November 10, 2025 • 29 mins
When a church forgets its why, drift is inevitable. We anchor ourselves again with Romans 1:16–17 and unpack what it means to be unashamed of the gospel, confident in God’s power to save, and centered on the righteousness that comes by faith. This message lays the foundation for our series, showing why the good news isn’t a slice of church life but the oven that bakes the whole pie.
We walk through Paul’s bold confession and the cultural friction it faced—then and now. The gospel confronts sin and offends human pride, yet it remains true and powerful. We draw a clear line between methods that may help and the message that alone transforms: Christ crucified and risen. From there, we broaden the lens: salvation is more than a ticket to heaven; it’s a rescue from sin’s penalty, freedom from sin’s power, and the hope of glory where sin is no more. That vision reshapes how we preach, serve, and live—proclaim clearly, live consistently, trust completely.
You’ll also hear why “for everyone who believes” is both wonderfully inclusive and unflinchingly exclusive. Faith in Jesus is the only way, and yet the door stands open to every tribe, class, and story. We challenge the quiet biases that keep us from sharing and celebrate the reach of grace that can change the hardest hearts. Finally, we center on justification: the righteousness of God credited to sinners by faith. Lose that truth and assurance crumbles; keep it central and identity, obedience, and perseverance find firm ground. If you’ve been tempted to soften, hide, or replace the gospel, this conversation calls you back to courage and clarity.
If this helped you refocus your why, share it with a friend, subscribe to the series, and leave a review with one takeaway you’re acting on this week.
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:05):
Pastor Timothy Madd and Providence Church Organ
Beach Florida.
Providence Church is a localassembly of followers of Jesus
Christ dedicated to helpingpeople become committed and
mature followers of JesusChrist.
Now, here's Pastor Timothy Maddteaching the word.
SPEAKER_01 (00:22):
The gospel at the center, Romans chapter 1.
And we're going to examine intwo verses today, and this is
really going to be our theme forthe series.
Of course, I'll be preaching outof other passages, but this is
the theme for the series.
Romans chapter 1.
We're going to pick up in verse16 and 17.
Today, the Apostle Paul, ofcourse, is writing to this
(00:44):
church at Rome.
And he is going to really writewhat many theologians call the
Magna Carta of the Bible, thecenterpiece of salvation in the
New Testament, the book ofRomans.
But today we're focusingspecifically on two verses.
Romans chapter 1, verse 16 and17.
Hopefully you found it by now.
(01:05):
I'm going to be reading from theNew King James Version of the
Bible.
Follow along with me as I readthese verses, as I read God's
Word.
The Bible says, For I am notashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God tosalvation for everyone who
believes, for the Jew first, andalso for the Greek.
(01:27):
For in it the righteousness ofGod is revealed from faith to
faith, as it is written, thejust shall live by faith.
And we'll stop here.
This is God's word that we'vejust read.
You know, every great movement,every great successful team or
lasting organization hassomething that drives it.
(01:49):
It's why.
It's why.
Lose sight of the why, and itdoesn't matter how talented the
players are, it doesn't matterhow polished the brand is, or
how much activity there is,eventually it will lose its way
if it loses the why.
And the same is true for a localchurch.
(02:12):
Today, some churches that onceboldly proclaimed God's word and
sent missionaries around theworld and regularly saw people
come to Christ, and now they'rehardly more than places for
religious and social gatherings.
They didn't lose their music,they didn't lose their
buildings, they didn't losetheir programs, they lost their
(02:34):
purpose.
And Providence Church,especially if you're a member or
a regular attendee, and ifyou're a guest this morning,
you're coming for the firsttime, you're really getting in
on the first message of a seriesthat's really going to be
foundational for us as a churchas we continue to move forward
in the life of ProvidenceChurch.
Our why is not a mystery.
We are here because of thegospel, the good news of what
(02:58):
God has done through the life,death, and resurrection of his
son Jesus Christ to save sinnersand make them his own.
And the truth is, we don't justneed the gospel to begin the
Christian life, we need it tosustain us every step of the
way.
And we don't proclaim it just tounbelievers, those who are lost.
(03:20):
We preach it to ourselves and wepreach it to each other.
The gospel is not just one sliceof the pie, it is the oven in
which the whole pie is baked.
That's why, over the nextseveral weeks, we're going to
walk through this series (03:35):
The Gospel at the Center.
We're going to explore God'sword, why the gospel must remain
central in our preaching andteaching and our discipleship,
our worship, our relationshipswith each other and the world,
our mission and our future as achurch.
(03:57):
So we're starting today with ourtheme verses, Romans 16 and 17.
These verses that really couldbe called the Apostle Paul's
personal mission statement.
Put your eyes back on it again.
He writes and he says, For I amnot ashamed of the gospel of
Christ, for it is the power ofGod to salvation for everyone
(04:20):
who believes, the Jew first, andalso for the Greek.
We'll stop with verse 16 fornow.
This one verse will set the tonefor everything else we're going
to discuss in this series.
And it calls us to becourageous, to be clear, to be
confident, and to be committed.
And if we keep the gospel at thecenter, oh, we might not always
(04:41):
be the biggest or the mostpopular church, but we will be a
faithful one.
And that's what matters most toGod.
That's what matters most to God.
So let's see, just for the nextfew minutes, what it really
means to be unashamed of thegospel.
What does it mean to beunashamed of the gospel?
Well, the first thing we noticein verse 16 is we notice the
(05:02):
gospel's boldness, not ashamed.
The Apostle Paul begins hisstatement with this very
surprising declaration.
He says, I am not ashamed of thegospel of Christ.
Now, why start there?
That's a good question.
