The City of Heaven overtakes an Empire on earth.

Pastor/Teacher
John Farley
Sunday,
October 18, 2009

The theme of the book of Romans is the Gospel, The Good News from God concerning His Son.

His calling was to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, defending the Gospel against Judaizers while teaching how Christ fulfilled the Old Testament prophesies and promises.

PauloV douloV Cristou Ihsou

Paul the slave, the slave of Christ Jesus

1TI 1:15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

1TI 1:16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

Paul is the most compelling trophy of grace the world ever saw. His was the supreme test case for the genuineness of the doctrine of justification.

Paul is the supreme embodiment of the fact that God justifies the ungodly.

Christ chose His greatest enemy to be His greatest apostle!

And what crown will that be that the worst sinner who ever lived will receive?

The foremost of sinners will one day be awarded the very crown of righteousness!!!

I want you to be one of those who also receives the award of that crown of Righteousness from our Lord in that day of the Bema Seat judgment.

Understand the full significance of what He did for you by His cross, death, and resurrection and you will most certainly love His appearing.

It’s Paul’s 3rd missionary journey.
It is around 56 or 57 AD.
He is in Corinth.

About 26 years have now passed since our Lord had skyrocketed to heaven from earth in His ascension.

It was 22 years ago that Paul stormed down that road to Damascus only to be thrown off his horse by his Lord.

Paul is hurrying to get the manuscript written so he can give it to Phoebe before she leaves for Rome and he leaves for Jerusalem.

The Lord had providentially prevented Paul from visiting the churches in Rome so he would be moved to write to them instead.

It was the most dynamic, happening city in the world. All roads did lead to Rome. This little church would have an outsized impact on the spread of the Gospel, and this book would arm them to the teeth with the truth.

The Lord had providentially prevented Paul from visiting the churches in Rome so he would be moved to write to them instead.

God was also preparing these churches in that city of seven hills called Rome.

These churches had people in them who were Jews, and people who weren’t. The ones who were not Jewish received the label Gentile.

There was about to be a collision of civilizations. The civilization of heaven was about to invade the Roman Empire - and conquer it.

So even when Paul as Saul was doing everything he could to destroy Christianity, the Lord used that very persecution to spread the gospel!

Paul writes in this very letter to the Romans that this group of churches was already having a worldwide impact - even before the letter came to them.

These churches in Rome would be part of an early pivot of invisible heroes whose presence as salt and light led to the evangelization of an empire - the Roman Empire.

God was at work establishing the authority and infrastructure of the vast Roman Empire over the years so that Paul, the Roman citizen, would have good roads and freedom of movement and a common Greek language to work with as he moved from east to west preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Just like today we still have tremendous access to points around the globe by virtue of our American citizenship. Think of how English is the language used across the world to transact business.