Well, good morning, beloved. It's very good to see you here today with us.
! And I'm so thankful to see so many guests on this special Easter morning.
! Certainly, our Savior is risen, and not just on this day, but He has been for quite some time.
And our freedom, our life, and our joy is bought by His person and by His work.
So, I'm glad to be back today. Last week, I was traveling with Daniel Gentry, a member of our church, to the country of Nicaragua.
We decided to undertake a cross-country drive, which we were able to find almost no information about.
We even, in Managua, at the airport, were asking the car rental folks,
is there a road that gets where we're going? And they had never heard of where we were going.
We trusted with a little bit of information that, by God's providence, He would get us there.
And the very beginning of Hebrews, chapter 1, verse 3, says that Jesus upholds the universe by the word of His power.
And that's true in all circumstances, all the time.
It's more evidenced in some circumstances, like Daniel Gentry and I driving across Nicaragua, speaking no Spanish at all.
But as we were singing, Wes, I'm glad he did the Spanish version of that song.
There's a good chance that I spoke in tongues down there, because people seemed to understand what I was saying
in my very southern English, and we managed to get across the country and back safely.
And I'll share later some more of what happened during that time.
But today, I want you to turn with me to the book of Romans, chapter 15.
We've been working our way, verse by verse, through the book of Romans.
We're coming to a close, I think another maybe six weeks to eight, and we will finish out the book together.
And we have come together today to chapter 15, verse 4.
And we're going to look today together at verse 4 through verse 7.
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction,
that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another,
in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God.
Let's pray together.
Father God, I pray this morning by the power of your Spirit that you will speak to us by your Word.
We recognize this morning, Lord, that our preaching is in vain if Christ is not risen,
and we praise you for that reality.
That he is seated at your right hand even now, interceding for us,
that our prayers would be heard by you because we're clothed in his righteousness.
So we come to you humbly, asking that you work amongst us,
recognizing that we are your people, and you want good things for us from your Word.
We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.
So some of you, I know, may already be wondering why we're in Romans chapter 15,
looking at verse 4 through 7.
And I will say to you, that's because that's where we are in the Scriptures.
Many today are going to pause from whatever their preaching schedule is to preach a special Easter sermon.
And I say to you that every sermon is an Easter sermon.
Because every sermon contains within it the beauties, the glories of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And that includes his resurrection.
So we'll certainly talk about that this morning.
We're going to talk about that in the light of these truths that Paul's been trying to show us,
the workings out of the Gospel,
which he's presented in the first 11 chapters of this book.
But before we go any further, I want to take a pause from Romans chapter 15
to address quickly a social issue going on in our country right now.
It's going to be very, very brief, and then we're going to move on.
Currently, right now, the Supreme Court is debating DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act.
And we may see that repealed in our country.
Gay marriage may become a reality very soon in our country.
And I just want to say two things to you, if this comes about.
Firstly, the federal government legalizing homosexual marriage
in no way affects the sanctity of your marriage.
Look to your personal holiness.
Husbands, lead your wives.
Pastor, provide and protect for her.
Wives, submit to your husbands just as the church submits to Christ.
Raise your kids well.
Be a living example of what healthy marriage should look like in this world.
It's meant to be a picture of Christ and the relationship with his church.
Just continue to do that.
It doesn't destroy your marriage.
If you think it does, come see me.
We've got a lot to talk about.
Secondly, our primary goal as Christians is not to prevent gay marriage.
Our primary goal as Christians is not to prevent gay marriage.
It's the redemption of souls.
So stay calm and carry on.
Continue to propagate the gospel.
Continue to speak to people's hearts.
Because people really don't change until their hearts change.
And so let's keep soldiering on together.
Expect that this world is going to get worse.
It's going to happen all around us.
Not just this issue.
This is one amongst many ways that our culture is rejecting almighty God and his standard for us.
So keep calm.
Carry on.
Continue to present the gospel in every possible way.
Close that.
Back to Romans chapter 15.
I want to bring to you four observations from the text this morning.
And if you'll allow, I'm actually going to begin with verse 7.
So we're going to begin with verse 7 and then we'll jump back up to verse 4.
Because we're going to start with the first observation, which is that we have been welcomed by Christ.
And therefore he is our example for what Paul is trying to say to us here in this text.
