The Kind of People God Wants Us to Be
The Book of Romans
Romans 10:12-21
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - September 11, 2016
(Revised April 21, 2021)
BACKGROUND:
*Please open your Bibles to Romans 10. Most of you know that the big picture in Romans 9-11 is that Paul was led by the Holy Spirit to discuss the Jewish nation. Warren Wiersbe explained that "It seems strange that Paul would interrupt his discussion of salvation and devote a long section of three chapters to the nation of Israel, but a careful study of Romans 9-11 reveals that this section is not an interruption at all. It is a necessary part of Paul's argument for justification by faith." (1)
*All three chapters connect back to the central truth Paul stated in Romans 1:16-17. There the Apostle proclaimed: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'"
*That's the big picture, but as always, God has something to say to us in His Word. And tonight's Scripture helps us see the kind of people God wants us to be. Please think about that as we read Romans 10:12-21.
MESSAGE:
*What kind of person are you? There are literally dozens of ways we could answer that question. Some of us are tall. Some of us are short. Some of us are younger. Some of us are not.
*There are dozens of different ways we could describe ourselves. But hopefully, all of us could say we are Christians. Hopefully, all of us could say we are sure we are going to Heaven, not because we have been good enough, but because we have received Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.
*We believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sins. We also believe that Jesus rose again from the dead. We know that the only way to get to Heaven is to trust in the Risen Lord, and we did this at some point in our lives.
*We are Christians, and some of us have been Christians for many years. But do you think any of us have lived a perfect life this past week? If you do think you've been perfect this week, I'd really like to talk to you later.
*One day a man walked up to Evangelist D. L. Moody, and this man said that he had no sin in his life. Mr. Moody just replied, "Well, I would like to ask your wife about that." (2)
*Richard Wilson said, "Some folks think they are good really good people. Let's suppose that a person only sins 3 times a day: A sin in the morning, a sin during the day and a sin at night. Sounds like a pretty good person! But if that person lives to be 70 years old, they will commit 76,650 sins in their lifetime." (And that doesn't include leap years!) (3)
*The reality is that all of us have sinned a lot more than we think. Some of us are doing a lot better than others, but all of us need to live better lives. And the good news is that we can! Tonight's Scripture helps by showing us the kind of people God wants us to be.
1. FIRST, GOD WANTS US TO BE SAVED.
*We saw this truth last time in vs. 12-13, where Paul said, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For 'whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'''
[1] PLEASE NOTICE HERE THAT GOD'S SALVATION IS ABUNDANT.
*Paul makes this truth clear in vs. 12, where he said, "The same Lord over all is RICH unto all that call upon Him." In Ephesians 3:8 Paul called the Gospel "the unsearchable riches of Christ!" That means we can't even begin to find out how big God's riches are! They are inexhaustible and beyond our comprehension.
[2] SO GOD'S SALVATION IS ABUNDANT TO ALL WHO BELIEVE. IT'S ALSO AVAILABLE TO ALL WHO WILL BELIEVE.
*Again in vs. 12-13, "There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto ALL who call upon Him. For 'WHOEVER calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.''' Hallelujah! That includes you, -- if you have called upon the Lord Jesus Christ to receive Him as your Lord and Savior.
*God's love on the cross was equal for everyone in the world. That's why preachers have asked people to plug their own names into John 3:16. "For God so loved (Rick and you and you) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." On the cross of Jesus Christ, there was nobody in the world that the Lord loved more than you!
*Famous coach Bobby Bowden and his wife always took their 5 children to church, even on vacation. One time they visited a church, and wound up sitting on the front row. Mom was on one end, and Dad on the other, with their 5 children squeezed in between to be sure they behaved.
*That morning, the preacher pointed to Bobby and said, "You there: Do you have faith?" -- "Yes, I have faith," Bobby replied.
*Then the preacher said, "If I put a 2 x 4 board down there on the floor. Do you have enough faith to walk across it?" "Yes, I could do that," Bobby answered.
*"But what if I took that same board and placed it across the two tallest buildings in New York City. Would you have enough faith to walk across it then?" "No, I don't have that much faith," Bobby said.
*Then the pastor said, "But what if somebody were standing on the other end, dangling one of your children off the side. Would you cross the board then?" Bobby paused, and looked down the row at his five children. Then he looked back at the preacher, and with a big grin, he asked: "Which one?" (4)
*Of course, Bobby was just kidding. But isn't it great to know that God doesn't play favorites with His children? And we don't ever have to wonder if Jesus would risk His life for us, because He already laid down His life when He died on the cross for our sins!
