Hope Community Church

Romans 1 - MESSAGE, 3-30-16
Marcus A. Constantine

Announce: Facebook check-in & Risen movie, Thursday, 7 PM
Intro: Pocket Bible, Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believers…”

Students help read bold verses…

Romans 1,
vv. 1-7,calling and identity
-v. 1, “called to be an apostle and set apart”
Servant = “doulos” (slave)
Apostle = sent one
Set apart = holy (for special use) -- using Bible pages as toilet paper
-v. 2, OT points ahead to the Good News of Jesus to come!
-v. 3, Jesus came through David’s family (people of Israel)
-v. 4, How do we know Jesus is who He said He is? Evidence of the Resurrection!
-v. 5, “to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith”
-vv. 6-7, “you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints”
When you’re called by Jesus, His call comes with the power to be who you’re called to be and do what you’re called to do!
Calling of God has a creative force: Gn. 1:5, 8, 10; 2:19
A. “Called to belong to Jesus Christ”: relationship & new family identity
B. “Called to be saints”: holy in attitudes and actions (v. 4, Spirit of holiness = same root word)
1st yields second!
-v. 7, “Grace and peace”: grace = “charis” (favor), NT focus that brings relationship with God and wholeness; peace = “shalom” (freedom, quiet spirit), OT word that brings wholeness to every area of life!

vv. 8-15, Paul’s relationship & love for the Romans
-v. 8, what would it take for it to be talked about all over the world the way we share our faith?
-v. 9, do you serve Jesus with your whole heart? What stands in the way of you doing that? What steps will you take to overcome those things blocking you from serving Jesus with your whole heart?
-vv. 9-10, who do you remember constantly in your prayers?
<<My wife, you (students & leaders), friends serving in N. Africa>>
How could you remind yourself to pray? Phone reminder, prayer wall, mirror
-vv. 11-12, imparting spiritual gifts: laying on hands (mutually encouraged by each other’s faith)
-v. 13, Apostle Paul wanted to encourage and be encouraged by the church in Rome!
-vv. 14-15, Greeks & non-Greeks, wise & foolish = why so eager to preach to you who are at Rome

vv. 16-17, unashamed of the Gospel
-v. 16, not ashamed--went to Jewish people first and then for rest of world
-v. 17, Hab. 2:4, always has been & always will be salvation: by grace thru faith & live (be alive) by faith!

vv. 18-20, what about those who never hear about Jesus?
-v. 18, wrath: burning anger because of evil, judgment, punishment (Hell)
-vv. 18-19, suppress truth, what may be known about God is plain to them
-v. 20, God’s invisible qualities: power, nature/character
<<creation--Creator, design--designer (on a shirt), art--artist (painting), order--orderer (cups in row)>>
Don’t live in light of what they know from creation!
vv. 21-23, worshiping idols
-v. 21, futile thinking, foolish hearts darkened
-v. 22, thought themselves wise = foolish
-v. 23, glory of God for idols
Anything love more than Jesus = an idol--anything that leads you to disobey Jesus = an idol
<<American Idol>>
Paris Reidhead, “You have to decide very early in your Christian life.
Is God an end or a means?” Is God the Goal or a tool you hope to use to reach other goals?

Those who’ve never heard about Jesus deserve God’s punishment not just because they’ve never heard of Jesus, but because they’ve chosen sin (to break God’s laws, to worship idols)--to reject what we know about Him from creation!

vv. 24-27, idolatry & sexual sin
-v. 24, idolatry→ sexual sin
<<“Contentment Slays the Dragon” story>>
Starts small: begin loving other things more than Jesus, allowing lies of our past to speak louder than voice of Holy Spirit
Lack of self control: food, other substances, sex
I would never do that! All capable of being deceived into sin.
Adam & Eve were spiritually perfect when deceived & sinned!
-v. 25, trading truth of God for a lie, worshiping created things rather than Creator (making self “god”)
Root of discontent→ lust
-vv. 26-27, homsexuality: lust, impurity, dishonoring their bodies, unnatural (different than what God designed), perversion (completely wrong, very wrong)
-v. 27, “in themselves the due penalty” (consequence inside)--confusion, pain
Not an expert: sexual abuse, exposed to porn
Compassion: I’ve made wrong choices. Any of you? Times in my life I’ve been impure. Any of you?
Not everybody does it so excuse! But empathy & compassion--love and respect, talk with someone about Jesus (Ten Commandments, issue of idolatry without talking about their specific sexual sin at first)
<<Friend at the Bean>>
<<Friends at Faith: I want to live for Jesus, break up with partner>>
Brains wired a certain way: can be rewired, homosexuality can be healed
Idolatry = root of sexual sin, choosing to love something or someone more than Jesus--really Jesus is the only one worthy of our highest love and worship!

