WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.839 Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:13.320 Presbyterian Church. And it's my joy to bring God's word to you today. A special welcome 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:18.240 if you're new or visiting with us. We're glad that you're here. And we're glad that 00:00:18.240 --> 00:00:22.900 you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, but because we're following Jesus together 00:00:22.900 --> 00:00:28.219 as one community. And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one so 00:00:28.219 --> 00:00:33.519 good. They don't need God's grace, and no one so bad that they can't have it, which is why we come 00:00:33.519 --> 00:00:40.060 back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in his word. We're continuing this morning our 00:00:40.060 --> 00:00:45.659 series in the book of Romans. And you'll remember that the book of Romans is a letter written by the 00:00:45.659 --> 00:00:53.519 apostle Paul. He writes it in the 50s AD, and it is called Romans for a very simple reason, which is 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:59.700 that it is written to the churches in the city of Rome. This letter is fundamentally about the gospel. 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:06.500 It's about the good news of Jesus' death and his resurrection. And Paul's hope, as he writes it, 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:12.379 is that these churches would be established in the gospel. That's what he tells us just a few verses 00:01:12.379 --> 00:01:18.480 later in chapter 1, verse 11. And there are many applications that we're going to see throughout the 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:24.800 16 chapters in this book. And Paul, though, is especially concerned throughout with the mission 00:01:24.800 --> 00:01:31.159 and the unity of the church. In fact, we're going to see both of those here this morning. And so there's 00:01:31.159 --> 00:01:38.659 many spokes in the book of Romans. They always and constantly return to the hub of the gospel. 00:01:39.820 --> 00:01:45.880 As I've warned you or maybe comforted you with before, we will not always move this slowly through the 00:01:45.879 --> 00:01:51.519 book. We are doing that at the introduction because it is, in fact, so dense and so thick. 00:01:52.039 --> 00:01:58.640 And in this week, we're going to return to the same themes we saw in verse 1, especially Paul 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:05.799 telling us how he's a servant of Jesus Christ. And we'll see that our good and God's glory are tied 00:02:05.799 --> 00:02:12.500 together. Our focus this morning is on verse 5, but I have all five verses. 1 through 5 is our reading 00:02:12.500 --> 00:02:17.879 simply so we see it in context. And I invite you now to turn with me to Romans chapter 1. 00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:24.680 You can turn in your worship guide. You can turn on your phone. You can turn in your Bible. 00:02:25.319 --> 00:02:30.099 No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's Word. And God tells us that His Word is more 00:02:30.099 --> 00:02:36.120 precious than gold, even the finest gold, and it's sweeter than honey, even honey that comes straight 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:41.800 from the honeycomb. And so that's why we read now Romans chapter 1, starting at verse 1. 00:02:42.500 --> 00:02:49.939 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:54.300 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 00:02:55.300 --> 00:03:02.099 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh, and was declared to be 00:03:02.099 --> 00:03:08.080 the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead, 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:17.700 Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of 00:03:17.700 --> 00:03:25.900 faith for the sake of His name among all the nations. I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion 00:03:25.900 --> 00:03:34.820 of God's Word. Our Father in heaven, we do thank you again for coming and speaking to us, 00:03:34.819 --> 00:03:42.139 speaking us through your Word on ways that we can understand. We thank you for its power. You tell us 00:03:42.139 --> 00:03:50.939 in Hebrews chapter 1 that your Word holds the world together. You tell us in Genesis chapter 1 that your 00:03:50.939 --> 00:03:57.280 Word created the world out of nothing. And so we ask that that very same power would be at work this 00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:02.560 morning, that you would use this Word to be at work in our hearts, in our minds, in our lives, 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:12.060 that you'd use it to soften our hearts, to clear our minds, that we would see Jesus like we've never 00:04:12.060 --> 00:04:17.280 seen Him before. We would see Him in His glory, in His power, in His majesty, in His holiness, 00:04:17.959 --> 00:04:23.800 in His mercy, in His grace, in His love. And we thank you that we don't have to worry this morning about 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:28.439 whether we've earned those things or deserve them. And we know that we don't and we haven't. 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:32.639 And so we simply ask them in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 00:04:35.639 --> 00:04:43.279 During my time now for a few years as a pastor, I have come to learn and discover that people have 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:51.060 very strong views on the idea of a mission statement. Now, whether it comes to vision or 00:04:51.060 --> 00:04:57.259 value, some people consider these things to be essential. Other people consider these things to be 00:04:57.259 --> 00:05:02.699 silly and maybe a little bit of a waste of time. When I was in seminary, we took this class on 00:05:02.699 --> 00:05:07.259 leadership and we came to the part where we were talking about mission and vision as a church. 00:05:07.779 --> 00:05:13.300 And one of my very best friends, who was quite bold, raised his hand and he said, you know, I'm not so 00:05:13.300 --> 00:05:17.939 sure we really need any of this stuff. I mean, my vision for the church is hell's a real place. 00:05:18.060 --> 00:05:25.139 People are going there. Jesus saves sinners. That's all we need to say. And there was sort of this 00:05:25.139 --> 00:05:29.319 nodding, you know, from seminary students in the room thinking, man, do we really have to think 00:05:29.319 --> 00:05:38.719 about all of these complicated things? In March of 2020, at the beginning of COVID, Stanley McChrystal, 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:44.680 the famous retired four-star Army general, was interviewed on crisis leadership. And he said, 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:51.800 for a team, it's important to answer one question, which is this, what does success look like? 00:05:51.800 --> 00:05:57.480 This was a follow-up to something that same month he had shot out on Twitter. He said, 00:05:57.560 --> 00:06:03.240 leaders need to continue to reiterate what winning looks like to your organization. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:08.900 So whether you believe in mission statements, whether you think vision and values matter, 00:06:09.300 --> 00:06:16.379 hopefully we can agree that this is an important question. What does success look like? What are we 00:06:16.379 --> 00:06:23.259 aiming at? Thankfully, in his introduction here, the Apostle Paul provides us with that answer, his answer 00:06:23.259 --> 00:06:31.000 to that question. As he begins his magnum opus, he tells us what is success for him as an apostle. 00:06:31.879 --> 00:06:36.459 In fact, he reviews that very fact at the very beginning of this verse. He tells us, 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:44.759 through whom we have received grace and apostleship. He's reminding us of the job that he has been given, 00:06:44.759 --> 00:06:51.300 and it's a reminder because he told us the very same thing in verse 1. Remember our first sermon in Romans, 00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:59.860 he says, I was called to be an apostle. We discuss the fact that apostles were the 12 men who were 00:06:59.860 --> 00:07:06.199 handpicked by Jesus Christ. That's why he says here, through whom we have received grace and apostleship. 00:07:06.500 --> 00:07:12.699 In other words, Jesus chose us. He handpicked us. He selected us to be the 12 who would establish the 00:07:12.699 --> 00:07:18.659 teaching of the church. And you'll remember that these 12 apostles play a unique role in establishing 00:07:18.659 --> 00:07:24.519 the church. And hopefully, you also remember that there are no more apostles. And there are no more 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:30.680 apostles for two simple reasons. Reason one, we now have the 66 books of the Bible, the teaching, 00:07:30.819 --> 00:07:38.000 the doctrine of the church has been established. Reason two, the apostles were handpicked by Jesus Christ 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:43.800 and learned directly from him. I don't remember where I read this, but recently someone pointed 00:07:43.800 --> 00:07:49.480 out that if you meet someone and they claim to be an apostle, the first question you can ask them is 00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:59.459 this, are you over 2,000 years old? And if they're not, they don't fit the criteria, right? They were not 00:07:59.459 --> 00:08:07.120 there to walk with Jesus. Paul also tells us that he received grace, which reminds us of his words in 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:15.079 verse 1, that he was set apart, that God had chosen him for this specific task despite his hostility to 00:08:15.079 --> 00:08:20.620 God and the gospel. And so we're reminded at the beginning again of what we learned at the very 00:08:20.620 --> 00:08:29.879 beginning, which is that Paul is speaking with God's authority in this letter. He is not telling us 00:08:29.879 --> 00:08:38.340 one way to think about God's revelation. No, Paul is telling us the way to think about God's revelation. 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:47.340 He is speaking as one sent and commissioned by Jesus Christ. Since Paul is clear in his calling, 00:08:47.980 --> 00:08:55.580 he is also able to be clear with us about what success looks like. And that's what we go on to see in the 00:08:55.580 --> 00:09:02.160 next phrase. Paul reviews his calling, and then he goes on and says, hey, this is what my win is. 00:09:03.040 --> 00:09:11.800 My win is to bring about the obedience of faith. Now, there's been pages and pages spilled over what 00:09:11.800 --> 00:09:17.940 exactly Paul means by the obedience of faith here. And what he means are two things. There's two elements 00:09:17.940 --> 00:09:29.780 at play in this phrase. The first is that faith itself is an act of obedience. Faith itself is an act of obedience. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:38.920 And so success for Paul means to bring people to repent of their sins and to believe in Jesus Christ as their 00:09:38.920 --> 00:09:47.720 Savior. Now, Paul says this elsewhere when he preaches in the city of Athens in Acts chapter 17, verse 30, he says this, 00:09:47.940 --> 00:09:56.640 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 00:09:57.500 --> 00:10:03.200 What is the obedience of faith? It's obeying God's command to repent. 00:10:04.780 --> 00:10:10.380 The very next verse in that sermon, Paul goes on to say, and that's because a day of judgment is coming, 00:10:10.620 --> 00:10:15.360 and you know it's coming because Jesus rose from the dead. 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:26.060 And so success for Paul means that the world would know this, that the world would know that Jesus rose from the dead, 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:31.600 that a day of judgment is coming, and that because of it, they would repent and believe. 00:10:32.759 --> 00:10:37.820 I've been telling you for the last couple weeks that Jesus himself teaches the same things that Paul does, 00:10:38.180 --> 00:10:39.899 and we can say that as well here. 00:10:39.899 --> 00:10:44.879 John chapter 6, Jesus is talking to these crowds, and they ask him this important question. 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:49.759 They say, what must we do to be doing the works of God? 00:10:50.939 --> 00:10:58.779 Jesus answered them, this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent. 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:05.539 The obedience of faith is the obedience of believing in Jesus Christ. 00:11:05.539 --> 00:11:10.139 Now there's a second element at play here as well. 00:11:11.819 --> 00:11:14.459 Obedience of faith is not simply the act of faith. 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:16.939 It is not simply or merely believing in Christ. 00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:20.059 It's also clear that faith leads to obedience. 00:11:20.299 --> 00:11:22.919 It expresses itself in obedience. 00:11:23.740 --> 00:11:29.439 We might say that those who recognize Jesus as their Lord will, of course, 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:32.740 live in obedience to his commands. 00:11:32.740 --> 00:11:39.139 And so this idea, this concept of Jesus as our Lord or our King, 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:42.639 sums up both of these ideas as faith, of faith. 00:11:42.860 --> 00:11:44.259 The obedience of faith, that is. 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:48.639 If Christ is our King or our Lord, we have to recognize him as such, right? 00:11:48.899 --> 00:11:51.259 We have to obey him in repenting. 00:11:52.139 --> 00:11:54.720 And there's a call to obedience. 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:57.759 There's a real and actual living in his kingdom. 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:03.559 You'll see this on page 8 of your worship guide, a summary of these two ideas. 00:12:04.340 --> 00:12:10.779 The obedience of faith is therefore a trusting submission to Jesus the Lord. 00:12:11.539 --> 00:12:12.899 That's an important concept there. 00:12:12.980 --> 00:12:14.500 Jesus the Lord or the King. 00:12:14.860 --> 00:12:19.460 Not Jesus simply or merely the teacher of good ideas, the one who tells you what to do. 00:12:19.460 --> 00:12:23.940 No, the ruler and reign are over all of the earth. 00:12:24.680 --> 00:12:28.379 Bowing the knee to him at the start, initial faith, 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:34.340 and going on to bowing the knee to him thereafter, continuing faith. 00:12:35.160 --> 00:12:41.340 The obedience of faith is an initial and an ongoing surrender. 00:12:41.340 --> 00:12:46.180 What does success look like for Paul? 00:12:47.780 --> 00:12:54.280 Success looks like men and women recognizing Jesus Christ as their King 00:12:54.280 --> 00:12:58.379 and living in his kingdom. 00:13:00.139 --> 00:13:02.540 That is Paul's mission. 00:13:03.560 --> 00:13:06.600 I've also been telling you that as we look at these first seven verses, 00:13:06.740 --> 00:13:10.300 we're going to see some of the main themes of Romans bubble up. 00:13:10.299 --> 00:13:14.319 And one of them is this, is that obedience is tied up with, 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:16.959 it flows from faith in Christ. 00:13:17.779 --> 00:13:20.819 And so that's going to come out even in the structure of the book. 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:25.539 The beginning of Romans, we're going to hear all of this doctrine explained to us. 00:13:25.839 --> 00:13:28.299 And we might think of that as the initial faith, the belief. 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:31.799 And then as we get to the end, especially as we turn to chapter 12, 00:13:31.979 --> 00:13:33.559 we're going to have all the application. 00:13:34.039 --> 00:13:37.299 Paul's going to tell us, hey, and now this is how you live. 00:13:37.299 --> 00:13:42.219 You see Jesus as King, you recognize him as Lord and Savior, 00:13:42.819 --> 00:13:47.919 and that flows out into a life of faith and obedience. 00:13:50.659 --> 00:13:51.759 Very simple. 00:13:52.579 --> 00:13:54.079 That's what success looks like. 00:13:54.719 --> 00:13:59.419 Success to Paul looks like the obedience of faith. 00:14:00.539 --> 00:14:05.979 It shouldn't surprise us that Paul is simply repeating what he learned from Jesus. 00:14:05.980 --> 00:14:11.920 Paul's statement, his mission, sounds surprisingly similar to Jesus' statement. 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:13.399 Matthew chapter 28. 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:16.759 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, 00:14:16.920 --> 00:14:21.740 baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:25.399 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. 00:14:25.399 --> 00:14:31.879 What Paul teaches, Jesus taught first. 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:39.740 Success is bringing people to recognize and serve Jesus as King. 00:14:42.740 --> 00:14:45.500 Remember last week we talked about this very same thing, 00:14:45.539 --> 00:14:47.439 and I quoted to you this from C.S. Lewis. 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:52.200 I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:55.880 which I shall not find till after death. 00:14:56.660 --> 00:15:00.360 I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside. 00:15:01.020 --> 00:15:07.160 I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country 00:15:07.160 --> 00:15:10.900 and help others do the same. 00:15:12.340 --> 00:15:13.760 What is Paul's mission? 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:16.899 What does Paul's win look like? 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:20.799 It looks like pressing on to that other country, 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:24.879 helping others do the same. 00:15:25.980 --> 00:15:29.819 Looks like bringing people to the obedience of faith. 00:15:35.419 --> 00:15:37.259 Now, if you're a cynic, you may be thinking, 00:15:37.399 --> 00:15:40.960 man, obedience is in fact not very sexy. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:45.240 Why is it that I should care about obedience? 00:15:45.379 --> 00:15:48.840 This sounds like duty and mere drudgery. 00:15:49.560 --> 00:15:53.040 Well, thankfully, Paul doesn't simply tell us his mission, 00:15:53.580 --> 00:15:56.040 doesn't tell us just what success looks like. 00:15:56.080 --> 00:16:00.940 He also tells us why it is that this, in fact, matters so much. 00:16:01.540 --> 00:16:02.860 We have another phrase here. 