Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Rom 1-3
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Hey, it's good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin, Texas, and we are continuing our journey through Scripture. We're going to be in the book of Romans today. This is Paul's letter to the church in Rome. He's kind of getting towards the end of his third missionary journey in Acts chapter 20, verse two. It talks about him going to Greece and staying there for three months. It's possible that this is about the time that he wrote ⁓ Romans. ⁓ Paul wanted to go to Rome and but it the timing wasn't right. He felt he needed to go back to Jerusalem first, ⁓ to to bring kind of the money that they had been collecting and things like that. So he needed to go back to Jerusalem ⁓ to see the the church there. ⁓ but he's writing this to the the people in Rome because that's his ultimate goal. And and you kinda have to see that whenever Jesus said in the ⁓ Great Commission, said you know, go to Judea, to Samaria. and to the ends of the earth. In a sense, Rome is the ends of the earth. That was the that was the known world at that time. If you could get the gospel into Rome, ⁓ the gospel is going to spread everywhere. And that that did ⁓ happen. And so Paul is ⁓ eagerly wanting to get to Rome. But what we see is very a very theologically rich and important letter that he writes to to Rome, the the Christians there in Rome. And it's something very important for us to to recognize because he's dealing with presenting the gospel message in a pagan society, a society who has not heard ⁓ the good news before, a a society that has that is very religious and spiritual, but is religious and spiritual to gods that they have created themselves. Right, ⁓ to these to ⁓ pagan gods. ⁓ so I think there's a a lot of similarities. And so I just I want you to read ⁓ chapters one through three. That's all we're gonna go over today. So if you wanna pause for a minute and read one through three, really c couple things to to s sit back and then reflect on. ⁓ chapter one, as you read it, ⁓ do you see similarities to today? ⁓ I I find that we are ⁓ obviously in a situation that Romans one is talking about. It's kind of interesting. One of the conversations that I hear a lot right now is society is changing rapidly around us and the social norms are changing and what is right and what is wrong ⁓ are being debated and there's all kinds of different opinions and it's changing very quickly. And some people look at that and say, ⁓ this is a sign that we are entering into the end times. ⁓ I maybe ⁓ there's been lots of groups of Christians who have believed that. ⁓ but there's no way to fully know that ⁓ in in my opinion. I I think you can see some signs that definitely point that direction. ⁓ but there's been signs in the past that have pointed that direction. ⁓ are we closer ⁓ to the to ⁓ being in the end times than then than we were, you know, forty years ago? Well, obviously, but it still doesn't mean that it's right around the corner. We don't know. It could be. ⁓ but it it really doesn't do any good to to question that because we need to be living out the same no matter what. We need to be trying to share the ⁓ the message of hope, the the message that is is the answer to the problems that we see. ⁓ The other option, the option that I believe is more accurate, ⁓ is that we are in a Romans one time. ⁓ this does this is this time that Romans 1 ⁓ that Paul kind of lays out, he's not saying this is what will happen at the end. He's saying this is what happens whenever a society has given itself over to pagan idolatry, to to ungodly beliefs. ⁓ and he says, This is what happens. Well, we our society, all of us have grown up in a society that had a foundational understanding of biblical truth. ⁓ many different people took that to different lengths, obviously, ⁓ and and believed different things about it. But our society held those basic truths. They've been eroding o throughout the the years. Well now we've kind of hit a a tipping point to where our society has abandoned enough of those biblical principles that now we are leaning towards the ⁓ the the Romans won society and and that's what we are seeing happen. ⁓ so as we ⁓ look at this, ⁓ we start off in ⁓ chapter one of of Romans. ⁓ Paul kind of gives his ⁓ greeting. He talks about his desire to visit Rome, but he's not able to right now, but he plans to. ⁓ Then ⁓ verse sixteen kind of lays things out and and the the next three chapters are are kind of ⁓ going to to expound on this. Says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. So he's he's going to be making a case that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That's what we see at the end of chapter three. But he's going to lay out The sinfulness, first with the Greek, but then he's going to hit the Jews. Right? So he's very careful. With this as we read this, this is not just so that we can condemn others. In fact, that's not what it's about at all. It's about recognizing that all have sinned, right? ⁓ and then at the same time seeing what that sin looks like and what it does to a society. ⁓ so we ⁓ see. ⁓ verse eighteen, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against ungodliness and unrighteousness, who suppress the truth in their unrighteousness. Right. So ⁓ we've talked about this before, but the wrath of God isn't so much God sending down ⁓ lightning bolts at us. ⁓ the wrath of God is ⁓ when God just allows our our ⁓ rebellion, ⁓ the consequences of those actions to n to naturally happen. Right. And and that's that's what we're starting to experience now. This is the wrath of God because we are turning from God and going our own way. So therefore you experience the wrath of God. ⁓ as ⁓ we ⁓ you continue, it says, For since the creation of the world has invisible attributes are clearly seen. But although verse twenty one, although they knew God, they did not glorify him, nor were they thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. So this definitely applies to our society, right? We we were a s society that that did know God, but now have chosen not to believe him, not to worship him, and to go our own way. Verse twenty four. Therefore God gave them up to uncleanliness, to the lust of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Right? So so he's saying this is what the society has done. And that and that applied to the to sci society in Rome. They were they were worshiping their own created gods, not the one true God. It certainly should apply to our society. Whenever we have known God, ⁓ but now we are turning to worship our our own creations, right? whatever that whatever form that may ⁓ come