Romans 8vv18-27 handout

I have revised this a little for tomorrow. Here it is just in case it is of any interest or use to anyone:

Romans 8vv18-27 – Groaning for Glory

God’s plans for creation and the New Creation (cf. Psalm 8)

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the [future] glory that will be revealed in us” (v18)

In the meantime, while we wait for the New Creation:

(1) Creation groans (vv19-22, esp. v22)

(2) We Christians groan (vv23-25, esp. v23)

(3) The Holy Spirit groans on our behalf (vv26-27, esp. v26)

So what? A guide to godly groaning this side of glory:

è Don’t worry: groaning and suffering are normal and to be expected.

è Don’t settle or despair: groan in this confident and great hope! We wait eagerly (v23) and patiently (v25). The best is yet to come (v18).

è You don’t groan alone: the whole of creation groans and our fellow-Christians groan, but especially look to the Spirit’s expert help!

The Groans of Romans 8

You may wish to look away now if you are planning to come to the Marquee service on Rushlake Green at 11am on Sunday 31st July. Of course there's a long time to go and the sermon may well gestate further, but it might go something like this:

Romans 8vv18-27 – Groaning for Glory

(1) Creation groans (v22)

(2) We Christians groan (v23)

(3) The Holy Spirit groans on our behalf (v26)

è Don’t worry: groaning is normal!

è Don’t settle or despair: groan in this confident and great hope!

è You don’t groan alone: look to the Spirit’s help!

How do you imagine heaven?

From a sermon entitled The Spirit Helps Us in Our Weakness preached on 16 Nov 2008, available on the St Ebbe's, Oxford Church website, preached by Vaughan Roberts:

Someone has quipped that heaven is a place where the French are the cooks, the English the policemen, the Germans the engineers, the Italians the lovers and the Swiss have organised it all.

Hell, on the other hand, is a place where the English the cooks, the French the engineers, the Germans the police, the Swiss are the lovers and the Italians organise it all.

George Bernard Shaw once said: “Heaven, as conventionally conceived, is a place so inane, so dull, so useless, so miserable that nobody has ever ventured to describe a whole day in heaven, though plenty of people have described a day at the seaside.”

Christian Suffering

I am preparing to preach on Romans 8:18-27 at our annual all-age marquee service.

In a sermon entitled The Spirit Helps Us in Our Weakness preached on 16 Nov 2008, available on the St Ebbe's, Oxford Church website, Vaughan Roberts concludes with 4 truths about Christian suffering:

(1) Suffering can’t be avoided (v17-18) – we don’t seek it but we expect it

(2) It’s under control (v20) – suffering is part of God’s plan and he is sovereign over it. (God has a purpose in it).

(3) It won’t go on for ever (v18) – look to the future with confident hope

(4) We don’t have to face it alone (v26) – the Spirit helps us in our weakness

Turmoil?

From The Rectory

As I write, I think it would be fair to say that our national life has been in a degree of turmoil over the last few weeks. The News is undoubtedly the most exciting and unpredictable programme on our TV screens at the moment.

The EU Referendum result surprised many, and some who voted for Brexit are allegedly experiencing buyer’s remorse. There have been calls for another vote from those who don’t like the outcome. Even those who campaigned to leave the EU would admit that, at least in the short term, negotiating our separation from Brussels makes for a more uncertain world. The value of the Pound and of the FTSE have reflected doubts about the future.

Very quickly after the result, and contrary to his previous assurances, David Cameron announced that he would be stepping down as Prime Minister. George Osborne and Boris Johnson, who once seemed the favourites to succeed to No. 10, didn’t even make it to the ballot paper. Only today the surprise candidate, Andrea Leadsom, has withdrawn from the contest.

The parliamentary Labour Party too is in disarray. 172 Labour MPs voted that they have no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn and Angela Eagle has today announced that she will be standing against him.

Nigel Farage, the leader of UKIP, and Roy Hodgson, England football manager, have also resigned. Even Chris Evans has quit Top Gear. Few would have foreseen the success of Iceland or of Wales in the Euros and Wimbledon was not without its surprises as number 1 seeded Novak Djokovic was knocked out by Sam Querrey, who was ranked 41st.  

And who knows what else will have changed by the time you read this? One thing we know for certain about the future is that it is uncertain.

Amidst all this flux, it is worth us taking a few moments to remind ourselves of some constants. There is solid ground on which we can build our lives.

The Bible describes God as eternal. He is the creator and Lord of time and is unchanging. He is faithful to all his promises and entirely reliable in his goodness and love. His covenant commitment to his people is unshakable. God will never let us down.

