This morning we are coming to Romans 10.  To make sure we’re together with where Paul is going here in chapter 10 we’re going to need some backfill on where Paul has been.

One truth that runs through everything that we’ve been seeing in Paul’s letter since chapter 1 is that God loves people - us.  As messed up as we are.  As sinfully depraved as we are.  As totally deserving eternity apart from God in forever punishment for our sins.  With all that God still loves people - us.

For 8 chapters Paul has been explaining God’s love for us.  God taking the initiative. God reaching out to us.  God’s undeserved grace.  His unwarranted mercy.

Then - coming to chapter 9 - what we looked at last Sunday - Paul took on God’s sovereignty.  That God is in complete control of everything.  God has the authority and power and right to do whatever God chooses to do - period.  And especially with His creation - us.

Paul wrote about God choosing Israel to be His… chosen people.  God choosing to give Israel some amazingly unique promises and blessings and a covenant relationship with God that was all about God using Israel to tell the nations that God loves them.

God choose how to make all that happen.  God chooses to mess with pregnancies - Isaac being born to Sarah and Abraham - Sarah being well beyond the ability to bear children.  God chooses to mess with birth orders - Esau the older brother serving Jacob the younger.  God chooses to work in people’s hearts - hardening Pharaoh’s heart and using Moses to deliver God’s people.  And God chooses to enter humanity as a Jew - Jesus - Immanuel - the Messiah - to enter humanity as our Savior.

And yet with all that God had chosen to do Israel rejected their Messiah.  Then God moves Israel off of center stage of His working in history and puts the Church on center stage to be His missionaries - the proclamers of the gospel.

Which - Paul wrote - is all about God in His being sovereign choosing work in His way to accomplish His purposes.

Hang on to something.

Paul’s point in chapter 9:  If God - in His sovereignty chooses to move Israel off center stage - or move the Church on to center stage - however that all comes about - or whatever God is doing - meaning when we have questions about things that go on in our lives - illnesses and family relations and deaths and where we’ve been born and how tall we are and what happens in the world around us - whatever.

We need to hang on to that God is still sovereign and God is still doing what God says He will do because God chooses to do whatever God wills to do which has nothing to do with what we think God should do or how we think God should do it but it has everything to do with God who will accomplish His purposes - His promises - without fail - to work His plan and purpose of redemption in human history - even bringing salvation to His people however He chooses to do that - regardless of whether we “get it” or understand whatever it is that God is doing.

In a nut shell - chapter 9 is about the sovereignty of God and the choices God makes towards us.  Not one of us would ever become a Christian or even remotely dream about seeking after God if were not for God choosing to be gracious to us and to seek us first.  God’s choice is to reach to us - to convict us of our need for Him - and set us looking for Him.

Coming to chapter 10 - chapter 10 is about our response to what God in His sovereignty has chosen to graciously do for us.

Someone might say, “Well if God is going to choose to save whoever He chooses to save then I can pretty much live however I want and why should I bust out of my comfort zone and share the gospel with someone that God may not choose to save?”

There are a ton of theologians who have written stacks of books arguing over how the sovereignty of God relates to the free moral will of man.  God choosing and what that means about our response to God.

The bottom line of all that “discussion” is that we still don’t know how all that works out.  And that isn’t Paul’s point anyway.  Paul’s point is that God who is sovereign chooses to work graciously towards us and we need to respond to what God is doing.

Israel rejecting their Messiah is about Israel being responsible for her own choices.  If we don’t respond to God being gracious to us then - Scripture is clear - God holds us accountable for our own choices.  God isn’t to blame for our continuing in our lost fallen depravity.

Let’s read together at verse 1 - which brings us to Paul’s Desire For His People:

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.  For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Paul began chapter 9 sharing his great sorrow and unceasing anguish for his people (9:2) because with all that God has done in His sovereignty - Paul’s people have made the wrong choice - rejecting their Messiah.  Here, Paul’s desire and prayer for his people is what?  That they would be saved. 

