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3.It means: Humility before the MasterA servant places himself under his master. He would never usurp authority thatwas not his, but would submit. His master was the supreme authority in his life.Sometimes a servant would be asked to do very humiliating tasks (EX: washingthe feet of guests - cp. Jesus' example: Jn. 13:4-15 - "Ye call me Master and Lord:and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed yourfeet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet." (v. 13, 14).If Jesus were here today, would you wash His feet? Remember, you serve Christby serving His children.We as Christ's servants must be humble before Him."The servant is not greater than his Lord" (Jn. 13:16).Paul said to the Ephesian believers that he was with them at all seasons, "servingthe Lord with all humility of mind. . ." (Acts 20:19).4.It means: Obedience to the MasterMt. 8:9 - Centurion said, "I say to my servant, Do this' and he doeth it."A servant was one who was totally and unreservedly obligated to obey his master.He always and only does his will. He has no choice but to obey.His attitude is just as important as his action (SEE Eph. 6:5-7).We as Christ's servants have no choice but to obey our Master.As a servant of Christ, I must tell you only what my Master says (not be a manpleaser - Romans 16:17-18; Gal. 1:10).And all of us must do what our Master says.B.He Understood God's Call on His Life (v. 1b, 5)1.God called a specific man (v. 1b)"An Apostle" a sent one.General sense: a messenger sent by God with a message.Official sense: Paul had the office of an apostle. He was, as it were, "one born outof due time" (I Cor. 15:5-8). he was commissioned by Christ Himself (Acts 9:15;Gal. 1:1; Acts 26:14-18; Jn. 6:70); was an ear and eye witness of the resurrectedChrist; had special guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, 15:26); and Godconfirmed his authority by signs and miracles (Acts 2:43; II Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3Page # 9www.StudyGodsWord.com , Faith Baptist Church, NYNo part of this material may be sold or published without the written permission of Vincent Sawyer

4)."Separated" - to draw a line around something; to mark off boundaries; to makedistinct. God specifically separated Paul "from his mother's womb" (Gal. 1:15),from the world and sin (Acts 9:15), and from the brethren at Antioch (Acts 13:3)for a specific work.2.To do a specific task (v. 1b, 5)Paul had a unique calling. God said of Paul: "He is a chosen vessel unto me, tobear my Name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel."God chooses specific individuals to do a specific job even today!God gives gifts to men today (Eph. 4:8) and gives churches pastors and teachers(v. 11)."But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hathpleased Him." (I Cor. 12:18).God does not call us in the same way as He called Paul, but He calls us to do aspecific task as we simply obey the Word of God and keep a tender heart to Hisleading (Prov. 3:5, 6; Acts 13:1ff).God saved you for a purpose besides merely having Heaven as your home. He hasa job for you to do that will go undone if you don't do it.--God saved all of us to be witnesses.--God saved all of us to be ministers.In this local body, many needs go unmet because of some who are not doing whatGod has joined us together to do.II. PAUL'S VIEWPOINT OF THE GOSPEL (v. 2-4)A.The Good News Was Not New News (v. 2)Paul is letting the Roman believers know right away that the Gospel he preached (andwould now write about) was not his own.Paul further explains it in this book, but it was no novelty with Paul (contrary to thebeliefs of ultradispensationalists).The Gospel was no after-thought of God but was planned "before the foundation of theworld" (I Pet. 1:19, 20; Rev. 13:8).Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 promised Christ's substitutionary death.Psalm 2:7 and 16:10 promised Christ's resurrection.Christ's work for mankind is foreshadowed all throughout the O.T. (Abraham's offeringPage # 10www.StudyGodsWord.com , Faith Baptist Church, NYNo part of this material may be sold or published without the written permission of Vincent Sawyer

