Romans Chapter 12 is critical, it’s vital…an essential chapter in terms of growth and maturity in the Lord. Essential in terms of joy, power and intimacy with God…because this chapter shows us in a style of practical mastery…the mind of Jesus, man…
You see Paul has laid out doctrine. The wonder of grace. The depth of the riches to be found both in the wisdom and the knowledge of God and the unstoppable force of God’s crazy love for you and for me! And with that foundation firmly in place, Paul now gives us reasonable instruction. In light of the wonderful truths, the marvelous grace and mercy and love of a holy and a perfect God…in light of our condition apart from grace and now our present posture clothed in the perfection of Jesus…Paul now gives us the answer to the most courageous question anyone could ask…”what am I doing wrong.”
Why is my life not where I want it to be? Not getting Romans Chapter 12. Why is my marriage a mess? Not following Romans Chapter 12. Why do I not feel close to the Lord? Why can’t I seem to connect at church? And why am I so relationally challenged man…let alone church, I can’t seem to connect…at work or even at home…I can’t even seem to get with the Holy Spirit man…I hear of love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, self control, goodness, faithfulness and power man but my life is more like…hard…what am I doing wrong? Chapter 12 has the answer man…and Paul has broken it down for us into a pattern…
You see Chapter 12 is one subject, three objects. One question answered, three applications. Three sections if you will. Progressive in their position. Section one deals with how faith responds to God Himself. We looked at this last week. Paul shows us in verses 1 and 2 precisely the mind of Christ man…the response that will lead to power, maturity and freedom…how we as Christians are to approach God.
Then verses 3 through 8 lays out how faith responds to the church. The body of Christ. The family of God. Our reasonable response. The response that will lead to power, maturity and freedom in terms of our service and position to and within the church.
Finally, verses 9 through 21 shows us how faith responds to the world man. In response to what God has done, who He is and our relationship with Him. The down-to-earth, pragmatic, functional, instructional teaching of Paul and really the commands of the Lord laid out for us and put on display here in this chapter…and notice the progressive pattern.
You want to be set free? You want to be filled with power and purpose and direction and freedom man…then here is your mission. First, learn doctrine. Learn Jesus man. Get to know Him. Hear of Him, read of Him, talk to Him, seek Him and find Him. And let Him fill your heart and mind with truth. Then, respond. Get right with Him man…your relationship with the church, your relationship with your wife, with your mom, with your friend, with your mailman…will never be right until your relationship with God is right. That’s why Paul goes there first…
Then, get right in the family man. Set your house in order. Not your house with your address, this house! Your Father’s house man! Learn how to properly be in the church…you will not know how to handle yourself in the world if you first cannot conduct yourself properly at home…and if you are a child of God, then church is home. And so Paul presents that second…finally, you’re ready.
Relationship with God as it should be. Home life as it should be. Time to hit the streets. Pound the pavement. Put in work man out there as salt and light…Paul gives us action packed, sobering sane and sensible direction in all situations…with God first, the church second and the world third…what are we missing…This chapter…will answer for each of us, “what am I doing wrong?” I wonder if you have the strength to be taught…
You see, we’ve misdiagnosed the problem. We’ve questioned God’s faithfulness. We’ve blamed others…and yet the problem persists. You ever misdiagnose a problem? Recently my bike died. Going down the street, it just turned off…With the help of some friends, I limped it home and then began to trouble-shoot. I replaced the starter relay. No dice. I replaced the starter solenoid…nope. Time was passing, money was being spent…bike…dead. Then after about a month I charged the battery and stuck a meter on it…1.6 volts…that could be the problem, ha!
You see I wasted time, I wasted resources, I wasted frustration, I wasted, I wasted, I wasted…fixing the wrong problem man…I’m tired of wasting time. I’m tired of having an amazing, powerful, fast, and efficient vehicle and letting it sit dead in my garage because I’ve misdiagnosed. I know what my problem is. It’s me. I’m ready to ride man…I’m finished wasting my time…and so was Paul…
Romans Chapter 12 Verse 3
•Paul knows all about thinking of himself more highly than he ought. Immediately our minds go to Saul of Tarsus, right?. The Pharisee of Pharisees. The leader. The elite! But I’m not sure that’s where his mind is as he writes this. Especially in light of verses 1 to 2. I think he’s writing this, and we need to read this, in light of those verses. Body given over to God. Mind given over to the Lord. Yet pride can still mess you up man…
•We see it today in churches, mega churches and mini churches alike. Pastors and leaders who sincerely think that they are something more than the people. Some say it, all live it…those that have fallen into pride’s pitfall…Even Paul. Remember his sermon in Athens? Acts Chapter 17 where he was provoked, heart-broken over all of the false gods and he makes an attempt to preach at the Romans…telling them of the “unknown god” rather than giving them the simple Gospel…
•No matter what God shows you, no matter how far He brings you, remember…you haven’t come this far because you are God’s gift to the world…Jesus was…and so quit getting high off of pride man…that’s what Paul is saying here…think soberly…you’re vision can get cloudy, your mind can get murky…why? When? When you lose sight of the fact that each one of us…nothing more than a rescued orphan man…
•Think of it this way…take Jesus and what He has done in your life away and what are you? Lost, dirty, homeless, hopeless, weak, blind, hungry, hurting, lonely, harmful, angry…right? That is fact…and so we see our true form. The only difference today, Jesus man…the simple and pure and powerful gospel of salvation…grace…through faith…so don’t get cloudy man…don’t let pride promote you. Remember, the branch does not support the root Paul would say…
•Do this, keep sight of this, and God can puzzle piece us together into a powerful force man…rather than a group of cancers…doing our own thing, thinking we’re something…
Romans Chapter 12 Verses 4 – 5
•This is so clear and so feasible yet so hard to digest! The church cannot function with all pastors. With all deacons. With all children’s ministry workers. With all coffee makers, or all worship leaders…no we need all of that don’t we? Of course we do, man…so what’s your function?
