The Gathering Surf City

All righty,

Here we go.

We're in Romans,

Chapter two.

We're going to cover quite
a long passage today,

so I'm going to go ahead and read it
from the outset just so that you

know where we are.

Romans, Chapter two.

Because, like Wednesday night when I
was sharing around the tables in

there, I always forget to tell you,

write the book and the chapter and the
numbers and all that sort of thing.

So we're in two verses,

17 to 21.

But I'm actually going to read
what Paul is saying to us,

because the idea that what God is revealing
to us through these first

three chapters.

All right,

so I'm going to let you know
we've got three more.

We've got a whole nother chapter
of these things.

But I'm going to summarize
it after I read it.

You ready?

Here we go.

But if you bear the name Jew
and rely upon the law,

and boast in God,

and know his will,

and approve the things
that are essential,

being instructed out of the law,

and are confident that you yourself
are a guide to the blind,

a light to those who
are in darkness,

a corrector of the foolish,

a teacher of the immature,

and having in the law the embodiment
of knowledge and of truth,

you, therefore,

who teach another,

do you not teach yourself?

You who preach that one
should not steal,

do you steal?

You who say that one should
not commit adultery,

do you commit adultery?

You who abhor idols,

do you rob temples?

You who boast in the law
through your breaking,

through your breaking the law,

do you dishonor God?

For the name of God is blasphemed among
the Gentiles because of you,

just as it is written.

For indeed,

circumcision is of value if
you practice the law.

But if you are a transgressor
of the law,

your circumcision has become
uncircumcision.

If, therefore,

the uncircumcised man keeps the
requirements of the law,

will not his uncircumcision be
regarded as circumcision?

And will not he who is physically uncircumcised
if he keeps the law,

will he not judge you,

who, through having the
letter of the law,

though having the letter of the law and
circumcision are a transgressor

of the law?

For he is not a Jew who
is one outwardly.

Neither is circumcision that which
is outward in the flesh,

but he is the Jew,

he is a Jew who is one inwardly.

And circumcision is that which is
of the heart by the Spirit,

not by the letter,

and his praise is not from men,

but from God.

I remember doing these videos a few
weeks ago for the daily devotional

gathering in the Word.

I messed it up every single day as
I was reading it because Paul is

writing and I've shared with you
as we began the book of Romans,

that this is a most will look at this
document and know that it's a legal

document. It is an explanation of the
justification that God provides for

us. And Paul writes it as
if he's making a case,

you know,

he's giving the argument
for who God is,

what God's done,

why he's done it and
how he's done it.

Okay?

And so as we work our way through
the 16 chapters of Romans,

it's always this.

Just consider as we walk in here,

we, you know,

it's a case,

it's a legal argument.

Paul is sharing by inspiration
of God,

God's case for salvation.

All right,

there you go.

Let's pray.

God, thank you for your word.

As difficult a time as I have
in reading it sometimes,

God, thank you that you are plain,

you have spoken,

you have given us your word,

you have revealed yourself
to us in it.

And so God help us to hear from you.

God help us to hear your word,

Help us to hear your voice.

God, you speak.

And so,

God, we really need
to pay attention.

We pray it in Jesus name.

Amen. Y'all know the phrase leveling
the playing field?

Y'all know that,

know where it comes from?

Alright, so it kind of came into some
more usage back sort of during the

70s, talking about actually sporting
events and having a level playing

field. Any of you that played
sports as a kid,

Right. Or as a young person,

or even as an adult.

And if the field wasn't
fair for both teams,

I mean,

the reference actually refers to,

for instance,

playing football on a slope.

The team that's got the down slope,

Woo hoo.

The team that's got the upslope,

they got some trouble,

right? Well,

it was funny.

Home field also becomes
an advantage.

Y'all know that.

You know,

the team that's playing at home,

they have a little bit of advantage
because it's familiar to them.

Right. I would just recall for you that
my son Eli played soccer and one

season he played for a.

It was not really a travel team,

but they played several different
places around,

say, Pender County,

New Hanover county,

that other Onslow county
and Duplin County.

Well, we went to a field
in Duplin County.

Thank you.

What are most of the fields in
Duplin county to begin with.

Really hog.

This must have been a farm,

because we walked out there.

Whoops, Sorry,

Scott.

Somebody needs to level
my playing field.

Anyway, you kick a soccer ball
in that field up there.

And there was ridges.

