God's Plan of Salvation - Bible Survey Part 4

Today were studying the word of God together and ran a series called a Bible survey, and what we do in a Bible survey as we go through the books of the Bible and we talk about well what's in them and when they were written and how they're all inter-connected in last week in part three of our series, we did the Gospels, the four Gospels and the book of acts, and I poured like a pond of information out on you guys, and we been saying for the last three weeks.

Don't take notes, don't try to keep up with that. Just pay attention and will have enhanced CDs for you out in the lobby every week that's got everything all the notes all the maps everything in a word doc, right on the CD as well as the audio so we have those out there for you. For the first three weeks of going out there and get him right after the service and this week. My goal or by the way, you get all three on the Internet are on the website. If you want to do it that way but my goal this week was forced to pick up and finish the series and so this week I had planned for us to do all of the letters of the New Testament in the book of Revelation and Cynthia exactly and so you know, I know exactly how many pages of notes.

I can have and stay inside my time limit its 11 if you really want to know but I was already at page 6 element when I was working on the message this week and I hadn't even gotten in the book of Romans.

Yet and I was like oh this is not going to work and so I said Lord. This is not going to work. What was I thinking. I must've been out of my mind to think we could do all this in one week and I really sensed the Holy Spirit saying to me well who said you had to do this in four weeks. I did tell you that what why why it is so is it. Is it okay with you guys if we stretch this out a little bit as I okay because I want to do justice to all the letters of the New Testament and in 15 minutes we can then assert we can do that okay since it will how long is this series going to go home know what differs is a maker study in the Bible you know the Lord may come back.

Who knows what anyway know where window will get there with. But let's not.

Why are we rushing through the letters of the New Testament when they are so important to our faith. A man okay so with that okay from you what were going to do today is were actually going to talk a little bit today about the epistles in the New Testament little general introduction and they were going to cover the book of Romans today that's as far as working to get all right that you're ready all right now.

The epistles of the New Testament. I read a Charlie Brown cartoon a few years ago where Lucy was trying to convince Charlie Brown that an epistle was the wife of an apostle, and now that's not what an epistle is okay and epistle simply means a letter and and and I think most of you know that once we get past the four Gospels and the book of acts pretty much the rest of the New Testament are the epistles are made up of these New Testament letters that were talking about. And when we look at these New Testament letters 21 of the 27 books in the New Testament. Are these the epistles, 14 were written by the apostle Paul seven by other apostles and so I think therefore it's fair to say that particularly the letters of the apostle Paul form the spine of the New Testament. Now we've given your chart in your bulletin today to help you with what were going to be looking out over the next few weeks and that if you look on one side we've broken the letters of the New Testament up into a chart with dates and into some other categories to help you and on the back side we've given you a chronology of Paul's life so that you can see how his letters fit into the events of his life.

This is a really helpful tool whenever you open a letter in the New Testament like second Timothy to go okay where was that written word is that fall. Where was Paul in his life so hope you'll keep this and use it as part of your Bible study material and every week that were on this. It will be back in our bulletin again so anyway let's talk about the letters of the apostle Paul. Since were on that subject. As you can see from your chart. There are nine of Paul's letters, which were written to the churches, most of which he started on one of his missionary journey and there are five letters that are written to individuals and you will also see from your chart that the letters of Paul are not in chronological order in the New Testament.

Rather, they are grouped differently. There are two sections of the New Testament letters of Paul section number one, which is Romans through second Thessalonians were the letters Paul wrote to the churches and that's followed by section 2 which is first Timothy to Hebrews, which are the letters that Paul wrote to the individuals and there are many ways to study the letters of Paul. We could study them chronologically. We could study them thematically meaning what are they about what other common themes. But you know what I think the simplest thing for us to do is why we just study them in the order that there in the New Testament. I mean that's the easiest thing to do. Is that okay with you where to go right through him. Which means today will start with the book of Romans, which is the first letter that he wrote so when we talk about Paul's letters to the churches which are the first ones that first section, there are couple of things that are really important for us to know in general that I want to give you before we dig into the book of Romans, all of Paul's letters to the churches follow the same basic pattern that is in the beginning of the letter, Paul deals with theological issues. Either it's a theological issue or issues that the church is struggling with, or it's just a theological issue that the apostle Paul wants to expound on for our own personal growth and edification and then in the second part of each of these church letters.

The apostle Paul deals with a variety of practical everyday Christian life, truth, and all of the letters follow this very same pattern. So when you go to a letter of Paul, you should expect to see if it's to the churches theology. First, and then practical Christian advice second younger you guys got it okay now let's turn our attention now to the letter that he wrote to the church in Rome so this was written 56 A.D. and it was written while he was on his third missionary journey and I'm sure almost all of us know where Rome is.

But just so we're sure let's show your map so you know exactly where Rome is and when Paul wrote this letter.

He had never actually been to Rome. Someone else started the church there.

We don't know who but it was a thriving church listen to what Paul says, Romans chapter 1 and I begin in verse eight he says I thank my God for all of you because your faith is being talked about all over the world and long to see you that you and I may be encouraged by each other's faith. Obviously these guys are doing well spiritually of their faith was going to encourage the apostle Paul's thing, he goes on to say.

In fact, I want you to know that I planned many times to come to you to come visit but I've been unable to do so. Up to this point. Now we skip to the end of the book of Romans where he says now I'm on my way to Jerusalem the end of this third missionary journey before because the churches in Greece were pleased to take an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. And so, in acts chapter 21. The apostle Paul shows up in Jerusalem with this offering, thereby ending his third missionary journey. He goes on to say, and after I have completed this task of delivering the offering to Jerusalem. I plan to go to Spain and to visit you. That is in Rome on the way you've read the book of acts, you know that the apostle Paul. Eventually God to row, but he did not get there. The way he had planned to get there. He got there in chains and got thrown in jail and it was six years after he wrote these words at the end of the book of Romans, saying I'm coming. I'm on my way. I'll be there real soon.

It was six years later before he actually got there so let's take a look now shall we, at the contents of the book of Romans itself and remember what we've already learned. We should expect to find two hamster. This book, we should expect to find a first tab that deals with theological items and we do chapters 1 to 11 and we should expect to find a second half that deals with practical Christian living and we do. Romans 12 to 16 so let's launch into the first half of Paul's letter and in the first half of the book of Romans, the apostle Paul gives us the most comprehensive explanation of God's plan of salvation in Jesus Christ anywhere in the Bible so if you're looking to go somewhere and find a complete and thorough treatment of God's plan of salvation what book do go to the book of Romans. That's right. And in that first 11 chapters, Paul answers for very important questions about God's plan of salvation number one why it's necessary. Why do we even need a plan of salvation. Number two how it works. Number three. What are the results if I appropriated for my life.

One of the results for me and finally number four is anyone exempt from needing so were going to answer these four questions and every verse is coming right out of the book of Romans.

We don't need any other verses because that's what the whole book of Romans is about Brenda see okay here we go ready number one why is God's plan of salvation necessary will Paul says, Romans 512 therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world and death through sin, who's the one man Adam right in the garden.

So Paul says death passed on to all men and women because in Adam all men and women sin.

What Paul is telling us here is that by his disobedience to God in the garden.

Adam polluted the the entire human race so that every descendent of his is born with a sin nature and we prove it by the time we are to right yes okay now. Romans 518, continues through this one trespass that Adam committed condemnation resulted for all men. Paul is telling us here that both because of our sinful nature and because of our sinful actions. We are all under the judgment of a holy God.

The condemnation of a holy God. And this is why we need a plan of salvation simple yes now number two, the apostle Paul goes on to tell us how this plan of salvation that God created for us works and you know if you go up to almost anybody on street and you say okay so tell me your opinion, how do people get in the habit. How do people get eternal life. How do people get right in the sight of God.

What you will hear is human activity. Human effort in human works well you gotta go to church where all you gotta give us well, you gotta get confirm. Well, you gotta get bar mitzvahed.

Well, you gotta be a nice person. Well, you gotta try to keep the commandments. Well, you gotta recycle whatever it might be. It's all human works and you know the same things true with all the religions of the world. Go to any religion of the world and asked them how you get into whatever it is they call heaven and its human works. Whether it's praying the Mecca five times a day.

