I Am Not Ashamed Of The Gospel

I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL

ROMANS 1:16

I. ASHAMED

II. POWER

III. SALVATION

IV. EVERYONE

A YOUNG GIRL GOT SAVED IN A POWERFUL REVIVAL THAT WAS BEING HELD AT HER CHURCH.

AND THAT AFTERNOON SHE WAS RUNNING THROUGH THE HOUSE SINGING AND DANCING AND JUST FULL OF JOY.

WHEN HER GRANDFATHER STOPPED HER. AND SAID...

“YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF.

YOU JUST JOINED THE CHURCH

AND NOW YOU’RE SINGING AND DANCING ON THE LORD’S DAY!”

SHE WAS CRUSHED BY HER GRANDFATHER’S ATTITUDE,

AND SO THE SHE WENT OUT BY THE BARN,

CLIMBED UP ON THE CORRAL FENCE,

AND LOOKED AT THE OLD MULE THAT WAS STANDING THERE

IN THE CORRAL.

HE HAD A SAD, DROOPY FACE AND HIS EYES WERE ALL BLEARY.

AS SHE REACHED OVER AND PATTED THE OLD MULE SYMPATHETICALLY, SHE SAID, “DON’T CRY, OLE MULE.

I GUESS YOU’VE GOT THE SAME KIND OF RELIGION THAT MY GRANDPA HAS!”

ROMANS 1:16 (NIV)

I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL, BECAUSE IT IS THE POWER OF GOD FOR THE SALVATION OF EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES: FIRST FOR THE JEW, THEN FOR THE GENTILE.

ASHAMED EPAISCHUNOMAI – MEANS TO BE ASHAMED.

EPP A HEE SKOO NOM A HEE ep•ahee•skhoo•nom•ahee

WHAT A TESTIMONY PAUL HAD: “I AM NOT ASHAMED!”

WHY WOULD PAUL EVEN BE TEMPTED

TO BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL

PAUL WAS WRITING THIS LETTER TO ROMANS.

WELL, FOR ONE THING,

THE GOSPEL, THE GOOD NEWS

WAS ALL ABOUT SOME POOR JEWISH CARPENTER

WHO'D BEEN CRUCIFIED ON A CROSS.

THE ROMANS DIDN'T ESPECIALLY APPRICIATE THE JEWS,

AND CRUCIFIXION WAS CONSIDERED TO BE

THE LOWEST FORM OF EXECUTION IN THAT DAY

IT WAS ONLY USED FOR CRIMINALS.

SO WHY WOULD ROMANS WANT TO PUT THEIR FAITH IN SOME JEW WHO'D BEEN CRUCIFIED?

SECONDLY, ROME WAS A PROUD CITY, AND

THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL CAME FROM JERUSALEM,

TO THE ROMANS,

JERUSALEM WAS JUST SOME LITTLE CITY

IN ONE OF THE LITTLE NATIONS

THAT ROME HAD CONQUERED.

AND THIRDLY,

THE CHRISTIANS OF THAT DAY

WERE JUST THE PLAIN, COMMON FOLK.

SOME OF THEM WERE EVEN SLAVES.

ROME HAD HAD BEEN HOME TO A LOT OF GREAT PHILOSOPHERS

AND A LOT OF GREAT PHILOSOPHIES AS WELL;

SO WHY SHOULD THEY PAY ANY ATTENTION TO SOME “FABLE”

ABOUT A JEW WHO SUPPOSEDLY AROSE FROM THE DEAD?

(1 COR. 1:18–25)

PAUL GOT IT RIGHT IN…

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18a (NIV)

THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS IS FOOLISHNESS TO THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING,

AND HE ASKED IN…

1 CORINTHIANS 1:20 (NIV)

WHERE IS THE WISE MAN? WHERE IS THE SCHOLAR? WHERE IS THE PHILOSOPHER OF THIS AGE? HAS NOT GOD MADE FOOLISH THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD?

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT,

PAUL WAS JUST SOME LITTLE JEWISH TENTMAKER,

GOING TO THE BIG CITY OF ROME

TO PREACH A MESSAGE LIKE THAT,

IT WAS ALMOST FUNNY.

BUT PAUL WAS NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL.

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PAUL HAD BEEN REJECTED BY HIS FELLOW JEWS,

HE'D BEEN DESPISED, PERSECUTED, AND DRIVEN FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.

JEWS AND GENTILES ALIKE HAD TRIED TO KILL HIM.

PAUL HIMSELF SAID IN 1 CORINTHIANS. 4:13b

CORINTHIANS 4:13 (NIV)

...WE (APOSTLES) HAVE BECOME THE SCUM OF THE EARTH, THE REFUSE OF THE WORLD.

HE’D BEEN TREATED LIKE GARBAGE.

BUT EVEN AFTER FACING ALL THAT,

HE WAS STILL ABLE TO SAY,

ROMANS 1:16 (NIV)

I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL,

BECAUSE IT IS THE POWER OF GOD FOR THE SALVATION

OF EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES:

FIRST FOR THE JEW, THEN FOR THE GENTILE.

PAUL HAD CONFIDENCE IN HIS MESSAGE,

AND THE REASON HE HAD CONFIDENCE WAS BECAUSE

OF WHERE HIS MESSAGE HAD COME FROM.

IT HAD COME FROM GOD HIMSELF.

WHENEVER A MESSAGE WAS HANDED DOWN FROM CAESAR

IT WOULD GET THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF THE ROMANS.

BUT THIS MESSAGE

THIS GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

WAS A MESSAGE THAT CAME FROM THE VERY SON OF GOD!

IN VERSE 1 OF THIS CHAPTER, PAUL CALLED IT...

“THE GOSPEL OF GOD” (ROM. 1:1).

HOW COULD PAUL BE ASHAMED OF SUCH A MESSAGE, AS THAT

WHEN IT HAD COME FROM GOD HIMSELF.

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THERE IS A LOT OF SHAMFUL THINGS IN THIS WORLD

WE’VE BECOME WAY TO USED

TO THE POLUTION OF THE WORLD.

PEOPLE TODAY, DON'T BLUSH MUCH ANY MORE.

A MAN WHO IS A RAPIST OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED

A DRUNKARD OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED

A THIEF OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED

THE LYING POLITICIANS IN OUR GOVERNMENT

OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED

GOSSIPERS AND BACKBITERS OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED

A DOCTOR WHO WOULD MURDER AND UNBORN BABY STILL IN THE WOMB OF ITS MOTHER– OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED

A PROSTITUTE OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED

A CHILD MOLESTER OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED.

PEOPLE OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF THEIR SINFUL ACTIONS.

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BUT WE SHOULD NEVER BE ASHAMED OF WHAT'S RIGHT,