Daily Devotional For Friday, July 25, 2025

Good Morning! We have been looking at what it means to follow the Lord. Following is not always easy. Did you as a child ever play, “Follow The Leader?” You know it is sometimes fun and trying. One person is chosen to be the leader and then everyone else mimics the leaders’ actions such as jumping, skipping, laughing, and etc. If someone fails to mimic exactly, they are removed from the game. So, as the game progresses, the leader attempts to make mimicking him or her more challenging. When it comes to us following Christ, He never changes how He wants us to follow Him. But many times it is challenging to follow Him in what He says in Matthew 5:38-47 or in Matthew 6:1-7 or in Matthew 7:1-12. 

Jesus consistently lived out what He taught us to do. Some of you might say, “Well, He was God in human flesh. It was easier for Him to do this.” Easier? I think it was harder. Why? He was also human and the devil was always appealing to His human side to compromise as we see in Matthew 4:1-10 and in Luke 22:42 and Luke 23:43. Do you really think it was easy for Jesus’ human side writhing in so much pain and agony from the scourging, crucifixion and taking all the sins from the past, His present and the future on Him, easy to say this? NO! 

Just for the record, Jesus Christ did not have a backup plan in case we refused to follow Him. His plan has consistently been the same ever since the first century. What has been Christ’s consistent plan since His Resurrection that we need to accept as truth? To accept the following as undeniable truths:

1. The truth that all people have knowledge of God. I know there are people who claim to be an atheist or an agnostic, but because of Genesis 1:26, every single person knows there is God whether they admit it or not. This was God’s plan from the beginning of creation. This is why He made us in His image. The Apostle Paul reaffirms this in Romans 1:18-21. 
2. Every single person who has ever lived initially rejects God. This is God’s point in Romans 1:21-25 and Isaiah 53:6. You may think, “Well, what about people who have never heard of God or Jesus? They may worship something as the result of being created in God’s image. Doesn’t God credit them for at least trying? The answer is: NO. Look at 2 Timothy 3:2-5. Having a form of godliness is not enough. You have to be godly. That is Paul’s point in Romans 1:25.
3. This means that every single person who has ever lived, is living presently, and who will ever live stands guilty before a holy God. Why is this so? Read Romans 3:10-12. Now some of you might be thinking, “Well, what happens to the person who has never heard the Gospel when they die?” Sadly, because they are still guilty, they go to hell and their blood is on our hands. I’ve heard people say, “There is no way God would send my sweet and good grandchild to hell!” He doesn’t. They send themselves. We do not get into heaven by being good because as Romans 3:10-12 says, there are none who are good, that includes your grandchild. We don’t get to define goodness, God does. He is the only being who is good, holy, righteous and perfect. 
4. Every single person is condemned by God. Let’s go back to our question, "Well, what happens to the person who has never heard the Gospel when they die?” Some people think that if someone has never heard the Gospel, that is not their fault. They conclude then that person will go to heaven. If this was true, let's stop all missions and evangelism now. We should tell people if someone tries to share the Gospel with them, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction because if they listen, then in that opinion, they are now without excuse. The truth of the Gospel is everyone is without excuse regardless of where they live, when they live, how they live even with no knowledge of Christ and the Gospel. The misunderstanding is not that they have never heard the Gospel. It is because of point #2 above – every single person has rejected God. Read Paul’s words in Romans 2:12-16.
5. God has made a way for anyone to be saved through Jesus Christ. This is Paul’s point in Romans 3:21-21. Look at Romans 6:23. 
6. There is no other way to God and heaven except through faith in Jesus Christ. This was the Apostle Peter’s point in Acts 4:12 and the Apostle Paul in Romans 3:22-24 and Romans 10:9-10. The misunderstanding I see with people on this point is their insistence that someone who has never heard the Gospel, then God makes a way for them to get to heaven. The danger in this thought is it makes salvation based on what we do, not who we stand before God. This contracts all the verses in this point as well as Ephesians 2:8-9. Salvation is not a reward for the good we do or for even being good.
7. Jesus Christ gave a command to His church, which includes every single believer, to share the Gospel and make disciples. There are no exceptions to this. Read Matthew 28:19-20. If you could read the Greek New Testament, literally it says, “As you are going . . .” The only real verb in this whole passage is an imperative or a command and that is: make disciples. “Baptizing” and “teaching” are what we call in Greek  – participles. A participle is the combination of a verb and an adverb into one word. “Make disciples” is the only real verb and it is a command to all believers. This is the Apostle Paul’s point in Romans 10:14-15. This is God’s plan. Someone shares the Gospel with us. We hear it and respond to it. Then we take the Gospel and we share it with others. They hear it and hopefully receive it. Christian pastor and author David Platt says if we take Romans 10:14-15 in reverse order, we see God’s plan. God sends His servants (vs. 15b). They then preach or share the word (vs .15a). Then those hear it (vs .14b) and then after hearing it, they believe (vs. 14a). – (Source: David Platt, Radical, Kindle Edition, p. 61). The problem and danger is this plan can be stopped by Christians who feel it is not their responsibility to share the Gospel. This is due to their disobedience and the hardness of their own heart. You personally are part of God’s Plan. He does not have another one just in case. 

It is estimated there are around 7,200 unreached people groups in the world who have never heard the Gospel. That is over 3 billion people. You can go to this site: Unreached people groups. “Unreached” means a group does not have an evangelical Christian there with resources to share and spread the Gospel. David Platt tells the story of a friend of his who went to one of these unreached people groups. While in one of their villages in Asia, he shared the Gospel. One man invited David’s friend to his shop. Because it was hot and humid, the man went and brought his friend a cold can of Coke. Now think about this. Here is an American company thousands of miles away who has done a better job of getting brown-sugar water to these people than the church (Source: David Platt, Radical, Kindle Edition, p. 63).

As a pastor I am often asked, “What is God’s will for my life?” You really want an answer? God has already told you His will. Put into practice Matthew 28:19-20 in your life. There is no other will or plan from God. This is it. So, in the words of Nike, “Just do it.”

Assignment: Would you say you are fulfilling God’s will for your life based on Matthew 28:19-20? If not, what do you need to do to do this? God’s plan to get the Gospel out includes you. This is not just for the paid professional staff, but for every single believer.  Failure to do this is sin and it is saying to God, “You’re wrong” and it is saying to the lost, “I don’t care if you go to hell.” Will you join God to share His Gospel wherever you are going?

Scripture To Meditate On: 1 Peter 3:15, “Your heart should be holy and set apart for the Lord God. Always be ready to tell everyone who asks you why you believe as you do. Be gentle as you speak and show respect” (NLV).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I am going to make Your plan as Your will for my life. No more excuses. Wherever I go, I will share the Gospel. I do not want anyone to die and go to hell. Lord, open up the doors for me to do Your will. Make my path cross paths of people who are lost. Move in their hearts to ask me why I believe what I do. Thank You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly