The Fullness of the Blessing of Christ

Introduction

Welcome — Greeting & Bibles

Romans 15:22–33 ESV

22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Pray over Scripture

Illustration: People who make lifestyle changes

[Transition to text]

Exposition

Picking up where we left off in Romans…

Paul has just reported his ministry to the Gentiles who have never heard the gospel

They believed the gospel and he taught them, establishing churches as he went

Romans 15:22–24 ESV

22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.

About Paul’s planned trip to Rome:

His desire to be with those in Rome gave way to his call to preach where the gospel had not yet been heard

Even when he does eventually come, it will be in passing as he goes somewhere else the gospel has not yet been heard

He wants to do 2 things when he gets there:

Enjoy their company

Receive help from them

Romans 15:25–27 ESV

25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.

Paul is on his third missionary journey at this point

He has gathered a collection from the new churches of mostly Gentile believers in Macedonia (north of Greece - Philippi & Thessalonica) and Achaia (south of Greece - Corinth where he is writing from)… to help the believers in Jerusalem, who were mostly Jewish.

This brings up an interesting question: Why would they give their money to Paul to help the believers in Jerusalem when there were probably also needs in their own community?

I’m glad you asked.

Remember that, in Jerusalem, those who are Christians are deeply persecuted by Jews. They are struggling just to survive.

Remember also that the reason the gospel was brought to the Gentiles in the first place is because it was rejected by many of the Jews! So, because they are blessed to be grafted in as children of Abraham, they wanted to bless the Jewish believers in Jerusalem as well.

Romans 15:28–29 ESV

28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Paul’s plans are to bring the collection to the church in Jerusalem and then head to Spain, going through Rome on the way.

Verse 29 will be incredibly important in just a little while, so take note of it.

Romans 15:30–32 ESV

30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.

Paul recognizes that his trip back to Jerusalem is going to be an incredibly risky one.

He has faced persecution throughout his journeys at the hands of Jews who want to stop what he is doing in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, because they see it as a threat.

He understands that it is only God who can see him through this dangerous journey and safely to Rome to be refreshed before bringing the gospel to Spain.

Romans 15:33 ESV

33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Paul closes out this section near the end of his letter with a prayer that the “God of peace” be with them.

See, Paul doesn’t see God as a “genie in a bottle” that grants every wish. His understanding of God is that, whether things go the way he wants them to or not, God’s will is going to be done.

Even though God’s will may not be Paul’s will, he knows that God will grant him the kind of peace he talks about in Philippians 4:7 that "surpasses all understanding,” and “will guard his heart and his mind in Christ Jesus.”

Key Takeaways

As I sat with this text over the last few weeks, I really struggled. I thought “God, what in the world do you want me to preach from this part of Paul’s letter where he’s giving a report and an excuse as to why he hasn’t yet visited the church in Rome???”

Here are 3 key ways I think this passage instructs us:

1. The Christian life prioritizes sharing the gospel with those who have not heard it.

Paul cannot wait to enjoy the company of his brothers and sisters for whom he has great pastoral affection!

I’m sure he wanted nothing more than to rest and enjoy life with other Christians.

But he knew there were people who needed to hear the gospel, and everything else took a back seat.

Even when he plans to see them after going to Jerusalem, he says he will “see them in passing as he goes” (Rom 15:24) on his way to take the gospel to Spain where it has not yet reached.

Paul took Jesus’s call in Matthew 28:19 seriously: “Go (as you are going) therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

Transition

That attitude leads us to the next instruction we receive from this passage...

2. The Christian life must be practiced, not just thought about.

Jesus born around 6-4 BC, Paul born around 5 BC to 5 AD (most likely 5 AD)

The direction of these two men’s lives could not be more different…

But when Paul met Jesus, his life did a 180° turn! He could have encountered Jesus, become a believer, and enjoyed a quiet life. But he didn’t.

If you notice, Paul’s report to the church in Rome is a reflection of what the early church did in Acts 2:42–47 “42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Apostles’ teaching

Fellowship (breaking of bread)

Prayer

Generosity with their possessions

Praising God and garnering favor with all people

When Jesus broke into Paul’s life, he could not help but adjust how he was living!

Transition

And that life brings us to the third and final instruction we receive from this passage...

3. The Christian life is not guaranteed to be safe, but it is one marked by peace.

When Paul wrote these words to the church in Rome from Corinth, he did not (and you may not) know what would come next.

Romans 15:28–29 “28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.”

You see, Paul did make it to Rome… but the fullness of the blessing of Christ was that he came as a prisoner after being arrested in the Temple in Jerusalem. An angry mob formed and tried to kill him. Before they could kill him, he was arrested. While he was being tried, he appealed to his Roman citizenship, which eventually granted him an audience with Caesar.

After many literal trials and a shipwreck, he did finally make it to Rome, where he was greeted by a joyful procession of believers from all over the region who heard he was coming.

Paul’s prophetic words that he would come “in the fullness of the blessing of Christ” were no less true because he was in chains. But this blessing was in the joyful peace of living his life according to his calling.

Response

As we close our time together, we are going to sing one final song, and I want you to ask yourself these questions:

Do I prioritize the gospel in my life? Is it the most important thing?

Am I someone who lives according to what I believe, or is my life the same as it would be without Jesus + church on Sundays?

Have I spent my life trying to make it as comfortable as possible, or trusting the God of peace by being obedient to his calling to me, knowing that I will have “the fullness of the blessing of Christ”?

Instruct people to come forward for prayer, to give their life to the Lord, or to join the church

Benediction

Romans 15:33 ESV

33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.