WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.459 name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church. And it's 00:00:04.459 --> 00:00:10.380 my joy to bring God's Word to you today. A special welcome if you're new or visiting with us. We're 00:00:10.380 --> 00:00:15.919 glad that you're here. And we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, but 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:21.240 because we're following Jesus together as one community. And as we follow Jesus together, we 00:00:21.240 --> 00:00:26.740 become convinced that there's no one so good. They don't need God's grace, and no one so bad that 00:00:26.739 --> 00:00:32.600 they can't have it, which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in His 00:00:32.600 --> 00:00:38.719 Word. A couple weeks ago, we finished up our year-long project working through the book of 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:43.379 Judges. And so now this week, we begin what I've been telling you all about for a little bit. We 00:00:43.379 --> 00:00:50.280 start the book of Romans. The book of Romans is a letter, and it's written by the Apostle Paul in 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:57.560 the 50s AD. Many people think it's around 57 or 58 AD. And Romans is called Romans for a very simple 00:00:57.560 --> 00:01:03.880 reason, which is that it is written to churches that are in the city of Rome. And Paul's focus here 00:01:03.880 --> 00:01:10.400 is on the gospel, the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection. And there's a lot of different 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:16.560 things. He's going to explore a lot of applications about the gospel, and those are all spokes that tie 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:21.280 into the hub. And so he's constantly, we're going to see this even this morning, bringing us back to 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:26.579 what's central and primary. Paul is always going to be bringing us back to the gospel, and he's 00:01:26.579 --> 00:01:33.079 especially concerned in the letter to the Romans about the mission and the unity of the church. 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:40.120 Now, I would guess that some of you, as you see this morning that we are covering only one verse, 00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:43.800 and you see that there are 16 chapters in the book of Romans, 00:01:43.799 --> 00:01:51.019 Romans, might be feeling a little bit of anxiety. But how many decades, in fact, will we be together 00:01:51.019 --> 00:01:56.439 in Romans? And so I want to assure you we're going to start slow at the beginning, especially in the 00:01:56.439 --> 00:02:01.679 introduction. We will, in fact, speed up. We will not do one sermon per verse throughout the entire 00:02:01.679 --> 00:02:06.120 letter. And we're also going to do chunks. So we'll do a few chapters of Romans, we'll take a break, 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:10.639 and then we'll come back. And so for some of you, that's good news, and for others of you, a tremendous 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:16.919 disappointment. Whichever one you find yourselves in, I invite you to turn with me to Romans chapter 00:02:16.919 --> 00:02:23.759 one, verse one. Whether you turn in your Bible, or on your phone, or in your worship guide, 00:02:24.679 --> 00:02:30.019 remember that this is God's word, and God tells us that his word is more precious than gold, even the 00:02:30.019 --> 00:02:36.459 finest gold, and sweeter than honey, even the honey that comes straight from the honeycomb. And so that's 00:02:36.460 --> 00:02:45.379 why we read now Romans chapter one, verse one. Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, 00:02:46.540 --> 00:02:53.939 set apart for the gospel of God. I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word. 00:02:55.500 --> 00:03:02.580 Our Father in heaven, we do praise you and thank you that you haven't left us alone as orphans in a 00:03:02.580 --> 00:03:08.200 merciless universe. And you don't expect us to figure out life on our own, but instead you have 00:03:08.200 --> 00:03:14.260 instructed us clearly and directly in your word. We thank you for the book of Romans that reminds us 00:03:14.260 --> 00:03:19.800 over and over of the good news of the gospel. That Jesus lived the life that we should have, 00:03:19.980 --> 00:03:25.660 and died the death that we should have, so that we can be with you forever. And we ask that you would 00:03:25.660 --> 00:03:31.320 be at work in a powerful way this morning by your spirit. That this word would be more than words on a 00:03:31.319 --> 00:03:36.579 page that you would honor your promise in