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Chuck Lindsey · Sunday, 27 April 2025 · Romans 1:1-17 · 1:04:45 · 10,306 words

Romans S1 · 1:1-17 Grand Blanc

There is no public page for this message yet — the transcript below is the whole of it.

The book of Romans is presented as a thorough explanation of the gospel and the theme of grace. It teaches that the gospel is God’s power to save anyone who believes, and that God’s righteousness is a gift given when we trust Christ. The speaker calls listeners to examine their faith, be willing to share the gospel because souls are at stake, and to turn to God in simple belief to receive his righteousness.

What this sermon is about

Ranked by keyness against every other sermon in the corpus. Each one is a word this sermon actually said — nothing here was written by a model.

grace 57 gospel 61 loop 10 deserve 24 paul 82 rome 21 dependent 8 letter 16 sum 6 mean 48 owe 9 bruce 4

Topics

Grace 15 The Gospel 15 Faith 12 Salvation 10 Righteousness 5 Prayer 3 Sin 3 The Holy Spirit 2 Obedience 2 Death & Resurrection 1 Mission & Evangelism 1 The Flesh 1 Judgment 1 The Gentiles 1 Condemnation 1 The Law 1

Scripture referenced 23

Verified against the transcript. A reference the recording does not support is never listed here.

Romans 1 1:00 Romans 1 1:48 Acts 2 3:37 Acts 2 3:57 Acts 18 4:19 Romans 3 6:52 Romans 3:13-14 6:54 Romans 13 7:32 Romans 1:17 8:15 Acts 9 17:11 Acts 9:16 18:40 Romans 1:2 25:07 Romans 1:3 27:10 Romans 1:3 27:16 Romans 1:3 27:39 Romans 1:4 28:30 Romans 1:4 29:00 Romans 1:5 31:16 Romans 4 33:39 Romans 4:16 57:15 Romans 4:16 59:20 Romans 4:17 59:34 Habakkuk 2:4 1:03:21

Transcript

Every word, as spoken, with the second it was said. Each word links to its own entry in the index.

Pre-service announcement — 9 lines, 0:40. Excluded from every count and search on this site, kept here so nothing is hidden.

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Good morning. It is so good to be together with you this morning.

Welcome to all of you joining us online as well.

Today we begin the incredible book of Romans.

So if you have your Bibles, I'm going to ask you to open it up to Romans chapter 1.

Every time I come back to this book, I feel like I'm meeting with an old friend.

I love it so much.

And Romans begins today, but it does take us all the way to Christmas.

So we are going to be in Romans for a while.

And trust me when I say Romans needs that amount of time.

You can follow along with us through the week if you want to.

We have our new book, the Romans book that includes study guides and daily devotions.

You can get that at guest services.

I think it's 15 bucks or you can read it online for free online.

On our website or through the app.

So you don't need to buy it, but it is available if you want the physical copy.

So Romans chapter 1 is where we're going to be.

And like I said, I love this book.

It has truly changed my life in so many ways.

I don't even know that I could articulate all the ways that this book has changed my life.

But it has and it changes me.

I feel like every time I read it.

And so I pray it will do the same for you.

Before we pray and jump in.

I just want to give you a little bit of background about this book as we go into it.

Romans was written, of course, as all scripture is.

It was written by the Holy Spirit of God through the Apostle Paul.

And it was written to the church that was in Rome, Italy.

And when Paul wrote this letter, he had not yet been to Rome.

So I tell you that because he will eventually go to Rome.

We'll talk about that in just a moment.

But he'll get there.

Not in the way he wants to.

But he'll get there.

But at the time of writing this, he has not yet been there.

And he does not know them personally.

And so that's important to remember.

But Romans was also written after 1 and 2 Corinthians.

Sometime near the end of A.D. 56.

Maybe early A.D. 57.

And the letter was dictated.

Meaning that Paul spoke it.

And a man named Tertius.

I submit that name to you if you need it.

Tertius wrote it down.

And so that's what happened there.

Now, the church in Rome seems to have begun.

This is fascinating.

I feel we could spend so much time.

I'm going to say that probably 50 times today.

We could spend so much time on each of these little things.

But like the church in Rome seems to have begun on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.

And it seems that some of the Jewish community.

Living in Rome at that time.

They traveled to Jerusalem for the day.

For the Passover.

And then they were there for the day of Pentecost.

And Acts chapter 2 says that there were visitors from Rome there that day.

Both Jews and proselytes.

People who had converted to Judaism.

They were present there that day when the Holy Spirit of God was poured out.

And so it seems that these new believers.

They traveled back to Rome.

And the church in Rome.

Now, there's a husband and wife team that we meet in Acts chapter 18.

Aquila and Priscilla.

Just the names keep going today.

And they appear to be a part of that early church.

And they had a house church.

So it seems maybe the church of Rome might have started in their home.

And so their home was a meeting place for early Roman Christians.

So this book is written to them.

To the early Roman believers.

And it is the most thorough and careful explanation of what the gospel actually is in the entire Bible.

It is the longest of Paul's letters.

Over 7,000 words.

And at the heart of Romans is this concept of grace.

Okay?

I cannot overstate how important it is that you understand grace.

It is something.

That if it is understood correctly.

It changes everything in life.

Every single thing in your life changes.

When you understand what grace is.

And so Romans lays it out for us.

One final note before we jump in.

Seven years after this letter is written.

Rome would be devastated by a great fire.

And a fire which history tells us was actually started by the emperor Nero himself.

But he arrived in Rome.

And he of course as any good politician would not accept the responsibility for himself.

And so he instead blamed the growing Christian community.

And this began the first wave of Christian persecution under Nero.

It would eventually lead to the apostle Paul's beheading.

And death.

And so we could say a lot more.

But we're going to keep it moving.

Okay?

So let's pray.

And that's some of the background.

Let's pray and let's ask the Lord to do a deep.

Work in us today through his word.

Lord we love you and thank you for your word.

And I pray today you'd help me to get out of the way completely.

That not a word from me would be heard.

Please Lord present your word today to us.

May we hear from you.

And we love you and thank you.

It's in Jesus name I pray.

Well to say Romans has changed the world is an understatement.

Augustine converted to Christ.

Reading Romans chapter 3.

13 verse 13 through 14.

FF Bruce writes this.

He says in the summer of AD 386.

Augustine native of North Africa.

Now for two years professor of rhetoric at Milan.

Sat weeping in the garden of his friend.

Olympias almost persuaded to begin a new life.

Yet lacking the final resolution to break with the old.

As he sat he heard a child singing in a neighborhood house.

Tole legay which means take up and read.

Take up and read.

Picking up the scroll which laid his friend's side.

He let his eyes rest on the words from Romans chapter 13.

Not in reveling and drunkenness.

Not in debauchery and licentiousness.

Not in quarreling and jealousy.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

And make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

He wrote no further would I read.

He tells us nor had I had any need.

Instantly at the end of this sentence a clear light flooded my heart.

And all the darkness of doubt vanished away.

And FF Bruce says what the church and the world owe to this influx of light.

Which illuminated Augustine's mind as he read these words of Paul.

Is something beyond our power to compute.

Martin Luther of course was born again reading Romans chapter 1 verse 17.

And this was written in his journal.

He said I had greatly longed to understand Paul's life.

And Paul's letter to the Romans.

And nothing stood in the way but that one expression.

The righteousness of God.

Because I took it to mean that righteousness whereby God is righteous.

And acts righteously in punishing the unrighteous.

Night and day Luther said I pondered until I grasped the truth.

That the righteousness of God is that righteousness whereby.

Through grace and sheer mercy he justifies us by faith.

Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn.

And I began to believe.

That God had gone through open doors into paradise.

The whole of scripture took on a new meaning.

And whereas before the righteousness of God had filled me with hate.

Now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in greater love.

This passage of Paul became to me a gateway into heaven.

Man is that true.

And the Protestant Reformation is the result of it.

Grace changed everything.

John Wesley was born again.

Simply by hearing the reading of the Proverbs.

Preface to the commentary that Martin Luther wrote on Romans.

In that Moravian House Church in London in 1738.

Wesley in his personal journal wrote.

After about a quarter before nine.

While he Luther was describing the change which God works in the heart.

Through faith in Christ he said.

I felt my heart strangely warmed.

I felt I did trust in Christ.

Christ alone for my salvation.

And an assurance was given me.

That he had taken my sins away.

Even mine.

And saved me from the law of sin and death.

I mean the preface to a commentary on the book of Romans.

John Calvin said when someone understands this epistle.

He has a passage open to him to the understanding of the whole of scripture.

And that is true.

Frederick Godet called it the cathedral of the Christian faith.

We could go on and on.

But Romans has changed the world.

But more importantly.

Romans will change you.

If you allow it to.

It will change you.

And what I mean by that is.

If you engage in it.

If you engage your mind and your heart.

And your understanding to believe the words of this book.

You will be changed by it.

You will be better in every way.

But it will not happen just by hearing it.

It won't happen by me just saying it.

And you being present to hear it.

You will have to let it change you.

You will have to believe what it says.

And I remember the first time I heard the words of this book.

It was a.

I could not believe the words that were being said.

I was forced with the reality.

Is this real?

Is this true?

Can this really be this good?

And so you are forced into this decision through this series.

You must believe its words.

You must pray to God for the understanding and the ability to hear.

And to understand and to comprehend what is being said.

And untold number of ordinary people have forever been different.

Have forever become changed people as a result of the truths of this book.

They have become effective in reaching other people with the gospel.

They have become deep in their love for the Lord and for his word.

They have seen the power of sin broken in their lives.

If sin has a hold in your life.

Is an answer to that.

If it moves from your ears.

Into your mind.

And then down into your heart.

You will be changed by this book.

And so let's begin.

Verse one.

A bondservant of Jesus Christ.

Called to be an apostle.

Separated to the gospel of God.

Today when we write a letter.

We say everything we intend to say up front.

And then we sign our name at the end of the letter.

Right?

Right?

That day when Paul wrote.

They would begin with who it was that was writing it.

Right?

So who it was that was sending it.

And then often what they did.

Or what their title was.

And Romans begins this way.

Although it is quite lengthy.

What Paul says about himself as he introduces himself.

And so he begins with his name.

But then he tells them who he is.

And I want you just to notice what Paul says about himself.

First of all.

He begins with Paul.

And this was his Roman name.

Or Gentile name is what you could say.

Right?

So his Gentile name.

It was common for Jews to have two names in that day.

To have a Gentile name and a Jewish name.

So Saul was Paul's Jewish name.

Paul was his Gentile name.

And this is a small detail.

But it really, really blessed me this week.

I love that he opens the letter with his Gentile name.

And you say why?

Because the word Paul in Greek means small.

I love it.

His letter begins with small.

That's what he wants you to know about himself.

It's how he sees himself.

He does not begin the letter with great.

He does not begin the letter with important.

He does not begin the letter with the teacher.

He begins with small.

And in the contrast of this book.

Which is tremendous.

Which is so great.

He begins the letter with humility.

And reminds me of John the Baptist.

Who said he must increase.

But I must decrease.

The cry of every true Christian.

May God increase.

May I decrease.

Next he says that he is a bondservant.

Here he calls himself a willing slave of Jesus Christ.

A slave of Jesus Christ.

Now we normally have negative connotations with the word slave.

This is used in a wonderful way.

And by the way the Jews used to say this all the time.

They were slaves of Jehovah.

