Romans 10

Hello Project Ezra!  I pray that you are doing well, and looking forward to another opportunity to share the grace of God through the reading of His word.  Thanks to those of you who participated in First John on July Fourth.  It was a smaller group than expected, but we still had a number of people participate, and heard some great testimonies.  I’ll try to gather some of those together into a recap post and share it soon, but since I am preparing to host a local evangelism conference in just over a week, it may take a bit of time.  I will be trying to keep the posts shorter this week and next for that reason.  However, I have said that in the past, and they’ve ended up long anyway!  We’ll just have to see what God does with it I suppose.

This week our suggested reading is Romans 10.  This chapter is packed with good gospel springboards, so it will not be difficult to find something to preach from.  I’ll give a few examples of the directions I plan to go.  I will be preaching in our local bar and club district this Saturday night, and it is likely I’ll be preaching several times, God willing, so I’m happy for the multiple springboards.  But it would also be easy to put these sections together into one message.  Don’t forget that these suggestions are simply meant to be building blocks to help you prepare your own message, so change it and add to it as the Lord leads.

Regardless of where you start, don’t forget verse 1, that our hearts desire and prayer for them is that they be saved.  It is so important that when people hear us preaching, they hear more than condemnation.  We must never compromise the truth of the judgment and wrath of a holy God, as is so often done in churches these days, but we must never forget that only God’s grace separates us from the depravity we see around us, and we are as deserving of hell as anyone who hears us.  Keeping that in mind will give you a far different perspective when preaching.  It will give you compassion.  As Catherine Booth, who’s husband William Booth founded the Salvation Army, rightly said, “If you haven’t got tears in your eyes, let them hear tears in your voice.”  If a Christian can preach the gospel without humility and compassion, they have a very low view of God's holiness and their own sin.

I pray these suggestions are a blessing to you and to those who hear God’s word preached, and I pray that God will be greatly glorified through the salvation of souls this weekend.

All for His glory,
Dan

Introduction

READ ROMANS 1

Our hearts desire is that you be saved

And without someone to tell you the truth and wonder of God’s salvation, you are lost

How will they know without a preacher?

Faith comes through hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ

Sometimes the truth of God’s word is hard, but never for the sake of being hard

We are not here for attention, we are not here to ask for your money, and we are not asking you to join our church

We are here because we were graciously saved by a good God, and we want to see you saved too!

Zeal without knowledge and establishing our own righteousness

But how can you get right with your creator?

Many people believe that they are “spiritual”, and that is enough.  Maybe that is you

These people would say that they are trying to follow God, and that by believing God exists and living a good life, they will be OK

But the spiritual zeal they show is zeal without knowledge

God’s word says they are ignorant of the righteousness of God

It says that seeking to establish your own, they do not submit to God’s righteousness

All man made religions attempt to do just this.  They attempt to establish their own righteousness through good works.

But we cannot establish our own righteousness.  We are all guilty law breakers deserving of judgment, and no amount of good works can remove our guilt

God tells us there is none righteousness, no not one

GO THROUGH THE LAW TO BRING CONVICTION OF SIN

Christ the end of the law for everyone who believes

The law was fulfilled and justice for law breaking satisfied through Christ’s perfect life and substitutionary death.

Righteousness based on the law

Moses righteousness based on the law, the person who does the commandments will live by them

Is your righteousness based on law?

Many faith systems are based on keeping the law, and your standing before God is dependent on your obedience.

Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, Mormonism and the faith of the Jehovah’s Witnesses are among them.

But even a cursory look at the Ten Commandments will show us that none of us has truly been obedient

GO THROUGH THE LAW TO BRING CONVICTION OF SIN

We are all worthy of judgment and hell because of our sins against a holy and just God

But there is a righteousness based on faith

Confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, 

you will be saved

The only righteousness that can make us right with God is the righteousness of Jesus Christ

Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved

God’s Reaching Out and Man’s Awareness

Some will say that they do not know if God exists, that there is no proof

But God’s word says something very different

It tells us that men are without excuse, and that God’s existence it clear to us

Speaking of the nation of Israel, God says “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient 

and contrary people”

This passage is speaking of the nation of Israel, but the same could be said for all of us

God’s existence is clear, yet we have chosen to ignore or deny Him.

The Bible tells of us suppressing the truth in unrighteousness

We all know God exists, but chose to deny Him

God’s law is written on our hearts, but we choose to suppress it.

Take a moment to look at God’s law and you will see that is true

GO THROUGH THE LAW AND BRING CONVICTION OF SIN

We have all broken God’s law and our worthy of His judgment

And His word tells us the punishment we deserve for our rebellion is eternity in hell.

But God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that they turn and live

And we may have life because Christ died to pay the penalty we deserve on the cross

On the cross, justice was satisfied, so we can go free if we will repent, and trust Christ alone

DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE GOSPEL:

                MAN’S SIN AND THE LAW

                Romans 3:19-20, Exodus 20, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Revelation 21:8, Genesis 6:5

                GOD’S HOLINESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

                Hebrews 12:14, Exodus 20:5, Habakkuk 1:13, Psalm 17:11

                JUST PUNISHMENT AND HELL

                Matthew 8:12, 10:28, Revelation 21:8, Luke 16:23-31

                GOD’S LOVE EXPRESSED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

                Ephesians 2:4, Romans 5:8, John 3:16-18

                CHRIST’S SUSTITUTIONARY DEATH ON THE CROSS AND HIS RESURRECTION

                1 Peter 3:18, 2:24, Revelation 1:5, Colossians 1:20, 2:13

                REPENTANCE AND FAITH ALONE FOR SALVATION

                Acts 20:21, Acts 3:19, Acts 16:31, Romans 5:1, 10:9