Not Ashamed

Folks, turn back with me in your Bibles to Romans and chapter 1 for a short time this morning,

! And with the Lord's help, let's see what we might glean from it.

If you'll permit me, let me begin by asking a question, particularly perhaps to those of you who would profess Jesus as Lord.

How many people have you spoken to about Jesus this week?

Not how many church services have you attended, not how many podcasts have you listened to,

not how many Bible verses or passages have you read, but how many people have you shared the gospel with this week?

How many people have you articulated your faith or the truth about Jesus to in the past number of days?

I'm sure, like me, for many of us, that question makes us uncomfortable.

Because we know the gospel and we love the gospel.

We know that the gospel has changed our lives and transformed our experiences.

And yet so often, when the opportunity arises, we struggle to take up these opportunities.

Why? Well, for a variety of reasons.

We might think that the scenario in which we find ourselves isn't conducive to sharing or articulating our faith.

Maybe we're afraid of saying the wrong thing or tripping over our words or being questioned for the things that we say.

Perhaps we're worried about what people may think.

They might think that we're narrow-minded or bigoted or old-fashioned or maybe just simply strange.

We live in a culture where faith is often expected to remain a private faith, a personal and a private faith.

And we're speaking openly of Christ Jesus and the great hope that is ours in and through his gospel comes at great cost to ourselves.

And therefore, it's easy or becomes easy for us to remain silent.

Now, the remarkable thing about that is that it's not a new struggle.

It's not a struggle that is confined to modern-day Scotland.

Paul, as we've just been reading, is preparing, longing to come to preach the gospel in Rome,

in the heart of the greatest and strongest, most powerful empire on the earth.

Now, what do we know of Rome?

We know that Rome celebrated power and wealth and status and philosophy and military might.

So, the message of a crucified Jewish savior might sound a little weak, perhaps a little foolish,

maybe even offensive to the power of Rome.

If anybody had good reason to remain silent, it's surely Paul as he enters into that arena.

And yet, as we read in verse 16 of Romans chapter 1, after he's alluded to the fact that he longs to come to the people in Rome,

Romans 1 · chapter mention

he says,

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,

to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

An amazing statement, a bold statement for Paul to make,

made all the more amazing when we consider the experience that Paul himself has had up until this point.

When Paul was first saved and taken to Damascus,

he had to sneak over the wall to escape persecution because of the gospel.

He was stoned and left for dead in the town of Lystra because he preached the gospel.

Later, he was jailed in the city of Philippi because he preached the gospel.

He was chased out of Thessalonica for preaching the gospel.

He was laughed at in Athens for preaching the gospel.

He was assaulted and arrested in Jerusalem for preaching the gospel.

And so when we consider all of these encounters, all of these realities for the apostle Paul,

it would be very easy for Paul to say,

Well, I'm going to Rome and after all that I've experienced and all of these hardships that I've survived,

is it wise of me to preach the gospel?

But it's unambiguous for Paul.

He says, Listen, I'm not ashamed of the gospel regardless of what has come to pass,

regardless of the experiences that I've had, good, bad, and ugly.

I am not ashamed of the gospel because of a number of things.

It's quite a statement.

So Paul's coming to this great superpower of the world,

unashamedly longing to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ.

Nothing intimidated him.

Whether it was Herod Agrippa,

Governor Festus,

Governor Felix in Caesarea,

Nero in Rome,

These were, let's make no mistake,

strong, powerful, brutal, power-hungry leaders,

but they didn't intimidate Paul.

Why?

Because Paul feared the Lord.

Paul feared the Lord.

And we know that Scripture reminds us that the fear of the Lord

is not only the beginning of wisdom,

but also a great source of confidence.

The basis of Paul's confidence was his fear of the Lord.

Elsewhere, he reminds us that his boast,

his only boast,

is in Christ.

That was the source of his confidence.

That's what gave him such confidence

as he entered into this intimidating arena.

And he reminds us today

that the gospel is good news

and it's worth standing for unashamedly,

even when we're faced with great power,

authority, and influence

from worldly leaders or those before us.

And so I'd like to just look this morning

for a few moments with the Lord's help

at some reasons why we, like Paul,

can say,

I am not ashamed of the gospel

because it's good news.

It's God's power

and it's given freely.

It's good news.

It's God's power.

It's given freely.

Firstly, then, it's good news.

Summed up by the word itself, gospel.