The Scriptures tell us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He has promised to be with his people always even to the end of the age. He has said that he will not leave us as orphans. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we can know his protection and guidance whatever we face. Although the future is uncertain, we do not face it alone. Nothing can snatch Jesus’ people from his hand.

Christian faith, then, is like an anchor for the soul in an uncertain world. Because of Jesus’ death for us, we can be sure of God’s love for us and of the forgiveness of sins. The resurrection is the guarantee of our acceptance with God and of eternal life to come.

Although we do not understand all his purposes, Jesus knows and governs all things. Whatever happens we can be sure that Jesus is on the throne of the universe, and that he, at least, is not about to resign.

Christ and his people

I’m planning to be a little more systematic about the opening devotions at PCC meetings for the next eight meetings.

As our opening thought from the Bible, I’m going to draw each time on one of the chapters from a little book by Mark Ashton entitled Christ and His People: Eight Convictions about the Local Church (Christian Focus Publications, 2016). 68pp ISBN 978 1 78191 829 6

https://www.10ofthose.com/products/19039/christ-and-his-people/

I hope you’ll read along with me.

Mark Ashton was the Vicar of The Round Church / St Andrew The Great (STAG) in Cambridge until 2010. This book was written in the final months of his life, before he died of cancer. It originally appeared as a chapter in Persistently Preaching Christ: Fifty Years of Bible Ministry in a Cambridge Church (Christian Focus).

The book is highly personal. Mark tells many stories about his predecessor, Mark Rushton.

A large student church in Cambridge is of course not entirely typical and the context is quite different from ours.

You may not agree with everything Mark says, or you might not have put it quite like that, but I hope you’ll find the book stimulating and thought provoking.

Mark says: “These eight convictions are not intended to be an exhaustive account of how a church should run, but they are distinctive characteristics of the ministry of this particular church, and I dare to think they are sufficiently normative (as well as normal) that they may be a help to others.”

The convictions are:

 1. Bible: The word of God does the work of God through the Spirit of God in the people of God.

2. Local Church: The local church is the primary place where the Kingdom of Heaven impacts the kingdoms of this world.

3. Expository Preaching: Consecutive expository preaching by the pastor-teacher is the best normal diet of the local church.

4. Meetings: The meetings of the local church are for both edification and evangelism (with no sharp distinction between these).

5. Ministers: The ministers of the local church are all its members.

6. Focus: The local church should focus on doing a few things really well.

 7. Sacrifice: The local church exists for the sake of others.

8. Prayer: Prayer lies at the heart of the local church.

Romans 5:12-21 handout

Audio here in due course: http://www.warbletonchurch.org.uk/sermons-talks/

Romans 5:12-21 (p1132) – The Trespass & The Gift

Alternative sermon from 22^nd Feb 2015 at: http://www.warbletonchurch.org.uk/sermons-talks/?sermon_id=87

Spot the difference – compare & contrast:

Similarity: 2 men who determine the whole of human history (vv18-19)

2 very different actions, results, destinies (vv15-16)

V12 – What is the “therefore” there for? – link to the argument so far

Implicit question: How is it that the death of (the one man) Jesus can effect the justification and reconciliation of all who trust in him?

(1) THE TRESPASS: Adam’s sin brought death and condemnation to all

Paul assumes that Adam was a literal historical individual

One sin made many sinners (v19) and lead to many sins (v12, v16)

A challenge to our individualism and supposed autonomy

The universal reign of death (vv12, 14-15, 17, 21; Gen 2:17; Rom 6:23)

The role of the Old Testament law: the law defined and magnified sin (vv13, 20)

(2) THE GIFT: Christ’s obedience brings life and righteousness to many

God’s more abundant overflowing grace (v15, 17)

Christ’s saving work can deal with many trespasses (v16)

So what? Receive the gift – trust in Christ – and 6v1-2, 11-14

(See also three-two-one.org – You are one with Adam; will you be one with Jesus Christ?)

Romans 5vv1-11

You may wish to look away now if you are planning to be at Warbleton parish church tomorrow:

Romans 5vv1-11 (page 1132)

Since we have been justified through faith in Jesus (vv1, 9) …

grace (v2)

 

3 Things the Christian Believer

Can & Should Rejoice In:

(1)  in the hope of the glory of God (v2)

Because:

(a) God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (v5)

(b) Christ died for us sinners (vv6-8)

(c) God has forgiven us and made us his friends and will certainly save us (vv9-11)

(2) in suffering (vv3-4)

Because:

suffering à perseverance à character à hope

 (3) in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received reconciliation (v11)

Romans 4

Spoiler alert!

DV it might go something like this:

HOW CAN WE BE RIGHT WITH GOD?

Paul is showing that the gospel is the power of God for salvation (1v16ff)

Our need: We are all sinners who deserve God’s judgement (3v9ff)

God’s solution: But now a righteousness from God has been revealed (3v21ff)

Paul shows that the Old Testament law testifies to (3v21) and is upheld by this gospel of righteousness / justification by faith (3v31)

A Case Study from The Old Testament:

“What did Abraham discover in this matter?” (v1)

How was he justified / put right with God? (And how are we justified?)

“What does the Scripture say?” (4v3)

I.                 3 WAYS WE (& ABRAHAM) ARE NOT JUSTIFIED:

(1)   … not by works (v2, v5)

(2)   … not by circumcision (vv10-12)

… not by the covenant sign / seal (v11)

… (not by baptism or Communion)

(3)   … not by keeping the Law of Moses (vv13-15; cf. 3vv19-21, 31)

Abraham Justified c. ? 2091BC

           

645 years

           

Law Given c. ? 1446BC

            … (not by our family or national or religious heritage)

I.                 3 WAYS WE (& ABRAHAM) ARE JUSTIFIED:

(1)   … as a gift (v4)

… by grace (v16)

(2)   … by believing God (vv3, 11, 17, 18)

… by trusting God (v5)

… by faith (vv5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 19, 20, 24)

(3)   … by the death and resurrection of Jesus (v24-25)

Justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone,

to the glory of God alone, according to the Scriptures

OUR RESPONSE:

(Learn from Paul how to read the Old Testament and understand the role of the Old Testament law – v24)

Receive God’s free gift of justification by faith: Trust in Jesus!

“Therefore” …. Rejoice in peace with God and in the hope of the glory of God (Romans 5vv1-2)

Possible Post-Brexit Referendum Sermon Introduction

Look away now if you want to hear the sermon as a surprise tomorrow!

The Puritan John Owen was perhaps the greatest ever English theologian.

On the 31^st January 1649 he was preaching to Parliament.

I wonder who can tell me what had happened the day before?

[Charles I had been beheaded.]

The remarkable thing is that Owen didn’t mention it once.

I’m not planning to mention Brexit either, you may be pleased to hear.

Owen had something far more important to preach about, and so do we:

It’s the great question which occupies these chapters of Romans:

How is a person justified before God?

How can sinners like you and me be acceptable in the sight of a holy God?

There is really no more important question, is there?

Our eternal destiny hangs on this.

HT @JontyGRhodes : https://twitter.com/JontyGRhodes/status/746353473994760192

The joys of committies

A parishioner sent this poem to members of a committee on which I sit - not a PCC, I hasten to add, because they are always excellently chaired models of efficiency and so on - and, of though not entirely true, I thought it was worth sharing:

Oh, have some pity, I'm on a committee
Which means that from morning till night,
We attend and amend and contend and defend
Without a conclusion in sight.

We confer and concur, we defer and demur,
And re-iterate all of our thoughts,
We revise the agenda with frequent addenda,
And consider a load of reports.

We compose and propose, we suppose and oppose,
And the points of procedure are fun,
But though various notions are brought up as motions,
There's terribly little gets done.

We resolve and absolve, but we never dissolve,
Since it’s out of the question for us.
What a shattering pity to end our committee
Where else could we make such a fuss!

Source: http://www.lead.org.au/lanv2n1/lanv2n1-15.html

Simon Manchester - The perseverence of God with the dull - Mk 6:45-53 (EMA 2016)

v48, Jesus was about to "pass by", to reveal himself to the disciples, but he didn't cf. Ex 34 & 1 Kings 19 - parallels of mountains, feedings, water

(1) The teacher

6v52; 8v17, 21

Num 27; Ps 23, "Green grass"

Jesus is a superior Moses - Moses divided the people into 50s & 100s. Moses could pray but Jesus could provide

(2) The breakdown

Ps 77; Is 43; Job 9

Amos 8 - "I will pass by no longer"

(3) The perseverance of Jesus

Sail the 7 c s

Creation reveals a creator
Conscience implies a judge
Christ is personal
The calendar - BC / AD - shows Christ is impressive
The chapters of the Bible make Jesus accessible
The churches show the patience of God
The cemetery and the crematorium show the urgency of the gospel

Don Carson - Biblical Exhortations to Faithfulness in Ministry (EMA 2016)

(1) Aim for faithfulness not numbers - Is 6 esp vv9-10; Jn 8, "because I tell you the truth you do not believe"

(2) Think eschatologically - Is 6v13; ch 11; 1 Pt 1:3-5

(3) Expect opposition - Jn 15v18ff; 2 Tim 3 & 4; Acts 5v41

(4) Expect difficulties from within the church - 2 Cor 11; Col; 1 Cor etc!

