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The passage of our sermon this
evening comes from Romans 10, 14 to 17, but we are going to
read Romans 10, verses 5 to 17. Let us now read Romans 10, verses
5 to 17. This is the word of the living
God. For Moses writes about the righteousness
that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments
shall live by them. But the righteousness based on
faith says, do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven,
that is, to bring Christ down, or who will descend into Abyssinia,
that is, bring Christ up from the dead. But what does it say? the word is near you, in your
mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith that
we proclaim. Because if you confess with your
mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart,
heart one believes and is justified. With the mouth, one confesses
and is saved. For the scripture says, everyone
who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is
no distinction between Jew and Greek. For the same Lord is Lord
of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then
will they call on him whom they have not believed? And how are
they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how
are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to
preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of those who preach the good news. But they have
not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has
believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing,
and hearing through the word of Christ. Amen. That's for the
reading of God's word. People of the Lord, last week
we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus, who came
down to our world in the fullness of time to save his children
from the bondage of sin and death. We know that the world didn't
accept him, but hated him and killed him. For three days his
enemies thought that they were victorious, but only for three
days. But the power of the trying God
overcome every power against him, even the power of death. So the head of serpent was crushed
by the promised seed. As a victorious king, he promises
to give eternal life to everyone who believes in his name because
he has authority over life and death. We celebrated the victory
last week because it is our victory as well. We are called to be
witness this victory. We are called to be part of the
gospel mission. Today we are going to look Romans
10, 14 to 17 to learn about this gospel mission that our Lord
Jesus wants us, wants each one of us to be part of. We are going
to look at our passage with four points today. The need for the
gospel, the beauty of the gospel, the effect of the gospel, and
the source of the gospel. In late 40s, Emperor Claudius,
the emperor of Roman Empire, expelled all Jews from Rome around
40 A.D. And that made the church in Rome
suddenly a Gentile church because even Christian Jews were expelled. And this event also recorded
in our scripture, Acts 18, verse 2. However, they return back
in the time of Nero, around 54 A.D. And some scholars hold that
the basic aim of the letter is to deal with the problem of the
relationship of Jews and Gentiles in the Church of Rome. So Paul
especially refers to these problems between chapter 9 and 11. This
is important for us to know because our passage is in chapter 10. It is context of this problem. So now we can return back to
our passage now. Our first point is the need for
the gospel. Let us remember verses 14 and
15 again. How then will they call on him in whom they have
not believed? And how are they to believe in
him of whom they have never heard? And how they are to hear without
someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless
they are sent? So Paul starts this passage with
three rhetorical questions. We all know the answer. It is
impossible. First of all, it is important
for us to know that the whole epistle of Romans built on two
doctrines. So whole Romans built on two
doctrines. First, we are saved by grace
alone. And second, we are counted righteous
by faith alone. These are the two cornerstone
of whole epistle of Rome. So we are saved by God and we
are made righteous by faith. So nothing is our accomplishment
and we cannot make anyone righteous and we cannot save anyone. But
then, what are these verses about? In these verses, Paul has Jews
in mind when he says they. Whenever Paul says they, he has
Jews in his mind. Why is Paul referring Jews as
they? Because Paul is mainly speaking
to Gentiles. There were problems, as we mentioned,
there were problems between Jews and Gentiles, and Paul's speaking
to Gentiles, and he refers Jews as they. Paul targeted Gentiles
in this passage, and he states the fact that how can Jews believe
in the gospel if those Gentiles don't share the gospel with them?
And how can they hear if Gentiles don't go to them? Jews says,
we have the law. And Gentiles says, we have Christ
Jesus. Jews don't understand the whole
Old Testament is about Christ. And Gentiles expect them to figure
out everything by themselves without the gospel. So slowly,
you can see there is an enmity has been growing between them.
And Paul urges Gentiles to share the gospel, to break down this
enmity. So if you preach the gospel,
if they preach the gospel to them, if they hear the gospel,
there may have been a chance to believe it because this is
what Paul says in verse 13. For everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord will be saved. but they must hear the gospel
first. Only the gospel can bring the
peace between Jews and Gentiles. Christian Gentiles of Rome were
so much like Christians in 21st century, like us. We also often
forget the power of the gospel. We forget that when the gospel
penetrates into the hearts, it produces reconciliation and peace. This is at least our hope in
Middle East. There are so many reasons for
people to hate each other in Middle East. This reason might
be very superficial but it might be very profound. But the result
of this enmity, it has been so devastating. There is only one
structure, one place that people can come together from different
ethnicity, color, language group, and social economic background.
That is the church of Jesus Christ. There is no other constitution
or structure that people can come together in peace in Middle
East. So how about North America? Do
you believe the gospel can bring peace between Christians and
others? Or do you think that nothing
can change their hearts? So you have given up already?
