Reminders of the Gospel’s Impact

Transcript

GRM 895
Reminders of the Gospel’s Impact
Rom.15:14-21
3-21-04


We talked a little bit about the gospel in our previous study, and particularly the terms of the gospel. Upon what basis is the gospel offered to sinful human beings for salvation. We noted the basic foundational term is faith. We receive the gospel by faith, but there are other words used to express that reception of the gospel. Receive being one of them, accept, and so on. When I thought about the gospel and its impact, I wanted to look with you at a few verses in Romans chapter 15 where Paul shares something of the impact the gospel has had in the lives of the Romans. And then particularly his role as one who has been appointed by God to give the gospel primarily to the Gentiles.

The great theological treatise, the letter to the Romans, has been completed in its main part with verse 13. Paul has unfolded the wonder of the gospel, which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. In chapter 12 verse 1 through chapter 15 verse 13 Paul took and applied the truths of the gospel to the living of the gospel, to the life of the child of God. So chapter 12 began with I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice to God. And we’re not to be conformed to this world, but we are to be transformed. And he began to develop what that entailed, what that meant, dealt with the very practical issues of where we live, such as subjection to governing authorities which was not an easy or pleasant task when you consider something of those who governed and ruled Rome during these times, men of despicable character. But believers need to be lights in the midst of darkness and conduct themselves properly as servants of the living God.

He spent chapter 14 and the first 13 verses of chapter 15 talking to them about how they ought to get along with one another as strong believer and weak believer. And used some strong language there about the danger of one Christian destroying another Christian over things that are not really issues, like what you eat, what you drink, days you observe. Christ sacrificed Himself on the cross for these and yet we would trample on them over a personal issue of our view of what should be eaten and not eaten, what days ought to be observed, or not observed. So Paul had some strong things to say. But he has complete confidence in the salvation and the spiritual character of the Romans, and he does not want to end the letter without expressing his confidence in them. What he has written has been firm, has been clear, but it does not evidence a lack of confidence in them or doubt about their spiritual condition. Paul has never been to Rome. He anticipates, as he’ll say later in chapter 15, the possibility of a visit in the future. Amazing the passion that Paul had for these that he has not personally had the opportunity to visit and share with.

So beginning with verse 14 we’re going to close out the letter, really. Chapter 15 verse 14 really through the end of chapter 16 would form a conclusion to the letter, the closing comments, some greetings to various people that he did know, contacts at other times and in other places. You’re going to see something of Paul and the passion of his heart and that the central person in Paul’s life was not Paul, but it was Jesus Christ.

Look at verse 14, and concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to admonish one another. Then why did you write this way? I’ve written very boldly to you on some points to remind you again. And Peter expressed the same thing in his letter, remember. And then he saw it in his role as he approached his impending death to remind them again of things they already knew. So Paul didn’t want them to misunderstand. He hasn’t written what he wrote because he doubted that the reality of their salvation or doubted their faithfulness to the Lord. But he has written to remind them, and in that reminder there would be an encouragement and a challenge to function as God intended them to function.

I myself am convinced, he says in verse 14, and the tense there is a perfect tense in Greek. And remember the perfect tense referred to something that happened in the past and the results continue into the present. It denotes a settled conviction, something that remains true of him. I have been convinced of this and I remain convinced regarding your spiritual condition. So I have full confidence in your maturity. I am convinced that you yourself, so I myself am convinced of you yourself. You are full of goodness. Again he’s not pandering to them, he’s not fawning over them in an artificial way. He’s speaking here under the direction of the Spirit of God and he is expressing the true condition of his heart, how he genuinely feels concerning them. They are full of goodness, the basic Greek word for being good, goodness, uprightness. It’s what is contrary to everything evil. So he is convinced as God’s people living in obedience and submission to God and His truth, that the general characteristic of their life is they are filled with goodness, uprightness, kindness. This marks them as spiritually mature. It’s one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. One of those things the Spirit produces in the life is goodness, uprightness, that quality of life which conforms to the will and purpose of God.