in. ⁓ and then what what now he gets into some of the sinful actions that you see. So th all of these are signs that your society has turned to follow other gods rather than the one true God. says for this reason God gave them up to vile passions, for even their women exchange the natural use for what is a sign against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of their women, burn for lust with one another, men with men committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And so it starts off with sexual immorality. That's that's why the sexual immorality is a huge check engine like ⁓ on where a society is. ⁓ and our society, the check engine light has been on for a long time and we've we haven't paid attention to it. And and now there are many who are so uncomfortable with this and don't want to come across as condemning that we don't want to even say that this is sinful. ⁓ no, it is sinful. It is wrong. ⁓ and yet we also acknowledge all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, right? But the whenever you have things like this going on in a society, you need to start trying to go the other direction. because you're headed ⁓ down a a dangerous road. ⁓ verse 28, and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind or a depraved mind. Right? So the further and further you get away from God and and following your own ⁓ desires It leads to then having a depraved mind, exchanging the truth of God for a lie, right? To do do the things which are not fitting, being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strike, deceit, ⁓ evil mindedness, they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful, who knowing and The righteous judgment of God and those who practice such things are deserving of death not only do ⁓ do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. So it gets to the point to where even though people know things are wrong, it's just like, you know what? I I'm not I'm not gonna say anything. I'm and and then it leads to approving of and participating in. That is exactly where we are ⁓ in our society. And now it we've got to be careful as Christians that we don't just focus and say, look how bad everybody else is, right? And that's what Paul is getting at here. Okay. See, what he just described was kind of the Roman culture. And so it was normal and would be natural for the Jews and Jewish Christians, Paul's always dealing with the Jew Gentile relationship. to for the Jews to see themselves as elevated above the Gentiles. Because look, we don't participate in that. We condemn that. ⁓ and and have a judgmental attitude in saying, well, because you you're look at your society, ⁓ y'all all are condemned. We are the good ones. Well, Paul directly ⁓ addresses that ⁓ right ⁓ at this at this point. ⁓ it says, Therefore you are all inexcusable, O man. This chapter two, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself of, who judge and practice the same things, right? Again, we have to recognize all of us are sinful. That doesn't mean that we quit calling things sin. ⁓ but the that we are not better than those who are practicing a pagan lifestyle. We are no more ⁓ innocent. ⁓ A then it it continues verse five, but in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart, you're treasuring up for yourselves wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds eternal life to those ⁓ who are doing good seek for glory, honor, and immoral immortality, but to those who are self seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteous, indignation and wrath. tribulation and anguish on every soul of man who does evil. Right? There is good and evil, and we should strive to do what is good. ⁓ but our actions do not dictate whether we are saved or not. ⁓ right, and that's one of the things that Paul is is moving towards. ⁓ is verse eleven, for there is no partiality with God. Just because you were Jewish, just because you grew up in a Christian home, going to church, doesn't mean that you are better than anyone else or ⁓ closer to God than anyone else. ⁓ He continues that that the Jews are just as guilty as as ⁓ Gentiles nineteen and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, yet therefore you teach another, you do not teach yourself, you preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? Right. So he's saying, yes, just because you know what is right, that doesn't ⁓ mean that you're actually doing it. ⁓ and you you have to actually live up to what you s ⁓ say to that you believe. ⁓ in fact, ⁓ verse twenty four, for the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. ⁓ right, because we don't live out what we espouse to be true. ⁓ it actually encourages Gentiles not to take our faith seriously. That's what Paul is is is telling the Jews of that day. ⁓ it then he it's circumcision that circumcision is not enough. ⁓ right ⁓ verse twenty nine, but he is a Jew who who is one inwardly and circumcision is is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not from men but from God. So again, he's dealt with a lot of a lot of that th those issues ⁓ of basing things on the law. Again, just because you know the law, no one can fully live up to the law. So that is not going to get you closer to heaven. There has to be something else. And now Paul in chapter three really gets into that. about how God's judgment is ultimately defeated. Verse nine. What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jew and Greeks that all are under sin. ⁓ verse nineteen. Now that we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law that every mouth be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight. For the law is the knowledge of sin. So just because you know the law, just because you you practice the law better than someone else, you don't practice it perfectly, and you Falls short, and you need something else. And then that's where verse 21. But now the righteousness of God, apart from the law, is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation of his blood, through faith to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance God has passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. So all have sinned, fallen short of the glory of God. That is why we need a a a savior. That is what Jesus does, is he makes us right because we cannot do it ourselves. It is in faith and in faith alone in what he has done for us. All right. I again I encourage you to really spend some time on those those three ⁓ chapters. ⁓ and we are gonna ⁓ continue to go through Romans. ⁓ so we'll we'll shoot to go four through ten. Chapters four through ten, if we can get that far. we may only get to chapter eight, but ⁓ we'll do our best. All right. We'll see you all thanks.