Introduction
It is good to be here with again this morning, and I am so glad to see all the different ones out today. May God bless each one of you. Continue to remember my parents in prayer as they are traveling. And we greet all those who are listening online, God bless you all!
Last Sunday I started a series on the book of Romans
And today I am picking up where I left off
And if you would, open you bibles to Romans chapter 1, and I will read the text for our lesson today
7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 1
King James Version
Amen
My title this morning is I am not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ
Prayer
Let us pray
Lord God, we approach your throne
We ask that you open our hearts and minds to see you ever more clearly
What we know not, teach us
What we have not, give us
What we are not, make us
In Jesus name, and for his sake, we ask it, amen
Well its good to be here with everyone, and I praise God for all of you
I am continuing my series of lessons on the book of Romans
And we are still working our way through Paul’s introduction and greetings to their church
And most of what I want to focus on in this message is really in verses 16 and 17
But I want to make a few observations in the preceding verses before I get there
And point a few things out to us
In this section we have read, Paul is not sharing doctrine, but he is finishing his introduction to the church, and setting up the topic he is going to spend the next eight chapters talking about
And it is in verse 16 and 17 where we he begins to enter into the doctrine of the gospel
But here in these preceding verses, even though he is not elaborating on them, he is briefly touching on certain important doctrines
Let me point some of that out to you
In Verse 8 – Paul says “my God”
Now that may seem like a very small little saying “My God”
But that actually contains some deep revelation, deep understanding and important doctrine
Paul’s relationship with God is personal
He is Paul’s God in a personal way and personal experience
He is not merely an impersonal God, far off in heaven, disconnected from his creation
But he is something personal to Paul
Paul says “My God”
And as we look at that, it sets a tone for each of us, in our relationship with God
God is not some distant concept, or far off being
But he is someone we can come to know, he is someone we can speak with
He is someone who will speak back to us in his own ways
He is someone who we can get so close and personal way.
So much so that we can call him “My God”.
Not just God, but My God.
Its personal.
There is something else there in verse 8 that is also worth drawing our attention to
Paul said that – I thank God through Jesus.
Through Jesus.
And that too is a big statement that is built on some important understanding.
The way to God is through Jesus.
Jesus said no man cometh to the Father, except by me. (John 14:6)
Everything we do towards God, is through Jesus.
We worship God through Jesus.
We serve God through Jesus.
We hear God through Jesus.
And as Paul is demonstrating here, we thank God through Jesus.
Paul tells us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. (Col 1)
Everything God wants to show us about himself, he shows us through Jesus.
When you see Jesus, you see the image of the invisible God.
And it is so important that we keep Jesus highly lifted up.
That Jesus stays in his rightful position.
There is one mediator between and God, and that is Jesus Christ. (Heb 12:24)
And Paul, in his simple phrase, “I thank God through Jesus”, he demonstrates a powerful doctrine that Paul expounds more deeply elsewhere.
Finding God’s Will
Another noteworthy thing in these verses is that Paul gives us insight into how to seeks the will of God
You know that is something a lot of people often ask questions about
How do I know the will of God?
Do can I seek the will of God?
And I always like to look to scripture for inspiration in how to answer questions like that
And as we look at what Paul writes here in these verses, there are a few things we can take as examples of how he approached finding the will of God
There in verse 11, and again in verse 13 we notice that Paul has certain longings and desires.
Paul explains that there are things he wants to do, in a personal sense.
And one of those desires is to travel to Rome and visit the people there.
And as he desires to go there, he is seeking to find if the will of God aligns with his desires.
And it is something he is praying about.
And he is waiting for some indication that his journey there would be prosperous, or blessed before he decides to go.
Its not clear exactly what, but Paul is looking for some personal sign or confirmation that traveling to Rome is the right thing for him to do.
If we looked in the book of Acts, we would find that in one instance God gave Paul a dream that served as a sign about where he should travel to.
In another place, he mentioned being instructed by the spirit to go a certain direction.
And in another place he speaks of a prophesy that directed him in the way to go.
So there are different ways that God showed Paul what his will was, in regards to his travels.
And in this chapter as he write to the Romans, Paul gives us another example of how he sought the will of God before he made a decision about where to go and preach next.
Often times, like Paul, we may have certain desires or longings to do a certain thing.
And especially if it is something of a significant nature,
It is wise for us to seek God through prayer and wait for some leading from his spirit to indicate what his will is.
And often that is a personal thing between an individual and God.
