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The Book of Romans is so rich in information that some Churches take a whole year to preach through it. This video is the final part of our seven-part simplified overview, featuring Ken Smythe, an international Bible teacher from South Africa. Ken preaches chapters 14-16 from Romans, examining the contentions within the early Church and drawing parallels with the modern-day Church. Let's learn The Bible together.
Romans is a solid attack on anti-Semitism! And this message is needed today more than ever. Many teachers dig into the minute verses and miss the reason why Paul composed the letter! The clues are in Acts. Acts 18:1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Claudius reigned from AD 41 to 54. This was about AD 54. If all the Jews left Rome, then the Church in Rome must have become entirely Gentile. Nero, who succeeded Claudius in AD 54, invited the Jews back because they were good for business. And Romans 16 tells us that when Paul wrote (dictated) this letter, in about AD 57, many of his friends were back in Rome. The first friends he names are Priscilla and Aquila. Romans 16: 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5 Greet also the Church that meets at their house. It seems probable that Paul has heard that the Messianic Jews are being treated badly in Rome by the Gentile Christians. So, he composed this letter very skillfully to help his Messianic Jewish friends. The first 8 chapters are solid stuff, for Jew and Gentile equally. Jesus is for all. All sinned, all fall short, all have hope of eternal life in Jesus. And in Romans 8 it is clear that anyone who is not led by the Spirit of Christ is not a Christian. All cry Abba, Father, by the one Spirit. All are one in Christ Jesus, whether Jew of Gentile. THEN we come to the whole point of the letter in chapters 9, 10 and 11. Romans 11: 1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! Romans 11: 11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fulness bring! 13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Romans 11: 20 Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Consider therefore the
The Book of Romans is so rich in information that some Churches take a whole year to preach through it. This video is the final part of our seven-part simplified overview, featuring Ken Smythe, an international Bible teacher from South Africa. Ken preaches chapters 14-16 from Romans, examining the contentions within the early Church and drawing parallels with the modern-day Church. Let's learn The Bible together.
Romans is a solid attack on anti-Semitism! And this message is needed today more than ever. Many teachers dig into the minute verses and miss the reason why Paul composed the letter! The clues are in Acts. Acts 18:1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Claudius reigned from AD 41 to 54. This was about AD 54. If all the Jews left Rome, then the Church in Rome must have become entirely Gentile. Nero, who succeeded Claudius in AD 54, invited the Jews back because they were good for business. And Romans 16 tells us that when Paul wrote (dictated) this letter, in about AD 57, many of his friends were back in Rome. The first friends he names are Priscilla and Aquila. Romans 16: 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5 Greet also the Church that meets at their house. It seems probable that Paul has heard that the Messianic Jews are being treated badly in Rome by the Gentile Christians. So, he composed this letter very skillfully to help his Messianic Jewish friends. The first 8 chapters are solid stuff, for Jew and Gentile equally. Jesus is for all. All sinned, all fall short, all have hope of eternal life in Jesus. And in Romans 8 it is clear that anyone who is not led by the Spirit of Christ is not a Christian. All cry Abba, Father, by the one Spirit. All are one in Christ Jesus, whether Jew of Gentile. THEN we come to the whole point of the letter in chapters 9, 10 and 11. Romans 11: 1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! Romans 11: 11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fulness bring! 13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Romans 11: 20 Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Consider therefore the
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00:00And so through all the length of days, thy goodness made hath ever.
00:11Whichever may I sing thy praise, within thy heart forever.
00:26Well, good evening everyone.
00:27And so we're going to be looking at the book of Romans, chapter 14, 15 and 16 tonight.
00:36Which seems like a huge amount.
00:40But when you break it down, there's a lot said over a little thing.
00:47A little thing, but a major problem.
00:50Because of the situation that was in the Church of Rome at the time.
00:58The Church of Rome was made up of Gentiles and Jews.
01:04The Jews had grown up under the law.
01:09Under all the feasts, the tabernacles, the sacrifices.
01:14All the law was relevant to them.
01:16And everything that they did was measured by the calendar of the Jews.
01:27They had come out of Judaism into Christianity, but they had not been trained in Christianity.
01:38They had received Christ as their Saviour because he is the way, the truth and the life.
01:44He is the one that they found was correct.
01:47And possibly, and I'm assuming, that they probably were very unhappy with the status quo of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
01:58And the legality which had been imposed upon them was being imposed upon them.
02:03That the double-tiered standard, as we are having in Britain at the moment, that was imposed upon them as well.
02:11It was one layer of worship for you guys and another layer of worship for the priestly division.
02:19There was no fairness in it.
02:23And God was just a figure, a figurehead, which was the name of God and the name of Moses and Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
02:37who were just legal names to fleece the public of their hard-earned money to keep the rich rich and to keep them happy.
02:48And so many of these men have come out of Judaism, but being trained up in it,
02:54as a good Roman Catholic is trained up in Roman Catholicism,
02:58it's very, very difficult to take that training out of them.