(5) Frustrate Satan - Rev 12-14; 1 Pt 5:8-9; Job

(6) Discern at least some of God's purposes in your suffering - James 1v12, v2f; 2 Cor 12

(7) Reflect on your privileged position in God's evangelistic purposes

Mt 11v11 - A discouraged Baptist; A defended Baptist

(8) Identify with the cross - 1 Pt 2v21; Phil 1:29

(9) Recognise that trust in God is more important to God than your cognitive satisfaction - Job

(10) Fight relentlessly against the green-eyed monster - Jn 21; 1 Cor 4 esp. v5

Dick Lucas - Hebrews 13vv7-18, 17 (EMA 2016)

The Christian leader is to:
(i) Speak God's Word - v7 - preach
(ii) Shepherd God's Flock - v17 - pastor

Jesus himself is (i) The Word of God - 1v1ff
(ii) The Shepherd - v20

Who is sufficient for these things?

(1) Listen to God's Word

(2) Preach Christ's Gospel

(3) Watch Over God's People

3 warnings:

The temptation of (a) shame - 11v26; 12v2; 13v12

(b) sin - 13v4, marriage - 13v5, money

(c) suffering - 13v3; 10v32ff

Graham Beynon - Persevering in Holiness (EMA 2016)

Galatians 5

(1) We need to believe our doctrine of sin

(a) Sin is universal

(b) Sin is persistent

(c) Sin is deceptive

(d) Sin is Satanic

(i) The danger of superiority in ministry

(ii) The danger of self-pity in ministry

(2) We need to believe our doctrine of sanctification

(a) We do not need to sin

(b) There can be growth

(c) Holiness is the best way to live

(d) Sanctification depends on grace

(i) We are redeemed and forgiven by grace. This provides a secure foundation for sanctification

(ii) We can only live differently by God's ongoing renewing grace in the power of the Spirit

Expectations for the future?

Came across this well-known quotation from Cardinal Francis George of Chicago from 2010 quoted in D A Carson (ed.), The Enduring Authority of the Christian Scriptures (IVP Apollos, 2016) :

"I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history."

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/tim-drake/the-myth-and-the-reality-of-ill-die-in-my-bed/#ixzz4CFXHPSyA

Simon Manchester on Exodus 32-24 (EMA 2016)

Persevering with the disobedient

God perseveres with us

"Passing by" - Ex 34 - also 1 Kings & Mk 6

(1) The disobedience - breaking the 2nd commandment

(2) The mediation

God arranges for Moses' mediation and feeds him his lines - a kind of invitation by prohibition

(3) The perseverance of God

Jonty Allcock on Luke 5:1-11 (EMA 2016)

Persevere in Evangelism: Keep fishing

How the narrative develops:
Jesus is fishing for people
Simon is fishing for fish
Jesus is fishing for fish
Jesus is fishing for Simon
Simon is to fish for people

Stages of fishing: (1) enthusiastic (2) losing heart (3) Frazzled

We need Jesus to teach us the one great lesson of the boat:
WE FISH BECAUSE JESUS SAYS SO (v5)

We fish by faith, not by works - cf. Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac; Gideon's army

Not do better, do more, try something new but humble trust

Not by our hard work or ability or plans but by the power of Jesus

Jesus is the great fisherman

Jesus fishes by preaching the word (cf. Is 61)

Jesus preaches to the crowd but deliberately encounters the individual

"caught" = enclosed, Jesus is gathering in a people

Before you are a fisherman you are a fish - you must be caught by Jesus

A vast catch, a multitude

Ez 47

4 practical ways that fishing because Jesus says so keeps us fishing:

(1) It trumps all our excuses. Simon could have objected "You're not a fisherman", "I'm tired", "I've tried it" etc. He could have focussed on washing his nets.

The church is a boat for fishing - not just a lovely aquarium to be beautified

(2) It overcomes our pessimism (vv6-7). There will be a great catch. The kingdom of heaven will be full even if your church isn't. Your ministry is part of this.