Isaiah 55, that your word would not return to you void, 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:42.120 but it would accomplish great things in the lives of your people. And so we ask that for us, that you 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:47.719 would accomplish great things in our lives, that you would grow our love and our affection, our reverence, 00:03:47.819 --> 00:03:54.099 our all, and our obedience to your son and our savior, our Lord Jesus. And it's in his name that we ask all 00:03:54.099 --> 00:04:05.120 of these things. Amen. Now, the writer Ryan Holiday tells the story about the English heavy metal band known as 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:12.840 Iron Maiden. At one point, someone came to the manager of that band and they said, hey, I really admire the work 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:20.959 that you all are doing in the music industry. And the manager immediately replied, the music industry, I'm not in the 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:29.879 music industry. I'm in the Iron Maiden industry. Later, there was an interview with their lead singer, 00:04:30.019 --> 00:04:36.859 Bruce Dickinson, in The Guardian, a British newspaper, and he said this, we have our field and we've got to 00:04:36.859 --> 00:04:46.620 plow it and that's it. What's going on in the next field is of no interest to us. We can only plow 00:04:46.620 --> 00:04:56.439 one field at a time. The point of that story is to highlight this focus and clarity, the success that 00:04:56.439 --> 00:05:04.560 comes from being about one thing and only one thing. It's that same clarity and that same focus that Paul 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:12.120 demonstrates for us here, the very first verse of his magnum opus. We have this introduction. It's 00:05:12.120 --> 00:05:17.319 longer than most of the introductions to Paul's letters and it is the introduction to what is 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:23.939 arguably the most important letter in the history of the church. And so what does Paul want them to 00:05:23.939 --> 00:05:29.500 know as he begins writing the longest of his letters, in some ways the most important of his 00:05:29.500 --> 00:05:37.579 letters? There's in fact so many things that he could say. Paul is known as one of the most 00:05:37.579 --> 00:05:44.740 influential men who has ever lived in world history. In fact, we could make the argument that Paul is 00:05:44.740 --> 00:05:53.439 second in the history of the universe to only to Jesus himself. We could also make the argument 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:59.439 that Romans, and some people do make this argument, is the most important letter ever written. 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:12.220 Many people regard Paul to be one of the greatest minds who has ever lived. And so you have here one of 00:06:12.220 --> 00:06:19.339 the most influential people writing perhaps the greatest letter as one of the smartest individuals 00:06:19.339 --> 00:06:27.519 to ever walk this earth. And how does he introduce himself? A servant of Jesus Christ. 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:35.959 That for Paul is the most important thing, the first thing, the primary thing that he wants this church to 00:06:35.959 --> 00:06:47.579 know as they read his letter. First off, Paul is in the Jesus Christ business. What's going on in the next 00:06:47.579 --> 00:06:56.459 field is of no interest to us. We can only plow one field at a time. 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:04.279 And so Paul begins by letting us know he is about and only about one field. 00:07:05.859 --> 00:07:10.319 You remember Bob Dylan told us back in 1979, when some of us were alive, 00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:17.959 you're going to have to serve somebody. And so Paul's chosen, right? He's chosen who he's going to serve. 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:24.180 Now, you may not consider yourself a servant of Jesus Christ. Maybe you do. Now, Paul raises this 00:07:24.180 --> 00:07:30.560 question for us, though, why is this the servant he wants to be? Why would he choose Jesus Christ out 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:38.500 of all the other masters he could have? In his book, You Are Not Your Own, the author Alan Noble 00:07:38.500 --> 00:07:42.199 reminds us there are actually only really three options when it comes to who we belong to. 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:47.199 We can belong or serve. We can be the servant of another human, another person, 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:52.599 whether that's a specific individual, whether it's represented by a corporation or an institution. 