As Close as Your Mouth and Your Heart, Part 2

Jamie Greer the salvation process is not distinguished by ethnicity or background or education level, religious history or moral uprightness. Everyone who calls on God's name will be saved. The gospel is the most inclusive religious message ever creating the most inclusive community that is ever existed on earth right now.

Far from God easy to doubt that we have what it takes to be saved but today on Summit life pastor Jeannie Greer continues teaching in Romans chapter 10 and we see why we can trust that Jesus did everything required for our salvation when we confess and believe that he is Lord we will never be disappointed. Now let's join Pastor JD for teaching today from Romans 10 is not a quest needs.

You will need to go up to heaven in your zeal for God in order to obtain his righteousness. Nor do you need to reach down into the depths of your heart for the willpower to obey. And that's because Christ the gift righteousness of God. He's the one that came down from heaven for you. He went into the abyss for you.

You are not saved by your zeal for him you were saved by his zeal for you. The effort was his coming down with his going into the depths was his. He lived the perfect life by the way, did you ever wonder why Jesus lived 33 years.

St. Augustine said it was because in 33 years. He is able to encounter every temptation that a normal person encounters in their lives. He wanted to face every temptation that you and I would face and pass the test every test that you and I failed Jesus passed with flying colors. Back in one of the most mysterious things in Jesus's life we see Jesus even pass the test of repentance for us. This one the most confusing encouraging seems to me it's where Jesus goes through the process of repentance, you said what you talk about where were you baptized by John the Baptist, John the Baptist, baptism was called the baptism of repentance, which is why John was so confused when Jesus stepped into the water, because Jesus never sent. So why is Jesus being baptized with the baptism of repentance. If he's never even say what you got rough enough. What is Jesus answer when John says I don't need to baptize, you know, we still, I got to do this to fulfill all righteousness.

Wait a minute he was fully righteous so whose righteousness was he fulfilling whose righteousness had not yet been filled up yours and mine. He was doing the baptism of repentance requires. What's this you would never repent sufficiently enough to gain forgiveness of yourselves. So when I used asked that question have I repented enough for my sins. The answer was no.

You did not repent sincerely enough to get forgiveness of sins.

That's why Jesus did for you. He literally went through everything that you were supposed to go through and what you didn't do right. Perfect like you live the life you were supposed to live. He passed every temptation you failed.

He even repented in your place, and then he died in your place so that when you received him as your gift righteousness. His record would become yours learn this term for Martin Luther.

We all learned gift righteousness gift righteousness. Righteousness bestowed is a gift.

Another way Luther talked about it was alien righteousness is the righteousness that comes from outside of you.

They didn't come up from inside it's it's brought down from somewhere else. Here is a quote or Luther talks about it that I love this, the love of God does not first find it creates that which pleases it right and you and I work in the opposite way right when I love something is because I find something lovely when I saw Veronica my wife I love her because I knew she was in create her into something I love that sound. What attracted me to her. God is totally different when it comes righteousness. He didn't find anything that's worthy of his love what he does is he creates that in us, what pleases him. He didn't find you righteous.

He made you righteous by the gospel again. Verse eight. What does the gospel say the message near you. Any of you all using your mouth and in your heart right now for any of you. Salvation is as close as your mouth and your heart. No matter how dark your circumstances are you coming here with all kinds of mistakes and send matter how far you feel from God. No matter how much shame you feel over your past matter how well you all with confusion help delete your are your prospects salvation for all of you is as close as your mouth in your heart.

It's not you gotta go change and become better. It's not you gotta erase the past is not that you gotta live no solid month and be a serious person in it and show God that you can do better to just close this morning as your mouth and your heart because salvation is simply acknowledging the Christ did what he said he did but he's the one that did the work that he's the one that live the life that he's the one that went into the grave. He did all he came down he went to the grave. You just receive it so he says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, having paid it all in full for you if you do that you might be not almost but you will be at that moment saved by the way some people get confused. They think that these are two separate things went apart one apart to salvation versus you believe your heart sexy you gotta confess with your mouth, as if this is like your part one part two like that annoying two-step verification process of my devices asked me to do every time I sign in to something I would drive me crazy.

