Bible Text: Romans 1:8-17 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

Verses 8-9… Paul thanks God for the faith of these Roman believers, as it is encouraging others throughout the world. Paul is continually talking about their faith, as he travels; in fact, he is writing this letter from Corinth, while on his third missionary journey.

Verses 10-12… It would seem Paul also brings these believers before the Lord in prayer, desiring to be able to go to them.

Paul deeply wants to strengthen the Christians in Rome, face to face, heart to heart to heart; and in so doing, he himself will be strengthened and encouraged.

All believers have the very same faith, Jesus Christ the Lord: crucified, resurrected, coming again!

Verses 13-15… If it had been up to Paul, he would have come sooner, but he isn’t a free agent, he works for God.

Paul’s desire is to share in the harvest among them, as the NASB says (v. 13), “that I may obtain some fruit among you,” just as I have among the other Gentiles.

Fruit is the harvest of the plant or crop. The Bible speaks of spiritual fruit in several ways:

It speaks of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These are attitudes that are characteristic of the life of a Christian.

Spiritual fruit can also mean new converts to Christ or spiritual growth in the life of a believer (Romans 6:22), “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefits you reap [fruit] leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”

Paul is desiring for there to be new converts among the Romans and for those who have already trusted in Christ to grow and mature in their faith to serve God.

Paul says (v. 14) that he is under compulsion to both civilized and to the uncultured, to the wise and to the simple, for the Holy Spirit drives Paul to preach the gospel to all who will listen (1Corinthians 9:16), “Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”

Paul is anxious to proclaim the gospel of Christ in Rome, just as he has already proclaimed it throughout Asia, the Mediterranean, and Greece.

Verses 16-17… The reason Paul is so excited and compelled to proclaim the gospel in Rome, is because he is sold out for the gospel, never ashamed as Christ’s representative, nothing can deter him except for God Himself (see 2Corinthians 11:24-27).

The gospel is the power [Gk. dunamus = dynamite] of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek (Romans 3:10-12, 23; 6:23; 5:8; 8:1; 10:9-10, 13; Acts 2:21, 36-41).

Salvation came first to the Jews, in Acts 2, 120 of Jesus’ followers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim the mighty works of God in a variety of dialects, at least 15 (Acts 2:8-11).

Those who were there, Jew and Gentile alike, heard God’s message in their own language, and this included Greeks and Arabs.

The gospel, which is received by faith, reveals the righteousness of God, that we might live for Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-10, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Faith in God isn’t just a one time thing, it is a way of life (v. 17), from “first to last,” the “righteous will live by faith,” for we are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26).

Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Christianity is not a part-time, once in awhile, or used to be relationship, it is an eternal one (Romans 11:29), “the gifts and the calling of God are
irrevocable” [defined as, “not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered, but final; i.e., salvation can’t be lost, stolen, or returned.

Hebrews 3:12-14, “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.”

Paul is very excited about proclaiming the gospel, because everyone who hears it and believes, is changed forever, having gone from darkness to light, death to life, from eternity in hell to eternity in heaven.

May God compel each and every one of us to boldly, yet humbly, proclaim the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ, with the same passion and purpose that is reflected in the words of Paul (v. 16), “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”

Bible Text: Romans 1:1-7 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

I am very excited to begin the Book of Romans today. This letter was written by Paul around A.D. 58, most likely from Corinth, during his third missionary journey.

This letter is written to the Christians in Rome, for they had not yet had the blessing or benefit of one of the Lord’s apostles teaching them; and so, his main purpose (v. 15) is, ”to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.”

The Book of Romans quotes from the OT more than any other NT book. Some of the key words, are: God 154 times, law 77 times, Christ 66 times, sin 45 times, Lord 44 times.

This book answers some of the key questions about both God and Humankind: What is the importance of Christ’s death and resurrection? How can a person who has never been told the Gospel be condemned before God? Does God send people to Hell? Why is obedient Christian living so difficult? What relationship does a Christian have with the “world,” with human government, with other Christians? Read Romans 1:1… Paul is a servant [doulos = willful slave] of Jesus Christ, an apostle [apostolos, the general meaning = emissary or ambassador, one sent]; specifically, it applies to the thirteen men recorded in the Scriptures (the Twelve – Judas was replaced by Matthias ) and then Paul, personally commissioned by Christ; all these men were set apart to proclaim forgiveness for sins and eternal life through Christ.

Apostles were personally called by Christ, set apart for the gospel of God (1Corinthians 15:1-4), eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ (1Corinthians 15:5-7).

Only when believers and followers of Christ are serving God, obediently, reverently, sacrificially, we are called and directed into specific areas of service (Romans 12:1-2).

