I am not ashamed of the gospel Rom 1:1-17

Romans 1:1-17 The Power of God for Salvation Summer Hill Church 17 February 2019 1. 1. It’s all a setup a. a. Nearly everybody I have read this week has started their sermon with this quote from Martin Luther: i. i. This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. ii. ii. It is well worth a Christian's while not only to memorise it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. iii. iii. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes. b. b. and who am I to buck the trend. It’s easy to see why you would choose it. i. i. It’s a wonderful praise of this letter of Paul, his longest, and roughly in the middle of his writing life. 1. (1) but is it true? Is it like that ii. ii. and I think it’s a challenge that faces us personally here. 1. (1) I had dinner with a friend the other night who said he never watched Casablanca because he had heard it was the greatest movie ever made. a. (a) and he reasoned, if he saw it and he disagreed, he would think there was something wrong with him, but if he watched it, and agreed, then he had reached the pinnacle, and there would be no greater movie in his future. 2. (2) now, putting aside all the inconsistencies in that, I think it is worth our while testing Luther’s claim here. a. (a) not because we are making a “top 10 list” of the Bible, but because if it is true, then this could be a wonderful journey into the glories of the purest Gospel. 3. (3) I know people sitting here in this room who have had their lives completely turned upside down - in the best way possible - by reading Romans. a. (a) and this is true because it presents that purest gospel to us powerfully and personally. 4. (4) so as we go through Romans over the next year in sections, read it at home too. Read it through over and over if you can. It’s less that 10000 words. Which if I read it out to you would be a little over an hour and a half. a. (a) If you’ve never read it, or if you haven’t read it recently, then do it again. You won’t regret it. iii. iii. so let’s look at the text that Karen read earlier for us. Just a warning - I will be jumping around a bit in the text to try and draw it all together for us. 1. (1) and as is normal for me, if what we read is in our passage I won’t put it up on the screen, so it will be very helpful to have your bibles open at Rom 1. And if it is elsewhere I will put it up on the screen. 1. 2. Letters c. a. Come from someone i. i. Every letter comes from someone. Even the “form letters” you get are arranged to come from someone to you. And the ancient world started their letters with this 1. (1) If I were to write a letter to my mate Scott at St Clair Anglican Church, it would probably look something like this a. (a) (ROM INTRO 1) SHOW THE LETTER b. (b) and you can see from my letter to Scott, I write to him in latin - after all that’s the way that all clergy write to each other. It’s our secret language 2. (2) but of course, this is actually what my letters to Scott look like a. (a) SHOW EMOJIS -but not for long i. (i) which for some of us may be just as impenetrable as the latin. 3. (3) (ROM INTRO 2) nonetheless, this is what it should be like IMAGE OF THE FIRST LETTER AGAIN ii. ii. and that is exactly what Paul has done here - let’s step through it d. b. An Apostle i. i. First - he tells us who it’s coming from 1. (1) (ROM INTRO 3) Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God v1 ii. ii. really significant - a slave of Christ - someone who serves him. The Messiah, the Jewish Messiah - important soon - and called to be an apostle 1. (1) that is - sent by Christ himself - common word, means “sent one” or even ambassador - and he is sent to the Gentiles iii. iii. just look down to v5 1. (1) Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. v5 e. c. To the Gentiles i. i. Paul’s apostleship was all about calling the gentiles - those who are not Jewish to faith. and he was doing this because it was for Jesus’s glory - his name’s sake. 1. (1) while all of the other 12 were called to the lost sheep of Israel, Paul was sent to all the rest of the world to tell them about Jesus, and what faith in him meant. a. (a) and so in a very direct manner, Paul is called to tell you and I about Jesus, those of us who are not Jewish, but are, as he says in Ephesians i. (i) 11Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth... 