Roman 2:17-29 - Walk the Talk (Walk the thought) by Dr. Thomas Chung dated 4.6.17

Preamble

“God’s judgement on those who do not walk the talk” (i.e upon both Jew and Gentile V9-16)

1.       The Essence of what it means to be a Jew (V1-24)

            a)       Privileges and responsibilities

            (i) God’s chosen people (vs 17 – 20)

           (ii) Recipients and hence Custodians of God’s laws (The Torah) (vs 17, 18)

          (iii) A special relationship with God (vs 17)

          (iv) To demonstrate God’s character to the world by living out the law 

                  (i.e. to walk the talk) (vs 17 – 20) 

           b)      Failure of the Jew to carry out the responsibility (V21-24)

           (i) Failure to be a guide to those who are in darkness (vs 19)

          (ii) Failure to correct those who are ignorant (vs 20)

         (iii) The Moral Laws reflect the character and will of God (vs 21 – 24)

2.       The Significance of Circumcision (vs 25- 29)

(a)    under the old covenant

             Sign and seal of God’s covenant with Abraham

             Genesis 17:19

             Genesis 21:4

             God’s chop of authenticity – a sign of recognition resulting in the birth of a nation

             (Genesis 14:13)

(b)    Circumcision in its spiritual application

             (i) Circumcision of the lips (Exodus 6: 12)

            (ii) Circumcision of the ear (Jeremiah 6:10)

           (iii) Circumcision of the heart (Jeremiah 4:4, Jeremiah 9: 25,26)

 * The Glorious Prophetic Promise

“And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.“  Deut 30:6

(c)      God makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile (vs 26 – 29)

“He is a Jew (i.e. with all the privileges and blessings of Covenant) who is one inwardly and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal (physical) ” (vs 29)

“Walk the talk”, walk the thought

James 2: 23.24

“Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness; and he was called the friend (philos) of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

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