The Kind of People the Gospel Creates

Good morning, everyone.

If we haven’t met, my name is Matt — I’m the teaching pastor here at Blue Oaks.

If you’re new, or visiting, or someone invited you today — I just want to say we’re really glad you’re here.

And just so you know… you picked a great Sunday to be here. We’re starting a brand new series in the book of Romans.

Which is exciting… and also a little intimidating… because Romans has a reputation.

If you’ve been around church for a while, you’ve probably heard someone say,
“Romans is the most important theological book ever written.”

Which sounds great… unless you’re the one teaching it.

Romans has shaped some of the most influential leaders in church history — Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley…

As well as that one guy in your small group who’s very confident about predestination.

You don’t even know how the conversation started… but somehow he got there again.

And if you’re new to church, or not sure what you believe yet — this is actually a really good place to start.

Because what we’re going to see in Romans is not just what Christians believe… but the kind of people those beliefs are meant to create.

In fact, that’s the title of today’s message: “The Kind of People the Gospel Creates.”

Because the goal of the gospel is not just to give you new information… it’s to form a new kind of person.

Most of us carry around an understanding about Christianity.

For some it’s:

“Believe the right things”
“Try to be a good person”
“Don’t mess up too badly”

Which, when you think about it, is a pretty low bar… and also not what Paul is talking about.

It’s a little like thinking the goal of going to the gym is just to learn how the equipment works… instead of actually becoming stronger.

So what we’re going to see over the next several months… is that the gospel doesn’t just change what you believe. It changes who you become.

And to understand that… we’re actually going to do something a little different with Romans.

We’re going to start… at the end.

My goal in this study is for Romans to feel more like a pastoral letter than a theology textbook.

Because Paul didn’t sit down and think, “I’d like to write something no one fully understands… but everyone argues about.”

Romans wasn’t written in a seminary.
It wasn’t written as a philosophy paper.
It wasn’t written so people could win arguments on social media 2,000 years later.

Romans was written to a real church, made up of real people, trying to follow Jesus in a real city, under the pressure of a real empire.

I’ve noticed something about myself over the years…

I’m very confident with directions… right up until the moment I’m completely lost.

This happened not long ago.

I was driving my daughter to school, and like any good parent, I decided to avoid the drop-off line… which, if you’ve ever been to a school drop-off line, is less of a line and more of a test of your sanity.

So I dropped her off a couple blocks away — feeling efficient, and productive, and like I just saved at least three minutes of my life.

And then I started driving home.

Now here’s the problem… I didn’t really know the neighborhood.

But that didn’t stop me from turning with confidence down a street that felt right.

You know that feeling? Not based on knowledge… just vibes.

I had to turn faster than usual to avoid a runner… and then I realized… this street doesn’t go anywhere.

I turned into a cul-de-sac thinking it was a street.

Now at this point, I’ve got two options:

Slow down and turn around like a normal person
Or commit to the turn like I meant to do this all along

I chose option two.

So I sped around the corner… much faster than I should have…

Nothing was ideal about this situation.

But it gets worse. Because as I’m speeding into this cul-de-sac… I passed someone standing in front of their house…

And I recognized him.

It was the husband of one of our elder board members… standing there… waiting for an Uber… watching the whole thing.

Which means — in his mind — I just flew into a random neighborhood, nearly took out a runner, and planned to speed away.

Now here’s the problem with cul-de-sacs… There’s only one way out.

So about 2 seconds later… I had to drive past him again.

And this time… we made eye contact.

So I did what any normal, emotionally healthy person would do… I stopped. Rolled down the window. And tried to act normal.

Like, “Hey! Beautiful morning, right? Just… enjoying your neighborhood…”

I remember driving away from that thinking: “I had no idea where I was going… but I was very confident the whole time.”

I think sometimes we approach the Bible — and especially a book like Romans — like that.

We’ve heard parts of it. We recognize some phrases. We feel familiar with it.

But if we’re honest… we’re not always sure how it all fits together… or where it’s actually trying to take us.

To understand Romans, we have to understand Rome.

Rome wasn’t just a city — it was the center of an empire. Power, prestige, hierarchy, success, and control were baked into the culture.

