Sunday Service

So we are starting our new sermon series in the Book of Romans. We've been talking about going through Romans. And the reason why we we decided Romans was because we thought it would be awesome to get a foundation of the Christian doctrine and Romans is the perfect a book for this Paul lays out his theological outline. So brief introduction to Roman's the author is Paul Paul or Saul of Tarsus. We see that he had never been to Rome. No Apostle have been to Rome there has been no Apollo Apollo Apollo stick or Apple ostick. Doctrine there, so you have no one to setting the foundation of the Gospel in this area now Paul long to go there but was unable to because of the work that God had given him and so he said in his letter he gives an itinerary. I am coming to meet you guys. I am going to come and I'm going to minister to you guys. As soon as I get done giving the money that was given to me by the Corinthians a generous generous offer to the Jewish church was going through a famine. I'm going to go and deliver them money and then on my way to Spain, I'm going to stop visit you guys and we're going to get more in-depth with this but we see that his main focus for Romans is giving the theological outline of the in-depth Christian doctrine. Why do we believe what we believe and why is it so significant to us today? So that is why we decided to go into Romans. So today will be going into Romans chapter 1 verse 14 through 17 and looking at what is the essence of the good news? Why is it so important to us? What is the good news? What is it? You guys can answer. I don't have to be the only one talking it is the gospel. It is the gospel message the gospel means good news good tidings. So this is significant why why it what is so important of the so this is what we'll be getting into but before we get into this, Just a brief introduction of what Romans has done in the lives of many reformers of many people of the Christian faith in the history of Christianity. One thing FF Bruce Rhodes time and time again in the course of Christianity Christian history. It is liberated the minds of men brought them back to an understanding of the essential gospel of Christ and started spiritual revolutions. The first one Augustine one of the most influential the theologians ever to have walked on the 5th. There's by God's grace. He was under a fig tree and it was under deep depression because of his sins and he heard a boy singing a tune and the song was take up and read. So he flipped to Romans 13 13 through 14, and he found that his mind was freed the glory of God and he became one of the most influential influential theologians of all time. That's one person the next person Martin Luther Martin Luther was a scholar at Wittenberg. He had the he knew the book of Romans. He even gave teachings on the book of Romans. He gave classes as Siri delivered many series of lectures he grass for the first time in his life what he called in his journal the righteousness by which Grace and share mercy, God justify. Let us through faith it gave him peace to which led him into a Ministry that changed the face of Europe in the fate of thousands. The next person was John Wesley after disheartening Adventure from Savannah, Georgia to England. He went through a bunch of storms. He went to hear Luther give his Preface on the book of Romans the preface preface. He later wrote in his journal. During the reading his heart felt extremely warm. I felt I did trust Christ Christ alone for salvation. And any insurance was given to me that kid taken away my sins even mine and saved the law save me from the law of sin and death. This book is one of the most influential books of the Bible. All the Bible is influential. This is going to give us a grasp of why we believe what we believe and will be covering the foundation of it all through these these four verses through 14. So let's read Romans 1 14 through 17.

I am obligated both the Greek and Barbarian both to the wise and the foolish. So I'm eager to preach the gospel to you. Also who are in Rome for I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes first to the Jew and also to the Greek for and if the righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith just as it was written the righteous shall live by faith.

These are huge. This is huge. It's challenging. But before we dive into the Texas open up in prayer. God I pray that as we get into your word and dig deep I pray that you would lead Holy Spirit. That we would learn that you would just transform our hearts that you would challenge us that you would move within us that we would may go and take your gospel to the ends of the Earth that we may not be ashamed but God that you would speak to us and bless this time. It's your name. I ask these things or Jesus. Amen. Okay, so this is versus are huge this passage. This is going to set the foundation for the rest of the book. And I think verse 17 is one of the most important verses within the whole book. This gives the theme of the whole book. But starting in verse 14, we're going to we're going to work our way and then we'll work our way back to 14 because these are some challenging verses. So in verse 14 to 15 Paul has an obligation to both Greeks and barbarians to the wise both the wise and the foolish things gospel message that he is about to present is for everyone. This gospel message isn't just for the top people in society, but also for the people who would be be considered illiterates. This would be for the people who are considered poor. This is the gospel message for the poor. Now Paul had an obligation why because he was an apostle to the Gentiles. He was an apostle and he had a burden for both the Jews and the Greeks and God transform his life on the road to Damascus and said you are going to take my gospel and you are going to Proclaim Jesus Christ to everyone you encounter. And Jesus changed his life. So because he changed his life. He was obligated. This obligated is translated from the Greek into dead or he is in debt to these people no matter who they are. He's index to them because it is sold. He is seeking to win souls of the people for God. He understands that this gospel message. Is something to be reckoned with? Something that changes lives and we're going to get deeper into that but there's something about this good news and it we see that Paul was both a Roman citizen and also he was a Jew so this is significant because now he's presenting this gospel message to both he was on the fence he knew exactly what the Greeks were going through he knew exactly who the Greeks were the barbarians the people the Greek society during that time. Just a little back history the Greek society of that time. This is Rome the Centreport of everything all roads lead to Rome. This is where he wants to get the gospel message to because he knows if he gets the gospel message here. It's going to go out into all the world. So at this point she knows that the Greeks this is a big city of about a million people. There's a lot of philosophies a lot of faults and daughter and happening in this place. A lot of people think that they are wise and intelligent but yet he says this gospel message is for you. It doesn't matter how wise you are doesn't matter how foolish you are this gospel messages for you.