There were ridges just every few,

like foot.

Thank you.

It was a row.

It was a row.

It had been prior to being
a soccer field.

It had been some kind of farm,

some kind of crop.

Now, the boys from Duplin
county knew how to play.

The rows.

Boys from Pender county and
Onslow county did not.

Significant disadvantage,

Right. As we study through
the book of Romans,

here's what we've found out so far.

We know who Paul is,

right?

We know that he is a preacher
of the gospel.

And why is he a preacher
of the Gospel?

Because it's the power of God unto salvation
to everyone who believes,

to the Jew first and also to the Greek
or the Gentile or everybody that's

not Jewish.

And in it,

the righteousness of God is revealed
from faith to faith.

And so what we're learning,

what we're studying here is that
Paul is this advocate,

by inspiration of God and by call
of God to share the gospel,

to proclaim it to the Roman Empire,

the Roman world,

both Jews and to Greeks.

And then he starts out right after he
says those statements in Romans 1,

16 and 17,

he starts going into what
sin looks like.

This is what sin is.

And the basic definition of sin is
anything that's not perfect,

right? He doesn't differentiate.

He doesn't say,

well, this sin is worse
than this sin.

This is all sin.

And guess what?

Everybody who sinners is
going to be judged.

We're going to be judged.

And so we went through
the series that,

guess what?

God's the judge and we're not.

And when we put ourselves in
the place of judgment,

that's when Paul starts breaking
this down for us.

And he says,

guess what?

Gentiles are sinners.

What he's saying is,

gentiles are guilty.

Then he says,

guess what?

Jews are sinners and Jews
are guilty too,

because God's going to
judge everybody.

We get to chapter three,

which actually says,

guess what?

Guess. Yes.

Jews are sinners and guilty.

Gentiles are sinners and guilty.

We get to chapter three goes,

everybody's sinners and guilty,

right? And God's going to judge.

And then we get justification,

okay?

Which is cool.

I love that thing.

But what God's doing in Revelation of
this book is leveling the playing

field. Everybody's on
the same place.

We're all guilty before the Righteous
Throne and the Righteous God.

And we're going to stand
before God one day.

Question is,

have we done our part right in bowing
before a holy and righteous God?

Because some people think,

well, I have.

Remember last week we talked about
the ungodly completely.

The ones who will not acknowledge
God as God.

And we assume some sort
of authority that,

well, maybe we're a little bit God,

right? Then you've got the
moralists who say,

well, I'm better than them,

so I must be good enough
to gain God's approval.

Then you got the legalists who think
they've got the right list,

you know,

And I've listened to a lot of preachers
preach these passages over the

last several months because trying
to lay this out for us,

I was trying to say,

all right,

you know,

how do we need to hear it?

It's interesting to me that a lot
of preachers won't pick on.

Remember last week I used those
of you who were here last week.

If you weren't here last week,

guess what?

You get a pass.

For those of you who
are here last week,

I picked on myself and
my upbringing.

I grew up Baptist,

you know,

something in my DNA,

I know what Baptists say
is right and wrong.

I remember early on as a kid
hearing that phrase,

I don't smoke,

drink or chew or date girls who do.

Right? I mean,

it's a list and I keep the list.

So I must be right and I must be righteous
and I must be good enough to

attain God's favor,

right? So everybody's
got their list.

I'm this,

right?

I'm better than that,

right? I'm in this group.

I wear this badge.

Thus we get this phrase.

But if you bear the name Jew,

right?

Because there's this attitude,

there's this idea that some people
are better than others.

Why? Why do they think that way?

Why do we think that way?

Why is it we feel like it's okay?

Because we've got our list and we
do a good job keeping our list,

right? I mean,

this is the argument.

So most that communicate
this passage.

And there's a lot of
the commentaries.

And if you look at the construction
of this particular passage,

what you find is,

is that this is talking
about religionists.

If you put your hope,

trust, faith in religion.

You've heard me define
religion before.

Religion is man's attempt
to get to God.

How do I raise myself up to a level
of appreciation or acceptance or

whatever of God?

Christianity, surrendering and
believing is God come to man,

right? Not us getting to him.

All right,

so when I look at this,

it says,

but if you bear the name Jew and rely
upon the law and boast in God and

know his will and approve the
things that are essential,

being instructed out of the law,

and are confident that you yourself
are a guide to the blind,

a light to those who
are in darkness,

a corrector of the foolish,

a teacher of the immature,

having in the law the embodiment
of the knowledge of truth.

