Paul's Epistles Part 25 – How to Receive

Paul's Epistles

Part 25 – How to Receive

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

INTRODUCTION

We are going to look at the Epistles of Paul in this series of sermons. In Chapter 10 we looked at Paul telling us about Righteousness.

Today we will take a look at How to Receive.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE Romans 10:14-21

¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

¹⁶ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” ¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. ¹⁸ But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.”<sup>[i]

19</sup> Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
    I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”<sup>[j]

20</sup> And Isaiah boldly says,
“I was found by those who did not seek me;
    I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”<sup>[k]

21</sup> But concerning Israel he says,
“All day long I have held out my hands
    to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

                   I.            FAITH THAT COMES BY HEARING

a.      How can they call on Jesus, if they have never heard of Him?

                                                                         i.      Vs 13 says, "Whosoever (individual, not nation) calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

                                                                      ii.      But Paul asks, how can they call on Him, if they never heard of Him?

                                                                   iii.      Ignorance is no excuse. This is why we must take the Gospel into the whole world as Christ commanded in Matthew 28!

b.     How can they hear of Him without someone preaching?

                                                                         i.      This, "preaching" is God's method of proclaiming His message.

                                                                      ii.      Who is responsible for this?

1.      God's Chosen People

c.      Who are God's Chosen People?

                                                                         i.      1 Peter 2:1-10 Tells us

As you (individual not nation) come to him, the living Stone (Jesus)—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion (Jesus placed among the Jews),
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him (a Christian)
    will never be put to shame.” ISAIAH 28:16

⁷ Now to you who believe (a Christian), this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,” PSALM 118:22

⁸ and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.” ISAIAH 8:14

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

⁹ But you are a chosen people, (those who accept the STONE, or Christians who follow Jesus) a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (Preaching the Good News!)  ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

d.     How can someone preach without being sent?

                                                                         i.      In Matthew 28, Jesus commands that we go into the entire world preaching this Good News!

                                                                      ii.      "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Good News!" Isaiah 52:7

                                                                   iii.      We can, as we are told in 1 Peter, declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light!

               II.            NOT ALL HAVE ACCEPTED THE GOOD NEWS

a.      Not all the Israelites accepted the Good News

                                                                         i.      Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" Isaiah 53:1

                                                                      ii.      Isaiah having the same trouble then as today.

b.     Faith comes by hearing!

                                                                         i.      Did they not hear the message?

                                                                      ii.      Of course they did

1.      “Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.” Psalm 19:4

c.      Did Israel not understand?

                                                                         i.      Paul exclaims there is NO excuse for Israel not to know.

                                                                      ii.      They had the Word of God for their guide.

                                                                   iii.      Just as many today who have heard the Word, have no excuse as well.

            III.            HEARING IS NOT ALWAYS BELIEVING

a.      Moses says, “I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
    I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.” in Deuteronomy 32:21

                                                                         i.      Some 1600 years before Paul's day, Moses prophesied the acceptance of the Gospel by the Gentiles.

b.     Isaiah says, “I was found by those who did not seek me;
    I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.” in Isaiah 65:1

                                                                         i.      Moses and the Prophet Isaiah both predicted that the Gentiles would hear and receive the Gospel.

c.      Concerning Israel, Isaiah says, “All day long I have held out my hands
    to a disobedient and obstinate people.” Isaiah 65:2

                                                                         i.      To Israel was another prophecy, by their rejection of Christ, the majority of Israel fashioned themselves into vessels of wrath through their self-will and unbelief.

                                                                      ii.      Is the church today, doing the same thing?

Paul has explained, in scripture today that, we, the followers of Christ are God's chosen people, and we are not only chosen to share the Good News, but commanded to do so by Jesus.

Each one of us is considered a priest, and a messenger of the Gospel, to others so that they may know of how the Lord called us from darkness, and how they too may be shown the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

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