Tripping Over Jesus

Romans 9:30–10:11 CSB

³⁰ What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith. ³¹ But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law. ³² Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. ³³ As it is written, Look, I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and the one who believes on him will not be put to shame. ¹ Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation. ² I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes, ⁵ since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them. ⁶ But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to bring Christ down ⁷ or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. ⁸ On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,

Have you ever tripped before?  What are some things you’ve tripped over ? What happened when you tripped? Generally why do you trip ?

Tripping can be painful and embarrassing.  I don’t think very many people plan to trip. Generally we trip because we’re not paying attention to something we’re distracted we’re looking the wrong way or just clumsy. I have tripped because my shoes were too big and I misjudged my step.

In our passage today, the Bible says that some people trip over Jesus!

Let’s start with that first section: 9:30-33:

Romans 9:30–33 CSB

³⁰ What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith. ³¹ But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law. ³² Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. ³³ As it is written, Look, I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and the one who believes on him will not be put to shame.

In verse 33 it says That Jesus is a stumbling block or a rock to trip over and that the one who believes on him will not be put to shame . Why do people trip over Jesus? What is it about the gospel that is so hard for people to accept?

People trip over Jesus because they have a wrong idea of what God expects from us or what it takes to make God happen.

Tripping Reason #1: I have to earn God’s favor.

The nation Israel was trying to earn its way to God’s favor. They were working hard to be approved by God so they could be right in God’s eyes. In this passage it says:

• The Gentiles had achieved righteousness.
• The Jews had not achieved righteousness.

These of course are generalizations . Not every Gentile is right in God’s eyes, and not every Jew has rejected faith in Jesus as a means of salvation . But this is talking about people groups as a whole.

The people who cannot trace their faith back to Abraham, who do not have the rich history of God with them and the law of God as part of their heritage handed specifically to them as a chosen people, this group is the one that is NOW “right” in God’s eyes.

Israel, who are the people of God, and have the words of God (the Law) and have committed their lives to following the rituals and rules of the law, is the group that is NOT “right” with God.

How is that possible?

The KEY is in the middle of these verses:

Romans 9:32 CSB

³² Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.

They stumbled over Jesus because they felt they had to work their way to God’s favor.

Works will not justify us in God’s eyes. Works help us to live out what the life that God gives us. We are justified by one thing alone and that is faith.

It was not wrong for the Jews to follow the law. Just as it is not wrong for Jews to follow the law today. Even as Christians we are commanded to obey God’s law. So following the law is not wrong – it is actually good and godly. The problem arises when we believe that doing things can make us right in God’s eyes.

There are 2 ways to be right in God’s eyes:

1. Keeping the Law 100% (this is what Jesus did) – but none of us can do that.
2. Believing in Jesus

The gentiles did not attain righteousness by much effort – but by faith. The Jews attempted to attain righteousness by much effort, but could not keep the standard, so they did not attain it at all.

The Jews were “religious” but not “righteous”.

religion (noun) : an organized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices ~ Webster

›     How would you describe someone who is “very religious”?

• faithful church attendance
• reads bible every day
• prays before meals
• gives financially to the church
• studies theology
• listens to only Christian music
• does what the Bible says
• gets together with other believers on a regular basis
• meets the needs of the poor or under-served

Those things are all good thing, or can be good things if not abused. And I have met many religious people in my lifetime and most of them have been a joy to know!

You can be religious and not be righteous; but if you are righteous you will also be religious.

There is one thing that separates the “religious” from “righteous” and that is FAITH.

• religion is a system of attitudes: the “one another” passages, loving God and others, forgiving, etc
• religion is a system of beliefs: meaning of life, value of every life, God is sovereign, etc
• religion is a system of practices: communal worship like Sunday mornings, reading Bibles, community, etc

The Israelites were a very religious people!  Even to this day:

In Jerusalem, most stores and businesses in West Jerusalem close on Shabbat (Saturday), following the city’s strict Jewish Sabbath observance. Shabbat runs from Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall, and in religious areas, the shutdown is complete. (https://www.jerusalemtourism.org/shabbat-in-jerusalem/)

The closest thing we have to this in the U.S. is Chick-fil-A 😏 that closes all of its stores on Sundays.

Being religious is not going to make you right in God’s eyes. You could have been born in Sunday school and attended church services your whole life, and even given financially and served in some capacity – but that is not what it takes to be “right” in God’s eyes.

If we are consumed by religion, then the message of faith in Jesus will trip us up. We cannot earn God’s favor. We don’t become right with God by working hard enough.

Tripping Reason #2: I’ll earn God’s favor my own way.

Paul is sharing this because he wants Israel to understand how they are missing the point. He goes on to say:

Romans 10:1–5 CSB

¹ Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation. ² I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes, ⁵ since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.

Notice in verse 3 that they, “attempted to establish their own righteousness.”

I’ve heard people say, “if I’m good enough God will accept me”. That is a way of attempting our own righteousness. Redefining what qualifies as acceptable for God.

Ask one of the young kids, “If YOU were in charge of making the rules at home, what would the rules be?” “Would there be any punishment for breaking the rules?”

