INTRODUCTION
• It has been said that the pen is mightier than the sword. In many cases that can be a true statement. A sword put in the hands of another person has the power to take life, but the sword does not have the power to truly change a life.
• The pen put in the wrong hands can destroy a life, but the pen put in the right hands with the guidance of the Holy Spirit has the power to change lives, and to change history itself!
• Today we are going to embark on a study of the book of Romans.
• There have been many great people who have left their mark on history because of the change that happened in their life because of the book of Romans.
• Augustine, a man who led an immoral life, in 386 A.D. read the book of Romans. When he got to Romans 13:13-14, his life was never the same. Romans 13:13-14 says, “Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”
• In 1515, Martin Luther went from a man of torment to a man of great faith because of the book of Romans. John Bunyan in 1653, John Wesley in 1738, and Karl Barth in 1918 were never the same after they studied the book of Romans. These are but a few men who led great spiritual movements which left their marks on world history.
• Words on a page or the Words of God on a page?
• What about you? Do you need some change in your life? As we begin this sermon series on Romans, I hope that you will allow the Holy Spirit of God to penetrate your heart and soul. Who knows, maybe you will be one of the lives so changed that you end up leaving a mark on history!
• Today I will take us through the first seventeen verses of Romans chapter one.
• Today I want us to look at the heart of a man who was changed to the core by Jesus. We will look at Paul’s heart for the Gospel, his heart for the people and we will finish up with what motivated Paul’s heart for God, Gospel and the people by looking at the theme of the book of Romans.
• Please turn with me to Romans, chapter one! It is my hope that you will see that the pen is mightier than the sword when it comes to changing a person’s life and eternal destiny!
SERMON
I. PAUL’S HEART FOR THE GOSPEL (1-7)
A. Introductory material
• The letter was written by the apostle Paul during the winter of 58 A.D.
• The letter begins with some biographical information about the man who shook the world with the Gospel. READ VERSE 1.
• The writer calls himself a bond-servant of God. A huge percentage of the Roman world was enslaved. A bond-servant was one who had no control of their life; they were at the mercy of their master. They were totally dependent on their master for everything. The bond-servant was to be totally submissive to the will of their master! Paul is saying that he has given himself up to Jesus in this manner.
• There also may be a play on words here also. In the Old Testament (Isa 20:3, Jer 7:25, Amos 3:7) the word servant was used to designate the prophets of God. Paul may also be indicating that he is a mouth-piece for God.
• All who call themselves Christian are supposed to be bond-servants of Jesus. How submissive are you to the will of God in your life? Do you ignore God at your leisure? Are you willing to be used by God?
• Paul also says was called to be an apostle and that he was set apart for the gospel of God. Paul’s life was dedicated to the spread of the Gospel of Jesus. Each of us has been called to take the Gospel everywhere we go, to everyone who needs it!
B. The Gospel
• In verses 2-6 we see a brief summary of the gospel that Paul was set apart to preach. Let’s read verses 2-6.
• The basic message of these verses is that Paul is saying the gospel he is preaching is the same as what the other apostles are preaching along with the fact the gospel he preaches is rooted in the Old Testament clear back to the Garden of Eden. In verses 3 and 4, Paul emphasizes two important points about Jesus, His humanity and His divinity. He shows Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah and he says the resurrection proves His deity.
C. The Purpose of the message.
• Paul shares his heart with us. Verse 5 clues us in. He tells us that he received his grace and apostleship so help bring about an obedience of faith for the sake of Jesus!
• The reason Paul is commissioned to preach is to help people have an obedient faith! Do you think we still need that today? Paul’s message is still applicable to us today!
• In verse 6 he lets us know that WE have been called so the letter he is writing is for us today also!
• Just saying you believe in God will not cut it! Our faith MUST reflect the Jesus we serve. Too many of us have a mouth faith. We can tell people we are Christians, but we do not really make an effort to have an obedient faith. Your mouth will not get you to heaven!
• We will look more at this thought throughout the text this morning.
• As we look at the next section of our text, through Paul’s prayer of thanks we will see that Paul has a heart and love for God and a heart and love for other Christians!
II. PAUL’S HEART FOR THE PEOPLE (8-15)
As we look at the things Paul is thankful for, I hope that if he were here today, he could pray this prayer of praise for the Auburn Christian Church!
A. Faith proclaimed everywhere! READ VERSE 8-9
• One of the marks of an obedient faith is that our faith will be spreading to other people!
