Romans 15: Gospel Plans for the Glory of God

Introduction

Veterans Day Recognition

We are grateful to be gathering in a place of freedom for the practice of our faith

The scriptures often use military illustrations and imagery to communicate spiritual truths

Armor of God

To equip us for a battle not against flesh and blood, but rather against spiritual forces of evil

We are fighting a much more important battle for a much greater kingdom

Connection to last week: We are a gospel community with a gospel mission, which we must accomplish through gospel plans

Hook:

Some of the greatest strategic thinking and planning comes out of the military

To

Who can finish this statement?

“Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance”

Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail”

Connection to last week: We are a gospel community with a gospel mission, which we must accomplish through gospel plans

Tension:

Plans are important

Illustration: Anyone who has ever been to Costco knows that plans are important

Without a plan, you leave with either too much or too little

Too much and your wallet suffers

Too little and you have to go back for the dreaded “one item from Costco” trip

How do we make gospel plans for the glory of God and for the mission of Christ?

How do we do this with wisdom?

How do we dream God’s dreams rather than our own?

How do we make sure that we are planning according to God’s will and not our own?

Tension

Transition:

As Paul brings his letter to a close, he moves away from explicit instruction in theology and on to practical logistical details about his plans

We can learn quite a bit about godly planning through what Paul says about his own gospel plans

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.

I. Gospel plans require wise prioritization

Romans 15:22 ESV

22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.

1. Not all potential ministry opportunities are equally weighty

“This is the reason I have so often been hindered from coming to you” - what is the reason?

Romans 15:20–21 ESV

20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

Paul had a burden and mission to preach the gospel where it had never been preached

Rome already had a thriving church, and was therefore not as high on Paul’s list of priorities to visit as places that had not heard the gospel

Gospel plans require us to sift through many things that we could do and focus in on the things we should do.

For a long time, I didn’t know what I should do. There are a lot of things I could do, but the question remained of what I should do. It wasn’t until a close friend of mine said to me one day “Brian, God built you to teach the scriptures” that I began to see a clearer picture not of what I could potentially do, but what I must do

Failing to prioritize ministry opportunities will mean that rather than do what we should do with excellence, we end up doing everything with mediocrity

Illustration: Going to Costco without a shopping list and leaving with everything

Every

2. All plans have an opportunity cost

Paul’s plans to preach the gospel in new places prohibited his ability to visit the church in Rome

In other words, preaching the gospel in new places cost Paul the opportunity to visit the church in Rome for a long time

He says he has been “so often” hindered from coming to Rome, and has longed “for many years” to go to Rome

Everything we do carries with it an opportunity cost: the fact that you do certain things means that you cannot do other things

This takes a lot of steam out of “I don’t have time to...”

That’s not true at all - rather, the things you spend your time on cost you the opportunity to spend time on other things

Some of you justify not serving the church in a more robust way because you “don’t have time,” when it reality you have simply prioritized the use of your time elsewhere and the cost of the opportunity to serve the church in ways that God has gifted you

As a church, we have to recognize that everything we do carries with it an opportunity cost: Everything we do means that we cannot do other things; therefore, we must practice wise discernment in figuring out what we must do.

II. Gospel plans require resources

Romans 15:23

Romans 15:23–27 ESV

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.

1. Gospel plans always precede the resources necessary to accomplish them

Paul longed to go to Spain in order to preach the gospel there, but he knew that he would need the help of the Roman church to get there

To go somewhere he had never been, Paul would need resources he had never had

This is true for us as well - for our church to go where we have never been, we will need resources we have never had

This is for all of us to own

What got us here will not get us there

What got us to where we are today will not get us to where we need to go tomorrow

Where do these resources come from? From Christians!

2. Those who have benefitted from the gospel bear an obligation to support it

Paul’s ultimate plan was to go on to Spain through Rome, but his current plan was to finish strong a ministry he had already begun

The Jerusalem church was very poor - Jerusalem was not a wealthy city, and Jews living in Jerusalem were regularly supported by gifts from wealthier Jews living in the Gentile world

Jewish Christians in Jerusalem would not be recipients of this gift, and so they were poorer even than most others

Part of Paul’s gospel ministry was in collecting gifts from Gentile churches to support the poor church in Jerusalem

He particularly mentions that “Macedonia and Achaia” have made a contribution for the poor in Jerusalem, and he is giving them high praise for being “pleased to make some contribution”

He mentions this in another letter,

2 Corinthians 8:1–5 ESV

1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

He actually goes on to use their extreme generosity as an example of how he expected the Corinthian church to be generous

Here in Romans, Paul says that they were not only pleased to give generously, but indeed they were obligated to!

In other words, he is giving high praise to these Macedonian churches because they went above and beyond what was “expected” of them and very much desired of their own accord to give generously for the work of ministry.

Paul connects their obligation to give to spiritual realities

“If Gentiles have come to share their spiritual blessings...”

I.E. The Gospel

And they HAVE

“They ought also to be of service to them in material blessings

Application: Those who have benefitted from the gospel bear an obligation to support it

Application: We are not a people who desire to be consumers of the gospel

In other words, we are not here just to GET something out of the gospel ministry of the church, but to GIVE something so that it may continue and so that other people can receive the gospel

Reception of the gospel should motivate us to support it with our time and resources

This may be obvious and not need stating, but this church does not function without your support.

