"When Christians Look Inside"

Text: Romans 10:1-13

Now may the God of all grace fill you with hope in Christ Jesus our Savior, Amen.

Dear Fellow Christians:

Every now and then I hear someone recommending that folks should "look inside for the answers." While I'm not really sure what that is supposed to mean in every case, I'm afraid I do know what it means to the vast majority of those who use that expression. To them it means that truth is relative, and that whatever you decide in your heart is right, then that, for you, is your truth and therefore your answer to life's questions.

While you and I know this to be mostly just nonsense, the whole idea of "looking inside" brings up an interesting question: Just what is a Christian supposed to find when he "looks inside"? In other words, when one who trusts Jesus and his righteousness for his salvation looks inside, what is he supposed to see there?

Certainly we should learn to identify the sin that still taints our every thought and action. Unfortunately that sin will continue to torment us until we join our Lord in eternity, and we therefore need to learn to identify it in ourselves and struggle to eradicate it. But is that it? Is that all we are supposed to find when we "look inside"? Shouldn't we also find other things when we take an internal inventory?

This, dear Christian, is one great big danger zone. Alarm bells should sound any time we wander into the area of introspection and self-analysis. Lots of bad things can happen if we aren't very careful here. We can, for example, come to doubt our very faith if we look inside and find deficiencies. In other words, Satan finds it easy to create doubt if you don't find that you are passionate enough, or as joyful as you ought to be, or as excited and eager as you would like to be. It's tempting to imagine that if I happen to lack the sort of zeal that I find in other religions, then maybe I'm really not a true Christian after all. Satan loves such instability and doubt in God's children. He loves it because it leaves us susceptible to play down Christ and to emphasize instead our own "contributions."

The Holy Spirit did not leave us unprepared for the devil's assaults. In fact he offers priceless wisdom and guidance in our text for this morning, found in Paul's Letter to the Romans, the 10^th Chapter:

Romans 10:1-13 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. ⁵ ¶ For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them." ⁶ But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down from above) ⁷ or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 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 preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

These are the verbally inspired words of our God – a precious, life-giving, heirloom treasure preserved for us down through the centuries by our Benevolent Creator. That you and I might still today gain the blessing that our God would have us gain through the study of these sacred words, so we pray: “Sanctify us through your truth, O Lord. Your word is truth.” Amen.

Have you ever "looked inside" only to be discouraged at the lack of zeal and passion that you find there? The fact is things like energy and zeal are really not very good indicators of God's opinion of the condition of a human heart. They actually say more about a person's level of conviction than they do about the rightness of the message that is proclaimed. In other words, just because I'm enthusiastic about something doesn't really say anything at all about what I am promoting, other than that I'm sold on it. Yet people are often swept along in the excitement; they are fooled by the zeal.

The Other Side of Heaven, for example, was a thinly veiled propaganda film for the Mormon Church. It was marketed as "the true story of a Christian missionary named John Groberg and his struggles on the South Pacific Island of Tonga." In fact it wasn't until well into the movie that the viewer first began to pick up on hints that Mr. Groberg wasn't a Christian missionary at all; he was a Mormon missionary. (The Mormon faith is not Christian because it does not promote faith in Jesus Christ as the one path to heaven.) The point here this morning is that there was a line in the movie that caught my attention. One of the natives that eventually adopted the Mormon religion did so because, in his words, "Anyone who would travel this far to bring me this message must be telling me the truth."

Or not. There was also a Christian missionary on that same island who had traveled just as far to bring the residents of Tonga a much different message – the message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Which, then, was telling the truth? Are we saved by our own actions, or through faith in the actions of another? Does it depend on which side is more enthusiastic? Obviously not.

Truth, remember, is an objective thing. That means that there is a universal standard, and God alone determines what that standard is – what does and does not represent reality as God has determined it. If a man believes that he must earn his way to heaven, as the Mormon faith surely teaches, of course such a man will be zealous and energetic. That zeal and energy, however, are based not on any objective truth, but on the man's own personal convictions and fears. Christians are not motivated by selfishness or fear, since we know that our salvation has already been won for us by our Savior Jesus. Fear then is never the driving force in our lives, since we know that we can add nothing to God's plan for our salvation.

