We have now come to the end of Paul’s letter to the Romans, and we will finish this study on the last Sunday of this month. Remember that chapters 1-8 were more theological. Chapters 12-16 are more practical.
Today begins Paul conclusion, and last Sunday, I shared with you “My Vision for Emory.” Today, we are going to look at “God’s Vision for Emory Baptist Church.”
God’s Vision, Romans 15:20-21
20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, ...
We have now come to the end of Paul’s letter to the Romans, and we will finish this study on the last Sunday of this month. Remember that chapters 1-8 were more theological. Chapters 12-16 are more practical.
Today begins Paul conclusion, and last Sunday, I shared with you “My Vision for Emory.” Today, we are going to look at “God’s Vision for Emory Baptist Church.”
- God’s Vision, Romans 15:20-21
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, 21 but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand.”
We could not see a clearly picture of God’s heart expressed in His Word through Paul than in verses 20 and 21. Simply put, it is to take the Gospel to those who haven’t heard.
Paul had no interest in going were the others have gone. His desire and God’s desire is to take the Gospel to the unreached peoples of the world. That was true for Paul. It is true for God, and it is His desire and mission for us.
Emory Baptist Church, God wants us to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We have been attempting that in recent months by going to Maricopa, Arizona. Our formal partnerships with them and with the Point Hispanic Mission ends at the end of 2019.
Today, I am letting you know that I believe that God is opening up an opportunity to go further than Point and further than Maricopa in potentially in 2019 and 2020 and beyond. Are you ready?
On Sunday evening, December 16, Adam Hailes, IMB Missionary, will be us in our evening worship to tell us about opportunities in the years to come in Madagascar. Adam is the former pastor of Ridgecrest BC in Commerce and the son of Johnny Hailes, pastor of Park Street BC in Greenville.
I don’t have all the answers this morning, but I do believe that God wants us to go to those who are unreached and unengaged, and Adam seems like a great partner for our future. As for now, understand clearly that God wants us to go, and make plans to be here on Sunday night, December 16 to hear about future possibilities.
How do we accomplish God’s Mission? By preaching, giving, and praying, and everyone can do something.
- Preaching, Romans 15:14-22
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. 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, 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. 17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 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— 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. 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, 21 but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand.” 22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you.
Paul began by assuring the Roman Christians that he was very aware of their spiritual maturity. Even though he did not plant this particular church, he did know many of the members personally as we will see in the coming weeks. He knew of their moral goodness and of their spiritual knowledge in verse 14.
He also was aware that they were very capable of admonishing, encouraging, warn, advising, and counseling each other in verse 15.
However, he wrote to them to remind them of those foundational doctrines that we studied in Romans 1-8. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Paul knew that repetition is a most effective way of learning so he repeated what they already knew.
But not only did Paul write to remind them of the doctrines of the faith, he wrote them in order to recruit them for God’s mission. Paul’s mission was to minister to the Gentiles, and he took it seriously.
We know from Galatians 2 that Peter was the apostle to the Jews, but Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles. He was a minister, and that word for minister in verse 16 is the word from which we take our English word “liturgy.”
Paul was a minister or priest, and the Gentiles converted under his ministry were given to the Lord as an offering, made acceptable by the sanctification of the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s mission was to minister to the Gentiles, and that was God’s mission as well, and Paul wanted that to be mission of this Roman Church, and God wants that to be the mission of the Emory Church.
What is Paul preaching? See 15:19-20. He wasn’t preaching his own agenda. It is not about a particular pastor or particular church or particular denomination. It is about the gospel, the one and only gospel.
What is the gospel? The gospel means that there is a holy God, and there is unholy man. Our sin separates us from the holy God. However, Jesus lived a sinless life and died on the cross in our place that made a personal relationship with God possible, but we must repent of our sins and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. We must call on Him to be saved. That is the gospel, and that is what Paul preached.