up of Isaac; the various O.T. sacrifices, etc.).NOTE: High emphasis is on the authority and distinctiveness of Scriptures - "Holywritings."B.The Good News Centered Around the Person of Jesus Christ (v. 3-4)His Name: His Son - points to Jesus' unique relationship to the Father ("only begotten" "one of a kind").Jesus Savior; delivererChrist Messiah; anointed KingOur Lord His exalted position. He is master. He is YAHWEH!"Our Lord" - God's Son is my Lord. He identified Himself with me by becomingincarnate.1.Jesus became man (His humanity - v. 3).Christ's genealogy or lineage (as far as his physical body is concerned) goes backthrough David (Mt. 1:1; Jn. 1:14; I Tim. 2:8; Rev. 22:16).NOTE: "Made" - does not refer to new existence but new form of existence (Jn.1:14; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2:7).Christ had to become man to die for men.Rom. 5 - he is the "second Adam."I Jn. 4:2 - "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth thatJesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God."2.Jesus was proven to be divine (His deity) (v. 4)Christ's death seemed to be weakness, but His resurrection revealed His power!As the reference to Christ's flesh points to His humanity (in v. 3), the reference toHis "Spirit of holiness" points to His divinity."In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9).The words: "Spirit" and "holiness" describe the essence of God (Jn. 4:24; 17:11).Only God is spirit; only God is holy in and of Himself. Jesus Christ is God theSon!The Gospel is one word - Jesus!Mt. 1:21 - "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:for he shall save his people from their sins."Keep Christ central in your witness (I Cor. 2:2).III. PAUL'S VIEWPOINT OF OTHERS (V. 6-7)A.He Respected God's Relationship to Other Believers(v. 6-7a)1.Every believer has received the same invitationPage # 11www.StudyGodsWord.com , Faith Baptist Church, NYNo part of this material may be sold or published without the written permission of Vincent Sawyer

"Called" - invited unto salvation.God invites all! (cp. v. 5)"The ground is level at the foot of the cross" - God's invitation is an openinvitation.2.Every believer is equally loved by God"Beloved of God" - because we are "accepted in the beloved" (Jesus Christ - Eph.1:6), we "all" who are in Christ are God's beloved!Paul knew that although he was an apostle, he was not loved any more thananyone else.When you do or say something against a fellow Christian, remember, you arestriking a blow at someone God loves dearly.3.Every believer is a saint"Called to be saints" - Every believer is a holy one; a set-apart one unto God.Never look down upon any fellow-believer.--They have been invited to Jesus Christ like you were.--They are an object of God's love, like you.--They are set apart from sin and damnation unto God, just like you are.B.He Desired God's Best For Other Believers (v. 7b)1.Grace - the Source of God's blessing.The best thing you could ever wish on someone is the grace of God. Evenbelievers need His unmerited favor.2.Peace - the Sum of God's blessing.Peace is the result of grace.Calling upon God for salvation brings peace with God.Calling upon God for help brings the peace of God (Phil. 4:6-7).Page # 12www.StudyGodsWord.com , Faith Baptist Church, NYNo part of this material may be sold or published without the written permission of Vincent Sawyer

Section 2: ROMANS 1:8-17"PASS IT ON"Theme and Outline of Romans 1:8-17*We must pass on to others the Good News of God!Be challenged by the example of Paul.I.II.III.IV.Passing on the Good News to others was:A PRAYER REQUEST OF PAUL (v. 8-10)A.The Cause of His Prayer (v. 8)B.The Continuity of His Prayer (v. 9)C.The Content of His Prayer (v. 10)Passing on the Good News to others was:A PASSIONATE DESIRE OF PAUL (v. 11-13)A.When we pass on what God has given to us, others arestrengthened (v. 11)B.When we pass on what God has given to us, others areencouraged (v. 12)Passing on the Good News to others was:A BINDING DUTY TO PAUL (v. 14-15)Passing on the Good News to others was:NOT AN EMBARRASSMENT TO PAUL (v. 16-17)INTRODUCTION:Example: The four lepers who found the abandoned Syrian treasure. While they were enjoying it andhiding it away for themselves, they said to each other, "We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings,and we hold our peace" (II Ki. 7:9).*We must pass on to others the Good News of God!Be challenged by the example of Paul.Passing on the Good News to others was:I.A PRAYER REQUEST OF PAUL (v. 8-10)A.The Cause of His Prayer (v. 8)God receives the credit (the thanks) whenever our testimony goes forth (NOTE: Paul-Page # 13www.StudyGodsWord.com , Faith Baptist Church, NYNo part of this material may be sold or published without the written permission of Vincent Sawyer

