The Greatest Story Ever Told

Have you ever heard The Greatest Story Ever Told? Today, you can on this episode of the Grafted Podcast… The Greatest Story Ever Told.

We have entered the season of Advent! It is the time of expectant waiting and preparation to celebrate the Nativity of Christ for Christmas, and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. Because of this, we are going to take a break from our study in Romans. Instead, we are going to hear the first part of the Greatest Story Ever Told. This episode is good for the whole family. So gather your family, enjoy a hot cup of coco, and enjoy this story.

“The Greatest Story Ever Told”

Matthew 1:18-2:23 & Luke 1:26-2:40

An original adaptation, compiled and paraphrased by Adam Weatherly

 To tell the greatest story ever told, we have to go back in time, over 2000 years ago. It's a dark starry night in a vast desert wilderness of the East known as Persia. There, a group of wise men, people called Magi, studied the stars. On this particular night, they witnessed an astronomical phenomenon in the sky. “Look! A new star has appeared,” one of them said. The Magi started discussing this rare phenomenon. They knew something special had happened. As they interpreted the meaning of this new star, one of the Magi addressed the group, “this must be a sign from God.” They noticed that the star appeared over the land of Judah, which meant that the new Jewish King had been born. Not only that, but the birth of a new star revealed this new king was special. He would be the King of all Kings. “We must go and worship this great and mighty king,” a third Magi declared. So that night, they set out on a journey heading west as they followed the star. 

That very same night, in a small town named Nazareth, sat a young woman named Mary. She was engaged to a hardworking carpenter named Joseph, who just so happened to be the 26 times great-grandchild of King David. Mary was pure and innocent and waited for Joseph to become her husband. That night, Mary sat at her window, staring at the stars, dreaming of the life that she and Joseph would have together. All of a sudden the room began to shine with a bright light. Mary turned to see an angel of the Lord standing next to her. He wore a white tunic, elegantly decorated armor, with a sword hanging from his belt, and a trumpet made of horn at his side. The glory of God shone all around him, illuminating the room.

“Greetings favored woman. The Lord is with you,” he said. Mary was shaken up a little and didn’t know what to think about this weird greeting. She wondered why the angel had come to her. Then the angel spoke again saying, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. I am the Guardian Angel of Israel, Gabriel. The Lord has sent me to speak with you. God has chosen you to be blessed. You will become pregnant and will give birth to a baby boy. You will name him Jesus. The boy will be very great and will be called the Son of God. God will give him the throne of King David, he will rule over Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.”

After hearing all that Gabriel said, Mary thought, “How can this be?” Then she asked Gabriel, “How exactly is this going to happen? I’m not married yet.”

Gabriel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of God the Most High, will overshadow you. This is why the baby will be called the ‘Son of God’. You see Mary, with God, nothing is impossible.”

Mary believed what the Angel Gabriel had told her and responded, “I’m the Lord's servant, and am ready to serve. Let it happen just like you say it will.”

A few months later, Mary’s belly began to grow. When she couldn't hide it any longer, Mary told Joseph, “Joseph, I need to share something with you, and you may want to sit down.” “Okay,” Joseph replied. Mary dropped the bomb, “I’m pregnant.” She told him everything that the Angel had said to her, but Joseph did not believe her. Because Joseph was an upright and moral man, he decided to take care of the situation secretly so that Mary wouldn’t be humiliated.

During the middle of the night, Joseph tried to figure out how to handle the news of Mary’s pregnancy. Frustrated and exhausted he fell asleep. As he drifted into a deep sleep, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him. “Joseph, son of David. Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife!” the angel said. “The child she is pregnant with has come from the Holy Spirit. The baby will be a boy and you should name him Immanuel — which means, God is with us. This baby will save His people from their sin to fulfill the message of God’s prophets that said, 'watch for this sign, a virgin will become pregnant and will have a son, who will be named Immanuel.'”

When Joseph woke up the next morning, realized that the dream was a message from God. So he did exactly what the angel had said in his dream. He married Mary but he vowed to not embrace her until after the baby was born.

