Paul's Journey's
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Paul’s Journey
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.
Rick Blount
In
26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;
Paul is recounting different details of his ministry and in the 26th verse of that chapter he has a little phrase “in journeys often.” In that little phrase Paul encompasses all that he did in his effort to see that the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ was extended to the ends of the Roman Empire. Paul had a great desire. Paul had a great burden. That burden was that the cross of Jesus Christ be planted in the heart of the Roman Empire. So, over the land and through the sea Paul made journeys and the purpose of those journeys was to get the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the whole known world at that particular time.
When you study the journeys of Paul you will discover that he had a definite strategy in mind. You will find that when Paul went on his journeys he went to all of the major cities of the Roman Empire. Her went to Athens. He went to Ephesus. He ultimately went to Rome. As you read the journeys of Paul and the fact that he went to these major cities you will find that Paul had very little to say about the wonders of the world that could be found there. For instance, he went to Athens and yet he makes no mention of the Parthenon. He went to Ephesus and there is only a passing mention of the Temple of Diana. He goes to the city of Rome and yet there is no mention made of the Coliseum. When Paul made his missionary journeys he was not going there to take snapshots. Paul was going there to win converts. The journeys of Paul were not for the purpose of seeing the sights but for the purpose of saving souls. There was a reason. There was a ministry for why Paul did what he did.
The question may arise in your mind — why are we going to spend any time tonight talking about the journeys of a man that took place several thousand years ago. Why are we going to dig back into the musky past? Why are we going to pull out these dusty records of the journeys of Paul and study them in 2019? There is a very important reason. The reason is that everything recorded for us in the Bible has a purpose and a plan and has a meaning for our own life. The principles of God revealed to us in the Bible and the things that God taught these Bible characters are applicable to our life in modern Houston in 2019.
Many times the Bible talks about our life as a journey. Not only the Bible but in secular literature. A best-selling book at the present time is entitled, ‘Wouldn’t Take Nothing for Journey Now.” Often times life is compared to a journey.
One of the greatest books every written was written by a Baptist preacher named John Bunyon. Lie was placed in prison for preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus. During the time he was in prison he wrote the immortal Pilgrim’s Progress. He understood that life for the believer is like taking a journey. The Bible does say that we are pilgrims. There is a difference between a pilgrim and a vagrant or a fugitive. A fugitive is someone who is running from home. A vagrant is someone who has no home. But a pilgrim is someone who is on the way home. The Bible says that’s what we are. We are pilgrims and strangers down here. We are on a journey; we are making our way home. So, we learn from the journeys of Paul and how God worked in his life, how we can get strength for our journey. How that along the way, as we walk in this journey of life, we can experience the strength of God in our lives.\
has no home. But a pilgrim is someone who is on the way home. The Bible says that’s what we are. We are pilgrims and strangers down here. We are on a journey; we are making our way home. So, we learn from the journeys of Paul and how God worked in his life, how we can get strength for our journey. How that along the way, as we walk in this journey of life, we can experience the strength of God in our lives. I. His PLAN.
I. His PLAN.
I. His PLAN.
Let’s look at Paul’s plan as he pursues these journeys for Jesus. There is an amazing statement in
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,
. “Now having no more place in these parts.” Does that mean Paul had won everybody to Jesus in those places? Does that mean that the work of the Lord was completed in those places where he was and it was all over? Absolutely not. There were still people to be saved. There was still work to be done, but Paul said I have no more place in these parts. Paul was a master builder. Paul calls himself an architect. He was a spiritual architect. Paul was the foundation-layer. All over the city of Houston there is all kind of building going on. It seems to me that every section of the city where I go houses are springing up. You know how they do that. One crew comes in and they put in the foundation and then move on to another site. Then the framers come and they frame up the building and then they move on to another site. Then the bricklayers come. They do their job and move on. All of the crews have a specific job to do. When the job is done they move on to the next location. That’s what Paul is saying right here. He is saying, “I’ve done what God assigned me to do. I have finished my assignment, I’m moving on. I’m going somewhere else.”
