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A Closing Word Romans 15:1-16:27 |
November 14, 2004 Pastor Tom Marcum |
Several years ago Stirling and I received a wonderful and completely unexpected blessing when some friends of ours gave us round-trip, first class tickets to Paris, France. (By the way, if you ever get a similar offer I would highly encourage you to accept it.) Obviously, we were both thrilled by the opportunity, but I was especially excited since, unlike my wife, I had never been to Europe. In fact, I'd never even seriously thought about going to Europe because I knew I couldn't afford to do so. But now that the opportunity had come, I could hardly wait to get there.
As the weeks leading up to our trip began to pass, I was growing so excited that I could hardly stand it. It seemed to me like the big day would never get there. But, of course, it finally did. We took off from San Francisco, took full advantage of all the luxuries afforded first class world travelers like ourselves and 12 hours later we were dining at a sidewalk Parisian café.
I felt like a kid exploring Disneyland for the first time. The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Mona Lisa, Notre Dame. Everywhere I went I was encountering things that I had always known about but had never actually seen. It was an incredible experience. Absolutely everything that I had hoped it would be and more.
And then, all of a sudden it was over. This trip that had been the focus of so much of my energy, my thoughts and my planning for so long was suddenly over. And I found myself going through a wide range of thoughts and emotions now that my long-awaited journey was finished.
Well, folks, this morning, I am once again in that very place. In fact, while you may not have realized it yet, many of you are right there with me as we finish, today, the year long journey through the book of Romans that we began all the way back in January. And, frankly, I have already begun to wonder what life is going to be like now that our amazing journey is over.
And I have to imagine that Paul, the author of this incredible book, must have felt a similarly diverse array of thoughts and emotions as he began to compose its final chapters. Through 11 chapters Paul led us through a carefully composed, powerfully stated, comprehensive presentation of virtually every foundational doctrine of the Christian faith. In essence, in chapters 1-11 Paul said, "These are the things that Christians believe."
Then, beginning in chapter 12, Paul shifted his focus to the practical to say, "And in view of those beliefs, this is the way that Christians live." From chapter 12 through the end of the book Paul shows us how to translate our theological beliefs into a way of life that is distinctly Christian. And Paul's presentation of the practical, day-to-day experience of Christian living is every bit as masterful as his discussions about the most profound of theological issues. There is quite simply nothing else in the entire Bible that is quite like what we have in Romans.
So how do you bring a book like this to an end? Well, if you're Paul, you spend a little bit of time re-visiting and expanding on a theme that you've recently been talking about and then you end on a personal note, giving your readers a glimpse into your heart. All in all, it's a great way to end a great journey.
Another Call to Unity and Acceptance
So, chapter 15 opens with Paul revisiting a theme that he addressed in the previous chapter by issuing us another call to unity and acceptance. If you were with us last week you'll remember that Paul led us on an extended discussion of how we can maintain a vibrant spirit of unity within our Christian community in spite of the fact that there will always be a certain number of things about which we will disagree. Paul described these things about which it is perfectly OK for Christians to disagree as "disputable matters." And the reason it's OK for us to disagree about them…the reason they are "disputable"…is because the scriptures either don't directly address them at all or they address them in a manner that opens the door to individual interpretation or application. Issues like:
--Is it OK for Christians to drink?
--Is it OK for Christians to gamble?
--Is it OK for Christians to go to the movies?
And so forth. Paul says, quite clearly, that Christians are free to disagree about these kinds of issues.
And within that larger discussion about preserving Christian unity in spite of our differences, Paul also introduced us to the notion that there are among Christians some whose faith is stronger and some whose faith is weaker. And Paul described the stronger Christians as those who feel a greater sense of freedom to participate in some of these "disputable matters" and he described the weaker Christians as those who feel a greater need to abstain from participating in these "disputable matters."
So, here in chapter 15 Paul is now going to develop a little further his discussion about maintaining unity in the midst of all of these differences. And the primary lesson that he wants us to understand here is that Stronger Christians have a greater responsibility for protecting and preserving Christian unity than do weaker Christians. That's the point that Paul makes in verses 1-2 where he writes, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up."
Paul's primary point here is that as we mature in our faith and grow stronger it is critically important for us to recognize that this greater strength brings with it a greater responsibility to look out for the good of everyone, especially the weaker brother or sister.
When Paul says in verse 1 that we need to "bear with the failings of the weak," he's saying that even though we feel free in our conscience to enjoy this particular thing or activity, nonetheless, when we are around a weaker brother or sister we need to bear their burden…the burden of abstaining…as if it were ours and refrain for their good from exercising our freedom.
Why do we do this? Because, as Paul says in verse 2, we don't live for our own pleasure, but for the pleasure of our neighbor. As he did in chapter 14, he is once again calling us to be more interested in those things that are mutually beneficial than in those things will benefit us alone.
So, does all of this mean that weaker Christians are exempt from any responsibility for protecting the unity of the church? Absolutely not. Protecting church unity is the personal responsibility of every member of the church. But because this task is so vitally important to God, He gives primary responsibility for protecting church unity to the stronger Christians, rather than the weaker.
And Paul is so determined to help us see the importance of this lesson that he does something now that he has not done in the preceding 14 chapters. He drives his point home by reminding us of the example of Jesus. In VERSE 3 he writes, "For even Christ did not please himself…"
Folks, here's his point: If Jesus was willing to set aside his own pleasure for our good, how can we possibly do anything less? How can we possibly refuse to temporarily suspend some expression of our freedom for the good of a weaker brother or sister, when Jesus was willing to go to the cross to help us in our weakness?
