Sermon Tone Analysis

*February 12, 2006—Morning Worship*

 

*Valentine’s Day Sermon*

*Record-Breaking Love*

*Three Incredible Blessings in Your Life*

*Romans 4:1-25*

 

I invite you to turn w~/me to Romans 4. We’re going to deal w~/all 25 vv today.

I know what you’re thinking, “There’s enough Scripture here for a series of messages.”

& you’re right.

But today we’re going to take a bird’s eye view of this chapter as we concern ourselves w~/the subject of Record-Breaking Love.

*Intro:*   In 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, director of the Guinness Brewery, was on a hunting trip, & he became involved in an argument, w~/1 on his hunting companions, about the fastest game bird in Europe.

It dawned on him that it would be helpful to have a book of world records; & so the Guinness Book of World Records was born.

It has been published regularly since 1955.

It's remarkable what people will do to get their names in that book.

One man balanced on 1 foot for 76 hours & 40 minutes.

A New Jersey couple set the record for non-stop kissing, at 30 hours, 50 minutes & 27 seconds.

You know, God is also keeping a world record book.

Oh, it’s not a book that will bring you fame, or fortune, or even notoriety.

It’s His book of all that anyone does in life.

Tell me, what are you willing to do for God?

What would you consider worthy of attempting for Him? Would you give a cup of cold water in His name?

Would you help someone less fortunate than yourself?

Would you give your money to help others?

Would you work at the church for His glory?

Would you work in the community, telling others about Jesus?

Would you go on a mission trip?

Would you go into vocational ministry?

Would you give your life for the sake of the gospel?

Or maybe a better question might be, “What are you *not* willing to do for God? Are you not willing to give a cup of cold water in His name?

Are you not willing to help someone less fortunate than yourself?

Are you not willing to give your money to help others?

Are you not willing to work at the church for His glory?

Are you not willing to work in the community, telling others about Jesus?

Are you not willing to go on a mission trip?

Are you not willing to go into vocational ministry?

Are you not willing to give your life for the sake of the gospel?

If you’re not willing – are you really saved?

Now I’m not talking about working your way to heaven.

That's one statistic you'll never find in the Guinness Book of World Records or God’s book either.

There has never been anyone strong enough, tall enough, or fast enough to jump into heaven on their own, or work their way into heaven.

Lots of people have tried, but there is none righteous, no, not one.

We cannot qualify for heaven through our own efforts.

In fact, the 1st 3 chapters of Romans stress the fact that the world is "/guilty before God/" & that "/by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight/" (3:19­20).

I’m not talking about working your way to heaven; I’m talking about living out the supreme love of your life!

I’m talking about letting the world know what love really is! I’m talking about record-breaking love demonstrated in your life & mine!

In vv.

21­22 of Romans 3, the Bible says, "/But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed . . .

even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all & on all who believe…/."

In Romans 4 Paul describes 3 incredible blessings to those who are justified by grace through faith.

& these blessings should motivate us to live out the love of our lives through faith in Jesus Christ.

- Let’s begin by reading just the 1st 2 vv. of Romans 4.

*Romans 4* */1/*/ What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?

*2* For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

/

 

- This is a wonderful truth: salvation is by grace through faith.

- Everyone who goes to heaven--Jew & Gentile, whether in OT times or NT times – does so, on the basis of Christ's righteousness received by grace through faith.

- So let’s 1st see…

*1.

A Great Fact.* (vv.

1-8) *3 For what does the Scripture say? /"Abraham believed God, & it was/ accounted to him for righteousness." 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.*

*5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 /"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, & whose sins are covered; /8 /Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin."/*

 

- Abraham was the most important figure in Jewish history, God's friend, & the father of the nation of Israel.

- What was the basis of his relationship w~/God?

- Was it his good life, excellent morality, perfect character, or likable disposition?

- No.

He was a miserable sinner like us, but he believed God & it was counted to him as righteousness.

- Paul asserted that the doctrine of justification by grace through faith wasn't new or novel.

- It wasn't something he had dreamed up.

Nor does it circumvent the truths of the OT.

- This is the way God has always worked.

In every age, there has only been 1 way to be right w~/God—by God's grace through faith in God's Son for Man’s good & God’s glory!

- Now let’s catch this marvelous truth.

- Paul says; if you work you get paid.

If you get paid, the 1 paying you is obligated to pay.

- If he’s obligated to pay you, he is not gracious to you by paying you—he is simply doing what he’s supposed to do.

- But if you don’t work & someone pays you, that 1 is being gracious to you b~/c he doesn’t owe you; he is not obligated, but does so out of the abundance of his grace.

- & that’s what God did for Abraham – God gave Abraham righteousness, not b~/c he earned it through work, but b~/c he simply believed God!

- Now here’s the marvelous truth I want us to catch in these vv.

- Look at vv. 6-8.

Paul says, that David tells us, that God imputes righteousness apart from works.

So let’s read these vv.

& see what David said.

*Romans 4 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 /"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, & whose sins are covered; /8 /Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin."/*

- Wait a minute, I didn’t read anything about God imputing righteousness.

- David said that those whose sins are forgiven are blessed; that the man to whom the Lord did not impute sin was blessed!

- What’s that got to do w~/imputing righteousness?

EVERYTHING!

- If your sins are not imputed or placed on you, that means, in God’s eyes, you are sinless.

& if you’re sinless that means, in God’s eyes, you are righteous!

- There’s nothing else you can be – either sinful & unrighteous or sinless & righteous!

- So Paul reports that David says that the Holy Spirit had opened his eyes to the truth that when God forgives your sin He imputes or places righteousness on you!

- What a great fact!

What a great truth!

What a great blessing!

- Armed w~/that we can go from here & march in victory; we can walk in obedience; we can live in love b~/c of what God through Jesus has done for us!

- In Christ, we are no longer seen as defiled, God-hating, rebel sinners!

In Christ, we are seen as righteous, God-loving, obedient saints!

- God did that for you!

What a great fact!

What a great blessing!

- But notice w~/me 2ndly, that we also have…

*2.

A Great Father.*

(vv.