The Song of the Slave

Hey well good morning. If you weren’t in here for the start of service than let me say again, “Happy New Year.” If we haven’t met, my name is Chase and I serve as the Lead pastor for The Corners Chapel...and I am so excited to be here with you this morning because we are diving into a new series...a series through the book of Romans...so if you’re bible’s still open to Romans 1....keep it there because that’s where we’ll be in just a little bit...but before I let you know the direction we’re taking this morning...can we give a shout out to any of our first time guests!! (pause) We are so glad you’re here...and you picked a great Sunday to be here...

And I’m not gonna waste any time so let me pray and then I’ll let you know where we’re headed this morning.

PRAY

Well today is the first Sunday of the New Year. And I’ve done this a couple times, but one of my favorite things to do at the start of a New Year is to see what people a long time ago thought life would be like in the current year. (pause) Like what did people 70 or 80 or 100 years ago think that 2025 would be like.

And so, I thought I’d start off this morning by sharing my top 5. Okay, these are all things that people in 1925...thought that 2025 would be like.

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Okay, now here’s why I’m mentioning all of those. All of those predictions...while funny...are really a grim reminder that we have no idea what the future holds. Right....when it comes to the specifics...and what exactly life will look like in 10 years...20 years...100 years...even this time next year, there is very little that we can say with complete certainty.

And every year, we see expert rushing to make predictions about the newest trends in fashion and media and food and all of that...and year after year it’s a reminder that even the so called futurologists are just really giving their best guesses when it comes to predicting the future.

Well this is why I love the Bible. Because what we have contained between the covers of this book are not the best guesses of a man or a woman....it’s not the predictions of someone who studied and analyzed trends and said I think this is what’s gonna happen....but what we have in this book is very Words of God.

Words that were written by written by over 40 different people, across three continents, in three different languages, over nearly 2,000 years...written by people from very different backgrounds...scholars....shepherds...kings and commoners....yet what this book itself claims is that every word of the original manuscripts that composed what we now know as the Bible...was inspired by God himself.

Think about that for a moment because that’s a huge claim.

What I’m saying is that when you go outside and see the snow on the ground...or when you look up at the sky and see the stars....not in the winter cuz all we see is grey when we look up at night in Northeast, ohio from like November to March, right....but when the snow melts and you can actually see the stars...what I’m saying is that the one who created each individual snowflake that falls, and the one who spoke stars and galaxies into existence...he made himself known to us...through the Bible.

And here’s what I want you to know....the words contained in this book are time tested.

Okay...what do I mean by that, well check this out.... The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. Okay that’s not a disputed fact...whether you believe it’s true or not...thats a verified fact there has never been a book that’s reached as far across in the world in the history of the world as the bible....but while it’s the best selling book..., it is also the most scrutinized book.

Every year there’s a new book or show or documentary out about why the bible’s not legit or something along those lines...yet In spite of all tha...here we are 2000 years later in this room five years into a new church where many of us...if not most of us if given the chance could testify about how this book...and the truths contained within have changed our life.

In fact...and I love hearing these stories...many who set out in an attempt to disprove the historicity....and the continuity of the bible...not all, but many who say this is my life’s objective to prove those Christians wrong....when faced with the bible head on....often they themselves have there lives changed by the bible!

Okay...real quick, and I’m headed somewhere with this. I don’t know if anyone in here recognizes this woman here....but her name is Ayaan Hirsi Ali. And about 20 years ago...there was a group of four men who named themselves the four horsemen of the New Athiest movement....Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopeher Hitchen...and Daniel something...i can’t remember his name...but these were brilliant philosophers and writers...and they said...we’re gonna build off the works of other athiests from the past and disprove the bible.

Well this lady was a contempary of theres and became known as the fifth horseman of the new atheist movement. But she wrote about why faith is destructive, and all this stuff, but guess what? A little over a year ago....she announced not that she was just thinking about changing her mind....but that she had become a Christian.

