Romans: The Heart of the Gospel – Prayer and Evangelism

Peter Barnes | Romans 1:8-10

SERMON NOTES
PRAYER  AND  EVANGELISM
Romans 1:8-10

– Paul  only  arrived  in  Rome  about  three  years  after  writing  Romans  (Acts 28:16)

1.  Paul’s  gratitude  to  God  for  the  faith  of  the  Romans.

– 1:8.  There  is  a  ‘first’  but  no  ‘second’.  Paul’s  literary  style  lacks  at  times.

– Paul  thanks  God;  he  does  not  flatter  the  people,  e.g.  Eph.1:16;  Phil.1:3;  Col.1:3.

2.  Constant  prayer  goes  with  faithful  preaching.

– 1:9;  Paul  puts  himself  on  oath,  which  is  unusual.

– note  the  gospel  of  God  (1:1)  is  also  the  gospel  of  His  Son  (1:9)

– see  Col.1:3-4, 9-10  for  his  prayers  for  another  church  which  he  had  yet  to  visit.

3.  Answers  to  prayer  may  not  be  immediate.

– 1:10;  see  also  1:13;  15:20-23, 32;  Paul  did  not  know  for  sure  until  Acts  23:11

– Deut.29:29;  1 Cor.16:7;  James 4:13-16;  we  can  lawfully  pray  for  something  which  God  rejects  (e.g.  2 Cor.12:7-10);  David  Livingstone  thought  he  was  called  to  evangelise  in  China  but  ended  out  in  Africa.

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