Why start there?
Because in the Apostle Paul'sworld, the gospel wasn't a
message that naturally drewapplause or approval.
(05:23):
In fact, it was a stumblingblock, he called it, to the
Jews, and foolishness to theGentiles.
He writes that in 1 Corinthianschapter 1, verse 23.
Stumbling block to the Jews,foolishness to the Gentiles.
The Jews expected a Messiah whowould overthrow Rome and restore
political power to Israel.
(05:45):
They didn't expect a Messiah whowould be a crucified carpenter
from Nazareth.
The Gentiles valued philosophyand education and strength and
not worshiping a man who hadbeen executed by crucifixion as
if a criminal.
However, and humanly speaking,the Apostle Paul had every
(06:06):
reason to feel tempted to beashamed.
I mean, the gospel didn't matchthe cultural expectations of
success.
It opposed human pride.
It challenged people to admittheir sin and turn away from it
and surrender their lives to acrucified and risen Lord.
(06:27):
And yet the apostle Paul says, Iam not ashamed.
He doesn't hold back, he doesn'ttry to make the gospel more
socially acceptable.
He openly proclaims the messageof the cross without hiding
behind vague spiritual words.
He stands in the marketplace, inthe synagogues, before kings and
(06:49):
before governors, and he clearlystates, Jesus Christ is Lord,
and apart from him there is nosalvation.
I wonder this morning if werealize just how tempting it is
in our day to be ashamed of thegospel.
I mean, not in obvious waysalways, but in subtle ones.
(07:09):
We shouldn't be ashamed to talkabout Christ, even if we're
worried about being called,well, too religious.
They're too religious.
We shouldn't feel ashamed toactually call for repentance
just because it might makeothers uncomfortable.
And that's even in the churchlife.
(07:30):
We should feel ashamed, though,when we make the church or even
our own life as a Christianprimarily about satisfying felt
needs.
Instead of proclaiming the onlymessage that can meet our
deepest need, and that'sreconciliation with God.
That's our deepest need.
(07:50):
Now, being unashamed doesn'tmean being obnoxious.
It doesn't mean being rude.
It doesn't mean being hateful inhow you do things.
It means being so confident inthe truth and the power of the
gospel that we refuse to hideit, we refuse to water it down,
and we refuse to substitute itwith something else.
(08:13):
Why are people ashamed of thegospel?
Well, I'd say, first of all,it's because it confronts sin.
The gospel reminds us that weare sinners who need rescue.
And that humility can be hard toaccept.
And not everyone wants to hearit.
Also, it offends human wisdom.
(08:37):
The idea that salvation comesthrough faith in a crucified man
appears weak and very foolish toa world that values
self-reliance.
And also, it divides.
The gospel makes a very cleardistinction.
Those who genuinely believe thegospel are saved, while those
(08:58):
who reject it remain under God'sjudgment.
But here, listen, Providence,here is why we can be unashamed.
First of all, because it's true.
It's true.
And we'll talk more about thatnext week.
The gospel isn't just a theory,it's based on the historical
events of Jesus' death andresurrection.
But also we can be unashamedbecause it's powerful.
(09:22):
We'll see that in the next partof the verse, that it is the
power of God.
But also we can be unashamedbecause it is our calling.
God has chosen us.
He's chosen to make his appealto the world through us,
according to 2 Corinthians 5.20.
We're to be an ambassador, anambassador.
And so if we want to keep thegospel at the center of our
(09:44):
church, Providence Church, thenwe have to be unashamed in both
our corporate and our personalwitness.
Both.
Our corporate witness and ourpersonal witness.
Corporately, that means thatevery ministry, every method,
every event must make the gospelvisible and clear.
We're not here just to manageprograms.
(10:06):
We're here to proclaim Jesus.
Also, personally, I think eachof us should ask, where have I
been hesitant?
Where have I been silent aboutthe gospel?
Because being unashamed mightactually mean having that
conversation, that hardconversation with a friend.
(10:29):
It might mean inviting acoworker to church.
It could mean sharing yourtestimony with a family member.
Because boldness isn't aboutpersonality, it's about
conviction.
It's about believing that thegospel is worth proclaiming no
matter the cost.
(10:51):
Paul didn't say, I'm not ashamedbecause I'm naturally fearless.
He didn't say that.
Instead, he said, I'm notashamed because I know what this
message is and what it can do.
And so if we're going to fulfillthe mission that God has given
us individually and as a church,we have to decide now.
We have to decide before theridicule, before the rejection,
(11:14):
before the pressure, that wewill not be ashamed of the
gospel.
Because the moment we hide it,the moment we dilute it, the
moment we replace it, we beginto drift.
But when we stand on it andspeak it with conviction and
compassion, God uses it to givelife.
And that's the boldness of thegospel.
(11:37):
But we also need to see that ourboldness comes from
understanding what the gospeltruly is and what it can do.
Because in this verse we alsosee the gospel's power.
The power of God for salvation.
Paul says, for it is the powerof God to salvation.
That is why Paul is unashamed.
He's not just passionate aboutthe gospel because it's
(11:58):
interesting, or because it's apersonal preference, or because
it worked for him.
No, he's unashamed because thegospel is the power of God.
Not just any power, not partialpower, not a potential power
that needs something added.
It is the power of God forsalvation.
(12:19):
Now, the word the Apostle Pauluses for power is the Greek word
dunymus, from which we get ourword dynamite.
But the Apostle Paul isn'ttalking about a destructive
explosion here.
He's describing a divine powerthat gives life, that breaks the
grip of sin, that overcomesdeath, and restores all things.
(12:43):
And so we need to understandthis.
