What if Someone Doesn’t Hear About Jesus?

Introduction

Good morning. Two are open in your New Testament with me to Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. As you think about all that there is to question about the Bible, understanding the Old Testament or how it works with the New Testament, or even the New Testament in and of itself, many questions come up, and conveniently enough, insert a plug here. Next Sunday, Lord willing, Ken and I will have the first question and answer session of 2019. Please continue to send in your questions. But know that sometimes we get questions that require a little bit more of a lengthy discussion. And hopefully this wasn’t a question intended just for Ken, but this morning we’re going to take one of those questions in mind at this time of study.

As you look in Colossians chapter 1, it’s interesting that Paul is talking about Christians and a church that has gathered and been collected, maybe 20 to 30 years after Jesus had not only been crucified, but most importantly, resurrected from the dead as well. And when you come to Colossians chapter 1 and verse 15, he illustrates the point of the crucial nature of Jesus. In verse 15, he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him. He is before all things, and in him holds all things together. Verse 18, he is the head of the church.

Verse 19, in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. And verse 20, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the very blood of the cross. Now, as you consider in verse 23, as you shift down, and Paul is starting to make an argument to the Colossians, to his brethren there, saying, Don’t leave, don’t turn your back, don’t give in to this kind of at the time modern day approach. In verse 23, notice the last phrase, very powerful and important. He says, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Notice that Paul says the gospel has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, just maybe 20 or 30 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Regardless of what that means in specifics, or if it’s figuratively that the gospel had made it throughout the world, whether or not every household had heard or not, that is striking and impactful and may help us as we consider the following question this morning. What if someone doesn’t hear about Jesus? What if somebody never has the opportunity in our year and our time on our map, or perhaps off the map, even, to understand the good news of Jesus? We certainly know, and those who are gathered here today recognize our God is alive, and much is known about God from creation.

In fact, in Romans chapter 1 and verse 20, we’re supposed to understand about God several things, including his divine power and his eternal nature from the creation of the world. In fact, Paul doubles down on that statement. Not only should he recognize two of these elements of God, but that those who don’t are without excuse, even. But just looking around and seeing the glory of God, recognizing the need for a creator, doesn’t help you understand necessarily the blood of Jesus being shed on the cross. The need for the resurrected Messiah. What about the person who never hears about Jesus? It is Paul in Colossians 1 23 who says, the gospel had been proclaimed to every creature. But turn to Mark chapter 16, and perhaps you even know this by heart.

But what was the great commission of Jesus to his closest disciples? Go into all the world, verse 15, and proclaim the gospel to every creature, to all creation. Verse 16, whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved, and whoever does not believe will be condemned. So Jesus says, go into all the world, preach to every creature. Paul says in Colossians chapter 1, the gospel has by and large, at least, spread to the creation of God. But what about that person who doesn’t hear today? Colossians was written in the first century, certainly. And we live in 2019. So we have to understand some basic things about someone who would never hear, and see that there’s a lot of this that applies to me too, and something I should do with that information.

1. God’s Law Always Applies to All People

So we’re going to study this morning in answering the question how might these principles of answering this tough question apply to me and what I should do with this information. Well, the first thing that has to be raised is that God’s law absolutely always applies to all people. As we consider an example in Acts chapter 10, consider with me the first Gentile convert. But in Acts chapter 10 and verse 1 and 2, he’s not yet a convert to anything. In fact, in Acts chapter 10, when we read about Cornelius, we recognize him and herald him as proof that the gospel was indeed for every creature. No longer just the Jews, but in fact the Gentiles as well. In Acts chapter 10, notice the scriptural designation of Cornelius.

I think this is interesting and powerful. In verse 1, at Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian cohort. Verse 2 importantly, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. It’s interesting that Cornelius is described in verse 2 as a devout man who feared God. That’s going to be a very important phrase because we recognize fearing God is of pivotal importance and showing our faith and accepting his offer of salvation. But we also have to realize something about Cornelius that God makes very plain to us. This devout man who truly feared God and acted on that fear and that sincerity of belief. Notice in verse 3, God has a message for him.