And actually....just about a month ago...another famous atheist named Alex O’Conner...I don’t know if you remember him....a while back, I showed a video of him just talking about how ridiculous and intellectually dishonest Christianity is....well he interviewed her – you can find it on Youtube – but he since hasn’t denounced atheism...he ‘s shifted to labeling himself agnositic...but while he hasn’t come to faith, he’s said many thing that have people questioning...maybe he’s close. So even though we might never meet him we should be praying for him. Like...for real lets all add Alex O Connor to our prayer list.

But the reason I’m mentioning him...or the really the reason I’m mentioning Ayaan Hirsi Ali....is because she’s one of countless examples of women and men who were in staunch opposition to God....and distrusted, and maybe even hated the Bible...but they came to the realization that this isn’t man’s doing. (pause) This is the word of God.

Lee Strobel. If you recognize that name...the journalist who wrote the Case for Christ was really setting out to prove once and for all that God didn’t exist...but then the light came on.

C.S. Lewis...one of my favorite authors...an absolutely brilliant man....he called God The Hound of Heaven. He was an atheist...in fact he was either self described or described by others as an evangelistic athiest.....and yet he would go on. To say that God pursued him until he finally came into the faith, “kicking and screaming.”

And as these men and women throughout the ages have had their hearts opened to these truths...they’ve realized that what sets the Bible apart from any other book religious or non-religious is that while it’s 66 books, and written by 40 authors over almost a 2000 year stretch,,,ad there’s prophesy, some that’s come true...a lot that’s come true, and some we’re still waiting to see fulfilled....what sets it apart is that despite it’s broadness...it’s message is consistent and concise. From the first page of the Old Testament...to the last page of the new the Story of the Bible is telling one story of God’s holiness, man’s rebellion, and God’s love to not leave us in our rebellion, but how he sent Jesus to bridge the gap that separates humanity from Himself...and how now we can play an active role in spreading the Kingdom of God now....that’s what the whole thing is about....and catch this...while all scripture is God breathed, and I don’t this for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if someone somewhere has been saved from every book of the Bible...while all of scripture is equal in it’s inspiration...there is no book of the bible that so clearly and systematically lays out the redemptive truths of our faith than the book of Romans.

We come to this book, and we can’t help but say these aren’t just the words of a man making guesses about life....these aren’t just the philosophical pontifications of a man giving his thoughts...now this is different.

And it’s for this reason, church family, that Lord willing we will spend the majority of this year working through this book.

And so here’s what I want to do. My hope this morning is to get through the first six verses. We’ll see. But we have 51 more Sundays so if we don’t make it then that’s fine....no let me give you our outline....today and next week, I really just want to set the stage for our series...as we look at the opening chapter...and in doing so, I hope we’ll see the significance and really feel the weight of the journey we’re about to take together....

But here’s where I want to spend the rest of our time....this is our outline for this morning.

As we’re beginning to dive into this book over the course of this year, I want to look at why....like why is Romans so important....2. How are we gonna approach this book....3. Who wrote it and why is that significant...and then lastly....what do I want us to takeaway from this book not just today, but for the whole year....what’s our key takeway or our theme for the whole year as we’re in this book and today specifically...

Sound good?

Alright lets look at WHY Romans....

· Quick reminder about notes being in app during service and when it’s posted....

WHY ROMANS

Alright...so to understand why Romans is important...we’ve gotta understand what’s going on....like why was it written...what’s the purpose all that.

Okay, so if you’re like just give me how this applies to me...i don’t really care about the background...hang in there...trust me part of what makes this book so impactful and meaningful is why it was written.

Okay so check this out. (pause) We say all the time here...that the Bible is 66 books...but again it’s telling one connected story.

And the Bible starts with....the Old Testament. 39 books that cover everything from the creation of the world and mankind rebelling and God promising to send a savior....and that savior, Jesus, shows up in the Gospels, right? Matthew Mark, Luke and John.

In between was 400 years of silence....the Gospel stories flow right into the book of Acts which shows how the good news of Jesus went from this little movement in Jerusalem ultimately to the end of the earth.

