The Gospel of Paul

Today we finish Romans

Paul thanks God for those involved in ministry

Gives one final word of instruction

Ends in a final word of praise (Doxology)

Romans 16:17–27 ESV

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Paul’s Gospel

Why does Paul call this “my gospel”?

Was Paul preaching

Different than Peter, John, Apostles…Jesus

Is Paul saying his message is superior?

I don’t think so. Paul also calls his message:

The Gospel of the Son Romans 1:9

The Gospel of Christ 2 Corinthians 10:14

The Gospel of Salvation Ephesians 1:13

The Gospel of Peace Ephesians 6:15

Not superior, or after notoriety.

1 Corinthians 1 “ Some follow Paul, Apollos, Peter”

I am glad I didn’t baptize any of you so you could say you were baptized in my name....it is not about me.

He Taught - Dependent/Points —> Jesus

So why, “my gospel”

It is a matter of “identity” and “ownership”

Identity - Paul identifies himself as “slave” as “apostle”

There is a sense of Ownership -

Not that the gospel finds origin in Paul

Paul has received the gospel. “Heir” “Adopted”

My Gospel - in the same way churches across the world sing “Blessed Assurance”

“This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long”

We are redeemed, rescued, ransomed, restored

New life, new birth, our identity is in Christ

Just as a wife takes her husbands last name

Just as an adopted child becomes part of the family

The gospel story is part of our own personal story (testimony)

We join Paul,

“His” gospel is also “my” gospel, it is “your” gospel

What we proclaim is not ourselves, but God’s story of redemption to a broken world.

And in regards this gospel, Paul issues warning

Not everyone believes/accepts this gospel

There are some who reject/resist

There are some who seek to divide

There are some who seek to pervert and distort

A false gospel exists and we should be on guard

Paul’s Warning

Be on guard for those who divide and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.

Months ago we talked about “grey” areas of conscience

Open Handed - No Prescription, but Principle

Dress, Music, Movies, Alcohol, Diet

Some of what Paul has said definitely can be applied here

Christians who base their whole identity, their whole evangelistic platform on what they do or don’t do in areas of conscience

We can apply Paul’s warning and advice to avoid or disengage from distracting arguments in these areas...

Primarily here, Paul is focused on “closed” issues

There is a “standard of doctrine”

Beliefs that are the “core” of Christianity

Truths that God does not leave for debate

Early Church would use creeds to summarize, get on the same page despite differences

The Apostles Creed is a great Example:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

In Creeds like this, we find the standard of doctrine, the truth in which all Christians should be united.

The Character of God

Good, Loving, Wise

Righteous, Just, Jealous

Man’s Fallen Condition (Fallen Creation)

Individual Broken

In Rebellion against God

Desiring Autonomy

Society Broken

Struggling in Relationships

Manipulation, Abuse, War

Environment

Cursed - Weeds, Thorns, Toil

Misuse rather than cultivate resources

Nature of Jesus

Virgin Birth - Not under the Curse

Sinless Life - Not a life of rebellion

Death - Became a curse (atonement)

Resurrection - Victorious over death

The Holy Spirit

Call - Opens Hearts, Shines Light in Darkness

Leading - Direction, Mind/Will/Affection

Power - Healing, Gifts, Enabling Ministry

Do not seek unity with those who reject these truths

Be on guard/alert/aware of false teachers

Pastors who preach false gospel we should not give ear to

Books of spiritual deception that we should not meditate on

There are wolves in sheep’s clothing that seek to spiritually cripple and hinder our pursuit of God

Not only a different gospel, but malicious motives

Serving their own appetites

Not just wrong ideas, statements

They are in pursuit of of their own idols

Money, Sex, Power, Fame

Often Justification

They don’t like what God has commanded

So they alter or attack His word

Plan is on of deception (mislead/cause error)

Smooth Talk - eloquent words/arguments

Flattery - appealing to someones pride

Example of Each

My education/background is superior to yours, I must be right?

It sounds like you are judging/unloving, shouldn’t Christians be more tolerant/open?

Their goal is to disorient/confuse as to what is good and evil

Paul says I rejoice in your obedience…but be on guard…enemy at the gate

They use very familiar tactics…sadly, if we see a pattern in scripture....they are effective tactics, even to those who are named as God’s people, perhaps because we have not given proper attention to what God really has said.

Attacking God’s Wisdom

Attacking God’s Word

Attacking God’s Character

In the garden, Satan with Eve

Attacking God’s Wisdom

Doesn’t it look good to eat?

What’s your opinion, doesn’t this feel right?

It can bring pleasure, enjoyment, it must not be sinful. Why else was it created?

Attacking God’s Word

Did God really say that?

Perhaps you misheard or misread, perhaps there is an error in translation.

Attacking God’s Character

You won’t surely die!

God would never punish you, He loves you

God needs you to worship Him, so he is overbearing (low self-esteem)

God is just trying to hold you back

These are the same tactics used by those who seek to divide and deceive today.

I came across an article by Steve McSwaim, author of “The Enoch Factor: The Sacred Art of Knowing God”. In the article, he talks about the decline of the church; the article was titled “New Absolutes the Church Must Embrace or Die”.

Here are 5 old absolutes that He says must change:

The Bible is inerrant and infallible.

Adam/Eve were created beings.

Original sin separates us from God.

God sent Jesus to die for our sin.

Hell is the final destiny for all who do not believe.

Do you see the tactics, can you sense the motive?

Attacking God’s Word

The Bible is an outdated book

A myth written by men in the bronze age

Is not reliable or dependable

Most of it is figurative and not literal

It is full of errors and desrepancies

Attacking God’s Wisdom

God didn’t create us, we evolved

The laws of God are really just man-made rules that attempt to cause us to fear “god” and control us.

We don’t need God to save us, we need to work together to better ourselves.

Attacking God’s Character

If God is good and all powerful, why is there so much suffering in the world?

If God is love, how could He send someone to Hell?

As I continued reading, he goes on to give a similar list of new absolutes that the church must adopt. Again, I have listed 5, but what is interesting is there are a couple of these among the “trash”, that I think the true church already holds as being true....i starred those

The Bible is a “guide”

People are innately good

Jesus is “our way”, but God is bigger than our beliefs

*Equality is for everyone, we are all equal

*Stewardship is about money, justice and the planet

So again, the same tactics are being used to replace sound doctrine and are even placed along-side of some truths, that we really agree with anyway, but my question is this:

If you remove those doctrines from the church, what do you have left?

Do we have to accept all scripture as truth, or can we pick and choose what we agree with, our own idea of what God should be like?

What happens when we say the Bible is just a guide, that there may be some errors, that this isn’t even God’s only revelation?

GOD

Who is powerless, who lacks authority, who is distant and unloving because He has not truly revealed Himself to man.

Why pray to a God who cannot heal, who cannot calm the storm, who is powerless against evil?

Why worship a God who is distant or indifferent, like a kid with an ant farm waiting to see if we survive in our bubble

Philosopher Francois Voltaire, “In the beginning God created man in His own image, ever since man has been trying to return the favor."

We strip away at God, trying to conform Him to our own ideas until there is no God..

INDIVIDUAL

Aimlessly wandering through chaos and futility, no purpose, no meaning, no hope.

A society that built on the false hope of creating a utopia from their own wisdom and might.

Are we there yet?

Have we really made any progress/evolved?

Racism, Violence, Poverty, Drugs

So we don’t use knives…we use guns/bombs

We don’t use magazines…we surf for porn

Kids are dying in countries of poverty from something a $2.00 box of Imodium could stop.

Society

Laws made by those with the most power or popular opinion lacking any moral compass or reason as to why something is “the greater good”

We want to raise “good” kids, but have no authority as to why something is wrong or right

Truth is becoming more and more relative, whatever “feels” right for the individual becomes their own personal truth. “Your truth”

A society that prides itself in tolerance and acceptance at the expense of truth, logic, reason.

Church

Built on social interaction and emotional experience

Music that creates energy

Speeches of motivation and affirmation

A false gospel of inclusion, that you are accepted because you are (good, kind, important)

The focus begins to shift from God to man

Not was God worshipped/glorified

Did I enjoy myself?

Did my kids have fun?

We do not want to serve, we want to be served

This is why Paul says be on guard....lest this corruption begins to infiltrate your thinking

When they trained men to find counterfeit currency, they didn’t study the counterfeits, they studied the authentic...

We want to hold Scripture in High Authority

Encourage each other to grow

Study

Discuss

Read

Memorize

Do not miss the opportunity to hear from God each day, don’t starve all week and wait until Sunday.

We are constantly being preached to, the truth, or a lie....what voices are you listening to?

Radio

TV

Books/Magazines

Art

Facebook / Memes / Vines

Conversations

Be mindful of who/what is influencing your standards of doctrine....

Be prepare (2 Tim 4) to give defense in and out of season

Be prepared, not paralyzed when trials and difficulties come

Continually depend on the word of God to teach us, convict us, sustain us, produce fruit in our lives....

Paul’s Gospel, My Gospel, Your Gospel

Ends in worship…(doxology = sayings of praise)

This gospel strengthens …in what way?

to bring about the obedience of faith

Faith - Trusting in who God is

Obedience - Acting in light of our faith in Him

After Ruth, we are going to James that talks a great deal about the relationship of Faith/Works, they are inseparable, two sides of the same coin.

This gospel strengthens....by what means?

The Preaching of Jesus....ACCORDING to

The Hidden Mysteries of the Old Testament

The Miracles

The Festivals

The Sacrifices

All of these are symbolic/point to Jesus

Red Heifer in Numbers, the Priest becomes unclean when sprinkling ashes on the clean....

The Rock that Moses strikes for water…the second time He was only supposed to speak. Jesus has been crucified, for life (living water) we only have to speak to God…ask

The Prophets

Telling of a Coming Savior

Telling of a day when the Law will be written on our hearts

Telling of a day when dry bones will be made alive after hearing the words of God

This Gospel, Paul’s Gospel, My Gospel…YOUR Gospel

Proclaimed all nations, tribes, tongues, people

Not because God needs us, but because He allows us to share in the joy of sharing His goodness, His hope to the hopeless and the broken.

To the God of this gospel; the true, real, historical, reliable gospel of the Bible be glory forever and ever and ever....

Even if we proclaim and no one believes....all glory to God

Even if we are persecuted, martyred ....all glory to God

Even if we are forced to meet in hiding....all glory to God.

Because THIS...is the truth! This....is good news.