Romans

[0:00] As the Lord should be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in the Epistle to the Romans, chapter 1, and a part of the 16th verse.

[0:20] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.

[0:37] Chapter 1, verse 16, the Epistle to the Romans.

[0:50] This is a word which wells up in the Apostle Paul's breath when he was inspired of God to send this epistle to the godly Romans.

[1:04] You will find the Apostle Paul had a special concern that he might preach the gospel in Rome, and God in his all-wise providence so ordered it that he should be able to do so.

[1:26] But it was not in the usual run of the Apostle Paul's missionary journey in. No. The Apostle Paul was apprehended in Jerusalem, and at his trial he exercised his privilege of being a Roman citizen and appealed to Caesar.

[1:52] And so it came about that in due time he was found in Rome as a prisoner.

[2:02] And yet the word of God tells us in these concluding words in the Acts of the Apostle. And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

[2:30] All that wail he had to be linked up with the Roman soldier. And I have sometimes wondered if some of those Roman soldiers, for they would often be changed in their duties, some of them may have been wrought on by the gospel of the grace of God, for they had to listen to the Apostle Paul preaching it.

[2:55] The Apostle Paul was an outstanding preacher of the gospel. And it seems amazing when you contemplate what he was at first the Saul of Tarshish, and then God in his divine sovereignty dealing with him on the Damascus road.

[3:21] And there he was, convinced of sin, born again, comforted, raised up to know the power of the gospel, and to see Jesus, and seeing him all his salvation and all his desire, and all that within a month, of being a high-flying Pharisee, as he was before he was born again.

[3:57] And from that time he goes on. God ordained him to be such a preacher of the gospel, that he was outstanding.

[4:08] And the dear man, as you read his epistles to one church and another, he seems to be just saturated with the gospel of Christ, the grace of it.

[4:24] And I thought, what a striking word this is, the opening word in the chapter. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.

[4:43] Which is to say, that he just lived the gospel in his life, and lived for the gospel, to lose no opportunity to preach it, wherever it was possible for him to do so, whether it be to few or many.

[5:05] Then you will find, that he was bold in preaching it. But now I want to look at this subject, for it seems especially laid on my mind to say something to you.

[5:18] Promise as grace is given. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.

[5:36] The gospel of Christ. What is this? The gospel of Christ is, first of all, the work of Christ.

[5:53] And how he came down into this poor sin-cursed earth to do love's redeeming work. And then, it is the words of Jesus Christ, whereby, the gospel is made plain.

[6:13] And men ordained of God, go forth to proclaim it. It is a great privilege to preach the gospel.

[6:25] And I can tell you, it is not as easy as it may look to some of you to preach it. It is a very great honor to preach the gospel.

[6:37] But I can also tell you, especially as one draws near to the end of his ministry in preaching it, it is a very terrifying responsibility to be a preacher of the gospel.

[6:53] It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. And the apostle Paul said to the godly Ephesians, I kept back nothing that is profitable to you.

[7:14] Oh, there must not be time serving in the pulpit or trimming or condoning, but it must be the gospel of Christ.

[7:30] Let your yea be yea and your nay be nay, lest ye fall into condemnation. And I would look at this subject as the Lord shall help me, first of all, from this viewpoint.

[7:50] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. I have been impressed and I hope instructed.

[8:01] In reading, the epistles of Paul, and you might do likewise, with the same aim, you will be surprised to find out he refers to the gospel.

[8:17] He does not always use just the same praiseology. Many of us in preaching the gospel are very limited because our praiseology is very limited.

[8:29] Likewise, but the apostle Paul, of course, was inspired of God to pen these epistles to the churches, but he does make some original comments on the gospel which you and I can weigh up prayerfully because there is instruction.

[8:52] Take our text to begin with. It's an illustration. The gospel of Christ. Christ. And that means Christ is the center of it.

[9:05] I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me. And Christ is the circumference of it.

[9:16] any poor sinner in listening to the gospel of Christ who finds in his or her heart a concern to have a living interest in it is welcome to wait on God concerning it.

[9:40] Remember that. And the vilest sinner out of hell who lives to feel his need is welcome to the throne of grace to save your blood to please.

[9:53] The gospel of Christ. Christ is the subject of it. After all, whenever the gospel is preached, if Christ is not preached, it is no gospel.

