The Good News (Part 1)
“God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures.” Romans 1:2
Intro: He was pacing the floor back and forth. Thoughtful, intense, clearly expecting someone at any time. Physically, he was not a very impressive man. 2 Corinthians 10:10 describes him as a writer that was very demanding and forceful in his writing but in person appeared weak and his speeches were really bad.
Galatians 4:14 describes a sickness he had suffered that was quiet revolting. He had scars on his face and arms. He had blemishes all over his body from his various beatings and stonings. His body was weathered and worn from the many years of hardship and suffering. 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 says he lived in weariness and pain and had many sleepless nights. But whatever his physical condition was, he was filled with holy joy. He had a blessed assurance. He worshiped when mocked and scorned. He had a clear understanding of his connection and relationship and purpose with God.
There are a couple of jokes about talking to yourself. 1. If you talk to yourself at least you know someone is listening. (Bata Bing) It is o.k. to talk to yourself but you know you are in trouble when you start answering yourself.
So here he is pacing the floor back and forth. Talking to himself. “Where is he?” he asked himself out loud.
And right on cue, there was a loud knock at the door. “Ah! Tertius!” he greeted his visitor. “Come in. It is so good to see you! Thank you for coming today.” He offered him all the normal courtesies and hospitalities. Then the two men walked into a little room we might think of as an office or study in the large home of Gaius of Corinth. Tertius sat down at the little writing desk and prepared himself for the dictation he was about to receive. “I’m ready whenever you are,” he said.
The older man, pacing the floor once again, began to speak while Tertius wrote down what he said: “I Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”(Romans 1:1-7)
And so began the greatest letter of Good News ever to be written, “The book of Romans.”
A noted Presbyterian pastor once undertook preaching on the book of Romans. He concluded that it would take at least 100 expository sermons to exegete and interpret the most basic level of teaching on Romans to a student.
I don’t know how fast or how many sermons I will take on Romans. But I will let you in on a little secret. I generally preach faster and shorter the more “Amen’s” I get. Amen?
I believe Romans is the “The Good News of God.” I also want to be sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit in among us. Truthfully if we studied only one word of God’s Word at a time and the Holy Spirit is with us and we are connecting with God, then the number of verses or books we get through really doesn’t matter. It is not the program or the time that we spend on any one verse but the presence. It is the power. It is the understanding. It is the heart warming. It is the blinded eye that comes open. It is the deaf ear that begins to hear. It is the cold heart that warms that really makes the difference. [The only limit that is placed on the “Word of God” is the limit that we ourselves place upon it.]
Furthermore we know that when studying the word of God that we as individuals never know precisely where it is going or when it is going to end up. For example I preach the same sermon each Sunday at two different churches. There is almost always a response from someone at one or both of the church services. Thus while it is preached to the many God’s Word always speaks to the one or the many who God intends for it to speak to. So with that in mind, let us ask ourselves a couple of questions.
I. How does the Word of God in the letter to the Romans affect me or you the individual?
All of us will agree that we want our lives to count for something. We feel that in one way or another we want to make a positive and helpful difference in the world and to the people around us. Even people who are not Christians want their lives to make a difference somewhere, somehow. I will never forget one of the first funeral I had at my first appointment. After the graveside service I was walking back to my car with the director of Bosely Funeral home. I remember commenting on how large some of the grave markers in the cemetery were. One particular marker was made of marble and was at least twenty-five feet tall. It reminded me of the Washington Monument. I remarked that the man buried there must have really made a difference in people’s lives and been a great person. The director whispered, “Not really. He was just over compensating for all the things he had not done. In death people want to be remembered as someone who made the lives of people they touched better. But that is not always the case.”
The book of Romans as written by the Apostle Paul has helped to transform the world and significantly influenced many people and historic leaders throughout the centuries.
