THE GOSPEL: THE POWER OF GOD FOR SALVATION
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
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 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.”
LAST WEEK WE LOOKED AT
ROmans 1:1-7) The Man / The Message / The Mission
Today we will be discussing, THE GOSPEL: THE POWER OF GOD FOR SALVATION.
GRAND CANYON STORY - AIREAL VIEW TO TAKE IN THE FULL SPECTACLE AND BEAUTY.
A few years ago / Vacation in Sedona AZ / Pink Jeep tour over the red rocks / Cathedral Rock / Devils Bridge / Hiking on a mountain / Amazing and Beautiful
BUT THEN WE WENT TO THE GRAND CANYON!
2nd time for me / It is too big to get a full appreciation of it Grand Scale and Beauty / Needed a arial view /
OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS WE WILL BE TAKING AN ARIAL VIEW OF THE GOSPEL.
We will trace the full majestic beauty and scale of the Gospel from Genesis to Revelation through the Covenant of Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Israel to Jesus and the New Covenant.
This approach is called Salvation History or Covenant Theology.
My goal is two fold.
1. I want you mind and heart to be amazed at the Grand Scale of the Gospel creating a heart and mind of Praise to God.
2. I want us to be able to clearly understand the Gospel and not just a bumper sticker version.
THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER OF GOD FOR SALVATION.
How can we be instruments of His salvation to our neighbor or answer objections to the Gospel if we do not fully grasp it for ourselves?
This means we will spend the next two weeks focussed mostly on two verses. Two verses that carry in them the full story of human history and God’s redemptive plan known as Salvation History.
—————————————————————————————————————-
Let us begin - we will be reading
Let us begin - we will be reading
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9 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, 10 always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; 12 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. 13 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. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 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 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.”
THE FIRST THING I WANT YOU TO NOTICE IS PAUL IS UNASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL AND EAGERLY DESIRES TO PREACH IT IN THE CITY OF ROME.
THE FIRST THING I WANT YOU TO NOTICE IS PAUL IS UNASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL AND EAGERLY DESIRES TO PREACH IT IN THE CITY OF ROME.
I. Keep in mind what the Gospel is!
The Good News from God to Humanity, concerning how God is going to save humanity!
Rooted in Jewish history, their covenants with God / The Law and the Prophets.
Centered on a Jewish man born in obscurity, of the messianic blood line of King David.
Who is died for the sins of Jews and Gentiles, that they may forgiven and reconciled to the Father.
Who was proven to be the Son of God, Divine and Human through His resurrection of the dead by, the the power of the Holy Spirit.
II. This Gospel to a Roman is both foolish and a threat to the Empire.
Foolish because in the Greek mind God would not lower himself to be a human and then degrade himself to die like a criminal, naked on a cross. A threat because the Gospel claims resurrection from the dead and Lordship over all creation.
Here is an image of one of the first known images of Jesus on the cross. Drawn by one who was making fun of the Gospel of Jesus.
18 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. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,
The Gospel is A stumbling block for the Jews - They were looking for unmistakable, vindicating signs.
A vindicating King with political victory
Temple restoration / Military victory / National Deliverance
The preaching of the cross looks like defeat not restorative national victory.
You can see this clearly in the Jewish Eschatology during the time of Jesus - Image of both
The Gospel is Foolishness to the Greeks - Greek culture prioritized Philosophical cohesion, rhetorical skill, and speculative wisdom. The cross lacks rhetorical majesty and intellectual appeal.
God has upended the wisdom of man through what appeared to be foolish - The preaching of a God who would allow humiliation, death, and then resurrect.
TOAY WE ARE STILL MET WITH SHAME FOR PREACHING THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS FOR THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD.
TOAY WE ARE STILL MET WITH SHAME FOR PREACHING THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS FOR THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD.
The Western world full of scholars, science, and philosophers on every corner have moved to a pure Materialistic world view. Leaving no room for God.
Many today view the Gospel as a fairy tale for children that teach good morals or values.
OUR CULTURE IS ALSO AFFLICTED WITH SELF CENTERED PLEASURE SEEKING.
The cross of Jesus offends because it confronts us as sinners who are under judgment and need to repent and place our faith not in ourselves but in Jesus.
It offends a Postmodern world that sees Truth claims as offensive - How dare you tell me I need to repent of my lifestyle.
YET LIKE PAUL WE MUST BE UNASHAMED OF THE GOOD NEWS, THAT JESUS LIVED THE LIFE WE COULD NOT LIVE, DIED THE DEATH WE ALL DESERVE, AND ROSE FROM THE DEAD, READY TO OFFER ALL WHO BELIEVE FORGIVENESS.
YET LIKE PAUL WE MUST BE UNASHAMED OF THE GOOD NEWS, THAT JESUS LIVED THE LIFE WE COULD NOT LIVE, DIED THE DEATH WE ALL DESERVE, AND ROSE FROM THE DEAD, READY TO OFFER ALL WHO BELIEVE FORGIVENESS.
It is the power of God for Salvation. There is no other way for man to be saved.
12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
2. The Gospel of Jesus was always the plan of God to restore His image in humanity.
23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you
3. God has chosen the foolishness of Preaching the Gospel as the means to resurrect sinners dead in sin to Life in covenant relationship with God.
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
MAIN POINT -
MAIN POINT -
THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL RESURRECTS THE DEAD!
WE SHOULD NEVER BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS OR THE PREACHING OF THIS GOSPEL. IT IS THE POWER OF GOD FOR SALVATION!
DEAD MEN COME TO LIFE WHEN GOD’S MESSAGE OF JESUS IS HEARD!
IN THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL IS RESURRECTING POWER
NEW CREATION POWER.
You do not have to be a scholar / a pastor /
You just need to be a person who loves what Jesus has done for you and a desire to know what the Bible says about the Gospel!
Preach to your neighbors / friends/ family /the world
Go make dead people come alive in Jesus!
