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by Sandy Shaw
We arrive at Romans Chapter 10 and verse 13 . For everyone who calls on the name of The Lord will be saved. This is where we see the other side of God’s Sovereignty, of which we read in Chapter 9 .
Yes, God chooses - God elects - God calls - but here we are reading of our responsibility to respond. Here is man calling upon Jesus Christ to save him from his sins.
In verse 14 we have these questions - Have the Jews heard The Gospel? YES.
And Paul goes on to teach - calling depends upon believing - believing depends upon hearing - hearing depends upon preaching - and preaching depends upon sending.
God sends a man to preach so that people might hear and come to believe.
That is exactly what happened when God sent Jesus into the world.
Where then in these 4steps did things go wrong?
1 - If you don’t believe Jesus is risen and alive, you won’t call on him to save you.
2 - You won’t believe unless you have heard.
3 - Hearing depends upon preaching. Preaching is important. In the Corinthian letter, Paul speaks about the foolishness of preaching – but that is how people come to believe and are saved. And the Preacher is an Announcer - a Herald.
4. The Preacher must be sent.
The Jews failed at point 1 - and that is why many fail today - they did not believe that Jesus Christ is risen and alive - and so they did not call upon him to save them.
Verse 15 - HOW BEAUTIFUL are the feet - and yet very few would say that the feet are the most beautiful part of the body - the mouth - the lips - the eyes - the face - the arms - the hands - but the feet??
The words are a quotation from Isaiah 52verse 7 . Read on to the opening words of Chapter 53 . Who has believed our message? Even today the Jews refuse to read Isaiah Chapter 53 – or at least accept it message. They have heard The Gospel - but have not heeded it. Is not that our very problem today?
Verse 16 - They have not accepted the Good News. How can one have obedient faith? By hearing. And hearing The Word of Christ - The Word of God.
They would not hear - so Paul prays for them. He had preached to many - and had got into trouble because of what he proclaimed - but that does not stop him praying.
Israel today still needs salvation - what a tragic history they have had all because they did not pay heed to the Messiah - but that was to allow us to come to faith.
Romans 10 verse 17 . If you don’t have faith you can get it. “If I had faith I believe God could heal me - then a ray of light shone from verse 17. We need to take time to hear - it takes time for faith to develop - people find time for things they consider important.
Exodus 15 verse 26 - “I provide the medicine bottle - and I am your doctor.”
Proverbs 4verses 20 to 22 - The key to HEALING is HEARING - “Take heed to what you hear and how you hear.” “If you will listen listeningly” - that is what it says in the Hebrew. Give your undivided attention.
When ill, and in hospital in North Africa, Derek Prince started reading his Bible three times a day – just as he had dispensed medicine to soldiers when serving as a Medical Orderly. Within three months Derek was totally healed of chronic eczema in the sands of Northern Africa - in every area of his body. (“I could have been clever and have refused to read the Bible, and thereby remain sick.)
Listening - hearing - is also the key to receiving FAITH. We start with The Word of God and listen to it - and pay attention - FOCUS upon it - and give heed to what God is saying.
“Lord God – help me to be wise as to how I react and respond to Your holy Word. Help me to call upon Your Name not only when in a tough spot, but also when life is going well. Help me to come with thanksgiving and praise and worship. Enable me to give my undivided attention to what You say in the Scriptures – through Jesus Christ – my Saviour and Lord. Amen.”
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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