The Promise Of Romans 10

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Have you called on the name of the Lord and been saved? In Romans 10, 12 to 17, the Apostle Paul declares that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Paul then raises a series of important questions. How can people call on the Lord if they have not believed? How can they believe if they have not heard? How can they hear unless someone proclaims a message? How can anyone preach unless they are sent? Writing some 700 years before Christ, Isaiah described how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. Unfortunately, when Jesus came, many in Israel did not accept the good news. However, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Stay with me as we examine Romans 10, 12 to 17 and discover what it means to call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

One Lord For Every People

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Billions upon billions of snowflakes fall every year, each displaying extraordinary intricacy and variety. Similarly, human beings display an extraordinary diversity of languages, cultures, ethnicities, appearances, and backgrounds. Yet, beneath all those differences we share the same fundamental human needs, and scripture tells us the same problem of sin. Here in Romans 10:12, Paul boldly declares that there is no difference between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him. In Paul's day, all of mankind was divided into Jew and Gentile. Prior to the Gospel, the Gentile and Jew, one circumcised and the other uncircumcised, was separated by seemingly insurmountable racial and religious barriers. The Gospel broke down the religious barriers that separated Jew and Gentile. Christianity does not exclude anyone who seeks Christ. In Christ, Jew and Gentile become members of the same body with a new citizenship and a new allegiance. Although in Romans 10 Paul is addressing primarily Jews, he again stresses that the gospel applies equally to Gentiles and to all, no exceptions who call upon the Lord Jesus. Paul states that those who call upon the name of the Lord are richly blessed. The Greek word that is used here for richly means to be or become rich or wealthy. In the 12 instances where it is used in the New Testament, it implies spiritual liberality or fullness. Those who call on the name of the Lord are wealthy beyond any imagination.

What It Means To Be Saved

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In Romans 10.13, the Apostle Paul states that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Here Paul is quoting Joel 2.32, the Greek word that is used for everyone or whoever leaves no room for any exceptions. Importantly, it is not just any name the sinners are called upon, but the name above all names, Jesus. There is only one Jesus, and calling upon him calls upon all of his character, all of his attributes, for these are all encompassed in his great name. Those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. The Greek word so-zo that is used here for will be saved has the basic meaning of rescuing someone from great peril. If the sinner calls whoever they are and whatever they have done, God opens the door. He will answer. To believe in Christ means to rely on or trust in him as the one who died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. God can now be both just because the penalty was paid and the justifier of the one who has faith in him. Have we called on the name of the Lord? Whatever our background may be, if we call on the name of the Lord, we will be

Camille And The Cost Of Christ

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saved. In the late 1800s, Samuel Zemmer was working as a missionary in Basra, Iraq. There he encountered a young Syrian whose name was Camille. Camille had studied on the Catholic priests who gave him an Arabic New Testament to take home and read. When Camille's father saw the New Testament, he burned it in the kitchen fire. Camille then found his way to the home of Dr. Henry Jessup, a veteran American missionary. There, Camille was able to quietly study the Bible without angering his father. After a month of studying every day, Camil decided to profess Christianity and devote his life to preaching the gospel to Muslims. Camille would teach that the Quran commands the reading of the Jewish and Christian scriptures with reverence and for inspiration. Camil would then use a Koran to prove the Bible was true. Unfortunately, on June 24, 1892, Camille fell ill. He died shortly after. He had chosen Christ, knowing it could cost him everything. Are we willing to fall in Jesus no matter what it costs?

