The gospel

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What excites you?

Fishing. It’s been closed season, I haven’t been since Oct. Excited to go soon. More I allow myself to think about it, more excited I get.

Does the gospel excite ys? Does it amaze us and fill us with joy? As we understand it - it should - best news ever.

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But how easily that excitement dwindles. We forget how exciting it is.

(maybe it did once, but no longer)

(maybe its become accedemic?)

(maybe word gospel carries such theological assosiation, that we don’t really know what it menas)

Today: Starting new series looking at Paul’s letter to the church in Rome. It’s a church he has never met. A church made of those from Jewish background, and those from Gentile background. So much diversity. Roman’s is letter full of rich theological truth to delve into. But at its heart it is a lettter all about the gospel. It’s depth, beauty, power, consequence.

My big prayer for this morning and this series really is that as we get deep into the gospel - we will be captivated by the gospel, excited by it thrilled by, overwelmed by it. and unashamed of it. That it might stir in us the kind of excitment that may have been lost. that we might be unashamed!

Be unashamed: The gospel is God’s power to save!

Question to think about as bible is read. What is the gospel? What are we told? Look out for the word, and then what is said about it

Let’s have bible reading. Romans 1:1-17

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6 times Paul mentions this word gospel?

THE GOSPEL

What is this gospel that he is talking about? That we have just spend all those weeks in Mark thinking about. 4 things this morning.

The gospel is about Jesus!

Romans 1:1–4 NIV

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 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.

Not a concept but a person! Not theologial argument, or abstact philosophy, or inspirational book. The gospel is all about Jesus - the Son of God. How Mark starts his gospel.

What about about him.

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v2 promised before hand. All of history has been waiting for him. whole bible is about him. He is the destination. As we read scriptures - all of it is a sign post leading to Jesus. History is His story.

On journey, what do you look for. Sign posts. indicate you are getting close. Excitment rises. But you don’t stop/take picture at sign/ head home. You follow sign to get to destination! Jesus is destination. It’s all about him.

Why? he is the Christ and the Lord. v3.

Status. Not only told that Jesus is both God and man, but that he who took on earthly status now has heavenly status and one who is risen and exalted.

Just celebrated easter. ressurection of Jesus. At ressurection told somethign happened.

appointed Son of God in POWER. He sits on his throne. As God’s perfect ruler. He is the King of his universal Kingdom.

It’s all about Jesus!

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If it’s all about Jesus - then it’s not about us

Danger of reducing gospel to self centred ambition. Forgiveness, better life, feel good, security, safety net. Get out of jail free card. Yes the gospel contains us, involves us, benefits us - but it is not ultimately about us.

- not about or our glory but about Jesus and His.

“The gospel is a declaration of Jesus perfect rule and an invitation to come under that perfect rule”

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The gospel is God’s power to save!

Romans 1:16 NIV

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.

Incredible verse, (theme verses) but what does it mean. What does Salvation refer to?

illustrate, ways we use the word saved

Read

Romans 1:17 NIV

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.”

Righteousness. OT context - used as legal term, more than moral (though it has moral implications). Its about our status. to be righteous is to be in a right relationship with God. To have a right standing before him. To be in good standing with perfectly righteous God. Elsewhere righteous is description of God’s perfect consistent moral character, and here see that he is fountain of righteousness - something that comes from him.

What has this to do with salvation. Key question being answered is this: How can men and women - sinner as we are be considered in the right before a Holy God. History of humanity is one in which we have desired to be right in our own sight. Become the authority of right and wrong, and in doing so have rejected God’s right to rule, and experience a broken relationship with him. By nature far from being in good standing with God, we face his wrath. Consequence of this broken relationship is a broken world. See it all over the place.

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So what is our greatest need. A solution at the source. Our broken relationship with God to be made right. To be in good standing with our maker and the eternal King. For only in a right relationship under the eternal King is eternal life to be found, It’s in a right relationship with him under his rule that all our fears subside and we find everythign we need - all we were made for.

And this is exactly what God offers. For the gospel is the power of God for salvation. Because in the gospel God reveals his righteouness, which exposes our sin, but also our Saviour. It’s a righteouness that is offered to us. How because in the gospel God reveals his Son. And what does Jesus do but come and live the perfectly righteous life that we could not. Lived in right standing before the Father, yet bore the punishment for our unrigtheouness, our sin at the cross. so that we might enjoy a right relationship with God.