That's literally what it means.

It is good news.

And, you know, from a rational point of view,

we say, well, how could anybody be ashamed

of good news?

Good news is to be shared.

Good news is to be disseminated.

It's to be celebrated.

It's to be rejoiced in.

Well, let me give you a couple of reasons

why somebody might be ashamed of the gospel,

especially in somewhere like Rome.

Rome would have been a terribly intimidating place

2,000 years ago.

If you were to travel to Rome back then

and look around,

you would have thought,

wow, Rome has it all together.

These people want for nothing.

They have everything that they need.

Out of all of the places on the earth,

Rome, well, it has it all.

And in ancient times,

Rome wasn't just another European capital.

It was the center of everything.

The nickname for Rome back then was Caput Mundi,

which literally means the capital of the world.

It was the center of civilization.

It was the seat of influence and power.

The Roman Senate there in Rome

would make laws that affected the entire world.

And therefore, it would have been an inspiring

and yet intimidating place.

Certainly somewhere that you might think twice

of bringing a message of challenge.

You might be ashamed of the gospel

because not everybody in Rome

saw that the gospel was good news

or that they had any need for the gospel.

In fact, they might think,

well, that actually sounds like bad news,

not good news.

Because the gospel comes along and says,

listen, you're not all together

and you haven't arrived

and you're not eternally secure,

but you can be.

You can be not through your wealth,

not through your power,

not through your prestige or your status,

but through Jesus Christ,

the one who has died in your place,

the one who has shed his blood,

that you may be free.

They say, really?

Look at us here.

Sophisticated, advanced, affluent, wealthy, comfortable.

We could translate that into the modern day, couldn't we?

The same arguments, the same reasoning

can be put forward by those who live today.

I have no need of Jesus.

I have everything that I need.

It's the great lie of the secular world, isn't it?

Just a little bit more.

If I have these things,

then, well, I'll be secure and I'll be fine.

But of course, that's not the case, is it?

Because without Christ,

we are without hope and without God in the world.

To many in Rome

and to many in the modern day,

if you go out into the street

in Stornoway or Ullipool or anywhere else,

and you tell them about the wonder of the gospel,

they will find it offensive.

What do you mean I'm not good enough?

What do you mean my good deeds don't warrant reward?

What do you mean by that?

We say the gospel exposes the pride of the human heart.

The gospel unmasks the condition of the unbeliever.

The gospel strikes a blow

to the heart of people's ego.

And as a result,

people react.

React often negatively towards the gospel.

And as a result,

Christians often become embarrassed

or shrink back as a result of that.

Often we become timid and silent.

But you know,

the truth is,

the gospel still changes lives.

The gospel still changes hearts.

Jesus still saves people.

His story is a story of hope and meaning

and inspiration and transformation.

It's good news.

So why would we be ashamed of good news?

There are many things in life

that we share with people.

The arrival of a child or a grandchild.

The news of an engagement.

There's one in your intimations today

for Aaron and Eve.

We rejoice in these things

and we share these good news stories.

Surely the greatest message,

the greatest news of all,

is though we are sinful,

for all sin and fall short of the glory of God,

there is no one who is righteous,

not even one.

No one who seeks God, Paul says elsewhere.

Surely the good news then

is that there is provision

and that there is a hope

and that there is an answer

to the greatest need of the human heart.

Because for as much as we amass

and as much as we succeed in

and as much as we achieve

and as much as we own,

we know that,

that there's still a yearning,

a gnawing.

There's something not quite.

There's something missing.

We may have made it in business.

We might have secured our retirement.

We may have our funds in place.

We may have all of these things.

But without Christ,

we have no hope of eternity.

The gospel is good news.

Part of that good news is exposing

the waywardness of the human heart,

which is often something

that is intimidating for us to do.

But the gospel doesn't just expose.

The gospel also clothes.

It points to the righteousness

and that's here later in this verse as well.

We have the best news,

the greatest news,

the greatest hope

that this world can ever know

in Christ Jesus.

That's why we share it.

That's why we're unashamed.

Because it is the best news

that meets the greatest need

of the human heart.

Paul says,

listen,

Rome

or Judea,

doesn't matter.

I am unashamed of the gospel

because it's good news.

Secondly,

he's unashamed of the gospel

because it's God's power.

I am not ashamed of the gospel

for it is the power of God

for salvation.

It's the power of God

for salvation.

