The Silent Holocron

So then, in this way, my dearly loved brothers, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. I ask Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord. And I ask you, my faithful friend, to help these women. They served with me in telling the Good News, together with Clement and others who worked with me, whose names are written in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is anything excellent and worthy of praise, think about these things. Do what you learned and received from me, what I told you, and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.

STAND STRONG!
Paul begins the last chapter of Philippians expressing again his joy. Remember, the entire book is about having joy no matter what! The Philippian church is a great source of joy for Paul. In fact, he tells them they are his greatest possession! They are his “crown.” He does not mean that he “owns” the church. No, the church belongs to Jesus! What he means is that God gave him the charge of growing the church there and equipping it for the Lord’s work. They are “his” in that he is responsible for them and wants to see them become successful, faithful, and to glorify God. In the same way, Pastor Tim and I have great joy to have you as members of this church. We have great joy to be the pastors of this church. We want to see you become mature, successful believers, able to do anything the Lord asks of you! But how can you do this if you do not “stand firm?” To be successful, faithful believers who glorify God, we must stand strong. But how? Paul gives us two ways of doing this.

AGREE!
One way to stand strong is to be in agreement. It is a powerful thing for a church to be in agreement. A church of one mind, as Paul taught us in an earlier chapter of this book, is able to do anything the Lord wants.

Paul gives the example of Euodia and Syntyche. These two women had some kind of disagreement that was bothering the church, and it bothered the church enough that Paul felt he had to say something. Interesting to this is that Paul says both women are faithful Christians who helped him spread the Good News about Jesus. But yet they had a disagreement! The problem seems to be that they allowed their disagreement to upset the church. Perhaps they did not follow Matthew 18:15-20?

Good Christians disagree all the time. This side of heaven it is impossible for us fallen people to agree 100% on everything. What is important is how we handle our disagreements. Matthew 18 teaches us that we are to keep our disagreements private as long as possible, until it is obvious we are unable to settle it between ourselves. If I cannot solve a problem with another Christian by myself, privately, then I am to get trusted brothers or sisters to come with me and try to solve the problem privately again. Only if that fails am I to bring this problem to be settled by the church! It is a sad thing if your church has to step in and solve your personal issues. It is even more sad if you refuse to settle them on your own. We need to reach agreement among ourselves before our disagreements hurt our church the way these women had hurt their church. Stand strong by agreeing in Christ!

REJOICE!
The best way to stand strong is to always rejoice in the Lord. Why is this?

• If you have joy, it is hard to be negative.
• If you have joy, it is hard to have conflict or drama.
• If you have joy, it is hard to give in to temptation.
• If you have joy, it is hard to not love people.
• If you have joy, it is hard to not love Jesus!

A joyful person is difficult to tear down. Satan wages war against joyful Christians, because he knows their joy in the Lord is infectious! Sometimes Satan will use your circumstances, your family, your friends, your job, your school, etc. to try and steal your joy. How can we have joy in the face of spiritual warfare and physical realities?

HOW TO ALWAYS HAVE JOY
Paul gives us several ways to always have joy:

Be “gentle and kind” or “reasonable.”
Be gentle and kind with each other. Some translations use the word “reasonable.” Be fair with one another. It is difficult to be negative, confrontational, and unloving when you are kind to people. Even better, it is difficult for others to be that way to you! Kindness, especially in the face of others wronging you, is the biggest and best “revenge” one could get. Kindness is like burning coals to those who do evil (Romans 12:14-21).

Don’t worry about anything, because Jesus is coming.
Why are we so worried about “stuff?” Why do we worry about our economy so much? Why do we worry so much about our money, jobs, school, families? Jesus is coming! He has and will take care of everything we need! And when he comes, we will no longer want for anything! “How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)

PRAY! PRAY HARD!!!
Prayer is so very important in the life of a person who loves God and belongs to Jesus. Oftentimes we do not see God work in our lives because we have not asked him to work in our lives (James 4:2-3). If we are standing strong in Jesus, the Bible promises us that our prayers will be successful. “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16) But there are certain things we must be sure to do in contrast with what the world would have us do when we pray.

• We must pray to God alone. We must not pray to anyone other than the God of the Bible. We do not pray to Allah. We do not pray to the Mormon or Jehovah’s Witnesses god. We do not pray to Buddha. We do not pray to pagan gods and goddesses. And we most certainly do not pray to “saints!” None of these can hear our prayers, least of all “saints.” Only God in heaven can hear our prayers (1 Kings 18:20-40), prayed in the name of Jesus (John 14:12-14) by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27).
• We must pray with urgency and desperation. We must beg God to do something! We must be serious and desperate for him. We must cry out to him in total dependence.
• We must pray with thanksgiving. We must thank the One who has commanded us to pray to him, that he might bless us. We must thank him for the many blessings he has already given us, for the blessings he is now giving us, and the blessings we are begging him to give us in the future. After all, God does not have to give us anything!

Paul promises that if we will do these things, we will have joy AND peace!

THINK ON THESE THINGS!
Paul teaches us that another way to have joy is to think on several things. We are to think on what is:

• True. We need to keep our eyes open for what is true. That is why we listen carefully to everyone and compare them against Scripture. If we are not listening, nor comparing with the Bible, we cannot know if someone is teaching us falsely. Be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11!
• Honorable. Does this person/thing honor God? Does it acknowledge that God is who he says he is and that he has sent his Son, Jesus? Does it acknowledge Christ as the only way of salvation?
• Just. Is the thing right? Is the thing fair? Is it right or fair in the same way or similar to the way God is?
• Pure. Does it mirror God’s purity? Nothing in this fallen state can ever be truly pure, but we can look for examples that echo the purity of Christ.
• Lovely. Does it reflect the beauty of God? Does it reflect the beauty of Jesus? Does it reflect the beauty of Scripture?
• Commendable. Does it do a good work? A good job?
• Excellent or worthy of praise. Does it reflect the excellence of Jesus? Does it make you praise God?

It is very hard not to be joyful when thinking on these things!

FOLLOW YOUR LEADERS!
Lastly, Paul teaches us that to have joy, we must follow our leaders.

This does not mean that we are to be blindly obedient or to copy everything we do. We are not independent fundamentalists! This means we are to follow the example set by our leaders. How do we do this?

Watch your leaders. Watch how your pastors, teachers, deacons, etc. serve the Lord. Apply their example to yourself. Figure out from watching them what interests you about serving the Lord and what you think you can do or may be called to do.

Listen to your leaders. Pay careful attention to what they teach you. Pay careful attention to their instructions. If they are teachers of the Word, their teaching will be as life and breath.

Learn from your leaders. Don’t just watch and listen, learn! Seek to understand what they have taught you through your observation and listening. Apply it to your life. Let their teaching change you. Let their teaching change how you face life and the world.

Practice what you have learned. Don’t just blandly accept what you see, hear, and learn – PRACTICE IT! You will never have joy if you just agree in your mind, you must actively be joyful! You must choose, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to act joyfully whatever circumstance you are faced with. You must choose, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to trust what the Bible teaches no matter what your family, friends, school, job, or the world may say about it. You must choose, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to believe and trust in Jesus alone for your salvation, no matter what anyone else says. You must put into practice what God would have you learn and know!

And the best part is, God has promised to be with us if we will but do these things!