• An obedient faith expresses itself in actions! One of the actions is that we are to tell other people.
• This reflects an obedient faith in a couple of ways. 1- We are doing what Jesus told us to do in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus tells us to make disciples of all nations. 2- The most effective way for us to be able to spread the gospel is by other people seeing Jesus shine through our lives.
• If Jesus is important enough for a person to live for Him, then other people will take note. A compromising Christian will be nothing but a joke to other people. Once again I am speaking of a person who is not really trying to live for Jesus, not so much of a person who is having honest struggles. A compromising Christian is one who will set God aside whenever God is inconvenient to follow.
B. Paul desire to visit. Read 10-15
• As far as we know, Paul did not start the church in Rome, but yet he still has a deep love for the brothers and sisters in Christ that are a part of the church.
• He wants to come and help get them established spiritually. He wants to help put the church on strong footing.
• He also wants to receive something from the church.
• Another mark of an obedient faith is; an obedient faith encourages other people. Look at verse 12. When we have an obedient faith, other Christians will draw strength and encouragement from it. They will no longer feel like they are the only one out there trying to serve God.
• There is mutual encouragement. As we see the growth of others we draw encouragement from it!
• Another sign of an obedient faith is our love for other Christians. How often do you pray for other people in the church? How often do you pray for our missionaries or for your other Christian friends?
• At the end of this section Paul feels an obligation to preach the gospel to all people. He wanted to reach as many people as possible!
III. PAUL’S MOTIVATION, THE THEME OF THE BOOK (16-17)
In these next two verses we start to see why Paul is so passionate about the opportunity to preach the gospel. READ VERSES 16-17
A. Not ashamed!
• Paul is proud of the gospel! He is proud to be a Christian. Another sign of an obedient faith is not being ashamed of Jesus or the Gospel!
• Paul sees it as a special honor to be able to proclaim the Word of God!
• Paul suffered a great deal to be able to preach the Word. PHI 3:8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
• There was a time I was not too proud of the Gospel because I was not living as I should have been. I was embarrassed to let people know I was going to church because I did not feel worthy. Once I decided to really give Jesus my all, I was never ashamed of the Gospel again.
• It became easier to stand up for things that it seemed no one else around me would stand up for, then when I found out there were other Christians, I was strengthened even more!
B. The Reason for not being ashamed of the gospel!
• Paul tells us the Gospel is the power of God for salvation! Notice the verb tense. It does not say it “WAS” the power, but rather that it “IS” the power!
• Paul was excited to preach the Gospel because he knew that when the word was being preached, that the power of God was being unleashed on those who were hearing it!
• Do you realize that the Gospel has the power to save people! How often do you come to church with a sense of anticipation!
• How often do you come here excited? How often do you come excited about what God could do during our worship time? How often do you wonder who is going to begin a new life today?
• When the message is preached, God goes to work exerting His power in an attempt to win the listener to Himself!
• You should be EXCITED about coming to church. You should be EXCITED about the possibilities today! You should come to church EXPECTING someone to be touched in such a way that they are ready to give their lives to Jesus!
• We have a power that not even the most powerful world leaders have, the power of God for salvation!
• As your faith becomes a more obedient faith, you too will have more of a heart for God and His people and a passion for what God wants you to do!
C. For everyone who BELIEVES!
• I want you to take note that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who BELIEVES!
• Salvation is given to those who believe. The verb tense of the word “believe” is one that indicates a “CONTINUOUS” action. In other words salvation is for the one who CONTINUES to believe.
• Belief is MORE than just saying you believe, it is having an obedient faith as stated in verse 5! Salvation is open to ANYONE who chooses to believe and continues to believe.
• An obedient faith is one that shows something, not something that just says something.
• People say they can worship God in their own way. Well if that way does not include being FAITHFUL until death, then their worship is useless!
• REV 2:10 …Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
CONCLUSION
• Do you have a heart for God? Do you have a heart for God’s people? Do you have a passion to carry out the will of God in your life? Are you working on developing and obedient faith?
• Paul writes this letter to help us on that path.
• I hope that you will really listen to God in your life.
• For many people Church is boring. For many Christians carrying out the will of God in their lives is not too exciting.
• I wonder if some of the problem comes from a lack of an obedient faith and or a lack of anticipation of what God can do in our lives and the lives of all who will give themselves to Him!
• I hope that each of us has a renewed passion and excitement for God!
