Without Excuse Pt. 1
Romans • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God
Paul is the author of the book of Romans and is without serious opposition to that fact.
Meaning, no one seriously refutes that Paul was in fact the author.
His Hebrew name is actually Saul, but chose to present himself in his Greek tongue as Paul.
Saul was his given name and Paul was the name he used when interacting with the Gentile world.
The name Paul in the Greek is pronounced “Paulos which means small or little.
Paul presented himself as the “littlest” or The “Least” as a demonstration of his humility.
Here he was a giant in the academic world.
A Philosopher who held his own among the Greek scholars of his day when he debated the scholars on Mars Hill in Athens.
A couple of years ago, Yadi & I were invited to Greece on business, and I was adamant, that if a visit to Athen’s Mars Hill wasn’t in the books, I wasn’t going.
By the grace of God, I was blessed to fulfill a life’s dream by walking the steps and standing in the spot where Paul famously debated those Greek Philosophers.
Paul was taught at the feet of the famous Gamaliel,
He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees,
By all accounts a brilliant philosopher in his own right,
In our day he could easily be considered as one with a triple doctorate or multiple PhD’s.
But even with all of his worldly accolades,
He chose to present himself, not even of his own given name, but used the lesser Greek form denoting he is the “least” among men.
Before we go any further into the Book of Romans,
Lets take a closer look at the very first verse of Romans.
In this very first sentence we find a very interesting statement that many may over look with a cursory reading of Romans verse one
In verse
1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God
In this verse we see Paul gave three qualifiers.
In the very opening of his letter to the Romans, He was called three different things.
a Bondservant.
An Apostle
Separated to the Gospels of God.
First, a bondservant is translated from the Greek word, Doulos which means slave in english
or a Bondservant.
Both terms mean, he was a slave to Jesus Christ.
(Slave is defined as a -)
Noun. - a person who is legally owned by someone else and whose entire livelihood and purpose was determined by their master.
(Faithlife, LLC. “Δοῦλος.” Logos Bible Study, Computer software. Logos Bible Study Factbook. Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, LLC, August 3, 2025. https://ref.ly/logos4/Factbook?id=ref%3alemma.lbs.el.%CE%B4%CE%BF%E1%BF%A6%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82.)
Whose livelihood and purpose was determined by their Master.
So, Paul’s livelihood and his Purpose were both utterly determined by his Master Jesus Christ.
He was a willing servant
He was called an Apostle, and which many still consider that term appropriate for Paul.
apostle — is defined as - an envoy of Jesus Christ commissioned directly by Him or by other apostles; normally someone who has been taught directly by Jesus and who is invested with the authority to speak on His behalf.
(Faithlife, LLC. “Ἀπόστολος.” Logos Bible Study, Computer software. Logos Bible Study Factbook. Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, LLC, August 3, 2025. https://ref.ly/logos4/Factbook?id=ref%3alemma.lbs.el.%E1%BC%80%CF%80%CF%8C%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82.)
Usually it is someone who also witnessed the resurrected Jesus.
Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
Thirdly is called Separated to the Gospel of God.
Which means, To be separated from the rest.
To be set apart for.
Paul was a willing servant, sent directly by Jesus, and separated from the world to the Gospel of god.
The more I consider the Book of Romans and this first chapter, the more I realize that we are supposed to identify with Paul.
The more I read and study the book, the more I realize how much less I personally identify with him.
While some of us may look a little like him at times, I suppose many of us in here don’t look at all like Paul in least.
1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
In verses 2 thru 4 we Paul is referencing from the Old testament prophecies and Promises.
specifically, that David would always have an heir to the throne and that the coming Christ would occupy that throne forever,
12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
Isaiah speaking of him said,
7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
And the Prophet Jeremiah prophesied,
5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
Jesus was both the Mashiach Nagid = The Messiah, and Man at the same time.
In verses 5-7 we receive the news that WE TOO have received this blessing of Grace and Apostleship
The Greek word is slightly different from Apostolos meaning Apostle,
To Apostolé meaning the duty of Apostleship.
5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Uh-Oh!
Did you catch that?
“Among whom, you also are the called of Jesus Christ.”
Really?
do any of us in here look and act like we too have been called by the Messiah Himself?
Do we look and Act like Paul?
Can we relate to Paul?
That means we too are those same three labels
Then we should
Be willing slaves to Christ
Next, we too have been called to apostleship.
And we are to be separated to the Gospel
Ooh, I don’t know.
Can each of us say with certainty we fit those three descriptions?
Lets examine this a little more.
If we lack any of those three ingredients, its impossible to have any of the other two.
If you aren’t willing to be a slave to Christ
You react to the duty of apostleship,
Nor will you want to be separated from the world to the Gospel.
Vice-versa
We should be all these things, because we too are beloved of God,
7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s grace is shown here by saying “Beloved of God” instead of “Those who LOVE God through their own efforts.
We are “Beloved of God”
Amen for that.
In verse 14, he begins explaining why he is writing this letter.
14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
Greeks were the educated and the Barbarians here referred to the uneducated, thats how they were labeled back then as barbarians.
When I counsel people who are struggling with life’s travails,
I always try to share a bit of my very own testimony, to demonstrate that we are all human, and susceptible to life’s pains and trials etc.
I do that to show why I myself now serve the Lord and how I got here.
Because I too was a worldly sinner.
Replete with all that comes with that designation,
But God brought ME through all of that mess that I found myself in, and presented to me my purpose.
My purpose is to serve Him,
First as a willing servant,
Second called to apostleship
and thirdly, to be separated from the world behind me, and to blaze forward now in my new identity in Christ as one set aside for the Gospel of God. Amen.
So therefore, I tell everyone, I serve God out of Debt,
Because I owe God for what He has done with me,
How about you?
Do you serve out of pleasure, or debt, Or do you serve at all?
In the following verses we get the entire outline of the book of Romans.
The reason why he’s preaching to them, even at the risk of death is this
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Now, I know that many of us here right now, and watching online haven’t been completely honest with the Holy Spirit.
We don’t see you our there Serving God.
Willfully Serving God
Fulfilling the duties of Apostleship
or Living as one separated to the Gospel of God.
Instead for some of us, its hard to see where the World ends and Jesus begins in us.
The reason is, because we are not confident in the Gospel enough to share it.
Thats the reason,
Even if one is familiar enough with the scripture to defend your worldview, you are too embarrassed to engage people with it,
This is why Paul says, He’s not ashamed!
He’ll bring it to even the most educated thinkers of his time,
The Gospel can defend itself,
But someone must bring it to them- Servant
Someone must answer the questions that come,- Apostleship
Someone must practice what they preach- Separated to the Gospel
Its not even our own power, as if we have something to be embarrassed about.
No, its the power of God on display for all to see,
It has the power of bringing the dead back to life!
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
This is the righteousness of God on display.
And every time someone believes in it and accepts Jesus through it,
Their Servanthood
Their Apostleship
Their Separation from the world to the Gospel is revealed from faith to faith
Amen.
Because it is a direct demonstration of the Just living by faith
Who are the Just?
We who are beloved of God when we live by faith.
Are you living by Faith?
Ask yourselves that question?
Is your faith on display?
Or are you ashamed of the Gospel?
Don’t be, it has the power to bring the dead back to life.
It worked for me, and I’m sure on the authority of the Words in Scripture, it will work for you too.
Amen.
Invitation
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