Romans – God’s Glorious Gospel
The Impact of Good News
Romans 1:8-15
* Good News! What comes to your mind when you hear these two words? For one couple it may be “you’re expecting a baby.” For another couple it could be, “you’re approved for your new house.” For one person it would be, “you’re accepted into law school”, while to another possibly, “your tumor was benign.” Whether these or others during your life, you have, no doubt been the recipient of some good news.
* There is one interesting thing about good news, “you HAVE to tell it.” When Deb found out that Christy was on her way, we had a “race” to be the one to “tell the story.” Were you to be cured from cancer, healed from an incurable disease, or even have your sight restored, you would TELL IT!! That is the nature of good news—if you don’t tell it you will literally explode. Sadly, bad news gets told—but truly, good news will erupt if not released.
* The best news to ever come to anyone is the news of Jesus Christ. It is news that must be told. And if told, has the power to change not just lives, but the world. Nowhere is this great more clearly told than in Paul’s letter to the church at Rome. Turn to Romans 1. Last week we began with the Good News which Paul is telling; it is the news of Jesus. His promise, provision, power, and purpose. Today Paul opens the door on his PERSONAL life, thus, he sheds light on the impact of this good news on my life as a BELIEVER. Let’s read verses 8-15.
* Did you hear that? Paul says, I am “eager.” KJV says, “Ready,” one paraphrase says, “can’t wait.” The Greek word literally means, “ready and willing.” The word “preach” means to evangelize, not the pulpit. You see, Paul knew that this was good news. He discovered this good news on the road to Damascus, became a believer and learner, thus he can now hardly wait to tell it. Please listen; THIS IS the life of a healthy believer. The Healthy Believer is taken captive by the good news of Christ and cannot wait to share this good news.
* For the next few minutes, believer, consider with me a Biblical look at how Good News Impacts us.
1. THE MAKE-UP OF THE BELIEVER. To understand how a believer is “made-up” we must take a look at His personal trek. The believer is one who can identify His life before Christ. Although he knew that God had granted forgiveness, Paul never escaped the ugliness of His past. Paul knew that it was only by God’s grace and mercy that He (Paul) could do anything good. Like Paul, a healthy believer clearly knows his past. The believer is one who can identify his own, personal “Damascus road” experience. Truly an individual who cannot pin down this experience is not likely to tell it because it is not necessarily good news. The believer is also one who understands the “good” in this “news.” The salvation in Christ is not just “one of a bunch of good stories.” It is “the” story and the one that has a life changing impact. Knowing these things as clearly as Paul knew them helps us to be like Paul in 3 ways;
a. I have a Reason to be Thankful. Look at Paul with me. He begins, “I thank MY God THROUGH Jesus Christ.” Can you sense Paul’s heart for the Father and His Son? Paul says I am grateful to God for the Blessings of Jesus as well as my Brothers in Jesus.
* Beyond a doubt Paul knew that outside of the blessings of God, He would still be fighting the very God that he desired to have faith in. It was only in his Damascus road experience that Paul came to know God in such as way as to call Him “my God”. If you can call the creator “my God” you are blessed of all men.
* Paul’s thankful heart didn’t stop with the Blessings of Jesus but extended to his Brothers in Jesus. He was truly thankful for all believers. But listen, he was thankful, overjoyed, and encouraged when he knew they were living out their faith. If we seriously consider all of Paul’s writings, we know that He could be direct, rebuke, exhort, and correct. The music to Paul’s ears was that the brothers and sisters were being faithful.
* To me a real question for us 21st century believers is this; am I truly giving thanks to God? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us “it is God’s will for us to give thanks.”
b. I have a Reason to be Prayerful. Paul writes, “I constantly mention you in all my prayers.” We know that, at the writing of this letter, Paul had not been to the church at Rome. Yet we also know that he was really concerned about those believers. So he (like us) was faced with 2 choices, either worry or pray. So, like the giant in the faith he is, he chose prayer.
* The first reason Paul chose prayer is because of his connection to the Father. After being saved, Paul always understood that when in prayer he was talking to the God of all creation and touching heaven itself. He used “my God”, “His Son,” and “God’s will” to remind us of His connection to the Father. Paul knew that anything of consequence was be gained in prayer.
* The second reason Paul prayed was because of his concern for the Followers. He knew that the Romans believers needed much. They needed understanding, encouragement, help, and assistance. He also knew the only way this would happen was by God’s design.
* Allow me to ask one question. Knowing that the scripture says, “don’t worry, pray” what do you do?
c. I have a Reason to be Hopeful. Because he prayed consistently, he sensed that God would answer His prayers. His hopefulness was for fellowship & fruit. He longed to go to Rome because he wanted to fellowship with the congregation there and he wanted to disciple the believers and help reach new people. His hoped God will give him the green light.
