Romans #2
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 8 viewsNotes
Transcript
Hey guys, so glad to see everyone tonight please turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Romans.
The Pagan problem is something I wanna mention to you tonight and there will be 3 problems we will briefly look at before we get into this tonight, but just to review.
This letter to the Romans is the most comprehensive theological book in the entire Bible according to many commentators and scholars. The theme of the book is the grace of God revealed. We see that and we think well I know what grace is and so we check out, but very few people really understand what the grace of God is.
Were gonna on the one hand be confronted with God’s righteousness, and on the other hand our own sin. Grace then is the remedy for the separation in between our sinful humanity and His Righteous Holiness.
GRACE= Gods Riches At Christs Expense
GRACE= Gods Riches At Christs Expense
Were gonna try to understand not only how we benefit by God’s grace but how he did. Now most of you who have studied the book of Acts know that the last half from 15 on is really all about Paul and ends with him going to Rome.
So in that sense the book of Romans is the logical book to come after the book of Acts. The book of Romans in many ways is a continuation of the book of Acts.
Some call Romans the gospel according to Paul. The book of Romans altered human history, the years from about 590 AD to 1517 are known in most college courses as the “Dark Ages” for alot of reasons but one of the reasons it was so dark was that the grace of God was not clearly seen by the world.
The Early church understood the grace of God as the apostles taught it, but as the years went by the grasp of that was lost and that led to the dark ages. Part of what ended the dark ages was known as the Reformation.
Grace gradually breaks down to legalism, keeping rules. So we have to be careful to remind ourselves what grace is and make sure we are walking in the grace of God.
Paul does not write this letter to the church in Rome he is writing to the individual believers, he didn’t start any specific church in Rome. But he is writing to the believers. This is not a book written to evangelize the lost this is here to teach us and others who have recieved the gift of salvation.
There were probably several churches in Rome as they would meet in several houses and we will find that out later in the book. There are 28 individuals that Paul deals with when we get there, this letter is addressed to the saints.
Some of these people who were in Rome would have been the same people who were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when Peter preached in tounges of fire came and all of that.
Paul was not an uneducated man as we learned last week he was probably one of the most educated men in that time. He said he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews he studied under the great Jewish rabbi Gamaliel at that time, but he also went to the best Greek schools of that time.
The first 8 chapters of Romans deal with doctrine, the first 3 chapters deal with sin. the next 2 chapters deal with salvation, and the next 3 deal with sanctification.
Thats the first 8 chapters the next 3 chapters deal with Israel past present and future. These chapters hammer away on what many churches today do not understand on Israels role in God’s plan.
Then the last few chapters are the practical the hands on, the personal comments.
deals with the problem of the sinful man
deals with the problem of the moral man
deals with the problem of the religious man
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.
Romans 1:7-
Written to believers, this is for teaching people who are believers.
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
So we know Paul was a country boy, because he uses the word for yall.
WOW is your faith spoken of throughout the whole known world?
That’s a huge statement
He always opens his letters with thanks to God, a specific prayer, and a desire he has for those who read his letter. He rejoiced that news of their faith has spread over the known world.
Now their known world was much smaller than the known world we have today. Since we have social media and things of that nature we can reach more people than ever before.
But this means their faith had spread throughout the known world the Roman Empire its interesting that this happened without cars, new channels, social media, no this happened on foot city by city, their faith was spoken of throughout the known world thats impressive.
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
Paul service was spiritual, he was going to the throne on behalf of these people, so often we equate success with the physical and not so much the spiritual because the spiritual things are unseen.
I wonder if we knew how many times other people call us out by name in their prayers if that would change the way we view someone. I think it would.
Pauls ministry didn’t depend on music, or lights or sound, even though those things are great his ministry did not depend on those things, nor was he a great speaker he simply taught the word.
always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
He really passionately wanted to visit, he wrote this letter from Corinth but not very long from now he will be going to Rome but under different circumstances.
He went there as a prisoner. So he was constantly interceding on behalf of these believers. This was his hearts desire and he wanted to make it there.
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—
Romans 1:
Now as we go on, this first opening chapter is very personal and we don’t need to forget that because were gonna quickly get into some deep theological concepts we shouldn’t ever forget the personal aspect of the fact that this was a letter written to real people and he loved them.
that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
It is always awesome to bump into another believer. It wasn’t long ago when I was in the gym I saw this lady and she was just riding a bike, she was much older than myself but as I was walking by she said good morning and I said good morning, and she said your a Christian aren’t you?
I said yes mam, she said I can tell, it was funny she was telling me that because there had been multiple times I had come in and thought to myself I think that womans a Christian her smile the way she interacts with people.
We stood there for about 15 minutes talking about the Lord and I didn’t know this woman from Adams house cat, but its amazing the things we have in common with strangers, when it comes to loving the Lord and studying His word.
Suddenly there is a bond with each other bc of the likeminded belief.
So Paul is looking for a blessing from them as much as they are looking for a blessing from him. This is so important we gather together as believers to build one another up, and I get things from yall as much as yall get things from me.
This isn’t gonna just benefit these believers its gonna benefit Paul as well. He wanted to come and minister there for three reasons:
To strengthen the Roman Christians
To see some spiritual fruit
To be strengthened by them
How many times have we said things like this I went there to bless someone but I ended up being the one who was blessed simply by going or serving.
So on the one hand you are ministering to them, on the other hand they are ministering to you.
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.
So he really wanted to come visit them, but Paul continues
I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
Now the word Barbarian in the greek means someone who doesn’t speak Greek. We use the word differntly.
Notice how Paul feels this passionate committment to his ministry I AM UNDER OBLIGATION.
So something interesting to note here Paul’s passion would have naturally been to be a minister to the Jews but how many of you know who you are called to, is not always who you would prefer to go to.
So for example I am going to use myself because its easy if I were to have had it my way I would have been a church planter I had only a couple years backround in Southern Baptist culture and there has been much that I have learned.
I am proud to be a Southern Baptist but in the natural sense I would have been naturally gifted to start something new simply because I would not have had to learn things traditions and so forth.
But GOD CALLED ME HERE I am glad He did because I love every single person in this church. I would not have it any other way and through my learning I had to lean on the Lord for strength and wisdom. I was weaker in a traditional Southern Baptist church than I would have been in a brand new church start.
However God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Now take Paul for example he was a Hebrew among Hebrews but God called him to the Gentiles and to all the ones who were not Jewish. So that He would have to learn and lean on the Lord.
Peter in spite of the fact that the door was open to the Gentiles he was called to the Jews. Paul felt that he was a debtor to the entire human race to proclaim God’s good news.
Think about Paul’s attitude about this compared to Moses’
Numbers 11:11-
Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me.
If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”
He wants out, this wasn’t my idea! You gave me these people, theres a number of these statements and you cant help but smile on the one hand on the other hand you see this dude is hurting. But he knew to whom He was called!
So did Paul
Moses laid it on the line, he set everything out before God and that’s often the case with Moses.
So Paul feeling the same way felt he was a debtor He knew to whom He was called to proclaim the good news.
So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
So he welcomed everyone and he had a sense of debt he had a burden for the Gentile world that was put there by none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
He was eager to preach to them.
Now think about this with me for a minute, do you have any idea how much the Jews hated the Romans?
What Jew would want to go to Rome?
Romans were despised by the Jews, do you have any idea how much guts this took for Paul to go there and proclaim the gospel? Yet you and I have a hard time forgiving our neighbor.
Paul wnet there with nothing except the gospel and the Spirit of God.
Now the next two verses are the summary verses of the whole book. The entire book is about 16-17
Whats it about?
The gospel of grace and the righteousness that comes from God through faith.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16-18
That’s the theme of the entire book right there.
Pauls passion came from the gospel, He knows the power of the
gospel, that it had the power to change someone from the inside out.
We need to remember this the goal of the gospel is not to make bad men good but to make dead men alive, spiritually speaking.
This is the fourth of five times Paul uses the word gospel here in the book.
The gospel is not for education it is not intended to make dumb people smart. Its not for development.
It is the power of God to take someone who is spiritually dead and bring them to life through Holy Spirits sanctifying power.
Men are either involved in salvation or its opposite dead religion. Heavy stuff here.
Why to the Jew first because they were God’s chosen people they were the ones who carried for centuries the revelation of God and the covenant promises were made to the Jews.
It’s interesting wherever Paul went he would start off with the Jews first, he would start off in a synagogue, it wouldn’t last long but that’s what he would do.
We
He would go and be rejected by the Jews and then he would turn to the Gentiles.
There was a Jewish Rabbi not so long ago yitsak ben ur that was one of the most highly respected rabbis of our time and the Jews for the most part do not believe Jesus is the Messiah.
But this Rabbi Ben uri studied his entire life and told everyone he did not believe Jesus was the Messiah and that he would prove it before his death.
He lived to be 108 years old and died about a year or so ago.
Any way there was a big article written about him because he told everyone he had discovered proof of who the Messiah was after his 108 years.
But they were not to open the document unti he died. After he died they opened the letter and it read the Messiah is Yeshua Jesus of Nazareth.
Now here you have a man who spent the majority of his life well educated to prove the Jesus was just a man, and he was met with such evidence that he admitted Jesus had to be the Son of God.