About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, Cornelius. And he stared at him in terror and said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God, and now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea. Now when the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier, and from among those who attended him, and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. Of course, why was it that Peter had to come to Cornelius?

Why did Cornelius, this devout man, get told by God in such a miraculous fashion to send for Peter? Because Peter had the words of life. Because Peter was going to preach Cornelius, the first Gentile, for the first time about the salvation that’s found in Christ alone. But we need to stop back and say, first of all, Cornelius is a, if he is a devout man who understands who God is, fears him, and someone in which the God answered his prayers pretty directly in verse 3. That then as we apply this conversation, we need to make one factual statement first. No one has ever been lost because of ignorance. Everyone who is separated from God is lost because we have chosen to sin and violate God’s will.

No one is ever lost because they don’t hear about a remedy. They are lost because they have been poisoned or otherwise disease ridden. That is a critical distinction. Sinparates us from God. The anecdote helps us overcome that relationship. The fact that Jesus’ blood was shed on the cross, and that we can share in that not only crucifixion, but the burial and resurrection to have a new man formed and raised is powerful, wonderful news. But we are separated from our God when we sin. And regardless of our background, we are responsible for keeping the law of God. Certainly Cornelius was a Gentile who understood God, but still needed to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. And also, if you look at Acts chapter 22, perhaps for study at another time in a more close fashion, as Paul is retelling of his conversion.

Paul was incredibly zealous. We could certainly apply without even the scriptures having to say so, he was a devout Jew. Again, somewhat like Cornelius, recognizing the proper God, the proper father of creation. And yet it was Jesus who said to him on the way to Damascus, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Whether it’s Cornelius’ devout faith or the passion and zeal of Paul, they were still guilty of not accepting God’s plan of salvation. And not only were they not only were they found guilty of not accepting God’s plan of salvation, they needed that plan of salvation because they had sinned. If we understand this, this helps us not only answer this question, but also the idea that sometimes is put forth when it comes to marriage and divorce or otherwise, are people who don’t obey God, who don’t believe God exists, bound by God’s law.

And the answer is yes. We are all bound by the law of God. You can choose with the free will that God has given you in the very creation to disobey him, to choose to reject him, to say he doesn’t exist, to live as if he doesn’t exist, or at a minimum to live as if he doesn’t matter. But God’s law is for everyone. It was for Cornelius, the Gentile, who didn’t know about Jesus the Christ. It was about Paul who crucified, or who excuse me, would persecute Christians who believed in the crucified Lord. Certainly it would apply to us as well. Sin separates us from God, and so we need the good news. Now remember, Cornelius is described in Acts chapter 10 as being someone who fears God.

But notice as Peter has arrived, as Peter is preaching to the household of Cornelius, who is said to also share in the belief and understanding of God, notice Peter’s conclusion about not only Gentiles but the Christian faith at large. In Acts chapter 10 and verse 34, Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I understand that God shows no partiality. But in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. And isn’t that wonderful news this morning? That in any nation, every single person here, regardless of your background, what you’ve done, where you’ve been, Jesus loves you. But he wants you to accept his offer of the forgiveness of sin. And it’s not just by saying, I think there was this Jesus.

It’s not just by saying I should do good things, it’s by fearing God and doing what is right. The good news is that’s available to everybody. And we know we can take comfort in this because it’s just like Jesus told in Matthew’s account of the Great Commission in Matthew chapter 28, the disciples were to go out teaching all about Jesus, baptizing the followers in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And by the way, commanding them to keep all that has been commanded. If we fear God and we do what is right, it doesn’t matter your background or where you’ve been, our God wants lovingly to forgive you, and he wants you to be his child. That is powerful, that is wonderful because the first point is true.

We have all chosen as adults to separate ourselves from the love of God by our sin. Not ignorance, not hearing the gospel, but by my sin. The good news is God says, I have an answer for that. If you will trust my way, if you will accept my son and my terms. And so we understand those ground rules, and interestingly, if you note throughout the New Testament, there’s the spread of the gospel message because the question is still begged. What about somebody who never does hear? Does God not have any compassion or care for them? And by the way, I should add from the forefront, we need to be very careful in answering a question of God directly, not to whittle too much on God’s end of the stick.