* The make-up of any healthy believer contains these attributes. The good news has another impact for us:
2. THE MOTIVATION OF THE BELIEVER – As we move to verse 11, Paul’s heart is revealed. Please remember that a person’s actions reveal his heart. Paul gives us his 3 motivations which should also be ours. They are;
a. A Desire to Enrich – Paul wanted to enrich their lives by “strengthening” these believers, the KJV says “establish”. He used the word “impart” which means he wanted to share, give, and bring to them something to help them to be firm, stable, and fixed in their faith.
* Paul wanted to use what God had given him to make their lives and church stronger and better in the Lord.
* As I mentioned last week, I spent three days at a conference learning about Christian Conciliation. Some ask, “Why is this important?” One of the issues which is destroying churches and believers today is “unresolved conflict.” Most of us are trained to “overlook” it and so we bury it, keep It inside, never deal with it, and for the rest of our lives we carry it and it eats away at our personal joy, our ability to enjoy, our relationships, and ultimately into our very outlook on life. In days to come I’ll preach about conflict, Biblical conflict resolution, and how to achieve it, but here’s a principle from the Bible which works its way into every part of life. Turn to Philippians 2 and let’s read verses 1-4. (read) The motivation of a believer, at least a healthy believer, is to look out after the interests of others. Paul wrote to the Romans believers to enrich their lives and help them in their walk. This is our motivation. This is how the “Good News of the Gospel” impacts our lives.
* You don’t hear much anymore about Roberto DeVincenzo. He was once a tough but far from champion Argentine golfer. Some years back he surprised everybody by winning a tournament. As usual, they gave the winner his check on the eighteenth green. Roberto flashed a smile for the cameras and walked alone to the clubhouse. In back, where his car was parked, a sad-eyed young lady walked up to him. “It’s a good day for you,” she said, “but I have a baby with an incurable disease. It’s of the blood, and the doctors say she will die.” The golfer paused. In slow English, he said, “May I help your little girl?” The woman’s face froze. He took out a pen, endorsed his winning check and pressed it into her hand. “Make some good days for the baby,” he said. A week later, he was having lunch in a country club when a PGA official approached. “Some of the boys in the parking lot told me you met a young woman after you won the tournament.” DeVincenzo nodded. “Well,” said the official, “I have bad news for you. She’s a phony. She has no sick baby. She’s not even married. She fleeced you my friend.” The golfer looked up. “You mean that there is no baby who is dying without hope?” he said. The PGA official said, “that’s right.” DeVincenzo grinned and said, “That’s the best news I’ve heard all week!”
* What a perspective! Looking beyond His loss to their gain.
* Paul leads us from a desire to enrich to;
b. A Desire to Encourage – The natural outgrowth of employing Philippians 2 and the desire to enrich is to give encouragement. The way Paul expresses this reminds us of a truth; the most encouraging action we can experience is found in encouraging others. When the God’s Good News takes over, encouragement follows.
* Know why? Because to comprehend the high, depth, width, and breathe of God’s love is to desire to be a conduit of that love. Outside of Christ we are, by our nature, given to things like a hard or calloused heart, guilty of rotten talk, angry, people of malice and immorality. But “in Christ” we are to walk worthy, in the Spirit, as a new creation, and IN LOVE.
* This love, HIS love, leads us to edify and encourage one another. Turn with me to Ephesians 4:17-32. For the true believer encouraging others becomes second nature. How can we “love one another as HE loved us” and not encourage one another?
c. A Desire to Enlarge – Watch this; Paul writes I hope to come see you that I can have some “Spiritual Fruit” among you. He wanted to enrich their lives and ministry as well as encourage their lives and ministry so that personally and collectively they would grow.
* Consider the possible types of fruit Paul wanted to produce in Rome. We know that Paul was a great mentor, discipler, and/or trainer. He taught Silas, Timothy, Titus, even John Mark. He wanted to new believers to grow like he had grown.
* He also wanted all people to have the opportunity to come to Christ for salvation. Here it is, he’s returning to his Damascus road experience. He wanted all men to have the same opportunity and experience which he had. Paul spent His life telling about the good news which had happened to Him. If he went to Rome, he wanted the privilege of sharing this good news with the Romans so that He would have done His part in Rome.
* Consider a time you have personally received Good News. Maybe it was your first child, first car, first house, first job, or first bonus, do you remember how you were stirred inside, that childlike excitement. The Good News Of Christ can, should, and will impact you more deeply than anything else you can imagine. My question today is this; how has the good news of God impacted your life?
