Just Desserts – Celebrating the Good News – 8/5/07
Date: 8/5/07
Sermon Series: Just Desserts
Sermon Title: Celebrating Good News
Text: Romans 1:16-17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.
For in it God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
Theme: The core or the theme of the message of Romans is found in these verses. The gospel is the announcement of God’s victory over sin and death in the believer’s life. The believer needs to display its power and God’s righteousness in their lives.
Introduction: Some background on Romans and this sermon series. (Having Dessert first)
I. Gospel is victory
a. (Show Newspaper headline) – Relate story of Lt. Hiroo Onoda
b. The word –
i. Greek word – euaggelion
ii. Where we get the word evangelist
iii. Good news or good tidings – almost always associated with a victory in war.
1. To the ancient Greeks this word would have had a powerful connotation. It is associated with the idea of a reward given to the messenger because the news that he brings is of such a magnitude that everyone in the vicinity will be immediately ecstatic. A victory has occurred that will insure peace and prosperity to the residents who receive the news.
c. In the Bible this word is always associated with the Good news of Christ.
i. 1 Cor. 15:1-8 – Paul here and in Romans 1 tells us that the good news is the story of Jesus: His coming, dying for our sins, being raised from the dead and announcing His victory over sin and death to the believing world.
ii. A.B. Simpson is reported to have said that the gospel “Tells rebellious men that God is reconciled, that justice is satisfied, that sin has been atoned for, that the judgment of the guilty may be revoked, the condemnation of the sinner canceled, the curse of the Law blotted out, the gates of hell closed, the portals of heaven opened wide, the power of sin subdued, the guilty conscience healed, the broken heart comforted, the sorrow and misery of the Fall undone.
d. Knowing that God has delivered to us victory over sin and death should make a difference.
II. Gospel is universal
a. The Apostle Paul affirms that the Good news of God’s victory is not only for the Jew but also to the rest of the world.
b. This puts us in the position of proclaiming that victory to everyone.
i. Sometimes we approach evangelism as one of the duties that is required of the Christian. We approach it with trepidation and fear.
1. We are afraid that we don’t have the ability to express the Christian faith. We think that it requires some kind of special ability that only Bible College graduates have been given.
2. We have got to approach evangelism with an entirely fresh approach. We are never called to give a doctrinal diatribe about the theological necessity of redemption. We just simply declare the good news of Victory. Christ, my Savior, rose from the dead He is alive and He has called me and you into a covenant relationship with the Creator of the universe. His resurrection is the guarantee of the covenant. The only special skill required is enough care for your fellow man that you want him to be saved as well.
c. The only other reason that I can think of for not sharing the Gospel message is mentioned n this passage as well. Could it be that we are ashamed to tell people about Jesus?
i. As Jesus was sending His disciples out on a mission, He does several things to prepare them for this mission. He gives hem instructions for the journey. He warns them of the persecution that they will undoubtedly face. He tells them not to fear that persecution because God is in charge of them and then He gives them this statement.
ii. “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33, HCSB)
iii. The truth is we need to be more worried about what Jesus will say about us then what other people will say about us.
III. Gospel is power
a. Knowing that God has won the victory over sin and death should affect the way that we behave.
i. When we realize that our sin has been accounted for and that our Father has us in His mind when we face the temptations that assail us gives us power to keep from sinning.
ii. The first time I rode Junior Bulls – My Dad told me I could do it.
iii. As we face temptation our Father is standing in the background assuring us that we can overcome this as well.
IV. Gospel is righteousness
a. The other thing that the Good News of victory does for us is demonstrate the righteousness or the “rightness” of God.
i. By taking responsibility for our sin God has demonstrated a kind of righteousness that we can never approach.
ii. He has looked down on our liability and turned it into His possibility.
Conclusion: As we approach the end of this message let me say this: the Bible is a dangerous book. It is the most dangerous piece of writing that you could ever pick up. I say this for a couple of reasons; 1) If we decide that the scriptures are what they say they are, the living word of the Creator and Redeemer of the universe, then they have authority over my life. It has more authority over me then the government, then my boss, then my spouse, even more authority then my parents. It is not a bunch of opinions by a lot of people who have too many opinions already, it is God’s word, the final word. 2) I can’t experience the Bible without making it personal. The Bible expects us to make broad changes in our lives because of the teaching that is contained here. If you walk away from a passage without thinking about the implications that are contained there for your manner of living then you are either not taking God seriously or are telling Him that He doesn’t matter to you.
Over the course of the next few weeks we are going to be taking a look at some of the most foundational and revolutionary teachings that humankind has ever had the privilege of interacting with. These words have transformed not only people but all of the institutions that make up society. I am challenging you today to spend the next few weeks with me taking these words seriously.
I think that you can only really come up with about three different reactions to this teaching. You can say yes, I believe you God, and I expect you to turn my life upside down and inside out. While this is a rather scary decision it is also an exciting thing to give the reins of control over to God and see where he will take you. You might say honestly, “I don’t know”. That’s ok, it is honest and we see many great leaders that have approached God with doubts and fears in open honesty. Moses, Noah, David, John the Baptist, Peter and Paul all had their times of questioning. God is plenty big enough to take care of your doubts. Finally you can reject the Bible and its authority over your life. While I think that the eternal consequence of that decision will be disastrous, it is yours to make. But whatever you decide, do take the question seriously.