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:11–12 b. (b) without hope and without God, but Paul is sent to us. He is our apostle and the bringer of great good news to all the world. ii. ii. (ROM INTRO 4) and he wrote, probably from the great city of Corinth, though he had never been to Rome, but had met Roman Christians who had been expelled from Rome in 49AD 1. (1) Seutonius tells us a. (a) “Emperor Claudius expelled all the Jews from Rome because they were constantly rioting at the instigation of Chrestus” (Life of Claudius 25.2) iii. iii. (ROM INTRO 5) and so Paul writes to them in about 57AD to encourage and teach and prepare for him to come their way on his next missionary journey. f. d. To the Romans i. i. and he is writing TO 1. (1) (ROM INTRO 6) To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: ii. ii. that is: 1. (1) (ROM INTRO 7) DEAR CHURCH IN ROME a. (a) but rather than emojis, or impenetrable latin he says 2. (2) Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. v7 g. e. see, it’s a standard letter, even from our viewpoint 2000 years later. i. i. written to these gentile Christians, who had never met Jesus, but come to know him through the sharing of the gospel around the world 1. (1) the missionary heart God shown in the early church. taking the message of Jesus all around the known world. h. f. and it may well be because they withstood such suffering, and remained faithful to God, and his mission heart of taking the gospel to the world. 2. 3. The Gospel regarding his Son a. a. Promised beforehand i. i. and the gospel is about a “king” - which is what “Christ” means. 1. (1) but it is God’s gospel, and it can be seen because God promised it and God sent his king a. (a) the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures v2 2. (2) it was the great news - that’s what gospel means - that God had promised beforehand through his prophets ii. ii. some people count over 300 messianic prophecies in the OT. 1. (1) but God had been preparing the way for the new king since the beginning of the Bible iii. iii. look at 2Sam 7:12 - God is speaking to David, the model king of Israel - that God chose to be king. 1. (1) When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2Samuel 7:12–13 iv. iv. So for the past 1000 years Israel had been waiting for God to come and re-establish his kingdom. b. b. of the family of King David 1. (1) and this is the time - this is the news, about this one. a. (a) regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, v3 2. (2) and that’s why it’s important to know this. He is God’s king. In a world where there were many rival kings, specially Caesar, this king is the king God chose and has sent in the line of David - which is why Bethlehem is so important in the Jesus story c. c. appointed Son of God 1. (1) and a. (a) and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. v4 2. (2) kings are made by anointing - which the greek word is Chrism - from where we get the word Christ. And the kings of Israel were anointed by the prophets. a. (a) Jesus is the anointed king - and it’s the Spirit who anointed/appointed him. As the king - Son of God i. (i) and that happened through the power of the resurrection. It was the resurrection that showed us not that Jesus was God, but the was the king who would sit on the throne forever. d. d. and Paul was sent to the gentiles i. i. in vv9-12 Paul tells of his desire to come and visit them and share with them, to be mutually encouraged. 1. (1) because he wants to see a. (a) that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. v13 2. (2) as we saw earlier - his mission is to see the gentiles hear about Jesus. a. (a) and he feels an obligation, a duty i. (i) I am obligated both to Greeks and Non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. vv14–15 b. (b) to all the gentile world - not just the greeks, where he has been for the past 20 years, but in Rome and beyond, where there are non-greek-speakers i. (i) That’s actually what he was set apart for - specially, as the apostle (back in v1). 3. (3) but taking the gospel to the gentiles was something radical and new. 3. 4. The key change… a. a. The most significant word i. i. Now - let’s read 1:16 1. (1) It’s in your outlines, and I’d like you to underline, or circle whatever you think the the most significant word is. a. (a) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. v16 2. (2) of course every word is critical, or Paul would not have put it there, but the word that I chose is everyone. ii. ii. no longer is relationship with the God of Israel about following the law. Because he is not just the God of Israel, he is the God of the whole world. 1. (1) and so, you don’t have right relationship with him defined by following the OT law. a. (a) instead, it is for all who believe. i. (i) everyone and anyone who puts their trust in Jesus Christ. 2. (2) which is exactly what John had said at the beginning of his gospel a. (a) Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 3. (3) and that’s why he’s not pulling back from taking the news about Jesus to the world a. (a) that’s why he’s not ashamed of the Gospel. That’s why he wants to come and share the gospel in Rome, that’s why v16 starts with FOR 4. (4) he can take the gospel to the world, because God’s power brings that salvation to the world. iii. iii. it’s not about human power at all 1. (1) it’s not about how hard you try, or how many rules you keep, or how few you break iv. iv. it’s all about faith which means it’s not about you, it’s all about God 1. (1) because faith is not about anything I can do. It’s all about letting God do it all. b. b. God reveals his righteousness i. i. and so Paul finishes that idea in v17 1. (1) For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” v17 ii. ii. This news about Jesus is about God revealing his