SERMON NOTES FROM MAY 24, 2009...

On Sunday, I discussed how we as human beings struggle with what many call selfism. Selfism is a philosophy, teaching, or tendency that is selfish. One of the major problems with this philosophy for Christians is that we have let it influence the way we think about the Gospel. Many have made the Gospel self-centered when the true Gospel, in fact, centers on God.

In Romans 3:25-31, Paul takes a different approach then we often do when sharing the Gospel. Instead of explaining how the cross benefits man, he reveals how it profits God. Below is the outline of Sunday’s sermon.

1) THE CROSS MAKES THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD KNOWN (vv. 25b-26 v. 31)

25This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

In this passage, Paul is anticipating the objection that the cross would make God appear to be unjust and unfair because guilty people would be able to be forgiven. What Paul shows, however, is that the cross is a perfect demonstration of God’s justice. Through the cross, God provided a punishment for sin. John MacArthur affirms that through the cross we learn that "no sin will ever go unpunished” (218).

Paul also addresses the question concerning former sins. He affirms that even though God withheld judgment (forbearance), this did not mean that He was being unjust. God was merely anticipating the work of Christ on the cross, which is where He has dealt with sins (past, present and future) in a permanent and final way.

Just as God is always just and upholds that which is right we should as well. Many people have concluded that salvation frees “me” from the restrictions of the law because God’s forgiveness reveals that He does not take the law seriously. Paul silences that opinion showing that the cross makes the righteousness of God known and answers, 31Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

2) THE CROSS MAKES THE GRACE OF GOD KNOWN (vv. 27-28)

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Paul also explains that even though God takes sin seriously, man’s attempt at living a moral life by his own power is futile. When we think of the cross we should remember that we are in need of Grace. According to MacArthur, through the cross we learn that "no sin is beyond forgiveness” (218) because our salvation is in Christ who knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Paul then asks, “Where then is man’s boasting?” He answers by affirming, “It is excluded.” Because the power of salvation is in the cross of Christ alone, we can by no means take credit. We are made right with God by our faith alone and that has always been the case. Paul explains that not even Abraham, the father of God’s chosen people, was justified by works (Rom. 4:2).

3) THE CROSS MAKES THE UNIVERSAL PLAN OF GOD KNOWN (vv. 29-30)

29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Although the central truth of the Jewish faith was that there was only one God, many of the Jewish people believed that God was the God of the Jews only. Paul, however, corrected them by affirming that God is one, but is the God of both Jew and Gentile. He also asserts that because this is the case, both Jew and Gentile are justified in the same way, which is by faith in Jesus Christ.

We mustn't fall into the same trap as that of the early Jewish Christians. There is no doubt that God has blessed America, but sometimes we are so self absorbed that we fail to see that God wants to be known by all people. We hear about other countries where believers are being persecuted for their faith and are without evangelical churches and Bibles and conclude that there is nothing we can do. Let us remember that there is one God, however, He is not only the God of America, but of the entire World and wants to be known by all people through faith in Jesus Christ.

Conclusion:
It is important to remember that thinking about what the cross means for “me” is not a bad thing. The Bible clearly addresses how believers benefit from the cross. What is wrong is when we make the cross all about us because the Gospel is God-Centered. Salvation is needed because we have sinned against a Holy God, it is made available to us because the righteous and merciful God of the Bible sent His son and the goal of salvation is to bring sinners to God. Peter affirms, "Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18).

MacArthur, John. Romans 1-8. The MacArthur Commentary. Chicago: Moody Publishers. 1991. 211-229.

"Quote" of the Week

"What makes all the events of Good Friday and Easter and all the promises they secure good news is that they lead us to God. And when we get there, it is God himself who will satisfy our souls forever. Everything else in the gospel is meant to display God’s glory and remove every obstacle in him (such as his wrath) and in us (such as our rebellion) so that we can enjoy him forever. God is the gospel. That is, he is what makes the good news good. Nothing less can make the gospel good news. God is the final and highest gift that makes the good news good. Until people use the gospel to get to God, they use it wrongly." –John Piper, God is the Gospel.

Throughout Scripture, especially in the book of Psalms and Proverbs, God’s people are told not to be envious of the wicked even when they prosper (Psalm 37:1, 7-8; Proverbs 3:31; 23:17; 24:1, 19.) If we are honest, most of us at one time or another has asked the question, “Why don’t bad things happen to bad people?” Often when people are taught that God is patient with evildoers, they either conclude that to be a sign of weakness or that He is unjust. The first chapter of the book of Nahum corrects these misconceptions.

The city of Nineveh is the primary focus of the book. This was the same city that was shown mercy by God in the book of Jonah. According to R.C. Sproul,

“Nineveh was a wicked, imperialistic, and deceitful metropolis with an arrogant
and unscrupulous lust for power and domination manifested in merciless
warmongering (3:1-4). In addition to its military exploits, Nineveh was
condemned for its ruthless trade practices and insatiable materialism (3:16)”
(1302).