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:04.519 He tells us he's doing this. 00:16:04.620 --> 00:16:07.560 The purpose, the why behind his mission is very simple. 00:16:07.559 --> 00:16:10.839 It is for the sake of his name. 00:16:12.179 --> 00:16:14.279 Why is he bringing about the obedience of faith? 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:17.919 So that God would be honored and glorified. 00:16:19.259 --> 00:16:20.299 That's the why. 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:26.079 That's the motivation that Paul can return to over and over again. 00:16:26.339 --> 00:16:29.259 This will also sound a little bit like review because it is. 00:16:29.779 --> 00:16:32.759 Remember, in verse 1, we talked about Paul's phrase 00:16:32.759 --> 00:16:35.719 that he is a servant of Jesus Christ. 00:16:35.720 --> 00:16:43.160 And what is a servant if not someone who seeks the glory of his master? 00:16:45.500 --> 00:16:50.440 What is a servant if not someone who wants to see his master's name famous, 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:52.240 lifted up, exalted? 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:57.680 Two weeks ago, we talked about the fact that when it comes to being a servant, 00:16:57.940 --> 00:16:59.680 all of us have to serve someone. 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:02.240 And we have three different options. 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:04.259 We can serve someone else. 00:17:05.120 --> 00:17:07.940 We all know trusting another human is not a good idea. 00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:15.079 We can serve ourselves, which sounds tempting, but in fact does not end very well. 00:17:15.500 --> 00:17:21.779 Or we can serve Jesus Christ, the one who actually loves us more than we love ourselves. 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:26.180 And I'm going to invite you to turn with me to page 5 of your worship guide. 00:17:26.180 --> 00:17:33.240 I read you a different quote two weeks ago from a different author explaining why it is that God wants what's best for us 00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:35.140 better than what we want for ourselves. 00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:37.640 Here's someone else saying the same thing. 00:17:38.340 --> 00:17:45.180 Experience proves that without a reliable guide, we can't know what makes us truly happy. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:50.200 This is why desirable pursuits often disappoint us. 00:17:50.200 --> 00:17:55.140 God alone reveals what will satisfy us. 00:17:55.140 --> 00:18:03.160 The beautiful irony is that in glorifying God, we actually find true happiness. 00:18:06.759 --> 00:18:13.360 Why is it that God's glory should motivate us and press us forward? 00:18:13.580 --> 00:18:14.819 There are many reasons. 00:18:14.819 --> 00:18:17.019 One of them is this. 00:18:17.859 --> 00:18:21.139 God's glory is our good. 00:18:23.779 --> 00:18:26.359 God's glory is our good. 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:32.220 Remember, we have the many spokes going back to the one hub of the gospel. 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:40.200 Jesus is the only one who gave up his life for us. 00:18:40.200 --> 00:18:44.039 Jesus is the only one who died for us. 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:51.059 And so he's the only one that's safe for us to give ourselves to fully and completely. 00:18:52.460 --> 00:18:57.519 It's not safe, ultimately, to be the servant of another person. 00:18:58.580 --> 00:19:01.740 And it's certainly not safe to be the servant of ourselves. 00:19:03.420 --> 00:19:08.039 No, it is safe and only safe to serve Jesus Christ. 00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:19.119 In other words, as and when we seek God's glory, that is also how we discover and find our good. 00:19:20.619 --> 00:19:23.180 And so Paul doesn't just tell us our mission. 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:27.119 He tells us why it matters. 00:19:28.879 --> 00:19:35.059 We care about obedience because our good cannot be separated from God's glory. 00:19:35.059 --> 00:19:40.419 And it is in God's glory that we discover our good. 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:44.519 Because he's the rightful and true king of the world. 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:49.579 He's the only good and faithful king. 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:54.059 So we trust him more than we trust ourselves. 00:19:54.059 --> 00:20:02.940 How can you have the very best things in this world? 