Romans 10:
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30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them 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, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 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 that we proclaim); 9 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. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 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.” 14 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? 15 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!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 18 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.” 19 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.” 20 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.” 21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Introduction
Introduction
Have you ever wondered why having faith is so difficult?
For ourselves - I have faith, but help me in my unbelief
For others - why do people find it so difficult to come to a place of faith?
Short summary of
God’s word and promises to his chosen people have not failed because God’s intention has never been to create a chosen people based strictly upon ethnic heritage
God’s intent has always been to create a chosen people for his own possession out of all nations, ethnicities, and demographics.
He has always reserved the right to create his chosen people not according to human wisdom but according to his choice
This is why Gentiles have been accepted into the family of GOd
This is why Jews have failed to reach the righteousness they were seeking
But on what basis are God’s chosen people established? Faith.
30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.
But on what basis are God’s chosen people established?
32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,
30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,
The gentiles who have responded to God in faith have been adopted into his chosen people
The Jews did not respond by faith but instead by law
But this still leaves a question unanswered: Why?
Have you ever wondered why having faith is so difficult?
For ourselves - I have faith, but help me in my unbelief
For others - why do people find it so difficult to come to a place of faith?
Because of logistical boundaries
We must hear the gospel before we can respond in faith
Put another way, what is required for someone to place their faith in Jesus?
Because the “harvest is plenty, but the workers are few”
We will go a little bit out of order today, because I think that the point Paul makes in is centered around this idea: Everyone who calls upon the Lord will be saved.
Romans 10:
Because people have hard hearts
Faith requires hearing the gospel
Faith requires hearing the gospel
14 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? 15 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!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?”
The Jews pursued righteousness as if it were based on works
14 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? 15 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!”
Romans 10:14-
Romans 10:14-
People cannot call upon the one in whom they have not believed
People cannot believe in the one whom they have never heard
Whom, not “of whom”
Where Jesus is proclaimed, there Jesus is present - to hear the proclamation of the gospel is to hear Jesus himself
People cannot hear without someone preaching
“Preaching” here is not actually talking about a Sunday sermon
It refers to a herald, announcing news from a great king
People cannot preach unless they are sent
The herald has nothing to say unless it is given to him from the king
But Christians ARE sent by God
Summary: Quote from
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Summary: Those who bring good news are always welcome
Application: If you are a Christian, you are commissioned by the king to announce the good news.
You do have something to say.
The announcement that in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the triune God was acting decisively to reconcile people to himself
This must be announced and proclaimed over and over again to God’s people
I get the joy of repeatedly coming before you to simply announce to you as God’s people, “Your God reigns.”
This must be announced and proclaimed to people who are far from God
You know people who have perhaps never heard the gospel
If they don’t hear the gospel, how can they respond to it in faith?
Transition: But even hearing the gospel, not all have obeyed it (Israel and the Jews)
Because humans in their pride desire to earn salvation rather than be granted it by grace
Romans 10:16-
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 18 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.” 19 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.” 20 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.” 21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Israel has heard: a quote from reinforces what Paul had said in : All of creation shouts the glory of God, and people are without excuse because God has made himself known through what he has made.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,
Quote from reinforces what Paul had said in : All of creation shouts the glory of God, and people are without excuse because God has made himself known through what he has made.
And Israel had even more than just creation! They had the entire scriptures, all of which pointed to Jesus. They had Moses, they had the prophets, they had all of the scriptures.
To summarize his point, Paul quotes
“1 I answered those who did not ask, I revealed myself to those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ to a nation that was not called by my name. I spread out my hands all the day to a stubborn people, who walk in a way that is not good after their own thoughts.’”
Though Israel has indeed heard the gospel, they have not responded to it in faith.
To summarize his point, Paul quotes
In essence, Israel has not failed to attain righteousness: not because they didn’t hear, not because they didn’t understand.
“1 I answered those who did not ask, I revealed myself to those who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ to a nation that was not called by my name. I spread out my hands all the day to a stubborn people, who walk in a way that is not good after their own thoughts.’”
1 I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that was not called by my name. 2 I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;
Application: Responding to God in faith isn’t in the end hard because we don’t know or don’t understand, but because we don’t like it.
God was sought and found by those who were not asking and not looking for him
But of Israel, it’s said that God had been patiently holding his hands out to a stubborn and rebellious people.
So why have they failed? Paul actually answers this question in
32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,
The gentiles stumbled upon a righteousness by faith that they did not ask for
Faith requires accepting grace in humility
Faith requires accepting grace in humility
32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them 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, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 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 that we proclaim); 9 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. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 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.”
32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them 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, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.
Israel failed to attain the righteousness they were seeking because they were looking for it in the wrong place
Israel functionally desired to be self sufficient in their righteousness
Paul quotes from and to demonstrate Israel’s longtime desire to be self sufficient and independent from God
13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement, when the overwhelming whip passes through it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter”; 16 therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’
Israel thought they had found security in somewhere other than God - Egypt
God responds by saying that only by believing in the precious cornerstone can someone be secure, “not in haste”
יַחִישׁ
Yahish means to “be in a hurry,” idiomatic to be anxiously scurring about
Like when you have lost your wallet, keys
Israel was similarly ignorant of God’s righteousness and desired to establish their own
We are just like this: We think we can find security and certainty in all kinds of things other than God
Moses says the only way to have security in the law is to perfectly obey it -
5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.