vv. 28-32, warped mind→ sinful choices
-v. 28, depraved (not in line with what’s right, bad)
Danger of stinking thinking
-v. 29, choices that are wicked, evil, motivated by greed and other wrong motives, jealous, ready to kill, fighting, lying, wanting to hurt others, gossip (talking about others behind their back)
-v. 30, talking bad about others, hating God, insolent (rude & disrespectful), proud, bragging, thinking up new ways to get in trouble, disobeying parents
<<Sounds like our generation! Call to repent & reach our friends>>
-v. 31, without sense, without faith, without heart, without Ruth? -- ruthless (merciless, without mercy)
-v. 32, know what God says is right = conscience written on their hearts (even if never heard the Bible)
2:14-15 = in small groups
Know it brings death / judgement / punishment (Hell), still do it & encourage others to break God’s Law too

What about those who never hear about Jesus?
<<If you care so much about unreached people groups in Africa, go as a missionary to reach them!>>
<<Paris Reidhead, CMA -- missionary in Sudan & pastor in NYC>>

“If you'll ask me why I went to Africa, I'll tell you I went primarily to improve on the justice of God. I didn't think it was right for anybody to go to Hell without a chance to be saved. So I went to give poor sinners a chance to go to heaven...I was simply using the provisions of Jesus Christ as a means to improve upon human conditions of suffering and misery. And when I went to Africa, I discovered that they weren't...looking for someone to tell them how to go to heaven. But they were...living in utter and total defiance of far more knowledge of God then I ever dreamed they had! They deserved Hell, because they utterly refused to walk in the light of their conscience, and light of the law written upon their heart, and the testimony of nature, and the truth they knew.”
____
“When I found that out, I assure you that I was so angry with God that on one occasion in prayer I told Him it was a mighty little thing He'd done, sending me out there to reach these people that were waiting to be told how to go to heaven, but when I got there I found out they knew about heaven and didn't want to go there, and that they loved their sin and wanted to stay in it.

“There alone in my bedroom as I faced God honestly with what my heart felt, it seemed to me I heard Him say, ‘Yes, but will not the Judge of all the earth do right? [They] ...are lost. And they're going to go to Hell… not because they haven't heard the gospel. They're going to go to Hell because they are sinners WHO LOVE THEIR SIN, and because they deserve Hell. BUT, I didn't send you out there for them. I didn't send you out there for their sakes… I sent you to Africa for My sake. They deserved Hell! But I LOVE THEM! AND I ENDURED THE AGONIES OF HELL FOR THEM! I DIDN'T SEND YOU OUT THERE FOR THEM! I SENT YOU OUT THERE FOR ME! DO I NOT DESERVE THE REWARD OF MY SUFFERING? DON'T I DESERVE THOSE FOR WHOM I DIED?"
______
The purpose of life is not the happiness of people… The purpose of life is the glory of God.

Jesus is going to call some of you to become missionaries to go to those who have never heard about Jesus! Missions: not because good people around the world deserve it (because of our sin, we deserve Hell), but because Jesus--Good & Glorious God--deserves our love and obedience!

“Two young Moravians heard of an island in the West Indies where an atheist British owner had 2000 to 3000 slaves. The owner had said, ‘No preacher, no clergyman, will ever stay on this island. If he's shipwrecked, we'll keep him in a separate house until he has to leave, but he's never going to talk to any of us about God. I'm through with all that nonsense.’ Three thousand slaves from the jungles of Africa brought to an island in the Atlantic, there to live and die without hearing of Christ.

“Two young Germans in their 20s from the Moravian... [Church] heard about their plight. They sold themselves to the British planter for the standard price for a male slave and used the money they received from their sale to purchase passage to the West Indies. The miserly atheist planter would not even transport them.

“The Moravian community from Herrnhut came to see the two lads off, who would never return again, having freely sold themselves into a lifetime of slavery. As members of the slave community they would witness as Christians to the love of God.

“Family members were emotional, weeping. Was this extreme sacrifice wise? Was it necessary? As the ship slipped away with the tide and the gap widened, the housings had been cast off and were curled up on the pier. The young men saw the widening gap. They linked arms, raised their hands and shouted across the spreading gap, ‘May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!’ This became the call of Moravian missions. And this is our only reason for being...that the Lamb that was slain may receive the reward of His suffering!”

Romans 2, Not judging others but checking our own hearts to see where we’re at with God