•Well I don’t know, you might say. Ok, let me help you Paul would say. Verse 5. Your function in the church, your ministry is first to Christ, growing close to Him and setting your mind on Him and loving Him and serving Him and then second, to one another! It’s right there. Plain sight…yet missed and even if not missed…what do we think so often? That’s not enough!
•My heart breaks for folks that say they don’t do enough, they don’t know what God is calling them to…why? Because blessing and power is in their grip man but they’ve been lied to by the enemy…he’s whispered into their ear that service to Jesus and service to others is not enough. Hogwash man! We’re all after the title because that is what the world says is important but God says that love is important!
•All of the servants here…the deacons the ministry leaders the staff, they all are simply this…one body in Christ and individually members of one another! You see the first and primary communal ministry of every Christian and every church member and every church leader is right here. This is why we are slow to raise folks up into formal positions here…because have you got this right? If not, a title will eat you alive man! Go right to your head and hurt you…not to mention others!
•No. Understand something this morning. There is no greater title then lover of God. Follower of Jesus. Child of the King. So why desire any other? Serve out your ministry…your reasonable response and if you don’t know practically what that means then look around…find someone who is active in ministry, formal or informal and serve them. Talk to them. Invest in them.
•There’s a battle a foot and if you don’t know where you should attack, then bear the arms of one who is…make sense? You want to be in children’s ministry? That begins with you serving those who are in it now. You want to be a deacon here…serve the deacons…you want to be a youth leader then serve the youth leaders…got it? God will do the rest and let me tell you, you are needed man…you fit…God has called you, and your ministry is waiting for you…just sitting in the garage, waiting for a new battery…
Romans Chapter 12 Verses 6 – 8
•Paul now walks us through the gifts of grace…and really what he’s talking about, because it’s evident in the Greek, is our passion man…what we desire…the Greek word is charisma. Literally that’s it. What jazzes you up. What gets your motor running. What do you like to do…guess who gave that to you? Your Father. According to His grace.
•What does that mean? Imagine that you didn’t like to do anything. Nothing ever seemed to be enjoyable to you…how horrible would that be? You see, the things you enjoy, those are gifts man…because they bring what? Joy! And so Paul says here that God has wired you up, hooked you up man and given you passion so use it! And he walks us through the seven roots…there are lots of branches…lots of fruit…lots of leaves…lots of ways these manifest and play out, you’ll find them in 1 Corinthians 12 (spirituals) and Ephesians 4 (positions)…but here are the seven roots…
•A friend of mine calls these super powers! And I like that! Ability that has been downloaded into you from on high and everyone in here is included. Let’s take a look…
•First though, one second, Paul says different gifts according to the grace given…He doesn’t say different grace. God does not show partiality…He has not favored one person over another…the person next to you hasn’t been given more grace than you…they may have received more…but that’s an entire different teaching…
•And so Paul mentions prophecy first. This is not the ability to tell the future…this is simply the speaking of truth. Hearing the matter, seeing the circumstance, observing the thing…and seeing what’s really going on…not just what’s going on on the surface, but the real issue. Discerning the truth you see. And the Bible actually tells us how we can grow in this area, how we can develop this super power…simply grow in your knowledge of Jesus.
•It’s Revelation 19, the angel says that the Spirit of prophecy is within those who testify of Jesus Christ. Therefore you want to grow in your understanding of reality? Grow in your understanding of Jesus.
•Next is ministry. Simply service man. Ministry takes so many forms but its only service when all it is-is action…it becomes ministry when your fuel is worship. When what you do is because of what has been done for you, not by them, by the Lord. Ministry manifests. Prophecy declares truth, ministry depicts truth. And again, the Bible tells us how we can grow and develop this gift…John 12:26 Jesus says if anyone desires to serve Me, let Him follow Me…
•Teaching is mentioned next. So prophecy declares truth, ministry depicts truth now teaching defines truth…breaks it down…bite size chunks, meets people where they’re at and takes them on a trip…shows them the sites you see…and again, I’m seeing a theme here, the Bible tells us how to develop this gift. 2 Timothy 2 tells us that the hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops…in other words, before one can teach, they must first be taught…and Jesus tells us in John 14 our teacher is the Holy Spirit man…so again, grow in the Lord, grow in this gift.