Now,

Paul's coming to Rome

and Rome loved power.

They boasted about their power.

They were a nation of conquerors.

They had the power of the Roman legions

that were legendary.

They had the best trained armies

in the world.

They had access

to the best weapons

in the world.

They stationed their military might

all over the conquered world

to keep the peace.

Rome was so powerful

that Caesar Augustus

could order a census,

remember,

to be taken

that forced people

to go to their homes towns

to register

across the entire empire.

Such was the influence.

Such was the power

that the Roman emperor held.

And the truth is,

when a Roman emperor

became agitated,

everybody got nervous.

Because if the king was mad,

everybody else was on edge.

You know,

if mum's not happy at home,

then tread carefully.

Kind of amplify that

for a dictator

that's seated on his throne.

If Caesar's not happy,

nobody's at ease,

nobody's at rest.

And yet,

for all of this power,

for all of this influence,

Rome were powerless,

Rome was powerless,

to change a single life

from the inside.

All of that Roman power

could not morally

fix a person.

It couldn't change a life.

Because though Rome

and the Romans

were outwardly powerful,

militarily strong,

they were morally bankrupt.

And that was well known.

A couple of Roman writers

mentioned that,

well,

Seneca the Younger wrote,

Rome is a cesspool

of iniquity.

Juvenal wrote,

it's a filthy sewer

into which the dregs

of the empire flood.

And here's the apostle Paul

saying,

I long to go there.

I long to go to Rome.

And I want to preach the gospel

because I'm not ashamed of it.

Because it's good news

and it's God's power.

I've seen the gospel

working powerfully,

Paul could say.

I've seen it work in Corinth.

I've watched it flourish

in Ephesus.

I've been to Thessalonica.

It's happened in Philippi.

Philippi.

Imagine what would happen

if God's spirit

came in power in Rome.

Imagine the influence.

Imagine the fallout

in the positive sense

of that,

the positive impact

that it would have

in the world.

It's God's power

into salvation.

Now,

notice how he speaks

about that.

He speaks about

the gospel

being the power.

Not that it had power.

But it was itself

the power.

The word of God.

The good news.

Who is the word?

Jesus.

In the beginning

was the word

and the word was with God

and the word was God

in the beginning

was the word.

Verse 14,

John 1,

the word became flesh

and made his dwelling

among us.

The word of God,

Jesus,

the living word.

He is the one

who has the power

to transform a life

because he is the one

who has brought

everything that we know

into being.

He is the one

who holds all things

together.

There is no

worldly power

that comes close

to his power.

He is the one

who has all dominion,

all power,

all authority.

He is the one

who can change people.

Rome couldn't change people.

But Jesus

can.

Jesus saved Paul.

Paul was an antagonist

of the gospel.

He was a persecutor

of Christians,

sworn enemy

of the church

on his way

to persecute

people further

when Jesus

arrests him

and convicts him

and converts him

and saves him

on the road

to Damascus.

Transformed

through an encounter

with the living

Jesus Christ,

the one who has risen

and is ascended

and is seated

at the right hand

of God

in the throne room

of heaven.

The gospel

preached,

God's word

expounded by Peter

was powerful enough

to save

3,000 people

in the day

of Pentecost

and thousands

since every day

more were added

to their number.

That's the power

of the gospel.

Not to win a war

or conquer a nation

here or there

but to change

the human heart

to give us

a new heart

and a new hope

and a new direction

of travel

and an internal

inheritance

that cannot

be matched.

It's the gospel

that changes people.

Ask Billy Graham,

the great evangelist,

the numbers,

they say

2.2 million people

under his preaching

came to know the Lord.

Was it his opinion?

Was it his gravitas?

Was it his engagement?

No, it was the gospel.

It was the truth

of the Lord Jesus Christ

that he preached

that changed people

as the Spirit of God

moved within them.

The gospel is powerful.

We know not

what it will do.

D.L. Moody said

that the world

has yet to see

what the Lord

can do through

somebody who is

totally devoted

to him

and the preaching

of his word.

The gospel

is powerful enough

to save Paul,

Augustine,

Martin Luther,

C.S. Lewis,

atheists,

investigative journalists,

whoever they may be,

you and I.

The gospel

is God's power.

It is a power

that is unmatched.

It is unrivaled

and it is the only one

that can save a soul

from death.

The gospel

is good news.

