Glory to the Almighty God (Romans 16:25-27)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:05.280 Remain standing, if you're able, and let's hear God's Word from Romans, 2 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:11.310 Chapter Sixteen, Verses Twenty Five through twenty seven, and these are the last 3 00:00:11.390 --> 00:00:16.350 words of the book of Romans. Almost two years going through this book, 4 00:00:19.910 --> 00:00:26.579 Thankful for God's faithfulness to us and the ways that he's worked in me in 5 00:00:27.300 --> 00:00:32.100 deepening my own faith and theology in preaching through this book. I pray that 6 00:00:32.219 --> 00:00:37.969 that has been in true for you as well. As we consider the great 7 00:00:38.090 --> 00:00:41.530 things that we've heard in this book, the things that God has been teaching 8 00:00:41.609 --> 00:00:46.009 us over the last few years, let us lift our hearts, even as 9 00:00:46.130 --> 00:00:51.240 Paul lifts his, to the Lord and praise to God. Romans Sixteen, 10 00:00:51.399 --> 00:00:57.880 Verses Twenty Five through twenty seven. Now to him who is able to strengthen 11 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:03.359 you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the 12 00:01:03.479 --> 00:01:07.510 revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been 13 00:01:07.590 --> 00:01:14.709 disclosed through the prophetic writings, has been made known to all nations, according 14 00:01:14.750 --> 00:01:19.099 to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith 15 00:01:21.019 --> 00:01:29.500 to the only wise God be glory forevermore. Through Jesus Christ, a man 16 00:01:30.659 --> 00:01:56.680 may be seated. If you have one of the Pew Bibles, and probably 17 00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:00.239 in most of your bibles, you'll see right above this section a little word 18 00:02:00.989 --> 00:02:08.270 doxology. Now that word is not the text of scripture. It's inserted by 19 00:02:08.310 --> 00:02:15.389 the editors of the Bible that we're reading from and that many of you likely 20 00:02:15.550 --> 00:02:19.900 have. It's inserted there. It's just a heading to help us know what 21 00:02:20.099 --> 00:02:27.419 section of the book were in. Doxology it is a kind of speech. 22 00:02:27.900 --> 00:02:30.090 It's a way of speaking. There's lots of ways of speaking right there are 23 00:02:30.289 --> 00:02:38.490 commands, there are questions, statements of fact. There's also doxology, praise, 24 00:02:38.009 --> 00:02:44.090 giving glory. That's the comes from this word Docsa, which means glory. 25 00:02:44.360 --> 00:02:47.280 It's the word that's used in verse twenty seven when it says to the 26 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:54.039 only wise God be glory, Docsa forevermore through Jesus Christ, docxology. So 27 00:02:54.360 --> 00:03:00.310 this passage and others like it are often referred to as doxology. If you 28 00:03:00.469 --> 00:03:05.509 are a member here regularly attend, you recognize that word because at the end 29 00:03:05.550 --> 00:03:12.469 of every morning service I call us to sing a doxology to God. In 30 00:03:12.629 --> 00:03:15.180 fact, the one that we sing and will sing at the end of our 31 00:03:15.219 --> 00:03:20.819 worship services. I'm so ancient and so common. It's simply called the doxology. 32 00:03:21.539 --> 00:03:25.620 We just to call it that. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. 33 00:03:27.889 --> 00:03:34.490 Praise him all creatures here below, praise him above, Ye heavenly host. 34 00:03:35.689 --> 00:03:42.120 Praise father's son and Holy Ghost An. All right, that's familiar to 35 00:03:42.199 --> 00:03:46.400 us. It's doxology, it's praise to God, it's glory to God. 36 00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:52.360 But of course there's other doxologies to like the one we sing in the evenings 37 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:57.030 and old him dating back to the second century. We call it the glory 38 00:03:57.110 --> 00:04:00.030 of pottery, not because it's not a doxology. We just can't have two 39 00:04:00.069 --> 00:04:03.710 things called the doxology. Doesn't work. So we call it the glory of 40 00:04:03.789 --> 00:04:09.069 pottery. It has other names to it's called the glory of pottery because of 41 00:04:09.189 --> 00:04:14.979 the first words pottery, or father. Glory to the Father, glory to 42 00:04:15.180 --> 00:04:20.420 the father and to the son and to the Holy Ego. Most as it 43 00:04:20.699 --> 00:04:28.250 was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without an 44 00:04:29.170 --> 00:04:36.769 Amen Amen. This phrase world without end is just an old English way of 45 00:04:36.889 --> 00:04:44.079 saying ages without end or for all eternity or, like our passage says, 46 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:50.839 forevermore glory forevermore, on and on, on and on. Roman sixteen, 47 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:56.110 Twenty five and twenty through twenty seven, then, is one of the biblical 48 00:04:56.230 --> 00:05:01.430 reasons, then, that we end our services with doxology, similar following the 49 00:05:01.509 --> 00:05:05.990 pattern of the apostle here, who ends his letter with doxology. It's always 50 00:05:05.990 --> 00:05:11.740 a great way to end things right, to lift praise to God, to 51 00:05:11.899 --> 00:05:17.819 give glory to him. But Paul's doxology is more than a conclusion of his 52 00:05:17.899 --> 00:05:24.769 letter, just as our doxology is more than the conclusion of our worship. 53 00:05:26.250 --> 00:05:30.529 Doxology is not just the end of what we say to God. Doxology is 54 00:05:30.610 --> 00:05:38.560 also the entrance into our speaking to God. Doxology is a way of life. 55 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:45.920 Doxology is a way of living in the glory of God and unto the 56 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:51.670 Glory of God. I want to tell you what that means, what it 57 00:05:51.750 --> 00:05:57.269 means to glorify God as a way of life. But in order to do 58 00:05:57.470 --> 00:06:00.829 that we have to first understand just a little bit about the structure of this 59 00:06:01.069 --> 00:06:06.500 passage. I think, especially for those who are not who are new or 60 00:06:06.579 --> 00:06:14.060 inexperienced readers, I'm particularly in English, the structure of the passage is not 61 00:06:14.339 --> 00:06:16.620 overly tricky, but just a little more subtle than some of the other things 62 00:06:16.660 --> 00:06:20.810 we've looked at. It's has a certain amount of poetic beauty to it and 63 00:06:20.850 --> 00:06:26.370 I want to show that to you. Just as a side note. The 64 00:06:26.490 --> 00:06:33.800 fact that the doxology is magnificent or majestic or beautiful makes sense. God is 65 00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:38.639 high and lifted up. It makes sense that are praised to him should be 66 00:06:38.680 --> 00:06:46.430 as well. Just a quick overview of the passage. It begins with a 67 00:06:46.750 --> 00:06:53.230 sort of address. Now to Him who? Now to Him who? It 68 00:06:53.350 --> 00:06:56.709 goes on to say, who is able to strengthen you? Okay, now 69 00:06:56.750 --> 00:07:00.509 to him who is able to strengthen you. This is who Paul is a 70 00:07:00.790 --> 00:07:03.180 is addressing. He hasn't given us a name yet, although we might take 71 00:07:03.220 --> 00:07:08.379 a guess. But to him who is able to strengthen you. And then 72 00:07:08.459 --> 00:07:12.939 that thought finishes at the end when it says not just to him who's able 73 00:07:12.939 --> 00:07:17.610 to strengthen you, but to him, to the only wise God. That's 74 00:07:17.649 --> 00:07:20.329 the end of the dress. It's sort of split up a little bit. 75 00:07:21.290 --> 00:07:29.410 Then he concludes with this kind of desire or praise or doxology, when he 76 00:07:29.529 --> 00:07:34.199 says glory or be Glory forevermore through Jesus Christ on men. So you could 77 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:36.639 put it this way. Now, to him who is able to strengthen you, 78 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:44.470 who is the only wise God, be glory forever through Jesus Christ men. 79 00:07:45.589 --> 00:07:48.029 That's sort of the the the the main point, the core thought. 80 00:07:48.310 --> 00:07:51.350 But then what he does is he splits those and in beds in the middle 81 00:07:51.389 --> 00:07:58.899 of that. Some reasons for that. There's three, according tos all call 82 00:07:59.060 --> 00:08:03.220 them just for convenience, three things and they're similar to each other, but 83 00:08:03.300 --> 00:08:09.139 they help us to understand the manner in which we are strengthened by God, 84 00:08:09.779 --> 00:08:16.329 the wisdom that he pours out into this world, reasons for us to glorify 85 00:08:16.370 --> 00:08:20.730 him, and that he will be glorified whether we choose to or not. 86 00:08:22.730 --> 00:08:28.720 There are three reasons here, you see, the according to my Gospel and 87 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:33.360 the preaching of Jesus Christ. That's the number one. Number two is according 88 00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:37.639 to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages, but 89 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:43.830 now it's been disclosed those through the prophetic writings. And then the final one, 90 00:08:43.950 --> 00:08:50.070 according to the command of God. We can simplify these by saying that 91 00:08:50.230 --> 00:08:54.789 the manner in which we are strengthened by God and one of the reasons that 92 00:08:54.950 --> 00:08:58.580 he will be glorified and that we ought to glorify him. The manner in 93 00:08:58.659 --> 00:09:05.460 which this happens is through the preaching of men, one who preach Christ from 94 00:09:05.500 --> 00:09:11.370 the Bible to according to the command of God. Three. So all of 95 00:09:11.450 --> 00:09:15.330 this, I think we can put very simply by saying this passage is about 96 00:09:15.450 --> 00:09:20.409 this eternal glory be to God, who makes us strong through Christian preaching. 97 00:09:22.929 --> 00:09:26.639 It's kind of an amazing thing that he's saying here, that he, Paul, 98 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:31.279 is saying that all the glory and all the things that God deserves in 99 00:09:31.480 --> 00:09:41.990 praise should be happen and will happen because of preaching. This is how God 100 00:09:43.149 --> 00:09:50.470 makes us strong, this is how God glorifies us. Before we think about 101 00:09:50.470 --> 00:09:54.899 these three things, though, it's important that we understand our weakness right. 102 00:09:54.019 --> 00:09:58.980 This is the assumption when it says to the God who is able to strengthen 103 00:09:58.139 --> 00:10:03.340 you, right, it's assuming something about a need that we have. There's 104 00:10:03.379 --> 00:10:11.210 this unstated assumption here that we need to be strengthened, that there's something lacking 105 00:10:11.289 --> 00:10:16.289 in us that only God can supply and will supply to his glory, that 106 00:10:16.450 --> 00:10:20.250 we might live this life of doxology in him and for him and unto him, 107 00:10:20.289 --> 00:10:26.480 there's something lacking, a lacking in us that only God can supply. 108 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:33.440 Now, for most of us, this is obviously true to us. Perhaps 109 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:37.029 you've come here this morning and you know very well how much of a mess 110 00:10:37.029 --> 00:10:45.190 you're in. You're scared, maybe you're anxious and worried, maybe you're sad, 111 00:10:46.230 --> 00:10:50.460 maybe you're tired, tired of things not going well, tired of troubles 112 00:10:50.580 --> 00:10:56.659 that continue to plague you, tired of fighting the same old things. You 113 00:10:58.100 --> 00:11:01.539 say, yeah, I know I'm weak, you don't have to tell me 114 00:11:03.700 --> 00:11:05.210 now. Some of US affirm that because we know we ought to from that. 115 00:11:05.450 --> 00:11:09.929 Others of US know it because we're experiencing it right now. Some of 116 00:11:11.009 --> 00:11:15.529 us are very awakened and alive to the fact that we are weakened, that 117 00:11:15.649 --> 00:11:20.039 we are humble, that we are in a place of lacking. Others of 118 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:24.240 us like to pretend that we ought to say that, but that we don't 119 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:28.879 really feel that way. We feel more or less selfsufficient. We say strength 120 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:33.470 might be nice, but I'm doing okay, of course, until the next 121 00:11:33.509 --> 00:11:37.830 thing comes and then we remember, how many more times do I have to 122 00:11:37.870 --> 00:11:43.470 go to the doctor? Without a real diagnosis. How many more TRIPS DO 123 00:11:43.549 --> 00:11:48.500 I have to make to therapy before real improvement is made? How many more 124 00:11:48.659 --> 00:11:52.220 arguments will we have to have before the two of us can finally work it 125 00:11:52.299 --> 00:11:56.179 out? We could the list could go on and on and on. We 126 00:11:56.299 --> 00:12:01.490 get tired, weak, we have problems that we don't know how to solve 127 00:12:01.610 --> 00:12:05.610 in our bodies and our souls and our relationships with God himself, struggles that 128 00:12:05.690 --> 00:12:13.850 we have in believing him and trusting him. There's nothing wrong and bloating our 129 00:12:13.889 --> 00:12:18.320 weaknesses. In fact, being honest about the world we live in, in 130 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:20.519 the kind of people we are, is the first step to strength. and 131 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:28.840 that's not just psychological Mumbo jumbo. It's true, because leaning on a lie 132 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:33.909 is the beginning of failure. If you set something, if you set your 133 00:12:33.990 --> 00:12:37.830 faith, in your hope on something that's not true, it falls apart like 134 00:12:37.950 --> 00:12:45.539 a house built on sand. But confessing the truth is a path to strength, 135 00:12:46.100 --> 00:12:50.980 to healing in God. It also magnifies the glory of God, doesn't 136 00:12:50.980 --> 00:12:58.570 it? When God's glory is revealed in the salvation of weak people, God 137 00:13:00.009 --> 00:13:05.929 is glorified. Jesus came into the world, he humbled himself he endured all 138 00:13:05.970 --> 00:13:09.809 sorts of persecution, loss curse, all the way up to the point of 139 00:13:09.929 --> 00:13:15.879 being whipped and humbled and hung on across. He then rose from the dead 140 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:22.399 ascended into the heavenly places to take a seat of authority and Power and glory. 141 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:31.590 If we're really all doing okay, then this whole this whole magnificence saving 142 00:13:31.750 --> 00:13:37.429 work of God doesn't really make any sense. Right. If it's true that 143 00:13:37.549 --> 00:13:41.620 we're all essentially doing okay, that there aren't really sinners and we're not really 144 00:13:41.700 --> 00:13:48.820 sick, then this work of Christ is not so magnificent and it takes on 145 00:13:48.980 --> 00:13:54.769 the tenor of the false gods who, sort of going on the a sort 146 00:13:54.809 --> 00:14:01.649 of feudal missions, find themselves doing silly things. Not According to wisdom. 147 00:14:03.450 --> 00:14:05.370 Oh Jesus, why are you doing all this? Why are you suffering in 148 00:14:05.529 --> 00:14:09.529 this way? It didn't need to do this. We're all doing fine. 149 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:13.639 But of course that's not the case. If that was the case, there 150 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:16.879 would be no glory to God. It would be an embarrassing mission. Right, 151 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:22.159 God, the father would send the son to do what? Nothing? 152 00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:28.230 But that's not what's happened. Instead that God has been glorified in this amazing 153 00:14:28.350 --> 00:14:35.070 way, because we are weak, because we are sinners, because we're dead 154 00:14:35.230 --> 00:14:39.179 in our trespasses, and since he doesn't merely give us some water and help 155 00:14:39.220 --> 00:14:43.620 us feel better, he raises us from death to life. He rescues us. 156 00:14:43.700 --> 00:14:50.460 My chains fell off, I was set free. So this is what 157 00:14:50.740 --> 00:14:56.169 God has done in this is why he is glorified in these things. You 158 00:14:56.289 --> 00:15:01.970 think about earthly ways that God has saved his people. The parting of the 159 00:15:01.090 --> 00:15:07.519 Red Sea, for example, piling up the waters on either side in huge 160 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:11.679 heaps as the Hebrews marched through on dry land. That's glorious, isn't it? 161 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:18.679 The waters then consuming and crushing Pharaoh and all of Israel's enemies, in 162 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:24.590 all of their pride and all of their confidence, being put to death in 163 00:15:24.669 --> 00:15:31.149 a watery grave in a moment. That's glorious, a glorious salvation, powerful, 164 00:15:31.190 --> 00:15:35.899 amazing to think of. The flood is another example, and the waters 165 00:15:37.059 --> 00:15:41.259 fill up, God fills the earth with judgment and then lift snowing and his 166 00:15:41.419 --> 00:15:48.620 family up this kind of seed pod that would become the new creation. Glorious, 167 00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:56.769 Right, God's glorious salvation through these things. Now our baptisms are like 168 00:15:56.090 --> 00:16:02.850 this. They're not outwardly as glory as this, but they're much more dramatic 169 00:16:02.970 --> 00:16:07.840 in a way, because they signify and even greater salvation, the salvation that 170 00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:11.759 has talked about here in Romans, the salvation that has been preached to us 171 00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:17.799 again and again, that in Christ we have been saved from eternal judgment and 172 00:16:17.960 --> 00:16:25.190 hell, not just earthly enemies but spiritual ones, hell itself. We've not 173 00:16:25.309 --> 00:16:30.710 just been brought into a new can and we've been brought into the heavenly places, 174 00:16:30.070 --> 00:16:41.740 the New Jerusalem Mount Zion. This passage assumes our weakness, our frailty. 175 00:16:42.379 --> 00:16:47.649 We must assume it as well if we are to glorify God, if 176 00:16:47.649 --> 00:16:52.409 we are to live in his glory and according to his glory. We can't 177 00:16:52.409 --> 00:16:59.330 be about glorifying ourselves. We have to recognize our weaknesses and find our salvation 178 00:17:00.009 --> 00:17:07.279 in him. We have to assume our weaknesses because there is no lasting life 179 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:11.880 in pride and because by recognizing our weaknesses, we better see the glory of 180 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:22.470 God in our salvation. Now how does God then strengthen us? Here are 181 00:17:22.509 --> 00:17:26.630 the according to us, the first one, according to my gospel and the 182 00:17:26.789 --> 00:17:36.779 preaching of Jesus Christ. Have you ever been amazed at a family member or 183 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:41.819 a friend WHO's able to use some kind of common household object to accomplish a 184 00:17:41.019 --> 00:17:48.690 fairly important thing. He's just a paper clip for that. Some ways I 185 00:17:48.809 --> 00:17:56.289 feel this way about preaching. I and every other preacher are broken and weak. 186 00:17:56.450 --> 00:18:03.039 We have sins and struggles, blind spots, misunderstandings. Same as true 187 00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:11.960 for Paul. Paul was not Jesus. Paul was not sinless, and yet 188 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:15.950 he says here, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and an according to all 189 00:18:15.990 --> 00:18:22.630 the wisdom of God and all truth, that God is able to strengthen you 190 00:18:22.230 --> 00:18:32.940 and us, according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. When 191 00:18:32.940 --> 00:18:36.900 we think about this mission that God sent his the God the father sent his 192 00:18:37.099 --> 00:18:41.250 son, on, we have to then ask ourselves, well, if Jesus 193 00:18:41.289 --> 00:18:45.890 Christ has done all of this great work, if you've earned salvation and for 194 00:18:47.009 --> 00:18:52.369 all the elect well then, how can I have a pardon that? How 195 00:18:52.450 --> 00:18:56.960 can I know Jesus? How can I belong to Jesus? How, as 196 00:18:57.039 --> 00:19:02.559 Paul asked the question in verse fourteen, how then will they call on him 197 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:06.519 in whom they have not believed? How do we connect to the Cross and 198 00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:12.589 the work of Christ to the people that he died for. He answers that 199 00:19:12.670 --> 00:19:17.950 question. This is back in chapter ten. Says how will they call on 200 00:19:18.029 --> 00:19:21.509 him, whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in 201 00:19:21.589 --> 00:19:25.900 him whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone 202 00:19:26.259 --> 00:19:30.339 preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it 203 00:19:30.460 --> 00:19:36.259 is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news? 204 00:19:37.930 --> 00:19:41.890 Paul answers it. Answers the question. The answers the question we were 205 00:19:41.930 --> 00:19:45.009 asking with a series of questions, but you saw the connection. Right. 206 00:19:48.210 --> 00:19:53.839 Salvation in Jesus Christ comes through the preaching of Jesus Christ. People have to 207 00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:59.759 hear him, they have to hear the word of God. And that's why 208 00:19:59.799 --> 00:20:06.640 Paul, when he says according to My Gospel, he doesn't mean the good 209 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:11.390 news about Paul, because he says according to the preaching of Jesus Christ. 210 00:20:11.430 --> 00:20:18.589 Jesus is the content of the Gospel. Jesus is the good news. But 211 00:20:18.750 --> 00:20:26.779 it is Paul's Gospel. He owns it, it belongs to him. It's 212 00:20:26.819 --> 00:20:30.180 not because he made it up. It's not his in that way. It's 213 00:20:30.220 --> 00:20:34.700 not because he earned the Gospel somehow it's not because it's different than the gospel 214 00:20:34.769 --> 00:20:41.250 of Peter James, John, Matthew, Mark Luke or even Christopher. It's 215 00:20:41.369 --> 00:20:49.119 Paul's Gospel because God entrusted him with this message and it was his to preach, 216 00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:53.640 it was his to deliver, it was his to harold around the gentile 217 00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:59.839 world. Paul knew that he was a servant of God, that he had 218 00:21:00.119 --> 00:21:06.150 something given to him, that he was called to deliver. This echoes actually 219 00:21:06.150 --> 00:21:10.789 the words back at the beginning of Romans, in Chapter One, in Chapter 220 00:21:10.910 --> 00:21:14.309 One, Verses Eleven and twelve, Paul begins his letter and he says, 221 00:21:14.990 --> 00:21:18.900 for I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual 222 00:21:19.059 --> 00:21:25.380 gift to strengthen you. It's the same word. I want to see you, 223 00:21:25.500 --> 00:21:29.740 I want to come to you, that I may impart a spiritual gift 224 00:21:29.779 --> 00:21:33.529 to strengthen you. And then he's explicit about what that is. He says 225 00:21:33.849 --> 00:21:40.690 that is that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours 226 00:21:41.130 --> 00:21:48.880 and mine. There's this strengthening that happens within the body of Christ because of 227 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:53.279 our union with him. He works in US and through us together, and 228 00:21:53.599 --> 00:22:00.279 part of that comes through preaching. A large part of it comes through preaching. 229 00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:04.309 It's the focus of what Paul is saying in terms of how these people 230 00:22:04.390 --> 00:22:11.589 will be strengthened, while the gift comes through him, though he is not 231 00:22:11.789 --> 00:22:17.420 the gift itself. He says that it is his Gospel, but the content 232 00:22:17.700 --> 00:22:23.779 is Jesus Christ. This is why we call preaching a means of grace. 233 00:22:26.019 --> 00:22:30.849 It is the way or the manner that we receive the grace of God. 234 00:22:32.529 --> 00:22:38.329 We believe that through Christ centered preaching, preaching that is according to Jesus Christ, 235 00:22:38.450 --> 00:22:42.410 that's about Jesus Christ, that Harold Him, proclaims the good news in 236 00:22:42.450 --> 00:22:49.559 Him, that we receive God's grace through that, that a connection is made 237 00:22:49.720 --> 00:22:56.079 by the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ himself and his works for us and 238 00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:04.150 our very own hearts, God gloriously strengthens, serves and saves us through the 239 00:23:04.309 --> 00:23:14.019 preaching of men. This is why we confess in our larger catechism that the 240 00:23:14.180 --> 00:23:19.140 substance of Christ and the Covenant of Grace is administered through the preaching of the 241 00:23:19.220 --> 00:23:23.460 word. Let me read one other catechism question to you. This is one 242 00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:30.049 hundred and fifty five. How is the word of God made effectual unto salvation. 243 00:23:30.690 --> 00:23:36.450 How is the word of God made effectual? How does the affect and 244 00:23:36.529 --> 00:23:42.200 the power of it actually happen in our lives? How are we strengthened to 245 00:23:42.279 --> 00:23:49.720 the glory of God? Here's the answer. According to scripture, the spirit 246 00:23:49.880 --> 00:23:56.269 of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching, of the word and 247 00:23:57.309 --> 00:24:06.150 effectual means of enlightening, convincing and humbling sinners, of driving them out of 248 00:24:06.269 --> 00:24:11.819 themselves and drawing them unto Christ, of conforming them to his image and subduing 249 00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:18.460 them to his will, of strengthening them against temptations and corruptions, corruptions, 250 00:24:19.019 --> 00:24:26.529 of building them up in grace and establishing their hearts in holiness and comfort through 251 00:24:26.730 --> 00:24:33.730 faith, unto salvation. Why do we believe that preaching is so powerful? 252 00:24:33.809 --> 00:24:40.000 Because, Paul says now to him, who is able to strengthen you according 253 00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:45.440 to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ? That's why we believe that 254 00:24:48.920 --> 00:24:56.029 Paul goes on. It's not just preaching in general, as we've said, 255 00:24:56.029 --> 00:25:02.029 it's the preaching of Jesus Christ. We must preach Christ from the Bible. 256 00:25:02.309 --> 00:25:08.059 There's nothing special in a guy in a suit getting up and talking or even 257 00:25:08.140 --> 00:25:15.140 saying really nice things or even biblical things. No, he says it's according 258 00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:22.529 to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has 259 00:25:22.609 --> 00:25:30.089 now been disclosed through the prophetic writings. What is this secret? What is 260 00:25:30.170 --> 00:25:37.839 this mystery that has been revealed to us through the prophetic writings? It is 261 00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:41.799 Christ. I won't do it here, but there are a number of places 262 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:47.480 throughout the New Testament that make this point. Christ is the revelation, he 263 00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:51.509 is the one who has come and is revealed light and life in the world, 264 00:25:51.990 --> 00:25:56.109 the light who shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. 265 00:25:56.349 --> 00:26:00.869 This is Jesus Christ, and this is not sort of something that is 266 00:26:00.990 --> 00:26:06.460 made up in Paul's mind, though he was certainly taught it directly by Christ. 267 00:26:07.180 --> 00:26:15.700 He says it's been disclosed through the prophetic writings. That's why I preach 268 00:26:15.859 --> 00:26:19.650 the Bible, because I want you to know Jesus and Jesus is made known 269 00:26:19.849 --> 00:26:26.210 in the Bible. It's very simple, isn't it? Very wonderful and and 270 00:26:26.490 --> 00:26:33.000 very important, and it means that in every aspect of my preaching I work 271 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:40.920 hard to think carefully over and over again. How does this passage reveal to 272 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:47.269 US Christ? How does it show this to him, to show US him? 273 00:26:48.470 --> 00:26:52.589 How is he made known to all the nations of the world? How 274 00:26:52.630 --> 00:26:57.430 do we come to know Jesus? And that's an important way point. I 275 00:26:57.549 --> 00:27:02.140 don't just want you to know about Jesus, I want you to know Jesus. 276 00:27:02.940 --> 00:27:06.859 I want you to know him as he has been revealed, to be 277 00:27:07.019 --> 00:27:11.900 closer to him, to be strengthened by him. Again, verse twenty seven, 278 00:27:11.940 --> 00:27:18.049 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ. There's no 279 00:27:18.329 --> 00:27:22.130 glorying in God, there's no living a life of doxology apart from him. 280 00:27:23.890 --> 00:27:27.369 So we read the word careful, we listen to the word carefully, we 281 00:27:27.569 --> 00:27:41.720 think about how, how it applies to our lives in knowing Jesus, Paul 282 00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:48.109 says that if you hear another Gospel, if you hear another good news and 283 00:27:48.150 --> 00:27:53.190 quotation marks there, that's not according to this gospel of Jesus Christ, even 284 00:27:53.230 --> 00:27:59.980 if an angel would proclaim it, it's false. You should flee from it. 285 00:28:00.019 --> 00:28:07.420 It's dangerous. This is why we send good preachers, this is why 286 00:28:07.460 --> 00:28:11.539 we support good preaching, this is why we send people to seminary and make 287 00:28:11.579 --> 00:28:17.769 sure they're trained and the Biblical language and systematic theology and Biblical theology and all 288 00:28:17.849 --> 00:28:21.609 this, because we want to make sure that they understand right how to give 289 00:28:21.650 --> 00:28:26.839 us the Bible. Because we want Jesus we don't want his ideas, we 290 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:30.480 don't want his own word. He might be smart, he might be nice, 291 00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:34.359 might be all kinds of wonderful things, but if he doesn't give us 292 00:28:34.359 --> 00:28:41.509 the gospel of Jesus Christ, he's failed at the task. Because we want 293 00:28:41.549 --> 00:28:45.109 to be strengthened, we want to glorify God, we want to know him, 294 00:28:45.150 --> 00:28:51.990 and that's what God wants to this mystery that has kept secret for long 295 00:28:52.029 --> 00:28:56.259 ages but now has been revealed through the revelation of Jesus Christ, has been 296 00:28:56.299 --> 00:29:06.900 revealed by God, the son of God himself. This is not just Paul's 297 00:29:06.940 --> 00:29:11.609 work, it is God's work through his servant. And that brings us to 298 00:29:11.690 --> 00:29:18.609 the final of these three according Tos, according to my gospel and the preaching 299 00:29:18.690 --> 00:29:22.450 of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, according to the 300 00:29:22.650 --> 00:29:30.960 command of the eternal God. This command as a kind of divine command. 301 00:29:30.599 --> 00:29:37.240 It's powerful and sort of divinely sanctioned command, which is emphasized by this phrase 302 00:29:37.319 --> 00:29:45.029 of the eternal God. They're all kinds of implications of this, but one 303 00:29:45.190 --> 00:29:48.349 is that we see it is God who is ultimately doing the work here. 304 00:29:49.150 --> 00:29:52.380 Paul didn't come up with a great program and then has sort of gone out 305 00:29:52.420 --> 00:29:56.819 into the world to accomplish something great. For God, God came up, 306 00:29:57.180 --> 00:30:03.859 the all wise God, the only wise God, according to his will, 307 00:30:03.059 --> 00:30:08.529 has desired to save the world and is now sending out his servants to all 308 00:30:08.650 --> 00:30:17.130 nations and all people's to bring about obedience of faith. That's why, ultimately, 309 00:30:17.210 --> 00:30:21.880 we don't go wow, Paul, good job and glory to you. 310 00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:29.799 No, we say glory be to the only Wise God, glory forevermore to 311 00:30:29.960 --> 00:30:36.309 the eternal, forever faithful God. There are other implications of this command. 312 00:30:36.509 --> 00:30:40.990 One is the limits of the preaching of the Gospel, that the preacher ought 313 00:30:40.990 --> 00:30:45.950 to confine himself to the preaching of the word. It also has to do 314 00:30:45.190 --> 00:30:52.140 with the zeal and the way that he preaches the Gospel. We have another 315 00:30:52.220 --> 00:30:56.299 catechism question that addresses this that I'd also like to read to you. How 316 00:30:56.660 --> 00:31:03.019 is the word of God to be preached? Here's my job description. Westminster 317 00:31:03.059 --> 00:31:06.529 larger catechism one hundred and fifty eight. How is the word of God to 318 00:31:06.569 --> 00:31:11.809 be preached on the basis of what Paul says here in Romans and other passages 319 00:31:11.890 --> 00:31:17.730 as well? Answer? They that are called to Labor in the Ministry of 320 00:31:17.809 --> 00:31:23.480 the word are to preach sound doctrine diligently, in seasoned and out of season, 321 00:31:25.160 --> 00:31:30.920 plainly, not in the enticing words of Man's wisdom, but in demonstration 322 00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:36.269 of the spirit and of power, faithfully making known the whole counsel of God, 323 00:31:37.230 --> 00:31:42.869 wisely applying themselves to the necessities and capacities of the hearers, zealously, 324 00:31:44.190 --> 00:31:49.819 with fervent love to God and the souls of his people, sincerely aiming at 325 00:31:49.940 --> 00:32:00.420 his glory and their conversion, edification and salvation. We see much of the 326 00:32:00.529 --> 00:32:07.849 basis for this question right here in Romans Sixteen, Twenty five through twenty seven, 327 00:32:08.410 --> 00:32:14.569 with an aim towards their conversion, right the obedience of faith, with 328 00:32:14.650 --> 00:32:19.680 an aim towards their edification, that strengthening, that building up, with an 329 00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:23.240 aim towards a salvation, which is how it is we are saved. It 330 00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:29.200 is the good news that Jesus Christ came to same sinners the command of God 331 00:32:29.599 --> 00:32:36.150 sort of shows, sort of it shows us the importance of sound doctrine, 332 00:32:36.190 --> 00:32:43.069 of Diligence, of zeal and faithfulness, many other things. These are the 333 00:32:43.309 --> 00:32:47.460 three according to us. These are the way in which God is able to 334 00:32:47.539 --> 00:32:52.740 strengthen us. Let's read it again and put it all together. Now, 335 00:32:52.859 --> 00:32:58.539 to him who is able to strengthen you, according to my Gospel and the 336 00:32:58.609 --> 00:33:02.809 preaching of Jesus, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret 337 00:33:02.930 --> 00:33:07.490 for long ages but now has been disclosed through the prophetic writings, has been 338 00:33:07.529 --> 00:33:13.759 made known to all nations, according to the eternal according to the command of 339 00:33:13.799 --> 00:33:19.480 the eternal God. And here's God's reason to bring about the obedience of faith. 340 00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:24.039 And actually there's one other reason. It's a little embedded up earlier. 