[10:06] The word gospel means good tidings. In the Anglo-Saxon wording, it is God's spell.

[10:17] Two words. God's spell. It is what, as it were, speaking with great reverence, God has spelled out to poor sinners like you and me as to what his great concern is that sinners should be saved.

[10:40] Here it is God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time passed unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world.

[11:05] The gospel of Christ. good tidings of great joy, good tidings as to how God and man can meet together on friendly terms, good tidings that God is now approachable.

[11:26] I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Oh, you must never forget that the angels did sing in the silent night good will toward men.

[11:46] and the gospel of Christ proclaims what that good will is. And that good will can be summed up like this, Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.

[12:04] Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Oh, it is a lovely gospel. Oh, that some of us could have more grace to preach it to purpose and profit and that you might have your ears more intent to live in accordance with it and get more good for your souls in listening to it.

[12:33] The gospel of Christ. And you must never forget that any time you are listening to the gospel it may be the last time you will hear it.

[12:45] and I try to remember every time I preach it may be the last time I should try to preach it. But one feels often to be a great failure in doing it because our powers are limited.

[13:04] Our capacity is small to grasp to grasp what is the wonder of the gospel of Christ and I am in full agreement with John Berridge and he says I try and try again to publish Jesus' worth and pain I would but never can set half his riches forth.

[13:28] the gospel of Christ and now not only is Christ the subject of the gospel but he is the object of it so that when you hear the gospel of Christ and it is preached and the preacher is helped to do it you with an ear to hear will find in your heart well enough you will look far beyond the preacher you will see no man but Jesus only and if you were helped to hear a right with an ear to ear such as God alone can give you you will feel more and more as you listen to the gospel of Christ Lord Jesus make thyself to me a living bright reality more present to faith vision keen than any outward object seen more dear more infinitely nigh than in the dearest earthly tide it is to bring you through the preaching of the gospel in touch with him whose gospel it is yes and now the apostle

[14:47] Paul speaks of it as the glorious gospel and I have thought that adjective glorious is very apposite because as I have hinted already the gospel tells us how God and man can meet together on friendly terms and that is indeed a wonderful proclamation there is one God one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus so that you any of you as you hear the gospel of Christ and it appeals to you there is something in it that allures you you are attracted by it you are welcome to go just as you are to Jesus and ask him to make known to you the power of it to your soul salvation do remember that either at an ear let him hear what the spirit said unto the churches it is said also to be the gospel of the grace of God and now in our text it tells us this for I am not ashamed of the gospel of

[16:19] Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one which believe it and now that power of God in the gospel is the grace of God it is the gospel of the grace of God and everyone who hears the gospel to purpose and gets good for their soul thereby every sinner born again as he is helped to tell out at any time the dealings of God with his soul he must ever preface what he declares by the grace of God I am what I am oh it is the power of God that makes the gospel to be a reality in our lips and lives not only souls it is said to be the gospel of peace and the angels declared that when Jesus

[17:29] Christ was born peace upon earth as well as good will toward men and now it is the gospel of Christ known in its power as it is revealed to you in your interest therein that will help you to understand peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled the gospel of peace and you know dear friends you may not be able to say very much some of you you may not be able to go down into the deep things of God or to ascend the heavenly heights but there have been times when you have come up to worship God and to hear the gospel preached and you have come up in a churned up state and your heart has been like you read in Isaiah a city full of stirs there were matters to do with your everyday life things to do with yours maybe in your family circles and you were in a troubled state and then as the worship of God went on and you heard the gospel of Christ it came to you so quieting there's a still small voice and your angry bosom if it was angry your troubled bosom I would say was hushed and you felt a little of the peace of God which passeth all understanding possessing your heart and mind and you could say the gospel bears my spirits up and that is just what it is to be preached for that you might get help by the way much might be said under that heading there is just another thought and I like this thought especially the gospel is called the everlasting gospel gospel and now that tells us that the gospel being what it is good tidings of great joy was formulated in the mind of

