A WORD ABOUTBIBLICAL TRANSLATIONS USEDFor the sake of readability & getting at what I believe to be the truest essence of the text, I’m using a combination of the:

* NRSV* The Kingdom New Testament

THE SERMON-IN-A-SENTENCE

EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved

ROMANS 10

My dear family, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not based on knowledge. For they were ignorant,you see, of God’s covenant faithfulness, and they were trying toestablish a covenant status of their own, so they didn’t submitto God’s faithfulness. For The Messiah is the goal of the law,so that covenant membership may be availablefor all who believe.

Romans 10:1-4

For Moses writes about covenant membershipdefined by the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But faith-basedcovenant membership puts it like this: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’” (that is, to bring The Messiah down) “or ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring The Messiah up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);

Romans 10:5-8

…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Why? Because the way to covenant membership is by believingwith the heart, and the way to salvation is by professingwith the mouth. For the Bible says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich towards all who call on Him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:9-13

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? And how are they to hear without someone announcing it to them? And how will people make that announcement unless they are sent? As the Bible says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the good news. Isaiah asks you, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the word of The Messiah.

Romans 10:14-17

This might make us ask, did they not hear? But they certainly did. “Their sound went out to all the world, and their words to the ends of the earth.” But I ask, did Israel not know? To begin with, Moses says, “I will make you jealous with a non-nation; and stir you to anger with a foolish people.” Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,“I was found by those who were not looking for Me; I became visible to those who were not asking for Me.”But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disbelieving and disagreeable people.”

Romans 10:18-21

SOUL TRAININGEXERCISEIn light of today’s message:

If at all possible, attend this week’sGood Friday service, as we reflect onwhat Jesus went through to save us…