•Next, exhortation which is simply encouragement…there are those that are just encouragers man…folks that come alongside you and say, “keep going, you’re going to make it, you’re doing well…let’s run together!” And Paul tells us later in 2 Cor 1 that we receive encouragement from the Lord so that we may encourage others and so again…to develop this gift, you gotta get close to Jesus, man.
•Paul lists giving next. And he says give with liberality which can also be translated simply. It is more blessed to give than to receive Jesus taught us but to give with a grudge is a curse man…give with simplicity. Just simply give man. And truly some have a passion for giving. A gift. They just give man and certainly we know that the closer we are to the Lord, the more eternally minded we are, the more we live in the reality of forever, giving just flows naturally.
•I like the next one. Leadership. Awesome. Not management. The world will teach you management. Manage your bills, manage your time, manage your portfolio…blah blah blah, this is leadership man. To cut the path, smooth the way, body check the threats and defend the defenseless! To bear the load man for those that you love and are called to serve! Ok so I’m a little passionate about this one…but this was and is precisely how the Lord is, isn’t He? Several passages on leadership throughout the Bible, several wonderful stories of leaders, we just don’t have time to get into it but they all boil down to this…you want to develop this gift in you…seek the Lord. The Leader of all leaders, the King of kings man…and notice what Paul says here, he ties diligence to this gift…
•Diligence man. You are no leader if you have not consistency. If you do not purpose to hold fast to what others need of you. To your commitments, to what matters to others, not just to you…leaders serve and serve with diligence…
•Finally mercy, the gift to just love on folks man…the desire, the passion for comforting…the burning need to forgive…to just get to peace…such a constant characteristic of God throughout the scripture…
•So which gift do you have? All of them. If you have received the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit within you, given your life to the Lord…I just described you. “Oh no, not me.” Cop out. You’re just undeveloped man. Your function may be different than mine, your position, your calling, your most fervent passion and your most developed gift, but the same Spirit we share man…
•We are on the same level in terms of grace man…God has given us both the same amount…He’s given us His Son…if someone appears more spiritual it’s not because they’re God’s favorite, it may be because they are just more developed…but I tell you this, your passions are different and your ability to develop in one or more of these areas surpasses anyone you know, for sure…
•So how do you do it? Simply grow in the Lord man…and the whole body grows…one member gets healthy, the body gets more healthy…seek the Lord, grow in Him…and be used mightily…and precisely how you want to be used…great joy will come man…press in.
•So we’ve seen the faithful response to God, the faithful response to the family of God, next week we’ll look at our reasonable response to the world…
Romans 12 vs 3-8
Calvary Chapel Cherry Creek
September 22, 2013 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Romans 16 vs 1-27
December 1, 2013 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Romans Chapter 16 Verse 1 •Cenchrea was a bustling port located in Corinth. And Corinth was an ancient city-state within Greece. Why is that important? Because Paul is bold man. He is out to please only God…why would I say that? Because most likely, Phoebe is Greek. Most likely she is a gentile. In fact Phoebe is another name for Diana and Corinth’s most famous deity was who? You got it, Diana! •Matt, I’m still not seeing it. Well there’s one more piece to this brazen puzzle. Paul calls her a deaconess! That word servant there in verse 1, in the Greek, is diakonos and so with this one sentence…he has once again blown the top off of religion and specifically Judaism. Why? How? Because here we see clearly that women were in formal positions of ministry in the early church! •According to the writings of the church fathers, deaconesses visited the sick, helped young women grow in the Lord, and tended the poor…all the while by virtue of the office assigned to them by the church. The office of deaconess! •And what does Paul say, “I commend to you…” That is a magnificent word (commend) too! It is synistemi which literally means, “I stand with her, I ask you to do the same!” Powerful! This is Paul man…the great church planter, the miracle apostle! And he shatters the male chauvinism that was inherited by Judaism and inherent within the early church, even within the “church” today…shatters it into pieces! •And notice her qualification…the same qualification of any servant of Jesus Christ… Romans Chapter 16 Verse 2 •The word is helper. See that? Not that she has a powerful message, that she can show signs, that she has a gift…her qualification is that she is a helper…more specifically…a strengthener, a guardian, a protector, a provider…that is what that word means literally in the Greek. •Man folks want position and they want to lead because they have the capacity and the talent…but do you have the heart? Jesus said the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life…Mark 10:45. You might be brilliant, you might be a gifted speaker, you might have all the knowledge of the Word of God but look man, you do not serve Jesus Christ until your ministry is to strengthen those around you, guard them, protect them and provide for them. •God is not interested in growing your ministry. He’s interested in serving His children. But Matt, did you see how they treated me? Do you know what they say and how they say it? How they act and blah blah blah…whom do you serve? You, or the Lord? If it’s you…those things are paramount. If it’s Jesus, those things are unimportant…Now Paul will make provision in a moment for those that conduct themselves contrary to the Word of God continually, continually, continually…I call them, “not safe.” Why? Because they drive discord and division…drive it man…and what Paul will say is, “steer