00:07:52.860 --> 00:07:57.399 That's one of the options that's before us. We can be a servant of that. And I really don't need 00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:04.039 to make the argument for you that that's probably not the best idea, right? We all know there is no 00:08:04.039 --> 00:08:10.699 one else who has our interests in mind as much as we do. And so if we hand ourselves over as a servant 00:08:10.699 --> 00:08:17.019 to someone else, we are ultimately in some way going to be used or disappointed. So that's one 00:08:17.019 --> 00:08:22.039 option. We know that's not a great option. The next option is the option that we really like. 00:08:22.699 --> 00:08:28.500 Option two is that we can, in fact, belong to ourselves. We know what's best for us. We know 00:08:28.500 --> 00:08:33.220 what we like, what we don't like, our preferences. That's probably the safest one, right? If we belong 00:08:33.220 --> 00:08:40.159 to ourselves, we can keep ourselves safe. We can pursue what's most important and what's most valuable. 00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:44.960 The problem is this. Alan Noble reminds us that that's actually something that's not going to end 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:51.020 well. You'll see this on page seven of your worship guide. Do we actually desire our own good? 00:08:52.020 --> 00:08:57.660 If we are honest with ourselves, we'd have to admit that on average, we aren't much better than 00:08:57.660 --> 00:09:06.060 anyone else at desiring what is truly good for us. We regularly desire and pursue self-destructive 00:09:06.059 --> 00:09:12.239 experiences and goals. And so Noble says, hey, on the one hand, you don't think being the servant 00:09:12.239 --> 00:09:17.559 of someone else is a good idea. Actually being the servant of your own self is not a good idea either. 00:09:18.699 --> 00:09:23.419 Other people don't want what's best for you. You actually don't want what's best for you. 00:09:23.819 --> 00:09:28.419 And so that leaves you with one and only one option. The third option is this. If you are not the 00:09:28.419 --> 00:09:34.439 servant of someone else, if you're not the servant of yourself, what is remaining is that you, like Paul, 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:40.740 are a servant of Jesus Christ. In fact, he goes on to say this. This is on page eight. 00:09:41.459 --> 00:09:48.079 We need to belong to someone who is perfectly able to desire our own good while desiring their own good. 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:58.800 Someone for whom there cannot be a conflict between our good and their good. We need to belong to Christ. 00:10:00.780 --> 00:10:05.580 There is only one position as a servant that will not disappoint. 00:10:06.759 --> 00:10:12.740 There's only one position as a servant that will deliver what it is we long for and want. 00:10:12.740 --> 00:10:18.100 And that is what Paul has discovered is the secret right here at the very beginning of this letter. 00:10:18.919 --> 00:10:21.980 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. 00:10:23.680 --> 00:10:27.779 Now, remember I told you we're going to have many spokes in the book of Romans, 00:10:27.779 --> 00:10:30.960 and they're constantly going to pull back to the center hub, 00:10:31.060 --> 00:10:36.100 which is that Paul wants this church to be rooted and established in the gospel. 00:10:36.600 --> 00:10:39.759 In fact, he tells them that very thing later on in chapter one. 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:47.120 And so as we're in this very first phrase, this spoke is already headed back straight into the gospel. 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:48.720 Notice how the verse ends. 00:10:50.200 --> 00:10:53.039 He is here for the gospel of God. 00:10:53.939 --> 00:10:57.600 And the element of the gospel that Paul wants us to see here is this. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:05.379 Christ is the one, and he is the only one who has died for us. 00:11:05.379 --> 00:11:20.059 And therefore, Christ is the one, and he is the only one who cares for us better than we can care for ourselves. 00:11:22.460 --> 00:11:26.059 Paul doesn't talk about his Ivy League education. 00:11:27.159 --> 00:11:30.679 He doesn't talk about his many accomplishments or his pedigree. 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:35.299 He doesn't discuss the fact that he was first in the Pharisee class. 00:11:37.739 --> 00:11:41.739 Because all of those things fade and disappear in comparison. 00:11:43.459 --> 00:11:48.419 Paul wants us to know he's a servant of Jesus Christ. 