Well good morning everyone, and a happy father’s day to all the dads here, and of course to all the folk here who fulfill father roles in our lives. I know you might very well have a big family lunch waiting for you, so we’re not gonna keep you here too much longer. I always like to tell myself when I get up here that I don’t speak for a long time… unfortunately for you it just feels like long time haha…
So, we’ve had a wonderful morning so far, we’re going to now look into the word and take another step forward in our study of the book of Romans - first section of Romans 10 will be our focus in the next few minutes, so while you make your way there.
If you were here last couple of weeks, you would have heard Lawrence sharing with us from Romans 9.
He actually came up to me last week after he finished, as he does, to immediately get some feedback and praise, to see how he had done, you know , fishing for compliments (typical) and I said, look kid, I think you did OK, but what was with all the old testament stuff. Jacob, Esau, Pharoah, Hardened Hearts, I thought we were supposed to be looking at Romans not Genesis ..did you get lost?
Well, I was just teasing, but he very sternly took the opportunity to remind me, as I take the opportunity to remind you this morning, of the context of the book of Romans, and the many direct references back to the old testament. It’s impossible to separate.
To put it differently, if this is Paul putting forward the Gospel story, where does the story begin? New testament? Where does the story of Jesus begin?
We believe in an eternal God, three in one – in other words, in the God head Jesus exists through all time, pre-exists. The whole story, start to finish, is his story.
We’ve been mentioning the law, the famous old testament law quite often, well look at it again today. Do you think Jesus was the quick fix, come up with the last moment, because the law failed? Because God made a mistake that he had to correct 2000 years ago?
No. not at all. Jesus was the salvation plan, all along.
So in the spirit, hovering above the waters in the creation of the World – Jesus is there. In the curse to Adam and the promise to Abraham and the resolution foretold, prophesied for millennia, Jesus is there. In the Psalms , and the Prophets Isaiah, Jesus is there. Deep , centrally in the Jewish Faith, the coming messiah is there.
But Salvation is now here. Verses you’ll hear today refer to Christ being the Culmination of the Law. About the Word being near – about the salvation opportunity being available to ALL.
But, as we start our reading together, The Jewish people, the very people selected by God to bear his name, to carry his message, to whom he will firstly give the Messiah. They have missed it.
OK, not everyone, we were reminded last week of the faithful remnant, who understood and received the Messiah in Faith.
But Paul’s heart longs for his people. Paul, the most prolific missionary in history, Paul, the church planter, carrying the good news from nation to nation to nation – Paul, what about your own nation?
Lets read together.
10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.
2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.
3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”[a]
6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”[b] (that is, to bring Christ down)
7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”[c] (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim:
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[e]
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[f]
And we’ll go that far this morning. Lets close in prayer and go home.
No, just a point or two to think on before we head off – I mean, the one thing to say IS that actually, there’s very little said in these verses that hasn’t been brought up already in Pauls letter to the Romans and brought forward by our speakers in the past few weeks and months. Even as the first few verses start you hear the familiar angst in the language. Paul’s heart for his own people, the Jews is that they too, like Him would be saved.
He mentions zeal, he was a text book Zealot, by his own admission. The best Jew, devoted, passionate, educated, committed and convinced of the truth and correctness of his own path, until what does that new song we sing say – He met a man He didn’t know. He met a God he thought he had completely understood. A God he thought he had the full measure of – that matched his understanding and expectation, and THAT Christ Incarnate Jesus blew his life wide open, turned him around on that Damascus Road.
Has he left his Culture and His people behind – nope – his prayer and his heart is for them.
And consider the heart breaking reality he puts forward in the next verse.
These people are Zealous for God – these people are not intentionally anti God. And he remembers because he was right there leading the zealous charge. But their faith is misplaced. The knowledge - actual knowledge of the living God is not there. Their understanding of righteousness is not correct.
Verse 31 from Romans 9
but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.
It was based on ritual, it’s based in heritage, it’s based in perceived birthright, not based in living faith. It’s based on work and effort and obedience to the law given to them, not necessarily based on faith and personal trust in the giver of the law.
Again, not everyone – Hebrews 11 lists some examples of Old Testament Heroes – of the Works – no! heroes of the Faith. The people who were in mind when Genesis mentions Abram believing God, and God accrediting that belief as righteousness. Because of Faith, Because of Belief.
They indeed had the law – very knowledgeable of the law, but the law was there to – Point to God in his Holiness, it was to set a moral standard for the People of God, and ultimately to point humanity toward the need for a Saviour.
And this is why you have in verse 5 Paul bringing in a quote from Moses “The person who does these things will live by them”. The contrast being set up is actually – we all fall short of this. There is only one, who ever achieved this Holy Standard – and His name is Jesus.
The law leads to Him – the Law is not replaced by him – the law is Culminated . Is resolved. Is satisfied. Is fully realised – in Him alone.
Verse 6 BUT – so here comes the contrast – the righteousness by faith is different. This righteousness looks to God, not to you. This righteousness doesn’t demand you live to a perfect unattainable standard. This righteousness has come to you, just where you are.
You don’t need /see the picture used here/ to go to heaven to bring God down – he has done this for us. You don’t need to go down into the depths of hell to rescue Jesus or bring him back from the grave – He has done this for you.
There is no big mythical quest. Climbing a mountain and stealing fire from the Gods. Going and sitting under a tree to find your inner peace within and attain a transcendent level of higher consciousness.
No, it has been done for you, in Jesus Christ. The price has been paid, God has come to us, death has been defeated. Done, Done, Done. Theres is no DO anymore, there is only DONE.
Which is why HE says the message concerning faith that we proclaim, is NEAR you. It is attainable, it is accessible. It’s right there, in your heart and in your mouth. Believe in your heart, and declare with your mouth and you will be saved.
Wait hold, you just told, me I didn’t have to DO anything, and here are a couple of DOES,
So if I don’t audibly declare that Jesus is Lord, am I saved? Is the entrance to heaven just a simple two step process – think this, then say that? Is it a mystical spell – repeat these words after me - ZAbracadabra. Zimzalabim - Are we backdooring a couple of conditions into Salvation by Grace through Faith Alone In Christ Alone. No.
Its more of a sense of cause and effect, to a transformed Believing Heart, the natural expression of being saved will be to tell others. That is how this Gospel spread is designed, and we’ll look at that next week. How will they know if they aren’t told!
This is evidence of Salvation, not a condition for Salvation. It’s a similar concept to the Faith and Works parallels, your works are not what saves you, but a truly converted believer, should, bear fruit, should, according to scripture, be bearing evidence of that conversion.
Of course, that really is between man and God, isn’t it – don’t now go round sizing up all those believers you know, finding some flaw and saying AHA got you – because Gods not done with us yet, we are journeying on our own paths.
Because verse 11 Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame
ANYONE? ANYONE. Jew, Gentile, Greek, High Born, Low Born, Devoted follower and disciple or apostle, thief on the cross who just bumped into Jesus that day. Anyone.
And here comes Paul back to one of his central themes in the Book of Romans
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile. What does he mean – there are obvious differences, they way they walk, talk, look, their history… how can you say they are the same?
3 quick things:
- They are both created by the same God, and they are subject to that same God – He is Lord of ALL
- They are alike in the fact that they are BOTH sinners. They are BOTH standing in judgement before a Holy God.
- The same Gospel - the same Saviour, the Same Good News is for both of them. There is no meaningful spiritual difference between those two groups.
This is again not the first time you have heard this.
Remember Romans 2:
9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;
11 For God does not show favoritism.
Remember Romans 3: verse 9
For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.
So good news bad news – bad news first – you’re all alike under sin – condemned, guilty. But Good news, The Lord Blesses ALL. Salvation has come for all.
Not only his special Old Testament people. For God so loved THE WORLD. Whosoever would come.
The Gospel offer is not for some and not for others – it is for you and it is also for the person right next to you. On this Fathers day, be reminded that the Father has no Favourites.
You are no more or less valued in Gods eyes because of where you were born, your ethnicity, your level of education, your public standing. Your family name. There is no distinction.
OH, here come the hole pokers… well whatabout those other guys…
Whatabout those whose hearts are so hardened that they will never accept Christ. Is Salvation for them? Did Jesus die for them or did he just die for the people that would accept him?
What about babies born and passed away before they reach an age of understanding and belief? What about them?
What about the unreached peoples of the world, who have never heard the Good news of the Gospel?
I always enjoy that last one, when people bring that up – it’s always this theoretical scenario – the unreached peoples of some remote island – they’re not getting Jesus, so I don’t need to hear about Jesus.
(Oh and by the way, scripture tells us what happens there – in the very same ROMANS NOGAL) and I have the utmost faith that God will deal with THEM however He pleases.
But they’re not in this room – you are. Unreached peoples – so put them aside for the moment – I am talking to YOU, A VERY MUCH REACHED PEOPLE. Too late! Tagged you! You can’t go back to a claim of ignorance, or unawareness. That ship has sailed – you now have a choice.
You have enough information. Enough has been done – again, not by you, but by Jesus himself. Salvation is here.
So then as we close we ask ourselves, do we really believe the Gospel is for everyone? Or do we sit and sadly reconcile ourselves – for those friends of ours, those work acquaintances, those family members even, and we say, oh, it’s not really their vibe. It’s for us, we really do believe and enjoy and understand as much as we can, we come here and join together, but we’re totally happy with it being our thing and not their thing.
Paul reminds us this morning, that the Gospel is for all. The Gospel is everybody’s thing, Every nation tribe and tongue. All who call on the name will be saved.
The Zealous Jews, the powerful missionary Paul himself. The Greek and gentiles of the time – the others, the outsiders. Thousands of years later, on the otherside of the planet, reading these letters, hearing these stories – is this for us, is this for all – yes it is.
Is it for a 45 year old engineer, with a science background. Yes it is. Is it for a (cough) 80 year old retired bank manager, who still serves his church faithfully many many decades later? Yes it is.
Is it still the right thing for those young kids we sent out, in a world, 2026 so radically changed from the context of what we were reading – yes, it is. Is it still for the whole family – here on Fathers Day 2026, Fathers, as you serve your families? Yes is absolutely is.
Lets pray
Pray Zeal – for your Gospel – for everyone.