The gospel doesn't require us toimprove it, doesn't require us
to upgrade it, doesn't requireus to make it more attractive,
it doesn't get its power fromour eloquence or our creativity
or our persuasiveness.
Yes, our methods can be helpful,but they don't save.
Our personalities might opendoors, but they can't bring dead
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hearts to life.
Our programs might meet needs,but they cannot reconcile a
sinner with God.
Only the gospel accomplishesthat.
Only the gospel.
It's God's power that transformssomeone who is spiritually dead
into life in Christ.
(13:28):
What does salvation mean?
Power of God unto salvation.
What does salvation mean?
Sometimes I think we use theword so often that we forget its
true meaning.
Biblically, salvation is muchmore than just going to heaven
when we die.
It includes, I mean, think aboutthis.
It includes rescue from thepenalty of sin.
(13:50):
We are justified and we aredeclared righteous before God
because of Christ's finishedwork on the cross, dying for our
sin, and rising from the dead.
Rescue from the penalty of sin.
But it's also freedom from thepower of sin.
When we're born again and webelieve the gospel, the Holy
Spirit lives within side of us,empowering us to say no to sin
(14:13):
and yes to righteousness.
But also it's hope for freedomfrom sin's presence.
We sang about it this morning inmore than one song.
One day, one day in glory, therewill be no more sin, no more
death, no more curse.
And so the gospel is God's powerto accomplish all of that, not
(14:34):
through human effort, but byGod's grace, through faith in
Jesus Christ.
And that truth changes the waywe think about our mission as a
Christian and as a church.
We don't meet on Sundays to givemotivational talks to inspire
people for a few days.
(14:56):
We don't exist to offer moralimprovement plans that help
people be better.
We don't even gather tosocialize, although that's part
of it, and we do have goodfellowship and enjoy each other.
We don't gather to socialize orto fill a calendar.
We are here this morning becausethe gospel saves.
(15:17):
The gospel saves.
It changes a person's eternity,it transforms the heart of a
person, and it redirects thecourse of a family.
It influences how we live, itinfluences how we love, it
influences how we forgive, itinfluences how we persevere.
And so that means our confidencein ministry and serving the Lord
(15:38):
isn't based on the slickness ofour services, not on the beauty
of our building or the strengthof our budget.
Our confidence rests in God'spower to work through his
gospel.
Let me give you two quickrealities of this power.
The gospel changes even thehardest hearts.
(16:01):
The Apostle Paul himself showsthis.
I mean, he's a former persecutorof the church who became its
greatest missionary.
And I've seen over the years,I've seen people who seem so far
from God.
I'm talking about cold andresistant, even hostile, even
through the life of this church,since Providence has been in
existence.
(16:22):
They've come to faith in Jesus,though, because someone loved
them enough to share the gospel.
And the gospel changed theirheartheart.
But I've also seen the gospelheal the broken.
I've seen marriages on the brinkof falling apart, restored as
spouses surrendered to Christand his word.
(16:44):
I've seen people, I've witnessedpeople enslaved by addiction
find freedom because the gospeldidn't just forgive them, it
transformed them.
It changed them.
And so if we believe this verse,then our strategy as a church
and as individual believers isactually simple.
(17:04):
And that is proclaim the gospelclearly, live the gospel
consistently, and trust thegospel completely.
That's our strategy.
And that's why whether we'reteaching children in kids'
ministry, aren't you gratefulfor workers who are over there
right now?
And they'll do it again in thesecond hour.
(17:26):
And some of you rotate and are apart of that process and that
schedule.
Thank you for doing that.
So whether we're teaching kidsin children in kids' ministry or
leading a Bible fellowship grouplike it's happening now, will
happen again, whether we'reserving on a ministry team or
whether we're preaching from thepulpit, we must keep the gospel
front and center.
Front and center.
(17:46):
Because if we ever replace itwith entertainment, if we ever
replace it with tradition, if weever replace it with self-help,
oh, we might keep people busyand we might boost their
self-esteem, but we won't seethe power of God at work.
We won't see the power of God atwork.
(18:08):
And this also means for youpersonally, that the same gospel
that saved you is the gospelthat sustained you.
The power of the gospel, thepower of God in the gospel is
not only a past event, it isyour current strength and it's
your future hope.
What I mean by this, think aboutit this way: when you're
fighting sin, when you'rebattling sin, the gospel reminds
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you Christ has already defeatedthis, walk in his victory.
Yeah.
When you're feeling unworthy,the gospel says, Christ's
righteousness is yours.
You are accepted in him.
You're accepted in him.
When you fear the future, thegospel promises Christ is risen,
(18:53):
you have eternal life.
And so the Apostle Paul here isunashamed because he knows that
the gospel is neither weak orfragile or outdated.
And we must be unashamed aswell.
It's the power of God forsalvation to everyone who
believes.
Which brings us to the nextreason we can be unashamed.
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Look at that part of the verse.
And what we see here is thegospel's scope for everyone who
believes.
He says, the power of God tosalvation for everyone who
believes, for the Jew first, andalso for the Greek.
That small phrase for everyonewho believes is packed with
meaning.
(19:36):
It reveals two truthssimultaneously.
One is the gospel is bothexclusive and the gospel is
inclusive.
Exclusive in the sense thatfaith in Christ is the only way.
The phrase everyone who believesindicates that the power of the
gospel is not automatic.
(19:59):
It does not apply to those whoonly hear it, admire it, or even
agree that it's a good idea.
The power of the gospel savesonly those who believe.
Only those who believe.
Those who personally repent andtrust in Jesus Christ as Savior
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and Lord.