Turn over to the book of Ephesians chapter 5, Ephesians chapter 5. Paul writing to the Ephesians and he says in verse 8 as he instructs them not to become involved with the people of this world in their sinful activities. Verse7, he said in Ephesians 5, do not be partakers with them, for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth. Characteristic that must be true of us as God’s people is that we must be characterized by goodness, righteousness, truth. The same word goodness that we are talking about in Romans. It’s the same thing Paul is convinced fills the Romans. They are children of light and they are living as children of light and he has encouraged them to continue and be even more what God want them to be.

Come back to Romans 15. You are filled with all goodness, you are filled with all knowledge. Doesn’t mean they know everything, but they are mature in their knowledge and understanding, filled with all knowledge. Another perfect tense, expressing the fact that they have experienced that and it continues to be true of them. So Paul speaks well of them, that they have evidenced this kind of maturity in knowledge over time. I’m convinced, and he’s heard much testimony concerning them. It has filled his heart with the desire to come and share in fellowship with them, to impart spiritual gifts to them and benefit from them. They’ve been filled with all knowledge. You are a people that are well grounded, well established in your faith and in the truth.

Able also to admonish one another, able also to admonish one another. They are filled with goodness, uprightness of character. They’ve been filled with knowledge and they are able now to admonish one another. Word that means to warn, to instruct, to admonish. Sometimes carries that idea of correcting something, sometimes the idea of just instructing and warning about something. That admonishing flavor would have the correcting side of making sure we stay on track. We admonish our children, not always in the context of rebuking them for having done wrong, but we are admonishing them to be sure they stay on the track. Warning them of the danger of getting off tract. So that’s the word here. We have to keep these together. You see the maturity of the Romans—uprightness of life, a grasp of truth, filled with knowledge, and the ability to use that in other people’s lives in warning them, instructing them, correcting them.

Back up to Acts chapter 20. We’ve been talking about Paul’s letter to Timothy regarding work that needed to be done in the church at Ephesus. And in Acts chapter 20, remember, Paul met with the elders from the church at Ephesus, an earlier occasion than the letter he wrote to Timothy. And in Acts chapter 20 verse 31 Paul spoke about the 3 year ministry he had at Ephesus. And note what he says in verse 31 of Acts 20, therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of 3 years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. Now I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace which is able to build you up, and so on. See Paul used the Word to admonish them, instruct them, warn them, admonish them. He was relentless--day and night, and he poured his life into that. It was with tears. Just wasn’t a job that he did, he poured his life into these people.

So he writes to the Romans and says they have that same ability. They are not apostles, they are not the recipients of direct revelation, but they are filled with knowledge. They know the truth of God and now they are able to use that truth in the lives of others. That's how the body functions, as we are involved in one another’s lives. We sometimes think oh I couldn’t do that, maybe it’s not my place. Well are you filled with all goodness? Are you filled with knowledge? Doesn’t mean you know everything, but you know the Word of God. You care about these people. Then you use the Word properly. That would mean in the kind of situations Paul has dealt with, weaker and stronger brethren that immediately preceded this in chapter 14 and the first part of chapter 15. These Romans can get involved in that. Be careful that destructive things are not done in the body of Christ among believers. But you can admonish, direct, instruct and warn, that ability to handle the Word. It’s part of the ongoing process of proper use of the scripture.

Turn over just after Romans to I Corinthians chapter 4. Here you see the flavor of the word tilted toward correcting behavior that is improper. In I Corinthians chapter 4, he has had to rebuke the Corinthians because of their attitude and they think of themselves as superior. Pride has infected the church and affected their attitude toward the apostles and so on. But after speaking in this way he says in verse 14, I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. So that’s admonishing them. I just don’t want to embarrass you, I don’t want to put you to shame. I want to admonish you. I’m writing to challenge you to right behavior, to make the necessary correction. I have a good purpose here, not a negative purpose.

So we are to be involved with the Word of God as the people of God. I mean Paul is writing to the Romans and said you are able to do this. But we have the Word of God. You don’t have to be an apostle, you don’t have to be in a certain position. You have to be a member of the body of Christ who is characterized by uprightness of life. Life is characterized by a knowledge of the Word of God and a life lived according to the Word. Then it is our privilege to be involved in one another’s lives, not just in the negative, the positive. We want to encourage one another, be there to admonish and to help one another be all that God intends us to be by His grace.

