Romans 10:12-17 More than mere concern Reaching people is a process

I. Reaching people: Salvation available to all who respond to the Lord

Everyone calling upon the Lord will be saved

A. Riches of grace available to all

(ESV) Romans 10 12 For there is no distinctionbetween Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyonewho calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

1. An offer to all based on the Grace of God

(ESV) Psalms 116 5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.

(ESV) Revelation 22 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

(ESV) John 3 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoeverbelieves in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemnthe world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

2. A call to all

(ESV) Romans 2 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

a. Intended to cause you to turn to Him

(ESV) 2 Peter 3 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Riches of grace applied to those who respond to the gospel

(ESV) 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. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” …

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”

3. But not all respond / must respond to His grace

4. Call on Him is required ---- Salvation is available to all ---- but is applied to only those who respond / to those who call on His name

Must call on Him to be saved

II. Reaching people: Responding requires faith

But in order to call upon the Lord to be saved faith is required – it must be a prayer of faith

A. A mere prayer is not enough

(ESV) Romans 10 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? …

1. No magic words to say

2. Mere words are not enough

(ESV) Proverbs 1 28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

(ESV) Psalms 18 41 They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.

(ESV) Isaiah 1 15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,

(ESV) Micah 3 4 Then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil.

(ESV) Matthew 7 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

B. Requires faith

1. Lots of examples that Lord does hear our call and answer

(ESV) Psalms 145 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

(ESV) Psalms 86 7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.

(ESV) Psalms 118 5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.

(ESV) Isaiah 65 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.

So what’s the difference? When will He hear?

2. Call Based on genuine faith in the Lord

(ESV) Deuteronomy 4 29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

(ESV) 2 Chronicles 7 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

(ESV) Mark 11 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believethat you have received it, and it will be yours.

Must call based on faith

III. Reaching people: Faith requires hearing the truth

But in order to call upon the Lord in saving faith that faith must be founded in truth

A. Merely general faith is not enough

(ESV) Romans 10 14 … And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? …

1. Not a mere inner feeling or forcing oneself to believe anything

2. Not “spiritual” feelings

3. Not even just using the name of JESUS

B. Requires hearing the truth

(ESV) Romans 10 14 … And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? …

1. Basis of faith to be saved must be in the Word of God

(ESV) Romans 10 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

2. The truth of the gospel

(ESV) Romans 1 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

a. Gospel – Jesus died for our sin / Jesus rose again to offer salvation to all who trust Him

(ESV) 1 Corinthians 15 1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,

ESV) 1 Corinthians 15 3 … that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Must hear the truth of the gospel

IV. Reaching people: Hearing requires someone speaking the truth

But in order to call upon the Lord in saving faith that is founded in truth ---- someone has to speak the message of this truth / the gospel

A. Hearing requires someone to speak the gospel

(ESV) Romans 10 14 …And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

1. Someone must tell the truth of the gospel

a. Not good living / not being godlike / not being nice to people ---- none of this saves

b. Someone must be told the truth that Jesus died for their sins and will save them if they place their faith in Him

2. The reason we seek to spread the message of the gospel to the world --- people will not be saved unless they call upon the Lord with faith in the message of the gospel

(ESV) John 14 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

(ESV) Acts 4 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

B. Great honor on all who speak the gospel

(ESV) Romans 10 15 …As it is written, “How beautifulare the feet of those who preach the good news!”

1. What reward there is in telling the gospel

(ESV) Daniel 12 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

(ESV) Jude Jud 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

2. People are our reward

(ESV) 1 Thessalonians 2 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

Someone must share the truth of the gospel for someone to believe

V. Reaching people: Speaking everywhere requires church involvement

But in order for people around the world to call upon the Lord in saving faith that is founded in truth ---- the church must send

A. Individual sharing is limited

(ESV) Romans 10 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? …

1. Each of us limited to time and space and sphere of influence

2. The job is bigger than any single one of us

3. So He gave the mission to the church

(ESV) Matthew 28 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

B. Sharing to reach the world requires church sending

(ESV) Acts 1 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

1. Commissioned individually and as the body of the church

2. Empowered by the Spirit

3. Sent out by the Spirit into all the world – local / regional / national / international

4. That a multitude of every nation and language might be saved

(ESV) Revelation 7 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

We must be more than concerned. We must act.

We must go (and send)

Tell the truth of the gospel

So people might believe

And call upon the Lord to be saved