Not Ashamed

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Gospel Fluency  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  27:24
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We begin our series on Gospel Fluency by looking at Romans 1:16.

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Amen. We're starting a new series this morning called "Gospel Fluency." It's a title that I stole from a friend of mine. Jeff vanderstelt who wrote a book called gospel fluency, and and I want to spend the next several weeks. I don't know how long we're going to see how long really digging in together into the gospel and trying to develop gospel fluency. I like that concept to be fluent in something how many of you studied a foreign language at some point in your life, right? You study a foreign language that that first semester. You don't speak the language second semester. You probably don't speak the language. All you're doing is learning vocabulary and you're learning how to morph verbs and and you pick up a couple phrases right donde esta la Bano right? Like these the important things are what you try to to get down. You're aware, you know what it is, but there's a vast difference between being familiar with something and being fluent. I'm convinced that in the church. Far too often. We are simply familiar with the gospel. But we're not fluent with it. In other words. We know the parts. We know the pieces. We know the vocabulary if if if people start talking about justification or sanctification and salvation or atonement or we're familiar with those words. We might even be able to conjugate them a little bit but we're not fluent with a they don't roll off our tongues with it. It's not natural or normal for us to engage the gospel either personally with ourselves or or where she at with with others. We're not fluent and influence he comes with time fluency comes with practice fluency only comes with intentionality and fluency comes best with immersion. We have to immerse ourselves in the gospel. And that's what I want us to begin unpacking over. The never next several weeks this morning. We're going to talk about not being ashamed of the Gospel from Paul's great declaration in Romans chapter 1 verse 16. So if you've got your Bibles, would you open up their Romans chapter 116 going to have it up on the screen, but I want to I want to walk through this verse this morning and unpack at what it is. The Paul is saying here. It's it's a simple short verse but it is so profound and pregnant with the power of God Paul is writing this letter to the church and rum at the church. He's not been to Rome yet. Paul has been doing everything he can for a couple of decades to try to get to Rome. He wants to know how do I get to Rome which is the center of the Roman Empire really the center of the known world at the time. He wants to plant the flag of Jesus in the city of Rome. And then from there he wants to keep going even farther with but he hasn't been able to do a guy every time he tries to get their God keeps taking different routes and and that so he sits down and writes this letter to the church in Rome introducing himself and laying out his understanding of the Gospel so that hopefully when he gets there he's going to be able to hit the ground running. He does eventually make it there. It takes them at least at least two years from when he writes the letter of Romans that he has to go back to Jerusalem and get arrested and then get transported all the way around me gets Shipwrecked on the way. It's lots of fun, but he eventually he does get there. He's riding to the church in Rome the place of power and prestige a place of influence and dignity. It is the center of the world at the park at the time of Paul. Any start. After giving his introductions, he starts out in chapter 1 verse 16 giving what I think is is the thesis statement for the rest of the book. He says this he says I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek night sometimes Kick myself for things that I choose to preach on because more often than not. What I choose to preach on is what I end up living that week and I early this week. I sat down on preaching on Romans 1:16 about not being ashamed and I had a week deeply acquainted with shame. We all know shame we all hate Shane we do what we can to minimize and hide and avoid shame. I am on Wednesday. I was in a staff meeting and I did the audacious thing up standing up. When I stood up something in my back slipped my knees Buckle intense pain flare through my nerves and I thought I was dying never had back pain like that before never really had any back trouble. I could barely stand I could move eyes. I was like, what is happening to me? Like well, I'll just go home. I'll take a couple aspirin and I'll bounce back. I did not bounce back. So Thursday, I make an appointment I go in to see the chiropractor I get in there is like a what if I can clearly tell your back's hurting you. What did you do? I so wanted to lie at that moment. I just want to say I stood up. I wanted to say was bench pressing about 600-lb. I know I don't look at it, but I was loaded up. I'm maxed out. There's a PR but I

