The Bible might be summarized as detailed instruction on how to worship the Living God instead of pathetic and lifeless idols. What Israel fell prey to so often in their history was this “return to Egypt” mindset; going back to the fake gods of their former oppressors and thinking life (“nothing but leeks and onions!“) could be found there. God must rescue us from this spiritual stupidity and set our hearts to worship Him alone.

If you are a student, or you were one, you have likely heard of essays. And if that word conjures up a host of bad memories for you, how about this phrase: “thesis statement?” That thesis statement was supposed to appear in the first paragraph of your essay, telling the reader what you were about to… tell the reader. It was a way of stating what you intended to prove. The Apostle Paul starts this letter to the Christians in Rome with something similar to this. Two verses that tell us exactly what he is going to say over the next 16 chapters.

What are the odds that a girl like Ruth will be provided for and protected by the sovereign God of the universe? It is not up to odds. Her life is not up to chance. Her life is held in the hand of a sovereign God who is working out His plan for Ruth and for you.

In a land a long time ago lived a woman who was not that different than we can be. She was a suffering, sinful, and weak person. But a sovereign and strong God orchestrated all the circumstances of her life, even the seemingly bad ones, for his glory and her good to bless not only her, but many others as well.

The Good News concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ changes everything in a person's life once they respond to it and put their faith in Christ. Prayers, priorities, and the way that we relate to people all pivot to a new and more selfless way of living. If we are not living this way, we are pushing against the grain of God’s design for the normal Christian life. Wise Christians will learn from Paul's example and do all they can to get their lives aligned to the Gospel.

As Paul gets rolling on this letter about the Gospel, you quickly realize the love he has for his God, the Romans, and the truth of what he is about to write. This is a love letter! And that is at the heart of the Gospel, isn’t it? Love. And like the good Apostle he is, Paul is going to tip 15 cards over hinting at where he is about to go for the next 16 chapters.

Paul wrote a letter to all the Christians in all the churches in the big city of Rome in order to clarify the Gospel to them. He was eager that they would have a clear and robust knowledge of all that Jesus had done for sinners. As such, this letter has been used by the churches through the ages to train their members in the same thing. That has led to more love for Jesus, an increased evangelistic zeal and greater church unity. Grasping how this letter fits together or moves logically along is extremely helpful in coming to understand each part. Today we will attempt to preach the message of the entire letter to prepare us to dig in to each section.