00:11:48.419 --> 00:12:00.240 And he reminds us, Christ is the only one we can fully trust and fully serve without any damage to ourselves. 00:12:01.979 --> 00:12:05.699 Christ is the only one who ultimately and fully wants what's good for us. 00:12:06.919 --> 00:12:12.719 He's the only one we can trust more than we trust ourselves. 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:21.340 Part of the reason we're going slow through the introduction to the book of Romans is that Paul is presenting for us at the very beginning. 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:28.980 In these first seven verses, he wants us to see some of the major themes that are going to reverberate throughout the entire letter. 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:32.500 And one of the major themes of Romans is this. 00:12:33.160 --> 00:12:36.340 That there is a horizon line to our life. 00:12:37.060 --> 00:12:39.500 There is a place where our lives are pointed. 00:12:39.500 --> 00:12:42.740 We are all focused towards something. 00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:46.639 And Paul is asking us, in a sense here, where are you pointed? 00:12:48.779 --> 00:12:52.000 He's going to come back to the same theme in chapter 14. 00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:53.279 And he tells us this. 00:12:54.179 --> 00:12:56.480 For none of us lives to himself. 00:12:57.580 --> 00:13:00.919 And none of us dies to himself. 00:13:02.820 --> 00:13:05.519 For if we live, we live to the Lord. 00:13:06.120 --> 00:13:09.100 And if we die, we die to the Lord. 00:13:09.940 --> 00:13:15.720 So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:22.639 And so at the very beginning of this letter, we're reminded of something very simple. 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:25.500 We all live for something. 00:13:27.240 --> 00:13:30.000 The Christian lives for the Lord. 00:13:31.779 --> 00:13:35.919 Because it's the only safe commitment. 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:44.759 The Lord is the only one for whom it is safe and good to be a servant. 00:13:46.179 --> 00:13:51.679 He's the only one who loves us more than we love ourselves. 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:56.759 You'll remember we talked about this when we were going through the gospel of Mark. 00:13:56.759 --> 00:14:00.039 That there are multiple types of commitments that we have in our lives. 00:14:00.739 --> 00:14:03.359 We have what we might call accessory commitments. 00:14:03.539 --> 00:14:05.099 Things that are on the periphery. 00:14:05.299 --> 00:14:06.059 Things that are secondary. 00:14:06.059 --> 00:14:09.859 And we have what we might call a keystone commitment. 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:14.279 The commitment that filters and determines every other action. 00:14:14.279 --> 00:14:18.500 And so if you're like me, you have all sorts of things in your life that you're committed to. 00:14:18.899 --> 00:14:21.879 You maybe have sports teams that you love, right? 00:14:22.299 --> 00:14:24.039 Friends that you are loyal to. 00:14:24.319 --> 00:14:26.399 Schools that you went to. 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:28.019 Hobbies that you enjoy. 00:14:28.299 --> 00:14:29.439 And all of those things are great. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:33.720 All of those things are part of God's good gifts to us in this world. 00:14:34.020 --> 00:14:38.200 And they cannot be our foundation. 00:14:39.700 --> 00:14:41.780 Now we have a keystone commitment. 00:14:41.880 --> 00:14:45.940 We have a commitment through which all the other commitments are filtered. 00:14:46.180 --> 00:14:49.800 It is the commitment that all other commitments serve. 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:55.359 What Bob Dylan is telling us when he says you have to serve someone is this. 00:14:55.839 --> 00:15:01.699 Every one of us has an ultimate loyalty that determines every other loyalty. 00:15:02.339 --> 00:15:06.679 The keystone, it sets and directs everything else. 00:15:07.899 --> 00:15:12.799 And so Paul is reminding us what our horizon line should be. 00:15:14.099 --> 00:15:18.240 It's this and only this, Christ and his kingdom. 00:15:19.799 --> 00:15:25.759 That is the commitment through which we filter every other commitment. 00:15:27.719 --> 00:15:30.719 Everything else is downstream of that. 00:15:31.699 --> 00:15:34.439 It's not that those other things aren't good and beautiful. 00:15:34.620 --> 00:15:36.259 It's not that they matter, don't matter. 00:15:36.740 --> 00:15:40.819 It's that they serve and flow out of something so much greater. 00:15:43.319 --> 00:15:44.819 And so the point is this. 00:15:44.820 --> 00:15:50.020 As we live our lives, we want to be like Paul. 00:15:51.460 --> 00:15:56.220 We want to choose to be a servant of the one who loves us more than we love ourselves. 