Jesus Is Lord

I we were learning as we have been studying the book of Romans of the gospel of God came first to the Jews. But Israel as a nation rejected the Messiah multitude of Gentiles non-Jews believe the gospel, but only a remnant. Only a minority of the Jewish nation and the question that Paul is asking in Romans nine, 10 and 11 that we are studying.

Does that mean that God's promises to Israel have failed and the answer is we saw last week is absolutely not selected.

Romans nine we saw that Paul is saying that Israel's present rejection of Jesus as the Messiah is not inconsistent with the promises of God or the justice of God and then that the boxes difficult versus as they are in Romans nine Paul emphasizes God's sovereign election. For example, Romans nine, verse 18.

So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whom ever he wills.

But after stressing God's sovereignty. Paul is not going to go the as it were, the balance of Scripture is now focusing on the importance of human responsibility God's messages going out. That is true. And there's all kinds of responses. But God has made us in his image and we all have the capacity to choose and I Paul is emphasizing the importance of human responsibility, and I realize we may have difficulty we do have the regulate reconciling these truths of God's sovereignty in the one hand and human responsibility. On the other, but both are true and both are clearly taught in Scripture. Scripture is full and we praise God for this of whosoever of whoever heard of every one as we will see in the passage would about to read. This is a fascinating passage about God's way of salvation.

All of us here want to go to heaven.

The question is what is God's way. You have your ideas. I have mine.

You were brought up a certain way with a particular heritage and so was I.

And in a sense, Paul is saying these are really irrelevant. Let's look and learn about God's way of salvation, and in this passage Paul presents two basic ways of salvation to ways that people in the past, including the Jewish nation and right up to the present day to ways that people think of salvation.

My going to establish a right relationship with God. Based on what I do.

Based on my words bite based on my church myself effort or am I going to have a true relationship with God through faith, not in what I have done. I'm going to do but what God has done in Jesus Christ's and what Paul is saying here is very consistent with our Lord Jesus. If you're familiar with these teaching and what we call the sermon on the mind. You will recall that Jesus says there are two ways and all of us out on one of these two ways.

That is a broad roads. Many people are on it. They start the result of the long the flow joy comes up is a broad road but says Jesus. It leads to destruction.

On the other hand, there is a narrow way. But Jesus says that not only his way leads to life eternal. So I ask you what way are you on usage.

On a good no idea if you have no idea.

I would suggest that your on the broad roads. Do you think that you by yourself can go to heaven that you by yourself can establish a relationship with God. Know that. Is this basic divide.

Now this is not a theoretical question. This is a very very important personal question for each one of us. It impacts my life now and it also impacts my eternal destiny Paul as he begins the section in Romans nine verse 30 where we'll start with the left of last week. As we going consecutively through the groom and says in verse 31, shall we say then when Paul does that. He pauses and is going to help us to think through the implications of what he has presently set so let me read with you. If you have your Bible turn their Romans nine and I'm going to read.

First of all, versus third day through the first part of verse 13 to Paul is saying in this passage working out your own salvation, which is one way the wrong way, working out your own salvation ignores Christ.

Let's follow this. What shall we say then that the Gentiles non-Jews did not pursue righteousness who did not pursue righteousness, have attained it.

That is a righteousness that is by faith, but that Israel, who pursue the law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why didn't thing why your sensors as well because they did not pursue it by faith but as if it were based on works.

Motor situations arise. Paul is using some technical language is a worry is talking about righteousness is it what's righteousness. Righteousness is having a true relationship with God. How can God look on us and declared us right to declare us just how does this come about, how can I be acceptable to God.

And Paul is saying the Jews had the law.

The Gentiles didn't have the law wasn't given to them, but this is surprising is that the Gentiles is Paul, in actual fact attained a righteousness by faith. The Jews pursue the law. Another law was wholly the law was good and they should pursue the law. But the problem is they did not do that by faith because it is Paul's basic point. No one even the most religious person like the Jew, even the one who tries scrupulously to follow the law present is very, very religious, even that person will never attain a right standing with God based on their works.

You know, we call that religion you think of religion. What is it is working on notes your own way your own achievements don't do this do that don't do not do this. The demands of the law, but most of the Jews, Paul is saying, did not in faith kindness themselves on the mercy of God. Verse 32. They did not pursue the law by faith. This was then a self-righteousness works righteousness they were seeking acceptance with God based on their works based on the effort based on keeping the law, but if you been following the series in Romans that Paul's basic finder pointedly makes repeatedly and he has summarized it at the beginning of Romans one verses 16 and 17 that the Joss the righteous shall live, not by obeying the law, not by religion, not by trying the best you can, but by faith.

