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Romans 10:13-21
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?1 And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.”
19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”
20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
(ESV)
Redeemer exists to celebrate and declare the gospel of God as we grow in knowing and following Jesus Christ.
If you have a Bible, Romans chapter 10. It's also there in your worship guide. As you are turning there, let me read you a verse from an old 19th century hymn written by the Primitive Baptist. Goes something like this. We are the elect, the chosen few, let the rest be damned.
Jeffrey Heine:There's room enough in hell for you. We won't have heaven crammed. I I tell that to you just so you know, it's not just the hymn writers of our generation with bad theology. It's been around for a while. Now, my only hope is that the the primitive baptist who wrote this, they were writing it, writing it as some form of satire.
Jeffrey Heine:That that's my hope. Regardless, we're not gonna be singing that at Redeemer. But the song does raise an interesting point that I know know many of you have been struggling with, as we've gone through Romans chapter 9 and Psalm 10. It raises up a question about God's sovereignty and election and evangelism. Perhaps this is a question you have been asking your home group leader, which is why they keep emailing me about it.
Jeffrey Heine:But the question is this, if God is sovereign and only those whom he elects are saved, then why evangelize? What's the point of sharing our faith at all if it's all predetermined? And and for, I mean, for that matter, why even pray? Any of you have those questions? Well, we're gonna look at those questions this morning.
Jeffrey Heine:But before we even read this text, I want to just point out a couple of things. First, after Paul teaches us about the doctrine of election in Romans 9, it leads him to do 2 things. 1st, at the start of chapter 10, it leads him to pray for the lost. And then it leads him to plead with us to share our faith. That is what the sovereignty of God and the doctrine of election led him to do, to pray for the loss and to plead with us to share our faith.
Jeffrey Heine:And can I just say that it did the same for me? When I read Romans 9 and finally came to grips with that many many years ago, For the first time in my life, my I felt like my prayers for the lost and my evangelism for the lost weren't forced, But they exploded in a sense of worship and praise. So let's see what Paul has to say. Beginning in verse 13. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Jeffrey Heine:How will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.
Jeffrey Heine:But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for their voice has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world.
Jeffrey Heine:But I asked, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, I I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation. With a foolish nation, I will make you angry. Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek me. I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.
Jeffrey Heine:But of Israel, he says, all day long, I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. You would pray with me. Father, in this moment, I ask that you would honor the very reading of your word.
Jeffrey Heine:And like a hammer, it would go forth and shatter a rock, and it would not return void, but it would accomplish the very thing for which you have purposed it to accomplish. Spirit of God, open up our hearts and minds to hear from you. I pray that my words would fall to the ground and blow away and not be remembered anymore. But, lord, may your words remain and may they change us. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus.
Jeffrey Heine:Amen. So last week, we looked at a couple of things that the Jewish people were tripping over. If you remember they were stumbling. They were they were tripping over a couple of things that were causing them to reject Jesus as the Messiah. Mostly they got tripped up over the law.
Jeffrey Heine:They had a misunderstanding of the law. Instead of believing, that you were saved by faith, when they were trying to keep the law, they thought they could actually become righteous by doing their best to keep the law. And that caused them to trip up when they came to Jesus. But the second thing they got tripped up over, was the reason that God chose to bless Israel in the first place. You see, they thought that God was blessing Israel just to bless Israel, that that the promises of God were for Israel alone.
Jeffrey Heine:That God promised Israel the promised land. He he he promised to make them into a great nation. He promised to save them. And that was their promises. They made the mistake of thinking God's promises weren't just to them, but God intended His promises to be through them.
Jeffrey Heine:They were to be the ones who then carried the blessing of God to the rest of the world. God blessed Abraham in order to be a blessing. And Abraham was to carry that blessing to the whole world, not just to his descendants. Now, Paul is writing us because he wants to make sure we don't make the same mistake. Do not think that your salvation is just about you.
Jeffrey Heine:You're a vessel of mercy. You're to carry that good news of salvation to another. Paul already alluded to that earlier when he talked about our salvation is God pouring mercy into a vessel. Vessels are meant to be carried to others, spilled out to others. We are a vessel of mercy taking that mercy to other people.
Jeffrey Heine:Like Abraham, we were blessed in order to become a blessing. Now all of you were blessed at some point with the gospel. Weren't you? Someone came to you with that blessing. I mean, at some point, a a vessel of mercy came to you, and they they poured out that mercy upon you.
