Romans 10:14-21 "Supernaturally Sent To Do The Impossible?

0:56I consider myself the most ordinary person, and so seeing God work powerfully through ordinary people is amazing, and it's captivated my attention. Maybe you remember the call of Moses. God comes to him in a burning bush and tells him to go to Pharaoh. Can you imagine? And here are some of Moses' response. Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? It's just me, Moses. Who am I? If they ask me, What should I say? But even if I go, they may not believe me or listen to me. They may say, You haven't heard from God.

1:44But I'm not eloquent. Either in the past or since you've spoken to me, God, I am slow of speech and of tongue. Lord, please send someone else. Maybe you remember Moses. What about Jonah's response? God calls him to Nineveh. Arise, go to Nineveh. Make known the news of my judgment and salvation. What is Jonah's response? He rose and he ran. Can you imagine? He says later at the end of the book, Lord, is it not what I told you?

2:26This is why I ran from you, for I knew that you were gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, relenting from disaster. Translation: I didn't want to go because I knew you wanted good for them, and they don't deserve it. Isn't it interesting that people don't really change that much? I wonder if you see yourself in these responses. I think at some level we all do. Because we are all ordinary people. We all feel inadequate at some level to live out the call of God in our lives. And if we're honest, we feel as though there are people, people out there or people in our lives that don't deserve God's grace.

3:29Well, my friends, despite how you may feel about yourself or about others, what I want us to see today is that God graciously uses his rescued people to rescue others. God graciously uses his rescued people to rescue others. So a little bit of context, what's been happening prior to the writing of Romans. We learn in the book of Acts that since Jesus' death and resurrection, his ascension, the news about his life and mission begin to spread. And one of the things that happens is that people who were opposed to Jesus begin to have these unexplainable things happen to them.

4:10Those who were once enemies are now followers. Most notably, we meet a man named Paul. He's literally killing Christians. Now, you probably haven't seen them, but you've heard of persecution videos being released on the interwebs. That's what we're talking about here. We're talking about killing Christians because of what they believe. But God miraculously changes Paul's life. He opens his eyes and he opens his heart to help him see the way, the truth, the life of Jesus. And so, Acts is detailing followers coming to know Jesus and Paul's life of making known the way of Jesus. So, that's before the book of Romans.

5:00Into Romans, we see that the mission of God begins to come into focus. While the mission has not changed, literally, since the dawn of time, it becomes more and more clear with Jesus' arrival, his departure, and then the coming of the Holy Spirit working through his followers. And so, what we find in the New Testament is we find followers of Jesus led by the Spirit beginning to live out this call and then to explain it to others. That's the mission.

5:34And the heart of the mission of God, at the heart of the mission of God, is a very important message. That's what we've been learning about so far in the book of Romans. If we summarized it in one sentence, it might be something like this: Into a dark and dying world, God sent his Son Jesus to seek and to save the lost. Dark and dying because Of the brokenness of sin and its effects. Divided because people see each other as enemies rather than image bearers of God. And into that world, God sends His own Son, Jesus, to seek and to save, to offer rescue and restoration, to offer purpose and healing, to offer new life and forgiveness.

6:30So the message is becoming more clear. The mission is established. Our passage today speaks to the means. The means. Those who have been rescued must go. Must go used by God to rescue others. In other words, Paul's previously talking about the what of the gospel mission. Here in 14 to 21, I think he's talking about the how, the how of the mission. So, how will the message be proclaimed? And that brings us to verse 14. Beginning in verse 14, Paul's going to begin to lay out God's plan for how the mission of Jesus will be accomplished. And he does this using what's called a rhetorical chain, this series of questions.

7:30That he lays out the process by which people will come to know the message of Jesus. You probably picked up on it as Sneha read the word, but here's what he says: People won't call on God for rescue if they don't believe. People won't call on God if they aren't persuaded of the reality of their sin and their separation from God. They won't call on God if they don't believe that He's the answer to all that's wrong in them and all that's wrong in the world. So people won't call on God for rescue if they don't believe.

8:12And they won't believe in one that they haven't heard of. That is, they won't believe if they've never been helped to understand or comprehend the message of good news that is Christ. And they won't hear unless someone tells them, unless this truth is preached. They won't hear unless the divine truth of God's salvation in Christ is proclaimed. The imagery here is that of a herald or a messenger. In the ancient Near East, there were public criers, public criers who were announcing warning and danger and destruction while making known the way of rescue.

9:00Paul's saying. And how can this news, how can this message be preached unless preachers or messengers are sent? The truth won't be proclaimed if messengers are not sent to proclaim it. Are you seeing Paul's logic here? Makes sense. It seems as though, given the emphasis in verse 15, rather, that Paul really is emphasizing those who are sent, the sent ones, given his reference to Isaiah 52, verse 7. How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news. Now, I already know.

9:45I already know what you're thinking. There's nothing beautiful about feet. So what in the world is Paul doing? Doesn't make sense. The point is, he's saying the feet of the messenger carry the messenger so that he can proclaim, she can proclaim the good news. So in this sense, beautiful are the ones who go and tell, make known the good news. Beautiful are the feet of the messenger who carries the good news. So in essence, Paul's argument is seen if we reverse the chain. Christ sends heralds or messengers. They preach. People hear. Hearers believe. Believers call. And those who call on the Lord are saved. This is what we learned last week in verse 13. By stating it, though, the way that he did in the negative, it helps to show how each stage, if you will, in this progression, how each stage is essential to the next. In other words, if God's people do not go and tell, others will not call upon the Lord and be saved. Do you see that?

11:02So that's where Paul starts. Now, he's going to anticipate that his hearers will take what he said and seek to apply it. That's a good thing. As a teacher, you want to see that. And so he's going to anticipate and then pose questions that he thinks they may ask. In other words, let's see if this is true for Israel, Paul. Makes sense. Remember, Paul's been talking about Israel's salvation, God's pursuit of Israel. Here at the beginning of chapter 10, he expresses his great longing for the Israelites to hear, believe, and call upon the Lord. And that brings us to verse 16.

11:46Here's the question. What about Israel? Paul, how do you explain Israel? In other words, has what you've laid out proven true for them? I want you to notice, verse 16, Paul says, but not all have obeyed. Not all have obeyed. By the way, this shouldn't surprise anyone because Isaiah foretold this in 53, 1, chapter 53, 1. That's what Paul quotes. And while he doesn't answer the question yet, notice the connection here between hearing, believing, calling upon the Lord, and obedience. While it is true that one must believe the truth about God to be saved, simply believing facts and agreeing with them is not what Paul or any of the Gospels have in mind.

12:45As we talked about last week, believing in one's heart is an act of faith and trust and dependency. That at the center of our being, our hearts, where our loves and all of our affections are, believing is exercising complete trust in God above everyone else and everything else, that's including ourselves. And that trust, brothers and sisters, is demonstrated, it proves true in the moment-by-moment actions of our lives. In the scripture, this is talked about in terms of bearing faith. Fruit producing fruit, obedience. To say it another way, belief and trust in God will result in a changed life, a life that reflects God. And that's why it's clear that not all Israel has believed because they have not obeyed God. Because that's shown up in their lives. Does it make sense?

13:55So we haven't answered the question, what about Israel? But Paul's going to stay the course. He's going to stay the course, convinced and convicted of what is true, and bring even more clarity. Verse 17. Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. That is, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. That is, the word of which Christ is both content and author. Paul, help us out. Verse 18. What about Israel? How is Israel's unbelief explained? Some might say, maybe they didn't hear.

14:48Maybe they didn't hear. Since believing depends on hearing, it seems like this is the right next question. Maybe they didn't hear. Paul's answer. No, they did hear. They heard. And he quotes Psalm 19. God has made himself known through his creation. Here in Psalm 19, we see that creation is personified, giving us the sense that creation's voice is proclaiming the glory of God to all, to everyone for all time. We got a similar sense from Romans 1, that because of creation's witness, all are without excuse.

15:38Not only that, but we know, because of the testimony of Scripture, that God had been pursuing Israel. God had made himself known to his people through the law and the prophets. Beginning with Abraham, God promised to make Israel a great nation, a people for his own possession. He promised that he would bless them. And he wasn't blessing them just for them. Do you remember Genesis 12? Take a look at this. God comes to them and he says, go from your country, leave everything.

16:22I will make you a great nation. I'll bless you, so you will be a blessing. I will bless you. Those who bless you, and him who dishonors you, I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. So it can't be true that Israel didn't know, I'm sorry that they didn't hear, because God had made himself known through the general witness of creation and specific witness of the law and the prophets.

16:53Well, how is Israel's unbelief explained, Paul? What about Israel? Maybe it's that they didn't understand. Maybe it's that they didn't understand. Verse 19. No, Paul says, God has made his plan clear, even if Israel didn't understand. He cites Deuteronomy 32. Moses testifies that God was going to accomplish his purpose one way or another. He would complete that which he promised to bless a people and the rest of the world through that people, even if he was doing it in a way that no one expected or in a way different than we would have liked.

17:48That's what Paul says using Deuteronomy 32. Verse 20, not only that, this is exactly what happened. Quoting Isaiah 65, Paul shows how the Gentiles responded. Though the Gentiles were not seeking God, God made himself known to them. They found him. Though the Gentiles were not asking for God, God revealed himself through creation, through the law, through the prophets, through Christ, that they might know him. And just to make sure that no one thinks that God is jealous, that word jealous is used in verse 19 in the way that we think about jealousy.

18:40Jealousy is envy of someone or something else. Envy is a selfish desire for something or someone else that's rooted in discontentment that leads to resentment. It's selfish desire for someone or something else that's rooted in discontentment, and it leads to resentment. So is God that? Is God jealous like that? No. Paul quotes Isaiah 65 to show the compassion, compassionate heart of God in verse 21. All the day long, all the day long, God has held out his hand to a disobedient.

19:30And contrary people. God couldn't be more different. He's jealous in the sense that he has a holy desire for the very people he created to come to a knowledge of him, to worship him, to know him and be known by him. And so he relentlessly pursues people as a good father pursues a wayward child. So, what is the answer? Israel did hear. God made it clear in various ways, even if they didn't understand or agree or like what God was doing.

20:19But it seems as though the answer, nothing has changed. God has been working among his people, even if they failed to see it or understand it. It's not as though God or His Word has failed. I think that's the answer. And brothers and sisters, this is where the real work begins. And so I want to take some time now after we've more quickly gone through the text, and I want to press in and consider what this means for us. First of all, I think we need to. See ourselves, our own tendencies in and through the Israelites. In the first way that we see ourselves, the first thing that we observe in the Israelites is this underlying spirit of skepticism.

21:18This underlying spirit of skepticism, doubting the truth that God has made Himself known and that He's working in the world and among His people, that His ways are best, even if we can't figure it out, even if we can't perfectly settle it in our minds. We pick up on this spirit of skepticism, not just here, but I think we see it in chapter 9. Paul's speaking about God's work in the world, and He inserts these rhetorical questions as He's anticipating these responses from His readers, from His hearers. You remember in chapter 9?

21:58A few of these will be on the screen. Just get a sense of like this skepticism that maybe God failed, or God's not working, or He's not doing what He said He's doing. But it's not as though the Word of God has failed, for not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel. 9, verse 6. What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? Paul answers, by no means. You will say to Me then, why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will? I know this is a bit out of context, but I want you to pick up on this spirit of skepticism, this spirit of like, I don't know if God is doing what he said, if he really is who he said he was.

22:51And I want you to hear me. I believe that God invites our questions. I think that the Bible can hold up to our questioning. I think that we are, as 1 John says, we are to test the spirits to see if they are from God. But my friends, where I'm going with this, what I think we see in the Israelites, and Paul's kind of highlighting for us to consider, is whether or not we've settled the first and most important question.