And Paul...the Apostle Paul, we’re gonna talk about him in a few moments....he’s kind of the main character in the second half of the book of Acts....and he’s like the greatest church planter ever going from place to place.

And at the end of the book of Acts we see that Paul gets into a shipwreck on his way to where? Anyone remember? On his way to Rome!! And the book ends with him making it to Rome.

And so we might think okay...Romans comes next....like this must be the account of what he did in Rome or what he was saying to the church in Rome, right? Wrong.

No...Paul actually writes this letter that we know as the book of Romans...years and years before he actually makes it to Rome. (pause) In fact, there wasn’t really an established church in Rome when he was writing...and we’ll get more into that next week...but this raises the question....if there’s no church in Rome....no real established church...and he’s never been there...then who’s he writing to? Because what we’ll see next week is that he says he’s writing to the church in Rome.

Well check this out....in Acts chapter 2, something amazing happened. Okay, Jesus had just ascended into heaven...all the disciples are waiting and praying and they’re like “okay God what’s the move”..these last three years with Jesus have been wild...now he’s gone...what are e supposed to do.

And Acts chapter 2 says that’s when the Holy Spirit fell on everybody. And people could understand each other in different langauges...but

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

Okay this is amazing...but then if you read the rest of the chapter...the Apostle Peter gets up and he’s like...let me preach the first ever post-Jesus on earth sermon....and I’m gonna explain to you what just happened...and guess what....3000 people get saved!!

Now...what’s this have to do with Romans...well, while the scripture doesn’t explicitly tell us this...what can be gathered from this, and what has been passed down throughout church history...is the belief that those who were there from Rome...the Jewish people in Rome...some of them were included in the 3000 that got saved, and they took the gospel back with them to Rome....but all they really had was the Old Testament and the sermon from Peter they heard.

So imagine with me that you’re a first century Jew....you’ve got the Old Testament...you’re obviously devote because you’re in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost....you’ve been waiting your whole life for the messiah to come...and then you witness this unexplainable miracle...people are speaking to each other in different languages, there’s flames of fire on peoples heads...it’s wild and then someone gets up and is like....the Messiah you’ve been waiting for since forever...he actually came and died and rose from the dead....and the Holy Spirit changes your heart and you belive....then you go back home with this new found truth....what are you gonna do?

You’re gonna tell people, right? And so...again, thie bible doesn’t explicity tell us, but what historians believe...both Christian and non-Christian...is that this news made it back to Rome...and these little christian home groups started popping up – we’ll talk more about that next week – but even though the core message of the Gospel made it to Rome...there was no full doctrinal teaching for those in Rome.

And so...Paul while he wanted to get to Rome...through the inspirtation of the Holy Spirit, he sits down and writes the book of Romans while he was in a place called Corinth.

Okay so why is this important...well because what I want you to know is that this isn’t just a continuation o the narrative story....like Acts part 2. This book is imbeded in the context of the book of Acts...as Paul...the great missionary is writing to believers who know Jesus....but he’s gonna essentially say let me spell out the Gospel to you in it’s entirety in a systematic way.

Everybody say systematic. Okay, here’s our first point... The letter to the Romans is the clearest and most systematic presentation of Christian beliefs in the whole Bible.

Okay...I’m not saying it’s more important...or that it’s more inspired...but it’s Paul saying this is what all this means.

- Let me give an example...when I go to movies

o People explain it.

That’s what Paul’s doing. He’s saying remember Abraham...and Adam...this is how they’re tied into this story...he’s saying it’s not a mystery anymore....this is what it means. Let me make it clear.

Martin Luther: “This epistle [i.e., Romans] is really the chief part of the New Testament, and is truly the purest gospel.” John Calvin: “When any one understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scripture.” J. I. Packer: “All roads in the Bible lead to Romans, and all views afforded by the Bible are seen most clearly from Romans, and when the message of Romans gets into a person’s heart there is no telling what may happen.” John Piper: Romans is “the most important theological, Christian work ever written.” Valmir: Romans is awesome.