03:02When they find all the pleasantries and all the garb and all the ceremonies,
03:08it's very attractive to us.
03:10We love beautiful things.
03:11We love royalty.
03:12We love seeing the royal family.
03:15We love seeing the tripping of the God and the honors and all that.
03:18It's really exciting.
03:20It inspires us.
03:22And that is what they used to have.
03:24But now, all of a sudden, that has passed.
03:27They're in Rome, and they're trying to hang on to the past.
03:36They've got Jewish believers who are with them,
03:39to which the sacrifices and the ceremonies of all the feasts and the tabernacles meant nothing,
03:51because Christ is the end of the law to righteousness for all those who believe in them.
03:57And so there is this problem that we have in the church in Rome.
04:04Paul is writing to address that problem,
04:06because there was a division between Gentiles and Jews,
04:11though they were all one in Christ.
04:14Yet, if you are trained in a way,
04:17how difficult it is to take that training out of you to accept a new thing.
04:22It is extremely difficult.
04:24And as you apply the word, the literal word of God to you through faith,
04:31you are not going to be able to overcome your traditional upbringing
04:35and leave it behind and walk in the new one,
04:39because we love things.
04:41We love seeing things.
04:42We love touching and feeling and looking.
04:45Faith becomes something that is set to the side.
04:48Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
04:52And so there was a combination probably here of faith,
04:56but also we need to keep these things because, you know, it binds us together.
04:59We have a commonality in all the ceremonies and the sacrifices that we had.
05:05And so we have those, we begin with in Romans chapter 14,
05:09receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
05:13And that is where the problem, the basic problem was,
05:17the doubting over disputed things, over doubtful things.
05:23One believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.
05:30We have a problem like that in the church at the moment.
05:33Not in our church, maybe not in your church, but in churches at the moment.
05:38There are these double standards of what is faith?
05:42How do you conduct yourself in faith?
05:46Faith is believing what God's word says.
05:49Faith is believing in the risen and the conquering Christ.
05:52Faith is believing that all things are gone.
05:56With Christ dying to the law, fulfilling every aspect of the law and rising from the dead,
06:03he has cancelled the law as we have understood it always to be.
06:08Most of the book of chapter 14 and a large part of chapter 15 are dealing with food, with diet.
06:21What do we eat?
06:22How do we conduct ourselves?
06:23Can we eat it?
06:24Is it kosher?
06:26And that was a huge problem because there was enmity between the Jews and the Gentiles.
06:32The Gentiles didn't have any problem with what they eat.
06:34Peter had a problem in the book of Acts, you might remember, in about chapter 10.
06:40He had a problem until that sheet was let down.
06:44And he saw the sheet and the vision in it of all kinds of animals.
06:48And he was told, rise, Peter, kill and eat.
06:51And he said, I can't do that.
06:53These things are unclean.
06:54And the voice came back saying, what God has cleansed, you do not call unclean.
07:00And Peter was educated in that.
07:02But yet he failed again later on when we read in the book of Colossians how he became hypocritical.
07:08When the Jews were around, he would only eat with the Jews.
07:11When the Gentiles were around, he would only go and eat with the Gentiles.
07:14And he wouldn't mix and match between the two.
07:16And he was brought up to his face before the congregation saying, Peter, you being a hypocrite, conduct yourself properly and accept Christ as he is, the fullness of Christ.
07:27The result and the conclusion of that is that we have two books written by Peter which have been recorded for us in the Bible telling us how we need to conduct ourselves in many ways.
07:37But in this particular aspect here, the law of liberty, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us as long as we do not doubt what he or what we are doing.
07:49If we do it in doubting, we're told at the end, verse 14, he who doubts is condemned if he eats because he who does, he does not eat from faith.
08:00For whatever is not from faith is sin.
08:03And that's a very, very pertinent comment to every single one of us that what we are doing, even meeting here on a Sunday night, is through faith.
08:15If we are doubting the purpose and the reason for which we are meeting here, well then that could also be connoted as sin.
08:23But it is not because we believe that the Lord's hand is on us.
08:27Now we are told in verse 5, one person is, sorry, in verse 5 of chapter 14, one person esteems one day above another, another esteems every day alike.
08:39Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.
08:44Sunday for me is a precious, precious day.
08:46In my own mind, it is precious because to me, it gives me the opportunity to meet with fellow believers who also have the time and the opportunity to meet.
08:58To another, Sunday is inconsequential because they can do what they want to do during the day.
09:03Maybe they meet at night.
09:04I don't know what other people do.
09:06But to me, it is a precious.
09:08In my own mind, Sunday is a precious day.
09:11I esteem Sunday above all the other days.
09:14But another, someone will esteem another day in a different manner.
09:20If we are believers, if we are meeting in Christ, we need to accept each other's mindset and come to a common conclusion as to what is important for each of us.
09:33Do I have a reason for meeting on Sunday?
