Paul's example - Not Ashamed!

Well, we are finally finishing the introduction of the Book of Romans. It has taken six weeks to do it, but the foundation is laid now. Today we will get to Paul’s example, Paul’s thesis statement that sets as an example for us. Before that some reminders.

Paul identifies himself and his authority (v.1)

bondservant

Called to be an apostle

Paul gives the subject and history (vv.2-5)

It’s all about Jesus, the Jesus the prophets spoke of.

Paul tells of the calling, and the love (vv.6-7)

You were called, you are loved

May God’s grace and peace be upon you because of Jesus

Paul shares his heart in prayer (vv.8-12)

He thanks God for them, for their faith that is being proclaimed everywhere

He has a heart for them and desires to come to them, finally

He wants to come with a purpose to give, impart, spiritual gift and to spend time with them.

Paul shares his desire (v.13)

Previous plans had changed, now I hope I will make it and spend time with you and bear fruit from you and rest with you before going on to Spain.

Today we will get his purpose, his example, and his thesis statement (vv.14-17)

Before getting to the text and getting to our points let me ask a question.

(Insert: What is your thesis statement PowerPoint here)

What do you think a thesis statement is?

Most commonly you will find it is: After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, ..(Unc.edu)

(Transition) now let’s look at our passage and see after the brief introduction to it, Paul clearly gives his thesis statement.

Romans 1:14–15 NASB95

14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Romans 1:16–17 NASB95

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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

(Insert Gleaning from the text PowerPoint previously used here)

What observations do you make in looking at this passage?

Are there any words that should be defined so can gain better understanding?

Maybe obligation, barbarians, ashamed, righteousness

What did Paul feel according to (v.14)?

Paul felt he was under obligation. He was the apostle to the Gentiles and he was a Roman citizen and wanted to take the gospel message to those in Rome.

What did Paul want to do, and how (v.15)

Paul was willing to do his part, preach the gospel, and do it eagerly! He felt there was an urgency to do it, a passion to do it.

What, in your own words is Paul’s thesis statement in (vv.16-17)?

It is the gospel, the power of God unto salvation, it is for everyone, for it reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith.

So, if the definition, description of a thesis statement is clearly understood, then Paul will need to prove out the thesis statement and he spends the rest of the book doing such.

Can you remember what we said the theme of the book of Romans is? (hint, it is the name of this series)

(Transition) this now leads us to our study for this morning:

The reason for the thesis (Rom1:14-15)

The Thesis stated (Rom1:16-17)

Developing and deploying our thesis

The reason for the thesis

We touched on this last week, so let’s just spend a few minutes on this now before getting to the thesis.

Romans 1:14–15 HCSB

14 I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the good news to you also who are in Rome.

Paul felt obligated, in debt to them

Why do you think Paul felt in debt, or obligated to them?

He was a Roman citizen, an apostle to the Gentiles, set apart by God.

He had carried them message in Asia minor and Greece and now the message was out, it was time to finally get to them, his countrymen.

Paul felt a burden for them, for all men, just as we too should feel a burden for all men, regardless (expand)

Paul was eager to preach to them (also Act21:13; Rom1:15, 1:11, 3:8)

He was eager to preach to them, and in the Greek it is two words used, “ready” and “prepared.” Paul was ready. The same word “ready” was used in ready to die for the gospel Act21:13 “13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.””

He was with ready mind, equipped to share the Good News, ready to minister to the believers there in Rome and to impart spiritual gift (Rom1:11).

He was also ready for there was false teachers already in the area that he wanted to refute consider Rom3:8 “8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.”

He was ready to see the Good news, the Gospel message work in the world, Rome was considered the world, as it did in all the other places He had preached it.

(transition) Now it gets to purpose, His thesis and theme.

The Thesis Stated

Thesis as mentioned before is a short, brief sentence to state the theme, the purpose that is to be developed and proven. Paul gives us his here.

