The Book of Romans XXVI, Farewell to Romans

I'm going to leave you with a summary here. I began this series by saying that John Wesley, John Calvin, Martin Luther, all professed that their entire lives were changed by the study of this book. Do you know, it was Martin Luther, upon preparation and study for teaching this epistle as a monk, that the light of God's revelation broke in on him. Now listen, while he was preparing to teach, people often say I get more out of teaching than the kids or the people do that I'm teaching, and that's usually true. But he said, in the course of my study I was grasped for the first time that the righteousness by which through grace God saves us and sheer mercy comes to justify us all through faith. It was out of that, of course, he obtained his own personal peace, and out of that, while he was a professor at the Wittenberg University, he put up his famous 95 Thesis, and all the Protestant Reformation then proceeded to take place. Now, you and I are affected by that somewhat, I would say. Out of the study of Romans, what I did was to ask the Lord, how can we leave something in our heads? You know, you walk out of a study like this and there's so much, so what I want to do is take the letters R-O-M-A-N-S, do a little acrostic, and maybe you can remember these six fundamentally important principles out of Romans. Number one, Romans teaches the reality of man's condition. I hope you have your little yellow sheet there to fill out. If you don't, wave your hand and the usher will give you one because I want you to have this. What did we study in the first few weeks about man? What does Romans say about the condition of man? He's in very serious trouble, is he not? Folks, unlike what was on Channel 16 at 10 o'clock on Saturday night, the nature of man is not improving, man is not basically good, he is not getting better, man is in serious trouble. And we said in those first three weeks that man is guilty without excuse before a righteous God. Remember we said that he had no excuse. When judgment day comes, every mouth will be stopped. No one will point a finger in God's face and say, you were unfair to me. And we talked about that despite what we read about improvements in the peace processes and all that, which is wonderful, I'm glad for that, man's condition is grave. Man apart from Christ has only one destiny and that's eternal separation. And we read, as you recall in Romans chapter 1, the awful description, which really kind of reads like front page news. Romans 1, 29, let me refresh your memory. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanders, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful. They invent ways of doing evil. They disobey their parents. They are senseless, faithless, heartless and ruthless. That's a terrible litany of the condition of man, but that's what Paul says is the case in man today. How many of you know God's Word doesn't pull any punches? So that's number one that I want you to remember about what Romans says about man. Man is in serious trouble. Number two, Romans teaches us about God, orthodoxy, right believing about God. Romans reveals right thinking about God. I loved what Romans taught us about the nature of God. I hope you recall some of those things that we highlighted along the way. Romans 5, 8, God demonstrated His own love for us in this. While we were yet sinners, God sent Christ and Christ died for us. What we learned about God's character and nature in Romans was that He's majestic, He's righteous, He's holy, He's loving and He's ever so merciful. Number three, He's a God of mercy. We've learned in Romans that a righteous, holy, perfect God will not accept sinful, rebellious, independent man. Apart from an answer to his sin. And so Romans taught us about man's condition, about God's gracious love for us. And also taught us the message that I hope we heard again tonight. That man is justified by faith. Faith in grace, alright. Man is justified by faith in grace. It's grace, God's gift to us that we believe by faith that justifies us. And folks, that's Romans in a nutshell right there. You see, what Paul discovered was that his works as a Pharisee and a teacher and all that wasn't good enough. And what those monks of old discovered back in Martin Luther's time was that they didn't have to keep all the laws. Because it wouldn't work to bring peace into their hearts. Remember a number of weeks ago we lumped people into three groups. Remember this, under this category. We said there are three kinds of people today. There are the basic, unchurched, or pagan people who kind of believe that good works, do the best you can, take your chances with God. God grades on a curve in the end. I'm not as bad as Stalin or Hitler and I'm not as good as Mother Teresa, so I'll make it. That's one group. Another group that we called was the religious group. And this was the group that said, well, yeah, I believe in Jesus, but you've still got to do a lot of good things. And if you kind of mess up, you could lose your salvation. That's a religious kind of mindset. And the third group of people, the kind of people I hope we are, are simply not religious people, but we're righteous people. By faith. By faith. We just trust Jesus to deal with us on a daily basis. Let me just underscore something here. On a daily basis. You know, not Eastern Christmas and maybe Fourth of July. But a daily basis. People who trust Jesus for their righteousness. We've learned in Romans that God is a God of mercy. We studied this many, many times. We read scriptures like this one I'm going to read for you now. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received a spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, Abba Father. Daddy God, that means. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. And now if we are children, then we are heirs. Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. What kind of God would do that? What kind of God would share his treasure? Would share his inheritance with us? Well, a God of mercy. That's the only kind of God that I can think of. The righteousness of God that comes by faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Romans 3.22. I trust that if you've got nothing else out of Romans, you know it's not your efforts, not your works. It's by faith. By the way, folks, listen. People who have difficulty worshiping usually have not understood that gift. Usually they're still trying to merit their salvation somehow. We can worship and play our kazoos because we know God doesn't judge us based on our piety. He doesn't receive us based on how, you know, neatly we present ourselves every Sunday or Wednesday night. It's just by Christ and our faith in him. Number four, Romans taught us about authority. You say, well, why is this one of the important ones? I personally believe the struggle for authority is foundational to all the problems that we face as Christians. You know, Michael Gere was here just a few weeks ago. No, a week ago, Pastor Scott, wasn't it? Last week, and he talked about the four spheres of authority. And I don't think I can remember all of them off the top of my head. But he was talking about the civil authorities, the family authorities, the church authorities, and there was one other one. I'm not sure. It'll come to me, but the problem comes in when we overlap those things. The government tries to get into the family authority. The family tries to rule in the government's things. It just doesn't work that way. Each authority has this sphere that God's given it, and that's how it's to function. And I want to say something. Before you start reacting to situations, check and see what really is the root cause of the problem you're seeing. I want to submit to you that most of the problems that we have with our kids, that we have in our home groups, that we have in our office situation and complexes and all, they're authority problems. People do not understand. God has ordained all authority. People figure they know better than God, so they try to take authority. You say, well, what about unrighteous leaders? God has a pretty good way of dealing with them, doesn't he? And so Romans should have taught us. Romans 13 nails it, but the surrounding chapters kind of elucidate it. God is a source of authority. If you obey authority, you're pleasing to God. Very important. We studied that. Grant Smith taught two separate weeks on that a while back, and I trust that you're in agreement with that. Number five, Romans taught us about non-conformity. Non-conformity. Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Most of the latter chapters were dealing with how to live this Christian life unlike the world. I don't know if it's just me or what, but folks, I increasingly see differences between believers in Christ and the general world populace. How about you? I think the distinction is getting wider and wider and wider. It's still true that the thing that draws more people to this church is just the love of the people. People seek to care here. Jesus said it this way. He said, by this will all men know that you're my disciples by your love for one another. By your non-conformity, by your not willingness to backbite and slander and gossip and put down and discriminate. I pray that that came through. We look at length at the frustration that the Jews and the Gentiles had. Some author said that Paul wrote the whole book to try to solve it. Remember, we split the congregation down the center, the Jews and the Gentiles. Some of you are still mad at each other for that. We did those kind of things just to remind us that there's no division among us. Rich, poor, black, white, educated, uneducated, we're one. Non-conforming to the world, we don't have a caste system. We're a socio-economically divided kind of church. God says, I want my people to love. Remember, we had the ten one-anothers from Romans 15 two weeks ago. Pray for one another, cherish one another, refresh one another, edify one another, care for one another, support one another. We went through all those. So, non-conformity, that's what Romans teaches us. Don't be like the world. And finally, Romans teaches us about God's sovereignty. I mean, what higher principle than this is there, really? Who can give me a working definition of God's sovereignty? Scott gave you a quiz. I have a dinner to the Lamont for two. No, I'm just kidding. No, sovereignty. Well, basically, folks, a good working definition, sovereignty is God is in charge. That's theological enough for me. God is in charge. When things seem to be whirling out of control, the 50 of you who said I'm in a dark place right now, hear it. Romans teaches us that God is in charge. He knows what's going on. And we talked about how did sovereignty, you know, God ordering things, how does that work with free will? And we said, what about the Jews and the Israelites? Are they going to be saved again in Romans 9, 10, and 11? What's going to happen with all that? Remember we said that God's sovereignty and man's free will combine in what's called an antinomy, which means there really is no, it's two equally, apparently equal propositions that coexist at the same time, even though they're contradictory. In other words, God's sovereignty and man's free will coexist, but apparently contradict. They were only resolved in eternity. But let me give you that illustration that I used months ago. Maybe it'll still help some of you who didn't hear it. God says to us, it's kind of like, I'm going to set the dinner table and I've prepared roast beef. And you can