Romans Series: Romans: 1:1-12

Romans: He’s Not Done With Me Yet

May 31st, 2026/Seventh Day Adventist

Story: How many of you have been spending a little extra time outside this week? Longer days, warmer weather, neighbors are outside, and the streets are booming. Coming out of winter I feel like I have to do a reset of my yard and garden beds. It’s a process. We pulled up some of the plants that didn’t make it, but there was this one lavender plant that I thought I could save… so I grabbed some potting soil and ran an irrigation line to it. Here it is… (Show Pic of green grass)… How did that get in there! :). (Show pic of lavender plant)

When something looks like it’s not completely dead, but also not fully alive, it rarely ever comes back by doing the same thing. It requires special attention to revive something that has been slowly dying, or that has experienced an unfortunate trauma… are we still talking about plants here?!

Intro: The word “revival” comes from two Latin words “re” meaning “again” and “vivere” meaning “to live”. At its root, revival is about life. Not creating something new, but restoring what has grown weak, dormant, or spiritually lifeless. A simple definition might look like “Revival is God bringing His people back to life.” Or more broadly, “Revival is the sovereign work of God whereby He restores spiritual life, passion, repentance, holiness, and obedience among His people through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

It's fascinating that some of the greatest revivals and spiritual awakenings in church history have a connection back to the book of Romans. Augustine's life was transformed after reading Romans. Martin Luther's study of Romans helped ignite the Protestant Reformation. And John Wesley's famous Aldersgate experience, which helped launch the Methodist revival, came while listening to Luther's introduction to Romans being read aloud. *Romans Road

Time and time again, when God has brought new life to His people, Romans seems to be somewhere in the story. Maybe that's because Romans has a way of bringing us back to the heart of the gospel, reminding us that salvation is by grace through faith, and awakening what's grown cold back to life.

So without further ado, let’s pray.

Pray:

Throughout church history, Christians have used creeds and liturgies to help pass biblical truth from one generation to the next. A creed is simply a statement of what we believe. The Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed are two of the most well-known examples, and we gladly affirm the truths they proclaim because they align with Scripture. A liturgy is a repeated act of worship, such as the Lord’s Prayer, a responsive reading, communion, a confession of faith, or a corporate declaration. Christians have practiced these for centuries because repetition helps shape belief and discipleship.

At Pinewood, we participate in both. We affirm the historic creeds of the Christian faith, and we practice liturgies in various settings throughout the life of our church. Before services, our team often recites a discipleship-oriented creed together. During services, we may read Scripture aloud, take communion, or pray together corporately. At the end of service, we pray a salvation prayer together as a church family.

All of this is meant to reinforce Scripture in our hearts and minds. In fact, the words we use are drawn directly from God’s Word and are often exact quotations from Scripture. They help us remember what we believe, shape how we live, and keep the Gospel at the center of everything we do.

Before we open God’s Word this morning, I’d like you to grab your bible, stand up, and let's say our Bible Declaration. This is our first time saying it together, but I believe in you.

“This is my Bible.

It is God-breathed and true.

It tells me who I am.

And what He calls me to do.

It is alive and active.

It gives me everything I need for life and godliness.

It never returns empty,
but accomplishes its purpose.

It is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.

Heaven and earth will pass away,
but His Word will remain forever.

I will hide His Word in my heart
so I might not sin against Him.

I will meditate on it day and night
so my life will be fruitful.

I will share the Word with others,
so they may know Jesus.

So today,

I will receive it with humility.

I will believe it with faith.

I will obey it with courage.

My mind is ready.

My heart is open.

My life will never be the same.

In Jesus' name, Amen.”

C’mon!!! I love that. This one-minute declaration is built from nearly twenty direct Scripture quotes and reflects dozens more.

Now remain standing and let’s turn to Romans chapter 1.

Passage: Romans 1:1 CSB

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus…

Background:

Paul, who was once called Saul, was a Pharisee. He was highly educated, deeply devoted to the Old Testament Scriptures, and committed to the traditions of his day. The people of "The Way" were seen as a threat to the religious order, so Saul actively persecuted those who claimed Jesus as Messiah and Lord.

Everything changed on the road to Damascus. Saul had a personal encounter with the risen Jesus, who said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Blinded by the encounter, Saul was later visited by a disciple named Ananias, whom God instructed, "Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to take my name to Gentiles, kings, and Israelites" (Acts 9). Ananias obeyed, Saul regained his sight, and the persecutor of the church became one of its greatest missionaries: the Apostle Paul.

Up to this point, we've walked through the Gospels and Acts. Now we turn to Paul's letter to the church in Rome.

Unlike many of Paul's other letters, Paul had never personally visited the church in Rome. Because of that, Romans serves as his clearest and most complete explanation of the Gospel he preached.

What’s fascinating is when Paul writes this letter, Christianity isn’t brand new anymore. Pentecost happened about twenty-five years earlier. Paul has already spent decades preaching, planting churches, enduring persecution, discipling believers, and taking the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Romans isn’t the work of a young missionary still figuring things out. It’s what happens when a man who has spent a quarter century proclaiming Jesus sits down and explains the Gospel as clearly as he possibly can.

The church in Rome was made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers, creating tensions over grace, the Law, and what it meant to be God's people. Paul writes to bring clarity, unity, and a deeper understanding of the Gospel.

Broadly speaking, Romans unfolds in four sections:

Chapters 1-4: God's Righteousness Revealed

Chapters 5-8: God's New Humanity Created Through Christ

Chapters 9-11: God's Faithfulness to Israel Displayed

Chapters 12-16: God's People Living in Unity and Mission

Over the next several months, we're going to walk through this letter verse by verse and discover why, for nearly two thousand years, God has used Romans to transform lives.

Title: He’s Not Done With Me Yet

Main Points:

1. The Gospel Gives Us a New Identity (1:1-7)

   1. 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures— 3 concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh 4 and was appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead. 5 Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles, 6 including you who are also called by Jesus Christ. 7 To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

   2. Explanation: One of the first things that stands out in Romans is how Paul introduces himself. He doesn't begin with his accomplishments. He doesn't tell us how many churches he's planted. He doesn't remind us of his education or influence. Instead, he introduces himself with three simple descriptions: a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, and set apart for the Gospel of God.

      1. That's significant because Paul could have identified himself by many things. He was a Pharisee. He was highly educated. He was a Roman citizen. He was a church planter and missionary. Yet before he tells us what he has done, he tells us who he belongs to.

         3. The word servant is the Greek word doulos, which literally means bondservant or slave. Paul is saying, "My life belongs to Jesus." Then he says he was called as an apostle. This wasn't a career path Paul chose for himself. It was a calling that God placed on his life. Finally, he says he was set apart for the Gospel. Paul's identity is no longer rooted in his past. It is rooted in God's purpose for his future.

      2. What's beautiful is that Paul doesn't stop with his own identity. He turns and speaks identity over the believers in Rome. He tells them that they are loved by God and called as saints. Not because they've earned it. Not because they've arrived spiritually. Not because they have it all together. They are loved because God loves them. They are called because God called them.

         4. Before Paul tells them how to live, he reminds them who they are. That's how the Gospel works. The Gospel doesn't start with behavior modification. The Gospel starts with identity transformation.
         5. Illustration: Imagine a child who has spent years moving from home to home in the foster system. They've never quite known where they belong. They've learned to protect themselves. They've learned not to get too attached. Then one day a family adopts them.

      3. The next morning they wake up in the same room. They have the same personality. They still have struggles and insecurities. But one thing has fundamentally changed. Their identity.

      4. They're no longer wondering if they belong. They have a family. They have a name. They have a place at the table.

      5. Many people spend their lives trying to earn what God freely gives. They're trying to prove themselves. They're trying to become enough. They're trying to outrun their past. The Gospel says your identity is not something you achieve. It's something you receive.

         6. Application: What voice has been shaping your identity lately?

      6. For some of you, it's your success. For others, it's your failure. For some, it's a label someone placed on you years ago that you're still carrying around. For others, it's the pressure to perform, achieve, and prove yourself.

      7. Paul reminds us that our identity isn't found in what we've done. It's found in what Christ has done.

         7. The church kid who feels like they have to be perfect. The addict who still carries shame from yesterday. The single adult wondering where they belong. The parent who feels like they're failing. The retiree wondering if their best years are behind them.

      8. The Gospel speaks the same truth to all of us.

      9. You are loved by God.
      10. You are called by God.
      11. You belong to Jesus.

2. We Need Each Other More Than We Think (8-12)

   1. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world. 9 God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about his Son—that I constantly mention you, 10 always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I want very much to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 12 that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
   2. Explanation: As Paul continues his introduction, something surprising happens. He begins talking about people he has never met. Most of the believers in Rome are complete strangers to him, yet listen to the language he uses. He thanks God for them. He prays for them. He longs to be with them. He wants to strengthen them.

   3. Then in verse 12, Paul says something remarkable. He says that he wants to be "mutually encouraged" by their faith.

      1. Think about who is writing this letter. This is the Apostle Paul. He has planted churches, endured persecution, performed miracles, and seen God move in incredible ways. Yet even Paul says, "I need encouragement from you, and you need encouragement from me."

         4. Christianity was never designed to be lived in isolation. From the very beginning, God has worked through relationships. He places us in families, churches, crews, and communities because He knows something about us that we often forget: we need each other.

      2. The Christian life is not a solo journey. It is a shared journey.

         5. Illustration: Have you ever noticed what happens to a log that gets pulled away from a campfire? For a while it still glows. It still looks hot. It still has some life left in it. But give it enough time and the flame slowly begins to disappear.

      3. Now place that same log back into the center of the fire. Before long it begins burning brightly again.

      4. The log didn't lose its nature. It simply lost its proximity.

         6. The same thing happens spiritually. Many people don't drift from God because they're angry with God. They drift because they've become disconnected from God's people.

      5. They slowly pull away from community, encouragement, accountability, and relationships until their faith begins to cool.

      6. If you’ve ever pulled away from Christian community, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Can I get a witness?

         7. Application: Who is strengthening your faith right now?

      7. And just as importantly, whose faith are you strengthening?

         8. Many people attend church regularly but remain disconnected relationally.

      8. They know faces but not stories.

      9. They know names but not struggles.

      10. They sit in rows but never move into relationships.

          9. Paul's vision for the church was deeper than attendance. It was mutual encouragement.

      11. Maybe your next step is joining a crew. Maybe it's inviting another family over for dinner. Maybe it's reaching out to someone you've been meaning to call. Maybe it's finally opening up about something you've been carrying alone.

          10. Because some of the encouragement you're praying for may come through the people God has already placed around you. (Pause/Selah)

3. Saved People Are Sent People (13-15)

   1. 13 Now I don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

   2. Explanation: Paul now reveals why he has wanted to visit Rome for so long. He says he often planned to come but was prevented until now. His desire wasn't driven by comfort or opportunity. He wanted to come because he believed there was Kingdom work to be done. He longed to strengthen the believers in Rome and eventually use Rome as a launching point for taking the Gospel even farther west into Spain.

      1. Paul didn't see Rome as a destination. He saw it as a mission. In fact, that's one of the defining characteristics of Paul's ministry throughout the New Testament. Paul was never thinking about arrival; he was always thinking about advancement. Wherever he went, he wasn't asking, "How can I get comfortable here?" He was asking, "How can the Gospel move forward from here?" Wherever Paul looked, he saw people who still needed to hear about Jesus.

         3. Paul says he wanted to have a fruitful ministry among them. That's important because Paul measures success differently than our culture does. He isn't chasing popularity, influence, or recognition. He's looking for fruit. He wants to see lives changed. He wants to see people strengthened. He wants to see the Gospel take root and multiply.

      2. Then Paul says something that can sound strange to modern ears. He says, "I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish." Paul isn't talking about financial debt. He's talking about Gospel responsibility. The grace of God transformed his life so profoundly that he now feels compelled to make sure others hear about Jesus.

      3. The Gospel didn't simply rescue Paul from something. It sent him to something.

         4. That's why verse 15 is so powerful. Paul says, "I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome." Even though they are already believers, Paul is eager to preach the Gospel because Christians never outgrow their need for the Gospel. We don't graduate from it. We grow deeper into it.
         5. Illustration: Imagine that tomorrow scientists announced they had discovered a cure for every form of cancer. Not a treatment. Not a medication that slows it down. A complete cure.