Brothers and sisters, I know we still have a little ways to go, so I won’t linger here long...but here’s why this is so important. Okay...what we are gonna be doing this year...is walking through...again...what is the most clear layout of the scripture.

This book is traced back to so many revivals...

- The protestant reformation....began...because Martin Luther read this book!

- John Wesley’s conversion....is largely attributed to the preface of the book of Romans.

- Wherever there’s rivial Romans is there

But you might be thinking...okay I get it...it’s important...why are we spending a year in the book...good question...and let me say – honestly a year isn’t enough.

- Martin Lloyd jones, the legendary Welsh minister from last century, spent 7 years in Romans.

- I heard a pastor say one as he kicked off a series through Romans that he hoped to either be in it till Jesus returned or he died of old age.

- Don’t worry that’s not my objective....although how awesome would it be if the rapture happened while we’re in Romans. Like we get to Romans 8 we’re more than conquers and boom we’re in heaven.

So anyway... how are we gonna attack this book...well the book of Romans has 16 chapter. 433 verses. And heres how they’re broken down.

If you got the bulletin insert, it’ll be helpful to pull that out...and again, the notes are in the app and will be in the description of this video if you’re watching online. So you don’t have to take pictures or anything you can find it all there.

But there’s 16 chapters. And like most of Paul’s letters there’s an introduction...that’s the first 17 verses of chapter1....and there’s an outro, that’s chapter 16. And the letter can best be split into two halfs. (or two sections)...the first – chapters 1 – 11 are about doctrine...they’re what we believe....it highlights the foundations of our faith. And then the second part...chapter 12 up to the outro are all about how we should live.

- So if you were with us in Ephesians...it’s the same thing....this was very Common for Paul’s writing.

So, that’s the major breakdown....but then we can break it down even further. Okay, different people and different commentators might break it down more or even further...but I think there’s five major movements in the book of Romans....and they all begin with the letter S.

SIN– Write out of the intro Paul comes right out of the gate swinging....okay he doesn’t hold anything back...He doesn’t pull any punches. And so get ready....because we’re gonna spend about three weeks feeling the weight of what this means. Okay because like we often say...for the good news to be good...we have to understand the bad news. So Paul didn’t shy away from it and neither will we. (pause) but the Good news comes after that because the next section is all about SALVATION...what does that even mean? What does it mean to be saved? And when we’re saved from sin’s penalty once and for all, what does it mean to be saved from sin’s power...that’s chapter 6 all the way to the culmination of the book in chapter 8.

John Piper calls Romans 8 the greatest chapter in the whole Bible. J.I. Packer called Romans 8 the Mount Everest of the New Testament. Okay so that’s what we’re building towards, and then....th next few chapters are all about God’s sovereignty.

Now...this is crazy to me. Did you know a lot of churches will actually study Romans 1-8 and then jump to chapter 12. (pause) Like I’m not trying to pash other churches, but this is more common than you think...and that’s because at it’s core in chapters 9-11 are the theme of unpacking God’s plan and promises for the nation of Israel. Has the church complelty taken the place of Israel? Or does God still have a redemptive plan for Israel....that’s all unpacked in Romans 9-11. And so I put that in a different color and put a star of David on your sheet just so that that’s at the forfront of your mind as we talk about the layout of this book.

If Romans 1-8 is the ascent to the mountain top, I think 9-11 is the summit of the mountain...and then we began the decent in part two as we look at how then shall we live....as Romans 12 to the end show us how we serve.

Okay...so that’s the layout of the book...how are we gonna cover this in a year? Well, Lord willing our study through the first eight chapters should take us up to Easter...easter is late this year...and so Lord willing well reach the mountain top on Easter Sunday....then we’ll spend a few weeks up on the summit as we explore in a mini-series what is God’s redemptive plan for the nation of Israel? Right....this isn’t political...this isn’t a response to anything going on...I simply want to see what does the Bible say?

Then we’ll form our opinions about current events. Not the other way around.