So we as Believers have we taken the gospel message? Not some of us know what the gospel message up is but some of us don't but are we taking the example of Paul are weed dadders to this gospel to take it to everyone and we don't even we we don't just see that he was dead it to take the gospel, but he was eager to pick the gospel. That she wanted to take the gospel to these people and he was eager to get there. Because this message had an impact on his life.

Now is challenging to us today? Do we take this gospel message to the people in our work place in our school to our friends are family even to total strangers. Is this something that burdens us to the point that we want to tell everyone about it? And there's an eagerness that this is supposed to burden us for the whole world.

So just in those couple versus it's very challenging to us to to sit back and think am I being like Paul? but we will see why he felt this way and in the next 2 verses

it is awesome to see that Paul was always looking ahead. He made plans to touch other people's lives. It's far too easy to settle into spiritual routines. Whether it's coming to church weather is in being in religious habit. It's far too easy to get caught up in this routine and not let the gospel message affect us in our day-to-day life and not just on Sunday.

So going in 2 verse 15, so I'm eager. He was eager to preach the gospel to those who are in Rome. So this is to every believer and non-believer who is in room 464. I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I love this for a few is not ashamed of the Gospel. What does that mean? What I just gave you a little bit of background of what was happening and the Roman culture. It was full of Greece philosophy. Of God's other than the Living God they became to worship the Pluto and Jupiter and all these other guys and they were considered the gods rather than Jesus Christ. They consider themselves wise. Now this gospel is about a Jewish Carpenter who was crucified by Rome. So it would have seen foolish it would have seemed humorous to the people. For Paul to take this gospel. So she's not only was he urgent to take the gospel, but he wasn't humiliated by the gospel. Even though the society would have said he is a fool. We see this in 1st Corinthians.

But he was still eager to take it. He's what a testimony I am a debtor. I am eager and yet I am not ashamed no matter what you think of this gospel or what you think of me or what you think of Jesus. It is something that is life-changing.

Paula had a firm conviction of the origin of Truth.

People might ridicule you for your face. We might lose friendships because of our faith. We might be afraid to be labeled as a hypocrite that going to church is just full of hypocritical it is I'm on one of them. But we might be afraid to be labeled as a hypocrite. Sometimes we keep our faith private instead of making it public.

And that's why closely to being ashamed of the gospel. And what does Jesus say says if you are ashamed of me. Then I'm going to be ashamed of you in front of your father. If you don't acknowledge me, I'm not going to acknowledge you.

So Paul was not ashamed of this message. Why was he not a shame? Because it is the the good news is the power of God for salvation this reveals the saving power of God, not of man. Paul had been on three missionary Journeys already and he had seen the work that this gospel message could do how it can transform lives. We see that power is the Greek word dynamis, which we get our words dynamite and dynamic from Nobel invented the dynamite in 1867 He took the word Dynamite from the Greek word, which means power to there's some parallelism here.

There's power there spiritual power.

This gospel can be devastating and destructive. It can have an effect that destroys views in Tradition Paving a new way for construction.

She wanted to take this gospel because it is powerful it is of god. It is the power of God to transform somebody's life. It is to transform a person from a center to see the power of God for salvation.

This is the gospel message. Jesus came to die. God created the world.

And he said it was good in his creation, and he he created man and he said it was very good. We see this in Genesis 2 and in Genesis 3 what happens the fall? This is the reason for every Brokenness every tragedy that is happening in our world today.

Sin has now entered the enter the world and has caused a divide between man and God, but God knew that man would rebelled against God knew that he would choose sin.

This is beautiful that he still chose to create man. And in 1st Peter. We see 1st Peter 1:20. We see that Jesus Christ was born owned before the foundations of the world that he was going to come and he was going to cover the world with their sin by his blood. So even though God knew that man was going to turn away from him. He had a plan before the foundations of the world.

There's this Brokenness and we all have rebelled against God.

We're all going to have to come before God on Judgment Day and give account for everything that we have done.

There is not a love that is more comparable to this gospel. Because God doesn't just leave us hanging there.

Because if we've all rebelled against God and we had to give account to God we would be found guilty. There's not a single person the Bible says there's not a single person in this room. That is blameless. That is perfect. That is not guilty.

There is sin and every single one of our lives. But his love he loves you. And he sent his son and he said I will take on this punishment. I will take on this judgement.

And I will put it on my son. So Jesus came live the perfect life of without blemish. fulfilled all of the old old prophets of the Old Testament He fulfilled the love of God in in Walking In man. He was he was a servant to all as as Flippy and says he did not count it equal with God, but he stepped down from his throne to became a servant become a servant to all men. even to the point of death

So Jesus said I will take on the hell. I will take on the judgment. a my people that I have created I will take that on for them. I will bear that and put it on me. So on the cross he hung on the cross on Earth. And at that moment he became guilty of adultery of hate of murder of robbery a pride of slander of gossip.

