SALUTATION; PAUL'S TESTIMONY AND DESIRES- Rom 1:1-15

I. SALUTATION Vs 1-7
A. SERVANT Vs 1 "Paul, a Servant of Jesus Christ"
1. Shows how Paul viewed himself - SELF IMAGE - determines actions, attitudes
a. Compare to USA school systems - Pump up Self, apart from God
2. Bondslave Ex 21:2-6 "If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself. And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he shall serve him for ever."
3. No rights, just a privilege to serve the Master

B. CHARACTERISTICS OF A SERVANT
1. Voluntary, not forced or compelled
2. Under Authority of a Master
3. Exclusive Relationship
4. Attitude of a Servant
---a. Fear and Trembling
---b. Singleness of Heart
---c. Not w/ Eyeservice
---d. Not as a Manpleaser
---e. With Good Will
5. Rewards for being a Servant

C. SERVICE - Vs 1 - "Called to be an apostle"
1. Called
---a. EX: Black preacher - had a cocky young preacher preaching for him, said, "Was you sent, or did you just went?"
---b. Don't become a minister if you can help it. If you can be satisfied with any other profession, they you probably aren't called
---c. Paul - "Woe is me, if I preach not the gospel"
---d. Called by God is to be selected by God, and set apart for a particular life & ministry
2. Apostle (One sent forth)

D. SEPARATION - Vs 1 "Separated "UNTO" the Gospel of God
1. Not enough to be separated "from" something, must be "to" something
---a. Don't have to worry about being separated from the world, if separated unto Christ
---b. "Ye are the salt of the earth" - Salt makes you thirsty
--------- Our pride & arrogance at being separated FROM things will turn people off
--------- Our joy at being separated TO Christ will make people thirsty for Christ
2. Gospel - Vehicle God has chosen to bring Salvation to the world
---a. DEF- Good News of God
--------- Though sinned against, He still loves us, wants us
--------------- EX: Sheep at the slaughterhouse, licking hand of man cutting its throat
--------- God has provided the way for men bound in sin to be set free into the glorious liberty of Christ
3. Here in first verse, Paul introduces the GOSPEL - 1 Cor 15:3, 4
---a. How Christ died for our sins according to the scripture
---b. How that He was buried
---c. How that He rose from the dead according to the scriptures
4. Compare "Another Gospel" from 2Cor 11:4 and Gal 1:6
---a. Today's social gospel, love gospel
--------- No preaching against sin
--------- No conviction of sinners - having wronged God, rebelled against God
--------- No Hell - Billy Graham

E. SCRIPTURES - Vs 2 - "Which he had promised afore by the prophets in the holy ..."
1. Gospel was promised in OT Scriptures
2. Scriptures testify of Christ
---a. Direct - EX: Is 53, Zech 12:10 (pierced), Micah 5:2 (Born in Bethlehem)
---b. Typology - Tabernacle, Offerings, Priesthood, High Priest,

Jn 5:39 "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

Jn 5:45, 46 "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, yewould have believed me: for he wrote of me.

F. SON OF GOD - Vs 3 "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord"
1. Compound Name of Christ
---a. Jesus - Savior, Jehovah Saves,
---b. Christ - Messiah, The Anointed One
---c. Lord - Jehovah, Supreme in Authority, Master
2. Names of Christ used in Salutation Vs 1-7
---a. Vs 1 Jesus Christ
---b. Vs 3 His Son Jesus Christ our Lord
---c. Vs 4 Son of God
---d. Vs 6 Jesus Christ
---e. Vs 7 Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ - Savior was a man who was the Messiah, the Anointed One
Christ Jesus - Messiah, the Anointed one, who came as a man
Lord Jesus Christ - Member of the Eternal Godhead, Second person in Trinity

G. SEED OF DAVID Vs 3 "which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh"
1. Humanity - Son of David
---a. Made according to the flesh
---b. Virgin Birth
--------- Prophesied in OT - Is 7:14
--------- Fulfilled in NT - Luke 1:26-35
---c. Ps 110:1, Mt 22:43-45

H. SPIRIT OF HOLINESS Vs 4
1. Divinity - Son of God
---a. "Declared (proved) to be the Son of God"
---b. "By the resurrection from the dead"

Compare Is 9:6 "For unto us a:"
1. Child is born - humanity
2. Son is given - Divinity