And they meant that in a wonderful way.

They meant that he is our master.

We are his slaves.

And we do what he wants.

Because he wants us to.

Paul is saying it.

He loves it.

He's saying it.

He says I am a bondservant.

It's the Greek word doulos.

It's a word that means slave.

But it means you want to be.

That's the difference.

A bond slave is someone who wants to be.

They're a willing slave.

Because they want to be.

Because they want.

They love their master.

They want to serve their master.

And so Paul is saying.

Paul is declaring.

He is shouting.

That he is willingly.

He belongs to Jesus Christ.

Can you say this?

Can you shout that you are a slave of Jesus Christ?

That you belong to him?

It is the mark of a believer.

To say I am his.

I am not my own.

I have been bought at a price.

I belong to Jesus Christ.

Oh it's awesome.

Here is what he says about himself.

He says he is called.

This is very simple.

And it means that God has invited him.

I love this.

God has called him to do what?

Ask him to do what?

To be an apostle.

You know Paul was not one of the 12 apostles.

Of Jesus Christ.

He was not one of the original disciples.

But he became an apostle.

Of Jesus Christ.

Because Jesus asked him to.

Right?

Jesus appeared to him.

It was not something Paul decided to be.

He did not take on the title of apostle.

I am always amazed when I meet people that call themselves apostles.

Some so and so.

Or you know prophets such and such.

I always immediately step back just a little bit.

Just in case the lightning is going to fall at that moment.

You know.

I don't think that you can take the title of apostle.

I don't think that is yours to take.

I think it has to be given.

And I think God is kind of.

Done with that.

But hey.

He did not take this title.

It was what the Lord Jesus wanted Paul to be.

And you read Acts 9 for more info on that.

But what does it mean to be an apostle?

Well the word apostle simply means sent.

One who is sent.

And so it was used of a boat.

You know being sent off in a particular direction.

With a particular mission.

Or it was used of an ambassador being sent into another country.

To represent the king.

And this means that Paul was sent.

But what it would practically mean.

Please hear this.

Is that Paul would give up.

His life.

He would give up his entire course.

His entire path.

He would give it up.

To do what Jesus wanted.

Have you done this?

Maybe he had a path.

A plan before Jesus.

And a plan after him.

I certainly did.

I had a course I thought my life was going to go.

And then I met the Lord Jesus Christ.

And now all of a sudden it was like.

I don't care.

I don't care what my plan is.

What do you want?

And he goes yeah yeah.

You're not going that way.

You're going this way.

Let's go.

This is what happened with Paul.

He followed Jesus' path.

But it was not without warning.

You remember this right?

We know.

There was a point when God pulled Paul aside.

When Jesus pulled him aside.

And told Paul what he wanted him to do.

And it was not long after Paul was saved.

That this happened.

Jesus told Paul.

This is what I want.

This is what I want you to do.

But also remember in Acts 9.16.

He was told you will suffer greatly.

If you follow this path.

I want you to imagine Jesus sitting you down.

Let's have a conversation.

I want you to.

This is what I want you to do.

I want you to go this way.

I want you to live your life like this.

I want you to do all of the.

I want you to go this way.

People are going to be saved.

Real things are going to happen.

Eternal things are going to happen.

But it is going to be painful.

It is going to be tough.

And it is going to result in you.

You dying.

Or you can go this way.

It will be easy.

And you won't die for it.

But nothing real will ever happen.

Which do you choose?

Paul had to decide right there.

To either follow the Lord's path.

What Jesus wanted.

To be used by Jesus.

Even though it would be very difficult.

Or to reject Jesus' path for his life.

And do his own thing.

Of course we know what path Paul took.

Right?

But it is the same choice for you and I.

To do what he wants.

To be what he wants us to do.

And be.

To be or to choose our path.

His will or mine.

His path or mine.

Well, look what else Paul says about himself.

He says he chose.

He was called.

And then he was separated to the gospel of God.

Man, I love this.

The word separated here means to be removed from all other things.

And attached to just one thing.

It is the idea that you are going to be about one thing.

Can I ask you?

If someone were to look at your life.

And sum you up.

What would they sum up to?

What would they sum up your life?

What are you about?

Right?

What would someone say you are about?

Well, that person.

Yeah, man.

They're about their house.

That's what they talk about.

They're about sports.

That's what they talk about.

They're about their hobbies.

They're about their work.

They're about their family.

They're about their what?

What do you.

What would sum up you?

Paul said.

The one thing that I am now separated to.

The one thing my life is going to be about.

Is the gospel.

The gospel of God.

And when we say the gospel.

Of course, what we mean.

Is that one message that saves.

Just one.

The message that God came to this earth.

He took our sin upon himself.

He died in our place on that cross.

And he rose three days later.

We just celebrated last week.

Defeating sin and death.

And hell forever.

Is the most important message we could ever share.

We could ever share with anyone ever.

Paul said my life is going to be about.

May we evaluate this right.

In our life.

May we think about what this means.

Paul's life could have been about.

So many things.

You realize when Paul came.

To saving faith in Jesus Christ.

He was at the top.

Of the Jewish political system.

Paul could have been a politician.

He could have made his life.

About politics and political reform.

And change and all those things.

Paul was a rabbi at that time.

His life could have been all about religion.

His life could have been about humanitarian needs.

And meeting the physical needs of other people.

His life could have been about wealth.

His life could have been about power.

It could have been about entertainment.

Or hobbies or work or retirement.

Or his house or his boat or whatever.

Could have been about anything.

His life could have been about anything.

That people make their lives about.

He was separated.

From every other life pursuit.

And separated to.

The preaching of the gospel message.

Now this is what God wanted.

But realized very practically.

Paul had to accept this.

He had to decide.

To make this.

The thing that his life was about.