Augustine of Hippo 354-430 A.D. or more simply known in history as St. Augustine is one such historic figure. Before his clear conversion his struggle of exploits on sexuality would be inappropriate for us to discuss. But one day while seeking peace from his passions, out in a garden all alone, he heard a voice "chanting as if it might be a boy or a girl saying and repeating over and over again, “Pick up and read, pick up and read.” He interpreted it solely as a divine command to open the book and read the first chapter he came to. He hurried home. Opened up the book of the apostle [Paul to the Romans] and the very first passage he saw he read it in silent Latin.
’Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in…, drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature’ (Romans 13:13-14).
He did not have to read further. At once, with the last words of this sentence, it was as if a light came on. A relief from all anxiety flooded into his heart. All the shadows of doubt and evil were dispelled. The Apostle Paul’s writing on sexuality in that short text from Romans was the true spiritual conversion of Augustine. Who is known in church history as one of the early Father’s of the Church.
You may be more familiar with the name Martin Luther. Over a thousand years later, in 1515, at a time when Christians were brought to faith in God through fear, death, judgment and hell. Martin Luther searched for a different interpretation of come to God. His soul was tormented. His conscience was attacked by the only thought of a God of vengeance and wrath. It was Romans 1:17 where it says that “This Good News tells us that God makes us right in His sight.” Martin Luther read that verse from Paul’s letter to the Romans night and day. Over and over again. “This Good News tells us that God makes us right in His sight.” Finally he grasped the truth. That the righteousness of God is righteousness through grace and mercy. We are made righteous not through fear and condemnation, and death and punishment but made righteous by faith. Martin Luther already believed in God BUT he was reborn. This time instead of having gone through the doors of fear, he passed through the door that opened into love and paradise. He understood that God’s nature demands that sin be punished but God’s love through Jesus on the cross is greater than our sin and demands not only our forgiveness but that we forgive others also. A religious person who is filled with bitterness and hate hasn’t truly met the God of love, mercy and grace.
I will share with you one more great figure in church history that was transformed by the book of Romans, John Wesley. Some 200 years later John Wesley and his younger brother Charles, with some Oxford friends, had founded what came to be nicknamed “the Holy Club,” and in November 1729 John was the acknowledged leader. Its members engaged in bible studies, self-examination that near to total transparent confession, public and private religious exercises, deed of works and acts of kindness and mercy. At first through all of these activities they were apparently hoping to earn salvation by such good works.
In 1735 John and Charles Wesley sailed for Georgia as chaplains to the settlers and missionaries to the American Indians. Two years later they returned profoundly disappointed. They had made almost everyone they came in contact with angry and were both ran out of Georgia in fear of their life. During the journey back across the Atlantic Ocean a violent storm engulfs their ship and the Wesley’s were terrified but a small group of Moravians calmly sang and prayed to God. It was their calm in the midst of the storm aboard the ship that impressed John the most. Finally back in England if you read from John Wesley’s own journal on May 24th 1738 John “very unwillingly” went to a meeting of the Moravians at Aldersgate Street, London.
Somebody was reading Martin Luther’s preface to his Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. “It was that reading from Romans that helped John Wesley understand and believe the good news of God. Wesley wrote in his journal: "About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." God used the reading of Luther’s preface to Romans to take an already believing John Wesley but warmed his heart spiritually and the influence of Wesley’s ministry is why United Methodist are here today.
The Alter Call today is a simple one: The decision for you today is easy. Draw near as: Augustine’s Romans event changed sinful passions and wicked desires of the flesh were suddenly released. He found peace. He found strength to turn over his life to the Holy Spirit. He found control of bad human habits that he couldn’t otherwise manage by himself.
Martin Luther’s Romans discovery was that being a Christian means letting go of wrath, anger, bitterness, animosity, sullenness. That the Good News is peace, joy, forgiveness, love and sweetness.
John Wesley’s Romans experience found religion is not about works of piety and deeds done for public display
but the Good News is more about human equality, showing sameness of human dignity, respect, and unity. With a heart that is on fire for God. A soul that burns with enthusiasm. A hospitality that is so radical that you cannot do anything less than share the Good News to all people. At all times. In all places. For the transformation of the world.
How have you allowed the Good News of the Book of Romans change, shape, and transform me and you?
