Change Only Comes From God

Clay Smith JFBC

Romans 1:1-7

“God Help Me Change”. Only God can bring about real change. Martin Luther and John Wesley were profoundly changed by the book of Romans, called the Mount Everest of the Bible. Clay will be preaching through Romans all year, taking a break during the summer.

Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome. The center of the world at that time, where kots of religions were practiced. The church was diverse: Greek and Latin names, rich and poor, young and old. Jews and Gentiles. Everyone didn't always get along.

Main objective: to strengthen us in the gospel. v 1:11 and 16:25-27

Romans overview...

1-3: condemnation

4-5: justification by faith

6-8: sanctification, dealing with sin

9-11: vindication. 

12-15: application.

Three big themes in chapter one: how we need to be strengthened...

1. v 1-4 Person: the gospel of God. Paul considers himself to be a bond servant, a willing slave for Jesus, called to share the gospel. Set apart for the gospel of God. His goodness. His salvation. All this didn't start in Bethlehem. This was the plan going back before the world was created.

God's humanity and deity...in the lineage of David. A man but also the Son of God. Only Jesus could be raised from the dead. Christ was his title, not his name. We see the tri-unity of God. The gospel is about us knowing God. That's the point of the book of Romans.

Book: "the true story of the whole world".

2. v 5 Purpose: God's universal mission. Paul was a missionary, to preach the gospel. He wanted to preach in Spain v 16.

John Stott: the letter to Romans was a Christian manifesto. v 5 to bring about the obedience of faith. Sharing the gospel is the mission. The church doesn't have a mission. The mission is why the church exists.

Evangelism today is on life support

...only 1% of pastors today think the church is doing a good job of evangelism. 

...43% of SBC churches baptized zero last year. 

...33% baptized only 1-5 people. Church buildings are becoming museums and mausoleums instead of places of worship and evangelism.

3. v 6-7 Promise: the transformation of believers. We are beloved of God, called as saints, changed. We have a new identity and behavior, loving and forgiving, expressing compassion having received grace and peace from our Father.

George Foreman grew up poor in Houston. Became a boxer. After a loss he became a Christian. Named all 5 sons George, because he wanted them to always know who his father was, since George never knew who his father was. That's the goal. 

Brian Fox Sunday School 

Psalm 67

January is a good time to reflect and count blessings.

List your top 5 blessings from 2024.

God blesses us so He may be known, that the nations may be glad and sing for joy. 

1. We see this...

...in Abraham's covenant with God. Genesis 12:1-3.

...in Gal 3 God preached the gospel to Abraham

...in Jonah. Moses and the 10 commandments. When Jesus was preaching but the people didn't like what he was saying.

2. How have we been blessed as the people of God? 

a. Our Messiah has already come. We've been given the Holy Spirit

b. We've been chosen Eph 1:4

c. Rom 3:21-22

d. Rom 5:1 peace.

e. We've been reconciled 

f. Eph 1:5

g. Rom 8:28

h. Every year we need to grow to be more like Jesus and grow in the fruit of the spirit. More kind and gentle...more loving, etc.

i. I Cor 15 we will spend eternity in heaven 

j. Psalm 67 we've been given this so that Gods saving power may be known

k. Hab 2:14

l. The challenge: will we squander our blessing? Pray. Give. Send. Welcome those who come. Go on a mission. Remember the great commission. 

m. Psalm 90 Moses has 6 petitions. Life is fleeting...number our days...

Homework: Craft v 12-17 into a personal prayer. Use v 14 as a fighter verse, when you need help getting started. 

V 16 show your power oh Lord, to my kids, that they may follow you all the days of their lives.

V 17 use me to be a blessing (like Psalm 67)

22 in class