[20:06] God before time was born or the world was filled when the everlasting covenant was made between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and those poor sinners a number which no man can number ordained of God to be shut up in it and things in their lives ordered in all things and sure it was then the gospel of Christ was ordained to be and that it should be preached in the fullness of time as those good tidings of great joy to encourage poor sinners to hope in God the everlasting gospel but there is one viewpoint of that word everlasting which I think is very beautiful to contemplate and now you dear people many of you in listening to the gospel and some of you have heard it from baby days on and go back to when you hoped you were born again and now you have heard the gospel since then when you desire to hear what

[21:24] God the Lord would say to you in listening to it well God has said something to you in listening to it and you can go back to this place and that when the gospel was made a reality when it was the power of God in your soul's experience you have lived many days since then it may be you have lost the happiness you felt at the time but the reality of it is everlasting remember that the everlasting gospel and they who want this kindness through find it everlasting love oh it is a beautiful adjective everlasting everlasting gospel and you know what you sing do think more about what you sing because it would do you good to do it if once upon our hearts we feel the love of

[22:36] Christ impressed the mark of that celestial seal can never be erased never mean everlasting what you felt as to the reality of it is everlasting in its nature it is a mark indelible which will stand for time and eternity too and says the dear apostle Paul I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ nor what a dear man he was as you read about him and what amazing boldness he was given wherever he went to preach the gospel of Christ and he was not ashamed before whoever he might be found to speak of what he knew and felt of the gospel of Christ whether men would hear or whether they would forbear and I'm going to say this you and I ought to be like that regarding the gospel of

[23:43] Christ not be ashamed of it but as every opportunity is afforded us to do good unto all men and especially they that be of the household of faith remember that the gospel of Christ and now looking at the subject from another viewpoint the apostle Paul tells us it is the power of God unto salvation and now what power is this you must not just read it as it is written in black and white letterpress the power of God without having some deeper understanding of what the meaning is because the power of God is a very big subject it is not the power of God as was seen in creation the omnipotence of God when in the beginning

[24:54] God created the heavens and the earth no no it is not that power of creating power nor is it the power of God that he exercises in our everyday lives in his all wise providence wherein the Lord is good to all men yes the Lord is good to all the word of God tells us and that is his general providence wherein the power of God is exercised and now what is this power of God well speaking with great reverence it was it was easy for God in the beginning to create the heavens and the earth with his wondrous omnipotence and it is easy likewise for God to provide in his providence for mankind but when it comes to this power of God which is revealed in the gospel of Christ the power of God unto salvation

[26:16] God did all he could do the Lord did all that he could there was no other way sin to pardon without blood never in God's nature stood think not that he can or may pardon any other way and so there was only one way God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life and so this power of God unto salvation is the ability of Jesus Christ as he appears before God as the mediator between God and man and you will understand it if you remember what Paul says that I may know him and the power of his resurrection you will remember

[27:31] I have told you not once or twice that when Jesus Christ rose from the dead on that Easter morn long ago the whole church of Christ rose in him then in mystical union with him as the church's living head and as sure as Jesus Christ rose from the dead so sure the church of Christ all that vast host ordained of God to life eternal will be saved with an everlasting salvation because the resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees the power to bring it to pass remember that when man has to do with power he can hardly really be trusted with it but when man has to do with power all that he harnesses is power and as he uses it it is ever subject to a limitation whatever machine it may be he makes or engine whatever its power may be there is a limitation and however excellent it may be in making use of its power the machinery may break down the power may fail and now that can never never be with the gospel of

[29:02] Christ as long as time should be the gospel of Christ will be the power of God unto salvation till everyone ordained of God to life eternal is saved saved by grace do remember that there is something about the gospel difficult to describe from the pulpit but it is so sure nevertheless the foundation of God stand is sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his and with all the isms and evils and errors abounding in the world nowadays and they do abound to its remotest bounds yet there is still the gospel of Christ as that vehicle

[30:03] God has ordained whereby as you read in the Acts of the Apostles and the Lord added unto the church daily such as should be saved and that work goes on neither earth or hell can stop it no no it is the power of God and what was done on Calvary's cross will never be undone or mitigated in any way whatever the word of the Lord has gone forth he shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied the power of God unto salvation and now says the dear apostle Paul I am not ashamed of the gospel of