Can Israel still come to God?  Sure.  On the same basis we do.  By faith.  Accepting that God has done everything necessary for us to come to Him through the person and work of Jesus.  They - we - simply need to by faith accept and welcome that.  Paul’s desire and prayer - his passion - for His people is that they’d respond to God in faith.  Because they haven’t.

Paul writes that the Jews have a zeal for God.  A passion for the things of God.  God is hugely important in the thinking of the Jews.  They’re a very religious people.  Spiritual to the max.  But being zealous isn’t enough.  One can be sincere and be sincerely... mistaken.  Zeal - sincerity - enthusiasm - without understanding is a dangerous trap.

Doesn’t it seem like lot’s of people think about God.  They have a sincere belief that there is a God or at least some kind of higher power.  They might even be trying to live the way they think that God wants them to live.  But sincerity isn’t enough.  Yes?

Paul writes that the Jews are ignorant of the righteousness of God.  By righteousness we mean God’s moral purity - His holiness and what it means to live righteous - holy - with God in the way that God is righteous.  Like so many people today the Jews of Paul’s day they didn’t understand it so they’re trying to come up with their own definition of righteousness and what it means to live that way.

Which is an easy trap to fall into.  These are God’s chosen people with everything going for them.  Zealous for God and yet ignorant of true righteousness.  As the Church - chosen of God - we need to be careful. 

One struggle we have is we tend to compare ourselves to other people and not God.  We start comparing ourselves with serial killers and rapists and people producing porn and guys selling drugs.  We put them way down on the list of who’s righteous.  Scale of 1 to 10 we give them a .5.  By comparison that puts us at about a 5. 

Or we compare ourselves to people we work with or go to school with.  People who swear and cheat and lie and tell way off color jokes.  People who talk on their cell phones while driving.  People who are just complete jerks.  We might give them a 5.  Which bumps us up to around a 7.

Then we start listing off all the good things we do.  We drive somewhat close to the speed limit.  We pay our taxes.  We’ve been mostly faithful to our spouse.  Or, we buy Girl Scout cookies.  Whatever.  That moves us to an 8 at least.

Then, we go for the spiritual stuff - like coming to Creekside most Sundays - serving at AWANA - or coming to Bible study - tithing.  That all puts us up to maybe a 9.5 or higher.

Obviously we’re pretty righteous.  Why would a loving God make and issue over a few measly 10th’s of a point?

Which is where so many people are.  They have the idea that if we just do enough good that our good will outweigh our bad - then we’ll get into eternity with God - or a happy spot in whatever comes next.  How much good they’re not sure about.  But as long as it’s more good than people they identify as really bad then what we’re doing is good enough.

All of which can trap us in a superficial religion - no depth - no connection with where we really live our lives.  We can go along content with a kind of casual Christianity where we’re content with making what’s on the outside look pretty much okay.  And we can go along complacent - reasonably satisfied - with what’s on the inside even though it’s totally messed up.

Which is a huge problem with the church in America today.  We’re focused on ourselves.  Our own definition of righteousness.  A casual Christianity that lacks serious religious depth and reality in real life.

The great tragedy and horror in all that is that we’re failing to know and experience the abundant life that God desires for us to know and experience with Him - maybe even forever.  And we’re failing at being the church and testifying of the gospel.

Let’s be clear.  None of us really understands the reality of God’s righteousness.  And, there is a point where we can’t understand God’s righteousness.  That God is holy?  Totally pure - without sin.  Even studying this through - having heard billions of sermons on the subject - who here really “gets” what it means that God is righteous?

Paul has been teaching us that we need to stop comparing ourselves to others and to grab on to just how sinful we are compared to how holy and righteous God is.  God isn’t comparing us with others.  He’s holding us accountable to Him - His righteousness.

