Romans 15:7-13
Our debt to the lost
Welcome!
Would you open your Bibles to...
Rom. 1:13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.
Rom. 1:14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
Rom. 1:15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
Pray
Intro
√ Happy "Mothers Day"!
Read "10 signs of a frustrated mother"
√ Chapter 15 deals with the Christians debt to his/her fellow man.
Ex. Illustrated by Jesus in the parable of the Good Samaritan, and modeled in His life while He ministered here on earth.
Ap. Chapter 15 Paul outlines our debt of love to others.
A debt to the weak - vs. 1-6
A debt to the lost - vs. 7-21
A debt to Israel - vs. 22-33
√ A debt to the lost
Specifically - Paul's message was addressed to the Jewish believers (who made up the majority of the Church in the 1st Century) - to take the Gospel message to the Gentiles.
"Gentiles" = 9 times in this section
The reason for Paul's instruction was that there continued to be a resistance by many Jewish Christians to the inclusion of Gentiles in the Church.
The result was that many of these believers disdained the presence of Gentiles in their fellowship, which Paul had already dealt with…
…and that many Jewish believers had no conviction at all to reach out to the unsaved Gentiles with the Gospel message.
So, we find here that Paul exhorts believers to recognize our debt to the lost - whether Gentile or Jew!
Ap. Christians in the USA tend to live a life that is isolated from the rest of the world. The result is that many have no burden at all for the lost…
…whether they be their neighbor here in NW Arkansas, or the Muslim in Indonesia.
May our study today light a Godly fire in our heart for the lost that we might ask God to use us to reach them!
An open heart (vs. 7)
Rom. 15:7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.
√ The goal
The goal of Paul's instructions dealing with our interpersonal relationships with other Christians is…
…that the resulting unity of the Church would bring glory to God!
That's because the Gospel of Christ is essentially concerned with the restoration of fellowship.
First, the restoration of fellowship between Man and God.
Second, the restoration of fellowship between people.
Paul's point here is that when we as Christians practice what we preach…
…the result is that God is glorified in our love for one another as demonstrated by our acceptance of each other in Christ!
But, we must realize that the work of unity in the Church is not a one time event. Rather, it's an on-going process as we live and minister together.
That truth is born out in the language of verse 7.
√ While vs. 7 technically begins a new section, it ties all of Paul's thoughts together.
It concludes his previous instructions about bearing with the weak - note the "therefore".
And opens this new section concerning the lost - note the word "receive".
"Receive", in the Greek Paul has written it in the imperfect present tense, which literally renders…
"keep on accepting or receiving one another"
That is to say, it's a daily exercise to continually open our heart to one another!
Why might that be?
Because just about the time you've learned to bear with me regarding something in my life…
…I'll find some new way to offend you! J
It's a reminder that getting alone with one another is a life time exercise!
Lest we be tempted to ignore Paul's instructions he reminds us that we have an example Who gives us both the will and power to…
"keep on accepting or receiving one another"
√ The model
"just as Christ also received us" - vs. 7
Just as Christ received us! But you might be thinking…
"But I'm not as hard to get along with as that other guy!"
Really!? Well let's look and see how it is that Christ received us.
Rom. 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom. 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
Rom. 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom. 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Rom. 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
So, when Christ accepted us - you and me - we were…
Weak
Ungodly
Sinners
Enemies
…yet, Christ opened His heart to accept us.
Paul's point - certainly then Christians can receive (accept - open our heart) one another especially when it comes to these nonessential matters.
Ap. In light of the fact that God has opened His heart to us, we are under a debt of love to open our heart to others.
An open door (vs. 8-13)
Rom. 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,
Rom. 15:9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.”
Rom. 15:10 And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”
Rom. 15:11 And again: “Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!”
Rom. 15:12 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”
Rom. 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
√ The purpose of Jesus' mission
Two fold
• Fulfill God's promise to the Jews - which the Jewish
believers understood.
• Open the door of the Kingdom to the Gentiles - an
idea that many Jewish believers were not so sure of.
1st
Purpose - fulfill God's promise to the Jews
Interesting as you follow Jesus through the Gospel accounts you'll find that He primarily went to the Jews. That's not to say that He didn't minister to Gentiles - He did…
…but His primary mission was to reach the lost house of Israel.
Ex. The Cananite women with the demon possessed girl
Matt. 15:24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
The point is that Jesus' 1st order of business was to fulfill the covenant promises of God to Israel.
Matt. 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
2nd
Purpose - Open the door of the Kingdom to the Gentiles
The Gentiles did not have any covenant with God. They were therefore outside of the promises given by God to the Jewish people.