Whether it's going to synagogue and being bar mitzvahed. Whether it's like going out in the woods and sitting crosslegged and going home mom all day long.

Whatever it is doesn't matter its human effort, human activity, religious works, you with me. The Bible says that's not right. The Bible says that's not how we do it. That's not how God's plan of salvation work at all. Listen to what Paul says, Romans 321 but now a way to be right in God's sight say the next four words apart from human works. Say it again apart from human works.

You see that now a way to be right with God.

Apart from human works has been made available to us through faith in Jesus Christ. In God's mercy. It's free. This way to get right with God. It's free through the redemption that's found in Jesus Christ, whom God made an atoning sacrifice for us. Where did Jesus become an atoning sacrifice for you and me on the cross. That's exactly right. And how do we access this free merciful atoning wonderful redemption will look what Paul says in Romans three verse 25 he says we do that, we access it. We appropriated by faith in by relying on, by trusting in his Jesus is blood shed on the cross to pay for our sins instead of trusting in our own human effort our own human works are own human activity. Our own religious deeds. Everybody got it. Yeah okay listen verse 24 by human works shall next two words. No one see that show. No one become right in God's sight. And this is what Titus chapter 3 says it says not by works of righteousness which we have done. I don't care what they are, but by his mercy and where was that mercy of God expressed where was it on the cross by his mercy, God saved us and so this is what the Bible is telling us that human effort is nice. There's nothing wrong would be in good. There's nothing wrong with trying to keep the 10 Commandments. There's nothing wrong with recycling.

There's nothing wrong with sitting in the woods and going on mom but none of that's gotten anybody any closer to heaven because God doesn't accept human works is the way to get to heaven, he only accepts the atoning sacrifice of Christ on our behalf and we appropriate that work of Christ on the cross by taking our trust also every human activity we've ever trusted to get into heaven and placing our whole trust are all reliance on Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross. Plus nothing, not plus the rosary, not plus being bar mitzvahed not plus anything you with me okay that's so critical that we understand that now. Let's say we do that. Third, Paul answers the question, what are the results of accepting God's plan of salvation Romans chapter 5 verse one.

Therefore, Paul says, having been justified to Kai always. The Greek word, having been declared right in God's sight. Having been declared acquitted, having been pronounced righteous in God's sight.

This is what this word means that the court room word. It's like the judge hangs the gavel and says acquitted, not guilty charges dismissed. Having been declared righteous in God's sight by faith. Look what we have. Not only do we have that which is great but we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom Christ we have been given say the next three words access to God and by little Christ we stand in this. What new gracious position with God is the auto know lots along verse and to me it sounds like a little about what what what is Allah talking about will. It's not that complex. Look at it let me explain it to you, Paul simply says that when we give our life to Christ, we get three great things. In addition to getting the go to heaven. Number one we get peace with God. Now, don't misunderstand this is different than the piece of God, to the peace of God. Philippians chapter 4 is when we take all of our burdens in all of our problems and we give them all to the Lord Jesus, and in place of that he takes our burdens and he gives us experientially.

The peace of God in our heart that says I got it I got it you have to worry about it I'm here. I got this under control.

This is not what were talking about here. This is not the peace of God.

This is peace with God, meaning God buries the hatchet meaning we in God sign a peace treaty, meaning we in God smoke the peace pipe understand what I'm saying there's no more condemnation between us and God. There's no more going to hell. The war is over were not enemies anymore.

Your body understand that we get peace with God. Number two we get the ball. Paul says we get access to God. There's no more separation between us and God. No more alienation between us and God.

We have direct access to God. We don't have to go to a priest. We don't have to go to a pastor. Anybody it's us directly accessing God and this is what Romans 510 says we have now been reconciled to God through the death of his son. Remember how when you first came to Christ and all of a sudden God just seemed to come alive in your life to me was like somebody bought a light switch and God was everywhere in and it's like you could talk to him and he was alive. What happened when you got access to God you didn't have before because you came to Christ, and finally number three what we get. We get a new gracious position with God. We are now his adopted children in the Lord Jesus Christ and folks don't kid yourself that there is no sense in which the whole world has disposition.