Nahum, although his message was directed toward the Ninevites, ultimately consoles God’s people with this divine message of judgment against the Ninevites because many in Judah questioned why God would continue to allow this evil empire to exist. In verse three of chapter one, Nahum affirms, “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.” According to this verse, Nahum asserts that God is patient, but also powerful and just.

Nahum first shows that God being patient is not a sign of weakness but true power. It has been said, “Everyone has their breaking point.” God’s anger, however, is not like ours, which result from a lack of self control that often triggers fits of rage or temper tantrums. God demonstrates His great power by remaining patient despite the amount and degree of heinous acts He has witnessed throughout human history. Albert Barnes states, “(God’s) long-suffering is a token, not of weakness, but of power” (131).

Nahum then affirms that although God is patient with sinners, He is not soft on sin. Although God is “slow to anger,” the fact that sin displeases Him is evident throughout Scripture and His knowledge of all injustices and promise of evenhanded punishment of all His enemies are certain. Nahum affirms, “The Lord will by no means clear the guilty.” Sproul states, “True to His nature, the universal Judge leaves no sin unpunished” (1303).

Barnes, Albert. Nahum. Barnes Notes: Minor Prophets. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. 2001. 131.
Sproul, R.C. Nahum. The Reformation Study Bible. Orlando: Ligonier Ministries. 2005. 1302-1303.

"Quote" of the Week

"God's patience must never be misunderstood as weakness. Corporate or individual sin will not be left unpunished." -R.C. Sproul

From Jesus Among Other God's Lesson 7: "Why Not Hedge Our Bets?" by Ravi Zacharias

Today's air of tolerance causes more and more people to buy into multiple spiritual traditions. If one God is good, people think, then two must be better! Let me explain why that isn't a workable faith.

• Different religions truly point to different Gods. The Koran, for example, claims Allah is the supreme being. The Bible says its God runs the universe. The moment you look at the claims of these two beings, you can't say they are the same. The Koran denies the resurrection, the very event that defines Christ and Christianity. The character of Allah and the biblical God differ drastically.
• There is no such thing as two equal Gods. If two Gods are different --and if by definition God is the One who has ultimate power and to whom we have ultimate accountability--both can't be ultimates. And if one is all-powerful and the other less powerful, then why have two?
• If you have another God, then you don't have the biblical God. God doesn't tolerate rivals. He calls us to an exclusive relationship. While this may sound egotistical, God is perfect and wants none of us to give our lives to anything less than His perfection.

If the world of religion is like a supermarket, you can only choose one God to take through the checkout line. A real God is too big to leave room in your cart for anything else.

Zacharias, Ravi. "Why Not Hedge Our Bets?" Jesus Among Other God's. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2000. 128.

"Quote" of the Week

"In a world of many gods, Jesus is absolute truth. He is beyond comparison. He is real, righteous, radical, and risen. We can't settle for anything less." -Ravi Zacharias

A common charge made against Christianity is that it forces belief on others. Ravi Zacharias asserts, “The complaint might be that Christianity strips individuals of their freedom by imposing rules and morality. The complaint might also be that Christianity has forced its beliefs and values on whole societies" (108). Examples include:

• The Inquisition, which was a tool of the medieval church to hunt out heretics, people accused of holding less than-orthodox beliefs. In 1252, Pope Innocent IV officially sanctioned torture to extract the truth from suspects, and by 1498, more than two thousand people had been burned at the stake in Spain alone.
  
• Scientists whose discoveries were said to conflict with the Bible who were silenced by the church. Galileo (1564-1642), for example, was sentenced to permanent house arrest for teaching that the earth revolved around the sun.
  
• The Salem Witch Trials (1692), which resulted in twenty people being executed. The “witch hunt” began after several young girls said they had been taught occult arts by adults in the community.

These events and many more have led people to conclude that Christianity forces its belief on others using excessive force if necessary. Believers should not attempt to explain away or justify these deeds, but clarify that these sinful acts do not accurately represent the aim of Christ and the message of Christianity.

First, Jesus never forced belief. He made it clear that He wanted willing followers. After many no longer followed Him in John 6, Jesus turned to the twelve and said, “Do you want to go away as well?” Peter responded willingly, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67-68).

Also, God’s word calls for Christians to speak the truth in love. Peter asserted, “In your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:15-17). Jesus’ immediate disciples did just that. Eleven of the twelve were martyred for the message they professed, but from their ministry came willing followers who were prepared to pay the price for the cause of Christ.

Zacharias, Ravi. Jesus Among Other Gods. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2000. 108-109

"Quote" of the Week

"Despite the assumptions of many people, Jesus' kingdom wasn't the kind to be built by military might, by power, or by force of any kind. What Jesus wants are willing followers." -Ravi Zacharias