Bulletin for 10-15-23

/in /by

Birthdays and Anniversaries

None this week

Prayer requests:

Tommy Reames has not been well this week.

Lowell and Paula Taylor have been sick.

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Got stem cell treatments. Pray for their success.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, some better

Teresa Weeks, Steve’s sister, having age related issues. She has Down’s Syndrome. PT for knee.

Angela Martin, friend of Weeks’, issues may be related to hearing implant.

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues

Darla Nitti, kidney disease

Judy Dingus, friend of the Camachos, cancer.

Leta, has a recurring cancer, prayer request from her granddaughter via our website.

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

Romans 1-3: Not ashamed

Pride turning to shame is not rare. Consider the young person who is proud of his or her school project until seeing the outstanding accomplishments of others. Or reflect upon how the boldness of worshipping together on Sunday morning might disintegrate later in the week into shame when surrounded by hostile scoffers.

Why did Paul write that he was not ashamed of the gospel? Did he want the church at Rome to envision him taking his stand in Rome before Gentiles who viewed Christ crucified as foolishness? Did he want them to realize his missionary zeal before pressing onward to Spain? What we do know is that because of the gospel being God’s power to save and because of what the gospel reveals, Paul felt no shame in declaring it.

From Romans 1:16-17 we should notice both the gospel’s result as well as its range and method. Each of these provided reasons to be proud of the gospel.

As for the gospel’s result, through it God extends his power to save those who respond with faith.  Regarding its range, the gospel is for all, not just a certain people group, thereby revealing God’s righteousness.

Furthermore, God offered it first for the Jew and then for the Greek consequently honoring the Jewish heritage and further displaying God’s righteousness. And when it comes to the gospel’s method of working, it is “out of faith unto faith” (Romans 1:17). Later Paul will elaborate more on this idea.

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel because it both constituted God’s power to save and it reveals how God is righteous. In Romans 1-3 Paul proceed to provide us with a string of pearls developing these thoughts. He highlighted various ways in which the gospel underscores God’s righteousness.

  • Through the gospel God offers salvation to all people.
  • Through the gospel God honored his historic relationship with the Jews.
  • The gospel declares that God will righteously judge one day (Romans 2:16). Not only is God righteous in pouring out wrath upon sin, but also the principles God will use to judge are extremely fair (Romans 2:6f). Therefore no favoritism exists (Romans 2:11).
  • God has remained faithful in spite of human unfaithfulness, thus preserving his righteousness and ability to judge righteously (Romans 3:3f).
  • Although previously the Law and the prophets had pointed to God’s righteousness, now the gospel also manifests it by working “through the faith(faithfulness) of Jesus Christ unto all who respond with faith” (Romans 3:21-22). No favoritism. And since it is available on the basis of faith in Jesus’ blood at the mercy seat and not based upon works, it is within reach of all people!
  • Although sin and thus condemnation have overtaken all of humanity, the gospel displays God’s righteousness by offering redemption through Christ to all people by grace.
  • God’s manner of handling humanity’s sin problem does not involve him glibly pronouncing the guilty innocent, rather God declares righteous “the one who is out of Jesus’ faith(faithfulness)” (Romans 3:26).

As Paul pushed further into his message to the Romans, no wonder he broke out praising God.

Rom. 11:33  Oh, the depth of the riches  of the wisdom and  knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36

Paul had no reason to either be ashamed of the gospel nor of his God. The gospel reveals the righteousness of God.

____________________________

For some of the academic undergirding supporting these thoughts consider Romans 1-3: A Non-Lutheran Reading.

Barry Newton, link to original article

Bulletin for 10-8-23

/in /by

Birthdays and Anniversaries

None this week

Prayer requests:

Jimmy Reames, Tommy’s brother, had a fall this week. Pretty banged up.

Paul Tyler has a bad sort Parkinson’s. Got stem cell treatments. Pray for their success.

Shirley Weeks, Steve’s mom, some better

Teresa Weeks, Steve’s sister, having age related issues. She has Down’s Syndrome. PT for knee.

Angela Martin, friend of Weeks’, issues may be related to hearing implant.

Robert and Sue Waller, health issues

Darla Nitti, kidney disease

Judy Dingus, friend of the Camachos, cancer.

Leta, has a recurring cancer, prayer request from her granddaughter via our website.

Tammy Jones, Weeks’ neighbor, kidney failure/dialysis

The only one worthy

“Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’ But no-one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no-one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.” (Revelation 5:1-4 NIV)

John saw that the One on the throne had a scroll in his right hand. The right hand was the position of authority, which indicates that this had God’s authority. This scroll was written on both sides – as it seems to have been rolled, John would be able to see writing. The significance seems to be that it was so full of important information that it had to be written on both sides and was now full and complete. This scroll was sealed with seven seals.

Being sealed, it was not open to be read but it was obviously important. But there was no one who could open it! How frustrating that must have been for John! And John began to weep and weep. He could see the importance of this scroll being opened so that he could learn what God had in store for his people. But there was no one who could open it.

“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’” (Revelation 5:5)

It seems that John was the only one in heaven who did not know that a worthy one was about to step forward! Who could open this scroll? It was the “Lion of the tribe of Judah”! Why could he open it? Because he had triumphed! And who was this Lion? It was Jesus himself! He could open it because he had conquered death so he had the right to open the scroll and its seals.

“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.” (Revelation 5:6-7)

If John had looked for a lion he must have been disappointed. What he saw was a lamb. And not only a lamb, but one like none he had ever seen. It looked like it had been killed yet it was alive, and it had seven horns and seven eyes. What a sight! Why did it look like it had been killed? Because it had been killed!

John was seeing Jesus in the form of a lamb that had been given as a sacrifice. He was worthy to take the scroll and break its seals because he had died and with his blood had purchased all people for God to be a kingdom and priests (Revelation 5:8-10).

What does this tell us about Jesus? Because of his death we have been purchased for God to be a ‘priestly kingdom’. The idea of a priest is that we have direct access to worship and approach God. Jesus gave us this through his death. In being forgiven we have become the people that God wanted to have with all the blessings that Jesus can give us (read Ephesians 1). We should join with the audience in heaven praising Jesus for what he has done for us!

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power, for ever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13)

Image by jeffjacobs1990 from pixabay.com.

Jon Galloway, link to original article