And now that Paul has introduced the example of Christ as a guide for our behavior, he lingers there a bit longer in verse 7 writing, "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you…" So, let me ask you: How did Christ accept you? The same way He accepted me. He accepted us lovingly and whole-heartedly in spite of all our weaknesses and in spite of all our differences. And Christians who are serious about protecting the unity of the church accept one another the very same way.
And when we do that…when we offer each other the kind of acceptance that Christ offered us…not only do we protect the unity of the church, we also give praise and glory to God. That's Paul's point in verses 5-7 where he writes, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ…(Why?)…so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you…(Why?)…in order to bring praise to God."
Folks, it's a beautiful picture that Paul has painted for us here. When God sees His children actively working together to maintain a sweet spirit of unity by following the example of Christ, He receives our effort as an act of worship. Think about that. Our unity gives God the kind of praise and glory that He not only deserves, but also desires.
A Glimpse of His Heart
So, now that Paul has solidified the lesson he's been teaching us about maintaining our unity in spite of all our differences, he offers us in his closing words a glimpse of his heart and, in doing so, we realize that this is the kind of heart that God longs to grow in all of us because this is the heart of a true and faithful servant of God. This is the kind of heart that not only sustained Paul through all of the challenges he faced as God's servant, it's the kind of heart that can sustain every believer through a lifetime of devoted service to God in spite of all of the challenges and obstacles we will inevitably meet along the way.
And the first glimpse we have of Paul's heart shows us that he saw all of his service to God as an act of worship. We see this in verses 15-16 where he writes, "I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God."
The key word there is the word translated as "minister" in verse 15. Paul could have used any number of words there to convey the idea of being a "minister," but the Greek word that he chose is the one from which we get the word, "liturgy." And by doing so he paints an amazingly powerful picture. He's saying that when he does those things that God has called him to do…whether its boldly proclaiming the Gospel to intellectuals or government officials, writing letters to new believers and struggling churches or persevering through beatings and isolation in prison…whenever he is doing what God has given him to do he envisions himself as a priest offering sacrifices of obedience to God.
And, folks, that's the kind of heart that can sustain all of us through a lifetime of service to God.
--Folks, if that Tuesday or Wednesday night rehearsal is just music practice, eventually you'll grow tired of doing it. If it's worship, you won't.
--If helping the AWANA kids with their Bible verses on Thursday nights is just another practice for the next competition eventually you'll grow tired of doing it. If it's worship, you won't.
--If meeting in those small groups throughout the week to study the Bible and pray for one another is just a social gathering, eventually you'll grow tired of doing it. If it's worship, you won't.
--And if setting aside your freedom or your desires to preserve the unity of the church family is just good manners, eventually you'll grow tired of doing it. If it's worship, you won't.
Folks, when ministry becomes worship, ministers stay faithful in their ministries for a lifetime.
Now, as we return to our text, our second glimpse of Paul's heart shows us that, for Paul, ministry was more than a task; ministry was his passion. We see this in verse 20 where he writes, "It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known…" The key word there is, "ambition." Ambition sometimes gets a bad rap in Christian circles, because of its association with worldly success through unscrupulous behavior. But, folks, when our ambition is focused on giving God glory through our service to Him it becomes a holy passion. And passion in ministry is a wonderful thing.
--Passion moves us beyond mediocrity to strive for excellence in everything.
--Passion moves us from self-centeredness to self-sacrifice for the Kingdom.
--Passion moves us from focusing on the complaints of our critics to focusing on being obedient to our God.
The truth is, passion moves us from the sidelines into active service to God and it keeps us there for a lifetime.
Our third glimpse of Paul's heart shows us that his ministry was sustained by prayer. In verse 30 he writes, "I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me."
Paul realized that prayer is an indispensable lifeline to anyone who hopes to remain effective in God's service for the long haul. God empowers His ministers through prayer--the prayers that those ministers offer themselves and the prayers that are offered for them by others.
Prayers for wisdom. Prayers for strength. Prayers for protection. Prayers for healing. Prayers for discernment. Prayers for their family. Prayers for peace. Prayers for joy.
Folks, ministry isn't something that we just decide to do. Ministry is a calling from God. Consequently, any ministry that is not supported by the sustaining power that God offers through prayer is destined to run into all manner of problems.
Finally, as we come to chapter 16 we see a one last glimpse into Paul's heart in the warm words of gratitude that he offers to a whole host of friends and partners in ministry. And what we see is that Paul realized that ministry is a team effort.
He writes, "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea…she has been a great help to many people, including me…Greet Priscilla and Aquila…they risked their lives for me…Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you…Greet Andronicus and Junias…they are outstanding among the apostles…Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ…Greet Apelles, tested and approved." And on and on it goes.
Folks, there has never been a more celebrated, more dedicated, more effective servant of the Lord than the Apostle Paul, yet he never lost sight of the fact that he did not labor in his service to the Lord alone. He was surrounded by scores of partners whose ministries were being knit together with his by God so as to accomplish something far grander than anything he could ever have accomplished on his own, indeed, grander than anything he could ever have imagined.
And, folks, the same thing is true for every one of us who respond to God's call to ministry today. We don't labor alone. There is no such thing as a stand-alone ministry. God knits together the work of all of His children so that ultimately we are all partners in a single work, the goal of which is to bring glory to God. And this ministry partnership is a constant and indispensable source of encouragement--the kind of encouragement that can energize a servant of God for a lifetime.
And, folks, how could we possibly offer God anything less than a lifetime of service? What possible reason could we come up with to justify anything less than a lifetime of faithful service to our God?
How do you get bored when you're serving the one who forgave you, saved you and even now is preparing a place for you in heaven?
Where are you going to look to find something more important to do than serving the one who wants to use you to offer someone else what He's already given you?
And how are you going to adequately express your gratitude to the one who gave His life for you, with anything less than a lifetime spent in service to Him?
© Copyright 2004 Pastor Tom Marcum