What's he talking about?

He says you were given
and the reference.

We'll get to it.

You've given the revelation of God.

What he's talking about is
you've got God's word,

right? And then he goes on to say,

you, therefore,

who teach another,

do you not teach yourself?

This is really about hypocrisy,

y'all. This is about
being a hypocrite.

And I remember growing up,

man, that was the.

That was the worst charge that
people leveled at the church.

Yeah, I don't go to church.

It's full of hypocrites.

I know.

I learned early on the right
answer to that statement.

You're right.

Right. So that's our
challenge today.

Man. I love it that you're here.

There's some first time folks here.

I've met some of you.

Glad you're here.

Yay. Welcome to the gathering.

Have a blast here.

Let's scream.

Ready? One,

two, three.

I love it that you're in
worship this morning.

But here's the challenge.

What's the motivation
behind being here?

Am I here because it's church?

Am I here because mom and dad
beat me if I didn't go?

You know,

what is the motivation
for being here?

I want to share with you
the point real quick.

A faith of the heart
accomplishes much.

A heart of faith accomplishes much.

Okay, remember that phrase because we're
going to get back to it in a

minute. Basically,

what God is revealing to us is
that to say the right things,

even to the point of doing the right
things just for the sake of saying

and doing the right things without
the heart is hypocrisy.

We're going to get down to it because
you guys have been waiting for

weeks for me to get to the
circumcision passage.

So we're here.

Says you,

who you therefore,

who teach another,

do you not teach yourself?

You who preach that one
should not steal?

Do you steal?

Right. You say stealing is bad.

It's one of the big ten,

right? What if you find extra
stuff in your grocery bag?

You go back.

But I'm already Home.

Get back to them next time.

What about you who preach that
one should not steal?

You who say that one should
not commit adultery?

That's especially tough in Romans because
it comes after Jesus teaching,

who said,

if you lust in your heart,

you've already committed adultery.

Whoo. Now we've got a higher
standard to follow,

don't we?

Look out.

Then he says,

you, who abhor idols,

do you rob temples?

Now, I thought of this when you think
he was preaching to the Babylonians

at this point,

because they robbed the temple,

right? No.

Here you go.

Let me tell you what this is sort of
gives us in 2025 to think about.

Do you take what belongs to God?

God's praise,

God's glory?

Do you take credit for stuff
that God blessed you with?

Sorry, no,

I'm not.

You who boast in the law through
your breaking the law,

do you dishonor God?

For the name of God is blasphemed among
the Gentiles because of you,

just as it is written for indeed,

circumcision is of value if
you practice the law.

So what he's doing is he said,

this is sin,

and it's all sin.

Gentiles around the world,

around the Roman Empire,

are all sinners and going
to be judged.

You guys who bear the name Jew who
were actually given the law,

it was given to you the
expectation of God.

It was explained to you what
God was looking for.

And yet you go out and preach
to others to do thus.

And so.

And then you.

You don't do the thus.

And so,

you see,

it's hypocrisy.

I didn't know this,

but I heard a guy talk about it this
week when I was listening to him.

Hypocrisy is a Greek word,

and it's a reference to theater.

Because in Greek theater back then,

you'd have an actor who would come out
and play a part with a particular

mask on.

And when he was done with that part,

he'd go backstage and put one mask up
and pick up another mask and come

back out on stage and play
a different character.

So hypocrisy is this reference
of not being the real person,

right? Oh,

I look great in church,

but don't follow me on Friday
and Saturday night.

Don't follow me into my man cave.

I'm gonna pick on both of you,

so don't get mad at me.

Right up first.

You ready?

Don't follow me when I sit
down at my computer.

Don't follow me when I read
my Harlequin Romance.

See I got them both,

right? Everybody's offended now,

right? You see,

it's putting on a mask,

for one thing,

being totally different
somewhere else.

Once taught a lesson,

a book.

We went through a study with
a bunch of college guys,

just guys in the room.

We're doing a study on integrity.

Interestingly enough to me,

in this study,

and I don't know all the
facts surrounding it,

but integrity,

in the word integer,

kind of have the same root.

Integer is a whole number.

It's the definition.

Integrity communicates
kind of a wholeness,

a realness,

a complete thing,

right?

And in this study of integrity,

it said,

the secrecy is the enemy
of my integrity,

right? Therefore,

secrecy is the enemy
of my wholeness.