Jeffrey Heine:Perhaps that vessel of mercy was the preacher at the church you grew up in and you heard those words and you came to believe, or perhaps it was the speaker at a youth camp. Perhaps it was like Ramya, one of her coworkers who sat down and relentlessly was that vessel of mercy. Perhaps it was an author in a book. And that was the vessel of mercy, that author presented to you the gospel. But at some point, all of you came to know Jesus because someone told you about Jesus.
Jeffrey Heine:It's the only way for people to be saved. That's what Paul is driving at here In verses 14 through 15, when he says, how then will they call on him who they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him and whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent?
Jeffrey Heine:God has designed it to where no one comes to faith apart from hearing the gospel from someone. There's a story in the book of Acts, chapters 10 and 11, I think beautifully illustrate this. It's the story of Cornelius and how he came to faith. Cornelius was he was not a Jew. He was a Gentile.
Jeffrey Heine:But he's was described as this. He was a devout man who feared God, who gave generously to the poor. He's even described as one who prayed continually to God. He was as good of a man as you could find. Better than many Christians that I know.
Jeffrey Heine:And one of the times that he was praying, God gave him a vision, and there was a vision of an angel coming to him. And the angel said he needed to go and find a man named Peter, told him where Peter was staying, said he need to go get Peter and he is going to come to, quote, declare to you a message by which you will be saved. So Cornelius, he he goes and he finds Peter. He brings Peter to him. And what is this message?
Jeffrey Heine:It's a message, hey Cornelius, you know God has noticed you're doing some really good things. And he just wants to affirm you and those good things you're doing. He wants to say, keep up the good work. You're saved. Was that the message?
Jeffrey Heine:Or or or was the message, hey, Cornelius. You're you're so so close. You're on the right path. We just need to tweak a few little things and then you're saved. No.
Jeffrey Heine:He needed to hear the gospel. He needed to hear the gospel in order to be saved. He needed to be told that Jesus is Lord. That Jesus died and rose again, that He might have eternal life. Apart from that message, even really good men like Cornelius are lost.
Jeffrey Heine:And someone has to go and tell Cornelius that message. That coworker who's so kind to you, so gentle, but doesn't know Jesus, needs to hear the gospel. Your neighbor who's just as sweet as she can be, she needs to hear the gospel. And you're the one to be that vessel of mercy to her, to your coworker, to your neighbor. Now, something that has always bothered me about this story of Peter and Cornelius, and it has to do with efficiency.
Jeffrey Heine:Those who know me know that, my brain is weird in many ways, but it's it's hardwired it's hardwired towards efficiency. Like, why have an hour meeting when 15 minutes will do? Why send a long email when bullet points will do? You know, why watch a basketball game when you only need the last 30 seconds? I mean, you you you just let's let's cut to the chase.
Jeffrey Heine:Let's just be as efficient as we can. Now let me ask you. Wouldn't it have been a whole lot easier? God wakes up Cornelius or gives him this vision. Angel comes, tells him to go get Peter, and Peter's gonna share the gospel.
Jeffrey Heine:Now wouldn't have been a whole lot more efficient if the angel just told Cornelius the gospel. I mean, what's all this like, hey, God going through all the trouble waking you up, giving you this vision just to tell you need to go bring in somebody else to share the gospel. It's a very inefficient way of doing things. But you find that all throughout the pages of scripture. God never sends an angel to go and proclaim the gospel, to tell people about the death and the resurrection of Jesus.
Jeffrey Heine:This is a task he has given uniquely to us. I don't know why. But it's our task and ours alone. Perhaps it's because we're the image bearers of him, And we're the ones to share that good news, image bearer to image bearer. Are you fulfilling the task?
Jeffrey Heine:You know, when I was a youth, high school, I grew up in the the age where you handed out gospel tracts. At least, our church, you know, that's what we did on Friday nights just because we were more spiritual than y'all. I mean, Friday nights, we we went around, we handed out gospel tracts, and I was terrified. I mean, I'm I'm not gonna like sugarcoat this and say like, I joyfully was like, Mom, Dad, can I go hand out tracts tonight with these groups? No.