2. God Had a Plan for the Message to Spread

But there are some interesting ideas from the New Testament scriptures that we can understand some of God’s plan better. For example, go back to Mark chapter 16, and what’s going on at that time. Well, Jesus has been resurrected. He has been crucified, buried, left for dead. The disciples thought they lost, that their Messiah, the future King of Israel, had been put to death. All hope was gone, and yet Jesus was resurrected from the dead. There was life. The disciples were invigorated. They would trust that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior. He had promised them all along he would be. But the gospel still hadn’t gone anywhere. But notice in Acts chapter 1, if you look at verses 6, 7, and 8, God had a plan. Jesus reveals that plan for the message to spread.

In Acts chapter 1, how would in a world, oh, the horror of this that does not have an internet connection or even phone lines, get the good news about the gospel out anywhere? How could that happen? Acts chapter 1, Jesus said that it would. In verse 6, when they had come together, they asked him, the disciples said, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? Probably still missing the boat a little bit here, but Jesus stays on task in verse 7. It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Note this. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria.

And notice this last phrase as well, and to the end of the earth. And you know what you see in the book of Acts? You see Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem. You see the witnesses spread to Judea and Samaria. And certainly, wouldn’t Colossians chapter 1 teach us the idea that the gospel had in fact reached out to the first century world? God’s plan is better than our plan. God’s ways, as Isaiah 55 would write, are better than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are his ways higher than our ways. God’s plan is great. God’s plan is wonderful. And we need to be very careful that we act as if we can construe or think of some logical situation that puts God in a tough box.

The truth of the matter is, and we’re going to stop here for just a moment, is to say, not only are when we ask questions like this, are we sometimes in the back of our minds trying to put God in a box? Sometimes people will ask this question, trying to change the pathway that I’m supposed to be on. The pathway that we who are in this building and hear the good news of Christ are on. And when you think about that, we need these points of Scripture more than ever. I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Paul says in Romans 6.23, the wages of sin is death. But the other side of that verse that I think we sometimes forget, the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3. God Is in Control

How wonderful there is a remedy for our sin. Also, we need to trust that God’s plan works. God’s plan of salvation works. God’s plan for getting the message about salvation out works as well. But so as we start honing in then, as we’re boxing in our idea of how God would handle somebody who never hears, we have to stop and recognize one thing that Jesus approached his disciples with in Acts 1. I hope you’re still open there. Notice when they said, Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel? His first answer wasn’t yes. Now he says in verse 7 it is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by what? His own authority. God has authority. God has control because it’s his creation.

It’s his idea. Now we can think about what we need to do about this. We can think about all that there is to do in serving God and trusting in his plan. But ultimately, God is in control. And when I realize God’s in control, and I think about the fact that in the first century the gospel spread, I could give anecdote after anecdote of examples of the unbelievable happening so that people could understand the gospel message of Jesus. But allow me to give just one that I think illustrates firmly. The gospel spreads in ways we couldn’t even imagine. And one that’s deeply impacted me as well. Many of you may know that my mom was adopted. My mom was born, I believe, in Tampa, Florida, and was adopted by a couple in Orlando, Florida.

Raise your hand if you thought a baby born in Tampa, adopted into a family in Orlando, would marry somebody, a non-Christian from Illinois. I’d like to think that that was a pretty important moment, guided somewhat by the hand of God. Because in my mom’s adoption, she was raised to understand that good news of Jesus Christ. Taught that pathway and understanding to my dad, who then passed that on to my sister and I. And hopefully we will continue to spread that. But think for a moment if that adoption had gone somewhat differently. Would that mean that Jesus’ plan of salvation was different? No. But it may have changed the trajectory of my life. Might not have met my wife and impacting her life. Although some might say that’s for the better.