00:15:57.900 --> 00:16:01.520 We want to follow the line that is actually going to lead to our good, 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:04.940 not the line that other people set for us and not the line that we set ourselves, 00:16:04.940 --> 00:16:09.400 the line that's actually going to lead to flourishing and hope and joy. 00:16:09.399 --> 00:16:16.559 We set that, not as our accessory commitment, as our keystone commitment. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:21.199 It means we set aside money for God and for the poor. 00:16:22.340 --> 00:16:24.399 And then we see what's left over for us. 00:16:26.179 --> 00:16:30.100 It means we honor our commitments as a spouse and as a parent. 00:16:30.100 --> 00:16:34.159 And then we see what's left over for extracurriculars. 00:16:35.500 --> 00:16:38.259 It means that we know God's will first. 00:16:40.019 --> 00:16:45.159 And then we evaluate the expectations and demands and beliefs of our families. 00:16:47.920 --> 00:16:54.580 It means that we prioritize being together with God's family in worship on Sunday morning. 00:16:54.580 --> 00:16:59.440 And then we see what time is left over for everything else. 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:05.380 It means that we see if someone has faith in Christ first. 00:17:07.380 --> 00:17:10.799 And then we think about whether we want to date or marry them. 00:17:13.079 --> 00:17:16.299 Paul tells us this in a different letter, the letter to the Philippians, 00:17:16.360 --> 00:17:19.059 which we covered together, I think, back in 2019. 00:17:19.059 --> 00:17:20.859 He says, 00:17:20.859 --> 00:17:26.799 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:32.359 For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish 00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:35.859 in order that I may gain Christ. 00:17:37.419 --> 00:17:39.700 And then he explains that even more in the next two verses. 00:17:39.940 --> 00:17:42.700 Verse 9, he says, look, I want this righteousness from God. 00:17:43.879 --> 00:17:46.819 Paul's going to talk a whole lot about that righteousness in the book of Romans. 00:17:46.819 --> 00:17:49.419 And then he tells us even more in verse 11. 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:51.099 He says, look, this is what I'm headed towards. 00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:53.799 I want the resurrection from the dead. 00:17:55.500 --> 00:17:59.679 In other words, Paul here is setting himself out as a servant of Jesus Christ, 00:17:59.679 --> 00:18:02.779 not because he is some super religious nut, 00:18:03.500 --> 00:18:08.619 not because he enjoys religious activity more than a normal person, 00:18:09.500 --> 00:18:13.899 not because he can't enjoy the good things that God has given us in this world. 00:18:13.899 --> 00:18:16.740 And so this is sort of the way that he works out his anxiety. 00:18:17.779 --> 00:18:22.579 No, Paul is dedicated and focused in this way because he knows 00:18:22.579 --> 00:18:27.839 this ultimately is the only investment that pays off. 00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:33.619 He knows that this is what leads to the resurrection from the dead. 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:37.740 This is the way that he can lean into the future, 00:18:37.740 --> 00:18:41.359 the investment that he cannot lose. 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:53.039 He's a servant of Jesus Christ for his good and for God's glory. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:19:00.180 If you work in finance or you know someone who works in finance, 00:19:00.299 --> 00:19:03.559 you know a big part, maybe the overarching piece of your job is this. 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:07.220 You have to know what things are worth. 00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:12.799 There's hours and days and weeks spent building models, right? 00:19:13.180 --> 00:19:15.399 Examining trends and patterns in history, 00:19:15.799 --> 00:19:20.159 trying to figure out what exactly is the value of this thing, 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:24.060 whether it's the value of a house or a stock or an investment. 00:19:26.320 --> 00:19:33.640 Paul is reminding us here that the Christian knows what things are worth. 00:19:33.640 --> 00:19:39.380 The Christian knows how to value things correctly. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:43.840 This is what actually lasts. 00:19:45.540 --> 00:19:48.120 This is what is actually valuable. 00:19:48.119 --> 00:19:56.399 This is actually what can't be lost or changed. 00:19:57.879 --> 00:20:00.879 And so this is the goal that's worth aiming at. 00:20:02.159 --> 00:20:03.479 Paul has many things. 