READ This week we are studying the introduction to Paul’s letter to the church in Rome (Romans 1:1-‐7). Since Paul had never visited the church at Rome, he spends the first few verses of this letter introducing himself to them, telling them about the gospel that he preaches, and explaining his mission to take the gospel to all nations.
Read Romans 1:1. In this verse, Paul introduces himself to the Roman Christians. He calls himself a “servant” or “slave” of Christ Jesus. Paul realized that Jesus had bought him and that Jesus owned him. Paul joyfully submitted to whatever his Master commanded him to do.
Paul also says that he has been “called as an apostle.” An apostle was someone who had seen Jesus after he had risen from the dead and who had been specially sent out by Jesus to speak with Jesus’ own authority. We do not have this kind of apostle today, but we do have their teachings preserved for us in the pages of the New Testament.
Finally, Paul says that God had set him apart for the gospel. Paul realized that God had chosen him by his grace. It wasn’t because Paul was a good person or because he deserved to be set apart. God sets people apart by his grace and for his glory.
Read Romans 1:2-‐4. In these verses, Paul reminds us that the gospel is not something that he, or any other human being, made up. It is the gospel of God (1:1). God had promised all throughout the Old Testament that he would send his own Son to earth. His Son would be a descendent of King David who would conquer death and be publicly recognized as the King of the universe through his resurrection from the dead. When God, by his Holy Spirit, raised Jesus from the dead, he publicly proclaimed to the entire universe that Jesus is his Son—the ultimate King over all things.
Read Romans 1:5-‐7. Because Jesus is the supreme King, he deserves to be believed and obeyed by people from every nation. That is why Paul wants to take the gospel to all nations, and that is why we take the gospel to all nations – for the sake of Jesus’ Name. Jesus is the King. He is worthy of all worship. And we go to the ends of the earth to call men and women, and boys and girls in Birmingham and in all nations to turn from sin and trust in Jesus.
Questions: When Jesus rose from the dead, God declared that Jesus is the King of the universe. That means that Jesus deserves your full trust and obedience. Have you submitted your life to King Jesus? If Jesus is King of the universe, then he deserves not only your worship, but also the worship of all people everywhere. How will you as a family work “to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all nations”? (1:5) Do you see yourself as a slave of Jesus? (1:1) In what ways are you refusing to obey your Master? Confess those to him, receive His forgiveness, and ask for help to submit to Him.
Bottom Line: We preach the gospel that is from God, about Jesus, to all nations, for the glory of God in Christ.
PRAY This week, we are studying Romans 1:1-‐7. In light of this text, spend some time thanking God for the gospel that He has revealed to
us in the pages of Holy Scripture. Thank Him for sending His Son to conquer sin and death. Thank Him for raising Jesus from the dead
and for publicly declaring him to be the King of the universe. Thank God that He has made us slaves of Christ and that He sends us
out, as He sent out Paul, “to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all nations.” Pray that Jesus would
receive the glory that he rightly deserves from every people group on earth. And pray that God would grant us grace to persevere in
the work of magnifying Christ in all nations.
SING As we continue in worship, let’s sing ‘Wonderful, Merciful Savior’ written by Dawn Rodgers and Eric Wyse in 1989. As we sing, we can rejoice in God as our Father, our Redeemer, and our Comforter. He is the one that we praise and adore as he is completely and fully worthy of our lives and devotion. Colossians 1:13-‐14 says, “He has delivered us from the domain
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of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”. This is something to sing about!
MEMORIZE Romans 1:1—Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God…
SUGGESTIONS These suggestions were created by the age-‐group ministry leaders as a way to help parents better communicate the biblical truths discussed in the Family Worship Guide. These suggestions are intended to help parents facilitate God-‐centered discussions with their children. Parents should prayerfully use these suggestions, and any other means necessary, to help their children discover the truths of God’s word and worship Him together.
Preschool • Before you begin: grab your Bible and prepare to play the game “Mother May I?” or “Daddy May I?” • Begin by reading Romans 1:5-‐7. • Now, have your child stand across the room from you. Tell your child all kinds of steps he must take to get to you on your
side of the room (hop, skip, baby steps, etc.) He must say, “Mother/Daddy may I?” before moving. • Discuss with your child how just like they obeyed mommy and daddy in the game, God wants us to obey him too. There
are people all over the world who have never heard about Jesus, and God wants us to share the good news with everyone.
• Conclude by rereading Romans 1:5-‐7 with your preschooler.
Children • Gather pictures from clip art or magazines of several people with easily identifiable jobs (ex.: nurse, teacher, veterinarian,
athlete, etc.). • Pass around the pictures. Take turns introducing yourself as the person in your picture. Remind everyone to tell the most
important things others would need to know to understand who they are (ex.: “Hello. I am a nurse. I work in a hospital. I help doctors take care of sick people.”).
• Read Romans 1:1 out loud. Paul was writing to the church in Rome, and he introduces himself in this verse. • Ask what three things Paul says to describe himself. Discuss the importance of Paul’s description of himself and his job.
o “a servant of Jesus Christ” – Paul completely belongs to his master, Jesus, and willingly serves him. o “called to be an apostle” – Paul is a messenger called to deliver his master’s message. o “set apart for the gospel of God” -‐ By God’s grace alone Paul was chosen for a very important job. His job was
to share the Good News of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. • In verse 6 Paul tells us that as Christians we all share this same description. We all belong to Jesus. Jesus commands each
of us to take His message to everyone, everywhere. • Pray as a family that you all may willingly submit to Jesus as Master and in faithful obedience joyfully share the grace and
truth of the Gospel.
Students • What do you consider to be the most defining thing about you? Is it your academic success, sports performance,
hobbies, family ties, friend network, etc.? Notice that when Paul introduces himself to the Roman church, he identifies himself with Christ and the gospel. In other words, Paul’s identity is found in Jesus Christ above all else. Is your relationship with Christ the most defining thing about you? What do you think others would say about you in this regard?
• Paul describes himself as being “set apart” for the gospel. What does it mean to be set apart? In what ways is your life different from those who don’t believe in Christ? In what specific ways has your relationship with Jesus changed your thoughts, desires, and actions?
• All Scripture is a testimony of Christ. In our key passage, Paul says that Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecies regarding the Son of God (verses 2-‐4). Search for Old Testament verses that speak of the coming Messiah (e.g. Psalm 22; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 53:12; Daniel 9:25-‐26; Micah 5:2). Why do you think these fulfilled prophecies are so important for believers? What do they tell us about Scripture? What do they tell us about Jesus?
• Study Romans 1:4. Also read 1 Corinthians 15:12-‐19. What do these verses tell us about the resurrection? Why is it essential?
• According to Romans 1:5, it is the grace of Christ that produces “obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all nations”. This means that every Christ follower should have a global influence. Over the next year, how will you help take the gospel to the nations?