That's not what this is right here so we know Paul is made very clear that the only thing you need to be saved is to transfer the hopes of your salvation off of what you do on what crisis.and for him to suddenly add also gotta verbalize it would be to add a work to salvation, and that would not be consistent with what he said throughout the book of Romans. What he's using is a device called it's in Hebrew call parallelism we use in English today is for you say the same thing from two different angles poetically. I would say to a guy about to say you if you want to get married, you gotta walk that island say I do and you put the ring on her finger. I'm not talking about two separate ceremonies. I'm talking about one marriage covenant. I'm to say in two different ways make sense what Paul is talking about is one faith because he assumes that if you do believe in your heart you would confess with your mouth, he explains what EE means for this in the next verse later this one believes that the heart resulting in righteousness? Print what is the instrument of your salvation is it with the body you get baptize is it with the willpower you obey is it with your mouth you take the Eucharist it with your feet. You walk down the aisle is it with the wallet that you give enough know it is with the heart that you believe that's it. And of course we do that parallelism again, and one confesses with the mouth resulting salvation for what is the Scripture say Paul now quotes on 25 three. Everybody who believes on him. Everybody who rest in him will never be put to shame all those who trust in him for salvation never can be disappointed when the simplest illustrations of the use of this I use it with children are usually teenagers of use, review his receipts dyslexic down a chair when you sit down in the chair.

What are you doing your transferring the responsibility to keep you off the ground transferring off of your legs and your transferring onto the chair.

That's it.

That is what faith is, as I'm no longer trusting in my righteousness to get me to heaven. I am seated in what Christ did for me saying you are my hope of salvation. Now some people say that we like, well, just don't.

I still remember what I said to God, Abby would pray enough to repent and often most likely mean you direct the chair Mike will listen that you had a little ceremony we set out in the chair. Most of you said something to the chair old chair, thou art a lovely chair I just say I love you so much of my whole life is been looking for you and I want you to be my personal chair if the chair had ears and Bobby moved right but I don't think you are right, but the point is not what I said to the chair. The point is, my seated in the chair. It has Cedro relevance what you said to God, I don't care if you prayed I don't hear you got baptize.

I don't care if you want and I'll I don't if you pray for an hour. I don't care a didn't matter.

It didn't matter what you said to the chair all matters is the posture you took toward the chair right now you are in one of two postures in relation to the finished work of Christ.

You're either standing for nothing and be good enough to get them humming a try hard enough I get there or you have sat down and said, my only hope is Jesus finished work. You were either standing in control of your own life. I'm the one is in charge, or you have sat down and submission to Jesus, you weren't one of those two postures right now in relationship to Jesus Christ was the Scripture say everybody who rest on him will never be put to shame.

God not to get you to heaven is aching about a chair even pray right is your say war you trusting in what I said I did as your salvation. If so, you're not to be disappointed not put to shame your posture toward Jesus Christ easy to trusting what he said were standing in unbelief. Which of those two is it bulb interns. Now in verse 11 there and he begins to reflect on the fact what's this that this kind of gospel message has created the most inclusive community. The world has ever seen. Forget that what everyone hi there everybody who put their trust in God to save them will be saved and so Paul goes on for never slow to see there really is no distinction when it comes salvation. You were the Greek, the black and white of the rich, the poor and uneducated of the educated none of it makes any difference because the same Lord of all, richly blesses all who call upon him."

Joel chapter 2 for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The salvation process is not distinguished by ethnicity or background or education level distinguished by religious history or moral uprightness. Everyone who calls on God's name will be saved. The gospel is the most inclusive religious message ever creating the most inclusive community that is ever existed on earth, and I'm grateful also that it included me.

It includes all of you is awaiting her lawyer in a minimum, you just said there's only one way to be saved. That didn't sound very inclusive and that sounds like the definition of exclusive okay but first you need to realize and be honest with yourself that all religious claims, all of them are inherently exclusive. All of them.

For example, if you say I think good people from every religion are going to go to heaven when it sounds like you're inclusive right. It sure does, but you excluded bad people, and I suppose you get to define who is bad and I suppose racist and misogynist and child molesters are not on our on that list. If you're morally conservative. You probably put sexually deviant people on that list. If you're liberal, you probably put people who judge others for their sexuality on that list but nobody looks at the racist of the rapists in this as well just for me. I think you shouldn't do that, that's your truth, and I respect that and all of us have a list of what is good and what is right and what is not. Everybody has a line for who is in and who is out every moral and religious claim is exclusive, but the gospel of Jesus. You see, offers a listen. Different kind of exclusivity, because the gospel teaches that our acceptance with God is not based on anything about us.