[31:03] Christ and there is nothing whatever in the gospel of Christ if you look at it search into it view it as an amazing scheme if I may use that word whereby the father son and holy spirit all engaged in it to save those ordained of God to be saved and so the gospel of Christ wherever it is preached will always be effectual some of those God ordains to preach may see many more signs attending their labors than others do but assure us any man is ordained of God to preach the gospel of Christ there will be a specific work for him to do and God will help him to do it and as he preaches the gospel of Christ it will be made here and there the power of God in poor sinners lips and life and that preacher labors will be confirmed by signs following yes it is not a gospel to be ashamed of you dear young people remember whatever there is in this world that you can look on and say that it is good it is linked up to the gospel of

[32:38] Christ that it is good remember that if it were not for the gospel of Christ and the proclamation of it there would never be in a hospital to be found beneath the sun because hospitals in their beginning originated from those who desire to love their neighbors as themselves and to do good as the gospel enjoined upon them to do and so with other good works that are to be seen like the aged pilgrims in Bethesda homes and where there are those concerned before God to do good unto their fellow creatures it flows from the gospel of Christ it flows from what was done on Calvary's cross when Christ Jesus died in the stead of poor sinners like you and me remember that for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ and there is one thing you can never be ashamed of and that is the results that attend the gospel of Christ wherever it is preached there you see a blood thirsty

[33:59] Manasseh the lion is made a lamb the gospel of Christ is made known in its power and he who made Jerusalem streets run rivers of blood now he is found in his affliction among the thorns his calling upon the Lord is God behold he prayeth and the apostle Paul himself as Saul of Sarsis was a wonderful evidence of it as to what the power of God is in the gospel and the good that attends it and what is more the enemies of the gospel of Christ can never again say these things and what is more still and you dear young people remember this they have got no alternative to give you for the gospel of Christ oh they may say and they do we will not have this man to reign over us depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thee or thy ways away with the gospel as it was with him whose gospel it is away with him away with him crucify him crucify him but what have they got to show at an alternative then that these things which are in the world and have been in the world a long while as I said doing good to our fellow creatures and glad we are that these things are to be found to do the good what is to be put in their place if the gospel is to be thrown overboard and you turn your back on the gospel and he whose gospel it is oh the gospel of

[35:42] Christ is not a gospel to be ashamed of wherefore by their fruit ye shall know them much might be said along that line of thought but I want to look at it from another viewpoint but I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe it and now if you and I do listen I know you do but I want you to listen especially listen if you and I are interested in the gospel of Christ then we shall be able to realize somewhat of its power in our lips and life when the gospel of Christ comes into our life as being a reality when you dear people young and old or go back to when your ear was first attempt like

[36:45] Lydia's to hear the gospel and you felt there was something in it that you desired to know and feel in your own soul's experience you read in Isaiah in that day the death shall hear the words of the book aye and you can remember some of you when you heard the gospel as you had never heard it before you know how you listened to it before before you were born again parental discipline made you come and listen or at least be found in the attitude of worship but you did not hear so as to understand it to be good tidings of great joy oh you thought it was boredom to listen to it monotonous and you looked at the clock and hoped the preacher would soon be done and come to the amen and you could get going and being let go go to your own company well it is a wonderful mercy if it can be said of you and me what the savior said to his disciples blessed are your ears for they hear and now do that let your consciences tell you what is your attitude as you have found under the gospel as it is preached to you week in week out what is your attitude to it have you got a concern within that it could become the governing factor in your life and that you might know he whose gospel it is find in him all your salvation all your desire or is it the truth that you are still willing to live as you were born and you will be just after the flesh the things of the flesh and maybe you have made up your mind when you can do as you like you will turn your back on the course of truth where you have been brought up and the gospel that you have listened to and go your own way to do as you like well if you should be allowed to do like that and live like that and die like that what will be the outcome he that rejecteth me and my word hath one that judges him the word that I have spoken it should judge him at the last day and remember that last day is coming and when it comes you and I will be there every eye shall see him who is the judge on the judgment seat and very solemn will be your feeling as you view the judge and knowing your conscience that while you had the opportunity to hear the gospel and it could have been that you could have got good for your soul in listening to it you said no no we will still be as we were born in the world and of it we will not have this man to reign over us well you need not the preacher to tell you that the onus of you going down into eternal misery will be on your own head oh do weigh these things up dear young people ere it is too late today if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the day of provocation and oh that God might fulfill one word for you the ears of the death shall be unstopped and now let us come back to this viewpoint of the subject the power of God unto salvation you and

