The Glorious Gospel Of Our God Series

ROMANS 16:25 – 27. GREAT IS THE GOSPEL OF OUR GLORIOUS GOD.

25NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO ESTABLISH YOU BY MY GOSPEL AND THE PROCLAMATION OF JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY HIDDEN FOR LONG AGES PAST, 26BUT NOW REVEALED AND MADE KNOWN THROUGH THE PROPHETIC WRITINGS BY THE COMMAND OF THE ETERNAL GOD, SO THAT ALL NATIONS MIGHT BELIEVE AND OBEY HIM— 27TO THE ONLY WISE GOD BE GLORY FOREVER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST! AMEN.

HAVE EVER BEEN TO LISTEN TO AN ORCHESTRA PLAY A SYMPHONY– HAS IT EVER TAKEN YOUR BREATH AWAY? WERE YOU MOVED, AS YOU LISTENED TO THE MUSIC? THE MUSIC CAN BECOME ALL CONSUMING, AS IT MOVES ALONG SO POWERFULLY, AS IT COMES TO THE GRAND FINALE THE CLOSING CHORDS OF THE ORCHESTRA RESONATE IN THE HEARERS EARS, LEAVING A LASTING EFFECT EVEN AFTER THE CONCERT THE PIECE RESONATES IN YOUR EARS.

THE WHOLE LETTER TO THE ROMANS IS LIKE A GRAND ORCHESTRAL SYMPHONY, WITH MANY PARTS BUT ALL COMING TOGETHER IN A UNISOM INTO A THEOLOGICAL SYMPHONY OF GODS SALVATION PLAN, WHICH CANNOT FAIL TO SIMPLY TAKE OUR BREATH AWAY.

V 25 -27 DOXOLOGY: DEFINITION: AN EXPRESSION OF PRAISE TO GOD, ESPECIALLY A SHORT HYMN SUNG AS PART OF A CHRISTIAN WORSHIP SERVICE.

HERE IS WHERE IT ENDS, NOT WITH A INSIGNIFICANT WHIMPER, BUT WITH A LOUD CRESCENDO OF POWER, WISDOM AND PRAISE TO OUR GOD FOR HIS GLORIOUS GOSPEL WHICH HAS RESONATED DOWN THROUGH THE CENTURIES IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF GODS PEOPLE. LET’S UNPACK TOGETHER THIS DOXOLOGICAL MASTERPIECE

1. THE POWER OF GOD TO (ESTABLISH) HIS CHURCH. V25

WHO IS IT THAT IS ABLE TO ESTABLISH YOU IN THE FAITH? WHO IS IT THAT ESTABLISHES THE CHURCH? IS IT THE VATICAN AND THE POPE AS THE HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH? IS IT THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY AS THE HEAD OF THE PROTESTANT CHURCH? IS IT THE QUEEN AS THE DEFENDER OF THE FAITH? IS IT CHURCH LEADERS WHO ESTABLISH AND ITS MEMBERS WHO ESTABLISH THE TRUE CHURCH?

NOPE ITS HIM WHO IS ABLE (GOD) HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS ABLE TO ESTABLISH YOU HE IS THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO ESTABLISH THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD – THE POPE AND OTHERS CAN ESTABLISH CHURCHES AND BUILD DENOMINATIONS BUT ONLY GOD CAN ESTABLISH YOU AND ME INTO THE TRUE CHURCH – NOBODY ELSE.

THAT’S WHY PAUL IS FILLED WITH PRAISE TO GOD V27 TO THE ONLY WISE GOD BE GLORY FOREVER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. AMEN! CHRISTIANS MEET ALSO WEEK AFTER WEEK WITH PRAISE TO GOD BECAUSE HE IS THE ONE ALONE WHOM IS ABLE TO ESTABLISH HIS TRUE CHURCH.

ESTABLISH – OR TO STRENGTHEN V25 - (ROM1:11) IN CONTEXT HERE PAUL IS SAYING GOD IS ABLE TO KEEP THEM THROUGH ALL THEIR TRIALS THROUGH THE BARRAGE OF FALSE TEACHING THEY ARE FACING GOD IS ABLE TO ESTABLISH THEM THROUGH IT ALL HE IS ABLE TO STRENGTHEN THEM .

• AS SAMUEL JOHN STONE WROTE THE HYMN THE CHURCHES ONE FOUNDATION, THOUGH WITH A SCORNFUL WONDER, MEN SEE HER SORE OPPRESSED, BY SCHISMS RENT ASUNDER BY HERESIES DISTRESSED: ALTHOUGH SUCH TRUTHS OF SCHISMS HERESIES ARE EXPERIENCED IN THE CHURCH AND CONVEYED BY SAMUEL JOHN STONE HE KNEW ALSO THAT OUR GOD IS ABLE TO ESTABLISH YOU, HIS TRUE CHURCH. YET SAINTS THEIR WATCH ARE KEEPING, THEIR CRY GOES UP: HOW LONG? AND SOON THE NIGHT OF WEEPING SHALL BE THE MORN OF SONG.

SO IT’S GOD WHO IS ABLE TO KEEP US IN THE TRUTH. BUT HOW DOES GOD ESTABLISH HIS CHURCH? HOW DOES HE STRENGTHEN HIS PEOPLE? HOW IS THAT WORKED OUT PRACTICALLY?

A) GOD ESTABLISHES HIS CHURCH THROUGH GOSPEL MINISTERS. V25 BY MY GOSPEL PAUL WROTE EARLIER IN ROM 1:16 I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL BECAUSE IT IS THE POWER OF GOD FOR THE SALVATION OF EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES.

WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT PAULS GOSPEL, WAS GODS GOSPEL (DOCUMENTARIES TODAY WOULD DISTORT THIS TRUTH PAUL DISTORTED CHRISTIANITY) BUT IT WAS ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS SAUL WAS A MAN WITH MANS GOSPEL BUT HE WAS COMPREHENDED BY THE RISEN CHRIST AND GIVEN THE GOSPEL OF GOD THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST AND BECAME GODS CHOSEN GOSPEL MINISTER. ROM 10:14-15

THE CALLING: SADLY TO MANY MINISTERS TODAY ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO BECOME MINISTERS BUT HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THE CALL OF GOD, GODS CHOOSING HIS SETTING APART OF THEM TO BECOME TRUE MINISTERS OF GODS GOSPEL WHICH BECOMES THEIR GOSPEL. ROM 1:1 PAUL A SERVANT OF CHRIST JESUS, CALLED TO BE AN APOSTLE AND SET APART FOR THE GOSPEL OF GOD.

IT IS THROUGH GOSPEL MINISTERS WHO ARE BORN AGAIN CALLED AND SET APART BY GOD AND SENT WHO GOD USES TO ESTABLISH HIS CHURCHES. PAUL WRITES 1THES 3:2 SENT TIMOTHY, OUR BROTHER, AND MINISTER OF GOD, AND OUR FELLOW LABOURER IN THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, TO ESTABLISH YOU, AND TO COMFORT YOU CONCERNING YOUR FAITH.