The problem that that leaves us with, unfortunately, is that the work-righteous folks (those who believe that they have to earn their salvation) are generally more energetic and more zealous than those who realize that their salvation is already secure through faith in God's Son. Fear and greed are powerful motivators, though in the end they accomplish nothing.

None of this is, of course, new. Work righteousness has been in existence since the Fall into sin, and those who try to earn their way to heaven have often demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm in the practice of their religion. The Jews were no exception, and Paul addresses this phenomenon in our text for this morning when he says, "For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." The Jews did not lack for enthusiasm; they lacked knowledge. Knowledge of what? Jesus, of course, and his position as the only path to heaven. Their problem was that they chose the only other alternative to Jesus, which is work-righteousness, by whatever name they choose to give it.

That's why when the Jews looked inside, they looked for all the wrong things and were therefore completely fooled by what they found. They found enthusiasm, which gave them the illusion of being right. They found family history, which gave them the illusion of entitlement. They found a reverence for the Law of Moses, which gave them a firm but misguided sense of direction for their lives. The bottom line is that the Jews liked and admired what they saw in themselves, and were extremely upset with Jesus and his followers for disturbing their illusion of grandeur and confidence in their own plan for salvation. Paul put it this way in our text: "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." The key here is first of all that their zeal did not make them right or wrong. It was their belief system that was condemned by God as wrong and damning, since they trusted in their own righteousness.

Paul clears all this nonsense away with one magnificent statement of pure gospel: "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." To put it another way, where Christ starts, the law stops. Those who look to Christ as the source of their salvation have no need for any other salvation plan – certainly not one where man has to try to provide what man has never been able to provide, perfect obedience to God's law. Jesus did that in our place, and he now credits his perfection to our sins, erasing them forever.

Again we return to the idea of looking inside and what the Christian should there find when he does so. The Jews hoped to find within themselves the means to achieve heaven. Our text tells us that we need to look outside of ourselves for such things. The Jews – indeed everyone who believes that he can pay for his sins in any way – all such want nothing to do any other salvation plan. In direct contradiction to that error our text points us to a solution that we ourselves cannot provide: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down from above) ⁷ or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). Isn't it interesting that our text points to the two things that are uniquely Christian and which form the very basis of the Christian faith. No man could ever go up into heaven to bring down the Savior. God himself arranged for that when Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. So also when Jesus was put to death, no man could ever descend into the place of the dead to raise Christ from the dead. God himself did that on Easter Sunday.

The point is that God, not man, is the source for man's salvation. These things are therefore not the sort of things we should look for within ourselves. Such things must be provided for us by another, by Jesus the Messiah.

Yet our text does make clear that there are certain things that we should recognize when we look inside. We are to recognize, among other things, that the means of grace are not only available to us; these things are a part of us. So too we read in our text: But what does (the righteousness of faith) say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart"… For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

While we look for the payment for our sins outside of ourselves, faith in Jesus becomes a part of us, residing in our hearts. The Holy Spirit operates through the Word, and that Word is in our mouths. Therefore while Christianity points to an outside source for the solution to our sin problem, Christianity itself is anything but an external religion. The good news of Jesus Christ fills our world; it causes us to say with the Apostle Paul, "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2) The gospel brings to life the new man, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us, and good works flow as a natural result.

So then while we expect to find good works in our lives, they are never supposed to be our source of confidence or comfort. That confidence, that comfort, is summed up perfectly by the final verse of our text: "For 'whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.'" This faith lives in my heart – a gift from God the Holy Spirit. This is what I am to find when I look inside – hope and confidence not in my own actions but in God's promises. Jesus is my Savior. I will call on (believe in) him, and he has promised to save me. Amen.

Scripture Readings and Sunday Bulletin for September 23, 2007

Amos 8:4-7 Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail, ⁵ Saying: "When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit, ⁶ That we may buy the poor for silver, And the needy for a pair of sandals -- Even sell the bad wheat?" ⁷ The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: "Surely I will never forget any of their works.