A FINAL WORD
I want to leave you with some final thoughts about what we’ve talked about today. Let’s compare how the world says to have joy with how the Bible says to have joy.

• The world says that joy means overcoming circumstances. Instead, the Bible says joy means trusting Jesus because he has ALREADY overcome our circumstances! All of our sins, hurts, struggles, hopes and dreams were overcome on the cross once and for all. We can have joy in Jesus alone!
• The world says that joy is something you must do. Instead, the Bible says that because Jesus has already done all that is necessary, the only thing we can do is trust and obey God. We must believe in Jesus, trust him with our lives, and obey him until we die or he returns!
• The world says that joy means having or doing “stuff”. Instead, the Bible says that joy is not found in “stuff,” but in agreement, gentleness, and thinking on what is good. “Stuff” can never satisfy nor bring joy. What it brings is temporary. It only lasts as long as the new car smell. But the joy that Jesus gives is not temporary, but permanent. It is eternal. And it is only for those who belong to him!

DO YOU HAVE JOY?
Do you have joy? If not, maybe you need to seriously think about what we’ve learned today. Maybe you need to let go of what the world says. Maybe you need to put aside what your family and friends have said. Maybe you need to stop believing the lies Satan has told you about having joy. Start believing today in what God has said is the way to have joy – believe and trust in Jesus alone. Following him is the only way to have true joy no matter what may happen in your life!

This summer I will be preaching through the book of Philippians. I try to preach through at least 1 book every year, and thus far I have preached through 1 John and James. I also preached through the first 2 chapters of Romans before circumstances forced me to end that series. I have also taught several books during our Wednesday night Bible studies. I always enjoy preaching or teaching through a book of the Bible. It settles me and allows me to be more open to what God wants our people to hear week by week. Topical preaching is becoming rather difficult to do as I become more and more expositional in my methodology.

As I’ve seen several others do, I thought it would be nice to share what materials I’m using for study and prep.

Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Philippians by Moises Silva. Silva’s commentary is technical enough to engage those familiar with Greek, but not so much that a layperson cannot access it. Very insightful and a good help.

Philippians: An Expositional Commentary by James Montgomery Boice. Having read Boice’s books on the 5 Solas and the Doctrines of Grace, I’ve been eager to get into one of his commentaries, each of which is borne out of his own extensive preaching through the book.

The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistle to the Philippians by Peter T. O’Brien. This is first and foremost a technical commentary, directly engaging the Greek text of Philippians and is heavily theological in nature. I expect to use this to better understand the text and the theology it communicates.

One commentary I dearly want but cannot find is this:
The Letter to the Philippians (Pillar New Testament Commentary) by G. Walter Hansen. The Pillar series has been getting a lot of good press from pastors and seminarians alike, and by many of those whose book recommendations I take seriously. Fairly new to the scene, I used several of the available commentaries during seminary and really liked the ease of use and expositional nature. If I were to collect a commentary set, it would be the Pillar series, without a doubt.

I’m also using my Calvin’s Commentaries and my Matthew Henry Commentary, as well as my MacArthur Bible Commentary. But these are more supplemental as the 3 listed above are my main sources, the go-to books for this series.

I’m not reading any sermons, and I’m not using any devotionals or Bible study guides so as to approach Philippians as freshly as possible with an eye towards our people. I haven’t seen any non-devotional, non-commentary books out there yet, but I’m looking.

This is the sermon I preached at Louisville Baptist Deaf Church on December 27, 2009.

Glorifying God in 2010

You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you children of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you children of Israel!

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.
(Psalm 22:23; 86:12)

2009 is gone! Did you glorify God in 2009? Did you spend time with Him in:

• Prayer?
• Scripture?
• Worship?
• Witnessing?
• Serving your church and others?

OR did you waste your life in 2009?

John Piper, author of the book “Don’t Waste Your Life,” wrote about a couple who retired to Florida. They worked hard, contributed to society, got ahead as much as they could, saved as much as they could, and then retired. They never did anything else worth doing after they retired. Indeed, the highlight of their days was to go to the beach and collect seashells. That’s it! What a waste of a life!

I’m here today to urge you, brothers and sisters, don’t waste your lives! God must be your top priority!

So today I’m going to give you some practical things you can do to glorify God in the next year. I have preached this sermon before, and some of you may remember it from last year. But I want you to understand, this sermon is from my own personal reflection and study, and I use it each year as a measure of how much I have grown and how much I need to improve. Each thing I will tell you about today is an area God has shown me I need to grow, and I’ve found many believers struggle in the same areas. We are all in the same boat!

How to Glorify God in 2010

1. Spend time every day in God’s Word.

“I have hidden your Word in my heart, so that I will not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11
“I will enjoy your Laws; I will not forget your Word.” Psalm 119:16
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path!” Psalm 119:105

The Bible is our spiritual food. Remember that Jesus told the devil we do not live on regular food alone, but from everything that comes from God’s Word. Why do we not read His Word often? Why do we not love it? Why do we not turn to it for guidance? Don’t waste your time with other things – spend as much time as you can reading the Scripture! How can I do this?

Try to read at least 1 chapter from the Old Testament and New Testament every day. If you read 4 chapters a day you will read the whole Bible in 1 year! You can look on the internet and find many Bible reading plans that are set up in many different ways. You can choose one that you like and fits your reading ability better. But don’t neglect reading from your Bible every day, even if it is just one chapter.

2. Spend time every day in prayer.

“Let everyone who is godly pray to you…” Psalm 32:6
“When you pray, go into your room and close the door and pray…” Matthew 6:6
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42
“…pray always!” Romans 12:12
“Don’t stop praying!” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Prayer is very important to the believer’s life. Prayer is the way we tell God what we need. It is the way we ask Him to act in the world. It is also the way we learn to listen to Him. Without prayer, many things would never happen. Yes, God is in control of all things, but He has shown over and over in the Bible that He requires His people to pray before He will act. Remember 2 Chronicles 7:14? “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Sometimes prayer is God’s requirement for us to obey before He will act.

Yes, this means we need to have a “quiet time!” Have a special time of prayer, either in the morning or at night, where you can pray. I do not mean Bible study. This time is different. Remember the Scripture says to “be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) Take time each day to do nothing but talk to God and listen to Him. Get rid of your distractions – turn off the TV, turn off the computer, put away your books (yes, even your Bible!), and go to the Lord in prayer.

You also need to make sure you are praying before you read your Bible or do any sort of Bible study. Remember, the Holy Spirit is there to assist you and to “guide you into all the truth,” (John 16:13) and we would be very rude not to ask Him to help us to understand what we are reading! Often when I find myself stuck trying to understand something I am reading in Scripture or working through a book or Bible study, I can usually see that I failed to ask the Holy Spirit to lead me as I read.

By the way, praying for your food does not count! Many people say they pray often, but when you ask them more deeply, they really mean that they prayed before a meal. This is not real, serious prayer! Pastor Tim recently taught us that real prayer involves begging the Lord to do something to make Himself known. Real prayer involves the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26) guiding us and praying with us. Real prayer seeks God’s will for the situation and His glory.

