacks me upside the head with what he wants.

I was just stupid scrolling on Instagram, and all of a sudden there's a pastor.

Giving an illustration, I went, okay.

You know?

Walk with people down the road of the cross.

And I say it that way for a reason.

Walk with them.

With them.

Don't stand on the street going, oh, you need Jesus.

You need Jesus.

And don't be a jerk for Jesus, okay?

That's not a thing.

Well, it is a thing.

It's not going to help.

See, there's a man in Christian history, specifically Christian history here in America,

that you've probably never heard of, but this person may be the most influential person in all of Christian American history.

He's back in 1934.

Mordecai Ham was this fiery evangelist holding revival meetings in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He was known for boldness.

He was known for bold preaching, calling out sin like it was his full-time job.

One night, two 15-year-old boys, just curious about the buzz, they sneak in to see what Ham's all about.

The tent was packed.

It was hot.

There were no seats available.

And so these two 15-year-old boys thought, ah, it's not worth it.

We're going to jet out.

But an usher, this ordinary guy, maybe retired, with a heart for God, grabs them and marches them right to the front row.

These boys hear Ham preach about Jesus' love and sacrifice.

And he says,

They both walked forward at the altar call, and they gave their lives to Christ.

What were the names of these two boys?

Billy Graham and Grady Wilson.

If you don't know who Billy Graham was, he would go on and be used of God to call millions,

literal millions of Americans, of people all across the world, to know Jesus Christ as Savior.

And Grady Wilson was the man who had the brain to put all of that together.

The name of the usher?

But he knows.

He planted the seed.

It's amazing how one quiet act.

It's amazing how one quiet act can change.

Here's the thing.

You and I are Christ's ambassadors.

We're his ambassadors.

And we're called to let people know that we are sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor things present,

nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And my friends, that love is made complete at the cross of Jesus Christ.

And so we carry the name of Jesus everywhere we go.

We call people to Jesus.

We won't let anything.

We won't let anything get in the way.

We stand in the gap for people.

We're going to love well.

We love well because Jesus first loved us.

We're going to love people around us even if we don't want to.

Because he loves me when I'm pretty raunchy.

And he'll love the people around you through you.

We make the phone call to show love.

We send the text because we know that we want to love people.

Not because they're a project, but because God loves them.

And maybe someday they'll know it.

We have the conversation.

We go have coffee with people.

We laugh together.

We eat meals with people.

We seek to know and love those around us to be an ambassador.

And we declare with our lives and often with our words,

be reconciled to God because he loves you.

You can't help everyone, but you can be an usher in a revival tent

that simply asks a couple of boys, hey, there's a spot up here for you.

Who is God calling you to be an usher for?

It could be the next Billy Graham.

But if it's not, walk with people down the road to the cross

because he brought us to his love.

We share it with others.

We reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your love.

I thank you for the cross.

I thank you for a mom who was in a real tough marriage,

took her son kicking and screaming to church every time the doors were open,

who had faith in you, who was far from perfect,

but had faith enough in you to cling to you every moment.

Thank you for a youth pastor and a student council advisor

who took a young man who could have gone many different ways in his life,

and loved me even when maybe they didn't want to,

when that young guy was being a bonehead.

I'm sure, God, we could have testimonies of a lot of different people like that.

Lord, I pray that we would be those people in the lives of others.

That, God, we would live a life for you that's far from perfect,

but desiring to follow you and to spread your love everywhere we go

and love those around us.

Help us walk people down the path to the cross.

If there's anybody here this morning that doesn't know you, God,

I pray that they call on your name this morning,

that they go to guest services if there's questions or try to pull me aside.

We can talk, Lord God.

I just pray that people here this morning would just know how much they're loved,

no matter where they are.

Once we know that, we'd offer that love to those around us.

Thank you, God, for who you are and what you've done.

Thank you for the cross.

Use us for your glory.

Help us to reach people with your love and your grace

and the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Let's stand and worship together.