And by accepting God's will for his life.

He purposefully.

And that's what it takes.

He purposefully every day.

Separated himself from every other.

Major life pursuit.

That people go after.

Now this doesn't mean that Paul didn't do anything else.

Like he couldn't go golfing with the guy.

Right.

Like he couldn't carry on a conversation.

Because he would just you know preach the gospel to you.

He didn't do anything else but preach the gospel.

That's not what it means.

It means that at the top.

That if you summed him up.

You would say Paul is about the gospel.

It is about trying to reach people.

With the gospel of Jesus Christ.

That's what's at the top for Paul.

You would never say of Paul.

Oh yeah that guy's all about tents.

He's a tent maker.

He loves his tents man.

He's all about canvas.

That dude can tell you about.

Every rivet under the sun.

You know.

Every rope.

Whatever you know.

That is not how you'd sum Paul up.

You'd say no man this guy's life.

It's about the gospel man.

It's about trying to reach people.

With Jesus Christ's message.

Right.

So what is yours?

Boil it all down.

What would the main focus of your life be?

If it is not this.

I would encourage you to inventory that.

To repent of that.

And to turn towards what God wants for you in this.

Now one other thing to mention is.

That the way this is written.

It means that he was separated to the gospel.

Once and for all.

And so this wasn't just like a temporary thing for him.

Until he hit like retirement.

Like you know I'm going to do this for a few years.

Until I hit retirement.

And then I'm going to retire on the beach.

You know.

Paul was once and for all.

Separated from everything else.

To the gospel.

And so he would say to the Corinthians.

I determined not to know anything among you.

Except Jesus Christ.

And him crucified.

He would say woe is me.

If I do not preach the gospel.

This is what his life was about.

Well.

Paul launches from the word gospel.

And says this about the gospel in verse 2.

Look what it says.

About the gospel.

It is something that God promised.

So which he promised before.

Through his prophets in the holy scriptures.

We can spend a lot of time.

We have in the past.

Talking about all the ways God promised.

To save us.

But God did this.

He told us.

Throughout all of human history.

Through his prophets speaking.

In the bible.

Which here Paul calls the holy scriptures.

Meaning the words of the bible.

They are the holy scriptures.

This is not just a book.

This is not just some words of God.

Or containing some of God's words.

And like you know.

The rest are man's words.

But there's some of God's words there.

That's not.

This is.

It is his actual mind.

It is his actual heart.

It was written through people.

But it is God's word.

And therefore it is the only book.

That can be called the holy scriptures.

The Quran cannot be called the holy scriptures.

The book of Mormon cannot be called the holy scriptures.

The parole of great price.

Doctrines and covenants.

All these things.

On and on you could go.

Cannot be called the holy scriptures.

Because this is it.

Right here.

This is God.

He breathed into this.

This is.

His word.

The holy scriptures.

The end.

Old and new testament.

The end.

Now the gospel.

About Jesus.

The gospel is always about Jesus.

We are not sharing the gospel.

When we are telling people.

Our personal encouraging stories.

When we are telling people.

You know.

Some of our experiences.

Is what.

Is really the story of God.

It is what God has done.

It is his story.

It is what Jesus has done.

It is always about Jesus.

So look at verse 3.

This gospel.

Which was proclaimed.

Which was announced to us before.

Notice this verse 3.

It is concerning his son.

Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is what the gospel is.

The gospel is the good news.

Please hear this.

Of who Jesus is.

And what Jesus did.

That is the gospel.

Who he is.

And what he did.

And so Paul tells us who Jesus is.

No.

Notice verse 3.

Jesus was born of the seed of David.

According to the flesh.

This means that simply.

According to Jesus' physical birth.

Right.

His family line.

Came from the line of David.

The prophets told us that that is what would happen.

From the line of David.

And we could spend a lot of time there.

Showing that Jesus was promised to come from the line of David.

But he was.

Right.

He came from the line of David.

And so Paul says this.

To simply say.

This is the one.

This is the one.

He's the guy we have been looking for.

He's the promised Messiah and Savior of the world.

But as you know.

Jesus was not just a man.

He is the God man.

The almighty God in human flesh.

And so that is why verse 4 says.

And.

You can't put this with anybody else.

You can't say Chuck was born according to the line of the Lindsays.

And.

You can't put this with anybody else.

You can't do that.

Because there's nothing else.

But with him.

You have both man.

And.

At the same time.

100% God.

100% man.

At the same time.

So you have the word and starting verse 4.

And declared to be the son of God.

With power.

According to the spirit of holiness.

By the resurrection from the dead.

So Jesus Christ.

Has been declared.

A word that means to.

He's been proven to be.

The son of God.

The one.

The only son of God.

Which means.

That he is God.

It's a title.

He was declared to be the son of God.

How?

What declared Jesus to be the son of God?

We celebrated it last weekend.

The resurrection from the dead.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Is the most important event that has ever happened.

In the history of humanity.

Let me put it to you this way.

But he did not rise.

If he stayed dead.

There is no hope for you or I.

What I mean by this is.

If death beat him.

You have no chance.

If sin held him.

The best of us.

We have no chance.

It would mean that he is dead.

And can offer you nothing.

But if he died.

And as the Bible says.

He rose and is alive now.

Then this means that he paid for sin.

And it means he beat death.

He beat the devil.

Every enemy.

That you have.

Has been defeated.

And it means that he is alive now.

And he can offer forgiveness.

And life.

Eternally to you.

So it is by the resurrection.

From the dead.

Words that literally mean.

He arose out of the midst of the dead.

I love that.

It is by the resurrection.

That Jesus Christ is declared to be God.

With power.

And you say power to do what?

All things.

But specifically.

To save you and I.

He has the power.

Now look what this means for you.

You and I.

Look what it means.

Right here.

Right now.

