Bible Guys Classics: Romans 3 Part 2

Hey, guys, today we're talking about the very first substitute teacher.

That's kind I like it.

Well, Jesus is the teacher. He has the substitution for

our sins. Christ is taking the punishment for our sins. Well,

Jeff is in India. So today he's Kyle. I'm Chris,

and we are the Bible guys. So Kyle, always good

to have you here on the podcast.

That's right, man.

And so Kyle works with us at the church that

we serve at Heritage Church, and he's the connections pastor

and was in charge of the weekends for years. And

you've also done a lot of things. And you were

also over a youth as a youth pastor. In fact,

even before you came to Heritage, you were you were

a youth pastor.

And that's something that we haven't come We just found

that out we both were youth pastors for eleven years.

That we exactly yes, which is pretty cool. So and

I'm older than you, I've done more adult stuff.

Yes, you have old people stuff on your trajectory. It

looks like that's funny. So here's a good question.

This is this is a good segment for today. So

as a youth pastor. I've always said to my wife

that my best memories and my best experiences in ministry

are with high school students, yes, love or middle school

and sometimes but mostly high school.

Yeah, yeah, middle school. So here's the question.

The question is tell us one of your most memorable

moments or experiences that you've had working with teenagers.

That's a good question. You know.

One of the things I know.

You know this, Chris.

Anybody who's done ministry for a minute knows that. You know,

you can have a program like a Wednesday Night or

Sunday night or whatever it may be, and those are

all great, but it's not until you get away on

a retreat or a camp or a missions trip. Just

because you you know that one hour each week or

two hours each week, doesn't, you know, compare it to

that week long time together or a weekend. But I

remember when I first felt called in a ministry. It

was two thousand and eight and I was on a

missions trip in West Virginia. I was volunteering. They're part

of a church nearby, and I was volunteering as a leader.

And it was there that I felt called into ministry

like I really had. And this only happened like twice

in my life where I felt like God was like

do this, Like it was very clear, Yeah, and it

happened to be on this trip and it was totally

like one to eighty from what I was currently following

or planning for my life. And so when that happened,

it was just kind of a marking moment for me.

Everything kind of changed. I went into ministry, you got

my degree in Biblical studies, all that stuff, but I

had the privilege maybe like five or six years ago

to go back to that same location, that same spot,

that same mission trip with a group of students after

God had kind of like, you know, kind of fulfilled

this promise to me, he said, don't do this. You know,

I think it had been like eight years prior or

something like that, and they got the chance to go

back and just people to experience that with the students,

and you know, I could.

Share that with them.

And of course the students they don't care as much,

but for me as a pastor, I would say that

was one of the my favorite moments. You will go

back to the place where God kind of called me

into ministry and experience that with students and bring them there,

see them grow in their faith, serve all that stuff.

Yeah, that's a significant moment.

I remember speaking at a camp that I surrendered at

as well, and I went back years later as the

guest speak and it was.

It was pretty wild. Yes, and it's cool. It was

even my home church. Such a cool God thing. Yes,

And God does that.

God brings stuff around, you know, and he brings a

full circle and it's extremely cool.

In ways that you don't even realize in the moment.

You're like, wow, this be really cool. And I'm not

a super emotional, but like being there in that moment

and just knowing, like wow, all these memories that I've

experienced up to that point and when I'm about to

experience in life, like God was preparing me back then

to kind of say yes and step on face. So anyways,

really cool. But today we're actually reading. We're going to

segue to the Bible portion of today reading Romans chapter three,

and so if you have a physical Bible or you

want to open up your Bible app that's great. And

if not, if you're watching and watching us and like

seeing this live, you will see the verses on the screen.

But we're starting off in verse twenty one, Romans, Chapter three,

And this is from the NLT version, And this is

like Chris was saying, this is Jesus taking on our punishment.

It says this, but now God has shown us a

way to be made right with Him without keeping the

requirements of the law, as was promised in the ightings

of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made

right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.