Now this challenges ourculture's belief, obviously,
that all roads lead to God, orthat sincerity is enough.
But the Bible is clear.
Salvation comes throughbelieving the gospel, not
through religious effort, notthrough moral achievement, and
not through spiritual sentiment.
(20:42):
Jesus himself said in John 14,6, I am the way, the truth, and
the life, and no one comes tothe Father except through me.
So that's the exclusivity of thegospel.
But then you also see that it'sinclusive.
The gospel is for all peoples.
The Apostle Paul states here,it's for everyone who believes,
(21:02):
Jew and Greek.
That's a quick way of saying,all people everywhere.
For the Jew first, because God'ssaving plan started with his
covenant people, Old TestamentIsrael, and the promises made to
them.
But then he also says, also forthe Greeks, that's meaning all
(21:23):
non-Jews.
So if you're in his mind, so ifyou are not ethnically Jewish in
this room this morning, that'syou as well.
Which that's the Apostle Paul'scontext.
He's referring to the rest ofthe world.
This is incredibly inclusive.
Incredibly inclusive.
The gospel, it's so wonderful.
The gospel breaks down barriersof ethnicity, of culture, of
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social class, and of background.
It doesn't matter.
Look, it doesn't matter if yougrew up in Sunday school or if
you've never opened a Bible.
It doesn't matter if your pastis respectable or if it's filled
with public failures.
If you genuinely believe in andon Jesus, you are saved.
That's inclusive.
(22:08):
And that ought to shape, thattruth should shape the way we
see our mission.
The gospel is for the retiree,for the single mom who is
working to make ends meet, forthe business owner, for the
recovering addict, for thetourist who visits our community
for the weekend, the child inthe classrooms, the person who
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doesn't look like us, think likeus, or believe like us.
Listen, we can't claim to begospel-centered if we're not
willing to share it with anyoneGod puts in our path.
So let me ask you who in yourlife, who in your life have you
silently excluded from your mindfrom the reach of the gospel?
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Maybe you're thinking, oh,they'd never listened.
Or they've gone too far.
There's no hope for them.
Or they wouldn't fit in here.
Listen, the apostle Paul wouldsay, no, that's exactly the kind
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of person the gospel is for.
If God's power can save aPharisee turned persecutor like
Paul, it can save anyone.
If it can save me, it can saveanyone.
And if it can save you, well,there's hope, right?
There's hope.
(23:38):
There's hope.
But it also reminds us thatthere's no plan B for salvation.
That's what this verse remindsus of.
No plan B for salvation.
If someone doesn't believe thegospel, they remain lost.
No matter how moral or spiritualor religious they may seem.
Now that's not popular to say,but it's what the Bible teaches.
(24:00):
And if that's true, then wecan't just stay silent.
If we truly believe the gospelis for anyone who believes, then
we will pray for open doors, wewill engage in converse in
gospel conversations, and wewill seek to connect with people
beyond our comfort zones.
(24:23):
And so that means that ourministries, our outreach, and
our personal lives really mustbe marked by gospel openness.
We never want to give theimpression, whether
intentionally orunintentionally, that this
church is only for a certainkind of person.
(24:47):
The gospel is for everyone whobelieves.
That's the scope of the gospel.
That's why we invest inmissions.
You see these flags representingcountries.
And that's not all of them.
That's why we invest inmissions.
That's why we welcome guestswith genuine hospitality.
It's not put on, it's not phony,it's real.
(25:09):
That's why we keep pointingpeople not to ourselves, but to
Christ.
Because we don't have anythingto give in ourselves.
But what the gospel has iseverything that's truly
important.
Well, let's look at that.
The last verse 17.
What we come to in verse 17 isthe gospel centerpiece, right
here.
It's the centerpiece, it's therighteousness of God revealed.
(25:32):
He says in verse 17, for in itthe righteousness of God is
revealed from faith to faith.
As it is written, the just shalllive by faith.
This is the core of the gospel.
This is the truth that made theApostle Paul unashamed and that
has shaped history.
So what does the righteousnessof God mean?
(25:53):
In this context, the ApostlePaul isn't just thinking about
God's attribute of beingrighteous, although that's true,
but also he's thinking about therighteousness that God gives to
sinners.
The righteousness that God givesto sinners.
Because the gospel shows howguilty, condemned people can be
(26:13):
declared righteous before a holyGod.
Not by earning it, but byreceiving it through faith in
Jesus.
That's what theologians calljustification.
That's the term.
Justification.
We don't earn righteousness.
It's credited to us by Godthrough saving faith in Jesus.
(26:34):
God does not accept ourgoodness, but he accepts
Christ's perfect obedience andhis sacrificial death on our
behalf.
On the cross, our sin wascharged to Christ, and his
righteousness is credited to us.
And so listen, listen, thatmeans when God looks at you,
(26:56):
believer, when he looks at you,he doesn't see a polished
version of your old self.
He sees the perfect record ofhis son credited to your
account.
Isn't that a wonderful thing?
The perfect record of his soncredited to your account.
And so if we lose, look, if welose the truth of justification
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by faith in Jesus, then we losethe gospel.
We lose the good news.
If we lose the truth ofjustification by faith in Jesus,
we lose the gospel.
Because without it, salvationrelies on human effort.
It relies on your effort.
And Christ's death becomesunnecessary.
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Without it, assurance isimpossible.
You'll never know if you've doneenough.
And without it, the glory movesfrom God to us.
But with the gospel, withjustification by faith, because
of faith in Jesus, the gospelthen becomes wonderfully clear.
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And that is that God savessinners entirely by his grace
through faith because of Christ.
The Apostle Paul says here thatthis righteousness is revealed
from faith to faith.