Then...we’re gonna break for the summer...In June and July we’re gonna do a series on the Nicean Creed and look at the biblical principals we can pull from there...August is Missions Month, and then Lord willing...we’ll return to Romans in the Fall and look at chapters 12-16.

Okay...so before I show the next slide.

- Marvel movie timelines.

Well here we go this is, Lord willing where we’re headed for this year. And....let me say just three things:

- Things change

- Pray (for me, and my family as I prepare...and for our staff, team leads, and elders)

And then number 3 and I said this when we went through the Bible in a year...my goal, and our goal as leadership is to be able to take you as deep as you want to go. We’re gonna provide resources (R.C. Sproul...Tim Keller...). Overtime podcasts....But let me just say If you stick with this, your life will be changed. You cannot spend a year in the book of Romans...we cannot spend an entire year in the book of Romans and come out the other side unchanged.

This is not a prosperity claim...I’m not saying things will be easier in your life...no it might get more difficult. But you’ll come out closer to God...more aware of who he is and in awe of who he is....and so that means...if you miss a week – please go back and listen to the message.

Utlize the This Sunday page or tab on our app and read the passage ahead of time or listen to the music.

Come equipped, and I promise this will be a life changing series for you. Amen?

Okay...we’re almost done...let’s quickly look at just the first verse of this book. I told you most of today is just setting the stage....we’ll really dive in next week. But in order to understand this book I want to briefly look at what verse 1 tells us about it’s human author, and then I’ll give you our key takeway not just for today, but for the year...okay you still with me?

Alright Romans 1:1. Dakota read it earlier.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

Okay....now this might sound obvious....but he starts by saying who it’s from.

- Modern times we end with our name....but back then they had scrolls....

But his name really doesn’t matter...what matters is this threefold description he gives...he says he’s a servant of Christ....and he’s called to be an apostle...and he’s been set apart for the gospel of God...and then he’s Paul so he goes on for the next five verses talking about the gospel and how awesome Jesus is.

But check this...He says he’s a servant of Christ. Now...we’re not gonna go into the Greek and all that every week or even most weeks...but this is important. Okay, the word there in Greek is the word Doulos...you with me? Everybody say DOULOS....you know that that means? It means slave. Some translations keep that, but most changed it to servant because of our modern connotations of the word “slave” and our minds go to the not so distant past of our nation and chattle slavery...but this is Paul’s favorite title for himself.

He called himself a Dooulos Christou....a slave of Christ.

- I used to own the website doulosChristou.com

But this was Paul’s primary way that he viewed himself....he said he’s an apostle...you might think he’d lead with that, right? Like hey listen to what I’m about to say...but he leads by calling himself a slave to Christ. You say why would he do that?

Well, let me pull out one other thing form this verse....he says he was “set apart”. Okay...this is amazing...and it’s amazing when you know Paul’s story.

Because, Paul...the Paul who’s writing this....was a persecutor of Christians. In Acts 7, he’s there giving approval to the first public execution of a Christian. By Acts chapter 8 he’s ravaging...thats the word the bible uses...it means to wreak havoc on.

Like, many of us learn about this in Sunday school and we’re like yeah I get it he was a bad guy turned good guy, but fam...let it sink in...dude was a terrorist. Like this is Isis, Al-Quida, or Hamas...this is Boko Haram...or you fill in the blank of any organization that is out to seek and destroy Christians...and he’s the head dude.

But catch this...don’t miss this...here’s what makes this verse so amazing...and this whole book so amazing....Galaitians 1:15.

It’s not on the screen, but I’m gonna read it.

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;

Okay theres a lot there.....where am. going with this....Paul says in Galatians 1:15 he was set apart – when? Before he was born! (pause)

He’s set apart before birth....by the time he writes Romans 1:1 he’s a slave to Christ....but catch this...that gap in between That’s the gospel!

Let me let John piper spell it out for us. He writes: Paul’s grasp of gospel is profoundly stamped by his own experience. He was, in his own estimation, the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). And for some reason, not in himself, but only in the will of God, God chooses freely to set his saving focus on Paul and make him a Christian and an apostle and a servant of the gospel.

