Romans 1:8-17 God’s Righteousness in the Gospel of Christ by Ho King Swee dated 14.5.17

King James Version (KJV) is used which contains better interpretation for this purposes.

The sermon is in three sections:

   1. Paul's prayer (v.8-10)

   2. Paul's desire to visit saints in Rome (v.11-15)

   3. God's righteousness revealed in the gospel of Christ (v.16-17)

       1. Paul’s Prayer ( V.8-10 )

          Rom 8:1 – emphasis -thank my God through Jesus Christ

          V.9 emphasis - without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

          Paul always prayed with thanksgiving to God.

          Why was Paul seemed to be praying all the time?

          Who are we serving?  How? – serve God as in V.9

          Paul only preached the gospel of God's Son. This is in V.9

          Let us see later this only true Gospel of Christ in v.16-17

          Rom 1:10 – emphasis - will of God to come unto you. Prayers for God’s will to visit them.

       2. Paul's desire to visit saints in Rome (v.11-15)

          Rom 1:11 – emphasis – established – of spiritual gifts

          Rom 1:12  That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you 

           and me.

                (a)    For strengthening/edification and mutual encouragement

           Rom 1:13 – emphasis – Gentiles – having fruits among gentiles too.

           V.14 he was debtors to both Greeks and barbarians.

           V.15 – preach the Gospel in Rome.

   (b) To obey God's commission as apostle to the gentiles

         Paul was always eager and willing to discharge his duties as apostle to the Gentiles.

3. God's righteousness revealed in the gospel of Christ (v.16-17)

Rom 1:9 – emphasis – Gospel of His Son.

Rom 1:16 – emphasis – Gospel of Christ

Rom 1:17 – revealing of God’s righteousness.

There is only one true gospel, the gospel of Christ (God's Son)

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

Act 4:10 – let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 

V.12 – salvation in no other name.

1Pet 3:18  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 

Rom 4:3 – Abraham believe God that’s counted as righteousness.

Rom 4:5 -And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

Charles Spurgeon - If our Lord's bearing our sin for us is not the Gospel, I have no Gospel to preach....The heart of the gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ.

Rom 1:16 – not ashamed of the Gospel

Paul was not only not ashamed of the gospel of Christ but he was willing to die for Christ.

1 Cor 1:12 - For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,

Teaching of Christ crucified stumbling block to Jews and gentiles.

Rom 1:16 – emphasis to those who believe.

V.17 – from faith to faith – living by faith.

From faith by which we are justified and made righteous through Christ,

we shall continue to live by faith and die in faith.

  

 Application

1. Pray with thanksgiving and without ceasing

2. Eager and willing to serve God in your ministry

3. Share the gospel of Christ without shame and fear

4. Live by faith in God till death

Amos 8 The Practice of Religion that Incurs the Judgement of God by Dr.Thomas Chung dated 2.4.17

During the time of Amos, many things in society were deteriorating until God stepped in.

There were two exile:

         1.       The Israelites were conquered by the Assyrians.

         2.       King Nebuchadnezzar conquered the southern Kingdom.

Chapter 8 showed the outward practice of religion resulted in the judgement of God.  They were religious but this could not save them.

      1.       Harvest of judgement ( V 1-3 )

             a)       Basket of summer fruits – God said the time was ripe for Him to punish the people.

              i)   The Prophet Isaiah – Isaiah 27:11, Isaiah 55:8

             ii)   Prophet Jeremiah – Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11

Note: basically these two prophets prophesised and during Amos time he reinforced God’s Words.

            b)      Understanding sin in the New Testament

        i)     Mortal sin – 1 John 5:16

       ii)     The unforgiveable sin – Matthew 12:31, 32

      iii)     Condition for forgiveness – James 2:13

      2.       Sin has become big business ( V 4-7)

In this modern times we can see the followings:

     Exploitation of the poor

     Slavery

     Trafficking in human misery

     Total dishonesty in business

     Mafia

“THE LORD HAS SWORN BY HIS HOLINESS” Amos 4:2, 8:7

      3.       The displeasure of God – God’s warning through disasters ( V 8-10 )

     i)      Eclipse

    ii)      Flooding. Droughts

      4.       The worst – Time of spiritual famine ( V 11-14)

       The people of God had become spiritually deaf (v11)

       The word of the Lord was rare in those days ( 1 Samuel 3:1 )

       every man  did what was right in his own eyes ( Judges 21:25)

       …made void the word of God ( Matthew 15:6)

       …if only you knew the time of your visitation ( Luke 19:41,44)

      “…they shall run two and fro , and seek the word of the Lord , but they shall not find it (v12)

        …they shall fall and never rise again” ( v14)

     5.       Hope in the despair of Amos

      a)   Jesus abolishes the first in order to establish the second ( Hebrew 10:9)

      b)   Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful 

            ( Heb 10:23)

     c)   Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a  kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus with 

             reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming  fire ( Heb 12:28,29)

     d)   THE CHRISTIAN HOPE

             “… he saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own

               mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which he poured out

               upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that we might be justified by his grace

               and become heirs in hope of eternal life”  Titus 3: 5-7

I Give It All by Dr. David Sheddan dated 26.3.17

Exodus 3:1-10.

Dr. Sheddan asked whether any one has seen great things done by God?

Than he shared his story about the Orang Asli in Perak.  God did great works amongst the Orang Asli there.  The Perak government said, no boby can reach the Orang Asli there.  However, God led a Sabahan pastor to minister to people there.  Now he and his team is reaching four different groups of Orang Asli there.  Now the Orang Asli work is in Kelantan, Ipoh and Kampar.  God is doing great works and calling this people to His kingdom in these palaces.

God makes the impossible to possible.

Also in Sarawak, his home Baptist Church over the years have been sending members some of whom are elderly and some are young university students to the long houses in Sarawak to help either to build or re build long houses.  He said some young students had laboured for three weeks in a stretch under the strong sun.  They did the work with love and dedication.  Words went out to the near by long houses and many came to the Lord.  This is a miracle, because many did not expect the young students to do such hard work under the sweating sun, only God can made them do it.

God called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt.  Was he capable on his own? No.  Egypt had great armies.  However, God gave him the abilities and path the ways for him to lead the people out of Egypt.  God called Moses to do this work.

V.1 Mount Horeb was a special place, many prophets had their ministries from this place and many things happened here.  Moses saw the burning bush here.  However, the fire did not consume the trees and branches.  Similarly the fire is like God is in us, the holy “fire” in us will not consume us.  We must give up all and follow God, we will not be consumed.  God will attracts others to us.  God will speak to us f we allowed Him.

Do you want to have a bright life?  When Moses was called by God, he was already 80 years old.  Dr. Sheddan said many of us are younger than 80 years old, so we have many more years to serve God.

Psalm 46:7 - The Lord Almighty is with us;

                        the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Zechariah 7:11-13

11 “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. 12 They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.

13 “‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the Lord Almighty.

When God call us we have to listen, otherwise He will not listen to our prayers.

Malachi 2:2

2 If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.

We have to honour God otherwise He may send a curse.

Ex 3:5 – God called on Moses to stand on Holy ground.

Where are we standing today?

V.6 – God is God of the present and not the past.

Conclusion

We must give our all to God.  When He call us we are to obey His call.