Meaning the entire Christianlife from start to finish is a
life of faith.
And we finish with faith,trusting him to lead us safely
(28:26):
home.
And this truth must remain thecenterpiece of everything we do.
In preaching and in witnessing,we must continually direct
people to Christ'srighteousness, not moral
self-improvement.
In our own discipleship, we musthelp one another anchor our
(28:48):
identity in what Christ hasdone.
Not in our performance.
SPEAKER_00 (28:59):
Thanks for tuning in to the Foundations of Truth
podcast with Pastor Timothy Mannfrom Prophet's Church in Orman
Beach, Florida.
Join us next time at thebuilding, keep building your
life on Eternal Truth.
Pastor Timothy Madd and Providence Church Organ
Beach Florida.
Providence Church is a localassembly of followers of Jesus
Christ dedicated to helpingpeople become committed and
mature followers of JesusChrist.
Now, here's Pastor Timothy Maddteaching the word.
SPEAKER_01 (00:22):
The gospel at the center, Romans chapter 1.
And we're going to examine intwo verses today, and this is
really going to be our theme forthe series.
Of course, I'll be preaching outof other passages, but this is
the theme for the series.
Romans chapter 1.
We're going to pick up in verse16 and 17.
Today, the Apostle Paul, ofcourse, is writing to this
(00:44):
church at Rome.
And he is going to really writewhat many theologians call the
Magna Carta of the Bible, thecenterpiece of salvation in the
New Testament, the book ofRomans.
But today we're focusingspecifically on two verses.
Romans chapter 1, verse 16 and17.
Hopefully you found it by now.
(01:05):
I'm going to be reading from theNew King James Version of the
Bible.
Follow along with me as I readthese verses, as I read God's
Word.
The Bible says, For I am notashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God tosalvation for everyone who
believes, for the Jew first, andalso for the Greek.
(01:27):
For in it the righteousness ofGod is revealed from faith to
faith, as it is written, thejust shall live by faith.
And we'll stop here.
This is God's word that we'vejust read.
You know, every great movement,every great successful team or
lasting organization hassomething that drives it.
(01:49):
It's why.
It's why.
Lose sight of the why, and itdoesn't matter how talented the
players are, it doesn't matterhow polished the brand is, or
how much activity there is,eventually it will lose its way
if it loses the why.
And the same is true for a localchurch.
(02:12):
Today, some churches that onceboldly proclaimed God's word and
sent missionaries around theworld and regularly saw people
come to Christ, and now they'rehardly more than places for
religious and social gatherings.
They didn't lose their music,they didn't lose their
buildings, they didn't losetheir programs, they lost their
(02:34):
purpose.
And Providence Church,especially if you're a member or
a regular attendee, and ifyou're a guest this morning,
you're coming for the firsttime, you're really getting in
on the first message of a seriesthat's really going to be
foundational for us as a churchas we continue to move forward
in the life of ProvidenceChurch.
Our why is not a mystery.
We are here because of thegospel, the good news of what
(02:58):
God has done through the life,death, and resurrection of his
son Jesus Christ to save sinnersand make them his own.
And the truth is, we don't justneed the gospel to begin the
Christian life, we need it tosustain us every step of the
way.
And we don't proclaim it just tounbelievers, those who are lost.
(03:20):
We preach it to ourselves and wepreach it to each other.
The gospel is not just one sliceof the pie, it is the oven in
which the whole pie is baked.
That's why, over the nextseveral weeks, we're going to
walk through this series (03:35):
The Gospel at the Center.
We're going to explore God'sword, why the gospel must remain
central in our preaching andteaching and our discipleship,
our worship, our relationshipswith each other and the world,
our mission and our future as achurch.
(03:57):
So we're starting today with ourtheme verses, Romans 16 and 17.
These verses that really couldbe called the Apostle Paul's
personal mission statement.
Put your eyes back on it again.
He writes and he says, For I amnot ashamed of the gospel of
Christ, for it is the power ofGod to salvation for everyone
(04:20):
who believes, the Jew first, andalso for the Greek.
We'll stop with verse 16 fornow.
This one verse will set the tonefor everything else we're going
to discuss in this series.
And it calls us to becourageous, to be clear, to be
confident, and to be committed.
And if we keep the gospel at thecenter, oh, we might not always
(04:41):
be the biggest or the mostpopular church, but we will be a
faithful one.
And that's what matters most toGod.
That's what matters most to God.
So let's see, just for the nextfew minutes, what it really
means to be unashamed of thegospel.
What does it mean to beunashamed of the gospel?
Well, the first thing we noticein verse 16 is we notice the
(05:02):
gospel's boldness, not ashamed.
The Apostle Paul begins hisstatement with this very
surprising declaration.
He says, I am not ashamed of thegospel of Christ.
Now, why start there?
That's a good question.
Why start there?
Because in the Apostle Paul'sworld, the gospel wasn't a
message that naturally drewapplause or approval.
(05:23):
In fact, it was a stumblingblock, he called it, to the
Jews, and foolishness to theGentiles.
He writes that in 1 Corinthianschapter 1, verse 23.
Stumbling block to the Jews,foolishness to the Gentiles.
The Jews expected a Messiah whowould overthrow Rome and restore
political power to Israel.
(05:45):
They didn't expect a Messiah whowould be a crucified carpenter
from Nazareth.
The Gentiles valued philosophyand education and strength and
not worshiping a man who hadbeen executed by crucifixion as
if a criminal.
However, and humanly speaking,the Apostle Paul had every
(06:06):
reason to feel tempted to beashamed.
I mean, the gospel didn't matchthe cultural expectations of
success.
