Romans, Reasoned Revelation of Redemption

Three Gospel I Am’s

Romans 1:14-16

INTRO

Paul wanted to be used in the lives of the Roman believers.

He also longed to see many more of the lost in Rome come to salvation in Christ.

His heart attitude is a wonderful example of

the outlook we should have when it comes to our stewardship
of the precious treasure with which we have been entrusted,
the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We often talk of the “I Am’s” of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am the vine; I am the good shepherd; I am the bread of life.

Today we will see the “I Am’s” of the Gospel.

Three Gospel I Am’s.
Prayer

I. I Am Debtor (vs. 14)

Our Indebtedness
Obligation

A. A Debt of Knowledge
When we have knowledge of something that another person needs to know,
we owe it to them to tell them,
especially when the need is a matter of life and death.
Charles Finney during the Great Awakening would use the illustration of
passing by someone’s house and seeing it is on fire.
“When sinners are careless…, it is time Christians should bestir
themselves. It is as much their duty to awake as it is for the firemen to
do so when a fire breaks out in the night in a great city. The Church
ought to put out the fires of hell which are laying hold of the wicked.
Sleep! Should the firemen sleep and let the whole city burn down, what
would be thought of such firemen? And yet their guilt would not
compare with the guilt of Christians who sleep while sinners around
them are sinking stupidly into the fires of hell.” – Finney, Lectures on
Revival

Romans 13:11
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep:
for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

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 B. A Debt of Love
John 3:16 – God’s love for all
II Cor. 5:14,15 – For the love of Christ constraineth us…
Jude 21-23
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the
garment spotted by the flesh.

C. A Debt of Indiscrimination
Romans 1:14
14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and
to the unwise.

There is no one you meet who is NOT a candidate for the Gospel.
Mark 16:15
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to
every creature.

Ill. – Big scary black Muslim dude on the Atlanta subway. (1996 Olympics)
Stayed on past his stop for me to finish explaining the Gospel to him!

I. I Am Debtor (vs. 14)

II. I Am Ready (vs. 15)
Our Readiness
Preparation

A. Ready Heart
Romans 1:15
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at
Rome also.

Some have a ready heart for other things. Mention it… and they are “there”!
Fishing
Hunting
Sports
Chocolate
A certain craft
A certain restaurant
A certain musician, actor, etc.

How about soulwinning?

Mention it… and they are “there”!

Ex. – Mentioned canvassing to help the start of Southernmost Baptist Church

in Key West.

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 You may not be able to go and help, but your heart leaped and said, “I’m
there.”

Ex. – A missionary puts out a plea for help to reach the people to whom he
has been sent.
It is good and healthy if with every missions presentation, your heart
says, “I wish I could do that for you, Lord.”

A. Ready Heart
B. Ready Mind
1. Prepared for persecution
Acts 21:13
13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart?
for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for
the name of the Lord Jesus.

I Peter 4:12,13
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try
you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that,
when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with
exceeding joy.

2. Prepared with Bible verses.

The more Scripture you know, the more the Holy Spirit can bring to
your remembrance at key moments.

C. Ready Hand
Prepared with tracts and NT.
Ex. – Charlie Kittrell of Indiana preaching at a conference in Wisconsin.
Stand up.
Sit down if you don’t have a Gospel tract with you.
Take out your tract and hold it up in the air.

Eph. 6:14,17
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness;
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God:

Some of you don’t share the Gospel because you are not ready to share the
Gospel!

D. Ready Mouth
I Peter 3:15

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 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an
answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear:

“as much as in me is” – this was a consuming concept for Paul, not a fleeting desire.
Near the end of his life, he was able to say,
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
II Tim. 4:6

I. I Am Debtor (vs. 14) Our Indebtedness. Obligation

II. I Am Ready (vs. 15) Our Readiness. Preparation
III. I Am Not Ashamed (vs. 16)
Our Boldness
Motivation

A. Unhindered by Suffering
I Thess. 2:2
2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated,
as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the
gospel of God with much contention.

Our country is changing. We will likely experience more and more suffering
when we witness for Christ.
We will likely be “shamefully entreated.”

Acts 4:29
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that
with all boldness they may speak thy word,

B. Unhindered through Prayer

Eph. 6:18-20
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my
mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as
I ought to speak.

C. Unhindered through Time with Jesus

Acts 4:13
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that
they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took
knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

D. Unhindered through the Filling of the Spirit

Acts 4:31

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 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were
assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
they spake the word of God with boldness.

CONCLUSION
I. I Am Debtor (vs. 14) Our Indebtedness Obligation
II. I Am Ready (vs. 15) Our Readiness Preparation
III. I Am Not Ashamed (v. 16) Our Boldness Motivation

Romans 1:14-16 — Three Gospel I Am’s

I Am Our
vs. 14 Obligation
Debtor Indebtedness
I Am Our
vs. 15 Preparation
Ready Readiness
I Am Not Our
vs. 16 Motivation
Ashamed Boldness

Prov. 28:1
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”