I hate the perception of the church that “all they care about is your money”

That’s not true at all - we care about the eternal destiny of every man, woman and child in this city, and we desire that every person have the opportunity to hear the gospel and receive Jesus by faith

But that ministry requires resources, and that is just a simple fact

On that basis, I can say this: If you have benefitted from the gospel witness and ministry of this community, if you have found belonging in the body of Christ here, if you have grown in your faith here, if you have experienced healing from brokenness here, then you should contribute to the gospel ministry of this church.

Again, this comes down to opportunity cost:

My money spent elsewhere can cost me the opportunity to contribute, or my generous gift here can cost me the opportunity to do something I want elsewhere

Same thing with time

It comes down to priorities

How much should people give? Paul says the Macedonian church gave “according to their means, and even beyond their means”

C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, gives this advice regarding giving for the sake of gospel ministry

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch of hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.”

III. Gospel plans require radical faith

Romans 15:28-

Romans 15:28–33 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. 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.

1. Our plans do not always turn out how we think they will

2. Ultimately our hope lies not in our plans but in Jesus

Paul had a certain idea of his plans

He thought he would go on to Spain from Rome and preach the gospel

He hoped to be delivered from unbelievers in Judea

He thought he would come to the church in Rome with joy

Paul’s plans turned out differently than he thought

Paul went to Jerusalem and was arrested

The Jews attempted to lynch him there but he was saved by a Roman centurion

He was moved from Jerusalem to Caesarea and imprisoned there for 2 years

His Jewish opponents tried to get him delivered back to Jerusalem for trial so they could ambush him on the way and kill him, so he appealed to a trial before Caesar, which he was entitled to as a Roman citizen

On his way to Rome, he was shipwrecked and barely made it ashore in Malta

On his way to Rome, he was shipwrecked and barely made it ashore in Malta, where he was bit by a poisonous viper

He finally made it to Rome, where he was put on house arrest, which is where the book of Acts concludes

Ultimately, we think Paul was on house arrest in Rome until he was martyred for his faith under Emperor Nero between AD65-67

Paul made plans knowing they could change

He is optimistic here in Romans, though he knows there is enough danger to pray that he would be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea

By the time he was writing Philippians, he wasn’t as sure, though he still expected to be delivered - this is thought to be one of Paul’s “prison letters”

Philippians 1:21–24 ESV

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

By 2 Timothy, he knows he is near death -

2 Timothy 4:6–8 ESV

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Application: We can go boldly into an unknown future, even though we don’t know how things will go

I have dreams and hopes and visions of what the future of this church could be

I know more than anything that we need to dream dreams again, but do I know what will happen? No! Only that we have to be people of radical, bet-the-farm faith

2. Ultimately our faith is not in our plans but in Jesus

Romans 15:29 ESV

29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Paul, though he was uncertain of what his future held, was confident that he would “come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ”

In other words, win or lose, whatever happened, he was confident in the blessing of the Lord as the one who was absolutely reliable

Paul was able to make plans even with an unknown and uncertain future because of his confidence in Jesus

This is good news: If our confidence is ultimately in Jesus and not in our plans, we have great freedom to TRY

If we try something and it doesn’t work, that doesn’t ultimately define us

If we pray something and it doesn’t happen exactly that way, it doesn’t mean our faith is too small or God is angry at us

This means we will not idolize our plans but rather have flexibility as we let the Lord guide us, and we will TRY

“No plan survives first contact”

This means that

Illustration: Marine Corp 70 percent rule - if you have 70% of the data, have done 70% of the analysis, and are 70% certain, then move. A decent move today is better than the perfect move that never happens.

It’s better for us to try to discern the Lord’s will and guidance and then move when we think we’ve got it, even though we don’t have guarantees, than it is to be paralyzed by waiting for 100% certainty.

We will engage in thoughtful, prayerful, wise planning without idolizing “plans”

Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.”

3. Gospel plans are driven by faithful prayer

Romans 15:30 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,

Paul’s appeal was trinitarian

By the Lord Jesus Christ, by the love of the Spirit, to God

This is a little bit of a sidetrack, but it’s important to mention because it

Paul’s appeal was to strive together with him in prayer

This word means to struggle - why would he use this word? In what sense is prayer a struggle?

The ministry of the gospel is often portrayed as a cosmic battle waged against the forces of evil and darkness, and prayer is spoken of as a weapon in that battle - fighting is exhausting

Have you ever wrestled someone? Like really wrestled?

Illustration: Wrestling match in my apartment post college, 1v3

Prayer is about aligning my will with God’s will, it’s about our will and desire becoming subservient to God, which is not easy

Because I am selfish, because I want things my way

But we have to align ourselves and our community not with our agendas and priorities but with God’s

On an individual level, as you pray

Romans 15:32 ESV

32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company.

Paul’s appeal was for them to pray that he would, according to the will of God, be able to carry out the gospel ministry he has been talking about in Jerusalem and on to Spain

We strive in prayer to align our plans with the vision, direction and guidance of God in gospel ministry

On an individual level, pray that God would align your desires, your actions, your life to his purposes and plans

Challenge: Take an actual inventory this week of all the places where you spend your time and money - write it out

What opportunity cost do all of those things carry? Where are places where you are spending your time or money on things of no eternal significance? Are those things costing you opportunities to serve?

On a community level, let’s pray together that God would align our church to his mission, purposes, vision, and plans

We are a gospel community with a gospel mission, and we have to make gospel plans

Transition to communion

3. Ultimately our hope is not in our plans but in Jesus

Let us take communion today knowing that it is ultimately Jesus on whom we rely and in whom we hope, for whose sake we work, give, and serve.

Let us celebrate what Jesus has done for us in the cross to reconcile us to God, and let us resolve to respond by orienting our priorities and plans around the mission of the gospel.