The gospel

is God's power

and the gospel

is freely given.

The third reason

that Paul

is not ashamed

of the gospel

is because

it's freely given.

For I am not ashamed

of the gospel

but it is the power

of God for salvation

to everyone

who believes.

To the Jew first

and also

to the Greek.

Now he's talking

chronologically there.

First it came

to the Jews.

Of course it did.

Jesus.

It came through Jesus.

Jesus and his line.

It came to the Jews

but now it is

to the Gentiles.

Indeed if you go back

a couple of verses

to verse 14

you'll read Paul

writing there

I am under obligation

both to Greeks

and to barbarians

both to the wise

and to the foolish.

Now the Jews

divided the world

into two groups.

The Jews

and everybody else.

You were either a Jew

or you were a Gentile.

You were one of the

everybody else.

Indeed

strict Jews

back then

used to hate everyone

who wasn't

a Jew.

Rabbis even said

that God used

the Gentiles

to stoke the fires

of hell

which was

pretty grim.

But Paul said

yes the message

did come to Jews

first

but it has also

come to Gentiles

to Greeks

and to the whole world.

There's a chronology

here

that he is

speaking.

The Greeks

also divided

the world

into two groups

the Greeks

and everybody else

and that's been

something

that has been

characteristic

of people groups

down through

the generations.

But Paul says

here I am under

obligation

to both Greeks

and barbarians.

The AV captures

it slightly better

I am debtor

it says

to both the Greeks

and their barbarians

both to the wise

and the unwise.

That is why

so therefore

I am eager

to preach

the gospel

to you also

who are in Rome.

Now a barbarian

was somebody

who simply

hadn't been swayed

by Greek influence

they hadn't been

Hellenized

or they weren't

under the Greek

culture.

So what Paul

is saying

by using the terminology

that he's implying

here as he writes

to Rome

is that the gospel

is non-discriminatory.

It's non-discriminatory

it is universal

in its scope.

It's freely given.

It's an offer

that is extended

an invitation

that is given

to the Greeks

and to the barbarians

to the wise

to the unwise

to the Jew

to the Gentile

to the high class

to the low class

and so on.

It's good

if you studied

Socrates

it's good

if you can't

even pronounce

Socrates.

It's good

if you're down

and out

it's good

if you're

on the up.

But notice

he says

I am under

obligation

I am a debtor

he says.

What does he mean?

Well there are

two ways

in which we can

be in debt.

Number one

we can borrow

from somebody

and be in their debt

until we pay

that back.

But number two

we can be in debt

if we are given

something

entrusted with something

to pass on

to a third party.

Some people might say

that's money laundering

but we're not going

down that route.

But say we're

entrusted with something

to pass on

to somebody

it's not ours

to keep

but it is to pass on

we are in debt

to that person

and indeed

to the giver

until we have

fulfilled

the obligation

that we have been given

and we are freed

from that debt.

That's what Paul

means when he speaks

of being a debtor.

He's not in debt

because he borrowed

anything from the Romans

or the Greeks

or the barbarians.

He's a debtor

because he has been

entrusted

with the gospel

of Jesus Christ

and until he has

shared that

with everyone

he has the opportunity

to

he is a debtor

to the gospel.

That which is

freely given

becomes

a liability

if it stops

with us.

And that's a challenge

isn't it?

Are we debtors

to those around

about us?

Are we debtors

to our family?

Are we debtors

to our colleagues?

Are we debtors

to our communities?

Because we have

taken the good news

and we're hoarding

it to ourselves.

Holding it

to ourselves.

Ashamed.

Frightened.

to share it

with those

around

about us.

The gospel

is good news.

Indeed as the angel

said right at the beginning

good news

of great joy

for

all

people.

The Lord

will use us

if we

are willing.

What was it that Augustine

said?

God demand

whatever you will

for you

will supply

whatever

you demand.

How much confidence

do we have

in the Lord

the one

who can

provide?

So why is Paul

unashamed of the gospel?

Because

he recognizes

that it's

good news.

He understands

that it's

God's power

and he affirms

that it is

freely offered

to

everyone.

I wonder

if we would agree

this morning.

Do we see it

as good news?

God's power

and a gracious

and free

universal

invitation.

We don't know

who will take it up.

We don't know

who will reject it.

But by the same token

we don't know

who will accept it.

We don't know

what ground

has been

cultivated

in preparation

for us to come

and speak

that there might be

a rich

harvest.

