SPRINGCREEK FELLOWSHIP
Sunday, July 27, 2025

          • Acts 2:42CSB

      • Unashamed

          • Psalm 89:1–4CSB

      • All My Ways
      • Christ Is Mine Forevermore
      • Is He Worthy
      • So far, in our study of Romans 1, we have considered Paul and the Gospel (vv.1-6); Paul’s Prayer for the Romans (vv.8-12); and briefly, Paul’s Desire to See the Romans (v.13).
        THIS MORNING we pick up with (v.14) and I have entitled today’s message, “Paul and Evangelism!”
        For the sake of our reading the text, we will include (v.13) by way of introduction to the topic:
        Romans 1:13–17 CSB
        13 Now I don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
        PRAYER
        Paul makes three strong personal statements about his desire to “...have a fruitful ministry among you” - (1:13b):
        (v.14) - “I am obligated…”
        (v.15) - “So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.”
        (v.16) - “For I am not ashamed of the gospel…”
        WHICH immediately provides a CHALLENGE to many believers in many churches today! They are definitely a challenge to MY HEART!
        How many of us share the same desires as Paul when it comes to telling others the good news of Jesus?
        “The reason these affirmations are so striking is that they are in direct antithesis to the attitude of many in the contemporary church. People nowadays tend to regard evangelism as an optional extra and consider (if they engage in it) that they are conferring a favour on God; Paul spoke of it as an obligation. The modern mood is one of reluctance; Paul’s was one of eagerness or enthusiasm. Many of us today would have to confess, if we are honest, that we are ashamed of the gospel; Paul declared that he was not.” - John Stott.
        So with the GOAL of developing the same attitudes towards evangelism that Paul held, let’s consider THREE TRUTHS:

        I. Sharing the Gospel is Our Obligation! - (1:14-15)

        You could just as easily substitute “obligation” the word, “DEBT”!
        ὀφειλέτης - opheiletēs - “debtor”
        1 Corinthians 9:16 CSB
        16 For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach—and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
        There are two ways a person may be in “debt” or under an “obligation”:
        The FIRST would be if I were to borrow a $1,000 dollars from you, I would be in your debt! I would be obligated to pay you back in the agreed upon terms!
        The SECOND way a person might be under obligation is if someone else were to give me a $1,000 to give to give to you, I would be under obligation until I handed you the money!
        Your friend has put me in your debt by entrusting me with the $1000.
        It is in this second sense that Paul is in debt! He has not borrowed anything from the Romans which he must repay. But Jesus Christ has entrusted him with the gospel for them!
        1 Corinthians 9:17 CSB
        17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted with a commission.
        Again, from John Stott:
        “If the gospel has come to us (which it has), we have no liberty to keep it to ourselves. Nobody may claim a monopoly of the gospel. Good news is for sharing. We are under obligation to make it known to others.”
        WHO are we obligated too? Two phrases from (v.14b):
        “…both to Greeks and barbarians”
        Romans 1:14 NLT
        14 “…to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world”
        “…both to the wise and the foolish”
        σοφοῖς τε καὶ ἀνοήτοις
        ἀνόητος, ον: pertaining to unwillingness to use one’s mental faculties in order to understand—‘foolish, stupid, without understanding.’
        Romans 1:14 NLT
        14 “…to the educated and uneducated alike.”
        So the ANSWER to the question, “Who?” is EVERYONE!
        Mounce - “Most important was Paul’s obligation to carry the message throughout the world irrespective of national origin or intellectual sophistication. The truth that all people are sinners before God levels the only ground of any eternal significance. All come with the same need of forgiveness. Those who accept the grace of God stand together on even ground.”
        Not only was Paul “obligated” to preach the gospel, he was EAGER to do so!
        Romans 1:15 CSB
        15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

