The Story of God s Explosive Grace

The Story of God s Explosive Grace

The Beautiful Feet of Those Who Love Enough to Share Their Faith

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!

16 However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.

19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation, By a nation without understanding will I anger you. 20 And Isaiah is very bold and says, I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me. 21 But as for Israel He says, All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.

God s plan of salvation (Salvation) 1-8 Severed Israel and the Grafted Church (Sovereignty) 9-11 Living the Life, the Christian life (Sanctification) 12-16

1. The open gospel invitation (12-13) 2. The footloose gospel delivery system (14-16) 3. The risk of gospel rejection (17-21)

The Gospel s open Invitation to all Inhabitants of Planet Earth

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

In the Old Testament, for the Gentile to become right with God, he was to travel through the passageway of Judaism. That was all changed forever! With Israel rejecting her Messiah and even crucifying her, a change in God s invitation to be His people has occurred. Now all people, of all places, of all times, of all cultures, and of all races, have a written invitation to the gospel of Christ to come and join the family of God.

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3

Gentiles salvation was repugnant to Judaism. This is seen in the heart and mind of Jonah. The book of Jonah is a preface to the universal offering of salvation to all eight centuries later.

12a abounding in riches for all who call on Him [the Lord]; 13 for Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How then will they call on Him [the Lord] in whom they have not believed?

In general: To reach out to the Lord for deliverance In specific: To pray in faith for salvation The phase to call on is uses thirty-eight times throughout the Bible. Most are in reference to the true Lord and a few times to false gods like Baal. The term is associated with correct worship, praise and honor, adoration and humility at the feet of the Creator. In its strongest meaning, it is the plea of the sinner for salvation that only the Lord can provide.

In verse 12 Paul refers to abounding in riches for all who call on Him. These riches are the Fifty Salvational Blessings that happen in the Microsecond of Trust in Christ

The Gospel Delivery System of Beautiful Feet

14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!

There are many forms and literary devices for conveying truth in the Bible. There are true historical events, fictional stories with a point such as parables, poems, proverbs, questions to ponder, bold statements, admonishments, letters to churches (epistles), sermons, and more. In our current text, Paul unleashes four rhetorical questions which built to a culmination of beauty, allowing the believer to see his or her part in the gospel message.

5. In order to be saved, one must call on the Lord in faith. 4. In order for one to call upon the Lord, one must first believe the gospel to be true. 3. In order to believe, one must have heard the gospel message. 2. In order to hear the gospel message, a preacher must come to them. 1. In order for a preacher to come to them, a preacher must be sent.

1. Christians send one another. 2. Those sent share the gospel. 3. Non-Christian hears the gospel. 4. They believe the gospel to be true. 5. They then call on the name of the Lord and are saved.

The Church must send people to all corners of this planet to give the gospel message to the world. Whether it is to the far places of the world by missionaries who have dedicated their lives to going there. Or, by everyday Christians like you just sharing the gospel to those in hearing distance. After that, God s Spirit takes it from there. Whether or not an unbeliever calls upon the Lord for salvation is between them and God. Not between them, God and you. It does not work that way.

Have you ever thought about the significance of feet in he Bible?

If you are one of those with ugly feet, I offer you a chance to trade them in for beautiful feet. Make no doubt about it, in the world s eyes you will continue to have ugly feet. But in God s eyes, His people eyes, and the one who you share your faith with and receive it, you will have beautiful feet forever!

7 How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, Your God reigns! Isaiah 52

252 times the Bible uses the term feet. What is interesting is with adjectives, notable truths are provided. Since the ancients did not have written books or digital media to reference, often the Bible uses rich language to convey its message. What most of us don t realize is how often the Bible uses the word feet and modifies it to make a point. Here are some fascinating ways this plays out in Scripture.

Drawn feet Genesis 49.33. Dying process as when Jacob drew his feet and died. Bare feet Exodus 3.5, Joshua 5.15. Requirement for standing in a holy place. Sexy feet Song of Songs 7.1. Feet on neck Joshua 10.24. Indicating that an enemy was conquered. Uncovered feet Ruth 3.7,8. Ruth making it known she was interested in Boaz.

Kept feet I Samuel 2.8. Speaks of God s protection (Hannah s song of Thanksgiving) Unfettered feet II Samuel 3.34. Reference to Joab murdering innocent Abner. Hinds feet II Samuel 22.34. A metaphor for stability, quickness, and speed. Diseased feet II Chronicles 16.12. King Asa who called on doctors not God for healing Held feet II Kings 4.27. When someone really wants to request something of another.

Unswollen feet Nehemiah 9.22. Speaks of God s care of the Jews forty years wandering in Sinai. Non-slip feet Psalm 66.9. God s protection of His people. Under feet Psalm 8.6; Hebrews 1.13. Dominion over God s world and Jesus over all. Pierced feet Psalm 22.16 Crucifixion of Jesus. Unstumbled feet Psalm 116.8. When God s provides protection to His children from falling.

Restrained feet Psalm 119.101. Refers to the believer s choice not to sin. Lit feet Psalm 119.105. The Bible gives light on how to live right before God. Signaling feet Proverbs 6.13. The deception of a wicked man. Mud sunk feet Jeremiah 38.22. When someone is in serious trouble. Stamping feet Ezekiel 25.6. A reference to rejoicing or dancing for joy of God s people.

Amputated feet Proverbs 26.6. When you trust a fool it is like cutting off your feet. Licked feet Isaiah 49.23. Speaks of Gentile leaders at the beginning of the millennium being subservient to God s people. Dusty feet Matthew 10.14. The dust refers to the uncleanliness of those rejecting the gospel.

Guided feet Luke 1.79. God s tender mercies guiding us into the way of peace. Kissed feet Luke 7.45. Mary s act of worship toward Jesus. Anointed feet Luke 7.46. Another act of worship toward Jesus. Washed feet John 13.6-14. Recipient of Christian service, submission, and love.

Strengthen feet Acts 3.7. Reference to a crippled man who was healed by Peter who could not offer him money but could heal him and made it possible to walk, leap, and praise the Lord. Swift feet Romans 3.15. Quickness of the wicked to murder.

Your have beautiful feet when you in love and obedience share with someone far from God, the incredible good news of the Lord s free gift of salvation. You shake the angelic world when you engage in evangelism. How beautiful are your feet when bringing good news of good things as you share Jesus with the lost! Romans 10.15b PBT

The Bad News of the Good News

The bad news of the good news is that some people will always reject the good news. All we can do is to the share the good news. After that, everyone must decide what he or she will do with the gospel. But why? How is it possible that God gave everything to mend the broken relationship mankind had with Him and some have chosen to disbelieve, disobey, and chose death over life? How can that be?

16 However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; Their voice has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.

19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says, I will make you jealous by that which is not a nation, By a nation without understanding will I anger you. 20 And Isaiah is very bold and says, I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me. 21 But as for Israel He says, All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.

In John 3.19 Love of darkness for their deeds were evil. In John 7.17 Unwillingness to do the will of God. In Romans 9.32 Because of their insistence on a by-works theology which feeds pride. In Romans 10.19-21 It was also because they could never see the Gentiles on an equal spiritual footing with the Jews. This was a deal breaker!

In verse 16, Paul is making mention that even in Isaiah s day, the Jews still didn t believe the good news as evident in Paul s day also. In verse 17, the prerequisite of salvational faith is to hear the word of Christ. This the Jews would claim had not happened. How can God judge the world when not everyone has heard this good news? In verse 18, Paul builds a case that this is not the case. The word has gone out to the world.

9 There was the true Light [Jesus] which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. John 1 At some level, every person has access to know and become right with God. How this works out in all people s lives is unknown to us now but we shall have full understanding some day in heaven.

In verse 19, Paul quotes Moses from Deuteronomy 32.21 where Gentile salvation and inclusion was predicted, which would anger the Jews as it did. In verse 20, Paul quotes Isaiah 65.1 again a prophecy regarding Gentile inclusion. Lastly, in verse 21, Paul quotes the next verse, Isaiah 65.2. Here the Jews are doing the same thing over and over. They reject God s attempt to woo them back with disobedience and obstinate rejection. How sad!