God makes His will known to those who are serving Him by proclaiming God’s Message, i.e., forgiveness for sins and eternal life through God’s Son (2Corinthians 5:17-21).
Read Romans 1:2-4… Paul gives the credentials of God’s Holy One, Jesus, the Christ, God’s Son, as foretold in the OT.

The Scriptures tell us that He was to be a Son of Man, through the very ancestry of David, and also the Son of God, as declared through His resurrection from the dead.

God speaking (Genesis 3:15) to the serpent [Satan], “from the seed (through the womb) of a woman will come One who will defeat Satan’s hold on humankind,

death; a war will rage between the children of God and those who belong to the devil.

Isaiah 7:14; Micah 5:2 tells us the One to come will be born to a virgin, in Bethlehem, and will be God with us.

Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 2:11 confirm that God in human flesh was conceived in Mary’s womb, by God’s Spirit, given the name Jesus, born in a stable, in the town of David; and this future ruler of Israel must come through the ancestry of David (2Samuel 7:12-13; Psalm 89:3-4; Isaiah 11:1-5).

Isaiah 53 says He will take our punishment upon Himself, to the point of death on a cross, and yet, He will live forever.

Hebrews 1:1-3… God’s final message: the Son of Man [Jesus], is the Son of God [Christ, Savior], declared by His death on the cross (satisfying God’s penalty for all sin), and His resurrection from the grave (proving eternal life); after which He returned to the Father in heaven.
Read Romans 1:5-6… Paul declares God’s grace to all who believe in Christ Jesus, Grace is God’s unmerited favor, God’s riches at Christ’s expense, something we could never earn or purchase acquire on our own (Ephesians 2:8-9), “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.”

When you trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God breathes life [Zoë] into

you, making you spiritually alive, born from above, through God’s Spirit, making

you God’s child, before which you were God’s creation (cf. Genesis 2:7, God

breathed life [bio] into Adam, biological life).

We are not saved by ancestry, good works, good looks, good health, wealth, or

fame; for neither baptism, communion, attending church, being a Republican, or

even a member of the NRA, can save you, for it is by God’s grace through faith

alone that we receive forgiveness for sin and eternal life.

We must repent of our sins and believe in God’s Son, receiving by faith the

provision of forgiveness made available through the work of Christ on the cross.

Notice (v. 5) we receive God’s grace and apostleship, for the purpose of

calling people to obedience that comes from faith.

Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus said,”All authority in heaven and on earth had been

given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to

obey everything I have commanded you.”

Although the apostle Paul was uniquely called to go to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15;

22:21; Romans 11:13; Galatians 1:16), he preached the message of Christ to Jew

and Gentile alike.

None of us are Apostles, in the sense of the original 13, for there is no one who

does genuine signs and wonders as a validation that he is God’s messenger.

First of all, because the signs and wonders gifts ceased with the completion of

the New Testament; and second, because we have God’s revealed Word to judge

everything, there is no need, for it is God’s Word that is the sovereign authority

pertaining to all things in this life and the next.

Truth be told, we (v. 6) are “among those who are called to belong to Jesus

Christ,” and so we declare the full counsel of the revealed Word of God concerning

God’s Son, for we are His witnesses and we have been commissioned as His

messengers, that we might bring the good news of salvation to everyone who will

listen.

We are to teach obedience to God’s Word, praise and honor to God’s Son; any

theology that doesn’t promote the lordship of Christ and the authority of God’s

Word, is in direct contradiction to what the Bible teaches, and is an enemy of God.

Any system of belief and practice that allows a person to live in continual

disobedience to God’s Word, or in a manor that dishonors Christ, without any sense

of guilt, remorse, or desire to repent, is totally void of saving faith, and is in fact,

without God and without any hope for forgiveness and eternal life.

John 14:15, 21, 23-24, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who

loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to

him.” …”If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and

we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will

not obey my teaching.”

Romans 1:7… Paul encourages all who have received God’s love, grace, and

peace through Christ, all Christians [saints, set apart for Christ] are adopted into

God’s family and there is plenty of room in the eternal family of God for anyone and

everyone who repents of their sins, confessing Jesus Christ as Lord, believing in

Him as Savior, obeying God’s Word by following the example of Jesus Christ,

proclaiming the Good News of forgiveness and eternal life through God’s Son, Who

was crucified for our sins according to the Scriptures, buried, and on the third day

arose from the grave according to the Scriptures, showing Himself to hundreds of

His followers before ascending back into heaven.

Like Paul, you and I have been set apart for the Gospel of God. Have you talked

to anyone lately, about Jesus Christ: crucified, resurrected, and coming again?

Let’s spread the word!