I'm Contagious - "How Beautiful Are the Feet of Those Who Preach Good News"

March 2, 2014

I’m Contagious

Beautiful Feet

Rom. 10:13-15

(Advance Slide #1)

Introduction

When we use the word contagious it is usually because we are sick and we don’t want to infect anyone.

• “Are you sick?” YES; “Are you contagious?” YES; “Then stay away!”
• What if I told you that we need more contagious Christians?
• • We don’t need you here if you are sick
  • We need you here when your “on fire”, and out there when your contagious! 

(Advance Slide #2)

** Are you contagious?

Have you ever met a person with such a personality that made you smile…what effect does it have?

(Advance Slide #3)

• They are contagious!
• Sadly, it can work the other way…if your a negative person all the time that contagious too.

Jesus said you are the “salt of the earth”

• What does salt do? It effects the taste, it preserves, etc.
• • It is contagious!
  • We too are to be contagious, but how?
  • • We need to “infect people” with our Christian faith!

ILLUS - da Vinci was working on an piece of art for a long time with a young student.

• The student watched and learned form the great artist.
• Finally, nearing the end he turned and handed the brush to the student and said, “You finish.”
• The student protested, but da Vinci said, “Have I not inspired you to do your best?”

God has created a great masterpiece and has turned and given the brush to us.

• Are you willing to pick up the brush and continue the work?

(Advance Slide #4)

• Will you be contagious!

(Advance Slide #5)

Text

¹³ For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:13-15

Paul uses 4 rhetorical questions to outline the sequence of events if a person is to be saved.

• If you notice these questions are presented in the 3rd person (they),
• The steps appear to be in a reverse order then what Paul presented.

(Advance Slide #6)

• Sending - the evangelist
• Preaching - the “good news”
• Hearing - the “good news”
• Believing - in Christ

My focus this morning is more on vs. 15 then then the other verses.

• We find a quotation of Isaiah 52:7, and it serves 2 functions:

1. Preaching the good news is needed if a person is to be saved.
2. Preachers have to be sent.

Lesson

(Advance Slide #7)

God did not have a "plan B” we were His "plan A”…there is not other plan!

• It is obvious that God expects us to do our part in spreading the message to others.
• He even went so far as to say, “People cannot believe in Jesus if they have never heard of Him."
• For us to be effective we need to be contagious.

(Advance Slide #8)

Beautiful Feet

This is so significant to God that the very get of those who tell other about Jesus are beautiful.

• You might find this to be a strange….why?
• • Feet? Really? Feet make us feel uncomfortable…smelly, and gross, let alone beautiful!
  • Yet, God says, “When you share the “good news” of my Son, even your feet are beautiful.”

Jesus said, “…there is much rejoicing in the presence of angels of God over one sinner who repents.” - Lk. 15:10.

• When we, who are contagious, infect others it pleases God more than we can ever expect.
• The very courts of heaven explode in jubilation, praise, and delight!

God believes in us.

• He believes that we are capable of telling other about Jesus.
• What do we tell? 
• • What Jesus has done for us.
  • “Show me that you are redeemed, and I will believe in your Redeemer.” - F. Nietzsche

(Advance Slide #9)

Why Use Feet?

There is a reason, that I believe, that God uses the imagery of feet.

• What is so significant of about feet, it’s not our feet but our head (more specifically our mouth).
• Here are a few reasons why Paul used feet:
• • Many will talk a good talk, but they don’t always walk a good walk.
  • • The message has no power, your not courageous, if you don’t walk with Jesus.
    • We even have a special name for people like that…hypocrite!
  • Feet determine the direction of our lives.
  • • We can turn our head left or right, and still walk straight.
    • Our feet set our path and determines the direction that we are going.
    • EX - HS graduate.
  • Feet are personal.
  • • We cannot send our feet anyway away from us.
    • I have to go where my feet are at!

“How beautiful are your feet”…what does that mean?

• It means that people are won to Christ because we are willing to be where they are.

Conclusion

(Advance Slide #10)

**Will you be contagious?

When Jesus sought to save mankind, he walked with them.

• Sinners, tax collectors, the lowest of society…they were the ones who needed His message.
• He spent time with them, not to join them in their behavior, but to show His love to them.

Contagious Christians are so because they walk with Jesus and like Jesus.

(Advance Slide #11)

• “How beautiful are the feet of those that bring the good news.”

They will not come, they must be brought,

They will not seek, they must be sought,

They will not learn, they must be taught. - Shane VanNatter