Declare Jesus Is Lord: The Ancient Two-Factor Authentication That Never Requires a Text Message Code! The Universe’s Most Reliable Customer Service Hotline Since 57 AD!
Welcome and Announcements
Hey there, family! It’s so good to see all of you today. Whether you’re joining us in person or online, know that you belong here. Today, we’re diving into Romans 10:8-13, a passage that beautifully explains how accessible God’s salvation truly is. It’s not complicated—it’s as close as your heart and your mouth!
Before we begin our worship, I wanted to share a few quick announcements:
Community Updates:
- Food Drive this Wednesday from 4-7pm. Let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus!
- Small Group Sign-ups are happening in the lobby after service. Don’t do life alone!
- Youth Camp Registration deadline is next Sunday. Parents, don’t let your teens miss this life-changing opportunity!
Call to Worship
“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” (Psalm 95:1-2)
Let’s respond together:
Leader: The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.
Congregation: We will confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts.
Leader: There is no difference between Jew and Gentile.
Congregation: The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him.
All: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!
Opening Prayer
Loving Father, we come to You today with open hearts and minds, ready to receive Your Word. Thank You for making salvation so accessible—not something we have to climb mountains for or dive into oceans to find, but something as close as our breath and our heartbeat. Help us today to grasp the simplicity and power of Your saving grace. Remove any barriers that might keep us from fully embracing Your truth. May our worship today honor You and transform us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Praise and Worship
Let’s stand together and lift our voices in praise! Our worship team is going to lead us in some songs that celebrate the incredible accessibility of God’s salvation. As we sing, remember that worship isn’t just about the music—it’s about opening our hearts to God’s presence. Whether you’re a hand-raiser, or in quiet contemplation, or somewhere in between, engage with God in the way that’s authentic for you.
Today’s songs focus on God’s saving grace and how near He is to each one of us. Let’s worship together!
Scripture Reading
Introduction to Romans 10:8-13
Today we’re looking at a powerful passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans. In this section, Paul is addressing one of the most fundamental questions of our faith: How do we receive salvation? He’s speaking to both Jewish and Gentile believers, explaining that God’s plan for salvation is surprisingly simple and accessible to everyone.
The Context of Romans 10:8-13
Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome around 57 AD. At that time, there was tension between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians about the role of the Jewish law. Some believed you needed to follow all the Jewish customs to be saved. Paul is clarifying that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ—not through our own efforts or by following a complicated set of rules. This message was revolutionary then, and it remains profoundly important for us today.
Romans 10:8-13 (NIV)
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim:
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.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Pastoral Prayer or Intercessory Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for making the path to salvation so clear and accessible. Today we pray for those who feel that Your love and salvation are far from them—those who believe they must earn Your favor or who think they’ve gone too far to be forgiven. Open their hearts to understand that salvation is as near as their confession and belief.
We pray for our community, that we might be bold in sharing this simple yet profound message. Help us to be a church that makes the gospel accessible to everyone—not complicated by religious jargon or human traditions.
We lift up those who are struggling with doubt, with shame, or with fear. Remind them of Your promise that anyone who believes in You will never be put to shame.
Congregational Response: Lord, we believe the word is near us. It is in our mouths and in our hearts. We declare that Jesus is Lord, and we believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. We trust in Your promise that everyone who calls on Your name will be saved. Amen.
Offering
Giving as Worship
Our giving today is another way we respond to the incredible gift of salvation God has given us. When Paul reminds us that “the word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” he’s telling us that God has made Himself accessible to us. Our tithes and offerings are one way we make ourselves accessible to God—opening our lives and resources to His purposes.
Giving isn’t about obligation; it’s about gratitude. It’s not about earning God’s favor; it’s about responding to the favor He’s already shown us.
Prayer for the Offering
Lord, we thank You that You’ve made salvation so accessible to us—not something we have to earn or achieve, but a gift we receive through faith. As we give today, we do so not to gain Your approval but to express our gratitude. We give not out of obligation but out of love. Use these gifts to make Your message of salvation accessible to others who need to hear that You are near them, ready to save all who call on Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Special Music
As our worship team prepares to share a special song, let’s open our hearts to receive its message. Music has a way of touching our souls in places that words alone cannot reach. This selection reminds us of the beautiful simplicity of salvation that Paul describes in Romans.
Bring This Sermon to Life: The Full Teaching and Tools
Friends, what we’ve shared today is just the beginning. The message of Romans 10:8-13 is so rich and life-changing that I’ve prepared a complete sermon package that dives deeper into these verses and provides practical applications for your daily walk with Christ.
Gain Access to the Complete Short Powerful Sermon
If you’ve been blessed by today’s message and want to explore these truths further, I invite you to access the full sermon. It includes detailed teaching notes, small group discussion questions, and personal application exercises that will help you internalize the truth that God’s salvation is near you—in your mouth and in your heart.
While Religious Gatekeepers HATE This…
Have you ever noticed how people love to complicate things that should be simple? I discovered this truth in the most unexpected place. I was sitting in a local coffee shop working on sermon notes when I overheard a conversation at the next table. A young man was practically in tears, explaining to his girlfriend how he felt spiritually inadequate, trying to re-connect with church friends, since he left for college.
“I’ve tried everything,” he said. “I’ve read all the books, followed all the spiritual disciplines. But I still feel like God is a million miles away.” His girlfriend nodded sympathetically while stirring her latte, clearly unsure what advice to offer.
I wanted to interrupt (I didn’t, I promise), because what this young man was experiencing wasn’t unique. It was the oldest spiritual trap in history – the belief that salvation and connection with God must be complicated, difficult, and reserved for the spiritually elite.
For twenty minutes, I listened as he described elaborate routines, and spiritual practices he’d attempted. Each time, he’d eventually give up, feeling further from God than before. It reminded me of something I see constantly in ministry – people climbing spiritual mountains that God never asked them to climb.
What struck me hardest was realizing how many religious leaders benefit from this complexity. They’ve built entire systems around making faith complicated – selling books, courses, and “secret methods” for connecting with God. They’ve turned salvation into a complex algorithm when God designed it as a simple formula.
Romans 10 exposes this deception with crystal clarity. There’s a startlingly simple “mouth-heart hack” (Paul’s words, not mine… well, sort of) that cuts through all the spiritual noise. And here’s what’s fascinating – this approach is so straightforward that many religious gatekeepers actively avoid teaching it. It’s too accessible. Too democratic. Too… simple.
It requires no special knowledge. No spiritual gymnastics. No religious middlemen. Just a mouth and a heart. Which is exactly why it threatens those who’ve built careers on complicating faith.
I’ve packaged this complete message in my latest sermon – the same message I wish I could have shared with that young man in the coffee shop. The message unpacks how close God actually is (hint: it’s probably not what you think), the powerful two-part formula for salvation that anyone can apply, and why this approach works universally regardless of your background or history. It’s a message your congregation desperately needs to hear. Because in a world of spiritual complexity, what people crave most is spiritual clarity.
This isn’t just another sermon – it’s a complete ministry resource designed to cut through religious complexity and bring people face-to-face with God’s astonishingly simple path to salvation. For less than the cost of a dinner out, you can deliver a message that might save someone years of unnecessary spiritual struggle.
Get instant access to “The Salvation Simplicity Package” and deliver this message as soon as this Sunday.