It opposed human pride.
It challenged people to admittheir sin and turn away from it
and surrender their lives to acrucified and risen Lord.
(06:27):
And yet the apostle Paul says, Iam not ashamed.
He doesn't hold back, he doesn'ttry to make the gospel more
socially acceptable.
He openly proclaims the messageof the cross without hiding
behind vague spiritual words.
He stands in the marketplace, inthe synagogues, before kings and
(06:49):
before governors, and he clearlystates, Jesus Christ is Lord,
and apart from him there is nosalvation.
I wonder this morning if werealize just how tempting it is
in our day to be ashamed of thegospel.
I mean, not in obvious waysalways, but in subtle ones.
(07:09):
We shouldn't be ashamed to talkabout Christ, even if we're
worried about being called,well, too religious.
They're too religious.
We shouldn't feel ashamed toactually call for repentance
just because it might makeothers uncomfortable.
And that's even in the churchlife.
(07:30):
We should feel ashamed, though,when we make the church or even
our own life as a Christianprimarily about satisfying felt
needs.
Instead of proclaiming the onlymessage that can meet our
deepest need, and that'sreconciliation with God.
That's our deepest need.
(07:50):
Now, being unashamed doesn'tmean being obnoxious.
It doesn't mean being rude.
It doesn't mean being hateful inhow you do things.
It means being so confident inthe truth and the power of the
gospel that we refuse to hideit, we refuse to water it down,
and we refuse to substitute itwith something else.
(08:13):
Why are people ashamed of thegospel?
Well, I'd say, first of all,it's because it confronts sin.
The gospel reminds us that weare sinners who need rescue.
And that humility can be hard toaccept.
And not everyone wants to hearit.
Also, it offends human wisdom.
(08:37):
The idea that salvation comesthrough faith in a crucified man
appears weak and very foolish toa world that values
self-reliance.
And also, it divides.
The gospel makes a very cleardistinction.
Those who genuinely believe thegospel are saved, while those
(08:58):
who reject it remain under God'sjudgment.
But here, listen, Providence,here is why we can be unashamed.
First of all, because it's true.
It's true.
And we'll talk more about thatnext week.
The gospel isn't just a theory,it's based on the historical
events of Jesus' death andresurrection.
But also we can be unashamedbecause it's powerful.
(09:22):
We'll see that in the next partof the verse, that it is the
power of God.
But also we can be unashamedbecause it is our calling.
God has chosen us.
He's chosen to make his appealto the world through us,
according to 2 Corinthians 5.20.
We're to be an ambassador, anambassador.
And so if we want to keep thegospel at the center of our
(09:44):
church, Providence Church, thenwe have to be unashamed in both
our corporate and our personalwitness.
Both.
Our corporate witness and ourpersonal witness.
Corporately, that means thatevery ministry, every method,
every event must make the gospelvisible and clear.
We're not here just to manageprograms.
(10:06):
We're here to proclaim Jesus.
Also, personally, I think eachof us should ask, where have I
been hesitant?
Where have I been silent aboutthe gospel?
Because being unashamed mightactually mean having that
conversation, that hardconversation with a friend.
(10:29):
It might mean inviting acoworker to church.
It could mean sharing yourtestimony with a family member.
Because boldness isn't aboutpersonality, it's about
conviction.
It's about believing that thegospel is worth proclaiming no
matter the cost.
(10:51):
Paul didn't say, I'm not ashamedbecause I'm naturally fearless.
He didn't say that.
Instead, he said, I'm notashamed because I know what this
message is and what it can do.
And so if we're going to fulfillthe mission that God has given
us individually and as a church,we have to decide now.
We have to decide before theridicule, before the rejection,
(11:14):
before the pressure, that wewill not be ashamed of the
gospel.
Because the moment we hide it,the moment we dilute it, the
moment we replace it, we beginto drift.
But when we stand on it andspeak it with conviction and
compassion, God uses it to givelife.
And that's the boldness of thegospel.
(11:37):
But we also need to see that ourboldness comes from
understanding what the gospeltruly is and what it can do.
Because in this verse we alsosee the gospel's power.
The power of God for salvation.
Paul says, for it is the powerof God to salvation.
That is why Paul is unashamed.
He's not just passionate aboutthe gospel because it's
(11:58):
interesting, or because it's apersonal preference, or because
it worked for him.
No, he's unashamed because thegospel is the power of God.
Not just any power, not partialpower, not a potential power
that needs something added.
It is the power of God forsalvation.
(12:19):
Now, the word the Apostle Pauluses for power is the Greek word
dunymus, from which we get ourword dynamite.
But the Apostle Paul isn'ttalking about a destructive
explosion here.
He's describing a divine powerthat gives life, that breaks the
grip of sin, that overcomesdeath, and restores all things.
(12:43):
And so we need to understandthis.
The gospel doesn't require us toimprove it, doesn't require us
to upgrade it, doesn't requireus to make it more attractive,
it doesn't get its power fromour eloquence or our creativity
or our persuasiveness.
Yes, our methods can be helpful,but they don't save.
Our personalities might opendoors, but they can't bring dead
(13:06):
hearts to life.
Our programs might meet needs,but they cannot reconcile a
sinner with God.
Only the gospel accomplishesthat.
Only the gospel.
It's God's power that transformssomeone who is spiritually dead
into life in Christ.
(13:28):
What does salvation mean?
Power of God unto salvation.
What does salvation mean?
Sometimes I think we use theword so often that we forget its
true meaning.
Biblically, salvation is muchmore than just going to heaven
when we die.
It includes, I mean, think aboutthis.
It includes rescue from thepenalty of sin.