09:36Or can I have and justify a day for meeting on another day?
09:42Well, I have to settle it for myself.
09:44What is going to be the right thing for me to do?
09:47These guys had a problem because they could not come to a common conclusion to be like-minded in what they were doing and how they were worshipping the Lord.
09:56The Jews wanted to worship the Lord one way.
09:59The Gentiles wanted to worship the Lord another way.
10:02But they did not, because of their history, because of the legacy that they had inherited, they couldn't come to terms to meet with one another, to worship the Lord.
10:13Christ died for everyone.
10:16Christ died for everything.
10:17Christ died that everyone would be one in Christ Jesus.
10:21No more the Jews, no more the Gentiles.
10:24All are one in Christ.
10:25Jesus was a Jew, and salvation has come from the Jews.
10:32In verse 7, he carries on and says,
10:35For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
10:40For if we live, we live to the Lord.
10:42If we die, we die to the Lord.
10:44Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
10:49Basically, he is supporting his comments about it doesn't matter what you're doing as long as you're doing it in Christ.
10:58But whether we are living or whether we are dead, we belong to the Lord.
11:02It doesn't matter what state that we are in.
11:06We are going to go back to the Lord one day.
11:08And at the end, Christ died and rose and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
11:16Death does not have victory over us anymore.
11:20Christ has conquered death, and so he is Lord of death.
11:24And so, why do we judge one another?
11:26Why do you show contempt for your brother?
11:29We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11:32So, whether we are eating or drinking, not eating and drinking in faith,
11:37or whether we are worshipping in the way that we are worshipping,
11:40if we are worshipping in faith, then that would be fine.
11:43But he comments here that judgment is incorrect,
11:49for we are showing contempt for our brothers who might be worshipping in a different way.
11:57If we are worshipping Christ and we are convinced that we are worshipping Christ the way that we do,
12:02there is nothing to judge one another with that,
12:06for we are all going to be judged by the same rule.
12:09What have you done with the word that I have given you?
12:12Those Jews that were worshipping Christ in the fellowship in Rome,
12:19they were at odds with the Gentiles, as I've said,
12:22and they needed to come to the understanding that the way had been changed.
12:27There was a new way which had been given to them to worship the Lord.
12:32And so, each one of us is going to give an account of himself to God
12:35and the day when we are judged before God.
12:39And so, we must not judge one another anymore,
12:42or put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.
12:46Because if we do that, we are creating an error in our lives and an error in their lives,
12:53and we're creating a possibility of sinning because we are not walking in faith to the Lord.
12:58He goes on in verse 14 and says,
13:02I am convinced, I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus,
13:06that there is nothing unclean of itself.
13:10But to him who considers anything to be unclean,
13:14to him it is unclean.
13:17We were commenting yesterday when we were cleaning the church about food.
13:21Some people like some kind of food.
13:24Other people like another kind of food.
13:26But so what if you do like it?
13:28But as in the Lord, there's nothing unclean of itself in the Lord
13:32because God has cleansed everything.
13:34There's nothing that we can point to to say that that edible wise is unclean.
13:41We cannot, and this was the threat to that church there,
13:47that the one was grieved because of what they were eating.
13:50And because they were grieved, the others were not walking in love,
13:55who were grieving the ones that were grieved.
13:58And the lesson to us is to be aware of our attitude
14:03and of our acceptance of one another's likes and dislikes,
14:10to be aware of their conscience, to be aware of our conscience,
14:13because he said here that we could destroy with our food
14:17the one for whom Christ died.
14:21Faith is the substance of things hoped for
14:25and the evidence of things not seen.
14:28Faith, without faith, it is impossible to please God.
14:31So how are you going to convince unbelievers,
14:35or not even convince unbelievers,
14:37convince believers of the veracity
14:42and of the finality of faith in God being vital?
14:47If you cannot prove it,
14:48if you are conducting yourself in a manner
14:50which is creating a stumbling block to others,
14:54we have to be so aware of the situation that we have,
14:58each of us towards one another,
15:00that we do not create a stumbling block to others.
15:03And if it is becoming a stumbling block,
15:05well then we need to repent and we need to turn away from it
15:08and pursue those things which make for peace,
15:10that we are able to edify and uplift one another in the faith.
15:17We cannot destroy one another's faith because of our attitude,
15:20because of the way we receive and understand the Word of God.
15:25We can discuss it, we can look at it and say,
15:27look, it doesn't make any difference what you are eating,
15:30which was such a problem to those believers at that time.
15:33And it is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine
15:37or do anything which will make your brother stumble
15:41or is offended or to make or is made weak.
15:45And so we have to be very, very aware all the time
15:48of our companions,
15:52whether it is in the church or whether it is at work,
15:57what they perceive, what they understand,
15:59how they accept your life, your walk, your way, your conversation.
16:03Do you have faith?
16:05Have it to yourself before God.
16:08Happy is he who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
16:12So we need to be aware that if we are not condemning,
16:16our heart does not condemn us.
