Romans intro continued

1: 8-17 Paul, Debtor to the Gospel

Last  week we looked at The Calling  of Paul, then we were about to look at the call of the Romans as well when time ran out.
By way of keeping on track I will summarize the thoughts and note that as Paul introduced himself as CALLED of God, Sent by God and set apart, HE also noted that this was their state.

I noted last Sunday PM that if you came to Christ it is because he called you, you were drawn to him, convicted of sin and if you are his it is because you responded in faith to that calling.

Then , because you are called, you are sent to tell others, and set apart to serve God in all areas of your life. To live a Holy life is to love God with all your heart and love others as well.

Now in verses 8-17 Paul Shows his concern for the Romans as a Debtor to the gospel.

This falls into three divisions here
A. Intercession for the Romans.
B. Interest in Visiting the Romans.
C. Indebtedness as an Apostle.

Look first at Paul’s Intercession FOR the Romans.

 ( Rom 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.   ) The first evidence of Paul’s concern for the Romans is the fact that he prays for them.

Note that he is thankful for their reception of the gospel and that others have noticed the change in them. Back in verse 7 we saw they were made holy in a positional sense, we see it was real in their lives as well.

It is one thing to walk an aisle, it is another to walk with Jesus.
When we truly receive Jesus, his Spirit indwells us and he places us in the body of Christ. He grants us his holiness and we are declared righteous.  IF that happens, then our physical lives will begin to demonstrate that. Paul is grateful that he can see and hear of that in their lives. (Batman syndrome)

Maybe a big deterrent to people coming to faith is Christians who drag Jesus in the mud by living as the world lives, the roman’s faith was spoken of throughout the whole world. Wonder what they’d say about you/ Or ME? Can our faithfulness to Christ be spoken of throughout the area?

Look at verse 9.9  For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
  ) Paul takes an oath here confirming that he prays for them WHOLE HEARTEDLY and without ceasing. Remember last time we said that on average most American pastors pray 5-7 minutes a day? Not sure who compiled that stat, they didn’t ask me or Donald… but if that’s so it is no wonder we are in such a state in our world. Prayer for people shows real concern for them. Instead of pronouncing judgment on the fallen, we should be lovingly lifting them up to Jesus and his mercies. So, Paul’s intercession shows his concern for them.

Do you pray for people? Do you pray for  those who upset you?

I don’t mean “God get em” but for his mercies on them and for the best heaven offers?

Now look at verses 10-13 with me and we will note his Interest in the Romans shows his concern as well.

(  Rom 1:10  Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.  ) See in verse 10 that one of his prayers is that he would eb able to come to Rome and visit them if God was willing. But this just wasn’t to have an adventure, it had a purpose.  See 11-12 11  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;  :12  That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
/ Paul anted to use his gifts to firm them up, to strengthen their grip if  you will… he also recognized that they could be good for him as well. Mutual encouragement, sharing faith and stories of God’s faithfulness, building one another up. Christians need to do that, we need the uplift of testimony time.

Short term missions: Nigeria ..purpose/uplift)( Gain) IY always works both ways.

Verse 13 tells us that he was hindered. Rom 1:13  Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.
The purpose of his coming was to have fruit among them, new salvations and spiritual growth, that is helping them to become more attuned top God’s word and obedience to it.  This verse reminds up that we ought to be sensitive to what God wants for us but let God work it out. ( Jas 4:13-14  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

THOT: Paul was not just interested in his own needs, but in the needs of others. How often we let our own present needs outweigh God’s fruit ripening in others and maybe we lend a hand in crop failure. Paul certainly had needs yet he trusted God to work out the details in his time.  Later we see God saying to him “My grace is sufficient for you,” and Paulo doggedly trusted and pressed on for God.

Are you ever impatient with God? Do you ever let NOW needs supplant God’s plan? Are you other oriented, seeking the good of others and not only yourselves?  When you press on and give and tell others and reach out to others in friendship, you show them that God is interested too. (Bob S.)

Paul proved his care and concern by PRAYING, intercession, also by his interest in them and note 3rdly here he felt he had an indebtedness as an Apostle in vv 14-17  Rom 1:14  I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
 15  So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
 16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
 17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
. Do you know that if you have experienced the Grace of God and become a child of God you have an indebtedness to the lost? You need to share your faith, tell them how to come to Jesus and have eternal life.

David Brainerd was a missionary to the Native Americans in Colonial US. He said “I care not where I go or how I live or what I may endure, so that I may save souls.  When I sleep I dream of them; when I am awake they are my first thoughts.  NO amount of scholastic attainment, of able and profound exposition or brilliant and stirring eloquence may atone for the absence of a deep impassioned sympathetic love for human souls.”

And Frank Crossly wrote :”If all we become  more Christ like, we shall not need any other bait.” (read FC article)

Now verse 14:   I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
Paul recognized his debt, it crossed the boundaries of language, culture, informed or unintelligent.  His heart was burdened by a strong desire to win souls. Note verse 15:  So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
I am concerned, I am ready, but I am leaving the details to God.
The gospel seems to be a wider message than just salvation, it overflows into edifying and establishing the church as well. Paul’s heart was primarily evangelistic and verses 16-17 give his reasons for promoting this gospel of salvation.   For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  :17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
   /For I am not ashamed…
3 FORS show us just why Paul wants too preach this message.
1. For I am not ashamed.
2. For it is the power of God unto salvation.
3. Explains why it is the power, appropriation of God’s righteousness by faith.
1. Not ashamed.

Paul was convinced of the truth of this message and proud to be used to declare it.
 
 In 1 Cor. 1:23- we see that the message of a crucified Christ  was foolishness to the Greeks and a stumbling block to the Jews, NOT to Paul.  :1Co 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  :2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  :3  And Iwas with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.   :4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: :5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
 ) Paul proclaimed that simple message to everyone.
Are you embarrassed by the gospel? Afraid to tell of the one who openly died for you?
Second for.  we see that the gospel  is the power of God to salvation. Paul didn’t need to be ashamed, he is convinced of the ability of the gospel to bring salvation. POWER indicates that it works, the means? Faith “to all who believe.”

It is to the Jew first. Doesn’t mean the Jews had a priority because  God says thee is no difference between Jew and Greek, the same Lord is over all and answers all prayers. IN Ephesians  he speaks of breaking down the partition wall, no more court of the Gentiles but all one in Christ.

BUT the Jews are the first to receive the message, they are the ones  as a nation set aside that the Gentiles might be grafted in. They are still the chosen of God and many are coming to faith. HOW? The same way as we do…recognizing Jesus as Messiah.

Paul always went to the synagogues first . They had the OT background, he had easy access there and they were intellectually prepared for his message. But they didn’t have a preference in salvation as we saw in v. 14 his debt is to ALL.

Verse 17 we see the 3rd FOR. In this segment   For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
 .When we receive the gospel we appropriate the righteousness of God. HOW? By faith. One of the main themes in Romans is “NOT by works but by faith.” Martin Luther got it  and started a reform.  God’s appropriated righteousness is only by faith with a view to greater faith. The just shall live by faith is a quote from Hab. 2:4

Are you just? Are you living by faith (Gal.2:20) Trusting only in Christ to save and keep you? Not relying on your years in church, attendance in Sunday school or even how very good you are compared to others? Do you realize that all you are have and do is by God’s race and appropriated simply and only by faith?

What a message. Paul’s concern for others should be the model we all follow and he got his model from Christ.
Christ is our intercessor- Paul interceded for them at Rome.
Christ came to minister to us- Paul desired to minister to Rome.
Christ gave his life to cancel our debt to God-Paul gave his life to preach the gospel as a sign of his indebtedness to Christ and that gospel.

Are you praying for others? That they might be saved? Grow?
Are you visiting with others? (Smoking section) Are you ashamed of the gospel?

Are you following Christ? Can others see Jesus in you? Matt. 5:16 at work? Or will your epistle be self pleasing and not God pleasing?
 
Years ago, the Salvation Army was holding an international convention and their founder, Gen. William Booth, could not attend because of physical weakness. He cabled his convention message to them. It was one word: "OTHERS."

Lengthy Illustrations
In Ernest Gordon's true account of life in a World War II Japanese prison camp, Through the Valley of the Kwai, there is a story that never fails to move me. It is about a man who through giving it all away literally transformed a whole camp of soldiers. The man's name was Angus McGillivray. Angus was a Scottish prisoner in one of the camps filled with Americans, Australians, and Britons who had helped build the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai. The camp had become an ugly situation. A dog-eat-dog mentality had set in. Allies would literally steal from each other and cheat each other; men would sleep on their packs and yet have them stolen from under their heads. Survival was everything. The law of the jungle prevailed...until the news of Angus McGillivray's death spread throughout the camp. Rumors spread in the wake of his death. No one could believe big Angus had succumbed. He was strong, one of those whom they had expected to be the last to die. Actually, it wasn't the fact of his death that shocked the men, but the reason he died. Finally they pieced together the true story.
The Argylls (Scottish soldiers) took their buddy system very seriously. Their buddy was called their "mucker," and these Argylls believed that is was literally up to each of them to make sure their "mucker" survived. Angus's mucker, though, was dying, and everyone had given up on him, everyone, of course, but Angus. He had made up his mind that his friend would not die. Someone had stolen his mucker's blanket. So Angus gave him his own, telling his mucker that he had "just come across an extra one." Likewise, every mealtime, Angus would get his rations and take them to his friend, stand over him and force him to eat them, again stating that he was able to get "extra food." Angus was going to do anything and everything to see that his buddy got what he needed to recover.
But as Angus's mucker began to recover, Angus collapsed, slumped over, and died. The doctors discovered that he had died of starvation complicated by exhaustion.
 He had been giving of his own food and shelter. He had given everything he had -- even his very life. The ramifications of his acts of love and unselfishness had a startling impact on the compound.
"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12).
As word circulated of the reason for Angus McGillivray's death, the feel of the camp began to change. Suddenly, men began to focus on their mates, their friends, and humanity of living beyond survival, of giving oneself away. They began to pool their talents -- one was a violin maker, another an orchestra leader, another a cabinet maker, another a professor. Soon the camp had an orchestra full of homemade instruments and a church called the "Church Without Walls" that was so powerful, so compelling, that even the Japanese guards attended. The men began a university, a hospital, and a library system. The place was transformed; an all but smothered love revived, all because one man named Angus gave all he had for his friend. For many of those men this turnaround meant survival. What happened is an awesome illustration of the potential unleashed when one person actually gives it all away.
Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987, Word Books Publisher, pp. 146-147.



Amen