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,