That we ought to welcome one another.
Chapter 14 has been all about the fact that there are these non-clear issues in our Christian faith.
These things that are now permissible to us as Christians, but may or may not be beneficial.
Gray areas, so to speak.
I've said to you previously that they're non-issues that we tend to make into issues.
And they develop and they form into legalism.
And we tend to bash each other and beat each other up over these non-primary things.
So let's not make issues out of non-issues.
Let's continue to persevere and press on in the truth of the gospel with one another.
And Christ here is set up as our supreme example for that.
And I think it's so fitting that as he's coming to the close of his exhortations to us,
the way that we're supposed to work the gospel out,
that he ends it with Christ just as he began it with Christ.
So you remember back in chapter 12, verse 1, he says,
Brethren, by the mercies of God, I appeal to you by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice.
And now he's working out what this life sacrifice to God looks like.
So you would say, but wait, is that really starting with Christ?
And I would say to you, yes, in the first 11 chapters.
That's where he began with these doctrines of the gospel,
that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone forever.
That that is the way in which we stand right before God,
not by any work that we can do on our own,
not by any pressing of our own,
but by his great work on our behalf.
So he begins it with Christ and he ends it here in verse 7 with Christ once again.
So therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.
It is Easter Sunday, is it not?
I'd be remiss if we didn't read an Easter Sunday text.
Luke chapter 24, verse 1 through 7.
I invite you to turn there with me.
Chapter 24, verse 1, the book of Luke, the gospel of Luke.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn,
they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.
But when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were perplexed about this,
behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.
And as they were frightened and bowed their face to the ground,
the men said to them,
Why do you seek the living among the dead?
He is not here, but has risen.
Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men
and be crucified, and on the third day, rise.
So as we saw in the story,
the presentation from the Jesus Storybook Bible,
and I wish I had an English accent,
because I think you would hear it better if I did, right?
We had this dark grieving,
this darkness that stood over the Christians,
those who had devoted their lives to Christ,
who were following him,
thinking that he had come to conquer
in a different way than he did.
He was crucified.
And here's some women that come to serve him just the same,
to continue the preparation of burial,
to put spices there in the tomb.
Sad, mourning over this loss.
And they get there, and he is risen.
He has conquered death on our behalf in that great act.
We don't just talk about the death of Christ.
We talk about the death, the burial,
and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
All of these things are key and important
to our understanding of the Gospel.
That he bore for us the wrath of our sin.
He died.
The ultimate penalty for sin
was buried and then resurrected.
He conquered death on our behalf.
The person and the work of Jesus Christ
is so important for us to understand.
There are many people across the world today
that are sitting in services
thinking that the very act of coming
to an Easter service in some way
puts them in right standing with God.
If I go on Christmas and celebrate his birth,
I go on Easter Sunday,
I celebrate his resurrection,
he'll find me just.
Nicaragua is this way.
There's a lot of religion down there,
but I think very little Christianity.
Lots of striving on their own part
to be found right before God.
And I ask the question to so many people
that we sat and talked with,
when you stand before God,
how will you be judged?
If you're found right,
why will you be found right?
And more often than not,
I got blank stares.
So I fed him the answer.
You'll be found right
because you placed your faith in Christ,
right?
In his person and his work.
In the things that he has done for you.
And all of you have added to the equation
is belief.
You believe that when you get there,
when you're finally judged,
you'll stand before God
and he will say to you,
well done my good and faithful servant,
because you're found in Christ.
That is the beauty of Christianity.
Of what our God has done for us.
It depends not at all on us.
I've used the analogy
of a whitewater river before here
as I've been a whitewater paddler
and talked about how
the end of our life,
if we're not found in Christ,
is certain destruction.
It's a massive waterfall.
That we're going to go over.
And this river is so wide
that by our greatest efforts
of swimming upstream,
away from this peril that's behind us,
we'll never, ever, ever
be able to work our way
to the safety of the shore
unless someone comes to get us.
Really, that analogy falls short.
In even talking about us
trying to swim,
right?
We can't do anything
to gain our own salvation.
Really, we're dead
in our trespasses and our sin.
Right?
Really, we're dead
and we're limp
already headed towards
our destruction.
But Jesus Christ comes
because of the person in the world,
because of what he's done for us.
He comes and he plucks us out
and he puts us safely
on the shore.
He pumps the water
out of our lungs.
He revives us
and gives us life
in him.
This is so incredibly important
to recognize
and that the resurrection
is one of the many keys
that are so important
for that to happen.
We have life
because he is alive.
Seated for us now,
holding the world
by the power of his word,
what glorious, glorious truths
these are.
John chapter 8,
verse 31 through 36.
Record,
So Jesus said to the Jews
who had believed in him,
If you abide in my word,
you are truly my disciples
and you will know the truth
and the truth will set you free.
They answered him,
We are offspring of Abraham
and have never been enslaved
to anyone.
How is it that you say
you will become free?
Jesus answered them,
Truly, truly,
I say to you,
everyone who practices sin
is a slave to sin.
The slave does not remain
in the house forever.
For the Son remains forever.
So if the Son sets you free,
you will be free indeed.
So you see that these truths
that I'm stating,
these things about the personal work of Christ,
are the overarching truths
of this world.
Every other truth
is bound up in this,
what Jesus Christ
has accomplished
for his church.
And if we will abide
in that truth,
we will be set free
by the Son.
Now our text before us today
talks also about the Scriptures,
does it not?
So our second point,
just as Christ has welcomed us,
those who were once enemies of God,
utterly incapable
of our own righteousness,
he has welcomed us
to set the example
of the way we ought to welcome
one another.
The second point I want to make today,
the observation,
is that the Scriptures
have been given to us
for the blessing
of hope.
Look here at verse 4.
For whatever was written
in former days
was written
for our instruction,
that through endurance
and through the encouragement
of the Scriptures,
we might have hope.
Whatever was written
in the former days.
So Paul was referring here
to what we would call
the Old Testament.
These are the Scriptures
that he's referencing
at this point.
The rest of the Scripture
hadn't been canonized yet
at this point.
It hadn't been accepted
as part of the revealed
words of God.
And so he's talking about
the Old Testament here
and directly he's referencing
verse 3,
the last half,
here in chapter 15,
where Jesus quotes
from Psalm 69, 9,
which is David speaking,
but so much more so
to Christ,
the reproaches of those
who reproached you
fell on me.
So he's specifically referencing
Psalm 69, 9
as he talks about
those things written
in former days.
The general instruction
of the Scriptures
is included in that for us,
right?
For our instruction.
But more than that,
all of their Scripture
to that date,
and certainly all
that had been added
since then,
shows us Christ,
his person,
and his work.
Now many Christians
don't believe this.
Many Christians
ignore the Old Testament
altogether.
They look to the New.
Have you ever heard
a Christian say that?
I'm kind of a
New Testament Christian.
What does that mean?
What are you even
talking about?
The Old Testament
was enough
for people to know
that they needed
a Savior.
We've just now seen
the revealing of all that,
the working of it all out.
In fact,
the Old Testament
is quoted 263 times
in the New Testament.
Jesus quoted it 78 times.
Paul,
just in the book of Romans,
quotes it 84 times.
The Old Testament
gave us what we needed
to know
to know that we needed
a Savior.
The New Testament
reveals Him to us.
When Jesus Christ
came on the scene,
the Jews
should have known.
Had it been
capable for them
to understand
and wrap their minds around,
if the Scriptures
weren't spiritually discerned,
they should have known.
All the keys were there
for them to see Him,
and they missed it.
The Old Testament
is so important,
we actually distribute
as Americans
just New Testaments.
I got a box
in the mail
from the North American
Mission Board.
We didn't ask for it,
but a box
of New Testaments.
I think they want us
to give them out.
I'm not really sure.
They sent us a box
of New Testaments
in the mail.
All the Scriptures
are precious.
I'll hand you
a book of Romans.
In there is all
you need to know
to come to Christ,
for sure.
But we,
as Christians,
we even divorce
the book.
We put it in half.
You know,
that's the Old Testament.
We've got the New Testament
now.
It's all valuable.
It's all precious
because it all
speaks of
Christ.
He even says here
in verse 4,
we're given
these Scriptures,
the endurance
through encouragement
of the Scriptures,
that we might have
hope.
And what is it
that we're to hope in?
Christ.
For what?
What do we hope
in Christ for?
