David Platt Messages
David Platt Messages is a podcast that highlights sermons from teacher, author, and pastor David Platt.
David Platt Messages
What Happens to People Who Never Hear the Gospel?
In this message, David Platt shows us that those who never hear the gospel stand condemned before a just and holy God.
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You're listening to David Platt Messages a weekly podcast of sermons and messages of pastor, author and teacher David Platt. Today's episode is a rerun of one of our most listened to messages of all time.
Speaker 2:All right, let's just be honest here From the start. What we're talking about today is crazy. Why would any one of us leave the comforts of life here and move to a remote village in Afghanistan or a 100% Muslim city in the Middle East, or to an impoverished refugee camp in Bangladesh and these may sound like extreme examples, but they're not Like unreached people are unreached for a reason they're hard to reach. They're difficult to reach Some situations. They are dangerous to reach. We've said before, all the easy ones are taken. So why would you leave here to go there as a single, as a couple, as a family with young kids or teenagers, as a grandparent with grandkids you want to spend time with, as a retiree like, why would you spend your last years there instead of here, last year's there instead of here? In order to answer that question, I want to flip the question and I want to ask what happens if we don't go? What happens if we stay here? So we have said that over two billion people are in the red right now. People just like you and me, like singles, couples, moms, dads, kids, grandkids, just like our kids, and these places in the world who don't have access to the gospel, which means so practically what that means. If you live in an unreached part of the world, the likelihood is that you will be born, you will live and you will die without ever even hearing the gospel, not ever even hearing the good news of God's love in Jesus. No one will ever tell you the truth about what God has done to save you from your sins. Well, if that's the case, it begs the question, doesn't it? What happens to those people when they die? What happens to people who've never heard the gospel when they die? That's a pretty important question for over 2 billion people in the world, and I think most Christians in America, where the gospel has come, either don't know that there's over 2 billion people in the world who've never heard the gospel and don't know that, or hardly ever think about that. I prefer to think about things right around us in the world and not that reality in the world or if we know this, most Christians assume like surely they will be okay in eternity, even if they've never heard the gospel.
Speaker 2:I heard a pastor of a really large church near my hometown last week and I'd call out his name, but I think I need to call him first. He was asked this question and he said that God is loving. So, assuming people genuinely try to please God with their lives, they will go to heaven. So is that what the Bible teaches? And unfortunately we don't have a verse in the Bible that I could take you to right now and we read.
Speaker 2:Some of you may wonder what happens to people who never hear about Jesus, and here's the answer. But that doesn't mean the Bible is silent on this question. In fact, I want to show you that we have an entire book in the Bible written to answer this question. It's the book we've been reading as a church over the last week, the book of Romans. Let me show it to you. Look at me at the end of the book Romans, chapter 15, verse 18, because at the end of the book, paul, who's writing this letter to the church at Rome, tells us why he's writing the letter. Follow along with me.
Speaker 2:Romans, chapter 15, verse 18. Paul writes for I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum, I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ, and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand. This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you, but now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, I'm going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. All right, let's pause there. Let me help you understand what we just read.
Speaker 2:So last week, I used some maps that talked about how Paul and Barnabas left Antioch to spread the gospel where it hadn't gone. So let's pick back up where we left off last week with these maps. So Antioch's over here. On the far right eastern part of this map, the pinkish-reddish arrows represent Paul and Barnabas going out from Antioch, going and taking the gospel to places where it had not yet gone. In all these cities they're sharing the gospel. People are coming to faith in Christ. They're gathering together in churches. The blue arrows represent them.
Speaker 2:Coming back to Antioch, so that was Paul's first journey into places where the gospel had. Naya gone, sent out by the church at Antioch. That set the stage for the second journey. He took Antioch again over here on the right. He goes north, this time with Silas. They Antioch again over here on the right. He goes north, this time with Silas. They pick up Timothy along the way. They're going into places where he's already gone and that's when God says I want you to go to new places where the gospel is not yet gone.
Speaker 2:So they go up north to Philippi, thessalonica, down to Corinth we were reading 2 Corinthians last week Athens, ephesus, all these places where people are coming to faith in Jesus for the first time. Churches are starting for the first time. They go down to Jerusalem and then they go back to Antioch Again. That was kind of home base for Paul. That then sets the stage for his third journey.