How about that?

You see?

So that's what Paul's
pointing out here.

You can think this thing about yourself
bearing the name Jew,

having the law,

teaching the law,

preaching the law,

but because you break the law,

the rest of the world is blaspheming
God because of your hypocrisy.

I don't go to church because
it's full of hypocrites.

I see those people that
go to your church,

and then I turn around and see them.

Where else,

right? I didn't say it,

Paul did.

God did.

For indeed,

circumcision is of value if
you practice the law.

But if you are a transgressor
of the law,

your circumcision has become
uncircumcision.

Your outward sign of faith,

obedience and righteousness is worthless
if your inner self is in

conflict with it.

Okay, see,

y'all didn't come here for this,

did you?

You knew it was the next
section of the text.

So you're going to get it.

If, therefore,

the uncircumcised man keeps the
requirements of the law,

will not his uncircumcision be
regarded as circumcision?

Right. And will not he who is physically
uncircumcised if he keeps the

law, will he not judge you?

Who, though having the letter
of the law and circumcision,

are a transgressor of the law?

So what is it God's looking at?

Is God looking at the physical outward
representation of some sort of

inclusion or title or name tag?

No, he's looking at our hearts.

And the idea is,

have I surrendered to God's purpose,

plan, design,

provision for my salvation?

Have I bowed in submission before Jesus
and his crucifixion and burial

and resurrection and received
the forgiveness,

the salvation,

the redemption that is offered
only through Jesus Christ?

You can't be saved without
Jesus Be you Baptist,

Methodist, Catholic,

whatever. You can't be
saved without Jesus.

Be you Jew or Gentile.

That's where we're going to get to.

That's what Paul's laying it out.

He's leveling the playing
field right here,

right? So as we look at that,

we see this idea that what
he's saying is that,

you know,

some of you are here and some of you
are here and some of you are here,

but God's standard is
still the same,

doesn't change from one
group to the next.

Wow.

All right.

Then he goes on to say,

for he is not a Jew who
is one inwardly.

Neither is circumcision,

that which is outward in the flesh,

but he is a Jew who is one inwardly.

And circumcision is that which is of
the heart by the Spirit and not by

the letter.

And his praise is not from men,

but from God.

Faith of the heart accomplishes
much,

and a heart of faith
accomplishes much.

Now, the much is a big word.

It's only four letters.

It's a big word.

What does it mean to be much?

If we are confronted
with the gospel,

the good news of Jesus Christ,

and we say,

that's what I've been looking for.

That's something that God
did on my behalf,

and we surrender ourselves to that
redemption and that salvation.

I'm telling you,

I am a great legalist.

I am.

I follow rules.

But a great legalist also looks
for the way around the rule.

Y'all know that we do.

I've told y'all the story.

I went to Columbia Bible
College in Columbia,

South Carolina,

which is now Columbia International
University,

because I don't know why.

But anyway,

I do know why.

If you were a missionary with a degree
from Columbia Bible College,

that was frowned upon in some
nations in the world.

So missionaries were having struggles
presenting their credentials with

Bible in their diplomas.

So they changed it to Columbia
International University.

I understand the point.

But anyway,

we had a handbook.

Wasn't quite as big as the Bible,

but it was close.

And in there it said during
school hours,

eight in the morning to about
four in the afternoon.

It could not be seen on campus,

in classrooms,

in anything.

But I don't know if they
said dress pants,

but there was some reference
to pants.

And then there was a parenthesis
that said no blue jeans.

And I was like,

well, fine,

I know where I can get some black ones
and actually some brown ones and

some green ones.

Now, this is how good
a legalist I am,

y'all. Okay,

this is how good a legalist I am.

I took the handbook and tore the
page out and underlined,

no blue jeans,

folded it up,

stuck it in the back pocket
of my black striped jeans.

It was the 1980s,

mid-80s.

It was okay.

My black striped jeans.

I'm standing in line at the
cafeteria on campus,

and my resident assistant
comes up behind me,

and he goes,

you can't wear those in here.

I was like,

really? He said,

yeah.

He says,

no jeans.

I said,

that is a good point.

Would you read the rule for me?

And he read,

no blue jeans.

Folks, I am good at legalism,

which makes me a good judge.

But I'm not the judge,

and I'm not the one that
determines the law.

I'm not the one that determines
righteousness.

