ROM-6-140504 - length: 72:47 - taught on May, 4 2014
Class Outline:
Welcome To
BARAH MINISTRIES
a Christian Church
Rory Clark
Pastor-Teacher
Welcome to Barah Ministries…a Christian Church…my name is Pastor Rory Clark. Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verses 2 to 8 say…
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and (from) the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us (believers in Christ) with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (by placing us) in (union with) Christ…
…just as (God the Father) chose us (believers to be) in (union with the Lord Jesus Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless (both now in His eyes, and as we will stand one day) before (God the Father).
In (unconditional) love (God the Father) predestined us (believers in Christ) to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of (God the Father’s) will…
…to the praise of the glory of (God the Father’s) grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Lord).
In (union with the Lord Jesus Christ) we (believers in Christ) have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which (God the Father) lavished on us…
We love our God and Father, we love His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we appreciate all the gifts they give us free of charge or obligation.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION
Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ
Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
He is Faithful
As God prepares our souls for the celebration of worshipping Him, let’s adore our Lord in song. The opening song is HE IS FAITHFUL. The second song right after that is, I AM BEAUTIFUL.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION
Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ
Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
I Am Beautiful
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
We’re grateful Heavenly Father for the privilege of studying the absolute
truth...the Word of God…
Help us to see that if we want to live with you in heaven one day, our self righteousness and our religion is not good enough to earn a place with You…but Your free gift to us is all sufficient, and the only way be saved…by Your grace, through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone…
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit...in Christ’s name... Amen.
TODAY’S STUDY
Romans 2-Self-Righteousness and Religion are the Tools of God’s Enemy
First, a few announcements…
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mark Your Calendars!
The next Lord’s Supper Celebration is May 11, 2014
Mother’s Day!
NEXT WEEK!
We’re in Our New Location!
1220 S. Alma School Road
(Alma School and Southern)
Suite 201
Mesa, AZ
We got blinds! We appreciate your financial support. Do you support barah Ministries financially? If you freely take from it, also freely give. We need your support.
Happy Birthday
Charlotte Shea
May 3
Now let’s take the offering.
Let’s remember to give with the motivation suggested in Scripture
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful (grace oriented) giver.
Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall.
TODAY’S OFFERING
Deacon Denny Goodall
Barah Ministries Financial Policy
Even though we are sanctioned by God to charge for the things we provide so you can worship God, we choose not to exercise our right. Therefore no price appears on any material from Barah Ministries so that anyone who desires biblical teaching may have it free of charge.
Barah Ministries Financial Policy
Even though the materials we provide are free of charge, they are not free of cost. We appreciate it when the Word of God motivates you to give financial support so as to provide biblical teaching, both for yourself and for others.
OFFERING VERSE
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from (God) the Father, but is from the world.
OFFERING
Come Let Us Worship and Bow Down
TODAY’S STUDY
Romans 2 - Self-Righteousness and Religion are the Tools of God’s Enemy
Turn to Romans, Chapter 2, Verse 1…
Therefore you (who practice self-righteousness and religion) have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge (condemn) another (like those practicing lasciviousness), you condemn yourself; for you who judge (them) practice the same things (which are just as bad, perhaps worse).
At the end of Romans Chapter 1, after calling out the immoral unbeliever to God’s indictment of the whole world...all who practice sin, and ungodliness, and unrighteousness…Paul calls out the moral unbeliever to indictment, lest the moral think they are special. They are not special in God’s eyes and they are not due special treatment by God’s standards. Romans Chapter 3, Verse 10…
…as it is written, “THERE IS NONE (no creature who is) RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;THERE IS NONE (no creature) WHO UNDERSTANDS (God on his own), THERE IS NONE (no creature) WHO SEEKS FOR GOD…
But God wants you…and God seeks you…Luke, Chapter 15, Verses 3 to 7…
So (the Lord Jesus Christ) told (the scribes and Pharisees) this parable (because they were grumbling that the Lord was hanging out with prostitutes), saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine (sheep) in the open pasture and go after the one (sheep) which is lost until he finds it?”
“When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
“And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’”
“I (the Lord Jesus Christ) tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner (unbeliever) who repents (has a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ) than over ninety-nine righteous persons (believers in Christ) who need no repentance.”
Look at Romans, Chapter 2, Verse 2. Who is qualified then to condemn others? No one!
…for all (creatures) have sinned and fall short of the glory (essence) of God…
Specifically, we don’t have the righteousness of God when we are unbelievers, which is the admission ticket to heaven…a free gift that we cannot earn by creating our own standards of righteousness…a free gift we cannot earn with religious practices…God judges us based on His standards…and His standard is a relationship with Christ…Romans, Chapter 2, Verse 2...
And we know that the judgment of God (also) rightly falls (not only on those who practice lasciviousness, but also) upon those who practice (self-righteousness and religion).
But do you suppose this, O (men and women who practice self-righteousness and religion), (that) when you pass judgment on those who practice (lasciviousness) and do the same (things) yourself (or worse), that you will escape the judgment of God?
The moral, both the self-righteous and the religious, practice the immorality of lasciviousness as well, they just do it “in the closet,” out of sight of people. But they are not out of the sight of God.
Or do you (who practice self-righteousness and religion) think lightly of the riches of (God the Father’s) kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God (the Father is what) leads you to repentance (a change of mind about Christ)?