16:19If we realize that we are walking in faith and in truth
16:22and our heart does not condemn us,
16:24we have confidence towards God
16:26because he is faithful and just
16:28to give us that strength to be able to continue.
16:31In the church, there are those that are strong in chapter 15.
16:35There are those that are strong.
16:37There are those that are weaker.
16:39And he mentions scruples, the word scruples of the weak
16:43and not to please ourself.
16:45That word scruples is a very telling word
16:48because a scruple is a very pernickety fine word
16:52describing something which is not really important,
16:55but it's very important to the person who has a problem.
16:58We who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak
17:02and not to please ourselves.
17:04And once again, it's being alert to the situation that we're in.
17:10These guys weren't alert to the situation
17:12and they were having this continued discontent
17:14between the Gentiles and the Jews in that church.
17:20Let each of us please his neighbor
17:23for his good leading to edification.
17:26Sometimes we're not doing that
17:28and we end up with no edification.
17:31We end up with contention in the church
17:33because we're not pleasing one another.
17:36We are trying to please our own selves
17:38without having any justification for what we're doing.
17:42That is chapter 15 and verse 2.
17:45Christ, when he died, we are told in verse 3,
17:47did not please himself,
17:49but the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me,
17:52he said when he is praying in the garden of Gethsemane.
17:55Christ is our example.
17:57He is the one that we need to emulate in our lives in Christ
18:01in which we walk and how we conduct ourselves.
18:04He is the example that we have before us
18:07to be able to walk in the light which he has given us.
18:11We're told in verse 4,
18:13whatever things were written before were written for our learning,
18:17that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures
18:19might have hope.
18:21We have no excuse what we who are in this day and age now
18:26because we have the whole history given to us
18:28right from Genesis right down to today
18:31of what happened to those in the past
18:33and what the consequences were of their actions
18:38and how God disciplined them
18:39because of what they had done,
18:42walking in the hardness of their heart
18:44and denying what had happened before
18:47and insisting on following their own way.
18:50So we have the examples that we have been given
18:53and we're told in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 11,
18:58I think it is,
18:59that those things were written for our edification
19:02and examples for us that we would be able to have
19:05them given to us to understand and to learn from.
19:08In verse 5,
19:10we are told that the God of patience and comfort
19:13grant you to be like-minded toward one another
19:16according to Christ.
19:18It is very easy to be like-minded toward one another
19:22when we speak about the Lord Jesus Christ,
19:25that he died on the cross,
19:27he rose again from the dead,
19:29he's interceding for us,
19:30he'll be coming back one day.
19:32But what about other things in the scriptures
19:34where you cannot find consensus and agreement
19:37as what was happening to these guys
19:40between the food that they were having
19:42that one wanted to eat
19:43and the other refused to eat
19:44because they felt it was not kosher?
19:47Well, they needed to be like-minded,
19:49they needed to come to an agreement
19:51that they were able to conduct themselves
19:54in a manner which was equitable to both of them,
19:59that they would be comforted and like-minded,
20:02that they were able to have fellowship.
20:03The bottom line is like-mindedness
20:06and to have fellowship with one another
20:08over the body of Christ,
20:11with the body of Christ,
20:12that we might be able to glorify Christ
20:14because once there is no like-mindedness,
20:17contentions come.
20:19And if there are contentions,
20:21then there can be no agreement on the way ahead.
20:23It just won't work.
20:26In verse 14 of chapter 15,
20:29I'm confident concerning you, my brethren,
20:31that you also are full of goodness,
20:34filled with all knowledge,
20:36and able also to admonish one another.
20:39He's encouraging them and exhorting them
20:41through the knowledge that they already have
20:44to be able to find a way ahead,
20:47to understand what their problems is,
20:49and to get over it and to move on.
20:51He's using the knowledge that they have.
20:54We have knowledge.
20:55We've been given the word of God.
20:57But oftentimes, we don't want to access the word of God
21:00because of our hard-heartedness,
21:02because of our stubbornness,
21:03because we decide that we are correct
21:07in the way that we handle ourselves
21:09and conduct ourselves.
21:11But he says with all knowledge
21:12and admonish one another in all wisdom.
21:16We need to be able to have the mind of Christ.
21:19And the mind of Christ was,
21:20he did not esteem himself the Son of God.
21:23I am the Son of God.
21:25He said, I am who I am.
21:26And they said, you're nobody to us.
21:28And he came as a servant to the Jews,
21:31acting as a servant, conducting him as a servant,
21:34giving an example to them
21:36as to how they ought to conduct themselves
21:38in the new dispensation.
21:40That coming as a servant is also applied to us.
21:45That we come as servants to one another.
21:47How can I help you?
21:49How can I serve you?
21:50How can I please you?
21:52How can we look at this situation that we might have?
21:55But we don't.
