No Man Is An Island Series

The Letter to the Romans Chapter 1:8-32

October 18, 2009

Prayer

Introduction: Some of you have heard the saying: “No man is an Island.” We need each other. It is this point that Paul touches on in opening up the book of Romans. And even further to the point. We need the faith others are capable of bringing to the table. He ends this passage, translated literally from the Greek; “Now, the righteous out of faith shall possess their life!”

A Christian who does not live by faith does not possess life!

So with that in mind let us dig into the Word of God and see if we can find some life.

Roman 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.

ONE MEDIATOR - God can, only, rightly be praised through Christ Jesus our Lord

Christ Jesus is our, only, mediator

HEB 8:3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." 6 But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.

1 TIM 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.

Revelations chapter 5

Christ, alone, is worthy to stand before the Throne of God on our behalf.

Roman 1:8-10 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

Roman faith is being proclaimed throughout the world, but it was not a faith that came cheaply or easily. Paul is enamored by their faith.

Imagine Roman citizens dedicating their lives to Christ. They considered Judaism and the whole idea of serving a god as crazy. To Romans the idea of a man dying for them and being raised from the dead is a foreign concept.

This would be like hearing that Iran’s president Ahmadinejad or Osama Bin Laden, had been saved and are going around witnessing of Jesus Christ.

It would greatly impact the witness to the Muslim world. The fact that Romans faith is being proclaimed throughout the known world was big news. It would spark new faith.

When a small group of people believe in something or someone, people on the outside may have a difficult time having enough faith to believe as they do, because only a small group believe. People think - There just are not enough people for this to be right. So they rarely jump on the band wagon.

Ericsson Marketing – Group dynamics with new products

• innovators - 2.5% of population - venturesome, educated, well informed

• early adopters - 13.5% - social leaders, popular, educated, risk takers

• early majority - 34% - deliberate, many informal social contacts, risk adverse

• late majority - 34% - skeptical, traditional, very risk adverse

• laggards - 16% - neighbors and friends are main info sources, fear

The most difficult step is making the transition between visionaries (early adopters, the first 16 % of the population) and pragmatists (early majority, the next 34%).

This is a big leap. This is what Paul is seeing here. There has been a big leap in those who believe in Jesus. The Romans are on board, nothing is impossible. Paul states is 1:16-17

RO 1:16 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. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

911 with Stanley Praimnath, Fugi Bank Vice President

Tuesday, September 11,2001, began like any other day for Stanley at his home in Elmont, Long Island. He woke up early, took a shower, dressed, prayed, and headed for work.