Sermon Tone Analysis

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SLIDE 2

Rom. 15.

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SLIDE 3

Rom 15:16-

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SLIDE 4

Rom 15.19

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PRAY

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INTRO / REVIEW

We are quickly approaching the end of our study in Romans.

There might be just, one more study before we transition over to the book of 1 Corinthians… and interestingly, today’s message sets a sharp contrast to the tone of our next study.

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In Romans… Paul is not addressing problems.

He is not confronting sin.

In fact, in today’s passage, we will see that Paul is encouraged by the state of the believers in Rome, reflecting back to something he said in chapter 1:8… where he told them… that their faith is proclaimed in all the world.

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The church in Corinth?

Not so much.

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In fact, in most of Paul’s letters to the churches, he had to address issues and conflicts.

People were abusing doctrine.

People were accepting sin.

People were abandoning grace for law.

Paul wrote to pastors who dealt with similar trials and counseled them on how to address these problems.

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But… such was not the case in Rome.

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Yes, they had the common challenges of being a diverse people who were called together in unity and fellowship.

As we saw in previous studies… they were incompatible people, called together to worship God in unity.

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Paul wasn’t rebuking them over their differences… He was merely instructing them on how they can glorify God in their differences.

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According to … these were people that other Christians liked to talk about… and not in a bad way.

Their faith was proclaimed in the world, by those who witnessed it, and experienced it.

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In today’s passage… we will see… that this is still the case for Rome.

They are a community of believers who are doing well… and Paul recognizes that in the closing of this letter.

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Today’s passage begins what is recognized as being the third section of this book.

Chapters 1-11 focus on doctrinal teaching, the underlying theme of most of it being… grace.

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This church didn’t need correction, but they did need instruction.

They were doing well with a solid understanding of the gospel....

But Paul poured into them… showing them how the Gospel brought grace to so many different aspects of doctrinal understanding.

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From there… chapter 12 up until chapter 15:13… Paul called them to live as people who were shaped by that grace… not only as individuals, but also, as a church community.

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Then, beginning here in vs. 14, and to the end of the book… Paul get’s personal.

He’s bringing it all to a conclusion… he’s sharing his heart… he’s sending his greetings.. and he’s giving a final appeal.

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This message is going to focus heavily upon vs. 14… Paul is encouraged, and he is encouraging.

Why?

Because these believers are good and knowledgable.

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Here’s where I ask the question: What made Rome different than say, the church in Corinth, or the church in Galatia?

Those churches had some serious issue… but Rome, was going strong?

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I ask this questions, simply because, the climate of the church in our world today, is the same.

Some churches are doing well, and some churches, are having serious struggles.

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In some churches, the people are growing in their faith… they are clinging to sound doctrine and their lives and ministries are fruitful.

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And yet, around the corner… you might have a church that is wrought with scandal… the people are not growing spiritually, and the climate is more about war than it is worship.

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Both reflection and experience can give us the answer.

When we bring our flesh into the equation, we bring problems… but, when we bring a willingness to set aside our flesh, out of love for one another… then those problems go away.

Add to that, the fruit of sound doctrine and genuine faith in the Gospel… and you will see… why some churches are like the Romans… and some are like the Corinthians.

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Let’s focus in on the example of a strong church… beginning again, here in vs. 14.

SLIDE 5

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This brings us to our first point.

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SLIDE 6

Encouraged ()

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Paul was encouraged… and so were the people in Rome.

We see this presented in four different ways.

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SLIDE 7

They satisfied their leaders

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As a leader in the church, Paul looked upon the state of the Romans, and was satisfied.

- This word could also be translated… ‘convinced’ or ‘made confident’.

There was no doubt in Paul’s mind, that these believers in Rome, were walking in genuine faith.

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This isn’t to say, that Paul was their leader.

Yes, I’m sure they respected him and embraced his instruction… but for this church to be as strong as it was… SOMEBODY WAS LEADING.

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And they were leading well.

In fact, chapter 16 will show us… that some of these leaders were known to Paul.

People like Prisca and Aquila… Epaenetus… Mary… Andronicus… Junia… Ampliatus… Urbanus… and the list goes on.

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I’m sure, even as Paul wrote this letter… these leaders were also encouraged.

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When you are up close and personal… sometimes you lose perspective.

Maybe, you focus on little, normal, every day problems… and fail to recognize that in an overall sense… things are going great.

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These leaders may have been counseling Jewish believers and Gentile believers on how to fellowship in harmony… and after a while… maybe it became weary.

Maybe they thought that their fellowship was wrought with division.

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But Paul brings a broader perspective to the table.

He is in Corinth… where the problems in church are huge… and he’s telling these Roman believers… and these Roman church leaders… that HE IS CONFIDENT… HE IS CONVINCED… HE IS SATISFIED … with the state of their faith.

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UP CLOSE… you always can, and will… see the problems.

There will ALWAYS BE PROBLEMS.

Even in the best circumstances… and a leader who is always focused on the problems… CAN TOTALLY… LOSE FOCUS.

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Paul is looking in from the outside… as one who knows how to compare between the state of many different churches… and he is telling them… - they are doing well.

He is satisfied.

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NEXT SUB POINT.

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SLIDE 8

They were full of goodness

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THIS literally means… that they were full of positive moral character.

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If it’s being said of them… then obviously, it’s being expressed amongst them.

Hypocritical goodness exists in word only… but this was not that kind of recognition.

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Paul wasn’t telling them… that they were full of ‘good words’.

- He wasn’t saying, that they had a reputation for saying nice things… for posting nice words on social media… for having nice bumper stickers...

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That would just be a label on the bucket… Paul wasn’t talking about the label… he was talking about the contents of that bucket.

-They were literally… full of goodness…

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When people are ‘full of something’… it’s usually easily seen and recognized… and generally in a negative manner… and some of you are thinking of farm terminology… language not appropriate for church… - but the illustration that is popping up in your head, proves the point.

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I know what you’re thinking… you’re thinking of people being FULL OF CRUMMYNESS… or FULL OF INSINCERITY… or FULL OF CRUDENESS… -we recognize this stuff when we talk to salesman… or the listen to the politician…

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When you are full… filled to the top… brimming over… - it is seen, known and experienced by other people.

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The believers in Rome… were brimming over with positive moral character.

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Here is what Paul wrote to a couple other churches on this matter…

SLIDE 9

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SLIDE 10

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The believers in Rome… were encouraging… and they were encouraged… because it was recognized by others… that they were good people… expressing goodness… and doing good things.

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Next sub point under ‘ENCOURAGED’

SLIDE 11

They were filled with all knowledge

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Obviously… Paul wasn’t calling them omniscient.

Obviously Paul wasn’t telling them that they had a grasp on all the finer issues of doctrine.