come and you can choose to have the roast beef or not, but you can't have ham or turkey or pork. All you can have is roast beef. Well, it's kind of that way with our salvation. Do you see the analogy? God said, this is the way it's going to be. You can choose to have it or not, but you can't choose something else. I've determined it, but you can choose it. None of the analogies work perfectly because you can't explain an antinomy. You can't do it. But I want to say this in closing tonight. Twenty-six weeks in this book has reminded me that our God is the master of history. What's going on in the Middle East and, you know, the Arabs and the Jews and all that stuff is still going on. It's going to continue. Until in the end when God steps in and by his sovereign hand concludes everything that's falling apart over there. All those kinds of things. What's happening in the Eastern Bloc countries? What's happening in China? God is the ruler of history. And I think it's an appropriate and fitting ending to this study to read what the Bible says about God and his sovereignty in Romans 11. Turn there with me if you have it, would you? Romans 11. And I'm going to ask everyone who has a New International Version to read out loud with me. If you don't, you can mutter along in your version. It's sort of the end that Paul put in the middle, if you know what I'm saying. Romans 11.33. For the reality and the orthodoxy, for the mercy, for the authority, for the nonconformity, and for the sovereignty, Lord, we say this. Let's read it together. Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out. Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. Amen. And everyone say. Amen. Lord, we thank you for this incredible revelation. And Lord, every time we think Romans from now on, remind us of the reality of man's condition. Of the right thinking, the orthodoxy about you, Lord, how good and merciful and wonderful you are. Remind us of your mercy, Lord, that it's by faith that we're saved. Trusting in your righteousness, Lord. Remind us of the authority that we're called to live under in this life that comes from you. And remind us, Lord, of the nonconformity in this world, not to live like the world does. And finally, Lord, please remind us of your sovereignty. God, in every little detail of our lives, remind us that you're in charge. In Jesus' name. And everyone say. Amen. Amen. I want to thank Mac McCabe for producing most of those outlines along the way. I think you did a good job with that, don't you? Let's give him a hand. And I want to thank Arlene for typing them all. She did an awful lot of work to get those produced for you. Thank you. And we'll be launching into a new series, a new direction, actually. Right after we get through the Easter season and so on. And I believe it's going to be something that's going to be extremely challenging to all of us. I don't think it's going to be a book study to start out. We're going to be doing something a little different. And then in the summer, go back into another book study. So stay tuned for that. Let's honor the Lord with our evening tithe. And if you weren't here on Sunday to give your tithe, otherwise let's give him our evening offering. Those of us who are prepared for that tonight. Visitors, we've been glad to have you tonight. In your packet that I gave you earlier, there's a card. We'd much prefer to receive that as your offering. We'd like our visitors to know that they're just welcome and we don't expect you to give anything financially. We'd like to receive your card, though, if you would be so kind as to let us have that. And while you're preparing, I'll just highlight quickly if we're ready on this, Nancy and Debbie. Leadership, I'm sure you know by now, all leaders will be here Friday night at 7.30 and then Saturday morning 8 to 12. For Malcolm Smith's challenging teaching for our leadership. And I know that's going to be good. Soar 90 reunion dinner. You can read about it tomorrow night. Thursday night, 7 p.m. in the video room. So if you're coming and they need to know that, you can register there. By the way, this Saturday night is going to be a special night. We are having a Saturday night service and Ron Myers is going to be bringing the message that night and there's some special things happening to make that the first Saturday night service at 7 p.m. We want to make it a little later to give you the full benefit of daylight savings time so you can shovel snow all day. And then come and be here at 7 p.m. We're going to have little Sundays for everyone who comes on Saturday. Pastor Scott and I want to have some of these. That's as simple as that. All right, I've talked about the community fast. I'll be giving you directions on that on Sunday about exactly the focus of that. Christian career women. A week from Saturday, the 14th of April, Saturday before Easter. Pastor Scott will be teaching. But no one can resist. I know the question I want to ask, but I won't. Get in trouble. Let's pray and receive this offer. Why don't you pray right now? All right, you just pray whatever you want to pray over your seed that you're sowing tonight. Go ahead. God, I'm so encouraged right now by what I know is happening as many are taking a step of faith. Bless these gifts, Lord. Bless the food bank tomorrow that provides for scores of families. And bless the efforts of our church to care for the needs of our people and those around us in Jesus' name. Amen. Pastors, if you'll come. If you'd like to serve in some way over Easter, we need some extra servants ushering and helping and so forth. If you'll just let one of the pastors know or put your name in the offering box, we'll be happy to get in touch with you. As soon as the ushers get your offering, we're going to give you one of these tickets.