Around that same time the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus declared that a census was to be taken. This meant that every family needed to travel to their father's hometown. Because Joseph was the 26 times great-grandson of King David’s royal line, he packed up his very pregnant wife on a donkey and walked a full day (about 6.5 miles) from Nazareth to the small town of Bethlehem in Judea.

As they arrived in Bethlehem early that evening, it was time for Mary to give birth. There was only one place for travelers to stay, a small Hotel. Joseph went inside to the Hotel owner. “Do you have an available room for my wife and I, so we can be counted in the census?” Joseph asked. To which the owner replied, “There are no rooms left in the Hotel.” “But sir!” Joseph argued. “Can’t you see my wife is about to give birth!? We need a place to stay!” “Mister, I’m sorry, but we have no rooms left. You’ll have to find someplace else.” the Owner sternly replied. Then Joseph begged, “Please. It’s dark outside, and we have no place to go. Surely you have something somewhere. Anywhere.” “Okay, Okay.” the owner answered as he saw the desperation on Joseph's face. “There is one place left, but you're not going to like it.” Joseph said, “We’ll take it!” “There's an empty stall in the stable. It’s around the back. Stay there if you want.” “Oh, Thank you,” Joseph said as he signed with relief.

Mary and Joseph walked around the hotel and saw a stable that was built in the opening of a small cave. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked. It was better than nothing. As they got settled in the stable, Joseph built a small fire to keep them warm and provide a little light. About that same time, Mary went into labor. "Joseph!" Mary shouted. "It's time. The baby is coming!" she said. Joseph grabbed all the blankets he could find and brought them to Mary. It was there, in that dark and dirty stable where Mary gave birth to her firstborn child. A baby boy. Mary swaddled the baby snugly in one of the blankets and nursed him. Joseph lined an empty feeding trough (manger) with blankets. When Mary was finished feeding the baby, she laid him in the feeding trough.

Not too far away, in a field just outside of Bethlehem, there were some shepherds. They sat under the stars next to a crackling campfire watching their sheep. Suddenly a bright light appeared, and an angel appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of them. He was wearing a long flowing white tunic, and the light of God’s glory shone around him. The shepherds were frightened.

“Don’t be afraid,” the Angel told them. “I’m here to give you good news that will bring joy to the whole world. ‘The Messiah was born tonight in Bethlehem. Go, look for the baby. He is wrapped in a blanket and lying in an empty feeding trough.”

As the Angel finished speaking, a choir of angels appeared behind him. They were all dressed in long flowing choir robes, and shining with the Glory of the Lord. They began to sing a heavenly hymn with their voices that brought praises to God. They sang the chorus, “Glory to God in the heavenly heights. Peace to all people on earth who please him.”

When the Angels ascended back to heaven, the shepherds looked at each other in awe. "Umm, did anyone else see that?" one of the shepherds asked. "YES!" the others all said at the same time. “We must go and see this baby,” one of them said. Another shouted, “Yes! We must go and worship this Savior!” “I think I know where he is,” another one proclaimed. They all jumped up and ran as fast as they could to find the baby in Bethlehem. When they arrived at the stable, they saw Mary and Joseph and stared in awe at the baby lying in a feeding trough. The shepherds believed what the Angel shared with them, and they began to worship the baby. Later in the evening, on their way back to their camp the Shepherds praised God for what they had seen. They told everyone they met about the child and what the angel told them. The people were captivated by what they heard.

Over the next week, Joseph found an acceptable place for Mary and the baby to stay. He also registered his family for the census. On the eighth day, early in the morning, Joseph and Mary took the baby to the temple in Jerusalem. They went to present the baby to the priest according to the Law of Moses.

