Would you turn back to Romans,
Chapter 15? I've entitled this message, Patience, comfort, and
hope. Patience, comfort, and hope. Let's read verse 4 again of Romans
chapter 15. For whatsoever things were written
before time were written for our learning, that we, through
patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. Now in this epistle to the Romans,
27 times Paul uses the phrase, it is written, or as it is written,
or the scripture saith. Everything that he appealed to
was from the scriptures, from the Old Testament scriptures.
This great epistle to the Romans that so clearly defines the gospel,
27 times he makes an appeal to, it is written. The Bible claims divine inspiration. All scripture, 2 Timothy 3.16,
all scripture, note that word all, all scripture is given by
inspiration of God. Everything in this book is inspired
by God. Now, young people, you wonder, Is this book really
all inspired by God? How can I be sure? How can I
believe that? I want to ask one question. Does
God have the power to create the universe? Obviously He does.
He created the universe. He's all-powerful. And because
He's all-powerful, He has the power to give an inspired word
through men and keep it preserved from error. If he can create
the universe, he can do that. Think of the honor that the Lord
Jesus put upon the scriptures. When Satan came to tempt him,
How did he answer Satan? I mean, he could have just obliterated
him. He could have just thrown him down on the ground and made
him worship. I mean, the tempter coming to him was all-powerful.
He didn't have to deal with him. But everything that Satan brought
his way, he answered with what? It is written. Now that's the honor the Lord
put on the Scriptures. That's the way he answered Satan.
It is written. I'd like to look at some scriptures
where the Lord uses the scriptures. Turn to Luke 18. Verse 31. Then he took unto him the twelve,
and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things
that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall
be accomplished." Everything that's written concerning me
is going to be accomplished. Look in Luke chapter 22, verse
37. For I say unto you, that this
that is written must yet be accomplished in me."
And then he quotes Isaiah 53, and he was reckoned among the
transgressors. But the things concerning me
have an end. Look in Luke chapter 24. Verse 25, Then said he unto them,
O fools, and slow of heart to believe. all that the prophets
have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered
these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses
and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures
the things concerning himself." Look down in verse 44. And he said unto them, These
are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law
of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning
me. Then opened he their understanding,
that they might understand the Scriptures. Do you know the only
way you and I can understand the scriptures is if he opens
our understanding and gives us grace to believe. I don't care
how clearly the preaching is. I don't care how sustained the
preaching is, how sound the preaching is. You and I won't even hear
any of that unless God himself opens up our understanding that
we might understand the scriptures. The things that were written
aforetime, speaking of the scriptures, were written for our learning. They are things we would never
know without the Bible. Now there are a lot of things
we could know about God without the scripture. All you got to
do is look at creation and you see that God is very powerful.
He spaked this world into existence. It's totally unreasonable to
be an atheist. There's got to be a cause. And
you can look at creation and see that God is very powerful,
very wise, but you could never know a lot of things, never understand
a lot of things without the Bible. Creation forces the conclusion
that God is, but creation doesn't tell us whether or not God will
forgive sin. Creation doesn't tell us whether
or not God is just. Creation doesn't tell us that
God is one God in three separate persons, God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Creation does not tell us about
God's purpose of salvation. Creation doesn't tell us about
what happened in the garden when Adam fell. And you and I fell
in Him. When He sinned, you and I sinned.
We sinned in Him. We were in Him. And what He did,
we did. And when He became dead in sins,
we became dead in sins. You can't learn that from creation.
Creation doesn't tell us anything about the glorious truth of election,
how God chose a people before time began to be saved, and Christ
stood as those people's surety and guaranteed their salvation.
Creation doesn't tell us anything like that. Creation doesn't tell
us anything about the incarnation of Christ. The Word was made
flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. We wouldn't know anything about
that without the Word of God. Creation doesn't tell us anything
about how God can be just and justify the ungodly. It doesn't
tell us how a sinner can stand before God actually, literally,
without guilt. Creation doesn't give us that
information. Creation doesn't tell us about the redeeming work
of Christ on Calvary's tree. Creation doesn't tell us anything
about being born again, being born from above, being made a
new creature in Christ Jesus. Creation doesn't tell us that
God will by no means clear the guilty. And yet there's a way
a guilty man can be perfectly just before God. Creation doesn't
tell us any of those things. Creation doesn't tell us that
God is immutable, infinite, unbound by time or space, absolutely
sovereign. Creation doesn't tell us anything
about mercy. Creation doesn't tell us anything
about grace. Creation doesn't tell us anything
about the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's altogether
glorious, all of His character. Creation doesn't tell us these
things. We're dependent on His Word. Whatsoever things were
written aforetime, were written for our learning, for our instruction. Thank God for the Bible. Aren't
you thankful for the Bible? What if your knowledge of truth
was dependent upon me? You'd be in trouble. I'd be in
trouble. Thank God for this Word. Whatsoever things aforetime were
written, were written for our learning, for our help, for our
instruction. Aren't you glad it's written,
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them that are called according to His purpose, so that no matter
what is going on, we can remember that. And here is God's purpose in
these things that were written, that we, through patience, and
comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Without the scriptures,
we would know nothing of patience, nothing of comfort, and nothing
of hope. Patience, comfort, and hope. Patience. Patience. The word means a cheerful, hopeful
endurance. If you're patient, that means
you're persevering. A patient continuance, literally
abiding under. Look back in our text in Romans
chapter 15, look in verse 5, it says, now the God of patience. God is called the God of patience. We read in the scriptures of
the kingdom and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we're
called upon to run with patience. The race that's set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author
and the finisher of our faith. Patience. Now, how many people
here feel like they're patient people? You patient? Spend five minutes with me in
a car in traffic and see how patient I am. All these idiots. I can give to my shame so many
examples of my lack of patience, but the only time I can really
be patient is when I already know what the outcome is. Like, if I'm driving in my car
with all these idiots slowing me down, if I knew for sure that
I wouldn't be late, patient. It's okay. I don't care if you're
driving that slow. I'm patient. Or watching a rerun of a ball
game, if I already know the outcome. I'm patient. No matter what's
happening. UK's down by 10 points. It's
okay. They're going to win. I already
know that. The only time I'm patient is
when I already know the outcome. With regard to everything going
on in my life, when the Lord enables me to remember that whatever
it is, all things work together for good, to them that love God,
to them who are called according to His purpose. I believe that. You know what?
It's all good. It's all going to be all right. Patience. God is in absolute sovereign
control, doing what only God can do. bringing his sovereign
purposes and decrees to pass. It's all good. He reigns. He rules. He's in control. Turn
with me a moment to Joshua chapter 21. I don't underline things in my
Bible Because I have a tendency, when I underline them, I think,
well, I already understand that. And that's not a good way to
look at the scriptures. You already got that. But if
you underline, this is a good one to underline. Joshua 21,
verse 43. And the Lord gave unto Israel And the LORD gave unto Israel
all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers, and
they possessed it, and dwelt therein. Now anything God gives
you, you will receive. And if you didn't receive it,
He never gave it to you. Verse 44, And the LORD gave them
rest. Rest. What is rest? You only rest when there's nothing
for you to do. If there's something for you
to do even when you're resting, it's not rest. You're not settled. You only rest when there's nothing
for you to do. You rest in Christ. And the Lord gave them rest round
about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers. And there stood not a man of
all their enemies before them. The Lord delivered all their
enemies into their hand. There fell not out of any good
thing which the Lord had spoken, and to the house of Israel all
came to pass. Now when I read that, you know
what? I feel patience. It all came
to pass. And the Lord's delivered me from
all my enemies, all my sins. Not one of them is going to stand.
They've all been put away. Therefore, we have patience. And I think the best example
of this is Peter. When Peter was looking to Christ,
You know what he did? He walked on the water. Lord, if it be thou bid me come
to thee, command me to come to thee. Lord said, come. And Peter
got out of that boat and started walking patiently in endurance,
looking to Christ. And what happened as soon as
he took his eyes off Christ and looked at the wind boisterous?
He began to sing, didn't he? Now, patience is looking to Christ. That's what it is. It's not just
being calm and serene and all those kind of things. Those are
nice things, but patience is looking to Christ. Endurance
is looking to Christ. It really is that I'm looking
to Him right now as my only way into the Father. I'm looking
to Him right now as I'm in the Father's presence in Him. I'm
looking to Him right now as my only righteousness. I'm looking
to Him right now as the only way my sins can be put away.
I'm looking to Him. I'm looking to Him. Now that's
what patience is. Let us run with patience the
race that is set before us looking unto Jesus, the author and the
finisher of our faith. So get this about patience. Don't
try to be patient. I need to get a grip on my impatience.
No, look to Christ. Look to Christ. And the next
thing he mentions in our text is the comfort of scriptures.
All these things were written before time for our learning
that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures. What comforts me? And I mean
real comfort, where I'm not stressed, where I feel confidence, where
I'm not scared, where I'm not afraid that God's going to get
me and destroy me because of what? What is it that comforts
me? I know what doesn't comfort me. If salvation, if any aspect
of salvation is dependent upon me doing something, I have no
comfort at all. If you put a work anywhere in
salvation that I need to do where God has done his part and now
I got to do my part to make what his part Work. If you put up
work anywhere in salvation, I have no comfort at all. None. I'm
scared. What's going to happen to me?
I'm not real. I won't be saved. I get no comfort
at all in salvation by works. But thank God, salvation is not
by works. if it has nothing to do with
my works. And you know, even when I say
something like that, I say, well, I mean, I need to, I need to
say it doesn't mean we don't want to work for the Lord. We
don't want to be obedient. We don't want to honor him in
our lives. I start thinking about all these things I want to add
to it. And I think, don't, don't do that. Don't do that. Salvation is by grace. 100% salvation is by grace. The beginning, he that hath begun
a good work in you will perform it into the day of Jesus Christ. It begins with him, not with
you, with him, he that hath begun. In the middle, It's God that
worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Now, your perseverance is God
working in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure. So in the middle, it's all of
grace. And in the end, I love the parable
of the workers in the vineyard. I was reading that parable this
week, I asked Lynn, I said, Lynn, what's your favorite parable?
She said, the parable of the workers in the vineyard. I believe
it is mine too. Everybody got the same thing. The people who worked one hour,
the people who worked 12 hours, they got the same thing because
the believer has one thing, Christ. We wouldn't dare add our works
to his to earn a higher reward in heaven. That's the most foolish
thing I've ever heard of. Salvation is of the Lord. Now, here's what comforts me. Turn with me to Isaiah chapter
40. This is a good scripture with
regard to comfort. You already know what I'm going to be reading.
Most of you do. Isaiah chapter 40. Verse 1. Comfort ye Comfort ye
my people, sayeth your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity
is pardoned. For she hath received of the
Lord's hand double for all her sins. That comforts me. You tell me that my iniquity
is pardoned. Not it will be if I, but it is. You tell me that my warfare is
accomplished. Not it will be if I. No, it is. That is the comfort of the gospel. There's nothing that comforts
me more than thinking of Christ being
my surety before time began and taking full responsibility for
me. He said to his father, of my
hand shall you require of him. If I bring him not before thee
and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever. Now that's what Christ said is
my surety. Listen to the comfort of these
scriptures. Now these, I'm going to give you, you don't have to
turn to these, I'll tell you what they are, but these are
so comforting. And we wouldn't dare believe these if they weren't
in the Word of God, but listen to this. John chapter 17, verse
23, Christ says, Thou hast loved them as Thou hast loved me. With whatever love God the Father
has to His glorious Son, that love He has to every believer. And we wouldn't dare believe
that unless the Word of God told us that. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 4
and 5, But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith
he loved us even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together. with Christ. By grace are you
saved. And that's what grace is. It's
a but God, but God. Even when we were dead, did it
all. By grace are you saved. Romans 4, 5 says, To him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
His faith is counted for righteousness. Now, would that describe you?
Do you or not? Do you believe on Him who justifies
the ungodly? Your faith is counted for righteousness. Ephesians 1, 6. These scriptures
are so glorious. Listen to this. Ephesians 1,
6 says, He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. You know what
that means? I'm accepted. I'm accepted. That word is literally, He hath
graced us. He hath graced us in the Beloved. Colossians chapter
2 verses 9 and 10 says, In Him dwelleth all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily, and you are complete. Right now, I'm complete. Do I feel complete? No. Am I complete? Yes. Yes. Bible tells me that. I lack nothing. I'm complete in Him. 1 John chapter 4 verse 17 says,
As he is, As He is, so are we in this world. Well, how is He? What does the Father see when
He sees His Son? He sees Him who is holy, who
is altogether righteous, who is perfect. You know how He sees
me? The same way. Now, is that comforting? that God looks at Jesus Christ
and that's how He sees you because that's the way you really are.
Holy and unblameable and unapprovable in His sight. That's the way
you really are. This isn't make-believe. This
isn't pretend. As He is, so are we in this world. Now, that's
the comfort of Scriptures. Now, if you're going to have
comfort, you better have Scripture to back it up. If my comfort is
not founded on what God's Word actually says, the comfort's
false. Can you point to the Scriptures as to why you have this comfort? That we through patience and
comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Ephesians 1 verse
4 says, According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love. Jude 24, Now unto him that's
able, to keep you from falling and to present you faultless
before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Oh, I'm so thankful that He's
able to keep me from falling because I know as sure as I'm
a foot and a half high that I will fall if He doesn't preserve me.
But now unto Him that's able to keep me from falling into,
to make this glorious presentation. Hebrews 8, 12 says, For I will
be merciful, I will be propitious to their iniquities, and their
sins and iniquities I will remember no more. When God looks at poor old Todd,
You know, he doesn't remember anything I've ever done as far
as sin. He doesn't remember any of the sins. And it's not because
he doesn't have a good memory. It's because there's nothing
there to remember. Christ put them away. There are sins at the comfort
of the Scriptures. Hebrews 1, 3 says, when he had
by himself, and I love the fact that it says by himself. When
He had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty on high. Why? Because His work was finished.
The sins were purged. They were put away. Already put
away. By one offering, He hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. By that one offering. Now I want
to give you one last scripture of comfort before we consider
just real briefly hope. What about this scripture? Remember,
through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, we might have...
What about this Scripture? This is a faithful saying. You can count on this. It's worthy
of all acceptation. Everybody in this room ought
to rejoice in this. That Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners. Now let me ask you a question. I'm not asking you if you're
a repentant sinner or a believing sinner or a regenerate sinner
or a lack sinner or a sensible sinner or any other adjective. Are you a sinner? Are you a sinner? How would you
answer that question before God? Are you a sinner? That's all
I'm asking you. If you are a sinner, Christ Jesus
came to save you. I guarantee you. There's no doubt
about it. If you're a sinner, bless God,
Christ Jesus came to save you. That's who he came to save, sinners.
And Paul said, of whom I am the chief. Oh, the comfort of the scriptures. If you're a sinner, Christ not
only came to save you, he saved you. You're already saved if
you're a sinner. And if you're not a sinner, I
can't give you any hope that Christ has done anything for
you. But if you're a sinner, All sinners are saved sinners. And then the last thing he mentions
in our text, Romans chapter 15, verse 4, For whatsoever things
which were written aforetime, thank God for the Bible, were
written for our learning, for our instruction. We would have
never known these things had not God made them known. And
we would have never understood them or entered in had not God
given us hearing ears. You know, I was thinking about
this. What's it take to see? Well, two things. Two things. First, it takes a seeing eye.
If you're blind, you can't see. You have to have a seeing eye.
But what else do you need? Light. If you don't have light,
I don't care how good your eye is, you won't be able to see. What does it take to see the
things of the God? A seeing eye, God-given by the grace of God,
and the light of His Word. Now, whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning that we, through patience
and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. Now turn back to Romans chapter
8, verse 24. For we are saved by
hope. And notice it doesn't say we're
saved by hoping. We are saved by hope. Christ is my hope. Christ is the hope. Christ, our
hope. We're saved by hope. We're not
saved by hoping. Well, I hope I'm saved. Well, I do too. I hope I'm saved. I hope I'm saved. But my hope
is that He is my hope. We're saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not
hope. If you can see it, it's not hope. For what a man seeth, what if
he had hope for? But if we hope for that which
we see not, then do we with patience, there's that word, wait for it. Now let me tell you three things
about hope. Number one, it has to do with
the future. Hope always has to do with the
future. Number two, it's for sure. It's not, I hope it won't rain
tomorrow. It's for sure. And number three, you can't see
it. If you can see it, it's no longer
something you're hoping in. Now, with regard to the future,
I have a hope that I stand right now just before God. And I sure enough can't see it.
I can't look at myself and see someone who is just before God
without sin, because I see somewhat of my sin, and I can't see that
I stand just before God. But you know what? I have hope
that I am. And I have a hope, a certain
hope, because of what Christ did, that I stand just before
God. And I have a hope that everything that happens between now and
then is working together for my good and His glory. Now that's
hope. That is hope. And it's not something
I can see. I can't see how these miserable
things are working together for my good. I can't see them. But
I believe them. I can't see how God's bringing
everything together for my good and His glory. I can't see it.
I don't understand what he's doing, but he does. And we hope in him. Now this is the hope of the Scriptures.
Now, it's a hope. Faith is the substance of things
hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. So here are three beautiful things
every believer gets to enjoy. Patience. And remember, patience
is looking to Christ. It's not, I've really got a handle
on my impatience and temper and all that kind of stuff. Yeah,
everybody believes that. But it's looking to Christ. The comfort of the scriptures.
The comfort of a complete salvation in Christ. and the hope that
we have from that. And these things were written
for our learning that we, through patience and the comfort of the
scriptures, might have hope. May the Lord God enable all of
us to enter into patience, the comfort of the scriptures, and
hope. Let's pray together. Lord, give us the grace to run
with patience the race that is set before us looking to thy
dear son. Lord, you told us in your word.
to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for
it's God that worketh in you both to will and to do His good
pleasure. And Lord, we ask that you would
work in us both to will and to do Thy good pleasure, that you'd
cause us to persevere all the way to the end in the comfort
of the Word, the comfort of salvation by grace. the comfort of salvation
in your son, the comfort of knowing that we're accepted in the beloved,
and the sure and certain hope you've given us in thy son and
his sacrifice. Lord, forgive us of our unbelief.
Help our unbelief. and cause us to believe, cause
us to love you more, cause us to love one another more, and
seek truly to be servants one to another for Christ's sake.
Lord, how we thank you for the forgiveness of sins in our son.
In his blessed name we pray. Amen.