It's Time for Some Good News | Part 1

Romans chapter 4 is a passage for those who believe it's time for some good news.

Grace is the unmerited favor and kindness of God shown the one who does not deserve it and can never earn it valid good news is the grace always been telling us about the bed and you sum it up in Romans chapter 3 verse 23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God that is the bad news that makes the good news, good welcome to the refined featuring the dynamic biblical teaching of Adrian Rogers in Romans chapters 1 through three. The apostle Paul addresses the fate of heathens, hypocrites, and humanity. It's really bad news but Romans chapter 4 tells us about the good news of grace. I love the definition. Pastor Rogers gave of grace.

The unmerited favor and kindness of God shown to one who does not deserve it and can never earn it. He said you will be saved by grace, or you won't be saved at all, but what else does the Bible say about this kind of grace. If you have your Bible turn to Romans chapter 4 is Adrian Rogers begins the insightful message it's time for some good news I heard a country song. One time that said something like this. If it weren't for bad luck I would have any luck at all and I think some of us are feeling the days we read the newspapers. If it weren't for bad errors. I wouldn't have any news at all. But thank God there is good news and it's time for some good news no preachers never get tired of telling the story of John Newton.

He lived hundreds of years ago he wrote books, and he wrote sermons which are probably not familiar with any of those, but he wrote a song that if you've been around churches at all. And even if you don't go to church.

You probably know the song is called amazing race, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see John Newton. It didn't start out as a songwriter. Matter fact he had a very godly mother and very wicked father's father was a sailor's mother. Pray for him and committed him to the Lord. But as a youngster he was rebellious and ungodly and he just as a boy very young. He left home to become a sailor like his father and John Newton got engaged in the slave trade and he became a slave buying and selling slaves.

But then his fortune reversed on him and he John Newton became a slave of slaves as a matter fact, his mistress blown him and him chain to her table and all he would kick to eat were scraps that fell from her table. That's how low this boy, this man got some sailors, however, had given to this cursing drunken ungodly lascivious young man. A copy of a book by Thomas a campus called imitation of Christ, he began to read that aboard that ship and one day a ferocious storm came up at sea. John Newton was on the deck.

They thought the ship was going down a great wave washed over the deck of that ship and washed John Newton off the day and into the angry sea. He cried out to God for mercy.

Another way came and washed them back on board. That was all he needed.

They got right with God and he wrote the song amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved our rate which, like me, and when he set a wretch. He wasn't just using hyperbole he really meant it.

Now what is grace what is grace met definition of grace would you listen to it very carefully.

Listen everywhere that it grace is the unmerited favor and kindness of God shown the one who does not deserve it and can never earn I would give it to you again grace. Grace is the unmerited favor and kindness of God shown the one who does not deserve it and can never earn it and I tell you something already. If you say you will be saved by grace are you will be saved at all. Now the good news is the grace and chapters 1, two and three. Paul is been telling us about the bed and about sin and wickedness, degradation, depravity, all of the things he's been talking to the healing he's been talking to the hypocrite.

He's been talking to the Hebrew. He's been talking to humanity's hand is summed up in Romans chapter 3 verse 23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God that is the bad news that makes the good news good and so let's begin reading here in chapter 4 verse one what shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flechettes found one of Abraham were justified by works, he has worked to glory, but not before God for what set description Abraham believed God, and it was counted on to him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace. There's our word, but a bit but to him that work is not, but believe it's on him that justifies the ungodly, is is counted for righteousness not actually what we going to do in our study today we going to see the gospel according the good news the gospel.

That's what the word gospel means is good news. We're going to see the good news according to three men, according to Abraham. According to David and according to Paul about. First of all I want you to see the grace the good news that was discovered by Abraham. You see, the very word assessment what they we say then what has Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flechettes found BC that were has found his word, we get our word you recover from districts of the discovery.

Abraham made a discovery that had been going to church right along. You might say when a white man, who is Abraham. What if you were a Jew you would know who Abraham is because Abraham is the brightest star in the Hebrew heaven. Abraham was the first of the Jewish nation of the Hebrews and I Abraham was the premier St. he's the beginner, the Jewish race.

You can say the founder of FA they held Abraham in highest esteem and in the Jewish mind if anybody could behave himself into heaven, it would be Abraham that anybody could get to heaven by doing good works. It would be Abraham but the Bible says here that Abraham believed God, you see it in verse three and that was counted to him for righteousness. Now all that is doing is just quoting Genesis chapter 15 in verse six it talks about Abraham. It says, and he believed the Lord and he counted it to him. That is, the Lord put it on his account for righteousness. I see God.

