11-26-23 Kasey Campbell: Sons & Slaves

PRAY. Last week, we were in Acts, looking at the story of Paul’s conversion. We looked at how he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and how God changed his heart from someone who wanted to kill Jesus to someone who would die for Him. I wanted us to look at Paul’s conversion story because I want us to understand better who is writing this letter to the church in Rome. We’re going to start a new series today, which will be the book of Romans. Paul, of course, wrote this book, which is a letter to the church of Rome. He actually wrote it while he was in Corinth. If you remember the Corinthians, Paul is there because he’s helping the church with some problems. He’s also in Corinth taking up an offering for poor believers in Jerusalem. While he’s there, he meets two Jewish believers from the Church in Rome (he didn’t plant that church), Priscilla and Aquilla. Acts 18:1-3 NKJV After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. Claudius, the Emperor of Rome, made all the Jewish people leave the city. He probably did it because the Romans thought that the Jewish population was getting too large and was having too much influence. He also did it to stop riots that were happening because of the Christians. When I say ‘because of the Christians,’ I mean that the Christians in Rome were stirring up the large Jewish community the same way Stephen had stirred up the Jewish crowd in Jerusalem. Acts 6:8-15 NKJV And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia Sons & Slaves | 1 and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. 13 They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” 15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel. And you know the rest of this story - they kill Stephen, and it starts making the Jewish community even more bold in their persecution of Christians. Paul was one of the people in charge of persecuting them, and as we looked at last week, Jesus appeared to Him, and Paul followed Him. So the Roman Emperor, Claudius, made all the Jews leave Rome because of all the hubbub. There is still a church there, but it’s not a combination of Jews and Gentiles anymore. It’s Gentiles only for a while. Priscilla and Aquilla are deported from Rome for a while and meet Paul in Corinth. Priscilla and Aquila were tentmakers like Paul, started a church in their home, and helped minister with Paul on multiple occasions. So, while Paul is in Corinth with Priscilla and Aquila, they make plans to travel. Priscilla and Aquila will go back to Rome (the ban has been lifted now), and Paul will take a love offering to Jerusalem and start a ministry campaign journey through the western Mediterranean. And Paul wants to start in Rome. The problem is that no one in Rome knows Paul yet. He didn’t plant the church there, and so he would be a ‘guest speaker’ as we say today. Sons & Slaves | 2 He had never preached or ministered there before, so he would need an invitation from the church leaders to speak to the congregation. He also hoped they might support him financially on his missionary journey. For that to happen though, the church in Rome would need to be familiar with his doctrine, teaching, and ministry. They knew his reputation, and if Priscilla and Aquilla went back and vouched for him, that would go a long way, too, but he wanted to be allowed to speak to the congregations there freely, so he wrote a letter that outlined his beliefs. He starts with who God is and how righteous and Holy He is. Then Paul talks about sin, judgment, and the wrath of God. He moves on to talk about how God makes all of us righteous through Jesus so we won’t suffer judgment. He writes about freedom from sin, the law, and death. He talks about unbelief, grace, and our responsibilities, then goes into how we should live as Christians. It’s all there. So, let’s see how Paul starts. Would you read it with me, please: Romans 1:1 NLT This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. Let’s repeat it if you don’t mind. This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. We’ll stop there. Isn’t this a strange way to start a letter? He introduces himself as a slave. Even then, that word would be kind of shocking because of the implications. The Greek word is doulos, which means a person who totally and completely gives up his will for someone else’s. It’s a person devoted to doing what someone else tells them regardless of their own interests. It’s a servant. In the New Testament, many words are used to imply ‘free service,’ but that’s not the one Paul uses here to introduce himself. Sons & Slaves | 3 Paul is saying that he has abandoned all of his rights, will, and authority over himself to do what Jesus wants. He has abandoned all he wants to do what Jesus tells him. And it’s not just strange because of the shocking imagery. It’s also strange because it makes us rethink what salvation means. After all, Jesus came to set us free, not make us slaves! Doesn’t God call us sons and daughters now? Galatians 3:26-29 NKJV For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, you have become a son of God. Whether you are a man or woman, that means that you have been adopted into God’s family and you get the full inheritance of the firstborn son. In other words, you get to have all of the blessings, promises, and authority that the firstborn son has. Romans 8:14-15 NKJV For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” In this passage later in Romans, Paul is using ‘family’ language. He’s saying that anyone who comes to Jesus is now a son or daughter of God. We’ve been adopted into God’s family, and the Lord is now our ‘Abba,’ Abba is a term Jesus used to speak of his loving, intimate relationship with God, a relationship that we can also have by faith. And this idea that Jesus introduces is revolutionary. At this time it was unheard of that a person could relate to the Almighty, Perfect, Holy, Omnipotent, Omniscient God of the Universe a loving father relates to his child. Some would even translate the word ‘Abba’ as ‘daddy’ to relate this concept. Sons & Slaves | 4 This idea offended many religious leaders because they thought it was over-familiar and so intimate that they thought it was disrespectful. But it’s the perfect way to describe the change that happens when we come to God and the relationship we can now enjoy with Him. So God calls Paul a son, but Paul calls himself a slave. This is important, so I’ll say it again: God calls Paul a son, with full rights and inheritance and benefits, but Paul calls himself a slave, a bond-servant, a person who doesn’t own himself. Why? Because Paul knows that sonship has to do with our inheritance, slavery has to do with our work. What I mean is that we’re God’s people because He loved us and adopted us, but as a response to God’s love and grace, we voluntarily choose to operate according to His will and His way instead of our own. That’s how we work for Him; that’s how we live as Christ, by surrendering to God’s will. Paul understands that the only reasonable course of action after meeting Jesus face to face and experiencing His goodness is full surrender. It’s to abandon himself to God’s plan and purpose. Romans 12:1 AMPC I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Paul urgently appeals to every believer in this passage to respond to the mercies of God by completely devoting ourselves to Jesus. He says this is the only appropriate way to thank Him for all He’s done. It’s an act of surrender, and it turns our lives into worship. Full surrender to God is an abandonment of control, self-protection, personal comfort, finances, our daily agenda, our own self-interests, etc., so that we can let God be in control. Sons & Slaves | 5 We let Him protect us; we trust His plan for finances; we trust Him to order our day and put people in our path to show His love to. We get rid of our short-sighted plans and trust that His plans are looking at the eternal picture of how He wants us to live and operate. If we’re willing to surrender our lives absolutely to Jesus, there will be no end to the blessings God will pour out on us and the ministries God will pour through us. Andrew Murray writes, “I use the words absolute surrender quite often. I was in Scotland talking to some people about the condition of the church and what the greatest need is for the church and for believers in Christ. I asked a godly Christian worker what he would say is the biggest need of the church, and he said, ‘Absolute surrender to God is the one thing.’ The words struck me as never before. And that man began to tell how (in the Christians he had to deal with) he finds that if they are sound on this point, they are willing to be taught and helped and always improve and grow. Whereas others who are not sound there very often go back and leave the work. The condition for obtaining God’s full blessing is absolute surrender to Him. He goes on to say that God expects our surrender; He accomplishes it in us as we make the choice to surrender to Him each day, and He blesses us for it. But I also need to warn you about where full surrender to God leads. Yes, you will be blessed abundantly by the Lord, and you’ll have sweet fellowship with God, and you’ll be led in His pathways, and He’ll take care of you and minister through you the love and grace of Jesus. But surrender also leads us to the cross. 2 Corinthians 11:23-31 NLT Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was Sons & Slaves | 6 shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. 28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger? 30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. Paul’s surrender to Jesus led him through a lot. He’s suffered imprisonment, floggings, stonings, shipwrecks, hunger and thirst, shipwrecks, and more. Paul is sacrificing His life for the gospel, something false teachers would never do. He’s abandoned his rights, his wants, and his needs for Jesus’ sake, just like Jesus said he would. Jesus warned him that the way of the gospel was death to self and death on a cross. Acts 9:15-16 NKJV But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” It’s the same warning message Jesus gave His disciples. Matthew 16:24-25 NKJV Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. So, Paul’s entire introduction to the Roman church, people he has never met before, is that he has fully surrendered to Jesus and taken up His cross. He’s Sons & Slaves | 7 become a voluntary slave to God so that God’s kingdom can be advanced; people can be healed, reconciled to God, and freed from demonic bondage. He basically says, ‘Hey, first and foremost, I am fully surrendered to Jesus. I do God’s will, not my own. I have chosen Jesus and His cross, and you know it’s true because of what you’ve heard of my suffering for the good news of Jesus Christ. You shouldn’t trust me because of all of my degrees and credentials; you should trust me because I am fully submitted to Jesus. So the beginning of Romans, the beginning of the Gospel, and the beginning of a relationship with God are the same: surrender. Surrender to Jesus and let Him run your life. Surrender to Jesus and be blessed. Surrender to Jesus and receive life and salvation. Surrender to Jesus and overcome the world with Him. John 16:33 AMP I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] Has God brought you to the place where you can fully surrender? Will we choose to fully surrender our will, our ways, our plans, and our lives to Him? Sons & Slaves | 8