God has to reveal his will to us personally. Which is not to say other people can’t be used in that process, but somewhere God has to make the confirmation of his will personal to us.
And Paul eludes to that here in his letter, as he talks about seeking the will of God about coming to Rome.
The Power of the Christian Community
The final observation I would like to make on these introductory verses is concerning the power and the importance of the Christian community.
There in verse 8, Paul says that he is thankful for the Roman church.
And that is not just mere words to make them feel good.
Its not a compliment for the sake of a compliment.
But it is a truthful statement.
Paul is thankful for their church in Rome, because, like all of the Christian community, the church in Rome is a potent evidence and a powerful reminder of God’s power and goodness.
In verse 8, Paul went on to say that the faith of the church in Rome was spoken of all over the world.
That church community in Rome was an inspiration to others, all over the world.
And as we read through here, Paul does not talk about them doing any outstanding miracles, or having any great special teachers, or that they was a particularly large congregation, or anything like that.
As we read this letter, we have no idea about those characteristics of the church in Rome.
And that is a powerful thing I think,
Because the inspiration that is provided to the world by the church in Rome is not that they are some group that can boast of great things in their midst.
But they inspire the world merely because they exist.
To me that is powerful, because sometimes we think to be an inspiration or benefit or a help to others that we must have all these great and wonderful things.
But the truth is sometimes you’re a help and benefit to others just simply because you exist.
And let me explain what I mean just a little bit.
In my last message I talked about the terrible conditions of Rome, it was a place where you would think it would be very hard for Christianity to thrive and take root.
But the mere fact that a church had sprung up in the heart of the empire’s greatest city, that itself was inspiration and a source of hope to Christians all around the world.
The mere fact that that some people existed in the city of Rome who would come to faith in Christ, that fact alone was enough to inspire the Christians of the world.
That is the power of Christian community.
It is a light to those on the outside.
And it is also an inspiration to fellow believers.
The Christian community is a source of affirmation, hope, and proof of the power of God.
I don’t know how many people were sitting in the Roman church when this letter showed up, it might not been many.
I don’t know if there had been a single miraculous occurrence in this church.
I don’t know if there had been a single operation of the gifts of the spirit.
I don’t know if even a great preacher had ever visited them before.
But this church was an inspiration to the entire Christian world, said the Apostle Paul,
Just because they existed.
That is something I feel I have personally come to really understand recent times.
They’re Christians out in the world today, people who are there, and maybe by the way many people would measure them, they don’t seem to be very outstanding.
But to me, the mere fact that they exist, it is a great source of hope to me.
It’s a great comfort to me just to know that these other Christian people exist.
Because I know the facts around them.
The fact is that they’ve been able to rise up and serve Christ, come to faith in him, despite the hard environment that they had grown in.
They came to faith in Christ in the conditions that were unfavorable, yet there they are existing as evidences of the greatness of God.
That’s a source of comfort, a source of hope.
And when I read Paul’s words there in verse 8 and verse 12, as he talks about how the church in Rome is a comfort to him,
I very much believe it the fact that they exist and have come to faith in Christ, and have become established in such a harsh environment,
That fact is a joy and a comfort and an inspiration to Christians the world over.
Paul was given hope and comfort by knowing that a church had sprung up in Rome itself.
And just as others can serve as an inspiration to us, we too can be an inspiration and a hope and a comfort to others ourselves.
Because here we are, not a great and wonderful group by man’s measurements,
In a place where the conditions seem harsh to some,
Yet here we are.
And I pray that in our own way, this little church here, can be a hope and an inspiration and a comfort to others.
You can survive, you can thrive, you can get through the hardships and the difficulties,
And you can serve Jesus Christ to the glory of God
And to the hope and comfort of your Christian neighbors.
I’ve heard the saying before, grow where you’re planted, And in some cases in ways I think that’s true. That’s what we’re doing today, we’re growing where we’ve been planted. We’re showing forth the glory of the Lord right here where he’s put us. In whatever small way we can.
And I encourage everyone listening today, just show forth that glory wherever you are, and you will be a hope and inspiration and a comfort to others. Praise the Lord
And just like the apostle Paul, we living in an hour when there are a whole lot of people that need hope and comfort and inspiration.
There are people around the world standing with us, in love with Jesus.
Stand where you are. Be a beacon where you are.
