September 3, 2023
Evening Service

The Roman letter seems to stand alone as the most in-depth, systematic presentation of Christian theology of all the NT letters.  It has been an influential part of converting or refocusing some of the greatest leaders in our church’s history.  It was through the reading of Romans 13 & 14 that Augustine was converted in AD 380.  He was a philosopher searching for the truth and found was he was looking for in Romans.  He was overcome with the grace of Christ freeing men from their sin.  He wrote 4 books that focused on teaching how to interpret and teach the Bible.  By writing this text, Augustine set three tasks for Christian teachers and preachers: to discover the truth in the contents of the Scriptures, to teach the truth from the Scriptures, and to defend scriptural truth when it was attacked.  All things a Bible teaching church is still teaching today.

 Later on in 1517, it was the Roman letter that revealed to Martin Luther the true meaning of God’s righteousness and that “the just shall live by faith.”  That understanding is what fueled him to launch what is now called the “Protestant Reformation.”  His central teachings, that  was greatly based on his reading of the Roman letter.  This was a “protest against the Catholic Church to reform their teachings” to match what the scriptures actually teach; teaching Bible things by Bible ways.  The Catholic Church had allowed itself to leave that path.  Every non-Catholic church affiliated church is considered a Protestant church and has spun off of Luther’s call for reform.  Martin Luther wrote; “This epistle is the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest gospel.  It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.”

In more recent time, the 1700’s, famous names like John Wesley and John Calvin created large followings by teaching the basic points shown clearly in this letter.  Calvin wrote: “When anyone understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scriptures.”  In 2011, Jerry commissioned me to begin leading my first full study issuing me the task of leading the church through Romans.  I don’t know how well I preached it, but it impacted me by stirring a hunger within me to study and understand God’s Word.  I can remember being so overwhelmed with the revelations through my study, that I had to stand up and walk around to stay in the moment.  There is more here than one reading can withdraw.  This will be the third time I have led this study, along with Sam and Andy, as we covered it last in 2017 as I assumed the preaching full time on Sunday mornings.  The truth and grace revealed in this letter is able to change your life, IF you engage and allow the Spirit to work in you.

As with this morning today we are just setting the table for the study to begin next week.  In Peter we saw the leader of the Apostles grow in his faith and commitment through many successes and failures.  He walked with Jesus and could not help himself but to talk of all that he had seen, heard and touched along that journey.  The writer of Romans is the Apostle Paul, who has a unique journey in that at first he was the biggest opponent of the church persecuting Christians and even holding the coats of those who stoned Stephen.  He did this all in good conscience as he was the Jews’ Jew. Luke says he “made havoc of the church, entering every house and dragging men and women out committing them to prison.” (Acts 8:3) He lived the life of the strictly legalistic Pharisees fighting against what he felt was blasphemy against the God he served so religiously.  There was something in all that he was doing that just did not set right with his spirit.  How could Stephen pray to God to forgive the very men who were stoning him to death?  Something just was not right and then he met Jesus and found the answers he sought.

Act 9:1-18 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest (2) and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  (3)  As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.  (4)  Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"  (5)  And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads."

            Saul (Paul) knew he was in the presence of deity instantly as he addressed Jesus as “Lord.” How do you think Paul reacted when he heard that it was Jesus, whom he was persecuting, speaking to him?  Did he think, it is over I am toast looking to the sky for the fire to burn him up?  Everything Paul had been doing and teaching to refute Jesus was wrong and in this instant it all came to light.  He knew all along that something did not sit right with him.  That is what the statement Jesus makes to him is about; “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”  There was this cloud that hung over all he did that did not make sense to him. Jesus had come to clear him of that cloud.  Paul answers Jesus again from a fork in the road that Peter experienced this morning when the rooster crowed.  He answers in humility and reverence truly seeking God’s Will fully knowing he was on the wrong path and desiring to get back on course.  Jesus points him in the right direction.

 

Acts 9:6-9 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."  (7)  And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.  (8)  Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.  (9)  And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

            Do you think any three-day period in your life ever went as slow as these three did for Paul?  He was blind, but his mind was free to wonder what Jesus had in store for him.  Was it torture or being stoned as he had approved for Stephen.  Do you think even for an instant he considered the plan God had chosen for him?  I would guess no.  Paul becomes the poster child for the grace of God as he was changed from the church’s biggest enemy to one of the pillars in which she was being built.   Don’t ever think you have fallen too far for God to pull you up into His arms and change all that is ugly about you into something beautiful.  As we stressed this morning, our failures are part of the journey that make us who we are.  You may thing your world is falling apart, but in reality God is blowing it up to rebuild it better.  Be like Peter and Paul when you reach that fork in the road; don’t give up!  Own you mistake, repent, and move on even stronger. 

            Paul’s life was forever changed from that day forward as God called Ananias to speak to Paul and baptize him to begin a wonderful journey for him.  God drew him to a time in Arabia (Gal. 1:17) as he was shown how the OT scriptures that he knew so well were fulfilled by Jesus the long-awaited Messiah.  Once the disciples were convinced that God had called Paul, they empowered him to go the Gentiles with the gospel message.  He dedicated his life to doing just that.  He went on 3 separate missionary journeys that were each a great adventure to fulfill his new calling that started on that day on the road to Damascus.  He wrote 2/3 of our New Testament including this letter to the Roman church which he had not yet visited.  It is believed he wrote this around the year AD 56 from the city of Corinth.  Paul wrote what we could call his resume in his second letter to the Corinthians.  Do you think following Jesus is easy?

 

  2Co 11:16-33 I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.  (17)  What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.  (18)  Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.  (19)  For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise!  (20)  For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face.  (21)  To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.  (22)  Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.  (23)  Are they ministers of Christ? —I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.  (24)  From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.  (25)  Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;  (26)  in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;  (27)  in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness—  (28)  besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.  (29)  Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?  (30)  If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.  (31)  The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.  (32)  In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; (33) but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

            So you think you have it tough in serving the Lord?  We are so blessed.  I love how Paul sums this up so well in the next chapter.

 

2Co 12:7-10 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.  (8)  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  (9)  And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  (10)  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

            This seems to be the theme of the day.  We must come to the point that we realize that we are weak, but Christ is strong and He becomes our strength.  As we now together embark on what can be a life changing study, let us enter in with that same humility.  May God speak to us about the things in our life that we are indeed weak on and allow us to let the Spirit lead us to becoming strong in Him.