Look what the Bible says it says when we come to Christ, we have received the spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out to God, father, meaning we are now in a close personal relationship with God that we didn't have before and he now is happy to be called our personal father. He's adopted us through Christ into his family.

Romans 816 for the spirit of God himself bears witness with our spirit that we have become what the children of God, don't you kid yourself and think that the whole world to everybody in the world is a child of God.

I know they tell you that on television.

It just ain't so. To the contrary, every human being in the world is one of God's creatures. Yes, but you and I only become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That's the only way he adopts people into his family and this is why John chapter 1 verse 12 says, but to as many people as received him, that is the Lord Jesus to them and I might add to them alone.

God gave the right to become the children of God.

So you have a new position with God, yours child now how cool is that an because he's your father.

You can call him Abba, which in Hebrew just means daddy and because where his trial, it means that he cares about the details of our life in a way that even care about everybody else's details. I mean, God bless you. I'm sure your children are sweet, but I don't care about the things in their life is much as I do the things of my own children's life.

Do you if you say yes you are not telling the truth. I was just that simple. We all care about our own children. The most right to just be blunt and honest yes we do, we try to be nice to other people's children. The challenge sometimes we try to be nice to their children.

But it's our children that we will go to the mat right will God the same way friends and when you join his family. You become one of those people.

God goes to the map you understand. Yeah, praise the Lord for that, amen. So that's what we get along with a lot of other thing but Paul goes on answer one more question, and that is is anyone exempt from needing God's plan of salvation.

A lot of people will tell you they are Jewish people will tell you they got a separate arrangement with God that hell is a Gentile problem. You know that's what my rabbi told me when I was growing up.

Hell is a Gentile problem. We were all going to heaven. I said really that's great city with you come to synagogue or not. He said yes. So that's pretty much last time I showed up to me why go you don't need to go yeah yeah so but he's right he's wrong that's not right.

And other people will tell you all going to have it advise going Hamlet is that we don't need Jesus Christ.

We got our own weighted what does the Bible say look what Paul said. Romans 39. We have already made the case. He says that Jews and Gentiles alike are what's the next word all under sin. Romans 323 for there is no difference for who all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and one more I could give you others.

Romans 1132 for God has concluded all men under disobedience so that he may be able to offer mercy to all the unstable Paul saying here Paul saying if there was a way you could get to heaven that you didn't need God's plan of salvation that means you don't need God's mercy and that means there would be people in heaven who got there is some other way besides God's mercy and God says oh no, every single person in heaven there going to be able to say they got here one way and one way only, and that's my mercy and that's why I conclude them all under sin, because they really are.

But I do that so I can offer mercy to all and the people get to heaven of the people who take not by works of righteousness which we have gone Titus 35 but by his mercy he saved us to understand if you're in heaven you can be there for one reason and one reason only, God offered you mercy because you and I needed it and you were smart enough to take. That's why you there.

So Paul's answer to everything we need to know the bottom line about does anybody not need this plan of salvation is it doesn't matter whether you're Jew or Gentile. Whether you're Buddhist or Muslim weather Europe mature Baker candlestick maker to make up the difference.

God says we all need God's plan of salvation to avoid his eternal condemnation and to escape hell and there's just..! On this. That's just the way it is so folks, this is the fastest summary of the theological portion of the book of Romans you will ever find in your whole life. Don't follow me the right. You stayed with me. I we did good, you got it okay now in the second half of the book of Romans that we find a cornucopia of Christian life through that the apostle Paul talks to us about everything from absolute surrender to Christ. Romans 12 wanting to to humility.

Romans 12 three to not returning evil for evil to end of the book of Romans chapter 12 to personal holiness. Romans chapter 13 to accepting all the people the way they are Romans chapter 14 and on and on and I urge you to get into the second hands of all of these were letters of Paul because if you go to the second half of every one of Paul's letters there will not be one area of Christian living that you and I have not been properly instructed in the ends of his letters okay now that's as far as were to go in the letter to the Romans, but we have a really important question to ask, don't we. Yes we do and and so I know you guys are loud because sometimes I can actually hear you over Tyson's from Prince William but the word and approve it today right okay so all you guys a Tysons and all you guys at Bethesda and all you guys at Loudoun and all you guys in the edge and all you guys around the world on the Internet.

I want you to see if you can do it as loud as Prince William is about ready to do it here we go one on to say that was we waited go all right now you say lawn. So what will friends look I don't know how you can miss the so what of the book of Romans, it seems pretty clear to me the so what of the book of Romans is that every single person here. Every single person listening to my voice. Every single person on the face of the globe needs the plan of salvation in Christ that God mercifully created for us. I mean the net seem like a pretty clear so what do you and in light of that, let's just to make sure we got it refused very quickly. The four cogent points.

Paul made in chapters 1 to 11 about the plan of salvation. Here we go. Point number one is that we are all sinners in the site of a holy God for all of us of sin. Romans 323 and fallen short of the glory of God. Point number two that he made is that this puts us on a collision course with God's eternal condemnation for the wages of sin is death, eternal death death in hell for all of eternity. Don't let anybody tell you that's not where people outside of Christ are going. That is exactly where they are going.

The Bible says number three coaching point number three is that God has created a free way out for us through what Jesus did for us on the cross for the wages of sin is death, but what a great word, that word is worth your soul.

That word lots lots. The free gift of God, look at this is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Man, I thank God for that. But don't you water. I mean it. The other stop here because you know this will be a different meaning. But that's up that's an important but right with one T okay now .4 is this that we access this freeway out by faith in by relying on, by trusting in Jesus is Lord shut on the cross to be our atoning sacrifice for sin.

Plus nothing.

So how do you activate this will friends same way I did 44 years ago we transfer our trust off of everything that we've been relying on up to this point to get us in the heaven and on to the work of Christ on the cross alone, and you know I met somebody after the first service and this lady said to me she said while I'm trying to get there. She said I'm just having trouble with trust in a civil manner i.e. I don't I don't mean to be offensive, but you know you're already trusting something to get you and have just what you mean. I simplify ask you how you planning to get into heaven. Wouldn't you tell me something right.

You tell me your keeping the 10 Commandments are you trying to be a nice person or or you know you're working hard to come to trip your show you your trust in something already right to.

So I guess I am a civil then all I'm telling you is that salvation is about getting that trust and put in at the right place. That's all it's about. Instead of having it at the wrong place, which is where most people have it get it to the right place, meaning that it's on Christ and not on what we do. Everybody with me. If you're sitting here today and you believe there's a heaven your trust consultant to get you there.

Sorry.

You may never thought about it, but you are all I'm telling you is if it's not Jesus's work on the cross in his blood covering whatever your trust and is wrong.

It will work and it's going to land you in hell you say lawn be straight with all right it won't work and it will land you in hell. That's what I'm here to tell you thoughts transferred to trust in Christ you will land you there. It will land your into being God's child with access to God and peace with God and declared not guilty before God and the day you leave this earth. The next breath you take will be on the shores of heaven. Christ, praise God. And it's all about. Just put your trust at the right place. Okay, so my question to you as we close is have you done and if you haven't. Are you willing to give you the chance right now that's power hits with our heads bowed and her eyes closed, is all going to do is I'm going to lead us in a very short prayer you're going to pray silently I'm gonna pray out loud. One phrase at a time and we're just going to simply transfer your trust off of whatever it is now and onto the blood of Christ in the atoning sacrifice he made for you and me on the cross so here we go.

You pray silently pray out loud, Lord Jesus, I come to you today to access the plan of salvation that you made for me in Christ and today I renounce every other remedy that I've ever trusted to get me into heaven and earn me eternal life, and I transferred that trust onto Jesus Christ and his shed blood, and his atoning work on the cross for me. Plus nothing come into my heart today. Forgive me for my sins pronounce me justified in your site make me a child of God and give me a new life in Christ while I'm awaiting heaven honor the transfer of trust I did today Lord, in Jesus name I pray, amen