GRINDIT podcast

Christians run to Romans 1 as fast as they can to condemn what is going on in our society today because it’s easy pickings. We want to condemn the behavior that is being paraded around and being thrown in our faces, but as sick and sinful as it is, you may want to read Romans 2 before you start body slamming people over how they live. Paul starts out chapter 2 by telling the church at Rome, “You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse!” The old saying is still true, “I may have a finger pointing at you, but there are three pointing back at me!”

Paul tells us what it looks like when God has abandoned His people. He lets them do whatever their hearts desire and it’s not a pretty sight to see! We can look back in history and learn from their mistakes and see how they paid the price because of their sinful choices. Israel is a great example and so is Rome, which is whom Paul is writing this letter to. Israel was God’s chosen people in the Old Testament and yet they became so wicked and sinful, God abandoned them and after they wouldn’t listen to the warnings of the prophets, God allowed their enemy to come in and destroy the holy Temple and wipe Jerusalem off the face of the earth! Rome collapsed from the inside out because they were sinful and lived the way the wanted to live. They couldn’t give a rip about God and what He wanted. Has God abandoned the United States?

Paul makes it clear that we have no excuse to deny God. The reason people do deny God exists is because of their own sin, their wickedness. If people admit God created the earth and the heavens, then they would be held accountable for their choices, they would have to deal with the consequences, so it's easier for people to say God does not exist. Therefore, they don't have to worry about any consequences to their choices and they can live any way they please. Instead of worshipping the Creator, they have chosen to worship creation.

Before laying the hammer down in chapter 1, Paul edifies the church in his letter and brags on there faith and how the news of their faith is spreading all around the world! He then gives three reasons why he wants to visit the church in Rome as soon as he can: 1) to encourage them by imparting a spiritual gift to each one of them; 2: To be encouraged by the church itself, and if you have spent any tiome in ministry you know exactly what he means; 3) He wants to produce fruit in Rome by sharing the gospel among the people there.

In the very beginning, after Paul tells his readers that he is the author of the letter to the church in Rome, he establishes his authority as an apostle, he lets us know where his authority comes from and he immediately shifts the focus to Jesus. After giving his readers a short run down as to what Jesus did and what the good news is all about, Paul tells the Gentiles at the church in Rome that they have been called by God and do belong to Him because they heard the message of the gospel and were obedient which brings glory to God. Our lives as God’s chosen people, are to bring Him glory and we should strive to be holy as God is holy.

We are going to start the book of Romans so in this podcast I give a brief summary using material from Chuck Swindoll of Insight For Living Ministries, GotQuestions dot org, and a professor from Rochester by the name of Professor Henry F Burton from his work entitled, "Rome in Paul's Day."

As Jesus gathers with his disciples on the Mount of Olives in Galilee, he gives them one last charge before he ascends into heaven. He let’s them know that he has all authority in heaven and on earth, and because he does, they should go make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. After they make those disciples, they should teach them to obey his commandments and as they go make these disciples, Jesus promises them that he will be with them and will they ever need that promise! They will be persecuted in the days to come and he won’t physically be there for them. They will have to trust in his promises and his word. And if you think about it…so should we!

The religious leaders, the chief priest, as well as some leading priests think they have silenced Jesus. They have seen him beaten beyond recognition, struggle to make it to the crucifixion, saw him nailed to the cross and put on public display with a sign that read, “This is the King of the Jews.” They saw him struggle to breath for six hours until he cried out in a loud voice and died. They know Joseph of Arimathea put him in a tomb so they had it sealed so Jesus’ disciples couldn’t steal the body. To their surprise, on the third day, an angel from heaven shows up, rolls the stone away, and announces to the women that came to visit the grave that Jesus is alive and that he is waiting for them in Galilee!

The religious leaders have gotten there way. Jesus has been handed over to the Roman authorities, beaten beyond recognition, led to Golgotha, and is crucified on a cross. Can you imagine the hundreds, maybe thousands, who came by to see the one who claimed to be the Messiah and to see what was going to happen to him as he hung on the cross. They never realized he was doing that for them…and us! Many simply thought he was a stranger who was a blasphemer and could do cool magic tricks. They had a misconception about the Messiah and his mission so they rejected the very one who came from heaven and put on flesh! Jesus was dead and Joseph of Arimathea came and took his body down from the cross and placed him in his own tomb. In the words of Roxette, It’s over now…so they thought!

Judas has betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. He gave him a kiss to signal the militia to arrest him. Jesus was delivered to the religious authorities and they made a mockery of him by spitting on him and slapping him around. After they came back for a second meeting the next morning, Judas learned they had decided to put Jesus to death and he had great remorse. He even tried giving their money back but they refused to take it so he threw it on the floor of the Temple and goes off to end his life. Was this way of repenting? If it was, they didn’t care for they had gotten what they wanted and didn’t give a rip about Judas and his remorse. If you or anyone you know is contemplating suicide, please get help by contacting the Suicide hotline by texting or dialing 988.