Well, good morning to everyone. Thank you Doug and Ray for the good song and thank you Mark for leading us this morning. 

We're gonna celebrate the Lord's Supper together. Mark was talking about it being sometimes a somber thing, a self-examining thing, but I think it's also a celebration, a celebration of what Christ has done for us. That's why we come together this morning—to remember what he did for us, to appreciate that and think on these things, and also to celebrate our salvation through faith in him. 

I want to begin this morning by reading some scriptures. First, Luke 22:17. In Luke 22:17, this is at the Last Supper, and the Lord is giving instruction to the disciples about having this Passover meal with them. In verse 17 he says, "Then he took the cup and he gave thanks and said, 'Take this and divide it among yourselves. For I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.' And he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' Likewise, he also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is shed for you.'"

Now, similarly, I just want to read 1 Corinthians 11, Paul's account of this. He says, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same manner, he also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me, for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.'"

The purpose of the Lord's Supper, instituted by Jesus, is to remember what he did for us and to proclaim the gospel, to proclaim his death, burial, and resurrection until he comes again. The focus of this time together, which we celebrate now on the last Sunday morning of each month, is to remember what Jesus did for us, to focus on the gospel, the truth of his sacrifice, his death in our place for our sins, to accomplish our salvation. And in so doing, we are proclaiming his death. We are remembering in thankfulness and we are proclaiming in hope. This is the purpose of our gathering and fellowship and study together this morning and each time that we have communion. 

The piece of bread and the cup of juice are symbols; they are pictures of the body and blood of Christ for the remembrance of what he did on the cross. These elements are for everyone who believes, who has come to Christ in faith alone for salvation and has become a child of God. So if you're here this morning and you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you are welcome to participate with us in this ordinance as we together remember the cross, the gospel, and we proclaim his death until he comes.

Well, because the communion service is one of focus on the gospel, I want to spend the next several months, perhaps years, looking through the greatest doctrinal treatise concerning the gospel, the book of Romans. As we will see, the book of Romans is really an expanded version of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

In the first part of chapter one, which we're going to look at this morning, is a summary of the book of the message and the messenger, Paul the Apostle. Then beginning in verse 18, all the way through chapter 3, verse 20, we see the sinfulness and need of man laid out—the universal guilt of all man before a holy God. This is the bad news. 

But beginning in verse 21 of chapter 3, we see the glorious good news of God's plan to justify sinful men, to bring them to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. This runs all the way through chapter 5, and in chapters 6 through 8, we see the implications of the gospel and salvation that Christ provides in the life of the believer—a section that explains sanctification, Christian living day by day. 

Chapters 9 to 11 outline God's salvation plan concerning the nation Israel, as well as the Gentile nations, and then in chapters 12 to 16 we find the application section where Paul exhorts us to live in light of these great truths of the first 11 chapters and to apply them in a continual moment-by-moment sacrifice of ourselves to God.

So the book of Romans explains to us fully the gospel of Jesus Christ, the very focus of our communion services, and we will spend some time the last Sunday of each month working through some of these great truths. 

I want to begin in chapter 1 this morning in those first five verses. If you turn to Romans 1 at verse 1. 

Paul, a bond servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, which he promised before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. Through him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name. 

I want to just look at these five verses this morning with three points. First, we're going to look at a servant of Christ. Second, separated to the gospel, and third, spirit resurrection. 

Well, in these first five verses, Paul lays out the plan and the purpose of the epistle. He introduces and largely summarizes what he wants to talk about, what he's writing to them about. He first identifies himself, Paul, a servant or a slave to Christ. And to be quite honest with you, it's difficult to get past this first word, Paul. 

For who is Paul? Paul was born Saul of Tarsus and he grew in education and religious zeal to become a mighty force around the time of Christ in the Jewish religion and in the persecution of the church. We are first introduced to Saul in the seventh chapter of the book of Acts, and this is the amazing sermon by the first martyr Stephen who gives a powerful recounting of the history of Israel, culminating in the coming of Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, and also the Jewish rejection of their Messiah.

I'd like for you to look at their response to Stephen's sermon, beginning in verse 57. If you turn to Acts 7 at verse 57, "Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord. And they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep." 

Now look at chapter 8, it says, "Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem, and they all were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison." 

The word for havoc in verse 3 is used of a wild beast tearing at flesh. It reminds me of all those investigations I did when I was a wolf trapper. You'd see how formidable a predator those wolves were when they would attack a cow. A guy sent me a picture the other day of a deer that had been killed by coyotes, ripped apart, and blood strewn through the snow. You think about how Saul was so venomous against the church, attacking the church. This word describes that. He was a force to be reckoned with in persecuting the early church. 

In 1st Timothy 1, Paul said, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me because he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." 

