Romans Review, Part 2 (Romans 9-16)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.879 We are doing something special today. We're having a part two of two part 2 00:00:07.389 --> 00:00:12.390 a service where we're reading through the book of Romans and hearing it preached in 3 00:00:12.750 --> 00:00:18.109 short sections. Were reading two chapters at a time and then I'm preaching short 4 00:00:18.190 --> 00:00:24.579 homilies after each chapter. Let's he turned to God's word in the book of 5 00:00:24.620 --> 00:00:33.100 Romans, Chapters Nine and ten. Here the word of our Lord Paul continues. 6 00:00:34.979 --> 00:00:39.329 I'm speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience 7 00:00:39.450 --> 00:00:44.009 bears witness in the bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great 8 00:00:44.049 --> 00:00:50.920 sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart, for I could wish that I myself 9 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:54.960 were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my 10 00:00:55.079 --> 00:01:00.079 kinsmen. According to the flesh, they are Israelites, and to them belong 11 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:06.109 the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, 12 00:01:06.709 --> 00:01:11.310 the worship and the promises. To Them Belong the Patriarchs, and from their 13 00:01:11.390 --> 00:01:15.430 race, according to the Flesh, is the Christ, who is God over 14 00:01:15.590 --> 00:01:23.739 all, blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word 15 00:01:23.819 --> 00:01:29.060 of God has failed, for not all who are descended from Israel belong to 16 00:01:29.219 --> 00:01:34.409 Israel, and not all our children of Abraham, because they are as offspring. 17 00:01:34.290 --> 00:01:41.209 But through Isaac shall your offspring be named. This means that it is 18 00:01:41.329 --> 00:01:45.769 not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the 19 00:01:45.849 --> 00:01:49.799 children of the promise are counted as offspring, for this is what the promise 20 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:55.200 said about. This time next year, I will return and Sarah shall have 21 00:01:55.239 --> 00:02:00.200 a son, and not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children 22 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:05.310 by one man, are forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and 23 00:02:05.469 --> 00:02:09.870 had done nothing either good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election 24 00:02:09.990 --> 00:02:15.740 might continue, not because of works, but because of him who calls. 25 00:02:15.460 --> 00:02:21.099 She was told the older will serve the younger. As it is written, 26 00:02:21.740 --> 00:02:27.539 Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. What shall we say then? 27 00:02:28.379 --> 00:02:32.409 Is there injustice on God's part? By no means, for he says to 28 00:02:32.569 --> 00:02:37.729 Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will 29 00:02:37.729 --> 00:02:43.169 have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then, it depends not on 30 00:02:43.569 --> 00:02:49.680 human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy, for the 31 00:02:49.719 --> 00:02:53.280 Scripture says to Pharaoh, for this purpose, I have raised you up that 32 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:58.199 I might show my power in you and that my name might be claimed in 33 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:04.270 all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills and he 34 00:03:04.469 --> 00:03:09.590 hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me. Then, why does 35 00:03:09.669 --> 00:03:15.300 he still find fault for who can resist his will? But who are you, 36 00:03:15.620 --> 00:03:19.379 Oh man, to answer back to God will? What is the molded 37 00:03:19.500 --> 00:03:23.900 say to its molder? Why have you made me like this? Has the 38 00:03:23.979 --> 00:03:27.330 potter no right, over the clay, to make out of the same lump 39 00:03:27.689 --> 00:03:31.650 one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, 40 00:03:31.729 --> 00:03:37.169 desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with 41 00:03:37.330 --> 00:03:40.919 much patience, vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known 42 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:46.639 the riches of his glory, for vessels of mercy which he has prepared beforehand, 43 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:51.080 for glory even us, whom he is called, not from the Jews 44 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:54.710 only, but also from the gentiles, as indeed he says in Josiah, 45 00:03:55.310 --> 00:04:00.430 those who were not my people, I will call my people, and her 46 00:04:00.629 --> 00:04:03.949 who was not beloved, I will call beloved, and in the very place 47 00:04:04.030 --> 00:04:08.389 where it was said to them, you are not my people, there they 48 00:04:08.430 --> 00:04:15.219 will be called sons of the Living God, and Isaiah cries out concerning Israel. 49 00:04:15.300 --> 00:04:18.420 Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sands of the 50 00:04:18.579 --> 00:04:23.779 sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will 51 00:04:23.779 --> 00:04:29.370 carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay. And as I 52 00:04:29.410 --> 00:04:33.050 did and as Isaiah predicted, if the Lord of hosts had not left US 53 00:04:33.089 --> 00:04:39.800 offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like go mora. What 54 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:45.720 shall we say, then, that gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have obtained 55 00:04:45.800 --> 00:04:51.639 it, that is a righteousness that is by faith, but that Israel who 56 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:57.589 pursued a law that would lead to the righteousness, did not succeed in reaching 57 00:04:57.829 --> 00:05:02.110 that law? Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but 58 00:05:02.430 --> 00:05:09.100 as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 59 00:05:09.180 --> 00:05:13.579 as it is written. Behold, I am in I am laying in 60 00:05:13.740 --> 00:05:17.740 Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and whoever believes in 61 00:05:17.899 --> 00:05:28.649 him will not be put to shame. Brothers Maray, my heart's desire here 62 00:05:28.889 --> 00:05:33.170 to God for them is that they may be saved. I bear them witness 63 00:05:33.290 --> 00:05:39.680 that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, for being 64 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:45.839 ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own. They did 65 00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:49.910 not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ does the end of the law for 66 00:05:49.990 --> 00:05:57.870 righteousness to everyone who believes. For romoses writes about the righteousness that is based 67 00:05:57.910 --> 00:06:01.029 on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 68 00:06:02.110 --> 00:06:06.100 But the righteousness based on faith says, do not say in your heart 69 00:06:06.500 --> 00:06:10.339 who will ascend it to heaven, that is, to bring Christ down, 70 00:06:10.779 --> 00:06:14.540 or who will descend into the abyss, that is to bring Christ up from 71 00:06:14.540 --> 00:06:18.490 the dead. But what does it say? The word is near you, 72 00:06:19.329 --> 00:06:24.250 in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith that 73 00:06:24.370 --> 00:06:29.449 we proclaim, because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and 74 00:06:30.370 --> 00:06:33.560 believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be 75 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:40.120 saved, for with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the 76 00:06:40.199 --> 00:06:46.160 mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, everyone who believes 77 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:50.069 in him will not be put to shame, for there is no distinction between 78 00:06:50.269 --> 00:06:56.069 you and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his 79 00:06:56.189 --> 00:07:00.310 riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name 80 00:07:00.430 --> 00:07:06.620 of the Lord will be saved. How, then, will they call on 81 00:07:06.699 --> 00:07:11.379 him and whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in 82 00:07:11.500 --> 00:07:15.620 him whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone 83 00:07:15.730 --> 00:07:19.490 preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it 84 00:07:19.610 --> 00:07:24.209 is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news? 85 00:07:24.290 --> 00:07:28.730 WHO's? But they have not all obeyed to the Gospel. For Isaiah 86 00:07:28.769 --> 00:07:32.560 said, Lord who has believed what he has heard from us. So faith 87 00:07:32.680 --> 00:07:39.160 comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, 88 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:43.759 have they not heard? Indeed, they have, for their voice has 89 00:07:43.800 --> 00:07:46.149 gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world. 90 00:07:47.470 --> 00:07:53.589 But I ask, DID ISRAEL NOT UNDERSTAND? First Moses says, I 91 00:07:53.709 --> 00:07:57.589 will make you jealous of those who are not a nation with a foolish nation. 92 00:07:57.629 --> 00:08:01.980 I will make you angry. Then Isaiah's so bold to say, I 93 00:08:01.139 --> 00:08:05.740 have been found by those who did not seek me. I have shown myself 94 00:08:05.180 --> 00:08:09.579 to those who did not ask for me. But if Israel, he says, 95 00:08:09.139 --> 00:08:13.970 all the day long, I have held out my hands to a disobedient 96 00:08:13.410 --> 00:08:26.920 and contrary people. The moment that sends the reading of God's word. In 97 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:33.120 these two chapters Paul pulls all of these quotations from the Old Testament, from 98 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:39.600 Moses, from Isaiah, from others. He pulls all of these together to 99 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:45.710 make this point that what is happening in history is the gospel goes out into 100 00:08:45.750 --> 00:08:50.149 the world and is the gentiles are believing. It's happening for a reason. 101 00:08:50.230 --> 00:08:56.139 I didn't say. Saying these things, in expressing this reason, particularly as 102 00:08:56.179 --> 00:09:01.740 he expresses the great sovereignty of God in choosing these things, in choosing these 103 00:09:01.940 --> 00:09:09.850 ways, we see and read some hard things. The basic of message of 104 00:09:09.889 --> 00:09:16.409 Romans thus far has been that in love, God saves man because man cannot 105 00:09:16.450 --> 00:09:22.529 save himself. For some this sounds very nice. Man Saves me because I 106 00:09:22.610 --> 00:09:28.919 can't save myself. It sounds very nice until they realize how deep it goes. 107 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:35.519 It's like a surgeon taking shrapnel out of a soldier's body on the battlefield 108 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:39.909 the surgs. At first the soldier may be happy to see the surgeon. 109 00:09:39.309 --> 00:09:43.230 Oh, I'm so glad you're here, help me, help me, but 110 00:09:43.350 --> 00:09:46.309 as the physician digs deeper and deeper and deeper, there may come a point 111 00:09:46.350 --> 00:09:50.710 where the soldier starts to push him away, not that far, not that 112 00:09:50.909 --> 00:09:58.059 much, give me back my autonomy. But the best healing comes when we 113 00:09:58.259 --> 00:10:03.139 tries, when we trust Christ completely, when we let him take away all 114 00:10:03.259 --> 00:10:09.289 of our pride so that we can have all of him. We must learn 115 00:10:09.450 --> 00:10:13.409 to trust and the sovereignty of God and salvation, because God saves man. 116 00:10:13.610 --> 00:10:24.639 Man can't save himself. God's sovereignty and Salvay and God's purpose and electing and 117 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:28.960 choosing a people as his own is underlined in several ways throughout these chapters. 118 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:35.990 One prominent example is of Jacob and Esau. We are chosen. That told 119 00:10:35.070 --> 00:10:41.110 that God chose one and did not choose the other. Why, Paul says, 120 00:10:41.230 --> 00:10:46.350 in order that is purpose of election might continue, not because of works, 121 00:10:46.429 --> 00:10:52.139 but because of him who calls. He chooses one and not the other. 122 00:10:52.299 --> 00:10:56.659 To underline this fact that man does not choose. Before either one had 123 00:10:56.740 --> 00:11:01.779 done anything good or evil, God made a choice. Another way this is 124 00:11:01.820 --> 00:11:09.529 underlined is by Pharaoh, where Paul concludes this God has mercy on whomever he 125 00:11:09.690 --> 00:11:16.169 wills an. He hardens whomever he hardens. These hard facts are distasteful to 126 00:11:16.289 --> 00:11:22.960 some people. How can this be? How is this fair? This doesn't 127 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:28.919 seem right. Well, Paul of course anticipates all these objections and to get 128 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:33.350 the answers to those questions, I'll encourage you to go back and read carefully 129 00:11:33.389 --> 00:11:37.149 Paul's words. You may also find some help on our website by listening to 130 00:11:37.950 --> 00:11:43.909 my sermons on these passages. But when you study these things, when you 131 00:11:45.029 --> 00:11:48.500 think about these things, you come to this conclusion. You find that, 132 00:11:48.580 --> 00:11:56.379 as you submit to God's sovereignty and salvation, that this humility, this leaning 133 00:11:56.580 --> 00:12:01.809 entirely upon God, leads to a great hope, because you discover that your 134 00:12:01.850 --> 00:12:09.210 salvation depends entirely on him. It means that your hope is entirely secure. 135 00:12:11.649 --> 00:12:16.039 It also means that your salvation, our salvation, is not limited to any 136 00:12:16.120 --> 00:12:22.559 particular kind of group or people. God doesn't go out into the world and 137 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:26.440 say I like those folks and I don't like those folks and those people look 138 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:30.509 nice or those people are wealthy, or those people belong to this race or 139 00:12:30.590 --> 00:12:35.389 those people belong to that race. No, Paul says very explicitly salvation is 140 00:12:35.470 --> 00:12:39.230 for everyone who believes. If we all have nothing to come to the table 141 00:12:39.350 --> 00:12:45.059 with, if we all have nothing to offer to God, equally it means 142 00:12:45.139 --> 00:12:50.419 the salvation can come to us equally, as God chooses and freely gives it. 143 00:12:50.500 --> 00:12:56.779 Jew or Greek, race, family background, education, whatever, nothing 144 00:12:56.860 --> 00:13:03.169 can disqualify you from receiving God's grace. As he says in ten twelve, 145 00:13:03.490 --> 00:13:07.690 there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is the 146 00:13:07.809 --> 00:13:11.490 Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him, for 147 00:13:11.649 --> 00:13:18.080 everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Remember that 148 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:26.720 all of your lives. Remember that every one who calls on the name of 149 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:33.629 the Lord will be saved. Have you called on his name? Are you 150 00:13:33.789 --> 00:13:37.509 helping those who have not called on his name to hear this message, to 151 00:13:37.629 --> 00:13:43.779 receive the word of faith? If the salvation of our souls could come about 152 00:13:43.860 --> 00:13:50.299 simply by trying harder, then telling the world about Jesus would make no sense. 153 00:13:50.460 --> 00:13:54.850 But because salvation comes from believing in him, and since there's no other 154 00:13:54.929 --> 00:14:01.889 way to salvation except through him, there comes this mission, this imperative, 155 00:14:03.129 --> 00:14:07.289 where Paul says he poses this question. If it's true that salvation is for 156 00:14:07.370 --> 00:14:11.720 everyone who believes, how does this even happen? How is it that all 157 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:16.960 of these gentile people can come to believe well, the answer is through hearing, 158 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:22.080 through preaching. Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. 159 00:14:24.950 --> 00:14:28.789 Let that be our mission here, a covenant as well, to go 160 00:14:30.070 --> 00:14:33.070 and to make disciples, to go and tell people about the God who saves, 161 00:14:33.629 --> 00:14:39.059 and saves completely and saves sovereignly and saves in such a way that our 162 00:14:39.139 --> 00:14:45.059 salvation can never be lost, a God who bestows his riches on all who 163 00:14:45.100 --> 00:14:50.740 call on him. Because of God's sovereignty and our salvation, it's a message 164 00:14:50.779 --> 00:14:58.210 that we can preach with certainty. It's also something you can sing with certainty. 165 00:14:58.169 --> 00:15:03.049 Lett's do that now. Let's stand together and Sing, oh father, 166 00:15:03.409 --> 00:15:13.519 you are sovereign, number seventy five in your hymnals. Let's continue on in 167 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:16.480 our reading of God's word. Now in Romans, chapter eleven and Romans Twelve. 168 00:15:20.710 --> 00:15:26.149 I ask then, as God rejected his people? By no means, 169 00:15:26.149 --> 00:15:30.909 for I myself am in Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of 170 00:15:31.029 --> 00:15:35.629 the tribe of Benjamin, God has not rejected his people, whom he foreknew. 171 00:15:35.580 --> 00:15:39.379 Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals 172 00:15:39.500 --> 00:15:45.019 to God against Israel? Lord? They have killed your prophets. They have 173 00:15:45.139 --> 00:15:48.299 demolished your altars and I alone him left, and they seek my life. 174 00:15:50.330 --> 00:15:54.490 But what is God's reply to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand 175 00:15:54.490 --> 00:15:58.529 men who have not bowed the knee to bail. So too, at the 176 00:15:58.570 --> 00:16:03.559 present time, there is a remnant chosen by grace. But if it is 177 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:08.639 by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works. Otherwise Grace 178 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:15.720 would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it 179 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:21.350 was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened. As 180 00:16:21.470 --> 00:16:25.070 it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would 181 00:16:25.110 --> 00:16:27.590 not see and ears that would not hear. Down to this very day, 182 00:16:29.590 --> 00:16:33.340 and David says, let their table become a snare in a trap, a 183 00:16:33.580 --> 00:16:37.019 stumbling block and a retribution for them. Let Their eyes be darkened so they 184 00:16:37.059 --> 00:16:42.820 cannot see and bend their backs forever. So I ask, did they stumble 185 00:16:42.860 --> 00:16:48.210 in order that they might fall? By no means. Rather, through their 186 00:16:48.370 --> 00:16:52.129 trespass, salvation has come to the gentiles, so as to make Israel Jealous. 187 00:16:53.570 --> 00:16:59.129 Now, if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their 188 00:16:59.330 --> 00:17:04.279 failure means riches for the gentiles. How much more will their full inclusion mean? 189 00:17:06.599 --> 00:17:10.960 Now I am speaking to you gentiles, inasmuch then, as I am 190 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:15.470 an apostle to the gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make 191 00:17:15.549 --> 00:17:21.750 my fellow Jews Jealous and thus save some of them. For if their rejection 192 00:17:21.910 --> 00:17:26.390 means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from 193 00:17:26.430 --> 00:17:30.140 the dead? If the dough offered as first fruits is holy, so is 194 00:17:30.180 --> 00:17:33.900 the whole lump, and if the root is wholly so are the branches. 195 00:17:36.299 --> 00:17:38.980 But if some of the branches were broken off and you, although a wild 196 00:17:40.059 --> 00:17:44.609 olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing 197 00:17:44.650 --> 00:17:48.369 root of the Olive Tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If 198 00:17:48.450 --> 00:17:52.490 you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the 199 00:17:52.529 --> 00:17:57.569 root that supports you. Then you will say branches were broken off so I 200 00:17:57.680 --> 00:18:03.079 might be grafted in. That is true. They were broken off because of 201 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:10.000 their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, 202 00:18:10.759 --> 00:18:15.069 but fear, for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither 203 00:18:15.150 --> 00:18:18.829 will he spare you. Note, then, the kindness and the severity of 204 00:18:18.950 --> 00:18:25.630 God, severity toward those who have fallen. But Cay it but God's kindness 205 00:18:25.750 --> 00:18:30.180 to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be 206 00:18:30.299 --> 00:18:34.339 cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, 207 00:18:34.420 --> 00:18:37.819 will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in 208 00:18:37.900 --> 00:18:42.369 again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a Wild Olive 209 00:18:42.410 --> 00:18:48.809 Tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how 210 00:18:48.849 --> 00:18:52.410 much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own 211 00:18:52.450 --> 00:18:57.039 Olive Tree? Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not 212 00:18:57.160 --> 00:19:03.039 want you to become underware of this mystery. Brothers, a partial hardening has 213 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:07.400 come upon Israel until the fullness of the gentiles has come in, and in 214 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:12.190 this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written, the deliverer 215 00:19:12.430 --> 00:19:17.990 will come from Zion, he will banish on Godliness from Jacob, and this 216 00:19:18.109 --> 00:19:22.029 will be my covenant with them when I take their way their sins. As 217 00:19:22.109 --> 00:19:26.380 regards the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but as regards election 218 00:19:26.539 --> 00:19:30.740 they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers, for the gifts and the 219 00:19:30.859 --> 00:19:37.019 calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient 220 00:19:37.339 --> 00:19:41.210 to God, but now I have received mercy because of their disobedience, so 221 00:19:41.450 --> 00:19:47.329 they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to 222 00:19:47.410 --> 00:19:52.089 you, they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to 223 00:19:52.170 --> 00:19:57.759 disobedience that he may have mercy on all. Oh the depth of the riches 224 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:04.880 and wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable 225 00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:08.470 his ways? For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who 226 00:20:08.470 --> 00:20:11.990 has been as counselor or who has given him a gift that he might be 227 00:20:12.190 --> 00:20:18.670 repaid for? From him and through him and to him are all things? 228 00:20:18.430 --> 00:20:26.420 To him be the glory forever a head. I appeal to you, therefore, 229 00:20:26.539 --> 00:20:32.779 brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a 230 00:20:32.859 --> 00:20:37.170 living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 231 00:20:38.170 --> 00:20:44.049 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of 232 00:20:44.210 --> 00:20:48.490 your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, 233 00:20:48.250 --> 00:20:52.759 what is good and acceptable and perfect. For, by the grace given to 234 00:20:52.839 --> 00:20:56.839 me, I say to every one among you not to think of himself more 235 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:02.759 highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each 236 00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:06.950 according to the measure of faith that God is assigned. For as in one 237 00:21:07.029 --> 00:21:10.349 body, we have many members, and the members do not all have the 238 00:21:10.390 --> 00:21:14.910 same function. So we, though many, are one body in Christ and 239 00:21:15.109 --> 00:21:19.259 individually, members of one another, having gifts that differ according to the grace 240 00:21:19.339 --> 00:21:23.779 given to us. Let us use them. If prophecy and proportion to our 241 00:21:23.859 --> 00:21:29.460 faith, if service in our serving the one who teaches in his teaching, 242 00:21:29.940 --> 00:21:33.809 the one who exhorts in his exhortation, the one who contributes in generosity, 243 00:21:34.329 --> 00:21:38.930 the one who leads with zeal, the one who does acts of mercy with 244 00:21:40.089 --> 00:21:48.200 cheerfulness. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, hold fast to 245 00:21:48.319 --> 00:21:52.160 what is good, love one another with brotherly affection, out do one another 246 00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:57.279 in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, 247 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:03.230 serve the Lord, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be 248 00:22:03.470 --> 00:22:08.150 constant in prayer, contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show 249 00:22:08.269 --> 00:22:14.390 hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse them. 250 00:22:15.109 --> 00:22:18.819 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony 251 00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:23.259 with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. 252 00:22:25.259 --> 00:22:29.259 Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, 253 00:22:29.339 --> 00:22:33.130 but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If 254 00:22:33.210 --> 00:22:37.809 possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably withal beloved. 255 00:22:37.930 --> 00:22:42.089 Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it 256 00:22:42.210 --> 00:22:48.200 is written vengeance is mine. I will REPA, says the Lord. To 257 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:52.039 the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is 258 00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:56.400 thirsty, give him something to drink for so, for by so doing you 259 00:22:56.440 --> 00:23:00.190 will heep burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, 260 00:23:02.269 --> 00:23:15.579 but overcome evil with good. God blesses word to us. Paul begins these 261 00:23:15.660 --> 00:23:22.259 two chapters by asking and answering this question. If Salvation has now gone out 262 00:23:22.339 --> 00:23:29.049 to the gentiles, as predicted in the scriptures themselves, and if the gentiles 263 00:23:29.089 --> 00:23:33.250 are pouring into the family of God, does that mean that God has redeted, 264 00:23:33.369 --> 00:23:40.890 rejected Abraham's children, the biological children of Abraham, the Jews? This 265 00:23:41.049 --> 00:23:45.680 is Paul's question and he answers a clear no. Gives three reasons. At 266 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:51.880 least. Here's one. One reason is that God is always preserved a remnant 267 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:56.029 of the believing Jews. He uses himself as an example. How could God 268 00:23:56.190 --> 00:24:00.789 have rejected the Jewish people because I am a Jew? God has not rejected 269 00:24:00.869 --> 00:24:06.390 us. He is saving me. He saves the Jews. God has always 270 00:24:06.430 --> 00:24:11.259 preserved a remnant of believing Jews. This means that he has kept his promise 271 00:24:11.420 --> 00:24:15.460 and it shows forth the truth that salvation is by grace and not not, 272 00:24:15.980 --> 00:24:21.740 and is based on God's choice, not man's. The second reason Paul gives 273 00:24:21.779 --> 00:24:26.250 is that the rejection of the Jews is not because salvation is by faith, 274 00:24:27.170 --> 00:24:33.089 but it's because the Jews are rejecting faith in God. They are cast off, 275 00:24:33.289 --> 00:24:37.599 not because God is all of a sudden decided he's not interested anymore. 276 00:24:38.279 --> 00:24:44.680 He's offering the same promise he's always offered, but in their rejection they are 277 00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:49.759 rejecting him. The third thing Paul mentions is that their stumbling is to their 278 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:57.589 own benefit. One once. As the as their stumbling happens, there are 279 00:24:57.710 --> 00:25:02.150 things that are happening as a result. Gentiles are being brought in, and 280 00:25:03.029 --> 00:25:07.539 it is Paul's hope and expectation that the gent at as this happens, the 281 00:25:07.579 --> 00:25:11.539 Jews will become jealous and will turn back to odd indeed, he says there 282 00:25:11.579 --> 00:25:15.859 will come a day when that will happen. When the gentiles are fully brought 283 00:25:15.900 --> 00:25:22.250 in, the Jews will also be brought in as well. This has all 284 00:25:22.289 --> 00:25:26.089 kinds of important implications for how we ought to live as the people of God. 285 00:25:26.569 --> 00:25:29.170 One of them, he mentions, is that as gentiles, we have 286 00:25:29.369 --> 00:25:33.329 no right to stand proud over Jews. Instead, we ought to hurt for 287 00:25:33.529 --> 00:25:38.960 them, desire their salvation pray that they know Jesus just as we do. 288 00:25:41.880 --> 00:25:45.519 But he goes on to make other, broader implications of that, and we 289 00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:51.829 might sum them all up in this unity in love. Unity in love is 290 00:25:51.910 --> 00:25:56.750 what comes when God brings together different people under the one Lord, Jesus. 291 00:25:56.829 --> 00:26:02.230 Christ, Jesus died on a cross to save a people for himself, a 292 00:26:02.390 --> 00:26:07.059 people chosen in love, predestined for Salvation and glory and and Eternal Life of 293 00:26:07.220 --> 00:26:11.819 love and God, since they were chosen in love and not because of works 294 00:26:11.859 --> 00:26:17.059 or any kind of outward distinctions. Paul is eager to make the point that 295 00:26:17.180 --> 00:26:22.970 we ought to treat each other in the same way, love is not the 296 00:26:22.130 --> 00:26:26.529 Gospel itself, but it is the reason for the Gospel, as it comes 297 00:26:26.569 --> 00:26:30.170 from God, and it is the fruit of the Gospel as it is borne 298 00:26:30.210 --> 00:26:36.720 out in us. And that's what chapter twelve is all about. Chapter twelve 299 00:26:36.839 --> 00:26:41.519 is all about making it perfectly clear how we ought to live our lives in 300 00:26:41.720 --> 00:26:45.319 love in all of these kind of detailed ways and caring for one another, 301 00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:52.950 loving one another, be fervent in spirit, using our gifts together. If 302 00:26:52.029 --> 00:26:59.470 Jesus Christ has been, as if Jesus Christ is the foundation of our church, 303 00:27:00.430 --> 00:27:03.299 then love ought to be the fruit that, as we have come into 304 00:27:03.339 --> 00:27:08.140 saving union with the God of Love, we will be continually bearing forth this 305 00:27:08.339 --> 00:27:12.220 fruit of him who is in us. It's one of the blessings of being 306 00:27:12.380 --> 00:27:19.730 a Christian learning to love and being loved by the King of love. Our 307 00:27:19.809 --> 00:27:26.650 next hymn speaks to this theme very richly. It starts with these words blessed 308 00:27:26.809 --> 00:27:32.279 be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. As you sing these 309 00:27:32.440 --> 00:27:37.440 words, remember that the tie that binds us together in Christian love is none 310 00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:42.359 other than Christ himself, for God so loved the world that he gave his 311 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:49.990 only son Salvation is by grace, not by nationality, by gender, race 312 00:27:49.990 --> 00:27:57.700 education, not by wealth or or not by wealth or strengths or situations or 313 00:27:57.859 --> 00:28:03.660 sorrows. No, we who believe in him are bound with him and with 314 00:28:03.900 --> 00:28:11.500 one another and everlasting life and an everlasting love. Let's stand together and saying 315 00:28:11.930 --> 00:28:18.210 blessed be the tie that binds him. Three hundred and fifty nine. The 316 00:28:18.289 --> 00:28:25.009 Glorious Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ continues now in Romans, chapter thirteen and 317 00:28:25.250 --> 00:28:34.440 fourteen. Here we see that the love in the church is now directed outward. 318 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:42.470 Romans thirteen. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for 319 00:28:42.549 --> 00:28:48.029 there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted 320 00:28:48.150 --> 00:28:52.630 by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, 321 00:28:53.269 --> 00:28:57.980 and those who resist will incur judgment, for rulers are not a terror to 322 00:28:59.180 --> 00:29:03.700 cut to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of 323 00:29:03.779 --> 00:29:07.859 the one who is in authority? Then do what is good and you will 324 00:29:07.859 --> 00:29:11.769 receive as approval, for He is God's servant for you or for your good. 325 00:29:12.730 --> 00:29:15.970 But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear 326 00:29:17.009 --> 00:29:21.650 the sword in vain, but he is the servant of God and Avenger who 327 00:29:21.650 --> 00:29:26.240 carries out God's wrath on the wrong doer. Therefore, one must be in 328 00:29:26.359 --> 00:29:30.880 subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath, but also for the sake of 329 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:36.559 conscience, for because of this, you also pay taxes, for the authorities 330 00:29:36.599 --> 00:29:41.430 are menace ors of God, attending to this very thing. Pay To all 331 00:29:41.630 --> 00:29:45.190 what is owed to them, taxes, to whom taxes are owed, revenue, 332 00:29:45.269 --> 00:29:48.230 to whom revenue is owed? Respect, to whom respect is owd honor, 333 00:29:48.430 --> 00:29:55.220 to whom honor is owde. Oh, no one anything except to love 334 00:29:55.339 --> 00:30:00.299 each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For 335 00:30:00.420 --> 00:30:03.980 the Commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you 336 00:30:04.180 --> 00:30:08.609 shall not steal, you shall not covet or any other commandment, are summed 337 00:30:08.609 --> 00:30:15.009 up in this word. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does 338 00:30:15.130 --> 00:30:18.849 no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. 339 00:30:19.009 --> 00:30:23.559 Besides this, you know the time that the hour has come for you 340 00:30:23.799 --> 00:30:29.559 to wake from sleep, for salvation is nearer to us now than when we 341 00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:33.880 first believed. The night is far gone, the day is at hand. 342 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:37.509 So then, let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the 343 00:30:37.710 --> 00:30:41.990 armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in 344 00:30:42.150 --> 00:30:48.430 orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and 345 00:30:48.869 --> 00:30:53.900 jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for 346 00:30:53.940 --> 00:31:00.660 the flesh to gratify its desires. As for the one who is weak in 347 00:31:00.779 --> 00:31:07.529 faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes 348 00:31:07.569 --> 00:31:12.410 he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not 349 00:31:12.650 --> 00:31:17.769 the one who eats despise the one who abstains. Unlet not the one who 350 00:31:17.769 --> 00:31:21.880 abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 351 00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:26.359 Who are you to pass judgment on the Servant of another? It is before 352 00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:30.279 his own master that he stands or falls, and he will be upheld, 353 00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:36.509 for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day 354 00:31:36.549 --> 00:31:41.630 as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should 355 00:31:41.630 --> 00:31:45.430 be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day observes 356 00:31:45.470 --> 00:31:48.980 it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats eats and honor of 357 00:31:49.059 --> 00:31:52.900 the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains 358 00:31:52.940 --> 00:31:57.420 abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of 359 00:31:57.500 --> 00:32:02.210 us live lives to himself and none of us dies to himself. For if 360 00:32:02.250 --> 00:32:05.970 we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we 361 00:32:06.210 --> 00:32:09.769 die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, 362 00:32:10.410 --> 00:32:15.359 we are the Lord's for to this end, Christ died and lived again 363 00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:21.559 that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why 364 00:32:21.640 --> 00:32:25.039 do you pass judgment on your brother or you? Why do you despise your 365 00:32:25.160 --> 00:32:30.029 brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seed of God, for 366 00:32:30.190 --> 00:32:34.509 it is written as I live, says the Lord. Every Nie shall bow 367 00:32:34.589 --> 00:32:37.589 to me and every tongue shall confess to God. So then, each of 368 00:32:37.670 --> 00:32:43.470 us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore, let us not 369 00:32:43.630 --> 00:32:47.619 pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather never, but rather decide 370 00:32:47.740 --> 00:32:52.380 never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 371 00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:57.740 I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean 372 00:32:57.940 --> 00:33:02.369 in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it is unclean for 373 00:33:02.490 --> 00:33:07.730 if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you're no longer walking in 374 00:33:07.849 --> 00:33:12.289 love. By what you eat. Do not destroy the one for whom Christ 375 00:33:12.410 --> 00:33:15.880 died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of evil, 376 00:33:16.759 --> 00:33:20.880 for the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating or drinking, 377 00:33:21.519 --> 00:33:27.039 but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves 378 00:33:27.079 --> 00:33:30.910 Christ is acceptable to God and improved by men. So then, let us 379 00:33:30.910 --> 00:33:37.630 pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the 380 00:33:37.750 --> 00:33:44.740 sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, 381 00:33:45.579 --> 00:33:49.460 but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 382 00:33:50.339 --> 00:33:53.380 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes 383 00:33:53.460 --> 00:33:59.769 your brother to stumble. The faith that you have keep between yourself and God. 384 00:34:00.569 --> 00:34:04.250 Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for 385 00:34:04.329 --> 00:34:09.360 what he approves. But whoever doubts, or but whoever has doubts is condemned 386 00:34:09.400 --> 00:34:14.960 if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does 387 00:34:15.039 --> 00:34:27.949 not proceed from faith is sin. In these two chapters and chapters thirteen and 388 00:34:28.110 --> 00:34:34.309 fourteen, this love chapter that we had back in chapter twelve really does continue. 389 00:34:35.389 --> 00:34:38.219 The theme comes up at in the middle of thirteen, right there in 390 00:34:38.380 --> 00:34:43.059 the second paragraph, when it says, oh, no one anything except to 391 00:34:43.260 --> 00:34:46.820 love one another. But really from the beginning of thirteen it's the same idea. 392 00:34:47.659 --> 00:34:52.610 We are called to give to one another, this love, as Paul 393 00:34:52.690 --> 00:34:58.409 goes on to say, all the commandments are summed up in this one to 394 00:34:58.530 --> 00:35:02.090 love, whether that's paying our taxes, submitting to the authority or not causing 395 00:35:02.170 --> 00:35:07.599 our brother to stumble. But what we're seeing now is that this love that 396 00:35:07.639 --> 00:35:15.159 Christ builds into his church, because he himself is love, this love extends 397 00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:20.920 beyond the circle of Christians who are bound up together in Christ. The love 398 00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:27.389 of God pours from Christ into us and then out into the world as an 399 00:35:27.429 --> 00:35:30.389 act of love and trust of God. We are called, for example, 400 00:35:30.550 --> 00:35:34.829 to love and to submit it to those he is placed in an authority over 401 00:35:34.909 --> 00:35:38.980 us, but not just to the leaders of the world. We are called 402 00:35:39.019 --> 00:35:45.179 to love all the people of the world, even our enemies. This love, 403 00:35:46.500 --> 00:35:52.090 it's kind of like a light that shines. It's the light in which 404 00:35:52.090 --> 00:35:55.769 we walk. You might compare it to the sun. It shows the way. 405 00:35:55.769 --> 00:36:00.769 It's the way in which we live. It's it provides health and life 406 00:36:01.010 --> 00:36:07.079 for us. That's the love of the sun by which we walk. It 407 00:36:07.199 --> 00:36:09.760 is the light by which we walk, but it's also the light that we 408 00:36:09.920 --> 00:36:16.800 spread. You might imagine Christians as being millions of little mirrors living in the 409 00:36:16.880 --> 00:36:22.269 light of the sun and reflecting that sun in all the world. That love 410 00:36:22.989 --> 00:36:29.469 shining forth in God, being reflected from us, has a way of being 411 00:36:29.630 --> 00:36:37.260 seen everywhere in a million bright and shiny ways. But of course we know 412 00:36:37.420 --> 00:36:43.179 that this kind of love, is Great Love that Christ demonstrates by giving up 413 00:36:43.260 --> 00:36:47.250 his own life for us, is not an easy kind of love to mirror 414 00:36:47.530 --> 00:36:55.250 or reflect, because we mirrors get dirty, we get chipped and cracked and 415 00:36:55.489 --> 00:37:02.440 broken, and we are going to face real challenges as well. Paul describes 416 00:37:02.519 --> 00:37:06.920 the fact that in the world there will be temptations to go another way, 417 00:37:07.199 --> 00:37:09.880 to walk out of the light, to crawl back into darkness, and he 418 00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:15.269 says don't do it. That's where death is, that's where the old ways 419 00:37:15.309 --> 00:37:19.909 are, where the old man lives. Instead, we must put on the 420 00:37:19.989 --> 00:37:24.750 Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision from for the flesh to gratify its desires. 421 00:37:27.349 --> 00:37:31.380 But you know what the temptation to go against love and the laws of 422 00:37:31.539 --> 00:37:35.380 love is not only out there in the world, but it's in the church 423 00:37:35.460 --> 00:37:42.219 as well, temptations to argue and to fight, to to divide over secondary 424 00:37:42.340 --> 00:37:46.570 things. The Gospel of love teaches us that we must find ways to deal 425 00:37:46.650 --> 00:37:52.130 with this, and Paul gives a lot of specific instructions here that I would 426 00:37:52.130 --> 00:37:55.369 encourage you to go back and reflect through. But at the core of it 427 00:37:55.489 --> 00:38:01.000 all he's teaching us that what we what really matters, is unity and Love 428 00:38:01.119 --> 00:38:07.679 in Christ or, as he summarizes in verse nineteen, pursuing peace and mutual 429 00:38:07.719 --> 00:38:14.949 a building. Christ is building his church and he uses us in that. 430 00:38:15.429 --> 00:38:20.710 We are those stones themselves, but we are also his tools. Are we 431 00:38:20.949 --> 00:38:25.269 pursuing the things that he's pursuing? We ought to, if we are reflecting 432 00:38:25.349 --> 00:38:30.500 him. In hearing the book of Romans, I hope that you hear this 433 00:38:30.739 --> 00:38:36.699 call to love in such a different way than if you'd simply picked up this 434 00:38:36.860 --> 00:38:42.610 chapter and read it on at random. The mere command to love is repeated 435 00:38:42.730 --> 00:38:46.530 in every religion and every philosophy. You don't have to go to the Bible 436 00:38:46.690 --> 00:38:51.650 to learn that love is a good thing, that love is an important thing, 437 00:38:52.769 --> 00:38:59.159 but the Bible doesn't just tell us to love, it tells us of 438 00:38:59.360 --> 00:39:04.679 him who has loved. We learn, as we have been seeing throughout this 439 00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:08.960 book, that Christian Christianity, the command to love one another's flows from a 440 00:39:09.030 --> 00:39:16.670 very important source. It flows from the fact that God has already loved us. 441 00:39:19.110 --> 00:39:22.469 By loving us, he makes us capable to love others. He gives 442 00:39:22.510 --> 00:39:28.300 us a spear it that is no longer inward and self focused, but our 443 00:39:28.460 --> 00:39:34.179 word. We can give our lives because we have nothing to lose. We 444 00:39:34.300 --> 00:39:40.849 have everything we could ever need in Christ. We love others by resting on 445 00:39:42.050 --> 00:39:47.250 his delight divine love for us. We love because he loved us, just 446 00:39:47.449 --> 00:39:55.360 as we live because he lives. Let us sing of the love of our 447 00:39:55.480 --> 00:40:00.840 Savior and remember what he has done and for us. In Him. Four 448 00:40:00.840 --> 00:40:13.670 hundred and sixty one not what my hands have done. Let's continue. Let's 449 00:40:13.710 --> 00:40:23.940 continue reading now Romans, Chapter Fifteen and sixteen. Here we see, as 450 00:40:23.980 --> 00:40:29.380 we close the book of Romans, how the precious love of God is manifested 451 00:40:29.500 --> 00:40:37.769 in the individual lives of his people. We, who are strong, have 452 00:40:37.929 --> 00:40:42.809 an obligation to bear with the failings of the week and not to please ourselves. 453 00:40:42.929 --> 00:40:46.530 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him 454 00:40:46.530 --> 00:40:52.239 up, for Christ did not please himself. But, as it is written, 455 00:40:52.840 --> 00:40:57.719 the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me, for whatever was 456 00:40:57.800 --> 00:41:01.960 written in former days was written for our instruction, that, through endurance and 457 00:41:02.719 --> 00:41:08.030 through the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope. May the God 458 00:41:08.190 --> 00:41:15.230 of Endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, 459 00:41:15.070 --> 00:41:21.739 in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may, with one voice, 460 00:41:21.980 --> 00:41:28.500 glorify the God and father of our Lord, Jesus. Christ. Therefore welcome 461 00:41:28.739 --> 00:41:35.690 one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God, for 462 00:41:35.849 --> 00:41:42.090 I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, 463 00:41:42.690 --> 00:41:45.849 in order to confirm the promises given to the Patriarchs, in order that 464 00:41:45.889 --> 00:41:52.880 the gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. As it is written, therefore, 465 00:41:52.920 --> 00:41:55.360 I will praise you among the gentiles and sing to your name, and 466 00:41:57.199 --> 00:42:00.469 again it is said, rejoice, oh gentiles, with his people, and 467 00:42:00.630 --> 00:42:06.070 again praise the Lord, all you gentiles, and let all the peoples extol 468 00:42:06.150 --> 00:42:10.389 him, and again Isaiah says, the root of Jesse will come even he 469 00:42:10.550 --> 00:42:16.500 who arises to rule the gentiles. In him will the gentiles hope. May 470 00:42:16.579 --> 00:42:22.019 the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so 471 00:42:22.179 --> 00:42:25.260 that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope. 472 00:42:28.420 --> 00:42:32.329 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are 473 00:42:32.409 --> 00:42:37.769 full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 474 00:42:37.929 --> 00:42:43.610 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, 475 00:42:44.250 --> 00:42:46.039 because of the grace God had given me, by God, to be 476 00:42:46.079 --> 00:42:52.119 a minister of Christ Jesus to the gentiles in the Priestly Service of the Gospel 477 00:42:52.199 --> 00:42:57.800 of God, so that the offering of the gentiles may be acceptable sanctified by 478 00:42:57.840 --> 00:43:01.710 the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus. Then I have reason to be proud of 479 00:43:01.829 --> 00:43:07.389 my work for God, for I will not venture to speak of anything except 480 00:43:07.469 --> 00:43:13.019 what Christ has accomplished through me, to bring the gentiles to obedience by word 481 00:43:13.059 --> 00:43:16.019 and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of 482 00:43:16.059 --> 00:43:21.980 the spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and all the way round to 483 00:43:22.099 --> 00:43:27.099 Ilichrum, I have fulfilled the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ and thus make 484 00:43:27.170 --> 00:43:30.849 it my ambition to preach the Gospel, not where Christ has already been named, 485 00:43:30.889 --> 00:43:36.409 lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written. 486 00:43:37.329 --> 00:43:40.559 Those who have never been told of him will see and those who have never 487 00:43:40.639 --> 00:43:46.719 heard will understand. This is the reason why I have so often been hindered 488 00:43:46.800 --> 00:43:51.880 from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room 489 00:43:52.000 --> 00:43:55.110 for work in these regions and since I have no and since I have longed 490 00:43:55.150 --> 00:43:59.909 for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing 491 00:43:59.949 --> 00:44:02.469 as I go to Spain and to be helped on my journey there by you, 492 00:44:04.070 --> 00:44:07.070 once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, 493 00:44:07.110 --> 00:44:14.099 I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints from Macedonia and ACHAEA. 494 00:44:14.619 --> 00:44:17.380 have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at 495 00:44:17.380 --> 00:44:22.179 Jerusalem, for they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it 496 00:44:22.260 --> 00:44:27.010 to them, for if the gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, 497 00:44:27.690 --> 00:44:31.329 they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When, 498 00:44:31.409 --> 00:44:36.650 therefore, I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been 499 00:44:36.769 --> 00:44:39.800 collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that 500 00:44:39.920 --> 00:44:44.280 when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing 501 00:44:44.320 --> 00:44:49.320 of Christ. I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ 502 00:44:49.679 --> 00:44:52.590 and by the love of the spirit, to strive together with me in your 503 00:44:52.670 --> 00:44:58.150 prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the UNBELIEVERSS 504 00:44:58.150 --> 00:45:01.750 in Judea and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 505 00:45:02.510 --> 00:45:06.789 so that, by God's will, I may come to you with joy and 506 00:45:06.989 --> 00:45:10.260 be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. 507 00:45:10.300 --> 00:45:16.260 Amen. I commend to you our sister Phoebe a servant of the church 508 00:45:16.300 --> 00:45:20.780 at s and Crea, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a 509 00:45:20.860 --> 00:45:24.130 way worthy of the saints and help her in whatever she may need from you, 510 00:45:24.849 --> 00:45:29.010 for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 511 00:45:30.289 --> 00:45:35.570 Greet PRISCA and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their 512 00:45:35.610 --> 00:45:38.480 next for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but all 513 00:45:38.519 --> 00:45:44.199 the churches of the gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in 514 00:45:44.199 --> 00:45:49.400 their house. Greet my beloved epannatus, who was the first convert to Christ 515 00:45:49.480 --> 00:45:53.349 in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet andronicus 516 00:45:53.590 --> 00:45:59.989 and Junia, my fellow kinsman and my fellow prisoners. They are well known 517 00:46:00.030 --> 00:46:05.940 to the Apostles and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampleotus, my 518 00:46:06.099 --> 00:46:09.500 beloved in the Lord. Greet or Banus, our fellow worker in Christ, 519 00:46:09.940 --> 00:46:15.860 and my beloved Stacus. Greet a Pellus, who is lave approved in Christ. 520 00:46:15.579 --> 00:46:20.849 Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman, 521 00:46:20.929 --> 00:46:24.889 herodium. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 522 00:46:27.170 --> 00:46:32.800 Greet those workers in the Lord, Trifenna and Triphosa. Greet the beloved Parisus, 523 00:46:32.880 --> 00:46:37.360 who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the 524 00:46:37.480 --> 00:46:39.360 Lord, also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 525 00:46:40.440 --> 00:46:46.230 Greet a syncretus and phlegon, Hermes, patrobus Hermus and the brothers who 526 00:46:46.230 --> 00:46:52.030 are with them. Greet philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and 527 00:46:52.230 --> 00:46:57.670 Olympus and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a 528 00:46:57.789 --> 00:47:01.980 holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. I appeal to you, 529 00:47:02.139 --> 00:47:07.260 brothers, to watch out for those who called division, who cause divisions 530 00:47:07.820 --> 00:47:12.940 and create obstacles, contrary to the to the doctrine you have been taught. 531 00:47:12.940 --> 00:47:17.610 Avoid them, for such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their 532 00:47:17.650 --> 00:47:22.730 own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of 533 00:47:22.769 --> 00:47:28.449 the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice 534 00:47:28.489 --> 00:47:31.320 over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good 535 00:47:31.360 --> 00:47:37.159 and innocent to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan 536 00:47:37.199 --> 00:47:40.159 under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 537 00:47:42.559 --> 00:47:47.070 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you. So delucius and Jason and Sauso 538 00:47:47.110 --> 00:47:52.349 Potter, my kinsman, I, territus, who wrote this letter, greet 539 00:47:52.389 --> 00:47:54.869 you in the Lord Guius, who is with who is host to me, 540 00:47:55.230 --> 00:48:00.219 until the whole church greets you. Erast us, the city treasurer, and 541 00:48:00.340 --> 00:48:04.699 our brother Cortus, greet you now to him who is able to strengthen you, 542 00:48:04.820 --> 00:48:08.260 according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the 543 00:48:08.420 --> 00:48:14.130 revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages, but has now 544 00:48:14.250 --> 00:48:17.090 been disclosed and, through the prophetic writings, has been made known to all 545 00:48:17.170 --> 00:48:22.130 nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the 546 00:48:22.289 --> 00:48:29.760 obedience of faith to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ. 547 00:48:30.480 --> 00:48:47.750 Ah Men, if you had the opportunity to stand in space and look at 548 00:48:47.750 --> 00:48:53.510 the earth, you'd have a very particular perspective of things. Are Unique and 549 00:48:53.550 --> 00:48:59.420 amazing perspective. But you can also look at the very same things from the 550 00:48:59.539 --> 00:49:05.940 same level or from another level, another perspective, rather in a similar way. 551 00:49:06.099 --> 00:49:10.769 For Much of the Book Paul has been talking in grand, grand terms 552 00:49:12.170 --> 00:49:17.090 about big things. He's given us a high level perspective on the history of 553 00:49:17.210 --> 00:49:22.570 the world, the history of the Jews, God's redemptive work and the salvation 554 00:49:22.769 --> 00:49:28.960 of the world, and in the coming of Jesus. In these final chapters, 555 00:49:29.719 --> 00:49:35.960 Paul's zooms down to a very local level. We're still looking at the 556 00:49:36.000 --> 00:49:39.989 same salvation, we're still looking at the same work of God, but now 557 00:49:40.150 --> 00:49:45.230 we've moved through the atmosphere, in the clouds, through Italy and to Rome 558 00:49:45.710 --> 00:49:53.219 and to specific Christians themselves. What you find here is what the work of 559 00:49:53.340 --> 00:49:59.099 Christ looks like on the local level. What does it look like when a 560 00:49:59.139 --> 00:50:04.619 bunch of dead people have been brought to life? It looks like this. 561 00:50:06.260 --> 00:50:09.489 Just as we have gathered for worship today