The Process Of Salvation

Sermon Brief

Date Written: July 5, 2012

Date Preached: July 8, 2012

Where Preached: OPBC (AM)

Series Title: A Journey thru Romans

Sermon Title: Messengers of Salvation

Sermon Text: Romans 10:14-21 [NLT]

Introduction:

Reverse Engineering

Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation.

In other words, ‘reverse engineering’ begins NOT with an idea of what is WANTED or DESIRED… it begins with a finished product…

This is where a lot of companies are able to mimick and copy certain ideas from other companies… by taking a finished product and breaking it down!

This morning I want us to look at what Paul is saying here as Reverse Engineering… salvation is a finished product when Paul is writing this letter. Christ has come, died, rose to life and ascended to the Father, so salvation was a finished and complete thing.

Paul is taking the ‘finished product’ of salvation and then he begins to break it down into its parts… in other words, how it happens! That is what we are going to look at this morning. Let’s look first at v14-15…

14But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” Is 52:7

Now what is Paul speaking about here? Well we can’t make sense out of v14 if we don’t look back to v13.

V14 refers back to the statement or proclamation made by Paul in v13 where Paul said, “…everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved…” then in v14-15 we find Paul beginning his explanation of God’s plan.

Here Paul explains ‘how’ v13 can come about… he gives us a full explanation of just how people get to the point to where they cry out to Jesus for salvation… most of us here today fight that same battle… we wonder just HOW people get to the proclamation of v13.

Paul uses a form of a ‘reverse engineering’ approach as he breaks down for his readers just what it takes to get people to the point where they are calling on Jesus!

As believers, our goal is to see people come to know Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives. We are called by God to make disciples! It is our mission to seek people reach this point where they cry out to Jesus and confess Him as Lord – and our duty, as believers, is to see v13 happen as much as possible!

Matt 28:19-20 Acts 1:8

But the $64,000 question is HOW… How can we see people come to the point where they are willing to call on Jesus for salvation, mercy and forgiveness and overwhelm them with salvation? Have you ever wondered just how people get to the point of v13… ready to cry out to God?

Have you ever wondered if these people came to the point of confessing Christ as Lord? I believe many believers today do not share their faith and witness as God has called us to do simply because they cannot wrap their minds around people coming to this conclusion of Jesus as LORD.

We don’t understand how and there is the possibility that we don’t fully trust God in the WHAT as well. Have you ever thought about ‘how’ your light switch at home works?

How does it turn on and turn off the lights in your homes? Well to put it as simple as I can (and believe me I NEED simple…) The light in your homes comes on because when you flip the switch on the wall, you are completing a circuit… you are making the final connection needed to make the light come on… BUT HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?

Well, the electricity is created at a power plant and it is sent out through relay stations that regulate the power and it is brought to your homes through a power server and distributed to the other parts of our house by a what we call a circuit breaker box.

The light bulb itself receives the power and the elec runs thru it – heating it up and creating a light creating glow…

The surge of power (regulated by the power company) enables the light bulb to glow and light your house and you can control the flow with your light switch… but NONE of this would be possible without the power source!

What Paul is describing in v13 is a lot like this illustration about the light switch in your house. Let’s look at what Paul is telling us…