Alright Romans chapter 1 thus
far We have come Certainly not exhaustively in any sense, but
we have come through verses 1 2 3 & 4 of Romans chapter 1 I Want to read
several more verses. I will not cover all of these
I have no doubt that time will not allow me to do that this
morning, but I want to read from Romans 1 verse 5 all the way
through verse 15 And then we'll start back, go back to verse
five. I'll make a few comments as I read, then get on to the
message in earnest. By whom? By whom? Now it's important that we see
the whom that Paul's talking about. And of course, verses
three and four. actually verses one, two, three,
and four, but specifically verses three and four, make it emphatic
that there is no one else that Paul is talking about other than
Jesus Christ the Lord himself, by whom we have received grace,
and I think he says we, not because of some pontifical we, as you
hear men speak today. He's talking about we who are,
what he goes on to say here, apostles, apostles. by whom we have received grace
and fellowship. For obedience to the faith, notice
what it says. Faith is not something you offer
up to God. It is something you bow down
to God in. Faith is obedience. As a matter of fact, Only pure
place we see faith manifested was in the person of Jesus Christ
himself in humanity. There was perfect faith, and
it's in that faith that we stand. You hear what I'm saying? Now,
God willing, we'll see this more in detail when we get to chapter
three later, but it is the faith of Christ that is our righteousness. The faith that he gives us is
his faith, but it's a, it's given in measure. Let me put it that
way. It's given in measure. Paul says that in this book.
It's given in measure. And we know by other places in
the book, for instance, Jesus Christ said, if your faith be
as a grain of mustard seed, That's pretty small, I'm told. Pretty
small. Faith be as a grain of mustard
seed, you could say to this mountain, be thou removed into the sea.
And you know what? I can't do that. I can't do that. So even though
I have faith, and it's the faith of Christ, it must be back, by
default, very small. Very small, but it's the faith
of God's elect nonetheless. And it's the faith of Jesus Christ
nonetheless. And God is honored therein. By whom we have received grace
and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations
for his name. Among whom are ye also the called
of Jesus Christ to all. that be in Rome, beloved of God,
called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God
through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken
of throughout the whole world, for God is my witness, whom I
serve with my spirit. Let me stop for a moment. Whom I serve with my spirit. Many who profess Christianity
serve out here. They will go to Sunday morning
services, maybe a Saturday service. They'll go to a Sunday evening
service. They'll go to a Wednesday service.
They will sing in the choir. They will teach a Sunday school
class. They may even talk to family and friends about God
and about going to church, but it's not in here. And notice
that is, and I believe appropriately, it is small s, spirit, because
those that worship God, What is it? Must. M-U-S-T. It's not an extra. It's not a,
must serve him. Where? In spirit. It must be
in here. Because if it's just out here,
it is worthless. It is worthless. For God is my
witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his son. And there's the touchstone to
everything. If we talk about our walk, it
has to come under the canopy of the gospel of God's Son. If
we talk about our conduct, if we talk about how we're to treat
one another and how we're to treat others, it must be under
the canopy of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. For God is
my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his
Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers. And brethren, it's all right
to pray. even though we don't know what to pray for as we ought. I mean, I know some I've heard,
myself, others, just when you pray, when I pray, but when I
pray, sometimes I feel so unclean. Who am I to approach God? But
didn't our Lord Jesus Christ, one of the things he tells us
to do, pray after this matter. Forgive us our sins. Why? Because although he has put them
away, they still remain with us. They still remain in us. Making request, making request,
not demanding. We demand nothing of God. Ask Abraham. Oh, that Ishmael
might live before thee. That was more than physical life. Abraham wanted his son. Remember,
Ishmael was his real son. He went into Hagar and had Ishmael
through Hagar just like you had your children with your spouse. Oh, that Ishmael might live before
thee. And God basically said no. Jackie made him great. Many great
kings came out of Ishmael, and many of his descendants are still
with us today, but God did not give his covenant to Ishmael.
