March 26, 2017
Morning Service

Rom. 1:1-17

            In the past few weeks we have looked at the Glorious Church our Lord that He said He would build.  We saw how Peter opened the door for the Jews, and then the Gentiles.  So all men, have the opportunity to belong to this Glorious Church, if they so desire. 

We have seen:

1.       What it takes to be added to this church.

2.      The actions of the people after being added to this church.

3.      The leadership of this church.

4.      The ministry to this church.

5.      The importance of being added to this church.

And today we want to look at the Apostle to the Gentiles, Saul of Tarsus, later Paul the Apostle, and his introduction, to the churches that he wrote to.

We first see Saul in the Book of Acts, as a zealous Pharisee, of the Judaism religion, in Acts 7.  He is consenting to the death of Stephen, the first Martyr of the church.  Then we see him on the road to Damascus, persecuting Christians, wherever he went.  And then in chapter 9 of Acts, something miraculous happens.  He meets Jesus in a vision from heaven.  He is blinded, by this bright light, and asks “Who art thou Lord?”  He recognizes that he is speaking to divinity, but doesn’t know who it is.  The reply was, “I am Jesus, who you are persecuting.”  From this point Jesus goes on and tells Saul what the rest of his life is going to be.  Jesus tells him that he will minister to the Gentiles, stand before Kings, and tell of this very happening.  Jesus tells him to go into the street called straight, and there will be a man called Ananias, who will tell him what he must do.  Ananias at first questioned the Lord concerning his going to Saul, but Jesus told him, Act 9:15-16  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:  (16)  For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

Ananias came to Saul, laid his hands upon him, and prayed for him, and Saul received his sight, and the Holy Ghost, and Ananias took him, and baptized him into Christ that same night.

            After this miraculous conversion experience we find Saul going, and spending time in Arabia to receive the gospel that he is to spread to the world.( Gal.1) He returned to Damascus, and then after 3 years he went up to Jerusalem to speak with Peter, then began preaching to the Jews,  they don’t believe him, they think he is still the man that would persecute them.   So Barnabas begins speaking on Saul’s behalf, telling them about his conversion experience.  Saul went about teaching from the Scriptures that this Jesus was the Messiah, but the Jews would have none of it, and tried to kill him.  So, they sent Saul back to Tarsus, where he was originally from.

Now we hear nothing concerning Saul until the 11 chapter of Acts.  This is after Peter has opened the door to the gentiles in chapter 10.  God is moving in a mighty way among the gentiles, and the church sends Barnabas to minister to them.  Barnabas decides to go and get Saul from Tarsus to go with him.  They arrive at Antioch, Syria, and there minister to the church for a year, and the Bible says, “the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”  This is our God given name, Christian.   Act 11:27-28  And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.  (28)  And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

Now the church at Antioch wanted to send relief to Jerusalem, so they chose Barnabas, and Saul to deliver it.  After this, Barnabas, and Saul, are chosen by God to go forth in missionary work, and in Acts 13:9 we see the first mention of Saul being called Paul.  Paul ends up going on 3 missionary journeys. 

Upon these travels, he goes through, what we know today as Turkey, and over into Macedonia, and Greece.  Establishing many churches.  Later, he will write letters to these different churches.  What we want to do is look at how he begins his letters to these churches.

Now the first letter Paul writes to in our Bible, is to the Romans.  This would have been the last church he visited.  In the 26^th chapter of Acts Paul gives his account of his life to King Agrippa.  Upon hearing Paul’s testimony, Agrippa says that if Paul had not appealed to Caesar, he could have been set free.  But this is what gets Paul sent to Rome, Italy, and eventually to his death. (Acts 28)

Nonetheless, we want to look at the letters to the churches as they are given in order in our Bible.   So Romans would be first.  ROMANS:  Was written from Corinth, around 58AD.  Paul had not yet been to Rome.  Many think that the gospel was spread by Jews that had been to Jerusalem, and heard Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost.(33AD)  There was believed to be many Christians in Rome, both of Jews, and Gentiles.

Rom 1:1-32  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,  (2)  (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 

·         Tells of his authority in the church.

·         What Paul says, he has the knowledge to explain, and backup.

(3)  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;  (4)  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 

·         This is a brief description of the gospel.  This is what their faith must be built upon.

(5)  By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 

·         Paul again confirming his authority in the church.

(6)  Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:  (7)  To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

·         We will find this salutation in all of Paul’s letters.

(8)  First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 

·         And no doubt this is why Paul is writing this letter.  He admires what he hears about them.

(9)  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; 

·         For our Oneness friends, God (Jehovah) has a Son, (Jesus of Nazareth) this is what is revealed.

(10)  Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.  (11)  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;  (12)  That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.  (13)  Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.  (14)  I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 

·         If you have ever seen some of the movies concerning early Rome, then you know what Paul means when he speaks of Barbarians.   

(15)  So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.  (16)  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.  (17)  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

·         As I mentioned last Sunday, speaking concerning Martin Luther, his gospel was that of faith alone would save.  This is the letter that Luther said set him free, and where he got his doctrine of faith alone will save, the letter to the Romans.

ALMIGHTY GOD, ENLIGHTEN US TO THIS GLORIOUS PLAN OF SALVATION, AND THE JOY OF KNOWING THE ONES YOU HAVE USED TO CARRY THIS GOSPEL FORTH INTO ALL THE WORLD.  AMEN.