00:20:05.099 --> 00:20:06.459 He has great accomplishments. 00:20:09.059 --> 00:20:13.399 There's a wide variety of things he could tell the church in Rome about himself. 00:20:13.539 --> 00:20:15.959 Maybe that would impress them or influence them. 00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:19.279 But instead, he simply wants them to know this. 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:23.880 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. 00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:35.279 Paul here goes on to tell us something else as well. 00:20:36.019 --> 00:20:38.140 It's not just that he's a servant of Jesus Christ. 00:20:38.140 --> 00:20:41.420 He's also called to be an apostle. 00:20:41.420 --> 00:20:47.080 This passage is not just about Paul's identity, about his loyalty. 00:20:47.560 --> 00:20:49.980 He's also telling us he's a servant of Jesus Christ 00:20:49.980 --> 00:20:52.560 so that he can clarify at the beginning of this letter 00:20:52.560 --> 00:20:55.960 the authority that he has as he writes to the church. 00:20:56.539 --> 00:20:58.300 And so we won't spend too much time on this, 00:20:58.340 --> 00:21:01.120 but I'll give you just a brief overview of what it means to be an apostle. 00:21:01.740 --> 00:21:03.120 If you're familiar with the Gospels, 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:05.480 you'll remember that Jesus picked 12 apostles. 00:21:06.620 --> 00:21:08.620 An apostle is a word that means someone who's sent. 00:21:08.619 --> 00:21:11.939 It's a type of a messenger who's meant to represent someone else. 00:21:12.419 --> 00:21:15.279 And these apostles are meant to represent Jesus' teaching. 00:21:16.219 --> 00:21:19.279 Important thing, too, is to remember that these apostles are limited. 00:21:19.479 --> 00:21:20.059 They're finite. 00:21:20.500 --> 00:21:23.139 The office of apostle exists for a time. 00:21:23.539 --> 00:21:24.699 It doesn't exist forever. 00:21:25.439 --> 00:21:29.159 In other words, there are no apostles present this morning. 00:21:29.160 --> 00:21:34.220 And as you go out and walk around the world in 2024, 00:21:34.620 --> 00:21:38.300 no matter where you go, you will never meet an apostle. 00:21:39.320 --> 00:21:40.779 And there's two reasons for that. 00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:44.019 First of all, the apostles existed for a specific time 00:21:44.019 --> 00:21:48.300 to fill the gap between when Jesus rose from the dead 00:21:48.300 --> 00:21:49.440 and ascended into heaven 00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:52.380 and when the 66 books of the Bible were solidified. 00:21:53.080 --> 00:21:54.920 So we don't need apostles anymore. 00:21:55.180 --> 00:21:56.120 We have the scriptures. 00:21:56.119 --> 00:22:00.819 The second reason is that there are a set of requirements to be an apostle. 00:22:01.199 --> 00:22:04.039 You have to be personally selected by Jesus Christ. 00:22:04.939 --> 00:22:08.879 You have to have seen Jesus physically during his time on the earth. 00:22:10.019 --> 00:22:13.079 You have to be able to teach not what you know secondhand. 00:22:13.859 --> 00:22:16.699 You teach what you learned firsthand from Christ. 00:22:18.299 --> 00:22:19.939 And so Paul here is helping them understand, 00:22:20.099 --> 00:22:22.039 hey, when I speak to you in this letter, 00:22:22.039 --> 00:22:25.960 I am not giving you options or opinions. 00:22:27.319 --> 00:22:31.019 I am giving you the very words of God. 00:22:32.339 --> 00:22:34.059 This is not something to consider. 00:22:35.099 --> 00:22:37.779 This is something to believe and obey. 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:42.319 Paul tells us more than that, though. 00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:47.659 He goes on to say that he has been set apart for the gospel of God, 00:22:47.660 --> 00:22:49.519 which is Paul's way of telling us, 00:22:49.880 --> 00:22:56.180 hey, God chose me before the foundations of the world for this specific role. 00:22:57.360 --> 00:22:59.660 I didn't stumble into being an apostle. 00:23:01.460 --> 00:23:07.540 It wasn't haphazard that I'm representing Christ's teachings here to you in this letter. 00:23:08.120 --> 00:23:11.700 No, this has been the plan all along. 00:23:11.700 --> 00:23:17.400 And many people have noted how perfectly that plan was executed. 00:23:19.080 --> 00:23:24.559 That Paul's biography works in such a way that, of course, he is the man set up for this job. 00:23:25.220 --> 00:23:28.200 Paul is the right man in the right place at the right time. 00:23:28.860 --> 00:23:31.960 Paul received an Ivy League education in Judaism. 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:34.799 He knew everything about the Old Testament. 