Here is the gospel message to you.

And I.

Look at verse 5.

Through him.

We have received grace.

Here we are introduced to this major theme.

This theme of grace.

Grace is the unearned.

Kindness and love.

From God.

Says I deserve God's judgment.

I deserve God's judgment.

I deserve God's judgment.

I deserve God's anger.

I deserve God's wrath against me.

For my rebellion and my sin.

I deserve that.

At the very least.

I deserve for God to ignore me.

And dismiss me.

And leave me.

I deserve that.

Grace says I deserve nothing good.

But God has been good to me.

I don't deserve it.

Grace is God pouring out.

His love on you.

His kindness towards you.

His blessing upon you.

Beyond measure.

Not because of anything you have done to deserve it.

But because of all that he has done to give it.

Grace is God's gift to you.

You don't earn it.

You don't deserve it.

It's not because you were good.

It's not because you were nice.

It's not because you were faithful.

It's not because he knew you would accept it.

God gave it because he wanted to.

And I know you don't feel worthy of it.

That's the point.

Grace is a gift.

The word.

The word means a gift that is given.

And it brings joy.

You.

When you turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.

You receive him.

He pours out all that he is to you.

He doesn't hold anything back.

Man I wish we could just live here for a few hours.

Because I have found that it is so easy to hear these things.

To maybe know these things.

To say these things.

But I have found there are only two types of Christians in the world.

That's it.

Those who actually understand grace and those who do not.

Those who understand grace they rest.

We are going to talk about it in Romans 4.

They rest in God's finished work.

Those that do not understand grace.

They work.

They strive.

They constantly feel like they have got to try to earn God's goodness and favor and blessing and love towards them.

They feel like God is mad at them.

They feel like it's dependent on what they do.

Please hear this.

Grace is not dependent on what you do.

It's not dependent on you.

God has decided to give it to you as a gift.

Yes, you don't deserve it.

We all get it.

You don't deserve it.

That's the gift of grace.

It's amazing grace for a reason.

Can you imagine if grace was something you could earn?

Heaven would be annoying.

Because you'd be there like, yeah, what did you do to get here?

And I'd be like, well, let me tell you what I did to get here.

Oh, really?

You did that?

Well, watch what I did.

You know?

And I'd be like, oh my gosh.

This is all eternity.

I've got to listen to this.

Instead, every one of us are going to go.

I've got to listen to this.

I don't know how I'm here.

But the guy on the cross said I could come in.

And he said I was his son.

And he said everything he has is mine.

And for some reason, this all belongs to me now.

And I don't get it.

But it's just because of what he did.

And he decided to give it to me, though I'm a piece of crap.

Can you say that?

I don't deserve it.

But he's given it to me because of his goodness, not because of mine.

Some of you are stuck in this loop.

You're stuck in a loop where you don't understand grace.

And it already affects every part of your life.

Every part of your life is spent.

In this crazy, crazy loop.

You don't know what grace is.

That's the problem.

He pours it out on you.

It means that he's happy with you.

There's only two Christians in the world.

Those that believe God is happy with them.

Or those that do not believe God is happy with them.

That they've got to try to make God happy with them.

And I don't know where you're at today.

But you're one of them.

You either believe God is happy with you.

And I've looked at pastors before.

And I've said, is God happy with you?

And I've watched their heads sink.

I don't know.

That is a core issue.

In your life.

You don't understand grace.

He is happy with you.

He won't reject you.

He loves you.

If you've turned to him for salvation.

You're his.

Heaven is your home.

You're going to make it.

There is no condemnation.

These are the things that Romans makes clear.

Now, does grace produce people who go,

I can go do anything I want to do.

Because I'm good.

Guess what?

That is not what grace does.

Grace does not do that.

Look what it says.

It goes on to say,

This grace.

And apostleship.

For obedience to the faith among all nations for his name.

He has given you everything.

And you have been called by him.

That's what the words apostleship here mean.

It wasn't just Paul that God wanted to take the gospel and go with it out into this world.

It's you and I.

We are called to do the same.

He invites us to do the same thing and be used by him.

But grace produces something in the believer.

Grace produces something.

It's the word obedience.

It is what I want in my life.

I want obedience to God all the time.

And it means that the unending, inexhaustible.

Please hear the word.

Inexhaustible kindness and love of God towards you.

The inexhaustible love and kindness of God towards you who do not deserve it.

Does not make any believer say,

I can live however I want to.

Far from it.

It does the opposite in every believer.

And it makes us say,

Why are you so good to me?

I don't deserve this.

My life is yours.

May my life honor you in every possible way.

It brings about an obedience that is not pushed on from the outside, folks.

It is a desire inwardly to obey the Lord and follow the Lord.

Nobody has to tell me,

Don't do this.

Nobody has to say,

Don't be like that.

Nobody has to try to conform me and tell me,

No, inside I want to honor God with myself.

My life.

I'm not trying to get away with stuff.

I'm not trying to do things in secret so that no one knows.

So I present myself to be something else.

Inwardly, I want to honor and obey God and please God and bring glory to God

because he has rescued me with his mercy and his grace.

He's been so good to me.

This is what grace does.

Now, let me say something to you.

If sin has a stronghold on you,

the solution is not for you to try harder.

The solution is,

is to look at and to understand and to believe grace.

If sin has a hold on you,

you don't understand grace.

Grace does not have a hold in your heart.

And so sin is very appealing.

Guess what happens?

It takes a passion to conquer a passion.

And guess what happens?

When you understand grace,

you're so overwhelmed by the goodness of God

that these other things,

they don't have the same appeal anymore.

Now, we're not going to be stupid.

If you've got a problem drinking,

you don't keep the alcohol in the house.

Don't be stupid.

But at the same time,

it doesn't have the same appeal

when the goodness of God is so good.

