KevinBerry|February17,2019GoodNews:Everybodycouldusesome. Howaboutyou?Intheheadlines:“’Oneofmyworst fears,’saysmanwhochokedmountainlion.”OnFebruary4,2019,TravisKauffmanwasrunninginthemountainsofColoradowhenamountainlionlungedathim,latchingontohiswristandclawinghisfaceandlegs.AsTravistumbledtotheground,hegrabbedsticks,rocks,anythingtodefendhimselfwith,butnothingworked.Atthatmoment,hesaidhisfearresponseturnedintoafight.Some thingsareworthfightingfor!Hefoughtforhislife,hisfuture,hisfamily.Thoughthelionrefusedtolethimgo,hewasabletogethisfootonthelion’sneckandchokeittodeath. Twenty-eightstitcheslaterandgratefultobealive,hesaid,"Thestoryisbiggerthanmypunyform."Someofyouhavebeeninafight.Iseeitinsomeofyoureyes...you’retiredofthefight.Thebadnewshasbeensofatiguing,andyoucouldusesomegoodnews.Peacebetoyou!Goodnews:Thestoryisbiggerthanyou.ThestoryofGod’sgrace—thegoodnewsofGod’sgraceappliedtoyourstory—isbiggerthananythingyoucouldpulloff.

TheRomansneededsomegoodnews,sotheApostlePaulwrotetheletterweknowasRomans.ThebookofRomansisknownforbringingabouttransformation.ThismessageofgracethroughJesusistransformationalforyou.MartinLuthercalledRomans,“ThechiefbookoftheNewTestament.”AswegothroughRomanstogether,let’saskGodtotransformus!

ThegoalofGod’sWordisnottoinformyou,buttotransformyou.

Whatisthegospel?Whatdoweknowaboutthegospel?Gospelmeans“goodnews.”ThebookofRomansunpacksthegospel,thisgoodnewsaboutJesus!

Paul,aservantofChristJesus,calledtobeanapostle,setapartforthegospelofGod,whichhepromisedbeforehandthroughhisprophetsintheholyScriptures,concerninghisSon,whowasdescendedfrom David

accordingtothefleshandwasdeclaredtobetheSonofGodinpoweraccordingtotheSpiritofholinessbyhisresurrectionfromthedead,JesusChristourLord,throughwhomwehavereceivedgraceandapostleshipto

bringabouttheobedienceoffaithforthesakeofhisnameamongallthenations,includingyouwhoarecalledtobelongtoJesusChrist, (Romans1:1-6)

Pauldescribedhimselfasaservant–onewhoservedhismastertothedisregardofhisowninterests,onewhosewillwasswallowedupinthewillofhismaster.Furthermore,Paulwascalledtobeanapostle,somethingentirelydifferentthanwhathewas.Hewasaterrorist…butcalledtobeanapostle.Paulrelatestorealpeople;heknewwhathewas,andwherehehadcomefrom. Maybethatiswhyhecould saywithsuchconfidencethosewords,“SuchWEREsomeofyou!”Heknewwhathewasoncelike.Someofyouwereoncelikethat.Butyouwerecleansed;youweremadeholy;youweremaderightwithGodby

callingonthenameoftheLordJesusChristandbytheSpiritofourGod.(1Cor.6:11)Readthatagain. Someofyouwerelikethat,butyouwerecleansed,madeholy, rightwithGod.Hecanmakeyouwhatyoucouldneverbeonyourown.Truthbetold,thisiswhatthechurchismadeof–peoplethatusedtobeonethingthatarenowsomethingelse.Everybodyhasastory;what’syours?Lastly,PaulwassetapartforTHEGOSPELOFGOD–thegoodnews.Whatmakesthegospelgoodnewsforyou?#1-ThegospelhasalwaysbeenGod’splantoadoptyou.

“...setapartforthegospelofGod,whichhepromisedbeforehandthroughtheprophets...”(Rom.1:1)Thegospelwasnotanafterthought;itwasHisplanbeforethecreationoftheworld.YoumaywonderifGodevenknowsyouarearound,ifHecares.YES!HeistheGodwhosees!InGen.16:13,Hagarsaid,“YouaretheLordwhoseesmeandcaresforme.”Evenbeforehemadetheworld,GodlovedusandchoseusinChristtobeholyandwithoutfaultinhiseyes.GoddecidedinadvancetoadoptusintohisownfamilybybringingustohimselfthroughJesusChrist.Thisiswhathe

wantedtodo,anditgavehimgreatpleasure.(Eph.1:4-5NLT)ThegospelisthegoodnewsofGod’splantoadoptyouintoHisfamily.#2-ThegospelisaboutJesusandwhatHedidforyou.

“...concerningHisSon...Jesus…”(Rom.1:3-5)Ifwedon’tremindourselvesthegoodnewsofwhatJesusdidforus,webeatourselvesupandfightabattleagainstsinthatwecouldneverwin.Somelivetheirentirelivesfeelingdefeated,liketheyarenotenoughanddon'tmeasureup. Ifthat'syou–STOPandlistentothegospel. RemindyourselfwhatJesusdidforyou!HesteppedoutofHeaven,tookonhumanskin,livedasinlesslife,andwillinglyallowedHimselftobecrucified.Allofyoursinswerenailedtothatcrosssothatyoucouldbefreefromthepenaltyofsin.Jesusdiedsoyoucouldreallylive!WhenJesusrosefromthedead,HeprovedHereallywastheSonofGod. Oh,whatajoytoknowthatinChristyoursinsareforgiven! Whatdoestheresurrectionmean?Whathasbeenpurchased?

Ikeepasimplereminderinmyoffice–afishinglure.Outofthesixhooksithad,fiveremain.Thesixthhookwasstuckinmyhand,ahookthatIcouldnotgetoutbymyself.ThatsituationremindsmeofwhenIwasstuckinsin,andIcouldnotgetmyselfoutuntilJesuscameanddidformewhatIcouldneverdoonmyown.HegaveHislifeformeandnowtherestofmylifeisallHis.Oh,howweneedtoberemindedofthegospeltoday!#3-Thegospeltransformsyou.ToallthoseinRomewhoarelovedbyGodandcalledtobesaints:Gracetoyou

andpeacefromGodourFatherandtheLordJesusChrist.(Rom.1:7)InRome,wheretheChristianswerethoughttobesubstandard,wheretheyweretreatedmorelikeanimalsthanhumans,Paulcalledthem‘lovedbyGod,saints,childrenoftheLord.’Thisiswhoyouare!WeseePaul’stransformationmomentinActs9–hewentfromterroristtoapostleship.SeehowPaulspoketotheRomanchurchthathehadnevervisitedbefore;hearhisheartandseethetransformationthattookplace!

First,IthankmyGodthroughJesusChristforallofyou,becauseyourfaithisproclaimedinalltheworld.ForGodismywitness,whomIservewithmyspiritinthegospelofhisSon,thatwithoutceasingImentionyoualwaysinmyprayers,askingthatsomehowbyGod'swillImaynowatlastsucceedincomingtoyou.ForIlongtosee

you,thatImayimparttoyousomespiritualgifttostrengthenyou—thatis,thatwemaybemutuallyencouragedbyeachother'sfaith,bothyoursandmine.(Rom.1:8-12)

ThetransformedPaulwasthankinginsteadofkilling;prayingnon-stopinsteadofhuntingthemdownnon-stop.Helongedtoseethemasafatherseeshiskids—withadesiretoimpart,encourage, strengthen—notdestroythemashedidbefore.PaulwaschangedbyGod’sgrace,radicallytransformed.Howaboutyou?HaveyoubeenchangedbyGod’sgrace?#4-Thegospelisforeveryone.

Idonotwantyoutobeunaware,brothers,thatIhaveoftenintendedtocometoyou(butthusfarhavebeenprevented),inorderthatImayreapsomeharvestamongyouaswellasamongtherestoftheGentiles.I amunderobligationbothtoGreeksandtobarbarians,bothtothewiseandtothefoolish.SoIameagertopreachthegospel

toyoualsowhoareinRome.(Rom.1:13-15)Thegospelbreaksallbarriers;thereisno“us”and“them.”Whydoyouthinkthatthereisthis “usandthem”attitudeinoursociety?Whatkeepsthatfromcreepingintoourlives?Thegospelobligatesyoutothinkofeveryone–fromthepersonacrossthestreettotheoneacrossthesea.Thegospelobligatesustogoglobal.Thisotherworldlylovecompelsustoincludeeveryone.#5-ThegospelgivesyoutheonlywaytoberightwithGod,byfaithALONE.

ForIamnotashamedofthisGoodNewsaboutChrist.ItisthepowerofGodatwork,savingeveryonewhobelieves–theJewfirstandalsotheGentile.ThisGoodNewstellsushowGodmakesusrightinhissight.This isaccomplishedfromstarttofinishbyfaith.AstheScripturessay,“Itisthroughfaiththatarighteouspersonhas

life.”(Rom.1:16-17NLT)

Themessageofthecrossisfoolishtothosewhoareheadedfordestruction!ButwewhoarebeingsavedknowitistheverypowerofGod.(1Cor.1:18)

Thegospelaffectseveryone.Itisourresponsetothegospelthatputsusonapaththatiseither“headedfordestruction”or“beingsaved.”Theproblemtodayisthatpeoplearecaughtbyaroaringlion,andmanystruggletheirwholelivestoaccomplishwhattheynevercouldontheirown–freedom! Yourstoryisbiggerthanyourability. Itisbiggerthanwhatyoucanmakehappen.Yourfutureisbiggerthanyourpast.Thegospel:Godtookoursin,putitonJesusandtreatedHimasoursinsdeserves.SonowthroughfaithinJesus,GodtreatsyoulikeJesusdeservestobetreated.Thatiswhythegospelissuchgoodnewsforyou!Song:“SoWillI”byHillsongUnitedspotify:track4sB4BfFmlQeG7tM6GLvN5j