Our brothers and sisters in Norway, our brothers and sisters in Israel, our brothers and sisters in South Africa, our brothers and sisters in Canada, our brothers and sisters in Poland and the Czech Republic, our brothers and sisters all around the United States, and North Carolina and Arizona another states, our brothers and sisters in Rwanda and Uganda and Kenya and Liberia. And India,
and all the other places I haven’t mentioned, but who have spoke to me these past months,
Your faith gives us hope and comfort and inspiration.
And I hope, wherever this message goes, and whoever hears it,
That you are inspired to make a stand for Jesus.
There are people who are trapped today, and you are able to make a difference for them.
You are able to be an inspiration to show them a better way.
You can find a community of faithful believers in Jesus.
You can be an example, a light, a hope, an inspiration to others.
And if you are not doing that today, I pray that you do.
Because people are looking for hope, they are looking for reassurance.
They are looking for a place to go.
Don’t be ashamed of the gospel, don’t be ashamed of standing for Jesus.
Those of us who are standing for Jesus, we are not the ones who need to be ashamed.
It is those who have turned their back on him, they are the ones who will stand ashamed on the day that he appears.
The Power of the Gospel
Let me pick up reading again, back at verse 15 of Romans 1
These next three verses are the ones I want to focus the rest of this message on
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
Notice there, that is the hearts of a true servant of God
That is someone who is wants to serve meat in due season
That is someone who is being faithful to the great commission given by Jesus
Paul has not invented some commission, he has not invented some thing to do
But he is obeying the words of Jesus to fulfill his ministry
He is not burying the gospel in the back yard, next to the spot where he buried the grace of God.
But he is sharing the gospel far and wide.
And it is bringing forth an increase.
As much as in me, I am ready to preach the gospel, Verse 16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
These are very powerful verses right here.
These verses have sent millions of men marching to freedom.
These verses are why you and I are not Catholics.
You know once upon a time, all of our ancestors were Catholics, if you go back far enough.
But the Catholic church lost sight of the things wrote here in the book of Romans.
Just as many places today have lost sight of the things wrote in this book.
But when men began to open their bibles and actually read what was wrote in it,
They began to realize their church had put them into bondage.
That their church had obscured the saving grace of Jesus, and had stop preaching the true gospel.
And when they discovered what their leaders had done, many people began to run for the exits.
And these verses are what launched the protestant reformation.
Now I want to take a little time and look over these verses.
And there are several very important things here to notice
And one of those things is the phrase Paul uses when he says, “the power of the gospel”
“The Power of the Gospel”.
The gospel has power associated with it.
When you and I share the gospel with others, when we proclaim it, when we speak it out,
It has power.
If you want to do something powerful,
Share the gospel.
And what specifically is this powerful thing the gospel will do?
As we read on, we will discover the power of the gospel is the salvation it can bring.
When you preach the gospel, it will set people free.
It will bring people to salvation.
It will set them free from sin.
It will set them free from systems that use sin to put them bondage.
It will give show them the liberty that Jesus Christ offers.
If you see people in bondage, and you want to set them free from their bondage,
The power to set them free is in the gospel.
The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation.
If you want to see people saved from something,
The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation.
That is what is going to do it.
And my brothers, like me, who are desiring to see people set free,
They are preaching the gospel,
They are sharing a message of power that will set people free.
And today, as a servant of Christ, just like Paul,
I have been given power.
It is the power of the gospel.
And I am going to use this power, to show people the way to salvation.
And the way is Jesus.
He is the way, he is the truth, he is life.
And by the power of that gospel, souls will be set free.
By The power of that gospel, chains will be broken.
By the power of that gospel, imprisoned souls will be set at liberty.
It is already happening.
We have already seen the wonderful fruit being brought forth by sharing the gospel.
It has the power of God, to bring salvation to everyone who believes.
And if maybe we wonder what exactly the gospel is, these verses also set the stage for us to answer that question.
The gospel is the message of salvation.
The gospel is the message of a savior who came to save.
And the apostle Paul, here in these next chapters of the book of Romans,
He is going to spend eight chapters telling us what the gospel is.
It is the most detailed explanation and exposition of the gospel in the bible.
And Paul is going to line it all out, with scriptures, with reasoning, with illustrations, with personal experiences.
He is going to tell us just what this good news of salvation is all about.
The good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ to set men free from their sins.
And in this introduction, Paul is also telling us that it is the job of the ministry and of the saints in the church to remind each other of that essential truth.
That is why Paul wants to go to Rome.
To remind the people in Rome of this essential truth.
He desires to come to Rome, to share the gospel message.