Belief Requires Hearing And Sending

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Calling on the name of the Lord is the open door, but how does anyone ever walk to that door? Paul now walks us through the necessary steps, one question at a time. In Romans 10, 14 to 15, Paul raises a series of important questions. How can people call on the Lord if they have not believed? How can they believe if they have not heard? How can they hear unless someone proclaims a message? How can anyone preach unless they are sent? Paul answers his own series of questions by reaching back seven centuries to the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah declares that those who bring good news possess incredibly beautiful feet. This passage is often used as a basis for the church's missionary program, and rightly so. However, it was first intended for the nation of Israel. The only way unbelieving Jews can be saved is by calling on the Lord. But before they can call on him, they must believe. For the Jew, this meant believing that Jesus Christ of Nazareth truly is the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel. It also meant believing in his death and resurrection. But in order to believe, they must hear the word, for it is the word that creates faith in the heart of the hearer. This meant that the herald of the word must be sent, and it is the Lord who does the sending. To be sent suggests at least two things. First, one operates under a higher authority. Second, the message comes from the sending authority, God. The apostles received their commission from the risen Savior as he in turn had been sent by the Father. All Christians have been sent to preach the good news. The Great Commission, which is found in Matthew 28, states that we should go and make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded. This is not a suggestion, but a command. God could have chosen any means by which the message of salvation might have come, such as angelic messengers. However, God's normal way of bringing people to Jesus Christ is through the preaching of the gospel. Since the good news is for all, we must proclaim it to all. We who have heard the good news and experienced freedom through Christ are responsible to proclaim it to others who are still enslaved by sin. Are we doing all we can to ensure that those who we encounter hear the good news? In Romans 10, 15b, the Apostle Paul proceeds to quote Isaiah 52:7 how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. The Greek word, which is translated here as beautiful, literally means timely, seasonable, or ripe. The idea in this passage is how timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news. There is also an interesting verbal connection in Acts 3. The man who was lame from birth was sitting at a gate named Beautiful. He receives and believes the good news, which set him free from his physical malady, but more importantly, set him free from his bondage to sin. The Greek word, as is translated here as to bring good news, also gives us the English word, evangelize. Paul applied Isaiah's quotation to the messengers of the gospel taking the good news today. Not just a former clergy, but every redeemed saint is sent to proclaim the good news. Every redeemed saint has a personal message of good news, their testimony. As long as there are billions of people who have never heard the good news, we must commit ourselves to getting the good news to them. There's an African proverb. And that is to know where the water is and not tell. We know where the water is. We have the greatest news in the world. God forgives every sinner who trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior. We have to tell everyone.

Simple Ways To Share The Gospel

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Here are a few practical steps. First, begin locally. Begin praying for the salvation of those you have regular contact with. Pray for opportunities to talk to them about Jesus. Pray for the unreach. We don't need a pulpit. It can be done in friendly conversation, by handing out a track or a portion of scripture, by writing a letter or by singing a song. Every follower of Jesus is, or at least should be, a preacher.

John Harper On The Titanic

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The story of John Harper shows us that now is always a good time to proclaim the gospel. Harper was a Scottish minister who was traveling by ship to preach for three months at Moody Church in Chicago. On April 15, 1912, as the ship the Titanic crossed the Atlantic, it struck an iceberg and began to sink. Some passengers were able to reach lifeboats, but many, Harper included, were flung into the cold Atlantic. As the people frantically tried to stay afloat, Harper swam around, asking individuals if they knew Jesus. At one point, Harper approached a passenger floating on a piece of debris and pleaded with him to trust Christ. Just before Harper slipped onto the icy waters for the last time he said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Four years later, at a meeting of survivors of that ship, the Titanic, the man testified that he had been saved twice that night. First, he had trusted Christ because of Harper's weakness, and second, he had been plucked from the frigid sea. Harper's dying wish was that he could bring Jesus to hopeless people. Is that our living wish? John Harper's dying passion was to see people call on the Lord.

When Good News Gets Rejected

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Yet even when the message is clearly proclaimed, not everyone responds. Paul turns next to that sovereign reality. In Romans 10 16, the Apostle Paul states, but not all the Israelites accepted the good news, for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed the message? Paul makes clear that Israel's unbelief was not because the message had never reached them. God sent the messengers, the messengers proclaimed the message. The Jews heard the message, but they have not believed or called on the name of the Lord to be saved. Paul again quotes from the Jews' own scripture as recorded in Isaiah 53:1, Lord, who had believed our report? The report Paul refers to is a glorious message of the death of the Messiah and his substitutionary bearing of our sins. Unfortunately, in Isaiah's day, the people of Israel did not believe God's word, nor did they believe when the living word Jesus was in their very midst. A suffering servant did not fit with Israel's idea of Messiah. They wanted a conquering king to defeat all their enemies and bring them prosperity. As a result, they rejected the good news. Rejection is real. However, Paul's final word in this passage is not despair. Rather, it is a positive power of the message.

