Pauls Encouragement To The Church 1-30-2022

WALK WORTHY PAUL'S ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE CHURCH Sunday January 30, 2022 Scripture Reference: Romans 1:8-15 (NLT) Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son. 10 One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. 13 I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 15 So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News." Romans 1:8-15 (NLT) Intro. A. We all enjoy being encouraged, don't we? We love it when people tell us that we have made a difference in their lives. If someone tells you that something you said or did helped them to accomplish something in their own lives I bet it makes you want to keep doing whatever it is you're are doing. 1. I hate to admit it, but it is true so there is no denying it. I am not a very good encourager. Oh, you might say that I am and that there have been times that I have encouraged you, but I know I really fall short in this area. I wish that I was more like my good friend Pastor Mike Spradlin in this area. I guess it is why I enjoy hanging out with him. I can come to him feeling discouraged and down and he can tell me things that make me see why I should not feel that way. 2. I think Paul was a great encourager. In fact, we see it in most of the letters to the churches that he wrote. He often begins those letters with words of praise even when there were problems in the church that he was going to have to address. The church at Corinth is a great example. Let's look. "I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way-in all your speaking and in all your knowledge- 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 (NIV) Then in the verse next verse Paul says this, "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV) B. Today we are going to look at some verses where Paul does this very thing. He does have some admonition to give the church at Rome as he does all the churches he addresses, but he always begins with words of encouragement. So, let's look at how Paul encouraged the church at Rome. Trans. The first thing we see is Paul's Praise For the church. I. PAUL'S PRAISE FOR THE CHURCH. Paul begins by giving thanks to God for this church. A. I Thank God For You. 1. When Paul's says, "Let me say first" he is not suggesting an order of priority of the things he wants to say to them. It's not as if he is saying, "This is more important than the next thing I will say." Basically, it is him telling them that before he saying anything else he wants them to know this. As I just said a moment ago, Paul always begins his words to the churches by finding the good in them and encouraging that good. Now please understand this does not mean Paul is being insincere. That he is in essence buttering them up for the kill. Paul is totally sincere in his words, but you can't expect to gain the hearing of your teaching if you begin with what is said later in this chapter. "Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents." Romans 1:28-30 (NLT) Then Paul tells us why He is so thankful for them. B. Because Of Their Testimony. 1. Now before I talk about their testimony, I think it is important to point out that the reason they have this incredible testimony is because of what Paul just said. He thanked God through Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus or because of Jesus that they have the testimony that he is so thankful for. It is because of that grace of God in their lives as we talked about last week that these believers could have such a glowing testimony. 2. Now I want us to see again exactly what Paul said. He said, "...your faith in him is being talked about all over the world." Romans 1:8b (NLT) Just pause and think about that for a moment. Their faith is being talked about all over the world. Should this not be the desire of every church? I want you to imagine with me that we are having a guest missionary speaker as we had Pastor John Moore with us back in November. Imagine they stand here at this pulpit and as they greet us, they tell us that our faith is being talked about all over the world. How do you think that would make you feel? I bet it would not only make you feel good, but it would also encourage you to keep on keeping on, wouldn't it? 3. Now Paul tells them that their faith is being talked about all over the world. So, the question is, What Faith? What is this faith that is being talked about? It is not their saving faith as important as that is. It is not that they are getting saved that is being talked about it is their Persevering Faith. Faith is the central element of our Christianity. You might even say that faith is religion itself. That means that without faith Christianity is not possible. Paul is praising them for their readiness to open their hearts to Christ, but also for their faith to continue to trust God and walk in daily obedience to Him. Remember this is Rome. This is a place where Christian faith is not celebrated, but instead is hated and persecuted. Remember it was Claudius Caesar who had Christians expelled from Rome and then later it was Nero who had Christians fed to the lions to entertain the masses. This was not an easy place to either accept Christ or live for Christ. You know some churches are famous for their pastors. The pastors are almost celebrity figures. Some churches are known for their architecture. They have incredibly beautiful buildings. Some churches are known for their size and wealth, but how many churches today are known for their faith? Having a well-known pastor isn't wrong, having a beautiful church isn't wrong and being large isn't wrong, but if the most prominent thing about us is not that we are a people of faith, then the other things mean nothing. In the last message we talked about how Paul told the church at Rome that they were called to be Holy. It was a calling to the church at Rome and it is a calling to the church at Chino as well. Being called to live holy lives in the midst of a very unholy place was not an easy task. Remember that at this time Rome was considered to be the center of the world. We are all familiar with the phrase, "All roads lead to Rome." That is because it was considered to be the center of civilized society, but the truth is Rome was anything but civilized. You probably already know this so let this just be our reminder. Rome was the only empire not conquered by another empire. Rome crumbled from within. Let me name a few of the things that characterized the people of Rome at this time and let's see if anything sounds familiar. Immorality, Drunkenness, Gluttony, Partying, Extravagance, Materialism, Greed, Selfishness, Indulgence, Idolatry and Pride. Does any of that sound familiar to you? Does it remind you of another country or shall I say, "empire"? It sure sounds a lot like the United States of America. I do not believe that I am exaggerating when I say that we are the church in Rome. The sin that plagues America today is the same sin that plagued the Roman empire. For me it is a reminder that our enemy the Devil is not very clever. The things he used to entrap people a thousand years ago are the same things he uses today. You would think by now we would be wiser to his tricks. 4. The church at Rome stands as a testimony to the church today. That no matter how corrupt and depraved a society might be come we can and must still stand for truth of the gospel and we must still be the salt and light Jesus called us to be. Here is what God's word tells us. "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:2 (NLT) "Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. 