clear,” we’ll see that in a moment…but while you are clear of them guess what you are to be doing servant of the Most High…protecting them! Guarding them, providing for them and strengthening them in the eyes of others…and in prayer! •That is what I look for here. Many have come to me over the years with a message, with a ministry…with a request to serve formally…and immediately I access their file in my memory and I survey…are they strengthening others, are the protecting, guarding, providing for others? That is the qualification for ministry, that is the qualification of serving the Lord man…in your home, at work, at the store, at the park…and Paul makes that clear for us here…This is wisdom you pastors. You church planters. Anyone out there maybe reading these notes or listening in on the Podcast…protect your flock homes…lest the wolves creep in unnoticed and steal the little grapes…(reference to the Song of Solomon). •Now Paul launches off into a listing of 32 friends. 33 including Phoebe. Amazing. Can you name 33 folks in this room? Check this out, just a little tid-bit of practical knowledge here, a leader strives to remember folks’ names…Means something to them…and makes them mean something to you… Romans Chapter 16 Verses 3 – 7 •Paul mentions Priscilla and Aquila who are actually mentioned six times throughout his letters in the Bible and what’s cool is that four out of six times he names Priscilla first. This was a husband and wife ministry team and to name the wife first was a clear message. Why? Because in this culture, at this time, that was entirely unacceptable. The man would always be named first. But notice, many scholars believe that it was Priscilla who had the gift man…the gift of leadership and by Paul’s writing and his sure love for them, look he wasn’t going to offend them, no profit in that, and so we can confidently conclude that Aquila was not threatened by Priscilla’s ministry but rather he supported her…strengthened her, guided her, protected her and provided for her… •Now it seems Priscilla is front stage…does that make her the spiritual leader…not at all man…the position of leader is the position of humility man…and so this doesn’t set Priscilla over Aquila by Paul writing this but rather it elevates her, his wife, a female to a position of equality…isn’t that radical man!? Paul does it all the time! •In fact, it’s here again. I don’t know if you caught it. Verse 7. Paul names Junia which is a female name and Paul calls her an apostle! Awesome! So, in the church, can women be deacons…yes of course! Can women be ministry leaders? Yes of course! Can women be missionaries or apostles? Yes of course! How can we say that? Because we see it clearly right here in the Bible! The most perfect litmus check. Romans Chapter 16 Verses 8 – 13 •Apparently momma lived in Rome. Romans Chapter 16 Verses 14 – 16 •Guys, don’t get any ideas. This word for kiss here is literally the word for a fraternal greeting…so don’t try that as a cheesy pick up line! •Now after saluting, Paul turns to a warning… Romans Chapter 16 Verses 17 – 18 •Now, who in here has never offended someone else? And who in here has never been the cause of conflict? Right…not one of us. So what is Paul saying here? Should everyone just avoid everyone? The answer is in the Greek. The word for “cause” is poieo which literally means, “that’s what it do, man.” Ok let me try in the non-New-Matt-translation. Literally Paul is saying here, those that just roam about and can’t help themselves but just start scandals man…they are authors of division among folks…Jude helped us out in his epistle saying “they are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts…emotions is what he means… •So your brother offends, forgive him. But Paul says something wise here…inspect fruit man…and cling to what is good, abhor what is evil…remember that back in Romans 12? Paul states love for real in verse 9 and then be kind, affectionate and honoring in verse 10. But what’s right in the middle of that? This word abhor! Why? How? It almost doesn’t make sense. Well let me help. For love to flourish, there must be humility man…for kindness to not be sickening…you ever had someone who just despises you be kind to your face…makes you want to puke a little bit doesn’t it? Why, because it’s fake! •For honor and affection and kindness and love to be real and genuine, compromise must be rejected man…if you really want to serve Jesus, don’t speak evil of your brother! Cut it out! It’s going to get back to them. It’s going to offend and divide and really the only reason you’re doing it in the first place is to serve not Jesus, but your own lust! Repent from that! •But Paul says mark one (how? Judgment man! But I thought we weren’t supposed to judge? No no no, we are judges…that’s the point. The Spirit of God is within us! We aren’t to krino…to condemn but man judging is what we do. Check this out…inspect fruit, identify fruit. That is how we judge. What the world really is saying, is don’t offend me. Because if I judge you cute, you call it wisdom!) Paul says mark em man…mark one who makes this their job man…and ekklino them…turn aside from them…for several reasons. First, they don’t serve our Lord Jesus Christ. They might serve their homeboy Jesus. They’re cosmic Chris Cringle Jesus. They’re commodity Christianity Christ…but they don’t serve Jesus! Because as Jesus was mocked, spat upon, hated, cursed, slapped, flogged, abused and abused and abused…never did He turn to Peter or to John and crack a joke about Gameliel….never did He complain about Caiaphas…never! And you say you follow Him? How would you ever know that you are off track man…if I share in your folly? I choose to turn aside from that… •Second, if you follow the doctrine of Jesus Christ, you’re heart is simple. Paul doesn’t mean dumb there in verse 18, what he means is sincere. And sincere people are sometimes easily led down the prim rose path…sometimes easily pulled aside. In your sincerity to want to learn more about the Lord or to be students of the Word, don’t allow those who teach a different Jesus to come into your home. Don’t spend time arguing with them, evangelize them and depart, why? •Protection. Satan is clever man and many who have thought themselves strong theologically have