21:56We come like bulls in the china shop
21:58sometimes insisting that this is the correct way,
22:00which is not the way that the Lord wants us to do it.
22:03We need to come with that humble spirit
22:05of the Lord Jesus Christ,
22:07recognizing that he is the example
22:09that we need to take as the minister to us
22:12and to help us to be able to minister Christ
22:16to those with whom we have to do.
22:19Paul himself says that in verse 16,
22:22he might be a minister by the grace of God,
22:26of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,
22:28ministering the gospel of God,
22:30that the offering of the Gentiles
22:32might be acceptable and sanctified
22:34by the Holy Spirit,
22:36that the Jews would accept
22:37what the Gentiles were doing
22:38through Christ and in Christ,
22:40that they all might be able
22:41to minister one another
22:43as the days went by
22:46and as they were worshiping.
22:48And so he was trying to
22:49bring all these two together
22:51through the problems that they were having
22:53in this church of Romans.
22:55Paul was wanting to go there
22:56and he said,
22:57I'm going to come and visit you
22:58on my way to Spain one day
22:59in verse 15.
23:01He never did get there,
23:03but he did try
23:04and he did many,
23:07many other works and things.
23:08And he mentions the works
23:09in chapter 15
23:13and verse 18.
23:16I will not dare to speak
23:17of any of those things
23:18which Christ has not accomplished
23:20through me in word and deed
23:22to make the Gentiles obedient.
23:25To the point in Acts,
23:26you can remember that Paul walked through
23:28and even handkerchiefs
23:29taken from Paul
23:30were used to heal people.
23:33He spoke to people.
23:34He ministered to people.
23:35He raised Eutychus from the dead.
23:37He did all sorts of things
23:39in front of the Gentiles.
23:40And the proof of that
23:42was to prove to the Jews
23:44that the Gentiles
23:45were just as accepted
23:46as the Jews thought
23:48that they were
23:48even though they had
23:50the legacy of all the sacrifices
23:52and all the ceremonies
23:55that they had come through with.
23:57That those were no longer
23:59now important
24:00but that one-mindedness in Christ
24:03was becoming more important
24:05than them all.
24:07In many signs and wonders
24:08by the power of the Spirit of God
24:10so that from Jerusalem
24:12and round about to Illyricum
24:14I have fully preached
24:15the gospel of Christ.
24:17That is the bottom line,
24:18I think,
24:19and an example for us
24:20that whatever we do,
24:21wherever we go,
24:22we use the full gospel of Christ,
24:26preach the full gospel of Christ,
24:28not partially but altogether,
24:30not only from the Old Testament
24:32but at least the New Testament
24:33but from the Old Testament also
24:35because when you will remember
24:37that Paul in another place spoke,
24:39how he used the word of God
24:42to convince people of Christ
24:44and he only had
24:46the Old Testament
24:47to do that.
24:49I can't remember the man's name,
24:51he's a very well-known
24:52old preacher
24:53who's now dead.
24:54He said in every book
24:55of the Bible
24:55Jesus is revealed
24:57and Paul probably had
24:59all that knowledge
25:00and understanding
25:01at his hand
25:01to be able to convince
25:03from the Old Testament
25:04that Jesus is the Christ
25:05through the things
25:06that had happened to him.
25:07So now he's going on
25:10wanting to go through
25:11to Spain
25:13but that he was wanting
25:15to go and visit them.
25:17It so happened
25:18that he did go to visit them
25:19but he went in chains
25:21when he landed up there initially.
25:25In chapter 16
25:28he mentions a whole list
25:30of folk there by name
25:33and mentioning that they met
25:36in people's houses.
25:38I seem to see that
25:40as the days go by
25:42that the churches
25:43are becoming smaller
25:45and smaller
25:45in this time
25:47in which we are living
25:48and that house churches
25:49will probably take over
25:51in the not too distant future.
25:54And he mentions by name
25:55all these people
25:56Aquila,
25:57my fellow workers
25:58in Christ Jesus
25:59who risked their necks
26:00for my life
26:01to whom not only
26:02I give thanks
26:03but also all the churches
26:04of the Gentiles.
26:05greet the church
26:06in their house
26:07greet my beloved
26:08Aponetus
26:09who is the firstfruits
26:11of Achaia to Christ
26:12greet Mary
26:13greet Andronicus
26:14and so he names them
26:15all by name
26:16these people
26:18that actually had
26:19a work going
26:21for the kingdom of heaven
26:22for the Lord Jesus Christ
26:24and supported Paul
26:25in his work as well
26:27but not only that
26:28but giving you
26:29an indication
26:30of the size
26:31of the Roman church
26:32and how it was
26:33and could have been
26:34such a problem
26:35with all these folk
26:37and the Gentiles
26:37coming in.
26:39At the end
26:40of chapter 16
26:41I urge you brethren
26:44note those
26:46who cause divisions
26:47and offences
26:48contrary to the doctrine
26:50which you learned
26:51and avoid them.