You don't understand grace.

And so you're playing with sin

and you're stuck in this whole loop.

You can't get out of it.

It's not to try harder.

Well, this time I'm going to do it.

This time I'm doubling down.

This time I'm going to make it happen.

No, you won't.

No, you won't.

You will find that you have hit your limit

as a person and your ability and your power.

You will not do it.

So what's the answer?

The answer is the grace of God

to be overwhelmed

by the goodness of God

to understand what you actually are

and what you deserve.

That's the answer.

And then all of a sudden,

there's this thing in you.

Luther said it was like

he was stepping into heaven itself.

There's this thing in you that says,

every moment of my life

to be spent for him,

to be lived for him.

I want to honor God.

The grace of God breaks the power of sin

in our lives.

And we'll show it throughout Romans.

But look at verse six again.

It says,

So you, go ahead and point to yourself.

You are called by Jesus Christ, okay?

To do what he wants,

to follow him,

to carry the gospel

to your lost family members

and friends and neighbors.

You don't have to wait for a call.

He's already called.

It's already done.

You're already called.

And so that's what Paul says, right?

You are the called.

Now, this was Paul's introduction.

What a way to open a letter, right?

Now he addresses the readers.

Look what he says about them, you and I.

Verse seven, to all.

So again, this is you.

To all who are in grand blank, right?

Beloved of God, called to be saints.

Oh man, here we go.

This is where you get tested right now,

whether you understand grace or not.

Here we go.

Here's your test.

Beloved of God,

specifically the word means

to be specially treasured.

Question, do you believe this?

Do you actually believe

that you are not just loved by God

the whole world,

that you are beloved of God,

that you are his special treasure?

If you do not,

you're in the loop,

chasing your tail,

constant failure,

constantly unsure.

If you do not believe

you are beloved of God,

not just loved,

you are his special treasure.

You, yourself,

you particularly,

you do not understand grace.

And it is right now

affecting every area of your life.

Every,

every aspect of your life

is affected by this.

If you read this

and it does not move you

and you do not believe

that this can be true of you,

that you are the beloved of God,

you don't understand grace.

And you are living in the loop

of still thinking

that God's love for you

is dependent upon you

and your faithfulness.

And if you do really good this week,

God's really happy with you.

And if you read your Bible

every day this week,

God's super happy with you.

And if you make it to church,

more than the national average

of one time a month,

God is like,

you got gold flaky stars.

God is blessing your life.

He's going to just pour out blessing on you.

You still think that way.

And so you're in the loop of legalism.

That God's goodness is based on your merit.

You're only in one of two places today.

That's it.

You've either moved into grace

or you are still in the loop of legalism.

You think God's blessing is something

you must earn and deserve.

May Romans shake you.

May it shake you

to the core.

This is one of the ways

that Romans has changed the world.

It's this idea right here.

Do I deserve the love of God?

No.

Do I deserve God's blessing?

No.

Is God mad at me?

No.

Why is he still so good to me?

I don't know.

But it's his grace.

He's decided it.

It's not up to you.

It's up to him.

Do you see how this pushes you?

You're like, well, maybe it's not true of me.

Does God know what I've done?

Does God know what I did today?

This pushes you, doesn't it?

It forces you to either dismiss this

and just push it off the table

and it will not affect you now.

You'll continue in the loop of legalism

or you will take it and you will say,

wait a minute, I don't understand this.

God, help me understand this.

For some reason, it is not dependent on me.

It is only because of you and what you've done.

And so God, I'm going to believe

you actually love me.

You've actually,

you've actually accepted me.

You've actually already received me.

You've already said, by the way,

the Bible talks about it this way.

You've already said I make it.

It's done.

You see me at the end.

This will blow your mind.

It's because of you.

Do I deserve it?

No, it is your grace.

And so Paul says in verse seven,

grace to you and peace from God,

our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice the order, grace and then peace.

It's always that way.

And peace, because please hear me.

You cannot know the peace of God

until you first know the grace of God.

You cannot.

We're some of us again, stuck in a loop.

It's anything but peace.

And it's because we don't know the grace of God.

You must know and understand

and believe the grace of God for you,

towards you, about you,

before you will ever benefit from it,

which is the peace of God.

That's the benefit.

I have talked to some of you and you're like, man,

I don't know.

I don't know if God's upset with me.

I don't know if God is mad at me.

I don't know if God receives me.

I don't, I don't deserve these things.

None of us do.

It's his gift.

He decides he's given it to you.

Only then will you know assurance.

Only then will you stop questioning salvation.

Only then will you have certainty.

There is a rest that only comes from grace.

It cannot come any other way.

It only comes from grace.

Until you know it,

until you understand grace,

you will never be sure of your salvation.

Because it's dependent on you.

You will never have victory over sin

because it's dependent on you.

You will never rest in him and his promises for you.

You will never actually worship him

because it's still dependent on you.

Grace changes everything.

Well, Paul goes on and he says

that the faith of the Roman Christians

has been talked about all over the world.

Look at this, 8 down to verse 12.

Paul says first, which is really funny,

his seven verses.

And then he says first.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all,

talking about the Romans,

that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

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.

Making request, if by some means, now at last,

I may find a way in the will of God to come to you,

for I long to see you,

that I may impart to you some spiritual gift

so that you may be established.

That is, that I may be encouraged

together with you by the mutual faith,

both of you and me.

Paul says, hey, everybody's talking about you guys in Rome,

about how salvation has come to the people in Rome.

And it's so encouraging.

And he tells them, I'm praying for you continually

and I want to come and see you.

And so, as we said, Paul has not been there yet.

He's going to get there in a very unexpected way.

Three years after sending this letter,

Paul will end up in Rome,

but it would be under Roman arrest.

F.F. Bruce writes it this way.

