Not Ashamed of the Gospel
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NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL
In chapter 1 of Romans Paul states the reason he has come to Rome, to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Romans. He then lets them know that he is the messenger that is to bring this good news.
Now Paul speaks to the people boldly to his audience, he wants to get their attention.
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 for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Now let’s look at Paul’s statement.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel
· Now consider Paul’s past, he sure use to be ashamed of it. In fact, he didn’t believe it…
“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
So now we hear direct opposition to his previous message that he is not ashamed of the gospel message.
· Most new Saul, they knew who he was and what he believed.
· He has earned the reputation of chief persecutor.
Now you would think that these Romans would intimidate Paul given their position, but they did not intimidate him in Athens, Jerusalem Corinth and they will not intimidate him now.
PAUL IS NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL AND HE WANTS EVERYONE TO KNOW IT, HE WANTS TO PREACH IT, PROCLAIM IT AND TEACH IT.
· This is the man who was imprisoned in Philippi, He was ran out of Thessalonica, he was smuggled from Berea, he was laughed at in Athens, he was seen as a fool in Corinth, he was stoned in Galicia.
Through all of this Paul was not ashamed.
ARE YOU ASHAMED?
I think all of us if we were honest with ourselves would have to say that we are or have been in the past somewhat ashamed of the Gospel. That’s hard to admit I know but what about the times when we clearly have the opportunity to speak we don’t speak?
· When we should be bold we are not
· When we face those times to stand for the truth we don’t?
· People who are strongly against Christ can be very vocal, opinionated and intimidating.
Some people will do anything they can to intimidate you.
Then there are those who are spreading a false gospel and we refuse to stand against it.
LET’S LOOK AT THIS VIDEO.
· “Planting the Seed”, send me your money!! We need a new a bigger a faster Jet.
What about the truth?
And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”
· These people wanted comfort, Jesus said no!
· We must unashamedly present truth
WHY IS PAUL SO BOLD?
Romans 1:16–17 (ESV)
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.
· It’s the POWER OF GOD
· The Vacuum Cleaner Salesman (no power)
1. Power- Dynamos
2. Salvation
3. Believe
4. Righteousness
1. POWER
We have no idea of the true power of God
But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
· The power of Christ is the power that takes man from sin to saved from death to life
· Only the power of God can change people
· Man cannot save himself.
1 Corinthians 1:18 (ESV)
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:23–24 (ESV)
23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 2:1–2 (ESV)
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
1 Corinthians 4:19–20 (ESV)
19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.
· God can use you to change someone’s life
WHAT KIND OF POWER ARE WE DEALING WITH?
Psalm 79:11 (ESV)
11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
Psalm 89:13 (ESV)
13 You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand.
Exodus 15:6 (ESV)
6 Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.
Job 9:4 (ESV)
4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength —who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—
Isaiah 26:4 (ESV)
4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.
Sovereign power
Romans 9:21 (ESV)
21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
Psalm 33:8–9 (ESV)
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
THAT’S POWER
· God can part the sea
· God can bring mana from heaven
· God performs miracle
· God has saving power
Psalm 106:8–9 (ESV)
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power. 9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert.
Matthew 28:18 (ESV)
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
THAT’S POWER!
· Power over sickness
· Power over darkness
· Power over death
· The power to replenish the earth
· The Vastness of the universe
· Mystery of human birth
With the telescope at Mt Palomar astrologist can look into space 4 billion light years. That’s 25 sextillion miles. That’s 7th x 10 x the 67th power cubic inch of space. If you were to go to the beginning of time and examine 1 billion million cubic miles per day you wouldn’t be halfway through right now.
THAT’S POWER
There are at any time 1800 storms in operation in the world. The energy in these storms equal 1 billion 300 million horse power. A Canadian physicist wrote that a rain of 4” over an area of 10,000 square miles would require the burning of 640 million tons of coal to evaporate enough water.
THAT’S POWER
The average farmer in Minnesota receives 407, 510 gallons of water per year per acre for free. That’s 1?2 million gallons of water free every year so he can grow crops to feed Gods people.
In Missouri there are 70,000 square miles and there is 30” of rainfall every year. That is enough water to fill a lake 22 feet deep 60 miles long and 50 miles wide.
Romans 1:16 (ESV)
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.
There are 5 billion birds in America, some can cross the Gulf of Mexico , that’s 500 miles without stopping.
A Cod Fish can lay 9 million eggs
2. SALVATION
… for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
· to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
· This includes everyone
· The belief in Christ brings with it His power
3. BELEVES
· The gospel of Christ has the power to save.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
· When you believe the righteousness of God is reviled, it becomes yours.
4. RIGHTEOUSSNESS
· We cannot be righteous without God
· God demands holiness.