Jan. 05, 2025

Series: Transformed   1-5-25

How to Solve an Identity Crisis

(Romans 1:1)

“It is the complete and most logical presentation of Christian truth in the entire New Testament. If a Bible student wishes to master any one book of the Bible, let it be Romans! An understanding of this book is a key to unlocking the entire Word of God.” Warren Wiersbe

Romans 16:22 ²² I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.

 “Romans is the most important part of the New Testament and the very purest gospel… It can never be read or meditated on too much or too well,  and the more it is handled the more delightful it becomes, and the better it tastes.” Martin Luther

• The THEME of Romans: “The _____________________ of God” 

Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.

Acts 9:1-6 ¹ Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ³ As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" ⁵ "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. ⁶ "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." 

Acts 9:8 ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 

Acts 9:17–18 ¹⁷ Then Ananias… Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus… has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again.

Acts 9:26 ²⁶ When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 

HOW TO SOLVE AN IDENTITY CRISIS:

1. Decide Who will be your ____________________!

Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus…

• SERVANT = “Bond-slave” or “Bond-servant” 

(Literally - Slave, from a word that means “to Bind”)

• To become “a bond-servant of Christ Jesus”, was to express Absolute 

                Subjection & __________________ to Jesus.

Deuteronomy 15:12-17 ¹² If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free. ¹³ And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. ¹⁴ Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to him as the Lord your God has blessed you. ¹⁵ Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today. ¹⁶ But if your servant says to you, "I do not want to leave you," because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, ¹⁷ then take an awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your maidservant. 

• God’s Part we __________ do, our Part He _______  ______ do!

• God Leads – We _________________!

2. Decide What will be your Life’s ________________!

Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle…

• “apostle” (apostolos) means “one sent with a message.” 

• An apostle is someone _________ to accomplish a task on 

            behalf of the ___________. 

                      Genesis 12:1 ¹ The Lord had said to ABRAM, "Leave your country, your       people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.”

                      Exodus 3:10 ¹⁰ So now, go. I am sending you [MOSES] to Pharaoh to bring   my people the Israelites out of Egypt.

                      Judges 6:14 ¹⁴The Lord turned to him [GIDEON] and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"

                      Isaiah 6:8-9 ⁸ Then I [ISAIAH] heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom      shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" ⁹ He               said, "Go and tell this people”

Acts 22:14 "Then he (Ananias) said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you (Paul) to know his will and to see the Righteous One (Jesus) and to hear words from his mouth. 

1 Cor. 9:1 “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?” 

• God’s Part we __________ do, our Part He _______  ______ do!

• God Calls – We ________________!

1 Corinthians 12:13-19 (MSG) ¹³ We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) ¹⁴ I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less… ¹⁹ But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of….

A.W. Tozar, “God does not love us because we’re valuable, we are valuable because God loves us!”

3. Decide How you’ll Fulfill your _____________!

Acts 13:36 For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.

Matthew 5:48 (MSG) ⁴⁸ “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity.

Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.”

• “Set apart” is “aphorizo”, which means “to Separate” or “to __________”

The Pharisees (the Hebrew word means “the separated ones”) felt God had set them apart to live by the Torah (the Law, or teaching of Moses). For them, that meant following the interpretations of the Torah laid down by generations of Jewish teachers. Some Pharisees held that a man was righteous if he had done more good than bad, but Saul apparently followed the more strict group that insisted that every least implication of the Law must be kept.

Acts 26:16-18 ¹⁶ I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you... ¹⁷ I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins...

• God Calls us for a Purpose – We Set ourselves Apart

to ___________________ It!

• God’s Part we __________ do, our Part He _______  ______ do!