23:23Is God God or not? Like, is he real? Does he have ultimate authority? And as a result, is he working sovereignly over all things or not? Is his word true or not? If so, then you can rely on it and live your life by it. But most importantly, That it's still true, even if you don't fully understand it. Even if you don't understand it perfectly, even if you can't explain it precisely, even if there's still much that remains a mystery, contrary to what we may feel or what the world may have us to think, by believing all the evidence that we've been given, if there's still a large element of life in this fallen world that seems like a mystery, brothers and sisters, that's how it's supposed to be. Otherwise, it wouldn't be living by faith. That's not ignorant, that's not foolish, that's not that we're uneducated or we're gullible. That is what we've been called to to entrust ourselves based on how God has revealed Himself. But I ask you: are you?

25:00Are you living by faith? As we talked about last week, we're all living by faith. We're all entrusting ourselves to someone or something. The question is: the object of that trust. Have you, are you entrusting yourself to Jesus? Have you settled this in your minds? I think our skepticism comes in part because we haven't. To some degree. And I think we haven't, in part, because we love this world. Contrary to Jesus' prayer for us in John 17, we are both in the world and of the world.

25:53Jesus says, I'm praying that you would be in the world, but not of the world. And brothers and sisters, I think some of our skepticism comes from the fact that we love this world. I worry that we have filled ourselves with the world and we are filling ourselves with the world rather than the things of God. And so naturally, we now naturally assume or doubt that God is real or even working. In so many ways, I think we have put other gods before him.

26:30And this underlying skepticism for the Israelites looks like excuses. It looks like a desire to assume that people are right and that God is wrong. Listen to this. Yeah, but Israel hasn't heard. Paul's anticipating the response. Yeah, but Israel hasn't heard. Yeah, but God hasn't made himself known. Maybe they didn't understand what God was doing. Here's what I think is under. Neath all of that. It's not God's fault. I'm sorry, it is God's fault. It's not our fault, but it's God's fault.

27:12You see that underneath all of that? As we consider the beginning of chapter 10, I think we must settle the Lordship issue in our hearts and in our lives. Not, do you agree that Jesus is Lord, but if you agree that He's Lord, then everything will come under His Lordship. We will live our life in light of His Lordship, that He is over all things and He is calling us to follow. And don't misunderstand me. I'm not waving the quiet time banner as if five minutes a day will make us fully formed disciples of Jesus. What I'm asking, what I am calling you to consider, is whether or not your current habits and practices and rhythm of life are positioning you to get God in you.

28:27Because I think as we spend our best time, Knowing God and being known by Him, I think we will find that our way of seeing things, our worldview, will begin to change. If God has made Himself known, that means that if there's any deficiency in the way that I'm understanding things, it must be me. If I have not understood, then that must mean that I have yet to discern what God is doing in this particular way. Do you see how that changes things? And so, the first thing I want us to see in and through these verses is this underlying spirit of skepticism. How is that showing up in your heart, in your life?

29:19Okay, second thing. The second thing that I think we see in the Israelites is this contempt of others. And I think it shows up in our lives as well. This attitude that we and only we are the people of God. I think that each and every one of us has determined and decided that there are people who are unworthy of the grace of God. We want to make enemies of those who are really not enemies. We're tempted to think the worst and believe the worst about others.

30:06And we despise others who are not like us. And in so doing, I believe that we fail to see the image of God in them and we fail to miss opportunities by which God is working. All of this is characteristic of the Jews' relationship with the Gentiles, the way that they viewed the Gentiles, and I believe it exists in us today. I want to offer you a few categories that may help you and I to consider this spirit of contempt. I know I'm putting my foot in it. I already know. But here we go.

30:46Theological or doctrinal differences. You perceive that others think differently than you, and it leads you to despise them. They can't be right if they believe that. What about political? I don't have to say anything. You already know. From the news to social media, it's there. Pastor Alan said enough on that last week. Please go back and listen to that. He did a phenomenal job. Racial. Lifestyle, socioeconomic or class or status. What are the things that you despise in and about others that lead you to believe that they are unworthy of God?