The just shall live by faith, and in particular, says Paul, you must understand that there is no salvation without Jesus Christ. With regard second part of verse 32 of Romans nine. They have stumbled. They, the Jews of stumbled over the stumbling stone as it is written, bold, I'm laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and the rock of offense, and whoever believes in me will not be put to shame brothers my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I bear them witness is talking about the Jews not to have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge for being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God. That is key comes from God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. So sad. Paul has his great desire for his fellow Jews to come to saving faith in Christ, but he saying they ignored the Messiah and the Jamaicans finding quotes from the Old Testament. From the book of Isaiah is and the Messiah is pictured as a stone which should be the very foundation of our life just as I said to each of these moms and dads that their home the ready life should be based on Christ's, which is given to us as a gift. But what is happened, says Paul. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. It became to them a rock of offense. The Greek word scanned the long Paul uses it in first Corinthians 123 when he says we preach Christ to the Jews.

A scan belong to the Jews a stumbling block same word here like us on the user trip on server being a mighty rock that you build your life on in factories stumbled on it. Trip over it.

It is our rock of offense rather than a rock of salvation outside God in his grace sends his son Jesus Christ to redeem them and the becomes a stumbling block a raw cover of offense.

They had great privileges.

As Paul said in chapter 920 of zeal that you know there's verse two of chapter 10, I bear them witness that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. We live in our society where people basically say doesn't really matter what you believe as long as you are sincere. These people were zealous.

They were religious they were sincere and the most part, as Paul was before his conversion and sincerity obviously is very important, but when it comes to establishing a way of salvation and getting right with God's insanity is not enough, is the true you can be sincerely wrong you can trust in the wrong thing to give you an example.

A controversial example that I would have a little bit of fun with this and some of you are going to be upset with me when I do it but I'm doing it deliberately. I know some of you longer like this happened. How often have we heard this, that in order to be healthy, you've got a drink eight glasses of water or 10 for the fanatic people sincerely believe it. I checked into it is a myth that is absolutely no scientific medical evidence for it usage on your preacher keep away from that. Okay I understand you can reject one site, but according to Aaron Carl Prof. of pediatrics at Indiana University school of medicine.

Pretty impressive business.

He citizen shows no signs behind a tall, but we have today. Seems increasingly sought, perhaps promoted by those who sell bottled water using to go to the cut the top. The preprinted end of the seller to us and we have hundreds of millions of healthy adults in the millennial generation going around with these huge part bottles of water. We have a meeting on the commitment these big balls of water. You know to be healthy really really really reread you got the drink eight glasses of water where there's no signs knowledge into the report. Many years ago that we should be taking into be healthy adults. About 2.5 L of water per the report goes on to say, most of that is contained in the food you eat and fruit and vegetables and coffee and tea and summons as well. Coffee dehydrates you to search for the Crusades.

These things and so we have so we've got only we had people they can cross the street without a big ball of water. Did you ever know, and it is a healthy person be dehydrated in our society, not said I don't like example. Okay, that's fine.

But isn't it true that you can be sincerely wrong.

Your doctor can give your prescription you could take that to the pharmacist and the pharmacist makes a mistake and instead of giving you the drug that you should get the pharmacist gives you poison you can sincerely believe that that drug will cure your illness. But if it's poison, you'll die you could be sincerely wrong unbelief, sincere belief, zealous belief in error will not save your soul, don't stumble a Jesus Christ.

I speak with people about spiritual matters and most people most Americans believe in God and they're quite happy to talk about God and are quite happy to say from time to time I prayed to God and I'm I'm really a person of faith. I believe in God, and after a while of speaking I think you know we've been talking about 20 minutes and you have never mentioned Jesus. This is he part of its guard vague out there. Paul is longing, did you notice in verse one. My desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. They believe in God, they've got the law the religious.

They are sincere in their zealous for the got saved right with God and the truth you could work out your own salvation. You don't need Jesus Christ to use smart enough religious enough kind enough generous enough to establish a true relationship with God by yourself. You don't need the Savior.

Jesus Christ and the Jews pursued a relationship with God. Based on the law. They tried to establish a righteous relationship with God by human effort rather than by accepting by faith.

The free gift of God in Jesus Christ because without faith it is impossible to please God, you make in your own path to God today you have you is a well John, you know you you you reading the Bible. I have my own ideas. It is very individualistic, isn't it coming today. I will cut my own salvation. I have my own path.

