Obligated, Ready and Unashamed

King James Version Romans 1:8–17

8 First, oI thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that pyour faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For qGod is my witness, rwhom I serve ||with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that swithout ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10 tMaking request, if by any means now at length I might uhave a prosperous journey vby the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that wI may impart unto you xsome spiritual gift, to the end you may be established; 12 That is, that I may be comforted together ||with you by ythe mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that zoftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but awas let hitherto,) that I might have bsome cfruit ||among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 dI am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the eBarbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For fI am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for git is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to hthe Jew ifirst, and also to hthe jGreek. 17 For therein kis the righteousness of God revealed from kkfaith to faith: as it is written, lThe just shall live by faith.

Obligated, Ready and Unashamed

Text: Roman’s 1:8-17

Introduction

Lead Sentence

Illustration

Sermonic Explanation

Proposition

Transitional Sentence

A. I Am A DEBTOR To Preach The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Exposition

The word debtor here is the translation of the Greek word which means a person who is indebted; one who owes; to be under obligation.

This Greek word figuratively means a delinquent; morally it means a transgressor against God, a sinner.

Paul’s declaration here is that he is obligated in love to preach the gospel of Christ to all.

I am a DEBTOR to the Greeks

a Greek is someone who adopts and participates in the Greek culture but is not necessarily an ethnic Greek.

So a Greek is really a cultured or civilized person.

I am a DEBTOR to the Barbarians

a Barbarian is someone who does not participate in the Greek culture

So the barbarian is really an uncultured or uncivilized person.

So Paul’s declaration here is: I am a DEBTOR to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the civilized and the uncivilized; to the cultured and the uncultured; to the decent and the vulgar.

Paul further clarifies his declaration. (His declaration does meet the features of a declaration that we have seen in Gen.1.)

I am a DEBTOR to the wise

a wise person is someone who is of professional or semi-professional status who is regarded as particularly capable in understanding the philosophical aspects of knowledge and experience. It’s someone who is an expert, a skilled person, an intelligent person.

So the wise is really an intelligent or professional person.

I am a DEBTOR to the unwise

an unwise person is someone who is unwilling to use their moral faculties in order to understand. It is someone void of understanding. An unintelligent person; by implication, someone who is sensual.

So the unwise is really an unintelligent or unprofessional person.

I am a DEBTOR to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the civilized and the uncivilized; the intelligent and the unintelligent.

Illustration

Application

We are DEBTORS to preach the gospel to the civilized and uncivilized; to the decent and the vulgar; to the skilled and the unskilled; to the professional and the unprofessional and to the intelligent and the unintelligent

B. I Am READY To Preach The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Exposition

According to the Greek word translated ready, to be ready is to be predisposed to doping something, to be forward in spirit. Being eager and willing to do something. It is promptness in response. It is a cheerful readiness to act.

Paul is telling us here that when it comes to preaching the gospel he is in a ready state.

This is not first time Paul is stating this:

We see him saying it in Eph. 6:15

Illustration

Application

Until you have come to the fullness of this declaration and have made it under the unction of the Holy Spirit in the love of Christ for all men, then, you are not ready to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

C. I Am Not ASHAMED Of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Exposition

to be ashamed is to experience or feel shame or disgrace because of some particular event or experience.

The fact that Paul is saying that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, seems to suggest that there is something about the gospel of Christ that may cause one to feel ashamed.

The preaching of the Gospel of Christ:

is the power of God that brings men to salvation

the word used here is dunamis:

dunamis is the ability to perform an activity

dunamis is miraculous power or the miracle itself

dunamis is the potential to exert force in performing some particular function.

Illustration

Application

Conclusion