God gives salvation alien righteousness as a gift to all who will repent and receive it in humility and faith, and that produces a different kind of exclusivity. It is a humble, gracious, inclusive exclusivity missing. What made the gospel in the first century scandalous was not whom it excluded.

What made it scandalous was human included because the gospel started to create communities that the world had never seen just one example for my favorite ones in the book of acts.

Paul now bows a Jewish rabbi in the town mood. Every morning the Jewish man would pray Lord I want to thank you I want to thank you that today you did not make me a woman, a slave or Gentile. That means every Jewish man walked around with his Jewish male privileges all day all day and they prayed and everyone. Thank you Donna want to slave agenda. So Paul Jewish rabbi goes into Philip Ida Windsor people to Jesus for the first three people the spirit of God has and when the Christ you know. At 16, a woman named Lydia, a slave girl and then a Gentile. The Philippian jailer. You can tell me the Holy Spirit is not just giggling up there and play little jokes on Paul right. That means the first church service is a Jewish rabbi, a woman, a slave and a Gentile. That is a community, the world had never seen it scandalous. The Romans had never seen people that were poor and rich and educated and uneducated in different classes of former slaves and headmasters all come together on equal ground and say were all saying the exact same way and it was scandalous which is why the gospel has produced the most demographically inclusive community world is ever known. You study what's going on will religion Islam is still predominantly Arab and become a Muslim. You basically have to become culturally Arab because they say you can only understand the Quran if you read it in Arabic. Buddhism is still predominantly East Asian Hinduism still predominantly salvation but Christians are now evenly divided between Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Africa and it's growing right now the fastest in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Like every other religious claim Christianity is exclusive, but it is the most inclusive exclusivity only to say this here if your idea of heaven on earth is a group of white American English speaking Christians. You were not going to enjoy having that much because every single time you pray, you pray to a brown skinned Middle Eastern refugees. So I would think twice before disdaining somebody like that okay not one final thought before I close our time in this passage.

This passage emphasizes that Christianity get this is a word-based faith is word-based salvation. Paul says is all about believing a word declared from heaven cannot he will ask me how common your church service. The longest part of the services reserved for some ice them up on stage and yelling at everybody for the Bible of that is because this is a word-based faith is why the center of our church is not an altar.

The sin of our church is pulpit word is the means by which God does everything it's always been this way in the beginning God created with what magic wand, grimacing spells and potions not be creates with a word he speak why does Scripture make that clear.

Because it is showing us from the beginning, the powers and the word Jesus healed when he when he walked around you appointing the field by speaking he would say to a person get up and walk. And if they believed him. Then all the sudden power would come into their legs and they would stand up and they will walk the blind will see, even after becoming a Christian how you made righteous, God declares a word it is finished your salvation is not Jesus is Lord. He went to the gravy came back up pay for your sin, you are declared righteous in a moment that you believe that you believe the word even after becoming a Christian. The amount of God's power at work in you is directly proportional to the amount of his word that is in you know word no power normal power give me more word.I was born Linda's great discovery from the book of Romans. He started study of the Romans who suggested no like how do I know that have peace with God on her than on heaven when I die services urgently thought, but to the Romans has the answer and so he started to teach it and like a college class you to the best way to learn something is to teach his supporters when he runs, and there he discovers partially through chapter 10. We just went through that it's all in a word she believes that God spoke B lightning that was God said, I declare you forgiven when you believe in its yours in it. It's saying to solely transform him to resort to preaching stress write about church in times like when you can can be tallied high salvation to believe word because that's the truth in the church to lose all control keratitis control and control people's behavior in general salvation. What happens when you come in here you come here and give money and you gotta come in here and what we tell you to do and so they were being threatened lose their power and so they arrested Luther and they brought him home in the court was Cardinal Kane Cardinal Koch Todd represented the Roman authority and he peers in this courtroom of Lutheran pieces. Luther, you got a stuffed Satanist. Joseph saying as he said he said Luther I will let you walk out of here, just if you order one little word. One little word and the word Latin was revocable. I can just right here on the answering don't apologize. You don't have to give any kind of full rebuttal using to say one word, and you can walk out here. Freeman otherwise taken Roman, you probably swing your life in prison, and more likely you'll be burned at the stake. One little word will set you free response was this much I know I would be the most beloved person in the Empire. If I were to say this one little word revocable. But how can I deny the power through which I became a Christian.

Later he would be in the words of the famous him a mighty Fortress is our God.