31:56Beloved, hear me today. God has been working to rescue a people. It's all throughout the Bible and it's in this text. Not a particular group, or tribe, or language, or ethnicity, or class, or type, but a people who confess that Jesus is Lord, that God raised him from the dead, and that people from every tribe, tongue, and nation have placed their faith in him. That's who God is rescuing. A people whose common bond is Jesus Christ, not any of those other things.

32:36So we must not look at others, reject them, despise them, any of those things, because of things that don't matter. My friends, we must recognize and repent of how we viewed our neighbors, our classmates, our coworkers, the people. Literally right around us. God has made himself known. He has shown himself that he might be found by those who are far off. He's holding out his hand to those who are against him in great love and compassion. And we must do the same.

33:27So much more to say. But we have to move on. So that's the first thing. We see ourselves in Israel. Our skepticism of God, his working in the world, and our contempt of others. But secondly, I want you to recognize that we are the sent ones. We are the means by which God will reach the world with the message of Jesus. In order for people to call on the name of the Lord and be saved, they must believe the truth about Jesus and turn to him in faith and trust, dependence. But they won't believe unless they hear the message about Jesus, and they won't hear if someone doesn't tell them, if someone doesn't proclaim this truth. And the good news won't be proclaimed unless those whom God has rescued go and proclaim it.

34:28You see, God has been. Sending all along. We saw that in Genesis 12. He was sending Paul. He continues to send right here, right now, today. God graciously uses His rescued people to rescue others. So, what is the disconnect? There's a disconnect for us somehow, some way. I think of a couple of things. Number one, we're not going, we're not telling, and that's somewhat related to what we said before, this skepticism and this contempt. But I think also we read texts like this and we assume it's for someone else. Yeah, sure, it sounds good. It's for someone else.

35:15After all, this text is often preached in relation to global missions. And that's not wrong, but I think it kind of lulls us and makes us think that the mission of Jesus of going and telling, that's for like professional missionaries or that's for professional pastors. That's for seminary-trained people, but not me, not an ordinary person like me. Listen, no one else is coming. Yes, maybe God gives a generation. Maybe there's a generation after them. If God tarries, but no one else is coming, there's no backup, no backup plan. We are the ones, we are the means by which God will reach the world for Christ. We are the sent ones, we are God's plan.

36:20With that in mind, I want to double-click real quick on two things in this chain. I want to look at going and preaching. I think if you're like me, you have the hardest time with these two things: on going that God is sending, we are the sent ones. My friends, making disciples begins right in Jerusalem. Notice how Matthew 28 and Acts 1:8 work together. Go, therefore, as my witnesses. I've added this, I think it fits here. It's what Jesus is talking about. Go as my witnesses and make disciples. Acts 1:8. In your going, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you'll be my witnesses where? First. Jerusalem. That's right here, right now. Those who are closest to you. So I'm not discounting the call to go outside of our local place, but I am saying it begins here. While some may leave home, leave father, mother to proclaim the news about Jesus. Many, if not Most will share and show the grace of Jesus right here in their Jerusalem in rather ordinary and mundane ways.

37:41And in light of Acts 17, I think that means that God has placed you uniquely you in your ordinariness, in your quirks, and if you say you don't have them, it definitely means you do. But in everything that it means to be you, made in God's image, fearfully and wonderfully made, God has placed you in this place, in this time, for a very specific purpose, to make known the riches of his grace. But know this: he may be sending you to a people you don't want to go, and you probably feel like you don't have what it takes.

38:42Jonah and Moses. He's probably going to send you to a people you don't want to go, like Jonah, and you're probably going to feel like you don't have what it takes, like Moses. But, brothers and sisters, you've been sent, and the call of God. is to be faithful where you're at. So that is going. God has sent us, we must go. Preaching, last thing. While I think Paul most definitely has preaching the word about Christ in mind, proclaiming the word of Christ, I think there's more because God has given everyone who's been rescued by Jesus the mission of being his ambassadors. Look at 2 Corinthians. All this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself and then gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, what is the ministry of reconciliation? That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the ministry, the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. God is making his appeal through us.