And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter

who we are. This next verse, which is kind of

like a part of the Romans road that if you

ever heard that saying, But this next verse twenty three

says this, for everyone has sinned. We all fall short

of God's glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely

makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ, Jesus,

when he freed us from the penalty of our sins.

For God presented Jesus as a sacrifice for sin. People

are made right with God when they believe that Jesus

sacrificed his life shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that

God was being fair when he held back and did

not punish those who sinned in times past, for he

was looking ahead and including them in what he would

do in his present time. In this present time, God

did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is

fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his

sight when they believe in Jesus. And then it says,

can we boast then that we have done anything to

be accepted by God? No, because our quiddal is not

based on obeying the law. It is based on faith.

So we are made right with God through faith and

not by obeying the law. After all, is God the

God of the Jews only? Isn't he also the God

of the Gentiles?

Of course he is.

There's only one God, and he makes people right with

himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well,

then if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we

can forget about the law? Of course not. In fact,

only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

Yeah? Yeah, jump right into it. So it's important to

know the context first of all for our listeners.

If you're jumping in right at this moment, we're sort

of walking through the Book of Acts. Really, that's what

the series is, and the Book of Acts is right

after the Gospels, after Jesus had left the earth and Paul.

It basically you know, goes through Paul's life and so

chronologically were walking through the Book of Acts and.

Then everywhere throughout Paul's life.

What do you want on a missionary journey or decided

to write a letter that became a part of the Bible.

We sort of branch off and we are you know, writing.

So just to keep in mind in chronology, in the chronology,

Paul had just finished up his third missionary journey and

he has not yet.

Been to Rome.

So this letter serves as an introduction for himself as

well as laying out the theology of a church that

he has not yet been to or started. Now, you

know that Paul started so many churches, and oftentimes he.

Would visit, like for instance, Ephesus.

He would start a church and then he would leave

and then he would write back to that church and

it would be you know, people that he's familiar with.

But in this case, there's a church that started in Rome.

It's mostly Jews, but also you know, acquired some gentiles,

because he refers to those which are basically anybody who's

not Jewish, and he had finished up his work in

the East, and he was on his way to Spain,

and and and actually he's in Corinth right now, about

to go to Jerusalem. Actually, and he's writing to Rome

and he's basically hoping to go there on his way

to Spain. So so anyway, so he has somebody writing

for him. He has a you know, a dictator, you know,

somebody who's copying this down. I don't I don't remember

that guy's name, but I know it. It's bothering me.

So I'm gonna go ahead and say it.

It is.

Tedious, turtious, turious, and so anyway, so that's that's where

we have it.

So anyway, Also, the writing that he puts together, I mean,

it kind of sounds like something Paul would say, right,

So he must have been doing a pretty good job.

Because even.

Even this chapter here, just the way asks the question.

Answers that I think it's pretty cool.

So so really, yeah, these these ten verses talk about

Christ taking our punishment, and I here's what.

Here's the thing that stands out to me.

First of all, is obviously the most famous, one of

the most famous verses in all the Bible, for all

for everyone is sinned, and we all fall short of

God's glorious standard. And that means it translates into missing

the mark. If you think of a bulls eye and

you think of you know, throwing something and missing the mark.

Another version says, we all fall short of God's glory.

And I think that that's first of all, something that

we have to understand, because after all, up to this point,

people had, you know, been under the.

Mindset that the Jewish.

All they really have heard is the Jewish people have

a Jewish God, the God of Israel, and this God

is a god of laws. And all the way through

the Book of Romans, Paul refers to the laws, and

sometimes he's referring to you know, actually you can understand that.

Sometimes he's referring to the interaction with one another, right,

the laws of the land, those kind of things. But

most of the time in this case, he's referring to

the laws of the ten Commandments and the six hundred

and thirteen precepts, of all of which came in Exodus

chapter twenty. You know, two hundred and forty eight thous

shouts three hundred and sixty five thou shout notts for

six hundred and thirteen precepts.

And what he's saying is is like.

Even though you may have heard that, you know, it's

by obeying these laws of this God that is what

makes you righteousness righteous. He's saying, Jesus gave us his

righteousness because we fall short. The law helps us, you know,

reveals to us that we fall short. Yeah, what's what's

one thing that stands out?

I know for me?

Like the one thing that idea there is you know

we're talking, we're hearing from Paul and you mentioned this.

I mean, he was somebody who knew the law. He

was a teacher in the law, he knew these things.

And then also somebody who was very aware of his sin.

He was very aware of his mistakes. He was somebody

who was you know, persecuting those who are Christians and

that sort of thing. And so here he is writing

this very aware of the law, very aware of his

own humanity, his own mistakes, and he's saying to us like,

for all have sinned and fallen short. And to me, honestly,

that that statement right there, obviously that does like a

foundationtional part of the gospel message. And I mentioned earlier

like the Romans Road that's kind of like step one,

all have sinned and fallen short. And I think it's

just a reminder for us and anybody who's watching this

who calls himself a christ Father, We're all like, yeah,

I got that. But I also love the humility of

Paul remembering that as the first thing is that all

have sinned and fallen short. And then also, like to

one of the words he that's brought up is I'm

talking about somebody being acquitted. How Yeah, No, because our

acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is

based on faith. That word acquittal. I just love that

because it makes me, honestly think of you know, just

that that just a first thought is going back to

the story of Jesus when he's kind of on trial

and they end up freeing Brabbis and they put Brabbis

up and they choose Brabbus over Jesus or Bravis was.

Essentially that's the first thing you think of. I think,

I think of that. I just think of the fact

that now Brabbis is free.

Of I think of OJ Simpson.

Doesn't Yeah, if it does not, you must be so good, Okay, right,

Brabbits is the second thing now that I'm gonna think

of when I think this, But it just makes me

think that, you know, the story of Bravis, although it

was you know, two thousand years ago, that's literally our story.

We were freed, we were sinners, we didn't have what

it takes, we couldn't fulfill a lot perfectly, and yet

Jesus paid the price and made us right. We are

now seeing as righteous because of what he had to do.

So anyways, that's just what comes to mind when I

see that word a quittal. It stood out to me.

You know.

You know what actually is standing out even as I'm

looking at it right now is the very first two

words that you read in verse twenty one, because he

says butt now, which means but now means is a

brand new thought. But now it means this is a

brand new idea. So you know, try to transport yourself

back into the first century where like, you know, imagine

if this was brand new news right now. What's so

interesting is a lot of our listeners are listening because

they have been Christians.

For a while.

But we all need to understand and it's actually a

great reminder that that phrase button now is a great

reminder that, like when you walk in, for instance, through

the doors of Heritage Church, which is probably displayed on

your teacher undersweats.

You're representing it, right, It's the sweatshirt I wear like

every fourth podcast. I wanted to try to match Chris today,

we're gonna try I was gonna try to twin him.

Yeah, but it did happen, but I end up wearing

my champion.

So anyway, the uh when you walk in through the

doors of Heritage Church, Uh, we have this phrase. We

need to get a new sign for it. But the

sign says today is someone's first day, and we have

to understand that, like the church service isn't just made

for us. The church service is designed to reach those

who have who this is brand new news for them.

It's their very first day. They're far from God. They

know about the things of God, but they don't quite

understand the truth. And so but now means you know,

regardless of your church background or how you've been raised. Heck,

it's not too much to ask or even think that

there's somebody on this podcast today who's listening, maybe even

in another country, who's hearing this for the very first time.

And we take this for granted.

All the time, and we just assume this is old

news that's been around for two thousand years. But there

may be somebody listening right now who who's like, this

is brand new news that you cannot.

Get to heaven by yourself.

That the law of the Old Testament was not given

to obey to obtain righteousness. Paul's clearly saying, Jesus came

to give us righteousness because all of us have sinned,

and we missed God's standard, we missed the mark, We've

gone astray, we fall short, he's saying, But now you

have to understand that Jesus took on our sin, he

took on our punishment.

And and by the way, there was a phrase.

Here in my NLT we love the Life Application Bible,

and the Life Application Bible says, just because grace is there,

it doesn't make sin any.

Less serious, isn't it? Isn't that great.

Saying, yes, it doesn't make sin any less serious, you.

Know, piggyback off something you're saying.

There he said the butt now, and it's just this

new idea. And it's so interesting because after you go

to verse twenty three, right, so that's the popular for

everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God's Gloria Sander.

The next two words, what does it say, says yet God,

and then it follows up in his grace really makes

us right in his sight? And I just love that.

It's kind of like a piggyback, Like really it's a

it's play off the same idea like yet God in

his grace. So it's like, hey, we don't have what

it takes yet God, And it's kind of like what

you're saying, he gives us a second chance. And I

want to read something really that I noticed this morning

out of the Life Application Sudy Bible as well. I

want to read this and actually think this is kind

of interesting insight Chris. It says this as like a footnote.

It says, most religions prescribe specific duties that must be

performed to make a person acceptable to a God. And

that's lowercase ge. Christianity is unique in teaching that the

good deeds we do will not make us write with God.

No amount of human achievement or progress progress in person

development will close the gap between God's moral perfection and

our imperfect daily performance. Good deeds are important, but they

will not earn us eternal life. We are saved only

by trusting what God has done for us. And honestly,

for those of us who have been Christians for a minute,

we get that. But have you seen that with other

I mean, what other religions or what other types of

like hoops you have to jump through in other religions

in order to get to God. When it comes to this,

it's like, it's just interesting, Like I mean, how many

I've even heard of? I don't know if we're allowed

to talk about other religions on it. I'm sure we can, right,

but like I know, like doing some research on like scientology,

there's certain levels you have to get to, and even

those levels come with a cost and things like that,

and you know, you're slowly learning more and progressing, and

it's just so interesting the way you have to achieve that.

It's it's it's really interesting actually, because there are definitely

people out there, plenty of people who want to believe

that all all past lead to God. That you know,

and they asked the question, they say, don't all religions

lead to God? I mean, you know, as long as

as long as you are worshiping, there's a God there's

a creator, there's a being, there's.

A higher power.

And you know it's interesting is that salvation is laid.

Out all the way through the Bible and through the

Old Testament.

That's right, clearly, not as the fact that you know,

not in the fact that there is a creator. Yeah, right,

because because that doesn't solve our sin problem. The fact

that God is the creator. It's so interesting. So I've

once heard Andy Stanley talk about this. He said this,

why can't we just let people believe.

What they want to believe? Why can't we just let

people alone? Right?

Like why do we have to bother people by saying

do you know Jesus? You know, it's like, why do

we have to do that? And I remember hearing him

say this that it's because Christianity is not intuitive. Like

you can sit under a tree and you know, just

without any knowledge, you could probably come to the conclusion

that there is a creator, right, which is like sort

of all world religions or I should say most world religions, right,

But you can never buy yourself come.

To the conclusion that, hey, I bet you.

That God sin has only some Jesus Christ down to

the earth who basically took you know, live this endless

life and died in the cross for our sins and

then rose from the grave, proving as power over sin

and death. And then you know, all we have to

do is believe in him. And you know you can

never do that. And here's the reason why. And it's

simply simply this. Because Christianity is an event and it

is grounded in history.

That's good.

And the only way that history can be known is

for history to be shared and.

So and so that's good. Bro. Yeah, well it's not mine.

Quoted by it's not mine Michael Scott with Michael Jordan.