succumbed to those who are inspired satanically. Another reason, prioritization. Invest your energy into the fields that are white and ready for the harvest man…Jesus said that in John 4:35…in the lives of those who are open to the truth…get with the seekers, step away from the suckers. •Finally, just don’t share in foolishness. Stuff that won’t survive past this dismal dark world. Stuff that would never happen standing in front of the Ancient of Days in His throne room. Are you really a real deal Christian? Then why on heaven and earth is today any different than that day! •Paul sums it up for us in verse 19. Romans Chapter 16 Verse 19 •What he says here is to be skilled in what is good, and unmixed with what is evil. Totally different word for simple than he used before. And the result? Offense? No. Division? No. Peace and Grace… Romans Chapter 16 Verse 20 •In no time…peace and grace man…peace and grace. Romans Chapter 16 Verses 21 – 22 •Tertius obviously penned this epistle under Paul’s dictation. In other words, Paul spoke it, Tertius recorded it. Romans Chapter 16 Verses 23 – 27 •From his own testimony as a bondservant of Jesus, to theological discussions such as salvation, grace, God’s sovereignty and righteousness…to historical examples and lessons from the lives of Abraham, Moses and Adam…to who we are, you and I, as saved, rescued sinners man…made well by the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ…all the way to intense practical lessons…throughout Romans, the message has always been…God is able man…and God alone, wise.
Romans 15 vs 14-33
November 24, 2013 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Romans Chapter 15 Verse 14 •Real quick, see the pattern there? The end of it is admonishment. Which in the Greek means exhortation, or warning. We might think of it as instructing or guiding…telling folks what to do…see what I’m saying? But notice the beginning of it? Paul says, “I am confident that you are full of goodness.” Agathosyne in the Greek…and what it really means is kindness. Only used in three other places in the Bible. Twice in the context of spiritual fruit in Galatians 5 and Ephesians 5 and once in referring to the work of faith and power in 2 Thes 1. •So the beginning of it, it what it…admonishing man…is fruit! Whatchu mean? Like apples and oranges? No man…love, gentleness, kindness…then comes the knowledge and it is only then, after those two things…you arrive at leadership! Admonishment, exhortation and warning. Does that make sense? Because we often get that wrong…”I know what’s right, I got the knowledge…let me holler at ya.” But that is not the Biblical arrangement…Exhortation, admonishment, encouragement, correction, leading begins with being full of goodness… •And so Paul here is confident in their kindness, in their knowledge and he is saying here that he would expect that they could teach these truths themselves to eachother yet… Romans Chapter 15 Verses 15 – 16 •He says I’ve spoken boldly to you on some things, some tough truths, not only because I know you can handle them but because that is what I’ve been sent to you to do. See that? Because of the grace of God so that I might minister and in that ministry grow you in Jesus that your lives as a living sacrifice, an offering, might be found to be acceptable being sanctified by the Holy Spirit…See that? He says look Romans, I got something for you in this letter. Go and seek, listen and learn, download it man and install…get the app homies…because in order to roll with God, get with righteousness, know power and the secrets of eternity, you gotta be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. •What’s that? Yea, another scratch and sniff given by Paul. Right there in verse 16. To be acceptable, the work we do, the prayers we pray, the ministry we have…must be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Oh sanctified, what a churchy word…it simply means to be holy man…to be consecrated, separated, dedicated…to be fully rooted and focused on the Person of Jesus Christ. Wait, I thought Paul said sanctified by the Holy Spirit, not Jesus… •He did but what is the ministry of the Holy Spirit? To proclaim Jesus man! John 15:26, Jesus said, “When the Helper comes, the parakletos, the Holy Spirit, whom I shall send to you from the Father (here’s the Trinity in one verse!), the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He (a person!) will testify of Me!” And so yes, I know what Paul says here and I ask that you follow the scratch ‘n sniff! What he is teaching here is that for the work, the ministry, the marriage, the counsel, the day at work, the service at church, the prayer, the minute, the hour, the life…for it to be acceptable, answer this question in the affirmative…was it done for Jesus man? •Paul says that’s why I’ve come to you Romans in this letter. Not like last time when I tried to win you over with intellect. Remember that, Acts Chapter 17? When Paul preached in Athens only he didn’t preach the gospel, he preached an academic lesson…and no church was established! Not this time! This time it’s pure admonishment, filled with knowledge, rooted in goodness, sanctified by the Holy Spirit and fully acceptable to God…therefore…look at verse 17… Romans Chapter 15 Verses 17 – 18 •You see, he’s learned from the last time. I will not dare do it again he says. From here on out man, take it or leave it, I’m only going to teach that which I have learned myself…and what I have learned myself. And that’s quite simple…Jesus Christ came and declared that He was the Messaiah, the Savior…God in the flesh, stepped down into this mess of creation to save it…and then He taught ultimate wisdom, showed signs and wonders and foretold His death and resurrection…He said He’d take my sins to the cross…not just cover them with an animal sacrifice but do away with them entirely with His perfect sacrifice…and then He did it all…did it all! And lives today! •And notice this word obedient does NOT mean BOW DOWN! It means look there’s a truth, respond to it. If I tell you to step away from that ledge you’re about to die and you do it, would that not also be obedience? Obedience is not a bad word. It is not a demeaning or condescending word. It’s a word that means wisdom in light of the truth of an