Who Are You? (2)

We’re all familiar with the US Constitution

The Constitution of the United States established America’s national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens.

It replaced the first governing document of the US, the Articles of Confederation, because the national government was weak and states operated like independent countries.

At the 1787 convention, delegates devised a plan for a stronger federal government with three branches—executive, legislative and judicial—along with a system of checks and balances to ensure no single branch would have too much power.

The US Constitution would not only set a standard by which Americans could live but it also protected their freedoms and liberty as an American Citizen

The Book of Romans has been called a constitution for believers

It contains the essence and essentials of the Christian life.

It outlines our identity, our purpose/mission, our foundations of faith but most importantly it reminds us of who God is and what He’s done for His people.

Since we are called to make disciples, we need to be well-equipped with what Scripture says and follow through with our life.

Romans 1

If we had to explain the letter to the Romans in a nutshell, Paul makes the case that God provides for us what God requires of us—perfect righteousness.

Through faith in Christ alone, a “righteousness from God” is granted to sinners, which removes God’s holy wrath toward us and brings us into loving relationship with Him forever.

That is what is called the eu=good /angelion= news (GK> euangelion)(GOSPEL)

Paul was a man on a mission – to spread this gospel far and wide -he was successful - 20 churches 13 NT letters

In writing this letter to the church in Rome, he does so because, though he didn’t start the church there, he longed to be there with them but also he wanted to defend himself and his actions

He was accused of taking the gospel to the Gentiles & Barbarians (Galatia, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi) but not to Rome or Jerusalem – they accused him of being ashamed – as if he had something to hide

Early in the letter he defends his actions – Barney Fife method

Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

What you have in the first chapter of the letter is the theme to the whole letter

In some ways Paul proves his education by establishing the thesis for his letter in the opening paragraphs but also he forgets his grammar.

If you look at the first 7 verses, it is one, long run-on sentence

That is where we are going to spend our time this morning

Vs. 1-7 are Paul’s greeting

And what he establishes in this one sentence is: his identity, his mission and his purpose

Why is this important?

Because what is true of Paul is true of us

You and I have an identity in Christ

We’ve been given a mission

There is a purpose why we do what we do

By looking at these things from Paul’s perspective will help establish us and make us stronger in our faith

Our Identity

I wear a lot of hats: husband, father, pastor, contractor, CAP

We tend to define our identity by what we do – men/job women/relational

Asking how people identify themselves can get you into trouble

Your identity is the qualities, beliefs and characteristics that define you as a person

So, what is your identity in Christ

We have many people who identify as Christians but the only common characteristic that they have with Christ is in the label

If we were to poll individuals this morning on what it means to be a Christian, we would get a plethora of answers: a follower, a disciple, a believer

I doubt that any of us would identify as Paul does

Vs. 1 – Paul, (C)a servant (ESV,KJV) bond- servant (NASB, NKJV)

He could have called himself a scholar (Gamliel) a Roman Citizen (Tarsus) or boasted of any of his achievements

Notice his perspective of his identity in Christ – GK. Doulous = slave

J. Mac 300 page book on this term/topic in Scripture

Paul uses a term that gets their attention – Romans and Greeks despised the idea of servitude and the term had a negative connotation

The word slave has a negative connotation for us as well because of America’s history

Naturally when we hear the word slave or servant our minds drift to the image of someone who has given up the idea of freedom and has to comply “or else”

This term is the equivalent of the Old Testament "servant of the Lord" (e.g., Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Nehemiah, and especially David).

Paul elevates this word by using it in its Heb. sense to describe a servant who willingly commits himself to serve a master he loves and respects

The idea is that you are so devoted that it’s not a chore, job or burden but a delight to serve

Paul also uses another identifying term that we should claim as our own

Apostle – make a distinction between Apostle and apostle -

The title "apostle" is Paul’s position in the church.

He was Jesus Christ's special appointee.

Literally in the GK an apostle is one who was sent to accomplish a task on behalf of the sender -an ambassador or envoy

This is how Paul views himself, not only as one who serves at the pleasure of the king but one who’s been given a job to do.

William Barclay - "Paul never thought of himself as a man who had aspired to an honour; he thought of himself as a man who had been given a task."

Paul uses one more term to identify himself -“set apart”

In the GK – aphorizō - “off horizon

The idea is this - “Expand your horizon” Your world before came to Christ is all you knew – Then you’re introduced to Christ and it’s a new way of living – it’s foreign -your horizon is being expanded

For Paul, he was set apart as a Pharisee, he was a Hebrew among Hebrews, no one more religious but he despised Christ and his followers

On the road to Damascus, Jesus blinded him and he was aphorizo – he was moved beyond his horizon!

In the 1st 18 words of this sentence, Paul identifies who he is in Christ

How many words would it take you – Can you say the same?

The attitude of Paul here ought to be the attitude of everyone who calls themselves a follower of Christ

If we claim the name of Christ should we not be bond-servants?

It’s a privilege to bend the knee and serve our King – He’s more than worthy

Is serving Him really your delight?

We don’t mind identifying as a Christian when it’s beneficial – icthus on a business card/vehicle

We don’t mind identifying as a Christian when we’re sick/diagnosis/death

How about when it’s not beneficial?

When it isolates you from your family, friends or co-workers?

Who then are you serving? Christ or yourself?

Could you call yourself an apostle?

Do you live to tell others about the euangelion?

Can you say that your horizons have been expanded?

You no longer see the world as it was but you see it through the eyes of Christ and your desire is to serve Him by sharing His message?

Ed Stetzer - “We’ve made it acceptable to come and sit in a pew, do nothing and call ourselves followers of Christ.

For too long, the church has made it acceptable to come and be a part of the church and do nothing

We’ve created consumers – we come and expect to be fed but then do nothing with what you’ve been given

When the music isn’t exciting enough, the preaching isn’t entertaining enough and there aren’t enough activities to keep my children occupied then I’ll go somewhere else.

When we stand before Christ and we give an account for our service (2Cor. 5:10)

What will be our response?

If we wrap our identity in what we do then shouldn’t we want to be identified as one who served for the pleasure of the One who gave His life for us?

Wouldn’t we want to be ambassadors for the One who has the cure to heal the world?

Would we want to just keep that status quo and stay safe & comfortable or would you be willing to have your horizons expanded and see what God has in store for you?

Our Mission

If we’re not consumers, then we must be contributors

The way Christ set up the church is that everyone has a role to play

Paul equates the church to a body – every member has a unique part to play (1 Cor.12)

Everyone has a part but the mission is the same

It’s the task that drove Paul on 3 missionary journeys and compelled him to travel over 10,000 miles on foot to complete his part

Vs.1 – for the gospel of God

Paul says I am a bond servant, I am an apostle (ambassador), I am set apart for this one thing!

For Paul – his one thing was spreading the gospel

The reason he would walk over 10,000 miles, endure famine, beatings, imprisonment, shipwrecked, ridicule, etc. for the one thing that he whole heartedly believed in

The one thing that radically changed his perspective, theology, and life

The good news of what God had done for Him in Jesus Christ

Because of that gospel, he would go from tormenting followers of Christ to making disciples of Christ

What’s your 1 thing?

Too many people are content to just exist – they have no mission

Or they’re so consumed in themselves that all of their time is focused on them

If you identify as follower of Christ, your mission is the same as Paul’s

It may look different in practice but the mission is the same

We’ve been looking at this on Wednesday nights – Making disciples

Jesus commanded His followers to “Go and make disciples”

Does that mean you have to walk 10,000 miles, journey to foreign lands, plant churches, endure hardships, imprisonment and beatings

Maybe but probably not

It does mean that you’ve been entrusted with the greatest news on Earth and your expected (obligated) to share it with those around you

Your spouse, children, neighbor, co-worker

Start there, and be available, look beyond yourself

You don’t have to tell a bond servant to serve at the pleasure of the Master

You don’t have to tell an ambassador to represent the One who sent him

Your identity defines your mission

Your mission reveals your purpose

Our purpose

We tend to confuse our mission with our purpose

Mission= What we do

Purpose= Why we do it

Every company has a mission statement – most are lengthy – Walmart “We save people money”

The mission statement does reveal what they do and whether its stated or not there’s a purpose behind it

Walmart’s mission may be to save you money but their purpose is get more customers so they can make more money

This is every business purpose -to make more money

The mission of the person who is a follower of Christ is to be a disciple maker and to spread the good news of what God has done through Christ Jesus

So what’s our purpose?

Why do we carry out our mission?

What’s our purpose?

Because of what Christ has done for us.

This is Paul’s whole message to the Romans and he leads off his letter letting this purpose be known

Vs. 2-5

In one statement Paul gives the reason (purpose) behind why we do what we do as followers of Christ

Because God, in His faithfulness, promised to send one who would redeem those who were enslaved to sin and He sent His one and only Son to die and resurrected Him so that one day He would come again and receive all of those who believed, were obedient and walked by faith.

Paul was doing more than just explaining why he was set apart

He was proving the OT scripture prophecy of Jesus (quotes/references the OT over 75 times)

He was linking that prophecy of the Messiah to the genealogy of David (Most important to the Jews)

He was revealing the result of believing the gospel

Vs.5

When you understand the reason behind why God would allow His son to die in your place, receive the wrath for your sin that you deserve, it produces something in you

Obedience

God didn’t send His Son for the purpose of information or so that we could have a correct theology of Him

He sent His Son to die so that you could be with Him

God & sin can’t coexist – He is holy

The only way that you and I can experience fellowship with Him is by allowing Jesus to take our sin upon Him and He clothes us with His righteousness

While our mission reveals our purpose

We need to let the purpose drive our mission and reveal our identity

CONCLUSION

What’s your identity?

Does your life reflect the mission and purpose that we’ve been given?

My hope for us as we walk through Scripture together is that we become stronger in Him

May we take His mission serious and see more lives changed by the good news of what God has done

If your life hasn’t been changed by what He’s done for you then you need to work on that – that’s your mission

Finding that 1 thing that will give you direction and meaning

When you understand that the 1 thing is Jesus Christ, you can’t help to want to serve and submit your life to Him

I pray that mission and purpose will fuel our desire to be identified by Him.