rather than praising the Romans for their faith--praises God for their faith. Remember,even our faith is a gift of God [Eph. 2:8] and when we share it and others are convictedand converted by our witness, God still gets the glory!).We are to ask (make request) in Jesus' name (through Jesus Christ - Jn. 14:14, 15:16,16:23), and we should also thank the Father through (by means of) Christ.Someone who is truly saved cannot hide it. It will be known. The evidence (fruit) will beunavoidable.B.The Continuity of His Prayer (v. 9)To call God to be your witness shows the sincerity of your statement.Your spiritual service must flow from your spirit.Our service must never be motivated or energized by the flesh but by the Holy Spirit whoworks in conjunction with our spirit.Paul prayed non-stop for the Romans. This does not mean 24 hours a day, but habituallythrough the day and week.C.The Content of His Prayer (v. 10)Paul prayed that God would open the door for him to go to Rome. His request wasunselfish (v. 11).Even though Paul had right motives, even though he wanted to be a blessing to theRomans, he still was dependent upon the will of God. Whenever you pray, always askGod to do His will.Don't force God's will. Don't be disappointed when God does not answer right away(even when it is a noble, God-honoring cause you are striving to do).God has a reason for the delay in answering your prayer (cp. v. 13b).Paul did not merely pray that God would give spiritual understanding and growth to theRomans, he prayed that he would be the one God would use to do it.Paul was one who was willing to put "feet to his prayers."It's relatively easy to ask God to do something. It's not so easy to ask God to do it throughyou.It's not too demanding to pray:1."Lord, save my parents, neighbor, friends, etc."2."God, meet the spiritual needs of."Page # 14www.StudyGodsWord.com , Faith Baptist Church, NYNo part of this material may be sold or published without the written permission of Vincent Sawyer

3."Father, strengthen the faith of."What we fail to do is to pray:1."Lord, use me to witness to."2."God, give me the opportunity to help."3."Father, open the doors for me to strengthen the faith of."It is hypocritical to pray that God would meet the needs of others, when you have theability and opportunity to do so yourself.EX: To pray, "Lord, send forth laborers into your harvest field" (Mt. 9:38) and to not bewilling to go yourself cannot be a sincere (from the heart) request.Our prayer should be (as the hymnwriter said): "Lord, make me an instrument of yourpeace "Passing on the Good News to Others was:II. A PASSIONATE DESIRE OF PAUL (v. 11-13)v. 11"I long to see you" - I have a continual, strong, compelling, desire to see you.Paul's desire to see the Romans was not for selfish reasons (ILLUS: of wanting to go on vacationor visit people for selfish reasons).He wanted to see them for the purpose that he might share with them something that God gavehim."Gift" the result of grace.Paul knew that everything he had was a result of grace. It was given him by God. So he thought"why be selfish with it. I want to pass it on! I want others to be blessed with what God has givenme.""Impart . . . some spiritual gift" - What was it?Whatever it was, its purpose was to strengthen them ("established")Whatever it was, it would encourage their faith (v. 12)Whatever it was, it evidently involved the proclamation of the Gospel (v. 15).Therefore, the spiritual gift that Paul wanted to share was doctrinal in nature. It involvedpreaching about various facets of the glorious Gospel (v. 15), which would strengthen their faith.Page # 15www.StudyGodsWord.com , Faith Baptist Church, NYNo part of this material may be sold or published without the written permission of Vincent Sawyer