Faith Comes By Hearing Christ

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In Romans 10, 17, the Apostle Paul states, consequently, faith comes from the hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. The Greek word pistis that is translated here as faith speaks of belief in regard to man's relationship with God. Faith as it relates to Christ is the belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation and entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Hearing is a reflection of first century life. While there were people who could read, the ordinary first century citizen depended on being able to hear something. Word here refers to the spoken word as uttered by a living voice. The gospel is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit and is heard. The same Spirit births faith in the gospel message in the hearts. Faith then comes by hearing the word of God. Saving faith comes through hearing the good news about Jesus Christ. God's word, when uttered, has the power to change lives. Many years ago in a Moscow theater, Martine Idol Alexander Rostevez was converted while playing the role of Jesus in a sacrilegious play entitled Christ in the Tuxedo. He was supposed to read two verses from the Sermon on the Mount, remove his gown, and cry out, Give me my tuxedo and top hat. But as he read the words, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. He began to tremble. Instead of following the script, he kept reading from Matthew 5, ignoring the coughs, calls, and foot stamping of his fellow actors. Finally, regarding a verse he had learned in his childhood in a Russian Orthodox church, he cried, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. Luke 23, 42. Before the curtain could be lowered, Rostavez had trusted Jesus Christ as his personal savior. Have we received faith through the Word of God? That is the question every one of us must answer. And it brings us full circle to where we began. We started by accident if we have called on the name of the Lord and been saved. Paul has given us the answer. The gospel must be proclaimed, it must be heard, it must be believed. The sinner must call upon Jesus Christ. Someone told us, who are we telling? The harvest is ripe, the need is urgent, the time is now. Let us pray the Lord of the harvest Jesus that He would send forth workers and that we ourselves would be among them.

Pray Now And Stay Connected

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Before you go, if this message spoke to you, like this podcast and subscribe so you don't miss what God is doing here at Catch on Fire Podcasts. If you're ready for real change, take a moment right now to pray with me. Jesus, I give you my life, lead me, forgive me, and make me new. If you pray that, welcome to the family. Follow along, stay connected, and let's walk this walk together.

Grow Through Discipleship Training

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Declarations And Psalm 23 Blessing

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Please join me as we confess words of life over all of our lives. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are still holding on to God's unchanging hand. We are still in God's holy plan. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are living holy lives as God requires. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, giving clothes to those in need, ministering to the sick and visiting those in prison, and we are doing so to the least of those among us, as when we do so we are ministering to Jesus. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we have received healing, as by his stripes we are healed. From the crown of our head to the soles of our feet, all of our bodily organs are working correctly. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that God is ordering our steps, that all weapons that are formed against us have been utterly and completely destroyed, and every tongue that is rising against us in judgment is condemned. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that all generational curses are cancelled. Anything that runs in our ancestral bloodline that is not of God has no power over us, our children and our grandchildren, and is eliminated forever right now. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that angels are watching over and keeping our family, our children, our grandchildren, our loved ones safe. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that every negative word that has been and is being spoken over our lives and that of our family, children, grandchildren, and loved ones is cancelled and sent back to the pit from whence it came. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are the head and not the tail. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are not and will never be ashamed. Our enemies have not and never will triumph over us. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that anything that is not of God that has been dispatched to hinder our blessings, our progress, and our well-being is immediately destroyed. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are financially in line with God's word, and as such we are lenders and not borrowers. As a result, all of our debts have been paid and are forgiven. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that the enemy of our souls has no authority over our finances and our funds, and that we are good stewards of the money that God has placed in our keeping. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus in the area of business and our carriers, that just as Isaac reaped a hundredfold, the blessings of Abraham are falling on us, and we are reaping a hundredfold from whatever we put our hands to. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are living under an open heaven in every area of our lives. Blessings are falling on us, our family and our loved ones. These blessings are being manifested in our lives, in the spiritual and in the physical. Let's repeat the 23rd Psalm together. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restored my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Amen.