He gave his covenant of grace to Isaac and his seed. Making request, if by any means,
now at length, I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to
come unto you. Oh, how men use that phrase today,
the will of God. the will of God, the will of
God. There is a sense in which none of us walks in the will
of God. That is the revealed testimony of this book, of how
we're to conduct ourselves in this life. But it's also just
as true in the book of God that the worst among us to the best
among us, and put all of that in quotes, if you will, cannot
but walk according to the will of God. and God willing we'll
look at that more later. For I long, for I long to see
you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, and he's
not talking about blowing something up on him. He's talking about
that God may use me to instruct you in the truth of Christ. It's
not talking about being able to speak in tongues, and I'm
not just picking on people who speak in tongues, but it's nonsense. It's nonsense. Most of what people
call speaking in tongues today is nothing but an act of the
flesh. They are not speaking in another
language as a gift of God. That is, they are not born and
raised speaking English, and all of a sudden God gives them
the ability to speak Spanish. And that's what tongues were
in the New Testament during the apostolic time. It wasn't this
gibberish that people come up with today. That is flesh. That
is not of the spirit of God. He goes, I long to see you that
I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end. Here it is,
to the end you may be what? Established. Established. That is, that I may be comforted
together with you by the mutual faith. So he explains it, does
he not? He's not saying I want to impart
to you some great act of healing. Paul's not wanting to come to
Rome for a healing conference. He was not wanting to come to
Rome for a prophecy conference, although I dare say Paul knew
more about prophecy than any of us probably do today. And
we have all kinds of men's writings concerning even things that are
yet to come, but I have to confess to you, the longer I've been
alive in the way of grace, the less I understand the details
of what all is to come. Mac, I know everybody's got their
order, and I know certain things have got to happen, but I dare
say I don't have the ability, Jack, that is to put them in
order. Because as soon as I try to start doing that, God's word
will throw me a curve. Throw me a curve. That is that
I may be comforted. together with you by the mutual
faith, both of you and me, and let me say this. I know some
people, you're just a man. Yeah, I'm just a man, but I am
trying to preach the word of God. And our faith, that glorious
gift of faith, that imparted, measured faith, that little,
little bitty faith, cannot dwell alone. Faith seeks its companion faith. If you can survive without being
around God's people, then something's wrong with you. Now, I must be
careful what I try to say it is. I know what I think it is,
but that's only what I think. But something's wrong. Faith
in an individual seeks out other individuals in which that same
faith resides. We need it. We long for it. We desire it like a thirsty man
or woman thirsts after water in a hot desert. But faith, both
of you and me. Now, I would not have you ignorant,
brethren, and it's not a slur. Me and my dad, years ago, almost
got in a big fight at a golf course because I used the word
ignorant. It went over like a ton of lead. And of course, I was
young and very zealous and brash back then, too. Thought I could
conquer the world and found out I can't conquer anybody. Now
I would not have you ignorant, brethren, as to be totally uninformed. That's what he's talking about.
Totally, brethren, that oftentimes, I purpose to come to you, that's
a noble thing, is it not? Nothing wrong with that, but
was let, now not allowed to, But hindered that's the word
that you most of everyone here knows that but I was hindered
up to this point That's what he's saying. Now. Who do you
think it was that hindered him? God did God did That I might have some fruit
among you also even as among other Gentiles I am debtor and
both to the Greeks and to the barbarians. Oh, how many preachers
today, they don't feel like they're debtors to anyone. They feel
like they ought to be owed, paid, given their salary. Do you understand
there are men that actually think that the ministry of the gospel,
publicly preaching to a local assembly is something you're
supposed to have a salary for? This book doesn't teach that.
But this book does teach that those who are ministered unto
are to take care of the needs unto those that minister unto
them. And the old saying is, you can't get blood out of a
turnip. This is why most preachers, when they go to their seminaries,
they go to their schools, and of course, nowadays, if you want
a big church, you've got to have that title behind your name.
This is why they move into a church, they pastor for a few years,
and then they move on. And look at where they move to.
Is it ever to some small little country group that maybe they
have to get a part-time job to help out along the way? No, it's
always to a bigger, better place. Bigger, better things. No, I
am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to
the wise, now look at this, and to the unwise. Now, think about
this, this is, I know it still exists in our country, don't
get me wrong, but today we pretty much think of literacy as just
a common thing, do we not? Just about everybody you talk
to can at least read and write. Now there are some exceptions,
even in this day, and that's sad to say in this country. But
when Paul preached to men and women, Ellen, there were some
people that couldn't even read and write. They had no way of
reading, even if they had a scroll and rolled that thing out, it
was Isaiah's book. They had no idea, Mac, what they
were reading. They didn't even know how to
read it. That's what he's talking here, to the wise and to the
unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am
ready to preach the gospel to you that are Rome also. And you
remember the account of Acts. Paul finally made it to Rome,
didn't he? But I don't think it was the way he was expected
to make it to Rome. He was bound as a prisoner, was
in a shipwreck, was bitten by a fiery or a venomous snake along
the way, was almost killed by the crew members of the ship.
