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Sermon Notes for March 8, 2009

Communion

“Resting In Our Justification”

Romans 5:12-19

Introduction

  1. Our Approach To The Lord’s Supper.
  2. Many people feel very uncomfortable when they see that the Lord’s Supper will be observed.
  3. “I’m not spiritual enough to take the Lord’s Supper.”
  4. “I don’t live a consistent Christian life.”
  5. “What right do I have to take the Lord’s Supper?”
  6. I will say this in response to your comments:
  7. first, the Lord’s Supper is a time for repentance

1. I Corinthians 11:27-28 – “Therefore, whoever eats the bread
or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be
guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A
man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and
drinks of the cup.”

a. to scrutinize

b. to discern

c. Present Active Imperative

2. the Lord does ask each of us to repent of our sins before we
take the Lord’s Supper

  1. second, the Lord’s Supper is a time for remembrance

1. but also, the Lord’s Supper is a time to remember what Jesus
did for us on the cross

a. that He died

b. and how He died

2. but, it is also a time to remember WHAT JESUS’ DEATH
MEANS TO CHRISTIANS!

a. WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT CROSS?

b. WHAT DID JESUS ACCOMPLISH BY HIS DEATH?

  1. NOWHERE DOES THE BIBLE REQUIRE PERFECT PEOPLE to come to the Lord’s Supper!
  1. Scripture’s Answer To The Lord’s Supper.
  2. I want us to look closely at what Scripture says about Jesus’ work on the cross.
  3. For, if we TRULY understand the accomplishment of Jesus Christ upon the cross, we will RUN to the Lord’s Table – BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE BELONG THERE!
  4. Yes, we are indeed sinners, but the Lord’s Table is a table for sinners.
  5. So, today I want to speak to the great struggle or “paradox” of sinners being invited to come to the Table of the Lord
  6. IT IS ALMOST AS IF WE ARE “TWO PEOPLE,” with “two natures”

1. on the one hand, we struggle with sin

a. we want what we want when we want it

b. we can often surprise ourselves at times at how selfish,
self-absorbed and inconsiderate we can be

c. WHERE DID ONE SINFUL NATURE COME
FROM?

d. well, that “sin nature” came from your “father”

1. yes, I mean your biological father

2. but, more specifically, your forefather – Adam,
himself

3. so, one “side” of our nature is sinful

2. but, we find ourselves being spiritual

a. we love the Lord and want to serve Him

b. we want to be Godly and walk with Him

c. where did “that nature” come from – it came from Jesus
Christ and His work in our lives

d. II Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come!”

  1. today, we will look at these two natures:

1. one “nature” of Adam that has “stained;” caused us to be
sinners

2. the other “nature” of Jesus Christ that has “saved us;” caused us
to be saints

I. Sin By One Man.

  1. The Reality Of Adam.

Vs. 12 – “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”

  1. The reality of Adam.
  2. let me ask you a question: do you believe in a literal Adam – as in Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis?

1. my experience at Presbytery in the PCUS

2. is it truly necessary to believe that the first man ever created,
was in fact Adam?

  1. perhaps, as many believe, Adam should be seen as a myth, a fable or a legend

1. a myth is a story meant to tell a religious truth, but is not to be
taken literally

2. a fable is an imaginary story, meant to teach a moral – like
“Aesop’s Fables”

3. a legend is a heroic saga involving larger than life characters,
such as in King Arthur and the Round Table

4. when someone said to English scholar C.S. Lewis that the
New Testament was mythology, he responded by referring to
someone’s reference of the gospel of John: “I have been
reading poems, romances, vision-literature, legends and
myths all my life. I know what they are like. I know that
not one of them is like this.”

  1. let us look at how the Scripture, itself represents Adam

1. one – in Genesis 1-3, where we are introduced to Adam, the
Biblical text never represents itself as anything but literally real

a. the Scripture merely says in Genesis 1:26-27 - Then
God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our
likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and
the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth,
and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’
So God created man in His own image, in the image
of God He created Him; male and female He created
them.”

b. please know that in other places, Scripture intentionally
was written so as not to be taken “literally”

1. Psalm 114:3-4 – “The sea looked and fled, the
Jordan turned back; the mountains skipped like
rams, the hills like lambs.”

2. Psalm 50:9-10 – “I have no need of a bull from
your stall or of goats from your pens, for every
animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a
thousand hills.”

c. when you approach Scripture, you need to see what
“kind of literature” it is

1. is it an allegory?

2. is it a parable?

3. is it to be taken literally?

2. two - look at the first genealogy found in all of Scripture,
Genesis 5:

a. a genealogy that listed individuals from Adam to Noah

b. let me ask you, do you believe in a literal Noah?

c. so, if you believe in a literal Noah, why would you not
believe in a literal Adam?

3. three - Adam is also included in the genealogy in Luke 3,
tracing the father of Jesus all the way back to Adam. Do you
believe in a literal Joseph?

4. four – the Apostle Paul “assumed” the reality of Adam.

I Corinthians 15:21-22 – “For since death came through a
man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

  1. The representation of Adam.

a. so, why is it so important to believe in a “literal
Adam?”

1. why can’t Adam be a myth, a fable or a legend?

2. why do we have to make such a “big deal” out of who Adam
actually was?

b. the reasons that Adam must be seen as a literal man:

1. first of all, the Word of God presents Adam as a real man so
we would question Scripture itself if we doubt that Adam was a
literal man

2. second, Adam represented all of mankind in the Garden
of Eden

a. theologians call Adam our “Federal Head”

1. he was our representative before a holy God

2. and Adam’s obedience or lack of obedience
would affect the rest of us

3. Adam was in effect, our “proxy”
a. in 1998, every UT fan in this world was
“represented” by a football team in the
National Championship

b. in World War II, every American was
“represented” by our soldiers in the war
in Europe and the Pacific

c. what happened when an Indian Chief
signed a treaty with the U.S.
government?

1. if the chief signs . . .

2. “then, all sign”

4. So, what was Adam called to do?

Genesis 2:16-17 - And the LORD God
commanded the man, "You are free to eat from
any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for
when you eat of it you will surely die."

a. God would test Adam to see if he could
obey God

b. if Adam could not obey God, he and the
rest of mankind to follow would be
punished for that failure

c. slide (Grand Canyon)

b. BECAUSE Adam sinned, all of mankind would
“inherit” not only Adam’s sin but also Adam’s need to
be punished

  1. The Result Of Adam.
  2. Now let me ask you, , if you do not believe that a literal Adam “caused” all of mankind to fall into sin, then WHERE DID SIN COME FROM?
  3. What is, generally, the first word that a child says – NO!

1. What do parents spend most of their time doing . . . teaching
their children to be good!

2. Do your children share with other children?

3. Brad: “Do not throw the ball.”

  1. Are you a nice person?

1. Do you always want the best for others?

2. Do you want others to get better seats at a concert than you, the
better job at work?

3. Eagles Concert at Thompson Boling Arena

4. cut off in traffic – ON SUNDAY!

  1. Why are there:

1. policemen?

2. armies?

3. locks on the doors?

4. passwords on computers?

5. Fleenor Security exists BECAUSE OF THE SIN OF MAN!

  1. my son David’s band; left car window open with all of his equipment in the car
  2. homes in Lima, Peru – look like jails
  3. G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis said that the doctrine of original sin is the basis of a democratic form of government - where power is spread out over the people – because it is the only reason we can give for not absolutely trusting a ruling elite. In other words, the best argument of democracy is not that men are good enough to govern themselves, but that men are so bad, none can be trusted with absolute power.
  4. Let’s look at TODAY’S KNOX NEWS SENTINEL. Is there evidence of sin in today’s newspaper?
  1. Sin came when Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden.

II. Salvation By One Man.

  1. The Reality Of Jesus.
  2. The reality of Jesus.
  3. Do you believe in a literal Jesus Christ?
  4. Why do we need to believe in a historical Jesus?

1. Why did Jesus come to this earth?

2. or, should we see Jesus as a:

a. myth?

b. fable?

c. legend?

2. The representation of Jesus.

a. JESUS Christ came to this earth to pay for the
sin of Adam and all of his children

1. God CLEARLY said in Genesis 2:17 that, if Adam and Eve ate
the forbidden fruit, THAT THEY WOULD SURELY DIE!

2. in other words, because of the sin of Adam and Eve, they would
have to be punished!

b. Jesus Christ came to this earth to take that punishment!

1. so, if there never existed a literal Adam who sinned and thus
required to be punished

2. YOU DON’T NEED A LITERAL JESUS TO COME TO
THIS EARTH TO DIE FOR ADAM’S SIN!

3. J.M. Boice – “You do not need an historical atonement to undo
a mythological fall or a mythological transgression. All you
need is another myth. But if Christ needed to be real to save
us, then Adam was real, too. It is because Adam was real that
Christ also had to be real to make atonement.”

4. PLEASE NOTICE what Paul calls Jesus in I Corinthians
15:45-47 - So it is written: "The first man Adam became a
living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual
did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man
from heaven.”

a. Do you realize that Paul called Jesus Christ “the second
Adam”?

b. the Apostle Paul is ASSUMING that:

1. the “first Adam” came to the world and “broke
it”

2. and the “second Adam” came to this earth “to fix
it”

c. let me say it again: if Adam did not exist, to bring sin to
this earth, you don’t need a Jesus to come to this
earth to die for the sins of man

  1. The Result of Jesus.
  2. Adam brought condemnation by his sin.

Vs. 18a – “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation
for all men.”

  1. because of Adam’s “one sin,” mankind would fall into sin

1. darkness

2. brokenness

3. murder, envy, lust and pride

  1. because of Adam’s “one sin,” man would be condemned to hell

1. suffering the punishment of torture forever

2. with no hope of ever being delivered

  1. Jesus brought salvation by His death on the cross.

Vs. 18b – “So also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.”

  1. Do you see the corresponding “acts” of each man?

1. by Adam’s “one act” of sin, all men fell into sin

2. by Jesus’ “one act” of righteousness, men would be saved

  1. and, inasmuch as Adam “brought” sin into the world, Jesus “bought” the other extreme – RIGHTEOUSNESS!
  2. BUT LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT WHAT JESUS “BOUGHT” US! HE “BOUGHT” US JUSTIFICATION!

1. yes, Adam’s sin caused all men to become sinners

2. but, Jesus paid the penalty for those sins

  1. let us now look at “just how completely” Jesus dealt with our sins

1. justification, as a Greek word

a. the English word justification

b.the Greek word justification

1. to declare men free from guilt

2. to be righteous

3. to declare and pronounce one to be just

4. a favorable judgment by which a man is declared
acceptable

c. M.L. Jones – “It is not only that we are forgiven, but
over and above being forgiven, the righteousness of
Jesus Christ is put to our account, is put upon us.”

d. slide (God/Christ/man)

2. justification, as a Greek verb

Vs. 19 – “For just as through the disobedience of the one man
the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of
the one man the many will be made righteous.”

a. not only does Paul use the Greek word for justification
to clearly teach that, through Jesus Christ, we are seen
as righteous

b. but Paul also uses a very interesting Greek verb to say
the very same thing

Vs. 19 – “The many will be made righteous.”

1. Future tense (to be done in the future)

2. Passive voice (to be done for you by another)

3. Indicative mood (it is a fact)

  1. HOW MUCH CLEARER CAN PAUL MAKE THIS POINT?

1. yes, we fell into sin by the sin of our forefather, Adam

2. BUT, we have been saved by the death of
Jesus Christ on the cross and WE ARE SEEN
AS RIGHTEOUS!

a. perfect

b. holy

c. accepted

Conclusion:

  1. As we approach the Lord’s Table today, do not forget that you are a sinner.
  2. and that, because of that sin, you need to repent
  3. so, confess your specific sins, specifically
  4. BUT, DESPITE OUR SIN, WE ARE ALSO CALLED TO REST IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF OUR SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST,
  5. He invites you to come to the Table
  6. PLEASE REMEMBER EXACTLY what Jesus said to His disciples when He observed the Lord’s Supper with them.

John 13:10a – Jesus answered, “A person who had a bath needs only to wash his feet.”

1. our salvation is “our bath” – we have been made righteous in the
righteousness of Jesus Christ

2. so, all we have to do is “wash our feet”

  1. In late fall of 1863, Horatio Spafford, a Chicago businessman, planned to travel to France, by boat, with his wife Anna and four daughters, Tenetta, Maggie, Anna and Bessie. At the last minute, Spafford decided to go on another ship because he had to deal with some matters in his business . . . Hear of the account of what happened to Spafford’s family as they sailed to France:

“All was peaceful that evening. The ocean was smooth, and hardly any wind could be felt. The sunrise was one of the most gorgeous ones of the season. Anna Spafford had put her four, excited little girls to bed. Soon they would be reaching their destination: France, and sleep was far from their minds. Little Tanetta sang “In the Sweet Bye and Bye” over and over again. But finally they were all asleep, and Anna, feeling relieved, also went to bed.

Around 2 in the morning, their cruiser was violently shaken, as a horrendous noise woke everyone up. Confused, most passengers went on deck, only to discover that an English ship, the Lochearn, had collided with their boat, the Ville du Havre. Their captain assured them that all was fine; but in reality the cruiser had been nearly broken in two, and it didn’t take them long to realize that they were sinking fast. Commotion and chaos overtook them. They started grabbing life preservers and trying to push lifeboats into the water.

As the passengers helplessly watched the water rise higher and higher, Anna’s daughter, Maggie, who had been screaming ever since the collision, suddenly stopped. “God will take care of us!” she said confidently.

The ship soon collapsed into the ocean, creating a huge whirlpool. The passengers were drawn down into the freezing water. Anna clung to one of her daughters with all the power she could muster, but the force of the water wrenched her child away. Anna tried to find her daughter again in the tumultuous waters and successfully located the edge of her nightgown, only to lose her again for good. A kind passenger had tried to help two of her other daughters. They had almost reached a lifeboat when both children lost their grip on their rescuer and sank into the void.

When Anna discovered she had lost all four of her children, she had to be physically restrained from throwing herself into the ocean. She was later quoted as saying, “I wanted to die! I wanted to follow my dear ones! I could not live without them!”

Later, Spafford himself boarded another ship to be with his wife. When his ship reached the very place of the tragedy, Spafford penned the words of one of the greatest hymns of the faith, “It Is Well With My Soul.”

  1. cable from wife Anna
  2. song on stationery
  3. please notice how Spafford was comforted in this verse:

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!