Piper goes on call this...gap...this in between when he was chosen and when he calls himself a slave of Christ....the great detour of the Apostle Paul’s life.

Now here’s why I’m focusing on this....here’s why I didn’t want to just simply give some background information on the book and then move one....okay this is our final heading...WHAT SHOULD WE TAKE AWAY FROM THE BOOK OF ROMANS.

See..there’s two dangers many fall into when it comes to this book...1) People get mad. At some of the stuff Paul’s saying...because let me just say it he’s gonna come right out and call us all sinners...we’re all unrightous...he gives different categories, but it doesn’t matter we’re all somewhere in there and were sinners...we’re broken...and many of us don’t want to hear that. And let me say, even if we get that, there’s other parts of the book that are gonna stretch us.

Like..if you take this series seriously and you’re here week after week...something is gonna be said in this book that makes you go...ohhh. (pause) This book will not tickle your ears. It’s not politically correct, and it’s offensive to many....that’s just the truth. And so many will fall into one camp that says I don’t like this book.

Others of us....may fall to far to the other side where we’re so excited about Paul’s doctrinal arguments and his case building and the structure and background of this book that that’s all we focus on. Because it’s amazing...the way he makes his arguments and layes them out.

- I forgot to mention...this book was used in law schools.

But what can happen is we can easily fall into a camp that says I don’t like it....I’m not listening...or we can fall into the group that’s just focused on the argumentative side...and if we fall into either camp – friends what we can miss...from verse 1 all the way to the end...is this book is showing us the Gospel that directly affects each one of us.

Because while none of us in this room were out murdering Christians...at least not that I know of...what Paul is gonna argue is that we have that same gap of separation that’s in need of being covered by the bood of Jesus as the most violent persecutor of the church!

We all have our own detour if you will. If we’re in Christ than we were choosen from before birth ultimately to be slaves to the perfect king. We don’t want to think of ourselves as slaves...because again of the modern implications...but....what’s the first question of the chaticism?

What is our only hope in life and death...that we are not our own but BELONG...body and soul...to Jesus!

And so if that’s what it means to be a Christian...that we’ve surrendered completely to him...but we were choosen before birth....and none of us camb out of the womb saved....than that means at somewhere there was detour for us as well...and at some point whether it was as adults, in college, in high school, or when we were kids....the Holy Spirit illuminated our hearts to the wondersd of the Gospel and we became DOULOI CRISTOU – slaves of Christ...but get this it wasn’t our doing.

And so, friends, before we we even begin tread into the waters of this book....we have to ask ourselves ...do we really understand this?

Do we understand that we realy have the same story as Paul....that we once were lost in darkness...we thought ee knew the way...annd the sins that promised joy and live were leading us to the grave...but as we ran our hellbound race indifferent towards the cost...God looked upon our helpless state and led us to the cross. Is that our story?

And church... if we truly get this...it is than should change everything about us.

The last few weeks of the last year I spent some significant time praying for the Lord to give me a theme for this year for our church....not a new mission or vision or anything like that, but...a battlecry if you will. And I began to pray and think about what characterizes much of the church (not our local church...but the western church) what are some of the negative qualities that characterize many in the big c Church... that by the grace of God, we want to push back againt.

Three things – 1.) radically individualistic 2.)Led by the culture (reactionary) 3.) Afraid

- Introduce theme

- Last week was talking to Will

What would it look like if our church was characterized by....

“Give me one hundred people who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I don’t care whether they be clergy or leymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.”

Well...we average more than 100 people in this room on a Sunday...what impact would it have on our community...our workplaces...our schools...our nation?

Well it starts by realzing who we are...that we’re slaves to Christ...that’s our identity. We are his and his alone. It starts with surrender! This is final point of the day....Revival starts with surrender..

Not what do we do. See this is the greatest message of this book...that seeing the world changed...seeing al the corners of the earth reached...it has to start with us saying....nothing in my hand I bring simply to the cross I cling.

