ROMANS 10 |

LAST WEEK

We finished

We looked at the entitlement of Israel

We looked at how their faith was in their heritage

Paul explained to us that God’s word wasn’t the variable when it came to the story of Israel

God would continue to work and bring out of Israel a remnant of people

People who would believe in Jesus for the remission of sins.

THIS WEEK

We are going to look at more of Paul’s heart for Israel

What I want us to think about is this:

What do we do when people hear the gospel and do nothing with it?

They know all about Jesus, but have never walked with him?

They know what scripture says, but they have yet to believe the scriptures?

How do we minister to them?

How should we invest in them?

TURN TO

Romans 10 NKJV

1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.” 19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.” 20 But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” 21 But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.”

Romans 10:1-

PRAY

Romans 10:1–4 NKJV

1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Romans 10:1 NKJV

1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

ROMANS 10:1-

BEFORE WE GET INTO THE TEXT, LET’S SET THE SCENE

PAUL GREW UP IN THE ECHELON OF JUDAISM

WE SHOULD DESIRE THAT ALL PEOPLE WOULD BE SAVED

A PHARISEE OF PHARISEES

OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN

CIRCUMSIZED ON THE EIGHT DAY

STUDIED UNDER GAMALIEL

WAS A JEW THROUGH AND THROUGH

BUT WHEN JESUS CONFRONTED HIS SPIRITUAL ROUTINE

WHEN JESUS INTERRUPTED HIS PRACTICE OF JUDAISM

EVERYTHING CHANGED

THE PEOPLE THAT HE HAD LOOKED UP TO, BECAME HIS ENEMIES

THE LEADERS HE WAS UNDER DISOWNED HIM

HIS WHOLE LIFE WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN

HE WAS LEFT ALONE WITH JESUS.

It is the nature of humanity to judge someone when their practice looks nothing like yours

What

It is natural for people to judge you when you make radical changes in your life

From dieting

Budgeting

Abstinence

Whatever unpopular decision you make will always cause a reaction from others

Imagine when you make a faith based decision?

Imagine when you seek to deepen your relationship with Jesus?

Imagine when you begin to do something that people wished they had the guts to do?

Paul knew first hand what this was like

His reaction should teach us something.

PAUL WAS A VERY UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL

CAUGHT UP IN THE WORK OF GOD

ON MISSION FROM THE GET GO

HE HAD TAKEN THE ENERGY HE HAD APPLIED IN JUDAISM AND PLACED ALL BETS ON JESUS AND HIS KINGDOM.

BUT IT HURT

AT THE SAME TIME HE WENT ALL IN WITH JESUS, HE WAS REJECTING HIS HERITAGE

GOING ALL IN WITH JESUS MEANT HE WOULD LOSE FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND COLLEAGUES

IN LOSING ALL OF HIS FRIENDS, IT WOULD BE VERY EASY FOR ONE TO MOVE ON IN BITTERNESS

AS A PASTOR, I’VE LOST TONS OF FRIENDS BECAUSE OF MY WALK WITH THE LORD

CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE LEFT THE CHURCH BECAUSE I CHALLENGED THEIR SINFULNESS

UNBELIEVERS WHO HAVE BEEN LEFT WITHOUT AN EXCUSE

THOUGH MY FAITH CAME OUT ON TOP

THOUGH I WISH I CAN FORGET ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE AND JUST MOVE ON

THAT’S NOT WHAT I’VE EXPERIENCED, AND NEITHER DID PAUL

FOR MYSELF, AND FOR PAUL, THERE WAS HEARTACHE FOR THE CONDITION OF THE SOUL

THERE IS HEART ACHE FOR THE SITUATION

YOU CAN’T HELP BUT PRAY FOR THEM

INTERCEDE FOR THEM

KEEP THE DOORS OPEN FOR MINISTRY

DESIRING THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE RESTORED.

IN VERSE 1

He begins by saying “My desire is for them to be saved”

This desire came from the intimacy Paul had established with the Lord

It goes to show us this:

The more you walk with Jesus, the more you will desire what He desires

The more you are in His word, the greater you depend on it

The more we are yielding to the Spirit, the more fruit the Spirit will bear

Paul knew that God desired all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth

If this is what God desired,

If this is how God felt about his enemies

No matter what Paul had experienced, he had to rely on the thing that would solve everything

The Gospel

Paul had to change the way he felt about the people that had wronged him

Paul

Paul had been transformed by the Gospel

But Paul had been transformed by the Gospel

This transformation effected the way he saw his own enemies

He didn’t see how they had wronged him

He saw the potential for them to be saved.

He wasn’t satisfied with fixing the situation

He wanted the root of the issue dealt with

He knew that if they got saved

It would fix more than their relationship

If we have ever struggled with people and how they have wronged us, we need to allow the Lord to do a work in us

God had changed Paul’s perspective

And he can change ours.

Romans 10:2

Romans 10:2–3 NKJV

2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

Romans 10:2 NKJV

2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

There are people in our lives just like Israel

They have a zeal for God

Zeal is Zelos in the greek

It means to have an intense desire for something

Not just a desire, but a desire that leads to action

Actions that sometimes lead to compromise.

Actions that sometimes misrepresent who you are trying to represent.

Their zealousness turned into wasted energy

It became futile

Why?