look at it. Yep. That's how it happens that I wanted a better story. I wanted something more dramatic. There was a sense of like I was saying that I hurt myself and I was ashamed that I hurt myself simply standing up same as a powerful feeling and experience something that we all experience on a daily basis. The post starts out his letter. I am not a shame. I don't think he's talking about the kind of silly psychological shame that I just described and we all have that and we all have much deeper more painful things that we are ashamed of words that we can't take that actions that we wish we hadn't done that we did actions we wished we would have done that we didn't and now the opportunity is gone. We all have things in our lives that we don't want anyone to know about things that deeply shame. I think Paul would say I'm I'm not ashamed of those things anymore because of the Gospel that what he saying is not he's not talking about the psychological reality of Shame. He's talking about the pragmatic experience of shame. I am not ashamed of the Gospel is Paul saying I'm not going to stop speaking the gospel. No matter what I'm not ashamed to bring the gospel to bear on myself. And on you I'm not ashamed to bring the gospel to Jerusalem. I'm not ashamed to bring the gospel to Corinth. I'm not ashamed to bring the gospel to Rome. I will bring the gospel whatever God allows me to bring it. He's talking about the functional reality of the Gospel. I'm not a shame in other words, it guides and drives and shapes and motivates and directs my life. I'm not ashamed. the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek nopales been in prison for the gospel. He'd been beaten and left for dead to the gospel. You've been scored for the gospel. He's been mocked for the gospel has he been lied about he's been beaten. He's been jailed Paul has experienced the greatest of heights. But the lowest of lows for the sake of the Gospel the even after all of these things that happened he still says I'm not ashamed of this gospel this gospel that's in prison me this gospel. It's broken. My body has destroyed my reputation. I'm not going to stop. I'm not ashamed. the gospel I love what he says in 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verses 12 guinea uses the same language. He says I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed and I'm convinced that she is able to guard until that day that has been trusted to me. That what I love about this is that it helps us see and it makes it very clear. The reason he is not ashamed of the Gospel has nothing to do with him. He's not proud or confident in the gospel because of his understanding of the Gospel. He's not on ashamed of the gospel because of his ability to present the gospel. It's not about Kim at all. His confidence is not in his ability or his performance or his behavior. His confidence is in the one that the gospel is about. I'm not a shame because I know the one that I believe and when I'm in confidence, he's just getting started. Confidence in the gospels is not in my ability to recite it or understand it or presented or else where he says to the church and I didn't come to you with wise and persuasive speech. It's not about what I do. It's about the one that the gospel is about. I'm not ashamed of the gospel for I know the one that I have believed in. I'm not ashamed any any is very clear about what he's not ashamed about. I'm not ashamed of the Gospel.

we got I'm at the most of us have a at least a rudimentary understanding of what the gospel is. We've we've heard it. We've seen it in different forms. We at with tracks for it. We have ideas of what the gospel is an and I'm afraid that for many of us. We've embraced a far too narrow and reduction istic gospel. We see the gospel as information principles true facts to be believed.

The gospel does not simply offer people of some bright ideas and then leave them to put them into practice. As best they can the gospel is not simply information its invitation. the gospel doesn't just tell you these things happen the gospel invites you to participate in those things and it does more than that even powers and enables you to participate in Not ashamed of the Gospel the Declaration of what God has done what God is doing and what God will do through Jesus the king. I'm not ashamed of the gospel because it is Better than anything else out there now shamed of the Gospel. The information is important. The invitation is Sentra, but that's not what he both or Delights and he says I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is what the power of God.

The gospels not simply information. It's invitation and its Incarnation when the gospel is proclaimed when the gospel is lived out. The very power of God is really

gospels not advice to people saying this is how you can lift yourself up. The gospel is itself power. It lifts us up. Pause. Say that the gospel brings power, but that it is power. In my own life, that's my reality. That's my test. I heard and knew the gospel all my life, but for 18 years all I knew it as was information. Idea facts and it's not that I didn't believe them. I believe them to be true. But I didn't know them. I knew them. I could speak on the fact. I worked at camps in the summer and I presented Christ the campers and they prayed and received price, but I never received Christ.

