My Heart and Romans

Preaching through Romans has been a matter of heart for me. For nearly 20 years of preaching and teaching the Word of God I have anticipated with honor and some trepidation for the Lord to ask me to preach an in-depth series through “The Greatest Letter Ever Written---Romans.” Over the years I have wrestled with Romans and wanted to preach through it, but God always seemed to lead me in a different direction. Even though I have preached “out of” Romans several times, preaching “through it" has seemed like the tallest mountain ever.

Now is the time. The Lord has confirmed in my heart that through years of study and digging into the history of my hero Paul and the church at Rome, now is the time. I am ready for the most daunting task of a preacher of the gospel. You see, there has been no greater exposition of the gospel than the book of Romans. There has been no more a glorious presentation of the plight of man and the grace of God ever penned.
Why has it taken me this long to be prepared to lead the church that God allows me to shepherd through the book of Romans? A few reasons:

1. Every single word of the Bible is inspired by God. Therefore, all 66 books of the Bible are authoritative, inerrant, and inspired. BUT ROMANS seems to be the magna carta of Scripture. To have the leading of the Holy Spirit to guide a church through such a golden work of God, one must be well seasoned, prepared, studied, and prayed up.

2. A church must be ready. NP has been on the journey of journeys (and thanks for sticking to the great call). God has asked us to do what seems like the biggest task ever. We had to spend a couple of years preparing and understanding what our Great Shepherd was asking us to do—and we now know. So, now that we know and understand NP’s purpose, let’s know and understand from a spiritual perspective why God has asked us to be such a different church. Romans will unfold and enlighten us to a full and deep understanding of man’s fate and God’s grace and our role as a local church in God’s redemptive purpose for this region.

3. It’s time for meat, and friend we are about to chomp on some steak. Romans is the meat of the New Testament. And I don’t know about you, but I am hungry.
Let me end this blog by giving you a quote from one of my contemporary heroes, John Piper. And I am in full agreement with this statement and couldn’t have said it better had I penned it. “I am not as moved now as I used to be by the tyranny of the urgent and by the need to respond to every trendy view that blows across the cultural sea in America. Well past midlife (not for me though…lol), I have a deep confidence that the best way to be lastingly relevant is to stand on rock-solid, durable old truths, rather than jumping from one pragmatic bandwagon to another. Romans’ is as solid and durable and reliable and unshakable and thorough as the truth can get.”