What does it mean to live out your faith in a postmodern world? In this sermon from Romans 10, we explore how the gospel is not just a message—but the message. Discover why confessing “Jesus is Lord” changes everything, and how your everyday words and actions can carry the good news to others.
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We are a welcoming and growing multigenerational church in Doncaster East in Melbourne with refreshing faith in Jesus Christ. We think that looks like being life-giving to the believer, surprising to the world, and strengthening to the weary and doubting.
Transcription
Scripture Reading: Romans 10:5–15
Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law. The person who does these things will live by them. But the righteousness that is by faith says, do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down), or who will descend into the deep? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 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. 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. 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. As Scripture says, anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile. The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.
(Romans 10:5–15, NIV)
Thanks, Ange. And good morning and welcome to Deep Creek. My name is Pedram. Please let me know if you would like to be a part of the things on the screen or if you're not, then, well, we find a way to… well, we are exploring Finding Faith. And as Leili said, next week is the last session of this Finding Faith series as we explore the faith that we have in this world—not just at the church, but outside the church—how we live out our faith as Christians and believers and followers of Jesus Christ. So today, we will explore what it means to live out our faith in the 21st century in a postmodern world, how faith begins, and why sharing the gospel matters to us. I will change. Yeah. All right, so let's pray together.
Gracious God, as we open Your Word today, we ask for open hearts and attentive ears. Speak to us through the Scriptures and by Your Spirit. Help us to hear the message of faith, to receive it with trust, and to respond with obedience. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
The Power of Words and the Gospel
How the words we hear shape what we do in our daily life. We all have moments when words shape our decisions. In our postmodern world, videos and voices and comments from people in social media and politics, ads and friends, influencers everywhere—they influence people (and us) more than we realize. So you scroll through Instagram or Facebook and see an influencer talking about a new smart vacuum, and you weren't planning to buy any. Suddenly you find that the vacuum machine is in your cart. Or during the federal election last year, constant messaging from the candidates begins to shape our thinking and decision through repeated promises of hope and change for the future. Even when shopping, it is often the reviews that we read—not just the product description, but the opinions of others—that guide our choices. Words shape what we do. Why does this happen? Well, because words carry power. They shape our perception of reality, often without us even realizing it. We believe the words we hear, and belief leads to action and decision.
That's exactly the dynamic that Paul is talking about here in Romans chapter 10. He says, “How are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” So the gospel is not just another message among all those messages that we hear from the world. It is the message. It is the message that calls for belief and transformation. And just as we act on the words we trust in everyday life, we act eternally on the words of Christ when we hear them and believe.
So what's the difference? The words of an advertiser, influencer, or politician all offer temporary benefits, but the words of Christ offer eternal life to each of us who believes in Jesus.
Righteousness by Law vs. Righteousness by Faith
In verses 5 to 8, Paul shows us a contrast between law and faith, showing that faith has always been central to a right relationship with God. The law’s righteousness is based on doing, but none of us can do it perfectly, right? So the law isn't the problem—we should know that the law is pure and speaks of the holiness of God, and it's not the problem. We are the problem, right? The law reveals God's standard, but it doesn't have the power to fix us. It doesn't matter what age we live in, whether 3,000 years ago or now in the 21st century, the root issue remains the same: our sinful nature. Like an X-ray that shows a broken bone but can't fix it, the law exposes our sin, but can't heal or cleanse it. It tells the truth, but it doesn't change us.
Paul points to a better way—a righteousness by faith. We don't need to reach up to heaven or down into the grave to find God, because Christ has already come and risen from the dead. The work is done not by humans, but by God Himself. And the good news: “The word is near you.” You don't need to climb up a ladder to get to God or to somehow become righteous in His eyes. But the gospel is right here—in your mouth and in your heart—ready to be received and to be proclaimed.
Belief and Confession
So then, in verses 9 to 10, Paul tells us exactly what this message contains. These two verses are among the clearest summaries of the gospel in all of Scripture—if you need a short summary of what the gospel is, here it is. Faith involves both believing and confession. If you look closely, you’ll notice something fascinating: verse 9 says, “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.” It begins with the mouth and then mentions the heart. But in verse 10 the order is reversed: “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.” Why this change? Is it just a stylistic quirk from Paul? I don’t think so. I believe it's very intentional, because God wants us to see that true confession is never just about saying the words. It's not about empty repetition or external performance; it's a confession that comes from a deep well of belief in our hearts. The mouth simply gives voice to what the heart holds dear. Jesus Himself said in Luke chapter 6, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” In other words, if you truly believe deeply and inwardly that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead, your mouth will declare it. And that declaration will not be superficial or performative—it will be genuine, it will be worship, it will be a true testimony of a life lived with Jesus.
