Glen Allen Church of Christ Sermons

The Gospel Is About Righteousness Romans 1:16-17 Paul says the gospel reveals the “righteousness of god .” So we need to know what that means. Listen in....

Romans 1:16-17 Scripture says God always keeps His word.

1. When Paul writes about the gospel in Romans 1, he speaks in terms of promises kept.

A. The gospel was "promised beforehand through the prophets in the holy Scriptures" (1:2).

B. Another promise is referenced in 1:16 when Paul says the gospel is "for the Jew first, but also for the Greek."

C. The point is that God had kept His promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3, 22:18)

2. One reason Paul wrote Romans was to bring unity between Jews and Gentiles.

A. So Paul reminds the Gentile Christians that the Jews were God's chosen people.

B. But since both are saved by God's grace, no one should feel superior.

3. This explains something in the ministry of Jesus that often puzzles us.

A. He told the Twelve to "go nowhere among the Gentles and enter no town of the Samaritans," but go only to the people of Israel (Matthew 10:5-7).

B. After the Resurrection, He told them to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19).

C. He came first to be Israel's Messiah, then the Savior of the world.

D. This pattern is obvious in the book of Acts, when Paul goes first to the synagogue in each new city.

4. There is more here than just a history lesson:

A. We should never forget the Jewish roots of our faith.

B. Nobody is left out of God's plan.

C. Like Israel, the church is to be the channel of God's blessings to the world.

The world Paul lived in was consumed with the subject of power, and it isn't much different today.

1. Both then and now, people need the Good News: the gospel is power!

A. Verse 16 - It is the "power of God for everyone who believes."

B. That's why Paul was so eager to preach it (verse 15).

C. The gospel is God's power; that means life is never out of control.

D. The gospel doesn't just tell us to do better; it gives us the power to do better.

2. Why does Paul describe the gospel as power?

A. Because it conveys God's own power.

B. Because sin is a power that must be overcome.

3. This is what Paul preached, and what we need to be telling people today:

A. You can't overcome sin by yourself, but because of the gospel, you don't have to .

B. There is no sin the gospel can't free you from.

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God."

Romans 1:1-15 Romans is a "letter of introduction" for Paul, so he begins by talking about the gospel. He makes it clear that the gospel is about Jesus. Most of the world rejects that gospel. But some don't reject it, and we need to know how to talk to them about it. Listen in....

Matthew 8:18-23 In the past 25 years, 40 million Americans have stopped going to church. Why? Listen in....

Luke 19: 28-40 Jesus weeps over the city that has rejected him. Why? Because the people had not found God's peace because they missed the first coming. He wept for those who could not see the source of his genuine peace. Jesus says, "I'm going to die in order to give you peace". Listen in....

Luke 18:1-8 We know that Jesus is coming again, but we don't know when. He will gather His people together, judge the world, and destroy the physical universe. So, we need to be sure we're ready, especially the church! What will Jesus be looking for when He comes? Listen in....