Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

How many of you have heard the expression: “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” This is a common American saying and in generally used to express that if you don’t speak up or you don’t initiate something that makes you stand out then you won’t get what you need.

“The squeaky wheel gets the grease”

Now lets lay that American saying up against this Japanese saying “The nail that sticks out, gets hammered down” That seems to express a very different sentiment doesn’t it?

In fact, it leads us to believe the very opposite of “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”.

Tension

I share those two contrasting saying because they are good representations of how people in west often think very differently from those in the east.

And since the Bible was written from more of an eastern perspective we here in the west have some work to do if we are going to understand the passage that Brian just read for us.

And the reason that it is so important to understand it is because it clearly explains one of the things that often confuses and/or offends thoughtful critics of the Christian faith.

I am not talking about “haters” or those who just wanna hate, but those who are asking questions from a genuine desire to understanding what we believe about Jesus but it is confusing to them.

And I need to be very clear, because some of you may have a sensitivity in this area that will rise up in you and so make sure you hear me right now.

We are looking to identify and temporarily lay aside a cultural difference...not a moral one.

So I am not talking about determining if something is “right or wrong” that would be a moral issue, this is just about the categories of “same or different” - which is a cultural issue.

So have that in your thinking, “It’s not right or wrong, it’s just different.”

And this is a good skill to develop because the Bible primarily takes an approach from an eastern cultural view point and not a western one like we are used to.

One of the significant differences between western and eastern cultural perspectives is that the western way of life is fiercely individualistic.

In his book on the book of Romans, Tim Keller defines it this way:

“In the west, each man is an island - interconnected, but rising or falling, succeeding or failing, according to our own actions and decisions and abilities.

We see humanity as made up of as many autonomous units as there are people.

The Bible takes a radically different approach - that of human solidarity…The idea of solidarity is that you can have a legitimate relationship with a person so that whatever that person achieves or loses you achieve or lose.

This is the concept of a representative.”

Of course this concept of representative is present in both western and eastern thought, the difference is that from our western perspective we believe that we should be able to choose our representative.

Right?

If we have a lawyer, politician or contract negotiator representing us then we want to choose who that person is…and there is nothing wrong with that.

It isn’t wrong, but it is different from the eastern idea of representation.

From the eastern perspective, someone can legitimately be your representative either by birth or by assignment.

Do you see now how this relates to the passage you read for this week?

In our western thinking we have a hard time reconciling the idea that somehow Adam’s sin effects us.

We didn’t eat the fruit.

We may even be so naive to think that if we were there then we would not have succumb to the temptation like Adam did.

But that is our western thinking kicking in.

We think that somehow if we were able to get our own shot at the garden of Eden we would do it differently.

Or if not us, we could at least choose a better representative than Adam.

Obviously we know that he was the wrong guy for the job, because look what happened...

But there are two horrible mistakes that our western perspective draws us toward.

One is that we forget that we are playing Monday morning quarterback.

Sitting on this side of history we know the outcome.

So we may think we could have made a better choice, but how could we know since we can’t not know what we know now?

Secondly, and even more important, is that our western thinking on this can draw us to forget who it was that did choose our representative.

Think about that!

Not only did God choose Adam, he uniquely designed him to be the representative for not just you.

Not just you, but for all mankind.

Do we really think that we could somehow choose or be a better representative than the one that God made for us?

And of course we are not just here this morning to talk about how we are represented by the first man Adam, but we are here to elevate, lift up and remind each other of the good news of the Gospel and how to live in it.

But what understanding Adam’s role does for us is to give us a better picture of Jesus’ role.

Because what Paul gets at here in Romans 5 is that If we can’t accept the representation of Adam, then we won’t be able to accept the representation of Jesus either.

And if Jesus doesn’t represent us - then we have no hope.

So keep your Bibles open to Romans 5, we will be back and forth in the chapter but it is all on page 942 in the Bibles in the chairs.

I’ll pray and we will get after how this representation things works in both Adam and Jesus.

Truth

Romans 5:6–11 (ESV)

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Our heritage from the first Adam

Romans 5:12-14 (ESV)

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.

14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

Our heritage from the second Adam: How Adam and Jesus are different

Romans 5:15–17 (ESV)

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass.

For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin.

For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.

17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

The Career of the second Adam: How Adam and Jesus are the same

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Gospel Application

Landing