It is interesting bc the Bible says that the minds of the Jews when it comes to the gospel would be linded until the fullness of Gentiles come into faith ofJesus Christ.
It’s amazing to see all of these Jews get saved because that must mean that the fullness of the Gentiles who will come to faith of Jesus Christ must be getting close.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
God declares men righteous not because they agree with Christianity, but only because they have rested all that they are, they’re entire lives and souls in His Son Jesus Christ.
We are not saved by keeping commands, nor by good deeds, nor by how people see us, we are saved by how God sees us through the blood of His son Jesus.
God’s righteousness has been desposited into our account the
moment we repent of our sins and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. So it is His righteousness that earns my salvation not my own.
To justify a person is to declare that person legally righteous. It is a standing, positional kind of thing.
Jesus Christ is our defense attorney and he declares us righteous because we rest all that we are in his death burial and resurrection from the dead.
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
How do people who are justify live? BY FAITH
What does that mean?
Everyone always says well what about the people in secluded areas who have never heard of Jesus?
God has a way of revealing himself to them, and as long as they realize they NEED a Savior and acknowledge the creator I believe God has a way of revealing Himself to whomever He wants to.
(Muslims)
ALL MEN NEED A SAVIOR?
Why?
Because without a Savior we are under God’s wrath. His wrath is coming and there is no way to escape it unless we rest all of our heart and soul in the perfect work of Jesus on the cross.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
We need to understand this by nature lost people supress the truth they push it down deep inside they know there is a God and they know that one day they will be held accountable for their sins, but they push that down as deep as they can because they dont wanna have to deal with it.
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
God shows us three reasons God will judge those who have not submitted to Him as Lord:
For supressing God’s truth (18)
When you live in a society which prayer is not allowed, where people are getting fired from school systems because they hold prayer with their students.
Where abortion is considered a persons right, where churches are allowing same sex marriages and its all done under the banner of the love of God they have missed something.
They are playing
For ignoring Gods revelation
For perverting God’s glory
The Ignore God’s revelation
The Ignore God’s revelation
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Romans 1:19
Essentially what is being said here is this, everything that can be known about God is plain to them. They see his eternal power they see His invisible attributes, they see that there is something bigger than us.
these things are seen in what?
WHAT HAS BEEN MADE
When you look at the solar system, when you look at the human body, when you see the birth of a child you know there is something there that is divine.
When they look under a microscope they can see the sign of a creator.
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Romans 1:
After a person reasons for long enough that there is no God then God darkens their heart. Their hearts become blinded and so do their minds as they educate themselves to ignorance.
They Pervert God’s Glory
They Pervert God’s Glory
Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
With all their research with all the modern advances our culture which is supposed to be the most educated are extremely foolish and that is plain to see just turn on the television.
It’s easy to see the foolishness that parades as wisdom, but their hearts are darkened and they have no clue that they are foolish because they do not have Godly wisdom at all.
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Romans 1:2
People instead of worshipping the God of creation worship the creation itself. They not only worship animals, and the figure of animals they worship the human body also something God created and immorality rules the day.
Lost sinners then become pleasure seekers whatever pleases the senses whatever pleases their flesh.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
If you go long enough down a certain road part of God’s judgement is to give you exactly what you want until it destroys you. For example the Israelites wanted a king, and Saul became their King and he took them down all sorts of roads they should have never been on.
People love certain things more than they love GOd and so God just give them their idol and eveyrthing that goes with it.
because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
This is the problem for the sinner and they dont realize it, they elevate self, and creation over God the creator and therfore they exchange what God has revealed about Himself the absolute truth of His existence fora lie.
namely this world was made for me to bring joy unto myslef in whatever way I deem neccesarry.
The goal of my life is to eat and drink and be merry because there is no God.
Since they perverted God’s glory and the revealtion of Himself Notice the outcome
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Romans 1:
Ever wonder why HIV and Aids have become a mainline issue?
They have exchanged the truth about what God has said about marriage for something unatural and therefore receive corruption of the flesh as a result.
But sinners not only receive corruption in their fleshly bodies they recieve corruption of their minds as well.
Romans 1:
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
Now these sinners not just the ones in homosexual relationships but also those in premarital relationships and extramarital relationships think they are right and justified in their actions.
Because now they have a corrupt way of thinking.
All sinners do and when we continue in sin long enough it corrupts everything in us.
Then Paul delivers up a list of things sinners do according to the corruption of their flesh because God’s judgement has fallen on them.
They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
Romans 1:
slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
If these things are common practice one could make the case that either a person is not saved, or is in current rebellion to God as a child of God either way this is not good.
This is why we must be on guard constantly not being squeezed into the mold of this world but rather be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Through prayer, through the word of God so that we behave and think like those who know God....