We can keep trying to come to God on our terms - with our knowledge - our righteousness - even trying to do all the right stuff of being a Christian - but our efforts are always saturated in sin our efforts always fall short of the holiness and righteousness of God.  We try so hard.  We’re zealous.  But acting in ignorance if we’re not listening to what God is saying about how to come to Him by faith.

That was what was going on with the Jews in Paul’s day.  The Jews were seeking to establish their own righteousness and not submit themselves to God’s righteousness.  Trying to come to God on their terms without listening to God’s terms.

Paul writes that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” 

The law - think Old Testament - the law is designed to show us that our righteousness falls short of God’s righteousness.  And showing us where we fall short the law is designed to drive us to the Messiah - to Christ.  When we come to Christ we come to the end of the purpose of the law.  There’s no more need to follow the map because we’ve come to the end of the road.

At some point we need to see that Jesus - what God has done for us in Jesus - is the only answer to our deepest need to get right with God - and to stop trying to zealously live by the law.

Our response to the sovereign God must be on His terms not ours.  Jesus is the righteousness of God.  He took our sins on Himself on the cross.  God put our unrighteousness on Jesus on the cross.  Then God put Jesus’ righteousness on us.  Not because of what we’ve done.  But because of what God chooses to do.

Which brings us to verses 5 to 13 and The Necessity of Faith.  Paul dealing with our response needs to be.

Let’s read together starting at verse 5:  For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.  But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) or “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is to bring Christ up from the dead).  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); 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.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.  For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.”  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.  For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Moses understood.  Keeping the law - working at being good enough - is impossible.  Live by the law.  Die by the law.  Righteousness is based on faith.  That’s why Moses wrote about ascending and descending.  What Paul quotes here and applies to Jesus. 

The point Moses is making is that our being righteous doesn’t require our ascending to heaven or descending to hell - our doing some amazing feat of religious piety to achieve our being righteousness.  The word - Jesus - is already here.  As close as our mouth and heart.  How close is your mouth and heart?  Close.  Yes?  (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)

Heart belief and mouth confession describe the inward decision and outward declaration that we make when we respond to the reality of what God has already done.  Christ coming to us.

John Stott writes:   “The content of the belief and that of the confession need to be merged.  Implicit in the good news is the truth that Jesus Christ died, was raised, was exalted, and now reigns as Lord and bestows salvation on those who believe.” (1)

Paul writes, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” 

Jesus is all we need.  Doesn’t matter if we’re a Jew or a Greek - or whatever our nationality - our spiritual background - good, bad, or really bad - our religious heritage or having no religious heritage - if we’re living outside or inside - rich or poor - degree or GED’d - everyone made righteous does so only on the basis of the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Salvation is by faith in Jesus alone.

What God requires is not impossible futile efforts on our part but faith in what He’s already done.  Jesus is here.  He saved you.  Now believe it and be saved. 

Believe what?  Let’s make sure we’re together.

For about a year now a few of us have been going out most Saturday mornings door to door around the neighborhood here around Creekside and taking a survey of where people are at spiritually.  Just asking questions like:  On a scale of 1 to 5 - 5 being very interested - how interested are you in spiritual things?

8 questions.  Takes about 2 minutes to go through.  Our goal is understand where people are at spiritually and to minister accordingly.

We’ve met some neat people.  Gotten to know Merced better.  Been able to share the gospel with some folks.  Taken time to pray for the people we talk with - the neighborhood around here.  It’s been good to serve together.  Really fun.

Basically one of the things that has become painfully very clear is that there’s a lot of spiritual confusion out there.  A number of people who think they have knowledge about spiritual things and who are working very sincerely and with a some degree of effort - working at their definition of righteousness - some process of entering what comes next and thinking that what’s next is better than here and now.

What is most concerning is what we’re finding out about those who are part of some church - Roman Catholic or one of our main line protestant churches - people who claim to be Christians.  And especially those who claim to be a part of what we know are some really solid - follow Jesus - live by the Bible - preach the gospel - congregations.