18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 n(NLT) "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world." 1 John 2:15-16 (NLT) 5. The testimony of the church in Rome is also a reminder to us that no matter where we go, home, work, or play. We are to be Christ's witnesses and we must always be ministering for Him. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 (NLT) "So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News." 2 Timothy 1:8 (NLT) "Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it." 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT) Trans. Ok let's look at the second thing Paul does here to encourage the church. He has given thanks for them and then he prays for them. II. PAUL PRAYS FOR THE CHURCH. First Paul tells them how often he prays fort them and it is really just one word. A. Always. 1. Paul says that he remembers them Day and Night. I do not think Paul's purpose in saying this is to assure them that he is really praying for them. I think his purpose is to express the earnestness of his prayers. He goes on to tell them that he prays to the God that he serves with all of his heart. It reminds us of Paul's enslavement to Christ, but I think it is also Paul expressing that he is not just going through the motions for them. Let's face it friends it is easy for all of us to say to someone, "I'll be praying for you" and have that just be nice gesture, but not a real action. How often have I been guilty of having someone share a prayer need with me and my response is, "I'll be praying for you." That's good and that's OK, but what about stopping right then and there to pray for them? Why do I miss that so often? 2. Now I want you to notice something else here. Paul says that he serves God by preaching or spreading the gospel. To me this is a reminder that I can't always stand behind this pulpit and preach and there are those in your Oikos who you cannot always "preach" to or share the gospel with. Sometimes because they are not available and sometimes because they will not listen to us, but there is something we can do, anytime, anywhere. We Can Pray!! Let me share with you something the prophet Samuel said. "As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right." 1 Samuel 12:23 (NLT) Can I admit that there have been times I got tired of praying for people, especially those who just seem to continually reject the message I shared? This is a good reminder that while our words may not be reaching people, we can be confident that our prayers do. Then Paul tells us what he is praying for. B. For The Opportunity To Visit Them. 1. What we can't see here is that in the original language, Paul's words express a deep earnestness to visit them. Yet as we learned in V.1, Paul was a slave to Christ and therefore everything was subject to the Master's will. That is why Paul added "God willing" because it was God's will that determined everything for him. We all have desires and things we want for our lives. I have many desires for Cornerstone Church, but it all must be subject to God's will not mine. Someone once said, "To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge. to find God's will is the greatest discovery. To do God's will is the greatest achievement." Trans. Ok let me give you the final part of Paul's encouragement to the church. III. PAUL'S PURPOSE FOR THE CHURCH. The purpose for Paul's visit was twofold. A. To Encourage and Be Encouraged. 1. We might say that the first thing Paul wants to do for the church is to edify them. He wants to bring a spiritual gift to them that will help them grow strong in their faith. Now it is interesting to note that the word Paul uses here for gift is the same word used to describe spiritual gifts that he talks about in chapter 12 and in 1 Corinthians 12. It is the gifts the Holy Spirit gives to every believer when they come to faith and that gift is to be used to serve and honor God. Now some feel that Paul is really not talking about specific spiritual gifts, but rather just spiritual truth that will help them grow up in their faith. I think the original language leans more toward specific gifts, but even if it doesn't that does not diminish what they are being told. Whether it is a spiritual gift Paul wants to them to have or it is a spiritual truth they need to be stronger in their faith, both are important and necessary. 2. Now look at V.12 again. "When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours." Romans 1:12 (NLT) Notice that Paul is here expressing one of the five purposes for which Cornerstone exists, FELLOWSHIP. Paul longs to be together with these believers. He longs for fellowship with them. True faith in Jesus produces a desire to be in fellowship with other believers. It really breaks my heart the many times I hear people who say they are followers of Christ, but they do not belong to a local church. Sure, we can point all the flaws in the church, but none of them make void the bible teaching that we need to be connected to a local fellowship of believers. WE NEED THE CHURCH! 3. Paul also shows us that this connection produces growth in God's grace. We need each other to continue to grow and progress in our walk with God. If we are in fact the body of Christ, we can't expect to grow and be strong with parts of the body are missing or ill. If it was Paul who wrote Hebrews here is what he said. "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT) 4. Then Paul says that he not only wants to encourage them, but he wants to be encouraged by them. Here is another reason fellowship is so important. You cannot be encouraged by another's faith if you are never around another. Now tell me it doesn't bless you to hear someone's testimony about what God is doing in their lives. A few weeks ago, in Sunday school Susan Peauroi just happened to mention in passing as she was teaching that we need to hear more testimonies. The very next day I was preparing this message and I felt God tell me, "Yes we need to do that more often" and so we will. In fact, I want to ask you right now that if you have a testimony to share let me know and I will give you to opportunity to do so. I have told you many times how important it is for me to hear what God is doing in your lives. Ever pastor that I know struggles with feeling that we are not really making a difference and one of the ways we know is hearing people say so. Now I am not fishing for compliments. I am just asking that if God is working in your life in some special way, we need to hear it. Not just to encourage me but to encourage us all. 5. Now I know I am not supposed to talk about this, but you know how good I am at following directions, but the fact is someday I am going to retire, and that day will be sooner than later. It is my full intention to come back and visit Cornerstone as long as I am physically able. We still have our timeshare in Oceanside and right now it is my intent to use that time to try and fly back so that I can visit Cornerstone. I want to be encouraged by your faith and by what God will continue to do in your lives and in this church for many years to come. Conclusion A. Well surprise, surprise I have gone long and not been able to share all I planned to share, but I just don't feel like trying to do this message in two parts. So, I am going to leave for you study on your own the last three verse, verses 13-15. I was going to entitle this section Paul's Passion For The Church. B. I want to close this message a way I have never closed a message before, but because of what I said at the very beginning and what I have been teaching you through this message I feel this is how God wants me to conclude. ' 1. 2