We’ve been reading through the Bible in two years as a congregation since January 2008, and we are currently in Romans, so I wanted to share with you a message based on this incredible book.  For my money, Romans 8 is the greatest chapter in the whole Bible, and the letter to the church in Rome is one of the best descriptions of the Christian faith.  This morning, let’s read chapter 1, verses 8-17.

Romans 1:8-17 - First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.  ⁹ God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you  ¹⁰ in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.  ¹¹ I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong--  ¹² that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.  ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.  ¹⁴ I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.  ¹⁵ That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.  ¹⁶ I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.  ¹⁷ For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Paul writes this letter to the church in Rome, and in v. 16-17 he gives what amounts atto a summary statement of the whole letter.  This morning I want to focus especially on v. 16: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:  first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”  This is one of those verses that you measure yourself by and see where you stand.  This verse is especially important to reflect upon because the culture in which we live gives you every reason to be ashamed of the gospel, just as Paul’s culture did for him.  To be ashamed of something or someone is to be embarrassed to be associated with it.  Teens don’t want to be seen in public with their parents because they’re ashamed of how uncool they are, and many times Christians do not want to be known as Christians or talk about their faith because they are ashamed of it for various reasons. 

Paul had every reason to be ashamed of the gospel in his culture, and we have just as many reasons today.  But in spite of that, Paul was able to declare “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”  Paul was able to preach and live out the gospel regardless of how men viewed him or what they did to him.  And my prayer this morning is that God would transform us into a people who are not ashamed of the gospel.

So, I’d like to look first at what the gospel is, share why we have reason to be ashamed in today’s culture, and how we can be like Paul, a people who are not ashamed.