40:05We are all ambassadors. And so, what people around you need most is for the grand story of God's rescue to ever be on your lips. They need you to tell them and to show them how they fit into God's story of redemption. They need to hear of God's goodness in creation. All things. They need to hear how creation and humanity itself is the greatest testimony of God's existence. They also need to understand why and how it's all gone wrong. How the source of all pain and suffering, trial and tribulation, sadness and hurt, and every other form of brokenness, how that's the result of sin, humanity turning from God to do what is right in their own eyes. They need to hear that.

41:09They need to know that while the bad news is really bad, like death sentence bad, that's what this means. That while the news, the bad news is really bad, God has done the unimaginable. He's done the unthinkable, the truly supernatural. He sent his perfect son to die in the place of people like that, like me, who thought they could be good enough, and who have the evilest of thoughts and intentions. That's who Christ died for. That's what they need to hear.

41:52That all of this means eternal life. It means release from the power and penalty of sin. But here's the thing. The thing that I don't think we talk about much, but you need to hear, and I need to hear, and people need to hear, those whom God has placed in our sphere of influence, is they need to hear of the promise of restoration and abundant life that comes in Christ. Hearing, believing, calling upon the Lord means salvation from sin.

42:28It means that the Spirit comes to dwell inside you, to guide you, and to help you. But it also means that the Spirit begins to restore and to heal all that's broken. In a way, the Spirit works in us to make us more human, to make us like God intended us to be. I think that is the news that people need to hear. That there is this awakening in Christ. There's this awakening to ultimate reality. That life under God's rule and reign begins to work in and through all that we are and begins to reform and reshape us.

43:14And I don't have to say much, I don't think, to convince you of the need for healing. From the things that you've done and the things that have been done to you, we are all in need of. God, the great physician, to restore and repair all that is broken. And so, what I'm saying, brothers and sisters, is don't hear preaching as preaching. Hear preaching as drawing near to others, taking every opportunity to draw near to those whom God has given you, to befriend, to build relationships, that in time you can share the hope and the healing.

44:03Maybe you're the one who feels guilty because you can't name 17 people or 170 people that have come to know the Lord through you. That's a lie from the enemy. Can I tell you? Not that this is like the Bible or the way, but there's a brother that I spent 10 years with. It took 10 years. And it was sitting knee to knee with him, helping him to see how God sees it all. I did it imperfectly, but that's what we're called to: make known, proclaim the hope and healing of Jesus. That Jesus is the good life. Following him doesn't necessarily mean that your circumstances miraculously change, though God is doing that. But it means that God mostly is changing you in the midst of your circumstances. Circumstances.

45:02He's changing the way that you see them, the way that you understand them, the way that you respond to them. The promise is unexplainable peace and joy, no matter what. You might be the only one to tell them. There's no one else. So, here, you're enough. God has sent you. He's at work all around us, and he desires to use his rescued people to rescue others. Even if you feel inadequate, even if you struggle to see others the way that God does, God loves them, and he'll help you do the same.

45:59So, let's pray to him to that end, that he would help us in all of these ways. Let's pray together. Oh, Father, we're in desperate need. We thank you for your word because it's a mirror that shows us. Of reflection, who we really are, what we are like in and through these very ordinary people that we find there. Thank you for meeting us in this way. Help us, God, to see that because you have made us, your Spirit is in us, that you have sent us to make known this wonderful news of your grace.

47:09Help us, God, to see others the way that you see them. Forgive us, God. We need you to change our hearts that we might come to know and see you as you truly are, that we might accurately see ourselves. We pray and ask with great hope, great anticipation because you are with us. In your name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to the sermon audio from New Life Baptist Church in College Station, Texas. For more information or to support our ministry, visit us online at newlifecs.net.