103182 BBF Romans 1:1-7 Intro: ill. Paul for...

10/31/82

BBF

Romans 1:1-7

Intro:    ill. Paul for a few moments

             (Review)  We sought last week by way of an overview to see the direction of Paul’s thought.  We found that in Romans he gives “the essential content of what he otherwise taught by word of mouth.”

-          hasn’t had opportunity to be in Rome (strategic center of Gentile world)- on his way to Jerusalem with important gift from Gentile churches with an eye on Rome (many misunderstandings)

-          Acts 22:21,22  “Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles!”  people cried out responded- “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!’

4 Concepts:

         Condemnation- pagan, moral, Jew, whole world

         Justification- by faith, Christ’s work

         Vindication- God’s wisdom – Israel temp set aside

          Exhortation-  How should the saved man live?

Today:  Vs 1-7  Paul says “hi” and it’s worth looking at

(Read 1-7)  1 goes with 7 with  a parenthesis in the middle

-          goes off on “the gospel”

Paul’s first sentence (127 words) is amazing in its accomplishment

“Paul’s opening sentence is a crystal arch spanning the gulf between the Jew of tarsus and the Christians at Rome.  Paul begins by giving his name; he rises to the dignity of his office, and then to the gospel he proclaims.  From the gospel he ascends to its great subject matter, to Him who is the Son of David and the Son of God.  From this summit of his arch he passes on to his apostleship again, and to the nations for whose good he received it.  Among these nations he finds the Christians of Rome.  He began to build by laying down his own claims; he finishes by acknowledging theirs.  The gulf is spanned.  Across the waters of national separation Paul has flung an arch whose firmly knit segments are living truths, and whose keystone is the Incarnate Son of God.  Over this arch he hastens with words of greeting from His Father and their Father, from His Lord and their Lord.

II.  Gospel of God                                                                                                                III. Son of God

       I. Messenger of God                                                                                                  IV. Saints of God

National separation- religious intolerance, racial prejudice, geography, customs

I.                     Messenger of God

3 Descriptive terms

A.      Bondservant of Christ Jesus

There are 6 different Greek words for servitude

 Paul here deliberately chooses the very strongest word

Ill.) picture a slave market; slave is placed on the block to be auctioned. Someone pays the highest price and that slave becomes a bond-servant.

Paul saw himself as being bought from the market place of life- he cherished that relationship -–all his epistles put it in order even before apostle.

Bob Dylan – “You may be an ambassador to England or France

                       You may like to gamble, you might like to dance.

                       You may be the heavyweight champion of the world

                       You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls.

                       But you’re gonna have to serve somebody,

                       Yes, indeed, you’re gonna have to serve somebody,

                        It may be the devil or it may be the Lord,

                        But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”

Many Christians have a disgruntled view of being a slave of Christ.  Paul’s view was, “Amazed that Christ would choose to buy me – as His possession.”

B.       Called to be an Apostle

Better – “called an apostle”  Paul was a called apostle

Acts 9:15 “But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go’ for he is a chosen vessel of mine, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the Sons of Israel;

Acts 22:14-  “And he said, ‘ The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One. And to hear an utterance from His mouth.”

Paul wasn’t an apostle because he wanted to, it was God’s directive upon his life; he was called apostle.

   (spirit, office

    authority

     ministry)

C.       Set apart for the Gospel of God

“Pharisee”

Paul was set apart in 3 different ways

Womb 1. God’s hand on his life from beginning (Gal. 1:15) “But when he who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb…”

World 2. Set apart from the world- Damascus Road (Acts 9)  Went into Arabian Desert

Work 3. Set apart for service- (Acts 13:2)  “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Paul was purchased, called, set apart

Those 3 terms characterize Romans and should characterize our lives also.

Christ purchased us with his blood, He called us to be Saints and we are set apart unto Him as our Lord.

“…Gospel”  Paul takes off

II.                   Gospel of God

Particularly interesting statements to a Jew

-“what is this new thing?

 Is it in the O.T. Scriptures?

-Paul quotes from the O.T. 61 times

Messianic psalms

Isa. 7:14  “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign; Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call his name’Immanuel” (God with us).

Jer.- The Lord our Righteousness

Micah – born in Bethlehem

Zech-  Behold, your king is coming

Mal. The Lord whom you seek will come.

Paul moves to the Person in whom the gospel resides

III.                 Son of God

-name

  The Gospel centers in “Jesus Christ our Lord”

  Jesus- “Jehovah saves”- Joshua

  Christ- Gr. Christos – anointed one

  Our – yours and mine

  Lord- owner, Master – (purchased, called, and set apart)

-                  -Humanity

-                  Born of the seed of David

 Xevoueror

 Jn 1:14  The Word became flesh

 Became of the seed of  David – not born

 in the manger  was not the beginning, he’d already been.

-                 -deity v. 4  accor. To the flesh- seed of David

-                                   accor. To the Spirit of Holiness – Son of God

-           Spirit of holiness does not mean the Holy Spirit, rather, it refers to the nature or essence of which the Father, Son , and Holy Spirit all partake.

According to the Spirit of Holiness – Son of God!

In an act of power He was declared the Son of God

Declared- lit. “To mark out by sure signs.”

-Jesus always was the Son of God

-          His people didn’t recognize Him

-          Ill.) Jews asked for a sign (he’d been doing many)  “Destroy this temple and in 3 days I’ll raise it up again (Jn 2:19)

The sign of the Resurrection declared Him to be what He truly had always been: the Son of God. Now it was marked out by a sure sign.

Authority – v.5.  The dispensing of grace and gifts is connected with the resurrection. Eph. 4:8

We have been given grace to do what

(what) to bring about the obedience of faith

(where) among all the gentiles

        (why) for his name’s sake

Paul makes a beautiful transition (v 6)

In this group “all the Gentile” you are some who have already been called by Jesus Christ

( IV. Saints of God)

        Paul’s use of ‘called’ includes obedience as well as hearing ie. since you have heard and obeyed the gospel you belong to Jesus Christ (purchased, called, set apart)

What do you do?  V. 7  We are called “holy ones”- never sing. Always plural. In relationship to others

  (Effectual call – Romans 8:28-30)

 God has purchased us for a purpose; either we will conform to that purpose, or he’ll chasten us. We’ll respond to the chastening in repentance or ultimately he’ll take our lives,

(Pierce Myear) song expressing our commitment to serving our Lord. 

Paul adds a concept to that of being a bold-slave

If a slave so chose to serve a Master forever he’d do according to O.T. custom.  Ex 21:5,6 says “But if the slave plainly says, “I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,” then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.”

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