Romans Series (Thus Far) - FBC Cedar Vale, KS
Below are the sermon links for the study through the book of Romans.
We started two weeks ago (as of September 6th) and we are still in chapter 1, but below are the two sermons that have been preached thus far.
Romans 1:7–17 (week 1)
The Power of an Unashamed Church
Big Idea
An unashamed church knows who it is, encourages one another, shares the Gospel, and lives by faith.
1. Know Who You Are
Romans 1:7
Paul says they are:
Loved by God
Called by God
Called to be saints
You are not saved because you earned it.
You are saved because of God’s grace and purpose.
Key thought:
Before Paul tells them what to do, he reminds them who they are.
2. Live a Faith People Notice
Romans 1:8
Their faith was being talked about everywhere.
That is powerful.
People noticed that these Christians actually believed what they said they believed.
Key thought:
Faithfulness gets noticed.
Ask:
What would people say about our faith if they watched the way we live?
3. Pray for and Encourage Each Other
Romans 1:9–12
Paul prayed for these believers.
He wanted to strengthen them.
He also wanted to be encouraged by them.
Simple application:
When someone says, “Pray for me,” maybe don’t just say:
“I will.”
Pray right then.
Key thought:
An unashamed church does not just talk about caring. It actually cares.
4. Remember Your Circle of Influence
Romans 1:13
Paul wanted to see a harvest.
He believed the Gospel would bear fruit.
You have people around you that I will never meet.
Family.
Friends.
Coworkers.
Neighbors.
Key thought:
God has put people in your life on purpose.
Ask:
Who can you reach that someone else cannot?
5. Feel the Weight of the Mission
Romans 1:14–15
Paul says he is under obligation.
He feels a responsibility to share the Gospel.
Why?
Because he knows what Christ did for him.
Key thought:
When you know you have been rescued, you want other people to know where rescue is found.
6. Do Not Be Ashamed
Romans 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel…”
Why?
Because the Gospel is the power of God for salvation.
Paul is not trusting in himself.
He is trusting in the Gospel.
Key thought:
The power is not in us. The power is in the message.
You do not have to be the smartest person in the room.
You just have to be faithful.
7. Live by Faith
Romans 1:17
“The righteous shall live by faith.”
Faith is not just how we begin the Christian life.
Faith is how we live the Christian life.
We trust God.
We obey God.
We move forward even when we do not have every answer.
Luke 7
The centurion believed Jesus only had to speak.
Jesus marveled at his faith.
Ask:
When was the last time you trusted Jesus like that?
Closing
An unashamed church:
Knows who it belongs to
Lives a faith people notice
Encourages one another
Shares the Gospel
Lives by faith
The question is simple:
What is keeping you from being bold for Christ?
Fear?
Comfort?
Distraction?
The opinion of other people?
Paul said:
“I am not ashamed of the gospel.”
And neither should we be.
Jesus is King.The Gospel still saves.So stand firm, speak clearly, and live by faith.
Romans 1:18–20 (week 2)
What Happens When Truth Is Suppressed?
Big Idea
God has made Himself known, but sinful people suppress the truth because they do not want to submit to Him.
OPENING
Last week we looked at Romans 1:16–17 and what an unashamed church looks like.
Paul said:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation…”
The Gospel is good news.
It tells us how sinners can be made right with God.
And Paul says:
“The righteous shall live by faith.”
Spurgeon called that:
“The sum and substance of the Gospel.”
But now Paul’s tone changes.
He moves from the power of the Gospel to the wrath of God against sin.
1. PEOPLE SUPPRESS THE TRUTH
Romans 1:18
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”
Why is God angry?
Because of:
Ungodliness
Unrighteousness
Suppression of truth
People reject God, and that rejection begins affecting the way they live.
Simple thought:
Sin does not just cause us to break God’s rules. Sin causes us to resist God Himself.
Paul says they suppress the truth.
They push it down.
They resist it.
They do not want the truth of God to interfere with the way they want to live.
Key line:
The problem is not simply that people do not know. The problem is what they do with what God has made known.
2. GOD HAS MADE HIMSELF KNOWN
Romans 1:19
“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.”
Paul says God has not left humanity completely in the dark.
God has revealed Himself.
Creation points beyond itself to a Creator.
Ask:
When someone says:
“But what about the person who doesn’t know?”
Paul’s answer is:
God has made something about Himself known.
The deeper question becomes:
What are we doing with the truth God has already revealed?
3. PEOPLE CAN HAVE EYES AND STILL REFUSE TO SEE
Jeremiah 5:21–22
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.”
They have eyes.
They have ears.
The problem is not physical ability.
It is spiritual resistance.
They can see the evidence of God around them and still live as though He is not there.
Key line:
You can be surrounded by evidence of God and still refuse to acknowledge Him.
Jeremiah is describing people who are physically alive but spiritually blind to the God who made them.
4. CREATION LEAVES HUMANITY WITHOUT EXCUSE
Romans 1:20
“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived…”
Look around.
The earth.
The sky.
The oceans.
The order of creation.
The complexity of life.
Paul says creation points to:
God’s power
God’s divine nature
Key line:
Creation cannot save you, but creation can point you toward the God who can.
That distinction matters.
General revelation shows us that God exists.
The Gospel tells us how sinners can be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ.
5. REJECTING GOD IS A HEART ISSUE
Psalm 14:1
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
Notice where David says this happens:
In the heart.
The rejection of God is not presented merely as an intellectual problem.
There is also a moral and spiritual issue underneath it.
People naturally resist the God who confronts their sin.
Key thought:
When we treasure sin, we resist the God who tells us to turn from it.
But when we treasure God, we begin to hate the sin that separates us from fellowship with Him.
6. SIN ALWAYS TAKES YOU SOMEWHERE
James 1:15
“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
Sin never says:
“I’m going to destroy you.”
It usually says:
“This isn’t that serious.”
“Everyone does it.”
“You can stop whenever you want.”
But Scripture says sin grows.
And when it grows unchecked, it produces death.
Key line:
If you spend your life feeding sin instead of fighting it, eventually that sin begins controlling you.
The Christian life is not making peace with sin.
It is learning, by God’s grace, to fight it.
THE BIG CONTRAST IN ROMANS 1
Romans 1 gives us two very different responses.
Romans 1:16–17
Faith
“I am not ashamed of the Gospel.”
“The righteous shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:18–20
Suppression
People see truth and push it away.
One response leads toward life.
The other leads deeper into rebellion.
CLOSING
So the question is not simply:
“Has God revealed Himself?”
Paul says He has.
The question is:
“What are you doing with what God has revealed?”
Are you receiving truth?
Or resisting it?
Are you running toward God?
Or protecting the sin that keeps pulling you away from Him?
And remember this:
Creation tells us there is a God.
But the Gospel tells us something even better:
That God has come to rescue sinners through Jesus Christ.
Romans 1 begins with bad news because we have to understand what we need to be rescued from.
But the answer is still the same:
The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
Comments