Paul saw himself as the chief of sinners because he had persecuted the church. At his conversion, the Lord came to him and said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Jesus said that Paul's persecution of the church was really because of his hatred for Jesus Christ. 

So this was quite a guy, Saul of Tarsus. And what I think is amazing to consider is the profound transformation that took place as a result of the gospel of Jesus Christ and Saul's faith in him. Paul describes this conversion, his 180-degree change in Philippians 3. Turn over to Philippians 3 and let's read that testimony of Paul as he explains in some of the clearest terms in the scriptures how a man can turn from religion and self-righteousness and receive the righteousness of God through faith in Christ.

"Verse 1: Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation. For we are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Although I also might have confidence in the flesh, if anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ, yet indeed I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him," look at these words, "not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead, not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me."

Why did God lay hold of Saul? Why did Christ Jesus lay hold of Saul? He says some amazing things in his testimony here. He was the most zealous of religious Jews, like a beast attacking, tearing at the church. 

What happened to Saul? What happened was the power, the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you turn back to Romans 1 and look with me at Paul's conclusion in this first section in verses 16 to 17, we will see an explanation of the transformation that took Saul of Tarsus from a zealous persecutor of the church to the most fervent slave of Christ and preacher of the gospel. 

Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'" The gospel, the good news of the death of Christ on the cross, his burial, and his glorious resurrection—that which we remember together this morning, that we focus on and proclaim—Paul says it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. 

You know what happened to Saul of Tarsus? Jesus brought the gospel to him and he believed. And because of this, because of the dynamite, the power of the gospel, Saul was transformed into Paul and was called to be the apostle to the Gentiles. And here he describes himself in verse 1 of our text as a bondservant, a willing slave to his Lord and Master Jesus Christ. 

And thus we see the power of the gospel in the life of Paul in the first words of the book of Romans. Look at verse 1, "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God." 

Why did Jesus lay hold of Saul? To separate him to the gospel of God. He's a servant to Christ, he's called, he's sent as an apostle, and he's separated to the gospel of God. Jesus called Paul on that Damascus Road to preach the gospel. Formerly, he was a blasphemer, a persecutor of the church, a religious zealot seeking to establish his own righteousness through the law. 

But Saul was transformed by the power of the gospel. He was separated from his former life in Adam, in religion, and he was placed into Christ, separated to the gospel. And his life became one of total focus on the gospel, on preaching and teaching that he might lead men to faith in Christ and build them up, preparing them for the work of ministry. 

The gospel of Jesus Christ totally consumed Paul and his life was a sacrifice continually presented for the service of the gospel. In 1st Corinthians 1:22, he says, "For Jews request a sign and Greeks seek after wisdom. Listen to this message for the church today, but we preach Christ crucified. To the Jews, a stumbling block. To the Greeks, foolishness. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God." 

And in chapter 9, verse 16, he says, "For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me. Yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel." Paul was separated to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ was his message. And his hope was placed entirely in the power of God through the preaching of the gospel to save lost men. This was his ministry.

Now we learn some things about this gospel in the first few verses here in Romans 1. He was separated to the gospel of God, verse 2 says, "which he promised before through his prophets in the holy scriptures concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh." 

This gospel that Paul preached, that he was separated to, was promised before through the holy prophets in the scriptures. We see this right from the beginning in Genesis. After the fall, God made a promise of a Redeemer, of a Deliverer from sin and death and hell. We see it all the way through as God gives us pictures and promises of the final sacrifice, the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world— from the deliverance of Noah and his family in the ark, to the substitute for Isaac up on that mount where Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, to the bronze serpent in the wilderness with Moses in Numbers 22. 

And more explicitly in Isaiah 53, which Mark read this morning, in Psalm 22, we see the new covenant prophesied in Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36. All through the Old Testament was a promise of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, looking to Him, believing Him, trusting the promises of God. And we see this so clearly in all the pictures and representations of the law, all pointing to Christ, all showing us our need for a Savior, culminating in the cross of Calvary, which we remember together this morning in thankfulness for what He accomplished.

So we see that this gospel was promised all through the Old Testament in the Word of God. Next, we see that the gospel is concerning His Son. Jesus is the promised Deliverer, the eternal Son of God. He is the promise; He is the fulfillment of all that God foretold and pictured in the Old Testament and in the law covenant. 

Turn over to Hebrews chapter 1 with me, please. An interesting statement in the beginning of the book of Hebrews, chapter 1, verse 1. "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, now—this is just what Romans 1:1 is talking about, He promised through the prophets, through the Holy Scriptures—has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." 

What an amazing statement concerning the gospel and Jesus Christ as the sole focus of God's salvation plan. In the Old Testament, God spoke in many ways, foretelling what would come, affirming the promise. But now in these last days, the promises have been fulfilled. Salvation has been accomplished at the cross. And God now only speaks to us through His Son. This gospel is concerning Jesus, the Son of God.