(3) It smashes our pride (v8). God is in Peter's boat!

(4) It resets our whole lives (v10bf) - Not Jesus joining Peter's fishing business! Not Jesus making my work grow or fitting in to the jigsaw of my life.

Don Carson on Preaching 1 John (EMA 2016)

11 things to consider when preaching 1 John:

(1) John speaks in both shades of grey and absolutist terms

(2) You need to come to some kind of understanding about the nature of John's opponents (probably proto-gnostics)

(3) You need to deal with the cyclical nature of the letter, the way in which it returns to themes such as love and obedience. Avoid saying everything in your first sermon, but be aware of what is coming, summarise and add as you go stressing the fresh stuff.

(4) The test which the letter gives work both positively to encourage true believers and negatively to exclude false "believers" and false teachers

(5) Work out how the letter contributes to the Christian doctrine of assurance with a focus on Christ but also bringing in the additional witness of a changed life etc. Don't discourage real Christians. Our salvation depends on Christ and his saving work not on our thinking we have passed these "tests".

(6) Work hard on certain hard passages such as 2v26ff - no teachers needed - cf. Jer 31v29ff; no priestly / prophetic / kingly mediating class in NT times as in OT - 3v9 - not an ontological statement but a strong prohibition: sin is not "the done thing" in the church and is never excusable. Danger of explaining away the text and robbing it of its impact. ch 5 - sin unto death; ch 3 - 3 witnesses

(7) Observe the many connections with John's gospel. cf. Raymond Brown in Anchor Bible Commentary. Christology - Jn 20:31ff - Christ the Son of God; cf. Prologues - Word / Life

(8) Our connection with the apostolic gospel. Partnership / fellowship in the Apostles' teaching is the means of fellowship with Christ - 1vv1-4

(9) Consider the eschatology - inaugurated - 2v18; 4v3; 2v28; 3vv1-3 - and it's impact on life now

(10) Relationship to 2 & 3 Jn. 2 Jn addresses a church too open to false teaching; 3 Jn addresses a church too narrow (rejecting the Apostles for another leader, no heresies mentioned). Similar false teaching in 1 & 2 Jn. The danger of running ahead and leaving the Apostles behind.

(11) Save the last line of the letter for the last sermon for its rhetorical impact. Anything that distorts the Biblical revelation is a kind of idolatry, distorting who God is.

(7)

Vaughan Roberts - The Lessons from John Newton (EMA 2016)

[I may not have written down all these quotes perfectly. It would be worth checking with the audio when it's available]

On how to keep going in Christian life and ministry:

(1) Always delight in grace

42yrs of ordained ministry

I stand in need of an Almighty Saviour and I find one in Jesus Christ

(2) Keep looking to Christ

Newton's motto: "None but Christ"

To know Him is the shortest way to grace

I am nothing; Christ is all

Heb 12v2

2 Cor 3v18

Two eyes on Christ

An enlarged heart having by faith a view of Jesus and his work

Hymn: But since the Saviour I have known
My rules are all reduced to one;
To keep my Lord, by faith, in view,
This strength supplies and motives too. 

(3) Be disciplined in devotion, especially in Bible reading and prayer

The hardest part of my calling is to keep my eyes on Jesus Christ, hungering and thirsting for him

Hymn:

Precious Bible! what a treasure,
Does the word of God afford!
All I want for life or pleasure,
Food or medicine, shield and sword;
Let the world account me poor,
Having this, I want no more.

(4) Maintain close relationships

Ecclectic society

influential in founding what eventually became Church Missionary Society

(5) Suffer well

We do not deal in unfelt truths

Newton's mother died when he was 6. His father was distant and sometimes away at sea.

Newton and Mary had no children. One of their adopted nieces died. Another ended up in Bedlam.

Mary's ill-health and death. Newton felt his hand was being sawn off by degrees.

When his popularity waned, Newton felt slighted and despised.

Hymn: What contradictions meet
In ministers employ!
It is a bitter sweet
A sorrow full of joy:
No other post affords a place
For equal honor, or disgrace!

How unspeakably wonderful to know that all our concerns lie in the hands that bled for us

The end will make amends for all

"The Lord Reigns" should be the banner over every headline in every newspaper

My memory is nearly gone, but two things I remember: I am a great sinner and I have a great Saviour


Vaughan especially recommended Newton's Letters, Tony Reinke, Newton on the Christian Life, and Clare Heath-Whyte, Old Wives Tales - the chapter on Mary Newton