Last Saturday we had a great baptism service at the cathedral, and an Iranian grandmother of four stood publicly to declare her faith in Christ in the liturgy. From the prayer book, there is a part where the priest asks the candidates to make a personal response. He asks her, “Do you turn to Christ?” And her response was simply, “I turn to Christ. I do.” It was a short response—just two words—but they were full of meaning. They were the outflow of a heart that had been awakened by grace, transformed by truth, and brought into living faith. It was the visible moment of a mouth declaring what the heart already believed.
Jesus Is Lord: A Radical Declaration
Well, faith is not only internal trust, nor is it just external words. It is the union of both. To confess “Jesus is Lord” is to acknowledge His divine authority—His rightful rule over our lives. Back in the olden days in the Roman Empire, where Caesar was hailed as Lord, to say “Jesus is Lord” was a bold and radical declaration. Similarly, in our 21st century, declaring Jesus as Lord is still a bold and radical declaration, especially in societies where personal eternity autonomy, success, or political ideologies are treated as ultimate authorities. In a culture where personal autonomy is prized, submitting to the lordship of Christ challenges our self-centeredness and calls us to a life of obedience and trust.
To confess Christ as Lord is to say that no one else has the final word over our lives. Only Jesus does. Faith is not private. It's personal, yes, but not hidden. We are all called not only to trust Jesus inwardly, but to declare Him outwardly as well.
No One Is Beyond God's Grace
Verses 11 to 13 tell us that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Everyone—from every nation, every language, every social class—everyone. There is no second-class citizen in the Kingdom of God. No one is beyond the reach of the grace of God. Our performance, our past sins, our present failures or whatever may come in the future—none of these things can exclude us from the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. All that’s required is this: call on the name of the Lord. That's it. Believe in His name. Depend on His mercy. Confess His lordship in your life.
But someone might ask: Do I really need faith in God in the 21st century, in this postmodern world? Well, the simple and short answer is yes—perhaps now more than ever. We all witnessed during the pandemic how modern advancements—the technology and knowledge that humans have—cannot fill the deepest gaps. And the problem is our sinful nature, and the gap between us and our Creator God. So faith in God speaks directly into those gaps and empty places.
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It tells the business person that their worth is not based on performance, but on being a beloved child of God.
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It tells the anxious parents that they are not alone, that there is a faithful Father who sees and cares.
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It tells the exhausted Nikki nurse on a night shift that she's not carrying the weight by herself. She's not alone. Jesus is present beside every hospital bed, even with her sleeping colleagues.
Faith in God in the 21st century is not about rejecting science or hiding from hard questions and complexity in this world. It is about knowing where your true foundation lies. It’s about trusting that when everything else feels uncertain, God is still steady. It’s about opening our life to the One who brings peace in chaos, hope in sorrow, and purpose in the middle of confusion. It means following Jesus not just in belief, but in everyday action—at work, at home, and in our relationships. It means letting the gospel shape our decisions, our relationships, and how we respond to the challenges of this modern world.
The Beautiful Chain of the Gospel
Then we see in verses 14 to 15, Paul brings a series of rhetorical questions: to call on Christ, you must believe; to believe, you must hear; to hear, someone must preach; to preach, someone must be sent. It’s a beautiful chain—a divine sequence that shows how God brings people to faith through the proclamation of the good news (the gospel). This is why the Word of God matters to us in our churches, homes, and neighborhoods. People can't believe in a message they've never heard, can they? And they won't hear unless someone tells them. This is why sharing our faith isn't optional. It's essential.
A few years ago, one of my friends was preparing to travel to Iran, and his desire was to carry Bibles with him to share God's Word with friends and family in Iran. But as you know, this is incredibly risky. We searched for a safe way to do it, but every option seemed too dangerous or impossible. Then one of the team members said, “Instead of carrying Bibles into the country, why don't you become a living Bible yourself to carry the good news of Jesus?” So we paused and prayed for that brother—that God would protect him, empower him, and bear fruit through him. And God did exactly what we prayed. When he returned, he shared that during that trip he was able to share the gospel with 25 individuals, talking about Jesus and testifying how Jesus had shaped his life.
We are the ones who are sent. We are the ones called to speak. And Paul concludes with this: “As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.’” Well, feet might not be the most glamorous part of our body, but in God's plan, the ones that carry the gospel are beautiful because they bring life and real hope. (The Bible says the gospel brings a living hope—it’s not a superficial hope.) They bring peace, and they bring change to people's lives. The Word of God will change people’s lives.