(13:50):
We are justified and we aredeclared righteous before God
because of Christ's finishedwork on the cross, dying for our
sin, and rising from the dead.
Rescue from the penalty of sin.
But it's also freedom from thepower of sin.
When we're born again and webelieve the gospel, the Holy
Spirit lives within side of us,empowering us to say no to sin
(14:13):
and yes to righteousness.
But also it's hope for freedomfrom sin's presence.
We sang about it this morning inmore than one song.
One day, one day in glory, therewill be no more sin, no more
death, no more curse.
And so the gospel is God's powerto accomplish all of that, not
(14:34):
through human effort, but byGod's grace, through faith in
Jesus Christ.
And that truth changes the waywe think about our mission as a
Christian and as a church.
We don't meet on Sundays to givemotivational talks to inspire
people for a few days.
(14:56):
We don't exist to offer moralimprovement plans that help
people be better.
We don't even gather tosocialize, although that's part
of it, and we do have goodfellowship and enjoy each other.
We don't gather to socialize orto fill a calendar.
We are here this morning becausethe gospel saves.
(15:17):
The gospel saves.
It changes a person's eternity,it transforms the heart of a
person, and it redirects thecourse of a family.
It influences how we live, itinfluences how we love, it
influences how we forgive, itinfluences how we persevere.
And so that means our confidencein ministry and serving the Lord
(15:38):
isn't based on the slickness ofour services, not on the beauty
of our building or the strengthof our budget.
Our confidence rests in God'spower to work through his
gospel.
Let me give you two quickrealities of this power.
The gospel changes even thehardest hearts.
(16:01):
The Apostle Paul himself showsthis.
I mean, he's a former persecutorof the church who became its
greatest missionary.
And I've seen over the years,I've seen people who seem so far
from God.
I'm talking about cold andresistant, even hostile, even
through the life of this church,since Providence has been in
existence.
(16:22):
They've come to faith in Jesus,though, because someone loved
them enough to share the gospel.
And the gospel changed theirheartheart.
But I've also seen the gospelheal the broken.
I've seen marriages on the brinkof falling apart, restored as
spouses surrendered to Christand his word.
(16:44):
I've seen people, I've witnessedpeople enslaved by addiction
find freedom because the gospeldidn't just forgive them, it
transformed them.
It changed them.
And so if we believe this verse,then our strategy as a church
and as individual believers isactually simple.
(17:04):
And that is proclaim the gospelclearly, live the gospel
consistently, and trust thegospel completely.
That's our strategy.
And that's why whether we'reteaching children in kids'
ministry, aren't you gratefulfor workers who are over there
right now?
And they'll do it again in thesecond hour.
(17:26):
And some of you rotate and are apart of that process and that
schedule.
Thank you for doing that.
So whether we're teaching kidsin children in kids' ministry or
leading a Bible fellowship grouplike it's happening now, will
happen again, whether we'reserving on a ministry team or
whether we're preaching from thepulpit, we must keep the gospel
front and center.
Front and center.
(17:46):
Because if we ever replace itwith entertainment, if we ever
replace it with tradition, if weever replace it with self-help,
oh, we might keep people busyand we might boost their
self-esteem, but we won't seethe power of God at work.
We won't see the power of God atwork.
(18:08):
And this also means for youpersonally, that the same gospel
that saved you is the gospelthat sustained you.
The power of the gospel, thepower of God in the gospel is
not only a past event, it isyour current strength and it's
your future hope.
What I mean by this, think aboutit this way: when you're
fighting sin, when you'rebattling sin, the gospel reminds
(18:31):
you Christ has already defeatedthis, walk in his victory.
Yeah.
When you're feeling unworthy,the gospel says, Christ's
righteousness is yours.
You are accepted in him.
You're accepted in him.
When you fear the future, thegospel promises Christ is risen,
(18:53):
you have eternal life.
And so the Apostle Paul here isunashamed because he knows that
the gospel is neither weak orfragile or outdated.
And we must be unashamed aswell.
It's the power of God forsalvation to everyone who
believes.
Which brings us to the nextreason we can be unashamed.
(19:16):
Look at that part of the verse.
And what we see here is thegospel's scope for everyone who
believes.
He says, the power of God tosalvation for everyone who
believes, for the Jew first, andalso for the Greek.
That small phrase for everyonewho believes is packed with
meaning.
(19:36):
It reveals two truthssimultaneously.
One is the gospel is bothexclusive and the gospel is
inclusive.
Exclusive in the sense thatfaith in Christ is the only way.
The phrase everyone who believesindicates that the power of the
gospel is not automatic.
(19:59):
It does not apply to those whoonly hear it, admire it, or even
agree that it's a good idea.
The power of the gospel savesonly those who believe.
Only those who believe.
Those who personally repent andtrust in Jesus Christ as Savior
(20:20):
and Lord.
Now this challenges ourculture's belief, obviously,
that all roads lead to God, orthat sincerity is enough.
But the Bible is clear.
Salvation comes throughbelieving the gospel, not
through religious effort, notthrough moral achievement, and
not through spiritual sentiment.
(20:42):
Jesus himself said in John 14,6, I am the way, the truth, and
the life, and no one comes tothe Father except through me.
So that's the exclusivity of thegospel.
But then you also see that it'sinclusive.
The gospel is for all peoples.
The Apostle Paul states here,it's for everyone who believes,
(21:02):
Jew and Greek.
That's a quick way of saying,all people everywhere.
For the Jew first, because God'ssaving plan started with his
covenant people, Old TestamentIsrael, and the promises made to
them.
But then he also says, also forthe Greeks, that's meaning all
(21:23):
non-Jews.
