Pauls Example of Spiritual Leadership.

Spiritual Leaders Set Priorities. vv 8-10

What people truly love will be revealed through their priorities.

They will spend the most time on what is truly important to them.

The very first thing that Paul does is give thanks for those in Rome.

Thanksgiving and praise to were at the center of Pauls religious experience.

10 out of 13 of his epistles open with some form of thanksgiving.

Romans 1:8, 1 Cor 1:4, Phil 1:3, 1 Thess 1:2, 2 Thess 1:3, 2 Tim 1:3, Phlm 4. Or he uses “Praise be to God” which is in 2 Cor 1:3, Eph 1:3.

Paul did not follow a religion or “believe in a higher power”, he had a deep and intensely personal relationship with Christ the Son and God the father which guided his life.

God is not some far away being that rules this world without regard for His people.

He is a close companion that walks and communes with His people at all times.

Just like David in Ps 63:1

Psalm 63:1 ESV

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

This is the level of intimacy that we have when we put God as the first priority of our lives.

If we don’t make this relationship a priority then none of our other relationships will be right.

At the center of Pauls relationship with God is prayer and Thanksgiving.

Prayer

This is our main way to communicate with God.

We should pour out every hope, fear, worry, dream, and desire of our heart. That is what true prayer is.

It has no form and no real structure it is just simply you talking to God.

Thanksgiving

This is not something that just comes around once a year.

Everyday we should stop at some point and just thank God for the things that He has done for us that day.

It will also start allowing us to see just how many blessing that God gives us each day.

Spiritual Leaders Have a Common Goal. vv 11-13

Paul longed to see the believers in Rome.

Commitment to a common Lord draws people together.

To be servants of the same master is to be in harmony with one another.

Paul wanted the believers in Rome to continue to grow deeper in their faith and grow stronger in their gifts.

He wanted to share some spiritual gift or insight that that he had recieved from the Holy Spirit.

Even though Paul was an apostle he still valued other believers faith and wanted to be encouraged and learn from others as well. v12

Pauls main purpose for going to Rome was a spiritual harvest among the people.

Both the Romans and Paul working together to bring people into the kingdom of God is the same thing that we are doing today still.

We should all be working to bring people in.

All Spiritual Leaders are Servants. vv14-15

Paul as a servant of God was under a Holy obligation to bring people into the kingdom of God.

This is also our command today as well.

We are called to bring as many people as possible into the kingdom, it starts in our homes and goes out from there.

The Gospel is for every man woman and child on the earth. Regardless of race creed or color or standing in society.

The truth that all people are sinners before God levels the only ground of any eternal significance.

All come with the same need of forgiveness.

Those who accept the grace of God stand together on even ground. God shows no partiality, an insight that needs to be heard once again in churches where social position and secular skills tend to determine leadership.

Paul’s sense of obligation to carry the message of Christ was not a burden. To the contrary, he was “eager to preach” to those who were in Rome.

“Obligation to him who died produces obligation to those for whom he died.”

Obligation need not be joyless commitment to an unpleasant task.

Paul’s eagerness grew out of his own transforming experience on the Damascus road coupled with the realization that he was privileged to share the good news with others.

Benedictions 017 Benediction

017 BENEDICTION

Let those who trust the Lord be like Mount Zion,

Which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

May that same Lord establish you in the Gospel

So that all peoples might believe and obey Him

Who is the only wise God; the glory is to Him forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.