John 5:39-47 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. ⁴⁰ "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. ⁴¹ "I do not receive honor from men. ⁴² "But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. ⁴³ "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. ⁴⁴ "How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? ⁴⁵ "Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust. ⁴⁶ "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"

Romans 10:1-13 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. ⁵ ¶ For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them." ⁶ But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down from above) ⁷ or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?' " (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 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 preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

ST. PAUL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

2510 E. Divide Ave.

Bismarck, ND 58501 (701) 223-4885 Cell: (701) 226-8510

www.bismarcklutheran.org

Mr. Mark Johnson, President (222-1855) Mrs. Eileen McEnroe, Organist

Michael Roehl, Pastor mjroehl@bis.midco.net

The 17^th Sunday after Pentecost – September 23, 2007

The Opening Prayer by the Pastor

The Opening Hymn ‑#411- (Verses 1-4) (Red Hymnal)

"From Eternity, O God"

The Service of Word and Sacrament – Brown Hymnal page 12.

The Scripture Lessons: (Printed on the back page of this bulletin)

The Old Testament Lesson: (Amos 8:4-7) The religion of the Jews was never intended to be work righteousness. They were always saved by faith in the Promise, never by their own deeds. Yet they came to rely on their own works as their entrance to heaven, even though –as the Prophet Amos points out in our first lesson – their own deeds should have served to condemn them, for they were thoroughly wicked.

The Psalm of the Day – Psalm 121 (Supplement page 42)

The Gospel Lesson: (John 5:39-47) In our New Testament Lesson, Jesus condemns the unbelief of the Jews, but he does so in a most unique way. Rather than condemn them for their lack of faith in Him as their Savior, Jesus allowed them to be condemned by the very source that they thought would save them – the Law of Moses. Imagine a drowning man grabbing hold of what he thought was a life-saving floatation device, only to discover that it is an anchor that drowns him. So it will be with all to cling to the Law for salvation.

The Confession of Faith ‑

The Nicene Creed (Brown Hymnal page 5)

The Pre‑Sermon Hymn ‑#379- (Red Hymnal)

"I Do Not Come Because My Soul"

The Sermon – Text: Romans 10:1-13 (Printed on the back page of this bulletin)

"When Christians Look Inside"

"Create In Me" (The Offertory) – Brown Hymnal page 16 (insert)

The Offering, followed by the Prayers

The Pre-Communion Hymn -#306- (Verses 1, 4-5) (Red Hymnal)

"Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Hast Prepared"

The Preparation for Holy Communion (Brown Hymnal page 17)

The Distribution -Hymn #315- (Red Hymnal)

The Nunc Dimittis and Thanksgiving (Brown Hymnal page 20)

The Benediction

The Closing Hymn ‑#411- (Verse 5) (Red Hymnal)

"From Eternity, O God"

Silent Prayer

Attendance ‑ Last Sunday (55) 2007 Average (56)

This Week at St. Paul:

Today -10:00 a.m. – Worship Service w/Communion

-11:15 a.m. – Fellowship Hour

Wednesday -6:00 p.m. – Confirmation and Bible History

-7:00 p.m. – Midweek Bible Study

Friday -3:00 p.m. – Pastor leaves for meetings in WI

Next Sunday -8:45 a.m. – Sunday School (No Bible Class)

-10:00 a.m. – Worship Service

-11:00 a.m. – Fellowship Hour

Pastor Out of Town – Plans call for the Pastor to attend meetings in Wisconsin and will therefore be out of town for one week, beginning this Friday.

Church Council Notes – The Church Council met on September 21. Five Council members, plus the Pastor, were present. Treasurer Les Weiss reported an end-of-the-month checkbook balance of $2,372. Offerings are currently about $1,140 short of projected needs, but we continue to under spend our budget by $1,850. Trustee Coordinator Joel Baumgarten reported that the parsonage disposal and dishwasher need attention and the extra church mailboxes are nearing completion. The search continues for an "In Remembrance Book" where the church will keep a list of memorials. The membership of Chris Adams was transferred at his request to Berea of Inver Grove Heights, MN. Mission Festival is October 7^th with a Fellowship Meal to follow. Mission Board Chairman Bruce Naumann is this year's guest speaker. The next Council meeting is scheduled for October 23, and the next Voters' Meeting is scheduled for October 28^th.