Sermon: When in Romans…… 7-18-10
July 19, 2010 by admin
Filed under Doug's Sermons, sermons
WHEN IN ROMANS …07/18/2010 Doug Diehl
Scripture Reading: Romans 3:21-31
This week, in our One Year Bible, we left the Book of Acts and entered the Letter to the Romans. As we read Romans for the next several weeks I will supplement it with a series of four sermons. I encourage you, whether you are reading through the One Year Bible or not, to read through the Book of Romans and I would recommend that if you struggle with the language you start out with one of the more modern, easier to read versions. Give it some time and give it some thought.
(An aside – last week Pastor Sharla shared how Paul stood trial, defended his faith, and eventually was sent to Rome to appear before in the Emperor’s court. The last section of the Book of Acts records that trip to Rome and although we never read about the end to Paul’s life we know he was martyred in Rome. What is most interesting is in Paul’s letter to the Romans he expresses his strong wish to come see the believers in Rome. Little did he know as he wrote the letter that his wish would come true but as a prisoner instead of a free man.)
In my preparation, and in particular as I tried to come up with a sermon title, the cliché “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” came to mind. I did a search on the Internet. Of course the meaning of the phrase came up. If you didn’t already know, it generally means: When visiting a foreign place follow the customs of that area rather than insisting on your own. The phrase finds itself in books and songs and movies throughout the years, most recently in a movie entitled, When in Rome, starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel. Believe it or not, the cliché actually comes out of the Christian Church. It is first quoted in a letter sent from one church leader to another in about 390 A.D. St. Jerome writes, “When I go to Rome, I fast on Saturday, but here [referring to Milan] I do not. Do you also follow the custom of whatever church you attend, if you do not want to give or receive scandal.”
I don’t want to talk about what we might do when we are in Rome. I want us to consider what to expect when we are in Romans.
When in Rome do as the Romans do. When in Romans … we will be challenged, maybe even confused. First of all, Paul is not always easy to understand. His writing style, his method of debate and his vocabulary are not common to us. We have taken the Christian faith so for granted we can’t even begin to understand the depth of the transition and the relationship between early Christianity and the Jewish faith. We are far removed from the environment of that day – Jewish in faith, Greek in culture and Roman in politics.
When in Rome do as the Romans do. When in Romans … we will come face to face with the portion of the Bible that has influenced the development of the Christian Church in these past 2000 years more than any other. F.F. Bruce, a distinguished 20th century scholar on the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul writes, “Time and again in the course of Christian history [the letter to the Romans] has liberated the minds of men, brought them back to an understanding of the essential Gospel of Christ, and started spiritual revolutions.” Who are some of those men whose minds have been liberated? The great Augustine of the 4th and 5th centuries was converted to the Christian faith and lifestyle after reading from the Letter to the Romans. In the 16th century Martin Luther, as he delivered a series of sermons on Romans, for the first time in his life understood the place of God’s grace and mercy in his own salvation. The result? – the Protestant Reformation. John Wesley, our own Methodist forefather, was transformed one evening at a Bible Study as the preface to Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans was being read. As he records, he felt his heart “strangely warmed.” He realized the futility of performing for God and the power of knowing God’s love through faith in Christ.
When in Rome do as the Romans do. When in Romans … we will hear the gospel message, the good news of Jesus, in all of its depth and glory.
How many of you have heard of the Four Spiritual Laws? This “gospel in a nutshell” was coined in 1952 by Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ and used in various ways as a tool for personal evangelism: (Law 1) God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life; (Law 2) Man is sinful and separated from God; (Law 3) Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin; and, (Law 4) We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.
How many of you have heard of “The Romans Road to Salvation?” It is much like the Four Spiritual Laws. Because the entirety of the gospel is explored and explained in Paul’s letter to the Romans it is easy to take verses from the Book of Romans, not necessarily in order of appearance and put them together to sum up the basic tenants of the Christian faith as well as the process by which an individual comes to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
This “Romans Road” will be the pathway for our four week journey through Romans. Today we look at the first stone in the road. It is found in our reading from Romans this week – Romans 3:23: “… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
As we look at the context of this verse and the first few chapters of Romans we realize the emphasis of Romans 3:23 is not on the fact that everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, even though that might be true. Rather, the emphasis is on the word “all.”
Paul is speaking to three groups of people in his letter: (1) his fellow Jews who believe because of their history they have special favor with God; (2) the non-Jews who have become followers of Jesus but are viewed as second class believers because they have no connection to what God has already done in the Old Testament; and (3) all of the readers of the Bible throughout the ages including us today. In this letter he states that the message he has been preaching – that for which he is willing to lay down his life – is for everyone.
That message carries with it good news and bad news. The good news is that God has shown himself in creation to everyone. The bad news is no one has an excuse for saying they don’t know God. The good news is God loves all of the people he has made. The bad news is the people God has created – created in his own image no less – have chosen to worship the creation instead of the Creator. The good news is God has provided a solution for all people through what God has done through Jesus. The bad news is some people have chosen to hedge their bets with God by following laws rather than establishing a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. The good news is that God has never given up on the human race. The bad news is because of the stubbornness of the people God has given them up to do what they want to do and to suffer or be blessed by the consequences of those choices. (Do you hear the distinction – God has never given up on the people but God has given the people up to do what they want.)
The major theme in these opening chapters of Paul’s letter is very simple – we are all in the same boat. It will do us no good to judge ourselves better or worse than others. We all are loved by God. We have all been given opportunities and choices in our relationship with God. We all have turned aside from God at one time or another. The day will come when all of us will be judged. All of us are all invited to know the grace and forgiveness offered to us through Jesus.
The Dog’s Diary:
8:00 am – Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am – A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am – A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am – Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm – Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm – Took a nap! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm – Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm – Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm – Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm – Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
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The Cat’s Diary:
Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am fed dry nuggets. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a “good little hunter” I am.
There was some sort of assembly tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of “allergies.” I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage. Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.
I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now.
In God’s house there are no dogs and there are no cats. In God’s house we are all God’s children. We will either be blessed or we will be cursed. We will either be fulfilled or we will be miserable. We will either live a life filled with love or we will live lives of bitterness and disappointment. It all depends on whether we allow God to run the house or we insist that we ourselves can run it better.