Doctrino Romano: Embarking on a Journey
(Romans 1:1-7)
Note: I had a handout with fill in the blanks. That is why there are lines (indicating these were originally blanks)
INTRO
1. Since our new series, Doctrine Romano, deals with some pretty serious subjects, I thought I’d counterbalance that with a few chuckles…here are some tombstone epitaphs….(borrowed from Sermon Central)
1. “Here lies Anne Mann. Who lived an old maid, but died an old Mann.”
2. “Beneath this sod, a lump of clay lays Arabella Young; who on the 21st of May began to hold her tongue.”
3. “The children of Israel wanted bread, the Lord sent them Manna. Old Clark Wallace wanted a wife, the devil sent him Anna.”
4. Here lies Johnny Yeast- ‘Forgive me for not rising.’
5. “Here lies Butch, we planted him raw. He was quick on the trigger but slow on the draw.”
6. “Under the sod and under the trees, lies the body of Jonathan Peas. He’s not there, there’s only the pod. Peas shelled out and went to God.”
2. Preaching through Romans is a great challenge. Why?
(1) Some of you are well indoctrinated and theologically sharp….don’t want to bore you with what you already know
(2) Some of you are laying a foundation and need the basics spelled out clearly
(3) Others of you are seekers and examining the claims of Christ
(4) Some of you have attitudes you’ve picked up, like you shouldn’t have to think in church or “leave doctrine to the theologians.”
3. What I will try to do:
(1) lay down some foundational truths
(2) share some insights that are unique, esp. 1st century Jewish insights that you may not have heard elsewhere
(3) hit applications
BACKGROUND AND PRELIMINARIES
1. The Roman church has been planted by laymen….probably Jewish believers….
2. Many gentiles brought to the faith…
3. In 52 A. D., the Emperor Claudius banished all Jews from Rome, meaning that the probable leaders of the church at Rome had to leave; the believing gentiles then took the reigns. The banishment did not last long, and the Jewish believers returned. This may have created some of the controversies about the relationship of the Law of Moses to the gentile believers that Paul addresses in about 56 or 57 AD.
MAIN IDEA: Through a saving relationship with God, we receive what we all crave, security and significance.
I. The Author (1a): The Security of Authority
1. Paul (Hebrew name ____Saul________)
2. His background: _Rabbi______in training; _____persecutor__________of the church
3. An ___apostle____________: an authoritative representative
“The one sent by a man is as the man himself” (The Talmud, Ber. 5:5)
4. Set apart _______from birth__________by God (see Gal. 1:15)
II. The Message (1b-4): Eternal Security
1 Gospel means ____good_______ ___news_______
2. Defined in I Corinthians 15:1-6
3.This was promised throughout the Old Testament
Myth: Christianity separate from Judaism….TRUE Judaism lead to Christianity
4. Revlolves around Jesus Christ (3-4)
(1) His ___human_______nature and _____royal________descent (4)
(1) His human nature….descended from David… the Son of Man
Talmud: “Seven things were created before the world was created, and these are they: The Torah, repentance, the Garden of Eden, Gehenna, the Throne of Glory, the Temple, and the name of the Messiah.”
--I disagree with the Talmud; but the Human Nature of Jesus was in the plan of God before creation….His humanity is described as “the firstborn of all creation.”
(2) His deity declared by the resurrection from the ______dead_________(4)
--spirit of holiness = His spiritual disposition or the Holy Spirit--
III. The Plan: Discipleship (5): Significance in God’s Kingdom
1. Paul given a special grace (_____strength_________) to minister
2. The call to faith produces ______obedience____________________(see James 2:18)
3.His ministry was _____mainly_________to gentiles
4. His motivation: a burning desire to ___glorify__________the Name of Jesus Christ (5)
IV. The Roman Believers (6-7): The Security and Signficance of A Spiritual Family
1. Were among God’s ___chosen__________(6)
2. The term “beloved” a special term of endearment(7)
3. Meaning of the word “saints”
Bernard joke
4. They needed God’s help to live the Christian life, as we do!
(1) grace here means special _____strength_________
(2) peace is a translation of the Hebrew “Shalom”
____relational_____________and ___spiritual___________tranquility/content
CONCLUSION
1. By establishing a vibrant saving and growing relationship with Jesus Christ, we find SIGNFICANCE and we find SECURITY. But this significance and security is NOT AN ILLUSION, it is the only REAL PERMANENT security and significance there is. Everything else is either a distraction or temporary.
2. As the old song puts it, “Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing, baby.”