00:20:04.940 --> 00:20:13.000 You have them by pursuing obedience for the sake of Jesus' name. 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:24.900 To bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations. 00:20:26.099 --> 00:20:27.579 And so the point for us is this. 00:20:28.920 --> 00:20:32.440 Our ways, if we're left to ourselves, lead to death. 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:35.259 God's ways lead to life. 00:20:35.259 --> 00:20:39.160 God's definition of success leads to flourishing. 00:20:40.339 --> 00:20:43.059 Our definition of success leads to oppression. 00:20:44.379 --> 00:20:47.460 God's way of spending our money brings joy. 00:20:48.879 --> 00:20:51.519 Our way of spending our money brings disappointment. 00:20:53.900 --> 00:20:57.819 God's design for our bodies and our sexuality brings dignity. 00:20:59.559 --> 00:21:01.519 Our ways bring great shame. 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:07.599 God's ways of thinking about race and culture bring unity and celebration. 00:21:08.879 --> 00:21:11.559 Our ways of thinking about them bring destruction. 00:21:13.779 --> 00:21:17.920 If you give me just one more quote, you look on the back of your worship guide, you'll find this. 00:21:20.460 --> 00:21:26.039 Your flourishing is intimately connected with the God in whose image you have been created. 00:21:27.059 --> 00:21:30.759 The first people were fundamentally God-centered and happy. 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:36.180 They experienced joy in their work, their rest, and relationships. 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:42.259 In the fall, humans became self-centered and unhappy. 00:21:43.879 --> 00:21:50.339 Do you want to experience joy in your work, your rest, and your relationships? 00:21:50.339 --> 00:21:57.319 And your life must be God-centered. 00:21:58.319 --> 00:22:03.759 You must pursue the obedience of faith for the sake of his name. 00:22:08.259 --> 00:22:15.519 Isaiah 55 reminds us his ways are higher than our ways, his thoughts higher than our thoughts. 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:45.500 Paul doesn't just tell us the mission. 00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:46.500 God-centered. 00:22:46.500 --> 00:22:52.299 The first book of God-centered, the first book of God-centered, God comes to Abraham and he says, 00:22:52.299 --> 00:22:54.119 this is where you're headed. 00:22:55.180 --> 00:23:00.380 You are going to be a blessing to all the nations. 00:23:01.740 --> 00:23:06.119 And surprise, surprise, Paul says the same thing here. 00:23:06.119 --> 00:23:22.539 One of the main themes of Romans is that the gospel is for everyone. 00:23:22.539 --> 00:23:29.740 The gospel is for every tribe, every tongue, and every nation. 00:23:30.460 --> 00:23:33.279 There's many applications we could draw out of that. 00:23:33.859 --> 00:23:38.339 Remember, I've been telling you for the last several weeks that while Paul has many applications, 00:23:38.899 --> 00:23:44.039 he is especially concerned for the mission and the unity of the church. 00:23:44.039 --> 00:23:49.379 And so here at the very beginning, he wants to make sure that these Christians in Rome know 00:23:49.379 --> 00:23:53.240 the gospel isn't for some people, some nations, some cities. 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:56.799 No, it's for all people, all cities, all nations. 00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:03.960 How is it that they're able to have unity among their differences as they come together of different cultures and ethnicities? 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:05.519 It's for this reason. 00:24:06.399 --> 00:24:12.339 That God is reconciling different peoples together into himself. 00:24:12.339 --> 00:24:20.619 And again, Paul teaches second what Jesus said first. 00:24:21.559 --> 00:24:22.619 What does Jesus say? 00:24:22.699 --> 00:24:23.859 Matthew chapter 28, 00:24:24.519 --> 00:24:28.339 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. 00:24:29.679 --> 00:24:31.359 Now, many of you have heard this. 00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:36.279 Not as many people have heard what Jesus says a few chapters earlier, Matthew chapter 24. 00:24:36.279 --> 00:24:45.460 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. 00:24:45.859 --> 00:24:48.899 And then the end will come. 00:24:49.819 --> 00:24:51.119 What is Jesus saying? 00:24:52.480 --> 00:25:01.160 Jesus tells us in another place that he, according to his human nature, doesn't know the time or the hour of the end of the world. 00:25:01.720 --> 00:25:03.539 And yet here he tells us we know one thing. 