Separated unto the Gospel”
CLBC December 31, 2006 a.m.
Subject: The Gospel
Theme: The Content of the Gospel
Passage: Romans 1: 1 - 7
As we enter a new year, we are also entering a new series of studies. During the last couple of years, we have studied Ezra, and Nehemiah and have rejoiced in “A People with a mind to work”. We have studied First and Second Timothy, and have discovered how to look after the church, and have become more aware that if the gospel is to reach the world for Christ, every generation must “Pass the Torch” to a new group of prepared people.
Now I want us to concentrate our attention on the Book of Romans, in order to make sure that we really understand the great doctrines or teachings of the Christian life.
I have urged our Care Group leaders, and I will now urge each of you to read through the Book of Romans several times. Read it first to get an overall impression of the book, and then read it with a pen in you hand, watching for the important words which are used. If you do I think you will find that the main theme of Romans has to do with righteousness. It deals with the righteousness of God, and the unrighteous condition of man. But above all it shows us how we can gain the kind of righteousness which God requires of every person accepted by Him.
This morning I want to start these studies by looking at the gospel which we are to preach. Let’s read chapter 1: verses 1 - 7
Romans 1: 1 - 7 1 “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
I want to speak to you today about the Gospel.
When William Carey was a young Baptist shoe repairman in England, he became very convicted by the need to take the gospel to those in other parts of the world who had never heard. Since there were no missionary societies to send peopl e to the mission field, he approached a gathering of Baptist Pastors with his vision of reaching those in other lands.
He was told, “Youn man, sit down! When God wants to convert the heathen, He will certainly do it without your help or mine.”
But what was this gospel which Carey wanted to take to the world? Paul answers the question in his letter to the Church at Rome.
In chapter 1: verse 1Paul begins immediately by introducing himself. You see, Paul had not founded the church at Rome. Nor had he ever visited the church at Rome. It had been founded, perhaps by people who had come to live there like Priscilla and Aquilla. The church was made up of both converted Jews and Gentiles (spoke of as Greeks) So Paul had to introduce himself to the church at Rome. How does he describe himself? “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.
Paul is called to preach the gospel.
Notice the 3 parts of this introduction: 1. He is a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Is that how you would describe yourself? Are you first and foremost, even before being a husband or wife or parent or a worker in such a job, or a retired person, are you a servant of Jesus Christ? If you are you will be all of these other things better than you could be if you were not first a Christian and s servant of Christ.
He then tells them he is called to be an apostle. That is his particular calling. Even though he was not one of the original 12 disciples, he has received a special calling from God to be one of the 12 apostles for the spread of the gospel.
Thirdly, he says he is separated to the gospel of God. This was his chief work - to spread the gospel. This is what God has called him to do.Now I think you all know that the word translated “gospel” means “good news”. The most important thing in Paul’s life was spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.
This morning I want to centre our thoughts in upon this gospel which we too are to spread wherever we go.
The first thing that we learn about the gospel is:
a. the gospel was promised before through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures Romans 1:2 “which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,”
Immediately we find out that the gospel is not something known only to the New Testament. It was foretold and promised by the prophets in the Old Testament. Later we are going to find out that this gospel was known to Abraham and to David.
The second thing we find is that
b. the gospel concerns His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord
1:3 “concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, “
When you think about the gospel then, you must think about Jesus. But what does the gospel tell us about Jesus?
- “who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,” This spells out the true humanity of Jesus Christ. 1:3
- 1:4 “ and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” This speaks of His deity. The gospel then tells us of a Saviour who is both human and divine- the God Man- perfectly able to represent man before God, and to represent God to man.
Thirdly the gospel tells us that it is
- “through Christ we have received grace and apostleship - for obedience of all nations” 1:5 It is Christ who commissioned Paul to preach the gospel to all nations including those in Rome.
Now notice how Paul describes the Christians in the Roman church. They are: - “beloved of God “1:7
- “called to be saints.”
Surely this describes the importance of being a true Christian. True Christians are loved by God. What a great privilege.
True Christians are called to be saints. What a supreme calling.
Now this describes the Christians in this church also. We too are beloved of God. We too are called to be saints. To be a saint is not to be canonized by the Roman Catholic church many years after our death. To be a saint is to be a true believer in Jesus Christ during our lives.
Now that is the basic introductory message about the gospel, but throughout the rest of the Book of Romans we learn a great deal more.
c. Paul serves God in the gospel of His Son Romans 1:9 “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,”
There it is again: it is the gospel of His Son.
d. Paul wants to preach the gospel in Rome also. 15 “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.”
Should this not be our desire also? To share the good news with others? When we have something really good, don’t we want to tell someone? I am reminded of the lepers back in the old testament who were sitting outside the gates of Jerusalem while it had been under siege. They decided to go and give themselves up to the enemy, but when they came to the enemy encampment there was no one ther, and the soldiers had left behind all kinds of food and riches. Well first they gorged themselves, but then they remembered the people in Jerusalem who were starving, and they decided that they didn’t do well to keep it all to themselves, so they went back and told the people in the city so they could come and get food for their families also.
You see those lepers had good news, and they knew they were wrong to keep it to themselves. Sometimes Christians are not so thoughtful as those lepers. We have the best news that there is to share, and we keep it all to ourselves.
e. Paul was not ashamed of the gospel
16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
Paul was desirous of visiting Rome “the centre of the world”, full of glory, culture, riches, philosophy, religion, temples. He himself came from a despised province. He was a Jew, a member of a despised race. He probably spoke broken Latin. Yet he was not ashamed of who he was or of the gospel for the gospel was superior to the greatest Rome had to offer.
You see, the reason we need to share the gospel is that the gospel can do what no religion can do. It can transform lives, bring forgiveness of sin, it can offer eternal salvation, it can bridge the gap between God and man. It can bridge the gap between different races and cultures. Every person who believes the gospel of Jesus Christ receives the power to be saved from their sin, whatever nationality - whether Jew or Gentile, black or white or yellow. So Paul commits himself, body and soul to this matchless cause.
f. The gospel tells of the righteousness of God.
The gospel is not only good news about Jesus. 1:17 “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Right here we get our first glimpse of how our salvation fits in with the righteousness of God. God is completely righteous, and He cannot pardon unrighteous people except on one basis - and that basis is their personal faith in Jesus Christ. "The just shall live by faith."
The person who lives by faith in Christ is declared to be just or righteous in God’s sight. The person who is declared righteous by God will live by faith each day of his or her life.
g. The gospel also tells of the righteous wrath of God towards sin
But the gospel also reveals something else. Not only does it reveal the righteousness of God.
18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”
This is a message that is more difficult to preach and which people are less willing to hear. Yet it is a necessary part of the message of the gospel.
Sin separates man from God. Sin is an affront to God’s holy nature. Sin will separate man from God forever. Therefore an unrepentant sinner is in grave danger. This is not a light matter to laugh over as so many do so thoughtlessly.
I like to illustrate God’s wrath with a lit match and a piece of paper. If I bring the flaming match into contact with the paper, everyone knows what will happen. The flame will consume the paper. This requires no red in the face anger toward the paper. It is simply a law governing these two substances.
In exactly this way, when we speak of God’s wrath, we are not describing red in the face anger such as we might exhibit. No, God in His purity and in His holiness is perfectly at peace. There is no rage in Him. Yet bring unholiness and sin into His presence and His holiness will consume that which is unholy and impure. Sin cannot abide in His presence. There is no compromise between God and sin any more than there can be a compromise between flame and paper.
h. This is the same gospel which God gave to Abraham.
“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.” Romans 4: 3
This is the same Gospel which in which King David rejoiced.
“Just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” Romans 4:6, 7
Conclusion:
The gospel then is that full orbed revelation of God revealed in Christ, revealed in His righteousness and purity including His holy nature.
2. The blessing of preaching the gospel.
Small wonder then that the ones who share the gospel are said to be blessed.
a. Those who are sent to preach the gospel of peace, -are said to have beautiful feet. Romans 10:15 “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who brings glad tidings of good things!"
h. Unfortunately not everyone has obeyed the gospel, just as in Isaiah’s day. Romans 10:16 “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord who has believed our report. So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”
c. Many Jews are in this category,
“Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.”` Romans 11:28
d. Paul desires to be “a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”Romans 15:16 and he is able to declare that “in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” Romans 15:19 and has made it his aim “to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named,” Romans 15:20 and he expects to come to Rome “in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.” Romans 15:29
e. It is this same gospel through which God “is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,” according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began.” Romans 16:25
William Carey obeyed the call of God. He left England trusting God for the great land of India. He faced many problems: financial problems, a deranged wife. He worked incessantly. He studied several languages. He witnessed constantly. He translated the Bible. He supported not only himself but young missionary colleagues. He burned out for God, but he was the beginning of the most marvellous movement of God since the times of the apostles. His was the beginning of the era of modern missions some 200 years ago.
Dear ones, this is the gospel of Jesus Christ which you have received if you are a true Christian. If you have not received the gospel of Christ, then can you understand why it is so extremely important that you do so? Remember that the gospel is not only the source of blessing. It also reveals the wrath of God against those who have refused His Son.
Dear ones I urge you today. Repent and believe the gospel. So that you too may have life both today and for all of eternity.
Amen
