Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Romans

Romans 15:17-21

Intro: I used to coach Becky's Lady bug softball team. This was the girls first year after T-Ball. Well, I can remember  a little girl no more than this high who was a stringbean. One time when she came to bat she really swung  hard, a powerhouse of a swing that Babe Ruth would have been proud of. However the ball barely connected with the end of the bat and wiggled it's way back to the pitcher. The pitcher leaned over to pick up the ball and kicked it away from her instead. She finally picked it up with plenty of time to get the batter out at first . But....in her excitement, she threw the ball way to the right of the 1st baseman.  The 1st basemen ran to pick up the ball and as the batter was heading to second, she threw the ball with all her strength...it landed about 10 feet short of 2nd and the batter headed for third. The pitcher and the 2nd baseman fought over who would pick up the ball. Finally one of them threw it to third after the batter had already rounded the base with a HUGE smile on her face. Before the third baseman could get to the once again wildly thrown ball,, the little batter crossed home plate. I don't remember seeing a more happy expression ever! She was ecstatic, jumping around yelling...my first home run...you see what I did, I hit a home run! It was all we heard of for the next few weeks. It was so cute!

Exp: Very often Christians are like that little girl. They step up to the plate in service for Jesus Christ, barely tipping the ball of effective ministry and God arranges for them to get to home plate. To have success in their ministry effort. And what do they do? They take the credit.   They say 'I led this program and it was so successful, so many people came out, so much money was raised, 3 people got saved by what I said...' And you hear about it for what seems like forever. OR, after all the boasting and self promotion, they are not formally recognized for their effort and go into ministry hibernation. They fade into the spiritual woodwork. Their feelings get hurt because they were not publicly recognized for their efforts. And this is not cute!

  For purposes of illustration, imagine that the apostle Paul was a prideful, self-centered man, perhaps this is what we would have found written in the letter to the Romans.

 'Did I ever tell you about my time in Iconium? Well, listen to this. I was being stoned there because I stood tall for Jesus! That's right! I was always getting beat up or stoned. But somehow Barnabas always seemed to save his pretty face. Well, I was really taking it but I stood my ground and I didn't even flinch and then this guy threw a stone and down I went. It would have killed most men..but not me. By the way you should have seen that last stone...man it was a rock this..not this big..really. Anyway, there I was lying on a trash heap outside the city. Barnabas and the others had all lost it but I was awake and just laughed...What? a little stoning bothers you guys? I guess the Lord need more real men! But that isn't what Paul wrote in his letter to the Roman's? Does Paul boast?...yes! But what does he boast in?  We'll see.

Trans: Paul is writing about the ministry of proclamation and there are two more things he wants us to know about it. Open your Bibles to Romans 15:17 where we find that....

V.  Paul was talking about spiritual things
Read: Rom. 15:17-19
    A. Paul boasted in the things of God

      Here, Paul does some boasting..but not in Himself...in whom does he boast? (Jesus Christ) Paul took none of the credit for anything that he had done that benefited the kingdom of God.  Paul understood that God was the source of all the good that resulted from his ministry.

      You see there is legitimate boasting. It is not found however, in material things; buildings, programs, or huge membership rolls, it is not found in fleshy things such as; position, education or titles. It is found in our Lord Jesus Christ..and in Him alone.

      Paul did not serve and suffer as he did to build a name for himself. He had a much higher goal in mind. He wanted to bring glory to God. So, Paul boasts in, rejoices in that which and only that which God worked in and through him. Paul boasted in God!

    B. Paul boasted in the work of Jesus Christ in others
      He talked about and gloried in the salvation of others. BUT he was careful to give the credit to the Lord who through His great grace and mercy saved those to whom Paul ministered.

      He boasted in the Gentile convert's obedience . Obedience to Paul meant not only being saved, but walking faithfully before God in all their ways. Paul boasted in the faithfulness of others. He boasted in the work God was doing in the lives of other believers.