3. Seek to become a mature believer.

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are so slow to understand. By now you should be teachers, but you need someone to teach you again the first lessons of God’s message. You still need the teaching that is like milk. You are not ready for solid food. Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby and knows nothing about right teaching. But solid food is for those who are grown up. They are mature enough to know the difference between good and evil.” Hebrews 5:11-14

Don’t be satisfied with “easy faith!” “Easy faith” does not care if something is true or not as long as it sounds good! There are many false preachers and teachers out there who are tricking people into thinking God wants them to have an easy life free from stress and struggle. Joel Osteen wants people to believe God wants you to have “your best life now.” But the Bible teaches differently.

Jesus said he didn’t come to bring peace but a sword and to divide families against each other (Matt. 10:34-37). Struggle will be something that happens often in a believer’s life. We have it easy here in America. We don’t have to struggle very much at all. But in other countries believers are being jailed and maybe even killed right as I am telling you this!

Here in America we can best avoid “easy faith” by becoming a servant. Remember, Jesus humbled himself by giving up his heavenly status and privilege to become human and become a servant. He also said that the world would know that we are His by our love for each other. Not only that, the second of the two greatest commandments were to love others as we love ourselves. When the world sees that you truly love your brothers and sisters in Christ, and that you truly care about the world’s well-being, they will be attracted to you and want to know more. They will want to know why you are serving them and each other. And you must be ready with an answer: Jesus! Serve your brothers and sisters in Christ. Serve those who are not believers. James 1:27 says that true religion is to care for orphans and widows in their afflictions. Serve your church and your fellow man!

How can I become a more mature believer? Begin by striving to be like the Bereans in Acts 17:10-12 – “search the Scriptures every day to find out if these things are true.” In fact, the more time you spend reading your Bible and praying, the more mature you will become! Keep your maturity growing by applying what you have read and learned in your life through serving the church and the world around you.

And lastly,

4. Share the Gospel with someone often!

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” Mark 16:15
“Always be prepared to explain to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” 1 Peter 3:15

I shouldn’t really have to explain this one. But so often this is the one area we are weakest. We sometimes do really good at reading our Bibles, and we do a good job being faithful in prayer, but we fail horribly at telling people about Jesus! A lot of times I find myself trying to be pleasant and enjoy our time together instead of looking for an opportunity to share the Gospel with a person. But sharing the Gospel is a habit that we have to develop. Here’s one way you can do that:

• Make a goal of telling someone about Jesus at least one time every week.
• When that becomes easy, make your goal to tell someone about Jesus 3 times a week.
• Finally, when that becomes easy, make your goal to share Jesus at least one time every day!

Once you have built up your confidence and made witnessing a habit, you will be able to watch for opportunities to share the Gospel and take advantage of them often. This does not mean you will always share the Gospel. Sometimes it will mean you plant a seed. You might invite someone to hang out with you again in hopes of having a chance to talk about Jesus. You might get a chance to invite a person to church. But when evangelism becomes a habit you will always look for chances to bring a person to Jesus as the Holy Spirit leads you.

Glorifying God in 2010
Remember, here are 4 ways you can glorify God more in 2010, and in every year after that:

1. 1. Spend time every day in God’s Word.
2. 2. Spend time every day in prayer.
3. 3. Seek to become a mature Christian.
4. 4. Share the Gospel with someone often.

Let us work together, encouraging each other and asking the Holy Spirit to lead us in each of these areas in the new year!

Stephen’s Note: This is the sermon I preached at my Granddaddy’s funeral on Saturday, August 15, 2009. It is not verbatim, and I’m positive I’m missing many things I said, but I will try to get as close as possible to what I can remember, since I don’t use a manuscript!

I come to you this morning laid low. I am laid low before God, before you, and before my Granddaddy. I have nothing to rest on today but the grace of almighty God. I have nothing to trust in today but the truth of His Word. And trusting only in His Word, I’d like to begin by reading to you from the Gospel of John.

John 16:5-7 - But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

As Christ left us so that the Spirit of God could come down from heaven, so it is to our advantage that my Granddaddy has been taken. None of the things I will tell you today are possible if he is still here with us. What are those things? A friend of mine sent me a quote from a man by the name of Buchanan. I do not know who this man is. But I believe it is an appropriate example of what we face today. He said:

The world isn’t big enough, long enough, deep enough to explain even one single life in it. Death, no matter how natural its causes, is always unnatural, a brusque intruder a gloating enemy, and death shouldn’t be allowed to have the last word. We weren’t made for this world only. We were made for eternity. The world is not enough.

Imagine that. The world is not enough. It was not enough for my Granddaddy to simply live out his life, have his children, and die. No, he had to do more than that! He had to influence the lives of everyone around him, and every single one of us here today has been influenced by him in many ways. With that in mind, we have to ask the question, “What IS enough?” What is enough for us is very simple.

What IS Enough?
It is enough to experience the glory of God here in this life. For us today that means we experience the glory of God through our memories of Granddaddy. There is one memory in particular that sticks out to me today. It is the story my Grandmother told me of how my Granddaddy was saved.

Granddaddy grew up Methodist. If you know anything about the Methodists, they baptize their children, their babies. Many people who were baptized as babies grow up believing they are Christians, when in fact they are not. I don’t say this to offend any who are from denominations that practice this, it is a simple fact. That baptism is a promise of salvation. Where we fail is to call people to that salvation. As such, there are many who are not believers who think they are simply because they received a baptism at such a young age.

What did my grandmother do? She witnessed to my Granddaddy. She called him to the salvation of which his baptism was a promise. “Hey! Remember your baptism! Come to Christ!” She told me that one day she had prayed, “God, whatever you must do to save him, do it. If I am in the way, remove me. If my children are in the way, remove them. But save him!” Can you imagine the kind of prayer that is? It is akin to Paul saying that “I wish I could give up my salvation so that just one more could be saved!” No sooner had she prayed this, than who should knock on her door than the pastor of our church! He was a man by the name of Hayden Center, pastor of First Baptist long before I was born, when my dad and aunt were young. And that night God used pastor Center to save my Granddaddy.

We experience the glory of God in this life through the legacy Granddaddy leaves us in his family and friends. Everyone who meant anything to him is here today, whether physically or “in spirit.” His life impacted everyone here. The glory of God is revealed in how God used him to impact each of us, through the lessons he passed on to us. I can see his legacy in my dad, and how my dad has passed that on to me, and how I hope to pass that on to my children. I can also see him in my aunt, and in my cousin Charley, and in how he teaches his own daughter. God is glorified by the legacy of my Granddaddy to us.

But it is most important that we experience the glory of God eternally. And this is where the Gospel speaks to us.

How the Gospel Speaks to Us
One of the dominant themes of my ministry over the past few years has been the Gospel. What it is, how it impacts us, how it changes our lives, how we live it out. And I can see from my Granddaddy’s life the Gospel speaking to me very clearly.

The essence of the Gospel is what Christ has done for us. He has died for our sins, risen from the dead to give victory over Death, drawn us to Himself by the power of the Holy Spirit, and made us alive that we might repent and believe in Him. There is great power to comfort and give hope in the Gospel. Without His work, we have no reason to hope for comfort, no reason to believe any good has come out of the reason we are here today. Why?

The Gospel is our comfort in all times, in all situations. If we have believed the Gospel, Jesus promises the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Other translations of Scripture use the term “Comforter” to describe the Spirit. Jesus had to leave so that the Helper could be with us, guiding us, comforting us, reminding us of the promises God has made to us in His Word. And so we are comforted that Granddaddy is with Jesus, because unless he left, the Holy Spirit could not comfort us with the glory of God. The Spirit also gives us what the world cannot – a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God knows the thoughts he has towards us, thoughts of good and not of evil, to give us a future and a hope. The promise of the Gospel is a future and a hope! Through Granddaddy’s legacy, we realize he has given us the tools to continue with life, and that is the work of the Spirit in us.

The Gospel speaks into every part of our lives. How? Because the cross embraces every emotion we have — grief, anger, confusion, sorrow, joy, happiness, hope — all the emotions of human experience. They were all bound up on the cross and crucified with Christ. All the things we feel today were nailed to that cross with Jesus. They have no claim on us! They have no control over us! If this were not true, I would be sitting with my family, a weeping mess. I do not want to stand here speaking to you today! But how I feel has been crucified with Christ and replaced with the promise of the Holy Spirit. That is how the Spirit enables us to go on when our own strength is not enough and gives us the grace to endure. You can know that Christ has died for what you are feeling this very moment, and has sent the Holy Spirit to comfort you, to strengthen you, to lead you out. Indeed, Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew, “MY burden is easy, MY burden is light.” By the power of the Spirit, Christ took our sins, our emotions, our fallenness upon Himself and crucified it.

Lastly, the Gospel shows us our need for Christ as the source of enduring grace. Jesus said, “Come to ME, and I will give you rest.” Not our family, not our friends, but Christ alone! Yes, we embrace each other this weekend. The first thing I did when I got here from Louisville was hug my grandmother, then my dad, then Charley, then my sister Angie, then the rest of the family. I have hugged many of you this weekend. But I have not gone to them. I have gone to Christ through them. I have trusted in the embrace of Christ through you this weekend. When we as believers hold up each other in times of trouble, it is Christ who works in us and through us. Unless Granddaddy goes away, we cannot come to Christ for the grace we experience through each other today!

How Can I Receive This Grace?
You may be asking, “How can I receive this grace?”

For believers, simply trust the promises God has made to you. Realize that God is NOT finished with you yet! Philippians 1 says “I am sure that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus.” God’s not finished with you yet! God is NOT finished with you yet! There is so much more to be done! There is more of Granddaddy’s legacy to pass on! More of his love to share! More! Both my cousin and I are about to have a second child. You see, we have more of Granddaddy to pass on to our new babies! God is NOT finished with us yet!

Also, we need to understand that God has an over-arching purpose to be fulfilled in our circumstances. Ephesians 1:11-14 says that

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

You see, we have inherited from Granddaddy a rich legacy, just as we have an inheritance in Christ. The Holy Spirit is the promise of that inheritance. And God has determined to work in us to bring us to that inheritance. He will work in us to pass on what Granddaddy has given us, that He might be glorified.

If you are NOT a believer, there is only one way to receive this grace — Christ! Yesterday I was told of a family story about one of the ladies in our family who is here today. She had memorized Romans 8:28, which reads, “All things work together for the good of those who love God, those who are called according to His purpose.” My Granddaddy had her recite the verse to him, and when she said the second half of the verse, he told her, “Good! You remembered the last part! That’s the most important part!”

Those who are called according to His purpose! These promises of the Gospel I’ve told you today only for those who belong to Jesus! The Psalms say that “God has not done this for just anyone, He has done this for His people.” The only way you can receive the comfort, the hope that the Holy Spirit gives us is through the work of Christ. If you want comfort today, you must repent of your sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you AND your household. I am begging you today, do not leave here without the great Savior who saved my Granddaddy and gave us this wonderful inheritance through him!

Right about this time Granddaddy would be telling me to “Wrap it up!” So I’m going to do just that. I’d like to close with a quote from a man by the name of Paul Washer. He is a preacher in Alabama. I don’t know if he knows of my circumstances, of our circumstances this weekend. But he put out this quote and I thought about it deeply as I drove down here from Louisville. He said:

We are always cast upon God whether we know it or not. It is good to be weak, to have no footing except the grace of God.

No footing but the grace of God. Without His grace I could not stand before you today and speak as I have. Without His grace we could not look at each other and smile at the memories we have of Granddaddy. It is good that we grieve today, for we experience today the Gospel speaking to us, covering us with the glory of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray.

The next sermon I plan to preach (this Sunday Jan. 20) will be over the following text:

¹⁰I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. ¹¹For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. ¹²What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” ¹³Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

This passage will be the foundational text and will be built upon by related sections in 1 Corinthians chapters 3 and 4.

Meanwhile, keep reading The Bruised Reed. I’m about halfway through and will attempt to finish up this week. After that I’m going to reread it to take notes and hopefully by the end of next week post a review.

Since we are now full-term (38 weeks — see sidebar) that means all posting will, of course, be subject to Baby Newell’s decision to be born or not, so stay tuned!

The Silent Holocron usually dedicates Monday space to the sermon that will be preached the following Sunday. Since Stephen has been grossly negligent in posting his sermons, the next few will be “catch-up” posts until we get to Romans 2:12-16 or thereabouts, where Stephen is currently located.

What can be known about God is clear to them, because God has shown it all to them. God’s eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all the things he has made. That’s why those people don’t have any excuse. They know who God is, but they did not glorify him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, foolish hearts are in the dark.

With these verses, Paul continues his masterful offensive that ought to leave no doubt that everyone needs the Gospel. Having shown clearly that sinners suppress the truth, he then moves to a proposition that ought to surprise even the atheist:

Everyone Knows About God.

God has clearly shown us in creation that:

• God is the CREATOR
• God is ETERNAL
• God is INVISIBLE
• God is POWERFUL
• God is WISE
• God is ACTIVE
• God is GOOD

God also keeps the universe from blowing up!

Think about this short list for a moment. Even if you don’t believe in God, humor me and think about it for a moment. What would it take for someone to create our physical universe? What kind of Person would it have to be? Such a Person would have to be all the things listed above, and more. You could come up with this list all by your lonesome, without a Bible to tell you about it. I bet you could even come up with a few descriptors the Bible doesn’t use.

And just by the mere fact that you are able to conceive of the kind of Person it would take to create our physical universe, Paul forcefully declares:

You Have NO EXCUSE!

If you know all of these things, there is only one thing you must do: WORSHIP GOD. There is, quite simply, no way around it. If such a Person were to exist, you are quite frankly required to submit to Him. He made you and keeps the universe together in such a way that you are able to be alive. He has provided for your every physical need. You should recognize you have no rights whatsoever that were not first given by Him. You should understand that you have no room to talk or even to complain! You should thank Him profusely and offer yourself to Him gratefully.

The fact of the matter, sadly, is that even though everyone knows all of these things, no one wants to worship God. Everyone flatly refuses to worship God! Everyone, everyone refuses to recognize God for who He is. Every single person who has ever lived, is now living, and will live in the future refuses to worship Him. Why? Because we are ungodly people.

This failure to worship God despite knowing who He is, is a lot like hearing people who know sign language coming to a Deaf gathering but refusing to sign in a room full of Deaf people. It is a gross, profound insult. And to insult God is to sin. And, quite frankly, if you know sign language (or know who God is), you have no freaking excuse for not signing around us (or not worshipping God).

We Refuse to Glorify God

Because we sinners suppress the truth, we do not give God glory. We do not give thanks to God. When we do that, our thoughts become worthless and our hearts become foolish. Our hearts are “in the dark.” Some Bibles say that our minds become “stupid.” I love this word in this context. It makes a very forceful statement. No one likes to be called stupid. Yet that is exactly what it would be to refuse to sign at a gathering of Deaf people. That is exactly what it would be to refuse to worship God despite knowing who He is. Utter and total stupidity. The way the Bible says this makes it sound like ungodly people are “useless, foolish, and clueless.”

A saying comes to mind when I think of this kind of refusal. “Who died and made you God?” Indeed, what makes you think you have the right not to worship Him? What makes you think you are so much better than Him? Just knowing who He is ought to be a humbling experience. Instead, ungodly people rise up in complaint and stubbornness.

There is, quite simply, no excuse for that.

Why God Sent Jesus

God sent Jesus…

• Because you and I knew who God is, but tried to hide the truth. In contrast, Jesus knew who God is and proclaimed it!
• Because you and I did not want to worship God and give Him glory. In contrast, Jesus wanted God to be glorified in all things!
• Because you and I have become useless, foolish, and clueless. In contrast, Jesus was useful to God, wise, and looked for God’s plan in everything He did.

That That is why Jesus died on the cross. He died on the cross because we could not do these things, but He could!

Jesus, Our Only Hope

Because we are useless, foolish, and clueless, our only hope is for God to show us mercy. If God shows us mercy, He will change us into useful, wise people who know His will. And the Bible is very clear that God has shown us mercy by sending Jesus. Won’t you submit to His mercy today? Won’t you gain wisdom and purpose today? The Bible tells you in John 3:16-17 that

For this is how God loved the world: He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.

What’s Your Excuse?

The Silent Holocron usually dedicates Monday space to the sermon that will be preached the following Sunday. Since Stephen has been grossly negligent in posting his sermons, the next few will be “catch-up” posts until we get to Romans 2:12-16 or thereabouts, where Stephen is currently located.

Revealed is the wrath of God from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness. (Romans 1:18)

An Abrupt Shift

After speaking so positively about the Christian life in the first half of chapter 1, Paul suddenly shifts gears. It is as if he has kicked things up a notch. After laying down a foundation for himself and a basis for the Christian life, Paul suddenly goes on the offensive. Those of you who are football fans might understand what Paul seems to have done here if I use a football analogy.

By The Script
In football, it is not uncommon for teams to script the first 15 plays they will run on offense. The team will run a set of plays designed to set the tempo and probe the defense. What this is intended do is establish who they are and what they will do. It will test the opposing defense for any weaknesses that their game plan can exploit. It is fairly common for these scripts to lead directly up to the “big play” that is designed to firmly establish the offense as the one setting the tempo. Often you will see teams at the beginning of games run the ball generously with a lot of short, quick passes. Then all of a sudden a “bread and butter” play is called and the team goes directly to their strength. The quarterback will send a receiver deep and hit him with the pass. The offensive line may suddenly assert itself and open up a gaping hole into the secondary which the running back hits for a 20-yard gain.

Paul has done exactly that in the first half of Romans 1. He has carefully laid out his credentials, his purpose in writing, and what he intends to say to the Roman believers. Capping his script, he boldly declares in verses 16 and 17 that the Gospel is his purpose for writing. Now, with verse 18, Paul hits his “bread and butter” play. And he does so in spectacular fashion.

Revealed!

The word Paul uses here, apokaluptetai, is from the same word that gives us the name of the last book of the Bible. It means to reveal. To reveal something means show something or make it known to people. What is interesting about the word in this verse is that in Greek, it is in the past tense. This suggests to us that whatever Paul is about to tell us, it has already been revealed or shown to us. The way in which the word is used tells us that this thing Paul is about to talk about was shown in the past and is still being shown today! What has been revealed?

The Wrath of God

Paul states clearly that it is the wrath of God that has been revealed. What is “the wrath of God?” Well, first of all, “wrath” means strong anger that causes punishment. This means that God is angry enough to punish the person He is angry with. Paul is saying that God’s anger has been revealed in the past and is still being shown to us today! But just what is God angry about?

Ungodliness

God is angry with the ungodliness of humanity. What is ungodliness?

“Ungodliness” is refusing to accept God. It is the flat refusal to acknowledge Him as Lord over all. This does not even have to be a conscious refusal, as Paul will show later in this chapter. Simple failure to accept Him as God is enough to be counted among the ranks of the ungodly. It is a rejection of Him, and more specifically, of His Son, Jesus.

Ungodliness is living a sinful life. It is a refusal to follow God’s Law, especially as it is written in the Bible. Paul will later show that the Law is written in the hearts of humans, so as to leave no one with an excuse.

Ungodliness is doing things that are shocking and outrageous. Now, let me make something very clear. All sin is shocking and outrageous to God. All sin, no matter how “small” or “insignificant,” is a direct insult to a holy God. It is utterly and totally outrageous that anyone would even dare to insult the Creator of the universe. How dare we? What gives us the right? He brought us into this world, and He alone has the power to take us out! Shocking.

Would you not be angry if someone treated you in this way? So then it is no surprise that ungodliness angers God.

Unrighteousness

God is angry with the unrighteousness of humanity. What is unrighteousness?

“Unrighteousness” is not living in a holy way. If one is not godly, one cannot be righteous. Sin prevents us from being holy creatures, as the Bible commands. And because of this failure to do as God has commanded, God is angry.

Suppressing the Truth

Paul then links the ultimate insult towards God to ungodliness and unrighteousness. Sin suppresses the truth. What does that mean?

To “suppress” something means to hide something or keep it secret. What does sin do to hide the truth?

• It convinces us that we are in control.
• It convinces us we don’t need God.
• It convinces us that our way is better than His way.
• And most horribly, sin convinces us that we can save ourselves. We got ourselves into this mess, therefore we can get ourselves out.

How do we know these things?

Well, first of all, each time we sin, it bothers us less. Just look at some of what we consider to be horrible sins: Pornography, killing, drugs and alcohol addiction, lying, bad language, and gossip. Do you notice what happens the more you do these things? You become less sensitive to them. In fact, the less sensitive you become, the more you have to do it in order to feel something from it. In other words, the more we sin, the more immune we become to sin.

Second of all, when we become immune to sin, several things happen. We begin to love and enjoy sin. We don’t want to do what is right. We don’t want anyone to tell us it is wrong. We start to hate the truth. We try to silence the truth. We kill the truth when we can’t silence it.

Does this sound familiar? One need look no further than attacks against Christianity to get a good example. A more common example is the attacks against religion by homosexual groups. They are in love with the idea of being gay. They love their sin. For some reason I cannot fathom, they even enjoy gay sex! They don’t want to have natural sexual relations. They do not want anyone to tell them homosexuality is wrong. They hate the Bible and anyone who tells them it is wrong. They try to silence those who say it is wrong through misinformation, intimidation and false accusations of hatred, bigotry, and intolerance. They have not yet tried to kill anyone (to my knowledge), but they are already trying to kill the Bible by vainly and stupidly trying to say that the Bible does not really mean what it says.

I can’t help but notice how similar this process is to another situation in history. The exact same process happened to Jesus. and what makes it worse is that Jesus is the truth.

Jesus Is the Truth!

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).” Jesus was hated, attempts were made to intimidate, slander, and silence Him, and He was ultimately killed, all because He is the truth. But there is a big problem…

You Can’t Kill The Truth!