I am reminded of the story of the wind and the sun.
The WIND and the SUN were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road. The Sun said: “I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger. You begin.” So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller. But the harder he blew the more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak round him, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair. Then the Sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on. So he took it off.
“KINDNESS EFFECTS MORE THAN SEVERITY.” The Lord Jesus Christ has the same philosophy. It is called grace. What is grace?
GRACE
A free gift given to all mankind by the Creator...a divine thought process that underlies God’s entire viewpoint of unconditional love for His creatures, expressed by His actions of extending mercy, loving-kindness, salvation, and divine assets to His creatures…a dimension of divine thought in which God meets human indifference and human rebellion with an inexhaustible capacity to forgive and to bless…
If someone is harsh to you when you deserve harshness, does it get your attention? Hardly. But when someone is nice to you when you do not deserve it, that is amazing. That is our God. He extends His love unconditionally to all, but especially to sinners...to unbelievers who practice ungodliness and unrighteousness, whether moral or immoral. Take a five-minute break.
BREAK
When I Think About Home
Welcome back!
The Lord Jesus Christ’s treatment of the lost…His treatment of the sinner… the unbeliever who practices moral or immoral ungodliness or unrighteousness is the dead giveaway that Christianity is nothing like religion. They are enemies. Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And because of this relationship, we, as Christians, are to be an exact reflection of our Savior. We are to be full of grace toward others…full of truth…full of unconditional love…but most of us are just full of “shaving cream.” That’s why unbelievers look at us Christians and say that they want nothing to do with Christianity. Unbelievers reason that if we are what it means to be Christians, they don't want anything to do with it. I don’t blame them, even though their eyes are in the wrong place. Their eyes should not be on people. Their eyes should turn to the only God the Father, and to the only Righteous One, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Look at Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 8…
But God (the Father) demonstrates His own (unconditional) love toward (all mankind), in that while we were yet sinners (unbelievers practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness), (the Lord Jesus) Christ died (as a sin substitute) for us.
Much more then, having now been justified by (the Lord Jesus Christ’s)
blood (which was shed for us at the Cross), we (believers in Christ) shall be
saved(delivered) from the wrath of God (the Father) through (our union with) Him(the Lord Jesus Christ).
For if (1) while we were enemies we were reconciled to God (the Father) through the death of His Son(the Lord Jesus Christ, and we were), much more, (now) having been reconciled, we shall be saved (delivered) by His (resurrection) life (eternal life…the Zoe Life).
And not only this, but we (believers in Christ) also exult in God (the Father) through our (union with the) Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Turn to Psalm 73. It’s easy for the unbeliever, while on earth, to be rebellious toward God, like a fool…Psalm 14, Verse 1…
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
…but God is not mocked…Galatians, Chapter 6, Verses 7 and 8…
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Turn to Psalm 73…those who practice morality and immorality…sinners in God’s eyes…unbelievers…who practice self- righteousness, and religion, and lasciviousness, give the appearance of having prosperity in this life.
<READ PSALM 73>
In the end, it doesn’t work out for them. Philippians, Chapter 3, Verses 17 to 19 has this to say…
Brethren (believers in Christ), join in following my example, and observe those who walk (with a lifestyle) according to the pattern you have in us (believers in Christ).
For many (false teachers) walk (have a lifestyle), of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ (unbelievers)…
…whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite (emotions…for the practice of self-righteousness and religion and lasciviousness), and whose glory is in their (own) shame (wicked conduct), who set their minds on earthly things (works designed to produce righteousness).
Self-Righteousness and religion are the tools of God’s enemy. Make no mistake, God has an enemy…and when we follow him, we live a lie…John, Chapter 8, Verse 44…
“You are of your father the devil (Satan), and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
As believers in Christ, we are to….
But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren (other believers in Christ) who are in the world.
As believers in Christ, we are to reach out to our unbeliever friends and share the gospel with them…the free gift of salvation through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, the ticket to eternal life.
The Promises of the Lord Jesus Christ
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you (who are) in (union with) Christ Jesus.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
“Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today…”
He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power.
CLOSING SONG
You Don’t Have to Beg
CLOSING PRAYER
Let us pray...
THANKS
INTERCESSION
PETITION
And we pray that You continue to shape the messages from this pulpit that are an accurate reflection of Your unconditional love, Your person, Your thinking, Your work, and Your essence...we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit, in Christ’s name, Amen.
Thanks for coming!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for listening!
www.barahministries.com
| April 2024 | ||||||
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 31 | 1 Mon | 2 Tue | 3 Wed | 4 Thu | 5 Fri | 6 Sat |
| 7 Sun | 8 Mon | 9 Tue | 10 Wed | 11 Thu | 12 Fri | 13 Sat |
| 14 Sun | 15 Mon | 16 Tue | 17 Wed | 18 Thu | 19 Fri | 20 Sat |
| 21 Sun | 22 Mon | 23 Tue | 24 Wed | 25 Thu | 26 Fri | 27 Sat |
| 28 Sun | 29 Mon | 30 Tue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
 |
1220 S. Alma School Rd. Suite 201 Mesa, AZ 85210 |
 |
(480) 237-9903 |
 |
info@barahministries.com |