He called Abraham when he was a heathen in the land of error and said I want you to go into a land that I want to give you a didn't even really telling where he was going he just went out under orders under seal orders within the Lord appeared to him at this time is a very old man.

He was important and childless and his wife Sarah had gone through the menopause and her womb was passed, reproduction.

The Bible says we are to see later in this chapter that it did. That is, she could not reproduce and have a child naturally but got obtained. Abraham and then that passage of Scripture. I just referenced in God's Abraham I'm going to give you a son, and that's true that some you didn't have children. Matter fact, look up those stars.

Abraham you see hello stars going to Calton you can count on getting Abraham will Abraham you not going to be able to count the number of your descendents I am going to work a miracle I would work a miracle in your life and rather than arguing with God, our doubting God.

The Bible says Abraham believed God, he just believed in God's all right, that's what I want and I will put you down is righteous, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.

What it believed God for what he believed God for miracle son Jesus as a miracle sounded a bone of the virgin and Abraham see this all just prefigures Jesus. He believed God for miracle son and he also believed in God and to bring life out of death and Jesus come out of the grave he did well.

Just as God gave life to save his dad womb Abraham just believed this, he had an incredible faith in God. It prefigures the gospel of God's miracle son. His death, burial and resurrection, and Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. Now that's what we're talking about right now.

What does salvation by grace doing what did Abraham discover first of all, listen, salvation by grace.

It respects God's glory.

Looking verse two for if Abraham were justified by works, he has whereof to glory, but not before God know what that means is just simply this, that if Abraham could be saved by being good. He could boast about it, he could glory in his own salvation, but he could say nice things about himself, but that would be saying nice things about God, but when Abraham believed God, he gave God glory. You know the best thing you can do to glorify God. People time to do all kinds of things to glorify God. I'm a mess to gain favor with God.

I have seen pictures of people who would take whips and flagellate themselves till they bleed.

I've been to in the insane people do strange and horrible things where they would perhaps mutilate themselves are bathed in the filthy rivers or whatever to glorify God. People upon by Robeson's and self crucifixion in order to glorify God. People don't pilgrimages to glorify God. People are given great sums of money to glorify God, but in what glorifies God is believing God's believing now. Sometimes I got to speak people introduce me and they may say nice things about me but then they might say because one thing about Adrian.

He just can't believing I will never say that what you see, no matter how many nice things you might say about me. If you say, but you can't believing you just cut the taproot of my character did you see the Bible says he that believe is not God have made him a liar. The greatest thing you can do to glorify God is to believe God.

Faith pleases God because he glorifies God and because faith pleases God. God rewards faith. If you want to please God, believe God believe God. You see, what is faith. Faith is not saying God prove it to me and then I'll believe it. Mono faith is a response listen, faith is a response to the nature and character of God. Faith believes God not what God has gone before.

Who God is.

You see, when my eye is right. My eye response to light when my ear is right my ear response to sound when my heart is right. My heart response to God and that response that response is faith and that faith glorifies God.

If a man could be saved by works. God doesn't get the glory. But when a man is justified by faith.

God gets the glory. It's amazing how many people want to put together faith and works there something about human pride. This is, I want to do now suppose about what to say to me pastor I love you so much and I have just struck oil.

I'm very wealthy. Now and I want to buy for you pastor a brand-new automobile and I want to cheat when I won $50,000. Now he's going to buy a $50,000 automobile for me. What would it Mercedes occasional by member Sadie say I got an a record night over that are not and $50,000.

He's going faith. Let Mercedes and he comes to me this is pastor.

I want to give you this automobile save up Bobby, thanks a lot belles lettres is really nice, but I can just let you give me a car like that's too much. Bobby, let me help pay for that car. See if there is is 1/4 thank you Bonnie and so Bobby has paid out $49,999.75 and I paid two bit nondriving at Mercedes and summarizes Rogers nice car you got together Bobby and I bought this car when I be ridiculous friend.

Let me take something when you and your two bits worth of self effort to the grace of God, you destroy the whole thing. You take the glory from Almighty God. If you go to heaven to say Jesus paid it all, all to him I know to get the idea that you can add a little bit to it because when you do you take away God's glory. You get glory to yourself.

You say, look what I did for the Bible says that by grace, he saved through faith and that not of yourselves, here is the gift of God. Why, lest any man should boast.

No peacocks in heaven and letting him be singing in heaven and on to him who loved us and washed us with his blood. We're playing Daytona Beach in high school, and there was about 3 inches of water in the fields come up of our shootouts and we were meeting at Daytona mainland.

But it was horrible. It was wet.