Only the truth can save us from our sins. You ask, “How can the truth save me from my sins?”

When You Believe The Truth…

• Jesus takes your sins onto Himself. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that Jesus was made to be sin for you, that God’s righteousness might become real in you.
• Your sins are forgiven because of His death. Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14, and 1 Peter 3:18 make it very clear that Jesus’ death on the cross secured forgiveness of sins for believers.
• You begin a new life in Jesus. Romans 6:4 makes it clear that just as Jesus was raised from the dead, those who believe in Him are also raised to a new life in Him.
• Sin becomes horrible to you again, and you will not want to sin any more.. Paul vividly shows this struggle in Romans 7:15-25. He says, “I just don’t get it! Why do I sin? I hate sin! I despise it! I can’t wait to be rid of it!” He thanks Jesus for giving him this attitude! Only one who has been forgiven and given eternal life can have such an attitude to sin.
• You will be able to change your life! Ephesians 4:17-6:20 is the textbook on what new life in Christ does for you. You are able to put away your old life, your life of sin, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, put on the new life that Christ has given to you. You will be able to do what is right. You will be able to live in harmony with others. You will be able to trust in the protection of God when you face sin and temptation.

Now, to close, I have a question for you:

Do You Suppress The Truth?

Do you? If you believe I have spoken about you today, then the Gospel is for you. Don’t suppress the truth any longer. Don’t resist God’s grace any longer. Surrender to Him. He is calling you graciously to accept Christ. Jesus said in John 8:32, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Let go of your unreasonable hatred of the truth. Let go of your selfishness. You know the truth. Surrender to Him today, and you shall be free forever! Pray that He will give you faith to believe, and you will no longer be in chains, but in freedom!

The Silent Holocron usually dedicates Monday space to the sermon that will be preached the following Sunday. Since Stephen has been grossly negligent in posting his sermons, the next few will be “catch-up” posts until we get to Romans 2:12-16 or thereabouts, where Stephen is currently located.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jews first and also to people who are not Jews. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed out of faith into faith, as it is written, “Righteous people shall live by faith.”

What Is Righteousness?

To be righteous means to be without guilt or sin, to be holy. In the Bible, righteousness has to do with two things: faithfulness (Romans 3:1-5) and good works (Romans 2:6-11) What do I mean by that? Well, in order for a person to be righteous, he must first have faith. Romans 3 makes it very clear that unbelief is unrighteous. Many people who are not saved think they are “good” people. But they do not believe in Jesus. No matter how “good” a person you are, if you do not believe in Jesus, the Bible is clear — you are not righteous! The Jews in Paul’s day believed that they were righteous simply because they were Jewish. Paul says, “No! What good is being a Jew if you do not believe?” Contrast that with today. What good is being a “Christian” if you do not really believe in Jesus? What good is being a Christian if you do not really believe the Bible?

Next, for a person to be righteous, he must do good works. While faith is important, Scripture is also very clear that simply believing is not enough. Remember that even the demons believe the truth about Jesus (James 2:19), yet they are not saved! Something more than simple faith is necessary. One must do what is right. Romans 2:6-11 makes it very clear that only those who have done upright deeds will be saved. This illustrates a very clear point that I am sure all of you know: Faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26). True faith, righteous faith, is only real if it is accompanied by good works. A faith that does not prove itself by doing good is not real faith, but fake faith.

At the same time, Romans 4:5 seems to suggest to us that only faith can make a person’s works righteous. This tells us that you cannot separate faith and good works. They go hand in hand. Many of you will strongly affirm your faith in Jesus. But you are not willing to serve the church! You are not willing to serve each other! According to what the Bible says, is your faith real? If your faith is real, you should want to volunteer at church. You should want to do things for each other.

The Bible says in Romans 10 that this kind of faith, the kind of faith that reveals itself in good works, can only come from God. It is not something you are able to do all by yourself. God Himself must give you the ability. Remember what Romans 3 says? “There is none righteous, no not one, no one understands, no one seeks after God.” In our hearts, you and I don’t want to have faith in Him. You and I don’t want to do what is right. Instead, we want to do what is right for ourselves only. Only God can change our hearts so that we have the kind of faith that acts righteously.

How Do I Become Righteous?

In the Old Testament, one became righteous by faithfully keeping the Law. Romans 2:13 states: “It is not those who hear the Law who are righteous before God, but those who do the Law who will be justified.” Israel placed their faith in the Law of God to make them righteous. As such, people such as King David sought to develop an attitude of delight in God’s Law. This is the essence of true faithfulness to the Law — delight in what the Lord has commanded. The Psalms are awash in this language! Such trust and delight is pleasing to God.

But even then, there is a problem. Faithful keeping of the Law entails being perfect in the eyes of the Law. Remember, Jesus clearly stated that we must be perfect, just as the Lord is (Matt. 5:48). But none are righteous! None can perfectly keep the Law (Romans 3:10-12)! How, then, can I become righteous, if I cannot keep the Law perfectly? There is only one way: You must believe the Gospel!

“Out of Faith, Into Faith”

Paul uses an interesting construction here. First, he says the righteousness of God is revealed “out of” faith. Some Bibles translate this as “from” faith. This seems to mean that the Gospel is something that comes from born-again believers (BABs). What do I mean by that? See, BABs already have faith. Because they already believe, they share that faith with other people. That means evangelism is the job of every believer!

Second, Paul says the righteousness of God is revealed “into” faith. This seems to mean that the Gospel is revealed only to people who will believe (have faith). This is an incredible statement. Only the elect of God, chosen from before the foundation of the world, will be able to grasp and respond positively to the Gospel! This concept secures the success of believers in evangelism. No matter who or how many people a believer witnesses to, the word of God that the believer shares will not return to the Lord a failure!

Remember, faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). Only those to whom God gives the gift of faith can see His righteousness when they hear the Gospel. This is why many people ignore the Gospel, or even mock and insult it! God has not seen fit to give the gift of faith to everyone.

The entire phrase “out of faith, into faith” seems to mean something like “continuing faith.” I am awed at such an idea! This means that the purpose of the Gospel is to keep faith going. What a God-glorifying purpose! How does the Gospel “keep faith going?” It does so by:

1. By winning new believers,
2. By helping believers obey God,
3. By encouraging and lifting up believers, and
4. By being the foundation of the church.

The Gospel was created by God to bring about and sustain faith in Him. Oh, praise the Lord for His glorious gift!

Righteous People

Now, we turn finally to the last section of this verse. Paul begins by stating that “righteous people shall live by faith.” Let’s start by asking, “Who are righteous people?”

I think Scripture is clear that a “righteous” person is anyone who believes the Gospel and who trusts Jesus as Savior and Lord. Such a person has developed (or is developing) a trust in and delight for the Law of God. Such a person seeks to conform his or her mind and heart to the commands of God, by virtue of the atoning sacrifice of Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Why is this person “righteous?” What makes such a person righteous?

Scripture is also very clear on this matter. In fact, later in the book of Romans we will be studying this very thing. I will provide you with a summary of what the Bible says on this issue. Quickly, a person is righteous:

1. Because of the promise of the Gospel – Jesus perfectly obeyed the Law and died in our place.
2. Because Jesus rose from the dead to seal (to prove) that He had done what He promised.
3. Because when God looks at a BAB, He sees Jesus’ righteousness.