That is what he has been separated for.
And that is the chief purpose of anyone God has called to preach,
It is to share the gospel.
A preacher who never preachers the gospel
Is a failure.
A preacher who never preaches the gospel
Is a disappointment to Christ.
A preacher who never shares the gospel is not fit to stand behind a platform
And I am afraid that describes the vast majority of the preachers we have ever known.
The gospel is not something they are interested in sharing.
They got other more important things to share.
So they think.
Perhaps to them the gospel is just to routine and simple thing.
But it wasn’t to Paul.
To Paul it is powerful. It is immense. And it’s important for us to be regularly reminded of the grandeur and magnitude and immensity of this thing.
We are presenting to mankind the truth that the God who made them in his image, has offered them salvation and forgiveness for every wrong thing and sinful thing they have ever done, freely,
if they will believe and have faith on the one who died for their sins.
Its not some little minor thing to be glossed over once in awhile
You know, they can preach a sermon on it every twenty years or so,
Like they did in the places we came from,
And treat it like it is just milk,
John 3:16, that is just foolish virgin milk
And do you know, I can’t think of a single time in my entire life that I heard a preacher take John 3:16 as the subject of their message
Without saying it was just foolish virgin milk
Not a single time
God have mercy on those men, who could do that for twenty, thirty, forty years in a row.
It just wasn’t important to them
Its quite ironic,
You know, they can preach hell is not eternal part 43
Because they are such terrible teachers that it takes 43 sermons to explain that.
And I am not exaggerating.
And somehow in those 43 messages, they never even actually got to the verse in 2nd Thessalonians on which that entire belief is based
I mean, what is wrong with a man like that?
It’s a tangled mind, and it listening to that is like a giant knot, that you need to be an expert to untangle
A person who just presents knots for you to untangle is not someone who has a gift to teach
And they have no business trying to teach.
And the truth is when they are done, the people are more confused as when they started.
But what is ironic
While they have no problem spending 43 weeks doing a terrible job of telling you hell is not eternal
They don’t have time to preach a single sermon about the gospel.
A preacher who has went down that road has lost his way, by a long stretch.
That is not ok.
Preaching that way is not ok
Someone who has completely lost sight of Jesus Christ, and completely lost sight of the gospel
That is someone who is not fit to preach.
That is a preacher who has seriously lost his way.
The Lord Jesus Christ is not pleased with that.
Don’t be fooled.
Jesus Christ is not pleased with what is happening there.
And if you are sitting there in a place where preachers have went completely off the rails
Don’t think that God is not going to hold you all accountable
A preacher can preach deacon Jones is going to hell, 150 sermons in a row.
But not a single sermon to talk about Jesus dying for our sins.
That is a preacher who is depraved and has lost his way.
There is no excuse for that kind of behavior.
There is nothing remotely ok about that.
That is a man who is not fit to preach.
And listening to that kind of garbage can only do one thing
It will poison your soul
It will turn you into the same kind of a monster as the man you listening too
And I hate to say it, but that is exactly what it is doing
And I got a mailbox full of hate mail to prove it.
People have given themselves over to the devil, because they have listened to sermons inspired by the devil.
But preachers like that exist in this world
They have long stopped being stewards of grace.
They have long stopped serving the gospel.
And they have started down a path that leads only to destruction.
And unless they change course, they will reap what they are sowing.
Mark my words.
And anybody who can sit there, and go through those things, and not realize there is something seriously wrong,
Those are people we need desperately to pray for.
They are watching their brothers and sisters die as a result of what is going on.
They are going to the funerals.
They are putting flowers on their graves.
And they are walking away.
And they sit there and do nothing.
How many more are they going to have to bury?
How many more have to die before they wake up and realize what is going on?
I pray God convicts their consciences, and wakes them up.
But as for me, I am interested to look into the things of the gospel, the things even the prophets and the angels desire to look into.
Turn over to 1st Peter
Let’s just read a few verses of how interested Peter was in looking into and preaching the gospel.
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
1 Peter 1
King James Version
You see there the immensity of the gospel, the magnitude of, the great allure of it.
The prophets of old, and even the angels of heaven are in all and desire us to look into and understand the gospel.
You can just get a picture in your mind there,
Of the angels in heaven, standing on their tiptoes, straining their necks, trying to just get a peek at the gospel,
Trying to just get a glimpse of it.
Even the angels of heaven are that desirous to hear and see and learn about the gospel.
