Text: Romans 10:8b–13
Theme: God’s truth: easy and powerful
Other Lessons: Deuteronomy 26:1–11; Psalm 91:1–13; Luke 4:1–13
(A) In the Name of the Father…Amen.
(B) The Epistle reading serves as our sermon text for this morning.
(C) Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(D) Memory verses!
Romans 10:9–10 (NASB95)
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and
with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
So far the reading of our text.
(E) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
LSB 587:1-2 I Know My Faith Is Founded
1 I know my faith is founded
On Jesus Christ, my God and Lord;
And this my faith confessing,
Unmoved I stand on His sure Word.
Our reason cannot fathom
The truth of God profound;
Who trusts in human wisdom
Relies on shifting ground.
God’s Word is all-sufficient,
It makes divinely sure;
And trusting in its wisdom,
My faith shall rest secure.
2 Increase my faith, dear Savior,
For Satan seeks by night and day
To rob me of this treasure
And take my hope of bliss away.
But, Lord, with You beside me,
I shall be undismayed;
And led by Your good Spirit,
I shall be unafraid.
Abide with me, O Savior,
A firmer faith bestow;
Then I shall bid defiance
To ev’ry evil foe.
Introduction
(A) The Hebrew language has a good thing going—in a lot of ways, of course,
but here’s one:
(1) The Hebrew word dabar, which basically means “word,” can also mean
“thing.”
(2) This is helpful because in our thinking, words often don’t mean a lot.
(3) Sayings like:
a) “Ahh, that’s just words.”
b) “Don’t give me words; give me deeds.”
c) “Sticks and stones”, they’ll break my bones, but words, they’ll never
hurt me.”
(4) We really don’t value words very highly.
(5) But now, a dabar, a thing:
a) now that’s got some substance to it.
b) it is something one can hold on to, really use.
c) Hebrew is saying that words are substantial.
(B) In our sermon text for this morning, the apostle Paul is quoting the
Hebrew Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, when he writes:
Romans 10:8 (NASB95)
8 But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR
HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
(1) That sounds kind of abstract, doesn’t it?
(2) If he were here right now, we might be inclined to ask:
a) “What word are you talking about, Paul?”
(3) What Paul has in mind is this:
a) that the word we believe in our hearts and speak with our mouths isn’t
abstract at all.
b) It’s got substance,
c) something we can hold on to.
d) Or, to be more precise, He’s got substance, someone we can hold on to.
e) We believe in our hearts, speak with our mouths, even receive in our
lips the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ.
f) Talk about dabar!
(1) God’s truth is easy to understand.
(A) There is a kind of truth that is hard to understand.
(1) Some truth is hard in that it requires us, so to speak, to climb high
up into heaven.
a) That is, we must use the ladder of scientific inquiry:
1) based on observation and theoretical ideas,
2) to create truth statements that will define our physical and tangible
world.
3) For example:
a) How do we know the stars and planets exist?
– using a telescope.
– checking reference materials.
b) How can we be sure 2+2=4?
– That was what we learned in school.
– Direct observation.
b) The problem is that this kind of truth will always be challenged by
some, never be certain. Why?
1) Observations change.
2) Theories are modified.
3) Assumptions are challenged.
(2) Some truth is hard in that it requires us, so to speak, to descend into
the depths of the earth.
a) That is, we must understand what goes on in the depths of the human
heart and mind.
1) Psychologists and sociologists try to analyze and categorize human
behavior.
2) They try to peer into the subconscious to explain why we do things we
shouldn’t do and don’t do things we should.
a) Why is it so hard to keep God as number one in our lives?
b) Why is it so cool to curse and swear, but when it comes to saying
something positive, you’re looked down upon?
c) Why tell a lie when we know that it is better to tell the truth?
b) Deep down in that dark cavern of our souls there are things happening
that are mysterious, downright scary, even to ourselves.
(B) But God’s truth is easy, not hard to understand—first, his truth of the
Law.
(1) The Ten Commandments are simple truth.
a) Turn to page 264 in the front part of the hymnal and we will read the
Ten Commandments together:
Ten Commandments
You shall have no other gods.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant,
his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
(2) As Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, Moses exhorted them
with these words:
Deuteronomy 30:11–14 (NASB95)
11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for
you, nor is it out of reach.
12 “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for
us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’
13 “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea
for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’
14 “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that
you may observe it.
(3) We might ask, “Why did Israel fail to do what God commanded if God’s
commands are so easy?” Did they not understand his commands?
a) They did, as easily as we understand a command to love God above all
things.
b) But just as we cannot make our hearts love God beyond all things because
of the limitations of our sinful nature, so also Israel could not fully
keep God’s law.
