Turn to the book of Romans, chapter 15.
And as you're doing that, let me say to those of you who are guests with us this morning,
you probably have discovered, maybe shockingly, that we have the kids remain with us in the service.
I hope that's not been too much of a shock for you.
We believe that it's of value to the family to meet together for worship.
And we do have some amenities across the hall if you need a place to go.
There's both video and sound over there.
It's a place that you can let the kids be a little more loud versus over here.
And we'd invite you to use that space if you feel that you need it.
Also, I am not easily distracted.
So don't be too terribly concerned with little noises as far as I'm concerned.
And I think the people around you will be very gracious to you as well.
We've been working our way through the book of Romans.
We don't always but believe that the best form of preaching is verse-by-verse exposition.
And we have found ourselves today in chapter 15 at verse 13.
Let's read that together and then we'll pray.
Romans 15, verse 13.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Let's pray.
Father God, we do praise you this morning that by your grace we have been set free.
That those of us who were once far off, which was all of us, have now been brought near through the blood of Christ.
And I pray, Lord, I plead that that's the case for everyone here this morning.
That all of us have placed believing faith in Christ.
That the Spirit of God has regenerated our hearts.
That we have been caused to love you.
And I pray, Father, for those here who may not know you.
This will be the last day that that will be true of them.
And for those that do, our hearts will be continually warm to the gospel.
We might live in light of it.
We will honor you with all that we do as we go about this next week.
And we pray this in God's name.
Amen.
So Romans 15, 13.
I'd say I've been incredibly sick this week.
I'm on antibiotics now.
I'm feeling a little bit loopy.
I'm actually going to work at keeping this brief this morning.
As Paul does in his benedictory prayer.
His conclusion here at the end of what I would call his formal letter to the Romans.
He certainly goes on beyond this.
We have the rest of chapter 15 and all of chapter 16.
Which are really his closing remarks.
The Romans.
So this is the end, verse 13, of his formal letter.
The case that he's been making to the believers in Rome.
And he ends it with a simple benediction.
A prayer on their behalf.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.
So that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
And I want to just look at three observations.
First, Paul's desired outcome for the believers in Rome.
The means for the desired outcome.
And the source of the means for that desired outcome.
So firstly, what is it that Paul wants to see happening in the lives of these Roman believers?
He wants to see all joy and all peace and abounding hope in their lives.
So notice here that the word all, the adjective all here, is in the original text.
And I would assume that all of your translations included.
If it doesn't, you may not want to use the translation you're using any longer.
Because it is in fact in the original text.
And all both applies to joy and peace.
So Paul doesn't wish that they'll have just some joy.
A little measure of joy.
A smidgen of joy.
And some peace at times in their life.
But he desires that they have all joy.
And all peace.
Sufficient measure for every aspect and part of their life.
For any circumstance in their life.
That they would have all joy.
And all peace.
Which will lead them to so that they may have abounding hope.
Again, not just a little bit of hope.
Not hope in times of trouble alone.
But abounding hope.
An overflowing hope.
An extra measure of hope.
That continues to flow and to flow and to flow.
An abiding hope.
An abiding joy.
An abiding peace.
This is Paul's desire for the believers in Rome.
So what then is the means for this desired outcome?
How is it that we have this type of peace?
And this type of hope?
And this type of joy?
Right?
It's by.
The means is by our faith.
Notice here that he says that you may have all joy and peace in believing.
The means is our faith.
Faith in what?
Faith in the promises of Scripture.
Which speak of the person and the work of Christ.
Recall contextually where we've just been.
He's given to us four Old Testament quotations from each of the four literary types of writing that we find in the Old Testament.
To show to us that God's eternal purpose for the world was to make his name known not just among Israel, but amongst the world.
Right?
To the nations.
Paul uses here in these four references starting in verse 9 through 12 Gentiles.
To show the Jewish believers here in Rome that it wasn't just them.
It was the Israelites and everyone else.
So he has just talked about, beginning in verse 8, that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness.
In order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs.
And those are the quotes that we give here.
So that the Gentiles will glorify God for his mercy.
If we back up beyond that, we see in verse 5 that the God of endurance encouragement would grant them to live in harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus.
Because of the encouragement of the Scriptures which give us hope in verse 4.
So notice the flow and the connection that he's making here.
So we're to have faith in what?
In the promises of Scripture which speak of the person and the work of Christ.
We talked a little bit about some of the liberties that Paul seems to take with his Old Testament quotations.
And why it was certainly permissible for him to do so.
In his inspiration, he quotes lastly here in verse 12.
He says,
The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles.
In him will the Gentiles hope.
And this is taken from Isaiah chapter 11 verse 10.
Now I want you just to listen to it as you look at what's found in verse 12.
Okay?
And notice the difference here.
Isaiah 11 verse 10 reads,
In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples, of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
A little bit different there.
Am I right?
A little prophecy on Isaiah's part.
And here we see the way Paul quotes it as it's been fulfilled.
So Paul, living in the days that the gospel has now been expanded beyond just the borders of Israel and has now gone out to the Gentiles, adds some commentary to it.
But he's also referencing Isaiah chapter 11 verse 1, which says,
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
A sure promise of God given to us.
And here, as he gives his commentary to it and quotes it differently, says,
The root of Jesse will come, and in him will the Gentiles hope.
A sure promise given to us.
A promise that we can believe in.
That we can place our faith in.
If you've been following us and following Paul's argument all along here throughout the book of Romans,
he's continually said to us that we're saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
If I could just easily sum up the point, the treatise put forth in the book of Romans,
it's that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
That's what he's been driving at us all along.
Recall, we've spent now, I think, almost two years in the book of Romans,
but this would have been read to the congregation.
It would have taken about an hour.
A good hour-long sermon read here.
So let's just back up and look, just in one spot, Romans chapter 5, verses 1 and 2,
to connect you back to what he's been saying all along here.
And I want to show you the beautiful connection to chapter 15, verse 13,
about joy and peace and hope.
Chapter 5, verse 1.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Okay, so notice the means.
We have been justified by what?
By our faith.
And now, as a result, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him, we have also obtained access by what?
Again, the means, by faith,
into this grace in which we stand.
And we rejoice, okay,
which is an exaltation, a glory in,
right,
the result of the salvation,
which is birthed out of joy.
That's what the original language means.
Exaltation comes from joy in a reality.
Okay, so there's joy again.
And what do we rejoice in?
Hope, right,
of the glory of God.
So you see the connection there.
So,
the means by which
these things come about
is our faith,
our belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
that we are saved by grace alone
through faith alone
in Christ alone.
It has nothing to do with our action.
It has nothing to do with what we can earn
of our own merit.
Because anything that we can do,
any attempt on our own,
is as filthy rags,
soiled garments to God, right?
It is by His grace
through faith in Christ.
Christ.
And this is the means
by which we have joy
and peace
and hope.
But how is it that we have this faith?
How is it that we believe?
And Paul tells us,
quite frankly here,
and simply,
in chapter 15,
verse 13,
that it is by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
He's not introducing this as a new idea.
He turned to Romans chapter 8,
verse 9.
He says to the believers in Rome,
you, however,
are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit,
if in fact the Spirit of God
dwells in you.
Anyone who does not have
the Spirit of Christ
does not belong to Him.
And again in verse 14,
for all who are led
by the Spirit of God
are sons of God.
So we see that the faith
that works in us
works in us
by the Spirit.
And as we were born,
our hearts were hard.
Our hearts were utterly
devoid of the ability
of believing in God.
Some people believe
in a doctrine
called pervenient grace,
which is taught nowhere
in the Scriptures,
that there's somehow
some shred of good
remaining within us.
That's all that's good in us,
but we have this little ability
left to believe.
The Bible teaches the opposite.
The Bible teaches
that we're dead
in trespasses and sin.
Not mortally wounded,
not so sick
we're about to die,
but we're dead
in our trespasses and sin.
Totally incapable
of righteousness
of any kind whatsoever.
Until the Spirit of God
comes into our lives,
regenerates our hearts,
and we believe.
There's much debate
in Christendom
about whether or not
regeneration precedes faith,
or if faith precedes regeneration.
And I put forth to you
that regeneration precedes faith.
How exactly this all goes down,
I don't fully understand,
and I don't think
it's ours to understand.
But what we need to recognize
is that this is the work
of the Spirit of God
in our hearts.
It's not our own doing.
Ephesians 2,
verse 8 and 9.
If you struggle with the statements
I just made,
it says,
For by grace you have been saved
through faith.
For by grace you've been saved
through faith.
If we stop there,
it would be very easy to say,
I had faith,
therefore I was given grace.
Paul is careful to say,
and this is not your own doing,
it is the gift of God.
Referring to the faith,
not the grace,
as some would argue.
It's referring to the faith.
It is the gift of God,
and it's given to us
by the Spirit.
It's not a result of works,
so that no one may boast.
