The Gospel Mission (Romans 15:14–33)

Introduction

We're continuing a series in the book of Romans, and this week we'll discuss the gospel mission of the church. The gospel is the good news about Jesus Christ, his life, death, and resurrection, and the gospel mission of the church is to bring the good news of Jesus to the world.

Illustration: Urban Missionary

I remember a call in my life to do that and bring the gospel to San Diego as a missionary. I didn't know if it was OK to call oneself a missionary. When I grew up a missionary with someone who went overseas to. A pastor telling me that I would make a great missionary to the Middle East because Hispanics tend to blend in. God had not called me over overseas, and God bless those who are, it’s amazing. I was in my mission field here in San Diego, Paradise Hills, South Bay.

Our Cities Need the Gospel

Our cities in America need the gospel. The statistics says that 82% of people live in America live in an urban neighborhood. Our churches need a missional mindset to reach our cities with the gospel. How can we be a people who live on gospel mission? How can we be a church unified together for the purpose of gospel mission?

Unity of the Church for a Purpose

Please open up to Romans 15:14-33. In Romans 15 we've been speaking about the necessity of the church, and now we are getting into the mission of the church. The church is called to be a unified church for the purpose of the gospel.

Let’s look at verse 14 as Paul starts to describe his gospel mission. We’ll be reading about 20 verses, so stick with me.

Scripture Reading

Romans 15:14–33 CSB

14 My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. 15 Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the gospel of God. God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God. 18 For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, 19 by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. 20 My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but, as it is written, Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand. 22 That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you. 23 But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you 24 whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while. 25 Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints, 26 because Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs. 28 So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will visit you on the way to Spain. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. 30 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf. 31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 and that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you. 33 May the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.

Pray

Paul’s Gospel Mission

it’s an interesting passage as Paul tells the Romans about his gospel mission and his travel plans.

In verse 24 he says he eventually wants to get to Spain. It's interesting. I was talking with a couple from our church just this week, and they were telling me about their time in Spain. They said it was beautiful. My wife and I also hope to go to Spain one day as well to see all the sites.

But Paul's purpose and ambition in eventually getting to Spain is not for a tourist visit. It has to do with a drive that God is put in his heart. It is a drive that can only come from Jesus, a drive and purpose of a gospel mission.

Since he has put his faith in Jesus, that faith in Jesus has shaped his ambitions and goals around the gospel. In Romans 15:16 he says that he is a,

Romans 15:16 CSB

16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the gospel of God. God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

The gospel itself is not a message that people came up with. The gospel has supernatural origins. It is not our good news. It is God's good news. It is the gospel of God.

Trust in the Source of the Gospel

A message is only as good as its source.

Imagine a village where clean water is scarce. People in the village have two wells to choose from—one known for its purity, but a bit farther away, and one closer but known to be contaminated. Some villagers choose the closer well, but it leads to sickness. The ones who trust the pure source, even though it's farther and harder to reach, receive clean water and stay healthy.

Many people in our world drink from the convenient well that makes them sick, the well of philosophies, opinions, and false teachings. Our well is not always the easy path. It is counter cultural. But our well is reliable. We need to trust the reliable source of the gospel, God and the message of his Word. Only God’s truth brings life.

And Paul is driven now on this gospel mission because he has drunk from the well that brings life. He trusts the source.

Paul’s mission is one of an ambassador. He says in 2 Cor. 5:20,

2 Corinthians 5:20 CSB

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

An ambassador is an authorized representative of a sovereign ruler. So what is Paul saying? In essence, he is saying, “I, Paul, am authorized to bring the message to you from the ruler.” This good news message comes with a plea on Christ's behalf for people to be reconciled to God.

Paul’s gospel mission has taken him through regions outside of Jerusalem, including Syria, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), Macedonia, and Greece. Romans 15 shows us exactly where he is on this journey: toward the end of his third missionary journey (Acts 19:21), having passed through Macedonia and Achaia but not yet reached Jerusalem.

In Romans 15:25-26, Paul mentions the offering he’s bringing from the Gentile churches for the poor in Jerusalem. This gift was a powerful symbol of the unity that exists in Christ between Gentile and Jewish believers.

In Christ, we are one people. Your problems are my problems, and my problems are yours. The gospel mission unites us as partners, bound together in love for God and love for others..

We learn from this text what empowers and what drives the gospel mission. I want to focus on that today, and we will see that in three points.

The first one is this,

1. The Gospel Mission is Empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Take a look at Romans 15:18-19,

Romans 15:18–19 CSB

18 For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, 19 by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum.

The gospel is not simply a nice philosophy or some words to live by to make your life better. The gospel message is unique.

There are a lot of messages in the world. Every day we are flooded with them. But most of the messages we hear every day are just noise. They are not messages that come with power or strength.

The gospel message is unique because it is a message empowered by the Holy Spirit of God to change lives.

In Romans 15:19 Paul says that the gospel message that he proclaimed came, “by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God's spirit.” This is what happens in the first century: As the gospel spreads, miraculous signs and wonders affirm the message of God to the people.

In Paul’s missionary journey, in Acts 14:8-10, a lame man is healed and can walk. In Acts 16:16-18, a slave girl is healed from demon possession. In Acts 19:11-12, there are miracles in Ephesus where people are healed from diseases and evil spirits are being cast out.

Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 why there was a demonstration of the Spirit’s power in his ministry. Look at 1 Corinthians 2:4-5,

1 Corinthians 2:4–5 CSB

4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.

What is he saying there? He's saying that his words were not just some eloquent philosophical teaching that you can listen to, nod your head, and walk away from. The gospel is not just a good teaching. The gospel is a demonstration of God’s power that confronts you with your sin and points you to God’s power to free you from your sin and give you life.

The empowerment of the gospel message is what Jesus says would happen in Acts 1:8 where he says,

Acts 1:8 CSB

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus Christ accomplishes his work in the church by empowering his church through the Holy Spirit. This is why Paul says in Romans 15:18 that Christ has accomplished the work. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, he has empowered you through the Holy Spirit to be a witness for him wherever you are.

The Holy Spirit’s Empowering Work Today

What does it mean today for the gospel message and mission to be empowered by the Holy Spirit?

Today, the Holy Spirit still uses the gospel, the good news of God, to bring conviction of sin and transformation to people's hearts. The Holy Spirit convicts an individual of their need for God, of their need to repent of their sin, and through faith in Jesus Christ causes a person to be born again into a new life. And through the multitude of witnesses in the church, we are constantly confronted over and over again by the power of the Holy Spirit to change a life.

Part of what the Holy Spirit does is empower the people of Christ to partner in the gospel mission. This past week, our married couples small group had our first session. We’re studying the book of Philippians together. It’s a great opportunity for married couples to study a book of the Bible together.

And this idea of gospel partnerships came up in our study this past week. I shared with the group that we all are, together as Catalyst Church, in a gospel partnership. We are partnered together to bring the good news of the gospel of God to the community of Paradise Hills. This church is an example of a Holy Spirit empowered gospel partnership.

The Holy Spirit changes your life, draws you into a community of believers, and brings you in a partnership together to bring forth the gospel mission to the world. The Holy Spirit continues to empower the church today.

Second,

2. The Gospel Mission is Driven by the Prayers of God’s People.

If the Holy Spirit is the power of believers, the prayers of God’s people is the support. Look at how Paul appeals to the Christians for prayer at the end of chapter 15. Romans 15:30 says,

Romans 15:30 CSB

30 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf.

In other words, he's saying, “Christians in Rome, I need your partnership with me in the gospel mission, I need your support. Can you partner with me in the gospel mission through your prayers?” And what does he want them to do? Notice: He wants them “to strive together” with him in prayer. Paul’s language is for the community to come together and contend with or strive with him in a gospel partnership of prayer for the gospel mission.

The word “appeal” in verse 30 is a strong word. You see it consistently in the writings of Paul where he is urging people, pleading with them. It’s the same word in Romans 12:1 where he says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice...” This request for prayer from the church in Rome is an urgent appeal to the corporate body of Christians there to pray.

Prayer Requests: Protection and Success in Ministry

What is he asking for? Take a look at Romans 15:31,

Romans 15:31 CSB

31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

There are two specific requests that Paul asks the church to pray for in regards to his gospel mission.

The first one,

Prayer Request 1: Protection in Ministry

His first prayer request is for protection in ministry when he says, “Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea.” His first request is for the Christians to partner with him in prayer by praying for his protection. Now, if you're familiar with the book of Acts in what happens to Paul when he gets to Jerusalem, he does end up getting protected from a violent mob that comes against him. That protection comes in a way that he didn't expect. In Acts 21, the Romans stop the violent mob that was trying to kill him and, in essence, rescue him from the unbelievers in Judea. God answers the prayer through the Romans.

In his second prayer request,

Prayer Request 2: Success in Ministry

He also prays that he will have success in his ministry when he asks for prayer in verse 31 that his ministry to Jerusalem would be acceptable to the saints (or the Christians) there. We have reason to believe this request was also answered by God when it says in Acts 21:17 that, “17 When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us warmly.” God answered the prayers of his people for Paul’s success in ministry on his gospel mission.

The Church’s Role in Prayer for the Gospel Mission

I think you what you see from these prayer requests from Paul is an underlying strategy of asking the church to partner together with him in prayer for the gospel mission.

And this is a strategy that's not just restricted to Romans 15. Paul consistently uses the strategy of asking the church to corporately pray together in partnership with him for the gospel mission. You see it in his letters.

For instance, in Ephesians 6:19, he asks the church of Ephesus to,

Ephesians 6:19 CSB

19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.

He is asking the church to partner with him in prayer, as he proclaims the gospel, that he would proclaim it with boldness.

Another example of this prayer strategy is his request to the church at Thessalonica. He says in 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2,

2 Thessalonians 3:1–2 CSB

1 In addition, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith.

Once again, just like in Romans 15, he's using a gospel partnership prayer strategy for protection in ministry and the proclamation of the gospel.

And here's the thing about the gospel mission. The elements for success in the gospel mission have not changed.

The gospel mission is not accomplished through big budgets.

The gospel mission is not accomplished through business strategies.

The gospel mission is not accomplished through vision statements and white boards.

The strategy for the gospel mission is still the same. The gospel mission is accomplished when it is empowered by the Spirit of God and driven by the prayers of God's people.

If we are serious about the gospel mission in Paradise Hills, we must be a Holy Spirit empowered people committed to partner together to pray. You see it over and over in Scripture. The people of God pray, and God responds. People of God seek his face, and God responds.

Our Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:7 said,

Matthew 7:7 CSB

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.

Brothers and sisters, the Lord says that when his people ask, seek and knock, God will respond to the prayers of his people. If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, partner with us in prayer for the success of the gospel mission at Catalyst to Paradise Hills, San Diego, and the world.

Earlier this year, I received an email from the North American Mission Board inviting myself and some other pastors to participate in a Prayer Leader course being run by an organization called the 6:4 Fellowship. Now I wasn't familiar with this organization, but I trust the North America Mission Board, and so I signed up for the group.

We met over a Zoom call with a number of pastors in different places in America. The leaders shared how they were organizing pastors all over America to get a heart for prayer. Today in America, a good number of pastors learn how to teach God's word. But a tragic thing is that many in positions of leadership don't know how to lead their church to pray.

And this year, I've been convicted in my pastoral leadership at this church that we, as pastors, need to lead the church to pray. Prayer is not the job of a couple Christians or a few “prayer warriors.” Prayer is not a spiritual gift for only a few people. If you are a Christian this morning, you have the privilege to pray, and you are called to pray.

I believe God placed this text here for us today, this Sunday, as we get to the end of Romans. Because on Wednesday our church is meeting for our first corporate prayer meeting at 7 PM right here in this chapel. It’s an opportunity for you to partner with your brothers and sisters in prayer. We will continue to lead you to pray because the strategy for the gospel mission has not changed. The gospel mission is empowered by the Holy Spirit, and driven by the prayers of God’s people.

Last,

3. The Gospel Mission Aims to Reach the World for Christ.

Take a look at Romans 15:20-21,

Romans 15:20–21 CSB

20 My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but, as it is written, Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.

My friends, when God has placed the gospel mission in your heart, when you are partnering together with a community of believers for the gospel mission, it's important to know the aim. What is the goal? Where are we going?

That word for “aim” there in verse 20 speaks to his ambition. Paul is an ambitious man and he is motivated to see new people come to Jesus. He is motivated to see people who haven't heard the gospel before realize the power of God in the gospel, to be confronted with their sin, repent, and turn to Jesus. I love how we can be ambitious in Christ and have as our aim the gospel mission.

Paul’s aim was a calling to be an apostle to the Gentiles, to see them be a people who are God's people, a people sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Partnering in the Gospel Mission

But for all of us, we also have an aim, a calling to be a partner in the gospel mission. The church is always called to partner together as a corporate body for the purpose of the Great Commission, to see every nation come to Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19–20 to,

Matthew 28:19–20 CSB

19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

God by his sovereign authority, has chosen to use people to reach the world for Jesus Christ. That means, for you, there is a calling on your life to partner together with other brothers and sisters in Jesus, to reach our world for Jesus. The same gospel that transformed your life has the power to transform the world.

You become a partner in the gospel mission when you join your brothers and sisters in prayer.

You become a partner in the gospel mission when you financially support the work of the gospel.

You become a partner in the gospel mission when you proclaim the good news of Jesus to others.

You become a partner in the gospel mission when you join us on Sunday morning for corporate worship.

You become a partner in the gospel mission when you live a life that reflects the gospel.

The gospel mission looks forward to a day in Revelation 7:9, where he says,

Revelation 7:9 CSB

9 After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.

It’s not a question if the gospel mission will be accomplished. The gospel mission will be accomplished. Based on the authority of the Word of God, we know that people will come to Christ from every nation according to Revelation 7:9, a future day when people from every nation, tribe, language, and tongue are standing before the Lamb and before his throne.

The question is, do you want to be a part of that gospel mission? To be a part of that gospel mission, you must be a person impacted and changed by the gospel. The good news of Jesus is that, if you trust him, he will change your life and lead you on the greatest journey you have ever seen.

Conclusion

The Unchanging Strategy of the Gospel Mission

Church, we believe in the gospel mission of Jesus Christ. We know that the gospel mission still works. We know that God still changes lives because we see it every day.

And the strategy for the gospel mission has not changed. The gospel mission is empowered by the Holy Spirit and driven by the prayers of God’s people, to reach the world (every nation, tribe, language, and tongue) for Jesus Christ. The question is, do you want to be a part of that gospel mission?

This week I hope that you will join us in prayer. I hope you will continue to partner with us in the gospel mission, and live as a Holy Spirit empowered believer in Jesus Christ. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

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Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!