He says,

Not many days after his arrival in Jerusalem,

he was charged before the Roman governor of Judea

with a serious offense against the sanctity of the temple.

His trial dragged on inconclusively

until Paul at last exercised his right as a Roman citizen

and appealed to have his case transferred

to the jurisdiction of the emperor in Rome.

To Rome, then, he was sent.

And after shipwreck and wintering in Malta,

he reached the capital city in early A.D. 60.

So, Paul was sent to Rome.

Paul was kept under Roman house arrest for two years.

He was allowed to receive visitors.

But Bruce goes on and says,

What happened at the end of these two years

is a matter of conjecture.

What is reasonably certain is that a few years later at most,

he was sentenced to death at Rome

as a leader of the Christians.

He was led out of the city along the Austinian Way

and beheaded at the place then called Aqua Salve,

which is modern Tre Fontaine.

So, the goal of this, of course,

to behead Paul,

was to stop Christianity.

Did it do that?

Let me just look around.

Did it do it?

It did not.

Tertullian's words ring true today.

The blood of the martyrs proved to be seed in the world.

Right?

Persecution and martyrdom have never extinguished Christianity.

Not in Rome and not anywhere else.

The church thrives almost under persecution

everywhere it happens.

But before we move on,

I want you to see something here that's just such a blessing.

Paul describes Christian fellowship

look at verse 12 again.

He says that I may be encouraged together with you

by the mutual faith, both of you and me.

You know, this is one of the reasons

that we gather together

and do not just do church online.

Church online, great for its purpose,

but it cannot do what verse 12 is.

Paul was saying, I want to encourage you,

but I also want to be encouraged by you.

I love the humility of Paul.

He doesn't see himself as the only one that can give out.

He sees himself as in need,

just as Paul does.

Just as everyone is.

And so he wants to give,

but he also wants to receive.

Is that how you come?

Can I encourage you?

Come here.

Don't just be online.

Online is only one half of this.

Really, not even a half.

I'd say it's like a quarter of what we're doing, right?

Come here.

Be consistent with that.

And when you do, come to receive,

but also to give out.

Don't come just to get.

Come to be used by God and give.

And we're not talking about your finances.

We're talking about you.

We're talking about what God has called you to.

So listen, when you're not here,

we lose out on your gifting and your influence among us.

We lose out on the mutual encouragement

that can only come from you.

So come and come early and interact with people

and stay for a bit afterwards.

It's kind of silly to think

we're going to rush in here late and leave early

and we're going to have any meaningful interactions with anybody.

It's not going to happen.

So interact with people.

And listen, it's okay to be awkward.

You have like a little badge.

It's a license.

You can be awkward.

It's fine.

How's it going?

How's it going with you?

You know, it's fine.

It's okay.

We're all there.

We got it.

It's okay if you're awkward.

We're all awkward.

But eventually you won't be.

You'll benefit from being here.

Well, in any case, he says he wants to come there.

He wants to encourage them also to be encouraged.

Then he explains why he hasn't come yet.

Now, I do not want you to be unaware, brethren,

that I often plan to come to you,

but was hindered until now,

that I might have some fruit among you also,

just as among the other Gentiles.

Paul says this just so they know he wanted to be there,

but he hadn't been there yet.

And it wasn't because he didn't care.

It's because he was held back.

So Paul now says something.

I feel very deeply in my soul.

Maybe you do too.

Look what he says in verse 14.

He says he owes everyone.

I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians,

both to wise and unwise.

Paul says here that he feels he owes it to everyone

to share the gospel with them.

Is that how you feel?

Paul says, I owe it.

Why?

Because I've been saved.

God has rescued him.

God has saved him out of it all.

He feels the responsibility now to share with anyone

and everyone he can.

I think about it this way.

If you were drowning and were pulled to safety

and then others were drowning too,

wouldn't you feel the debt to now try to,

if you could with everything you had now

to try to pull people out of the water?

You've been saved.

You owe it now to help save others.

Some of us, we never share the gospel with others

because we don't feel the debt of it all.

We don't feel that we owe anybody anything.

And I don't know where that comes from.

Just not recognizing, I guess,

that we have been rescued from the depths of hell forever.

Isn't that enough to push us to share with someone else

in order to rescue them?

I mean, Paul says, I've been saved.

I owe it to anybody.

I owe it.

I owe it to everybody to share the message that saves.

And so Paul says, I'm ready.

Wherever I go, I'm ready.

Look at verse 15.

So as much as is in me,

I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

Now, as we come to verse 16 and 17,

and we're coming right to the end here now,

this is the summary of the entire book of Romans,

verse 16 and 17.

And we could spend weeks on just these two verses,

and I want to, but we're not.

I love these two verses.

Look at verse 16.

You hear these.

Paul says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

So much could be said here,

but Paul tells them I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

Why does he say this?

Well, the answer is because the gospel brought Paul a lot of trouble,

a lot of trouble.

Paul's life, you realize, could have been easy, smooth sailing.

That's the goal of most people's lives, isn't it?

I just want to get through life as easily as possible.

Paul could have had that.

If he had just not been about,

sharing the gospel,

Paul could have lived a pretty good life.

If he had just not been so adamant

that salvation is only through Jesus Christ,

man, Paul would have had it all.

In fact, all Paul would have had to do

was just back off a little bit.

He had position.

He had power.

He had money.

He had influence.

He had it all.

And Paul says, I count it all as loss

that I might share the gospel, right?

That I might know Christ and make him known.

But that's what,

the word ashamed means.

It means to just back off.

That's what it means.

And all Paul would have had to do to make life easier

would be what so many people have done.

Just be kinda ashamed of the gospel.

Just enjoy it, but don't share it.

Just know it, but don't tell anybody about it.

Just believe it, but don't bring it up.

Just back off a little bit.