We hope in Christ
for future glory.
A few chapters back,
Romans chapter 8,
is all about that.
Longing for future glory.
All about waiting
for us to be
finally fixed up
the way we were
meant to be,
the way we were
created to be,
unhindered by our flesh
and the curse of sin.
Able to worship
and praise God
forever and ever.
This is the future glory
that we're longing for
here in chapter 8.
And you remember,
it's been a long time
since we've been
in chapter 8 together,
but this would have
been read.
So,
future glory
would have been present
on the minds
of the original readers
of this letter
as he talks about it.
Look at chapter 8,
verse 23
through 25
as he talks about
the creation,
the creation itself
longing for things
to be set right,
longing for Christ
to finally return
and finish
his sovereign purpose
in this world.
And it says,
but we ourselves
who have the first fruits
of the Spirit
grown inwardly
as we wait eagerly
for adoption of sons,
the redemption of our bodies,
for in this hope
we were saved.
Now hope that is seen
is not hope,
for who hopes
for what he sees?
But if we hope
for what we do not see,
we wait for it
with patience.
And this is what
the Scriptures
are meant to do for us,
to remind us
of this great hope,
to give us endurance
and encouragement
as we patiently wait
for the coming
of our Lord.
The full fulfillment
of all that he began
in his death,
burial,
and resurrection.
We want to see that
come to culmination.
We want to see him
finish it all finally.
And that's what he's
referring to here
as we have a hope.
The word endurance
here in ESV
may be in some
of your Bibles
as perseverance,
patience.
We see that
in chapter 8.
And encouragement.
So do you value
the whole counsel of God
for what it does
for you in that way?
I hope that you do.
I hope that you
treasure this book.
This is an incredible book
because these are
the very words
of God.
Now granted,
these are English
translations
of the very words
of God.
But still,
precious,
dividing our souls,
working in us.
If you've never
experienced the life
that comes from
the scriptures,
pray that you will.
They're of extreme value.
Let me just show you
an example.
Turn with me
to the book
of Psalm 119.
Psalm 119.
Psalm 119
being a psalm
all about
God's Word,
His precepts,
His orders,
His law.
It's a very fascinating book.
We'll probably look at it
all together
someday.
Let me just pull out
for you
a few
of the verses
from here.
Psalm 119,
46.
I will also speak
of your testimonies
before kings
and shall not be.
I'm sorry.
I'm reading the wrong one.
49.
Remember your word
to your servant
in which
you have made
me hope.
119,
116.
I marked these
but I have a lot
of them marked.
That's why I'm having
a hard time finding them.
Psalm 119,
116.
Uphold me
according to your promise
that I may live
and let me not be put
to shame
in my hope.
And Psalm 119,
166.
I hope
for your salvation,
O Lord,
and I do
your commandments.
So do you see here
to the psalmist
who we believe
is David,
right?
To the psalmist
the very words
of God
is what he hoped in.
He knew
that God's word
was sure.
Psalm 130,
verse 5.
I wait for the Lord.
My soul waits.
And in his word
I hope.
Because God's word
to us
is sure.
If God doesn't
keep his word,
he ceases to be holy,
he becomes a liar,
and therefore
he's not God.
So by very definition,
God himself cannot
be a liar.
Numbers 23,
verse 19
says,
God is not man
that he should lie,
or a son of man
that he should change
his mind.
Has he said
and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken
and will he not
fulfill it?
So the scriptures
for us
are a great guide,
a great promise
of the hope
that is to come.
So if we're to
live in this way
that Paul is showing us,
we have Christ
as our supreme example,
having been welcomed
by him,
and then we have
the scriptures
as a blessing
of hope.
Thirdly,
God is the source
of our endurance
and our encouragement.
Notice the first part
of verse 5.
May the God
of endurance
and encouragement
grant you
to live
in such harmony
with one another.
May the God,
the one who rules
over endurance
and encouragement.
So we see
that the scriptures
are a provision for,
but God is the source
of
this endurance
and this encouragement.
And Paul's
benediction here,
his brief benediction,
is that God
would grant us
to live
in harmony
with one another
the way we ought.
That God would give it to us
as a gift.
We would call that
in the church
a grace.
Something that we don't deserve.
By his power,
he would work
in us
harmony
with one
another.