341 00:33:24.119 --> 00:33:30.869 When it says to make known to all the nations, they're parallel phrases and 342 00:33:30.349 --> 00:33:36.789 intended to show God's intentions. And all of this, according to these things, 343 00:33:36.950 --> 00:33:39.710 God strengthens in order to make known to the nations and in order to 344 00:33:39.789 --> 00:33:45.099 bring about obedience of faith in all the nations. Well, to the only 345 00:33:45.220 --> 00:33:52.700 wise God be glory forevermore, through Jesus, Christ men, all of this 346 00:33:52.980 --> 00:33:59.369 work, all of this effort and energy that Paul is expending to write to 347 00:33:59.450 --> 00:34:04.609 the Romans, to go out into the world to preach the Gospel. It's 348 00:34:04.690 --> 00:34:12.440 for a reason and ultimately it's for the glory of God. Even our salvation, 349 00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:19.239 as important and as wonderful as that, is embedded within the glory of 350 00:34:19.400 --> 00:34:23.469 God. That's what the God of Glory, the Glorious God, is after 351 00:34:24.829 --> 00:34:30.429 His Majesty, His might, his glory. What is the chief end of 352 00:34:30.550 --> 00:34:36.710 man? To glorify God and to enjoy him forever. This is what God 353 00:34:37.710 --> 00:34:45.139 is doing in us. How do we respond solely Dale Gloria? For one, 354 00:34:45.380 --> 00:34:50.539 to use a reformation phrase, to God alone be the glory. We 355 00:34:50.699 --> 00:34:53.889 repeat it, we sing it, we live it and we do it in 356 00:34:54.170 --> 00:35:00.730 Jesus Christ, through faith in Jesus Christ, attending to him, particularly in 357 00:35:00.769 --> 00:35:07.840 the means of grace. If the pharmacist says I'm sending prescription to all Greens 358 00:35:07.960 --> 00:35:10.480 on the corner of Vina and La Choya, you better go to IINA and 359 00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:15.719 La Choya and pick up your prescription. If God says I'm going to give 360 00:35:15.760 --> 00:35:20.119 you myself in the preaching of the word of God, you better show up 361 00:35:20.239 --> 00:35:24.150 and attend to the preaching of the word of God. It's a simple point. 362 00:35:24.389 --> 00:35:28.309 Of course, God can use all kinds of other means. God isn't 363 00:35:28.349 --> 00:35:32.590 restricted like our medical system is. But this is where he says he will 364 00:35:32.869 --> 00:35:37.699 meet US and greet US and change us in the preaching of the word. 365 00:35:40.699 --> 00:35:45.059 So to use the language of the catechism one more time, what is required 366 00:35:45.139 --> 00:35:50.650 of those who preach the word? What is your job description, according to 367 00:35:50.690 --> 00:35:55.889 the Bible? Well, given what we know about preaching, given what we 368 00:35:57.010 --> 00:36:00.170 know about the Gospel, given what we know about the glory of God, 369 00:36:00.929 --> 00:36:05.639 it is required of those who hear the word preached that they attend upon it 370 00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:10.760 with dilace, preparation and prayer, examine what they hear by the Scriptures, 371 00:36:12.440 --> 00:36:19.150 receive the truth with faith, love, meekness and readiness of mind as the 372 00:36:19.190 --> 00:36:23.630 word of God, meditate and confer of it, hide it in their hearts 373 00:36:23.989 --> 00:36:34.780 and bring the fourth the fruit of it in their lives. These are high 374 00:36:34.860 --> 00:36:43.900 callings for me and for you. The glory of God. It is a 375 00:36:43.980 --> 00:36:49.769 high calling. There is nothing higher. How will we achieve it? How 376 00:36:49.849 --> 00:36:55.090 will we come to it? By the Work of God working in us through 377 00:36:55.090 --> 00:37:00.530 the preaching of the Gospel through the revelation of the mystery of Jesus Christ in 378 00:37:00.650 --> 00:37:04.280 our lives. He will do it and he will strengthen us, he will 379 00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:12.559 build us, he will work in us. First, Peter ten, after 380 00:37:12.639 --> 00:37:15.230 you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has 381 00:37:15.349 --> 00:37:22.590 called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, 382 00:37:22.230 --> 00:37:29.190 strengthen and establish you. Do See, beloved, what God is doing in 383 00:37:29.349 --> 00:37:32.260 the world, what he did in the world with the Apostle Paul, all 384 00:37:32.340 --> 00:37:37.900 in his continued to do as we lay and rest upon that apostolic doctrine, 385 00:37:38.659 --> 00:37:45.530 the prophetic writings, the word of God, Jesus himself. He is building 386 00:37:45.570 --> 00:37:51.849 up his church, he's doing it even here among us, and so we 387 00:37:51.969 --> 00:37:55.769 ought to praise God, we ought to give him glory and raise our voices 388 00:37:55.849 --> 00:38:01.360 and be full of joy for what he's doing in our lives, in our 389 00:38:01.440 --> 00:38:07.599 community, in our church, and to trust him that, in all of 390 00:38:07.719 --> 00:38:13.670 our weaknesses and all of our tiredness, in in all of the darkness that's 391 00:38:13.710 --> 00:38:22.510 in the world, that he is working in us. The Jesus Christ's intimately 392 00:38:22.630 --> 00:38:30.139 connected to us, that we belong to him through the spirit of God as 393 00:38:30.219 --> 00:38:36.940 we have received him in the means of grace. It's my prayer that is 394 00:38:36.980 --> 00:38:40.380 you hear of Jesus, as you come to know him more and more and 395 00:38:40.530 --> 00:38:46.730 more clearly and and better, that you would trust him, they would believe 396 00:38:47.010 --> 00:38:52.969 on him, and then you would give all glory to God as he works 397 00:38:52.010 --> 00:38:57.760 in your lives. Amend let us pray