The Oracles of God (I preached this at the Annual Southwest Association Meeting)

SUBJECT: The Oracles of God

TEXT: Romans 3:1-2

INTRO:

A. Paul has just written that the Jews are no different than the Gentiles when it comes to sin.

1. All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.

2. All who are saved are saved by grace through faith.

B. So, what is the advantage of being a Jew?

1. Unto them were committed the oracles of God.
2. In other words, God committed His word to them.

I. Just as the Oracles of God were committed to the Jews, so have they been committed unto us.

A. God has committed His word to us.

1. The Gospel we preach is straight from the scriptures. (I Corinthians 15:3-4)

2. The scriptures that we have were given by the inspiration of God (II Timothy 3:16-17)

a. Profitable for doctrine - a system of teaching.

1. Doctrine is important.

2. Doctrine is most powerful when taken from the scriptures.

3. Preach the scriptures to make sure you are giving doctrines the same priority that God has on them.

b. Profitable for reproof.

1. No one likes to be reproved.
2. But when you reprove according to the scriptures, your reproof has authority behind it.

c. Profitable for correction.
d. Profitable for instruction in righteousness.
e. That the man of God may be perfect.

1. Perfect = complete.
2. So that we can be complete Christians.
3. The real deal... like Job. (Job 1:1 says he was perfect and upright, one who feared God and eschewed evil.)

f. Thoroughly furnished unto good works... fully equipped.

3. God has given us His word, and His authority to preach the word. By extension, when we preach His word, we are preaching by His authority. We are not alone in the pulpit.
4. God expects that we will preach His word. (II Timothy 4:2)

a. Preach it!
b. Know it!
c. Disciple people from it!

B. God hasn't just given the word to the preachers, He has given it to His people.

1. The Old Testament wasn't given to the Jewish priests, it was given to the Jewish people, and they were expected to know it and teach it to their children. (Deuteronomy 6:7-8)
2. We need to teach our people the word, and teach them to study it.

a. So they'll know it.
b. So they'll be capable of discussing it.
c. So they'll teach it to their children.

II. The Word Liberates Us

A. Romans 3:10 - There is none righteous, no not one.

1. It liberates us from working for our salvation.

a. We are sinful.

b. God knows we are sinful.

c. We can't earn salvation, and God knows it.

d. So He paid for our sins on the cross that those who repent and believe can be saved.

2. It liberates us from responsibility for others' sin.

a. They are sinful.
b. God knows it.
c. It's not your fault that others sin, regardless of whether people try to blame you for their sin.

B. Romans 3:24 - Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

1. We are sinful.
2. Despite our sinfulness, God saved us.
3. Despite their sinfulness, God can save them. Don't let the sinfulness of others deter you from sharing the Gospel.

C. The word liberates us from the responsibility of the results of our evangelism.

1. In sales, failure to close a deal is failure, period.

a. It doesn't matter if the customer absolutely does not want to buy... if you fail to sell, you are a failure.
b. Aren't you glad God doesn't hold us to that standard?

2. Romans 8:29 - For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

a. We don't have to figure lost people out.
b. God has them figured out (foreknow).
c. He has already been working His plan in their life (predestinate).
d. All He requires of us in obedience in sharing the Gospel with them.

III. The Word Grows our Faith.

Romans 10:17 - So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

A. The more we know His word, the more we know God.

B. The more we know God, the more we trust Him.

C. The more we trust Him, the more faith we have.

APPLICATION: Build your ministry around the word.