Caesar was called “lord,” “son of god,” and “savior.”

The empire promised peace — but it was the kind of peace that came through domination. In other words: “We’ll give you peace… as long as we stay in control.”

Now obviously, we don’t live in ancient Rome. But we’re not exactly living in a pressure-free environment either.

We live in a culture obsessed with:

Performance
Status
Optimization
Power disguised as success

We don’t have statues of Caesar anymore… but we do have resumes, and LinkedIn profiles, and Zillow estimates. Which, let’s be honest, we check more often than we should.

If Rome said, “This is your status.”
We say, “This is my square footage.”

Different empire. Same pressure.

And right in the middle of that world — Rome then, the Bay Area now — Paul writes a letter to a church trying to figure out how to live faithfully, humbly, and peacefully together.

Because the church in Rome was struggling. It was divided — especially between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians.

There were arguments about:

Food
Religious practices
Traditions
Identity
Who was “strong” and who was “weak”

In other words, it was a church full of people who loved Jesus… and had very strong opinions.

They would have had a difficult time with a comment section in our day.

Paul’s concern wasn’t just, “Do they believe the right things?”

It was, “Are they learning how to live together as the people of God?”

And that’s why we’re going to do something different in this series — We’re going to read Romans… backwards.

Which may make some of you uncomfortable. You might be wondering if we’re still a Bible-believing church.

We’re not changing the Bible… we’re just trying to understand it.

And here’s the idea: Paul didn’t write deep theology for its own sake. He wrote deep theology for the sake of lived peace.

The end of Romans — chapters 12 through 16 — shows us what Paul wants the church to look like:

A community marked by humility
A people shaped by love
A church that welcomes those who are different
A family that resists the power games of the empire

So instead of starting with abstract doctrine and hoping it eventually lands in real life… We’re going to start with the lived vision.

We’re going to ask:

What kind of community is Paul trying to form?
What kind of people does the gospel create?
What kind of peace is possible in a divided world?

And then we’ll work our way backward and ask:

What kind of gospel produces that kind of people?
What kind of God makes that kind of peace possible?

It’s a little like watching the movie The Sixth Sense by seeing the ending first — so then the earlier scenes make sense.

Or to put it another way:

Most of us read Romans like IKEA instructions…

We start at step one, skip a few steps, get halfway through, and then wonder why nothing makes sense.

We’re going to start with the finished picture… and then figure out how Paul got there.

So here’s my invitation to you over the next several weeks: Don’t just listen for information. Listen for formation.

Don’t just ask, “Do I agree with this?” Ask, “What kind of person is this shaping me to become?”

Because Romans isn’t just about getting the gospel right. It’s about becoming the kind of people who live the gospel well —

In our homes
In our church
And in the middle of a world that desperately needs a different kind of peace.

So if we’re going to understand Romans… we have to start by asking a different question.

Not just, “What does Paul teach?” But, “What is Paul trying to produce?”

Because when you get to the end of this letter, Paul shifts from explaining the gospel… to showing what that gospel is supposed to create.

He says in Romans 12:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)

The most important word in that verse is the first one — “Therefore” — because it’s pulling everything together.

Paul is saying: Because of everything God has done — chapters 1 through 11 — this is the kind of life that should follow.

And then he says something really important:

“Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice… this is your true and proper worship.”

Not: “Agree with the right ideas.”
Not: “Win the theological argument.”

Offer your life.

Which means the gospel is not just about what you believe… it’s about the kind of person you become.

And then Paul starts describing it.

He says in Romans 12:3:

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment… (Romans 12:3)

Right out of the gate — humility.

Then a few verses later, Romans 12:10:

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)

Honor above self. That’s already moving against everything our culture trains us to do.

And he keeps going — Romans 12:14:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (Romans 12:14)

Not avoid them.
Not win against them.
Not post about them.

Bless them.

And then Romans 12:17:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:17-18)

Paul is not being theoretical here. He’s being incredibly practical.

He’s describing a community where:

People don’t escalate conflict
People don’t hold grudges
People don’t need to win

They pursue peace.