Jeffrey Heine:But but we would do that, and so I remember we went to the mall, I think it was Perimeter Mall, in Atlanta. And, and I'm supposed to go up to people and hand out gospel tracts. And I'm chickening out completely. And so, I'm like, you know, and I just kinda turn. And so finally I just found myself in the parking lot and I'm putting them on wipers.
Jeffrey Heine:Just putting them on cars. Any of y'all ever become a Christian from a track laid on a car? So, like, all my effort was wasted. Seriously, like, alright. Finally, I got the courage.
Jeffrey Heine:I was like, I went up and there was a movie theater there. And, I I stood by the exit doors and I said, whoever comes out that door next, I am going to share the gospel with. I'm gonna hand them a track. The doors open and I kid you not, a guy who is over 7 feet tall walks out. John Concat, the starting center for the Atlanta Hawks.
Jeffrey Heine:Legitimately 7 foot 1, and I was like I mean my knees just buckled. And and I just kinda like, here. I didn't say anything. I just like, here. And he just grabbed it, he said, thank you.
Jeffrey Heine:Got saved, became a missionary, millions of people come to know Jesus. It's it's really remarkable how the Lord used that simple act of obedience. Thanks, y'all. Yes. Here you go.
Jeffrey Heine:You're welcome. Why was I so scared? Really, why was I so scared? I thought a lot about that. The word preach here that you find to preach the gospel, it mean it means it means to be a herald.
Jeffrey Heine:In this context, it means simply to share the good news that you've been given. You're not preparing a sermon. You don't have to make some kind of eloquent presentation. You're simply telling people a message. And hear this, church.
Jeffrey Heine:The power of that message does not depend upon you. Right. Yes, sir. It does not depend upon you and neither do the results. Perhaps this is a good time to talk about the sovereignty of God in evangelism.
Jeffrey Heine:Some of you might be thinking, Joel, I know I'm supposed to share the gospel, but, honestly, I just don't see the point. I mean, if Paul, it just tells us we're predestined for salvation. Some are. Some aren't. So if everything's predetermined, why do I share?
Jeffrey Heine:Why does it matter? And this is a good question, but I want you to know this is a question that have been completely foreign to Paul and to the other biblical authors. God's sovereignty gave them confidence to go and declare, not the excuse to not declare. Here's a good biblical example. I I hope this helps.
Jeffrey Heine:It's a little unusual, but, it's been helpful to me and this is in the Old Testament. It's the story of Noah, which you find in chapter 6 through 9. In chapter 8, Noah, he's he's getting out of the boat, and God makes a promise to Noah. He tells Noah, he goes, I'm not gonna destroy the world anymore. I'm not gonna do that.
Jeffrey Heine:And then he gives him this one promise. He said he says, first, be fruitful and multiply. And know this, there will always be a springtime, and there will always be a harvest. So Noah gets this promise from God that he's to go and he's to bear fruit. And and Noah, just so you know, there's always gonna be a springtime or a seed time actually, and there's always going to be a harvest.
Jeffrey Heine:Now if Noah looked today, you know what it, you know, might have been his temptation or thought? So, god, you're promising me. There's always gonna be a harvest? Well, let me get out the lawn chair, sit down, kick up my feet. I don't have to do anything because God has already promised fruit.
Jeffrey Heine:That's not what Noah did. He said, there's always gonna be a harvest. Noah got a plow and he immediately plants his vineyard, Knowing in confidence, he will bear fruit because God promised it. This is the understanding that Paul has concerning God's sovereignty and salve or in election and evangelism. We find this story in acts chapter 18 where Paul is going to preach the gospel to the Corinthians.
Jeffrey Heine:Now Paul was coming into Corinth as a bruised and beaten and worn down man. I mean, he has just been, beaten numbers of times. He's been in and out prison. And he is just kind of he is scared, actually, when he goes into Corinth because he's heard of those Corinthians. And so the Lord does something a little unusual to him.
Jeffrey Heine:The Lord appears to him in a vision, sends an angel to him. And the angel says this, do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent for I am with you. And no one will attack you or harm you, For I have many in this city Yes, sir. Who are my people. Yes, sir.
Jeffrey Heine:I have them. I mean, did you catch that? God just declared to Paul that he has many people in the city who are my people. That is despite the fact that Paul just arrived. And now Paul, he hears that word and he could go in confidence knowing I declare the gospel and there will be fruit.
Jeffrey Heine:And that is our confidence as well. We know that God has many, many people in this world. And Jesus has promised us this. In John 4, he says the wheel the the fields are white for harvest. In John 10, he says that his sheep will hear his voice and they will follow him and he will give them eternal life.
Jeffrey Heine:I love that. That's in John 10 when He says, my sheep will hear my voice and they will obey or they will follow me and I will give them eternal life. You have the most vivid example of that in the very next chapter. In John 11, Jesus approaches the tomb of Lazarus. And Lazarus heard his voice.
Jeffrey Heine:What did his voice say? Come forth. Did Lazarus obey out of his own free will? You bet. He joyfully came forward.
Jeffrey Heine:Why? Because God's word went to him and raised him from the dead. God has given us that privilege with the gospel. Apart from Jesus or God always being described with power, the only other thing that's described with power in the Bible is the gospel. And so when the gospel goes forth, it wakes people from the dead and they joyfully come to Jesus.
Jeffrey Heine:That's what it means to be a herald. You get to go to dead people. Say, Can I tell you about Jesus? And you get to see dead people wake up and come and follow Him. God has given us the privilege of raising the spiritually dead through the proclamation of the gospel.
Jeffrey Heine:And this is the calling of every Christian. Jesus, his last command before he ascends to sit on his throne, he tells us, go go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age. Some of you need to hear this. You cannot accept Jesus as Lord without accepting his mission.
Jeffrey Heine:There's no such thing as a private faith. Following Jesus means sharing the good news of Jesus. What a joyful privilege that is. For some of you, god might be calling you to do this vocationally. He might be calling you, even in this moment, to be a a full time missionary or to perhaps go into ministry, become a pastor, and praise the Lord if he does that.
Jeffrey Heine:But if he doesn't do that with you in this moment, know that he is still calling you to mission. So college students hear me. I actually waited. I put pushed this sermon off a week to make sure you were back from your spring break so I could say this to you. Especially listen to me, seniors.
Jeffrey Heine:As you're lining up what is happening to you, you know, what work you're gonna have, what job you're gonna take, where you're gonna live, you're lining up all of those things. Listen. When you graduate and you're going off to find a job and to make it in the real world, your primary concern is not money. It's not how much money you're gonna make. It's not how easy of a job can I could get?
Jeffrey Heine:It's not that. It is the proclamation of the gospel. That is your primary concern. That should be the primary thing that motivates you to get the job you get and to move where you're gonna move. Because whatever job you have, you will be sharing your faith with your co workers.
Jeffrey Heine:Wherever you live you will be sharing your faith with your neighbors. So where does the Lord want you to do that? Think about that. Pray about that. You're called to live a missional life.
Jeffrey Heine:Church, all of us have a mission. We get to be beautiful feet to people. I love that image. How beautiful are the feet. The feet that the person gives you good news.
Jeffrey Heine:I mean, how beautiful were the feet that brought Romeo, the the good news, the gospel. Paul's quoting from Isaiah here and like, why does he use the image of feet? You wonder that? I did. Why not say how beautiful is the person?
Jeffrey Heine:Makes a little bit more sense. How beautiful is the face of the person who brings the good news. Why does Isaiah and Paul why why are they concentrating on the feet? It's because God transforms those think of the the feet that brought the Romans this good news. Feet that have traveled a 1000 miles.
Jeffrey Heine:Feet that are dirty, dusty, bruised, blistered. Feet that do not look in any way beautiful. And Paul says, but through the gospel, when we look at those feet and the sacrifice that those feet made to carry me the gospel, how beautiful. We get to be the beautiful feet that carry the gospel to a lost and dying world. You do not have to be beautiful in your appearance.
Jeffrey Heine:You do not have to be eloquent in your speech. Because the beauty of the gospel is not dependent upon you. It's dependent upon the beauty of Christ. And the power of the gospel is not dependent upon you. It's dependent upon the power of Christ.
Jeffrey Heine:So would you go and take that glorious news of the gospel to those who so desperately need to hear it? Pray with me, church. Lord, you don't need us, but thank you for the incredible, joyful privilege we have to be the beautiful feet that carries such glorious news to the world. We get to tell people to come forth and watch your spirit raise up their spiritually dead bodies and you breathe into them new life. That never gets old.
Jeffrey Heine:So, father, would you make us bold proclaimers through your spirit? We pray this in the strong name of Jesus, our lord and savior, our present and our future king. Amen.