Because it didn’t have good motives

They were zealous towards God because of their pride

They were zealous towards God because of their heritage

But their zealousness wasn’t impacted by the Gospel

When Jesus came on the scene, its like their zealousness for God became more about themselves instead of the Word that became flesha nd dwelt among them.

They became ignorant of God’s Righteousness

Seeking to establish their own righteousness, while Jesus was presenting something better

CHURCH, SOMETIMES OUR ZEAL CREATES A SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT IS NOT BIBLICAL

WHAT WE NEED TO REALIZE IS THE TRUTH FOUND IN VERSE 4

Romans 10:4 NKJV

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

What we dont realize is that Christ has a better option

He is the hero that owns the transforming ingredient to change our perspective

The Good News is that Jesus brought an end to the bondage of the law

Jesus is the end of the law

If you desire righteousness

If you desire to be made right in God’s eyes

You must admit three things

That Jesus is the Way

That He is the Truth

That He is the Life

No one can be righteous before the Father without Him.

He has made himself available to all people

Romans 10:5–13 NKJV

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:5

Moses as he had received the law realized that there was limited intimacy with the law

He realized that humanity had a responsibility when it came to the law

It wasn’t just a doing of the law

It was living by the law

It was very procedural

The Righteousness that Paul is speaking about is not found in the way we keep the law

This would not only be exhausting

But defeating and depressing

The Righteousness Paul is speaking about is found in Christ Jesus

Its been made available to us by the Holy Spirit

As says

It is near us, in our mouths, and in our hearts

Paul is warning the Jews, telling them, “Dont judge who will go to Heaven and who will go to Hell”

Instead, focus on the saving factor of the Gospel

Focus on the message of the Whole Bible

That if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord

And if we believe in our Hearts that God raised Him from the dead

And if we believe in our Hearts that God raised Him from the dead

YOU WILL BE SAVED

IT IS THIS SIMPLE

IT IS AVAILABLE TO ALL PEOPLE

From our core, we must make a decision

From our hearts must come a confession

We must believe with our being who Jesus is,

That it would lead to a different kind of righteousness

A righteousness that we could not produce

A righteousness that bears fruit within us.

Fruit that stems from a public confession

What type of fruit?

Fruit that expels all shame

That we would be a people group who boasts not in what they do for Christ, but what Christ has done in them.

Righteousness and Salvation would flow

That we would be an unashamed people group

THIS TRUTH IS AVAILABLE TO ALL PEOPLE, EVEN YOUR ENEMIES

That we would be a people group who boasts not in what they do for Christ, but what Christ has done in them.

Whoever believes on Him, will not be put to shame

Whether you are a jew or a greek

Whether you are black or white

Mexican or Central American

There is now, no dividing line between people groups

No hierarchy between Jews and Gentiles

There is no partiality with the Lord

There is no partiality with the Lord

Whoever calls upon His Name shall be saved.

But, this involves participation.

Romans 10:14–19 NKJV

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.” 19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.”

Romans 10:14-

HOW WILL PEOPLE THAT IT IS THIS SIMPLE?

HOW WILL YOUR ENEMIES KNOW THAT GOD LOVES THEM?

HOW SHALL THEY CALL ON HIM WHOM THEY HAVE NOT BELIEVED IN?

FRIENDS, WE ARE ALL PREACHERS OF SOMETHING

WE ALL SHARE A MESSAGE

WHETHER ON SOCIAL MEDIA, IN LIVE CONVERSATIONS, PHONE CALLS, TEXTS

WE ARE ALL COMMUNICATORS

THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE WE COMMUNICATING?

WHAT ARE WE SAYING WITH OUR WORDS

WHAT ARE WE SAYING WITH OUR ACTIONS

WE ALL HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO BE COMMUNICATORS OF THIS GLORIOUS MESSAGE

THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED BY THE GOSPEL, HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO POINT PEOPLE TO THE ONE WHO HAS TRANSFORMED US

BUT HOW WILL THEY BE TRANSFORMED IF WE STAY SILENT?

IF FAITH COMES BY HEARING, AND HEARING THE WORD OF GOD

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE STAY SILENT CONCERNING THE POWERFUL WORD OF GOD?

THIS IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY

WHETHER PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR IT OR NOT, THATS UP TO THEM

WHETHER OUR ENEMIES DO ANYTHING WITH THE MESSAGE, THATS ON THEM

OUR JOB IS TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO ALL NATIONS

WHEN THOSE NATIONS GET SAVED

LET THOSE WHO NEGLECTED THE GOSPEL BE PROVOKED TO JEALOUSY

LET THOSE WHO SEE THE TRANSFORMATIVE WORK OF THE GOSPEL BE JEALOUS

LET THEM SEE THE CHANGE THE GOSPEL BRINGS

MAYBE, THIS WILL CAUSE THEM TO COME BACK TO THE LORD.

CHURCH, OUR ENEMIES NEED TO KNOW THAT GOD LOVES THEM

THAT GOD DESIRES ALL MEN TO BE SAVED

BUT THIS MESSAGE NEEDS TO BE COMMUNICATED CONSISTENTLY

IT CAN’T JUST BE A ONE TIME DEAL

WE SHOULD PREACH THE GOOD NEWS TO OUR ENEMIES, UNTIL THEY ARE OUR ETERNAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS.