Steve W. Reeves
INTRODUCTION:
A. We
witness power in many ways.
1. In the past week we have seen the power
of nature as Hurricane Harvey
devastated southeast Texas with
torrential rain. In some places there were over 50
inches of rain making this the greatest amount
of rain in U.S. history. Estimates are
that the storm dumped 24.5 trillion
gallons of water on Texas and Louisiana.
2. We see power in machines. Almost fifty
years ago NASA launched the first Saturn
V rocket designed to take men to the
moon and back. The five engines of the first
stage generated seven and a half million
pounds of thrust to lift the 31 story tall
rocket from its launch pad. NASA is
currently developing a new rocket to take men
to Mars. It will be 10 to 20% more
powerful than the Saturn V.
3. Everywhere we look we see power on
display. It may be political power, financial
power, the power of position or
influence.
4. I want to talk to you about the greatest
power known to humanity. It is the
power of life over death, the power of
reconciliation over alienation, the power of
forgiveness over guilt. I’m talking
about the power of the gospel.
B. The
book of Romans has been called, “The Constitution of Christianity.” This book
has shaped some of the most profound
religious leaders in history.
1. The Great Reformation was rooted in the
teachings of Martin Luther, John Calvin
and John Wesley as they studied from the
book of Romans.
2. Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
said, “I think St. Paul’s Epistle to the
Romans is the most profound work in
existence.”
3. Jimmy Allen used to say, “If you get
Romans, God will get you.”
C. I
outline this book in five sections.
1. Chapters 1-3 describe man’s sin problem.
2. Chapters 4-5 proclaim salvation by faith
in Christ.
3. Chapters 6-8 describe the process of
sanctification.
4. Chapters 9-11 teach the sovereignty of
God.
5. Chapters 12-16 define our service to
God.
D. The
theme of this book is stated in chapter 1:16-17 – “For I am
not ashamed of the
gospel, for it is the power of God for
salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew
first and also to the Greek. 17 For
in it the righteousness of God
is revealed from faith
to faith; as it is written, ‘But the
righteous man shall live by
faith.’” In these two verses
Paul sets forth a four-fold conviction.
I. PROCLAIMATION
A. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the
gospel.”
1. What does “Gospel” mean?
a. The word comes from Euangellion,
which means “good news.” This is what
the gospel is.
b. When the angel of the Lord
appeared to the shepherds the night Jesus was
born He said, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I
bring you good news of great joy
which will be for all the
people” (Luke 2:10).
c. Paul wrote to the Colossians
about the “hope” of the gospel (Colossians 1:23).
2. The gospel is “good news” because sin
is “bad news.” Sin separates us from
God. Sin separates us from those we
love. Sin is destructive and hideous. The
bad news is, “all have sinned and
fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans
3:23).
3.
Many of us have lost the wonder of the gospel’s power. For many it is
interesting news. If I told you that
a million dollars had been deposited in a bank
here in Searcy you would say
“interesting news.” If I told you a million dollars had
been deposited in your account you’d
say, “Good news!”
B. The Gospel is the backbone of Romans.
1. Romans 5:6-9 – “For while we were
still helpless, at the right time Christ died for
the ungodly. 7 For one will
hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the
good man someone would dare even to
die. 8 But God demonstrates His own
love toward us, in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more
then, having now been justified by
His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of
God
through Him.”
2. Romans 6:3-5 – “Or do you not know
that all of us who have been baptized into
Christ Jesus have been baptized into
His death? 4 Therefore we have been
buried with Him through baptism into
death, so that as Christ was raised from the
dead through the glory of the
Father, so we too might walk in newness of life”
3. Romans 8:31-32 – “What
then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who
is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own
Son, but delivered Him over for
us all, how will He not also with
Him freely give us all things?”
II. PERSUASION
A. It is the power of God unto salvation.
1. The Greek word for “power” was
“dunamis,” used 120 times in the New
Testament. It’s the word from which
our English words, “dynamite,” “dynamic,”
and “dynamo,” come. It means,
“power” or “strength.”
2. You and I are powerless when it comes
to salvation. We cannot save ourselves.
We can’t be good enough. We can’t be
righteous enough. Isaiah said, “All our
righteous deeds are like a filthy
garment” (Isaiah 64:6).
3. Jesus did what we could not do.
Though He was tempted in every way as we are
He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
He offers us His righteousness.
4. In Charles Dicken’s novel, “A Tale of
Two Cities” he tells of a man named
Charles Darnay who is arrested and
sentenced to death by beheading. At the
last moment his attorney, Sydney
Carlton steps in and says “I will take your
place.” He was willing to die in the
place of another. His final words were: “It is a
far, far better thing that I do,
than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest
that I go to than I have ever
known.”
B. Paul had experienced this power in his
life.
1. He had been born a Jew.
2. He was a Roman citizen.
3. He had the finest education
available.
4. He had been religiously zealous.
5. He had a powerful, life-changing
encounter with the Son of God.
C. Wherever you are, whatever you are
struggling with, the gospel has the power to
change your life. It is the world’s
greatest insurance policy because it will insure you
here and hereafter.
III. PARAMETER
A. To the Jew first and also to the Greek.
1. The gospel has no boundaries.
a. It is not limited to any
particular group of people.
b. It is not for a particular race
or segment of society.
2. In Romans 1:5 Paul said he had been
appointed as an apostle to bring the
gospel to the Gentiles.
B. Whoever you are, wherever you are from,
whatever your background the Gospel is
for you.
1. You are not too bad for the good news
of Jesus. He can forgive you for whatever
you have done.
2. You are not too good for the gospel
of Christ. None of us is so good or perfect
that we do not need the atoning blood of the
Savior.
C. Frederick Lehman wrote the song,”The
Love of God” in 1917. The love of God is
greater far than tongue or pen can ever
tell; It goes beyond the highest star, and
reaches to the lowest hell; The guilty
pair, bowed down with care, God gave His
Son to win; His erring child He
reconciled, And pardoned from his sin. Oh, love of
God, how rich and pure! How measureless
and strong! It shall forevermore
endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
IV. PURPOSE
A. Why wasn’t Paul ashamed of the gospel?
Why is the gospel the power of God
unto salvation? The answer is in verse
17. In the gospel the righteousness of God
is revealed.”
B. How is the righteousness of God
revealed? Through Jesus.
1. There is no gospel without Jesus.
2. There is no righteousness without
Jesus.
3. There is no relationship with God
without Jesus. Notice what Paul wrote as he
quoted from the Old Testament book
of Habakkuk, “As it is written, the righteous
man shall live by faith.” Faith in
who? Jesus alone.
4. “In Christ alone my hope is found; He
is my light, my strength, my song; This
cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through
the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of
peace, When fears are stilled, when
strivings cease! My comforter, my
all in all— Here in the love of Christ I stand”.
CONCLUSION:
A.
What is the source of your strength?
1. Human effort, wisdom, intelligence,
money, physical strength?
2. It will all disappear one day.
3. There is only one lasting source of
strength – the gospel of Jesus.
B.
Jesus told his disciples, “Go, preach the gospel to every person. He who
believes
and is baptized shall be saved,” (Mark
16:16). Do you believe? Have you acted on
your belief by turning away from sin and
being baptized into Christ? We invite you to
come to Him today!