26:52So once again
26:55he's intimating
26:57what happened
26:57in the past
26:58about the Gentiles
27:00and the Jews
27:00having problems
27:02but obviously
27:03in the church
27:04there were those
27:05who were more adamant
27:07about the situation
27:09than others were
27:10others were just
27:11were casual enough
27:12to overlook things
27:13but he said
27:14note those
27:15who cause divisions
27:16and offences
27:17contrary to the doctrine
27:19which you have learned
27:20and avoid them.
27:22It's quite a serious
27:23thing there
27:24and so we ourselves
27:25also need to
27:27avoid if we can
27:28divisions and offences
27:29contrary to the doctrine.
27:31The doctrine is
27:32Lord Jesus Christ
27:33died for us all.
27:34Every single one of us
27:36come to Christ
27:37upon the same basis
27:38upon the same standard
27:39upon the same sacrifice
27:42that Christ died
27:43on the cross.
27:43He didn't die for me
27:45after I had attained
27:46a certain amount
27:47of knowledge
27:48or been through
27:49certain theological colleges.
27:51He died for me
27:52as I was.
27:55We all come to Christ
27:56as we are
27:58but we can only
28:00come to Christ
28:01through one way
28:02and that is
28:03through believing
28:03and trusting
28:04that he died
28:05on the cross.
28:06He rose from the dead
28:07and our sins
28:08are forgiven
28:09by the blood
28:10that he shed for us
28:11on the cross of Calvary.
28:12that is without
28:14without discussion.
28:18That is
28:18has to be
28:20but how I came
28:21to Christ
28:22it doesn't matter
28:23where you are.
28:24How you came to Christ
28:25is do you believe
28:26that Christ died
28:27for you on the sins
28:28which is what we need
28:30to believe
28:30and that
28:31is the bottom line
28:33of the doctrine
28:34that we stand upon.
28:35Those who are such
28:36we are told
28:37the ones that cause
28:38divisions
28:38those who are such
28:39do not serve
28:40the Lord Jesus Christ
28:42but their own belly
28:43by smooth words
28:44flattering speech
28:45and deceive
28:46the hearts
28:47of the simple.
28:48We need to have
28:49one mind in Christ
28:50and that's what
28:51Paul is aiming for
28:52in these three
28:53last chapters
28:54to try
28:54and bring people
28:56away from
28:56the history
28:57of their past
28:57into a present
28:59sacrificial
29:01acceptable
29:02worship
29:04of the Lord
29:04Jesus Christ.
29:05It doesn't matter
29:06where I've come from
29:07and who I was
29:08but what am I now
29:09and today
29:10in the Lord
29:11Jesus Christ?
29:12We need to
29:13be able to
29:14guard ourselves
29:15to watch over
29:16ourselves
29:16and to use
29:17ourselves
29:18as one who is
29:20an example
29:20of the Lord
29:21Jesus Christ
29:22walking humbly
29:23with him
29:24and not
29:26pushing
29:27our own ways
29:29beyond
29:30that
29:30that the Bible
29:31allows us to do.
29:34He goes on here
29:35and says in verse 19
29:37your obedience
29:37has become
29:38known to all
29:39therefore I am
29:40glad on your behalf
29:41but I want you
29:42to be wise
29:43in what is good
29:44and simple
29:45concerning evil
29:47and the God
29:48of peace
29:48will crush
29:49Satan
29:49under your feet
29:50shortly.
29:51The grace
29:52of our Lord
29:52Jesus Christ
29:53may he be with you.
29:55We need to be able
29:56to learn
29:57from the things
29:58that are written
29:59in the word of God
30:00in the situations
30:01and the circumstances
30:02that were
30:04dictating
30:08the worship
30:09of the people
30:10of those days
30:11in the times
30:13in which we are living.
30:14We have things
30:15dictating to us
30:17how we ought
30:18to worship
30:18what is
30:19acceptable to say
30:22and how to say it
30:23and how to conduct
30:24yourself
30:25but we need to
30:26have everything
30:27supported
30:28by what we have
30:29been given
30:29in the word of God.
30:31There is a stack
30:32here that hasn't
30:33been spoken
30:34of this evening
30:35because of time
30:37but also too
30:37because of the extent
30:39to which Paul
30:40used the word of God
30:42in its entirety
30:43to support the gospel
30:44which he was using
30:46to convince
30:47these folk
30:48here in the book
30:50of Romans
30:52who were living
30:52in Rome.