Living By Faith

Lastly, Paul says that such righteous people shall live by faith. What does it mean to “live by faith?”

To “live by faith” means that we have obedient faith. Do you remember when I preached on this, from Romans 1:5-7? To recap, obedient faith is a faith that obeys God’s commands. It is not something that you feel, rather, it is something that you do. Obedient faith is not a “feeling” faith, but an “active” faith. It is the means by which we receive God’s grace and His purpose for our lives. If we “live by faith,” then we show our faith by our actions (James 2:14-26). Once again remember the words of James 2:26 — Faith without works is dead!

I want to close this morning by asking a question that many people, maybe even some of you here today, are asking. How do I start living by faith? There is only one way to live by faith:

Trust the Gospel!

Do you trust the Gospel? Do you delight in God’s Law? Do you have faith in Jesus? If you don’t, I invite you to trust Him today. If what I have been given to say to you this morning has touched your heart, I truly believe that God is calling you to live by faith. God is calling you to be His. Do not forsake so great a salvation! Surrender yourself to the Lord, to Jesus who died to take away the sins of the world. Faith will be yours. Grace will be yours. Eternal life will be yours. Trust in Him today!

The Silent Holocron dedicates Monday space to the sermon that will be preached the following Sunday. Since Stephen has been grossly negligent in posting his sermons, the next few will be “catch-up” posts until we get to Romans 1:26-27 or thereabouts, where Stephen is currently located.

Romans 1:16 — For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

In this verse, Paul is boldly declaring his pride for the Gospel. Yes, pride. Pride, for the wrong reasons, is a bad thing. But it is never wrong to be proud of what God has done in bringing Himself glory. Pride in what God has done, with the proper attitude, ought to make us praise Him and give thanks to Him.

And Paul undoubtedly has a proper attitude about his pride in the Gospel. He is not embarrassed by the Gospel; rather, Romans 1:8 shows us that instead he is thankful for it! Indeed, as we can see from the previous verse (v. 15), the Gospel gives him energy. Remember, he was eager to preach the Gospel!

Ashamed of the Gospel?

But some of us are ashamed of the Gospel. What does it mean to be ashamed of something? To be ashamed of something means:

• To be embarrassed by it.
• To be unwilling to do something because of fear about it.
• To be upset by it.
• To feel guilty about it.

Furthermore, this brings us to two kinds of shame: “good” shame and “bad” shame.

“Good” shame is when:

• We feel guilty about something we have done.
• We feel embarrassed about our actions.
• We are humiliated or humbled because of something we have done.
• We feel responsible for our actions.

Why is this called “good” shame? Because “good” shame can lead us to repentance. When in the presence of the Gospel, this is called “being convicted of sin (John 16:7-11).” “Good” shame is when the Holy Spirit makes clear to us that our sin is abhorrent to a holy God. This is one aspect of “the fear of the Lord.” When we know that our actions are wrong, we ought to feel guilty. We ought to feel embarrassed. We ought to feel some degree of humiliation or experience some degree of humbling. And we most certainly ought to feel responsible! It is the proper response to the knowledge that an action one has committed is wrong. Pay very close attention to this concept. Paul will then show its exact opposite later in this chapter.

Bad shame is when:

• We become afraid of something/someone.
• We become embarrassed by something or someone and refuse to be involved.
• We try to hide our involvement from other people.

Why is this called “bad” shame? Let me draw this out a little bit. “Bad” shame contains all the elements of “good” shame. The person experiencing “bad” shame certainly feels guilty, embarrassed, humiliated or humbled, and responsible. The problem arises when a person responds to the shame inappropriately. One’s shame then becomes “bad” because the purpose of shame is turned in on the one experiencing it. Instead of repenting, one runs from it! “Bad” shame, then, is simply a person hiding from the truth. One is attempting to avoid the consequences of one’s knowingly wrong actions.  Why do you think that some people who have lived exemplary lives have those lives unraveled in a moment, when some past indiscretion — and a single, momentary indiscretion at that — suddenly surfaces and catches up to them? Because instead of repenting of their sin, asking forgiveness, and/or accepting the consequences, they became afraid. Maybe they feared what they would lose. Maybe they feared the opinion of others. So they hid their involvement.

Another example is glaringly obvious from many of our Deaf brothers and sisters. In some families all over the globe, deafness is an embarrassment. Some parents of Deaf children go to incredible lengths to hide a child’s deafness or “correct” it. They will spend an absurd amount of money on surgeries, technology, and speech therapy to make their children “hearing.” Others go another direction — they neglect the child. I have been told that is not unusual in other countries to find lots of Deaf children abandoned or in orphanages. The parents have refused to become involved with their child. Here in America, that takes on a different form — the parent becomes embarrassed not just at the child’s deafness, but at their seeming inability to provide what the child needs. The child is either ignored or sent off to a residential school for the Deaf. That is not a shot at our Deaf schools, just a simple statement of fact. Some parents will send their Deaf child to a Deaf school simply because they don’t want to or think that they cannot provide for the unique needs of a Deaf child. Having the child away at school brings momentary relief their embarrassment.

Once again, please understand, this is not a shot at parents of Deaf children nor at our Deaf schools, but a simple statement of fact. There are indeed some parents like this, and there are plenty of Deaf people whose stories contain heartbreaking accounts of parental neglect and abandonment.

But in all, there is only one proper response to both forms of shame:

The Gospel!

Let me start by asking a question: What is the Gospel?

The Gospel is:

• Jesus was sent to Earth to give eternal life to all who believe in Him (John 3:16)
• Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-4)
• Only those who believe in Him will be saved (John 3:16, Rom. 10:9)
• If we believe in our hearts and confess that we trust Him, we will be saved (Rom. 10:9-10)

Yes, the Gospel really is that simple. And the Gospel is powerful.

The Power of God for Salvation!

The Gospel is God’s power revealed. This is a truth that we cannot afford to deny. Many people have foolishly made careers out of doing this very thing. Quite frankly, Paul has some choice words for them later in this chapter.

The Gospel is, quite simply, more powerful than our sin. It is more powerful than our shame. Through the Gospel, God can (and has for all eternity) destroyed our sin and shame! For those who believe, their sin has been destroyed on the cross. For those who die refusing Christ, they and their sin are eternally destroyed in hell.

The Gospel itself is powerful! Why is the Gospel powerful? Besides the fact that the Gospel is the very words of God, it is the means by which the Holy Spirit brings a person to faith. No person can ever be brought to faith in Christ unless the Gospel is preached to them in some way, shape, or form. We don’t ever come to Christ just thinking about the thickness of a certain brand of toilet paper (though I’m sure some creative genius could come up with a tract about it). We come to Christ through the Gospel alone. It could be there in snippets or it could be there in the fullness of truth, but it is there. And the Holy Spirit uses what is exposed to a person to bring that person to faith.

And what a glorious movement that is! When the Holy Spirit works on a person who has heard the Gospel, “good” shame and “bad” shame is caused. It is worth noting that even if the Holy Spirit is not working to bring someone to faith, there is still a reaction. However, that reaction may or may not include good shame. Bad shame is much more likely. Further, a third reaction enters the picture — apathy. The person simply does not care. If a person is not marked by God for salvation, bad shame and apathy are the likely reactions to the Gospel. These are the kind of people who will go so far as to make entire careers out of trying to debunk the Bible, denigrating Christianity, “counter-evangelism,” and various other anti-religious activities. Thankfully, we do not know whom God has predestined to salvation. Our duty is simply to proclaim the Gospel to all, in the hope that each person has been marked out as Christ’s.

Because the Gospel causes these reactions in people, it is very clear that the Gospel will force us either to repent or to reject Christ. There is no middle ground! Even the Greeks who told Paul they would “think about it” (Acts 17:32) made a decision not to accept Jesus right that moment. That is rejection. The old Baptist evangelists are correct on one count — it is a horrible thing to leave a Gospel presentation without accepting Christ. You really could die in the next minute and end up spending eternity in hell.

The Gospel is how God saves people. Now, I’m going to say something serious and important. The Gospel is for God’s chosen people only. Who are the “chosen ones?” The chosen ones are not the Jews, not any longer. Some will take humongous issue with that statement. I might even get called anti-Semitic. But God’s people are not an ethnic race. God’s people are all those who believe in Him. All who believe in Christ are His. This is why Paul often says “to the Jew first and then to the Greek.” Paul will explain this concept more deeply later in Romans.

What does this mean? If you belong to God, then the Gospel is for you. Yes! For you! You don’t need to be ashamed anymore — if you believe in Jesus, your shame has been taken away and crucified on the cross! How do I know I belong to God? You know that you are His if you believe in Him and love His people. This is a repeated theme throughout the New Testament. Christians are marked by two things: their faith and love they have for their Savior and their love for each other.

However, if you do not believe, if you are ashamed of Jesus, the Gospel is not for you. Jesus stated in Luke 9:26 that “whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels (see also Mark 8:38).” He also elaborated in Matthew 10:32-33 that “everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” It is a serious thing to reject the only name under heaven by which people can be saved. Which leads me to a final question:

Are You Ashamed of Jesus?

Well? Are you? Or do you belong to Him?

If you really believe you belong to Him, you are experiencing “good” shame. Repent of your sins and place your trust in Jesus. If you are ashamed of Him, you are experiencing “bad” shame. Pray that God will grant you repentance from your shame and sin, that you may place your trust in Jesus. Believe in Him and you will be saved!

The Silent Holocron dedicates Monday space to the sermon that will be preached the following Sunday. Since Stephen has been grossly negligent in posting his sermons, the next few will be “catch-up” posts until we get to Romans 1:26-27 or thereabouts, where Stephen is currently located.

Romans 1:13-15: I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

The last time we were together I told you about “Famous Faith.” Remember what that is? Paul was telling the Roman Christians that their faith was so good that it had become well-known throughout the Roman Empire. And because their faith was so famous, Paul wanted to visit them and hang out!

Paul’s Dream Vacation

Paul tells the Romans in verse 13 that he had “often” planned to make a trip to Rome to see them. In fact, in the book of Acts Paul says that he wants to go to Rome, no matter how dangerous the trip would be for him. How dangerous was this journey for him? Before he went, he made a trip to Jerusalem for the Passover. The disciples warned him that if he went to Jerusalem, he would be handed over to the Gentiles (the Romans) and quite possibly even be killed (Acts 21:1-14). But Paul said that he was ready to die for the Gospel, and in fact had been told by the Holy Spirit that the events that would culminate with his imprisonment in Rome were imminent (Acts 20:22-24).

A Working Vacation
The reason Paul wanted to go to Rome was quite simple: to lead people to Jesus. He is saying in verse 13 that he does not want anyone to be left out! Indeed, he has preached all over the Empire, except the western Roman Empire, and does not want those in Rome and beyond to be untouched by what God was doing in his life and ministry. He knew he had been blessed by God, and that his duty was to share those blessings. But unfortunately, he was blocked time and time again. It was not yet God’s timing for him to go to Rome.

This means that Paul believed everyone must be told about Jesus. It was not enough that only those in the Middle East, Asia (Turkey), and Greece hear the Gospel, but those in Gaul (France) and Spain must hear it as well! In fact, in verse 14 Paul says exactly that: I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. It is his God-given duty to preach the Gospel to every person he could possibly encounter, and for Paul this meant every person in the Roman Empire.

The Duty of Evangelism

Paul has an interesting way of saying this, however. He is commanded to preach to Jews and non-Jews, the wise and the foolish. Now just wait a minute. Is he really saying what I think he is saying? The Gospel is not only for wise, intelligent, smart people; it is also for foolish, silly, ignorant people! The death and resurrection of Christ is intended for both those who will believe and those who will die without Him. To refuse to preach the Gospel to all people, then, is the biggest sin and heresy we could ever engage in as Christians!

Now let’s consider that from a Deaf point of view. Many of us are “high-functioning.” We are the wise, intelligent, smart ones. Just as many, if not more, are “low-functioning.” They could be considered the foolish, silly, ignorant ones. Many of us know Deaf individuals who have little or no education, or are mentally retarded, or have the maturity of a child. Or maybe our hearing families and friends have lumped us all into the “low-functioning” group simply because we are Deaf! When that happens, you know what goes on; we get excused from everything simply because: “Oh, he/she is Deaf, it’s all right, they don’t need to know, just let them get by.” But Paul says he’s got news for us: Jesus is for us, too! We cannot just let our “low-functioning” brothers and sisters just get by without Christ, we have got to explain to them about Jesus! Some of these people really make our day better. Think about how much more joyful it would be to spend eternity with them praising the Lord!

What I’m trying to explain to you is that everyone is equal when standing in front of the Gospel. The Gospel does not discriminate! When we stand in front of Jesus — whether it is from someone preaching about Him, or whether we are reading the Bible, or whether we are in front of Him at our Judgment — we stand on our own two feet. It will not matter if we are Deaf, hearing, genius, retarded, rich, poor, UL Cardinal, UK Wildcat, or UT Volunteer. Each of us will be responsible for how we have responded to the Gospel.

Are you making sure everyone you know understands the Gospel and knows God has commanded them to repent and believe in Jesus? Or are you condemning them to an eternity of Hell because you didn’t want to tell them about Jesus?

Eager to Preach the Gospel

Lastly, Paul says that he is eager to preach the Gospel to the Romans.

Paul knows that his duty is to tell everyone about Jesus. He knows that if he goes to Jerusalem, and as result to Rome, he could very well die. He also knows that up until now he has been prevented from going to Rome and preaching there. Yet Paul is frustrated and cannot wait to go!

In that, we receive our strongest lesson of all from Paul about evangelism. We should be just as eager to share Jesus as Paul was. That, sadly, is our greatest failing as Christians. We have not been excited about evangelism. We have been more concerned with looking cool. We have been more concerned with not embarrassing ourselves in front of other Deaf people who do not believe. We have been worried that others will gossip about us simply because we are Christians. Listen — Paul faced something much, much worse than embarrassment and gossip. Paul faced certain death. And he didn’t care at all. Not one single bit! Paul knew that prison and death were being used by Satan to tempt him not to go. But he knew that God rewards us not through sitting in our comfortable chairs watching 24 on Monday nights, nor does he reward us by being cool in front of the community. No, God rewards us when we run the race, keeping the faith (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

But…

We have a very big problem, one that seriously hinders our ability to keep the faith, if not preventing us totally:

Some of us are ashamed of the Gospel!

Join me next time as we examine Romans 1:16 – “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes….”