*God's salvation is available to everyone who will believe in Jesus Christ!
2. HE WANTS US TO BE SAVED. HE ALSO WANTS US TO BE SENT.
*We also focused on this truth last time, and yes, God wants us to be saved. But that's not all! God also wants us to help other people get saved. That's why Paul asked those 4 key questions in vs. 13-15:
13. For "whoever calls upon 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!''
*God doesn't want all Christians to preach. But He does want all of us to help "bring glad tidings of good things!" God wants all Christians to help spread the good news about Jesus Christ!
*Todd Beamer died a great hero on 9/11/2001, the day Islamist terrorists highjacked four planes. Two of those planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade center in New York City, and brought them crashing down. The third plane hit the Pentagon Building just across the river from Washington D.C. Todd Beamer was one of the passengers on the fourth plane, Flight 93 that flew out of Newark, New Jersey that morning. That hijacked plane was headed for the White House or Capitol Building, but it crashed into a rural Pennsylvania field when the passengers fought back.
*Todd Beamer wasn't just a hero; he was also a devoted Christian, and God used his death to help save many more people. It happened when a group of Russian reporters came over to interview Todd's wife, Lisa. She invited them to their church in New Jersey, and showed them the room where Todd taught Sunday School. There on the marker board was a simple diagram illustrating the huge gulf between God's holiness and man's sinfulness. But a cross was drawn across that gap to symbolize the bridge that was created by Jesus' death on the cross for our sins.
*A Russian bureau chief named Eugene, had never seen anything like it. And when they explained it to him, he received Jesus as His Lord and Savior. Then Eugene returned to Russia and included the gospel diagram in his TV news report about the Beamers. Millions of Russians heard that gospel message in his report, and hopefully, many of them got saved too. (5)
*It was one of the worst days of Lisa Beamer's life. But God used an ordinary Christian lady to help send the good news of the cross all around the world. In a very real and powerful way, Lisa Beamer was sent.
3. AND GOD WANTS US TO BE SENT. HE ALSO WANTS US TO BE STRONG.
*God wants us to be strong in our faith, and the great news is that we can be strong! Verse 17 is the key, where Paul said, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
*Faith comes by hearing the Bible. -- That's what the great evangelist D. L. Moody found out. Moody wanted to be stronger in his faith. It's what he prayed for over and over. Then God used verse 17 to change Mr. Moody's life. He got hold of the truth that faith comes by hearing God's Word. Faith comes by really listening and hearing God's Word with both your mind and your heart.
*D. L. Moody later put it this way, "I prayed for faith and thought that someday faith would come down and strike me like lightning. But faith did not seem to come. One day, I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, 'Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.' I had (up to this time) closed my Bible and prayed for faith. I now opened my Bible and began to study, and faith has been growing ever since." (6)
*Church: We can be stronger in our faith, and we need to be stronger. We don't have to live in fear. We can live in faith! Adoniram Judson certainly knew this. He was a devoted Baptist missionary and Bible translator who served in Burma from 1813 to 1850.
*"Adoniram" is a very unusual name to us, but it is a very good name because it is based on the Bible word "Adoni." That Hebrew word is usually translated as "Lord." It is used over 400 times in the Old Testament. Any time you see the word "Lord" in the Old Testament, and it's not in all capital letters, that word is probably "Adoni."
*And Adoniram means "My Lord is exalted," or "My Lord is most high," so it is a good name, and it is certainly the faith-filled way Adoniram lived his life. There he was over in Burma, laying in a filthy jail, simply for telling people about Jesus Christ. His feet were bound to a bamboo pole, with 32 pounds of chains on his ankles.
*Then another prisoner, a non-believer, sarcastically asked, "Dr. Judson, what about the prospect of converting the heathen?" Adoniram instantly replied, "The prospects are just as bright as the promises of God!" What faith! Adoniram Judson was living in strong faith. (7)
*That's what God wants us to do. And we can! Because "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
4. GOD WANTS US TO BE STRONG. BUT HE ALSO WANTS US TO BE SUBMISSIVE.
*We can see this truth by looking at the unbelieving Jews Paul focused on in this section of Romans. They stubbornly refused to submit to God's plan of salvation by the sacrifice of His only begotten Son.
*Paul touched on this truth in vs. 16, where he said, "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our report?'''
*Then in vs. 18-21 Paul said:
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 anger you 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.''
*These unbelieving Jews stubbornly refused to submit to God's plan of salvation. They stubbornly refused to receive Jesus, in spite of overwhelming evidence that He was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament.
*John Phillips explained that their "disbelief was no accident. . . Even though Jesus had done so many miracles before them, they refused to believe in Him. These Christ-rejecters deliberately and stubbornly tore up the Lord's credentials. Only 36 miracles of Jesus are recorded in the Gospels, but the Gospel writers also include summary statements showing that Jesus performed many more miracles than those specifically documented."
*For example, in John 21:24-25, the Apostle closed his Gospel by writing, "This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen."
*John Phillips added that "The Lord's public ministry was extraordinary. He performed miracle after miracle, day after day. He demonstrated his deity in countless ways, showing his lordship over the processes and forces of nature, over all kinds of sickness and disability, over hordes of evil spirits, and over death itself. Unbelief, in the face of such proof, had to be deliberately cultivated." (8)
*These unbelieving Jews were foolish, stubborn and disobedient. But we don't have to be! We can be wise and understanding, submitting ourselves to God's will.
*Now, we live in a day when people don't like to be submissive. But there are some things we ought to be submissive to. In fact, our submission is one of the main themes of Peter's first letter to the Church:
-1 Peter 2:13 says, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. . ."
-1 Peter 2:18 says, "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh."
-1 Peter 3:1 tells wives to "be submissive to your own husbands. . ."
-1 Peter 5:5 says, "Younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. . ."
-And 1 Peter 5:5 tells all Christians to "be submissive to one another. . ."
*Five times Peter tells Christians to submit: Submit to the law, submit to your boss, wives submit to your husbands, young people submit to your elders, and all Christians, submit to one another.
*Even Jesus submits Himself to our Heavenly Father, so this kind of godly submission is a most proper thing to do. We read about this truth in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28. There Paul said:
24. Then comes the end, when He (that is, Jesus) delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
25. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
26. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
27. For "He (God the Father) has put all things under His feet (Jesus' feet).'' But when He says "all things are put under Him,'' it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.
28. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
*When the Bible talks about the Son being "subject" to the Father, it's the same original word Peter used when He talked about us being submissive, so our godly submission is a most proper, Christ-like thing to do.
*We live in a day when people don't like to be submissive, but there are some things we ought to be submissive to. And if there is anyone we ought to be submissive to, it's God!
5. GOD WANTS US TO BE SUBMISSIVE. AND HE WANTS US TO BE SECURE.
*And we see the source of all our security in vs. 21. There the Lord said this to Israel: "All day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and contrary people.''
*We've talked about the Jews who stubbornly rejected the Lord Jesus Christ. But now in vs. 21, think about the kind of God we have. Here's the picture: God patiently and lovingly stretching out His arms to us, God wanting to hold us safe and secure in His arms, -- if we will just let Him.
*As Jesus said in John 10:27-29:
27. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
29. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."
*When we put our trust in Jesus Christ, then His Father in Heaven becomes our Father in Heaven. He becomes our kind and merciful, loving Father. And right now, He is stretching His hands out to us all. But always remember that the Heavenly Father can only do that because His only begotten Son Jesus Christ stretched out His hands on the cross for us.
*That's why we can be secure people: Safe and secure in the arms of Jesus, safe and secure in the arms of our Heavenly Father, safe and secure in the God who will never let us go.
CONCLUSION:
*That's the kind of people God wants us to be. Let's go to Him in prayer.
(1) Adapted from "Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament" by - Warren W. Wiersbe - Published by David C. Cook - Colorado Springs, CO - Romans 9:1-33
(2) SermonCentral illustration contributed by Guy McGraw
(3) Adapted from SermonCentral illustration contributed by Richard Wilson
(4) Adapted from Advent 1: "Let Us Go Over to Bethlehem and Find the Faith of Christmas" by James W. Moore - Sermons.com 12/01/2002
(5) BE STILL AMERICA... I AM GOD by Amy Bartlett, 2002, p. 173-178 - Source: Special 9-11 email from "In Other Words" by Dr. Raymond McHenry - www.iows.net
(6) Sermons.com Christmas download 2003 - Preaching for Advent and Christmas - Vol 2 - GOOD NEWS FOR YOU - Isaiah 7: 10 16; Matthew 1: 18 25; Romans 1: 1 7
(7) Sources:
-Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'ADONAI'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915. - https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/adonai/
-"Faith in God makes great optimists." - "The Presbyterian Advance" - Found at Sermonillustrations.com
(8) Adapted from EXPLORING THE GOSPELS: JOHN by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "Some Explanations of His Rejection" - John 12:37-50