30:53We have the New Testament
30:54we have the book
30:55of Corinthians
30:56many many scriptures
30:57and verses there
30:58indicating
30:59what the situation
31:00was also
31:01in Rome
31:02at that time
31:03also that the Romans
31:05were actually
31:05turning away
31:06from what was
31:08written
31:09to for
31:10not to them
31:11but for them
31:12to be able
31:13to worship Jesus
31:14in the right way
31:15and they were
31:16turning back
31:16to the
31:18practices
31:19of the sacrifices
31:20that they were
31:21getting involved in
31:22and he said
31:23how can you do that
31:24now when you're doing
31:25when you've got
31:26the better thing
31:26which we have
31:28we've been told
31:29that the Gentiles
31:30are here
31:31to provoke
31:32the Jews
31:33and to make them
31:35jealous
31:35for what we have
31:36when we compare
31:38what they had to do
31:39and all their sacrifices
31:41that they had to conduct
31:43and the simplicity
31:44of the gospel
31:44that we have been given
31:46all we need to do
31:47is believe
31:47all we need to do
31:49is come and confess
31:50our sins
31:50all we need to do
31:52is proclaim
31:52the word of God
31:53that Jesus died
31:54on the cross
31:55rose again
31:55and we will be saved
31:56how simple it is
31:57we have
31:58that is what
31:59the Gentiles had
32:00but the Jews
32:01weren't quite happy
32:01with that
32:02it was just
32:02too simplistic
32:03we have that
32:04simplicity in our lives
32:06that whatever we do
32:07God is going to be
32:08happy with it
32:09as long as we do it
32:10as unto him
32:11worshipping him
32:13who is able to keep us
32:14and watch over us
32:15and guide us
32:16and finally
32:17the benediction
32:18now to him
32:19who is able
32:20to establish you
32:21according to my gospel
32:23and the preaching
32:24of Jesus Christ
32:25according to the revelation
32:26of the mystery
32:27kept secret
32:29since the world began
32:30how often we don't
32:32understand the mystery
32:33that we have
32:34that mystery is spoken of
32:36in other scriptures
32:37in the book of Ephesians
32:38in the book of Colossians
32:39that Christ is the head
32:41of the church
32:42the church is the vehicle
32:44by which God is worshipped
32:46through the Lord Jesus Christ
32:48because Christ is the head
32:50and we are part
32:51of that body
32:52of Christ
32:53that mystery
32:53was not revealed
32:54to them
32:55until Paul
32:56actually revealed
32:57it to them
32:57but now it has been
32:59made manifest
33:00by the prophetic scriptures
33:02which have been
33:03given to us
33:04of which a couple
33:05of them were given
33:05to us
33:06in the book
33:07of 1 Peter
33:08chapter 1
33:09which exhorts us
33:12to check out
33:13the word of God
33:14to see
33:14how we can
33:15find out
33:16more about
33:17this life
33:18that we have
33:18and more about
33:19the faith
33:20that we have
33:21where it speaks
33:22about in chapter 1
33:231 Peter
33:24chapter 1
33:24verse
33:25starting from
33:27verse 10
33:28of this salvation
33:29the prophets
33:30have inquired
33:31and searched
33:31carefully
33:32who prophesied
33:33of the grace
33:34that would come
33:34to you
33:35searching
33:36what or what
33:37manner of time
33:38the spirit
33:39of Christ
33:39who was in them
33:41was indicating
33:41when he testified
33:43beforehand
33:44the sufferings
33:45of Christ
33:45and the glories
33:46that would follow
33:47to them
33:48it was revealed
33:49that not to
33:50themselves
33:50but to us
33:51they were
33:51ministering
33:52the things
33:52which have
33:53now been
33:54reported to
33:55you
33:55through those
33:56who have
33:56preached the
33:57gospel to
33:57you
33:58by the
33:59Holy Spirit
33:59and sent
34:00from heaven
34:01things which
34:02even angels
34:03desire
34:03took a look
34:05into
34:05and so
34:06that exhorts
34:07us to
34:08and encourages
34:09us to
34:09search the
34:10scriptures
34:10to link
34:11the scriptures
34:12together
34:12one with
34:13the other
34:13as to what
34:14the Lord
34:14is doing
34:15and to get
34:16the full story
34:17behind the
34:18reasons and
34:19the purposes
34:19for what
34:20these things
34:20have been
34:21written
34:21to give us
34:22an understanding
34:23of the struggles
34:24and the trials
34:25that have
34:25already been
34:26already in the
34:27church
34:27and still
34:28are being
34:29experienced
34:29because we
34:30lack that
34:32humbleness
34:32to cast our
34:34quick cares
34:34upon Christ
34:35and to give
34:36it over to
34:37him to let
34:38him sort
34:38the problems
34:39out that we
34:40have
34:40and so we
34:41need to
34:42have that
34:43mind which
34:43was in Christ
34:44who did not
34:45think of himself
34:46more highly
