Romans 15
Hooray. We’re back in Romans for the next three weeks. And today we finally see why Paul wrote Romans. Any guesses?
Have a look at v24: I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.
Romans is a letter to ask for money!
But what a letter! It’s a magnificent summary of what we believe as Christians, a glorious celebration of the gospel. Not by law, by morals, by efforts not by ME – but by Christ, by his death and resurrection, for His glory, by the power of His Spirit waking us to life so that we trust in the cross of Christ and nothing else, and live like it. Amen!
But why such a detailed letter? Why not just write “I’m the great apostle. Going on a mission trip. Support me.”
That’s because they didn’t know him. He hadn’t been to Rome. Rome wasn’t one of the churches he planted. And he wanted to be sure they were on board with him. He needed partners in the gospel. And so he writes “this is the gospel I preach” so that they know what they’re getting themselves in for. So that after a few months of work in Spain they won’t just suddenly go “oh, I didn’t know you’d talk about sin” or “eew, judgement, the kids won’t like that”.
(By the way, if ever anyone says “eew, the kids won’t like that”, they actually mean “eew, I don’t like it”. Kids never have a problem with God’s judgement, or the fact that we are sinners. They know it all too well, and haven’t got good enough at fooling themselves yet!).
So Paul writes to say “this is what we believe” – are you with me?! Let’s get out there and LIVE it, here in Rome, out in Spain, let’s live out loud, man!
We live for Christ, Everything we do say and think should be for his glory. The glory of our God.
We were made for his good pleasure, saved by his good pleasure, and live for his good pleasure.
And so we love each other- the church, our brothers and sisters in the faith - both in the local church and beyond. We love each other like Christ.
And so we reach out with the message of Christ. We love non-Christians whether Jew, Gentile, or anything in between. Proclaiming the great gospel to anyone who will hear.
And those are our two points today:
1. Live for Christ in fellowship with your church 1-13
2. Live for Christ and win the lost 14-33
1. Live for Christ in fellowship with your church 1-13
1 We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. 3 For even Christ didn’t live to please himself.
This is chapter 14. Treat each other the way Jesus treated you.
Be considerate, not self-focussed. Because it’s easy to be arrogant, especially when you’re right!
Chapter 14 uses the example of some brothers being very uptight about the Sabbath and holy days. Others concerned about food. You can’t eat blood. You can’t mow the lawn on Sunday. That’s working! Or the example my Dad used when he preached: buying alcohol.
Now we know that what we eat or drink does not matter. All foods are clean for we who are in Christ. Every day is the same: a day to glorify God. There are no holier days.
There is no Sabbath because we are not Jews!
But we who understand that, we who are strong, we who know the freedom we have in Christ – we are not to abuse that freedom. We are free to… love.
So if you have a brother who struggles, don’t eat a halaal burger in his face. Or fire up the chainsaw on Sunday at his house. Gently allow the Spirit to do His work through his Word. He will convince them when they are ready to hear. We are all at different stages in our understanding, and so we need to bear with each other.
2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.
I want to take a short moment to talk about the “cage stage” Calvinist ie they should be in a cage because they’re snarling at everyone “totally depraved”, “irresistible grace” etc. Many have fallen into the trap of becoming insufferable when they’ve discovered the amazing doctrine of God’s sovereign power and grace. And get angry when others reduce God’s sovereignty because they – correctly – see it as stealing God’s glory.
But is that the right attitude? If you are strong – your strength is given to you to carry your brother, not to beat him over the head!. Be gentle. Be humble. Be like Jesus. Don’t be overbearing but let the Bible do the work. We don’t need to browbeat people into belief. The Spirit is good at that job.
And I want to apologise when I have been too overbearing, too “strong”. I know I have been guilty of this in the past. Forgive me for not being more like Christ!
3 For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” 4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. 5 May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus.
This living together in harmony, bearing with one another. It’s costly. But Jesus is our example.
In v3 notice that Paul quotes from Scripture. It’s from Psalm 69 which is about the righteous king of Israel (David) being persecuted because of his love for God. If Christ suffered that, we can suffer to hold our tongue and not criticise, to be gentle and patient, to decide to love these our brothers and sisters, so that we can live v5 in harmony, as we v4 patiently wait for the promised return of Christ.
And if our church is loving and caring for each other as v6 says with one voice, that will result in us v6 continues giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
God is glorified when we in the church look after each other like we should. And that’s not directed at the leaders of the church. That’s us. All of us. We have an obligation to our family to love, to care for, to look after. And that love is so attractive. People notice it! When we get together as a church people SEE the love we have for each other. I have heard non-Christians remark on the love and care we show each other. It speaks volumes. And God is glorified.
Of course, the opposite is also true. A church divided into factions, where everyone is in little groups vying for power, trying to shout loudest to get their viewpoint through. When people care more about their reputation and being liked that what God says in the Bible. Oh dear. That does not bring glory to God does it? Nor is it attractive.
Now the big divide in the Roman church was that between Jew and Gentile (non-Jew). “We Jews are God’s chosen people – of course we’re better than you Gentiles. You need to listen to us”. The Holy Spirit through Paul addresses that in v8 and v9: 8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9 He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them.
Jesus came for the Jews and the Gentiles. For both. Equally. And then he proves it by quoting from Psalm 18:49 which has David, the King of Israel saying: “For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.” and in v10 Deut 32:43 “Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles.” And Ps117, the shortest Psalm, “Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles. Praise him, all you people of the earth.” And ends off with the great promise of the coming Messiah, the Saviour, the Christ Isaiah 11:10 “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him.”
There is no division, no hierarchy in the Kingdom of God. The Pope and the newest convert are equally saved by grace, if they are saved at all. The pastor or preacher is not more holy than the tea-maker! Because we are saved by grace. So let’s remember that as we look at our brothers and sisters. We are saved by grace. Be gentle. Rebuke and correct in love, not in arrogance. And point people to Jesus, to His word, not to your great intellect. We have no gurus here. We have one Teacher, and his name is Jesus.
Live for Christ in fellowship with your church.
2. Live for Christ and win the lost 14-33
24 I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.
29 And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together. 30 Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.
As Christians saved by grace we want to share what we have received with others. The word gospel means “good news” – that’s how it is translated in the NLT. Good news. Great news. Momentous news like “the war is over!”. Of course we will want to share it with others. But we need to share GOD’S Good News – not something we’ve made up or something wrong. Sin creeps in and distorts the message so easily. So quickly it can become about us. So quickly we can change the message to make it “nicer” more acceptable, better.
14 I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. 15 Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, 16 I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit.
Even though we know the gospel, we need to keep being reminded. The word changes us because we are made holy by the Holy Spirit. This church is evidence of that. I SEE you being made holy as the Word is taught and the Holy Spirit takes these words and makes them come alive. It is an incredible miracle. It’s like watching plants grow as they are watered. So cool.
17 So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God.
Me too!
18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. 19 They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit.
In other words, not by clever words or twisting the message. Paul presented the message of the gospel of a crucified man who rose from the dead – absolutely ludicrous. We do have a ridiculous message. But it is true. And is backed by the Spirit’s power. And so we can be confident. We don’t need tricks or to hide the gospel or be embarrassed by it. Be confident because the Spirit is at work. Signs and wonders we have seen in this church. And I don’t just mean amazing healings and incredible answers to prayer – because that we believe in and that we have seen many times because we serve an awesome God. But the real miracles are you lot sitting here! Releasing Jerusalem’s brother from prison is easy. Healing Isabella. Simple. Saving you? That took the cross and all the Spirit’s life-giving power! Put your name there in v19 [Daniel] was convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit.
So Paul knew the power of the Spirit. But he had a special calling, a special drive from God. After his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus, God gave him the task: to be the apostles to the Gentiles. To take the gospel into the whole world. And you can feel his passion for the lost in these verses
19 In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum. 20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. 21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, “Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand.” 22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places. 23 But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you.
Why? There’s already a church in Rome.
“Why should we do that?” they may be thinking. Well, why should we provide for Paul, or Mischeck, or McDonald, our missionaries? I mean we struggle with providing for this church and we can see them and touch and feel what we get for our money. And we don’t have enough as it is. Why should we give to those we don’t even see?
Because we are partners together. Even Gentiles in Macedonia and Achaia were giving to Jews in Jerusalem. Wow! What an example of Christian love. That’s powerful.
27 They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially.
As Christians, we are part of God’s work in the world. And our generosity is one way we show it. So Paul asks “do you want to be part of my missionary work to Spain?” It’s awesome!
28 As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain. 29 And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together. 30 Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. 31 Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem. 32 Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other. 33 And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.
We’re all still on the same mission as Paul. We want to magnify the name of Jesus. Here in Notodden amongst us we want to show the love of Christ to each other. We want to proclaim his name so that those around us can hear the gospel and be saved! O glorious day!
And we give generously so that this church can keep going, yes, but also to support our brothers in Kenya, in Zambia, and in South Africa. For we are all part of God’s worldwide family. They are our brothers and we owe them support. Why? Because of the love of Christ, given to us by the Holy Spirit.
Cool, hey? Praise God for His work in and through us. Oh Lord, magnify your glory and grace and love through us. Make us more and more like Jesus. Less selfish, less arrogant, more gentle, more kind, more full of truth, more full of the Spirit, more generous, more on God’s mission than our own.
Let’s live for Christ. That is, I will do, say, think what Jesus wants me to do, say, think, at every moment, rather than what I want to do, say, think. Not great deeds. But everyday moments.
Not duty but joy. Living naturally. Living out what God has placed in. With our church family. And out in the world. Amen.
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