Are you ashamed of the Gospel
A First year student came into church one day and recognised the preacher, who was his professor. He said “Oh No. The Lady next to him asked him,"what’s wrong?" Do you know whom that is,that is my professor, when he talks you fall asleep.The Lady asked him: "do you know who I am? He said "No". I’m his wife. – Happened to you? Felt such shame, embarrassed.
He asked her do you know who I am? No. He said that’s good, bye.
Continue with the book of Romans see how far we come.
We read
Rom 1:16-32
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.
17. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Look at v 17, We get this great statement here:
"The just shall live by faith."
Want to show you something here:
Now if you’re a student of the Word you’ll grab this information and grow on this.
By the way there is two kind of word students:
Student – comes listen goes out and on with his life.
Danger here is that the enemy comes steels
the word – Parable of the sower
Active student – comes with 3 things, pen, book, bible-
He writes, he goes home, read again life it
out.
This is a great statement by Paul: "The just shall live by faith."
Look at the words just prior to that” as it is written
Paul is quoting scripture here.
I want you to take note of the following:
The OT is the NT concealed and the NT is the OT revealed. (Explain)
Here is a good example.
This is the exact words written us in Habakkuk 2:4
"Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.
You might say: “So what is so special about that.”
The fact that that didn’t make as much sense then as now here in Romans.
This statement takes up 3 books in the new testament.
Let’s break it up:
The just -- Who is the just? That what Romans answers
Shall live – Ho do the just life – the book of Gala answers that
By faith -- shows to heb
Paul says: For in it the righteousness of God is revealed
Paul will get us to understand that the righteousness that’s going to work for us is not going to be our own but God’s.
Ain’t that great? Revealed through Jesus Christ.
This brings us back to verse 16.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, F1 for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes
May I ask you? Are you ashamed of the gospel of Christ?
· You might say: No, I’m here, I’m in church. The neighbour saw me with my tie.
Let me change the question!
· How many people have you witnessed to this week?
· Q: Do we have to? ---- Yes
· That’s what the commission is about. Remember? Mat 28:19
Turn with me to Acts 1:8 will you.
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Jerusalem – Close family (household)– Have you witnessed to your sons,
daughters, wife, husband
Judea, Samarea – Extended family friends -- Friends, nephews etc
End of the earth – World – Does this include your workplace? Yes
How many people have you witnessed to this week?
· These people received Power!
· Power was to do what?
· To Witness!
· But people today want the power but will do nothing with it.
· Like paying someone before he had done the job.
I’ve found that lot of people are afraid to witness because they don’t know what to witness about.
Some don’t even know what the gospel of Christ is about?
How can you be afraid of something you don’t know about?
So, what is the gospel?
(Hopefully you’ll know within the next five hours)
Q: If someone walks up to you and ask you: what is the gospel of Christ? What will you say?
Some might say: Jesus! --- and?
Others --- Good News – of what?
I Pet 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear
Def Of the Gospel
I Cor 15: 1 – 4
1. Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
2. by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.
3. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4.and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
There you’ve got it!
But there is more:
Yes it’s Jesus, and Yes it’s the Good News, It’s also:
The Power of God
Rom 1:16 the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God
The Power of God for what?
For salvation!
This is powerful. The power of God. Saving you! How, How How can you be silent?
Paul, builds further on this in Cor
I Cor 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
What is the message of the cross?
Jesus Christ ref I Cor 15 the Gospel,
Now, If you bump into someone who say the preaching of the cross is foolish, you know where he is going!
Answer is right there in front of you…He’ll perish.
Ah…. Ah…. Ah… you may not judge! I’m not…. The Bible is…
Jehovah witnesses, Mormons etc.
But, oh I like that word, but to us who are being saved it is What? the power of God
19. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."
Look v 25 because the foolishness of God is wiser than men
Carpenter son died on cross and took the our sin away!! Foolish to the world.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes
Salvation for everyone who believes
Comes back to faith, if you believe the power is yours.
You can only witness fully if you believe in what you witness.
May I ask again are you ashamed of the Power of God, the gospel, the cross, Jesus?
He gave us the Power use it!
Lets Pray