Then Paul zooms in on a real issue in the church.

In Romans 14 he says,

Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. (Romans 14:1)

Accept the one whose faith is weak…

Not “fix them quickly”… not “win them over”… just… accept.

without quarreling over disputable matters.

“Without quarreling…”

Which means even in the first century… Christians were arguing about things that didn’t ultimately matter.

Nothing new.

And then he describes the tension:

Some people felt free to eat anything. Others had strong convictions about what they should or shouldn’t eat.

Some observed certain days. Others didn’t.

And Paul doesn’t say, “Let’s figure out who’s right.”

Instead, he says in verse 3:

The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. (Romans 14:3)

So now we’ve got two problems:

One group is judging.
The other group is despising.

And Paul says — both of those are wrong.

And then he gives the goal. Romans 14:19:

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (Romans 14:19)

Make every effort.

Not “make every effort when you feel like it.”
Not “make every effort when they go first.”

Make every effort to pursue peace.

Now… let’s be honest… this is not how we naturally live.

We live in a world where:

Being right feels urgent
Being heard feels essential
Being validated feels necessary

And Paul is saying: There’s something more important than all of that.

Peace.

Now Paul uses these categories — “strong” and “weak.”

And this is where it gets kind of surprising.

Because the “strong” — the ones who understand their freedom — are not told to correct the weak.

They’re told to limit themselves for the sake of love.

Romans 15:1

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15:1)

Not to please ourselves.

Which is a surprisingly high bar… because pleasing ourselves comes very naturally.

That’s the definition of maturity Paul gives.

Not how much freedom you exercise… …but how much love you demonstrate.

Have you ever been in one of those conversations where you know you’re right?

Like… not 70% sure. Not “I think I might be right.” You’re 100% right.

You’ve got sources. You’ve got logic. You’ve got a closing argument ready.

And the Holy Spirit whispers, “Hey… maybe don’t say that.”

And you’re thinking, “But they’re wrong.”

And the Spirit’s like, “I know… but you’re about to be unloving.”

And in that moment, you realize… this is no longer a truth issue. This is a maturity issue.

That’s Romans 14.

And then Paul brings it all together with one line: Romans 15:7 —

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7)

That’s the whole thing.

Not agree with one another
Not fix one another
Not win over one another

Accept one another.

The same way Christ accepted you.

You see… this is why this changes how we read Romans.

Because we realize Romans is not just about getting our theology right.

It’s about becoming the kind of people who:

Live with humility
Extend grace
Pursue peace
And make space for one another

So when we say we’re reading Romans “backwards,” this is what we mean.

We’re starting with the kind of community Paul is trying to form.

And then we’re going to ask: What kind of gospel produces this kind of people?

So before we go any further… let’s just sit with this for a second.

Is this the kind of community we’re becoming?

Are we people who:

Make every effort toward peace?
Choose love over being right?
Welcome others the way Christ welcomed us?

Because if this is where Paul is going… then everything else in Romans is designed to get us there.

Now… everything Paul describes in Romans 12 through 15 —

a community marked by humility…
a people who lay down their rights…
a church that welcomes one another across real differences…

…it’s compelling.

But it’s also incredibly difficult to live out.

Because the moment someone disagrees with you… misunderstands you… or pushes against something you care about… something in you rises up.

And it’s not toward peace.

It’s toward defense.
It’s toward control.
It’s toward proving your point.

The apostle Paul doesn’t leave us guessing about why this happens.

He writes in Romans 3:

There is no one righteous, not even one… there is no one who seeks God. (Romans 3:11)

And then just a few lines later:

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Paul is not describing a few difficult people. He’s describing all of us.

Which means the tension we experience in relationships… is not just a personality issue. It’s not just a communication issue. It’s a heart issue.

I had one of these moments not long ago.

It wasn’t anything dramatic. It was a normal conversation… that slowly turned into a disagreement.

And at some point in the conversation, I had this internal realization:

“I’m no longer trying to understand… I’m trying to win.”

Not visibly… I was still smiling. But internally… it’s a competition now.

Have you ever had that moment?