Or do you still have some fragments of hope for them? Beloved, if
you don't share the gospel, how are they to believe in him whom
they have never heard? If they don't hear, how will
they call on Jesus in whom they have not believed? The gospel
is your best device to bring down the walls of enmity. It is not your power that you
can rely on, but it is the power of the Word, and the Spirit works
through you." People of God, the very last words of Christ
Jesus that are recorded in the Scriptures are about the gospel
mission. Jesus says to His disciples in
Acts 1.8, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea
and Samaria and to the end of the earth. He also speaks his
disciples in Matthew 28. We know that passage as the Great
Commission. He says, go therefore and make
disciples of all nations. The last words of someone is
very precious and always remembered by their loved one. If someone
asks you to do something before he dies, she dies, that wish
has to be fulfilled by others because it is so precious. The
last wish, the last words. Christ Jesus wants you to proclaim
the good news and he wants you to be witness. He wants you to
go. He wants you to make disciples.
This is his last words. So we pray, as it is written
in Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 48, rule us by your word
and spirit so we may accomplish the desire of our Lord. And Paul says, how beautiful
are the feet of those who preach the good news. Paul quotes from
Isaiah 52. Messengers used to travel on
foot very long distances and their feet certainly not beautiful
to eyes because they bore all the difficulties of their journey.
The prophet Isaiah speaks of the messenger who brought the
good news of Israel's imminent release from Babylonian captivity. He carries the message of freedom
to Israelites. He says, to those who are captivity,
your God reigns. Sing with joy. Those feet carried
the goodness from miles afar to Israelites. So how could be
more beautiful than this messenger's feet, who carries the message
of salvation and freedom? In Turkish, we thank our guests
by saying, health to your feet. Glad you came. This is how we
express our thankfulness to our guests. Because we wish health
to their feet because their feet carried them all the way to our
home. But the feet of messenger of the gospel don't only bring
fellowship, it brings so much more. The messenger declares
in Ezekiel chapter 30, you shall know that I am the Lord when
I open your graves and raise you from your graves, all my
people. I will put my spirit within you
and you shall live. I will place you in your own
land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, I have spoken,
I will do it, declares the Lord. The gospel gives lives to dry
bones, freedom to slaves and salvation to captives. You are the messenger of the
Holy One of Israel. You are the messenger. But how then will they call on
him? in whom they have not believed.
And how are they to believe in whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without
someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless
they are sent? And if you don't go. So we proclaim
how beautiful are the feet of Christ Jesus crucified, who sits
by the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us day and
night. Brothers and sisters, verse 13,
Paul says, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will
be saved. However, Paul also says in verse
16 that, but they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah
says, Lord who has believed what he has heard from us. So Paul
speaks about you who had all the prophecies, who all the law,
but yet did not believe Jesus Christ. It was no different in
the Old Testament. Because there were many unbelievers
among the Jew. Being a part of covenant people
has never been about ethnicity or coming from a Christian family.
The Lord always looked into heart of his people and searched for
faithfulness. He searches our heart as well
and we cannot hide anything from him. We cannot hide if we are
unfaithful to him. But in verse 16, Paul talks about
two effects of the gospel. This is important for us to understand.
The gospel either softens or hardens hard. So gospel has two
effects. In 2 Corinthians, we read that
clearly. We are the aroma of Christ to
God among those who are being saved and among those who are
perishing. To one, a frankness from death to death, and to other
one, a frankness from life to life. So you are either carrying
the message of salvation or you are either carrying the message
of damnation. Because whoever believes in him,
he is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned
already because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of
God. So it means that when you share
the gospel, there is no way for you to fail because you will
certainly accomplish the will of the Lord. When you share the
gospel according to Scripture, you are 100% successful. The success is not just to see
people coming to Christ, yet we want to see that from the
depths of our hearts. We want to see people coming
to the Lord. But it is not for us to decide. It is the work of the Spirit.
But when you share the gospel with someone, if that person
believes in Christ, praise the name of the Lord and be encouraged
by the work of the Spirit and the Word. But if that person
doesn't believe the gospel and start judging you and hating
you, do the same. Praise the name of the Lord and
be encouraged by the work of the Spirit and the Word. In both
case, you would know that God is at work. Don't lose heart. God has already told you this
might happen. And don't be ashamed of the gospel.