And notice also in our text that Jesus was born of the seed of David, according to the flesh. The promise was prophesied to be fulfilled by the Son of David in the lineage of the King of Israel. But the important thing to notice here is that Jesus became a man. He took on flesh. He was born a baby, born a man of the seed of David, according to the flesh, it says. 

Turn over to Hebrews 2, chapter 8 with me, please. Hebrews 2:8, "Everything is not right in this world, would you agree with that? God intended when He created the world to put all things into subjection under Adam's feet. Adam was going to rule on the earth and tend the garden and oversee, and God put all things, but then the curse came, sin came, death came into the world, everything got all messed up, we got thorns and thistles and swamp grass in my pastures and all kinds of problems." 

That's what we see in verse 8. It says, "For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him, but now we do not yet see all things put under him." Things are not the way God intended in creation. Things are not the way God will have it be for eternity. We do not yet see all things put under him, but what do we see? We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. 

"For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren. Saying, 'I will declare your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to you,' and again, 'I will put my trust in Him,' and again, 'Here am I and the children whom God has given me.'"

And as much then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 

Therefore in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. 

Jesus is the eternal Son of God, the Word. He was with God in the beginning, John says, and the Word was God. But He came and pitched His tent among us. He took on flesh and became a man and dwelt among men. Jesus condescended and He lived and grew as a human being, living a perfect and sinless life. And in this way, and only this way, He could become my substitute and yours, paying the penalty He did not owe, dying a death He did not deserve in my place, in my stead—a substitute for me, satisfying the wrath of God forever. 

He was the propitiation; He was the full satisfactory payment for sins. Turn over to Romans 3 with me, please, at verse 21. We'll see this explained clearly. "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe, for there is no difference. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood through faith to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." 

God designed the plan of salvation. The only way that He could remain just and be the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus is by the cross. All sin was paid for at the cross and Jesus bore the wrath that we deserve. And what the Scriptures so clearly and consistently teach is that it is only by faith and faith alone that we can enter this salvation that Jesus provides, that we can receive His righteousness and be reconciled to God, only by faith, only in the cross of Christ. 

So we see in our text, in the introduction to the theme of the book of Romans, the gospel of Jesus Christ—a servant of Christ, Paul, separated to the gospel. And last we see spirit resurrection. And by this I mean that Jesus was raised by the Spirit, as the text says, a bodily resurrection. 

It's evident, my brothers and sisters, that God was fully satisfied by Jesus' one-time death on the cross, and this is manifest by the fact that He raised Him from the dead. Let's look again at our text, Romans 1:1. 

"Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead."

Jesus was declared; He was shown to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. Jesus is clearly shown to be the Son of God by the resurrection and this is the key to our salvation, to our faith. Jesus was raised from the dead just as He promised on the third day. 

And my hope, my confidence, my surety of salvation is wholly tied to this historical fact that the grave is empty, that the Son is risen indeed. I serve a risen Savior and He is seated at the right hand of God, waiting until His enemies are made His footstool. He ever lives to make intercession for me. He's able to save to the uttermost and He has promised to come again and take me to be with Him forever. He said, "If it were not so, I would have told you." Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. And it is that event, that truth that we remember, that we celebrate this morning in our communion service—the death in our place for our sins, His burial, yes, but most importantly, the resurrection from the dead. 

And now Jesus is the prototokos, the first one, the preeminent one. He has all the power, and He possesses the keys to the Kingdom, my friends—the gospel. And do you know that He has given to us those keys? He has entrusted to us the gospel to go out and preach and proclaim so that men might believe and be saved? 

Verse 5 says, "Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name." We have received grace, power through the gospel preached to call all men to obey, to believe the gospel, and to be saved forever. This is our service; this is our privilege and the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. 

Paul said again in 16 and 17 of chapter 1, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'" The gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes and that's why we come together this morning—to remember what Jesus did for us, what He accomplished at the cross in His death, burial, and resurrection, and to proclaim His death until He comes. 

This is our joy and my brothers and sisters, this is our commission as well. 

I believe Julie has a song for us and then we will have our communion time. 

"When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast; when the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast. I could never keep my hold through life's fearful path, for my love is often cold; He must hold me fast. 

He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast, for my Saviour loves me so; He will hold me fast. Those He saves are His delight; Christ will hold me fast. Precious in His holy sight; He will hold me fast. He'll not let my soul be lost; His promises shall last. Bought by Him at such a cost; He will hold me fast. 

He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast, for my savior loves me so; He will hold me fast. For my life He bled and died; Christ will hold me fast. Justice has been satisfied; He will hold me fast. Raised with Him to endless life; He will hold me fast. Till our faith is turned to sight; when He comes at last. 

He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast, for my savior loves me so; He will hold me fast."