Almighty God! Romans Chapter 15 Verse 19 •Mighty signs, wonders and powers Paul says…yea Matt that sounds like my story man, that sounds like my life, what God has done, what God is doing…slow your roll hard charger…finish the verse. I know you got a story, I know you know it well, but Paul does not link mighty signs, wonders and powers to his story. What does he say here? “So that from HQ, Jerusalem, and round about to Illyricum, which was a major Roman province, I have fully preached my powerful testimony…nope. The gospel of Jesus Christ. •The power is in the gospel man…the power to change hearts. Mighty signs, wonders, powers. Sometimes our stories can insulate, our testimonies…they’re very powerful, no doubt, especially to those who have known us B.C., but simply point to the cross. Paul made that mistake in Acts 17…won’t do it again in Romans 15… Romans Chapter 15 Verses 20 - 21 •People have used this verse in the past to lay down territory…but that is really taking this verse out of context. He’s talking about reaching folks for the gospel…he just finished says “everywhere.” So he’s not talking really about geography but about primary ministry. Primary ministry? Yes! •In other words he doesn’t want to fish in an aquarium! He wants to go and find and catch new fish! Know what I’m saying? People say, oh we can’t plant a church here because there is one right on that corner there…non-sense! Are you telling me that it would be a bad thing to have a strip mall with 20 churches? It would be like heaven!! •I mean we love having Antioch so close to us that they even use this building!!! No we’re not talking geography here. We cannot have too many good Bible believing, Jesus loving churches! What we’re talking about here is that God has sent us to His lost sheep so if you start a new work, go get ‘em! What would be tragic is if those strip mall churches started to argue over folks…what ridiculousness! They want to go, let ‘em go…there’s more fish in the sea man! Only a few in the aquarium… •And so Paul says, I want to seek need, see need, find need and then fill the need…I don’t want to create need…know what I’m saying? That is the heart of the one in love with Jesus man…for sure! Romans Chapter 15 Verses 22 – 26 •Most scholars believe that Paul was writing this from Corinth. Not the most inviting place for him. His heart is to go back to Rome by way of Spain. But first he says that he is going back to Jerusalem. Why? Because they are King’s Kids and they are rolling in the luxury baby…name in and claim it! Prospering with the prosperity of the gospel there in the mother land…NOT AT ALL! •Notice what Paul says here…they’re poor over there man…does this not totally refute the false doctrine of the prosperity gospel? Here are saints and what are they…poor! You see the gospel is not to make you a monetary monarch but that you would find true value, (not the hardware), that you would find out what is right, what is worthy, what is real riches man…the peace of your little one as they sleep, the extra-terrestrial satisfaction and joy of making peace or accepting that you’ve been wronged and serving anyway! The kindness of the touch of a friend, the grace and love and mercy of a God who laid down His kingdom so that you could be free…something on our own we could have never accomplished… •We were hopeless…no matter the digits in the bank…no matter the stack of titles, the education, the possessions…hopeless man…a ticking time bomb that one day would go off and we would be eternally lost…and God in His great love and compassion and broken heartedness for what sin has done to us…what our own choice has done…where it has taken us…made a decision. To give us His riches…so no this prosperity gospel, word of faith false gospel…is not Biblical…we see saints right here, right after the time of Jesus, at HQ…poor…does that make them any less a saint? •Of course not man…the word faith, prosperity gospel will leave men in charge of men and that is the root of it all…it’s a power grab. If the formula is that your bank account is equally apportioned to your faith and your righteousness in Christ then guess what? If I can show you more than you got…I’m better…bow down! Foolishness, weakness man…doesn’t matter what any of us have or have not…we all have access to Jesus! •So Paul’s heart is to go back to Rome…did he go back to Rome, yes of that we are sure. Did he ever make it to Spain? Church tradition says that he did but we have no record of that in the Bible although one thing Paul did say in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have finished my course.” Romans Chapter 15 Verse 27 •Notice the Biblical pattern. The spiritual things precede the material things…many times we get that backwards don’t we? We place material things ahead of spiritual things…Good practical way to ask yourself that…what’s the first thing you do when you come up on some material like paper (money?) Does your mind go to serving the Lord first with those tools or does it go to paying this or getting that? •Just a simple test there to discover our own hearts…we need those. Without a test, there is no testimony…no lesson learned, no truth received…faith that is not tested, cannot be trusted…Paul gives us the right order here… Romans Chapter 15 Verses 28 – 32 •Wow, so we see here that Paul had some beef at HQ. Why? Well he tells us…some of them don’t believe him. They’re suspicious of him…why? Because of what they’ve seen man…he was like Jason, Freddy, Chucky to those Christians back in the day…and some folks are skeptical. Notice his heart. Tell them, defend me, send them a letter, text ‘em…nope…pray for me. That they may see? Nope…that they may be served by me…wow. Powerful. •Why, because Paul is not after popularity or prosperity or permission or approval…he’s looking for peace man… Romans Chapter 15 Verse 33 •Blessed are the peacemakers, Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, for they will be called children of God. No others. No other is called that in Matthew 5…the peace makers….Jesus was a peace maker…He continues today…Would you receive Him today, and receive peace? Just call out to Him. Repent of your sin in wisdom. Obey His call and get off that ledge and enter into the joy of His salvation. In Jesus name.