One of the questions we ask is, “Have you ever heard the term ‘gospel’?”  What it is that we say as Christians that is what we believe.  If they tell us that they have, we ask them to give us a brief explanation of what the gospel is.

Now think about the geography of this:  M Street to Glen - Bear Creek to the railroad tracks.  Talking to a number persons claiming to be Christians.  How many people - in that area - how many people do you think have been able to give us an explanation of the gospel?  2.

Admittedly we’re talking to them on a Saturday morning and maybe they’re not sufficiently caffeinated yet.  But, I remember Mary Lou Reton - remember her?  Mary Lou saying that what it takes to be a complete gymnast is that, “Someone should be able to sneak up and drag you out at midnight, push you out on some strange floor - and you should be able to do your entire routine sound asleep in your pajamas.  Without one mistake.  That's the secret. It’s got to be a natural reaction.” (2) 

We should have this.  Even at 10:00 on a Saturday morning - or whenever we’re called on to share what we believe.  So, let’s make sure we’re together.  Make sure you’re tracking because there’s a quiz later.

John 3:16.  The message of the Bible - the gospel in a nut shell.  Let’s repeat it together:  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”  (John 3:16 NASB)

First, there’s good news.  God loves the world - each of us.

God loves us.  Each of us, no matter what we may think of ourselves.  No matter what others may think of us.  No matter what our sins or our attitude towards God.  Whether we accept the truth of His love or not - He does love you.

Second - there’s bad news.  John 3:16 talks about perishing and eternal life.

Everyone of us has done something to separate us from God.  The Bible calls that sin.

The word “perish” means to be utterly destroyed.  The reality is of destruction that begins and just continues on and on and on without end.  Judgment for our sins and some real sobering consequences. 

The contrast to that is described by the words “eternal life” - life without end - our living forever with God.  Joy - peace - the presence of God.  Forever.  Whatever horror “perish” is - eternal life with God is the opposite.

The bad news is that every one of us - apart from Jesus - because of our sin every one of us is perishing - facing eternity without God.

Good news - God loves us.  Bad news - we’re perishing.

Then there’s more good news:  God gave His only Son.

The God Who created everything - God - humbles Himself to become one of us and to take upon Himself our weakness and our shame.  But, God is God.  And, that is exactly what He choose to do.

God gave His Son.  Gave Him to be scourged and crowned with thorns.  He gave Him to die on a cross - crucified.  To deal with whatever needs to be dealt with because of our sin - to heal whatever we’ve broken in our relationship with God - and to do what needs to be done to make us right with God. 

God so loves each of us that He gave His only Son to die for us.  God’s offer of salvation laid out for us - whoever will respond to that offer with belief - welcoming what God has done - turning from their sin and trusting Jesus as their Savior - God promises - that we will not perish - but we will have eternal life - life now and forever with God.

Which brings us to the last part of John 3:16 - “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”  Good news - God loves us.  Bad news - we’re perishing.  Good news:  God gave His only Son.  Which means we need to choose.  We need to choose our response to what God has done. 

If we believe that what God offers us in Jesus - through the crucified broken body and shed blood of Jesus - God’s Son - God’s offer of salvation - is real…  each of us needs to choose to respond by faith - to welcome what He’s done by giving our lives to Him.

We’re together?  The gospel.  Good News.  Bad News.  Good News.  You Choose.  Everyone who - by faith - calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  Jew, Greek - anyone.

Here’s the quiz portion of the sermon.  Creekside, have you heard the term gospel?  If so, can you give a brief explanation of what the gospel is?

John 3:16:  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”  (John 3:16 NASB)

Good News - God loves you.

Bad News - we’re perishing.

Good News - God sent Jesus - He took care of everything that needs to be taken care of between us and God.

You Choose - we need to individually choose to respond to what God has done.  Your choice is...?

We’re together?

Coming to verses 14 to 21 - our response to what the sovereign God has chosen to do - verses 14 to 21 focus on The Necessity of Proclamation.

Let’s read these together:  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?  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!”  But they have not all obeyed the gospel.  For Isaiah says, “Lord who has believed what he has heard from us?”  So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Let’s pause make sure we’re following the process Paul is laying out for us.

People will call on Jesus - call meaning crying out to Jesus to save them.  People will call on Jesus to save them only if they believe that Jesus can save them.  People can’t do that if they have no knowledge that Jesus even exists.  The way they’re going to hear about Jesus is when someone goes and preaches to them - announces - the saving message about Jesus - the gospel.  And how is that message about Jesus going to be announced unless someone is sent to announce it?

The feet of the person bringing the good news - the gospel - what we believe - the feet of the person bringing the good news are beautiful.  Beautiful translating a Greek word that has the idea of ripe fruit - at the height of the season - ready to pick and eat right off the tree.  Juicy.  Sweet.  One of the great benefits of living here in the Central Valley.

Not usually what we think of when we think of our feet.  Not every set of feet has that kind of beauty.

But Paul is quoting Isaiah where Isaiah is writing about those who brought to Jerusalem the good news that the days of exile - of captivity - for God’s people were over.  (Isaiah 52:7)

The good news of the gospel is similar - our freedom from captivity to sin is over.  Dealt with by Jesus on the cross.

May God bless the feet of the person who shared that news with us.  That good news is what God desires for us to share with others.

Let’s go on to verse 16:  But I ask, have they not heard?  Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”  But I ask, did Israel not understand?  First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”  Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek Me; I have shown Myself to those who did not ask for Me.”  But of Israel He says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Paul’s tells us that Israel’s rejection of their Messiah - their unbelief - isn’t because they haven’t heard.  Not everyone will respond to the good news by faith in Jesus.  They’ve heard.  The whole world has heard.  What is painfully ironic is that Israel doesn’t believe the very message that God chose them to proclaim. 

Why?  Something has gone wrong at the heart level.  “With the heart we believe.”  And they didn’t.  According to Paul, the part of the good news that Israel didn’t understand was the faith part.  Righteousness comes by faith not by religious works - ascending or descending - or ethnic standing.

The Gentiles didn’t understand righteousness any better than the Jews.  They had less information than the Jews.  But the Gentiles - heart level - responded with faith.

In chapter 9 Paul explains Israel’s rejection of their Messiah Jesus in terms of God’s sovereignty - God’s choice of how He wills to graciously work in history.  Here in chapter 10 Paul attributes Israel’s unbelief to their own choice of disobedience.  Meaning that God’s choosing and our responsibility of how we respond to God are totally inseparably - intertwined.

Processing that in plain English means that God holds each of us individually responsible for our response to what He has graciously chosen to do for us through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Question:  Are you still trying to work things out - working at being righteous?  Somehow trying to do what God has already done for you in Jesus?  Or, by faith have you welcomed what He’s done for you?

If you have know beyond any doubt that you are saved.  If you have not welcomed by faith what God has done for you - made that choice - do it.  Now is the time to respond by faith.

Question:  How are your feet?  Beautiful or stinky?  God is waiting for men and women who know Jesus Christ, who are willing to step out in obedience and faith, and to respond by going.  Going to their family.  To their work place.  To their school.  The community.  Wherever He leads.

And God the Holy Spirit empowers and guides us to go.  We do not go alone but in the power and guidance of God Himself.  That’s a tremendous reality if we could just process that for ourselves.

It’s not complicated.  It doesn’t take a theological degree.  In fact, it’s pretty simple and might even be fun.

_________________________

1. John R.W. Stott, Romans (Downers Grove: IVP, 1994) - quoted by Gary Vanderet, Giving Away The Good News - Romans 10:1-21, PBC, 08.20.2000

2. TBSF web - “Practice”

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.