Sermon Tone Analysis

Secular:

*  Receive a summons… or a tax notice

*  Obituary in a newspaper

*  How about a Dear John Letter… left tucked in a door or on the front porch…

*  Dear John;

You will never know how painful it is for me to write this letter.

I have really loved our years together.

I know this will break your heart but I have fallen in love with someone else.

It isn’t you John it is me and I am sorry.

I hope one day you will be able to forgive me.

Mary

 

Biblical:

Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Personal:

*  Story of the Preacher…

* Preached for a call…

* Preached same message… same message… same message

*  God’s word for us… in our hand but buried no the less

* Remember the Clampet’s

Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed

A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed,

Then one day he was shootin at some food,

And up through the ground came a bubblin crude.

Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.

Well the first thing you know ol Jed's a millionaire,

Kinfolk said "Jed move away from there"

Said "Californy is the place you ought to be"

So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly.

Hills, that is.

Swimmin pools, movie stars.

* Old Jed Clampett was sitting on a gold mine (or oil patch) and didn’t even know it…

Bridge:

*  We have a treasure

* A GREAT treasure

* A life changing treasure

* Words are powerful… especially God’s Word

* Maybe it’s time to hear them again!

Body:

 

The Writer

* Apostle Paul…

*  Somewhere between 57-59 AD

*  Died in about 67 AD

* Acts 22:3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.

*  This statement by Paul himself tells us a lot about him…

* Jew

* Roman

* Smart man… Harvard credentials… educated under Gamaliel

* Zealous for God…

* Passionate… even to persecute believers

* Before a dramatic conversion.

* Truly and apostle…

* Identifies himself as one who has seen Jesus crucified and has Jesus risen…

* Acts 9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened.

Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."

* *Words are powerful… especially God’s Word*

* *Maybe it’s time to hear them again!*

The Audience

* Paul didn’t start the church in Rome

* Peter didn’t start the church in Rome…

* Most likely devout Jews present at the feasts surrounding  Pentecost… In Jerusalem

* In town for the feasts surrounding Passover

* Acts 2:1-11… “and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes”

* A letter to friends…

* Romans 16:3-16… 30 people by name

* Doctrine

* Different doctrine

* Different gospel

* Food laws

* Relationship to the historic Jewish Faith

* There were Orthodox Jews… would have gone to Jerusalem for the Passover ~/  Pentecost season… witnesses to crucifixion, resurrection… some even for Pentecost

* An Gentile Christians… Rome was the centre the hub… so a mix… so some confusion

* Acts 15 shows the confusion in the churches… especially between Jewish and Gentile believers

* Sabbath…

* Food laws…

* Circumcision…

* *Words are powerful… especially God’s Word*

* *Maybe it’s time to hear them again!*

 

*The Readers *

* The Book often described as a Masterpiece… the most complete, in-depth, explained… presentation of the gospel in the Bible.

* In history there has been a “Romans Revolution”… The book of Romans will change your life.

* You may be a Christian for 50 years, 5 years or 5 minutes - - - the book of Romans WILL change your life!

* It has had an incredible impact on the church for the past 2000 years!

*/The list of those touched by Romans reads like sort of a spiritual 'Who's who.'/*

Augustine

* Augustine who lived about 354 - 430

* One of the greatest leaders and theologians

* Traces his conversion to Romans

* September of 386 that Augustine sank into a great despair.

* His godly mother, Monica, had been praying for him for decades--praying that he would come to Christ.

His Dad wasn't a Christian

* Augustine was going the way of the world, he was running from God fast as his feet would take him.

*  a real immoral lifestyle.

* Started living with a gal

* Baby out of wedlock

* He got into all sorts of philosophies.

* He got involved in some of the cults of his day.

*  He drank himself into oblivion at times.

* */His life was a mess/*.

* And one day sitting in his friend's garden, in September he sat there and just began to cry and cry.