When we define what is “right” by our own standards, it’s about like allowing a 3-year-old to set the rules and punishments for the house.

To define our own system of righteousness means we choose what is good enough for God. However, as soon as you have a system where you have to be “good enough” you then have to define what good enough means. That’s when we get into legalism and moralism.

Churches must then become “legalistic” to define and enforce what it means to satisfy God.  For example:

• What you should wear to church services
• Your haircut
• What translation of the Bible you use
• What ministries you have at your church
• What type of music you can listen to
• Only singing songs that are based on scripture, or that are from the Psalms or from a Hymn book

Are these things wrong? Most of them are just silly. But when they become the basis for our religion or how we define what pleases God they are certainly wrong.  However, to practice propriety, or make sure you have a version of the Bible that is readable by you, or listening only to music that honors God can be great things.   They may be tools to help you practice your religion but they are not designed to be the basis of our righteousness.

When I was in high school and college my parents used to smoke. I remember one time when I got back to Bible college after being home for break and my clothes smelled like cigarette smoke. One of the Deans approached me and smelled the smoke and asked me if I was out smoking (which was forbidden on this campus). I said, “No. I was home visiting my parents.” His response, “Oh your parents aren’t saved?” I responded, “Actually, they are saved and they know better than to judge based upon something as silly as that.” That’s a great example of legalism: forcing people into form or appearance of righteousness without understanding what God’s requirements really are.

Looking back at the Israelites in Paul’s day, Paul being one of them, there were many religious activities that they practiced.

NOTE: by practice we don’t mean, “fake it until you make it”, we mean make a part of their lives, routines and habits.

They “practiced the law” – after all, that is what they were told a god-fearing person does. Paul brings this out when he says:

Romans 10:5 CSB

⁵ since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.

Most likely, Paul was going back to the law of Moses. In Leviticus, we read this:

Leviticus 18:4–5 CSB

⁴ You are to practice my ordinances and you are to keep my statutes by following them; I am the Lord your God. ⁵ Keep my statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the Lord.

I think many people grow up thinking that it’s what we do for God that gains us his approval . For instance perfect attendance awards for never missing a day of Sunday School, or being at the church building every time there’s a service.  We could think that being a perfectly moral person , not saying bad things about other people , not gossiping that all of these things are what really matters.

PAUL said the Jews had zeal for God, but lacked understanding. They did a lot of things but not the one thing. They might have even had a lot of passion about what they were doing, but.… they were misdirected.

I heard someone say, “why can’t Christians get as excited about God as they do about the World Cup?” First, I am not sure I want someone yelling “gooooooooooooooooooooal” every time someone places their faith in Jesus. But aside from that, ZEAL is not what saves us.

The Bible says that the righteousness that God desires is that of faith in him. It is not based upon our form of righteousness, the amount of passion we have, or our religious systems it is based upon placing our faith our lives in the hands of God and accepting the work that He did through Jesus Christ for you and me.

Legalism – defining our own way of being right in God’s eyes – will make you trip over Jesus.

Tripping Reason #3: It’s too hard to understand.

Romans 10:6–10 CSB

⁶ But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to bring Christ down ⁷ or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. ⁸ On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

This might seem like a very obscure and hard to understand passage. It is, unless you understand that Paul is referring to another passage in the Law of Moses that the Jews would have been familiar with:

Deuteronomy 30:11–14 CSB

¹¹ “This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. ¹² It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ ¹³ And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ ¹⁴ But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it.

The key is that the message of faith in Jesus is not “too difficult or beyond anyone’s reach”.  It is not so high and lofty that you cannot reach it. It is not so far away that you can never attain it. It is very near.

Deuteronomy 30:14 CSB

¹⁴ But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it.

Let’s face it… sometimes it seems like understanding the Bible, church, God – can be a real challenge. Hard to understand or beyond your reach.

Christians have a different vocabulary. We use words like:

• “born-again”
• “sanctification”
• “propitiation”

Then there are some who have studied church history or theology and they talk about:

• Calvinism and Arminianism
• Covenant theology vs Dispensationalism

We even have phrases that sound like code:

“Washed in the blood.”

• To a newcomer: “Should I call the police or a dermatologist?”
• To Christians: “I’m forgiven.”

“Hedge of protection.”

• Outsider: “So… like a shrub? A magical shrub?”
• Christian: “God, please keep them safe.”

“Do life together.”

• Outsider: “Isn’t that… what everyone is already doing?”
• Christian: “Intentional community.”

“On fire for God.”

• Outsider: “Stop, drop, and roll!”
• Christian: “I’m excited about my faith.”

“God showed up.”

• Outsider: “Did He knock? Was He wearing a name tag? Isn’t God omnipresent?”
• Christian: “Something powerful happened.”

Trying to figure out what God wants, what it means to be a God-following may seem confusing if you did not grow up “in the culture”. However, what God requires of us, what it takes to be “right with God” is not difficult or mysterious.