A.When we pass on what God has given to us, others are strengthened (v.11)Paul's goal in sharing the blessings that God gave him was so that the Roman Christiansmight be established (strengthened) by God (passive verb) in their faith.He lived for the spiritual advancement of others.The spiritual strength of others should be our concern. Paul was not one who merely livedfor his own strength (fortitude).Rather, he received strength by giving of his strength (NOTE: mutual encouragement isthe result - v. 12).The sowing and reaping principle applies to all areas of life. You sow hard work, you reapsuccess. You sow into other's lives, your reap in your own. You give of your strength sothat others will be strengthened, and you will find that God will give back to you.Everything we learn about God's grace, we should desire to tell others (like a person whowould find the cure for cancer, or like a person who found a buried treasure).Paul's overwhelming desire was to give for the spiritual benefit of others. He wanted togive of himself. Is that your desire?B.When we pass on what God has given to us, others are encouraged (v.12)When we are used to strengthen someone's faith, we are encouraged and they areencouraged.No one is beyond the need of encouragement. Not even the Apostle Paul. We receiveencouragement when we see living faith in others. And they are encouraged when theysee it in us.The evidenced faith of a new convert encourages those who are mature in the Lord. Andthe faith of those who are mature encourages the baby Christian. We need each other.We need to see each other's faith in word and deed. Don't hide what you believe - Let itshine!v. 13"I purposed to come" I had it on my agenda. It was a goal that was "set in front" of myvision. Paul is saying: "I had every intention to come but was hindered."Page # 16www.StudyGodsWord.com , Faith Baptist Church, NYNo part of this material may be sold or published without the written permission of Vincent Sawyer

How many times did you intend to do something that you thought was God's will, butwere hindered?Paul had an eager, zealous, desire to preach the good news to the Romans (v. 15), but wasstopped from going there.Paul had been arrested (Acts 21), tried by the Sanhedrin (Acts 23), by deputy Felix (Acts24). He was then imprisoned for 2 years and then gave his defense before Festus (Acts25) and to Agrippa (Acts 26) before appealing to Caesar (Acts 26:32).On his way to Rome as a prisoner, he was shipwrecked (Acts 27). And when he finallyarrived at Rome, he was for two years under house arrest (Acts 28:30). But God had apurpose in his being hindered - it was so he would have fruit among other Gentiles (v.13b).Passing on the Good News to Others was:III. A BINDING DUTY TO PAUL (v. 14-15)Verse 14 is tied to the end of verse 13 because Paul is saying, "I wanted to come to you at Rome,but God had others besides you that He wanted me to share the gospel with (v. 13), because I ama debtor to all" (v. 14)."I am debtor" I am under a binding obligation.ILLUS: of the trillion dollar debt of USA. ILLUS: of credit card debts, unpaid bills, etc.Debts must be paid, no option.Are you as conscientious about paying a debt tot hose who don't know Christ as you are in payingyour phone, electric, and gas bills?For Paul, spreading the Gospel was an obligation, not an option.Paul saw himself as a debtor to all cultures and all classes. To: Greeks - wise (educated)Barbarians - unwise (uneducated)The Barbarians were called this because of how their language sounded when it was spoken. to aGreek, this speaking sounded like they were saying: "Brrr-Brrr" (idle chatter).I Cor. 9:16 - "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid uponme; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!"Paul knew that if he did not pay his debt he would be guilty of crime and would stand before GodPage # 17www.StudyGodsWord.com , Faith Baptist Church, NYNo part of this material may be sold or published without the written permission of Vincent Sawyer

with bloody hands.Acts 20:26, 27 - "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of allmen. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God."(cp. Ezek. 3:18)ILLUS: If you were starving to death, living in poverty, etc., and someone gave you a milliondollars that you didn't earn or deserve and said, "I want you to go tell others that I have the samething for everyone who comes to me, wouldn't you feel a bit obligated to pass the news on?"So" Because of my debt . . ."I am eager to preach the Gospel . . ."Paul was one who was eager to pay his debts.Jeremiah said: "Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name.But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary withforbearing, and I could not stay." (Jer. 20:9)Elihu said: "For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me. Behold, my belly is aswine which hath not vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles." (Job 32:18-19)Passing on the Good News to Others was:IV. NOT AN EMBARRASSMENT TO PAUL (v. 16-17)To be "ashamed" means - to have a feeling of fear or shame which prevents a person from doingsomething. To be embarrassed, humiliated, or blush because of something you did that othersview as wrong.The only thing we should be ashamed of if sin (immorality)! (cp. Titus 2:8)1.No one should be ashamed of "good news" (this is what the gospel is!)Paul said to Timothy: "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the

Romans 1:17 is the thesis statement (theme) of the book of Romans. Romans 1:17 For therein (In the Gospel) is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall