Part Three of the series "Sacred Living in a Secular Society": a study of Romans 1 and 2 from Pastor Joshua Henson at Pensacola Worship in Pensacola, FL.

2. There is a question that is swirling
among American churches?
What are we going to do?
What happens next?
The very core of America religious
life is forever being degraded.

3. An Overview of Romans 1 – 2
 The source of sin – The suppression
of the truth through unrighteous
deeds (1:18).
 The manifestation of sin – (1:28–32)
 The judgment of sin – The wrath of
God (1:18)

4. An Overview of Romans 1 – 2
 The lost voice against the sins of the world is
the result of the presence of sin in the Church.
 The sin-problem in the Church stems from a
taking-for-granted of the mercy and grace of
God (2:4)
 God will deal with every person according to
his/her deeds. Herein, we find balance
between faith and works. (2:6)

5. The prevalence of sin is the result of the rejection
of the truth.
Therefore, for the Church to regain its ability to
speak effectively against sin, it must first
(1) embrace the Truth and (2) repent of sin.
Okay, then what is the answer?
What is the Truth?

6. 1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an
apostle, separated to the gospel of God.
2 which He promised before through His prophets in the
Holy Scriptures.
3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born
of the seed of David according to the flesh.
4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according
to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for
obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.
6 among whom you also are called of Jesus Christ.
The answer is found in the
first few verses of Romans

7. Paul gives us the answer…
The Gospel
1. There is a PROMISE (v. 2)
2. There is a MANIFESTATION (v. 3)
3. There is a DECLARATION (v. 4)
4. There is a TRANSFERANCE (v. 5a)
5. There is a PURPOSE (v. 5b)
6. There is an INVITATION (v. 6)

8. God is a God of promise(s)…
which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy
Scriptures.
1. Noah prophesied in the midst of great sin.
2. Moses prophesied before Pharaoh and to a wondering,
complaining nomadic people
3. Samuel and Nathan prophesied before sinful leadership
4. Elijah and Elisha prophesied in the midst of wicked kingdoms
5. David prophesied as he worked though his own sin and failure
6. Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesied in the midst of the judgment of
God against the nation of Israel
7. The ‘Minor Prophets’ prophesied to reprobate nations
8. Daniel prophesied in a land that was not his own and for a time
he knew not of

9. And in all of this, God’s promises
remained true…
If God’s promises were true in the
trouble of times past, then His
promises remain true in this present
turmoil.

10. Acts 1
1. There are things that God has placed firmly in
His own authority – God is in control (v. 7)
2. For everything else, He has empowered you to
live a faithful life – He has given the Church
overcoming power (v. 8)
3. Until the day Christ returns just as He as
promised (v. 11)

11. concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born
of the seed of David according to the flesh.
Acts 1:6 “Will You at this time restore the Kingdom
of Israel?”
– The Jews struggled with Jesus’ fulfillment of their
expectations of the Messiah
– They never understood the bigger picture
– God’s promise to Abraham “And in you all the
families of the earth shall be blessed” (12:3)

12. concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born
of the seed of David according to the flesh.
Jesus became a manifestation of God’s
‘promises in progress’…
We must be encouraged. We are living
in the manifestation of God’s promises
in progress.

13. and declared to be the Son of God with power according to
the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
The Resurrection
–Declared Jesus’ Spiritual and Natural power
over death
–It cemented Jesus’ legacy of moral purity
The Resurrection set the stage…
–The great goal of God’s promises is victory
over death through Jesus Christ.
–The standard for attaining these promises is the
life of Jesus Christ – one of holiness and moral
purity

14. Through Him we have received grace and apostleship
The Resurrection…
–Becomes the medium through which spiritual
things of God are transferred into the lives of
humanity.
–Ephesians 2:5 “even when we were dead in
our trespasses, made us alive together with
Christ—by grace you have been saved”

15. Through Him we have received grace and apostleship
The Resurrection…The New Birth…
–We receive God’s grace.
–God prepares our hearts to be receptive to His
divine influence upon our lives.
Our prayer should be …
God fill us with your grace – Kindle our
hearts with the flame of your mercy,
loving-kindness, and truth.

16. Through Him we have received grace and apostleship
The Resurrection…The New Birth…
–We receive a calling (apostleship).
–God prepares our hearts to be receptive to His
divine call upon our lives.
1 Peter 2:5 “You yourselves like living stones are
being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy
priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Jesus Christ.”

17. for obedience to the faith among all nations for
His name.
The Church has a single purpose: to be
the image of Christ to the world until the
day that He returns.

18. 1 Timothy 2: 1 – 4 “1 Therefore I exhort first of all that
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be
made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that
we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
reverence.3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God
our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to
the knowledge of the truth.”
– Through our prayer life (v. 1) AND
– Through our public life (v. 2)
– The Believer finds acceptance in the eyes of
God (v. 3) AND
– The Believer finds an effective witness in the
eyes of men (v. 4)

19. among whom you also are called of Jesus Christ
Paul extends an
invitation to every
individual:
(1) To be saved by
grace and (2) To
become a witness of
the resurrecting
power of Jesus
Christ.
New
Birth
Disciple
Witness
New
Birth
Disciple
Witness