He became guilty of sin. We see and 2nd Corinthians 5:21 for our sake God made him who made him sin who knew? No sin that we would become his righteousness and he was buried he died on that cross and he was buried and he resurrected on the third day and he's alive now and he is raining he conquered death for our sake.

Gospel message is the power of God.

To bring his creation back to him who has chose to rebelled against him. To bring them back to him and Redemption and in a relationship with him.

That's why Paul was not ashamed of his gospel this simple message of the Gospel that can be taken all around the world.

Because God had made a plan and he loves you. He loves you enough to come down and step down from his throne to take on our sin. On that cross he took on your son and my son and he said I will have Victory and I will give my people victory.

This is an everlasting salvation. You are saved and delivered from the law of sin and death. Which we have inherited the Bible says from we will be going over this a little bit later. So. The Bible says from one man. Adam sin came to all men. But from one man. righteousness can Have you given to all? So no matter what you have done. No matter who you are no matter what class you are in what no matter if you and no matter what culture no matter what race this gospel message is for you and this is to bring you back to him. first 17

For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith just as it was written the righteous shall live by faith. So endless gospel message that I am not ashamed of that. I am obligated that I am dead to take to all people because God has saved me and it has the power to change the last in this gospel message. It reveals the righteousness of God.

We are now given the righteousness of God. Because it is not anything that we do this is a gift from God.

He says this person's a center but because of my blood I declare him righteous this verse right here is the theme of all of Romans, I believe. Because we see throughout Romans.

righteousness of God you see righteousness declared right here right just misses demanded.

In order to have a relationship with Jesus you have to be righteous. But we know that none of our works can get us into God's presence.

We cannot be made right before God by anything that we do.

It's by the price that Jesus Paid on the cross.

This gospel message destroys every wisdom and righteousness of The Flash as said by Martin Luther.

All we have to do. Because now we are declared righteous if we were to go before a judge on Judgement Day. This is this is the picture. We go before God on Judgement Day.

And we are guilty.

But Jesus steps in no. I paid the price for him or her. I paid that price and I made him righteous. He is now gone from a sinner to a saint no matter what he has done. I have covered that.

I have brought him back to myself he is mine.

And we are made righteous Without Blame. We are now covered by the righteousness of God and all we have to do is what Weather say the righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith. We just have to have faith in him John 3:16. We all know this from VBS. We all know Romans 10:9.

We just have to believe and trust in him for God so loved the world. He gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. We believe in him Romans 10:9. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and that he raised from the dead you shall be sick.

We believe this message.

That God has given us. righteousness by the death of his son

through the resurrection he is alive in his living and Paul said this is the message that I am not ashamed of. All we have to do is invite him in Revelation talks about how Jesus stands at the door and knock. What's that mean? We abide in him? And he abides in. He is now Lord Of Our Lives we surrender all things to him. I love how much she'll put these worship songs in the worship band. Does this how they have the songs that just flows right into the message. I love it because we surrender everything to him and we're in surrenderance of him all praise goes to him. Because there's nothing on our own accord. He will abide in us and and him and us and Us in him. He is now Lord of our lives and we Just Surrender it to him. But that is why Paul was dedicated to everyone to take this gospel. To the tell them about the power of God how this can transform your life.

Break down the sin that is overcome you he has set you free.

What a beautiful message that is. We are declared righteous. So what do we do about this now?

Because we got to come to a point when we get when we come to this gospel message. We have a decision to make we're at a crossroad. Some of us have held back. What God has done and this gospel has done in our lives. This is a challenging time. Because we are called to go and preach the gospel to every corner. To everyone that we come in contact with if we're believer here today.

Let's look at PAW. What is Paul doing because of the price that was paid. He has a debt.

And his life now belongs to Christ and he's going to go and tell everyone about this.

Are we doing that?

Are we ashamed of this gospel?

Because it gets very very easy. I just had a conversation with one of my buddies this week.

And he is a thinker. And he asked me some questions that were really hard and you know what God revealed them through this. this message

but I'm going to tell everyone no matter how difficult it is for me and no matter how much I have to step out of my boundaries. Let us go out and proclaim the good news.

That's my challenge to you as believers.

To you who are not believers who have been living in sin.

What are you going to do?

because either your heart hardens to God Hebrews talks about I hope maybe I've Hebrews talks about how we can Harden our hearts to the gospel.

beware

You don't know the time or the hour? When this life will come to an end.

This life I watch this video that Francis Chan gave and he gives us illustration and he puts a piece of tape on this rope and it's about this big and it's rope wraps all the way around. I might have said this to you guys, please has this little portion is your life in this is all of eternity. What you do in this part is going to affect all of your eternity.

So if you're at a crossroad and you don't know who Jesus is.

Repent turn to him because it is the power that brings you back to him because you are declared righteous because of his blood.

so this is a time to reflect.

When I close our eyes bow our heads and that's that's that's a good news