I'm sure he would have rather went to Rome in some other fashion,
but bless God, go to Rome he did. Did he not? You see, God
fulfills his purpose, not our purposes. If our purposes are
noble and honorable and seek the glory of God in Christ, that's
fine, but God knows best. God's way is the wise way. I remember one preacher, and
you all know him, but his name doesn't matter. The preacher's
name doesn't matter. He said, I think back over my life, And
knowing what I know now concerning the truth of God, I would not
change one thing. I don't always feel that way,
but I know that's the thing. Because God, what he ordained,
is best. Let me rephrase, he didn't, let
me rephrase that. He did not pick out the best
way. there is only God's way, and it is the wise way, the wise
way. So Gideon, as I said, kind of
sums up to say, so as much as in me is, I am ready to preach
the gospel to you that are at Rome also. So then verse five,
observe the exact language. Grace, that is God's grace, precedes
even apostleship. This is my title. This is what
I want to at least start with this morning. Grace is always
first. It's always first. There are
people who often mock the truth, I understand that. But for instance,
turn to it if you will, if you're following along, turn to Ephesians
chapter two. And I've heard people call these
verses I wanna read to you, well, that's that old Baptist doctrine. No, that's the doctrine of the
Apostle Paul. What I'm gonna read is the doctrine
of the Apostle Paul. Four, Ephesians two, verse eight. For by grace are you saved through
faith. You see it? For by grace are
you saved through faith. Note, faith, faith. Note that
order. It cannot be reversed and be
true. Do you hear what I'm saying?
You cannot reverse those words and it be true. It is not for
by faith are you saved through grace. Yet most of what is pawned
off as Christianity today is this, you come up with faith.
You exercise your faith. You manifest your faith and God
will give you grace. It don't work that way. For by
grace are you saved through faith, and that, whether it's the grace,
the faith, or the salvation, this is in the Greek, that not
of yourselves, it is the gift of God, and grace is always first. Not of works, you don't work
up faith. Faith must come down from above. And I mean that literally because
Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of God the Father in his
human body. Does he not? And all true faith
is where? In him. And when he gives it
to anyone, even though it's in measure and just maybe a little
speck, it must come down, my cat, Phil, from Jesus Christ
himself. It must be given. For by grace
are you saved through faith. That not of yourselves is the
gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Grace is
always first. You see, grace precedes apostleship. Grace precedes discipleship. Grace even must proceed faith. Turn to 2 Timothy chapter eight.
Now, people like myself, Paul, Joe, other men who stand here. We say things along the line
of don't look to me, and that is the truth. Don't look to me,
you must look to Christ. Christ is the author and the
finisher of faith, period. But the apostle Paul says, who
is Paul? Who is Apollos? But ministers by whom ye believed. You see, God don't give you faith
cause you seriously look for him. You will only seriously
look for him once he's given you faith and you don't even
know you got it yet. Listen to what 2 Timothy chapter
one. Paul getting to be an aging man,
now writing to Timothy a younger man, and how old they were I
don't know, and it don't matter, but Paul was older than Timothy.
Paul was an apostle, Timothy at best was a pastor, an elder. Be not thou for ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord, nor be his prisoner, but be thou partaker
of the afflictions of the gospel. Now how many people do you know
that are willing to do that? They want a gospel as long as
that gospel brings them what they want in this world. But
let a message start bringing trouble and they will not have
it. And that's why they do not believe
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because it'll make even
your blood kin turn on you. Some of them. It'll make even
your blood kin turn on you. Don't be a, shame to the testimony
of our Lord, nor be his prisoner. But be thou partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us. Now, all Christian religious
people, put that in quotes, love that phrase. We all want to be
saved, right? Some of them even want to get
saved. There's a difference between that, too. I've actually seen
a sign, it's a pretty good sign, but it's not Totally correct,
because the sign says be saved today. Well, they are pronouncing
salvation on people. Because to be saved indicates
that it must come from an outside source, right? To get saved admits
the salvation's from an outside source, but you have to go make
the effort for it, right? Now say, somebody say, well,
it don't matter as long as you talk about saved. No, you must be
saved. This book never says, ever, get
saved. Because you don't get saved,
you got to be saved. God does the work, not men and
women. Look, be not thou forshamed of
the testament of the Lord, nor me as prisoner, but be thou a
partaker of the afflictions according to the power of God who has saved
us and called us. Now notice the order there. Somebody
says, well, y'all people talk about people being saved when
Christ died. Well, that's a valid statement.
Here he talks about being saved before you even called. You know
what he says? Who has saved us and called us
with a holy calling. That's a calling that is distinct
from everything else in this world. God called Cyrus to do
a specific work in sending the Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild
the temple and the wall, all of that, remember? But that doesn't
mean God called him to salvation in Jesus Christ. It looks to me like maybe, maybe,
this is just my thoughts on the matter, maybe God might have
saved Nebuchadnezzar, but he didn't call him to send the Israel
back, did he? Did he? So we're called with
a what? A whole, this is distinct. different
from all other callings, a separate kind of calling, who has saved
us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, huh? But according to his own purpose
and grace. You can't ever separate those
two. You can never separate those two. Most people think grace
is this really ooey, gooey, loving emotion from God. Now, don't they? Like Earl used
to say, they think the love of God is the same thing they mean
when they say, I love ice cream. Remember Earl saying that? When
I was born and raised in religion, not in Christianity, and when
he first said that, I thought, man, how profound. But you know
why? Because there's so much error.
