TEXT: ROMANS 2:12-29
TITLE: “WHERE HAVE YOU PLACED YOUR TRUST?”
INTRODUCTION: A. What if I asked you to go flying
with me? You would probably ask
me if I was a pilot. I say, “Sure.” You ask, “Where did you learn to
fly?” I pull a photo out of my wallet and show it to you. You look at a
man in the picture next to an old bi-plane. I say, “That’s my
grandfather. He was a pilot in WWI.”
You ask, “Your grandfather taught you how to fly?” “Oh, no. He
died when I was 10 years old. But I’ve got flying in my blood!”
You laugh and ask, “Then who taught you how to fly?” I pull out a
thick book and say, “I’ve read the pilot’s manual.” You say, “You
read a book on flying.” “Oh, yeah. Better than that, I also took a
course on the history of flying at a community college. We went on a
field trip to Dayton, Ohio to Wright-Patterson AFB and the Air Force
Museum. I’ve seen all kinds of planes. I even met a real Air Force
captain and shook his hand. C’mon, let’s go flying!”
You shake your head and say, “I don’t think you’re a pilot.” I ask,
“Do you want some real proof? Take a look!” I take off my coat and
say, “Look! I’ve got a regulation flight suit with pilot’s wings pinned
to my chest! Now, that’s the mark of a real pilot.”
I can tell you’re not very impressed. You say, “Is that all the proof
you have?” I say, “What else do I need? I’ve got flying in my blood,
I’ve got the book, and I’ve got the regulation uniform and wings. Let’s
hop on the plane!”
--Would you go????
B. Paul has spent a good amount of time in the first part of this letter
dealing with the godless Gentiles. As the Jews listened to the reading
of the letter, they probably had a lot of “Amens!” and “Preach it,
brother!” when Paul spoke about those pagan, evil uncircumcised
people.
1. Then, he surprises them. He says: “Now, I’m talking to you!!!”
2. UH OH! Now he’s gone from preachin’ to meddlin’!
3. Don’t you just hate it when you think the preacher is talking about
you?
C. Paul was talking to some people who had the same problem I did flying
the plane. Their ancestors didn’t share the same seat on the plane but
they did share the same seat at the temple or synagogue. They didn’t
have a book on flying but they did have a book called the Torah. They
did have the regulation symbol – circumcision.
1. They had some great blessings from God. Things they could point to
and say, “We’ve been treated in a special way.”
2. However, they began to worship the things instead of the God who
provided those things. In Paul’s own terminology, “they worshipped
created things rather than the Creator.”
D. Paul provides some very important principles in this passage for those
of us who would claim to worship God and be His servants.
I. NOT HEARING BUT DOING – vv. 12-16
A. The Jews could claim possession of the sacred scriptures. After all, they were the people
that God had spoken to and through.
B. They could also claim that they had been taught the scriptures since they were old enough
to listen. After all, we faithfully attended synagogue services.
C. Paul quickly reminds them that they could listen all they wanted but it didn’t make them
saved.
1. We have people in churches all across the U.S. that believe just because they attend
Sunday School and church, they’ve met their obligation to God. They step out the door
and go merrily on with their lives oblivious to the call of God on their life.
2. I call those kinds of people – “pew potatoes”.
--They never do anything significant for the kingdom. They think that the work of the
Lord belongs to someone else. Not them. They refuse to acknowledge that God has
called them to something other than planting their behinds in a pew.
3. Don’t get me wrong: it’s important to be in Sunday school and church. It’s important
to listen to the teaching and preaching of the Word of God.
4. James 1:22-25 – “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what
it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who
looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately
forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that
gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it –
he will be blessed in what he does.”
II. NOT PROFESSION BUT PRACTICE – vv. 17-24
A. Knowledge is an important thing.
1. We need to study the word of God, read commentaries and devotional books, listen to
other preachers and teachers, and memorize scripture.
2. Knowing what the scriptures say is an important tool for applying it to our lives
B. I know plenty of people that can discuss the Bible for hours. They have a lot of head
knowledge but not a lot of usage.
1. Too many times, we want to tell other people how to live their lives and we’ll tell them
the truth: “Here’s what the Bible says you should do.”
2. When it comes time for us to behave in a biblical way, we fail to put into practice in our
lives.
a. We know the Bible says, “You shall not steal” but we think it’s okay to take a
couple of illegitimate deductions on our taxes or take those pens and paper clips
home from the office.
b. We know the Bible says we shouldn’t gossip but we can’t wait to fire up the phone
lines when we hear a juicy tidbit.
c. We know the Bible tells us we should do everything without grumbling or
complaining but can’t wait to let people know that we don’t like whatever is
happening at church at the time.
d. Back during the days before automobiles, two preachers met in a certain town.
The first asked the second how he was doing. “Furious!” replied the second.
“Someone has stolen my bicycle and I think it’s one of my church members! I
don’t know what to do.”
The first preacher said: “Here’s what I’d do. I’d preach on the Ten
Commandments this Sunday and when I got to ‘Thou shalt not steal’ I’d really
hammer it home.” The second preacher said, “I think I’ll take your advice.”
The next Monday, the first preacher ran into the second one and saw that he was
riding the bicycle. He said, “I see my advice worked.” The second replied, “Not
really. When I got to ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery, I remembered where I left
my bicycle.”
III. NOT THE FLESH BUT THE SPIRIT – vv 25-29
A. Circumcision is a physical act that has spiritual implications
1. It was a reminder that there is no part of our lives that does not come under the
sovereignty of God.
--there is no part of us that is too private and intimate to yield to God’s control
2. Jews took great pride in circumcision. They felt that one time act determined their
destiny forever.
3. I know people that treat baptism the same way. One time under the water 15, 20, 30
years ago is all they needed to do.
4. Their trust is in what they accomplished on that day and not on what God wanted to
do in them.
5. Paul very skillfully explains to those with such a belief that it’s not what happens in
the flesh but what happens in the Spirit that’s important.
B. We become so full of pride in what we accomplish. I went, I did, I belong …
1. When we will ever drop the idea that we can’t do enough to earn our salvation?
2. There are no X’s and O’s on a chart. We can’t balance our bad acts with our good
deeds.
3. Our hope has been in what we’ve done or not done.
--Don’t drink, smoke, spit or chew or even go out with girls that do.
C. Not what I’ve done but what he has done
1. v. 29 – “No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly, and circumcision is circumcision of
the heart by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men,
but from God.”
2. Circumcision is a cutting away.
--True circumcision is when we allow the work of God through the Spirit to cut away
the things in our hearts that defile us.
3. Paul warns the Jews not to put their trust in their bloodline, in their knowledge of the
book, or in their outward symbol.
4. Their trust needs to be in what God has done and is doing them through the death and
resurrection of His Son and the work of His Spirit.
CONCLUSION: A. In a beginning philosophy course in logic at a major university, the
professor made an unusual offer to his students. As they were in the final
week of the class and preparing for their final exams, the professor told
them: “On the day of the final exam, you can bring to class as much
information as you can fit onto one piece of notebook paper.”
Every student worked all week trying to cram as many facts as possible
onto an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of notebook paper.
On the day of the exam, one of the students walked into the classroom,
laid a piece of notebook paper on the floor, and had an upper class
philosophy student stand on the paper. The advanced student told him
everything he needed to know. As a result, he was the only student to get
an A on the final.
B. When Jesus died for our sins, He took the F that we deserve so that we
could get an A on our final.
1. 1 Jn. 2:2 – “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for
ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
2. If you have placed your trust in anything else, you have failed!
