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The Apostle Paul was an expert in his religion. With unrivaled zeal and devotion, nobody was as rigid & strict as he was.
No one could interpret God's word as accurately as he could...Paul was always right, and he knew it.
Until he met Jesus of course. That's when things changed...(well, not everything. Once a Pharisee, always a Pharisee).
ROMANS 1:1-7 (Audio) ROMANS 1:1-7 (Video)
FAME. Some people look for it on a ball field or the silver screen. Others hope to find it in big business, or on a high wire.
There are a million ways to become famous, only, some are a little less noble than others. 
What would YOU like to be famous for?
ROMANS 1:8-15 (Audio) ROMANS 1:8-15 (Video)
Bad news often precedes good news. And when it does, the good news is even better.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a perfect example.
Lesbianism, mental illness, moronic behavior, and God's universal wrath...the good news starts right here...
ROMANS 1:16-32 (Audio) ROMANS 1:16-32 (Video)
Sometimes Christians are quick to point out how sinful & wrong everybody else is.
And then sometimes God is careful to point out how sinful & wrong Christians are. 

ROMANS 2:1-16 (Audio) ROMANS 2:1-16 (Video)
The majority of the world's people are religious, because they want to be closer to God.
But apart from Christ, you're still a long way off. "Close" doesn't count when it comes to salvation.
Not even in Christianity.
ROMANS 2:17-29 (Audio) ROMANS 2:17-29 (Video)
In American culture, innocence is a given. It isn't until you're proven guilty that you've got anything to be concerned about.
But in God's domain, the principle is reversed. Everybody's guilty until they're declared innocent.
And until then, believe Him, you have EVERY reason for concern.
ROMANS 3:1-20 (Audio) ROMANS 3:1-20 (Video)
It's time for the verdict now. The charges have been filed. The evidence is in.
The witnesses have all been called, their testimonies have been heard, and everything points at guilt.

This is where the Gospel REALLY gets 'good'.
ROMANS 3:21-31 (Audio) ROMANS 3:21-31 (Video)
The quality & depth of the soil a tree grows in can be the decisive factor between life & death. So too with a Christian.
Many would claim to have faith, yet if their faith isn't rooted in the grace of God, it's a matter of time till they wither and die.

All trees have roots, but they don't all run deep.   
ROMANS 4:1-8 (Audio) ROMANS 4:1-8 (Video)
Some people aspire to be fast, like Usain Bolt, the sprinter from Jamaica. Other people want to be rich, like Jeff Bezos, the billionaire from Seattle. But there doesn't seem to be a lot of people nowadays trying to live like Abraham, the Jew from Scripture.

Maybe that needs to change...
ROMANS 4:9-25 (Audio) ROMANS 4:9-25 (Video)
Living in an age of virtual relationships, it's hard to recall what real friendship is supposed to look like.
Thankfully, Scripture teaches us. Not by looking at pictures on Instagram. Nor by surfing the most recent posts on social media.

But by reminding us of what we have in Christ. 
ROMANS 5:1-11 (Audio) ROMANS 5:1-11 (Video)
Imagine receiving life in prison for a crime you didn't commit, or the death sentence because of someone else's sin...
As hard as it may be for you to believe, this scenario isn't imaginary. It's your reality. 

(Unless of course you've been exonerated on account of someone else's obedience).
ROMANS 5:12-21 (Audio) ROMANS 5:12-21 (Video)
In the physical realm, death marks the END of a life, but in the spiritual realm, death is only the BEGINNING of it.
Whether a person is truly alive depends on whether they've already died.
Problem is, most people are so afraid to die, they'll never really live.
...Are you dead yet?
ROMANS 6:1-7 (Audio) ROMANS 6:1-7 (Video)
Ever gotten into a cage with a lion?
I wouldn't recommend it.

(Unless, of course, you plan on dying first).
ROMANS 6:8-14 (Audio) ROMANS 6:8-14 (Video)
In most cultures, slavery is a thing to be avoided, and freedom is cherished.
But he truth is, slavery s inescapable, and freedom is fiction.

Only when we come to grips with the reality of our bondage can we truly be liberated from our misery.
ROMANS 6:15-23 (Audio) ROMANS 6:15-23 (Video)
With nearly 2.5 million annual divorces in the U.S. alone, it's pretty obvious that lots of people want out of matrimony.
But what if divorce wasn't a legal option? What if wedlock was more binding than our current culture recognizes? 

What if the only way to be liberated from a bad marriage was for death to part you, like the traditional vow suggests?
ROMANS 7:1-12 (Audio) ROMANS 7:1-12 (Video)
What should a Christian's relationship to God's Law look like now that we're united to Christ?
Are we still bound by it, or are we freed from it? Do we keep it, or deny it? Should we love it, or hate it?
Welcome to real Christianity.
If you weren't bi-polar before, you will be now.
ROMANS 7:13-25 (Audio) ROMANS 7:13-25 (Video)
Hypothetically speaking, if a scorpion were put in the same jar as a tarantula, who do you suppose would win?
How about a great white shark in the same tank as a killer whale? Do you think a grizzly bear could kill an elephant?
Or what if YOU were locked in a cage with YOURSELF and fought to the death? Who do you think would come out alive?
(Hypothetically speaking)
ROMANS 8:1-17 (Audio) ROMANS 8:1-17 (Video)
The first thing you ever did when you came into this world, was cry.
And if you're like everyone else, you've done plenty more of it ever since.
Many people suffer alone in life, but fortunately, the believer never does. 
When we groan over the effects of sin, we're always in good company.
ROMANS 8:18-30 (Audio) ROMANS 8:18-30 (Video)
The world is full of useless information.
Knowing that "some oranges are actually green", or "Edgar Allen Poe married his 13-year-old cousin" won't make a huge difference in your life.