But what I love about Romans 1:17 is
that the righteousness of God is

revealed from faith to faith.

And God is giving us a righteousness
that we can't earn,

we don't deserve.

He's loving us in a way that
only he can love us.

I want to share with you a story.

Whoopsie.

Sorry. Nobody says whoopsie,

right? That was in a movie somewhere.

I didn't mark it,

but here it is.

Be ready for service and
have your lamps lit.

You'd be like people waiting for the
master to return from the wedding

banquet so that when he
comes and knocks,

they can open the door
for him at once.

Blessed will be those servants the
Master finds alert when he comes.

Truly, I tell you,

he will get ready,

have them recline at the table,

then come and serve them.

This is Luke,

chapter 12,

y'all. I'm sorry I didn't
tell you again,

but it's verses 35 and through 48.

Truly, I tell you,

he will get ready and have them
recline at the table,

then come and serve them.

If he comes in the middle of the night
or even near dawn and finds them

alert, blessed are those servants.

But know this.

If the homeowner had known at what
hour the thief was coming,

he would not have let his
house be broken into.

You also be ready,

because the Son of Man is coming
at an hour you do not expect.

Lord Peter asked,

are you telling this parable
for us to everyone else?

I mean,

you chose us,

Lord? Certainly you're
not talking about me.

Mmm. The Lord said,

who then is the faithful and sensible
manager His Master will put in

charge of his household servants to give
them their allotted food at the

proper time?

Blessed is that servant whom the master
finds doing his job when he

comes. Truly,

I tell you,

he will put him in charge
of all his possessions.

But if that servant stay,

that servant says in his heart,

my master is delaying his coming and
starts to beat the male and female

servants to eat and drink
and get drunk.

The servant's master will come on a
day when he does not expect him.

And in an hour he does not know,

he will cut him to pieces and assign
him a place with the unfaithful.

And that servant who knew his pastor's
will and didn't prepare himself to

do it will be severely beaten.

But the one who did not know and did
what deserved punishment will

receive a light beating
from everyone.

Now listen to this.

This is the key to the whole story.

From everyone who has
been given much,

much will be required.

And from the one who has been
entrusted with much,

even more will be expected.

Faith of the heart accomplishes
much.

A heart of faith accomplishes much.

To whom much is given,

much is required.

To know and not do.

To know what God has provided and
given and not bow and surrender.

God's the judge.

And to do and not know,

that's in there.

God's the judge.

Okay?

God's made the field level.

We all stand before God.

God will judge.

I'm a great legalist.

Can I just go ahead and tell y'all I
have the capacity and have been on

occasion to be a great hypocrite,

you know,

so when we started into this,

these outlines,

I'll be honest,

I had outlines based on.

On a lot of history in teaching
and preaching.

And, man,

I can look at a sin list in the Bible
and point my finger better than

most. Okay?

But that morning,

remember, I told y'all this
about five weeks ago now,

that morning that I got up and
looked at Romans chapter one,

and I said,

God, show me my sin.

Show me my unrighteousness.

Show me where the world blasphemes
God because of my sin.

Wow. Okay.

It's easy sitting in a nice,

pointed building like this to put ourselves
in the seat of judgment.

Don't do it.

Okay, Judge,

Your heart is yours.

A heart of surrender yours.

A heart of faith and belief.

That's what God's looking for.

Okay, starts with Jesus.

You don't know Jesus this morning.

You need Jesus.

You need Jesus.

Before you need a handshake,

a smile or anything else,

you need Jesus.

If we can introduce him to you,

we'd love to.

Okay. Pray with me.

Father, thank you for the
day that you've given us.

To rejoice and be glad and know,

God, that.

That you meet with us in this place,

God, it is my prayer.

That as your spirit moves among us,

God, that you convict our hearts.

God, you show us our sin,

our shortcoming,

our hypocrisy.

God, let us know that just sitting
in a nice pointed building in

comfortable red chairs doesn't
achieve anything.

Unless our heart is
a heart of faith,

a heart of circumcision.

One where we've bowed.

And that the new covenant which
is written on our hearts,

God, that we bow before you,

surrender ourselves to you.

God, I thank you for everybody
here this morning.

But there's a chance,

God, that somebody here
doesn't know Jesus.

So, God,

we want them to know Jesus.

We want them to bow before you.

Submit, surrender,

obey. God help us to do it.

We pray it in Jesus name.

Amen.