Romans 1_8-15 True Spiritual Leadership

Secular:

In NT Rome and Greece…
Big in to the Arts
Communicate values, humour, current events…
Oddly Christians were one of the favourite characters…
Because they were different…

Rescue babies… abortion in those days was drop your kid at the edge of town
Care for one another… physical, emotional, spiritual…
Didn’t stop hanging out… forsake meeting

Very different!!
The Christmas Card…

Biblical:

Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. 9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10 always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Personal:

Have you ever done…
Personality testing…
Spiritual Gifts tests…
Aptitude testing…
Career testing…

Professional certification…

Trades and professions

Relationship Tests… that appear in the paper around Feb 14th… (Guys ever feel that panic…)
They disclose to us a little more about who we are… some are barely helpful… others give us substantial insight…

Bridge:

When we look at the intro to Romans… we see Paul’s heart…

We get to see who he is… his passion… his love… his desire to serve Christ.

Body:

8 Signs of True Spiritual Service

A Thankful Spirit (v. 1:8) 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.

The Ripple…
Many a relationship complaint…

i. He takes me for granted…

ii. She doesn’t recognize what I do…

Thank-you for living your faith out front!
NAU 1 Corinthians 1:4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,
NAU Philippians 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
NAU Philemon 1:4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers
True Spiritual service is marked by a Thankful Spirit…

A Concerned Spirit (v. 1:9-10a) 9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10 always in my prayers making request,

Care and concern… * Not forgetting…
Colossians 1:3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you…
I can tell you the impact of comments like… we are praying for you…

i. Jack and Shirley… always remind me…

ii. When others are in their troubles…

1. Health

2. Rolf and Christina

3. Loved ones…

True Spiritual service is marked by a concerned Spirit…

A Willing and Submissive Spirit (v. 1:10b) … if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.

Remember when we had chalk brushes and chamois … I loved to do brushes… Janitor room… vacuum brush thing… i. When asked hands would dart into the air…

ii. The chamois… on the other hand were no fun… wash…. Rinse… wash… rinse… ringout… I think more times I offered to serve I did chamois…

Paul’s passion was the Gospel and the children of God… and here we know of his passion for the people of Rome…
But it was to God to whom he submitted…
He was willing to serve… even to be beaten for the sake of the Gospel… obedient even to the point of suffering…
He was willing to serve… even when he desired something else…
Hard sometimes… we all want to serve God our way… in our time…
But God… Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
We can’t stomp about… wishing it went our way… we need to seize the opportunities God places before and serve as He has called…
Sometimes you have to clean the chamois…
True Spiritual service is marked by a Willing and Submissive Spirit

A Loving Spirit (v. 1:11) 11 For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established;

Longing and loving… * I can’t imagine… distant grandparent… or worse… distant father…
The desire to love and to share…
To be close and express our love…
When asking can a Christian be a Christian without going to church… the answer is like a soldier can be a soldier without belonging to an army…
Love draws us into communion with each other and God.
The highlight of my week is to be with you…
Many things in life I enjoy… but the longing of my heart is to worship with… and love the family of God.
We need to ache for one another…
We need to desire to bring that which God has given us… here to bless others…
The spiritual gift of which Paul speaks in this text is the rich treasure of scripture, truth and power of God… He aches to share it with them…
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
True Spiritual service is marked by a Loving Spirit

A Humble Spirit (v. 1:12) 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.

If you keep your eyes peeled almost everyday of the week you can see Rick, or his Brother or Dad… or one of their trucks hauling water down to the city… POLARIS
When it gets there they fill 18l, 4l, 1l, 500ml, 330ml, bottles… from the big truck to the little bottles…
Sometimes we come to a seminar or to church like little bottles… crying out fill me… fill me…
In v. 12 Paul shares that he too needs to be filled… encouraged… by their presence… by their faith…
He humbly recognizes that he needs his brothers and sisters in Christ to build up, encourage and strengthen his faith…
We don’t have it all together… no matter how long a Christian... no matter how much education… we need one another… NEED…
The church is not a body of independent parts…
Eyes bouncing around… limb here… limb there…
We are bound together and need to recognize in humility how much the faith of our family can impact our lives!
True Spiritual service is marked by a Humble Spirit

A Fruitful Spirit (v.1:13) 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

To begin a vineyard often a father gives a son, our other family member a spice from a healthy grape vine… same is true for apples…
The new plants are grown from the old stock…
There is an expectation… good stock… good crop…
You can imagine the desire of the father… to come and see the crop… to taste the fruit…
So it is with Paul…
The seeds were sewn… the church at Rome possessed the Gospel message…
And Paul desires to taste its fruit…
To gain kingdom servants… to expand the family of God…
That he might splice more branches… to grow more vineyards and yield more crops…
Isaiah 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
We need to look at the church… our missionaries… our programs… with a Fruitful Spirit… a spirit of expectation!
The people of God possess the Power of truth and life… in the Gospel…
We need to plant… we need to cultivate… we need to see fruit! We need to expect it…
True Spiritual service is marked by a Fruitful Spirit

An Obedient Spirit (v. 1:14) 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

Luke, Daniel Badke, Gavin Stroh, Brendan MacDonald… some of the paperboys in our community…
They get a list… some people get a newspaper… and most everyone gets a flyer…
They don’t pick and choose… if they miss… the have to answer for it…
Paul reminds us… of the obligation… not choice or preference… obligation… to carry the Gospel forward… indiscriminately!
It is for all… not just the wise… the good looking… or well to do. But for the foolish… the homely… the poor…. Not just for our people group… but for all!
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Have you or were you ever told by your parents… “because I said so.”
God has given us all the reasons… even though He didn’t have to…
But He also says because I said so…
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Are you ready…
'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,'
True Spiritual service is marked by an Obedient Spirit

An Eager Spirit (v. 1:15) 15 So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

The compulsion, passion, the desire…
This message is timid… it is revolutionary!!
What greater desire have we… than to bring glory to God and expand the reach of his Kingdom!
For what could we be more eager…
For what could we be more excited?
True Spiritual service is marked by an Eager Spirit

Conclusion:

Thankful
Concerned
Willing and Submissive
Loving
Humble
Fruitful
Obedient
Eager