Called to the gospel
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
Paul begins this letter with an affirmation of his credentials to write:
He says he was called as an apostle. Now what he is referring to is a specific office of apostleship
This office is for those who are completely set apart for the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles.
Two things confirmed that calling:
He has seen the risen Lord Jesus on the Damascus road.
He has been been commissioned by God
Truth #1: Be very cautious of people today who calls themselves an apostle today.
Truth #1: Be very cautious of people today who calls themselves an apostle today.
This term is very loosely used today and especially in charismatic circles. Many today refer to themselves as apostles and prophets and I wonder where they get that title from?
Do they make that decision themselves?
Do they claim that Jesus appeared tho them and commissioned them with that title?
which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,
What is he talking about promised beforehand through His prophets?
The gospel
That a descendant of David would come as the Son of God, be resurrected from the dead
I’m not going to spend much time here because I refer to this quite often
The main point being that the gospel is not new, it is God’s continuation of God’s promise to Israel to bring redemption
So what Paul is writing in this letter is not some completely new religion, it is the unfolding of God’s ancient promises to Israel that culminates in Jesus Christ
through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
All of us in this room are gentiles. But this is the specific group to which Paul was called to Gentile is just a non-Jewish person.
Notice the phrase: “obedience of faith”
obedience always involves faith, and faith always involves obedience
We cannot be people of faith if we do not obey. Yet we cannot obey if we do not have faith. The two are mutually related to the Christian life
QUESTION: Can you give an example in your life where your faith led to obedience?
among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember in verse 1 that Paul said he was called as an apostle. In this verse he says the Romans are also called as saints
Now what does it mean to be called?
There is the outward calling of God to the world through the gospel: by reading, hearing, or preaching of the Word of God for people to repent and turn to God by faith.
But there is the inward call of the Holy Spirit is an enlightenment that causes one to truly understand and embrace the gospel leading to obedience and faith.
The outward call is seen in the parable of the wedding feast: Matthew 22:14 ““For many are called, but few are chosen.””
The inward call is seen more in depth in Romans 8:30 “and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
When God calls people inwardly it is powerful, and life changing
QUESTION: Would anyone like to give a personal example of God’s call on your life?
The Need for Mutual Encouragement
The Need for Mutual Encouragement
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Paul begins the next section in his letter with his reasonings of why he has not visited and why he longs to visit them:
He says he would like to impart some spiritual gift to them (you)
What is this spiritual gift he is talking about?
This would include anything that builds up the Christian life not some kind of spiritual gift of the Holy Spirit
Teaching
Preaching
planning
evangelism
discipleship
He longs for their to be mutual encouragement. He did not see himself as merely going to Rome to help them, but that he would be helped by them as well.
What a great example of a healthy Christian life. Its never a one way street. It is always about community and all believers have something to bring to the table to benefit one another.
If we are not careful, pride can make us believe everyone needs us and we need no one. That we are always there to help, always the mature one, always the superior one and never the one to benefit from the other, even if they are brand new to the faith.
In this context Paul says that each may be encouraged by the others faith
I cant tell you how encouraging it is for me to hear of other people telling me about what God is doing in their life
I think that is essential for a healthy Christian. Not only to listen to other’s about their relationship to God, but to share ours and what God is doing in our life
I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 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. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”
Verses 16-17 present the theme of the entire letter: that salvation is not a human controlled or initiated occurence, but is a supernatural event that comes entirely from God
“I am not ashamed of the gospel”
Why would anyone be tempted to be ashamed of the gospel?
Because the message of the cross is foolishness to the world
1 Corinthians 1:18–19 “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Why then is the gospel message foolishness to this world?
Because the message of the cross calls for men to turn from the pleasures of this world all that we can see and trust in an invisible God whom we cannot see
And that for many flies against their logic and would be deemed foolish
Why is Paul not ashamed of the gospel?
“because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”
Because this is the way God has chosen to save the world from sin. And who could be ashamed of that.
What if the cure for cancer was the put three Q-tips up your nose for 8 weeks and take cold showers everyday? And it cured you, would you tell others? If you really believed it you would
The same is true for the gospel. If we truly believe it, we will tell others whether it may seem foolish to the world or not.
“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed fro faith to faith”
When one believes the gospel, God gives them a status of righteousness. Its not that one never sins again, but that one now stands before God as though he has never sinned.
How is that possible?
It is to trade our life for the righteousness of Christ
To give up this world to inherit the next
To be given the gift of God’s grace by faith