Verse 15, but I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again. And as we mentioned, Paul’s ministry here of reminder. And over a period of time, let’s face it, you’ve been a believer for a number of years, you’ve been through much of the Word. And much of your life now is not learning new things as much as it is being reminded of the old things. And there is a certain, there is a difference. We sometimes think oh I’d like that excitement of when I first became a believer and everything was new. And it’s a little different. It’s not like wow I never knew, that’s the first time I ever heard that. We have less of those experiences if we’ve been faithfully and diligently in the Word. Let’s face it, we’ve heard it before. I’ve heard it in sermons a number of times, I’ve heard it in Sunday School a number of times, in Bible studies I’ve gone through a number of times, in my own personal study I’ve been through it a number of times. It’s just not new to me. That does not mean I don’t need to hear it again, be fresh to me. You know at our house when Marilyn makes meals, once in a while she’s made things, especially early in our marriage; I’d say wow that’s something. We’ve never had this before, this is great. But you know after 40 years of marriage there aren’t many of those meals anymore. Oh we’re having this again, huh? Good. But you know I still need to eat it, I’d better eat it. You know you do need to. Why? Well that is still nourishment for you, you take it in. Your marriage is the same way. You know the first time you went out and held hands and your relationship builds and everything is new in you relationship with this person, and you just sometimes feel like you’re not quite touching the ground. Well you know after you’re married for many years you happen to brush your hands together, there’s just not the same fluttering of the heart. You usually think, can’t you keep in your own space. Move over, I need room. But there is a settled maturity and relationship that is there, and a depth in it and appreciation of it.

So here we’re reminded of the word. I am aware after 30 some years of ministry, I don’t have anything new to tell you. Occasionally we find something and say you know I never saw it quite like this before. But generally we’re reviewing what we have done and reminding ourselves. And I’m encouraged to see that Paul did that too even though he was an apostle, even as a recipient of direct revelation from God. He said much of what I’m doing is just reminding you again of what you already know. And that’s necessary.

Why does he do this? Because of the grace that was given me from God. Paul declares that his ministry is a result of God’s grace, God’s grace bestowed upon him to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. So I have to do that. Turn over to the book of Ephesians chapter 3, Ephesians chapter 3. Paul refers to this ministry. You know something that kept these truths fresh and alive in Paul’s life, even after he had known them and taught them so much, he never took for granted the marvel that he should be saved. We saw this in I Timothy chapter 1. How amazing that God would save me, the chief of sinners, the wonder of God’s grace manifested to me. And then He would bestow His grace upon me, putting me into the ministry. And so in Ephesians chapter 3 in one of these long sentences of Paul, verse 4, that by referring to this when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. Then he explains the mystery of Christ is truth concerning Christ that had not before been revealed regarding the joining together of Gentiles and Jews in the body of Christ. Verse 7, referring to Jesus Christ and the gospel, of which I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me the very least of all saints, this grace was given to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which has been hidden for ages in God who created all things. But now in the manifold wisdom of God it’s been made know. You get that sense that Paul continued to be overwhelmed with the magnificence of the riches of God’s grace, not only saved but now used of God. And his ministry was to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ. Paul had that sense, I serve by divine appointment. I don’t serve at the appointment of men, I don’t serve at the pleasure of men and for the pleasure of men. I serve by the grace of God through His appointment.

Back in Romans 15. Because of the grace that was given to me from God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. To be a minister, and the word translated minister here carries the idea of serving God. It’s often used of service in the context of worship. We carry this word over into English. Listen to the Greek word—latorgon. We get the English word liturgy from this word. We talk about the liturgy, the form of the service and so on in our worship. Here Paul is talking about his service of worship, his spiritual service, and I am a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. Paul preached the gospel to Jews, but his prime focus was to carry the gospel to Gentiles. He wrote to the Galatians and said that Peter had a ministry focused to the Jews, my ministry was focused to the Gentiles. And his prime responsibility was to carry the gospel to Gentiles who had yet not heard. He said that’s a spiritual service, I do this by divine appointment as my spiritual service to the Lord.