Compare Gal 4:4 When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, …made under the law
1. Made under the law - Humanity
2. Sent forth His Son - Divinity

Compare EX: Peter paying taxes for himself and Jesus Mt 17:27
1. Human - pay taxes
2. Divine - money in fish's mouth

Trinity revealed - God the Father (vs 1), Son (vs 1, 3), Spirit (vs 4)

I. SENDING FORTH THE GOSPEL Vs 5-7
1. Rom 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his ...
---a. Received from God
--------- Grace
--------- Apostleship - (One sent Forth)
--------------- Apostles were chosen by God
---b. Obedience to the faith
--------- Evidence of being under Authority
--------- God is in control - directing by the Holy Spirit
---c. Among all nations
--------- Mt 28 - Great Commission
--------- Mk 16:15
---d. For His Name
2. Rom 1:6 "Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ":
---a. Those who have heard, accepted, and acted upon the gospel
3. Rom 1:7 "To all that be in Rome"
---a "Beloved of God"
--------- We love all men
--------- But we love our children with a special love
--- b. "Called to be Saints"
--------- Used to be called Sinners
--------- Now called saints (holy ones)
--------------- Our holiness comes from Christ, not ourselves
--------- Living people, not dead canonized
--------- Difference from being a saint, and acting saintly
--- c. "Grace and Peace"
--------- Grace always comes first, before peace
---------------1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 1 Thess 1:1
--------- Only comes from "God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ"

II. PAUL'S TESTIMONY Vs 8-12
A. THANKFULNESS - Vs 8
1. Thanks are TO God, THROUGH Jesus Christ
2. For their Faith
---a. Thanking God for spiritual blessings in the hearts of others
---b. Reputation - Carries throughout the World, affects others

B. PRAYERS - Vs 9
1. Without ceasing
2. Thought of as hard, didn't show affection on surface
3. But loved w/an intense love
4. Not soft, like John, leaning on Jesus breast
5. Accused of being hard, weighty, not warm, effusive
---a. Therefore, had to call God to be his witness of his love for the Romans

C. DESIRE - Vs 10
1. To have a prosperous journey to come to Rome
2. Paul had prayers that God did not answer - Not in the will of God at the time
3. Gods answered later - though not the way Paul expected to go - chains, prisoner

D. INTENTION - Vs 11
1. Peter had never been to Rome
2. Paul would not build on the foundation of another

Rom 15:20 "Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel,
not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:"

3. Pauls (like all true shepherds) desire the growth and wellbeing of the sheep
---a. Impart some spiritual gift
---b. That ye may be established (to set, to fix unmovable)

E. COMFORT - Vs 12
1. Preachers/Pastors receive ministering from congregation even as they are ministering
2. No idea of a clergy/laity - No priest dispensing blessings on those lesser
3. HOLY SPIRIT is the Minister to both Pastors and sheep

III. PAUL'S DESIRES Vs 13-15
A. THAT CHRISTIANS NOT BE IGNORANT Vs 13
1. (IGNORANT - DEF - Just don't know)
---a. 10 times in Pauls letters
--------- Rom 1:13, 10:3, 11:25; 1 Cor 10:1, 12:1, 14:38; 2 Cor 1:8, 2:11; 1 Thess 4:13; Heb 5:2
---b. Hos 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also …"

B. THAT I MIGHT HAVE SOME FRUIT AMONG YOU Vs 13
1. We should desire to have fruit in the lives of others
---a. Missions giving
---b. Personal Evangelism
---c. In lives of brothers and sisters in church
--------- Wanting and working to see spiritual growth in each other

C. THAT HE BE ABLE TO DISCHARGE HIS DEBT Vs 14
1. Debtor to Greeks (Wise) and Barbarians (Unwise)
---a. Paul a debtor to Christ and to man
2. To all peoples in all societies
---a. Religious divisions - Jews and Greeks
---b. Cultural divisions - Greeks and Barbarians
---c. Educational divisions - wise and unwise
3. Debtors to go, to pray, to give, to die so others may live

D. PREACH THE GOSPEL Vs 15
1. To you (Christians) that are at Rome
---a. Christians still need the Gospel
---b. Second Rest
2. To you (Unsaved) that are at Rome
---a. Imperial Rome
--------- Seat of Government for whole world
--------- Seat of Military Power for whole world
---b. Gospel is more powerful than military might

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