“THE WORD IS NEAR YOU” (Outline)
March 1, 2009 --
LENT 1 --
Romans 10:8-13
INTRO: Paul writes: “The word is near you”. The closeness of God’s word reminds every believer of the closeness of God himself. John wrote in his gospel, chapter 1 that the word became flesh and lived among us. We have seen his glory. This is the Christ, our Savior, who lived on earth. Jesus was the very word of God in the flesh. We are dependent completely on the word of God. What a blessing to know we have such a close relationship with Christ because of the word of God. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing"(JOHN 15:5). As branches we are completely and utterly dependent on the vine. We praise God that he is that vine!
“THE WORD IS NEAR YOU”.
I. God’s word works faith in our hearts.
II. God’s word works trust for our lives.
I. GOD’S WORD WORKS FAITH IN OUR HEARTS
A. There were great challenges in the early Christian church. Worship was changing from law to gospel.
1. The gospel message fulfilled all of God’s law. Jews were accustomed to offering sacrifices.
2. Now Christ’ perfect sacrifice removed the need for believers offering sacrifices.
3. Some in the early church wanted everyone to return to sacrificing and doing.
B. Paul’s overwhelming emphasis in the book of Romans was the power of God’s free gospel.
1. Verse 8. God’s word was near. It was in the hearts of believers.
2. Christ had paid the price. Salvation was paid for -- forever. Faith was theirs by grace.
C. The message of salvation was very, very simple, verse 9. God raised his Son from the dead.
1. This was the simple gospel message of God’s word that worked faith in their hearts.
2. Verse 10. As they believe so they would confess. By grace they believed in the Christ.
D. It is the power of God’s word and God’s word alone that works faith in the heart of anyone and everyone who believes in Christ as Savior. We did not choose God, God chose us. Eternal salvation is too important to entrust to our own will or decision. Consider Adam and Eve who lived in a perfect world. They walked and talked with God. They knew God’s will. There was only one choice they could make that would be wrong. They made that wrong choice. Today we are far removed from a perfect world. Dare we think we would make the right choice? Rejoice that it is God who saves. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (EZEKIEL 36:26,27). A stone cannot be changed. It merely breaks or crumbles into smaller hard pieces. We are born with a heart of stone. God changes stony hearts into flesh where he plants his word.
E. Our God is able to do the impossible. Our God is the Lord God Almighty who created the heavens and the earth. "For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 CORINTHIANS 4:6). Note the power of God to bring light into the world. Now this very same God makes his light shine in our hearts. Again, it is God’s will and desire that all men would be saved. Paul is another example. Paul was traveling to Damascus to persecute Christians. On his way the Lord God chose Paul to proclaim Christ rather than persecute followers of Christ. Paul did not decide. The Creator of all things changed Paul.
F. Our God is powerful. Our God can and does do all things. It is that same power of God that is near to each and everyone of us. Our Christian faith is a miracle of God’s great power that is alive and well in each of us. "Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God"(1 JOHN 5:4,5). Notice that simple kernel of Christianity that saves: “Jesus is the Son of God”.
“THE WORD IS NEAR YOU”.
God’s powerful word works faith in our hearts. All of this is by grace.
II. GOD’S WORD WORKS TRUST FOR OUR LIVES
A. The Jews considered Gentiles to be unclean, untouchable, and unbelievers. All that was changing.
1. Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians were thrown together to worship together.
2. This is a testimony of the power of God’s word that works faith. By faith they were united.
B. Verse 12. No longer was there to be a distinction. The Lord blesses all who call on him in faith.
1. Back to the kernel of Christianity that saves, verse 13. In faith the believer calls on the Lord.
2. By faith the believer has salvation in the Lord. There is no longer free or slave, Jew, Gentile.
C. The power of faith in the heart of the believers produces trust for their lives, verse 11.
1. Paul quotes the Old Testament to benefit of Jewish believers. This was God’s word, not Paul’s
2. There was no shame for these believers. Their sins were forgiven and heaven was their home!
D. Trust in God seems to be a rare commodity today. People everywhere are being thrown into despair because of all the doom and gloom being preached in our society today. The economy is bad. The job market is terrible. Businesses and even banks are failing faster than we can count. The list continues. It is still the powerful word of God that is near us. This word of God works faith in our hearts to produce trust for our lives. "Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame"(ISAIAH 50:7). Isaiah proclaims what Paul pro-claimed. Believers are not put to shame. Christ has overcome sin, Satan, and even death. Trust.
E. All too many around us are without hope. They do not have hope because they lack trust in God. They lack trust in God because they also lack faith in God. How awful this must be! How tragic to feel alone and lost and hopeless in a world still filled with the goodness and love of God. It can be hard for us to imagine what that is like, being without faith. Thank God for faithful parents, teachers, and preachers who reminded you that the word is near you. Whenever we need reassurance and faith strengthening that powerful word of God is at our disposal. "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing"(PSALM 34:8-10).
F. Our problems today stem from the fact that man has elevated himself in the place of God. Man sees a problem and thinks he has the answer. Sadly we are all too often a bigger part of the problem rather than the solution. Look at the problems today. They are created by man’s lack of trust in God. They continue because of man’s lack of trust in God. "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe"(PROVERBS 29:25). As believers we know and trust that God keeps us safe!
CONC.: There is no greater comfort today than in knowing “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU”. The news today terrifies too many who are without that confidence. The reporters fuel fear for those far from the word of God. Praise God for his grace that chose you to be near to God’s word and therefore near to Christ. By God’s grace the power of God’s word works faith in our hearts. By God’s grace the power of God’s word works trust for our lives. Still troubled? Still fearful? READ: ISAIAH 50 or ROMANS 8. Let the word of God be near you! "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 PETER 2:2,3). Each of us have “have tasted that the Lord is good”. Actually we have tasted that the Lord is great. Be comforted with God’s truth. “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU”. The great power of God’s word works faith in our hearts. The great power of God’s word works trust for our lives. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min.(Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun) / 7:00pm @ Living Savior, Hays, KS (Sun)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM
LENT 1 readings:
GENESIS 22:1-18a;
ROMANS 8:31-39;
MARK 1:12-15;
(PSALM 6)