Ministering as a priest, the gospel of God. That word ministering as a priest, one word in the Greek language, carrying on a priestly ministry. And what he is doing is preparing an offering for God and drawing on that analogy. It’s interesting to me, the Apostle Paul was the minister, the apostle to the Gentiles. But stop and think of how much of his writings are saturated with the Old Testament. Here the allusions and the analogies with the offerings and that, books like Galatians where he builds strongly on Old Testament truths and theology. It was expected these Gentiles coming from pagan backgrounds would have to grapple with and come to understand the truth of God as revealed in the Old Testament and handle it properly in light of the revelation now being given. We sometimes think that everything has to be dumbed down, that we ought to be careful we don’t get too theological. We want to be careful, people aren’t interested in some of this Old Testament stuff and they’re not familiar with this. The Apostle Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles, but you sometimes think he must be talking to Jews with how he gets caught up with the use of Old Testament scripture. And here you have Gentile believers that were expected to have come to grips with this. And here in chapter 15 you can note in your Bible, look at verses 9-12, just see how it is set off in capitals to show that you have quotes from the Old Testament here. Just substantiating what he has been saying, drawing from Old Testament scriptures. But keep in mind, this was not a time when everyone in the church at Rome had a copy of their Bible with them so they could just thumb back and let me see, where is that in Isaiah, let me see the context there. And they were expected to be serious with the Word. These would not have all been well educated, college degree people. But they’ve been saved by God’s grace, it’s time to get serious, get busy and learn the Word and get into it. And here he writes about now I’m reminding you what you already know, you pagan Gentiles with no background in the Word. But they’ve been diligent about this matter. We need to appreciate the hard work of getting into the Word and being serious about it. People come to church today, when they come, if they come, and they expect it to be light and easy and entertaining. Don’t expect me to think, and you know I just don’t want to get into this too deep, predigest it. Don’t find that that’s the situation in the Word of God and I don’t find that that’s how God has prepared it for His people. By His grace through the ministry of His Spirit, the teachers He provides, we come to understand it. Here Paul concludes a letter to the Romans, probably the greatest theological treatise that we have in the scripture as far as its completeness in covering the gospel, and he writes to Gentiles. And in it he’s argued about the place of Israel in chapters 9, 10, 11, he’s contrasted Jews and Gentiles, he’s used Abraham as the great example of faith in chapter 4. You say, how do you sort through this? There are some people who have been in evangelical churches today that still don’t know which side of Romans is up and they carry Bibles sometimes back and forth. And here you have people that didn’t have the privilege of having a copy and yet they were expected to grasp and grapple with these things.

Paul took it seriously. I’m ministering as a priest, the gospel, and I’m carrying it to Gentiles. And I’m preparing a Gentile as an offering to be given to God, just as the priest in the Old Testament prepared the sacrifices and then presented them to God. So Paul said that’s what I’m doing with the Gentiles. I’m out there getting sacrifice ready for God, to be offered up to Him as that which will be pleasing to Him.

Ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. So the preparation he does to get the offering ready is present the gospel. He’s ministering as a priest the gospel. That’s what will get the Gentiles ready as an acceptable offering to God. Ministering as a priest the gospel of God so that my offering of the Gentiles will become acceptable. In other words here I bring before the throne of God Gentiles that have come to believe the gospel that I’ve preached, a demonstration of my faithful service as a priest in giving the gospel out, that they might hear and believe and be saved. That my offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

I wrote down on my notes a good reminder. The presentation of the gospel is not simply man speaking. Here we have one functioning in a divinely appointed position, giving forth a divinely ordained message to accomplish a divinely established purpose, preparing people as an offering to God. A divinely appointed person giving forth a divinely ordained message to prepare a divinely appointed or established people. And purpose of God to bring to salvation. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Now we’re not apostles, but we need to think of ourselves in this light, as those entrusted with the gospel. And think what an opportunity God has placed this in my hands that I might carry it to others, to give it to them so that they might be presented to God as an offering to Him, as those who have heard His truth and been saved. Part of our priestly ministry comes to be giving forth the truth of the gospel so that a people is prepared as an offering to God because they have been redeemed by His grace through His truth.

These Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, for an offering to be acceptable to God, it had to be a holy offering. Couldn’t offer the defiled, the lame and so on. And this offering becomes acceptable and you’ll note here, Paul never loses sight of the fact, it’s not because of my effectiveness. It’s because of the work of the Holy Spirit, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. We can present the gospel, only the Holy Spirit can bring that gospel to the heart of a person. We sometimes get frustrated, we’ve shared the gospel and they don’t get saved, we think I just don’t think it’s my gift, I don’t think I’m effective, I’ll do something else. We need to be careful about ruling on the Holy Spirit’s ministry. My ministry as was Paul’s ministry according to verse 16, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. My role is giving forth the gospel. It’s the Holy Spirit’s role to do the work in the heart, to set apart of that one for Christ. My concern is to be that I am doing what is my role and responsibility as a priest before God, not getting frustrated because I’m not satisfied with the way the Holy Spirit is doing His ministry. But only He can bring about salvation.

Turn over to II Thessalonians chapter 2, II Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13. There is a contrast with those who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness in verse 12. Then in contrast to those kind of people, but we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation. So it’s the electing work of God. He’s chosen you from the beginning for salvation, He’s ordained the means as well as the end. The end is salvation, the means is through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. So it’s the sanctifying work of the Spirit. And sanctification, holy, saint, all come from the same basic Greek word. The basic idea in the word is to be set apart. God Himself is holy because He is completely and perfectly set apart from all sin and all defilement. We are to be holy as He is holy because as those who have been redeemed for Himself, we are now to be a people separated from sin to God. And sanctification, a matter of being separated from sin to the Lord. So the sanctifying work of the Spirit is the Spirit takes those that God has chosen and sets them apart, as a result of His work in a life. They believe the truth and He saves them, cleanses them. They must believe in the truth.

Back up to I Corinthians chapter 6, I Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the spirit of our God. That work of sanctification is an essential and integral part of our salvation. Involves the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart. So Paul says that that’s what makes the offering of the Gentiles acceptable to God, they have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In our defiled condition we are not acceptable to God. But through the ministry of the gospel people hear and the Spirit takes that truth and brings it to the heart that they might believe and be set apart for God Himself, and thus are acceptable to Him.

Verse 17 of Romans 15, therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. You’ll note now his boasting or glorying, it’s in Christ and it’s in things pertaining to God. Not boasting about himself, not boasting about his importance, not boasting about how valuable he is. I’m boasting in Christ, in things pertaining to God. The marvel of the gospel, it is the power of God for salvation. The marvel of God’s grace that brings salvation to sinful hearts and so on. Paul said in writing to the Galatians in Galatians chapter 6 verse 14, God forbid that I should boast, that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s all I have to boast about, he says. That’s the only valid reason for my boasting and glorying, the wonder of the cross by which I am crucified to the world and the world is crucified to me. That’s the boasting. So Paul said in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. And Paul is now going to say I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me. Oh you’re going to boast about yourself. No, I am going to boast about what Christ has done and His grace that has worked in me. You know when He talks about the grace of God that was given to me at the end of verse 15, it is not about the wonder of Paul. This is about the wonder of God, the wonder of Christ, the wonder of His grace, the wonder of His salvation. And Paul is always in awe. He uses me. Amazing that He would use me.

For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me. I want to boast about what the gospel did as God used it through me. You see it is God sending His gospel through the mouth of Paul. And the wonder of being used of God. Accept what Christ has accomplished through me. Not what I have done for Christ, what Christ has done through me. What Christ has done through me. Amazing, marvelous.

I want to read you a verse from II Corinthians chapter 4 verse 7, but we have this treasure, the treasure of the gospel, in earthen vessels so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves. That is the amazing thing, Paul says. I want to talk about what Christ has accomplished through me. We have the treasure of the gospel in these earthen vessels. They are nothing in and of themselves, but you put the gospel in there and the gospel given out from this earthen vessel, and lives are transformed. And why did God put the gospel in such a vessel? So that when lives are gloriously transformed, He will get all the glory. Because you don’t glory in an earthen vessel, you glory in the God who used His gospel through such a vessel.

