Compelled by the Gospel / Romans 1:1-16 / 1 Corinthians 15

It is so good to be with you here today. If you have your Bibles, we are going to need them as we dive into week two of this Cultivate series. Go ahead and turn to Romans chapter 1.

An Unstoppable Movement

If you were with us last week, we talked about the movement of the early church and how God used a ragtag group of misfits gathered around the gospel and the work of Christ. Filled with the Spirit of God, they began taking the gospel outside of familiar territory. In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was. They offered all kinds of conjecture, but then Jesus looked at them and asked, “What about you?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood didn’t reveal that to you. I am going to build something this world has never seen—the ekklesia of God, the called-out ones. And the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:13-18 (NASB)

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some [say] John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus said to him, ’Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal [this] to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ’I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

He essentially said He was going to use this church to seek out the very gates of hell. As God’s people, redeemed by the gospel, we are like redeemed roaches entering into dark places—tearing down the gates of hell, showing up where no one else would, shining light where other people flee, and bringing the message of the gospel to the broken. That is who we are as the church.

We saw that the early church was remarkably simple. In Acts chapter 2, they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. By modern standards, they would have seemed like a very boring church. Their website wouldn’t have been impressive. Yet God used them to change the world.

Acts 2:42 (NASB)

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

In Acts chapter 2, three thousand people come to faith. By Acts 4, there are five thousand. By Acts 19, Luke writes that all who lived in Asia Minor heard the word of the Lord. That is modern-day Turkey—an entire region reached. By the time you get to Acts 21, there are tens of thousands of believers. The Lord was adding to their number daily. They had no church growth strategy. They didn’t have a single New Testament document written yet. They were just telling people about Jesus—knocking on doors, doing life with their neighbors. Their neighbors would look at them and say, “We’ve lived next to your family for generations. What happened to you?” And they would respond, “Can I tell you about my Savior?”

Geographically, the gospel moved exactly as Jesus promised: from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, and to the remotest parts of the earth.

Acts 1:8 (NASB)

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’

The apostle Paul looked at this mission and thought: How can I make this go viral in the first century? Where do I need to go so the gospel takes root and influences the entire known world? His answer was Rome. For the bulk of his missionary journeys, he worked his way toward Rome, planting and strengthening churches in Roman city after Roman city.

Finally, in Acts 25, Paul was arrested. Standing trial before the governor of Judea, facing the threat of being sent back to Jerusalem where an assassination plot awaited him, Paul played the trump card every Roman citizen held: he appealed to Caesar. In our context, that is like appealing directly to the Supreme Court. Rome was obligated to hear his case, and Rome paid for the transit. It was a shipwreck journey—not a luxury cruise—but by the end of the Book of Acts, Paul finally arrives in Rome.

Acts 25:11 (NASB)

‘If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is [true] of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.’

A Message Rome Needed to Hear

Rome was known as the Eternal City. It was the epicenter of an empire that shaped the world for over five hundred years. We still feel the influence of what Caesar Augustus established in the Pax Romana. Rome provided a common language (Greek was the lingua franca), advanced trade routes, and a structured system of prefects and governors. You could travel and trade with incredible freedom.

Religiously, Rome was polytheistic. The Romans had zero problem with your god, provided your god played nicely in the sandbox with everyone else’s gods. If you wanted to worship Jupiter, Mars, and add a little Jesus on the side, Rome didn’t care.

But the gospel did not play in the sandbox. The gospel claimed absolute exclusivity in Jesus Christ. Remember Acts 19 in Ephesus? A silversmith named Demetrius made his living manufacturing little silver action figures of the goddess Artemis. Paul showed up preaching the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, people stopped buying Artemis idols, and a full-scale riot broke out.

Acts 19:23-28 (NASB)

About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; these he gathered together with the workmen of similar [trades], and said, ’Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. ’You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods [at all]. ‘Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.’ When they heard [this] and were filled with rage, they [began] crying out, saying, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’

That exclusive gospel was now heading straight for Rome.

However, there were two accusations circulating against Paul in Rome. The church in Rome had likely started after Pentecost, when Jewish pilgrims or Roman officials heard the gospel in Jerusalem and carried it home. They knew Paul had been circling around them, visiting places like Ephesus, Corinth, and Thessalonica, but he had never set foot in Rome.

The first accusation was that Paul didn’t really care about them. The second accusation was a quiet suspicion that perhaps Paul was intimidated. Perhaps the gospel worked fine in a small farming community like Colossae, but could it really compete on the varsity stage in the capital of the empire?

Eager to Preach: Walking Through Romans 1

Paul opens his letter to the Romans by answering both of those concerns directly.

Romans 1:1-2 (NASB)

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called [as] an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures,

Paul identifies himself as a bondservant—a willing slave—of Jesus Christ, called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel. In verse 2, he establishes the source of this gospel: it was promised beforehand through God’s prophets in the Holy Scriptures. This Jesus is not a new fad or an invented deity; He is the fulfillment of everything spoken in the Old Testament.

Romans 1:3-4 (NASB)

concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Notice the focus: Jesus Christ, fully human according to the flesh as a descendant of David, and declared with power to be the Son of God through His resurrection from the dead.

Romans 1:5-7 (NASB)

through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about [the] obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called [as] saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul explains the scope of his ministry: to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles. Early on, some struggled to grasp that the gospel was not an ethnic message reserved exclusively for Jewish people; it is for the entire world. Paul tells the Roman Christians, “You are part of this calling too.”

Romans 1:8 (NASB)

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.

Paul commends them because their faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. Then, in verses 9 through 15, Paul unleashes eight distinct expressions showing just how deeply he desires to be with them.

Romans 1:9-10 (NASB)

For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the [preaching of the] gospel of His Son, is my witness [as to] how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.

First, he has prayed to come. Second, he has tried to come repeatedly.

Romans 1:11-12 (NASB)

For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you [while] among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Third, he has longed to come. Fourth, he needed to come to impart a spiritual gift. Fifth, he wanted to come so that they could be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith.

Romans 1:13 (NASB)

I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Sixth, he had planned to come, but his plans were repeatedly hindered. In Romans 15, Paul explains why his travels were delayed.

Romans 15:20-21 (NASB)

And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was [already] named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; but as it is written, ‘THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE, AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.’

Paul’s priority was pioneer missions—preaching where Christ had never been named. Since the church in Rome was already thriving and making an impact, Paul held back to reach unreached areas first.

Romans 1:14-15 (NASB)

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Seventh, Paul says he is under obligation—he is compelled by God’s calling. Eighth, he is eager to preach the gospel to those in Rome. He is like a racehorse locked in the starting gate, ready to burst forward the second it opens.

Unashamed: The Power of God

What was Paul so eager to preach? The gospel. That brings us to Paul’s central declaration.

Romans 1:16-17 (NASB)

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. For in it [the] righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS [man] SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.’

To the accusation that he was bringing a junior varsity message to a varsity city, Paul responds with absolute confidence: I am not ashamed of this gospel. He wasn’t bringing a manufactured idol or a philosopher’s opinion. He was proclaiming the Creator of the universe, who became flesh, died on a cross, rose from the grave, and offers righteousness to all who believe by faith.

Everywhere Paul went, the core of his message remained entirely unchanged. Look at Ephesians 2. Paul writes that we were dead in our trespasses and sins, walking according to the course of this world, children of wrath by nature.

Ephesians 2:1-5 (NASB)

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

That is the heartbeat of the gospel: “But God.” When we are honest about the depth of our human despair, we realize that apart from God’s intervention, we are completely lost. But God, being rich in mercy, made us alive together with Christ. What Paul brought to Rome was not a philosophical debate or a cold religious checklist; it was the life-transforming reality of a “But God” moment.

He wrote the exact same thing to the Colossians.

Colossians 1:28-29 (NASB)

We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

And when Paul ministered in Corinth—a city just as culturally sophisticated and morally broken as Rome—he took the same posture.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NASB)

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Paul didn’t rely on slick rhetoric or human wisdom. His highest aim was simply Jesus Christ and Him crucified. When the gospel is lifted up, the Holy Spirit moves with power, ensuring that our faith rests not on the eloquence of human messengers, but on the power of Almighty God.

I remember when I came to faith years ago. It was classic Christian bait-and-switch: “We’ll feed you dinner, but you have to sit through the message first.” I was starving, so I sat down. The speaker got up and shared a very simple message about Jesus. There were no flashy illustrations, but as he talked about sin, our need for a Savior, and the love of Christ, it felt like he was speaking directly to my soul. Nobody else in the room seemed visibly moved, but I sat there crying my eyes out.

I didn’t come to faith because the speaker was an incredible orator. In fact, he preached the exact same sermon at a local church the following Sunday. I bought the cassette tape—that tells you how long ago this was—and when I listened back to it later, I thought, That was it? It was so simple. But it was the gospel. God used that message to awaken my dead heart. The gospel doesn’t need to be dressed up; it is still the power of God for salvation today.

What Is the Gospel?

Paul outlines the clear components of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (NASB)

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

This message is of first importance: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He was buried, and He rose on the third day. Jesus is not merely a moral teacher, an inspiring prophet, or a religious figure. He conquered death and walked out of the grave.

What does this accomplish for us? Peter tells us what happened on the cross.

1 Peter 2:24 (NASB)

and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

A divine exchange took place. We owed a debt of sin that we could never pay, and the wrath of God was satisfied when Jesus bore our sin in His own body. Paul explains this in Romans 8.

Romans 8:3-4 (NASB)

For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God [did]: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and [as an offering] for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

The wages of sin is still death. On our own, we fall entirely short of God’s holiness. But when we trust in Christ, His perfect righteousness is credited to our account.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB)

He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus is our propitiation—the complete satisfaction of God’s holy wrath against sin. And the greatest news of all is that this salvation cannot be earned.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

The only thing you and I contributed to our salvation was the sin that made it necessary. We cannot behave our way into heaven. We cannot attend enough church services to earn God’s favor. Titus 3 makes this crystal clear.

Titus 3:5 (NASB)

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Compelled to Respond

Why does this matter for us as a church? If we want to impact our city, our neighborhoods, and our region, we have no message to offer apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must be a people who are completely unashamed of this message, resolved to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

So let me ask you: Do you know Him? Have you personally trusted Jesus with your life? Have you ever bowed your heart and confessed, “Lord, I am a sinner in need of mercy, and I need Jesus to be my Savior”?

This cannot be your grandmother’s faith. It cannot be your parents’ faith. It must be yours.

John 1:12-13 (NASB)

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, [even] to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

If you are sitting here today thinking, I think he’s talking directly to me, I know exactly what that feels like. That is the Holy Spirit stirring in your heart, drawing you out of spiritual death and into life.

Romans 10:9 (NASB)

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

As we move into a time of worship, we want to create space for you to respond. If you have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ, today is the day. We have prayer team members available who would love to pray with you, encourage you, and walk alongside you as you cross the line of faith.

There is no manipulation here. There are no gimmicks. But the reality is clear: apart from Christ, we are lost; through Christ, we are completely forgiven and made alive. Let us be a people compelled by the gospel.

Let’s pray together.

Father, as we enter into this time of worship, we fix our eyes on Jesus. For anyone here or watching online whose heart is being stirred right now, give them the courage to respond to You. Awaken dead hearts to life. Draw men and women to the Savior who died, was buried, and rose again on our behalf. We proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and we declare that we are unashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.