That's all you have to do if you don't want trouble.

All you have to do is what so many people have done

to avoid so much trouble.

Just back off a little bit.

Back off a little bit.

Don't make it all about Jesus.

Don't make it all about the gospel.

That's all you have to do.

In your work, in your job,

all you have to do is just kinda seem like,

hey, it's okay if you kinda believe in Islam

or whatever you kinda spiritualness.

That's okay.

Hey, you're making your way.

Just don't make it about Jesus

and everybody's gonna put their arms around you

and high five you.

You won't face any persecution among your family

as long as you just kinda keep it

in the nebulous sort of spiritual realm of things.

As long as you don't say it's only through him.

As long as you don't say

it's about the gospel.

Man, all Paul would have had to do

is back off slightly.

And if he had done so,

there would be no book of Romans.

There would be no book of Corinthians

or book of Ephesians.

He wouldn't have been martyred.

He'd have lived a good life

with a good salary and whatever.

But how many eternal souls

would have been lost?

Who knows?

Untold numbers.

And that is the reason that Paul

is not ashamed of the gospel

because the gospel saves people

for all eternity.

That's what he says in verse 16.

For it is the power,

the power of God to salvation

for everyone who believes.

The gospel is the power of God to save.

It is the ability of God.

It is the power of God

to save anyone,

everyone who believes.

Do you believe?

The gospel is the power to save you.

Now please understand

it is the gospel

that is the power to save.

Not the way you share it.

Not how passionately you say it.

The gospel message itself

is what saves a person

if they believe it.

Who Jesus is

and what Jesus did.

Who we are

and our need

please hear this.

The gospel will save

And the word belief

just means I'm convinced.

The person who hears the gospel

and says you know what?

That's true

is going to be saved.

Did you think salvation

was more complicated than this?

Do you believe?

Are you convinced that it's true?

Because here's what Paul says.

I'm not ashamed of the gospel

because it actually saves people.

This is why Paul is not ashamed

because the importance

of an eternal soul

being saved

and saved for eternity

outweighs all the danger

or the embarrassment

or the difficulty

or the trouble

that sharing it brings.

Folks, when you care more

about your family's soul

than you do

about your embarrassment

you will share the gospel.

I'm not trying to lay

a heavy guilt trip on you.

I'm just saying

we don't live in reality.

We think people have forever

and they don't have forever.

Now more than ever

people do not have forever.

In your workplace

you won't share the gospel

if you don't actually believe

souls are at stake.

It's just not going to happen.

But when you care

more about their soul

than you do

about what trouble

that might bring

then you will open your mouth

and share the gospel.

That's how it works.

Paul says

I am not ashamed

because of this.

I'm a debtor to all people

but also

really saves people

And so Paul says

it's for everyone.

End of verse 16

for the Jew first

and also for the Greek.

The gospel saves

religious and non-religious

and nice people

and rich people

and poor people

and low society

and high society

and everybody in between

right?

Because of verse 17

watch this

for in it

the righteousness of God

from faith to faith

as it is written

the just shall live by faith.

The words that saved

in it

in the gospel

is the message that saves.

to us it says

the way to be saved

it is called

the righteousness of God.

Please don't tune out here.

So important you hear this

the righteousness of God

is not talking about

This is not saying

that the way to live

or a blessed life

has been revealed to us

by the gospel.

That's not what it's saying.

The righteousness of God

is referring to salvation

and it is something

that is given

to you

when you trust Christ.

Please hear this

to be saved

for all eternity

God must give you

his righteousness.

You will never enter heaven

because of church attendance

or being good

or anything else.

God has to give you

his righteousness

and he does this

this is one of the major themes

of the book

he does this

when you come to him

when you believe

over and over

you'll see it

that we as people

we are not

what God is

we are not righteous

we do not do right

we do evil

God is righteous

and the point of Romans

is to show you

please hear this

the point of Romans

is to show you

that God

his righteousness

He clothes you

with it.

but it means

that as you turn

to Jesus Christ

God wipes away your sin

and he gives you

his righteousness

so that you are

catch this

the Bible says

now this does not mean

you'll be sinless here

he sees you

this is the only way

you'll enter heaven folks

you must have

the righteousness

of God

it is the only way

something given

it cannot be earned

it cannot be deserved

and Romans will show us

this over and over

it is a gift

from God

to every person

who comes to God

and so with that understanding

read verse 17 again

for in it

right

the righteousness of God

given to us

so how do I become

righteous before God

what Jesus did

for you and I

how do I receive it

how do I make it my own

that's answered

in the end of the verse

from faith to faith

that's what faith

faith start to finish

that's how you come into it

that's how it ends

with faith

it is only given

as a gift

to those who simply

it is nothing magical

it simply means

that this is true

but please hear this

eternal salvation

comes down

to this simple thing

do you believe

do you believe

do you believe

that Jesus is

who he said he is

that he's God

do you believe

he was doing

what he said he was doing

dying for your sins

and mine

do you believe

you're a sinner

and need to be saved

salvation comes down

not by your works

no one can earn

their way into heaven

and all of this

is the fulfillment

of what God

has always said

at the end of verse 17

the just shall live

this is talking

about salvation

the just shall

by putting their faith

in Jesus Christ

there is salvation

in no one else

just one name

given under heaven

by which we must be saved

it is through

and his work

so I would ask you

has the righteousness

of God been revealed

to you

do you believe

that God will be

gracious to you

if you turn to him

because he will

and you can do it now

let's pray together

Lord thank you so much

for your word

thank you for the truth

of it

thank you for the promises

that any person

here today

or watching online

that does not know you

would turn to you

in simple faith

and looking to you

your work

done for us

Lord we come to you

and in our need

we humble ourselves

and admit it

we love you

and thank you

thank you for your word

it's in Jesus name I pray