Taking the Gospel across the Street and around the World! February 5th – March 5th Taking the Gospel across the Street and around the World!

Psalm 67:1-2, 4 May God be gracious to us and bless us     and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known on earth,     your saving power among all nations. . . 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy. . .

He blesses us to bless others! God has planned for us primarily to be channels of blessings not consumers of them! Rivers, not reservoirs! He blesses us to bless others!

Romans 13:13-14  Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Augustine (354 - 440 AD)

Romans proved to be the Gospel that transformed Augustine! “Instantly, as the sentence ended – by a light, as it were, of security infused into my heart – all the gloom of doubt was vanished away.” Romans proved to be the Gospel that transformed Augustine! Augustine (354 - 440 AD)

Romans 1:17 For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Martin Luther (1483 - 1546)

“When, by the Spirit of God, I understood the words – when I learned how the justification of the sinner proceeds from the free mercy of our Lord through faith – then I felt born again like a new man…In very truth, this language of Paul was to me the true gate of Paradise.” Martin Luther (1483 - 1546)

Romans proved to be the Gospel that transformed Luther! Martin Luther (1483 - 1546)

John Wesley (1703 - 1791) John Bunyan (1628 - 1688)

The Apostle Paul had a passion for the Gospel … and his letter to the church at Rome is all about the Gospel that transforms!

Letters in our day open with: Address the recipient Greetings Body of Letter Letters in Paul’s day opened with: Address the recipeint ID of the writer Greetings Body of Letter

Letters in our day open with: Dear John, How are you? Body of Letter Letters in Paul’s day opened with: Dear Luke, From Paul, Grace to you Body of Letter

Pattern of letters in Paul’s day: Acts 23:26 Claudius Lysias (writer), To His Excellency, Governor Felix (recipient): Greetings. (the greeting) …. Body of letter follows

Pattern of letters in Paul’s day: 2 Corinthians 2:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pattern of letters in Paul’s day: Ephesians 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pattern of letters in Paul’s day: 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

The Roman exception to this 1st century pattern: Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God… Romans 1:7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Roman exception to this 1st century pattern: Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God… Paul was passionate about the gospel because he could never get over how the gospel had transformed his own life!

Paul was passionate about and for the Gospel! 1 Timothy 1:12-15 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

Paul was passionate about and for the Gospel! Romans 1:1-2 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,  The gospel is GOOD NEWS – but not NEW NEWS!  

The gospel is GOOD NEWS – but not NEW NEWS! Luke 24:25-27 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”  27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Paul was passionate about and for the Gospel! The gospel is GOOD NEWS – but not NEW NEWS! The gospel is all about the GOD-MAN, Jesus Christ our Lord!  

The gospel is all about the GOD-MAN, Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 1:3-4 …concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 

Paul was passionate about and for the Gospel! The gospel is GOOD NEWS – but not NEW NEWS! The gospel is all about the GOD-MAN, Jesus Christ our Lord! The gospel is a message that calls for a response!  

The gospel is a message that calls for a response! Romans 1:5-6 . . . through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

Only after writing these thoughts about the Gospel does Paul get back to his letter’s opening! Romans 1:7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans is all about the Gospel “In all of Scripture, I know of no book more exacting, more serious, more demanding, or more life-changing than Paul’s letter to the Romans. It is the apostle’s magnum opus (greatest work) – a mind-stretching, heart-wrenching discourse on the righteousness of God granted in Christ and worked out in life.” Romans is all about the Gospel that transforms! Chuck Swindoll

The theme of the book of Romans For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

The theme of the book of Romans For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

(Jon Bloom, Desiring God Ministries) “Lord Make Me Bold!” “Do you want to live and speak more boldly for Jesus Christ? I do. How badly do we want it? Do we want it enough to ask, seek, and knock until God answers us and to take risks that press on our timidity? Or, if we’re honest, would we rather just keep wishing we were bolder — admiring bold people, being inspired by biographies about bold people, talking with our friends and small group members about our struggles with fear of man — all the while staying where we feel safe and relatively comfortable and letting fear go unchallenged?” (Jon Bloom, Desiring God Ministries)

How can we become unashamed of the gospel? Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Remember what the gospel is!

Remember what the Gospel is! Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” It is a message of power (of God)!

Remember what the Gospel is! Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” It is a message of salvation!

Remember what the Gospel is! Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” It is a message for everyone!

Remember what the Gospel is! Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” It is a message to be believed!

What is the object of this faith? What is it that we must believe?

The content of the Gospel . . . 1 Corinthians 15:3-5  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

“Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary use words.” When is it NOT NECESSARY to use words? We MUST use words, for the Gospel is a message that must be believed!

If we want to be bold and unashamed . . . We must remember the gospel!   It is a message of power! It is a message of salvation! It is a message for everyone! It is a message to be believed!

If we want to be bold and unashamed . . . We must also ASK God to give us boldness! He has already given us His Holy Spirit who is our constant companion!   2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a Spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.   Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

ASK God for boldness, knowing His Holy Spirit is with us always! Let’s strive to REMEMBER the Gospel (it is a message of power, salvation, for everyone, to be believed) AND ASK God for boldness, knowing His Holy Spirit is with us always!