Think about just one move. One providential guidance changes the trajectory of lifetimes. Now, consider then, even what we mentioned last Sunday. Who would have thought that one teenage convert in the island of Antigua would impact a church in Orlando, Florida for 20 plus years? And as we illustrated last Sunday, Brother Victor who’s with us, and Brother Walcott Steele and his family have made a tremendous impact on the body of Christ here. Who would have thought? Who could have known? But God, who knows his creation, is in control. We don’t need to limit him. He has great control. And the good news about his powerful control is our God’s plan is not only better, his love is greater than ours. Look in 2 Peter chapter 3. Look in 2 Peter chapter 3.

4. His Love Is Greater Than Ours; God Will Judge

If you look with me there, you’ll notice in verse 8 that we are not to overlook this fact. That with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to count to fulfill his promise that some count slowness, but is patient towards you. Why? Not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come unto repentance. I think that’s powerful, whether literal or not, the idea that God is waiting, because he knows who will repent. And he doesn’t want one unnecessary soul to be lost. You know who can know that? Who that one soul is, or when that one soul is coming or where they’re living? Only God alone. Only God can know that.

Only God can destroy the world with fire. As you continue reading in 2 Peter chapter 3, you recognize that’s where the world is going. Not only is the world going to be destroyed, but there is a day in which God will judge. And praise be to him that he handles the judgment. Because even if nothing else is accomplished this morning in the lesson, recognize a couple basic facts. God is a just God. He is a loving God. And he’s capable of making these judgments himself. If we can say it this way, one way I was taught, the idea that I would not want to judge the entire world’s history of mankind, even if I could. And let’s be realistic. I could not, even if I would want to.

We just can’t. Only God has that capability and that understanding. Only God knows who are his. Only God could say, Cornelius, this member of the Italian cohort, he’s the right first disciple. He’s the one upon which other Gentiles would come flooding into the church. God’s plan does that. Peter had to be told in a vision and still didn’t really understand what was happening. Peter, one of the closest disciples of Jesus.

And there’s something powerful in Acts chapter 17. And it comes back to that word ignorance that we mentioned before. In Acts chapter 17, as Paul’s addressing the Athenians, he’s walking around and he’s talking with these people who trade and live and doing nothing but exchanging or wanting to hear something new. He doesn’t lecture them on the intricacies of the old covenant law. He starts with God. God who’s in control. God who made creation, God who doesn’t need their sacrifices, doesn’t need their temples. God is above this earth. But notice the conclusion that applies to Jew, Gentile, 21st century Americans alike. In verse 30, the times of ignorance, God has overlooked. But now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world and righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

Regardless of where we want to go with the scripture, there’s one crystal clear point. God will judge the world. And there is some point, in some definition of Acts chapter 17 and verse 30, that says, there were times of ignorance that God has overlooked. But verse 30 also teaches us now it’s different. And who is this law for? All people everywhere. That’s terrifying until you remember what Peter said. Remember, God chose no partiality. But in every nation, or might we say, all people everywhere. Anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. God’s plan is better than our plan. His understanding is better than our understanding. If nothing else, trust that God will be able to sort this out. But as it pertains to my faith, and as it pertains to an understanding of the 21st century world, we have to understand that God has a plan, and he’s made very clear in that plan.

5. Jesus Is the Only Path to Salvation

Sin has separated us from him, and that only accepting Jesus, his son, who was raised from the dead, can we have forgiveness? And by the way, in verse 32, it’s on that same basis that Jesus was resurrected from the dead that we can know for certain there is a day of judgment coming, in which God will be in control and deciding our fate based upon our lifetime. It leads us to one crucial point as we begin to wrap up this morning, which is two more points. The gospel message is very clear that Jesus is the only path to salvation. Jesus Himself, of course, said in John 14, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Not only is that what Jesus said, not only is that what Paul said in Acts chapter 17, notice in Acts chapter 4, again, there’s this Peter guy and the disciples of Christ around in Acts chapter 4.

As they are being rejected in verse 11, as they’re speaking to Jews who have every opportunity to be fair to know who Jesus was. Verse 11 says, This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders which has become the cornerstone. But notice verse 12, there is salvation in no one else. For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. This is a crucial point. Not just to say we all need Jesus, which we do. But can you think through the reverse eye of this question for a moment with me? If it was true that somebody could be saved, or another in any other way with God, without the gospel message of Jesus. Wouldn’t we be doing them harm by teaching Jesus to them?

