Romans 1:1-17
I like playing golf, I was attracted to the game by the beauty of the course. My first job was a golf caddie when I was about as tall as the golf bag I carried. I had no idea how to play the game or help the players. One guy trying to engage me in the sport ask, "what club should I use?" I thought, "how should I know - they're your clubs!" A good question from my BSF lesson was, "How have you experienced the goodness of God?" For me it's like knowing when to use a three iron, from a pitching wedge. It's understanding the good news that makes the "par" of life possible. When you understand the rules, dynamics, and pitfall of the game - even though you fail you can recover. Paul details all the lesson we'll need later on, but in Romans 1:16-17 we get a big idea. The good news is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes, the righteousness of God revealed by faith.
A) Gospel Call is Love
1:1) Letter Paul, slave of Christ Jesus, called/chosen apostle, set apart gospel of God
- Romans 11:29 God's gifts and call are irrevocable. Gospel is for everyone, clarion call to repent and believe God (See John 3:15-21, for people to reject is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit - unpardonable sin Matt 12:31)
- Romans 12:4 One body, different members/function
- Application: it matters that you are here, "You will always underestimate the impact of your absence in time and eternity." Greg Stratford, BSF Teaching Leader. Some are called to be husband/wife/father/mother while others like Paul are set apart for the Gospel of God.
2-4) God's promise prophets, Holy Scriptures about his Son David's family, raised from dead Holy Spirit
5-6) Through Christ, God gave us; grace/privilege authority apostles to tell gentiles to believe/obey bring glory to his name
7) To all in Rome, loved by God, called to be his holy people - Grace and Peace from God Father and Lord Jesus Christ
- The good news of God comes with privilege and burden (authority and work)
- Good news of God is prophetic and historic, from Genesis 1-3 to present day
- God's love endures forever (Psalm 105:1-45 is homeletics on the life of Moses - give praise to the Lord proclaim his name, make known among the nations what he has done)
B) Gospel Relationships (Kingdom of heaven)
8-9) Thank God Roman faith talked about, praying daily you/your needs, serving God spirit/whole heart
- We come to God with thanksgiving, remembering his faithfulness, praying for people and their needs.
- Service from the heart/spirit, i.e. in spirit and truth
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and bodily strength. The heart is first, heart and spirit could be synonymous. I heard recently that the heart with where the Spirit and Soul (our will) come together. True faith, accessing God's grace to change our lives.
10-12) desire opportunity to be together, impart spiritual gift, growing strong in the Lord, mutual encouragement in the faith
- Ministry happens when one who is filled with God's grace, empties himself out for the cleaning, refreshing and benefit of another who receives it with gladness
- Never a one-sided relationship, no doormats or drinking fountains
- Encouragement in the faith is about God first, then ourselves
13-15) planned spiritual fruit but prevented till now, obligation/eager to preach good news whole world
- Law of the harvest takes time and care (Gospel "Kingdom of heaven" Mustard seed faith when grown Mat 13:31; Mark 4:30; Luke 13:19)
- spiritual fruit of the Holy Spirit Galatians 5:22-23, water/plant but God makes it grow 1 Cor 3:6
- Same Spirit many gifts (Eph 4:4,7-16, 1 Cor 12:4), Spirit points to Christ reminds us of Jesus
- Application: send an email, write a text message!
C) Gospel Effortless Power
16) Not ashamed, power of God, salvation to everyone who believes, 1)Jew, 2)Gentile
- Illustrations for Power of God: riding the current, biking downhill, catching the wind in the sail, bird hovering in the updraft, swinging the golf club correctly (letting the club do the work). I'm looking forward to self-driving cars!
- Illustration for Belief being core to all areas of life; If I asked you if you could create a website/database that could handle 2 million queries per minute and 60 thousand applications per minute, what would you say? No! But if I gave you fifty million dollars, a team of experts who had all done this before to train and guide you and 5 years to finish it. What would you say? You see faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).
- Jew first because they've already received the promises of God, first to make the connections
- Gentile, as we are from Adam who like Jesus was begotten by God (Genesis 2:7, Luke 3:38).
- Important to understand there is no racial bias or prejudice in God's house (Rev 5:9, 7:9, Daniel 7:14).
Application: where are you striving or failing to believe God? What would change look like if you took your burdens to Him and trusted him fully with it?
17a) In gospel righteousness of God revealed, that is by faith, first to last as written
- being right with God, "A Pharisee (proud, self-righteous) and a tax collector (sad, a sinner) went to Temple to pray. Only one went home right with God, humble=great Luke 18:9-14, Love God above all Mark 12:30
- doing right with God, Love your neighbor as yourself Mark 12:31
17b) righteous will live by faith
- believe God