Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Pray

Romans 1:1-17-The Introduction

Verses 1-7-Address

Verse 8-13-Gospel Centered prayer

Verses-14-17 Theme

As you recall, we are studying the Book of Romans.

We are in chapter 1.

The first 17 verses of chapter 1 is really the introduction to the letter.

In the first 7 verses, called the address we learnws a bit about Paul, the author, and the church of Rome, the recipients of the letter.

We studied Paul’s call as a servant, His identity, His purpose for writing to the Church of Rome and his mission to explain the gospel to them, so that they will have a gospel-centered world view.

In verses 8-14, Paul prays a Gospel-centered prayer for the Roman church.

Today we are continuing along in Romans and we are starting at the 14th verse of Romans chapter 1, and we will continue to the 17th verse, the end of this introduction.

This portion provides a transition from the introduction into the body of the letter and in the 16th and 17th verse Paul states the overall theme of the letter.

Obligated

I don’t know exactly when it was.

Perhaps, 15 years ago, maybe longer.

I was at work on break and 5 of us were talking.

I don’t remember exactly but there was a large gospel centered event in the cities that weekend, and it was on the news and this was the topic of conversation.

Several of them were Roman Catholic, and one of them brought up that he had heard the gospel, and he had questions.

He had heard it explained, and this was very different than he was used to in his church upbringing so he wanted some explanation and debate on what this was all about.

He had very strong opinions on what he had heard and he was looking for clarification as well as support from the group about his beliefs.

He said something along the lines of I heard this preacher over the weekend, and now tell me if this is true?

Tell me if this is what you believe, he asked.

And he went on.

The preacher said, that all we have to do is believe in Jesus.

The preacher said that if we believe in Jesus he forgives our sin, and we go to heaven.

The preacher said that there is no sin that God could not forgive, no sin too big.

We say a prayer and Jesus forgives us and we go to heaven.

Is that right?

Is that what you believe?

Now, it isn’t quite that simple but, he has the basic idea, so, I want to push this conversation further, but at the same time, I don’t want to scare him off.

I’m thinking to myself, hmm do I have a gospel tract handy?

Can I stop the conversation right now and run and out to my car?

There are 4 other people that are going to hear the gospel and I am getting kinds excited.

This is going to be good I’m thinking.

This is all going through my mind.

Is that right?

Is that all we have to do to get to heaven, believe in Jesus, say a prayer and your sins are forgiven?

Yep I nodded that sounds about right.

Then he says, “Well, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life”.

My eyes grew wide, my mouth gapped open.

Do you actually believe that he said?

Now, my poker face is gone but instead of excitement it is astonishment, and shock, so with my mouth hanging open I nod, uh huh.

Well that just makes no sense at all he said.

So you are trying to tell me that me a fairly decent hardworking guy, who has been going to church all his life, says a prayer and goes to heaven.

Then a criminal can kill people, and steal and live his whole life and on his deathbed just say a prayer and say a prayer and go to heaven too, just like me? well… there is a little more to it but basically yeah, if you both have faith in Jesus...

Again, that’s ridiculous, and unfair.

That triggered something, and I recalled something the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5, 12-17 Well, if sin came in by one man, Adam, grace came through one man Jesus.

Well, that’s another thing, he said.

This business about me being responsible for Adam’s sin, I don’t agree with that either.

Everyone is responsible for their own sin.

True they are but...I continued to fumble around, I was on the spot.

I tried my best to answer the questions, but what I thought was a time of explaining to a willing listener, became more or less a time of pointing out what he saw as flaws and unfairness in the gospel.

But none the less, I was obligated to at least try the best I could.

Because I did believe that stuff.

I mean I really believed that the gospel, was the power of God unto salvation.

I knew, whether I could explain it or not.

Whether I could could argue it or not, I knew.

How did I know?

It happened to me.

I was changed.

I was no longer the same man I once was the gospel had gripped me taken a hold of me, there was no other explanation

So, because I believed in my whole heart with my whole being that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and that the gospel was the only way to be saved, I was obligated to tell others who were perishing.

You can’t walk by a house on fire, and not attempt to wake the residents, or to call the fire department.

If you see a crime taking place or people heading for disaster you have to tell them.

You can’t just walk away-you are obligated.

And that is what Paul is getting at in verse 14.

Sometimes it is translated as in-debt.

Paul carries a debt because God saved Paul, and God entrusted Paul with the gospel, God’s gospel, the Gospel of Jesus.

This made Paul a slave, or a debtor, to tell others.

He has to tell people.

He is in debt, and it is to all people.

It doesn’t matter whether they are sophisticated, or cultured, or not.

It doesn’t matter their social status or nationality.

It doe not matter Whether they are smart or foolish, educated or uneducated.

Paul is obligated to tell anyone about the gospel.

He is eager to pay that debt, or he says elsewhere like in 1 Cor 9.16 he uses the word compelled.

Have you ever met anyone who is driven?

Driven by a cause?

Driven by something bigger than themselves.

Compelled to change the world?

We don’t meet them in person too often but we certainly see them on TV on the news.

They are those people at marches and rallies, and these people travel across the country, it is like they are compelled.

Paul is eager to preach, or compelled to preach, and Paul is obligated to preach the gospel Why?

Why is it that this man-a jewish man-should be so obligated, eager compelled to preach this gospel.

One reason is in verse 16.

Not ashamed

Paul says he is not ashamed of the gospel.

Why would anyone be ashamed of the gospel?

Remember my opening story?

My friend said to me, “This is ridiculous, this whole thing just doesn’t make any sense, he said.

Logically it didn’t make any sense.

One man paying for the sins of another.

That doesn’t make sense.

The person who committed the sin should be the one paying for it.

How can some sins just be forgiven, how can faith in Jesus allow someone to escape the punishment that is due them for their sins?

This is foolishness.

Paul wrote about that too elsewhere, in 1 Corinthians, you may be familiar with that.

It was the first time I had personally encountered someone who verbally expressed to me directly that they thought the gospel was ridiculous.