"good News: Righteousness"

Bible Reading: Romans chapter 1 verses 8-17

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). Paul appreciates them (vs 7-8).

(2). Paul prays for them (vs 9-10a).

(3). Paul longs to encourage them (vs 10b-13).

(4). Paul has an obligation towards them (vs 14-15).

(5). Paul introduces his theme to them (vs 16-17).

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• A story is told about Albert Einstein

• (The German mathematician and one of the greatest physicists of all time.)

• Was once asked by a student, “Dr. Einstein. How many feet are there in a mile?

• To the utter astonishment of the student, Einstein replied, “I don’t know.”

• The student was sure the great professor was joking.

• Surely Einstein would know a simple fact that even schoolchild knows.

• But Einstein wasn’t joking.

• When the student pressed for an explanation of this gap in Einstein’s knowledge,

• Einstein declared,

“I make it a rule not to clutter my mind with simple information that I can find in a

book in five minutes.”

• Albert Einstein was not interested in trivial data.

• His passion was to explore the deep things of the universe,

• To plumbs the depth of mathematical and physical truth.

• TRANSITION: This letter of Paul contains the big issues.

• He will explain big and at times deep theology.

In this section the apostle Paul does two main things.

• (1st). He reveals his desire to go to Rome,

• He explains exactly why he wanted to visit there.

• (2nd). He introduces the main topic of the letter,

• We noted last week this is a letter of doctrine,

• i.e., the why and the what Christians believe.

• And the key verses in this letter are verses 16-17.

• OK, let’s look at the letter,

• And we will divide it up under five headings.

(1). Paul appreciates them (vs 8).

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.”

Question: What exactly was it that the apostle Paul thanked God for?

Answer: Their faith.

Ill:

• I saw this photo on Facebook this week,

• And it perfectly illustrates faith.

• This guy believes that his car is safe where he has parked it,

• Or maybe he wants the building to collapse for the insurance! Who knows?

• But I’m going with the first option!

Ill:

• We all probably know the expression, “All roads lead to Rome”

• The expression was apparently true!

• As 29 military highways radiated out from Rome.

• The empire's 113 provinces were connected by 372 roads,

• Which covered over 250,000 miles (400,000 km),

• And 50,000 miles (80,500 km) of them were paved with stones.

• TRANSITION:

• Those Roman roads allowed the first Christians to travel all over the then known world.

• And as they travelled, they shared and preached gospel message.

• i.e., There is an insightful verse in one of the apostle Paul’s other letters (Philippians.)

• A letter he wrote while under two years of house arrest in Rome.

• (Philippians chapter 4 verse 22).

“All God's people here send you greetings,

especially those who belong to Caesar's household.”

• The throne of the Caesars was at this time occupied by Nero,

• This letter was written around 57 or 58AD and Nero died ten years later in AD 68,

• Nero was more a monster rather than a man.

• Cruelty not compassion was his trademark.

• And he was not at all nice to Christians.

Ill:

• In the summer of 64 AD,

• Rome suffered a terrible fire that burned for six days and seven nights,

• It consumed almost three quarters of the city.

• The people accused the emperor Nero of the devastation,

• Claiming he set the city on fire for his own amusement.

• In order to deflect these accusations and placate the people.

• Nero laid the blame for the fire on the Christians.

• And if you do a simple Google search,

• You can read about the terrible fate that many Christians experienced as a result.

• But warning, it will not be pleasant reading!

• TRANSITION:

• So, it could not have been easy to be a follower of Jesus in Caesar’s household.

• It was not a place for the faint hearted!

• Maybe that is why those in “Caesar's household” and the city of Rome,

• The capital of the Roman Empire.

• Were being talked about, “Everywhere.”

APPLICATION:

• Believe me when I say that our church has a reputation.

• You may not know what it is,

• But that does not change the fact that our church has a reputation.

• e.g., Just like each school in the area has a reputation (ask a parent),