Romans 10:1:21
Getting on the Same Page as God about the Messege, the Messengers, and the Mistakes
Introduction
A. Back in June when I took my Oral Exam, I remember sitting there for about 30 minutes waiting for someone to come back and tell me how If I passed or not
B. Finally someone came
C. I got the Message – the messeage was I Failed
D. So my first reaction was to – blame the messeger
E. Then after I got over that my next step was to think about – the mistakes that I made
F. In this section of Romans Paul tells us about the message the messagers and the mistakes
G. When I took my Oral Exam and got the Messege from the Messegners about my mistatkes it was bad news
H. Today we are going to look at
a. The Message,
b. The Messengers
c. And the Mistakes
I. Good news however, this is not like my oral exam, this is Good news
J. Let’s dive into it
I. The Message (1-13)
A. Explanation
1. Just like last week we start off with Paul making a staemnet about his love and concern for the people of Isreal (the Jews).
2. He wants nothing more then anything for them to know Christ
3. Now understand something here, the Jews can never be accused of not trying, they try and try to live up to the law, they would get an “A” for effort
4. But the problem comes in when they are putting their effort in the wrong place
5. They were trying and trying to “do Good” trying and trying to follow the law
6. But as we have said countless of times the law does not save you
7. For if you break the law even one tiny bit once, you are guilty and deserve death
8. No one has ever been able to live up to the righteous requirements of the law
9. Paul does another smart thing again, he knew that the Jews would argue their point from Scripture, so Paul uses Scripture to prove his point
10. What Paul is effectively able to do it to uses these scipture passages to point out righteousness by works does not work however righteousness by faith does work
B. Application
1. These thirteen verses do an amazing job at emphasizing the difference between “law righteousness” and “Faith righteousness” or another way of saying it would be “Man’s Idea of Salvation” vs. “God’s Salvation”
2.
Man’s Idea of Salvation God’s Salvation
Only for the “good people” For “whosoever”
Based on works Comes by faith alone
Self Righteousness God’s Righteousness
Cannot Save Brings Salvation
Tries to obey the Lord Calls on the Lord
Leads to Pride Glorifies God
3. The Jews were tyring to earn the Salvation, you can not question the effort
4. But their effort was in the wrong place
C. Illustration
1. Working at the Lighthouse I got the privelege of moving a lot of furntiture. I have found something out about moving furniture. There are certain ways of lifting things that will make your life easier. I have moved with some big strong guys that were useless, not because they were not physically able to do the work but because they would not lift at the right point. I moved with other people who seemed real week but they were able to move a lot better
2. It is all were you put your effort
3. What about you? Are you putting your effort into Man’s Idea of Salvation or into God’s Salvation
4. Here is what God requires: read 10:9
5. Sure is a lot eaiser, quicker and better then man’s Idea isn’t it?
II. The Messengers (14-17)
A. Explanation
1. Here Paul once again does an amazing job at caring out a logical argument.
2. It is really tough to realy on someone they do not believe
3. It is also tough to believe in someone they have not heard
4. and It is also tough to hear about something unless someone has said something
5. and it is tough to say something unless someone has been called
6. Now notice the wording here “How beuitiful are the feet” who here has seen beautiful feet?
a) Feet are ugly, espesically when you releasize this was written during a time were they did not wear shoes, they wore sandels, and walked through desert like conditions, I am sure there feet would be discusting
7. But yet Paul stiall calls them beautiful feet. Why?
8. Well you get this idea of a messeger who tell you good news. When someone tells you good news you have a hard time thinking anything bad of them, true they are just the messegeer but when it is good news the messeger is well liked
9. Notice someithng here, this is not the end, we have to look at 16 and 17.
10. Despite the fact that the good news has been given, some have not followed it as we are told in verse 16
11. Verse 17 is a rather confusing verse but let me take a stab at it.
a) I think that the best way to look at it is with the whole messeger concept in mind, here is how this works. The messegeer brings the messege and the people here. H9owever the messeger is not respospible for the faith that comes from hearing the message
b) That is not the messengers’ fault. The question then is why does the person not respond? It is because call has not predestined, God has not chosen them? Or is because the person has rejected the message?
B. Application
1. What can we learn and apply to our lives from these couple of verses?
2. I think we expect too much out of people and out of “messengers”
3. If someone has not heard the Gospel how can you expect him to believe?
4. That is why our job is to tell people about the Gospel. To tell them of the good news
5. As Christians we get this “unjustified” pride, we start to judge people, and believe me I am including me in this, based on Christian standards that they know nothing of. It is not their fault, they have not been exposed to the Good News.
6. Rather then approach someone with a “Holy than thou Art” attitude, approach them with the Good News.
7. Also we must understand something, if someone chooses not to accept Salavation it is not the messegers fault
8. If someone rejects the Gospel they are rejecting God
9. This should be encouraging for you. You are not responsible for people’s salvation, you only have to tell them about salvation
C. Illustration
1. I don’t know why we are afraid of rejection, look at Christ, he was rejected all the way to the Cross
2. And look at the way he responded, “Forgive them Lord, for they do not know what they are doing” He did not take the rejection personal, he was not tyring to get them to like Him. All He wanted to do is give them the messege of Good News.
3. If someone rejects the Gospel, they are not necessarily rejecting your. They are rejecting God.
4. Follow in Jesus’ example. Don’t get upset at their rejection of you, be sadden at their rejection of Christ
III. The Mistakes (18-21)
A. Explanation
1. Paul starts this section off once again using his question before the question is ask method – Gosh got to like that method don’t you?
2. Paul answears his question before the question is asked with his favorite response Scripture
a) This time he quotes Psalm 19. Psalm 19:1-6 talks about God revealing Himself through Creation and Psalm 19:7-11 God reveals Himself through His word
b) Therefore with that in mind the Jews, or anyone else for that matter can ever say that they have not heard
3. Verse 19. Maybe they did not understand right?
a) Again refreing back to scripture Paul responds to their objections
b) This is amazing, God knew that other nations would be Jealous of Isreal because of all that He had done and promised to do for them.
c) Other nations wanted these Gifts of God
d) Because Isreal rejected the Messiah salavation was extended to the Gentiles in part to make the Jews jealous
e) You don’t think that is true? Read Acts 11:1-18 that is when they had got all the Church leaders together and decided if they would recognize the salvation of the Gentiles
f) There were many people who argued that the gentiles could not be saved however, they loss that argument
4. Now there is good news for the people of Isreal,
a) God still loves them
b) Look at verse 21. All day long I have helpd out my hands
c) That is in the presence tense in Greek. God’s hands are still our there waiting for all to come to him.
B. Application
1. What can we learn from the mistakes that Isreal has made
2. First of all men are without excuse. We learn about that back in the beginning off romans particually Chapter 1. God reveals himself to Us. We are left with out excuse,
3. We can not use the excuse no one told me, it does not work
4. Second because God is a Jealous God we should be thankful
5. If God did not get Jealous we would not experience his mercy and grace
6. God is amazing folks
7. The third thing is the greatest news of all
8. God is still there with His arms wide open
9. Still there waiting for you to come home
10. Waiting for you to come rushing to him and hug
C. Illustration
1. Remember the prodical Son? The prodical son took his inheartence went off and blew it all on a wild party. Came to his sences and was going back home to ask his father if he could be a servant
2. Do remember what the Father did, He ran down the road, hugged his son and threw him a party
3. That is exactly what God is waiting to do
Conclusion
A. Our study on Getting on the same page as God probably has challenged you in some different ways
B. Take example for example just this week. First we are talking about how beautiful the feet who bring good news
C. Then we say that if they reject the Message they are rejecting God not the messenger,
D. Then we turn around and say that people have no excuse for not hearing the Messege in the first place
E. So we have not answeared the question of predestion/God’s sovereign choice verses Man’s free will
F. You know we haven’t
G. Here is what we know, Read 10:9.
H. How does that work, We wont know until we get to heaven
I. But all of this should have lead you to a couple of conclusions
J. One that God’s Salvation is Awsome, Mans way is impossible, and we need be constantly giving Him thanks for that
K. Two that we need to be the buetuiful feet and bring good news to people, Our job is to be the messeger, if they reject the messege, they are not rejecting us they are rejecting Christ
L. Third, God is there with open Arms
M. If you are here today and you have not accepted God’s Salavation, God is standing their with His arms wide open. If you need help with this come see me, and I will gladly give you the messege
N. If you are here today and your friend, family, spouce, or coworker has not accepted God’s Salavation yet, Keep being a Messenger, theres is still hope, God’s arms are still open
O. The question is are you on the same page as God about Message, Messengers, and Mistakes