So none of us have any right,
any claim to boast
in our own action,
any part in our own salvation.
Our salvation was not synergistic,
it was not a work of God,
and we came alongside Him
to accomplish it.
It was fully a work of God.
It was monergistic.
He accomplished it in our hearts.
If He didn't,
we would have willingly rejected Him forever.
Willingly rejected Him.
Our lives reflected this before Christ.
Everything that we did
was absolute, utter rejection of Him.
These doctrines are so key
to our understanding of the Gospel.
And our proper understanding of the Gospel,
our belief in the promises of the Scripture,
is what brings about all joy,
and all peace,
and abounding hope.
So that whatever circumstance you're in,
whatever trouble you experience,
whatever sins you commit as a believer,
however desperate and dark
and removed from God you may feel,
you can remember the promises of God.
That the work of salvation
is fully His work.
That you have joy and peace
and abounding hope.
Because God is a God
who is sure to keep His promises.
It doesn't depend on you.
It depends on Him.
It's His work in our hearts.
Praise Him forever and ever.
As weak as I was just bouncing around,
doing some reading,
I'm going to come across a great quote
from Martin Luther,
who was a great champion of these doctrines.
Talked often about grace alone
through faith alone in Christ alone.
Lived in a day
when the Catholic Church
was teaching quite the opposite.
They were selling indulgences.
They were selling time out of hell
for their family members.
That there were works
that could be committed
to gain heaven.
And Martin Luther being troubled by this
became a monk.
And as he continued to be troubled by
how is it that I can do enough
to gain righteousness?
How is it that I could possibly achieve
this holy standard that God has set?
They put him to work
to keep him busy
translating the book of Romans.
What a bad move
on the Catholic Church's part.
And he began to see this.
God revealed to him
that salvation is by grace alone
through faith alone
and Christ alone.
And we all know that
Martin Luther was no great fan
of the Pope
and what the Pope was teaching
and proposing.
And I say to you this day
that there are many Christians
who are claiming
to have great hope
in the new Pope.
Right?
He's going to be the champion
of the poor.
Good.
That is great.
But as he stands
he's still a liar
until he begins to teach
that salvation comes
by grace alone
through faith alone
in Christ alone.
And I hope that we'll be
praying for him
because he has the ability
to see that
and to do that
and to influence
billions
with that truth.
But listen to what
Martin Luther said
of the Pope of his time.
I can't remember
who it was
but in his commentary
on Galatians.
He said,
If the Pope would concede
that God alone
by his grace
through Christ
justifies sinners
we would carry him
in our arms.
We would kiss his feet.
Now Martin Luther
who was set up
as this great enemy
of the Pope
said if the Pope
would just concede
that salvation comes
by grace alone
through faith alone
in Christ alone
I'll carry him
and kiss his feet.
Right?
Because he would be
a herald
of this great truth.
Right?
So this is the means
for these outcomes
for having all joy
all peace
abounding hope
is that we
believe
by the power of the Spirit
in the gospel
of God.
Does that seem
too simple
to you?
Want me to now
unpack all the ways
that we practically
carry this out
in our lives?
How is it that we
apply
this type of truth?
Right?
We could go on
and on
about how this works
out in our lives.
The gospel
is the answer
to every one
of our ills.
Right?
It speaks
to all of it.
Let me just give you
an example.
Many of you this week
probably became aware
for the first time
of a man named
Kermit
Gasnell
I think I'm saying
his last name right.
Who operated
in a legal abortion
clinic
in Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh.
Yes.
This story's been
going on for quite a while.
Right?
It was shut down
in 2011.
I don't share
a lot of the things
I follow with you.
I've been keeping up
with this story
from the beginning
and it has been
wrenching at my heart
for quite some time now.
Many of you
for the first time
have seen these atrocities.
Are becoming
maybe for the first time
aware of how
horrible
abortion actually is
and the degree
to which
it's carried out.
But listen.
Even in those things.
Even as our heart
breaks
for the sinfulness
of man.
How horrible
man is
to commit
such acts.
Right?
We can have
all joy
and all peace
and abounding
hope
because
included
in the gospel
of Jesus Christ
is the fact
that he will
return
and he will
make all
things
right.
He has a
perfect
and a sovereign
plan
that it's
his work
and not
our work
being accomplished.
That he will
in fact
make it all
right
and new
one day.
So the gospel
ministers
to my soul
as it breaks
for these conditions
and these situations
these things
that are going on
as I long
to do something
radical
to change things.
