Sunday Worship Service 2-15-26
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Turn to Romans chapter one
Paul began his letter to the Roman Christians with a long greeting that rivaled Thomas Jefferson’s flowing style of writing. The passion of Paul’s heart was the Gospel or literally, “good news” of Jesus Christ. That was obvious in this letter because Paul went to great length to defend that gospel. He highlighted it in five ways.
First, he mentioned how that Jesus was predicted in the Old Testament. Paul was just continuing where the prophets left off approximately four or five hundred years earlier.
Second, he described Jesus incarnated. Jesus was born to this earth through the line of King David.
Third, Paul described Jesus evidenced. By His miracles and by His resurrection, Jesus powerfully demonstrated that He always was God!
Fourth, Paul described Jesus obeyed. Even in Paul’s day, the followers of Jesus Christ were spreading across all nations of the known world.
Fifth, Paul described Jesus modeled. Jesus Christ was ascended to His Father, but His followers, called to be saints, called to be distinctly set apart from this world, were living representations of Jesus while living on this earth.
In totality, Paul preached a gospel that was all about Jesus Christ. That is the good news that we continue to preach and live today.
Introduction
Introduction
Read Romans 1:8-13.
I love how Paul starts out verse eight: “First…”
To my American mind, it almost sounds like Paul is saying that a little tongue in cheek.
It’s kind of like when a preacher has an hour to preach and he spends the first 45 minutes giving a long introduction that runs down a bunch of rabbit trails through the Bible. Then he says, “okay, now let’s get into the message!”
“Now Paul, you said a whole lot to the Romans just when you were saying “hello”! Now you say, “first”?
Here he means “first” as in something he intended to say before he gets to the main point of the letter. He’ll get there in verses 16-17, but there were few things he wanted to say first in this lengthy introduction.
In verses 8-13, Paul answers two questions:
Why he was writing
What kept him going in life and ministry
There were several things that motivated Paul:
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He was motivated by their faithfulness to the Lord - Romans 1:8-9
When Paul wrote this letter, the year was around AD 55-58, and Paul was on his third missionary journey. Acts 20:1-3 says that Paul lived in the city of Corinth, in modern-day Greece, for three months. The traditional view is that it was probably during this time that he wrote the letter and sent it via Phebe like he says in Romans 16:1-2. Soon after writing this letter, he would travel to Jerusalem to deliver an offering for the Jewish saints (Rom. 15:25-26; Acts. 20:16, 24:17; I Cor. 16:1-4).
I do not think it is a stretch to say that Paul was writing to a group of Christians who lived in the Washington DC of their day. Living in the capital of the Roman Empire was truly extraordinary.
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The city of Rome had been founded more than 800 years earlier, but as it consolidated power, the city expanded to a population estimated at more than one million people, including at certain times a sizeable colony of Jews.
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Rome was located about fifteen miles from the Mediterranean Sea. The Tiber River flowed through it, with the result being that the ground was swampy in some areas. But Rome’s grandeur, if not in its location, was in its buildings.
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According to one source, Roman engineers built an estimated 420 temples to various pagan gods. The colosseum that is pictured did not exist in Paul’s lifetime, but it was built within 20 years of his death. The vast expense poured into this opulent construction had a purpose: it was to reflect the majesty of the empire, but it only served as a facade that covered the great wickedness of the city.
The Roman historian Tacitus said that into Rome “flow[s] all things that are vile and abominable, and where they are encouraged” - Wuest Word Studies
As the heartbeat of the Empire, into Rome flowed the wealth of the world, but so too did its wickedness.
This was the city in which these Christians lived. This was the city in which these Christians proved faithful to their Lord, whose example was a testimony to other Christians all across the empire!
Despite living in a sinful culture, the defining characteristic of their church was their steadfast faith in the Lord! Understand, when Paul says this, he’s not exaggerating! He had not been to Rome yet, but he was writing a letter to these believers because he had heard of their faith and he wanted to shore it up even further. As a further evidence of their faith, isn’t it noteworthy that this letter would be one of the most doctrinal letters in the NT! Paul didn’t have to spoon feed these Christians the milk of the Word like he had to do in some other letters. Their faith was such that they were ready for meat and so Paul serves it up in this letter!
Application: I wonder, if Paul were to write a letter to us, would we be mature enough in our faith that he would serve us meat, or milk? Would we be ready to hear the deep doctrines of our salvation, or would we have to be told again the basic things of the Christian life? Would Paul write to us a doctrinal letter like Romans, or would he write to us rebuking us of our sin and carnality, like in 1 Corinthians?
The way you respond to the preaching of this series through Romans may well be a good indicator of your spiritual appetite.
Their strong faith in God was a source of encouragement to Paul.
What Christians around you are motivated by your faith?
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He was motivated by a desire to see them strengthened - Romans 1:10-11
Read Romans 1:10-11
During the winter months, work on a dairy farm often turns toward making repairs and fixing up buildings. It’s not much fun being outside in single digit weather, so on cold days, we tried to find projects inside the barns. That wasn’t too hard to do. Dairy cows might be relatively docile animals, but 1,500 lbs of beef can quickly break stuff! We were often replacing wood dividers and shoring up beams and supports that rotted out in that environment.
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Established: to make stable, to set fast, to strengthen, to confirm in one’s mind
There was a passion in Paul’s soul to visit these dear believers and to confirm the truth of the Gospel in their minds. He had prayed many times that God would allow him to visit them in Rome but up until this point, God had not opened the door.
God would eventually open that door, but it would be by way of Roman chains. Despite that discomfort, Paul’s desire and purpose would be accomplished and from his house arrest he would encourage these believers and shore up their faith.
It can be a very dangerous thing when a barn wall is on the verge of failing because repairs are long overdue. I remember at least one time where the wall of a pole barn nearly rotted out at the bottom because it was allowed to go too long before it got repaired. For whatever reason, no one came along and shored it up. No one took it on themselves to make it stable. No one put in the work to strengthen it.
Application: But you know what is worse? What’s even worse is when a Christian falters in their faith because no one is there to come alongside them and shore it up in their time of need. No one is there to remind them of the Scriptures and to confirm their faith in their minds.
That’s one reason why we need each other.
That’s one reason why we need to prioritize being here as often as we possibly can.
That’s one reason why we talk about building close relationships in our church.
That’s one reason why we need to be together throughout the week outside of regular church services.
It’s because we need each other. It’s because any one of us is susceptible at any time to the sin of unbelief.
Paul wanted to see their faith established! It motivated him to minister to others! Knowing their need to be strengthened kept him going! Oh that we would have such hearts for each other also!
I challenge you: pick someone in our local church that you can encourage this week. Paul prayed for the Romans! Pick someone in our church that you pray for this week and that you try to encourage. Find out what’s going on in their lives and then strengthen their faith! Text them a verse! Don’t live life as a taker! Don’t live life always being on the receiving end! Go shore up some other Christian’s faith this week!
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He was motivated by a desire for mutual encouragement - Romans 1:12-13
Read Romans 1:11-13
When it comes to demolition work, one of the most useful tools you can have is a reciprocating saw. I don’t know about you fellas, but in my experience, reciprocating saws tend to get a lot of abuse. Why? Because they’re useful for a lot of projects. That swift back and forth motion of the saw blade is what makes it a powerful tool.
Now imagine if that saw blade moved only one direction. Imagine that it only goes out but doesn’t retract back in.
You’d put that saw up to the two by four, squeeze the trigger, and immediately the saw blade would power forward and then come to a stop. You’d reset the blade, and then do it again.
I don’t care how fast that blade moves, you wouldn’t cut much wood like that, would you?
Neither does a Christian who only receives encouragement but who never goes out of their way to offer encouragement to someone else.
You see, Paul was prepared to do his part to strengthen their faith, but he hoped that they would do the same for him as well.
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Comforted together: to come together in the same assembly to encourage each other
Only used here in the Greek NT
It has this idea of being in the same physical place so that we can be there for each other and help each other. Kind of hard to do that if we don’t come together on a regular basis, isn’t it?
The time would come when these Christians would be a huge encouragement to Paul. Years later, when he came to the outskirts of Rome as a prisoner, Christians came out of the city to meet him. Here’s the effect that it had on Paul:
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And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.
You see the difference that their mutual encouragement made? You see how their reciprocal encouragement not only helped the Romans, but maybe even kept Paul from quitting during one of his lowest moments?
Application: In my opinion, this comes more naturally to women than to men. Real men encourage each other! If you never speak an encouraging word to your fellow Christian to help their faith you’re not fulfilling your responsibility in the local church!
“Well, Pastor Tim, I’m a man of few words.”
Believe it or not, so am I, but that doesn’t give me an excuse to abdicate this responsibility I have to my brother or sister in Christ.
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Their example of faithfulness to the Lord kept him going. Who is being encouraged by your example of faith?
Paul was motivated by a desire to see them strengthened. His passion was seeing other Christians continue on for Christ. Whats your passion?
Paul anticipated their togetherness! He desired that mutual encouragement together with them. We live in uncertain times. The day may come where everything that we rely on for security may be stripped away and all that will remain will be our faith in God and our support for each other. Let’s not wait for that day to practice mutual encouragement of each other, because these were the things that motivated Paul in his life and ministry.