(4) When a person realizes he or she cannot fulfill God’s Law, there are
only three options:
a) Give up and run from God (just like what Jonah did).
b) Find ways to pretend we are fulfilling God’s Law (be like the Pharisees:
not practicing what they preached).
c) Despair of fulfilling God’s Law and then seek another way to become
righteous (do more works so God will be happy with me).
(5) Many of the Jews of Paul’s day chose to pretend they were fulfilling
God’s Law, so they rejected God’s other easy-to-understand truth.
(C) God’s other truth is also easy to understand—His Gospel.
(1) It is the easy truth that Paul was proclaiming.
a) He was grieved that his fellow Israelites did not understand it.
Romans 10:1–3 (NASB95)
1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their
salvation.
2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in
accordance with knowledge.
3 For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their
own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
(2) It is the easy truth that Christ is righteousness, the end of the Law,
for all who believe.
Romans 10:4 (NASB95)
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who
believes.
a) It is not a matter whether:
1) Christ might be the end of the law for righteousness
2) or that He could be .
b) No, He fulfilled the Law completely for us.
c) Then, He died to take our punishment on himself.
(3) It is the easy truth of faith, what does God’s Word say?:
Romans 10:8–9 (NASB95)
8 But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR
HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
a) That’s it!
b) Period.
c) Easy.
(D) The truth of the Gospel, though easy to understand, is also hard to
believe.
(1) Therefore, it’s just as vital to remember…
(2) God’s truth is powerful to create faith.
(A) The truth of the Gospel is easy to understand, but for the natural man,
it is hard to believe.
(1) It is unbelievable folly to unbelievers.
(2) Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 1:
1 Corinthians 1:18–21 (NASB95)
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE
CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.”
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this
age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come
to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message
preached to save those who believe.
(B) The grace of God, God’s undeserved kindness toward us, runs contrary to
our hard-truth way of thinking.
(1) It is so contrary to our natures:
a) to believe that God would save us not by our own works and deeds,
b) but rather by sending His Son into our human flesh to live a perfect
life under the Law to be our substitute and, as our substitute, to die in
our place.
c) it is also contrary to reason that as our substitute, Jesus could unite
our bodies to His body as He rose from the grave to defeat death!
(C) But God’s Word has power to do that thing human reason cannot do:
(1) that is, create faith in God’s easy truth.
a) His Word does not convince us by taking us into the heavens with logic
and scientific observation.
Romans 10:6 (NASB95)
6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN
YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down),
b) His Word does not create faith by taking us into the depths of the earth
with psychological or sociological proofs.
Romans 10:7 (NASB95)
7 or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from
the dead).”
c) His Word of truth simply creates faith in the heart when He speaks to
us.
1) His Word has an inherent power to create faith.
a) It creates faith in the hearts of babies.
b) It creates faith in the hearts of broken and sinful human beings who
have transgressed God’s commands and deserve nothing but God’s wrath and
punishment, like that thief on the cross.
2) Paul says later in chapter 10 of Romans:
Romans 10:17 (NASB95)
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Conclusion
(A) God’s Truth Is Easy and Powerful.
(B) Down the road from this first Sunday in Lent, we will see Christ stand
before Pilate and declare that everyone on the side of truth would listen
to His voice.
(1) Everything Jesus taught would be truth.
(2) It would not be the word of the world or science or philosophy or
psychology.
(3) It would not be the word of governors or kings or presidents.
(4) It would not be the word of doctors or professors or lawyers or
successful business executives.
(C) Just the sweet, simple, and easy-yet-powerful words of Jesus, like
those spoken to Martha:
John 11:25–26 (NASB95)
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes
in Me will live even if he dies,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe
this?”
Amen.
(D) Let us pray:
LSB 587:3 I Know My Faith Is Founded
3 In faith, Lord, let me serve You;
Though persecution, grief, and pain
Should seek to overwhelm me,
Let me a steadfast trust retain;
And then at my departure,
Lord, take me home to You,
Your riches to inherit
As all You said holds true.
In life and death, Lord, keep me
Until Your heav’n I gain,
Where I by Your great mercy
The end of faith attain.
Text: Public domain
(E) Philippians 4:7 (NASB95)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
(F) Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.
All of us are waiting and none of us will be disappointed.
The Lord continue to bless us,
shine His face on us,
be gracious to us,
that He lift His countenance upon us,
and give us His peace.
(G) In the Name of the Father…Amen.