Reaching Up to Reaching Out
Notes
Transcript
Recap:
Recap:
So far in Romans we have tackled deep theological truths on:
The nature of sin and where it originated (Adam the first man) imputed unrighteousness, and that all of mankind has been born into sin. The pagan guilty, moralist guilty, and the self-righteous guilty.
We have dealt with the law and works that neither can save a person but both play an essential role. The law shows us a need for a Savior, and works are to be the byproduct of a truly transformed life in Christ.
We took a look at the joys of understanding that our salvation is through faith alone, and that their is nothing we can do that would make God obligated to us. Also realizing that nothing will be able to separate a chosen child from God.
We also spent several weeks dissecting Israel’s disbelief. Looking at their past disbelief and their present disbelief. What is important to note is that God isn’t done with Israel, and He wasn’t through with them back then either. That there was and will always be a remnant of God’s chosen people. But also that there will be a future restoration that will take place on a national level.
From that point we took a turn from the fundamentals to the applicable portion of the letter. Where Paul calls us to be living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship. And if we are sold out for Jesus Christ we are not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. living our lives in absolute surrender to the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ.
Not only are we to live in submission to Jesus we are called to let love be genuine amongst the body. Standing against evil finding it disgusting and sickening and holding fast to what is good. Leading us to serve Jesus with ever aspect of our lives.
When it comes to the topic of submission to the governing authorities, it is very clear that we have no room to say that we are worse off then Paul who was dealing with a very demonic Caesar Nero. Paul calls us to respect our governing authorities based on the position that they hold not their private lives or their beliefs. Respect and compliance are two separate things.
Introduction:
Introduction:
For the last couple weeks we have been dealing with issues of secondary importance. Whether or not you can eat meat sacrificed to idols or what day to worship the Lord on. Is it Saturday? Sunday?We briefly touched on alcohol as that is a bigger issue in our culture today. And what Paul does within chapter 13-15 he gets down to the real nitty-gritty of it all. The stronger Christian is to prefer the weaker. It would be infinitely better for the stronger to abstain from a liberty for the sake of a weaker brother or sister. We are to put others before ourselves like Christ did for us.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
What we are going to see in the rest of chapter 15 Paul states his reasoning for writing to the Christians in Rome and his longing to visit them and fellowship with them too. He has never met them before but their is a confidence he has in them.
vv 14-16) Reason for writing
vv 14-16) Reason for writing
[14] Paul is sure that these believers are going to welcome his admonitions. This confidence comes from what he has heard of their goodness, full goodness at that. In addition, he is assured of their knowledge of Christian doctrine, which is necessary to instruct one another.
Family, We will not be able to participate in the growth of our churches wellbeing if you are not knowledgable in the word of God.
How do we know what is goodness to do those things, or how are we to be filled with knowledge that truly matters if we are not in the source the word of God.
We need to read/study/obey the Word of God. Allowing it to transform our lives.
[15] In spite of Paul confidence in their spiritual maturity or progress, and in spite of the fact that he was a stranger to them, Paul didn’t hesitate to remind them of some of their privileges and responsibilities.
I love how frank he is here. That is because of the grace given to him by God. Also for Paul it was this grace that also called him to be appointed as an apostle.
Family there are going to be times where we are going to need to say something despite not knowing the people around you because you are stirred by the grace we have recieved by our good good Father.
[16] Paul was appointed by God to be a minister of the Gospel to the Gentiles. In fulfilling this call, he didn’t just preach the gospel of salvation but also instructed believers how to live before God.
He presented saved Gentiles as an acceptable offering to God because they had been set apart by the Holy Spirit to God.
“What a radiant light this sheds on all our evangelistic and pastoral effort! Every soul won by the preaching of the gospel is not only brought into a place of safety and of blessing; he is an offering to God, a gift which gives Him satisfaction, the very offering He is seeking. Every soul carefully and patiently instructed in the things of Christ and so made conformable to His likeness, is a soul in whom the Father takes pleasure. Thus we labor, not only for the saving of men, but for the satisfying of the heart of God. This is the most powerful motive.” -G. Campbell Morgan.
D.L. Moody that powerful evangelist 2 centuries ago. If you never read his story pick one up and read it. A shoe sales man captured by Christ and became one of the most effective soul winners of all time. Purposed in his heart, as a young man, that he would never let a day go by where he didn’t at least talk to one non-Christian about Jesus Christ.
One night as midnight was drawing close, and because of the activities and the events of the day D. L. Moody hadn’t had an opportunity to share with anyone yet. Went out in search for someone on the streets of Chicago. When he had finally found someone he said, “Sir, are you ready for heaven?” This guy not knowing who he was talking to replied, “Mind your own business.” To which Moody responded with, “That is my business.”
And that is your business and my business. Our business is to share our hope in Jesus Christ with those around us. That is because we are all ministers of the Gospel of God.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
You might not be an evangelist in the since of that is your calling in life. That doesn’t give you a reason to never share your faith with others.
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
Family there are a lot of people that will be going to hell today. The excuses will never validate your unwillingness to share your faith with other people. You have to realize that salvation is not contingent on you, but God. So there really is nothing to fear. Be obedient to the word of God and the moving of the Holy Spirit.
vv 17-19) The work of God
vv 17-19) The work of God
[17] If Paul engages in boasting, it is not in his own person that he glories, but in Jesus Christ. And it is not in his own accomplishments but in what God has been pleased to do through him. A humble servant of Christ doesn’t engage in self centered boasting, but rather he is conscious of the fact that God is using him to accomplish His purposes.
There will be undoubtedly many temptations to be prideful. Yet, pride is tempered by the realization that we are nothing except what we have received, and that we can do nothing for Christ except by the power of the Holy Spirit. Don’t look for adulation, look to give adoration to the one that rightfully deserves it.
[18] Paul doesn’t presume to speak of what Christ had done through the ministry of others. He confines himself to the way the Lord had used him to win the Gentiles to obedience, both by what he said and by what he did- that is, by the message he preached and by the miracles he performed.
This is an important truth for us today too. We often get discouraged by the differences of effectuality of our individual ministries. Be content to be used by God. And happy for what the Lord is doing through our family for His glory.
I also believe this can apply to our church as a whole too. There are tons of different ministries out there that have different focuses and different callings. Don’t be discouraged if by what is happening there that isn’t happening here. God has called us to be Calvary Harvest. We need to be faithful to what God has called us to.
[19] The Lord confirmed the apostle’s message by miracles that taught spiritual lessons and that inspired amazement, and by various manifestations of the Spirit’s power. The result was that he had fully preached the gospel, starting in Jerusalem then extending in a circle to Illyricum (north of Macedonia, on the Adriatic Sea).
What Paul is describing is the geographical extent of his ministry and not the chronological order.
Paul effortlessly weaves references to each member of the Trinity here. Paul can’t talk about God without recognizing His three persons.
vv 20-21) Preaching the Gospel in new places
vv 20-21) Preaching the Gospel in new places
In following this route, Paul’s aim was to preach the gospel in new territory. His audiences were composed primarily of Gentiles who had never heard of Christ before. Thus he was not building on anyone else’s foundation.
Paul’s example in pioneering in new areas doesn’t necessarily bind other servants of the Lord to this exact activity.
Some are called to move in and teach, for example, after new churches have been planted.
Paul didn’t want to and wasn’t called to come in and continue the work that was begun through another. For Paul there was so much to do on the frontiers and so many unsaved people that he wanted to have maximum impact.
[21] This foundational work among the Gentiles was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy:
15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.
That the Gentiles who had never previously been evangelized would see, and those who had never previously heard the good news would understand and respond in true faith.
vv 22-24) Why Paul hasn’t visited
vv 22-24) Why Paul hasn’t visited
[22-23] In his desire to plow untilled territory, Paul had been too occupied to get to Rome in the past. But now the foundation had been laid in the region as described in verse 19.
Others could build on the foundation. Paul was therefore free to fulfill his long-standing desire to visit Rome.
[24] His plan was to stop off at Rome en route to Spain. He really desired fellowship with them and that would bring such joy to his heart. Then he knew that they would give whatever help was needed to complete his trip to Spain.
He probably wanted Rome to be his base of operations for the western part of the empire, as Antioch was the base for the eastern part.
Paul had these plans; yet things did not work out according to his plans. He did go to Rome, yet not as a missionary on his way to Spain. He went to Rome as a prisoner awaiting trial before Caesar, where he would preach the gospel on a different kind of frontier.
God had unexpected frontiers for the gospel in Paul’s life, giving him unexpected access to preach to the emperor of Rome himself.
After his release from the Roman imprisonment at the end of the Book of Acts, we have reason to believe that Paul did in fact make it to Spain and preached the gospel there.
vv 25-29) Paul’s plan
vv 25-29) Paul’s plan
[25] In the meantime he was going to Jerusalem to deliver the funds which had been collected among Gentile churches for the needy saints in Judea. This is the collection that we read about in:
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do.
and in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9.
[26-27] You see the believers in Macedonia and Achaia had gladly contributed to a fund to relieve the distress among the poor Christians .
This collection was completely voluntary on their part too, and appropriate for them to give. After all, they had benefited spiritually by the coming of the gospel to them through Jewish believers.
So it wasn’t too much to expect that they would share with their Jewish brethren in material things.
vv 30-33) Paul’s prayer
vv 30-33) Paul’s prayer
The apostle closes this section with a fervent appeal for their prayers. The basis on which he appeals is their mutual union with the Lord Jesus Christ and their love which came from the Holy Spirit.
He asks them to seriously pray to God for him. What he is asking is that they put their whole heart and soul in praying for them as a contestant would in the arena.
[31] Four specific prayer requests are given:
Paul asks for prayer that he will be delivered from zealots in Judea who were fanatically opposed to the gospel, just as he himself had once been.
He wants the Romans to pray that the Jewish saints will accept the relief funds in good grace. There was strong religious prejudices remaining against Gentile believers and against those who preached to the Gentiles.
Then there is always the possibility of people being offended at the idea of receiving “charity.” It often takes more grace to be on the receiving end than on the giving end.
The third request is found in verse 32. And it was that the Lord might see fit to make the visit to Rome a joyful one. The words by the will of God express Paul’s desire to be led by the Lord in all things.
Lastly, he asks that his visit might be one in which he may be refreshed in the midst of a tumultuous and fatiguing ministry.
[33] Now we close with Paul with a pray that God who is the source of peace might be their portion.
in chapter 15 the Lord has been named the God of endurance and encouragement:
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
The God of hope:
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
He the King of kings and Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega, the only true and living God is the source of everything good and of everything a poor sinner needs now and eternally.
The solutions to the problems of men and women will always be found in the God/Man Jesus Christ. That is what is so incredible about the gospel. It points people to the solution. It’s all about Jesus folks. Amen? Amen!
24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Communion:
Communion:
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
Verse 1
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back no turning back
Verse 2
The world behind me the cross before me
The world behind me the cross before me
The world behind me the cross before me
No turning back no turning back
(Ending)
No turning back
No turning back
No turning back
No turning back