00:25:03.539 --> 00:25:11.339 It will not come until every single nation has heard the good news of the gospel. 00:25:12.279 --> 00:25:14.220 We don't know the time or the day. 00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:15.180 We do know this. 00:25:16.779 --> 00:25:20.359 God's word will go out throughout the whole earth. 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:24.180 Habakkuk 2 tells us this. 00:25:25.019 --> 00:25:31.859 That the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 00:25:33.539 --> 00:25:37.339 And so as he starts his letter, Paul is reminding these people, look. 00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:40.519 You have great unity. 00:25:42.180 --> 00:25:43.940 You have one mission together. 00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:47.980 And you have it because God has called everyone to take part. 00:25:47.980 --> 00:25:53.720 That's why as a church, we talk about fervent witness and gospel hub. 00:25:54.660 --> 00:25:58.380 We want to be a people who are characterized by fervent witness. 00:25:58.380 --> 00:26:02.380 That we are representing the obedience of faith to the world around us. 00:26:02.839 --> 00:26:07.620 And we know that our members are going to end up being sent all over the world. 00:26:07.720 --> 00:26:14.940 And so as a gospel hub, we want to equip them to do the best job they can in faithfulness to Jesus Christ. 00:26:14.940 --> 00:26:17.200 Why? 00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:24.740 Because he is the only one who loves us more than we love ourselves. 00:26:25.480 --> 00:26:30.880 He's the only one who's worth our ultimate praise and service and devotion. 00:26:32.059 --> 00:26:35.820 Paul explains this in his letter to the Corinthians, his second letter. 00:26:35.819 --> 00:26:37.059 He says, 00:26:37.059 --> 00:26:39.960 For the love of Christ controls us. 00:26:40.819 --> 00:26:42.399 Because we have concluded this, 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:45.119 that one has died for all, 00:26:45.919 --> 00:26:48.279 therefore all have died. 00:26:49.379 --> 00:26:50.579 And he died for all, 00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:54.259 that those who live might no longer live for themselves, 00:26:54.720 --> 00:27:01.200 but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 00:27:01.200 --> 00:27:07.039 The love of Christ controls us. 00:27:11.259 --> 00:27:12.480 President John F. Kennedy, 00:27:13.080 --> 00:27:16.740 one of his main legacies before he was assassinated, 00:27:18.080 --> 00:27:21.960 was setting the United States on the trajectory of a mission to the moon. 00:27:22.740 --> 00:27:25.980 And he was famous for his communication skill in that project, 00:27:25.980 --> 00:27:34.240 that he made the mission so incredibly clear that everyone understood what direction our nation was pointed on. 00:27:34.680 --> 00:27:38.860 There was in fact one and only one goal. 00:27:39.759 --> 00:27:40.660 It was so clear, 00:27:40.880 --> 00:27:46.220 there's a famous quote from a janitor who was working to help those involved in this project, 00:27:46.299 --> 00:27:47.140 and he said this, 00:27:47.140 --> 00:27:57.700 Brothers and sisters, 00:27:58.759 --> 00:28:01.780 no matter what you do in life, 00:28:02.440 --> 00:28:06.080 no matter what place God has given you, 00:28:06.560 --> 00:28:09.520 no matter the works that he's prepared beforehand, 00:28:10.220 --> 00:28:12.880 your mission is this, 00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:20.800 the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among the nations. 00:28:22.340 --> 00:28:22.960 Let's pray. 00:28:24.940 --> 00:28:26.000 Our Father in heaven, 00:28:26.120 --> 00:28:29.900 we do thank you that you've spoken to us clearly in your word, 00:28:30.580 --> 00:28:35.480 that you haven't left us to wonder what direction we should point our lives in, 00:28:35.540 --> 00:28:36.720 but instead you've made it clear 00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:40.140 that our good and your glory are tied up together. 00:28:40.140 --> 00:28:43.020 And so we ask that you would remind us of that again, 00:28:43.120 --> 00:28:44.840 that you would drive it deep into our hearts, 00:28:45.320 --> 00:28:48.320 that you protect us from the distractions and the lies 00:28:48.320 --> 00:28:51.880 that would pull us away to many other things, 00:28:52.020 --> 00:28:55.480 but that instead we would focus on one thing, 00:28:56.180 --> 00:28:57.640 the work of God, 00:28:57.720 --> 00:29:00.500 which is to believe in your son and the one who sent him. 00:29:00.840 --> 00:29:02.980 We ask all these things in his mighty name. 00:29:03.180 --> 00:29:03.420 Amen. 00:29:03.420 --> 00:29:03.580 Amen.