Back in Romans 15 verse 18, what God has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles. And you have a connection here, might confuse you in the English translation. I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed. The by word and deed goes to what Christ has accomplished through me, by word and deed. And that has resulted in the obedience of the Gentiles. In other words, God has used me, my life, my ministry, to bring about the salvation of the Gentiles. And you see word and deed, as a servant our lives in their totality become as an instrument used of God for the accomplishing of His purposes. Now that’s what we are, we are servants of the Lord. You know we have a variety of responsibilities we carry out through the week, but you know it is so important we remind ourselves, I am a child of the living God. I am His servant, I am in this job by divine appointment to represent Him in this place. Ah, boy, I don’t know if I can do that. But it’s His grace that will work in me to do His work through me, so that it is God using me. And I think that’s my word, my deeds. Keep in mind it’s me in my entirety, Christ accomplishes His work through me, through my words, through my deeds. That’s what Paul talks about when he talks about what God has done in my life, how He has used me. Not to exalt myself, but the wonder of His grace so that you can be amazed and encouraged. It’s like he said in I Timothy chapter 1, when I tell you how He saved me the chief of sinners, you can be encouraged that He’ll save anyone. He’s not holding himself up to be honored, he’s holding himself up as an example of hope and to realize the greatness of God’s grace. And so here, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles. He’s used my words, He’s used my deeds. That’s God’s grace. This is a little Jew and God sent him to the Gentiles, and Gentiles all over the world are getting saved. And it wasn’t an easy ministry. You read in II Corinthians chapter 11, the hardships and the difficulties and you say will anything come of this little Jew traipsing from town to town, stirring up trouble, getting beaten, getting thrown in prison, getting run out of town, getting arrested and on it goes. But here we are 2000 years later talking about him. Because he’s so wonderful? No, because God’s grace. And it’s the same grace that works today, it worked then, and it works in the same way.

Now God used Paul as an apostle, he used him in the power, verse 19. In the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit. Paul was an apostle. II Corinthians 12:12, the signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all signs and wonders and miracles. I’m not an apostle, so I don’t have the ability to do miracles, nor do I receive direct revelation from God. But if I can tell you something I have something better. I have the completed revelation of God, I have it all. What more could I want? Well signs, wonders and miracles. But I have it here in completed form now, I have nothing new to add. But I’ve been entrusted with the completed message, I have it all. There’s no chance the Apostle John is going to get some more information later, or more revelation will be added through Paul later, or maybe Peter. You know what? It’s done, and you have it in its fullness and its completeness. So I read this and my first reaction is oh boy he could do signs and wonders. But you know I have something that I would not want to trade for that. He needed to be able to do that to validate his ministry as an apostle, to validate the new revelation he received. But now I have it and I can be involved in simply proclaiming it.

So what did he do? He served in the power of the Spirit so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. You know it’s amazing to me, you know Paul was consumed to get the job done, to do what he had been entrusted to do. I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. You know that’s the measure of his ministry, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Result was that many came to know Christ and he’s thrilled with that. You know why that happened? He fully preached the gospel of Christ and he did it everywhere he went. Now I have no doubt if Paul came to Lincoln and spent a few weeks here we’d have more trouble than we would know what to do with. But you know I think there probably would be people get saved, but I would tell you he would offend more people in 3 weeks than I have in 30 years. You know he just had a way of doing that. Why? He’d go wherever he went throughout this town doing what? Fully preaching the gospel. We’d say tone it down, you better tone it down, you’re just going to cause trouble. Paul said what? I have fully preached the gospel and thus I aspire to preach the gospel. Not where Christ was already named so that I would not build on another man’s foundation, but as it is written. And he saw his ministry parallel to what Isaiah said about the coming Messiah. They who have no news of Him shall see and they who have not heard shall understand. I’m following a good pattern.

You know interesting here, beginning in verse 16, Paul has included all three members of the trinity, he’s talked about Christ Jesus, he’s talked about God, referring to God the Father, he’s talked about the Holy Spirit. They are all involved in his ministry. How could Paul not be effective, when you have God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit all at work in your life. It’s time to stop and think, we are the children of God, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, indwelt by the living God. Jesus said because we believe in Him and we abide in Him, He abides in us and His Father will abide in us. So I have God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit dwelling in me. I think about that and I sometimes think it’s amazing not more is being done in my life. The mighty, awesome power of God, the God of all the universe works in and through my life. I want to be as effective and as faithful as I can.