        II. The Gospel is God’s Power for Salvation! - (1:16)

        “For I am not ashamed of the gospel…”
        The REASON Paul is “not ashamed of the gospel” is “...because it is the power of God for salvation!”
        The reason Paul was not ashamed is because the Gospel works!
        Romans 10:11 CSB
        11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,
        The reason Paul had no shame in the gospel is the same reason you and I can: because the gospel worked for you!
        Our EXPERIENCE of salvation CAN BE THE EXPERIENCE OF ALL!
        If God can save ANY of us, He can save ALL OF US!
        δύναμις - “power” - speaks specifically to the capacity/ability to work!
        Ephesians 3:20 CSB
        20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—
        When something works, it gives you CONFIDENCE!
        Illustration: New Siphon Coffee Maker!
        Let’s turn our attention to the RECIPIENTS of salvation:
        (v.16b) - “…to everyone who believes”
        πιστεύω - “believe” - used 21 times in this letter!
        The noun form, πίστις, translated “faith” is used 40 times in this letter!
        Romans 3:22 CSB
        22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction.
        This will be a recurring theme in this letter and my messages!
        For the moment, let’s keep the focus on the recipients:
        (v.16c) - “…fist to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”
        WHY was the Gospel to be preached to the Jew first?
        The THEOLOGICAL answer is, “Because God said so!”
        Acts 13:46–47 CSB
        46 Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
        The PRACTICAL answer is that God used the scattered Jewish settlements throughout the Roman world as a starting place for the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles!
        Synagogue/Synagogues are mentioned 21 times in the Book of Acts!
        Folks, we are a LONG WAY from preaching the gospel in Jewish Synagogues!
        Even though we acknowledge the Jewish priority, we preach the Gospel to ALL!
        Romans 10:11–13 CSB
        11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

        III. The Gospel Reveals God’s Righteousness! - (1:17)

        Three phrases to consider:

        1. “For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed…”

        Whenever a verse begins with “for” you are looking at a GROUND — a statement and the evidence for it. The evidence must follow the statement to be believed or obeyed.
        In this case, the statement to be believed is the last part of (v.16) - “…because it [the gospel] is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, fist to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”
        In the GOSPEL, God’s righteousness is revealed [ἀποκαλύπτω] to everyone!
        The righteousness of God is ‘unveiled’, ‘disclosed’, or ‘revealed’!
        Perhaps Paul was thinking of Isaiah’s prophecies:
        Isaiah 46:12–13 NIV84
        12 Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness. 13 I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed. I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel.
        Isaiah 61:10 CSB
        10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord, I exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a turban and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
        What a beautiful picture of salvation!
        This is not the only verse where Paul explains this:
        Romans 3:21–22 CSB
        21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction.
        Romans 5:17 CSB
        17 If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
        Romans 10:3 CSB
        3 Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness.
        Philippians 3:9 CSB
        9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.
        1 Corinthians 1:30 CSB
        30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption
        2 Corinthians 5:21 CSB
        21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
        The CONFIDENCE we need to be UNASHAMED of the gospel is BASED on the truth of these verses!
        You can be confident of your salvation (or anyone else’s salvation) because it is the righteousness of God, given to you by faith that SAVES YOU!
        WHAT MUST I DO?

        2. “…from faith to faith”

        Q: “How is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith (lit., ‘trust to trust’)?”
        A: Keep reading the verse (a quotation of Habakkuk 2:4), “…just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.”
        Those words came directly from God in answer to a series of questions from Habakkuk, that he himself would later call a “complaint”:
        Habakkuk 1:12–13 CSB
        12 Are you not from eternity, Lord my God? My Holy One, you will not die. Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment; my Rock, you destined them to punish us. 13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous? Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself?
        Habakkuk 2:1–4 CSB
        1 I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint. 2 The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it. 3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late. 4 Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.
        My message to you is this: “Keep believing! Keep trusting! Keep being unashamed!”
        Believe what the Lord told Habakkuk: “…Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late” - (2:3b)
        Romans 3:21–22 CSB
        21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction.

          • Romans 1:13–17CSB

          • 1 Corinthians 9:16CSB

          • 1 Corinthians 9:17CSB

          • Romans 1:14CSB

          • Romans 1:14CSB

          • Romans 1:15CSB

          • Romans 10:11CSB

          • Ephesians 3:20CSB

          • Romans 3:22CSB

          • Acts 13:46–47CSB

          • Romans 10:11–13CSB

          • Isaiah 46:12–13CSB

          • Isaiah 61:10CSB

          • Romans 3:21–22CSB

          • Romans 5:17CSB

          • Romans 10:3CSB

          • Philippians 3:9CSB

          • 1 Corinthians 1:30CSB

          • 2 Corinthians 5:21CSB

          • Habakkuk 1:12–13CSB

          • Habakkuk 2:1–4CSB

          • Romans 3:21–22CSB

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