The Heart of the Gospel: Missional Intentionality (Romans 10:14-17)
Below is my message from September 14th of 2025 in our fall vision series. You can check out the audio here.
Well, this has been a tough and terrible week. And what’s the typical social media response? When tragedy strikes? “Thoughts and prayers.” Right? And that’s become fairly controversial. The modern-day example of empty religion. Lots of talk. Not much action. But what can we actually do? Now to be very clear: east of Eden, in this fallen world, we have to expect evil. Sin is all around us. It’s inside each of us here. But do we just give up and give in? Just draw our curtains and turn on Netflix? Just battle here with our thumbs on our phones? Or is there something else we can actually do?
This morning, we’re again breaking from our walk through Matthew’s gospel to talk about our church vision. Last week, we talked about our love of Gospel Centrality. How we want to love and live out a robust vision of the gospel together. A gospel that’s about the cross - about Christ’s sacrificial death for us. And a gospel that’s about the kingdom - His perfect reign of justice and peace to come.
Today, we’ll look at our focus on Missional Intentionality - in this brief, two-part series we’ve called “The Heart of Karis.” What can we actually do - in response to all this pain? Here’s where I want to take us today. We’ll first look at our calling here in Romans chapter 10. We’ll then consider briefly how we’ve maybe lost our way. We’ll then spend the bulk of our time talking about the mission of the church. That’s before we finish up again in Romans, considering the stakes. Let’s jump in.
Our Calling in Romans 10:14-17
In the book of Romans, the Lord lays out, through Paul, the problem of sin, along with the hope of the gospel.
Here in chapter 10, that apostle laments the fact that His people, the Jews, aren’t responding to this good news. Right before those verses we just read, he lays out what their response - and ours - should be. Listen to verses 8 through 13:
Romans 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
Romans 10:9 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.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Romans 10:11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Romans 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
Romans 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Now what’s the good news? Again, Christ’s cross - and His kingdom. We hear both angles in Romans throughout. But how do we respond to what God has done? We “confess,” we “believe.” We “call on Him.” If we do, in Christ, we are “justified.” That means we’re declared righteous by God. We’re clothed with Christ’s righteous works. And if we cry out to Him, we also get “saved.” From what, you might ask? From our sin, from spiritual death, from the punishment we deserve. This is for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord.”
And that brings us to verses 14 through 17. The apostle gives this chain, these steps that have to happen, for someone to be saved. He words them as four rhetorical questions. “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed.” Believing comes before calling. “And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” Hearing comes before believing. “And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” Preaching comes before hearing. “And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” Sending comes before preaching.
And then we see this quote from Isaiah 52:7, where we spent our time last week: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.” That prophecy from that prophet has been fulfilled. In the coming of Jesus. And in His messengers for Him. And when they come and preach, it’s a beautiful thing, for sure.
Now not all will believe, verse 16 says. More specifically, it says, “not all have obeyed.” Not all answer God’s call. This fulfills, Paul says, Isaiah 53:1. But then so many do. The apostle sums up this whole section there in verse 17. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” To call on the Lord, you have to have “faith,” you have to put your trust in Him. And to do that, you need to hear - specifically the “word of Christ.” That’s the essence of what Paul says here. And it means we must be committed to our mission.
How We’ve Lost Our Way
But seems in America that we, the church, have lost our way. And we’ve not been faithful in living out this call. We’ve not relied on His power, first of all. Maybe some of you felt some syllabus shock this week. You thought, “I see no possible way I can do this.” It’s easy for us to feel that - as we look around us today. This message is too hard. No way they’ll accept it. I’ll just get torn up to shreds. So we live in fear. We choose our comfort. But as we do that, we’re missing the point.
If there’s anything Romans teaches, salvation only comes from God. It’s by grace, for His glory. It’s our job just so share it. And then to watch Him work. Our calling is to be faithful. And leave the results with Him. And it all starts with prayer. To lean into His power. This is bigger than us, for sure. And that’s the point.
Second, we’ve forgotten where we’ve come from. A passage that’s long been dear to Karis is Jeremiah 29. There God’s people are in exile in the evil Babylonian empire. And if there was ever a time for them to lash out, or to check out, that would have been the time.
But surprisingly, the Lord says to do just the opposite. In verses 5 and 6, God tells them first to plant roots - to “build houses,” to “plant gardens.” Make Babylon your home. The Lord says, have kids. See them married. And have their own. Root down. Get comfortable. Yes, there in that nation.
There are many today saying there’s been a shift in our culture. Where before we had things good. When we were valued and respected. But now, they say, a switch has been flipped - and we’re in a “negative world.” And that justifies bad behavior. Lashing out. Fighting back.