And what happened when Paul preached? Gentiles obeyed and were saved. Signs and wonders authenticated this ministry, and the power of Holy Spirit was made known in the preaching and in the conversations.
Where did Paul preach? He preached from Jerusalem to Illyricum. That phrase literally reads from Jerusalem and in a circle. He preached all over. Jerusalem to Illyricum, which is the former Yugoslavia, is about 1400 miles, and in the first century, that was by foot. He took the gospel everywhere.
Why did he preach the gospel? He preached because there were those who hadn’t heard. Look at 15:20-22. He wanted to go to the unreached people. He didn’t want to go where the gospel had already been. He quoted Isaiah 52 regarding the unreached. They had no news and they had not heard so Paul went.
How did Paul go and preach? He went in humility. Look back at 15:17. He recognized that his entire ministry was by the grace of God. It wasn’t his preaching skills or his creativity or his boldness, but God’s grace manifest in his life.
Now God’s mission that was evident in Paul approximately 2000 years ago is still God’s mission today. God’s mission is for His followers to preach the gospel.
Don’t stumble over the verb preach. Use share if that is better for you. God’s mission is for you to share the message. His mission is for you to share the message wherever He has sovereignly placed you. It may be in a particular neighborhood or at a particular job or with a particular customer or merchant. God’s mission is for you to share the gospel with those who aren’t saved, and be sure not to equate church attendance or church membership with salvation.
And like Paul, we must be bold in the power of the Holy Spirit. The people of Madagascar are unreached and unengaged for a reason. It is far away. There are physical, spiritual, and financial obstacles that will stand in our way, but we must be bold to go and preach or share. We must preach the message to those who aren’t saved and those who haven’t heard.
- Giving, Romans 15:22-29
22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, 24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. 25 But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 26 For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. 27 It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. 29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
In verses 22-25, Paul told the Roman Christians of his future plans to visit with them on his way to Spain. He had wanted to visit them previously, but God prevented him with multiple opportunities to preach the message. When he does come to Rome, Paul anticipated them helping him get to Spain.
In the meantime, he had been collecting an offering in the Gentile churches that would go toward helping the impoverished Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. He applauded the Macedonia and Achaia churches for doing their job in helping out their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ. See his original commendation in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5.
Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.
Notice that their financial giving gave them joy even though they didn’t have hardly anything to give. They gave according to their ability and beyond. They sacrificed. They gave themselves to the Lord and the Lord provided for them to give to the saints in Jerusalem.
EBC has a long history of being a giving church, and that is still true today. We give to multiple ministries throughout the year, but we put a lot of emphasis on our World Missions Fund which is 25 families giving $25 a week for 52 weeks a year. 50% of that goes to the International Mission Board. In 2020, I hope our annual budget will include the partnership with Madagascar and Adam Hailes that introduced previously.
Keep giving because financially providing for ministries is part of God’s mission whether it is to the IMB, NAMB, Reach Texas, Military Bible Sticks, Raffa Clinic, Gideons International, Mission Dignity, Pure Water Pure Love, Operation Christmas Child, or something else.
You can be a part of God’s mission by giving financially to for practical ministries.
- Praying, Romans 15:30-33
30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me, 31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
The final four verses of this chapter include Paul’s request for the Roman Christians to pray for him. See verse 30.
He asked that they pray for his protection in verse 31. He also asked for them to pray for his profitability in verse 31.
He finally asked for them to pray for providence, for God’s will to be done. And he leaves them with peace.
Are you praying for missionaries today? Again, don’t stumble over that word. Use other Christians if it fits better. Are you praying for God to use you to share the gospel? Are you praying for God to use me and Ronnie to lead our church? Are you praying for your Sunday School teacher? And yes, you can pray for vocational missionaries like Luke and Emily Panter, Bro. Adolpho, and Adam Hailes. I need your prayers. We need your prayers. They need your prayers.
Conclusion
I close with one question. Will you make God’s mission your mission? Will you preach? Will you give? Will you pray?
