Welcome to Waymaker Church! We are so excited to have you join us today! We exist to Encounter, Live for, and Advance the Kingdom of God!

This morning, we are jumping into a new series called the Church Defined. Over the next several weeks we are going to dive into the book of Romans.
The letter to the Romans by the apostle Paul stands as the clearest and most systematic presentation of Christian doctrine in all the scripture.

We will not cover every aspect of the book of Romans in this series, but we will highlight multiple important elements in the letter of Paul to the Romans. Any believer who desires to serve Jesus and the kingdom of God effectively must establish a firm foundation.

Remember, the central focus of the kingdom message is Jesus. As we step into this series, I want us to view the letter of Paul to the Romans through that lens.

Open your bibles to Romans 1:1–6 “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. Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;”

There is so much packed into these first six verses. I want to highlight a few things from the passage that I believe set the tone of the Christian life.

There are two things that stand out to me in Paul’s depiction of Himself in His intro.

1. Paul says He is a bondservant of Jesus Christ.

I want to clarity the terminology Paul uses to demonstrate his position in Christ.
The first term given is bondservant. This term is defined as a person who is legally owned by someone else, and whose entire livelihood and purpose was determined by their master. This is an essential element to grasp.

This is a core fundamental truth that needs to be reestablished in the body of Christ in America. If you have declared Christ as Lord of your life you are slaves of Christ.

I’ll let the gravity of that sink in for a moment.

Let me submit to you this morning as we begin this new series, that you are not your own. You have been bought with a price.

Therefore, Honor the Lord in your body. Honor the Lord with your actions, honor the lord with your thought life, honor the lord with your sources of entertainment, honor the lord in your speech, honor the Lord in your marriage, honor the Lord in your home life, honor the Lord in your finances.

Let every dimension of who you are bring honor and glory to Jesus.
We as believers are to live as bondservants / slaves of Christ. When we say yes to Him, we are saying yes to His Lordship. We are saying yes to His desires and his will for our life above our own. Lordship means that He is the one who is in control.

2. Called to be an apostle and Separated to the Gospel of God.

The Lordship of Christ comes with a call. Every believer is called of God to serve His purposes. Some like Paul are called to serve the Lord in vocational ministry. This call is for men and women to serve the body of Christ by serving in the fivefold ministry. In the office of the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher.

These are called by God to equip the saints of God for the works of the ministry.

Paul was separated to the Gospel. It was a divine call of God. Now I want you to understand that every believer is called of God.

Some are called vocationally to ministry, but many others are called to the marketplace. Some are called as business owners. Others as employees in an organization. Some are called to the classroom, or as first responders.

We simply need to understand that are all called. We are called to serve His purposes. We are called to live our lives for His glory and to declare His name. Listen, the great commission was given to all believers.

What I love most about being a bondservant of Christ?

He does not leave us to accomplish everything in our own strength. Living out the Gospel by going into all the world is not through self-works and our own strength. He said that He is with us always even to the end of the age. He said the Holy Spirit will be with us, and in us.

John 14:17 “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
The power of being a slave to Christ is that our surrendered life comes with the benefit of the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the essence of the Gospel.

That greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. The Gospel is not merely good news it is the power of God unto salvation. It’s dynamic. Not only was Jesus declared by the prophets, to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness.

He was raised from the dead! And when we surrender to Him, we are given the gift of salvation, but even more than that He will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and Fire!

The baptism of the Holy Spirit purifies us. It empowers us. It emboldens us to go and declare the message of the Gospel not just with our words but with our lives.
The Holy Spirit at work within us shapes and molds us to look like Him. Paul tells us that through Him he received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith.

Through the Holy Spirit you and I also receive grace. The divine enablement of God to do what you can’t do on your own. Listen, we need to stop striving and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

I see so many wondering what they are supposed to do for Christ. If you will draw near and seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit, he will lead you into your assignment.

The direction of God comes in movement. So many times, throughout scripture we see God revealing as they went from one place to another.

Abraham as went to a place God would show Him. Israel during the exodus from Egypt. The disciples on the Road to Emmaus. Revelation and assignment come when we are move towards the call of God.

In the moments of private surrender. When you open His word and commune with Him. It happens in the movement of prayer and worship. It happens when you step through the fear of failure and lay hands on the sick. It comes when you open your mouth to share your testimony of the goodness of God in your life.

It’s from these moments that your assignment is clarified. It’s in these moments that the passions and desires of your heart are truly revealed. There has to be movement in your life towards the things of God.

What does it take to do this?
An unashamed unwavering determination to live by faith as a bondservant of God.

The Just Shall Live By Faith:
Romans 1:16–17 “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.””

Can I tell you this morning that you have to make a decision. Will you unashamedly live by faith? Will you forsake all else and draw near to Him? Will you lay down your life, to find it in Him?

Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.””

We can’t live a halfway gospel. Church I’m pleading with you this morning to go all in. Make the decision like Elijah, that if the Lord is God than serve Him. To be like Joshua when He declared, that as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

This decision is the most important decision that you will ever make in your life! Just understand that it is a personal decision! Salvation and submission are personal, no one else can choose it for you. It will cost you everything. This loss is not something we should ever fear.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:25 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”