What is important were told is the journey I remember a friend of mine when I was a student at Denver University were very good friends and as we talked about spiritual matters. He certainly was not a Christian. He said to be John my philosophy as I go through life and that is a very bright individual is when I go through life is like a journey not come to a rock and I lift the rocket on the candidate's and now. Then I keep going on. I'm sanctioning and that it's the journey that's important I'm I'm I'm searching, I'm lifting out one raw capital rock exploring different things different philosophies, different ideas probably say listen, if you're doing that you sent me should be sincere and you certainly should be searching, but you are ignoring. Did you notice he says in verse three.

Seeking to establish their own righteousness. They did not submit to God's righteousness. We see that picture really is is her problem is not getting it all better than God.

You can work out your own way rather than humbly submitting to God's way.

The gift of grace. On the one hand, or the works of the law, what is it Jews didn't grass was polishing here in verse four. Didn't grasp that Christ is the end of the law. The Mosaic law. Paul has said previously that we are not under law but under grace. He said in chapter 7 that you died to the law that your release from the law is going to say in second Corinthians 3 verse eight that Christ has brought this to the law to an end, but they still think that salvation is found in keeping the law and policy. No is by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ ends the rule and reign of the Mosaic law. If you think you can work out your own ideas to get to God.

You are ignoring Christ as Paul's basic point from verse five through 13 he saying working out your own salvation and is writing here particularly to Jews. Not only are you ignoring Christ your ignoring Scripture your ignoring your own Scriptures. Let's read from verse five. Can you follow this with me is the thing about the illustration of the water. By the way, no emails about okay you find some research by some guy in Timbuktu who says that and send it to me, send it to Eric Hill who was up here just pasta verse five 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.

Others that says do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven, that is, to bring Christ down or who will descend into the abyss.

That is, to 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 it was in this is wonderful 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 one believes and is justified and with them I was 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 the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call him for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The magnificent temple right a theological argument brilliantly put the you want to go by the law you want to base your acceptance with God on your sincerity on your religion, your heritage, whatever it is, if you going to do that polishing as he mentions Moses in verse five it demands total allegiance to the law. Others in verses five and six again the two ways of righteousness, the righteousness is that is based on the law and the righteousness based on faith. Okay you want to do your own what you want to keep the law is think about that do this don't do that now. If the person who does the commandments, you will live by them.

But here's the challenge, you have to obey the law. 100% every day, it requires perfection about you represents a huge problem to me. I couldn't keep the law of God for one day for less for the lifetime.

None of us can perfectly keep the law. On Thursday I was speaking to the students who are learning English as a second language ESL and their having a Thanksgiving dinner and I smoked a little bit to them about Jesus coming as the Savior and I I said to them, only spoke a few minutes, I said to them, no, that there is no one perfect here. Is there and come from all over the world right to call the church and no one mentions some of the women there, I said to any of you here have a perfect husband and one will she just laughed and laughed and laughed. I thought I like to be your husband. Ladies and the perfect husband as my wife and what she's gonna say he's a pastor you may think is great does not live with them is far from perfect but is not one of us.

There is no perfect husband, the perfect wife is no perfect child and however zealous we are and however self disciplined we are and however sincere we are all of us come short. There was only one man who ever walked on this earth was 100% perfectly and said he completely fulfilled the law.

100% and that was our Savior Jesus Christ. He was sinless. Not a speck of sin in him. And so if you're trying to get right with God. Based on what you do, let me remind you, you can keep up to York with your own standards finalize God's is it as bad as Paul is presented that badges in the earlier chapters we here's the good news is he is an alternative. Absolutely it is the gospel, the gospel, as Paul has said that he's not ashamed of the gospel because it's the power of God unto salvation to everyone not a little works now obeys the law, but to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed as it is written, the just shall live by faith. You there.

You trust in Christ depending on Christ. I notice what Moses does here is really good. Verses five and following all quotes from Moses, we will go to the passages.

It's in Deuteronomy just 30 to show that this faith. This righteousness is not something which is hidden or distant from us, but if you go by the law. God is very, very far away. God is very demanding. He demands perfection. Some of you grew up in a home. Some of you live in a home where people are very demanding. You may be a wife and you think I can never please my husband ever. I do he complaints some of you were brought up in a home where your father was very demanding and you and you felt you could never meet his standards are your may work for the boss who is very very demanding and you say, however hard I work at night never quite please this man think of God, who is 100% holy and here we are trying to keep the law because the law is very very demanding knowledge.

Perfect. Not problem is with the law. The problem is with us. We can't keep it.