If under hearing about Jesus for the first time, we’re now magically to be completely responsible and burdened by the law of Christ. If there is such a person who has never heard the gospel, we better stay away. Because they would be better off in their blissful ignorance to use that line of thinking. We know that cannot be the case. There’s no reading of the New Testament scriptures that the disciples, or most importantly, Jesus himself said, Hey, don’t teach this segment of the population about me, because otherwise some are going to be lost. We’d be better off leaving the entire island alone. Perhaps it’s why there was an American citizen about 26 years old. I don’t know if he was a preacher, consider himself a pastor or what have you.

His name was John Chow, or something like that. And he found himself off the coast of India in the recent months. And he wanted to go and teach the gospel message, drop the Bibles off with these tribal people who had been there for what CNN reports is 30,000 years. As he went began to approach, he wanted to bring them food as somewhat of a goodwill offering, and so that they literally wouldn’t kill him. And they started flinging arrows at him, shouting, warning. And so he fled away. By the way, breaking the law to do this. But he pays to get smuggled back into that a second time, or possibly third, depending on which report. And tragically, he was killed by these tribal people who did not want any outsider to come to them.

6. We Must Spread the Gospel to All

Regardless of your feelings on the tribal reaction, when we think about those people, can we be honest about a couple of things? First and foremost, murder is always wrong. It doesn’t matter what your background is. It doesn’t matter what you think might happen. Murder is wrong. And when it comes to John Chow, he was trying desperately to teach people who had never heard. Because he cared. Because he recognized whether right in dealing with the scriptures or not, people need the salvation of the Lord. And one startling conclusion of any lesson that focuses on this topic is that I, we must spread the gospel to all. If we are rightfully troubled by the fact there may be somebody who has never heard God’s message. If I am troubled that there is sin and they need Jesus, who has the only way out of sin, the only way to be forgiven, then guess who better be at the very front lines of trying to teach the lost?

It better be me. But if I can double down for one moment as we conclude the lesson this morning, how can I ever think about going somewhere like that? If I won’t even talk to my coworker or neighbors about the good news of Jesus Christ? Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature was a great commission from Jesus. It was something for the disciples, something that we can learn from absolutely, before the disciples. At a minimum, though, can we not see that God has given us a chance, an opportunity to know people, to recognize lives that need Jesus, just as my life needed Jesus. The true teaching. The understanding that yes, there is sin, but more importantly, there is a Savior who wants to deliver you from sin.

Conclusion

How wonderful is it that we have a God who cares for us, who has a plan, whose word of God spread in a time there was no internet, there was no post office, but the gospel spread in the first century world. How much more effective should we? How much more effective could we be in this world with the technological advances that we have? The question is, are we using them? And do we truly trust in God’s great plan? As we consider the lesson, recognize that, of course, as I said about halfway through, we can never whittle on God’s end of the stick. But certainly, when it comes to answering questions like this, it’s a time of reflection for my faith. First and foremost, with what I’ve I, what I have heard.

Am I doing what Jesus said? It’s Jesus Himself in Matthew 7 and verse 24 through 28 who says, There is the wise man who builds his house on the rock. He’s the one who heard and did the words of Christ. The foolish man was the one who did hear, but never kept them. Which camp am I in? Will you go to our great God in prayer with me at this time? Our dear God and most gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love. We thank you for your inspired word that we can read from and that perhaps to too often take for granted. Forgive us, forgive me when I don’t take full advantage of every opportunity that you’ve placed in our pathways. Help us to be dedicated to not only look up, but to have boldness and courage to walk through the doorways of opportunities, to teach the gospel to the lost.

And if I don’t have that passion or that zeal or that drive, help me to understand and to teach others to understand what I learned long ago, that there is sin that separates us from you, and that your plan is the only way to be reunited. Thank you for sending Jesus to be crucified on the cross for our sins. May we trust his words and follow in his pathway. We pray all these things in his name. Amen.