The Book of Romans (Sermon 1)
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Hey guys good to see everyone tonight turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Romans. This book is one of the most challenging books in the entire Bible, I have been looking at it and studying it for almost a year on and off and I wanted to share some of it with you tonight.
If I were to sum up this entire book it would be something that sounds simple but is actually very hard to comprehend, but if I were to sum up what the book of Romans were all about it would be summed up in this sentence:
THE GRACE OF GOD REVEALED
Were just gonna look at the first few verses tonight.
The book of Romans
There is one thing we can all agree on and it is the Righteousness of God. He is Holy the book of Isaiah says He is Holy Holy Holy. He is so pure and so righteous that we cannot even fathom His purity. The issue we as humans have is not God’s righteousness but the massive gap that separates us from God.
Which is our sin and so in Romans Paul gives us his remedy for the sin which separates us from a Holy God and it is the grace of God.
What is Grace?
Hal Lindsey uses an acronym for grace that I have always found helpful.
GODS RICHES AT CHRISTS EXPENSE
Were going to learn that nothing less than the sacrifice of Jesus Christ the spotless Lamb without blemish would have been sufficient to forgive us of our sins and bridge this gap between us and God.
The Book of Acts from chapter 15 on is all Paul sure there are small stories of Phillip and others but the main person we see from acts 15 on is Paul and the book of Acts ends with Paul going to Rome to Caesar.
So acts ends with Paul in Rome and his letter here to the Romans is a continuation of the book of Acts. This is the gospel according to Paul we had the 4 gospels the eyewitness accounts of the disciples. But here God called a genius in Paul to explain His gospel.
We have these normal dudes in the disciples these fisherman, and we owe them alot of credit for walking with the Lord and then being obedient to the Holy Spirit in writing down these events that took place.
Yet God picks a person who is an expert in Jewish religion, he was taught by the best rabbi in that time, a guy named Gamaliel, He came from a wealthy backround and went to the best schools there were in that day and time.
So he was the absolute opposite of the disciples. He was brilliant. So this is not going to be easy at all. It’s interesting that Grace was meant to free us from the bondage of religion, which is only mans attempt to reconcile themselves with God. Yet so many times in the church of Jesus Christ we have an issue accepting the free gift of grace that God offers.
All forms of religion are bondage, it is abide by these rules or those rules or these traditions or those traditions. That is not what Christianity is all about.
The Medevil Church was the most religious church that ever existed and Jesus was the most antireligious person who ever lived.
There was once a man in the 1400’s in Germany who found himself trapped in a thunderstorm, the account says that lightning was striking all around him. He was so afraid he was going to die that he falls down and makes a rash covenant. He says God if you will spare me form this I will become a monk.
Well he made it in out of the weather and joins the monestery. He became obsessed with how a man can become right with a Holy God. In search of peace he devoted himself to pious things, He took long fasts sometimes 15 days without eating, HE would sleep outside in freezing weather with no blanket.
He beat his body until bleeding, this was something commonly done in religious observance in those days. He went to confession so often that the priest once told him, either go commit a sin worth confessing or stop bothering me.
1509 he decides to travel to Rome, he went on foot, he traveled over the alps and nearly died of exposure, and at a monestery at the foot of the alps they nursed him back to health, and there was a monk that encouraged him to read Habbakuk 2:4.
That verse would change his life, see Habakkuk struggled with the same thing our young friend had, if God is good then why does He allow suffering?
How many of you have ever wondered about that?
If there really is a devil then why doesn’t God just take him out?
So this young man prays after he reads and a phrase from continued to haunt him
“Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.
Habakkuk 2:4
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
Habbakuk 2:4
He couldn’t get it out of his mind, you know sometimes theres just a verse from the scriptures that will haunt us. The more we look at it, the deeper it cuts. Well he finally got to Rome and one of the things they did there was there was a staircase which were supposed to be holy and people would kneel, and climb those steps on their knees knee by knee cause if they did they would get indulgences.
But as he did this that verse THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH kept bothering him. So he just left.
He went back home and explored this idea that the just shall live by faith. On October 31st the day we call Halloween he deliberately chose to drive a nail into the heart of the pagan ideas that had taken over the church.
Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 thesis on the door of the church in Wittenburg. He wanted a spiritual reformation, He wanted people to understand the grace of God and stop with their dead religion.
He was excommunicated for doing this and they wanted him dead but he had enough protection because he lead many german princes to the Lord.
He wrote the famous hymn A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD, He also translated the Bible into German.
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
Who are the just?
That’s what the book of Romans is going to deal with...
The reason why this was so huge is because this is what started what we know as the protestant reformation which changed the face of Europe and brought revival which is how we know what the gospel is to this day.
They rediscovered Gods grace
Paul writes this book and if you look carefully He did not address it to the church in Rome. He addressed it to the believers in Rome, the church did exist in Rome, we will see alot of them especially in the last chapter.
House churches not an organized church like we have today. The church in Rome came from Pentecost when the tounges of fire fell on the apostles the Bible tells us that there were visitors from Rome.
So this church in Rome these Christians had to be a result at least to some degree from Pentecost. The churches were started not by Paul but by other believers just like you and me.
If you look at the other letters he writes and they are written to churches Paul started but not the church in Rome, if you look at Aquilla and Priscilla mentioned in the NT they lived in Italy and records them.
Paul is writing to believers! So before we say oh my goodness I understand the grace of God I understand the gospel what do I need to understand about these things we need to remember these things were recorded for the saved.
He is writing to people who have accepted Christ. He teaching about what salvation is really about.
This book is going to hold the attention of the wisest person and yet even a child can understand and come to the feet of Jesus.
“A GOD SMALL ENOUGH FOR OUR MIND WOULD NOT BE BIG ENOUGH FOR OUR NEED.”
The first 8 chapters define sin.
We are all sinners and we must understand the depths of our sin in order to fully grasp the beauty of the gospel of JEsus Christ.
9-11 is all about Israel
The last part of the book are all personal.
He refers to himself as Paul which actually means the little one, or the least. He understood grace, infact he calls himself when he was writing to Timothy the “chief of sinners” most Christians see Paul as a hero but not Paul he saw himself as the “chief of sinners”.
Thats a great concept bc if God can save Paul He has already saved someone who was worse than we are! See even though Paul called himself a chief of sinners he was one of the most religious men who ever lived.
He was a Pharisee taught by the great rabbi Gamaliel he knew all the rules and he kept them and it counted for nothing.
Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and singled out for God’s good news —
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Luke 7:41-
Paul calls himself a servant the doulos is the greek word for the word slave. It doesn’t mean just slave it actually means a special kind of slave.
Paul calls himself a servant the doulos is the greek word for the word slave. It doesn’t mean just slave it actually means a special kind of slave.
Paul calls himself a servant the doulos is the greek word for the word slave. It doesn’t mean just slave it actually means a special kind of slave.
It refers to someone who was a bondslave, if you were a slave in the ancient culture you might serve a master for 7 years or something like that, to pay off a debt at the end of your time, you could leave, because you served your time.
Or you could choose to stay with the house forever.
If you chose to do that they would make it official by taking you to the doorpost of the house and piercing your ear with something called an awl.
A sharp leather tool kinda like an icepick, and it would pierce the ear to the doorpost.
You would then wear an ear ring as a badge of service, to let everyone know you were a willing slave to your master. Both Paul and John use this title as one of their favorite titles for themselves. Paul also calls himself an apostle called by God it is a position of spiritual authority.
He is the called one, the term means one who was sent forth to do the work of ministry. But it also meant one who was an eye witness of the resurrected Christ.
This was something he didn’t choose but God chose for him. Paul says in 1 Corinthians that he is the least of the apostles because he persecuted the church of God.
Thats why he puts himself on the bottom of the list and calls himself the chief of sinners, He actually murdered Christians and so he has never forgotten that.
He wrote 14 of 21 books of the NT.
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
Set apart your not separated from, you are separated unto. This is important and I discussed this with some of our men this week, to be set apart was actually a term the word is Holy which means set apart.
Which comes from the OT and the utinsels used in the Temple, it is that you have chosen and have been chosen to be a fit vessel to be used in the service of the Lord.
He has been separated for what THE GOSPEL OF GOD
Paul was eager to preach without shame.
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
Let me tell you what its not we use that word so loosely the gospel is NOT a code of ethics or morals. It’s not a creed to be accepted, the gospel is not a religion to be obeyed.
The gospel is not some good advice we ought to follow
Here is the definition of the gospel by Paul himself in his letter to the Corinthians
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
1 Corinthians
Can you believe in vain? Apparently
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:3
CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES
HE WAS BURIED, AND THAT HE ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES
When did he become called?
Before He was born
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God is talking to Jeremiah but that concept applies not only to him but also to you and I if were saved. God knew us before we were born.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will:
To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.
he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Book of Ephesians is awesome to learn. But I also want us to think about what Jesus said in Luke 4
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
WOW
Luke 4:
Jesus quotes from Isaiah
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
Wow whats different?
In Isaiah there is a comma after proclaim the year of the Lords favor why?
Because the next portion of Isaiah says the day of vengence, when is the day of vengence?
ITS COMING
Jesus could not have said this has been fufilled in your hearing because the day of vengence is still to come.
Luke 4:23-
And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘ “Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’ ”
then He continues this sermon and this sermon gets them so upset they are going to try to throw jesus off a cliff.
And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.
Luke 4:24-
Why were they so upset because the examples he used really upset them!
Luke 4:29-
And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away.
Why are they so upset?
Because He is teaching the grace of God and those who were looked upon favorably by God and none of them were Jewish!
Lepers, Gentile, widows
But no Jews.
What is he teaching?
That God looks upon the heart not the outward appearance.
What is the gospel?
do you remember the prodigal son?
When he was coming home his father saw him a long way off and went running to him, why? It wasn’t because the prodigal son was full of good deeds he says for my son was dead and is alive again He was lost and now is found.
Many pastors use this to talk about a lost sinner coming home to GOd but heres the point Jesus was making, this was not someone outside the family of God coming home thins was someone inside the family of God who strayed away and lost his inheritance.
Just because your saved doesnt mean you wont lose your eternal reward that is the big point in that story..
Christ did not come to make bad men good, he came to give dead men life.
which He promised long ago through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures—
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,
OT
Promised beforehand
one of the things we need to learn is that God delights in making and keeping promises. God is a promise keeping God.
All the prophets witnessed to Jesus and ever verse in the Bible speaks of Jesus Christ. Or the redeeming plan of God. It all points to Jesus.
The first promise of the gospel was called the protoevangelion
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
HUNDREDS OF PROMISES OF THE COMING MESSIAH
Genesis 3
ALL OF THEM CAME TO PASS
concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
This teaches was both God and man!
and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
BTW this is just the introduction right up fron this isnt even the leter yet!
Romans 1:4
SPIRIT OF HOLINESS- this just means the Holy Spirit
Literally the Holy Spirit confirmed He was the Son of God through His resurrection of the dead.
through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,
Paul’s ministry was to all the nations especially to the Gentiles
Those who were not jews
Which included the Romans which is why he wrote this letter.
OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH- Obedience produced by faith
the obedience is a result of the faith
you see obedience to the Lord is actually fruit that only comes when you have the Holy Spirit living within you.
including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
BELOVED OF GOD
If you are in here this evening and you have been radically saved by JEsus Christ you are BELOVED OF GOD
I dont think there is anything more life changing than to understand that even though we fail Him He still calls us BELOVED
PEACE
No longer at adds with God
We need to understand something if we are working and doing good deeds in order to make ourselves right with God it’s never going to be enough.
We all are at odds with God until we repent of our sins and place faith in Jesus Christ.
ITS SO GOOD TO KNOW THAT GODS MESSAGE TO US IS GRACE AND PEACE AND NOT
JUSTICE AND WRATH
God loves you and desire to have fellowship with you and the study of Romans will teach us all just what lengths GOd was willing to go to just so HE could reconcile and forgive us.
(Let’s PRay)