The Bold Centerpiece of Paul’s Ministry
Paul wants to unite the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome and stir their faith. How? By preaching the gospel to them. (1:15) Why does Paul put all his eggs in the gospel basket?
For I am not ashamed of the gospel…
He was not afraid that he would be publically humiliated. He wasn’t worried that the gospel would turn out to be a fraud. Why was he so sure the gospel was legit?
..for it is the power of God for salvation…
Paul wasn’t confident in the gospel because it was logical (it is), or because it was historically validated (it is), or because he could debate and argue for it (he could). No, he knew the gospel was legit because of its power.
Through the gospel, God saved him and was saving many others. It didn’t just persuade people – it changed them.
What makes it so powerful?
…in it the righteousness of God is revealed…
The gospel’s power is in revealing something. It uncovers something powerful. It brings to light the righteousness of God.
In our natural state, we don’t see God’s righteousness. So we think about our own righteousness (goodness) in comparison to those around us. And since there are always Charlie Sheens and bad neighbors, we think we’re pretty good. We think of righteousness as a scale on which we are somewhere in the middle. “I’m no Mother Teresa, but I’m no Hitler either.”
But the gospel reveals God’s perfect righteousness which exposes our unrighteousness. In comparison with God’s righteousness, even our most righteous deeds look like filth (Isaiah 64:6). In other words, the gospel uncovers the fact that there is no scale. There is only righteous and unrighteous. And only God is righteous.
Why is this revelation so central to ministry?
…as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”
The gospel reveals God’s righteousness which exposes our unrighteousness which explains Jesus.
If the scale above is valid; why did Jesus have to come and die at all? We could just work our way up the scale. But Jesus did have to come and die because we are all hopelessly unrighteous and in need of a savior. The gospel reveals this so that we will have faith in Jesus rather than futilely trying to be better.
In other words, gospel ministry produces humble, genuine, free believers. Ministry without gospel produces judgmental, hypocritical, legalistic religious people.
This is why the gospel was the bold centerpiece of Paul’s ministry and so it must be in ours.
Discussion Starters
1. What is the gospel?
2. What do you think is the centerpiece of Dulins Grove’s ministry? How can we make the gospel more central? What needs to happen as members, families, H2H groups, Sunday school classes, and a church?
3. If you are a Christian, share your story. How did you hear the gospel? When did you believe? How has it changed you?
4 Brainstorm reasons one might be ashamed of the gospel.
5. Why is the gospel powerful to the Jew first and also to the Greek? (See John 4:15-26 and Acts 3:17-26)
6. What does it mean that the righteous man shall live by faith? (Habakkuk 2:4 and Philippians 3:8-11)
7. How can we best love those around us in light of this passage?
8. How can your group pray for you this week?
Subscribe to the DG sermon podcast here.