But, God in His mercy and grace opened the door of the Kingdom to the Gentiles that they might become co-heirs with Israel through the work of Jesus Christ.
This was the part that many Jewish believers resisted. We find it all through the book of Acts where the Jewish disciples literally had to be pushed to take the Gospel outside of Jerusalem!
Ex. Acts 1:8 - Jesus tells them to take the Gospel to the world
Acts 1-7 = They hang out in Jerusalem
Acts 8 = Persecution drives the Gospel to Judea &
Samaria.
Acts 10 = Peter & Cornelius
Acts 11 = Peter in trouble with the Jews in Jerusalem
Acts 15 = Paul & Barnabus in trouble with the Jews in
Jerusalem
So, Paul takes them to the Old Testament to prove his point.
√ The proof in the prophets
Note the scriptures Paul uses, he quotes from…
The Law
The prophets
The psalms
…the whole of the Old Testament - providing evidence that God had it in His mind all along to make a way for all people to participate in the Kingdom of God.
Note also the progression of thought each of these verses communicates…
• The Jews glorify God among the Gentiles
Romans 15:9 - Psalm 18:49
• The Gentiles rejoice with the Jews
Romans 15:10 - Deut. 32:43
• The Jews & Gentiles together praising God!
Romans 15:11 - Psalm 117:1
• Christ shall reign over Jews & Gentiles
Romans 15:12 - Isa. 11:10
…what we see is the progression of the Gospel message as recorded in Acts as it moved from the Jews is Jerusalem to finally reach the Gentiles at the utter ends of the earth.
• Romans 15:8 = Acts 1-7, God's promise to
the Jews
• Romans 15:9 = Acts 8-14, the spread of the
Gospel to Gentiles
• Romans 15:10 = Acts 15 - Gentiles
recognized as equal
partners in the KOG
• Romans 15:11 = Church today Jews & Gentiles together praising
God
• Romans 15:12 = Millennial kingdom - Jesus
ruling over the whole world
- Jews & Gentiles.
Paul not only proves his point regarding God's plan for the Gentiles…
…but also demonstrates that it is God's plan for us to reach the lost with the Gospel!
Christians must
recognize that we have a debt of love to reach the lost.
Remember - God's heart is that all people would come to salvation! (I Tim. 2:3-5)
1) Begins with a burden - that no one would go to hell.
2) Burden leads to prayer - that the lost would hear.
3) Prayer leads to equipping - getting ready to share the Gospel (I Peter 3:15)
4) God directs you with His plan (Acts 13)
√ Joy and peace
Note vs. 13…
Rom. 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Sounds like he's winding down doesn't it!
Like any good preacher he's still got 30 minutes to go! J
What we have here is Paul's desire, or prayer, for the believers in Rome.
That they might be
filled will joy and peace!
That's a good prayer! Notice how it is that Christians experience joy and peace.
Joy = the delight of anticipation of having your hope fulfilled!
Ex. The Fed Ex truck pulls up to your house on your birthday!
Peace = results from the assurance that God will fulfill these hopes!
The Christian experiences joy and peace when he/she trusts ("believing") in God. God then imparts the power of the Holy Spirit into our lives by which we apprehend those promises.
√ Vs. 13 seems a little out of place doesn't it?
Paul moves from his instructions to the believers in Rome regarding how they should work to get along…
…to a prayer that they might be filled with joy and peace!?
But, when you think on it - it makes perfect sense. A person cannot be filled with joy and peace if they are in constant strife with each other!
Ex. The church in Rome
As long as people were all tied up with arguments about…
Meat vs. Vegetables
Sabbath vs. no Sabbath
Law vs. Grace
Jew vs. Gentile
…no one would ever be able to experience joy and peace!
Ex. The family dinner table!
Additionally, no Christian can experience God's joy and peace when they are not walking in obedience to His will.
My point?
Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The Church has been given a mission - to reach the lost with the Gospel message!
When Christians are not busy about reaching the lost then they will not experience the peace and joy God means for them to have.
Why not?
Because the Holy Spirit is grieved within them!
He's wanting to go - the Christian is wanting to sit!
Ap. We have a debt of love to the lost
Listen, someone loved you and me enough to share the message of salvation with us.
Where would we be if that person had never shared the Gospel with us!!??
Hey - if you're saved today you have a debt to honor. A debt of love to share what you have received with someone who hasn't yet received it.
Ex. We're all just beggars telling others where to find food!
Close
√ Pray for a burden for the lost!
√ Begin to pray daily for those you know who are not yet saved.
√ Be open to the voice of the Holy Spirit that you might be ready to share His love with someone.