I think we sometimes make it harder for people to be right with God than it needs to be. Let me be clear – that is a problem we have made, not a problem God created. God made it super easy for people to be right with him, to be reconciled to him:

Romans 10:8–10 CSB

⁸ On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

Paul is saying that following Jesus is not too difficult. It is not beyond your reach. It is not so high or lofty that you cannot understand it. It is not so far away that you cannot grab hold of it. Jesus is VERY NEAR to you so that you can follow him.

The message of redemption is in your mouth and in your heart.

1. confess that Jesus is Lord – declare your allegiance to him, making him the boss of your life.
2. believe God raised him from the dead – trust that God did what he said he did. This is faith.

God has made it really clear what the expectations are -> just trust him with everything. That is the simplest definition of faith that there is.

There is nothing mythical, mystical or magical about faith. It comes down to the question of whether you are going to do things your way or God’s way. In our own power or God’s power. Try to save yourself or trust in what Jesus did for you.

MAYBE you find it too difficult to believe that Jesus really did rise from the dead? WHY? Is it hard to believe that the author of life, who created life from dirt, can bring someone back to life?

Faith is not something you pursue. Faith is something you possess. We all have faith in something, but will you place your faith in the one thing God asks you to… Jesus?

What happens when you choose to confess & believe?

Romans 10:10–11 CSB

¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,

There are 2 results given:

1. You are made “right with God” – righteousness
2. You are saved from death and punishment – salvation

You are saved from the penalty of your sin, you are adopted into God’s family, you are made “righteous” – right in God’s eyes. Paul goes on to say that those who place their faith in Jesus will not be disappointed, put to shame, let down:

Romans 10:11 CSB

¹¹ For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,

Why would Paul use that phrase? It goes back to the stone that tripped people up.

Do you like sandwiches? What are some of your favorites? What makes something a sandwich?

FUN FACT: the name sandwich comes from John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich who asked to be served meat between two pieces of bread.  This was not the FIRST sandwich ever created, but his name got attached to it.

A sandwich is basically something smushed between two pieces of bread. A Bible sandwich (that is the technical term… that I just made up) is usually a set of verses that are smashed between another set of verses and that is what we have in our passage today. This is a technique that Paul used to help his listeners understand the beginning and the end of a thought. He started with a stone, and to complete this thought he ends with the same stone.

So, this morning we have an Isaiah sandwich.

Romans 9:33 is a mashup of a verse from Isaiah:

Isaiah 8:14 CSB

¹⁴ He will be a sanctuary; but for the two houses of Israel, he will be a stone to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Romans 10:5  quotes Leviticus: (law of Moses)

Leviticus 18:4–5 CSB

⁴ You are to practice my ordinances and you are to keep my statutes by following them; I am the Lord your God. ⁵ Keep my statutes and ordinances; a person will live if he does them. I am the Lord.

Romans 10:6-9 quotes Deuteronomy: (law of Moses)

Deuteronomy 30:11–14 CSB

¹¹ “This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. ¹² It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ ¹³ And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ ¹⁴ But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it.

Romans 10:11 goes back to a passage in Isaiah

Isaiah 28:16 CSB

¹⁶ Therefore the Lord God said: “Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable.

Paul quotes Isaiah, then he quotes Leviticus, then Deuteronomy, then he comes back to a passage in Isaiah to finish up his thought.

• The passages from Isaiah form the bread. Paul talks about a stone, Jesus, that trips people up. Then he finishes with the same stone that becomes a sure foundation, something you stand on, not trip over.
• The passages in Leviticus and Deuteronomy (the LAW of Moses) form the meat in the middle – where he talks about how you go from stumbling to standing – and that the culmination or completion of the law is found in faith in Jesus.

He uses this sandwich to say: you are made right with God by believing in Jesus.

DON’T Get tripped up!

• You cannot work your way in
• You cannot make up your own way
• It is not too hard to understand or to difficult to reach

People have been tripping over Jesus for 2000 years.

ASIDE: You may be sitting here in the service today or watching online and maybe you don’t believe in Jesus. Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why you’ve chosen not to believe? How might you be tripping over Jesus?

We want a way to earn our salvation, we want some kind of ownership or stake so that we can say that we deserve our salvation. We don’t like handouts we’re proud that way.

We are right with God through faith.

Faith is about what we cannot see. Faith is about believing what cannot be proven. You believe first and then you see.

We want to see first and then believe. But that’s exactly what the Jews had in Paul’s day and in Jesus day, they got to see Jesus teach and preach and heal and do all the things that only God could do and yet they did not believe.

Seeing does not equal believing. But believing leads to seeing.

—-

If I could sum up the reason I am up here talking about these verses today, it is because I understand Paul’s heart when he said:

Romans 10:1 CSB

¹ Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation.

Friends, you are surrounded by people who have made the decision to place their faith in Jesus. It is my desire that each and every one of you be “right” with God.

And, because salvation is by faith, it is within reach of everyone -> you do not have to be wealthy enough, educated enough, born into the right family, good looking enough… you simply need to confess and believe.

Romans 10:9–10 CSB

⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

• You cannot earn it.
• You cannot create your own rules.
• It is not beyond your reach.

If you will confess Jesus as the Lord, the boss of your life, believing that God raised him from the dead to save you from your sin, you will be saved -> you can be right with God this very moment.