The angels have a great desire to look into the gospel,
Yet the places that we come from just call it milk, the food of foolish virgins and little Christian babies.
They have no need for it.
And meanwhile, as their many predictions of the end of the world all fail to come to pass.
Generation after generation are born and grow and never hear the gospel preached.
Shame on their wicked hearts
They are failed servants, and failed stewards.
And they will be held to account by God if they do not repent and change their ways.
I am not ashamed of the gospel
I am not ashamed of the gospel
As we go forward, the first 8 chapter of Romans will explain the gospel to us.
That is what the first 8 chapters of Roman is – it is the gospel message.
And Paul gives a detailed comprehensive explanation of it.
And as we go through this series, we are going to look into the gospel.
One building block and a time.
People where we come from, they are ashamed of the true gospel.
That is why they never preach it.
They cannot get up and say, Jesus is enough.
They cannot say, believing on Jesus as your savior, and being baptized into Christ,
That is enough.
That is enough to save you.
That is enough to get you to heaven.
That is enough to take you in the rapture.
They do not believe that.
They do not believe Jesus is enough.
And if they do, then I dare them to start saying it out loud.
Tell it to their people
Tell them Jesus is enough.
But I will tell you right now
That is a phrase I never heard in all the years I was in those places.
And I suspect it is a phrase very few of them are capable of uttering from the platform.
Because they would be too ashamed to say that.
But the thing is, not only are they ashamed of the true gospel.
They are also ashamed of the so-called gospel they do preach.
They are ashamed of their own beliefs.
They are ashamed of what they believe in.
And you know how we know they are ashamed, because they won’t share it with other people.
They are so ashamed, they even discourage everyone from sharing it.
They are ashamed to share it with other people.
They are ashamed for people to find out what they believe.
If they go to school with them, or work with them,
Or they are their customers,
Or their neighbors,
Many of them would be utterly ashamed for their neighbors to find out all the things they believe.
Because they know most people are going to think they are crazy bonkers.
And it makes them ashamed to share what they believe.
They are so ashamed of it, they will even get on their platform and deny publicly some of what they believe, because they want so badly to keep it secret.
I remember a certain deacon telling me the true meaning of serpent seed.
I remember a certain preacher telling me the true meaning of serpent seed.
I remember one service, church was over, and the pastors son comes up on the platform with the picture of a tribal person from Africa
And he makes a big joke out of it – he says – that just what the serpent looked like
And they all got a big kick out of it
The preachers laughed
The deacons laughed
The people standing around laughed
And the pastor said, that is pretty close
But you know what – there was someone else standing on the platform that day who was not laughing
Someone who almost always had a smile on his face
But in that moment, he could not even muster a smile
Because wicked men were revealing the evil in their hearts
And it made him sick
And I think you know who that man was
I remember various other people, over the years, telling the true meaning of serpent seed.
And in fact, I actually have some of them on recording.
And I have played those recordings here for you all to listen to.
You know its true.
Yet they are ashamed to tell the truth about what they really believe publicly.
They are ashamed of their gospel.
And they are proving it.
And truth is, they should be ashamed of some it.
Its nothing but devilish garbage.
But you and I, we are not ashamed of the gospel.
We are proud to stand here and say, and say to anyone who asks us.
Jesus Christ is good enough.
He is good enough to save my soul.
What he did is good enough, I don’t need to add anything to it.
His promise to come take me to heaven if I follow him,
That promise is good enough to get me to heaven, and I don’t need to add anything to it.
I am not ashamed of the gospel, the true gospel.
When you read the way Paul writes that verse,
I am not ashamed of the gospel.
It’s a little bit of an unusual way to state that.
And perhaps Paul is trying to convey a certain sense with the words he chose.
Paul says this to the Romans, perhaps because he is trying to encourage people to be proud of the gospel
We can imagine pretty easily that the Roman church is somewhat hiding in the shadows.
There is lots of reason for Christians in Rome to hide in the shadows.
But by saying he is not ashamed, Paul is encouraging his readers and hearers to follow his example.
To perhaps seek to overcome whatever shame they feel.
Step out of the shadows.
To make known their faith in Jesus.
To make known that they are standing for the truth of Jesus Christ.
When Paul talked to Timothy, in 1st timothy, he used this same language.
He told Timothy don’t be ashamed.
There are places in this world, they do everything they can to make people feel ashamed.
But if you believe Jesus is good enough.
If you believe Jesus is enough to save you.
If you believe following him is enough to get you to heaven.