As they entered the temple, a man named Simeon was waiting for them. Simeon was a good man, old in age, and was full of the Holy Spirit. Simeon constantly prayed that help would come to Israel. Earlier that day, the Holy Spirit fell on him. The Holy Spirit showed him that he would see the Messiah before he died, and led him to the temple. With a big smile on his face, Simeon took the baby from Mary. He held the baby tight in his arms as he began to praise God. Simeon prayed, “O Lord, I can now live out my days in peace as you promised. Now, I have seen your salvation, that you have given for everyone. He is the light that will reveal you to the nations, and is the glory of your people.” When he finished praying, Simeon looked at Mary and Joseph. He blessed them saying, “This child has been destined to cause many to rise and many to fall. He is the sign from God, but many will stand against Him. Because of this, the deep thoughts of many hearts will be discovered. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

When Simeon finished speaking to Mary and Joseph, an eighty-four-year-old widow walked in. She spent her life worshipping God by praying and fasting day and night in the temple. Her name was Anna and she was a prophetess. Anna cherished the baby and began praising God. She shared about the child with everyone in the temple.

Mary and Joseph treasured everything that had been said about their baby. Now it was their turn to present the baby to the priest in the Temple. “Who is presenting this baby in the presence of the temple today?” the priest asked. “His mother, Mary, and I do,” Joseph replied. “And what is the name given to the child?” asked the priest. Joseph answered, “His name will be Jesus.” The Priest took Jesus, circumcised him, and said, “It has pleased God to give Joseph and Mary the gift of this baby who is called Jesus. We dedicate and set Him apart as being holy to God as the firstborn child. We give thanks to God for this child.” At the end of that day, after fulfilling the requirements of the Law, they returned to Bethlehem.

Two years passed and the Magi, from the East, were still following the star. On their journey, the star led them to Jerusalem. When they entered the city they asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We witnessed his star appear from the far-off eastern lands and have followed it so we can worship him.” Herod had become king of Judea at the time. But there was a problem, he was not a descendant of King David. The Jews didn’t like him, and they did not fully accept him as king. When Herod heard the rumors about what the Magi were asking, he knew his job was in danger. He thought that another king had come to take over, which made him extremely upset. Herod would do anything to stay king, so he called all the priests and scribes to look into where this newborn king was to be born. One of the priests spoke up quoting from the prophet Micah, “And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.”

King Herod summoned the Magi to a private meeting, and he pretended to be a devout believer. “When exactly did this new star first appear?” Herod asked. The Magi answered, “We first saw the star two years ago.” Next, Herod revealed the prophecy from Micah to the Magi and sent them on their way to Bethlehem. On their way out of the palace, Herod said, “Send a messenger back to me when you find the child, so I can come worship him too.”

The star appeared again as the Magi set out towards Bethlehem. It led them straight to a little house in Bethlehem where Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus were living. "KNOCK, Knock, knock." "Who could that be?" Joseph thought as he went to answer the door. "Can I help you?" Joseph asked the wise men. "We are from the East," one of them said. Another said, "Two years ago, we saw the star of a new king appear." "We have been following the star for two years, to worship and give presents to the new king," the third Magi said. "The star has led us here, to your house. May we come in?" The first Magi asked. Joseph remembered what the Angel who appeared to him in the dream had revealed. Joseph said, "Please come in."

As they entered the house, the Magi, they saw Mary holding Jesus. They bowed down in front of Jesus and worshipped him. The first wise man opened his bag and pulled out a beautifully carved wooden box. He opened the box as he sat it in front of Jesus. It was inlaid with purple cloth and filled with gold. The second wise man sat an ornately forged circular metal container in front of Jesus. He opened the metal container to reveal frankincense. Finally, the third Magi unwrapped an ornately painted bottle. As he sat it in front of Jesus, he pulled the cork out which allowed the sweet smell of myrrh to fill the room. Each gift was costly, luxurious, and suitable for celebrating the birthday of a new king. Mary and Joseph were amazed by what the Magi had brought.

Late that evening, after the Magi had left, everyone had fallen asleep. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a second dream. “King Herod wants to kill the child.” the Angel warned. “Get up now and take Mary and Jesus to Egypt. Stay there until I come back to you.” Joseph sat up startled. He woke up Mary, and they set out that night to take Jesus to Egypt.

Early the next morning, King Herod heard that the Magi disobeyed him. In a fit of rage, Herod called his soldiers. “Go to Bethlehem, and kill all the boys there who are two years old and younger!” he ordered them. The soldiers went to do as the king ordered. This brutal action fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah. “People will cry out in Israel, weeping for their children, because they were killed.”

