Not ashamed of the gospel of Christ

Sermon notes from Sunday 22 September 2019 pm

Romans 1 verses 1 – 17

Politicians and public speakers very often on a first occasion before people set out their stall.  Paul was setting out his stall in verse 16 when he said “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”  The gospel of Christ in a nutshell.  There is everything you need to know about the gospel in this verse.  It shows us salvation and the way to hell.  Why was Paul writing like that?  He was writing to people who were ashamed of the gospel, not prepared to stand for the gospel.  Why were they like that?  In Paul’s time there was a lot of opposition, particularly Jewish opposition.  They had looked for a king who would set up his throne.  They had seen one who they had looked to but he had died.  That caused shame to them.  Many of Jesus followers at that time held very insignificant positions in society, ordinary people, farmers and fishermen.  Ordinary people who had become followers of Christ.  Paul said “you should not be ashamed of this gospel.”  Paul was standing foursquare with them, encouraging them not to be ashamed.  You should never be ashamed if you are a believer.  “Nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Timothy 1 verse 12)  There are 3 types of shame – firstly intellectual shame.  Some people think that if you believe in the gospel you have to be soft in the head, if that helps you through life, a crux for you in life that is OK.  They feel they are superior.  Paul was an intellectual, a heavy weight, there was no one with a more brilliant mind than him.  He was coming alongside ordinary people.  Never let anyone tell you that you are simple in believing in the gospel.  There is also social shame.  It moves through ever strata with society.  It touches the down and out as well as the up and out and everyone in between.  It transforms, changes men and women.  There is also moral shame.  The gospel demands severance from sin, there is a leaving behind the old and following a new life in Christ.  There are 5 things in this verse I want to share with you.

The source of the gospel – “the gospel of Christ”.  In verse 1 we read “separated unto the gospel of God.”  Paul interchanges the gospel of Christ and the gospel of God.  In 1 Thessalonians 2 we read this same phrase 3 times in verses 2, 8 and 9.  The gospel is good news.  God’s only son provides eternal life.  There are many people who cannot differentiate between good news and good advice.  Many mix the 2 up.  Suppose you had cause to see your GP who runs some tests and calls you in.  He tells you that something has shown up in these tests, yes you have got an illness but he is determined to offset this illness, he tells you that you might have to adjust your lifestyle.  The doctor is telling you that you have a problem and advises you how to deal with the problem.  You will listen to the advice he gives.  Or perhaps the doctor looks at you, he is not as stressed.  He tells you that the tests they have run show some problems, that you do have an illness but it is not serious, he can put you on a drug which will not fail to help and within a month you will be back to work fully fit and well.  On the one hand the doctor gives you advice on how to cope and on the other he gives you good news.  The gospel is not about trying harder, turning over a new leaf, climbing a ladder in reading the bible and praying more.  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  It is his precious blood that deals with the problem of sin.  When Paul says I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ he is telling us the source of the gospel.  If some person said they had a revelation from heaven you would have reason to doubt it.  This is the gospel of God himself, the creator of the world whose son came into the world to save sinners.  Good news speaks of God providing a guarantee.

The nature of the gospel – “for it is the power of God unto salvation”.   This is one of the most significant phrases in the Bible.  It is the difference between Christianity and other religions in the world.  Not just an ethic spiritual dynamic but a spiritual power.  It enables the believer to reach the goal, to realise the ideal ethic in their life.  In many cults and world religions there is a standard to aim at, to have a go at.  People trying their best and believe will go to heaven.  In the Christian gospel the gospel is the power of God.  Nothing short of the power of God itself.  From the word power in the original language we have our English word dynamite.  The gospel is more powerful than any explosive.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is the dynamite of God, it blasts its way through sin and self- righteousness until God’s own righteousness is planted in its place.

The purpose of the gospel – “unto salvation”.  When the terrorist sets his bomb he has a purpose in mind – to cause as much damage, injury, mayhem as he can.  When the quarry master sets his explosives into the rock, he can calculate how many stones it would result in.  He has a purpose.  God has a purpose for you.  It is the power of God unto salvation.  God’s great purpose for men and women is that they should be saved from sin.  In the New Testament salvation is spoken of in a 3-fold tense.  We can look back to a past tense – the bible calls that justification – just as if I had never sinned.  Delivered from the penalty of sin.  Not just dealing with the past, there is a powerful present.  He delivers us from the penalty of sin and the power of sin.  That is sanctification.  I am being saved.  We do not grow into salvation, we step into salvation by faith.  The evidence is the walk with God.  Not only delivery from the penalty and power of sin but the presence of sin itself, that is glorification.  Past, present and future.  Justification, sanctification and glorification.  Do you not want that?  It is the power of God unto salvation.  Deals with past life, gives you dynamic living in the present and an assurance of one day living in heaven.  If I had a policy that I could sell you, that this could underwrite every blunder you have made in your past life, provides for your present life and guarantees surety of home in heaven one day.  What we are talking about is not an insurance policy backed by any insurance firm, we are talking of God’s salvation.  Deals with your past sin, pardons you, takes away the guilt, fear and depression.  God gives you a hope for the future.  Everything you need for living in this world, assurance that it is well with your soul.  It is the power of God unto salvation.  A salvation that works.

Who it is for – “every one”.  God’s salvation is for you, for everyone.  Don’t let anyone tell you that you are outside God’s scope of salvation.  It is a worldwide provision.  Salvation is for everyone, for every sin.  There is not another religion that can provide that. 

It is for you – ”for every one that believeth.”  There is a world of difference between giving mental asset and really believing with your whole heart.  The faith that is going to be the detonator that will set an explosive charge in your heart. It is an intellectual perception.  You understand it with your mind.  Christ died for me on the cross.  If I take him as my Saviour he will save me.  It is also spiritual reception.  Lots of people are upright, morally deeply religious, believe in their heads but don’t believe in their heart.  There was a man called Nik Wallanda who was challenged to walk along a tightrope across the Niagara Falls.  He walked with his balancing pole and was able to walk from one side to the other.  He was then challenged to walk again by putting his pole in his wheelbarrow and walk from one side to the other.  People were excited and apprehensive.  He did it without a wobble.  People were elated.  One man was very excited and congratulated him.  Wallanda turned to this excited man and asked him “do you believe I could take you across that tightrope in my wheelbarrow?”  The man replied “of course I believe.”  Nik Wallanda told him to get into his wheelbarrow and he would take him across.  The man replied “no, I really believe you could do it but I am not going to trust you.”  If he really believed he could do it he would have stepped into the barrow.  If you can get into God’s wheelbarrow and trust him to take you to the other side, he will not fail you or let you down.  There is only one thing to do – to trust him.  That is the kind of faith spoken of here in Romans 1 verse 16.  The power of God to everyone that believeth.  People describe themselves as believers but they haven’t the power of God.  You can believe tonight, step out of the wheelbarrow and take Christ as Saviour.  Experience the power and peace and joy in your life – will you?