3 Scriptures; 3 Perspectives; 1 Message – Romans 14:10-13a

 A couple of months ago, I began getting e-mails and letters announcing a high powered Christian men’s meeting. I probably tossed 4 or 5 different letters, brochures and announcements about it into the trash. And then a couple of weeks ago, I had an overly...

An Un-American Message – Romans 14:13-16

 I am calling this message “Un-American.” I don’t know that you’d give it that name, but some certainly might. That is because “America” means different things to different people, and the adjective “American” therefore...

Good Citizens – Romans 14:17-19

 What makes a person a good citizen? Some of you will be better at answering this question than I am, particularly in regard to the United States. And then again, you may have differing answers between you. Despite my inadequacies, let me offer some possible answers:...

It is Good Not to Drink Wine – Romans 14:19-21

 It is a difficult thing to condemn the drinking of alcohol using only the pages of the New Testament. But that is what I will try to do this evening. It is a difficult thing, but not an impossible, especially when speaking to people who are the children of God. The...

Faith, Doubt and Damnation – Romans 14:22-23

 David, the future King of Israel, was hiding in a cavern in the Engedi district of Judah, when his persecutor, Saul, also came in to take refuge from the sun. It seems quite clear to me that Saul took a short nap right there in front of David and his men. We need to...

Likemindedness – Romans 15:1-6

 If you were the Devil and wanted to destroy this church, how would you do it? You’ve been around our church enough to know some of its weak points, and you could avoid its strengths. But don’t think that you know our church any better than Satan does. You...

Principle, Practice and Paragon – Romans 15:1-4

 I have two or three books in my library which are collections of quotations. I think that my favorite is called “Forty Thousand Quotations – Prose and Poetical” by Charles Douglas. It was first published in 1904, and my copy was printed 72 years ago...

Receive Ye One Another – Romans 15:1-7

 Fifteen years ago we made a study of one of the Greek words in verse 7. “Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” It isn’t the one that you might think; it isn’t “receive ye,” but rather...

The Double Ministry of Christ – Romans 15:8-13

 About 60 years ago, several fundamental Baptists came together to form the Baptist Bible Fellowship (BBF). It’s purpose was commendable, but the precept behind it contained automatic corruption. There is nothing wrong with churches getting together for the...

Divine Joy and Peace – Romans 15:13

 Once again, I’m going to begin by taking this scripture out of its original context. As a preacher and Bible teacher I have permission to do this, so long as I point out what I am doing. Most successful heretics are adept at removing and redacting (editing) the...

The God of Hope – Romans 15:13

 Some of you might be wishing that we’d move along more quickly in this study of Romans. You might agree with me that using this form of Bible study we are covering a hundred different themes, but at the same time you’d like to change the background and...

The Beginning of the End – Romans 15:14

 I am not smart enough to either agree or disagree, but it is stated by some experts that with these verses Paul is beginning the conclusion of this epistle. We are a long way from being finished with our study of Romans, and I’m not convinced that those experts...

Human Sacrifice – Romans 15:13-16

 What is the best way to start a new religion, or a new branch of Christendom? Three to four hundred years ago, there arose dozens of sects, like the Methodists and Nazarenes. Then in the last two hundred years, mostly in America, where Baptist blood had won religious...

Paul’s Sphere of Glory – Romans 15:17-21

 I know that most of you couldn’t possibly care any less, and none of us probably should, but there is a debate going on in the world of sports about who should, and who shouldn’t, go into the various sports “Halls of Fame.” For example, the...

Paul’s Ministry – Romans 15:17-21

 There are two kinds of military commanders – those who send their troops into battle & those who lead them. Similarly, there are two kinds of teachers – those who instruct and those who are examples. I suppose that the best kind of teacher is both an...

Seeing the Unseen – Romans 15:20-21 (Isaiah 52:13-15)

 Paul enjoyed boldly going where no Christian missionary had ever gone before. Despite working in some of the largest cities around the Mediterranean, he still enjoyed taking the gospel into those regions where unknown peoples lived and died without Christ. As we...

To Infinity and Beyond – Romans 15:20-24

 My message in some ways parallels Pixar Animation’s movie “Toy Story.” In perhaps the most famous line in that movie, and one which has become synonymous with Pixar itself, Buzz Lightyear, the spaceman toy, shouts as he takes off, or falls off...

The Fulness of the Blessing of the Gospel – Romans 15:23-29

 Last Spring, the Little’s came to church one Sunday and in their pickup there were a number of scrawny, pie-cherry trees. We took a couple of them home, and one or two other families did as well. Under the direction of my girls, I planted our two in the back...

Spiritual Blessings and Carnal Duties – Romans 15:23-27

 Paul is writing from Corinth, sometime during his Third Missionary Journey. As we said a couple weeks ago, it could have been written during his long first stay in the city, or it might have come when he made a quick second stop in Corinth, after gathering a small...

Why? – Romans 15:30-33

 Let’s pretend that the Lord has laid on the preacher’s heart a message on the subject of tobacco. Let’s say he has heard that a couple of his young people are beginning to use chewing tobacco. So he reaches into his file of notes and pulls out a...

Paul’s Plea for Prayer – Romans 15:30-32

 If Albert Einstein approached you and asked for your opinion about some scientific matter, wouldn’t you feel honored? If Bill Gates asked you to loan him a hundred dollars, wouldn’t you be curious? If the President Obama called you and asked what you...

Arriving with Joy – Romans 15:30-33

 I begin with an apology for jumping the gun – I should know better. I said last week that we were finishing our look at chapter 15 with last Sunday night’s message. But the Lord has brought me back to it once again. I think that this will be our last week...

The God of Peace be with You all – Romans 15:33

 It appears that with these words we come to the conclusion of the Book of Romans – the letter to the Romans. These words are generally called “the benediction” – a prayer for the blessing of God upon the readers. Often these benedictions come...

Make a Joyful Noise – Psalm 95:1-7

According to my records we have looked at parts of this Psalm four times in the last 25 years. One of those messages was from the perspective of a New Testament quotation. “Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the...

Faithful Phebe – Romans 16:1-2

 Baptist churches profess to pattern themselves after what they find in the Word of God. It is very common to hear them say, “We take the Bible as the grounds for our faith and practice.” First and foremost of course, they profess to take what they BELIEVE...

Greet Aquila and Priscilla – Romans 16:3-5

 As I have said several times, this letter was written while Paul was in Corinth. I think that in some ways, Paul’s most important ministry was in the city of Corinth. He was there about a year and a half. He began, as usual in the Jewish synagogue, but...

The Tie that Binds – Romans 16:1-16

 I must confess that it is with fear and trepidation that I first thought about preaching from Romans 16. As you can see, we have here a long list of names – primarily of people of whom we know very little. Intellectually, I was thinking that I should be able to...

The Church in their House – Romans 16:3-5

 If this message sounds familiar to yo than I am delighted. You see, this is a test, it is only a test. If it was really the Bema, then we might all be in trouble. Perhaps this will show us how little we pay attention, or how it might be at the Judgment Seat of...

The Firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ – Romans 16:5

 As many of you know, I was the pastor of the church which sponsored the mission which became this church. I was not just an observer to the work which began over in Newman Lake and which moved to Post Falls. I preached here many times before your time, and I came...