Living and Sharing the Word
So what does this mean for us at Deep Creek, as followers of Jesus? This passage reminds us that the gospel is not just for unbelievers. Yes, it must be preached to those who haven’t heard, but it remains near to us who believe—active and living in our lives as well. The word that brought us to life is also the word that sustains us and transforms us every day. Faith is not just a private conviction or a one-time decision. It's a daily rhythm of hearing, trusting, confessing, and proclaiming. If “the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart,” then our entire life becomes a space where the gospel lives and people can witness that.
So let me offer three simple but challenging invitations based on these truths:
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Faith comes by hearing. That doesn't mean just listening to a sermon on Sunday or going to church once a week. It means creating space daily in our life to hear the Word of Christ. This could be setting aside ten minutes each morning to read Scripture slowly and reflectively. It could mean listening to a podcast that shapes your spiritual life while you're traveling or driving. Or it could be memorizing a passage of Scripture that you carry with you during the week. If we are not hearing the Word, our hearts will start to listen to other messages—the messages spread everywhere, the ones that form us without us even noticing. It's a good moment to ask ourselves: What am I filling my ears and heart with?
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Speak the gospel where you are. When we say “Jesus is Lord,” we are making a claim that confronts every other claim to authority—whether it's success, family expectations, national identity, or personal autonomy. To confess Christ as Lord is to resist the subtle pull of idols, not just the obvious ones, but even respectable ones like careerism, security, self-actualization, or even ministry success. The challenge for Christians today is not just to preach the gospel from the pulpit, but to speak it in kitchens and on commutes, in cafes, at work, or at the gym—flowing from lives shaped by the gospel and submitted to the lordship of Christ. There is a challenge here for many of us: You don't need to be a theologian to share the gospel. It’s good to have a solid knowledge of the Word of God, but you just need to be honest and available. Some Christians hesitate to speak because they feel unqualified. “I don't have a Master of Divinity or a theology degree, so I don't know how to answer the hard questions.” But the people around you don't need perfect answers. They need your real story—your story of what Jesus has done for you. And you know what? Everyone has a story. Like our services start with every week, everyone has a story, and each story is unique in how God has shaped us through our journey. People love to hear these stories. So when it comes time for a discussion or even a normal conversation, you can talk about your hope, your struggles, your transformation. It gives others permission to wonder, to ask, and to speak. This is a great opportunity for the Holy Spirit to open space for them to explore what Christianity means. Paul doesn’t say, “How can they hear unless someone perfect speaks or perfect preaches?” He says, “unless someone is sent.” In other words, the qualification is not perfection—it's willingness. God does not choose people because of their ability, but because of their availability. (Are we available for God and ready to share the story we have?) We are all sent—not as experts or theologians, but as witnesses. You may not have all the answers, but you do have a story. As I often say, you are a living testimony to the grace of God. Proclaiming the gospel is not about status or training or having perfect theology; it's just being you and talking about your faith.
You can start with very small steps. Offer to pray for someone during the week—if someone shares something with you, say, “Can I pray for you about that?” Or mention Jesus in your conversations naturally. Share how Scripture encouraged you this week, or how a sermon or a podcast spoke to you. And never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will open the way through all those conversations in our daily life—at our workplaces, in our families and relationships.
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Let confession shape our whole life. When Paul says we are to confess “Jesus is Lord,” he doesn't mean doing it only once at conversion or when we get baptized. He means that our whole life is to be shaped by that confession. The more we confess Christ with our mouth, the more our hearts are aligned to His lordship. And the more our hearts are rooted in Him, the more naturally our mouth will proclaim His goodness. Our whole life is to be shaped by that confession. It will change how we handle money, how we forgive others, how we prioritize our time, how we treat others, how we speak to our children, and how we endure suffering.
In practice, it could look like this:
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Choosing integrity at the workplace, even when it costs you.
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Serving at church or in your neighborhood without recognition.
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Staying faithful in a hard relationship.
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Speaking truth when it's unpopular.
This kind of life is not loud, but it is powerful. And it begins with the daily decision to say—not just with your mouth, but with your whole life—that Jesus is Lord.
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The word is near us not only when we first believed, but today, in the 21st century—in this season, in your questions, in your complexities at work, in your family, in your relationships, in your fears. God has placed His Word in our hearts to anchor us. He has placed it on our lips so that others may know Him too. When we embody the Word we have believed, we become the “beautiful feet” that Paul speaks of—the ones who carry good news wherever we go. And we carry the testimony and the story that we each have.