Several years had passed since Joseph moved Mary and Jesus to Egypt. Late one evening the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a third dream. “Get up!” The Angel said. “King Herod has died. It is now safe to take Mary and Jesus to your home.” Joseph woke up the next morning. “Mary! Mary!” He happily shouted. “Well, you sure woke up in a good mood,” Mary said with a little laugh. “The Angel of the Lord came to me in a dream last night. Guess what he said.” Joseph said. “I don’t know,” Mary replied. “What did he say?” Joseph excitedly said, “We can go home! The Angel said it was safe to return to Israel!” Mary and Joseph were excited that they could take Jesus to their home in Israel. So they packed up all their belongings and returned to their home in the small Galilean town of Nazareth. It is there where Jesus grew up. He became strong and was known for wisdom beyond his years, and God poured out his blessing on him.

I hope you enjoyed hearing The Greatest Story Ever Told. My prayer is that each of us has an amazingly blessed Advent Season as we celebrate Christmas and prepare for Jesus to come again.

God Bless & Merry Christmas

Cover of a Souls

We have all heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” If the cover of a book looks interesting, chances are someone has their eye on it. Think about it, what is the purpose of a book cover? It’s supposed to visually show what's in the book to make the reader pick it up and buy it. The front cover attracts people to look at the back cover. The back cover educates about what's in the book, and the flap shares about the author. These are all parts of the cover that help “sell” a book. With over 700 million books sold every year in the United States, each book cover must stand out from all the others. The inside of the book needs to be just as good if not better than the cover. If the reader buys the book and doesn’t like it… it's game over. This is similar to how some people think about salvation. Many churchgoers believe that their outward cover of religion is what secures their passage into heaven. But their cover needs to be a reflection of what's on the inside. That's what we’re looking at in this episode of the Grafted Podcast…The Cover of a Soul.

Historical Context:

Once again, Paul is speaking to the flawed theology of Jews in the Roman church. They believed that their salvation was guaranteed due to being born a Jew. To them, circumcision was part of their identity, and they wore it like a badge of honor. Pride invaded their hearts, and they sought after the praise of men rather than God. In their arrogance, they forgot that their circumcision was in response to Abraham’s faith. The outward appearance became more important than their decision to believe in God and follow after him. 

We need to remember that Paul himself was both a Jew and a Roman citizen. He was educated not only in scripture but also in the law and culture of the day. What Paul writes from verses 12-27 leads up to the verses we are going to look at in this episode. 

In verse 13 he speaks against the thought that because they were Jews, they were automatically righteous before God. Paul told them, “For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight (NLT).” This is a continuation of what Paul talked about from Romans 1:28 through 2:12. The Jews knew what was required by God’s law, but they chose not to live by it. Then they Judged others for doing the same things that they were doing. Because of this, they were going to either suffer God’s wrath or spend eternity with him based on their deeds. In verse 23 he tells them, “You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it (NLT).” He even said that because of the hypocrisy of the jews, the Gentiles denounced God.

Talk about a slap in the face for the Jewish believers! Now let's look at our key verses.

Romans 2:28-29 (ESV)

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. 

Outward Jew

Paul drew a harsh distinction between being a Jew and a true follower of God. Verse 28 talks about the Outward Jew. He says…

“For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. (NLT)”

A person's heritage doesn’t mean that they automatically stand right with God. This is what many of the Jews believed. They thought that they were automatically given salvation because they were born into a Jewish family, and they didn’t need to follow the law. They also believed that their circumcision was a badge that represented their guarantee of Salvation. What Paul was getting at here is that the outward signs of being a Jew are meaningless when it comes to salvation. It didn’t matter that they were born a Jew and went through the ceremonial circumcision or not. Many Jews followed God’s laws while they were in the public eye, but when it came to their hearts, they were not right with God. They had put on an outer cover to show their place as God’s chosen people, but their hearts didn’t match up on the inside. 