00:23:35.340 --> 00:23:37.360 He was the top of his class. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:41.639 When it came to Pharisee school, Paul was the valedictorian. 00:23:42.479 --> 00:23:44.740 Paul was the one who gave the speech at the end. 00:23:45.339 --> 00:23:49.319 No one would want to go head-to-head with Paul at the Bible beat. 00:23:50.339 --> 00:23:53.379 No one knew the Old Testament better than Paul. 00:23:54.740 --> 00:23:56.639 Paul also grew up in the Roman Empire. 00:23:57.259 --> 00:23:59.099 He understood how it worked. 00:23:59.179 --> 00:24:01.119 He tells us at one point he's a Roman citizen. 00:24:01.639 --> 00:24:05.179 And so he's not just someone who understands Judaism inside out. 00:24:05.180 --> 00:24:09.039 He's someone who understands that cultural context inside and out. 00:24:09.740 --> 00:24:16.220 Even more than that, he doesn't grow up in some small town in the Roman Empire where he doesn't have a wide exposure. 00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:20.340 No, he grows up in Tarsus, one of the great metropolitan areas of the time. 00:24:20.980 --> 00:24:26.560 And so Paul has this vast experience interacting with all sorts of people in all sorts of ways. 00:24:27.140 --> 00:24:29.539 He's exposed to all kinds of ideas. 00:24:29.539 --> 00:24:39.700 And so when this moment in his life arrives where he is the one who is representing what is new about the revelation of Jesus Christ as it's fulfilled in the Old Testament, 00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:44.059 no one is in a better position than Paul. 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:49.119 His biography is perfect for his purpose. 00:24:50.460 --> 00:24:57.599 Even more than that, Paul has the intellectual firepower to bring it all together. 00:24:57.599 --> 00:25:01.759 And why do I tell you this? 00:25:04.619 --> 00:25:08.219 God has called Paul to a very specific task. 00:25:09.919 --> 00:25:18.759 And God uses Paul in a special way that he will not use any of us in the history of the church. 00:25:19.599 --> 00:25:21.699 Okay, so there's something unique here about Paul. 00:25:21.779 --> 00:25:23.779 There's something unique about the fact that he's set apart. 00:25:23.779 --> 00:25:28.819 And so what's true of Paul is not true of us in a narrow sense. 00:25:30.519 --> 00:25:36.879 However, what's true of Paul is true of us in a broad sense. 00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:43.539 If you are a Christian, God has also set you apart. 00:25:43.539 --> 00:25:53.159 If you are a Christian, God has been at work in your life since before the foundations of the earth. 00:25:55.000 --> 00:26:04.059 If you are a Christian, God has been at work in your biography, preparing you for this moment in this time. 00:26:04.059 --> 00:26:13.539 And in case you think I'm being sentimental, Paul tells us this exact thing in a different letter, his letter to the Ephesians. 00:26:14.639 --> 00:26:16.940 Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10, he says this, 00:26:16.940 --> 00:26:27.039 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:33.779 You were set apart from the very beginning. 00:26:36.099 --> 00:26:39.960 God chose your works before you knew him. 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:44.399 God chose your works before you were born. 00:26:44.400 --> 00:27:14.380 God chose your work. 00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:17.259 God has called you to the works that he has before you. 00:27:19.580 --> 00:27:21.259 God has set you apart. 00:27:22.800 --> 00:27:24.960 He set you apart in a specific way. 00:27:25.360 --> 00:27:27.540 He hasn't set you apart in the way of Paul. 00:27:28.320 --> 00:27:30.080 He set you apart in your way. 00:27:32.259 --> 00:27:36.940 Paul was prepared for his work by the family he grew up in, 00:27:38.460 --> 00:27:44.160 by the experiences he had, by his cultural setting, by his education, by his temperament. 00:27:44.400 --> 00:27:45.820 God has also set you apart. 00:27:45.820 --> 00:27:50.200 You were prepared for your life and the works that God has for you, 00:27:50.200 --> 00:27:55.120 by the family you grew up in, by the experiences you've had, 00:27:55.759 --> 00:28:00.360 by the cultural setting you know, by your education and your temperament. 00:28:00.359 --> 00:28:06.159 God has also set you apart. 00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:07.160 God has called you apart. 00:28:07.160 --> 00:28:08.019 God has called you apart. 00:28:08.019 --> 00:28:18.600 God has called you apart for the works he has for you. 00:28:18.599 --> 00:28:20.599 God has called you apart. 00:28:20.599 --> 00:28:21.199 God has called you apart. 00:28:21.199 --> 00:28:24.679 That's also going to be a theme for Paul, the book of Romans, 00:28:24.899 --> 00:28:31.899 that God has been at work making and keeping promises longer than we can fathom. 00:28:31.900 --> 00:28:33.900 God has called you apart. 00:28:33.900 --> 00:28:34.900 God has called you apart. 00:28:34.900 --> 00:28:35.400 God has called you apart. 00:28:35.400 --> 00:28:40.960 It's another reason why it's worth being his servant over serving anyone else. 00:28:42.360 --> 00:28:45.840 It's another reason why it's better to be a servant of Jesus Christ 00:28:45.840 --> 00:28:48.420 than a servant of a person or an institution, 00:28:49.640 --> 00:28:54.120 a servant of our own pleasures and experiences and desires. 00:28:54.119 --> 00:28:59.939 You'll hear me say this many times as we look into the book of Romans, 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:02.759 but you'll hear me say it today for the first time, which is this. 00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:06.959 The book of Romans has been called many times the fifth gospel. 00:29:07.739 --> 00:29:10.379 If you're familiar with the New Testament, you know there are four gospels, 00:29:10.500 --> 00:29:12.119 Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 00:29:12.579 --> 00:29:15.739 And the reason people call the book of Romans the fifth gospel is this, 00:29:15.739 --> 00:29:21.459 that everything Paul teaches in the book of Romans, Jesus taught first. 00:29:21.460 --> 00:29:26.819 Everything you see in the book of Romans, you can see in Jesus' life, 00:29:27.120 --> 00:29:29.420 his work, his ministry, or his teaching. 00:29:30.340 --> 00:29:34.840 And so as we look at this, we can always go back to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John 00:29:34.840 --> 00:29:39.640 and say to ourselves, where did Jesus teach the same thing? 00:29:41.160 --> 00:29:42.799 We'll do that in many different ways. 00:29:42.799 --> 00:29:44.360 As we move through the book this week, 00:29:44.579 --> 00:29:47.819 we'll see the particular way in which Jesus said this first. 00:29:47.819 --> 00:29:52.500 Matthew chapter 16, verses 24 and 25, Jesus says this, 00:29:53.460 --> 00:29:59.139 If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:02.539 For whoever would save his life will lose it, 00:30:03.319 --> 00:30:07.339 but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 00:30:08.099 --> 00:30:10.460 Which is Paul's way of, Jesus' way of saying there, 00:30:10.460 --> 00:30:16.860 being a servant of Jesus Christ is the answer and the only answer. 00:30:17.500 --> 00:30:19.380 It's the path to life. 00:30:20.579 --> 00:30:21.740 And then Jesus says this, 00:30:22.600 --> 00:30:26.400 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? 00:30:27.240 --> 00:30:30.420 Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 00:30:32.980 --> 00:30:37.380 Why are we servants of Jesus Christ and of no one else? 00:30:37.380 --> 00:30:44.120 We're servants of Jesus Christ and no one else because that's where life is found. 00:30:45.520 --> 00:30:50.420 We're servants of Jesus Christ and no one else because he has set us apart. 00:30:52.540 --> 00:30:55.160 For the good works he's prepared beforehand. 00:30:56.420 --> 00:30:58.540 And so that's why we can sing together, 00:30:58.700 --> 00:31:00.260 In Christ alone my hope is found. 00:31:00.840 --> 00:31:03.580 He is my light, my strength, my song. 00:31:04.400 --> 00:31:05.000 Let's pray. 00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:10.740 Our Father in heaven, we do praise you and thank you that we can trust you. 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:15.440 That you're the one for whom it's safe to be a servant. 00:31:16.220 --> 00:31:19.460 Because you care for us more than we care for ourselves. 00:31:20.339 --> 00:31:22.319 And we thank you for your work in our lives, 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:24.759 that for everyone who belongs to you, 00:31:25.240 --> 00:31:30.200 that you have been guiding and directing everything to this point. 00:31:31.099 --> 00:31:33.700 Preparing us for the works that you've chosen for us. 00:31:33.700 --> 00:31:38.840 That it's not up to us to determine the path and direction of our lives, 00:31:38.860 --> 00:31:40.940 but you, in fact, go before us. 00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:43.220 We ask that you would remind us of this. 00:31:43.799 --> 00:31:48.019 That we would see that our life is found not in saving it, but in losing it. 00:31:49.380 --> 00:31:52.660 And finding it in your son and our savior, our Lord Jesus. 00:31:53.039 --> 00:31:55.019 We ask these things in his mighty name. 00:31:55.380 --> 00:31:55.600 Amen. 00:31:55.599 --> 00:31:59.139 I invite you to stand for our closing hymn. 00:31:59.140 --> 00:32:01.140 Amen.