As I want
to be involved
in making this world
a better place
in saving those
who can't save
themselves
the gospel
ministers to my heart
because I know
that these promises
are sure
that God is a good God
that God is working
out his sovereign plan
that he is fully
in control
I can believe
in those things
and have joy
and peace
and abounding hope.
Now notice
I find
in this text
maybe you don't
maybe this is the first time
you've been thinking about it
but the order
seems a little bit
backwards
to me
because he says
that he hopes
he will be filled with
by the God of hope
with all joy
and peace
so that will have
hope
and it seems to me
that the hope
would precede
having joy
and peace
that having hope
in God
believing in the promises
of God
would then lead
to us having
joy and peace
and as I began
to ponder this
my mind was pulled
back to our context
and I recalled
back up at the end
of verse 4
Paul says
that through the
encouragement
of the scriptures
we might have
hope
right
so that's where
he began
talking about
where the source
is
and then he says
and I think
very cleverly
intentionally
says
may the God
of hope
fill you with
all joy
and peace
and believing
and so
we see that
I believe here
that it's a cycle
that's what he's
trying to say to us
that having hope
in the promises
of God
makes us
sanctified in him
regenerates us
brings to us
joy
and peace
as we believe
which births
more hope
right
because it's
evidence
of the fact
that we are his
that we're found
in him
the fact that
when we go
through difficult
times in our lives
and we can have
joy and peace
in those times
shows us
that we do
in fact
rest
in the promises
of God
that we do
hope
in the promises
of God
and it births
more hope
right
it's like a
perpetual wheel
of joy
peace
and hope
right
and the axle
of which
is
our belief
that term
abounding
in hope
to abound
in it means
that it goes
on
and it goes
on
and it goes
on
and it goes
on
and here's
the cycle
which we find
ourselves in
listen beloved
the Christian life
is not an easy
life
that promise
is never given
to us
in fact
quite the
opposite
is given
to us
he said
we'll be
persecuted
for our
faith
it's not
an easy
life
but it is
a simple
life
it's a life
of believing
being filled
with joy
and peace
in believing
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ
and then
abounding
in hope
and I think
that the trouble
is that when
we don't have
joy
and we don't
have peace
and we don't
abound in
hope
is that we
look to the
world for the
answers
we look to
pop psychology
to the answers
we look to
some pulpits
that aren't
giving us
the real
answer
to where
these things
come from
and we
fail to
look
to the
gospel
we fail
to behold
Christ
on the cross
on our
behalf
we fail
to recognize
the fact
that he's
promised
to return
he will
complete
the work
we get
distracted
by this
world
and we
fail to
look at
the simple
source
of all
of these
things
and that
is the
person
and work
of Jesus
Christ
so we see
the desired
outcome
here
and we
see now
the means
for that
desired
outcome
what is
the source
then
of the means
for the
desired outcome
what is
the source
simply
he begins
verse 13
by saying
may the
God
of hope
our God
is the
God of
hope
who reigns
over hope
who is
the source
of all
hope
our God
the great
I am
the one
who exists
apart from
any other
exterior
circumstance
from any
other
control
the one
that everything
plugs into
but he plugs
into nothing
he is
self
existent
he is
the God
of hope
the source
of all
this
of our
joy
and our
peace
and our
abounding
hope
so we
could read
verse 13
this way
the God
of hope
fills us
with all
joy
and all
peace
which leads
to abounding
hope
by working
in us
faith
in the
person and
work
of Jesus
Christ
by the
power
of the
Holy
Spirit
this is
the way
that Paul
decides to
conclude
the formal
part of his
letter to the
Romans
that their
lives would
look
like this
and he's not
suggesting that
their lives don't
already look
like this
that God's not
already accomplishing
this in them
but it's his
prayer that he
will continue
to carry
that out
that that will
continue to go
that cycle
will run
notice in
verse 14
he says
I myself
am satisfied
about you
he's seeing
already this
progression in
their lives
this great
work of God
he's confident
that the work
that God
began in
them will
be completed
back in
Romans chapter
8
we can see
that he
knows
that the
things that
God begins
he finishes
from the
beginning to
the end
we're secure
in God's
hand
he knows
that this
will take
place
and this
is his
desire
that their
lives
will be
flavored
with joy
and peace
and with
abounding
hope
and it's
my prayer
for us
this day
the
benediction
for you
at the
closing
of this
service
that the
God of
hope
will fill
you
with all
joy
and peace
in believing
so that
by the
power of
the Holy
Spirit
you may
abound
in hope
let's pray
together