Sermon Tone Analysis

I Am Not Ashamed: I Can Do It Myself!

Text: Romans 10:1-13

Theme: Man cannot enter the Kingdom by his own righteousness.

Date: 11/06/2016 File name: Romans_2016_30.wpd

ID Number: 227

Every parent here remembers with joyous satisfaction the declaration of your toddler’s independence: “NOOOOOOOOO ... I can do it myself!”

Almost overnight a child who was dependent upon you for everything, transforms into the kid who wants to do everything all by his or her self.

That’s the nature of growing up.

Part of our maturing is learning how to do things for ourselves.

That sense of autonomy stays with us.

How many times have I seen something that needs to be done around my house or my yard, and I say, “I can do it myself!”

There is tremendous self-satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment in learning how to do things for ourselves.

Whether it is the toddler tying his or her own shoes, or the husband replacing the garbage disposal we like the confidence that comes with doing it myself.

However, every parent also knows that you just can’t turn toddlers loose, because there are many things they want to do by themselves that they can’t do by themselves.

Similarly, I’ve begun some projects only to conclude, “I really can’t do this myself.”

Unfortunately, the attitude I can do it myself frequently carries over into our spiritual lives — “If I can fix the garbage disposal by myself, I can get into heaven by myself.”

No.

You can’t.

That’s what the Gospel is all about—you can’t, but God can.

In this passage, the Apostle is going to return to the great them of this letter, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

(Romans 1:16–17, NIV84)

It was this Gospel that the Jews stumbled over, and the Gentiles stumbled upon.

I. THE JEWS ... STUMBLING OVER GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS vs. 9:31-33

1. why has the majority of Israel failed to embrace Jesus as their Messiah, while the Gentiles are come to the Christ in droves?

a. this continues to be the Apostle’s theme as we arrive at chapter 10

2. the Jews were a people constantly looking for “signs” of the Messiah’s coming, or “signs” that he was already among them

a. Paul speaks to this in his first letter to the Church at Corinth

“For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,” (1 Corinthians 1:21–22, NIV84)

b. in the Gospels, we hear the Pharisees asking Jesus for a “sign” that he was truly God’s Anointed One

ILLUS.

In the twelfth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, we read that a demon possessed man was brought to Jesus.

He was also blind and mute.

Jesus cast out the demon and healed him so that he could both talk and see.

Then we read, “All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” (Matthew 12:23, NIV84).

By that, they meant could this be the Messiah?

But the Pharisees are not convinced.

“Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” (Matthew 12:38, NIV84).

This is a tough crowd!

Jesus has just cast a demon out of a man.

Whereas the man was blind and mute, now he’s seeing and talking!

How much more of a “sign” do you need for Pete’s sake??

c.

Jesus responds “ ... “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign!

But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

(Matthew 12:39–40, NIV84)

1) this is, of course, a veiled reference to his death and resurrection

d.

Jesus gave repeated signs that pointed to his authenticity as Israel’s Anointed One, yet those who demanded signs could not read the signs Jesus gave them

3. in this passage, the Apostle bluntly writes that the Jews cannot blame God for Israel’s predicament

a. God has been completely faithful to His covenant promises

b. it’s Israel who has been unfaithful in keeping its part of the bargain, namely, in accepting God’s Messiah by faith

c.

Jesus gave them all the signs they needed, but they stumbled over his claims

“but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.

32 Why not?

Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.

They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.”

33 As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

(Romans 9:31–33, NIV84)

4. Paul’s heart’s desire is that Israel stop stumbling over the Rock of Ages, and that they may yet come to faith in God’s Messiah

“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”

(Romans 10:1, NIV84)

A. RIGHTEOUSNESS CANNOT BE RECEIVED BY LAW-KEEPING

1. this is point #1 of Paul’s emphasis in this passage

a. in vs. 2-5 the Apostle lays out three reasons why they Jews stumbled over Jesus

2. 1st, Israel Had Zeal Without Knowledge

"For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.”

(Romans 10:2, NIV84)

a. zealousness in one’s faith is a good thing as long as that zeal is according to knowledge

b. one of the things that could be said for 1st century Judaism was that they were an extremely religious people

1) they were passionate about their faith, energetic in their worship, and zealous in keeping the law

c.

Paul, himself, was an example of a misplaced religious zeal

1) he writes, For I can testify about them, because he was one of them

2) speaking to King Agrippa in later years he would testify

“I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem.

On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme.

In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.”

(Acts 26:9–11, NIV84)

3) in his letter to the Church at Philippi, Paul described his life before conversion

“though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.”

(Philippians 3:4–7, NIV84)

d.

Paul himself had come to the place where at last he realized that all his supposed religious assets were actually liabilities

1) he must write them off as worthless and put Christ in their place

2) before his conversion, he had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge

3. 2nd, Israel Was Ignorant of the Righteousness of God (v. 3)

“Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”

(Romans 10:3, NIV84)

a. the Jews did not understand the heights of God’s holiness and righteousness, nor the depths of their own sinfulness and unrighteousness

1) Paul writes, they did not know the righteousness that comes from God

b. if they had they never would have believed The Law, and obedience to The Law could make them righteous, because The Law was given to reveal how thoroughly unrighteous they/we are!

c. everything in The Law, and The Prophets, and The Ritual Sacrifices pointed to the person of Jesus, and his redemptive ministry, but the nation as a whole failed to see it