Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Romans
Introduction Part 1
TITLE: 'I am who I am because...' TEXT: Romans Introduction pt.1INTRO: 'I am who I am because...' Think for a moment how you would finish that statement.
I. Blaming others for who we are.
A. Prison Inmates
While working in the psychiatric unit of the Phila. prison system,
I had the opportunity to ask many of the inmates to finish that same
sentence. This is how most of them responded.
1. I am who I am because of my parents. They abused me, beat me, went
out and left me all alone. There was no love in my
house. If I had better parents I wouldn't be in prison today.
2. I am who I am because of my neighborhood. I lived in a bad part of
town and life was hard. We never had anything.
It was take before somebody took it away from you. Most of the kids in
the neighborhood were a part of the gang and if
you weren't, you were beat up. If I only had someplace nice to live,
like you did, I wouldn't be in prison today.
3. I am who I am because of society. Nobody ever cared for me, nobody
ever gave me a chance. I couldn't get a job
and when I did I get fired just because I missed a couple of days or
because the boss thought I was stealing..man He was
stealing, not me. It's because of people like you that I am in prison
today.
4. I am who I am because of drugs and alcohol. I have to get high or
drunk just to get thru the day. You don't kno what
it is like living the way I do. It's not me man, it's the drugs and
booze that's the reason I'm in prison.
TRANS: Many people, most in fact, would place the blame for their imprisonment on someone else, their family, neighborhood, society, the police, the devil. You name it and they would blame it. Well, what about those who have 'made it' in life. the successful men and women in our society. How do you think they would finish the statement 'I am who I am because...'?
II. Taking all the credit ourselves
A. Successful people
Read any books on the lives of successful people. Read the
magazines like Fortune 500 and Money. Most successful people would finish
this statement in a similar way. Here are some examples.
1. I am who I am because I didn't want to end up like my parents. They
weren't poor they just got by. We never took a nice
vacation, never owned a new car. I didn't want to end up in a dead end
job in a dead end life like them. I made something
of my life.
2. I am who I am because I wanted it more than the next guy. Some are
just not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to
really make it in this world, like I was. I made the sacrifices, I
worked the long hours. I paid my dues and now look at
me...not bad huh!
APP: There is a pattern here, do you see it? A pattern for both the prisoner and the successful person.
Here it is: Blame others for the bad things in your life and take all the credit for everything good in your life. Wouldn't you agree that perhaps this is the pattern for most of modern society? But is this the right pattern? Is this the way you would finish the statement 'I am who I am because...'? What if I were to ask Christians to finish this statement, how do you think they would respond ... if they were totally honest? I think it would often be the same was as the pattern I mentioned before..blame others for the bad and take all the credit for the good in your life.
We often blame others for our own sin, our bad times and not only accept praise but eagerly seek and demand it from others for our success and accomplishments. But that is not how it should be at all is it? In fact the pattern for the believe is the exact opposite. We should blame ourselves for sin which result in the bad times in our lives and give God the credit for ANY good, ANY success, ANY accomplishment we do. I think we would say we believe that, but often our actions prove differently. When it comes right down to it, as a Believer , we owe everything we are to God. God thru JC is the very reason we have life. So how should the believer finish the statement? I am who I am because of what God thru Christ has done for me.
III. We are who we are because of God.
A. Romans Introduction
How does all this relate to the Book of Romans? Some of you may be
asking. Well, I believe once we gain an understanding of Paul's Epistle to
the Romans, there will be but one way to finish that statement. I am who I
am because of God. They key and central issue to the study of the Book of
Romans is found in Romans 1:16-17. It is the righteousness of God that makes
us who we are. Without His righteousness, we are lost.
In our adult SS class we are studying the names of God and we finished the name Jehovah-Tsidkenu, the lord our righteousness. This name of God revealed to the Israelites, and to us as well, tells us that it is not enough to be forgiven of our sins, we must also be righteous in Gods eyes. Matthew 5:20 "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. And since Isa. 64:6 tells us 'all our righteousness is as filthy rags' what can be done to make us right with God? That's what the Book of Romans is about. It is not about our efforts to make ourselves right with God, NO. It is about God and His faithfulness to His plan to make us right with Him HOW? With His righteousness. Jehovah-Tsidkenu, The Lord IS OUR Righteousness.
CONCLUSION
The study of the Epistle to the Romans
Will give us a Right perspective on who we are w/o JC.
It will give us a Right perspective on who we are in JC.
It will give us a Right perspective on who God is.
It will give us a Right perspective on what God has, is and will do.
It will give us a right perspective on God's covenant faithfulness to His
people and to His plan.
The Epistle to the Romans, never forget, is about God's plan to make us right with Him. Come back next week and we will continue this introduction by examining the 5 basic questions we must ask before starting any book study. We are beginning a journey along the Romans Road and if you follow along and listen with your heart, I promise you will not be the same when we reach the end.