You missed one hundred percent of the shots you don't

take Michael Scott, Michael Jordan, slive Michael Scott. So yeah,

and that's good.

And it stuck with me because and actually I heard

him say that live when I attended his church in

two thousand and three.

Yeah, which was amazing.

Anyway, the point is is that if you think about that,

it's like, man, that's just an incredible thing.

Uh So, Anyway, I almost wonder though, to your thought,

to your point there, I almost wonder if some people

some of the reason why some people have rejected their

faith is because it's almost too simple in that sense,

and although it's not, it's a very complex thing, the

fact that creator would come down humble himself, and you said,

do all those things, but it's almost too simple. It

almost seems like for some people they needed to do something.

They have to earn it, have to there has to

be behaviord.

You're seeing the requirement for heaven. It's too simple.

Yeah, yeah, especially since think about it, almost every single

world religion that's famous out there put so much emphasis

on good works, good deeds. So only in Christianity does

Jesus come down and actually pay the price, pay the ticket.

So you know the reason why Christianity is not narrow minded.

People would say, well, wait a minute, it is so

narrow minded to think that you have to go through

Jesus Christ. You know you need to be more open

minded than that. But if you think about it this way,

only in Christianity does everyone meet the requirements. Everyone gets

in the exact same way, and everybody's invited.

Yeah. Yeah, and that is only true in Christianity.

And so if you think about it, it's like where

else can every single person who hears about it meet.

The requirements that's really cool.

You know, everybody's invited, everybody gets in the same way.

So it was even Abduh Murray, who I know. We've

interviewed your friends with them, and I know him as well.

He has a saying or a quote. Now I'll probably

butcher it, but he basically talks about how like, Christianity's

the only religion where you have the greatest being, being

God showing the greatest virtue, which is love. And by

showing the greatest virtue, he did it in the most

powerful way possibly, and the greatest way you can show

your love is by dying for somebody else. He's like,

so you have the greatest being, the greatest virtue, and

the greatest way of actually showing your love to somebody else.

And I thought, that's pretty cool.

You have those that three and one, and that's really

Jesus kind of dying on the cross for us.

You know.

That reminds me is In nineteen ninety six, the year

that the Olympics came to Atlanta, I was living in

Atlanta at the time, and Billy Graham had come to

the Georgia Dome and he actually DC talk opened for

him and it was a Billy Graham crusade, and there

were sixty thousand people in this Georgia Dome, and he

gave the gospel, and his whole message was one verse

John three sixteen, and Billy Graham says, and he basically

he says, he goes full. Oh God, the greatest being,

he said, so loved the greatest motive, you know, the world,

the greatest audience, you know, you.

Know, so he gave the greatest gift, you know whatever.

And anyway, he just went down.

He just took it phrase by phrase and talked about

how it was the greatest and uh. Anyway, and I'm

just sitting there thinking to myself, Okay, I've been in

ministry for like, you know, fifteen years at this point,

or ten years, whatever it was, and I remember thinking like, is.

This really going to do it? Yeah, like sixty thousand people,

you get one verse and.

Dude, he said, he says, come on up, come on up,

and turn your life over to Jesus Christ.

And I'm telling you it was I bet you had

a sixty thousand There must have been twenty thousand people. Wow,

twenty thousand people just flooded exit. There's this exodus down

to the field that was empty, which was now full,

and everybody just tried and I just sat there just weeping,

thinking like this is the most amazing.

That's why Billy Graham's the goat, right, yeah he's he's

dead now, the goat though all he's.

Dead r okay, okay, yeah he was. Yeah, he is

the goat.

He is the goat.

It's okay, all right, you're right, you can still, you

can still, all right, So it sounds like this is

a really good place to end. And tomorrow we got

dad jokes, dad joke.

That's all right, So bring your a game tomorrow, all right, Okay,

sounds great.

Well, we will see you next time. I'm the Bible, guys,