You see

the Lord

doesn't ask

people to behave.

to be saved.

He asks us

to believe

to be saved.

And who do we

believe?

In Jesus.

And how can they

believe if they

have not heard?

And how can they

hear if nobody

speaks?

And how can they

hear if nobody

goes to them?

the gospel

of grace

is good news

but it requires

articulating.

You know

there's that saying

you know

preach the gospel

use words if necessary.

It's nonsense.

Of course

words are necessary.

We must hear

that doesn't mean

to say that we

shouldn't demonstrate

or cultivate

a lifestyle

that demonstrates

or that bolsters

or that is in

harmony with

the faith that we

profess with our lips.

Of course we should.

But we should be

a people

who delight

with the apostle

Paul in the gospel

because we're

unashamed of it.

Not ashamed

because we recognize

it as the power

of God

and to salvation

for all

who will

believe.

Religion

will never

set us free.

Ceremony

will never

set us free.

Morality

will never

set us free.

But Jesus

will.

Jesus

will.

And that's

good news

because it's

God's power

in his

living word

and is offered

and given

to us

freely.

Let me

conclude with a

short story

about Fritz

Kreisler.

I'm sure some

of you may have

heard of him.

He was a

well-known

violin player.

And the story

goes that he

came across

a violin,

a Stradivarius

violin,

that he thought

I must have it.

But he didn't

have the funds

to purchase it

at the time.

So he went

away and he

played at

different concerts

and he saved

money and he

came back to

buy that violin

but it had

been bought.

It had been

bought by a

great and

wealthy

collector.

Well, he

found out who

the collector

was and he

went to visit

the man.

He said to

him, I saw

the violin,

I wanted to

buy it.

The man said,

no, I have

bought it.

It's part of

my collection.

It's prize of

place now.

I have it in

this beautiful

cabinet.

Would you

like to come

in and see

it?

Fritz goes in,

he has a

look and he

turns to leave,

sad that this

man will not

sell it to

him.

And he

says, before

I go, may

I play it?

May I play

the instrument

just once?

So he takes

out the case

and Fritz

tunes it up

and he

plays.

And this

beautiful

melodious music

sings from

this instrument

under the

talent of this

man who is

playing.

And the

collector has

moved to

tears.

And he

says to

him, I

have no

right to

consign this

instrument to

silence.

The world

needs to

hear the

beauty of

its music.

Take it,

play it,

let people

hear it.

Jesus says

the same to

us.

When he

says, go

into all the

nation and

make disciples,

tell people,

about the

goodness of

God in

the gospel

of grace.

Be not

ashamed, for

the gospel is

the power of

God and to

salvation for

everyone who

believes.

May the

Lord empower

us.

Let's pray.

God, our

Father, we

thank you for

your word and

for its

instruction and

for its

challenge and

inspiration.

And we pray

that we would

indeed be

challenged and

inspired and

that we would

recognize the

great wonder of

the gospel of

Jesus, that it

is the one

thing that can

change a

heart from

the inside

out.

Lord, may we

be bold as

we proclaim

unashamedly the

gospel of

grace, which is

the power of

God, and to

salvation for

all who will

believe.

We ask in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Folks, we're

going to conclude

by singing to

God's praise from

Psalm 107 in

the Scottish

Psalter.

Psalm 107 on

page 382 of

your psalm

books.

Psalm 107 on

page 382, and

we're going to

sing the verses

marked 1 to 7

to God's

praise.

Praise God, for

he is good, for

still his

mercy's lasting

be.

Let God's

redeemed say,

so whom he

from the

enemy's hand

did free.

Verses 1 to

7 to God's

praise.

If we're able,

let's stand and

sing together.

praise God, for

he is good, for

still his

mercy's lasting

be.

Let God's

redeemed say

over me

from

enemies

counted

free

and

gather

them

of

the lands

from north

south

east and

west

they

streamed in

desert

pathless

with

no city

unto

rest

for

first

God

hung

in them

face

their

soul

rest

is

tempest

they

cry

unto

the

Lord

and

he

then

preached

from

their

dishes

they

fall

in

a way

to

war

that

might

deep

defy

that

they

might

do

a

city

go

where

in

they

might

die

time

and

now to

him who is able to do more abundantly than all we ask or think according to the power that is at work within us to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever and all God's people say amen

amen

to