      4. If you possessed that cure, would you keep it to yourself? Would you quietly put it on a shelf and occasionally think about it? Of course not. You would feel compelled to share it with every person who needed it.

      5. At some point, the value of what you've received creates a responsibility to share it.

      6. That's how Paul viewed the Gospel. He knew where he would be without Jesus. He knew the grace he had received. He knew the life that had been given to him. And because of that, he couldn't keep it to himself.

         6. Application: One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is forgetting that we've been sent.

      7. We can become so focused on our schedules, our problems, our responsibilities, and our comfort that we lose sight of the people God has strategically placed around us. But every one of us has a mission field.

      8. Who is your 1? There have been people strategically and I would say supernaturally placed in your life… how are you “living sent”? How are you taking the Good News to them? What if God has placed you in your workplace, gym, neighborhood, because you’ve been sent as a missionary to advance the Kingdom of God?

         7. You don't have to be an apostle to be sent. You don't have to move overseas to be sent. You don't have to stand on a stage to be sent.

      9. If you've received the grace of God, you've been entrusted with the message of God.

      10. So who has God placed in your life that needs to know Jesus? Who are you praying for? Who are you investing in? Who are you inviting?
          8. Because saved people are sent people. The same Gospel that rescued us was never meant to stop with us.

Closing:

As we close today, let’s go back to that lavender plant. When I first looked at it, I honestly wasn't sure if it was dead or alive. Part of me wanted to pull it out and throw it away. It wasn't producing anything. It wasn't growing. It wasn't flourishing. But there was just enough life there that I thought maybe it's worth one more shot. So I gave it some attention. I gave it some water. I gave it some care. And now we'll see what happens.

The more I've sat in Romans this week, the more I've realized that's exactly what God does with people. He doesn't look at us and immediately throw us away because we're struggling. He doesn't abandon us because we're weak. He doesn't walk away because we've become distracted, disconnected, or discouraged. Instead, He meets us right where we are and begins reminding us of what is true.

Paul starts this letter by reminding the church who they are. Before he talks about sin. Before he talks about righteousness. Before he talks about God's judgment or God's grace. He reminds them that they are loved by God and called by God.

Then he reminds them that they need each other. Even the Apostle Paul needed encouragement. Even Paul needed community. Even Paul needed people speaking faith into his life.

And then he reminds them that they have a mission. That the Gospel wasn't simply given to them for their own benefit. It was entrusted to them so it could move through them and reach others. As I think about our church, I think those same reminders matter today.

Walking Points:

Some of you walked in carrying shame and disappointment. You need to remember who you are in Christ.

Some of you have slowly drifted into isolation. You love Jesus, but you've stopped letting people into your life. You need to remember that faith was never meant to be lived alone.

And some of you have become so focused on surviving life that you've forgotten God has placed people around you who desperately need the hope that you've found in Jesus.

As we begin this journey through Romans, my prayer isn't simply that we learn more information. My prayer is that God would do what He has done for centuries through this letter. That He would awaken something in us. That He would strengthen what has grown weak. That He would remind us who we are. That He would deepen our love for one another. And that He would renew our passion for the people around us who don't yet know Christ.

NEXT WEEK Paul is finally going to answer the question he's been building toward.

Why was he so eager?

Why was he willing to suffer?

Why did this Gospel consume his life?

Because in verse 16 he says,

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..."

And church, that's where Romans really begins…

Invitation:

As we close our time today, if you want to make a decision to follow Jesus. Then join me and everyone else in the building as we pray out loud together. It’s not the prayer that saves you, but your faith, making Jesus Lord of your life. We don’t let anyone go on the journey alone. If you have faith in Jesus, then let’s join together as we pray…

Prayer of Salvation:

Jesus, I acknowledge that I need you

I confess that I have sinned against you

I believe that God raised you from the dead

And right now, by faith, I say “Jesus is Lord”

Thank you for forgiving me

By your grace I am saved

And by your power I am set free