From dust you are taken...to dust you shall return.
A little boy came home from Sunday school and went into his room to change his clothes. When he emerged he asked his mother "Is it true we come from dust?" " Yes dear replied his mother." " Is it true that when we die we go back to dust?" " Yes dear, that's right." The little boy ran into his room and came out all excited, " Mom, I just looked under the bed and there's someone either
coming or going!
Romans 10 tells us that the word is always close to us; in fact even in our mouth and in our hearts;
that God has raised him from the dead and we with our mouth by our confession is made, forever who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach. Paul feels great grief to his readers in the congregation in Rome and elsewhere, that the salvation of the Jews is a matter of prayerful concerned
to him. Paul has an earnest desire to speak about their rejection by God. His kind and earnest desire in their behalf, the supreme wish of his heart, which finds expression, is to bring before God, his desire for their salvation. He will testify and be a witness in their behalf, that they have zeal for God, and towards God. A service of God as they developed it for themselves and all other opinions were rejected by them, even to today. Paul has brought another proof, that one cannot pursuit ones own righteousness without putting themselves under the righteousness of God.
Let me tell "you a story." Have you ever had the heart warming-experience of having a little child cuddle up in your lap with that request? " Tell me a story" " Mommy", Daddy", Grampy?"
In one respect, I suppose children all over the world are very much the same. In every age they have loved to listen to thrilling tales of adventure and daring, striking legends of fantasy and make-believe, great stories of heroism, and patriotism. Our children and grand-children will especially love the great stories of the Bible. But we must tell them the Bible stories! Where will you find greater bravery displayed than in the stories of David and Goliath, Daniel in the lions den, the three men in the fiery furnace? Where will you find more striking warnings against sin than in Cain and Abel, the flood, David and Bathsheba? Where will you find more inspiring and ennobling stories than the biographies of Joseph, Job, John, and Paul? Where in all the world will you find greater lessons than those of the "Master Storyteller" of all ages, the Lord Jesus.
Think of just a few- the "Prodigal Son." The Good Samaritan, The Pharisee and the Publican, and yes we can't for get the "greatest story ever told." the one saving story, that wonderful story of Jesus and his love for the world. Even unbelievers, hearing it for the first time, readily admit that there is nothing in history, folklore,fable or legend which can even begin to compare with this record of man's redemption from sin and its curse through the suffering and death of God's Son.
Without a doubt, it is the greatest story ever told! But, as long as there are people who have never heard it, as long as there are sinners who have never accepted it, it still needs to be told. This was Paul's purpose and ministry, had one aim and purpose in life, from that dramatic moment of his conversion on the Damascus road. He was always on the move, preaching about Jesus, witnessing to Jesus, suffering for Jesus. And the reason for it all? He expresses his goal in life, and incidentally gives every Christian something to think about, when he prays in the first verse of this tenth chapter, " that they may be saved ." Even though God had called him to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, he was none the less intensely concerned about salvation of his own countrymen, the Jews. Their eternal welfare was always on His heart and in his prayers. Oh, these Jews were religious people alright. Paul admits that they were very zealous toward God. They were striving constantly to establish their own righteousness. Their time was taken up with observance of religious rituals, sacrifices, washing's, and inventing new commandments for people to keep.
Long before Christ there were some people who worshiped the fire god, Moloch, as part of their religious ritual they would build a fire inside the hallow metal statue of their idol, and when it glowed red-hot, they would cast their helpless infants into his outstretched arms, thus literally frying them to death, as a token of their love and devotion. When a volcano would erupt in the Pacific Ocean, a beautiful young maiden would sometimes be cast as a living sacrifice into the seething caldron of the crater to appease the wrath of the deities.
Until the British succeeded in stopping the custom a generation or so ago, many Hindu sought what they believed was the oblivion of the hereafter by casting themselves under the broad wheels of the juggernaut, ( a huge wagon) piled high full of countless images of their gods.
And why these horrible practices? Because benighted and deluded people still think that they must overcome the wrath of God and win his favor by their noble efforts, fine deeds, torture, pilgrimages, or offerings. They too, need to be told, the " Great Story" that by His one sacrifice on the altar of the cross, " Jesus the Lamb of God," forever atoned for all transgression of mankind. Any further offerings for sin are thus worthless. That's why in our text from the book of Romans, Paul reminds us that the greatest story ever told. needs to be told to the world. For the whole world was lost in sin, the whole world has been redeemed by Christ, and the whole world is included in God's plan of salvation. Paul brings this out beautifully in a number of remarkable phrases, in our text: For scriptures says: Whoever believes in him shall not be ashamed; That word " whosoever" takes in everybody. It's includes the last, least, and the lost. Paul tells us that Jesus in verse 13 of Romans 10; promises eternal salvation to all who call upon His name in penitence and faith, pleading the merits of Jesus Christ. We must tell the whole world, that no one but Christ can save us. When we know by our own experience what "those wonderful words of life." can do for us, then we will be ready to tell others what Christ can do for their souls.
Centuries ago God came to Ezekiel, handed him a scroll which had His message to Israel written upon it, and then spoke these strange words, " Eat the roll!" Well, how could Ezekiel eat a book, a leather scroll? " Impossible, you say?" What the lord meant, of course, was this, that His message was to enter into to the prophets innermost life, even as the food we eat is digested and becomes part of us. The word of God was to be the nourishment for his soul. It was to be incorporated into his very nature. He was to live, not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God.
Do you now understand now what we must do?
We must make God's word part of our very nature so that we shall be able to proclaim it to others.
Only then can we be sure that when we speak, we are literally speaking the Lord's words to others.
The greatest story ever told has to be told!
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