Romans 15:13-21
Our debt to the lost - part 2!
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
√ Chapter 15 deals with the Christians debt to his/her fellow man.
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 - to the Gentiles.
Note Paul's focus…
"Gentiles" = 9 times in this section
Paul's instructions were to the Jewish believers who made up the majority of the Church at this time.
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 neighbors here in NW Arkansas, or the Voodoo practitioner in the Caribbean.
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!
Last week
√ Open heart and open door
You'll remember that in our study last week concerning our debt to the lost we found that Paul instructed Christians to have an…
Open Heart (to the lost)
…and to look for an…
Open Door (of opportunity to reach them with the Gospel)
We left of without considering vs. 13 which really ties Paul's thoughts together.
√ 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!
What is 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!
Ex. Not like the hope we have in this world - the Fed Ex truck pulls away to go to the neighbors house without leaving a package!
Paul tells us that the spiritual promise to experience joy and peace comes when he/she trusts ("believing") in God, who then imparts the power of the Holy Spirit into our lives by which we apprehend these promises.
However, many of the Christians in Rome were not experienceing the promise…
…why not?
In part because they had not acknowledged nor acted upon their debt of love to those who were different.
The weak
The Gentile
The Lost
All this produced tension and strife in the church, the result of which was a lack of joy and peace.
Ap. It's God's will that we experience His peace and joy in our lives.
If you're missing out - ask God about it!
Be honest with yourself and the Holy Spirit.
Are you currently at odds with someone, or a group of people because they're different than you?
Or hold different convictions regarding "doubtful" things?
Ask God to remind you that He has made all people in His image…
…and, that He remove the old feelings and replace them with peace and joy.
Ex. The world system emphasis's our differences, the Gospel of Christ brings the peoples of the world together in one family.
√ Paul's prayer then in vs. 13 bridges the gap between his instructions to reach out to the Gentiles, and the next section in which he provides an example of how the Jewish believers should reach them.
Paul's example to his Jewish brethren (vs. 14-15)
Rom. 15:14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Rom. 15:15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God,
√ Practice what you preach!
If there's anything worse than being corrected, it's being corrected by someone who themselves isn't doing what they're telling you to do!
You might just say to that person…
"Practice what you preach!"
Here we see that Paul anticipates the resistance of those to whom he is writing.
I believe he recognized that he was pushing all their buttons, getting in their face, concerning the issue of accepting the gentile believers and reaching the Gentiles whom as yet were not saved.
You see, they might too easily dismiss his instructions to love and reach out to the lost world by saying…
…you don't know what it's like to live with these Gentiles and to put up with their ungodly way of life!
Remember, Paul had not yet been to Rome to share the Gospel.
It would be very easy then for those in the churches in Rome to ignore Paul as some self-appointed critic living comfortably in the center of Jewish life in Jerusalem.
In other words, to reject his message with the rational that he didn't know what it was like for a good Hebrew boy or girl to live among Gentiles.
But, Paul could point with integrity to his track record as an example for them to follow.
√ In what way?
His attitude toward the Gentiles
His zeal to reach them
Attitude (vs. 16)
Rom. 15:16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
√ Paul's example is demonstrated in his attitude toward the Gentiles.
Notice that Paul says in vs. 16 that he regarded himself as a…
"Minister"
Normally we'd think that Paul would use either the word…
diakonos (dee-ak'-on-os) = an errand runner, or waiter, from which we derive the English word "deacon".
doulos (doo'-los) = a slave, servant
Yet here, Paul chooses a different word for "minister" that reveals the attitude we as Christians must have regarding our debt to the lost.
leitourgos (li-toorg-os) = A public servant, a person who functioned as a priest!
Representing God to the people, and the people to God.
Listen, Paul saw his duty to the lost as a priestly responsibility.
That is, he recognized that the call of God on his life was one of great privilege and responsibility as he represented Jesus to those who did not know Him as God.
What was his priestly duty? Two-fold really…
• Presenting the Gospel of God to the Gentiles
• Offering the Gentiles (that is, presenting saved
Gentiles to God)
Paul's reminder to his Jewish brethren in Rome, and to us this morning, is that we have a sacred duty to present the Gospel to the lost.
√ Why was Paul so concerned with his attitude?
Because serving Jesus is a privilege! Paul remembered what he had been like before Jesus got a hold of his life.
1Tim. 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
1Tim. 1:13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
1Tim. 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
Paul was forever grateful to God that he was treated with mercy when he had so badly misrepresented God for so many years.
Ap. Every Christian should have that same attitude - we each obtained mercy after having misrepresented God for so long!
Ex. Our prayer meetings before service - we recognize the awesome privilege it is to stand before you and lead worship, or teach the Bible.
Paul's zeal to reach the Gentiles (vs. 17-21)
Rom. 15:17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.
Rom. 15:18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient--(to the Gospel - that is, to become saved)
Rom. 15:19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
Rom. 15:20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation,
Rom. 15:21 but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand.”
√ Therefore
"Therefore…"
You know the routine…
"If you see a 'therefore', look and see what it's therefore!"
The word is used to tie an idea to an action!
In context Paul is demonstrating to his Jewish brethren by his example how the Christian is to honor the debt of love to the lost…
…in this case to the Gentiles.
In other words, in light of the great privilege we have as Christians to represent Jesus to the lost…
… Paul says that we must be willing to go outside of our comfort zone to bring the Good News to those who haven't heard it.
How far?
In Paul's example from Jerusalem to Illyricum (i-lir-i-cum)
Present day Israel as far as the Balkans and all points in between - by foot and sail boat!
We're talking about thousands of miles!
√ Your turn
I don't believer that Paul's intention here is to say that every Christian is called to travel around the globe to preach the Gospel.
That was Jesus' individual call upon Paul's life.
However, I do believe that Paul's intention here is to stir the Christians in Rome to action.
By pointing to his example to get out of his comfort zone and take the Gospel to almost every corner of the Roman Empire…
(Remember, we're talking about a Jewish Rabbi turned to take the Gospel he tried to destroy to those he grew up hating)
…then surely it's not too much to ask the believers in Rome to take the Gospel to their neighbors.
So, the Christians in Rome found themselves without excuse to have an…
Open heart to reach the lost
Look for an open door to share the Gospel with the lost
Allow the Holy Spirit to give them an attitude adjustment regarding the lost.
Close
√ Christian, what is your attitude and zeal like to reach the lost?
Are you well fed - spiritually speaking - full of Bible facts and knowledge…
…but find that you never share it with anyone?
Or, are you excited about what God has done in your life and find yourself always looking for an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus?
Ap. No guilt trips here - let the Holy Spirit speak to you this morning and then follow His leading.
√ If you're not convinced remember that we each 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 just beggars telling others where to find food!