righteousness, that later in ch 3:21 he says 1. (1) But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. Romans 3:21 iii. iii. it’s apart from law, it’s by faith. From first to last, from beginning to end 1. (1) in chapter 4 he will show us that even under the OT law, righteousness didn’t come by law-keeping. It had always been by faith. By trusting God, not keeping rules. iv. iv. and that’s what Habakkuk is showing us too. That even as God was looking in judgement on Israel, he shows the prophet that life comes through relationship with God on the basis of faith. c. c. and that has opened the floodgates of forgiveness, salvation, and blessing for everyone. i. i. and so Luther can say, as we heard last week, about these very words 1. (1) This passage of Paul became to me a gateway into heaven. ii. ii. because the way to heaven had been thrust away from human effort 1. (1) and had been firmly positioned as what God has done for us, and we only have to trust. iii. iii. for those who are righteous by faith, will live. That faith that trusts the promises that God has made through the prophets, and by his son 1. (1) of the line of David, and appointed in power to God’s chosen king and saviour, his son. iv. iv. because as long as entering heaven depends on our efforts, we will fail. We will fail utterly - and we will hear more about that over the next 3 weeks. 1. (1) but this revelation shows us that it doesn’t depend on us, it depends on God. On his love, and his power, and his justice and his actions. a. (a) and so, we can be utterly sure that the way to heaven has been opened. i. (i) and that gateway is beckoning to you now. 2. (2) if you’ve never gone through that gateway, then perhaps today is the day a. (a) when you realise that real freedom and acceptance and friendship with God lies not in the striving, but in the resting. i. (i) not in good works, but in trusting his word. You can do it today. CC - talk. 4. 5. The punch-line a. a. Topic sentences i. i. Paul is setting us up for what is to come in the rest of the book. 1. (1) many point to 1:16-17 as the theme of the whole book of Romans as Paul unpacks God’s plan to not only rescue the people of Israel, but to save the gentiles too a. (a) I suggested earlier, that a key word of vv16-17 was everyone. b. (b) and that this meant that the gospel was for all of us. 2. (2) and so the great mission of the God through the church, has always been to bring faith in Christ, through the sharing of the gospel. a. (a) but there is a little problem that we face, and I think that Paul faced too. b. b. the reality of shame 1. (1) it seems to me that the most threatening word in the whole book is also here in vv16-17 a. (a) ashamed i. (i) and before we talk about Judaism being an eastern culture that was shame based and all that, which may be true, I don’t think that’s what’s on view here b. (b) I think he is saying he has to keep reminding himself that the message about Jesus is the powerful word of salvation, for everyone. 2. (2) Paul took his encouragement to keep on talking and sharing about Jesus that it wasn’t dependent on him, except to open his mouth with the gospel. a. (a) but that the gospel acts with God’s power for salvation. His mighty power. ii. i. do we feel ashamed of the gospel sometimes? Not perhaps that we would disown Christ if challenged, but that we don’t speak sometimes when we should? iii. ii. I will admit now that I fall into this as well. I was in operating theatre a few weeks ago with a surgeon who wasn’t a Christian, and I have always been a bit tentative talking about Jesus with him 1. (1) but he said to me that he wanted to come and hear me teach the Bible. He wanted to come and listen. And the thought that came crashing in on me was, why hadn’t I asked him earlier! 2. (2) Do we feel the news about Jesus is all a bit silly and irrelevant to people? iv. iii. but let me ask you this - who is the gospel for? Where is God exerting his power? So why should we not speak about Jesus. 1. (1) and also, if Jesus means something to you, if you think he makes sense of life and gives meaning and hope to you, surely he will do that for others as well. v. iv. because when all is said and done, from the least to the greatest of us, we are all alike in need of God’s salvation. But much more of that in the weeks to come. 1. (1) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” 2. (2) I have been taught well that it’s really good to have a take home action. a. (a) I’ve challenged you to read Romans - if you do that √ 3. (3) but I want to go one step further. a. (a) Look for that person that God will bring you to that you can say something about Jesus. b. (b) It may be as little as telling them you are a Christian, perhaps in a hostile environment, or it may be a lot more. 4. (4) Keep your eyes, your ears, and your heart, open. PRAY Thanking you for this great news about your son, that is your power to save anyone who believes. Thank you that you planned this from the very beginning. We pray that we may be confident that your gospel is powerful, and so give us the courage and the willingness to speak.