"The Road Back Home"
Pastor Albert Almore
As we close out this series on the book of Romans, called Good News, because that’s what the book of Romans is all about…
📝 The book of Romans is all about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The word Gospel is translated into GOOD NEWS.
This ancient truth locked in a scripture in the very beginning is the good news…
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; BUT GOD meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
Genesis 50:20 NKJV
📝 From the very beginning, Satan had an EVIL PLAN, but God had a GREAT PLAN, so that we could step into His GOOD PLANS.
📝 God HAD.
📝 God HAS.
📝 We now HAVE.
“And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered BEFORE THE WORLD WAS MADE.”
Revelation 13:8 NLT
God HAD a great plan. God didn’t have to come up with it—HE ALREADY HAD IT. Because of that great plan, God now HAS good plans for each of us. Through Jesus Christ, we HAVE a right to His good plans.
No matter how evil the plan, since God had a greater plan, there can be more to whosoever’s story. Romans 10:1 doesn’t have to be anyone’s final destination. Romans 10:1 doesn’t have to be the end of our prayer request. Whosoever will, even now can take…
TODAY’S SERMON TITLE:
THE ROAD BACK HOME
“Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.”
Romans 10:1-2 NLT
“For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.”
Romans 10:3-4 NLT
WE COULDN’T MAKE OURSELVES RIGHT WITH GOD. GOD MADE US RIGHT WITH HIM.
“For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).””
Romans 10:5-7 NLT
WE COULDN’T WORK OUR WAY TO GOD. GOD WORKED HIS WAY TO US.
“In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach:”
Romans 10:8 NLT
WE WERE FAR FROM GOD, SO GOD CAME NEAR.
Our response….
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10 NLT
“As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””
Romans 10:11-13 NLT
THESE PROMISES WERE ONCE ONLY FOR THE JEW. NOW THESE PROMISES ARE FOR WHOSOEVER.
“And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying, “I was found by people who were not looking for me. I SHOWED MYSELF TO THOSE WHO WERE NOT ASKING FOR ME.””
Romans 10:20 NLT
How can all of this be? How could God do such a thing????
God OWNS THE PICTURE. GRACE came into the picture. We were INVITED into the picture.
THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS IN WHICH WE STAND. THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS IN WHICH WE BELIEVE, BUT THIS ISN’T THE END OF THE STORY.
📝 God owns the picture. Grace came into the picture. We were invited into the picture. There’s still ROOM IN THE PICTURE.
Therefore we cry out for our loved ones Romans 10:1 like Paul,
“Dear brothers and sisters, THE LONGING OF MY HEART and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.”
Romans 10:1 NLT
📝 You don’t have to share your words, SHARE HIS.
Let them know, they don’t have to be ashamed because Romans 3:23 tells us…
📝• since ALL have sinned and CONTINUALLY fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:23 AMP
📝 • For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 NIV
📝 We all deserved DEATH, but instead we received THE GIFT OF GOD, God’s Son, Jesus Christ.
Why did you do it God???
📝 • But God demonstrates HIS OWN LOVE for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8 NIV
📝 Romans 3:23 shows us where WE ALL WENT WRONG. Romans 5:8 shows us where GOD MADE IT RIGHT.
It was my own love that did this. I did it to demonstrate my own personal love for you.
📝 This road back home is made out of LOVE. This road back home is made out of GOD’S OWN SON, Jesus Christ.
All in hopes that it’ll lead us all to Romans 10:9…
📝 • “If you DECLARE with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and BELIEVE in your heart that God raised him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED.”
Romans 10:9 NIV
📝 • “As Scripture says, “ANYONE who believes in him will NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.””
Romans 10:11 NIV
📝• “for, “EVERYONE who CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD will be saved.””
Romans 10:13 NIV
ANYONE…EVERYONE…LET THEM COME!
“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? AND HOW CAN THEY HEAR ABOUT HIM UNLESS SOMEONE TELLS THEM?”
Romans 10:14 NLT
📝 YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES to invite others into God’s Big picture.
📝 The greatest walk that one will ever take, is THE ROMAN ROAD, back home to God.
Once they get there then they’ll see…
📝 THE PAST OF JESUS CHRIST is greater than the sum total of every past that’ll ever walk this earth.
📝 Through Jesus Christ, MY PAST doesn’t cancel MY FUTURE.
“HE CANCELED THE RECORD of the charges AGAINST US and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”
Colossians 2:14 NLT
📝 Jesus Christ CANCELED, the very thing that was trying to CANCEL US!
“BEING CONFIDENT of this very thing, that HE WHO HAS BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL COMPLETE IT until the day of Jesus Christ;”
Philippians 1:6 NKJV
From the very beginning, Satan had an EVIL PLAN, but God had a GREAT PLAN, so that we could step into His GOOD PLANS.
ARE YOU LIVING OUT GOD’S GOOD PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE? THROUGH JESUS CHRIST YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO THEM.
📝 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so WE CAN DO THE GOOD THINGS HE PLANNED FOR US long ago.”
Ephesians 2:10 NLT
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