Paul was a man who didn’t move haphazardly through life. He had a definite strategy of penetration. He had a definite plan, a definite reason for everything he did. I think one of the problems people have today is they really don’t have a plan for their lives. Most people don’t know who they are. They don’t know why they are here. They don’t’ know where they are going. Hut when you come to know Jesus as your Savior you can know who you are. You can know where you came from and you can know where you are going. We ought to make plans for Jesus. We ought to plan our lives. There ought to be a strategy. Too many people don’t know who they or where they are going. Kind of like the pilot who radioed in to the passengers one day. He said, “Folks we are lost. But I have good news for you, we’re making excellent tine.”
Folks can go faster than they have ever been able to go before but they really don’t know where they are going. I believe we ought to make big plans for Jesus. The Lord Jesus himself, it’s said about Him - he set His face to go to Jerusalem. He had a plan for His life. He was moving on schedule. He was taking that journey that the Father had given to him. You ought to make plans for your life. You ought to decide who you want to be when you are 20. You ought to decide where you want to be when you are 20 and you ought to decide what you want to be when you are 20. Then you ought to make some plans for 30, make some plans for 40, 50 and 60 and 70. Make plans. Paul has plans and they are completely arranged.
He says also in
22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.
that sometimes those plans get hindered along the way. Sometimes those plans don’t get to be completed just as exactly as he had made them.
Paul recognized the fact that the best-laid plans of men sometimes go astray. That’s the way it is with our lives, isn’t it? We make plans along the way and then sometimes those plans don’t come to pass.
When I was a teenager the man who was in charge of the maintenance of our church buildings in my home church was a wonderful Christian man. He went with us on all of our camps. He was always a counselor, a great blessing. When he was a young man he felt that God had called him to the mission field and yet he was never ale to prepare himself to go. He was never able to gather the means to go. He had a burden to go to the missionary field. That was his plan. Yet his plan wasn’t completed. There seemed to have been some hindrances. So he just served Jesus where he was. He just fulfilled the will of God where God had allowed him to serve. Don’t allow the fact that your plans sometimes don’t get completed to hinder you. Recognize that there will be some hindrances along the way. When you read the words of Paul you will find sometimes circumstances hindered him. There were doors that closed. He wanted to go in one direction and he couldn’t go. He would try to go in another direction. That was his plan and that didn’t come to pass. Do you find that true? Do you find sometimes that circumstances hinder your plans? He even said one time that people hindered his plans. He talked about the fact that people kept him from doing what he wanted to do. That’s true in your life also and my life. Sometimes we are hindered because of people.
Then, one time Paul made the statement Satan hindered me.” Try that one on for size to your boss in the morning when you run late. Say, “I’m sorry I’m late today, but the devil hindered me.” Take a good look at the look he’ll give you when you say that to him. The fact of the matter is the devil is a hindrance. The devil does want to keep you from being everything God has saved you to be. We arrange our completely and sometimes those plans are hindered.
But He pursued constantly the plans. He says in
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.
— “When I take my journey in Spain I trust to see you.” He just kept on pushing. Paul recognized there is a difference between our immediate plans and God’s ultimate plan. If you are saved God has an ultimate plan for your life. That plan is that one day you be like His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. So, we make our immediate plans with the ultimate plan in mind. The ultimate plan is that wherever we go in our journey of life we be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus started us on the journey when He gave the Great Commission and said, “Go ye in to all the world and make disciples.” We are on a journey to heaven, we are on a journey to be like the Lord Jesus Christ and as we go in this journey our ultimate purpose — the ultimate plan for our lives is that we be a witness for Jesus. That we tell other people about our Lord and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. He shares his plan. We must keep in mind that god has a plan. You get strength for your journey when you recognize that God has a plan for your life.
Notice secondly in verses 25-27 and see not only that Paul has a plan but -
II. His PURPOSE.
II. His PURPOSE.
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.
Romans 15:25-27
In verse 25 he says, “I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.” On his way to Rome, his ultimate destination, he says I’m going to make a little trip back to Jerusalem and I’m going to minister to the saints. He’s on his journey. He is going to take a little swing over into Jerusalem. Paul had a great appreciation for the saints at Jerusalem. Many of the saints at Jerusalem lost their job when they gave themselves to Christ. Others of them were severely persecuted when they surrendered to Christ. So, many of them were poor. A famine came in that area and many of the believers in Jerusalem were poverty stricken. So, Paul proposed among the Gentile churches where he had won souls to gather up an offering and to send it back to the city of Jerusalem to the believers there. That is an exact reversal of what you normally expect. Normally you expect the mother church to send the support out to the foreign field. Here the foreign field, so to speak, is sending support back to the mother church.
Paul had a great appreciation for these believers in Jerusalem. Paul recognized that it was through their witness and their faithfulness that he himself had come to know Jesus as his personal Savior. Do you have an appreciation for those who had a part in your coming to the Lord? Have you thanked the person who led you to Jesus Christ? It would be a great encouragement to them. A number of years ago I was going through the records of our Sunday School. I encourage our Sunday School teachers to get your roll out and go over it. It’s a good prayer list. It will remind you of people to pray for. I ran across the name of a 15-year-old girl who had not been in Sunday School in a year’s time. I decided I would visit that home and see what the situation was. The address was hard to find - took a long time. I finally did. To shrink the story - I went into that home, led that 15 year old girl to Christ, I led her mother to the Lord - led the whole family to the Lord. They became members of our church - the Merritt family. I will never forget them. On a night we were getting ready to have a service and before the service I heard a timid little knock at my study door. Said, “Come in.” The door opened and Mrs. Merritt stepped in. She was a timid little lady and she came in and said to me, “Preacher, I’ve been wanting to do this but I haven’t been able to get up the courage to do it. I just wanted to come by and thank you for coming by my house and leading me and my family to the Lord.” That just did all kind of wonders for me. That was just an encouragement to me it made me want to go out and win another family to the Lord. Have you thanked the person who led you to Jesus lately for leading you to the Lord Jesus Christ? Paul had a great love for the saints in Jerusalem because they had a part in leading him to Jesus. What Paul wants to do is to display his affection for the Jerusalem church. We ought to do that.
He is also delivering a collection. Look at
26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.
— “A certain contribution for the poor saints.” Paul understood another way we have of expressing our gratitude is by our giving. We express our gratitude for our spiritual heritage by having a part in the giving.
We have just completed our stewardship emphasis. Only one time a year, unless the Bible talks about it in where we are preaching, do we spend any time on giving? I always wonder when we do that if somebody hadn’t been in a year — backslidden and show up for the service and we are talking about giving - they think, “every time I go to that
church they are talking about giving.” If you have anybody to say that you know they haven’t been to church in a while. But I have found out that people who have gratitude in their heart for Jesus and have gratitude in their heart for their church never complain when you talk about giving to the support of the church. That’s his purpose. Number one, to express an affection. Number two, to deliver a collection.
He also defines an obligation.
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.
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.
“their debtors (Gentile believers) they are.” He is saying these Gentiles literally owe their spiritual life to these believers in Jerusalem. That’s why he says in verse 27 “for if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal (material) things.” The Bible says that when you come to Christ you immediately are made a debtor. You are made a debtor to God and His Son the Lord Jesus. You are made a debtor to the church where your spiritual life has been brought about.
Then, I was really surprised and pleased to see how many of you stood who have been saved since we have been in this building. For all of the rest of your life this building here is a special place to you because this is where you came to know Jesus as your Savior. I came to know Jesus in a little North Georgia town as a nine—year-old boy. I was sitting on the second row where these ladies are. They’ve torn that building down now. It used to be that when I would go home on vacation, I’d go by the church where I was saved. It was special to me. This building is becoming special. This building is a delivery room where souls are born into the kingdom of God. This building is special because it’s a family gathering place where your spiritual family gets together. How special is the house of God where you met Jesus and where your soul is blessed? Paul says if you have a spiritual blessing then you in turn have a responsibility to minister in material things. You ought to support it.
Here we are in a journey. We need strength for that journey. He has a plan, a purpose -
III. His POWER.
III. His POWER.
Paul says in
29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
- “I am sure that when I come unto you I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.’ Paul is talking about power here. You and I have been promised by God power for our journey of life. Power for the journey of the Christian walk.
