Morning Message Text: Romans 10: 5-15
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”
6 But the righteousness that is by 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 deep?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim:
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Morning Message:
I love to preach the good news, the gospel of Jesus. Most of you know that my favorite thing to preach is a message that is designed to bring people to Jesus. That is how God made me, from the time that I first came to Jesus as a child it was my inclination to tell others. As I look back on my life, I can see in that very undisciplined young person what God had created me to be. I didn’t know at the time that God would one day call me to preach. I didn’t see that in myself at the time, maybe it was because I didn’t see my feet as beautiful, just big. This saying at the end of today’s scripture makes very little sense to us today. In ancient times when someone wanted to send a message, they would have someone, a young person, run and deliver the news. A messenger may run for miles, and it might take days with rest stops before the message was delivered. If the message was bad news, then I’m sure that there was little appreciation for the messenger; that might be where we get the saying, “Don’t kill the messenger.” But if it was good news then this expression might be used, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” Paul uses that here to magnify the preaching of the gospel.
I am reminded of a story that I read from one of my connections on LinkedIn. Michael Sprague is a Capital Commission Chaplain in Washington, D.C. It starts with a complaint that he read in, Dear Abby: “All my life I have been chosen last. That is my problem. Why don’t I have a sign on me that says, “Reject! Last one to pick gets me!”
Michael says, you and I might not have penned that note to Abby but all of us can wonder how much God is aware of us. I remember being on a beach once. Bored. Lying out on a beach baking is not my thing. That morning I had read these words from Psalm 139: 17-18, “How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with you.” On the beach I decided to conduct an experiment. I took one handful of sand and counted the grains. After seemingly 30 minutes, I quit. It was impossible. There were too many. All I could do is bask in the truth that God has more thoughts toward me than the sand grains on the seashore. I have never forgotten that revelation and how it made me feel. God will not relent in the pursuit of your heart …In the pursuit of your soul … In the pursuit of your affection … until it is His or it is too late. You are custom made and designed by God. You are different than a rock or a tree or a chimpanzee. You are made in God’s image and bear His signature. God does not make junk. His thoughts toward you are mind blowing. Don’t believe me? Try counting the grains of sand in one handful.
Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” If a person chooses to be justified by the law, he or she must, of necessity, live by the law. There is no room for error; the entire law must be kept because keeping a portion of it has no value. The law demands absolute perfection without any mitigation. This verse is for all who think that they are good. To think that you are good is to judge yourself by your own human standards. Are you good enough on your own merits for your friends, your neighbors, society in general? Maybe. Are you a good citizen? Do you follow the laws of the government? You may be a fine upstanding member of society and by every human measure be considered good, but how does your goodness measure up when held before a Holy God? Have you been able to keep God’s commandments perfectly? Let me answer for you. No, it is impossible for humankind to do.
In verses 6-8 Paul speaks of righteousness as if it were a person. One need not ascend into heaven to bring righteousness down; Christ has already done that. One need not descend into the abyss; Christ has already been raised from the dead. No worldwide journey is needed. Christ is absolutely accessible by faith, as near as a person’s mouth and heart. All they have to do is reach out and receive Him by faith. God could not have made salvation any easier for us. I still hear people proclaim that God is unfair. Why would a loving God send anyone to hell? How can God be so unloving as to allow such a terrible fate? God does not condemn anyone. If you end up missing heaven it will be because you did not simply reach out and accept the salvation that God made available to all of humanity.
Please, listen carefully; this scripture is so simple, and salvation is so easy to obtain. Confessing Christ is evidence of genuine faith. Salvation comes through belief in Christ, acknowledging that he is God and was raised from the dead. Christ’s death satisfied God’s righteous demand for the penalty for sins, and Christ’s resurrection validated both His claims and the Father’s statements that He is God. Because Christ is God, His death, burial, and resurrection took care of the world’s sins. Just as all who sin will be judged, all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Salvation is not difficult to receive, but you must ask for it, you must respond, you must simply reach out to Jesus, he is reaching out to you.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
Views: 1