But friends, if you know the Bible - if you’ve read church history - that’s always been the case. God’s people have always lived in a negative world. Try living in Babylon. Or, as with Paul, back in Rome. Where unwanted babies were just tossed into the street. Where places of worships had prostitutes on site. And Christians were mocked for their narrow-minded beliefs. Not that much has changed, if we think about it at all. Christians have always been joyful outsiders, a prophetic minority. We can’t forget who we are, where we come from, my friends.
Third, we’ve also lost track, it seems, of our goal. Back in junior high, my best friend was into soccer. And I thought I’d give it a try for myself. But you could say it didn’t go very well. Two different times I kicked the ball back to the goalie. And it went right into the net. There was scoring going on. But it was for the wrong team.
Isn’t that so much what happens in America today? We may feel like we’re winning but for whom? For which team? Yeah, there are points being scored. But for the team of the Lamb? Or that of the dragon? We can move far away from the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. And try to dominate the opposition. To “own” our enemies. To reclaim this position at the top. But that’s the opposite of what the Lord calls us to do.
Back to Jeremiah’s words back in chapter 29. He second tells them to seek that city’s good. Look at verse 7: “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare, you will find your welfare.” Seek Babylon’s shalom - that’s the Hebrew word there. Work for their welfare, their wholeness, that city’s good. Devote to praying for that. And guess what? As you do, you’ll find it work for your good, as well. This is what the Lord tells His people back then.
Many of you caught a spectacle at last week’s game. A man had the opportunity to kick a field goal to win several thousand dollars. But at the last moment, he spun around and kicked the ball right at the sideline of that team we can’t stand. And then lifted up his shirt to reveal some choice words written on his chest. I’m afraid, friends, that’s often how we can come off. Isaiah and Paul say, “How beautiful are the feet!” But do people experience us this way? Or do they see us coming and responding with a sigh or an “ugh?”
Our goal is their good. And what’s really for their best? That they’d know the Lord, that they’d call out to Christ. But how are they gonna hear if all they see is hate? Yeah, our goal is winning, alright. But it’s winning them over.
The Mission of His Church
Well, on that note, let’s move to thinking about that goal. And I want to get there by asking four questions of my own. Here’s where we’ll go:
What are we called to?
Where do we live it out?
How can we accomplish it?
What does it look like in action?
First, what are we called to? And this is how I’ll put it. It’s to share and show this gospel of Jesus.
We have to share this gospel. It has to come through words. Again, the news of His cross, His work accomplished in the past. And the news of His kingdom that’s coming in our future. We have to tell people about this. Think back to Romans 10 once again. People have to believe. That means they have to hear. And that, of course, means, that we have to tell them that news. It has to come by word.
But it also has to come by deed. We also have to show this good news. And it all starts with how we talk - our manner, our demeanor. Now don’t misunderstand me. People will be offended by us. Wait until we start going through Genesis! But it should be because of the cross. Over what His word says. And not because we’re jerks. We must share the truth. We can’t back down for that. But we have to present it with love. And accompanied by good works. Acts of service and kindness.
We also have to remember that we’re all whole persons. We’re body and soul. And we better concern ourselves with both. We speak to people’s hearts. They need to hear the good news. But they also need to see it and feel it and experience it, too. Jesus came to preach. But what else did He do? He healed the sick. He fed the poor. He cast out demons. Yes, He addressed their deepest need of all. But He also concerned Himself with their immediate needs, too. That’s because those matter, as well. And it’s hard to hear about the bread of life when your stomach is growling.
We have to share and show this good news. But I want to take it a bit further - the showing part, that is. We should also suffer for this gospel. The cross is the heart of the message we share. But it’s also the pattern we’re meant to follow. In a couple of weeks, we’ll see Barrabas in Matthew. He’s the man the crowd chooses, that they want to go free. It’s Jesus instead that they send to the cross. Barrabas helps us picture Christ as our substitute. But later in the gospel, we meet this man named Simon. Jesus is carrying His cross, where He’ll soon be hanged to die. And they grab this man. And they make him carry it for Jesus instead. And that points to this pattern of the cross, that we’re all meant to follow. Simon shows us a picture of that.
Isn’t that what Jesus said? That we’ve seen throughout Matthew? “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). That’s the problem with always fighting for power. For defending our glory. For clinging to our rights. We work against the pattern of the cross. That is mean to shape our lives.
In the book of Colossians, Paul says this really confusing thing.
Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church…
We think, “What?” Something is “lacking in Christ’s afflictions?” And you are “filling” them “up?” Seriously? What could Paul possibly mean? Now Christ’s wounds were sufficient - to pay for all our sins, to heal this broken world. What could possibly be lacking - in the sufferings of Jesus? Well, it’s the expression of them to this sinful, broken world. None of us were there. Right? We couldn’t see them in person. As we go and suffer for Him, we display the wounds of Christ to the world. And winning actually looks like losing.