If you believe being baptized into Christ is enough to make you part of the body of Christ.
That is not something you need to be ashamed of.
You can be proud that you believe that.
And I want you all to be encouraged today
I want all my hearers to be encouraged today.
You don’t need to be ashamed of believing Jesus is enough.
And please realize, that is the very basis of the enemies attacks against us
It is why they hate us
It is why they speak against us
And it is why people were ashamed of the gospel in the days of Paul.
As we read Paul’s letters, we find he gives two reasons that people rejected the gospel in his day.
To the jews it was a stumblingbock.
To the greeks it was foolishness.
The world will reject the gospel as foolishness.
They reject the whole thrust of the gospel.
They refuse to acknowledge they were born in sin.
They refuse to acknowledge they need someone to save them.
That is foolishness to them.
And then to the Jews, which were pharisees bound in a legalistic system,
The gospel was a stumblingblock to them.
The idea that someone could be saved freely, just because they believe on Christ,
That is a stumblingblock.
It let the person get off too easy, too simple.
It blew up their religious system.
And because there was so much opposition to the gospel
Both from the world at large
And from the religious world of Judaism
It is easy to understand why people would feel ashamed to say they believe on Jesus.
Because it was going to bring them opposition.
But Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel.
I am not ashamed to say I believe Jesus is enough.
What he did is enough to pay for my sins – and I don’t need to add anything to it.
Following him is enough to get me to heaven – and I don’t need to add anything to it.
And living a life that is patterned after him – that is enough – and I don’t need to add another layer of rules to it.
I am not ashamed to say I believe that.
I am not ashamed to say Jesus is enough.
Who is the Gospel for?
Now as I wrap this message up, I would like to end with one final point from these verse.
And I will make the point by asking a question.
Who is the gospel for?
There in Romans 1, verse 16, Paul gives us the awnser.
He tells us who the gospel is for.
Let me read verse 16 again.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The gospel is for everyone who believes.
There only qualification is that they have to believe it.
Skin color does not matter
Location does not matter
Nationality does not matter
Social status does not matter
Your background does not matter
The gospel is for everyone, and Paul wanted us to share it with everyone.
Now we know that is not true or believed where we come from
Where we come from, we were not allowed to share the gospel with Jews, for example
Their racial status excluded us from witnesses to them
And our leaders were deeply racist against Africans
I can remember foreigners having to apologize publicly for being brown
I can remember our leaders making racial slurs on the platform after church
I can remember people saying terribly racist things, including the pastor, his family, and some deacons in the church
They were men who did not believe the gospel that Paul talked about it
The gospel they believed was not for everyone
And they had groups which they point blank told us to exclude.
But you and I can’t believe the gospel and talk that way
Those things have to go away.
Racism has to go away.
Refusing to share the gospel with someone because they are a Jew, that has to go away.
Those ideas are not compatible with the gospel.
And I know all of us sitting here have talked about those things in the past, and I know we are leaving those things behind us.
Because racism is of the devil.
And in Christ, we are all one.
There is neither male, nor female, nor jew, nor greek, nor rich, nor bond – in Christ Jesus, we are all one family.
And I hope as we read this verse, we can see that the gospel is for everyone
Including the Jew.
Let me finish today by saying if there is anyone listenign here, and these things have pricked your heart
Maybe you are tired of carrying the heavy weight of a legalistic pharisee religion, where you are trying to earn your way to heaven
By keeping long lists of rules you can’t find in the bible
Or memorizing special revelations which will let you go in the rapture
If you are getting weary from all that, I want to introduce you to Jesus
I want to introduce you to true salvation
Jesus is perfect
Because you are not perfect.
Jesus took the punishment for your sins
And when you believe on him you are covered
God will not double punish your sins
Jesus already took it for you
If you have been baptized into Christ
Then you are part of the body Christ
And if you follow Jesus, then he has promised he will come back and take you to heaven one day.
And if you want to know how to live your life in the meantime, look at Jesus
Follow his example, and seek to be like him.
That is the gospel message.
And it is that simple.
Be free in Jesus name.
Prayer
Let me close in prayer.
Lord I pray for my beloved friends, my beloved family, my brothers and sisters around the world.
Lord I pray for every soul in this place.
Make the truth of the gospel real in each of their hearts.
Let them be set free from spiritual bondage.
And them realize that if their hope is in anything besides Christ, and Christ alone
That their hope is vain.
Let it be I pray, In Jesus name
Amen