https://youtu.be/9Bcyffln0_k

The Fundamentals  (Roman 1:1-7)              *All verses in NLT version*

- Basketball story when I was a kid, Dad coaching teaching us the fundamentals, not a flashy one-man game (MJ, Magic, Dr. J), everyone needs to know how to play and have a strong foundation.

- To face a strong opponent, you can’t rely on trick plays or franchise players. If you understand the basic fundamentals, you will have tools for every situation. Teamwork makes the dream work.

- Tonight, we are starting the book of Romans, where Paul is focusing the listener on the basic fundamentals of the Christian faith. Explaining God’s truth and how it applies to our lives.

- Possibly the most useful and all-encompassing book of the bible. It covers our human condition, and how to deal with our worldly problems and failures in the context of our new life in Christ.

- Many of the answers you are looking for on social issues, community, grace vs obedience, sin, freewill, new life vs old life, etc… are in the pages of Romans.

- Martin Luther once said, “[Romans] is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.”

- Romans 1:1-7, This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. 6 And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

- Paul wrote this letter while in Corinth, towards the end of his third missionary journey, around 57 A.D.. Many seasoned believers and strong house churches had risen up in Rome, likely established by those present at Pentecost (24 years earlier), who returned home with the Good News.

- Over that period of time, some contention had grown between two types of believers:

- There were the Gentile Christian believers who have now become the majority group. (Because the Jews had previously been persecuted and run out of town by the Roman emperor.)

         - They were not concerned with the requirements of the Old Testament Law of Moses.

- They kind of looked down on the Jewish Christians for rejecting Jesus at first, and then for being stuck on the religious stuff that Jesus supposedly freed them from.

- The Gentiles only knew Jesus, grace, the forgiveness of sin, and eternal life. They weren’t well versed on the history and legacy of the Jews. (Martin Luther? Reformation, protestant…)

- There also were the Jewish Christian believers who are in the minority at this point.

         - They wanted the Gentiles to be obedient to certain aspects of the OT law.

- They looked down on the Gentile believers because they were seen as undisciplined,