and fellowship, you can imagine these 562 00:50:09.570 --> 00:50:15.090 people doing the same things. There's Phoebe, just having brought the letter from 563 00:50:15.090 --> 00:50:20.610 Paul. She's the center of attention. Everyone wants to hear about our travels, 564 00:50:20.690 --> 00:50:23.079 what's been going on, how she is. People are greeting her. 565 00:50:23.199 --> 00:50:28.239 She's got more invitations to lunch than one person would know what to do with. 566 00:50:30.639 --> 00:50:34.400 Then there's PRISCA and Aquilla, famous for risking their lives for Paul, 567 00:50:34.519 --> 00:50:39.630 and is continued preaching of the and is continuing preaching ministry. You find out 568 00:50:39.670 --> 00:50:43.909 about Appennatus, who, you here, was the first convert to Asia or 569 00:50:44.030 --> 00:50:47.389 in all of Asia, and many, many others, name after name after 570 00:50:47.429 --> 00:50:52.340 name, and in the way that Paul describes them, we see how connected 571 00:50:52.539 --> 00:50:57.539 they are in the Lord. Over and over again, that word Lord appears 572 00:50:57.579 --> 00:51:01.139 again and again and again and again. Greet those in the Lord, those 573 00:51:01.179 --> 00:51:05.650 who are chosen in the Lord, those who are servants in the Lord, 574 00:51:05.690 --> 00:51:12.010 who are fellow workers in the Lord. All of these people changed people, 575 00:51:12.010 --> 00:51:16.769 people with different lives, and when we read closely, we see that these 576 00:51:17.010 --> 00:51:21.960 lives are manifested in all kinds of different ways, or better to say, 577 00:51:22.079 --> 00:51:24.519 there's all kinds of different people. He speaks, for example, of her 578 00:51:24.559 --> 00:51:30.519 rody and my fellow kinsman. It's a Jewish name after Herod. There are 579 00:51:30.519 --> 00:51:37.110 also many Greeks here, people named after God's that we recognize people that stand 580 00:51:37.429 --> 00:51:43.429 in a Christian church with the name Herms. Isn't it a wonderful thing? 581 00:51:44.789 --> 00:51:47.900 A wonderful thing, a blessed thing. Some of these names U, as 582 00:51:47.940 --> 00:51:52.260 you look around at the name Tags, very easy to remember, or banus 583 00:51:52.340 --> 00:51:58.179 rufus, Hermes Julia. There's a little harder, Treffena, Trophosa, a 584 00:51:58.260 --> 00:52:05.289 syncretis flug on. But behind all of these individual names stands the name that 585 00:52:05.489 --> 00:52:10.929 is above all names, Jesus Christ. In him all of these diverse people, 586 00:52:12.369 --> 00:52:15.679 some who work in government, some who have been traveling, some who 587 00:52:15.679 --> 00:52:22.119 are scribes, some who are wealthy, some who are not. All of 588 00:52:22.280 --> 00:52:28.599 these people have been brought together under the one Lord and Savior, the son 589 00:52:28.719 --> 00:52:35.989 of God. Each name here in Chapter Sixteen represents another soul brought from death 590 00:52:36.110 --> 00:52:40.510 to life in Christ, another member of his body another display of his glorious 591 00:52:42.349 --> 00:52:46.699 grace. The church in Rome, with all its people and all its parts 592 00:52:46.739 --> 00:52:54.980 and all its particularities, is a unique trophy to God's grace and it is, 593 00:52:55.139 --> 00:53:00.409 as we see throughout these chapters, throughout the whole book, built on 594 00:53:00.530 --> 00:53:09.050 the foundation of Jesus and the Apostolic Message. One of the other things that 595 00:53:09.210 --> 00:53:14.920 we get a strong sense for in these final two chapters and indeed throughout the 596 00:53:15.000 --> 00:53:22.280 book, is a sense that Paul all, that everything he says is integrated 597 00:53:22.360 --> 00:53:27.909 into this mission that he's on, from the very first words in the book, 598 00:53:27.909 --> 00:53:30.230 where He greets them and tells them why he has not been able to 599 00:53:30.429 --> 00:53:36.829 come to them and talks about as a apostleship and talks about how he's not 600 00:53:36.989 --> 00:53:39.829 ashamed of the Gospel and how he's going to preach it with zeal and vigor 601 00:53:39.909 --> 00:53:45.900 because he believes it's the power of God into salvation. It all surrounds this 602 00:53:46.380 --> 00:53:53.179 mission that he's on, but it's not Paul's mission. Ultimately, it's the 603 00:53:53.260 --> 00:54:00.650 mission of Jesus. Jesus is building a church, he's bringing together a people, 604 00:54:00.690 --> 00:54:06.449 he's binding us up in love. Jesus is building a he. Jesus 605 00:54:06.489 --> 00:54:12.400 is on a mission to build on the foundation that is himself. It's why 606 00:54:12.519 --> 00:54:16.199 Paul writes to them this letter to strengthen them, edify them, build them 607 00:54:16.239 --> 00:54:22.039 up in love. It's why Paul is asking for their missionary support, why 608 00:54:22.159 --> 00:54:27.070 he talks about why he hasn't come because he's been preaching the Gospel and how 609 00:54:27.269 --> 00:54:30.789 he's going to go through to preach the Gospel. He talks about their work 610 00:54:30.909 --> 00:54:37.550 in those efforts and how he's they're supporting him. The fact that Jesus is 611 00:54:37.710 --> 00:54:42.219 on a mission to build this foundation and build this church is why we are 612 00:54:42.380 --> 00:54:47.460 here today. If Jesus and the Apostolic Message is the foundation and the church 613 00:54:47.619 --> 00:54:51.940 in Rome is right above that, I'm not quite sure where we would be, 614 00:54:52.059 --> 00:54:55.329 but kind of high up on the floors, I suppose. But we're 615 00:54:55.409 --> 00:55:00.730 still on that same foundation, like the Church in Rome. We here at 616 00:55:00.849 --> 00:55:07.440 Covenant, our Church that is resting upon Jesus Christ, through faith in his 617 00:55:07.719 --> 00:55:14.239 saving work for us. How could we do anything else after hearing the book 618 00:55:14.239 --> 00:55:16.400 of Romans? How, after hearing the book of Romans, can we say 619 00:55:17.000 --> 00:55:22.710 no, I think I'll rely on my works when over and over again it 620 00:55:22.789 --> 00:55:25.110 has been impressed on our hearts and our soul, that when we do that, 621 00:55:25.590 --> 00:55:30.110 we lie at we end up with condemnation and death, but when we 622 00:55:30.190 --> 00:55:34.389 rely upon the works of Jesus Christ, freely given to us, we have 623 00:55:34.670 --> 00:55:38.659 everything we could ever need, eternal life itself, a community of people, 624 00:55:39.699 --> 00:55:45.300 resurrection from the dead and more. We stand here today, or sit as 625 00:55:45.340 --> 00:55:52.289 the case may be, together as a trophy of God's grace, just as 626 00:55:52.369 --> 00:56:00.929 Rome was then. But let us not rest merely as those who have been 627 00:56:01.090 --> 00:56:08.519 made disciples through his word. Let us take up this same mission and be 628 00:56:08.679 --> 00:56:14.800 a part of it, even as Jesus had called Paul and called the Church 629 00:56:14.880 --> 00:56:21.989 and calls all of us to God all and to make disciples. We do 630 00:56:22.309 --> 00:56:27.429 that as we continue to follow Jesus ourselves, but we ought also to do 631 00:56:27.670 --> 00:56:32.340 that in calling other people to join us. How can we not feel a 632 00:56:32.460 --> 00:56:38.059 sense of urgency for the salvation of people's souls when we hear the great and 633 00:56:38.260 --> 00:56:44.579 good news of Jesus Christ, that salvation is for everyone who believes and that 634 00:56:44.739 --> 00:56:53.969 everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved? As we 635 00:56:54.409 --> 00:57:00.090 follow after the Lord Jesus, as we hear this message and reflect on our 636 00:57:00.130 --> 00:57:06.719 own salvation, praise God for the glorious things he has done in our lives. 637 00:57:06.840 --> 00:57:14.760 Let us not forget to shine that light out into the world and as 638 00:57:14.840 --> 00:57:20.190 the Lord adds to our number and as we look around at the people in 639 00:57:20.269 --> 00:57:24.949 the particulars of this church, let us never look at ourselves and be proud 640 00:57:25.030 --> 00:57:30.900 at the things that we have done, because we have done nothing. We 641 00:57:30.019 --> 00:57:37.739 have only and always relied on the saving grace of God, the only wise 642 00:57:37.820 --> 00:57:44.929 God to whom praise be forevermore, through Jesus Christ, our Savior, Amen. 643 -->