Undoubtedly thinking about his conversation with Cardinal Koch.as he hears the words that he wrote and go this world the devils field should threaten to undo us. We will not fear for God has willed his truth drive through us. Prince of darkness grim, which you will not for him. His rage we can endure for low's doom is sure one little word were to bring him down. What Luther said back to cottage on trial was, I will not say the word revocable. When I say's credo, which is a Latin word for I believe. I believe Luther understood something that we often forget and that is that all the power of God rest in the word of the gospel and one word of faith connects you to the power of an empty tomb. Just saying from the heart. Paul says in Romans 10 not declares a sinner righteous. Just saying that you believe in Jesus raised from the dead, you say that in faith he releases the power salvation and you makes the lame walk and the blind see in the dead get out of the grave brings power into your parenting open to your trials and strength into your captive soul. You remember the gospel is the only thing I told you only thing in all of Scripture that is ever referred to directly as the power of God other than Jesus himself.

That's why Luther closed the song like this that word, that word of faith. I believe that Jesus did what he said he thought that word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them about not you Cardinal Koch time, not the church in the spirit of the gifts are ours to him who, with the side of the goods and kindreds go this mortal life.

Also, the body they may kill God's truth Abydos till his kingdom is forever just a friend. What that means is that when you're unsure of salvation you speak that word. I believe I believe in Jesus really did do what he said he did. I believe he died for us and I believe he raised from the dead, and I believe that all those who trust amount will never be put to shame. And that means when you feel overwhelmed by circumstances, you need to speak that word. I believe that the God who is fighting for me is greater than the forces arrayed against me. There is no shadow of turning with him and that he is working all things together for good. And when you face addictions that you feel like you cannot overcome speak that word, the greater is he that is in me and he that is in the world. When you hear the voices of condemnation telling you that you were not enough, making her feel afraid and ashamed to speak that word. I believe nothing will separate me from the love of Christ that God has a plan for me to use me for good and to make me a blessing when your life tells you that you are a failure when your heart tells you you're a failure. When you feel alone speak that word you speak that wording on things they Latin say credo you say.

I believe I believe you will never leave me or forsake me.

I can do all things you Christ strengthens me speak that word brings you know that word know that word, which is why we say, charged twice a month is not enough just come and serve four times a month is not enough saturate yourself in the Bible you saturate into disclosing you and control your thoughts. It's like feeding the most important thing I do every single day is about 30 to 35 minutes, sometimes 45 in the morning when I get on first person I meet with is God want talk to anybody and it involves an open Bible me dialoguing with it. One of the things I'm trying to do is I'm trying to get the gospel down in my soul so that everything else I see that the lens of what you memorized it on the music you listen to you wanted to be songs and hymns and spiritual songs because it is controlling how you think and what you see is why driving around town and what I mean. I'm missing you have to always do this and you never listen to secular music on to say in trying to word inside of you all the time you listen to podcasts on a podcast and you see you saturate yourself with the word of God because the believe word the imparted word is with the power of God is one little word releases in you the power of God, just as it brought to the righteousness of God. When my strong challenge to saturate ourselves in Scripture from pastor JD Greer today on Summit light, not dating, not only through this series, but over the past couple of years and theme for our church and some other churches that you've called who's your one for those who may have missed your explanation earlier this year what you mean by 2011 is somebody that is is is not a believer.

I'm actually Molly's good news. One of my ones actually had to once one of them cages came to faith in Christ amazing and started to come to our small group in its amazing extent.

Sometimes it just takes a lot of relational effort a lot of prayer what we find in the New Testament is that the best way that people come to know God is been introduced to them by somebody that they know and that the trust and so we want to do stuff here Summit light that will help you so is a free resources month we want to give you a 40 day devotional that help you focus and ask the right questions and start the prayer journey on vocation of someone you know needs over the gospel.

Maybe that's a child or a parent or a neighbor or somebody that God just put into the course of your life can have a daily verse a few short paragraphs. Simple, straightforward, to the point just the way that I like it you get it right now is a free download@jdgreer.com so if you go there, JD, GRE, AR.com, you can get a ride on the offering or day devotional downlink and Bible study through running.com this is the last weekend available, so be sure to get in touch thing for your copy of Romans volume 2 study when you donate today to set ministry suggested level of $25 or you can always request the study when he joined the growing 528 520 again and request the online I mounting it again next time is on the table. Joining us Thursday right here on Summit light