Romans 15 vs 1-13
November 10, 2013 • Pastor Matt Korniotes
Romans Chapter 15 Verses 1 – 2 •Keep in mind, who was the weaker brother in Chapter 14? The legalist! The religious! Shocking, right! I would think that the stronger Christian is the one who has the most dos and don’ts because that’s discipline…actually, that’s only the appearance of discipline. •The fleshly man loves rules. Why? Because with rules and lists and checklists…come accomplishment and accolade. Attention and position…man. So what appears to be discipline and righteousness is actually self-centered and self-righteousness. Is it easier to just serve someone man? To set aside even your own needs for the sake of the needs of others? Is that easier? Heck no! •And so genuine discipline, real discipline…the hard stuff…is love man. It’s the weaker brother who moves and lives in legalism and rigidity. Who has rules and regulations surrounding him that are not scriptural commands, but personal opinions or conclusions and Paul tells us here, the harder path, the narrow way is to love, man. •“No way! They are such a jerk. All they do is look down on me continually. Everytime I want to go out to eat, they want to go to Sweet Tomatoes! I can’t take it!” Hold up, Paul would say. I didn’t say the harder path, the path of true discipline, the narrow way is to love them…it’s to love Jesus man…it’s to fix your eyes upon the Lord and in serving them, you serve Him… Romans Chapter 15 Verses 3 – 6 •I have written in the very front of my Bible something that helps me to understand what it is God wants to teach me everytime I open this book. It reads, “The Author of this book, His M-O (modus operendi) was and is to give His life for others.” And so Paul says look, as a Christian many times you will be called to live by the standards that other men have set and you don’t have to…yet if you walk in love, remembering the M-O of the Author of this book, then you will grow in your relationship with Him! You will grow closer to Him… •And so read this book, learn of the patience and comfort of the Lord through the pages of scriptures and be filled with hope…and then, flex man…all that hope in you will just come pouring forth when you take all that you have learned and convert it to wisdom! Put it into play! Roll out! And then what? Verse 5! The God of patience and comfort will grant you love man! He will enlarge your heart to lead man! •See that word patience? This doesn’t mean that you go about your entire rest of your life being a vegetarian with the weaker brother! This means that through the sufficiency of your relationship with Jesus, being comforted by the Word, you patiently love man and your light shining brightly, your saltiness just enriching, will set folks free man and in time, maybe a lot of time, maybe a little time…but in time toward one-another, PEACE man! Unity! Like-mindedness…they will grow man! And in it all, you will find that all along, it was your heart that needed enlarging, it was you that needed growth…And then together you will glorify God! •Now if they don’t grow, guess what. With one mouth, one mind you will be worshipping Jesus and you the stronger will realize that meat means nothing to you compared to glorifying God with your brother. Does that make sense man? That axe you want to grind. That opinion that you feel so strongly about. When God is being praised, when unity arrives…man all of that becomes what it should be…meaningless anyway. Because what really matters is that God receives them man…right where they’re at. •And no worries. Before too long you’ll have the opportunity to correct them in love. The relationship will be so strong, the light so bright, that one day they’ll come to you and say, “how is it that I should handle this…or react to that…” Oh baby BABY! Well let me show you what the scriptures say! You will get a chance to teach them truth man and you know what Jesus said, “your personal convictions will set them free!” NO! “Your amazing piety and high esteem will set them free!” NOT! No, He said in John Chapter 8, “then you shall know the truth, and the TRUTH will make you free!” •Therefore have the heart of the Author, if you are indeed the strong. Have the M-O of the One who wrote this book…to give His life man…for the freedom and salvation of others!!! Romans Chapter 15 Verse 7 •Why is it that I can’t see the 12 foot 4x4 in my eye but I can so easily see the sliver splinter in yours? It’s not a matter of discernment or attention or acute focus…”oh, it’s a gift, Matt…I can just tell you what’s wrong with people.” Not really. It’s really a matter of love. I just love myself so much that I don’t pay much attention to my own short comings. The world will sing out “love is blind” but not so…lust is blind. Love sees it all man and lays down its right to accuse…to harm…and simply loves… •Look what Jesus did…perfect in all His ways yet He Himself submitted to the law, submitted to sinful men…that’s crazy! Why? For the liberty of others man! And…because we were weak….right? Lines right up here doesn’t it? Romans Chapter 15 Verses 8 – 12 •What a major statement Paul is making to the world! To the Jew, GASP, Jesus came so that the Gentiles might glorify God! To the Gentile, GASP, Jesus came so that they might glorify God! Major game changing statement here. But Paul, don’t lay your trip on me man…you just said that I can believe what I want…oh no man, don’t get it wrong…in the gray areas of scripture man we serve and we love…if we err, let us err on the side of grace… •But where the Bible is clear and concise and quite loud, man we exhort, rebuke, convince and teach but even that, we do in love and unreligious genuine faith from a life that has “found it out” man, not just learned it, but found it out…!!!!