Speaker 2:This time he leaves Antioch and you'll notice he goes to all the places. He's been no new territory, but when he gets to Corinth, right here, on this third journey, he sits down and he writes a letter. You'll never guess what letter that is the book of Romans. He writes a letter to the church at Rome. So let's ask the question why would Paul sit down in Corinth, right here, saying I want to write a letter to the church at Rome in which he says I'm going to Jerusalem to take an offering for the saints there, but then I want to come to you. Why did he want to come to Rome? Well, let's broaden the map here and let's see this picture. Here's Antioch, way over here on the right, jerusalem, corinth, where Paul writes this letter. Here's Rome.
Speaker 2:Paul says to the church at Rome there is no more work for me to do in these regions. That is an outlandish statement. Are you serious? Like no more work, no more gospels? It was like everybody a Christian in these regions. No, everybody was not a Christian in those regions. But disciples have made, church has been planted, the gospel was being proclaimed and Paul says it's time to move on to where the gospel is not yet gone, where they've not yet heard. That's why I'm writing a letter to you in Rome, because I need you to help me get the gospel where? To Spain. Now it makes sense why he wasn't planning to go back to Antioch. Is Antioch the best place to help him get the gospel to Spain? No, he's writing a letter to the church at Rome to show them why they need to work to help him get the gospel to those who've never heard it in Spain. That's why he's writing this letter. And just a side note here, that's really significant.
Speaker 2:Like every time I or anybody talks about taking the gospel to unreached peoples, places around the world, some Christians will chime in and say well, why do we need to focus there when there's so much need here, paul, why go to Spain? There's need in Corinth. You read 1 Corinthians. It's a messed up place. There's tons of need there. Why are we talking about getting the gospel to Spain? In the same way, so go to our contemporary map.
Speaker 2:People will say why are we talking about getting the gospel to Spain? In the same way, so go to our contemporary map. People will say why are we talking about going to Afghanistan or Turkey? Don't you see, pastor, like all the need in Washington DC? Don't you care about here? And some Christians would actually prefer we not talk a lot about global mission. And well, satan would prefer that as well, and I want to encourage you not to be in his camp. And God wants all the nations to know his love, including the nations right here and the nations far from here.
Speaker 2:So, absolutely, there is need in Washington DC and God is calling many of us to spend our lives for the spread of the gospel right here, just like many people stayed in Antioch in the Bible. But God is also calling many people to live for the spread of the gospel there and for those God calls to stay here, god calls us to pray and work and give to support those who are going there. We have a whole book in the Bible telling the church to work together to get the gospel where it's not yet gone. That's why we're doing what we're doing today. That's why we're praying for God to send people out. That's why we're doing what we're doing today. That's why we're praying for God to send people out, for the 10,000 people gathered at NBC today.
Speaker 2:Surely he's calling some maybe many to two billion people who've never even heard his name, and that does not mean we don't care about Washington DC. It means we care about what God cares about Washington DC and the world. It means we care about what God cares about, washington DC and the world, including Afghans and Turks and Baloch in Pakistan and Rohingya in Myanmar and Darfur in Sudan. Because, just pause, when we think here, our first thought is not enemies, our first thought is people created by God, who he loves and has sent his son to die for. And we've got to ask the question what happens to those people if we don't go? Well, let's ask the book of Romans, since that's why Paul is writing this letter.
Speaker 2:Let me show you seven truths in the book of Romans that answer our question. What happens if we don't go and share the gospel with those who haven't heard it? And we're going to hit them pretty quick. But see, hear what God teaches us in his word. Number one all people know God. All people know God. So this is Romans 1, 18 through 21. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth of God by their wickedness. Since what may be known about God? Listen to. This is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them, for since the creation of the world, god's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Then it says in verse 21,. For although they knew God, plain and simple, the Bible is saying here that all people everywhere, all over this map, have knowledge of God, no matter where they live. God has made himself known clearly in creation, in our hearts, so that all are without excuse. No one can say you didn't show yourself, he has shown himself to all.
Speaker 2:Of course, not all people say they believe in God. That leads to the second truth. All people reject God. Romans 1, 21 through 25. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. But their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore, god gave them over in the sinful desires of their heart to sexual impurity, for the degrading of their bodies to one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the creator, who is forever praised, amen. So this is the reality of sin in every person's heart, in my heart, in your heart and in every person around the world. We have all sinned against God, turned from God's ways to our own ways, from God's truth to our thoughts. All of us have, which then leads to truth number three there are no innocent people in the world.
Speaker 2:These initial verses in Romans Romans 1, 2, and 3, some of the most sobering verses in all of Scripture, from Romans 1, 18 to 2, 16, paul talks about the sinfulness of the Gentiles, the non-Jewish people, and you can almost hear the Jewish people like amening at every verse yes, they are bad. And then he gets to chapter 2, verse 17, and he says now you, if you call yourself a Jew, if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God, if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you've been instructed by the law. And then he starts talking about their sinfulness. He starts talking about how God's name has been blasphemed among the Gentiles because of them. It all comes to a head in chapter 3, verse 9 through 20, where we see this summary of humanity Chapter 3, verse 10, as it is written there is no one righteous, not even one, no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away. They have, together, become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves. Their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Ruin and misery mark their ways in the way of peace. They do not know there is no fear of God before their eyes. In other words, all people everywhere are guilty of sin before a holy God.
Speaker 2:And here's why this point is so important, because so many times this question is asked, like someone will ask well, pastor, what happens to the innocent man or woman or child in this remote part of the world who's never heard the gospel when they die? And if you were to ask me that question, I would say, without question, based on the Bible, those people go to heaven Even though they've never heard the gospel. Without question, that innocent man, woman, child would go to heaven without ever hearing the gospel, because they have no need to hear the gospel. If they are innocent of sin, they don't need to hear about. Jesus died to save them from sin. If they're innocent of sin, they'll go straight to heaven? Of course they'll go to heaven. The only problem is those people do not exist. Do you see how we bias the question from the start? Like toward us and our goodness and away from God? Like God is unjustly sentencing people to eternal judgment who are innocent. Like that's not true. There are no innocent people in the world just waiting to hear the gospel. There are guilty people all over the world. That's why they need to hear the gospel. There are guilty people all over the world. That's why they need to hear the gospel, which leads to truth.
Speaker 2:Number four All people stand condemned for rejecting God. Yeah, this is so sobering, but Romans 3, 19 and 20 just sums it up. We know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth is silenced and the whole world accountable to God. No one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law. Rather, through the law, we become conscious of sin. In other words, not only are all people guilty, silenced before God, but there is no amount of good we can do to overcome our guilt.
Speaker 2:All people are condemned for rejecting God, and this is true regardless of whether or not we've heard the gospel. This too is really significant because I think many professing Christians think, like the pastor I mentioned is teaching and unfortunately I would say the majority of pastors in America are teaching that if certain people never hear the gospel, like God is loving, that God will let them into heaven. God loves them and they never even had a chance to hear and absolutely God is loving. But think about this for a minute. Like I feel the emotion, the question, like truly I feel it. I've met so many of these people all around the world men, women, kids who've never heard the gospel. But if it's true, they will go to heaven precisely because they've never heard the gospel. Almost like okay, since they haven't heard. That's like a pass into heaven. If that is true, then what is the worst thing we could possibly do for their eternal state? Go and tell them the gospel. Right, I think about it.
Speaker 2:Unreached people. Before we got there with the gospel, 100% of them were going to heaven. Now that we came, they might go to hell. Thanks a lot, keep your gospel to yourself, live it up over here, don't come here. You just think. Practically right here in our city, there are people from the nations in our city, some who haven't heard the gospel. The difference is they have access to it. That's not over here, but imagine you meet somebody on the street. You say what do you know about Jesus? They say I've never even heard about Jesus. Okay, if you believe that person standing in front of you is going to heaven precisely because they've never heard about Jesus, then what are you gonna tell them? You're going to say well, if anybody tries to tell you about it, I put your fingers in your ears and yell really loud and run away, right, no, it totally undercuts everything we see in Scripture and we're told to go to the nations for a reason.
Speaker 2:The point here is, regardless of whether or not somebody has heard the gospel, all stand guilty before God and sin deserving of eternal separation from him. This is where Romans 3.20,. I just picture Paul in tears, like putting the pen down, just weeping. Then I picture him like picking up that pen, wiping the tears and saying but now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, and this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ. To all who believe.
Speaker 2:There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the what Glory of God and are justified freely by his grace for the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God has presented Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. What that means is God has chosen to pour out the judgment due sin upon his son in the place of sinners. Ha, truth number five God has made a way of salvation for the lost. God has made a way. We have all sinned against God, every single person in this room, at other campuses, every single person in the world. We are all separated from God. If we die in the state of separation from God, we will spend eternity separated from God in judgment for our sin. But yes, god is loving, he loves us and has made a way for us to be judgment for our sin. But yes, god is loving, he loves us and has made a way for us to be saved from our sin. God has sent his son, jesus, to pay the price for our sin. Jesus has taken all the payment do your sin, my sin upon himself on the cross and he has risen from the dead in victory over sin, so that anyone anywhere in this room, other campuses, anywhere on this map, no matter who you are, what you've done, god has made a way of salvation for you. And the way, the way is faith in Jesus. The way is not you working your way to God. The way is you trusting in what God has done to make his way to you. It's the greatest news in all the world God will save you from all your sin, give you eternal life with him if you will trust in his love for you. So do that today. If you have never done that, I exhort you, I urge you trust in Jesus today. Believe in Jesus and be baptized. That leads to truth.
Speaker 2:Number six People cannot come to God apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Can't come to God, people can't come to God apart from faith in Jesus Christ. Can't come to God, people can't come to God apart from faith in Jesus. It's Romans 3, 27. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded? On what principle? That of observing the law? Basically, that of what you do? No, but on that of faith, for we maintain that a man is justified by faith, apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God who will judge the circumcised, that's, the Jewish people, by faith, and the uncircumcised, the Gentiles. So that same faith, the whole picture, and it just goes on.
Speaker 2:Romans 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, like it's all by faith. This is how you and I, and people all over the world can be saved from sin by faith in Jesus. That brings us back to our question, doesn't it? How, then, can people put their faith in Jesus if they never hear of Jesus? And that is the exact question, the exact words Paul uses in Romans 10. Turn over there with me Romans, chapter 10, verse 13. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news?
Speaker 2:The picture here is crystal clear. People cannot put their faith in Jesus if they never hear about Jesus. You keep going down in your Bible. You look at Romans 10, 17. It says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Jesus, the word of Christ. So people can't put their faith in Jesus if they don't hear about Jesus and if they don't put their faith in Jesus, they cannot be saved from their sin. So get the picture Over two billion people, they cannot go to heaven if they don't have faith in Jesus and they cannot have faith in Jesus if they don't hear about Jesus. It's simple logic, and you keep going. Simple logic they won't hear unless somebody tells them Truth.
Speaker 2:Number seven Christ tells, commands his church to make the gospel known in all nations. I want to show you this. I want you to look here in Romans 10, at the verbs in this passage in reverse, and as you do, you will see God's plan for how the gospel will go to all the nations. How is the gospel going to go to all those people? Watch this Start at the nations. How is the gospel going to go to all those people? Watch this Start at the end. So how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, those who are sent out. So this is where it starts.
Speaker 2:Jesus sends followers to all nations. He sends out his followers. How can they preach unless they're sent? So what do those who are sent? Do they preach? Followers proclaim the gospel to all nations. When you see that word preach. It's not. They will stand up in front of a lot of people behind a podium and on a big stage Like, no, this is just speaking the gospel to other people, proclaiming the gospel. So Jesus sends his followers to all nations. His followers proclaim the gospel to all nations.
Speaker 2:When that happens, what happens? How will they hear without someone preaching them? So when we preach, people in all nations will hear, unless we're proclaiming the gospel to a wall. When we share the gospel, people will hear it. And when people hear, how will they believe? If they've not heard? When they hear, what will they do? Hearers in all nations will believe. Now, we know not everybody who hears the gospel when we share it will believe. We know that around us, right here as well as different places in the world. But don't miss this. We have confidence that some will believe.
Speaker 2:Remember the end of the story, revelation 7,. There's coming a day when people from every nation, tribe and tongue. All the people groups represented on this map are one day gonna be gathered around the throne of Jesus singing his praises for his salvation. You know what that means. That means you or I can go anywhere on that map, share the gospel with people there and somebody's coming out. I guaranteed somebody's coming out. So hearers in all nations will believe. When they believe, how can they call on the one they've not believed in? Believers in all nations will call and those who call from all nations will be what Saved. So there it is. There's the plan.
Speaker 2:Now look back at the plan there in those notes and ask the question where is the only place this plan can break down? All right, let's think. Let's go from the end. Will those who call on the name of the Lord be saved? Yes, guaranteed. Will those who believe call? Yes, those who believe will call in the name of the Lord be saved. Will those who hear believe? Again, we said not all will, but some will. Guaranteed, those who are here will believe. When followers of Jesus proclaim the gospel, will people hear? Yes, unless we're talking to a wall, they will hear.
Speaker 2:Then jump to the beginning. Is Jesus still sending his followers or is he taking a generation off? I don't think he has. Jesus is still sending his followers. The only potential breakdown in the plan is when followers of Jesus who have the gospel decide not to go and proclaim the gospel to people who haven't heard it. When followers of Jesus say we're just going to all live our lives in places where the gospel has gone and we're not going to leave and go where it hasn't.
Speaker 2:And people look at this map and say, well, I mean, surely God has other ways, right, god's working in dreams and visions. Don't you hear stories about dreams and visions across the Muslim world, this or that? Yes, absolutely. God works in all kinds of ways, including dreams and visions. But you will not find one verse in the Bible, in the book of Acts, where the gospel is going forward, apart from a human instrument proclaiming it. Even you got Cornelius dream vision. Peter, get up, go there. It's always through people.
Speaker 2:Could God use other means? Sure he could. God has the power to write the book of Romans in the sky tonight and boom, they're all reached. But he's not doing that. Do you know why? Because God, in his sovereign wisdom and kindness, has chosen to use you and me to carry the greatest news to the ends of the earth. And if we don't go, they won't hear and they won't believe and they won't call and they won't be saved. Like, do you see it, church? Like we are plan A for the spread of the gospel to the nations and there is no plan B, which is why I want to say to you, as pastor of this church, that we will be disobedient to Jesus as a church if we do not send out and support followers of Jesus who are taking the gospel where it is not yet gone. There are two billion people in the world, men and women and kids, who donate a church of 10,000 in Metro Washington DC with millions upon millions of dollars at our disposal, saying we're just gonna focus right here. Those two billion people need a church in Metro Washington DC. That's making disciples and multiplying churches right here in Metro Washington DC and sending disciples of Jesus to places where the good news of God's love is still not gone.
Speaker 2:Sending disciples in all kinds of ways through all kinds of jobs that God has ordained, whether this is a government taking you around the world through medicine, teaching, engineering, as students, professionals, retirees Like. What better way to spend your retirement than introducing people to Jesus who've never even heard his name? That is better than golf in South Florida. What better way? What do you want to be doing in your last years before you see your Savior's face? Make him count Like. The harvest is plentiful. He said it's plentiful. The problem is, the workers are few. God sent out many workers. You might think well, david, what kind of difference can my life really make and my family really make? What kind of difference can one church really make? Well, let's consider Paul, one man who wrote this book.
Speaker 2:Let's go back to this map that showed Corinth, where he's writing this book, to Rome trying to get the gospel of Spain. If you can tell, on this map and it's pretty faint, but right around Rome there's a little bit of yellow. Right here and around Antioch and north of Jerusalem there's a little bit of yellow. Those yellow areas represent the areas that were known to contain Christians at the beginning of Paul's journeys, like before he was sent out from Antioch. So you can see a little bit of yellow there.
Speaker 2:In just a second I want to show you a map that shows the regions known to contain Christians at the end of these three journeys that Paul took, and I want you to see if you can tell a difference. Look at this next map with me. You see this yellow light up right here, the specific places where Paul had traveled to with the gospel. And I'm not saying Paul was the only one who was impacting this map, but in light of the journeys we just saw, I would say Paul had a significant influence on that map. But you will notice what is not yellow Spain.
Speaker 2:Paul goes to Jerusalem, just like he said, ends up getting arrested there, ends up coming to Rome, not the way he had planned, in chains, as far as we know, never makes it to Spain. So what are we to conclude? Paul, you tried but you failed. You wanted your life to count, but forgetting the gospel, those who'd never heard of it over here, but it didn't happen. Before we draw that conclusion, let me show you one more map, and this map is going to show you the regions that were known to contain Christians within two short centuries after Paul's death. And I want you to see if you can tell a difference in this map.
Speaker 2:Again, I'm not saying Paul's the only one who impacted that map, but I am saying do not underestimate for a second what God will do through one life, one family, one church family, for the spread of his good news in the world. So my question is like MBC, church family, like what kind of impact are we gonna have on this map we've had up here the whole time that represents our world? Like let's put that other map up there. I just want you to see it. I want you to think about us. Right here. We have 100 plus nations represented in our church and one of the most significant cities in the world.
Speaker 2:God has put us in a prime position to impact this map, if we will take it and I want to say, based on the word of God, let's take it. Let's periodically, like we're doing today, just lay our lives on the table all of us, including me and my family, and just ask God are you setting some of us apart to go? And then we just do whatever God says to do? So that's what we're gonna do. And right now I wanna ask the question, every single follower of Jesus in this room and other campuses I want to ask you is God calling you, in light of this gospel, in light of the need like, is God calling you to leave Metro Washington DC for at least two months, maybe much longer, to spread his gospel among unreached people and places in the world? And if you think God may be leading you to that, then in just a second I'm gonna ask you to stand and I wanna be clear your standing one doesn't mean you're committing to pack your bags tomorrow and be gone.
Speaker 2:Standing doesn't mean you've got it all figured out. Your standing is saying I believe God may be calling me in this way and today I want to share that with the church. I want to start a process that, if God continues to lead, we'll move in that direction. It may be soon, it may be a while from now. We're going to give those who stand a way for you to communicate to us and we'll begin the process today of praying and seeking God with you along these lines. I and we'll begin the process today of praying and seeking God with you along these lines. I also want to be clear that if you are standing, that will not mean that you are a super Christian and if you are sitting, that will not mean that you are a lesser Christian. There's no such thing as two-tiered Christianity. The ultimate issue in this moment is not whether you are standing or sitting. The ultimate issue is whether you are obeying God's Spirit in your life Along those lines.
Speaker 2:Some of you are married. Maybe one of you is sensing God may be leading you in this way. You don't know what your spouse is thinking right now. Obviously, this is something you wanna talk about with them. But here's what I wanna invite you to do Even if just one of you is thinking this, I wanna invite both of you to stand, like if you weren't planning on standing, and then you see your husband or wife stand next to you, then you stand with them and, in that, just be saying together.
Speaker 2:At least one of us is sensing this in our hearts, so we want people to pray with us for us. Likewise, if you have kids, that obviously would be affected by this and I would invite them to stand with you as well. Or maybe there are kids, teenagers, who are sensing God speaking to you about spending your life where the gospel hasn't gone and you may not be ready to move out of your house right now, but we want to begin praying with you about how God may be leading you in the future. So I want to invite you to stand if you are sensing God speaking to you in this way. And parents, I invite you to stand with them in support of what God may be doing in them.
Speaker 2:I talk with so many college, high school, graduate students around the country who want to go to the nations, but their Christian parents are unwilling to help them get there. May that not be true among us. Regardless, the whole idea is, if God is speaking to your heart, for you to take a first step today, even just in prayer, sound good, all right. So here's the moment. All across this room, at every campus, is God calling you to leave Metro Washington DC for at least two months, maybe much longer, to spread his gospel among unreached people and places in the world. And if you are sensing that God may be calling you to do this, then I want to invite you to stand where you are right now.