Our uniforms were just soaking wet. Somebody put a pass in the air and are defensive tackle who was very overweight, had that pastor slammed the bear and stuck down in Saudi put both arms around he had intercepted a pass first time in his life now until he was the slowest man life. He slowest man on the field but you know, as fate would have it, he ran that thing back for touchdown. We blocked Everyman three times in order for him to get down there is a way that guy would run rightly. Leslie rightly but he ran it back now. Would you that I spent the night with that guy. That night we shared a room afterward.

All night long. I heard about him running those movies running the ball back down at the Y to spend eternity with a guy bright about how you get to heaven. I want to spend eternity with people giving the Lamb all the glory. I may have this and washed us with his blood.

What is salvation by grace do it respects God's glory and Artie what else it does it receives God's gift. It receives God's gift ballot if you will hear again in verse three it was counted on to him for righteousness. Now that word counted is used a number of times in this chapter, but if you look at it in the English you would necessarily see it, because the same word is translated imputed and the same word is translated recommend like if you will, in verse three, where it was counted to him in verse 6.imputed righteousness.

Verse eight Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Last part of verse nine that faith was reckoned. Verse 10 how then was it reckoned the last part of verse 11 might be imputed go down to verse 22. Therefore, it was imputed notice in verse 23 that it was imputed to him.

Notice verse 24 for us also to whom it shall be imputed over and over and always talking about something called amputation. Now don't you check me out.

You say that you go with a theological word I don't hear anything about amputation has nothing to do with me, friend. It has everything to do with you. It has everything to do with you because the way that you're going to get saved is for God to count something to reckon something to impute something to your account. Now this is what God does. God reckons our impute our accounts righteousness to you when you have the faith of Abraham. Now let me take something about amputation. I listen very carefully and is all going to come together make sense.

Adam sin was imputed to you, Adam sin was put on your account, feel our son David is a missionary jaws and I sometimes want to give him a gift.

And rather than sending him a check in the mail. We just cite David will put a check on your account. We just added to your account. It's there you can write a check overseas because we don't put it in your account over here now. We impute that to his account.

The reason to write a check for the layers because we put it on his account only discipline means just that charger reckon a put on your account. Next time you go to the department so it also charges a imputed she will know what you talk about, you can witness to just say imputed charger to my account put that on my account. Now that's what it means now Adam sin was imputed to you is I didn't vote for Adam. What Adam didn't have anything to do with me all of Adam had had any children.

Where would you be think about Adam when he sin became a slave of sin and the son of a slave is a slave.

And besides that you then inherited Adam's sinful nature and Adam's guilt was put on you. Let me give you verse for that. Romans five verse 12 wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.

So dad passed upon all men, that is death was imputed all men. We got it from Adam. Sam was imputed to you throughout got that I know what you Adam sin was imputed to you. Our sin was imputed to Jesus. That's what the gospel is all about. Here in chapter 4. Look, if you will, in verse 25 of chapter 4 look at it is speaks of Jesus, who was delivered for our fences, not for his own sin, but for our fences but down second Prentice chapter 5 verse 21, for God has made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, we see that God has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin. Jesus was a similar spotless Lamb of God I got for that. But God made him to be sin for us, God and make him a sinner. He was not a sinner but God made him to be sin. Adam sin was put on main my sin was put on Jesus.

Jesus carried my sin to the cross in Leviticus chapter 16, there is a ritual that is the story of the scapegoat member of the term scapegoat well in Old Testament times, God gave so many pictures and illustrations of salvation and what they would do them take two goats and bring those two goats to the door of the tabernacle.

One goat would be slain, his throat would be cut. The blood would be spilled out.

That would picture Jesus on the cross in agony and blood dying for us but then Eric the high priest would take both hands and laying his hands on the head of the other goat the live goat called the scapegoat and confess the sins of the people upon the head of that goat. And then that goat would be led out into the well, never to return. Picturing our sins being carried away by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. And when Aaron laying his hands on the head of that goat the sins of the people of Israel were being placed imputed charged reckoned upon the head of that goat picturing our sins big leg up on the Lord Jesus. Now what's this Adam sin was imputed to you. Your sin was imputed to Jesus and now. Thank God Jesus righteousness is imputed to us.

That's the cost. Righteousness is imputed to office notice verse three. What's at the Scripture. Abraham believed God, and it was counted reckoned imputed unto him for righteousness.

Now that is the grace that Abraham discovered in coming up tomorrow will hear the important second half of this message. If you have questions about who Jesus is about what he means to you how to receive the grace that God is freely offering you go to where discovered Jesus page@lwf.org/radio to find resources and materials that will answer questions you may have about your faith again.

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Remember, Adrian Rogers said faith believes God, not for what God has done. But for whom God is.

Thanks for studying in his word with us today and we hope you'll join us tomorrow for part two of it's time for some good news right here on love worth finding a listener wrote recently with this word of encouragement.

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