God seems on reachable very, very far away, but now Paul does this argument beautifully. He's noticing that in Jesus Christ. Salvation and the gospel is available to everyone. Doesn't he say here verse what is it verse eight. What does it say the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart was happens to be celebrating in the few weeks skull Christmas was Christmas about Christmas is this mind blowing truth that the eternal God, the holy God's who is from everlasting to everlasting has come into our world has entered into time and space in the person of his son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, he's Lord yes he is God. We celebrate and he comes to us is given. One of the most beautiful names imaginable. God with us to think you can never reach God by yourself.some possible, some possible. I know most of your kind, sincere, generous people, your nice people but your weight of your shortcoming center how could we possibly save ourselves. God and his son has come to us notice what Paul says here in verse six. Do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven, you can send in him you don't need to buy yourself why because Christ has the scent who is going to descend into the abyss. That is, to bring Christ up. You don't need to do that because Christ in his glorious resurrection has conquered the abyss has conquered darkness and sin. You can reach heaven you cannot give spiritual life to yourselves what you don't have to because Christ has done that and God in his great great mercy has brought salvation near to us. Verse eight. Again, what does it say the word is think of God like that is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. God doesn't require us to do: do something difficult like some long long pilgrimage. You don't have to work for your salvation is not a matter of you doing your best. It is acknowledging that all of the work of salvation has been done by Jesus Christ when he died on the cross he died for our sins and their shortcomings and their failures and just before he died he chided finished the work of salvation is finished. The way is open whereby on the holy people like us can have this wonderful righteous relationship with God. Because Christ has paid the price and in Jesus, God has brought salvation near to us. This salvation Paul is saying is accessible, it's understandable. It's available to everyone. In fact it is so accessible that little children believe wunderground life center on Wednesday night. Saw hundreds of children learning Scripture and the reality is, these little poison girls is that as they're taught the Scripture is as are those we we we sometimes find it difficult but they have a simple faith on and they cry out to Christ to save them and he saves them usually think that the gospel message is a simple one of the climb up, only to come down. It's right there beside you. It has to be received. Do you receive this answer was given, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord we some Scott and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Paul emphasizes the centrality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and death in and burial implied here. This is the central points point.

That was the most confesses is that which the heart believes those who are justified are saved gentlemen over like that would say Paul uses it three times in this passage.

The logical order is given in verse 10 with the N-word.

The heart followed by the outward.

The confession there. Not two separate acts but they are an expression that Jesus is Lord.

Faith is the cause of the confession confession of the Morrows without the belief of the heart is hypocrisy of yours ago I stood on this platform tying the knot of a young couple's marriage and a young man with beaming face was declaring his love for his bright and she was doing the same. Now I don't know his heart but when the been very hollow, very hypocritical very very sad. If he were saying to his bride. I love you but wasn't in his heart he saying the right thing, but that is not the commitment of his heart that would be very sad when you understand that what does it mean to follow Jesus Christ just to say Jesus is Lord. No new no. Yes, you have to acknowledge that you are a sinner that Jesus is God, the that God raised him from the dead. That's absolutely essential, but it must be the commitment of the heart. Paul goes on to say that the Old Testament prophets was elected versus 11 through 13. For the Scripture say verse 11 of Isaiah and Joel.

They taught the universality everyone of faith righteousness. For the Scripture says, everyone who believes in him will be put to will not be put to shame was the earliest confession of Christians. Jesus is Lord easy faith is essential. Jesus Christ must be the object of our faith, and I ask you today. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal savior. Not asking you to remember a cover charge, or any other church asking about your own belief system are asking you if you trusted in Christ, the undersigned, that salvation is not an award given by God at the end of your life because you live the good life, but rather faith. This receiving of Christ is the very entrance into the very beginning of the Christian life know you don't work for salvation but you receive it as a gift is a what must I do verse 13 for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Why call on his name. Paul was explained is explained in verse nine, the centrality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to know that the gospel Paul has said.

Paul says in first Corinthians 15 verse three for I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scripture. What is the gospel with the good news that Christ died for my broken the law. A perfect person. Christ came to take my sin on the cross is buried and on the third day he rose again.

And this is what it means to be a Christian people are quite happy to talk about Jesus as a model teacher, even as a miracle worker is a kind of freedom fighter or as a person who gave wonderful insights into human nature and the talk about Jesus and these terms in a marvelous teacher and all of that is true, but it misses the central point of the Christian faith. If you reject that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins.

We call that substitutionary atonement if you deny that and deny the resurrection, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead for you. There is no salvation. This is the gospel's nonsocial justice is not political activism. Obviously the gospel impacts these things, but as Paul defines the gospel. It is that Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the centrality of the gospel. I meet people and they say well as your view and I support your view and they come with some philosophy one can invent a philosophy and I can say well I believe that when I die little men from Mars are going to come and take me to some other planet but I will live happily ever after that, that's my belief we were going to do with that the Christian faith is not just a philosophy. It is a belief in a person and it is based.

This is so important. It is based on historical evidence. It is a fact that 2000 years ago, the man Christ Jesus was put on the cross was executed by the Romans was put into a term that and on the third day, as Paul is saying here, God raised him from the dead, demonstrating that he is alive and demonstrating that he is God.

I do believe that believe that the one thing of the Christian faith, which is going to church and singing of UM's. It is rooted in historical evidence. And if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead-one.

I'm never going to come through the doors of this church analytical back to Scotland and see if some misguided person can hire me as a lawyer and I'll spend my time making money, having a good time because I know not only is it historically true that Jesus Christ died on the cross.

I know in my heart and my life. The transformation that the living Christ is made in my life and is made in many of your lives. People come to Calvary church with all kinds of problems and they come to saving faith in Jesus Christ and their lives are transformed are the perfect know one day we will be perfect when we see Christ. This is the transformation of the gospel through the living Christ.

You need help I need help outside of ourselves and this is what the gospel means we do know, on the name of the Lord, whosoever everyone. Paul has had here in verse 12 there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile know there's only one way of salvation does matter who you are from, whether you're Chinese or Russian or Indian or Scottish makes absolutely no difference. This message is universal. Paul has said in chapter 3 that there is no distinction between Jew Jew and Gentile in that all of us of sins. We are all in the same boat would all have the same data llama were lost.

God in his great mercy sends his son to redeem us and to save us, and to transform us. And did you notice how wonderful it is. Verse 13 for everyone that word, whosoever remember translation of the little Greek word sometimes translated in the Bible.

Whoever whosoever here it is. Everyone fall has used it in the end of verse 33 whoever believes in him. He said in chapter 10 verse four for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Verse 11 for the Scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. Verse 13 for everyone who calls and then the Lord will be saved. This is you, no one is excluded. Some of you have not yet trusted Christ the door is open to the way of salvation, confession of the month and belief in the heart know you can never work out your own salvation. You must trust Christ Queen Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901. She once attended a service and's and Paul's Cathedral and listen to the sermon. The interested are greatly and afterwards she asked her chaplain can one be absolutely sure in this life of eternal safety. What a question just what do you think how would you answer that you believe in this life you can be absolutely certain of your eternal salvation. The answer to that from the chaplain, sadly, was that he knew no way that one could be absolutely sure the incident came to notice of a humble minister of the gospel John Townsend. He read about this and he prayed much about the other by the method and he sent the following letter to the Queen to our gracious marriages. They are beloved Queen Victoria from one of her most humble servants, subjects with trembling hand hands but heartfelt love and because I know that we can be absolutely sure no photo eternal life in the home that Jesus went to prepare. May I answer your most gracious Majesty to read the following passages of Scripture that interesting. Once he gives John 316 chosen that the other ones, the ones we read Romans 10 and nine he saying to the Queen great Queen issue was Queen Victoria. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved in number people went praying. The incident says.

Two weeks later he received a modest looking envelope in which was enclosed the following letter to John Townsend. Your letter of recent date received identifying which state I have carefully and prayerfully read the portions of Scripture refer to. I believe in the finished work of Christ for me and trust by God's grace to meet you in that home, of which he said I go to prepare a place for you.

Yes, the Queen of the United Kingdom is the: and then the Lord to be saved and you and I have to call on the name of the Lord Paul says here you will receive God's creatures, forgiveness of sins. Peace with God a new power within you and so I asked her if you called in the name of the Lord is to John you'll need to confront to convince me that I've messed up. I really messed up badly and I don't know if Christ will receive me. Of course he will receive me.

We learned in our study of Romans, that there is always more grace in the Lord Jesus than there is sin and you and that God's grace is always greater than your sin and all of that sin and all of that messed up life of yours was born by her precious Savior on the cross and pleading with you today never done the call on the name of the Lord and be safe.

Were going to saying the well-known him just as I am. And if you hear without Christ when he responds and come come to Christ and say Lord I believe that you died for my sins, your God, and that your race from the date come and save me the one that is the one who comes to him.

Maybe in no wise cast them out until Savior and transform your father, we thank you for the good news of the gospel.

We thank you that you are not left us to try and work out our salvation, but you've given us. Christ may may need in this building.

Even though father humble themselves and come just as they are without one plea that thy blood was shed for me and that the bids to become Lamb of God, I come, I come Christ name I pray