    C. Paul boasted in the power of the Holy Spirit
      He understood that the mighty works, signs and wonders he was able to do were the direct result of the power of the Holy Spirit in his life. He knew that people would be drawn to salvation  by that which only God, through His Holy Spirit could do. So Paul rejoiced in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in his life.

SIDEBAR: Notice the reference to the triune God in his boasting?

    D. Paul boasted in the privilege to preach the Gospel
         He said that he had fully preached the Gospel of Christ.  That meant that  he left nothing hidden and changed nothing. He preached of sin and death, of heaven and hell, of repentance and obedience, of forgiveness and the cross of Calvary. He spoke of the Lordship of Jesus Christ and fruit of the Spirit.  He preached about putting off the things of the flesh and putting on the things of the Spirit. He spoke of eternal life for the Believer and eternal damnation for those who reject Christ. Paul's personal idea or interpretation of the Gospel message was not important and was not spoken....it was only the Gospel of Jesus Christ that Paul shared with all those he met. Paul did all to the glory of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit so that Jesus Christ may be lifted up.

 APP: Believers Are to be talking about spiritual things In whom do you boast? Be honest. Do you talk more about what you are doing, than what God is doing in and through you? Do you honestly rejoice in the work God is doing in the lives of others? Do you boast of it? Do you proclaim the greatness of God and His working in the lives of others to the world around you?

SIDEBAR:  Do you know that praise is boasting in God? Psalm 33:1 says 'Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright'

     When we sing our praises to God we are boasting in Him and His ways. That ought to encourage us to really put all our heart into our worship and praise times.  And God is pleased to look upon us when we praise Him, when we boast in Him.

      Believers are to speak of the things of God and not of the things of  their own doing. We are to boast in the Lord and in the power of His Holy Spirit. That is what the unsaved world needs to hear...Not what you are doing but what God is doing!  And when people come to Christ...when our ministry is successful, when our  budget is in the black, when our attendance is up, we must give God all the credit, all the glory. We must not be like the little girl who got to home plate because of what the other team did, and then boast in her home run! To God be the glory..great things HE has done!

Trans: The ministry of proclamation involves talking about spiritual things. Finally, we find that...

V. Paul was a Pioneer for the Gospel.
Read: Rom. 15:20-21

      Paul preached the Gospel of Christ from Jerusalem  to Illyricum. And his philosophy of ministry was to preach the Gospel of Christ to those who had never heard. He introduced Christianity where idolatry  reigned. He spoke truth where there was nothing but suspicion. Paul was a pioneer for Christ.

      'That I might not build on another man's foundation' has been problematic for some.  Understand that this is not prescriptive...but descriptive. A very important aspect of Biblical interpretation. Paul said this is my calling, this is how I exercise the ministry of proclamation. I go where no one has gone before. He was describing his own personal ministry. Not prescribing how everyone everywhere ought to be doing ministry.

APP: Believers are to be Pioneers for the Gospel.  The challenge to us is.... who will become the next Paul? Who will go where Christ has not been preached? Who will go where no one else has gone before to tell others of forgiveness and eternal life in  Jesus Christ? Understand that this is not everyone's calling. But did you know that our own country is quickly becoming a pagan nation? Did you know that there are those in your own neighborhoods who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Impossible you say?

Conclusion:  Kathy and I went on a school trip with Becky and her art class to the MMA in NYC. I commented to the art teacher on the magnitude of religious art and he said that it was amazing that he had to explain what was going on in the pictures because the kids just didn't know. Pictures of Mary and Jesus, the Last Supper and the crucifixion of Christ. I was dumbfounded.

  The mission field is right outside you door and in Rom. 15:14-21 Paul has laid out his philosophy for the ministry of proclamation.   And he has challenged us to preach the whole Gospel of Christ to all around us, as our duty as priests of God. And to perform our  priestly duties solely in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God...for His glory ! When we desire as a body to take seriously and to be active in the ministry of proclamation , we will deepen our oneness and our love for one another and God will be honored.