But knowing how Jesus feels about you probably will. The Bible tells you so.
ROMANS 8:31-39 (Audio) ROMANS 8:31-39 (Video)
God has never appreciated it when people call themselves "little Christ's", but then live like little devils instead.
Using His name in vain is 3rd on the list of things we're commanded NOT to do, yet "Christians" do it all the time anyway.

If we're not willing to live up to our name as Christians, what's next...Adultery? Theft? Murder?
ROMANS 9:1-13 (Audio) ROMANS 9:1-13 (Video)
As far as metals are concerned, gold has more value than bronze (though bronze is harder than gold).
As far as hearts are concerned, they too differ in quality. Like metals, some are harder than others...

...Not everybody has a heart of gold. 
ROMANS 9:14-33 (Audio) ROMANS 9:14-33 (Video)
Suppose you were offered a gift. A gift that was of greater value than anything you've ever owned.
Would you simply take the gift, or would you try to earn it first?
And what if the choice you made was the difference between life & death?
Which one would you pick?  
ROMANS 10:1-13 (Audio) ROMANS 10:1-13 (Video)
Thanks to Google Timeline, you can keep track of all the places your feet have taken you recently.
For most Christians it's probably back & forth between their home & their job...the bank, the store... 
Nowhere too dangerous or difficult (certainly not many mountains anyway).
Where do your feet take you?  
ROMANS 10:14-21 (Audio) ROMANS 10:14-21 (Video)
Have you ever flown an airplane through fog, and then smashed it into the side of a mountain? Probably not.
Have you ever gone to church in a stupor? I'll bet you have.

Statistically speaking, far more people will crash & burn in the church than in a plane.
ROMANS 11:1-21 (Audio) ROMANS 11:1-21 (Video)
God's family tree has lots of branches.
Some of those branches are connected to the tree, strong & vibrant. While others are lying on the ground beneath, having been cut off.
In time, some of the ones that fell away will become part of the tree again. And some of the branches still attached will get pruned.
That's the nature of our Family Tree. 
ROMANS 11:22-36 (Audio) ROMANS 11:22-36 (Video)
Caterpillars have no bragging rights. Unlike their flying counterparts, they still crawl in the dirt.
And until they're ready to die, life, for them, will stay the same as always.
Like caterpillars, Christians were meant to become a new creature.
Rising above the drudgery of our current existence, however, will require a Great Transformation. 
ROMANS 12:1-8 (Audio) ROMANS 12:1-8 (Video)
Not all believers can walk on water or raise the dead, but that's ok. God doesn't expect miracles from everyone (that would be unreasonable).
The expectations He DOES have for Christians, however, aren't always being met (as reasonable as they are).

When was the last time you talked to an "average" Christian?
ROMANS 12:9-21 (Audio) ROMANS 12:9-21 (Video)  (Sermon Recap)
Romans 13 is like a marriage between faith & politics...only, divorce isn't optional in this one. 
Whether benevolent or abusive, Government & authority are here to stay.

If you want God's blessing on this union, you must do your part. 
ROMANS 13:1-7 (Audio) ROMANS 13:1-7 (Video)
You'd have to be dreaming to think you could win a war in your sleep, yet Christian soldiers have been trying it for millennia.

Dear comrade, we weren't enlisted to sleep our life away.
God is telling us to wake up and get dressed...It's time to fight! 
ROMANS 13:8-14 (Audio) ROMANS 13:8-14 (Video)
The New Testament says, "God richly provides us with everything to enjoy".
Things like pork chops & green beans, Halloween & Easter...tattoos, guns, and vaccinations.
That doesn't mean, however, that every last Christian will actually let themselves enjoy these things.
Some just aren't as strong as others.
ROMANS 14:1-13 (Audio) ROMANS 14:1-13 (Video)
The first man to die in human history was murdered with a stone.
The assassin was his brother.

Murder weapons have evolved since then, but siblings are still killing each other as always.
ROMANS 14:14-23 (Audio) ROMANS 14:14-23 (Video)
A Danish theologian once said,
"Many of us pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that we hurry past it”.

I wonder if he was talking about the dozens upon dozens of opportunities we have every single day, to serve other people?
ROMANS 15:1-13 (Audio) ROMANS 15:1-13 (Video)
Imagine going to war without knowing whether your fellow comrades even know how to use a gun.
That's what it's like when your own personal relationship with Jesus is your sole concern.

If you hope to survive the fight, you'd better have a little confidence in the soldiers you're standing next to.
ROMANS 15:14-33 (Audio) ROMANS 15:14-33 (Video)
Christian history is full of commendable people who did commendable things. 
Moses, for example, parted the Red Sea, Noah built the ark, and David slew the giant.

But that's little in comparison to what Phoebe did. 
ROMANS 16:1-16 (Audio) ROMANS 16:1-16 (Video)

As a heart pumps blood into the furthest extremities of the body, so also is the church meant to pump the gospel into all the world.

But like hearts,
not all ministries function as they should.

What exactly is it that enables a church
to bring God's truth to the ends of the earth?

Let's dissect a healthy one
so we can figure it out.