The Source of our Worship

Introduction

We are finally to the end of chapter 11 and everyone breathes a sigh of relief. I want us to begin by reading vs 33-36 together which close out the chapter. These verses are a dramatic shift from the type of verses we have seen so far in the chapter. Chapters 9-11 have been heavily theological, filled with detailed arguments and illustrations. These final verses sound more like a hymn which by the way they are in a sense. Commentators call this a doxology. It is a place where Paul pauses to give God glory and praise for what he has done.

While the verses seem to be different than the previous ones, that does not mean they are disconnected. Paul’s praise is directly tied to everything he has just said. Paul’s worship flows from his theology. Have you ever heard a worship song or even sung a hymn that didn’t quite sound right. I’ll pick two examples:

There was recently a lot of stir over the song Reckless Love by Bethel music. A lot of people loved the song, a lot of churches sang the song. I don’t need to remind you about the extreme Charismatic background of Bethel music, but the song was adopted by a lot of churches. Finally someone spoke up about that word reckless. When you think of God’s love, is reckless a good adjective to describe it? What does reckless mean? By definition, without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action. Does God just charge in like a bull in a china shop? Is that really God’s love? God’s love caused Jesus to despise the shame, to bear the cross, to endure the consequences; but was it truly reckless.

Another Hymn that maybe you haven’t thought about, yet there is bad theology in some of our hymns (Most has been weeded out over centuries of use) is We’ve a story to tell to the Nations.

We’ve a story to tell to the nations

That shall turn their hearts to the right

A story of truth and mercy

A story of peace and light (x2)

For the darkness shall turn to dawning,

and dawning to noon-day bright,

And Christ’s great glory shall come to earth,

The glory of love and light.

Now you can take this hymn as just an evangelistic style hymn saying we need to get the gospel out to the nations. However, many have seen in these words the doctrine of postmillenialism which was thriving at the time the hymn was written. Post- millennialism teaches that Christianity is going to thrive and win over everyone and after the nations have been turned to the light, Christ will establish his kingdom. It is an optimistic view of the future, but it throws out the literal tribulation, the antiChrist, the rapture ect. The song presents our gospel presentation turning the nations from darkness. As they turn from darkness, Christ’s kingdom comes to earth.

These two songs which are used in worship are not grounded in the teaching of the word of God. This morning I want to build a case for the connection between our theology and our worship. I am going to teach through this text in a slightly different way than I normally do. I am going to preach in a way that is often called lectio continua basically just made a running commentary on the text verse by verse, but in my conclusion I want to draw some applications from this passage that I think are important for us to see.

Romans 11:33 “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

Paul begins with two exclamations about how beyond fully understanding God is. He revels in God’s wisdom and His choices. This ties directly into the previous context. What is it that God has chosen to do? We could limit our answer to just chapters 9-11 which Paul primarily has in view, but let’s go back to chapter one:

Paul has shown that all: Jew and Gentile are sinners before God chapters 1-3

God has chosen to redeem mankind not on the basis of the law, but faith chapter 4

God has blessed us with all kinds of blessings because of our salvation chapter 5

God has enabled us to overcome sin by our death with Christ chapter 6

God has freed us from the law chapter 7

God has given us His Holy Spirit to empower us to overcome sin chapter 8

God has promised us an inheritance also in chapter 8

Then in chapters 9-11 God has worked with mankind in such a way that both Jews and Gentiles can be saved and united in one body in Christ.

This is what God did and it is amazing. If you were coming up with a plan to save people, you’d probably prioritize your friends and family; but God in His wisdom is working in both the Jews and the Gentiles to save them. God in His wisdom stripped away the wall that separated Jews from Gentiles. He put to death the enmity between us. He united us in Christ. Paul’s point in this book is that changes the way we live with one another. When you truly meditate on what God did, your response should be the same as Pauls. We Gentiles were hopeless. We were on our way to hell. We were sinners, enemies of God. You were these things. But God in his wisdom entered into our world to save mankind. There is so much to praise God for when you really believe and have allowed the truth of chapters 1-11 to press into your heart.

Paul calls this the:

Of the depth of the riches- there are three interpretations of this passage that depend on how you see the Greek grammar. I won’t bore you with the details but I will point out the three interpretations (If you want to study this out, the argument hinges on the word translated as “both” which is normally just the word “and” in Greek:)

the riches are the wisdom and knowledge of God

the riches and the wisdom are two different things that Paul praises God for

riches, wisdom and knowledge are three different things

I lean toward this second interpretation because of the parallels found in the rest of the verses: judgements/ ways; counsel/ giving each verse seems to speak of two things: God’s wisdom in the decisions he has made and his works.

Inscrutable- incomprehensible, fathomless- There are two words which express this sentiment about God’s wisdom- unsearchable- impossible to find the depths of- like a well past finding out- impossible to track like an animal. But both are virtually synonymous. There is a lot about God’s thinking, motives, and actions that we do not see or understand Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

Paul is fine with not knowing or understanding everything God does. If I were to go back and ask you how God reconciles Free will and election, I would have an answer for you, but there is a lot there that we still don’t understand. If I were to try to fully exhaust the relationship of Israel and the Church, there is a lot there. What does it mean to be in Christ? What does the future hold? There is more to all these discussions than we know and Paul is fine with that. We don’t always have to have all the answers.

Many have asked, “Why did God allow me to go through this circumstance in my life?” I could give you some reasons like the freedom of the will and God’s desire to work a greater good in you; but in the end, we may never know all the reasons God works the way He works. There is a mystery there, but there is also marvel there. Not knowing and yet knowing that God does know. Not seeing and yet knowing that God has a plan. When I see that plan unfolding in front of me all I can do is stand amazed.

Romans 11:34 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller?”

Paul quotes two verses to support God’s unfathomable wisdom. The first is from Isa 40:13. I love this passage because it starts with these words: Behold your God. What kind of a God do we serve? We serve a God who does not need to get advice from anyone else because He knows everything. We get advice from others because there are things we just don’t know. I recently bought a truck to replace the Subaru. I know some basic things about cars like changing tires, breaks, oil changes. I can even replace an alternator, thermostat, rotors and head gasket; but there is a severe limit to my knowledge of cars. So what did I do, I got advice from people who know cars. I lacked something. I lacked knowledge; but God never lacks knowledge.

These verses affirm that man can never fully comprehend God’s thinking and yet this isn’t the only place that Paul quotes this passage. Over in 1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” The first part of the verse is a quote from Isa 40:13, but notice the second half of the verse: we have the mind of Christ. Paul’s point is that the believer has access to the mind of Christ because we have the Spirit of Christ. This is Paul’s way of affirming Deut 29:29. There are things we don’t know, but the believer has access to understand so much more because we have the Holy Spirit and His revealed word.

Romans 11:35 “Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?”

This is a quotation from Job 41:11 “Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.” If you remember the story of Job, job was severely tested by Satan. In all of his sufferings he never cursed God, but there came a point where Job wanted answers. By the way, He never got all those answers. When God did speak to Him, God didn’t say Job this is why I am doing what I am doing; rather God challenged Job.

This verse reminds us that nothing we have was owed to us by God. Everything is of God’s grace. God’s salvation of the Gentiles was by grace. Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” God’s salvation of the Jews is by grace. There is nothing we can do that puts God in our debt. So when God acts, it is a gracious gift to mankind. This is important because the Jews had begun to think they deserved God’s mercy.

Romans 11:36 “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”

This verse closes out Paul’s doxology. But it also tells us why God doesn’t owe any man. He uses three prepositions to describe God

of him- God is the source of all things, He is the one who gives us all things; not the other way around

through him- God is the sustainer and the means by which all things are accomplished

to him- God is the goal of everything we do. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

to whom be glory- This whole focus on the Jewish/ Gentile relation is really secondary. God’s glory is primary. Everything God has done has been for His glory.

All of life centers in God. It is because of Him that I was born, that I have a planet to live on. It is because of Him that I can live on this planet, that I have food to eat each day, that I have strength to work and serve. It is Him that I long for, that I need, that I seek after. He is the only one who truly satisfies the craving of my heart.

So He deserves glory. He is worthy of it.

Conclusion

Let’s bring this back around to where we began. When you think of chapters 9-11, I think the average Christian says there is a lot of deep theology in those chapters. I don’t get it, I’m not interested in it like I am other chapters and it feels meaningless. When you think of Paul, after writing what many would view as a dry, theological chapters; he would probably want to lie down and take a nap. Glad he got that over with. Maybe this is how you feel as I close out chapter 11. But that isn’t how Paul feels at the end of a rich theological chapter. Paul explodes with praise and worship to God.

This is the takeaway I want you to get from this message: True worship explodes from biblical theology. Worship and theology go hand in hand. Some of the most dedicated, passionate lovers of Jesus I have ever read have been men who also wrestled with deep theology. Theology invites us into a deeper understanding of our God. Many Christians are satisfied to just know the surface level of what their bible teaches and the result is clear: they have a shallow relationship with God. I have not met someone who craved God who was not atleast on the path of searching out theology in their lives. They want more.

The Message of Romans 15. Doxology (11:33–36)

“We must ‘beware equally of an undevotional theology and of an untheological devotion”

~Bishop Handley Moule

It is possible to just get sucked up into details for the sake of knowing more. This is undevotional theology. but when you truly grasp those details and they grasp your heart, they will produce devotion to the Lord. The other danger is a sentimental untheological devotion. We feel a lot of things about God but don’t know anything about Him. Its sad because you are not really in love with God, you are in love with the idea of God. God has been molded in the image you want Him to be.

So our worship, devotion must be grounded in deep theology. Don’t be satisfied with status quo. Keep searching, keep longing, keep digging for in doing so true worship will emerge.