There is power in a magnificent obsession.
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.
- “When therefore I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit.” He is saying when I have carried this contribution, when I’ve gone over to Jerusalem and done the job then I will come by you into Spain. That’s the second time Paul has mentioned Spain.
contribution, when I’ve gone over to Jerusalem and done the job then I will come by you into Spain. That’s the second time Paul has mentioned Spain.
Look back in
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.
Now he mentions it again. Why was Spain so interesting to Paul? What was he so anxious to go to Spain? When Jesus gave the Great commission Jesus said go to the ends of the earth, go to the uttermost parts of the earth. In Paul’s day the end of the earth was Spain. When you got to the Rock of Gibraltar in Paul’s day they didn’t know there was anywhere else to go. They thought that was as far as you could go. That was the end of the earth to Paul. Paul is saying I have an obsession. Paul says I want to go to Spain. Why was Spain so crucial to Paul? Not only was it the end of the world, as he knew it at that time, but also because Spain at that time was experiencing an intellectual revival. Spain was experiencing a literal outburst of intellectual activity. It was in Spain that man named Quintilion, the greatest teacher of rhetoric in his day, lived. It was from Spain that a man named Seneca, the stoic philosopher who was the prime minister of Emperor Nero, was from. That was the intellectual fountain of the day.
Here’s what Paul wanted to do. Paul wanted to take the purifying waters of the Gospel of Jesus and infiltrate the fountain of the intellectual life of the Roman Empire. Because Paul understood that if you can plant the gospel in the intellectual center in a place you will affect the rest of the place (if you hit the intellectual center) That’s why the campuses of our colleges and our schools are so very important. That’s why it is so important that our college students be faithful witnesses for Jesus on their campus. That’s why it’s so important that our high school students be faithful witnesses for Jesus in your high school. That’s why our middle school young people ought to be faithful witnesses for Jesus in your middle school. At the intellectual centers is where the messages are disseminated into the rest of the community.
Christians have, too many times, withdrawn themselves from the market place of ideas. In fact, there are some people in this country who believe Christians don’t even have a right to speak up in America. This is our land too. This is our country too. We have a perfect right to express our convictions in America. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ does not have to take second place to any idea current in this land. In fact, I believe that the gospel of Jesus and the Word of God can hold its own and yes, conquer in the market place of ideas because it is superior to any idea that ever gripped the heart of man. The greatest thought to ever grip a human mind is the thought of God. The second greatest thought to ever grip the human mind is the thought of heaven. The third greatest thought to ever grip the human mind is that the God who wants to take us to heaven has made it possible through the death of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. What an idea! What a message to give to this old nation of ours.
Yes, Paul says I want to go to Spain. Have you got a magnificent obsession? Have you ever seen anybody get obsessed with something? Ever seen a mountain climber and he gets obsessed with the mountain. That’s all he can think about. That’s all he can do is make plans to climb that mountain. He eats it and sleeps it and drinks it and plans it. He
gets obsessed with that mountain.
Have you ever seen a football player get obsessed with the end zone? He just made up his mind he’s going to the end zone. He’ll run over you, run around you, outrun you, trick you, he’ll do whatever is necessary but he is obsessed with that end zone. Paul had a magnificent obsession. He was obsessed with getting the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Roman Empire. Beloved, people of First Baptist Jacksonville, let’s get obsessed with taking this gospel to the city of Jacksonville. Let’s get on fire about getting this message of Jesus into the homes of the people of Jacksonville, Florida. All the devils of hell can’t stop us if we get on fire about this business of telling this city about Jesus. It can be done. We can get the message to the city of Jacksonville. The power of a magnificent obsession.
The power of a magnificent possession. He said in
29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
Paul is saying I know that I journey in the power of a magnificent possession. I have the fullness of the good news of Christ and I’m sure that there is going to be blessing. I’m sure God is going to work. That’s what I thank the Lord for the privilege of preaching the gospel for. Every time I stand to preach the gospel I do it in the assurance that the fullness of the gospel of Christ is going to bring power in the service. I expect lives to be changed. Every time you go out and witness you can go in the fullness of the gospel of Christ, knowing that there is power in the gospel of Jesus. Paul said in ,
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
verse 29 — “I’m sure that when I come to you, I’ll come in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ.” Paul is saying I know that I journey in the power of a magnificent possession. I have the fullness of the good news of Christ and I’m sure that there is going to be blessing. I’m sure God is going to work. That’s what I thank the Lord for the privilege of preaching the gospel for. Every time I stand to preach the gospel I do it in the assurance that the fullness of the gospel of Christ is going to bring power in the service. I expect lives to be changed. Every time you go out and witness you can go in the fullness of the gospel of Christ, knowing that there is power in the gospel of Jesus. Paul said in , “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes.” You and I who know the story, we have the glorious privilege of seeing that power displayed every time the gospel of Christ is delivered. The fullness of the gospel of Christ. A magnificent possession.
“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believes.” You and I who know the story, we have the glorious privilege of seeing that power displayed every time the gospel of Christ is delivered. The fullness of the gospel of Christ. A magnificent possession.
In
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,
and following he shows us the power of a magnificent intercession. ’ Isn’t that something? Here is the great man, Paul. Greatest theologian of all time. Greatest missionary in the history of the Christian faith. The author of this book of Romans itself. Yet, Paul says to those believers in Rome, “I’m urging you, I’m pleading, I’m begging you, pray for me. Strive together in your prayers for me.” He does it many times in his writings. One of the grandest things anyone can do for you is to intercede for you before God in heaven. That’s one of the most wonderful things a person can do. Tennyson was right. He said, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” The weary ones had rest The sad had joy that and wondered how. A ploughman, singing at his work, had prayed, ‘Lord, help them now. Away in foreign lands they wondered how their simple word had power. At home, the Christians two or three had met to pray an hour. Yes, we are always wondering, wondering how; Because we do not see someone, unknown perhaps, and far away, on bended knee!
had met to pray an hour. Yes, we are always wondering, wondering how; Because we do not see someone, unknown perhaps, and far away, on bended knee!
You wonder sometimes how you escape that temptation? It may have been someone was praying for you. You wonder how you made it through that difficult time in your life? It may be that there was someone who was praying for you.
Look at what Paul says. He prays for 3 things in these closing verses. That word, that, occurs three times significantly.
31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,
Verse 31 - “Pray that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea.” There were some who wanted to take the life of Paul. He’s saying to pray that God will take care of me. Then he says ‘that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted by the saints.” In other words he said pray that when I get to Jerusalem with the offering that their hearts will be open and they will be receptive to it.
32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.
- Pray that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God and may with you be refreshed. He is saying pray that when I get to you will refresh me. You will encourage me. He is praying that he will be taken care of - protected. He is praying that his gift that he brings will be accepted. He is praying that he will be encouraged by then when he gets to them. The question comes - was his prayer answered? As you study the book of Acts all three of these significant prayer requests are answered by the Lord.
“Pray that I will be delivered.” There were some unbelieving Jews who covenanted together they wouldn’t eat nor drink until they had killed the Apostle Paul. They entered into a blood covenant that they would kill this man, Paul. Yet, when Paul was to be killed God saw to it that 470 bodyguards were around him. God took care of him. He answered their prayer.
When Paul got to Jerusalem with the offering that he had brought for the poor saints the Bible says in the book of Acts “they received him gladly.” God answered that prayer.
In the last chapter of Acts when Paul gets to Italy and the believers of Rome come down to meet the apostle Paul the Bible says that when he saw them he thanked God and he took courage. He was refreshed, he was encouraged by them. We are on a journey. We need strength for that journey. The good news is we can claim the power of God in answered prayer for our journey.
David Livingstone was one of the greatest missionaries of all times. He shared many wonderful things along the way but folks asked him how he was sustained during the dark days of his early missionary work? He said that he was sustained by the promise of the Lord Jesus when Jesus said, “I am with you airway, even unto the end of the earth.” Mr. Livingstone said, “I took those words to be the words of a gentleman of sacred honor.” The Lord Jesus has given his promises and he has promised to give us strength in our journey of life. He is a gentleman of sacred honor; he’ll keep his promises to you. Do you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior?