NCCG Prayer Requests for Thursday Apr 28, 2016

Praise Report!

• Buck feeling better and a good report from the Doctor
• Brandy went to mediation on Tuesday and gets to keep her children. 

Connect Group Prayer Requests

• Pray for our group to be in the Word daily
• Glen's Dad - stability, heart, kidneys, infection, depression
• Glen's Wife- healing for migrian headaches
• Christy Austin safe delivery, healthy baby
• Laura Kurtz's pregnancy
• Alicia (Pam's daughter)
• Rory's Dad, salvation
• Jenny Gabriel salvation
• Jarrett's parents
• Jarred's friend Chance 
• Emily & her Mom, Brandy, abuse, custody, Christian counseling for Emily
• Martin a job
• Pastor Mike & Kim provision for thier household
• Buck for continued healing
• Barbara, Kim's Aunt, healing
• Joan Crawford for healing

ACTS Study in the Book of Romans

A.C.T.S. stands for "Accelerated Christian Teaching Series." It was a concept I did back in the day to help promote growth in God's word. The concept of ACTS is simple; study any given book of the Bible (we are starting in Romans) by looking at its structure or outlines and gaining an overview of any particular book. This is not an in dept study of the book of Romans, but instead it is a fast track study that gives the individual a working knowledge of the content of the book they are studying. Hopefully this will promote a more in dept study in the future. 

So, for those who could not make it Thursday night, here is what we covered so far. (Please study and be prepared for the next week meeting)

Introduction to the Book of Romans

Romans comes first in the order of the three great doctrinal epistles. (Romans, Ephesians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians) And rightly so, for Romans contains the ABC's of the believer's education. The Holy Spirit has placed it first in the Canonical order because it lies at the threshold of all Church teaching, and if we are wrong here, we shall be wrong altogether.

 When Paul wrote this epistle to the church in Rome, that congregation must have already been in existence for a number of years, for Paul writes that he had desired to visit them “these many years” (15:23). It stands to reason that many Jews who came to Jerusalem at Pentecost and were must likely saved, would have returned to Rome and started meeting together and form a congregation. The Church was strong enough to help him carry out further missionary activities. They were not recent converts; they are not treated as having been improperly taught, but seem to have been an organized and well-grounded congregation (15:14, “filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another”). The epistle deals with no major error in the church; nor does it  deal with organizational principles.

The Roman church had a large Jewish element, but was also filled with Gentile converts from paganism, both free as well as slaves. How the church in Rome was founded is unclear. Of course the Roman Catholic view is that Peter founded it; but, this view point is unfounded and main built upon Roman Catholic tradition. Another view, as stated early, is that Messianic Jews, saved at Pentecost in Jerusalem made their way to Rome and established a Congregation. But it may simply be that several Christian families or groups from Pauline churches in the East settled in Rome and grew together. According to the end of the book, there were several congregations meeting in the city. At the outbreak of Nero's persecutions, Tacitus (A Roman Senator and Historian) says that "the Christians in Rome were an immense multitude."

The Place and Date of Romans

Based on the information in the book of Acts and the Corinthian epistles, Romans points to that it was written from Corinth on Paul’s third missionary journey. Paul had never visited Rome; but after going on his mission of mercy to Jerusalem, he hoped to go to Rome en route to Spain (Rom. 15:23-25). The date of the book is probably about 60 A.D.


The chronological order of the Pauline epistles is as follows: 

• First and Second Thessalonians
• Galatians
• First and Second Corinthians
• Romans
• Colossians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Philemon
• First Timothy
• Titus, and Second Timothy

Romans is placed first in Paul’s letters in the New Testament because it contains the basic theological frame-work for the whole collection of the apostle’s writings.

The Theme of the Book of Romans

The theme of the book revolves around the Gospel of Christ. Paul is concerned that his readers understand how a sinner may be received as righteous by a righteous God; and how a justified sinner should live daily to the glory of God.

The Structure of the Book of Romans

(What was covered last night)

• 1:1-6 The Gospel: Promised before by the Prophets, and revealed by them. Never hidden.
• 1:7 Salutation
• 1:8-10 Prayer Concerning Paul's visit to them.
• 1:10-13 Paul's Desire to Visit them.
• 1:14-16 His Ministry of the Gospel 

Things to Think About 

1. Notice in verse 11 
• I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong 
• Paul is desiring to impart or share a spiritual gift with the Roman believers.
• This is not any extraordinary gift of the Spirit; but spiritual revelation, knowledge, peace, and comfort, through the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ that Paul is teaching them. 
• The Greek word GIFT means:
• the economy of divine grace, by which the pardon of sin and eternal salvation is appointed to sinners in consideration of the merits of Christ laid hold of by faith, plural of the several blessings of the Christian salvation.
• Basically, Paul was desiring for the Roman Believer's to know what they believe and why they believe it, so that they would all be unified in the Gospel. 
• It is important that ALL Christian's be on the same page when it comes to the Gospel.   
2. I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. Romans 1:14
• The meaning is, that he was obliged by the call he had from God, the injunction that was laid upon him by him, and the gifts with which he was qualified, to preach the Gospel to all sorts of men. 
• We are also obliged as well by the call of God to "go into all the World and preach" the gospel to all mankind. We must arm ourselves with the gospel of Christ and share it with our lost love ones, friends, and strangers we encounter along our way.
3. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
• Verse 16, Salvation by faith through God's power to forgive and pardon the sinner, making the sinner in right standing (righteous) in God's site. This is from God to sinful man. 
• Verse 17, A divine righteousness revealed by God on faith-principle 

• Verse 17, A divine righteousness revealed by God unto faith as regards ourselves, i.e. exercised in us. 
• Basically, from faith to faith; that is to say, from the faith of God to the faith of men; from the faith of someone who preaches truth to the faith of hearers; from the faith of the Old to the faith of the New Testament saints; or rather from one degree of faith to another; for faith, as it grows and increases, has clearer sights of this righteousness, as held forth in the Gospel. For the proof of this, a passage of Scripture is cited, as it is written, Habakkuk 2:4; 

Where Are Your Roots Planted?

For those that missed Monday (4/11 and 4/18 which was cancelled due to weather) meeting... we talked about the scripture from last week.

• Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. --- 2 Timothy 2:15

Encouraging everyone to be in God's word daily, and to pay attention to the things that tend to distract us from spending quality time with the Lord. (Entertainment, hobby's, and even work)  Last week we touched on the importance of being in God's word and meditating on it day and night.

• But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. --- Psalm 1:2-3

To meditate in God's word, is to expose ourselves to the great things contained in it by reading and giving close application of mind to what we read. We must have constant regard to the word of God, as the rule of our actions, and be our source of constant comfort; and have it in our thoughts night and day. It is never wasted time being in the word of God. 

For notice the fruit or benefit of one who delights and meditates on God's Law day and night. "They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do." Of course the wording hear is symbolic, (trees planted, riverbank, bearing fruit). The point being, that when we spend the time in God's word, and we think about and give much attention to it, we will be plugged into the very source of life.

Like trees, our hearts (Mind, will, and emotions) will be saturated with God's Law (the river) and we will be prosperous or be successful in all we do. Whether in trail or testing, good times or in bad times, we will be what we need to be for God because we are filled with God's divine power. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:3-10 that we share or partake in the divine nature of God when we fill our minds with God's word.

According as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who has called us to glory and virtue:
By which are given unto us exceedingly great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And for this reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge self control; and to self control patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness love.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Therefore rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fall: --- 2 Peter 1:3-1

So, the challenge still stands... are you delighting in, meditating on, giving all diligence to being in God's word and applying it to your life? 

In His Service,

Rory