Bible Study Romans Part 11-Confident Witness

Welcome to the program Study in the Chapel.

God's Word is supreme at Chapel Ministries.

We consider it absolutely essential to a proper relationship with God.

We study it, we love it, we rely on it every minute of every day.

The following program is an edited recording of the regular Bible studies we hold, and we decided to share these with you in the hope that you too will be able to find inspiration, encouragement, and ultimately salvation through discovering Christ in Scripture.

Our intention is to travel all the way through the Bible.

It will be a challenging journey, but one that will undoubtedly bring you to a decision.

Through this study, you will be faced with either believing or rejecting what God has said to us.

It is our intention to provide you with enough knowledge to make an informed decision about God and his word.

We strongly encourage you to listen intently and diligently, because though at the moment you may not realize it, these things are truly a matter of life and death.

In fact, these are matters of eternal life and eternal death.

Never treat what God has said lightly.

There's truly nothing more important to you.

Now join us as we seek God's will through his inspired word.

This is something that we do, we study this scripture because of how important it is to us.

And I think if you approach it with that attitude, you're going to find that this is more than just a list of facts or a list of history or do's and don'ts.

It's something that you can use to model your life by as you try to serve your savior.

And that really is the point of all of this.

Once you're saved, then you are responsible for the one that saved you.

In every sense, we become, as Paul referred to it, as doulas, as slaves, bond servants, if you will.

We belong to someone as soon as we have given our life to them.

Well, so then so then I'm not going to get saved because I don't want to belong to anyone.

Listen to me.

You already belong to the devil.

That's what Adam did to you.

You belong to the devil until you give your life to Christ, and then you belong to him.

And once you do belong to him, then you have some responsibilities, as I just said.

You have to serve Him.

And listen to me, it will be the most blessed, most joyful service you'll ever have.

And that's why we approach the Word the way that we do, so that we can learn about this person that we love, the person that we love to serve, so that we can learn the things that are necessary, things that are required of us, so that we can fulfill the mission, fulfill the salvation that we've been given, to make it as much worth it to Christ as we can.

That's what we do here.

So we are still in the letter to the Romans here on this is we record these on Sundays.

We're still in the letter to the Romans.

We will continue to be here for several more years.

It's fine with me.

It's okay.

I touch on that a little bit in a moment.

We're going to continue to study through this because this is such an important letter.

This is such an important book to all of us Christians.

Right now we're just in the first few verses, so why don't we get started by reading again the first four verses?

I'm reading out of the King James.

Please read out of the Bible in front of you.

If you don't have a Bible in front of you, we have the verses up on the screen.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his prophets and holy scriptures, concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.

Now there's a lot to talk about here.

This is yet another doctrine-packed verse.

I'm talking about verse four.

You know, there are those who like to claim that Christianity is no different than any other quaint belief system that primitive man has devised to help him confront a very often hostile and uncertain world.

No different, they say, than Hinduism or Confucianism or Islam or any and all other religions.

That Christianity is nothing more than superstition with very little basis in fact.

Well, I can say that is patently false.

Of course you'd say that, John, it's your job.

Well, yes, but also because Christianity, first of all, is not a religion, it's a person.

And that person is a historical person, meaning someone who appears in the records of the past.

There was a time when people try to say, the critics tried to say that Jesus never existed.

That's impossible to believe now because there is so much documentation going back almost to his life.

Within maybe 20 years, his name is being mentioned as having existed in the contemporary time for those that wrote it.

And those of us who celebrate and worship that person do so because we are convinced that his claims are valid.

He, Jesus, the center of our worship, he himself says that he is none other than the Son of God.

And that is nothing like any other religion that has ever existed.

Of course, you may say, well, anyone can claim to be the Son of God.

In fact, many have, and we normally lock them up until their medicine kicks in.

Well, maybe, but let's read Paul's statement again.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which he had promised before by his prophets in holy scriptures, concerning his son, Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.

Now listen to this, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the resurrection of the dead.

This is more than just saying you're the Son of God.

This is having it declared about you, and not in just some trumpet blast, fancy pants, royal court member shouting it out way.

This is a declaration with power.

But I may be getting a little ahead of myself.

You know, since leaving the corporate world, I find I stress much less than I did then, but I do still have stress.

And one of the stressors I deal with all of the time, and one that is currently at its peak, like at no other time since I started this ministry, is knowing when enough is enough.

In fact, I suspect anyone who truly sets out to teach from this letter to the Romans has a similar concern.

When you can find commentaries, complete commentaries on the book of Romans, you're going to discover that they are usually enormous.

Dr.

Martin Lloyd Jones, one of my pulpit heroes, taught on this letter every Friday night from his pulpit at Westminster Chapel from January 1956 until March of 1968.

And he still didn't get all the way through it.

The publication that contains, you can see some of them in the background, those are some of the books that he wrote, the written form of his sermons.

The entire series is 14 volumes in length.

And did you hear me?

He didn't finish.

Similar numbers are associated with the teachings of John Calvin, Martin Luther, and many others on this same New Testament book.

Now I have no reason to doubt, as I said, it's going to take us just as long because this book is so foundational to everything we Christians believe.

Nearly every verse is so rich and important doctrine that frankly I live in fear of leaving any of it out.

Now, some may say to me, listen, John, I know the Christian message.

I'm familiar with the way of salvation.

I know that we're saved by grace and why.

So what's the point of subjecting me to another 12 years with you on something I've heard so many times in my life, since my youth, as a matter of fact?

Well, first of all, I get that.

To many of you, this at first sounds repetitive, especially those who grew up in Protestant churches.

Some may even cringe at the thought of going over it again, since, well, it now seems tedious.

You know, give me something exciting to talk about.

Can't we go back to the Nephilim?

Maybe we can talk about the rumored connection between Enoch and the Great Pyramids?

How about we go over to Revelation?

Lots of fascinating mysteries over there.

Well, one of the most important themes of the letter to the Romans is assurance.

Paul spends a great deal of time teaching us about the confidence we should have in our salvation.

Knowing you're saved is one thing, but being sure you're saved is quite another.

Now, why is that so important?

Well, because it's very difficult to doubt a confident man.

Have you ever come across someone who's so sure he's right on some topic, the way he articulates it, his manner of presenting his argument and the way he does things actually gets you to question your own stance on the matter.

Has that ever happened to you?

I mean, going in, you're just sure you had diametrically opposed viewpoints, but by about 75% through, you start to wonder.

His facts, his examples, his references all seem to be delivered with such self-assuredness that you find yourself starting to sway toward his opinion, even if you were once as confident in your own stance as he now appears to be in his.

Well, I want that for you.

I want that for you for God's sake.

I want you so filled with the truth of your eternal destiny that your very manner, the way you carry yourself, is enough to convince others to give Jesus a try.

You know, the book of Acts tells an incredible story.

For most of Paul's ministry, he was a constant target of the Jewish leadership.

They wanted to silence him because he was preaching a message that they saw as dangerous to their cause.

Duh.

Things got so bad there that there arose a literal kill squad among the Jews.

A group of no fewer than 40 men banded together with the sole purpose of killing Paul.

In fact, they made a pact that they would go on a hunger strike until they achieved their dastardly goal.

Not a real smart plan, if you ask me, because within only a few days, you're going to be too weak to carry out your assassination plot.

Anyhow, they hated this man.

And they, I suppose, wanted to express their commitment to their cause through this drastic gesture.

Well, this was all happening while Paul was already in protective custody under the authority of the Roman military contingent.

Now, word of the plot gets to the Roman head hancho in Jerusalem, and so he transports Paul to the Roman procurator of Judea, who goes by the name of Felix.

Felix decides to hear from Paul's accusers while at the same time giving Paul a chance to defend himself.

So within a few days, I'm summarizing the story in Acts.

Within a few days, the Jewish high priest Ananias arrives with a smooth talking lawyer type.

They make their case against Paul, and when they're done, it's Paul's turn.

Now I'm getting somewhere with this, so hang on with me.

Paul spends a few minutes poking holes in their story, avoiding, but just so calling them a bunch of liars.

Felix finishes hearing from Paul and then decides to wait from wait for some testimony from his own people before making a determination.

Felix then remands Paul back into Roman custody until the relevant parties can arrive to give their testimony.

But here's the remarkable point, and part of the reason I'm sharing this story with me, as I said, this relates.

A few days after that quasi-official examination, Felix again summons Paul.

This time Felix has his wife sit in with him.

Her name was Drusilla, and she, interestingly, was a Jewess, as the Bible calls her.

In other words, she was a fellow Jew, and together Felix and Drusilla listened to Paul.

Let's pick up the story in Acts 24, verse 25.

Acts 24:25

And as Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, listen to this, Felix trembled and answered, Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season, I will call thee.

I want you to have that experience.

I want you to experience that feeling, the feeling of truly getting the message through to someone.

Listen to me.

I'm convinced that it's not just what Paul said to Felix, but how he said it to him that drew out that famously wicked man, the emotion of fear as the original infers.

Felix trembled because he was filled with fear by the way Paul told him these things.

Listen to me.

Do you think this was the first time Felix heard about righteousness, temperance, temperance, and judgment to come?

Of course not.

Paul didn't just preach to report, he preached to convince.

And that's what I want for you.

Of course, I'm not suggesting you climb into a pulpit and start evangelizing.

In fact, there's more to do outside the church than in.

One of these days, and if it's happened already, it's going to happen again, but one of these days, someone is going to summon you, either intentionally or unintentionally, to inquire of you about righteousness, temperance, and judgment.

But you'll be of no help unless you are convinced of the things you're trying to convince others of.

This is precisely why assurance is important and why Paul spends so much time on it.

And throughout this letter to the Romans, Paul time and again teaches us that our salvation is assured.

It's certain.

There can be no doubt about it.

And you must get that.

And not just for yourself, but for those that God sends to you and He will send them to you.

Listen, you might not even have to say a word, but the way you conduct yourself will say it all.

If you're assured, it will show and it will have an impact.

I cannot leave this story without finishing it.

Back to Acts to sum this up, chapter 25, starting at verse 13.

This is fascinating.

And after certain days, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.

More visitors, more opportunities for the Apostle Paul.

Now, this is Agrippa II, who was the great grandson of Herod the Great.

And at the same time, Agrippa was the sovereign in the region.

Bernice was Agrippa's sister.

And Festus was the newly appointed procurator of Judea and actually the successor of the previously mentioned Felix.

Lots going on here, but most of it is just background material.

Let's start over.

And after certain days, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.

And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix, about whom when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priest and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.

Now the king is involved precisely by the way, as prophecy had predicted.

No time to prove that to you.

Agrippa, another intensely evil man, summoned Paul to hear his story.

And of course, Paul eloquently and confidently defends himself, tells the king why the Jewish leaders hate him, and even tells the story of his own conversion.

You know what?

Why don't we just read it?

I've already wasted your time.

I might as well finish it off.

Besides, this is too amazing to cut short.

I'll start at verse 13 of chapter 26.

It's up on the screen.

Now we're picking it up where Paul is just about to tell the story of the events that learn led to his conversion.

Again, this all relates to what we've been talking about today, Paul speaking.

Whereupon, as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the holy, from the chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven.

Remember, this is Paul talking about his conversion.

At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

Verse 14.

And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

And I said, Who art thou, Lord?

And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

But rise and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee, for the unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified.

By faith that is in me.

That's Paul's testimony.

Now I know growing up in the church that I grew up, I never heard Paul's testimony.

I never heard that Jesus himself appeared to Paul and told him and gave him his commission, told him all of these things and how important they were.

Verse 19, Paul continues.

Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and then and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance.

For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple and went about to kill me.

Having therefore obtained help of God, I love this, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.

I love the way he says that.

He says, none other.

He says that he is preaching none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.

Paul didn't write any extra books.

He didn't have to go and make things up.

Paul didn't reference some kind of odd mystical book somewhere.

He just said the things the prophets and Moses said.

Verse 23, and this is what they said that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles.

And as he thus spake for himself, listen to this.

Festus said with a loud voice, he's shouting.

Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself.

Much learning doth make thee mad.

He wasn't even talking to Festus.

But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

For the king knoweth, he turns back to the king, for the king knoweth of these things.

I've always been intrigued by that.

How did the king know these things?

For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely, for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done in a corner.

King Agrippa, Paul now staring directly at the king.

King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?

I know that thou believest.

This is probably my favorite verse in the entire Bible.

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

The testimony of an assured believer can can affect any heart.

They may in the end not give themselves to Christ.

Certainly Agrippa didn't, but I guarantee he never forgot what Paul told him.

Listen, I know that most of you are horrified by what I'm saying.

You're thinking there is just no way I can speak to anyone about this thing that thrills my heart.

What happens if I screw it up, say something wrong?

What if they laugh at me?

What if they just walk away?

Or worse, never come back.

When you gave your heart to Christ, he promised to fill it with himself and the Father.

Listen to me, no one is suggesting that you sit next to someone, sit down next to someone at the bus stop and ask them if they're going to go to heaven.

That's the tactic of many evangelicals around the world, but I don't think it has to come to that unless you feel the Spirit leading you to do so.

All I'm suggesting is that if you conduct yourself as if you belong to the family of the Almighty, it's going to get noticed.

And someone is going to get curious.

And when they do, just tell them your story.

Tell them how Christ found you.

And let this story work itself out in their hearts.

But being confident is the key.

Behaving as if you are sure you are saved will make a big difference in your witness.

And that's the point of this long section.

Paul, in the letter to the Romans, is imparting to believers, Jews and Gentiles, that their salvation is assured.

And he spends a great deal of time proving that.

He wants what I want.

That your witness changes lives.

That your witness gets people to perk up their ears.

And listen, you don't have to know all 66 books of the Bible.

It sure helps.

That's why we're here.

You don't have to be able to articulate the vagaries of the book of Daniel, it would help.

You don't have to quote from Psalms, it would help.

But what's going to help the most is when you tell that person whose heart is broken that Jesus is your Savior and it makes all the difference in your life.

And you live your life as if that were true.

Lives will change.

All right, let's leave it there for all of us to meditate on.

Yes, we didn't make much progress through the letter to the Romans today, which is fine.

The Bible is a great big cross-reference manual, and sometimes we have to flip through the pages in order to make a point.

We'll get back to Romans 4, Romans 1:4 next time.

Romans 1:4

See you then.

We hope this study has blessed you.

God's word is a great treasure, and it's our belief that a thorough, purposeful study of it will bring all of God's children to an understanding of his eternal plan of redemption.

It is our prayer that this will be so for all of our listeners.

Please join us again soon.

New content is being added all the time, so make sure you check back often.

For more information on Chapel Ministries, including our YouTube channel and podcasts, please visit www.chapelontheweb.com.

And if God has laid it upon your heart to share materially with us, we encourage you to follow the links to our secure giving page.

Please note, Chapel Ministries is not an IRS registered nonprofit organization, and your donations to this program are not tax deductible.

It's our hope that you do not rely on taxing authorities to decide for you who is worthy of your generosity.