3 Invitations Romans 15:22-33

-Paul issues 3 invitations to the Romans as they share in the ministry of the Gospel

My Favorite Illustrations A Church Is Missionary

I once heard a preacher, Jimmy Jones from Michigan, relate the struggles of his Detroit-area church. Faced with tremendous unemployment, decreased contributions, and ever-increasing utility bills, the church voted to decrease its giving to missions. One week later the church reversed its decision.

Jones told the listening group, “We learned that you can be a church and not pay your gas bill, and not have a building; but you can’t be a church and not be missionary.”

I. An Invitation to Partnership vv. 22-24

We are coming down to the close of the letter, and Paul is going to lean into his purpose in writing; He is writing a missions support letter

Paul has been hindered, to this point, from coming to them

He has been focused on a great work of sharing the Gospel in places where there is no foundation and the name of Jesus hadn’t been shared

Rome represents a place where a viable Gospel witness is already present, so in spite of his desire to go there, it could not take first priority

Now, he is going to Rome, but even then, he is only passing through on his way to Spain, to continue to spread the Gospel

Paul’s invitation is to the Romans to partner with him as he continues on the mission of God

This dynamic still exists today: God is sending men and women to unreached places on His mission. How should we interact with them?

What responsibility do we have towards them?

To offer fellowship and encouragement

To offer financial support

To offer prayer

What do they owe us?

Accountability

Faithfulness in their task

The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott Qualifications for a Missionary

Writing in Give Up Your Small Ambitions (IVP, 1970) about “Qualities: What It Takes,” Michael Griffiths quotes the qualifications for a job listed in a Polynesian church magazine: “Ability to mix with people, mix concrete, wade rivers, write articles, love one’s neighbour, deliver babies, sit cross-legged, conduct meetings, drain swamps, digest questionable dishes, patch human weaknesses, suffer fools gladly, and burn midnight oil.”

It went on to suggest that “persons allergic to ants, babies, beggars, chop suey, cockroaches, curried crabs, duplicators, guitars, humidity, indifference, itches, jungles, mildew, minority groups, mud, poverty, sweat, and unmarried mothers [had] better think twice before applying.”

II. An Invitation to Participation vv. 25-29

Next, Paul gives an account of his next steps: He is going to Jerusalem

The saints in Macedonia and Achaia have collected an offering for the impoverished saints in Judea

Paul is carrying this gift in an attempt to bless the church

This is a beautiful picture of mutual service in the church:

The Jewish church was responsible for carrying the Gospel to the Gentiles

Now, the Gentile churches are going to return a physical gift to the Jews

The Gentiles are no longer “little brothers” in the faith or lesser siblings; they are full participants in the mission of God

Paul recognizes that all of this travel, from Macedonia, to Jerusalem, to Spain via Rome is part of the Lord’s purpose for him:

Paul is participating in God’s work; he invites the Romans to join in that work

I believe that it is really critical that we view this in that way; our missionaries are not our employees. They are sent by God for His purpose and we are joining together to participate in that purpose!

During the summer of 1904 an unlikely partnership was formed at the World’s Fair in St. Louis.

The summer was unusually hot and people were searching the fair for something to help cool them off…

A vendor named Arnold had just what they were looking for… ice cream.

People lined up for what seemed like miles to get some of his cool and satisfying ice cream but there was one problem.

Arnold was not prepared for the demand and ran out of paper bowls.

Next to Arnold’s ice cream booth was a man named Ernest… a pastry chef … who was making a Persian wafer desert.

Ernest also had a problem, his pastry was not selling.

He noticed the problem Arnold was having and took some warm pastry and rolled it into a cone shape.

He then went over and showed Arnold how the cone could hold a scoop of the ice cream.

On that hot day during the World’s Fair in St Louis… the wafer ice cream cone was born because a partnership was formed.

III. An Invitation to Prayer vv. 30-33

Finally, Paul calls the Roman saints to strive together with him in prayer

I think that this is a pretty powerful metaphor of what prayer is: a labor, a struggle, and a war

Why should we pray for our missionaries?

On the basis of our Lord Jesus Christ who has sent them out

By the love of the Holy Spirit that binds believer to believer

What should we pray for our missionaries?

For deliverance from unbelieving enemies

For acceptable service and favor with other believers

For a joyful fellowship and refreshment

Before embarking on his missionary journey to India, William Carey famously told Andrew Fuller, “I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the ropes.” Most people remember Carey as one of the fathers of the modern missionary movement. But fewer remember Fuller as the man who organized, raised funds, and built a lasting enterprise to ensure the success of gospel endeavors.