So we see
in this little benediction,
we see
Paul's
movement,
his exhortation
to the Roman believers
to have a great
devotion to the scriptures
and
to prayer.
It follows
that if
our source
for living
in this way
comes from God,
that we
must ask him
for it.
And God is faithful
to provide
to his children
good things.
Things that are
within his will.
This is a good,
tested
thing.
This is something
that Paul is saying
to us we ought
to be doing
and therefore
if we ask
for it,
we will receive
this ability
to live
in harmony
with one another.
To put aside
the things
that are non-issue,
the gray things,
and to focus
on the primary things,
the black and white things,
right?
To embrace each other,
to welcome one another,
and to live in this way
is a great gift
from God.
So we
have the hope,
we see it from the scriptures,
what we ought to be doing
and the way we ought to be living,
and we pray
that God will grant us
the ability
to do so.
Recognize,
I get the strain
as we talk about
God's sovereign hand
in all things.
I fully understand that.
I started out today
talking about providence.
I fully believe
that Jesus Christ,
sitting at the right hand
of the Father,
by the power of his word,
holds everything
that happens in this world
in his power,
by his word,
which is awesome
because he's just
speaking it
and it happens.
everything is under
his control.
And I recognize then
some of the strain
that creates for us
and our responsibility.
I know what that does
to your minds sometimes.
I know what it does
to your hearts
because I've been there.
We recognize here
that Paul's benediction,
asking that God
would grant them
to live in harmony
with one another,
is not inconsistent.
God uses our prayers
as the means to his end.
There's power in our prayer.
God grants power
to our prayer
as the means to his end.
God wants to knit together
his church.
God wants to be called together
perfect and holy
and he uses the prayers
of his people
to accomplish that goal.
Why?
Because he loves you.
He doesn't just work it.
He just doesn't make us
into robots
and we just go around
loving one another.
I love you, brother.
Although I feel that way
sometimes, right?
But he asks that we
fellowship with him,
that we abide with him,
that we come to him
longing for the very things
he longs to give us.
And he does that
through the vehicle
of prayer.
Prayer is the breath
of the Christian life,
just as the scriptures
are the bread.
We need both.
We need to be fed
and we need to breathe oxygen
as Christians.
And when we stop doing
one or the other,
we'll very quickly die.
Right?
I have in recent years
recognized my prayerlessness.
We must pray.
It is a blessing to us.
Let us take hold of it.
So thirdly,
that was God
God is the source
of endurance
and encouragement.
And fourthly,
and finally,
all things work
to the great end
of God's glory.
All things work
to the great end
of God's glory.
glory.
So you see in verse 6
that together,
as we live in this way,
we may with one voice
glorify the God
and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And then notice
in verse 7,
as he speaks
of Christ welcoming us,
he did so
for the glory of God.
Right?
So we see here
in both ways,
we're meant to glorify God
just as Christ
glorified God
as our supreme example
of that.
We're called to this
together
to not
heap upon God
something that isn't
already his.
We don't have things
that he needs from us
to make him great.
He already is great.
He uses us
as his church
to show
his greatness.
So everything
he does
and works through us
is to show himself
as magnificent,
to show himself
as supreme,
to show himself
as glorious.
This is what's
taking place
in this activity.
Christ knew that.
He understood that
completely.
Christ did die
for you.
That's a reality.
That's true.
But it's a lesser reality
than the greater reality.
Ultimately,
Christ died
for God.
Christ died
as the great expression
of God's love
and justice
to the world.
I think all of God's story,
the climax of it,
comes together
in the death,
burial,
resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
He magnified himself.
He showed himself
in the greatest
possible way
to be him.
As he came
as a man,
lowly,
suffered,
died on our behalf,
but rose
as a great
conquering king.
This is a beautiful,
beautiful picture.
Christ knew
that his overarching,
his major purpose
was to honor God
as he died,
was buried,
and resurrected.
We should know
the same.
We tend to become
so humanistic
as Christians,
so inward focused,
so looking
to ourselves.
The gospel
is ultimately
not about us.
The gospel
is ultimately
about God.
we get to receive
the beautiful,
precious,
life-giving benefits
of this greater truth.
That God chose
to reveal himself
to man
in this way.
We ought to praise him
for it.
Let's pray together.