And that’s why Paul said I aspire to preach the gospel not where Christ was already named so I wouldn’t build on another man’s foundation. You know where we like to go? We like to go to safe areas, like to go where people have heard, people have responded. You know what Paul said? I don’t have time to spend there. He’s going on to say, verse 22, for this reason I’ve often been prevented from coming to you. What reason? For the reason I always wanted to go where they hadn’t heard, and somebody already told you Romans and there’s a church there. I’d love to come and fellowship with you, but there still are people who haven’t heard, so I always find myself going there first. Now I’m thinking of going on over to Spain because there are some people there and since I’m going over to Spain to preach to people who haven’t heard I can stop and visit with you who have heard. A man of focus, get done the job that God has called me to do and do it to the utmost.

That doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with building on other foundations. There are different ministries, not everyone has the same ministry, not everyone is going to be called as Paul was to carry the gospel to new people in new places all the time. I realize that. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in I Corinthians chapter 3 verses 6-10 and said I laid the foundation and another builds upon it, and you’d better be careful how you build on the foundation. There is only one foundation, no other foundation can be laid than that which is laid which is Christ Jesus. I laid that foundation, now be careful how you build on that foundation. Buy my ministry, carry the gospel to people who haven’t heard.

You know sometimes it is good for us to sit down and say Lord what is my ministry. You know I’m not going to be the Apostle Paul, but I can learn from the Apostle Paul. There are certain ways I am similar to the Apostle Paul. I am a servant of the living God, I belong to Him every bit as much as Paul did, I have Him dwelling in me with all His fullness, every bit as much as Paul did. I am His servant every bit as much as Paul was His servant. It does not mean I am as faithful perhaps, as Paul was as His servant, but I am His servant called to be faithful. I need to consider, Lord what are you doing with my life? How are you using me and how would you use me and how can I be of greater usefulness so what I am doing with my life is preparing for you the offering of my service, which will be acceptable to you. Because when I am doing what you would have me do, serving as a priest before you, the result of my labors is that which will be offered to you. As Hebrews talks about, the fruit of our lips being a sacrifice to God, and the giving of our possessions being a sacrifice. You see we are believer/priests. I need to look seriously what I am doing with my life and how I am going about it, that what I am doing is investing myself as a priest in the work God has called me to do, the tasks that I do for Him as a servant, whatever it is. That’s why the Bible told slaves do whatever you do as unto the Lord and such lives that are our priestly service. You know I may lose my greatest opportunity. I’m in my job and I just can’t stand it and I can’t face it and I don’t want to be bothered and I get miserable and I go wait a minute, who put you there? I mean Paul could have spent a large portion of his life moaning and grumbling over the fact he’s in prison, he’s been beaten, he’s running for his life and on and on. So what kind of ministry would he have had? I realize most of our ministries take place in the presence of difficulties of one kind or another. Need to remind myself I am, if I have come to believe in the living God and His Son Jesus Christ as my Savior, I do belong to Him. I am a believer/priest. Therefore, everything I do with my life, my words, my deeds must be viewed in this context. It’s done, it’s part of my ministry in preparing a sacrifice to be offered to the Lord. I’m His. What a privilege, what an honor.

Let’s pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the riches of your grace, grace so abundant. Lord, grace that envelops our lives. We’ve been saved by grace, we live by grace, all we are and all that we do is a result of your grace. We’re being prepared by your grace for the glory that will be ours through all eternity. Lord, may we not waste our lives, waste the opportunities of these days. Lord, may we have that same passion we’ve considered tonight, same appreciation of your grace that saved us, of your grace that has made us servants of the living God, your grace that has made us priests of the living God. Lord, may our lives be diligently and passionately about your service, preparing an offering to our faithful ministry that will be acceptable to you. Thank you for the privilege of living in your grace and proclaiming your grace to others. We praise you in Christ’s name. Amen.