The summer after I graduate high school though. I heard the gospel. I can just hear it as information. I heard it as the person of Jesus the power of the Gospel exploded in my heart and it wrecked me in a beautiful way cuz I needed to be wrecked. The gospel not just an idea. It's not a principle. It's a person it is a power. I'm not ashamed of the gospel because in the gospel itself is the power of God.

That's the gospel is preached. It's not simple words being uttered. The power of God is at work when the gospel enters anyone's life. It is as though the very fire of God has come upon them. There is warm and light in his life. Not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God. Nobody says in that first Corinthians chapter 1 is just the word of the Cross which is another way of Paul referencing the gospel the word of the Cross all the Jesus did in his life death and Resurrection where the cross is foolishness Folly to those who are perishing. And it is let's not let's not deny that this morning the gospel is an offense. The gospel is offensive to the proud human heart the gospel starts by saying you are broken by sin, and there is nothing that you can do about it. And a part of you that doesn't like that is the part of you that needs to be saved by the gospel. The gospel levels us all it doesn't say it doesn't matter. How smart you are or how much do you are it doesn't matter how good you are. You're not good enough. And the gospel if not only offends us but it seems foolish to God's going to send his son as a man that he's going to die and somehow he's going to defeat death and Rise Again. Some of us have been in the church so long that just seems normal that seems ordinary that seems common place. You got to understand that is scandalous and ridiculous to the world.

It is folly to those that are perishing but to those who are being saved it is the very power of God. Is the power of God to bring life and salvation and imprecise Logan's Paul's writing to the Church of thessalonica and he and he starts out in in Chapter 1 Verse 18. Sorry chapter 1 verse that for you says we know Brothers loved by God. But he has chosen you what Paul how do we know that? He has chosen them. He answers that he says because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the holy spirit with full conviction Dimensions really I did not come to you with wise and persuasive speech. What was a demonstration of the spirits power? Sometimes the demonstration of spirit Power is Healing The Sick or driving out demons. But every time the gospel comes the demonstration of the spirits power is when he takes a dead heart and makes it a live. When he takes an unbelieving heart and puts face within it pulses. I know that your chosen by God. How do you know because when the gospel came it was not only preached and Proclaim but the demonstration of the power of the spirit when you are convicted and believe I'm not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God's to radically change people.

I'm from the outside end up from the inside out.

Not ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God for salvation.

For salvation, I need to do a little work. on that word Especially for those of us that have been in the church for a long time. Because when we read or hear salvation, I know that many if not, most of you what you hear me say is I'm not ashamed of the power of the gospel because the power of God for forgiveness of our sins so that we don't have to go to hell and we get to go to heaven when we die. When we think salvation, that's what we think now, please don't miss hear me. I'm not saying that's not true. That is true. But it's not the totality of the gospel. Paul uses the word here in the Greek for salvation. That's very large and it's used not only throughout the gospels and Paul's letters a whole plethora of things that God does when he saves us. When he says are we forgiven of our sense? Of course, are we guaranteed an eternal life with our father? Because we've been made a new creation. Of course we are but Salvation is so much bigger than that. Salvation in the New Testament is used to describe being saved from wrath from hostility from God from alienation from him from the power of Sin from being lost in futility from the Yoke of slavery from demon possession from danger salvation from a corrupt generation anybody else live in love those?

Salvation has many facets. I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power for salvation. Change like the problem with so much of the American gospel. Is that once you believe it? It has no power for your life anymore.

Wake is presented. God loves you has a wonderful plan for your life. Your terrible sinner. Jesus died if you pray a prayer and believe in him when you die, you don't have to go to hell you get to go to heaven and you pray that prayer you believe that's true. Now you're set to go to heaven. And what do you do tomorrow? Nothing you wait to die.

That's not the gospel that Paul is not ashamed of that's not the Salvation that Paul is detailing save you in every way that you need to be safe. To make you feel everything that you were made to be to empower you to do everything that God is asking you to do the gospel is not just to get us to heaven. The gospel is to make us who God made us to be. Empower us to do what he and he calls us to do not ashamed of the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone.

Jubilee to the Jew first and also to the Gentile to the Greek It's this idea that the gospel in powers are salvation. He continues in the next verse for 17. He says for in it in the gospel.

Not only is the proclamation the speaking of the Gospel with the demonstration the living of the Gospel. in the gospel itself The righteousness of God is revealed.

I could spend 10 hours with you right now. Just talking about that phrase the righteousness of God, and I would only scratched the surface. What he saying here is the the rightness of God the justice of God, the Perfection of God the glory of God the beauty of God the wisdom of God of the goodness of God the righteousness of God. Is revealed by the gospel. I think that that plays in in a couple of different ways one when the gospel is preached and demonstrated and lived God is shown to be the ultimate good the goodness of God is Manifest. It's demonstrated in the gospel, but it's more than that. It's more than just saying when the gospel is announcing. The power of the Gospel is a bay. God gets shown to be good what he saying here. He'll not only to us but in Not only to us but through us the snowy said the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for Faith for as it is written.

Indulge me hear what it doesn't say.

It doesn't say for as it is written. If you pray a prayer and believe after you die, you don't go to hell and you go to heaven.

What does it say the map? How is the righteousness of God revealed from faith for faith? Paul said it's revealed when the righteous. shall live by faith But that's thinking. What does the gospel do with the gospel makes you righteous? Not just human righteous, but the righteousness of God righteous forensically declared righteous. Like God says your sins are gone. They get to come into heaven lived out in Carnation just missed con. Carne. in Flash

The righteous shall what? Leave buy back. the righteous shall live by faith I just shall live by faith. You see what the gospel does this what I'm never going to be ashamed of the Gospel. I'm never going to stop with the gospel. I'm not going to anything else other than the gospel because the gospel is God's power to say people. Will you mean same people pop with change them so dramatically so profoundly from the inside out that their lives as they live by faith won't reveal the very righteousness of God. That's how I I can't do that by myself by myself. I do not display righteousness. I mean I can try to clean myself up and I can try to fake you out but on my own my righteousness is nasty. Christ I become righteousness. The righteousness of God by faith. My life is changed by faith. I am made new by faith. My desires and affections are shaped and directed by face. I begin to love like God loves. I begin to see like God sees I begin to live like God lives. I'm not ashamed of the gospel because Oprah can't make you do that. Dr. Phil get you across the starting life with a Gospel of Jesus will change you from the inside out so that people can look at you and actually see the righteousness of God in the way that you choose and love and forgive. gif

the way you tip at restaurants in the way that you drive in the way that you treat people that the world sees insignificant.

Far too often in the church. We bought into the idea that the gospel is for people that don't believe in Jesus yet and it is

The danger in that is that we think will once we believe it it's no longer for us.

started with the gospel My only hope to continue is the gospel. I only hope of finishing well is the gospel. You got to the words of the great prophet dance with the one who brung ya.

We start with Jesus we finish with him. We begin with Jesus weekend with him. He is the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last

The gospel the word of the cross the announcement of all that God is for us in Jesus. If the very power of God. Radically reform and reframe and restructure and realign Our Lives. So that the very righteousness of God. Not only declared true about us. But if you lived out by us.

I want to say with Paul. I want to do more than just say it. I want to live like Paul. absolutely unashamed on the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God for salvation. for all who believe First for the Jew then for the Gentile. Rain at the righteousness of God is revealed from faith. Or stay for as it is written. righteous Zelda backpack

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