Jesus is the end of the law for righteousness of everyone who believes
Application: We, like Israel, desire independence from God
It’s easy to spend our lives looking in the wrong place
Second, we look for it in the wrong places
Our fundamental desire is to feel at peace with who we are
This is the root of idolatry
So we do enough to feel like we are a good person
But we don’t even know how to define a “good person”
There is perfection, and then there is everything else - this is why Jesus said “no one is good” and Paul said in “no one is actually righteous”
We can only stand before God in our efforts if our efforts are flawless and perfect
We look for life itself in all of the wrong places
We do this by all kinds of systems that all come down to one principle: what you do defines who you are and what you’re worth
If we’re honest, we only manage to convince ourselves that we are good by comparing ourselves to others
We think that living a “good life” can be done independently from God
Since I’m not _______ I can count myself a good person
So we pursue family, career, philanthropy, being a “good person”
Every system of belief that relies upon what you do to inform who you are and what you are worth is antithetical to the gospel
We look for security and certainty in all kinds of things
But we don’t even know how to define a “good person”
What even is a good deed?
What if you do a good deed with the wrong motive?
The truth about my mission trips as a teenager: I went because it was a good thing to do
Is it still ultimately good?
The truth about my mission trips as a teenager: I went because it was a good thing to do
How often, if ever, do you do a good deed without a single ounce of wrong motivation?
To get recognition for yourself
To increase your social standing
To feel good about yourself
To make someone else indebted to you
There is perfection, and then there is everything else - this is why Jesus said “no one is good” and Paul said in “no one is actually righteous”
So we pursue a feeling of “i’m a good person” or “I have lived a good life” assuming that these things are possible independently from God
We can only stand before God in our efforts if our efforts are flawless and perfect
But our righteousness is not even perfect righteousness
We can only stand before God in our efforts if our efforts are flawless and perfect
Our righteousness is rags
The truth is we can only achieve righteousness, goodness, on God’s terms
And what are God’s terms?
Faith - Since there is no way for us to earn a righteous standing, God has given righteousness to us through the free sacrifice of Jesus on the cross - we are justified by faith
This is difficult for us because we desire to earn our keep, and we have established our own righteousness
We do enough to feel we can call ourselves a “good person” without understanding the real righteousness of God or the implications of our opinion
Transition Question: Does this mean that faith is passive? After describing what faith is NOT by speaking of Israel’s pride, Paul goes on to describe what faith IS.
Faith requires action
Faith requires action
6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 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 that we proclaim); 9 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. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 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.”
Romans 10:6-
Paul is going to ultimately say faith means believing something in your heart and confessing something with your mouth - he is going to make the point that faith requires action to be actually called genuine faith
First, he quotes Moses again in
11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.
Moses was speaking to a group of people living in a world full of pagan gods who were fickle and required strange, unknown things from people - esoteric knowledge and enlightened secrets
Moses was saying that Israel’s God was not like that - he graciously gave them clear instructions and a simple code to live by in order to live in obedience to him
The “word” (commands of God) was not far away; it was close by, in their mouth and in their heart, so that they could do it
Paul takes these words and applies them to Jesus
In essence, faith in Jesus is not rocket science
It’s not hard
But it’s hard
It’s not hard to understand
But it’s hard because I don’t like yielding authority to another, laying down my entitlements and comforts, being obedient to someone other than myself
Faith isn’t difficult because it’s hard to understand; it’s difficult because our hearts are stubborn and proud
Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
“Jesus is Lord” was a worldview captured in a simple phrase
It was a radical statement of allegiance to Jesus
It was a refusal to see Caesar as Lord and instead turning in allegiance to see Jesus as Lord - to confess this with your mouth could get you killed in Paul’s day
This the same today; to confess that Jesus is Lord ultimately means to renounce that anything or anyone else is
Our ultimate allegience then is to Jesus, not to the USA
Donald Trump is not Lord, the federal government is not Lord, the states are not Lord, Jesus is Lord
Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead
Heart = inward reality - the words “Jesus is Lord” mean nothing if they do not express an inward faith
“That”
The content of belief matters
This is not “just believe” - believe what?
That God raised Jesus from the dead
Taken together, these things refer to the placing of complete trust in and allegiance to Jesus according to a real inward heart conviction
That based on your genuine conviction that Jesus is the Son of God who God raised from the dead, you commit your entire life ultimately to him
Who is this for? Who can place their faith in Jesus?
Back to - everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.
There is no distinction - everyone can come to Jesus and call on him for salvation
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
Conclusion:
32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
Faith requires us to accept the grace of God in humility and submission to Jesus
Faith requires action from us, to confess and live in the reality that Jesus is Lord, and to believe that God raised him from the dead
Faith requires that we announce the good news of Jesus what God has done through him to reconcile the world to himself
Ultimately, the kingdom of God is not going to be built in Redmond because I get up here and preach every week
I am not ultimately responsible for announcing the gospel
This church is, and every member of it
The job of announcing this news belongs to every Christian
The first way we proclaim this today is through communion. Paul says in another letter he wrote
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
If you are a Christian, we invite you to take communion with us today as a way of remembering, celebrating and proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Your response today is to proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus in communion and then announce the good news of his kingdom at every opportunity you get
If you are not a Christian, we invite you to take this time to consider what you have heard and how you need to respond in faith today.
Your response today is to call upon the name of the Lord. Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. We invite you today to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.