Last week, we talked about two aspects of the gospel - the cross and the kingdom. There’s a way, I’m convinced, that we can show His kingdom, just as much. Back as a kid, growing up in Drexel, Missouri, I remember us changing our car’s oil, and just pouring it in the ditch. We can have this mentality - that all this world’s gonna burn - so why bother? What’s the point? Trash the planet. It’s no big deal.
But what if Christ’s kingdom was really coming down to earth? And He’s going to renew this world, and live with us here? Why would we work against that renewal He brings? Why wouldn’t we join with Him in that project? And give previews of that world to come?
Our lives can display “coming attractions” for this kingdom that’s ahead. And it can explain why we would talk about the gospel with a troubled teenager. And why we’d sit down with politicians and try to end all these shootings. We can show this good news of the kingdom, too.
I love the way N.T. Wright once put it:
“Every act of love, every deed done in Christ and by the Spirit, every work of true creativity – doing justice, making peace, healing families, resisting temptation, seeking and winning true freedom – is an earthly event in a long history of things that implement Jesus’s own resurrection and anticipate the final new creation and act as signposts of hope, pointing back to the first and on to the second.” (N.T. Wright)
Second, where do we live this out? We share and show this gospel in our city and to the ends of the earth. In our city. We don’t hide in our bubbles. We throw ourselves right in. We get involved in PTAs. We lift weights at the ARC. We hang out at the Farmer’s Market. We participate in cultural events. And as we do, we seek to tell about this gospel. And let people see it in our lives. We’re forgiven. We’re free. We have hope. We have peace.
We don’t have to get on a plane to be a missionary. We’re called to make disciples right here, where we’re at. We’re all missionaries. Sent by God. Into this city.
But we also want to be a part of taking it to the world. We help send people to the nations. We pray about going there ourselves. We especially think about groups that haven’t yet been reached with the gospel. And we see it as a blessing - and not some kind of problem - when the nations come to us. When they’re on our doorstep, it’s not “get off my lawn.” It’s instead, “Would you join me for dinner?” We are a people who share and show a robust vision of the gospel together.
Third, then, how can this be accomplished? Some of this will be a review. Abiding and delighting. How do we become those who want to share this good news? We have to love the gospel ourselves. We talk about what excites us. We freely share what we love. It all starts with our relationship with Christ.
We have to abide in His love. And rejoice in it ourselves. And then, and only then, will we be motivated to share. And will people even listen.
Praying and trusting. It again all starts with prayer. We pray for our hearts - that we’d move out of comfort, that we’d fight through our fears. And we pray for the hearts of those around us - that God would open doors. And then He’d speak through us. And then we just have to act. And trust. And believe that He will work.
Going and sacrificing. We go into our offices, our classrooms, our streets. And we bear this good news. And we lay down our lives. Our lives take the shape of the cross. We pour ourselves out. So that others can drink up. Of the living water.
Proclaiming and previewing. We share this good news of Christ’s life and death for us. And our lives again give pictures of this kingdom that’s ahead. By word and deed. To body and soul. We carry this gospel.
Training and sending. We have to be a church that thinks way beyond these walls. We have to think about the kingdom, about the future. Not just the here and now. We commit to raising up leaders. And then sending them out. We give up our best people. And we really believe that through losing, there’s gain. We become a leader factory. A training center. We become a sending station.
Multiplying and rejoicing. We don’t just try to add people and dollars and buildings. We seek to multiply - disciples of Jesus, and leaders for Him. Our missional communities - all over our city. We also work to plant churches. Here in America. And all across the globe. And this brings joy - as we see the Lord use us and work.
Fourth, then, what could this all look like? Let me give you some glimpses. This is you, stocking those Walmart shelves. And someone next to you opens up about their struggles. And you listen to them, and you share with them your hope.
You offer to take a homeless man out to eat. And you look him in the eye and show him he matters. And you share with him all about the great bread of life.
This is you sitting next to that lonely student in class. Striking up a conversation. Going out for lunch. Sharing your class notes. And even more Christ’s love. Offering a listening ear. Talking about this hope that you have.
This is you reading the Bible with a young woman with questions. Or taking groceries to a widow who’s short on funds and friends. Or cleaning the wounds of one of your patients. And occasionally getting to share with him about the wounds of our Lord.
It might look like you sitting and helping a refugee with English. Maybe you use the Bible. Maybe you don’t. But you welcome him, you befriend him, you extend him Christ’s love. And you might even call some politicians to speak on his behalf.
This looks like these three Karis women who are serving with CASA. Angela and Mary who serve on the staff. And Liz who gives up her time for the board. And for my wife and all the others here that serve as volunteers. Giving a voice to those in the foster care system. Plus, all the people here that have been foster parents themselves. Why would anyone do this? Because the Father has brought us into His home. And we long for a day and a place where no one is without parents and family ever again.
This looks like this church planted in Pittsburg, Kansas last month. Radiant Church. They were planted by Rooted Church in Joplin. That church was planted by Rooted in Northwest Arkansas. And their pastor is a man named Ryan Worley. And he was in Karis for a number of years. That means we planted a church that planted a church that planted a church. In other words, we now have a great-granddaughter church! And this is all because we chose to care more about the kingdom and the future than our here and now. We sent out our best. It was hard but it was good.
Another example: if you head over to Morganton, North Carolina, you’ll encounter Mission Church. And there are not one, but three Karis families there. We sent Billy and Hannah Glosson. And not too long after they took the Tooleys and the other Glossons, Dan and Lori, there with them. And now there is this growing gospel presence in western North Carolina - all because God choose to use fools like you and me here.
This past summer, I got to check out our partners in Japan and Brazil. These are former members, interns, true family to us here. The Glossons and Rices serving in Japan - they’ve chosen to go to a very unreached place. And serve Christ in difficult ways. The Still and Papps in Brazil. They’re serving among the poorest of the poor. Sharing and showing the good news. I miss them all so much. But it’s where Christ calls.
Over in Kansas City, there’s this museum I love. It’s called the College Basketball Experience. And there is this really awesome display that shows the coaching tree of the greatest coach of all time, John Wooden. Now he won a lot of championships, the most ever, I believe. But you should see this tree. It’s really amazing. It’s so massive and complex, it’s easy to get confused. But when I first saw that, I thought of us here. And I decided. I’m sure we’ll never be the champions of churches. Not like it’s a competition, of course. But I think God can turn us into a pretty great tree. And that’s been my hope, my prayer - one we’re seeing God answer.
Today marks 37 years from the death of Amy’s mother. She lost her mom at 12 years old from a tonsillectomy gone bad. A doctor made a fatal error. He nicked her carotid artery. And her mom bled to death on their bathroom floor, shortly after returning from the hospital, right in front of them. And that doctor’s mistake took away the most important person in her life. Now that led to Amy spiraling out of control until God saved her in her early twenties. But it also caused her to go into nursing.
A few years back, Amy finally found the number of that doctor. She had long felt compassion toward the man. She called and left a message. And he finally called her back. And Amy was able to share the gospel of Jesus with him. He shared all the guilt he’d carried since that terrible day. And my wife was able to express her forgiveness. It was beautiful. And so has been her working at the hospital, caring for the bodies and hearts of so many made in His image. Karis, this is what God calls us to. It’s what missional intentionality looks like.
Romans 10 and the Stakes
Let’s briefly head back there to Romans chapter 10. Now what’s the answer to those four rhetorical questions. It’s “they can’t,” is it not? “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?” They can’t. “And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” They can’t. “And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” They can’t. “And how are they to preach unless they are sent?” They can’t.
You may say, “You’re saying that people really aren’t saved - unless they hear this good news of Christ?” No. I’m saying God’s word says that. And that’s what the Church has always believed. We’re not the first church surrounded by lots of different faiths. We’re not the first of God’s people mocked for their way of life.
We may not have every question we have answered. But we can choose to believe what Scripture clearly says. That God the Father wants to make everything about Christ. About His life, death, and resurrection. About this kingdom He brings. And He calls us to make much of it, too. To make that message our mission. And He’ll turn us into messengers that embody it, too. Yeah, it’s God who does all the work. But He uses us. Without us, and our answering this call, “They can’t.”
More than Thoughts and Prayers
Now I know many of you caught the big rivalry game last week. Finally, fourteen years of talk got settled on the field. With a lot of action. We didn’t just say what we thought of them. We showed them. Pretty fitting coming from Missourians, don’t you think?
What can we do about our biggest problems of today? Well, there’s nothing more fundamental to Christianity than prayer. We do things in God’s strength, for His glory alone. It has to start there, for sure. But it can’t stop there. That’s because God uses means - people like us. Our faith gives birth to action.
And what do people need more than anything else? Faith in Jesus. Hearts that trust in His cross. And hope in His kingdom. And they can’t call out to Him, they’ll never believe, if we don’t share the good news of the gospel with them. But those souls have bodies. And they live in this world. They get cancer. They get stabbed. They experience racism. They lose jobs. And they need to not just hear this gospel. They need to see it.
We can’t just share it. We have to show it to them. A preview of His kingdom. How one day things will be. And they don’t just need the cross preached to them. They need to see its pattern in our lives. As we suffer, as we sacrifice, out of love, for their good. We are a people who share and show a robust vision of the gospel together. Let’s pray, Karis.