10/09/2022 - Part 3 - The Gospel: God’s Only Path to Salvation

Grace Place Atlanta COGBF 4700 Mitchell Street Forest Park, GA 30297 Website: atlantacogbf.org Email: info@atlantacogbf.org Phone: (404) 241-6781 Wayne D. Mack, Pastor / Pastor Wayne D. Mack Sermon Notes Sunday, October 9, 2022 The Gospel: Understanding Its Power! God’s Only Path to Salvation Part 3 Romans 1: 16 & 17 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” This morning we’re continuing to sound the alarm of the GOSPEL of Christ from a biblical perspective and as it relates to God’s desire for all men to hear, understand, and respond to it. Today’s message is Part 3 in our learning-series and the focus is on understanding the Gospel from a practical perspective. . . and for application. It’s one thing to talk about the Gospel and to theorize over it, but God’s greatest hope is that every living soul hear it and ultimately believe it to the saving of their souls. My personal hope for everyone who hears the teaching of this series is to get an understanding of God’s Gospel and to experience its power. The words of Proverbs 4:7 expresses my deepest desire best. It states: 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. The title of today’s message is The Gospel: Understanding Its Power! The supporting Bible text is found in the Book of Romans Chapter 1, verses 16 and 17 which read: 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” These two verses alone crystalize the doctrine of the entire Book of Romans which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All 16 chapters of Romans are about new life in Christ Jesus according to God’s Gospel. Paul begins by saying: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.” The question for us is: What led Paul to say this? Can you believe that what led him to say this is the same thing that every Believer experiences at the point of accepting Jesus as his or her personal Savior and Lord. And, over time, this conviction becomes stronger and stronger. In general, when a person realizes that they need to be saved – nothing else in the world matters. There’s no shame in their game – because the greatest need in life has come to the forefront and nothing else really matters except to get one’s soul right with God. In Paul’s personal encounter with the Lord, he was on the road to Damascus as a big time promising Jewish Leader on his way to unjustly persecute and arrest more of God’s people – [that’s when] he met the resurrected Jesus whom he believed to be dead and a fraud. It was at this point his reputation and pride of being a powerful religious leader came crashing down. Here's the account in living color . . . see Acts 9: 1-7 NLT 9 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them— both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. 3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! At this point nothing mattered. Paul didn’t care what his religious collogues whom he worked for and who also hated Jesus thought. It didn’t matter what his family or friends or coworkers thought. Meeting Jesus dispelled all shame because the power of the Gospel was at work. Now, that brings us to the place of better understanding what is the power of the Gospel. So, what is the power of the Gospel of Christ? Paul said [in Romans 1:16b 16b “. . . it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” What does this mean or translate into with regards to a practical understanding of the Gospel’s Power? Let me answer that, then, I want to leave you with 4 practical characteristics of what makes the Power of the Gospel so unique. First, here’s something you need to know about the “Power” that makes the Gospel so matchless, so one of a kind supreme. The English word dynamite comes from the word POWER in verse 16 – “it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes”. It seems mysterious how just the simple message of the gospel could be so life changing, life-giving. It is so because it carries with it the omnipotence, supremacy, and authority of God. Only God’s power is able to overcome man’s sinful nature and give him new life. (Rom. 5:6; 8:3; John 1:12; 1 Cor. 1:18, 23-25; 2:1-4; 4:20; 1 Peter 1:23). The word “Gospel” [meaning good news] appears 60 times in various times in the Roman epistle. Ironically, Rome incorporated the word Gospel into its emperor worship. The town herald used this word to begin important favorable announcements about the emperor – such as the birth of a son. But Paul’s good news is not from the emperor but “of God;” it originated with Him. Its message that God will forgive sins, deliver from sin’s power, and give eternal hope (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15: 1-4) comes not only as a gracious offer, but also as a command to be obeyed (Rom. 10:16). Paul was consumed with this message (1 Cor. 9:23). The Gospel: Understanding Its Power! END