What is there to be ashamed of? You should be ashamed of because
the wonderful work of Christ Or you should be ashamed of when
you say people, oh, you are sinners, even their own works testify
their own sinful acts. Or you should be ashamed of because
you share the only way of salvation, and you want them to save from
the coming death and judgment. These are all truths. There is nothing to be ashamed
of the gospel. Paul says in 1 Corinthians, the
natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God. They are folly to him. But he
says, we have the mind of Christ. Yet let us not forget that we
were also living in the darkness. Jesus Christ has brought us from
the darkness into his marvelous light. Don't forget the days
of darkness because millions of people still living in the
darkness. So I implore you, brothers and
sisters, don't miss the opportunity of sharing the gospel because
you are feeling ashamed or feared. because they might not have any
other opportunities. In the Old Testament, there were
prophets that sent by God. But in this last day, you are
a chosen race, a royal priesthood, holy nation, a people for his
own possession. that you may proclaim the excellencies
of him who called you out of the darkness into his marvelous
light, says 1 Peter. It is your responsibility to
proclaim the gospel because you are witness of this marvelous
light. But Paul states an important fact in verse 16, the hearing,
the word doesn't produce the faith. Did not Israelites hear? Did not Pharisees see the Christ
with their own eyes? Did not Judas hear the Lord for
three years before his betrayal? So Louis Barkoff helped us to
understand a very important thing. The Word brings the Spirit to
the heart, and Spirit brings the Word into the heart. They
are worked together. The Word doesn't work by Himself,
and the Spirit doesn't work by Himself. They work together.
The Word and Spirit together produce the faith. Without one
of them, there can be no faith. As messenger, your responsibility
to proclaim the Word and to leave rest to the Lord. And in verse 17, Paul presupposes
that the source of the faith, the source of the faith is the
gospel. He says, let us read verse 17, so faith comes from
hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ. Sometimes we
might be mistaken about the source of faith, especially when we
struggle with the idea of sharing it to others. Sometimes it becomes
so difficult when we're supposed to share. So what happens on
those times? On those times, there are so
many peoples in those situations. There are so many questions come
into the mind. And people, unfortunately, do
so many different things rather than sharing the gospel. So I
would like to mention two streams that millions of Christians think
that these are the right way today. First, it is called spiritualism. According to spiritualism, the
only thing you need to do is to pray. You don't need to share.
Just pray. So if you want someone to come
to Christ, just pray. It is not your responsibility
to share the gospel. They believe that God works only
through His Spirit, and there is no need for administration
of the Word. Second one is called rationalism. As you can guess, this is the
complete opposite of spiritualism. And unfortunately, rationalism
is becoming one of the biggest problem in the Western church.
According to rationalism, all you need to do is share the gospel
again and again and again until it starts make sense to others.
Because believing is all about mental activity. The work of the spirit is largely
ignored in rationalism. But how cannot they believe that? The rationalist says this, how
cannot they believe that Jesus died for their sins? How cannot
they believe it? And rationalist says, don't they
know they are sinners? Isn't it better to believe something
rather than believing in anything? people of God, we should respond
spiritualist as Paul charges Timothy. Preach the Word and
we should respond rationalist as Paul rebukes Galatians. Are you so foolish? Heaven began
by the Spirit. Are you now trying to be made
complete by the flesh? People of God, let us think about
this passage today again and again. Let us not let our hearts
and minds forget about these questions. Let us not forget we are not
given an option, but the Lord commands us. The Word and the evil ones want
you to stay silent. because what you have is what
they hate. As long as you stay silent, you
would fulfill their desire. But as long as you proclaim the
gospel, you would fulfill the desire of your father. As the
Apostle John says, you are from God and have overcome them. And he who is in you is greater
than he who is in the world. So we have the most important
message for people to hear. Thousands of people are dying
every day and we know the cure. We have the cure. Millions of
people are in pursuit of finding a meaning in their lives because
They cannot find any reason. They are separated from their
creator. They are completely lost. Sin separated them from
God. And they are like sheep without
shepherd. Christ Jesus is the only one who can restore the
fellowship between them and God. These people are all around us. They are not far. We know them. We know their names. They are
our neighbors, they are our colleagues, they are our friends. They are
not far. If we stay silent, how then will
they call on Him in whom they have not believed? If we stay
silent, how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never
heard? And how are they to hear without
someone preaching? Sometimes all you need to do
is just to take a small step of faith and trust the Lord for
the rest. Don't forget we are only heralds,
but as James says, my brothers If anyone among you wanders from
the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever
brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul
from death and will cover a multitude of sins." Will save his soul
from the death and will cover multitude of sins. May the Lord give us, give all
of us to see the privilege of witnessing sinners come unto
Christ. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, amen. Our merciful God, who is pleased
to condescend to speak us through your word. Grant us all grace
that we may not be mere hearers of your word, but doers also. Give us the grace of your Holy
Spirit that we may believe what has been proclaimed to us. May
we bring glory and honor to your name in all that we do, and you
conform us to image of your Son, Christ our Lord. All of this,
gracious Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel Mission
| Sermon ID | 413211250362720 |
| Duration | 28:20 |
| Date | |
| Category | Sunday - PM |
| Bible Text | Romans 10:5-17 |
| Language | English |
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