Where you’re still nodding… you’re still listening…

…but in your mind you’re building your response.

You’re editing it. Sharpening it. Getting ready to land the final line.

Not for clarity, but for victory.

That’s not only a communication issue.

That’s what Paul is talking about.

Paul traces this even further back.

In Romans 1, he writes:

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator. (Romans 1:25)

That word “exchanged” means we take something good… and we make it ultimate.

So instead of our identity being rooted in God… we build it on things like:

Being respected
Being successful
Being right
Being seen as wise or competent

And once something becomes ultimate… it has to be protected.

This explains why simple disagreements don’t stay simple.

Because when your identity is tied to being right… being wrong doesn’t feel like a small thing. It feels like a threat.

When your identity is tied to being respected… being overlooked feels personal.

When your identity is tied to your moral clarity… disagreement feels dangerous.

So what starts as a conversation… quickly becomes so much more.

And you’re not just discussing. You’re defending.

This is why some of our conversations escalate so quickly.

You start with something small like: “I just think that’s not the best way to do it.”

And five minutes later you’re referencing articles…. and statistics… and something you read three years ago… trying to prove a point no one even asked you to prove.

And at some point, you realize: “This is no longer about the issue.”

But it still feels very important.

This is why Paul doesn’t say:

“Try harder to be patient.”
“Try harder to be kind.”
“Try harder to get along.”

Because behavior is not the root issue. Identity is.

As long as your identity is something you have to build… or protect… or prove… peace will always feel fragile.

So Paul introduces something radically different.

He writes in Romans 5:

Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

That word “justified” means declared right.

Not after you prove it.
Not after you earn it.

Declared right… through faith.

And the result is peace with God.

That’s where everything begins.

Because if you have peace with God… you don’t have to fight for your worth anymore.

If you’ve already been accepted… you don’t have to prove yourself in every conversation.

If your identity is secure… you don’t have to defend it.

Paul says it even more directly in Romans 8:

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

No condemnation.

Not less condemnation.
Not conditional acceptance.

No condemnation.

Which means your standing before God is not fragile. And when your standing isn’t fragile… your relationships don’t have to be either.

This is why Paul can say in Romans 1:16:

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God… (Romans 1:16)

This is not just power to forgive you. It’s power to change you.

Power to take people who are defensive… and make them peaceful.
Power to take people who need to win… and make them willing to yield.
Power to create a kind of community that doesn’t exist naturally.

I’ve noticed this in my own life.

On days when I’m grounded… when I’m secure… when I’m actually remembering who I am in Christ…

I’m a much better listener.
I’m more patient.
I’m more open.
I’m less reactive.

And then there are days where I’m tired, or distracted, or stressed… and suddenly everything feels more personal.

Everything feels more urgent.
Everything feels more like it needs to be corrected.

That’s not just personality. That’s what happens when I drift from the gospel… and start rebuilding my identity somewhere else.

So the question becomes:

Where is your identity being built right now?

Because whatever you build your identity on… you will feel the need to protect.

But when your identity is rooted in Christ… you’re finally free to pursue peace.

So if peace flows from a new identity… and that identity is rooted in what God has done in Christ… then there’s another question sitting just underneath all of this:

Can God actually be trusted with your life?

Because it’s one thing to say, “My identity is in Christ.” It’s another thing to live with open hands when your life doesn’t go the way you expected.

This is exactly where the apostle Paul goes in Romans 9 through 11.

In Romans 12–15 he’s showing us the kind of community God wants.
In Romans 1–8 he’s showing us the kind of gospel that makes it possible.

In Romans 9-11 he talks about Israel… and God’s promises… and how it all fits together.

And at first glance, it can feel like he’s changing subjects. But he’s not.

He’s going deeper.

Because the question underneath those chapters is this:

Is God faithful… even when things don’t unfold the way we thought they would?

Paul writes in Romans 9:

I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. (Romans 9:15)

And then he says,

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. (Romans 9:16)

That shifts everything.

Because now the center of the story is not:

Your effort
Your control
Your ability to hold things together

It’s God’s mercy.

Most of us prefer a version of life we can manage. A version where:

If I do the right things, things will work out.
If I make good decisions, I can control the outcome.
If I’m faithful, life will follow a certain path.

And Paul says: God is not something you manage. God is someone you trust.

This has been very real for me in the last couple years.

Walking through a divorce… there are moments where you realize how much of your life you thought was settled… isn’t.

Things you assumed would be steady… shift.
Timelines you expected… change.
Hopes you had… crumble.

And there’s this quiet question underneath all of it: “Can I still trust God here?”

Not in theory, but in reality.

And what I’ve been learning — slowly… and imperfectly — is that trust doesn’t come from having everything figured out.

It comes from believing that God is still faithful… even when life feels uncertain.

That’s what Paul is getting at.

Because if your sense of peace depends on everything going according to your plan… you’ll never have peace.

But if your peace is rooted in the character of God… then even when things are unclear… your life doesn’t have to unravel.

Most of us would still prefer a little more clarity, though, wouldn’t we?

Something like: “God, if you could just send me a 5-year plan… bullet points are fine… maybe a timeline with a few guarantees…”

That version of life would feel a lot easier.

It’s just not the one Paul describes.

In Romans 11, he uses the image of an olive tree.

Different branches… one tree.
Different stories… one purpose.

Which means God is doing something bigger than any one person’s plan.

And that leads to humility.

Paul says in Romans 11:

Do not consider yourself to be superior… you do not support the root, but the root supports you. (Romans 11:8)

That’s a great reminder.

You are not holding your life together. God is.

And when that settles into your heart… it changes how you relate to people.

That’s when pride begins to loosen its grip.

You don’t need to prove as much.
You don’t need to control as much.
You don’t need to win as much.

Because you’re not building your life on your ability to manage everything. You’re trusting the God who is already at work.

And Paul ends this whole section not with an argument… but with worship.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments… (Romans 11:33)

He doesn’t resolve every tension. He lifts our eyes.

And when you begin to see that… that God is merciful… that God is faithful… that God is at work in ways that are bigger than you can see… then the invitation of Romans 12 starts to make sense.

Offering your life to God isn’t pressure. It’s trust.

So when you step back and look at what Paul is doing in Romans… you start to see it.

He’s not just building an argument. He’s forming a people.

A people who know who they are in Christ.
A people who trust the mercy and faithfulness of God.
And a people who live differently because of it.
A people marked… by peace.

And that kind of life doesn’t happen by accident. It doesn’t happen because we hear good sermons… or learn new ideas… or even agree with what Paul is saying.

It happens when something begins to shift inside of us.

So let me just ask you a couple of questions to sit with for a moment.

Where in your life right now… does peace feel the most fragile?

Maybe it’s:

A relationship that feels tense.
A conversation you’ve been avoiding.
A situation where you feel the need to prove something.
A place where things just aren’t unfolding the way you hoped.

And underneath that…

What feels most at stake for you?

Is it:

Being understood?
Being respected?
Being right?
Being in control?

Because whatever feels most at stake… is usually pointing to where your identity is being held.

And this is where the gospel meets us again. Not with pressure. Not with, “Do better.”

But with an invitation… to remember:

You are already accepted in Christ.
You are already secure.
You are already held by a faithful God.

What if the path to peace in your life right now… is not found in — winning the argument… or fixing the situation… or controlling the outcome…

…but in releasing your grip… and trusting God in a deeper way?

And I know, believe me, that’s not easy.

Letting go rarely feels natural. Trusting God when things are unclear… is not something you master overnight.

But it is something you grow into. Step by step. Moment by moment. Conversation by conversation.

And that’s what we’re going to do together in this series.

We’re going to walk through Romans… not just to understand it… but to allow it to reshape us.

To become the kind of people who:

Think deeply
Love genuinely
And live peacefully

In a world that is often anything but peaceful.

So as we begin this journey… here’s the invitation:

Come with an open heart.
Come ready to be formed… not just informed.
Come willing to let God reshape the way you see yourself… and the way you see others… and the way you respond to the world around you.

Because the gospel doesn’t just change what you believe. It changes who you become.

Let’s pray as the worship team comes to lead us in a closing song.