This is what complelty changed.....no let me put it this way.....

There’s two verses in Romans that have flipped the church world upside down.

Two verses that completely confront...and destroy...the world of religion.

Okay, What I'm about to read to you you is responsible for the Protestant reformation....okay, it’s responsible for the great awakening in the US Colonies. It’s in many ways responsible for the foundation of the Constitution of the United States. It's these verses I’m about to read that wrecked some of the early church fathers like , St. Augustine and Athanatias....These verses lit the fire of men like Jonathan Edwards or Charles Wesley and John Wesley.

Billy Graham, John Piper, Lemuel Haynes, Francis Gremke...the list goes on and one...

What ‘m about to tell you absolutely destroyed Martin luther who came to the book of Romans and read what I’m about to read and it literally sent him into a fsaith crisis.

In fact, before I tell you....let me tell you something real quick....

- I’ve been to Israel

- Holy Sepluchre....and my heart breaks.

- People are told they’ll be forgiven of their sins!!!

Well, there’s all kinds of relics like that IN Rome....and in fact there’s this staircase....it’s been there for I don’t know how long....it’s from the temple in Jerusalem and reconstructed and people go up and down and they’re told God will forgive you of your sins. That is called religion. Religion is man trying to meet with God based upon man's idea. - And Martin Luther walked from Germany to Rome got there and said...God isn’t in this....

So what’s the verses that shook the hearts of all the men I listed...the verse that has shaped the lifes and ministries of women and men since the first cettuary and the verses that are the thesis statement of this book.

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.

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.”

Through faith!!!

So many of us want to boil our faith down to what we do! We think we need to clean ourselves up! But frends the beauty fo the gospel is that there’s nothing we need to do except for trust him!

We run to him!! We surrender to him!! We declare our allegiance to him!! Which in turn leads to him changing us from the inside out!! That’s the gospel!!!

Well our time is done....

Rev. William Haslam, 1886

So I went up into the pulpit and gave out my text.

As I went on to explain the passage, I saw that the Pharisees and scribes did not know that Christ was the Son of God, or that He was come to save them. They were looking for a king, the son of David, to reign over them as they were. Something was telling me, all the time, “You are no better than the Pharisees yourself-you do not believe that He is the Son of God, and that He is come to save you, any more than they did.” I do not remember all I said, but I felt a wonderful light and joy coming into my soul, and I was beginning to see what the Pharisees did not.

Whether it was something in my words, or my manner, or my look, I know not; but all of a sudden a local preacher, who happened to be in the congregation, stood up, and putting up his arms, shouted out in a Cornish manner, “The pastor is converted! The pastor is converted! Hallelujah!” and in another moment his voice was lost in the shouts and praises of three or four hundred of the congregation. Instead of rebuking this extraordinary “brawling,” as I should have done in a former time, I joined in the outburst of praise; and to make it more orderly, I gave out the Doxology—”Praise God, from whom all blessings flow”—and the people sang it with heart and voice, over and over again. My Churchmen were dismayed, and many of them fled precipitately from the place. Still the voice of praise went on, and was swelled by numbers of passers-by, who came into the church, greatly surprised to hear and see what was going on.

When this subsided, I found at least twenty people crying for mercy, whose voices had not been heard in the excitement and noise of thanksgiving. They all professed to find peace and joy in believing. Amongst this number there were three from my own house; and we returned home praising God.

The news spread in all directions that “the parson was converted,” and that by his own sermon, in his own pulpit to. The church would not hold the crowds who came in the evening. I cannot exactly remember what I preached about on that occasion; but one thing I said was, “that if I had died last week I should have been lost for ever.” I felt it was true. So clear and vivid was the conviction through which I had passed, and so distinct was the light into which the Lord had brought me, that I knew and was sure that He had “brought me up out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a Rock, and put a new song into my mouth”

Do you need a new song? Here it is....I am not my own....but belong to Christ. Is that your song?

The slaves song is our battle cry.

Or are you trying to try harder....to do better.

God help us as we study this book.