The Word of Salvation
Notes
Transcript
ILLUST: “I didn’t know” - not usually the best excuse, often not an excuse at all
“Religion” defined?
The Word Matters
The Word Matters
1) Zeal without knowledge
1) Zeal without knowledge
Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs.
If trust the Law, then must keep the law
Zealously, working hard to keep the Law is a losing undertaking
Being God’s people + relying on the Law did not equate to salvation
The law was righteous, but it was never the means to justification
REM - the law was to SHOW guilt
Grace was the answer to provide justification - “not-guilty-ness”
Paul - there are still people willingly under the Law, they refuse to move past that
As such (ch. 6) they are slaves to that Law
Doomed, while trying to live “good” lives and feeling “good” about that
APPLICATION - People do want to know God, or they claim to know God
Their efforts to be “good enough” are admirable, but fall so short of achieving what they desire
Works never equals faith
Works always follow faith
Faith, genuine faith, will produce the works that God desires and which bring people joy
Problem with the Law, and trying to keep it:
if you fail to meet every aspect of the Law, you are cursed, eternally
James 2:10 “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”
Mankind is by nature weak and imperfect
ALTERNATIVE: Loving obedience to God instead of rule-following
God’s will is not difficult and out of reach
God’s will is for us to be aligned with Him, surrendering our lives to Him and His authority
We are to be knowing His Word, repeating His Word, re-directing that Word to Him in our prayer, in our praise
(with that….)
2) Confession
2) Confession
What God’s Word says:
We were born sinners Rom 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Jesus came to save sinners 1 Tim 1:15
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
ROMANS ROAD - recap, culminating in 10:9-13
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
AND…
for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
What is not here…works, baptism, church, good person, family/geneology, the LAW
Confess = homologos = say the same thing
Not - “I’m sorry”
Crime show confession - affirming what the evidence shows, admitting to the truth
Desire a TRUE confession
Truth - born a sinner
Truth - Jesus offers forgiveness, offers to be your Lord and Savior, by virtue of His finished work on the cross and from the tomb.
So confess that - believe that
Early church - “Jesus is Lord” was their declaration of faith
V. 13 - Paul quotes Joel - equating Jesus with OT Yahweh. Jesus is God
3) Responsibility of Believers
3) Responsibility of Believers
Two aspects of belief/faith
Calling on Him - “Save me”
Trusting Him - “I will follow you”
We do both, daily - calling on Him and trusting Him
Then…As we call on Him, and trust Him - others “hear”
CHALLENGE: Be the Word that someone hears
“Preacher” - someone bearing the Word, the Good News
The lost need to hear the Word, the truth
But you cannot go sharing the Word unless you are sent
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Consider yourself sent
Jesus said as the Father sent me, so I send you - John 20:21
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
“But I Need a Sign” - GO!
Jesus is the one Who said to GO!
Proper Zeal - people recognize genuine joy of faith
The “beautiful feet” in verse 15 - from Isaiah 52:7 “How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!””
The good news to God’s people was restoration after the exile to Babylon
If THAT was good news then, good deliverance news, how much more the good news of eternal deliverance here?
It was good news that they would be “physically” restored as a nation
This is good news that you can be spiritually restored, each and everyone of you
QUESTION: Who told you the Gospel? How did you hear it?
Aren’t you happy someone told you?
So who have you told? Who do you need to tell?
HISTORICALLY
Day of Pentecost, people heard, trusted, thousands
Those thousands told others, and the church grew and spread
Romans here - maybe 25-ish years after all that
Fewer in Israel are accepting at this time - comfortable in their way of life
People have heard, but have ignored
Maybe it’s become background noise
There is no excuse in not believing - ROM 1
And there is no excuse for us not telling others
Maybe we are background noise
People are VERY indifferent to the Church
(Heritage, church of 150, had 40 there)
People indifferent…So what?
There are still people out there who want to be saved, who need to hear that they can be
They need the Gospel!
They need you to tell them!
The lost have lots of options today
Religious false teaching
Cults, superstitions
Good vibes - hate that one
Christianity cannot simply be one of those options - it is THE way, THE answer to life and purpose here
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
V. 20 - The Gospel is available to all
You have heard, now go tell
V. 21 - The choice comes down to the individual
God continues to offer His hand, stretching it out as far as He will
He will continue to do so, in spite of the obstinance and disobedience
Because people still want to get saved
PRAYER for those He will put in your path
Open heart and mind for them
Boldness and courage for you
This is the best news you could ever bring someone
God’s Word matters
You matter to God
Put you together, sharing His Word - changes lives, changes somebody’s world
The Word changed mine. Yours?
Let’s not be excited to just tell people how nice our church is (people, etc.)
Let’s not be excited to just do good things for people
Let’s grow a zeal and desire to stand on His Word, proclaiming His Word to any who will hear.
They need to hear
God will make sure your paths cross
What will you do with that?
How will they hear? That’s up to you.