[41:34] I will know that power working in our hearts working out in our light I might say it is an illuminating power it is as though God says let there be light and there was light the apostle Paul uses that beautiful illustration as he wrote to the Corinthians but God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ I like that word in the Hebrews where the apostle Paul in seeking to encourage the godly Hebrews he speaks to them about going back over the way they had come along to remember call to remembrance the former day and he says begin here after ye were illuminated before then ye were in nature's night born in darkness living in darkness but when a sinner is born again light streams in the eyes of the blind are open he becomes illuminated and yet in that light whereby he is illuminated he may only see what a poor sinner he is a guilty sinner a hell deserving sinner and he may look within and say can ever god dwell here and yet he does dwell there whatsoever does make manifest his life it is an illuminating power and remember it is a separating power once you know the gospel of

[43:40] Christ in its sweet blessed reality once the preaching of it becomes to you a joyful sound in your ear is intent to hear what God the Lord will say you cannot be in the world to live in it as you did before no you want to be like Moses then choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season this power of God is a separating power and it makes you desire no longer to live after the flesh the things of the flesh but after the spirit the things of the spirit not only so it is a comforting power you think how often you dear people you greyheads many of you how often you have been comforted in listening to the gospel of

[44:45] Christ you remember it is said to Zechariah in the angel spake unto Zechariah good and comfortable words and you really ought to tell the truth that many a time the gospel has been preached to you by one preacher and another and you have found it to be good and comfortable words and you might say sometimes it has been otherwise you have been made uncomfortable well uncomfortable do you say I will tell you what you should say you mean you have been made guilty under the gospel and that does happen when it is made the power of God in our souls and in our consciences sometimes you feel guilty as you listen to the proclamation of it and feel how far far short you come in living according to the gospel of Christ especially with your name on a church rule but then you might feel guilty because you have had some thoughts about your name being on a church rule but as yet it is not recorded there and still you are delaying waiting oh that

[46:15] God in his infinite mercy would help you to wait a matter up in heaven's own light and remember then they that gladly received the word were baptized and be not ashamed of the gospel of Christ you know quite a few of you dear people you have been at our baptizing services and by the grace of God we have had not a few and some of you have looked on and wished you could be there going through it almost envying as it were those who were favored to do so and wishing that you might follow them the way is open for you still to do it Jesus said to each believer be baptized in my name he himself in

[47:21] Jordan's river was immersed beneath a screen I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ not only is that related to being baptized and having your name on a church road it means in your everyday life and when you meet the world at large going out to earn the bread which perishes that you were concerned to let your yea be yea and your nay be nay lest he fall into condemnation the power of God and now it is not only a comforting power but it is also a confirming power I like that word in the Acts of the Apostles where the apostles went about preaching the word of God tells us confirming the souls of the disciples and now you know sometimes you have heard the gospel preached here and elsewhere and you have said

[48:24] I believe I can enter into what the preacher is setting forth I hope I have known somewhat of that experience and you have tasted that the Lord is gracious and you have been confirmed not only so the gospel is a constraining power the love of Christ constraining us the gospel the spirit of it will help you to do what by nature you never would do and you might say I shall never do such a thing and that may be to acknowledge where you were wrong or in error and have exhibited a wrong spirit it may be and done some mischief and then you are hard but when the love of Christ comes when the gospel of Christ is known as the power of God in your heart it will rise and constrain you to confess your fault one to another yes and to love as brethren and to pray for them that despitefully use you for I am not ashamed of the gospel of

[49:44] Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe it it is a sanctifying power it helps you to desire to live unto God and show whose you are and whom you serve it is also a uniting power so that you gather where the gospel is preached and you flow together to the goodness of the Lord and you feel one with each other and one with God and your concern is to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace the power of God unto salvation it is the power of God enabling a poor sinner from the time he realizes the power to live unto God to live a right and when he comes down to the end of life's journey and steps down into

[50:55] Jordan's swelling it is the power of God for that poor sinner to realize dying grace in a dying hour it is the gospel joyful tidings points to heaven and shows the road amen remedies elsewhere rights about theSome bunu že сч policeman elagate ушка lut