Power of the gospel. For salvation. God acts to rescue sinners from punishment of sin, by willing sacrifice of his Son. That we might be declared right before a Holy God.

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Incredible truth. Who does it apply to.

Romans 1:16 NIV

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.

The gospel is for all who believe!

boundless but limited.

It’s boundless - there is no one who it doesn’t apply to or who is our of bounds. It’s for all. Jew or Gentile. Greek or non greek. Whoever we are, whatever we’ve done.

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But its limited - it’s a limited offer. Limited to those who recieve it. And how do we recieve it? For those who believe?

Romans 1v17.

Word faith. recieved through faith alone. Faith from first to last

How are we made right with God. Faith, Faith, Faith. There is nothing we can bring. We cnanot make ourselves right with God. Even if we could stop sinning, we can’t undo our history of rebellion. We can’t meet God’s righteous requirement. Not convinced, stick with us for a few weeks and you will be.

Gospel is not God’s power to try harder, but to save!

A gift we must recieve through faith. So that all the glory goes to Jesus our Saviour. Because it’s all about him.

(Stick of rock with faith all the way through?)

Great relief. Perfomance based religion robs of joy and assurance and in the end will lead to us resenting the God we can never please. But as we get over ourselves, and through faith come to Jesus we find utter joy and perfect peace, and true assurance. This was experience of Germon reformer Martin Luther. Monk who has been taught that God required him to live a righteous life in order to be saved. And so he had grown to hate God, for first requiring of him what he could not do, and them for leaving him to fail. But then he read Roman’s and finally grasped 1:17.

“I labored diligently and anxisouly as to how to understand Pauls word…the expression ‘the righteousness of God’ blocked the way because I took it to mean that righteousness whereby God is righteous and deals righteously in punishing the unrigtheous. Although an impeccibe monk, I stood before God as a sinner, therefore I did not love a righteous and angry God, but rather hated and murmered against him…

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Then I grasped that the righteousness of God is that rigtheousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us by faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise…I broke through. And as I had formely hated the expression ‘the righteousness of God’, I now began to regard it as my dearest and most comforting word.”

See the difference it makes. That is the gospel that should thrill us isnt it. A righteous God who pours out grace and mercy to sinner - demonstrating his power through His Son, in declaring rigthteous those who come by faith. What assurance that gives us. Not determined by performace or feelings, but by Jesus perfect righteousness.

Romans 1:17 NIV

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.”

Do you believe it this morning? Do you need to remember and rejoice in that this morning? If you are a believer you are right with God. Nothing can change it, because gospel is God’s power to save all who believe.

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So what should our response be?

Be unashamed!

Lives and with words.

What will that look like?

Obedience. v5.

“We are saved by Faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”

As we are saved through faith alone - what does faith bring: It brings about grateful trusting joyful obedience. - its about rejoicing in and trust Jesus as King. And as we do that, by his Spirit he will empower us to life boldly for him. v7 why because we are loved by God and called be his Holy people.

We should not be ashamed to live for Jesus, but instead natural outworking of our trust in Jesus. As we rejoice in God’s power to save - will we let Jesus rule as the true King.

And will we let his loving rule compel us to tell the world.

Romans 1:14 NIV

I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.

Striking, Paul has this call from God - unique in many ways. And yet there is a common ground between us and Paul - which is the same gospel that motivates Paul, should motive us. Same gospel that causes Paul to have this love for peopel he hasn’t met, is gospel that should cause us to love all believers. But its also same gospel that has so overtaken Paul, to create in him this snese of obligation, word is a kind of indebtedness - to all he encounters, to share the gospel with them.

Imagine I’m given access to bank of England and told to print as much money as I need, and pass it on to anyone else who needs it. I have both a gift and a debt. I owe those all who need it that money, and am in debt until I pass it on.

This is how Paul feels abut the gospel. He has recieved the greatest gift. An unsurpasing gift of righteousness. And un ending supply of grace. Foundtain of love. And so have we. Offered Keys to the Kingdom of God! If we get how good this gospel is, we’ll share it with the world.

Will you delight in the gospel this week. Will you be unashamed.

Romans 1:16 NIV

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.