The Power of the Gospel

KJV Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

I want to start with a question this morning. Have you ever been ashamed of yourself or something you’ve done?

Maybe you were with a group and there was peer pressure. That often happens among children and teens. It probably happens to adults more than they’d like to admit.

We think when we’re all grown up, we’ll be able to stand up for ourselves and speak our truth. But too often that’s not the case, because what happens when your truth isn’t your boss’s truth? Are you going to disagree with the boss or are you going to keep quiet? Are you going to go along to get along?

When your colleagues are all going to the strip club to show the client a “good time”; will you tag along to land the big account or will you stand on your Christian principles and say, “I’m sorry I won’t be able to make it to that activity.”? Will you wish them well and tell them have a good time? Or, will you go even further and suggest another venue or activity that doesn’t include inappropriate activities for a believer?

Ladies, when the girls are headed for a girl’s night out, but after dinner they want to hit the club; will you join them, or will you end your night and head home to your husband?. Maybe you go as the designated driver and make sure everyone leaves together and gets home OK.

When your faith and your job clash, when your faith and your friends conflict, which will you choose? Will you go with the crowd, or will you stand, (what you may think) is alone.

In our Scripture text, Paul is letting the saints in Rome know that he is not ashamed of the gospel. Because of the persecution of Christians during this time, being a Christian could cost you your very life, it could cost you your freedom. Even today, there are regions of the world where to be a Christian could get you thrown in prison or killed.

There are denominations even here the United States that if you don’t believe the way they believe you are ostracized from your own family. You are disowned or cut off.

This should come as no surprise because when you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life you are set apart for the work of the ministry, for the cause of Christ. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” You are a new person, with new desires and new standards. Your life is no longer about you; you now represent the creator of everything there is, you represent God.

Not only do you represent God, but you also rely on him; so when your boss or the girls are headed to the club you can take your leave and go where you know God would be pleased. When you have been set apart, don’t try to hang on to your old life, let it go. Because some of those people may now become a distraction or a weight making it difficult for you to move forward and up. When you let go of that weight, God can now take you to greater levels. He can get you to your destiny, you can fully become who God created you to be.

You have to know and I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you, everyone can’t go with you when you’re on your God-given assignment. You still must go, there are people waiting for you and your gift. There are people waiting to be encouraged by your testimony. And you can give your testimony without shame.

As our text for today begins, Paul says I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Now why would Paul say he’s not ashamed of the Gospel? Ashamed; that’s an interesting word to use. Well let’s see. The one who represented that gospel

hung with undesirables

tax collectors

prostitutes

reformed pharisees

those possessed by demons

the crazies who hung out in the cemetery

the lepers

women - Samaritan women

He went to weddings and provided the drinks, the good stuff too

Not only that

He challenged the established religion and its leaders

He had the audacity to call himself God

His own people didn’t believe he was who he said he was so they didn’t experience the miracles like some others did

And as if all of that wasn’t enough, he died a death reserved for the worst criminals

This is the gospel Paul is preaching. This is the gospel Paul is not ashamed of. This is the gospel that says Jesus is the Son of God, that he is God.

According to everything the majority knew, this thing called the church, these people called disciples who were following this Jesus fellow, all this was new.

Judaism had been around for centuries. It was what every Jew knew, because they were told to teach to their children when they woke in the morning and when they went to bed at night.

It was the religion about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, it was circumcision, and feasts and sacrificing of animals and rituals and ceremonies and pompous, pious leaders, that was the normal religion. You know the religion of God’s chosen people, the Israelites.

Then there were those who worshipped idol gods. Gods that allowed sex with multiple people, sacrificing of children, worship of the sun, moon and stars, and other inanimate objects and sacrificing animals, then selling the leftover meat in the market.

There were so many religions to choose from and Paul picked the one with the leader who died on a cross. Come on now, really?

When everyone is saying you’re wrong, can you stand knowing you’re right. Can you stand unashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When everyone is saying you’re uptight and you need to loosen up, can you still live holy?

When everyone is saying I thought you Christians were supposed to love everybody. Can you stand boldly and earnestly and honestly say, I do love everybody, but that doesn’t mean I have to agree with what everybody is doing.

When your standard is the Word of God, when what’s OK and what’s not OK come from the Bible, can you stand for what’s right and not compromise.

Do you know there is no compromise with God? He said what he said and what he said has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. What was not OK in Sodom and Gomorrah is still not OK today. What was not OK to do to your body in the Bible is still not OK today. What it said to do or not to do in the ten commandments, we should still do and not do today.

God’s standard has not, does not and will not change. It’s not a moving target, and there are no amendments to it.

That’s the gospel of Christ Paul is saying he’s not ashamed of and why is that?

Because it is the power of God unto salvation — this gospel has the power to save.

Without power the Bible is just a bunch of words on pages.

Without power the promises of God are empty

Without power the accounts of the lives of the people are merely stories about characters

Without power, Jesus’ life has no meaning

Without power, we have no hope

Without power, there is no healing

Without power, our songs just have a good beat

Without power, there’s no reason for us to be here every Sunday, or to study on Wed, or pray, or meditate

Without power, there’s no reason for us to believe

But it is the power of God

But this power is not for everyone, this power is only for those who believe. You see God’s Word, his promises are all true but it’s your belief that makes them active, that make them true in your life.

To the Jew first, but if God is not a respecter of persons, why is it to the Jew first, because they were his chosen people. They received the commandments; they are the people God spoke to and the people God sent His Son through to bless us. But praise God he didn’t stop with the Jews, the Scripture then says, …and also to the Greek or to the Gentiles.

The Jews got what we call in the real estate world, first right of refusal and because they did, God said his word would not return to him void, but it would accomplish what he sent it forth to do. If you don’t do it, God has a ram in the bush that will. Your refusal to do what God called you to do, doesn’t mean it won’t get done.

So the promises and provisions he made were going to bless somebody and if the Jews didn’t want to receive them, well God said we could. Their refusal opened the door for all to receive.

In Luke, Jesus tells a parable about a man who prepared a meal and invited guests, all his invited guests had an excuse why they couldn’t make the dinner, so the man told his servants to go out into the highways and the hedges and compel them to come. He had the food prepared; someone was going to eat it.

Christ provided salvation through his death on the cross, someone was going to have the benefit of receiving it, and so we do, and when you decide you want it, it’s there for you to have. So now every believer is the light of the world and the salt of the earth whether you’re a Jew or not.

In the gospel, you’ll find the righteousness of God, because we are all sinners, and our righteousness is as filthy rags. We can’t work our way into heaven, it’s not about works.

We can’t sing our way into heaven, there are people who can sing the notes of the page but will still bust hell wide open.

We can’t even pray our way into heaven. Who are you praying to and what are you asking for? It matters, Jesus said, whatever you ask for, in my name the Father will give it thee. I’m not talking about the words you use, I mean are you asking in Jesus’ name and are you asking God the Father?

In the gospel, you’ll find the righteousness of God, but it’s only revealed through faith. Without faith it is not only impossible to please God, but without faith you can’t receive God’s salvation or his righteousness because it’s revealed through faith.

Faith to faith. Have you noticed it’s easier to trust God when He answers your prayer. When you see his miracle in your life, it tends to be easier to trust him for the next one. Oh you can see it happen for someone else, and that’s all well and good fine, but when it happens for you, it’s a whole different story.

It’s a’ight when God delivers my child, but when He delivers your child, you now have your own testimony.

It’s a’ight when I receive my healing, but when God heals you it’s a who different thing.

It’s a’ight when my financial needs are met, but it’s a whole different story when you receive a financial blessing out of nowhere and your bill is paid.

It’s a’ight when I get a promotion, but it’s something else when you get the job you weren’t even qualified for.

But here’s the thing about faith, faith is hoping for what you don’t see, because if you can see it, what does it take to hope for it. It’s already been proven. Hebrews 11tells us, Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the, watch this, evidence of things not seen.

If salvation is new to you, you may need a little kick start, but eventually you must come to learn and trust that God is who he says he is and that he will do what he promised he’d do.

How are you living? Are you living based on what you see, on what someone says, on what you think, on what someone else expects, or on what mama and daddy taught you? Uh oh, she said mama and daddy. How many know mama and daddy did the best they could, but they didn’t always get it right. And what mama and daddy did was what worked best for them. God is calling you to live your life based on what and who He called you to be. Paul says, the just or the righteous shall live by faith.

Your faith journey begins with salvation. Christ died so you could receive this same salvation Paul is talking about, the same salvation he was not ashamed to claim, it all starts with admitting you’re a sinner in need of God’s saving grace; believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died for your sins and confessing that you need him in your life.

NLT Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

If you’ve never accepted Christ as your personal Lord and savior, haven’t you waited long enough? Exercise your faith today, all it takes is faith the size of a grain of mustard seed. You can pray today and ask God to come into your heart right now and he will.

Just a pray like God I confess I’m a sinner, I believe Jesus is your Son and that He came to save me. Jesus I give you my heart and my life, in Your name I pray. Amen

If you prayed that prayer for the first time welcome to the family…

If you’re here today and you’ve never accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior the doors of the church are open

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