Romans 1:16–17 NASB95

(Insert I am not ashamed picture here)

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel (Rom1:16, 1:1, 1:3ff; Act24:16, 23:1, 17:30)

Paul knew the origin of the gospel (Rom1:1), God, through Jesus Christ (Rom1:3ff)

Paul strove to keep clear/blameless conscience - as noted in Act24:16 “16 “In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.”

Paul did it according to Act23:1 “1 Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.””

Paul knew the power of the gospel, it is the power of God!

Power of God to salvation. Rome was known for its power, as Greece was known for its philosophy. Paul know the power of the gospel was more powerful than the armies of Rome! HE was bringing the good news to a cesspool of iniquity at Ceneca stated about Rome. He had seen the power of God work in Corinth, in Ephesus and was confident it would work in Rome. Heck, it transformed his own life!

Paul was unashamed for he knew the outcome of the gospel

It was salvation. Salvation means deliverance! Deliverance needed, deliverance provided through the gospel, which Paul was not ashamed of. Nor should we be, For Paul wrote this too.

Act17:30 “30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,” - - - - the times of ignorance has passed, there is no excuse, Paul will cover that more in Rom1 as we press on in future studies.

(Insert The gospel is for all picture here)

Paul knew the outreach of the gospel (Rom1:16-17; Mk16:15; Rom2:6-11; Mt10:5-7; Act3:26; Hab2:4)

It was to reach all of creation

To the Jew first, then the Greek (Barbarian; Gentile) for there is no difference

Jesus delivered first to the Apostles so then could be taken to the Jews then onto the whole world.

Mt10:5-7 “5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

God does not call man to get right to get God, but get God and the righteousness of God that makes men right with God by faith.

It is by faith that the righteousness of God is revealed. Paul brings in from the O.T. Hab2:4 “4 “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.”

On a side note, this phrase “the just shall live by faith” is used three times in N.T.

Rom1:17 - to the Romans

Gal3:11 - to the Gentiles

Heb10:38 - to the Jews

All are guilty, all are in need of God’s scheme of redemption. His freedom from the bondage and penalty of sin is available to all who believe.

(Transition) we have some time left, let me give a little more tonight

Developing and deploying our thesis

Some things we can learn, take away when we are not ashamed of the gospel.

What is the thesis statement of Paul?

(Transition) OK the application of Paul’s thesis statement can be ours, so here comes the scripture rapid fire session, are you ready?

The gospel has not changed, it is the power of God to save (Rom1:16-17)

Romans 1:16–17 GNB

16 The Power of the Gospel I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God’s power to save all who believe, first the Jews and also the Gentiles. 17 For the gospel reveals how God puts people right with himself: it is through faith from beginning to end. As the scripture says, “The person who is put right with God through faith shall live.”

It has power to produce faith in those who hear it (Rom10:17)

Romans 10:17 NASB95

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

It has power to produce fruit for those who know (believe it) (Col1:5-6)

Colossians 1:5–6 NASB95

5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

It reveals the righteousness of God (Rom1:17; 1Cor15:1-4)

Turn to 1Cor15 with me.

1Cor15:1-4 “1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

It reveals the means of receiving God’s righteousness (Act2:36-38, 22:16)

Acts 2:36–37 NASB95

36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”

Acts 2:38 NASB95

38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Then you could see also how you call on the name of the Lord as noted in Act22:16 “16 ‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’”

It shows we all need it (Rom3:23, 6:23)

For all fall short

And if you fall short death is what is due to you.

Romans 6:23 NASB95

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Death is what was coming, but what did God give us (Rom6:23)?

It shows us the way (Jn14:6)

The how is by the way, the way is only by Jesus (ref. Jn14:6)

It shows us what we are to do (Mt28:20; Mk16:15-16)

Go into all the world making disciples, baptizing them! Then teaching them to follow the commands

Those who are not ashamed of the gospel, who have their hope in the gospel feel a sense to share the gospel with others. It will impact what you say, what you do, in other words how you live. Consider

2 Corinthians 5:11 NASB95

11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.

You are able to manifest God, manifest the righteousness of God to others because of your good, clear conscience because of what the gospel has done in you.

So, stay the course, don’t be ashamed, let Paul’s thesis statement be worked into your life and through your life.