…Turn over to 2 Timothy Chapter 4 for just a moment and read with me verse 2. •See that phrase embedded by the Holy Spirit? “With all long suffering…” When you teach, serve. When you rebuke, serve. When you exhort, serve. And when you convince man…let it be with your service!!!! And so Paul here, doesn’t state what he believes. He is laying no trip. What does he do? He backs up precisely the point he made with peculiar parts of God’s Word! The Bible! Scripture! •That’s the key! That is where the power is man…the power to convince, to rebuke, to exhort, to teach…to love man…to serve! •And what does he say to the world using the scriptures? “You’re wrong, see it my way!” No! He says, “sing!” “Rejoice!” “Praise!” “Because there is hope!” THAT is what we say to ourselves, but to others we so often say, “Dumb, Dumb, give me gum gum!” We so often withhold softness and encouragement and go right for direction and correction! Why? Because we are pressing our point! Protecting our personal peace. Not loving, not serving, not honoring or representing Jesus accurately… •The craziness of it all is that will leave us impatient and uncomfortable around that other person…huh? All the way back in verse 5 of Chapter 15…”Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.” •Well Matt we are like minded…we hate eachother…nice…but Paul said, “according to Christ Jesus.” So, do it your way…according to the passing pleasure of sin and you’ll have what only you can provide…impatience (I’m great at giving myself that) and discomfort…but do it God’s way man and see the truth…that love is the more mature way, grace is the stronger path and that knowing God and being close to God will leave you dripping with both…do it God’s way and take a step back for a minute and realize in courage that you’re not as close to Him as you think…and open your heart to receive His heart for them and guess what…you’ll get what you’re really after man…joy. •Look at the next verse… Romans Chapter 15 Verse 13 •Zinger! Winner! We heard before “God of patience. God of comfort.” Now we hear “God of hope.” A little secret here. A little Bible mathematics here…God of patience, God of comfort, God of hope. The result of comfort and hope is patience. The result of patience and comfort is hope. The result of hope and patience is comfort. The result of believing…placing your trust in Jesus and forgiving…placing your trust in Jesus and simply loving, simply serving, simply believing God’s Word…all three man… •And once secured…once you see the forest for the trees man…a few more words of awesomeness to add to your quiver, “abound.” Not just survive. Man, God did not give all the He had so that you and I can “make it!” What a ridiculous religious carnal satanic notion!!! Abound man! Not just tolerate that person but abound in love for them! Not just tolerate your job but abound in hope! Not just appease your wife or your husband or your parents but abound in patience for them! Not just have your relationships copacetic and unbothersome but abounding in comfort as you come together again and again! •If you’re lacking in any of that…time to consider the cross man. What God paid for your freedom is directly related in impact and proportion to the very freedom that was bought…so what’s the problem? The 4x4 in your own eye man…your own pride man…your own internal scream deep down that I should do it your way man! Which keeps you right where the enemy would have you…stagnate in your spiritual sophistication… •Your capacity, your potential…powerful and limitless but absolutely incompatible with your flesh…and so if you find your capacity and potential less than comforting…guess what is most likely very strong in your heart, soul, mind and strength? Your flesh… •Not belief. Right here look, in believing you abound and in believing you are filled with irrational, extra-terrrestrial power why? Because in believing, truly believing, you open your heart to receive the heart of God…and the power of the Holy Spirit mushroom clouds in your life man… •Will you settle for less? I pray you do not. I pray you see your worth to your Father in heaven…and their worth too…precisely, eternally equal…and that that He would give everything for you AND for them….and that truth that would fill you with courage to give everything to Him! That truth would set you free…