Called to be Saints
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Good morning - Today we are continuing our study in the book of Romans.
Last week - we got through the introduction, just a few verses - and the challenge of how Paul introduced himself - as a bought and paid for - a servant of christ, and how apart from being apostles - we hold the same identity. We just don’t introduce ourselves that way.
Today we are going a little further into chapter 1, starting in verse 8. If you have a Bible, please turn there.
Lets pray.
One of the reasons that I prefer to preach through the Bible in this format, one verse after the other, is a hope that it keeps me preaching the word of God. So long as I am following this pattern of preaching through the scriptures, we will deal with every issue, we will confront every sin, we will experience every grace. I will give emphasis to the things that the Holy Spirit gives emphasis to. And together - we will grow closer to our God.
including you who are also called by Jesus Christ.
To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world.
God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about his Son—that I constantly mention you,
always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
For I want very much to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you,
that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Now I don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles.
I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish.
So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
There are two things that I want to discuss today from this passage - the first, that we are called - and the second how we pray. -
Throughout verses 1-5, Paul describes the call of God on his Life. That he was called as an Apostle. He describes the Jesus that called him, and what that meant for his life. And then in verse 6 he slips in this little eternity altering nugget…
including you who are also called by Jesus Christ.
Including you - who are also called.
Throughout the next several verses, Paul discusses his desire to go to Rome but in that, he reveals a lot about what living a life as a believer is like. I want to look at that together with the understanding that we are part of this group of people who are “also called”
We can - and do discuss this at the beginning of most of Paul’s writings. He had an understanding that those who come to know and love the Lord are in fact called by God, and he isn’t the only one who discusses this issue. My favorite, I believe the most poetic mention of this comes from the book of Jude.
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James: To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.
You and me - we are called.
What does that mean? Paul is going to tell us what it looks like to him. And from that, we can know what it is like for us to be called.
I want to look through this passage and analyze what Paul explains about his own calling and see how it relates to us and our lives.
Paul says that he is called to share the gospel.
He knows that is the main thing in his life. As he goes from place to place, from people to people, he is to share the gospel.
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—
So that is the basics of what it is. The main thing. He knows God has said “Paul - Share the Gospel”
Peter was called differently.
Jesus told him very specifically - Feed my sheep. Paul gets this evangelistic calling, while Peter was called to really long term pastoring and shepherding. Peter didn’t bounce around from one place to the other. He traveled significantly less. He was responsible for long term care.
When I talk about the church I like to refer to it as a health care program.
The evangelists are the ambulance drivers - the emergency and triage doctors - radiology gets involved sometimes… It is the all of a sudden every resource available focused on one individual to get them through the immediate situation that they were in…
That’s what Paul focused on in his time with people. Help them to come to know the Lord. Save them from Hell - we will deal with their cholesterol and high blood pressure later, first we need to get their bones put back in their leg. That’s Paul.
Whereas Peter was the long term physician - you came to see peter for your weekly checkup. You asked him for direction in your diet and exercise plan. He stayed mostly in one place and ministered to the people there.
Paul describes his call here.
Calling requires obedience
Calling requires obedience
Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles,
Faith is the roof - it is the foundation of our lives in Christ. It is where we receive nourishment and wellbeing. Obedience is the fruit. Paul talks about that here.
God’s plans are not our plans
God’s plans are not our plans
always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
For I want very much to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you,
Now I don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as I have had among the rest of the Gentiles.
My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,
but, as it is written, Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.
That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.
But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you
whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while.
Paul says - I have wanted to come to you…
He says I have made plans.
First I am going over here and doing this and then I am going over there and doing that… and then - Rome.
And he should go to rome.
Logically.
Paul describes that here too.
He says - I want to come to Rome for all of these reasons!
My ministry would boom there!
I could encourage you if I were there!
You could encourage me if I were there!
We could do bigger and better things! We could work together. I want that so badly! I mention it to God constantly. Lord let me go to Rome. They have good things going on.
Adam johnson in his own world might say - lord let me serve in this other church - where they have a budget! Where they have finances lord what I could do in a church that had some money and people!
I don’t say that. Don’t be offended by that. There have been exactly zero times that I have ever asked God to send us somewhere else. There have been times where I have asked God to send someone else to do this job.
Times where we have been discouraged - times that were so difficult that Eden and I cried together in the kitchen of our home. There have been those times. But never a time where I asked God to take me somewhere else. I know that we are called to be here.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
Our call is an obligation - we should be eager
Our call is an obligation - we should be eager
Obligated means to be indebted to. It is a heavy weight. I have no choice but to do these things.
I am obligated both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish.
Jew and gentiles… The favored and the unfavorable. The us and the thems. The people on grand avenue and the people out at park apartments. I am obligated.
For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach—and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
I have to do it . How do we know what God has called us specifically to do? How did paul write about it?
There are only a few times in my life that I have known without a doubt This is exactly what God wants me to do right now.
While living in that calling - we are blessed.
While living in that calling - we are blessed.
And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
You may not know what your call is - specifically. We are all called to be saints.
You may not know what your call is - specifically. We are all called to be saints.
We want to get on that level where we are following the specific will of god in our lives
It is not likely that God cares if you had a cup of coffee this morning. And yet we must consider his will as more important than our whims.
Paul wanted to go to Rome. But he Let God decide that. He said I have made plans. But He let God interviene.
Sometimes we understand it and sometimes we dont.
In the book of Joshua, chapter 9.. the nation of Israel was at war, as they often are… and one of their enemies determined that they didn’t want to be destroyed. They had heard about Israels successes and wanted to
Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s decision.
Some people make decisions with out ever considering the will of God for their lives. That wasn’t where paul was.
Paul did eventually make it to Rome, in handcuffs. But that is another story.
God has called each one of us. To be saints.
God’s calling on our lives requires obedience, but grants us blessings.
God’s plans are not our plans.
God’s will for our lives might not line up with what we want, it might not even be logical to us at the time