Paul teaches about this further in Romans 9:8 where he says, “This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” Paul is referring back to the original promise of Abraham that led to the sign of circumcision. Abraham had faith in God and was accepted by God long before he was circumcised. Circumcision came as a sign of the Covenant God had with Abraham because of his faith. The Jews that Paul was talking to forgot about this. Instead, they were dishonoring God by breaking the law, while at the same time they bragged about God’s law in public. 

These outward appearances of the Jews did not represent the inner faith of a true believer. 

Today, we see this similarly played out all the time with social media. Everyone has their social profiles that make them seem like they have everything together and are living the dream. The outward appearance we see on social media doesn’t show us is the inner turmoil that is going on in a person's life.

The same is true for many churchgoers today. There are a large number of people who put on a Christian persona. They attend church and know christianese. They believe that being born into a Christian home, going to church, or even being baptized is what saves them. In fact, there are some Christian groups that delay baptism until the end of life to make sure all their sins are covered and washed away. They put on a good show with outward appearances for church, but their hearts don't reflect true Christian faith or character. We see this all the time in Spain when we are talking with people. We will ask someone if they are going to church. They will say something like, “Yea, I’m Catholic and attend mass,” but in the same sentence say “I don’t believe.’” They believe that the outward appearance of religion is what will get them into heaven. Many people think that simply having the outward appearance of being a Christian through religion is their ticket to salvation. But this is what Paul was teaching against.  

Just like there is a difference between being a Jew and a true follower of God, there is also a difference between calling ourselves a Christian and being a true Disciple of Christ. 

Inside

Paul is teaching the Jewish believers in the Roman church about what God looks for in a true believer. God values faith and obedience on the inside more than the outward appearance of circumcision. 

Romans 2:29 (ESV)

But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. 

Paul makes the switch from talking about outward appearances to what God sees on the inside of people…the heart. The Jew that is right with God in their heart is the true Jew. Peter also teaches about this in 1 Peter 3 when he is talking about how wives and husbands are to treat each other. The people of the church are the “bride” of Christ, which makes Christ the head of the church. 

1 Peter 3:3-4

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

God doesn’t want his church, his bride, to be an just outward sign. Not at all! God wants his church to be right with him in their heart. When the heart is right with God, so are the outward appearances. That is what Paul was referring to as circumcision being a matter of the heart. 

Just like circumcision was a sign and a seal of the covenant God made with Abraham, Circumcision of the heart is a sign of a true believer's genuine loyalty and obedience to God. Paul is referring to the prophecy to the people of Judah in Jeremiah 4:4 that says,

Jeremiah 4:4

“Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O man of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.”

Being a true believer isn’t a matter of following a religious structure, or just “doing” the law like many of the Jews believed. For Paul, being a true believer is a matter of becoming a new creation through faith in Jesus. Circumcision of the heart happens as a true believer allows the Holy Spirit to change them. This leads to the believer separating themselves from the world and dedicating their life to God. This is what the Baptism of a true believer is all about. Baptism represents that the believer has accepted Christ, made the decision to die to the world, and raised to a new life in Christ. It is the outward expression of an inner change of the believer's heart.

Praise

The Jews Paul was talking to looked for the approval of people. They wanted others to see what they were doing in public and applause them for it. Paul tells them that this is the wrong place to seek approval.

Romans 2:29b (ESV)

His praise is not from man but from God.

As believers' hearts are changed through the leading of the Holy Spirit, and they have devoted their lives to following God, something else happens. They start seeking approval from God. Paul teaches both the Corinthians and the Thessalonians about this. 

2 Corinthians 10:18 (NLT)

When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT)

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

Seeking the approval of God is what Paul wanted the believers in the Roman Church to do. When people seek after the approval of others they are upside down in their theology and faith. But when people seek after the approval of God, they may not be popular with others, but they will be right with God. Which is way more important. 

Application

How does this apply to us today since many of us aren’t Jewish believers?

If we rephrase this verse for us today it might read more like this:

Romans 2:28-29 (Adam’s modern paraphrase)

For you are not a true Christian because you were born into a Christian family, or because you have gone through the ceremonies of confirmation or baptism. No, a true Christian is one whose heart is right with God. And true baptism represents not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it shows a change of heart that has been produced by the Holy Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.  

Going to church and practicing religion is not what makes us christians. 

When I was a teenager, I attended the United Methodist Church. When I was 17 years old that meant that it was time for me to go through Confirmation. For the Methodist Church, Confirmation marks the first time a baptized Christian publicly "confirms" their intention to be a professing member of the local congregation. For me this was several weeks of classes with my pastor. I learned about church history, sacraments of the church, special days and seasons, and about church doctrine. Basically I learned what it meant to be a Methodist.  

When this class was over, there was a special service for me and others who attended the class. We were presented to the church. Our pastor asked us questions like, “Do you renounce evil?”, and “do you commit to Jesus Christ?” to which we all answered “I do.” Then I was baptized by sprinkling. Then the church accepted all of us who took the class as members of the Church. 

For me, this was simply just something that everyone who went to the church did. It was part of the act of religion. Going through all of this did not mean that I was a true Christian. My heart wasn’t in it at all. People who looked at me saw my outward appearance, my cover of religion, but they didn’t know what was inside my heart.  It was 3 years later, when I was 20, that I had a true change of heart to follow Jesus and was baptized by immersion.

I believe that classes like the confirmation class I went through are very important. I believe that as Christians we need to know about the things that are learned in these classes. But just because we go to these classes and learn these things does not mean that we are true Christians. What makes us true Christians is based on our confession of faith, and our new heart that shows the work of Jesus in our lives as we become doers of God’s Word. If we were books, our outer covers accurately represent the pages of our inner hearts. 

In God’s eyes we are an open book. He sees all the secrets in our hearts and lives. He isn’t impressed with how religious we are, but he looks to see if our hearts have truly been changed by the Holy Spirit. If your life was a book on the shelf at your local bookstore, and God was browsing the shelves, would your cover represent the story of a changed heart that He wants to read?

Growth Point Questions:

1. If your life was a book, would your outer cover match the story written on inner pages?”

2. Did you grow up in a religious environment? What was that experience like? Was it good or bad?

3. When was your heart circumcised, and what was your life like before and after you became a new creation?

4. How can other people tell that God’s Word is written on our hearts?

5. What is the defining characteristic of a true Christian?

Who Are You To Judge?

When I was in 9th grade, I was the new kid to the school that year. It had been several months since school started, and other students were still trying to figure me out. Then one day one of the students in homeroom asked me, “Are you a Christian?” And I said, “No.” Then he along with others sitting around me, started judging me and talking about all the sins they thought I might have possibly committed. I remember thinking at one point, “Who are you to judge me?” and said to them “Why should I be a Christian if you're not living the way you're supposed to?” Then the bell rang, and it was time to go to the next class. What they didn’t know was that, while I wasn't a Christian, I did go to church. The students who sat around me judging were known for doing things they should not have been doing. These students had mouths worse than sailors, they were gossips, they were disobedient to their parents, foolish, and there was one girl who was known for being promiscuous. That was in 1999. I didn’t accept Jesus in 2004. 

Last Episode Recap

Thanks for tuning in to this Episode of the Grafted Podcast. I just want to say a quick thank you for everyone that has been praying for our family and supporting our ministry. We just hit 80% of our monthly missions budget and have started the VISA process. We have $1800 left in monthly support to raise before we can go back to Spain. Our goal is to be finished fundraising by December, and if the Lord wills to move to Madrid by the end of December. Thank you again for your prayers and financial support. To find out more about how you can become one of our ministry partners please visit our website www.showingtheworld.com and click on the Donate Now tab. 

Last episode we looked at Romans chapter 1 vs 28-32 and what happens for those who don’t acknowledge or have faith in God. Through Paul's example, we saw how God never gives up on anyone, but he will, however, allow them to go their own way, and to live the way they want to live. Today that relates to people living the “You do you” lifestyle, then to help themselves feel better they encourage others to do the same things they were doing. Eventually, this leads to suffering the consequences of their actions. As Christians, we should use Paul's example to live for Christ, stay on the right track with God, and do our best to live up to his standards through our faith in Jesus. 

Intro

In this episode, we are looking at Romans 2:1-5, Who are you to judge!?

Remember Paul is addressing the Church in Rome which was made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers. There was a small group of Jewish believers that Paul is calling out here. This group considered themselves to have the highest of morals. So they looked down on and judged others because they had higher standards of living than the other people living in the community. They also believed that God’s condemnation did not apply to them. 

So let's look at these first 5 verses of Romans chapter 2:

“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, everyone of you who judges. For in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgement of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgement of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed.”

Before we dig in, I want to point out two things. First, while Paul is talking about judging, he is not talking about judging for Church discipline. There is a time and a place for church discipline to happen. This typically happens when a believer has had what is considered a moral failure and is unrepentant. At that point, the pastor, church board, deacons, elders, and other church governing authorities step in to judge and discipline. This is Biblical and each Christian denomination has their own set of bylaws that helps guide this process. As an ordained Assemblies of God Minister, I have witnessed church discipline, and it is not fun for anyone or any side that is involved. BUT, this is not what we are talking about in this episode. 

The second thing I want to point out is that Paul is not talking about judging our fellow Christians as a form of accountability. This is where one Christian notices another who is struggling in an area that may be known or unknown. When a Christian sees another doing something they are not supposed to, they are to judge as in, calling into question the situation. But this is not to judge, as in condemning the person, but instead to gently help them stay right with God. Again, not what we are talking about in this episode.

Now that we have that out of the way, we can look at what Paul is really talking about. 

Calling Out the Judges

Paul starts chapter 2 by saying, “You have no excuse! You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad.(NLT)” He is directly referring to what he said in Chapter 1 verses 28-32 where God let people go to live their own way and to do what should not be done, and then he gave a list of the things they were doing. The small group of Jewish believers we talked about earlier along with other believers were judging people for their ungodly living. 

The issue with that is that the same people who were judging non-believers, were doing some of the same exact things. While they believed in Jesus Christ, they were still actively involved in sinful acts such as gossiping, slandering, boastful, heartless, and being envious and deceitful. While they know the rules, they thought that their faith would allow them to still practice these things. But that was not the case. 

Paul calls these judgy people out by saying “When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. (NLT)” These believers were caught red-handed! There is a story in John chapter 8 where the Pharisees brought Jesus a woman who had been caught in adultery. The believers Paul was referring to, were acting just like the Pharisees. Romans 2:1 was Paul’s way of saying what Jesus said in John 8:7 “Let those who are without sin be the first to throw a stone…(mixed translation)”

The Thought Process

Paul knew about the two thought processes that these people had in the back of their mind who thought they were better than others. 

First thought

Their first thought is that they had Escaped God’s Judgment. This is found in verse 3. 

“Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgement when you do the same things?”

They thought that because they had faith in Jesus, that they would escape the judgement of God. They also forgot who the judge, jury and executioner actually is, so they began taking it upon themselves to be those three things. And they showed absolutely no mercy to those they were judging. Paul insisted that they were condemned because they were doing the same exact things they were judging others for. He knew that someday every one, including us today, will appear in our true character and stand in judgement before Jesus. When we do, we will receive what is due to us (our reward or punishment) based on the things we have done while living. Paul suggests that when believers judge others for something they do also, that they are going to be judged the same way. 

Jesus talked about judging others in Matthew chapter 7. In verse 2 he said,

“for with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” 

This is judging in the sense of sentencing someone or condemning someone for their actions. There is a difference between wondering if  someone is going to Hell because they don’t have faith in Jesus, and condemning someone to hell because of their sinful lifestyle. 

In 1 Corinthians 4:4b & 5 while talking about the ministry of the Apostles Paul said,

“It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.”

The Second Thought

The second is that they took for granted what God had done for them. 

We see this in verse 4 where Paul said, 

“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (NLT)”

These Judgy believers had grown arrogant and entitled. They had a false sense of security believing that since they were Jewish believers, they had possession of God’s law. They became self-righteous. This caused them to take for granted that God was patient with them, and how He gave them time to turn from their evil rebellious ways. In the way they were judging others, they became ignorant of what God did for them. 

Paul was concerned that their overconfidence in their “special” status with God, and their unwillingness to repent of sin, showed disrespect for God’s blessings. So he reminded them that God’s purpose is to lead people toward repentance and to return to Him. This happens through God's kindness and His patience. 

Peter teaches in 2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Instead of showing people God in a positive light, these Jewish believers were judging others in a way that showed contempt for the kindness, tolerance and patience of God. 

Paul’s Warning

So now that Paul has called out these two through processes, he brings down the hammer on the arrogant believers with a warning in verse 5. 

“Because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed.” 

Paul was enforcing the idea that because they were judging others for the same things that they were doing, they were throwing judgement and condemnation on themselves. This was his way of telling them they need to ask for forgiveness and turn from their sin or there will be consequences when the day Judgement comes. 

Even Jesus mentions this in Matthew 7:3-5. 

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. (NLT)”

Application

While Paul was calling out high moralist believers in the Church in Rome, today we can learn from their mishaps. What we learn from this is that we need to be extremely careful in judging other people. Especially if we are judging someone else for doing something we are guilty of doing ourselves. 

It's probably safe to say that we all know someone who is guilty of being like the people Paul was referring to. We may even be putting ourselves in check thinking about it. 

My family studies Brazilian Jiu-jitsu together. It’s fun, it’s a great heart pumping exercise, and it's a great thing to do as a family. If you have ever been to a martial arts gym, there are all kinds of people from just about every walk of life. Some are Christian, some are from other religious backgrounds and lifestyles. There is a lot of ministry that can happen on the mats. About 6 months or so ago, there was a mixed martial arts fighter at our gym that everyone knew was Christian and attended church. Now the people in this story are people that I personally know and respect, and they could kick my butt, so I’m changing their names. We’ll say his name is Andy. He was an outspoken Christian. One day he was talking to one of the lady mma fighters. We will say her name is Kelly. During that conversation, Kelly let the “F” word slip out. Andy completely lost his mind, started yelling, and raked Kelly over the coals. He told her how she was on a path straight to hell because of her foul mouth, and that she needed to apologize to him for cussing in front of him. Wow, thanks Andy for showing God’s kindness and passion there. Come to find out by looking at Andy’s social media accounts, he was involved in some questionable lifestyle choices himself. He just chose cussing to be the mountain he wanted to die on that day. And in the process, he ruined his reputation as a Christian at the gym. I don’t know if Andy was having a bad day that day, if he was being a little on the self-righteous side or if he used to cuss like a sailor or something. But For whatever reason he decided to judge someone else when he knew his lifestyle didn’t fit with Gods standard as well. 

As Christians, we are called to a higher standard of living which includes our morals and ethics. Where we need to be careful is that we don’t become self-righteous and start judging people when we know that we mess up too. There isn’t a single one of us who is guiltless. While we are supposed to speak out against sin, we need to do so with a humble heart. 

When we find ourselves justifiably upset about someone else's sin, we are to show that person the same kindness, tolerance, and patience that God has shown to us in our wrongdoing. That doesn’t mean we are giving approval of wrong living, but instead we are being gentle and prayerful of how we handle the person. More often than not, the sins we see most clearly in others are the ones that have taken root in us the most. Before attending to someone else's issues, we need to evaluate ourselves first and remember what God has done for us.

Remember, God shows us his kindness in allowing us to live and enjoy life, he is tolerant as he bears with us as we don’t live up to his standards, and he is patient with us as he postpones his judgment and punishment so that his kindness will lead us and others into repentance and a relationship with him. 

Growth Points

There are two parts to the growth points for this episode. First are to help us examine ourselves, and the second set are for discussion. 

Self-examine:

1. Have you ever found yourself judging or looking down on someone else? If so, why?

2. What ways have you experienced God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience in your life?

3. Have you ever taken what God has done for granted? If so, how?

4. Are there currently things in your life that you have tried to hide in darkness that you know will be revealed during God’s judgement? If so, what are they?

Discussion:

1. Have you ever experienced someone else judging you for something? 

2. We all know judgemental, self-righteous people. What type of things do they tend to judge others for?

3. What excuses do people make to defend their reasoning for judging someone else?

4. In what ways can we show others God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience?