The Gospel: God's Power to Live by Faith (Romans 1:8–17)

Introduction

Attention

We are continuing our series in the book of Romans. And as I've been studying the book of Romans, I've noticed something. The book of Romans is a powerful reminder of the power of the gospel. If you are a Christian this morning, you are sitting here because of the gospel. The gospel is God's good news message to the world about Jesus Christ. We would not be here today if it weren't for God's power in the gospel, the power to save men and women like you and me.

Power is a physical force that can overcome anything, and power is to be feared and respected.

One of the things my wife and I love about San Diego is the ocean. I'm not too fond about the beach, but wife loves the beach, and we both love seeing the ocean.

One of the things that really captivated me early on was seeing people surf. I thought it was the coolest thing.

In New York City we have an ocean and a beach, but our beaches are nothing like these. If you go to the beach in New York, you just hope it's clean. And the beaches out there don't seem to have the same waves that you have in San Diego. You have these waves here that just come in and overpower you.

I used to see these guys surfing and they were just riding the wave. It didn't look too hard. I thought, “Maybe I can take a class and learn how to do that. That would be amazing.” And so I found this class at Southwestern Community College over the summer. They have a surfing class. I signed up for the surfing class and they told us to buy some things. So I bought a wet suit, because the ocean is cold.

I get there on my first day of class, and they're describing to us surfing and the surfboard. And we go out to the beach and grab these big surfboards. I grab one of the surfboards, and I'm standing there on the beach with my wet suit and my surfboard feeling so California. This is what you see in the movies!

If you don't know a surfboard, surfboards have this thing called a leash, and you wrap this band, it's like made of Velcro, around your wrist. And the leash attaches to the surfboard so that when you're out in the ocean, you don't lose your surfboard. It stays attached to you.

They would tell you that if you fall into the water. when you get up out of the water, be careful, because the surfboard will come right back at you.

So after they teach us how to stand on the board, I finally get out to the ocean. I'm excited because I'm walking in with my surfboard. And as soon as I get into the ocean and start feeling that water hit, I realize this is not going to be as easy as it seems.

I get the surfboard. I try to put it on top of the water, and it's having a hard time balancing. I finally get it up on the water, and I try to stand up on the board. I try to get up, and boom, I fall down and fall into the water. I get up and try to get back on the board. And boom, I fall again. I cannot stand on this surfboard.

Remember what they told me about being careful about the surfboard coming back at you? These waves are coming in hard. I fell off the surfboard. You get into the water, and all you want to do is get your head up out of the water.

So I get out of the water, and as I'm getting out of the water, I look up and the surfboard is coming right at me. It hits me right in my neck. And for a few seconds, I can't breathe. And being inside of the water and not able to breathe is not a good thing.

Being in the ocean you realize quickly that this thing is powerful. You can become overcome by the power of the ocean.

The power of God is kind of like the ocean. It draws you in. And when you are confronted with the power of God, you realize how big he is and how small you are.

The church itself is not a result of any good programs or philosophies or money or anything else. The people of God are a result of the power of God to change a life through the cross. The church is a result of the power of God.

As we look at the power of God in the gospel today, we're going to ask ourselves a question: How does the gospel create and form a people of faith? Turn in your Bible to Romans 1:8. If you have your pew Bible, it is on page 997.

Scripture Reading

Romans 1:8–17 CSB

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world. 9 God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about his Son—that I constantly mention you, 10 always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I want very much to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 12 that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 Now I don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

Pray

Overview of Romans 1:8-17

As we continue looking at the beginning of this letter, remember that this is a church that Paul has never met. He knows some of them at the church, we see that in Romans 16, but on the whole he did not start this church as he normally had in other places. He's sending this letter for them to get to know him a bit better.

He hasn't been to Rome yet. He's on his way there but he's going to Jerusalem first. As you see this letter in this introduction, we get into the mindset of Paul. There's something about a letter that captures the mind of a person in a moment.

Paul is Thankful

As we get into his mindset, Paul is someone who is thankful. The fact that there was a Christian church in the capital city of the world Rome must have been something that they were so excited about. Paul says that the news of their faith is spreading throughout the whole world! The thing about faith, when God touches a person, it gets people's attention. In a day where there's no Internet, there's no text messaging, the change of the gospel in the lives of the people in Rome is spreading like wildfire. People are talking. The gospel makes a huge difference.

Paul is Prayerful

Not only is he thankful, but Paul is prayerful. You know Paul knows the power of God in his life, and he knows the power of God to answer prayer. For us, so many times our prayer life is self-focused, but we see the prayer life of Paul. His prayer life is others-focused, so much so that he is praying for people that he probably doesn't know. Just the fact that they are Christians is enough for him to pray for them.

Wouldn't that be amazing for us if we prayed for a church across down the street, or across the city, or in another part of the world, just because they worshiped the same Lord that we do. We want to see the gospel move and grow wherever there are people of faith. We can play a big part of that by praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ, wherever they may be.

In fact, if we want to see a move of God in our city it's going to take more than Catalyst. It's going to take the people of God in this city reaching their friends and their family for Christ. We can be a people of prayer who pray for brothers and sisters in Christ in San Diego and around the world.

Paul Desires Personal Presence With the Church

Paul is writing a letter to the church in Rome, but there is something he desires more than a letter. He desires the personal presence of being with the people of faith in Rome. There's something about personal physical presence with others that we can't get in any other platform, including today.

I love our live streaming, but our live streaming is not church. It is here for when you can't make it, because we love you and want you to be able to be part of us in some way, but there is nothing like personal presence together.

Why is that? Because church is not a one-way transaction. Paul craves the mutual encouragement of personal presence with the church, of being with people of faith. We are encouraged when we gather together as a body of Christ as one family who love our God and who love one another.

Paul is Eager to Share the Gospel With Them

Paul says he is eager to share the gospel with them. He describes himself as “obligated” to them. The word for “obligation” in verse 14 means to be in debt. Paul sees himself as in debt to the church. Because of the calling on his life he feels duty bound, he feels an obligation to share his ministry with them, and to share the good news of Christ with them.

This is interesting: why does he want to share the gospel with Christians? Have you thought about that? He says, “I am eager to preach the gospel to you who also who are in Rome.” Why is he eager to share the gospel with Christians?

This will get us into our first point,

God's power forms a people of faith through the message of the gospel.

Paul can't wait to preach the gospel to them, and then he says this in verse 16.

Romans 1:16 CSB

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

There's something incredible that happens when the good news of Jesus is shared. Think of everything that Paul went through for the gospel.

Paul had been in prison in Philippi because of the gospel (Acts 16:16-24)

Paul had been chased out of Thessalonica because of the gospel (Acts 17:1-10)

Paul had to be smuggled out of Berea because of the gospel (Acts 17:10-15)

Paul preached in Athens and was laughed at because of the gospel (Acts 17:32)

Paul preached in Corinth where the message of the gospel was foolishness to Greeks and a stumbling block to Jews (Acts 18:1-17, 1 Cor. 1:23) (1)

And no matter what Paul faced the gospel was worth it, because God's power to save people like you and me is in the gospel.

The beautiful thing about the gospel is that it is not advice. It's not some self help book trying to get you from point A to point B. It’s not saying, “Follow these three simple steps, and you'll be happy healthy and wise.”

The gospel is not some advice to try to tell you to pick up your bootstraps and get going. The gospel doesn't tell you to lift yourself up. The gospel is God's power to lift you up and give you life in Jesus.

Paul says this in 1 Cor. 1:18:

1 Corinthians 1:18 CSB

18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.

The Bible gives us one recipe for church growth: It is the spirit of God working through the preaching of the gospel. Do you want to see people come to faith? Tell them about Jesus.

The good news of Jesus changes lives and draws people to God. The gospel of Jesus Christ is what forms and grows the church.

Peter preached the gospel in Acts 2 and thousands of people came to Christ. The preaching of the gospel continues to be the thing that draws people to Christ today.

As a young child, I used to watch Billy Graham and his crusades. One thing that struck me about Billy Graham is that his message wasn't something unique. He preached about the cross. The same message that Peter preached in Acts 2 is the same message that brings people today, thousands to Christ.

In fact the Billy Graham organization is having an event on March 9th in Chula Vista and we pray for that event that many more will come to Jesus through the preaching of the gospel.

If you are a Christian today, you are here because of the gospel. And the power of God and the gospel is not a one time event take a look at this verse in Ephesians 3:20-21:

Ephesians 3:20–21 CSB

20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Paul says there is a power that works in us, and who is the "us” that he is talking about? We see that in verse 21, “to him be glory in the church.”

There is a power of God that came through the preaching of the gospel. God drew you into him, and God's power continues to exist today in your life.

The power of God is not a one-time thing. The power of God is working in you and forming you to be a person of faith.

We believe God.

We believe him when he says our sins are on the cross.

We believe him that Jesus rose from the dead.

We believe him when he says that we are his sons and daughters.

We believe God, and the power of God works through our faith. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6:

Hebrews 11:6 CSB

6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Now nothing is impossible for God. But for people, if you want to be someone who knows God, if you want to be someone who pleases him, you must be someone who believes him. You must be someone who believes him when he says that he wants to work in your life. A person must come to God through faith, and faith is a product of the power of God in your life. It says in Eph. 2:8-9:

Ephesians 2:8–9 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast.

Faith comes from God. It’s not something that you can take credit for. It's not something you can pat yourself on the back and say, “See, I believe in God and you didn't.”

God’s power worked in your life through the preaching of the gospel. He creates and forms a person of faith. And as you walk closely with the Lord, your faith will grow.

I've had a couple of conversations this week. I was speaking with a gentleman and he had made some choices in his life he was worried about a particular choice that he had made recently. This is not anyone here, so don't worry or start looking around.

I told him, "You know you still have control over your choices,” and he said, “No, God is in control.” Have you ever talked with someone and they start painting everything in God language? But you say, “No, this is wrong.” Just because you're talking about it in God language doesn't make it Christian.

I said, “Yes, God is in control but you still have control over the choices that you make.”

I think of this in regards to faith. The Lord talks about faith, and he holds us accountable to faith. He says in Matthew 17:20:

Matthew 17:20 CSB

20 “Because of your little faith,” he told them. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

He says they are people with little faith, for if they had faith as small as a mustard seed, mountains would move.

Basically the difficulties we have with the obstacles we face in our life can be directly connected to our faith in God. That challenge that you're facing in your life might be a challenge for you, but it's not a challenge to God. But it feels like a challenge because our faith is weak.

God is calling you and our church to be a people of faith. This is a time for faith.

God's power forms a people of faith through the message of the gospel.

What do a people of faith look like? Paul gives us a good picture. This is our last point,

God's power in the gospel shows through his people living by faith.

Paul finishes up Romans 1:16 -17 by quoting from the prophet Habakkuk. He says in Romans 1:17:

Romans 1:17 CSB

17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

For in "it,” for in the gospel, the righteousness of God—The word “righteousness” simply means to be in a right standing with God. We were transferred from darkness into light, we were transferred into the presence of God, and we are now his possession.

Being in his possession, we are in a right standing with God, not because of anything from us. That simply came through what Jesus did for us on the cross.

But how do we know? How do we know who are those in right standing with God? He says that we can actually tell. The righteous, those who are in a right standing with God, live by faith.

These are people who believe God. They are people who live their lives by faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 1:8-15 gives us a picture of someone living their life through faith in Jesus Christ and what that actually looks like.

First,

A. Living by faith is being thankful for what God has done.

Paul starts this off by saying,

Romans 1:8 CSB

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world.

Gratitude exposes a condition of the heart. When you are bitter, you don't have a lot of time to be thankful. But when you live by faith, you start to see the power of God working in your life. You realize quickly that, “This is not me. This is a gift of God.” And gifts are something that we are grateful for. The psalmist says in Psalm 100:4-5:

Psalm 100:4–5 CSB

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.

Being in the presence of God, knowing his goodness and his faithfulness, is a reason to rejoice and to be thankful. A person of faith is thankful for what God has done.

Second,

B. Living by faith is living a life of prayer.

In verses 9 and 10, Paul says:

Romans 1:9–10 CSB

9 God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about his Son—that I constantly mention you, 10 always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

If you believe in God, you talk with him. You pray to him. If you believe that God is the answer to your circumstances, you talked to him about your circumstances. If you believe that God will intervene in your challenges, you ask him to intervene. If you believe that God loves you, that God is your father, you speak to him as his child.

It says in Philippians 4:16-17:

Philippians 4:6–7 CSB

6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

A life of faith is not a life of worry. It's not a life of anxiety. And if that's where you are today, let me let you know that you are not alone. God loves you, and he wants to work in your life by his power through faith.

He asks that you trust him with those things that you're worried about. He asks that you trust him with the things that you're anxious about.

What do you do when you trust him? You present those things to him. You pray. There is power in prayer because there is power in God through faith. Living by faith is living a life of prayer.

Third,

C. Living by faith is being an encouragement to your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Paul says in verses 11 to 12,

Romans 1:11–12 CSB

11 For I want very much to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 12 that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Here's an interesting thing about the church: The church is not a hangout. It's not a social club on Sundays. The church is a people of God formed by faith in God who encourage and strengthen one another. We are meant to be a people of God who love one another. The church is a gift from God for your good.

Your faith is not just for yourself. Your faith is for everyone around you. Your faith is for the people of God, to encourage one another.

Look at these verses:

Hebrews 10:24–25 CSB

24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

or

1 Thessalonians 5:11 CSB

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

or

Galatians 6:2 CSB

2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Your faith is not for yourself. Your faith encourages others! We need your faith. Your faith can provoke others to love and good works. Your faith encourages others and builds people up. You can use your faith to carry the burden of your brother or sister in Christ. Your faith is a blessing to the church, and we need you.

Living by faith is being an encouragement to your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Last,

D. Living by faith is being accountable to God’s calling on your life.

Paul says in verses 14-15:

Romans 1:14–15 CSB

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Filler. We are called, all of us, to be a people set apart for Jesus Christ. We are obligated to him because of the power of God working in your life through faith.

There is a calling on you to live a life of faith in him, and we are accountable to the gift from God of faith in your life.

That is why Paul can see himself as someone obligated to the church. God is working in his life for God's purposes, and God uses people to reach other people. There is a call in your life to be set apart for Jesus. There is a purpose and a plan in your life. God wants you to be set apart for him.

Philippians 2:13 CSB

13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.

Do you want to know God's purpose in your life? First, God's purpose for you is the same for us all. It is to be a people set apart, holy in him, through faith in Jesus Christ. You can only live out God's purpose in your life by living a life of faith.

When I became a new Christian, I went to a place called the library. Before the Internet, there were these buildings called libraries. You would get your information not from websites, but from books, and you could take the books out for free. They just gave you a card and you could take books out.

So I was a new Christian, and I I took out a book of sermons from Martin Luther King, Jr. I had always known Martin Luther King,Jr as a freedom fighter, what I was taught in school. But reading through his sermons, I realized that this is a man of faith. This was a man changed by Jesus Christ.

Martin Luther King, Jr., he took the words of Jesus seriously. He knew that when Jesus says, “Love your enemies,” he knew what that meant.

MLK Jr was a man arrested many times, in prison many times, there were tons of threats to his life. In 1956 he was involved in something called the Montgomery Bus Boycott in Alabama. He got the news that someone had bombed his home in Alabama. He rushed over to his home. His wife Coretta Scott King and their young daughter were in the home at the time. They weren't harmed.

People came to the house with weapons. They were angry. This could be a real test for Martin Luther King, but instead he told them to put the weapons away.

In that same state a year later, he preached the sermon on loving your enemies. He preached on Jesus’ words to Love your enemies and how the love of God changes you. He made this statement in the sermon towards the end:

“So this morning, as I look into your eyes, and into the eyes of all of my brothers in Alabama and all over America and over the world, I say to you, 'I love you. I would rather die than hate you.'” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

(2)

What does it look like to live a life of faith? A life of faith is a life of love in Jesus Christ. It is a love so rich and so pure that overwhelms your soul.

It is a love that can cause you to forgive the people that hurt you. It is a love that changes you. It is a love that says, “No matter what the world throws at me, I know that God loves me, and therefore I will love you.

The love of God that works in you and is a love that works in the church. We are a people together formed by God through faith.

If you don't know the love of God today, you can by believing him and trusting him with your life, saying, “Today I want to be a person of faith in Jesus.”

Conclusion

God's power forms a people of faith through the message of the gospel.

God's power in the gospel shows through his people living by faith.

Conclusion

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!

Morris, Leon. The Epistle to the Romans. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1988. https://ref.ly/logosres/pntcrom?ref=Page.p+66-67&off=1414

"Loving Your Enemies," Sermon Delivered at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church (https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/loving-your-enemies-sermon-delivered-dexter-avenue-baptist-church)