How then shall they call on Him in Whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him in Whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? Romans 10:14-15
As a reporter, one of my favourite words was ‘how’. It is one of the most basic questions that a reporter always asks when talking to people about an event that has happened or a situation that is newsworthy. Many times, I would simply ask the question, ‘How did it happen?’ and sit back and let the person talk. I remember one occasion when I contacted an ambulance driver about a harrowing accident that he was involved in on an icy road. I turned on my tape recorder, asked the question, and he gave me about five minutes worth of riveting description of the incredible experience. The story made national network news, and was the most memorable report I had filed in many months. The little word ‘how’ is very powerful. And the apostle Paul uses it to great effect in today’s text.
The questions using the word ‘how’ in our text are rhetorical questions, but they are very important. Paul is trying to get us to realize the importance of several critical aspects of the Gospel. He places these aspects in reverse order: the sinner calling on the name of the Lord, the sinner believing in the Lord, the sinner hearing the preacher, and the preacher being sent. We know all of these steps. The first three brought salvation to us. The last one brings salvation to others. We do well to remember the Holy Spirit’s working in our experience to bring us to Christ. We also do well to remember the need of others who have not heard the Gospel, or who have heard but are not yet saved. What are we doing in terms of sending forth preachers?
For some folks, spreading the Gospel is a shoe-leather exercise, involving many activities such as preaching, handing out Gospel tracts, visiting, witnessing, offering people a drive to a Gospel meeting, and many more. For others, spreading the Gospel is a pocket book exercise, in which money and resources are willingly provided to help preachers, missionaries, and others involved on shoe-leather exercise. Still others spread the Gospel from their knees. Fervent, effectual prayer warriors have done more for the furtherance of the Gospel than any other type of worker. And then, there are some dear saints who mix and mingle the various exercises. All of these are used of God in reaching precious lost souls.
What form of Gospel spreading exercise do you use? How can the lost hear, unless we are involved in sending the preachers? -Jim MacIntosh