ROMANS 1:14-15

Sunday Morning:  November 28, 2004

Text: Romans 1:14-16  "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. "

I AM IN DEBT

Romans 1:14  "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise."

“DEBTOR”

A DEBTOR IS ONE WHO OWES

Matthew 18:24  "And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents."

SERVANT UNTO ALL

1 Corinthians 9:19  "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more."

FOR THE GOSPEL’S SAKE

1 Corinthians 9:23  "And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you."

WISE  -  THE GREEKS”

BOTH STRUGGLE

1 Corinthians 1:23  "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;"

NOT MANY WISE

1 Corinthians 1:24-26  "But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:"

 

PAUL BECAME A JEW

1 Corinthians 9:20  "And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;"

“UNWISE  -  THE BARBARIANS”

WHAT HAS GOD CHOSEN?

1 Corinthians 1:27-29  "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28. And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29. That no flesh should glory in his presence."

PAUL BECAME ONE WITHOUT LAW

1 Corinthians 9:21  "To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law."

PAUL WAS MADE ALL THINGS

1 Corinthians 9:22  "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

READY TO PREACH

Romans 1:15  "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also."

“I AM READY”

PAUL STUDIED THE SCRIPTURES

Acts 22:3  "I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day."

 

THE SCRIPTURES WERE EXPOUNDED

Luke 24:27  "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself."

CHRIST OPENED THEIR UNDERSTANDING

Luke 24:45  "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,"

PAUL WAS TAUGHT BY THE LORD

Galatians 1:16-17  "To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.”

RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD

2 Timothy 2:15  "Study [give diligence] to show [present] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

THE WORD OF CHRIST IN YOU

Colossians 3:16  "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

PREPARATION

Ephesians 6:15  "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;"

“TO PREACH”

COMPELLED TO PREACH

1 Corinthians 9:16-18  "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 17. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 18. What is my reward then?. . ."

PREACHING OF THE CROSS

1 Corinthians 1:17-18  "For the preaching of the cross (not Calvary’s cross) is to them that perish [present middle participle, the perishing] foolishness; but unto us which are saved [present passive participle, the ones being saved or delivered they are believing, v.21] it is the power of God."

PREACHING SAVES THE ONES BELIEVING

1 Corinthians 1:21  "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save (so great salvation, Heb. 2:3, not Acts 16:31) them that believe [present active participle, not aorist tense]."

“THE GOSPEL”

MY GOSPEL

Romans 2:16  "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

GOSPEL KEPT SECRET

Romans 16:25  "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,"

PAUL’S GOSPEL

2 Corinthians 4:3-7  "But if our gospel be hid [veiled or covered], it is hid to them that are lost [present middle participle, the perishing]: 4. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel [gospel of the glory] of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."

TO OBTAIN THE GLORY

2 Thessalonians 2:14  "Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

“TO YOU THAT ARE AT  ROME”

NOT THE LOST

Romans 1:7  "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."