34:46than he
34:47ought to
34:47think and
34:49to be able
34:49to remember
34:50that not
34:50one of us
34:51have the
34:51full measure
34:52of the
34:53stature of
34:53Christ but
34:54that we
34:55need to
34:55receive those
34:56who are
34:56weak in the
34:57faith and
34:58not to
34:58disputes over
34:59doubtful
35:00things that
35:01we may be
35:01able to
35:02build up
35:02one another
35:03that we
35:03might be
35:04able to
35:05build in
35:06the end
35:06the body
35:07of Christ
35:07as God
35:08is wanting
35:09it to be
35:09built and
35:10so that's
35:11the end of
35:12the book of
35:12Romans it
35:13doesn't end
35:14because that
35:15is not the
35:15end of the
35:16word of
35:16God but
35:17for this
35:17particular
35:17section of
35:18Romans beginning
35:19with Romans to
35:21come to this
35:22in the beginning
35:23it spoke about
35:24what was happening
35:25to the church
35:26because of the
35:27world at the
35:28end it's also
35:29speaking about
35:29what's happening
35:30to the church
35:31the Romans
35:32because of the
35:33world in the
35:34beginning it was
35:35people didn't
35:36want to believe
35:36God didn't
35:37want to trust
35:37God and so
35:38they didn't
35:38have faith in
35:40the end it's
35:41don't eat that
35:41we want to do
35:42this and faith
35:43is again an
35:44issue and I
35:45think for us
35:46faith needs to
35:47be put in
35:48its right place
35:49as we do
35:50all things
35:51through Christ
35:51who strengthens
35:52us that we
35:53are dead to
35:54Christ as
35:54Paul said in
35:55the book of
35:55Galatians
35:56chapter 2
35:58and verse
35:5916 he said
36:00it is no
36:01longer I
36:02that liveth
36:02but I have
36:04been crucified
36:05with Christ
36:05it is no
36:06longer I
36:07that live
36:07but Christ
36:08lives in me
36:09and the life
36:10which I now
36:10live in the
36:11flesh I live
36:12by faith in
36:13the son of
36:13God who
36:14loved me
36:15and gave
36:16himself for
36:17me I do
36:19not set aside
36:19the grace of
36:20God for if
36:21righteousness came
36:22through the law
36:23Christ died
36:24in vain he
36:26didn't come
36:27for the law
36:28grace was not
36:30of the law
36:31grace is of
36:31God grace is
36:32through Jesus
36:33Christ and we
36:34come to him
36:35worshipping him
36:36in the grace
36:37that he's extended
36:38to us but we
36:39need to be able
36:40to have that
36:40graciousness to
36:42others who
36:42maybe do
36:43not have the
36:44knowledge that
36:45some of
36:45others have
36:46and that we
36:46can say how
36:47do you understand
36:48that how do
36:49you see that we
36:50are all one in
36:50Christ and we
36:52need to teach
36:52and exhort each
36:54other and give
36:55time to one
36:56another that we
36:57are able to
36:57come to a
36:58conclusion and
36:59a right
36:59understanding of
37:01what the word of
37:01God is telling
37:02us that we may
37:03be perfect when
37:04he calls us to
37:05the extent that
37:06we are able with
37:07the time that
37:08he's been given
37:08to us and so
37:09may the Lord
37:10bless this
37:11church and
37:11may he bless
37:12us as we
37:12continue searching
37:13the scriptures
37:14and trying to
37:15get a deeper
37:16and a better
37:16understanding of
37:18the word of
37:18God amen
37:20the king of
37:22love my
37:24shepherd is
37:26whose truth
37:28has faded
37:29never
37:31I'm nothing
37:33that can
37:35fire
37:36peace
37:37and he
37:39is mine
37:40forever
37:43with
37:46streams
37:46of
37:47living
37:48water
37:49my
37:51rancid
37:53soul
37:54eating
37:55in
37:56and
37:57when
37:58abandoned
38:00postures
38:02grow
38:02with
38:03fruit
38:04celestial
38:05feeding
38:08her
38:10birth
38:11and
38:12fruit
38:13is
38:13what
38:14I
38:15stray
38:15by
38:16in
38:18love
38:19he
38:19saw
38:20me
38:21and
38:23on
38:23his
38:24shoulders
38:25gently
38:26laid
38:28and
38:29home
38:29rejoicing
38:31brought
38:32me
38:34in
38:36death's
38:37up
38:38up
38:38hill
38:38like
38:39hill
38:39with
38:42thee
38:43dear
38:43lord
38:44beside
38:45me
38:47thy
38:48lord
38:49has
38:49half
38:50my
38:51comfort
38:52still
38:53thy
38:54cross
38:55before
38:56to
38:57guide
38:58thee
39:00thou
39:01spread
39:02the
39:03table
39:04in
39:05my
39:06side
39:06thy
39:07ancient
39:08grace
39:09needs
39:10going
39:12and
39:13oh
39:14what
39:15transport
39:16God
39:17be
39:18that
39:18from
39:19thy
39:20pure
39:21jealous
39:22glory
39:25and
39:27struggle
39:28through
39:29all
39:29the
39:30length
39:31of
39:31place
39:32thy
39:33goodness
39:34made
39:35ever
39:36through
39:38shepherd
39:39may
39:41I
39:41sing
39:42thy
39:43praise
39:44within
39:45thy
39:46heart
39:47forever
39:48ever
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