And the truth, it's not really, how do I put this? The truth is not some mystery,
spooky thing. It's just to oppose to what we
expect down in here by nature. And God's purpose and grace go
hand in hand. God willing, we will look at
this later. We're just in the Paul's introduction
of this letter for the most part. But let me tell you something,
when God purposes it, God said, I will what? Do it. And he said,
but it's more than that, look. But according, he saved us and
called us according to his own purpose and grace. Now look at
these next few words. which was given us in Christ
Jesus, and I'm going to change it a little bit, it'll be the
same, before you were ever born. Now wait a minute, were you born
before the world began? No. I was born July 21st, 1962. A.D. A.D., not even B.C. But
if I have grace now, God gave me that purpose and
grace in Christ Jesus before the world began, before I ever
even existed save in the purpose and grace of God in Christ. Most people think they earn their
way into God's grace. No, no, it cannot be earned. God's grace precedes even apostleship. Paul here makes it clear, God's
grace is for the purpose of some of all kinds obeying the faith. Now, men and women can say what they
want. Isn't it amazing? People want to obey the law,
but they don't want the obedience of faith. Ain't that amazing
today? Because faith, after all, is
just something you do when you come forward and go to the front. Face what
you do when you come and tell the preacher you need to straighten
your life up and become a believer and believe in Jesus and be baptized
and join the church. No, faith is obedience. It is bowing down to Jesus Christ
and saying God's way in Christ is the only way. And that's what
Paul writes to these people at Rome, isn't it? Let me find my
spot. I've got to hurry here. Romans
chapter one, by whom we receive grace and apostleship for obedience
to the faith among all nations, for his name. Why does he say
that? For his name. Most people think
that's like a lucky rabbit's foot. You use the name of Jesus
or you use the name of God. It's just this thing you say
and it brings in some spiritual holy aura on everything. No,
this is in his name. This is to his honor and glory,
period. When you think, I desire this
thing, one question we should always ask ourselves, does this
honor Christ? Does this honor Christ? Why,
because grace always precedes everything else. God's grace
is to be for, or to the honor of Christ's name and Christ's
name only. And this is not just for apostles,
and it's not universal. I have to start there next week.
It's not universal. It's not without exception, because
let me give you this, we'll start again next week. By whom we receive
grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations,
for his name, among whom also ye are the called of Jesus Christ,
To all, now I want you to think about this phrase over the weekend,
and through this week, leading up to God willing next week,
next Sunday, to all that be in Rome, and I ask you this question,
don't answer it out loud, does all mean all? All does always
mean all. All don't always mean, all means
all. He wouldn't use the word all if it didn't mean all. But
all don't always include everybody without exception. It's all of the group that he's
talking about. Now if you just read to all that
are in Rome, all right, this is for everyone. But the apostle
qualifies it. To all that be in Rome, beloved
of God. called to be saints, grace to
you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I
wanna throw this out to you. I'll start, go over a little
bit of this, God willing, next week. Have you ever heard, I
thought I'd come up with a word this morning. I was just trying
to work out words. I thought, well, I'll kinda do
like Art Nuenswanderer. Nuenswanderer, I'll coin a phrase.
And I thought of the word religiopath. Well, Walter did a good job,
didn't he? I looked on Google, it's a real word. I thought,
well, I didn't make it up after all, somebody had got to it before
I did. A religiopath, you know what a religiopath is? Most people
think of it today or like to use it today as that person who
goes and bombs the abortion clinic, trying to stop abortion. Well,
there is no doubt that's a religiopath, but that's also a rebel against
God. that's a rebel against God. But here's the, I looked it up.
It's in a dictionary. Here's what a religiopath is. Man, I was so disappointed when
I realized that wasn't my word. It means an over-the-top religious
type. And I thought, oh, okay, an over-the-top religious type.
But then they qualified what they mean in this dictionary
by this. It means this, they credit God or Jesus or Allah
or Vishnu or whatever other thing or being they feel to be God. It credits God for everything
right but doesn't blame him or them for anything that is wrong.
They are incapable of free thought. They operate per a user manual
called the Bible. Well, that's me. I'm a religiopath. But I believe this book right
here is the only rule of faith and practice in this world. This
is, and I don't mean this to be blasphemous, this is my user's
manual. These same people that write
these kind of dictionaries, okay, they go and buy an end table,
big and small lots, and they find themselves forced to use
the user's manual just to put that end table together. But
when it comes to eternal matters, spiritual matters, matters of
the heart, mind, and soul, they mock this book, and they mock
our God, and they mock Jesus Christ, and they are rebels against
God. Father, Use these words, just
words spoken by a clay pot, but Lord, may it be that the power
of thy spirit teaches us your truth, in Christ's name, amen.