Recap: Last week Yale touched on the first 6 verses of chapter 15, where Paul urges his brothers and sisters to bear the “failing of the weak.” In other words, it is our role as literal brothers and sisters, therefore, FAMILY, to help out when there is a mess up. Family shows up in the darkest hour when nobody else will.
Romans 15:4 (NIV)
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
This week:
We find ourselves in Romans 15:7-22 where Paul continues to write with such a deep-seated love for his people, the Romans. Remember that Paul was a Roman citizen by birth, although he was Jewish in nationality. As a Christ-believing Roman citizen, Paul’s priorities were in order as his heart ached for his people to know Jesus.
Unity vv.7-13
Romans 15:7–13 (NIV)
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed
9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”
10 Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”
11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.”
12 And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.”
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The people of Israel rejected Jesus on three occasions:
(1) They allowed Herod to murder the King’s messenger, John the Baptist;
(2) They asked for Christ to be murdered
(3) They themselves murdered Stephen.
In the Gospels and Acts, the Gospel is delivered “to the Jew first.” Had Israel received Christ, the kingdom would have been set up, and the blessings would have flowed out to the Gentiles through a converted Israel.
The constant theme of this first passage, that is, encouraging the church made up of mostly Gentiles in Rome, is to keep pressing into Jesus. The Jews rejected Jesus, so the Gospel will now proceed through the Gentiles.
That is what is happening in real time with you and I today. I don’t think anyone in this room was born Jewish, but even if you were, you are hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of mankind, and responding to it.
Pass the Torch vv.14-22
Romans 15:14–22 (NIV)
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
15 Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me
16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.
18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—
19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.
21 Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”
22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.
Paul was THE Apostle to the Gentiles and here we see how close he held that mission to his heart. He loved his call so much that he considered proclaiming the Gospel and seeing people turn to Jesus as his “priestly duty.” It was as if He was taking the Gospel to every corner of the Gentile nation so that they might be cleansed of their sins and they were an offering from Paul to the Lord.
There is a lot to admire about Paul, but from this specific text, I admire the clarity he had about his specific mission field. There was a people group that spoke into the depths of his heart, and he settled on it.
My question to you is, what group of people or person has God placed in your heart? You see, we are not exempt from Gospel advancement for any reason.
Potential Excuses:
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I’m new to church
- John 4 tells of a woman who brought her entire town to Jesus moments after she gave he life to Christ simply because she knew Jesus and that was enough.
- I’m nervous that _________ will happen
- Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