So if you're in his mind, so ifyou are not ethnically Jewish in
this room this morning, that'syou as well.
Which that's the Apostle Paul'scontext.
He's referring to the rest ofthe world.
This is incredibly inclusive.
Incredibly inclusive.
The gospel, it's so wonderful.
The gospel breaks down barriersof ethnicity, of culture, of
(21:47):
social class, and of background.
It doesn't matter.
Look, it doesn't matter if yougrew up in Sunday school or if
you've never opened a Bible.
It doesn't matter if your pastis respectable or if it's filled
with public failures.
If you genuinely believe in andon Jesus, you are saved.
That's inclusive.
(22:08):
And that ought to shape, thattruth should shape the way we
see our mission.
The gospel is for the retiree,for the single mom who is
working to make ends meet, forthe business owner, for the
recovering addict, for thetourist who visits our community
for the weekend, the child inthe classrooms, the person who
(22:31):
doesn't look like us, think likeus, or believe like us.
Listen, we can't claim to begospel-centered if we're not
willing to share it with anyoneGod puts in our path.
So let me ask you who in yourlife, who in your life have you
silently excluded from your mindfrom the reach of the gospel?
(22:56):
Maybe you're thinking, oh,they'd never listened.
Or they've gone too far.
There's no hope for them.
Or they wouldn't fit in here.
Listen, the apostle Paul wouldsay, no, that's exactly the kind
(23:17):
of person the gospel is for.
If God's power can save aPharisee turned persecutor like
Paul, it can save anyone.
If it can save me, it can saveanyone.
And if it can save you, well,there's hope, right?
There's hope.
(23:38):
There's hope.
But it also reminds us thatthere's no plan B for salvation.
That's what this verse remindsus of.
No plan B for salvation.
If someone doesn't believe thegospel, they remain lost.
No matter how moral or spiritualor religious they may seem.
Now that's not popular to say,but it's what the Bible teaches.
(24:00):
And if that's true, then wecan't just stay silent.
If we truly believe the gospelis for anyone who believes, then
we will pray for open doors, wewill engage in converse in
gospel conversations, and wewill seek to connect with people
beyond our comfort zones.
(24:23):
And so that means that ourministries, our outreach, and
our personal lives really mustbe marked by gospel openness.
We never want to give theimpression, whether
intentionally orunintentionally, that this
church is only for a certainkind of person.
(24:47):
The gospel is for everyone whobelieves.
That's the scope of the gospel.
That's why we invest inmissions.
You see these flags representingcountries.
And that's not all of them.
That's why we invest inmissions.
That's why we welcome guestswith genuine hospitality.
It's not put on, it's not phony,it's real.
(25:09):
That's why we keep pointingpeople not to ourselves, but to
Christ.
Because we don't have anythingto give in ourselves.
But what the gospel has iseverything that's truly
important.
Well, let's look at that.
The last verse 17.
What we come to in verse 17 isthe gospel centerpiece, right
here.
It's the centerpiece, it's therighteousness of God revealed.
(25:32):
He says in verse 17, for in itthe righteousness of God is
revealed from faith to faith.
As it is written, the just shalllive by faith.
This is the core of the gospel.
This is the truth that made theApostle Paul unashamed and that
has shaped history.
So what does the righteousnessof God mean?
(25:53):
In this context, the ApostlePaul isn't just thinking about
God's attribute of beingrighteous, although that's true,
but also he's thinking about therighteousness that God gives to
sinners.
The righteousness that God givesto sinners.
Because the gospel shows howguilty, condemned people can be
(26:13):
declared righteous before a holyGod.
Not by earning it, but byreceiving it through faith in
Jesus.
That's what theologians calljustification.
That's the term.
Justification.
We don't earn righteousness.
It's credited to us by Godthrough saving faith in Jesus.
(26:34):
God does not accept ourgoodness, but he accepts
Christ's perfect obedience andhis sacrificial death on our
behalf.
On the cross, our sin wascharged to Christ, and his
righteousness is credited to us.
And so listen, listen, thatmeans when God looks at you,
(26:56):
believer, when he looks at you,he doesn't see a polished
version of your old self.
He sees the perfect record ofhis son credited to your
account.
Isn't that a wonderful thing?
The perfect record of his soncredited to your account.
And so if we lose, look, if welose the truth of justification
(27:16):
by faith in Jesus, then we losethe gospel.
We lose the good news.
If we lose the truth ofjustification by faith in Jesus,
we lose the gospel.
Because without it, salvationrelies on human effort.
It relies on your effort.
And Christ's death becomesunnecessary.
(27:40):
Without it, assurance isimpossible.
You'll never know if you've doneenough.
And without it, the glory movesfrom God to us.
But with the gospel, withjustification by faith, because
of faith in Jesus, the gospelthen becomes wonderfully clear.
(28:01):
And that is that God savessinners entirely by his grace
through faith because of Christ.
The Apostle Paul says here thatthis righteousness is revealed
from faith to faith.
Meaning the entire Christianlife from start to finish is a
life of faith.
And we finish with faith,trusting him to lead us safely
(28:26):
home.
And this truth must remain thecenterpiece of everything we do.
In preaching and in witnessing,we must continually direct
people to Christ'srighteousness, not moral
self-improvement.
In our own discipleship, we musthelp one another anchor our
(28:48):
identity in what Christ hasdone.
Not in our performance.
SPEAKER_00 (28:59):
Thanks for tuning in to the Foundations of Truth
podcast with Pastor Timothy Mannfrom Prophet's Church in Orman
Beach, Florida.
Join us next time at thebuilding, keep building your
life on Eternal Truth.
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