Reviving Truths: Surrender, Ministry, and the Power of Prayer

I want you to notice what Paul says there in the first couple verses that we're taking a look at this morning, he's saying Romans I'm confident that you're filled with goodness I'm confident that you have knowledge I'm confident that you're able to admonish one another in other words I could see the Roman Christians coming to the end of this letter and saying Paul do you think we're stupid, do you think we don't know any of these things that you've written to us already, do you think that we're just babies just beginners in the Christian Life and Paul says no no no no. [00:01:46]

I guess the point from this is that that the Roman Christians were not ignorant they were not weak Paul knew that and he says I'm not writing this to you because you're ignorant I'm not writing this to you because you're weak I'm writing it to you well because it's always good to remind us of these things in the Christian life isn't it you know you may have come here this morning thinking that you need a new word from God a new revelation I doubt that very much. [00:02:19]

Probably what you need in your Christian life is to be reminded of something that you already know now I don't mean reminded just in the sense of you know the idea comes back into your your head I mean reminded of it in a deeply spiritual sense you need to be awakened and brought alive to something that you knew before in your Christian Life that you've departed from most likely now there may be some of you this morning and you do need something you need to learn something new you need to enter into something new in your Christian Life that's very possible. [00:02:49]

Oh but for the most part how we need to be reminded how we need to be revived to what we already know you see it in Christians all the time I see it in myself things that I know in my head things that I know in my in my you know intellectual knowledge open in the outworking of my life it's easy to depart from it well that's not what God wants for us now the other reason why Paul felt it was important to remind these Christians about this was he says it and notice it right here it's in verses 14 and 15. [00:03:30]

He says that uh excuse me verse 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and this is consistent with Paul's calling to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles in other words in fulfilling the call to write the book of Romans he was fulfilling the call to do this ministry among the the Romans I'll put it to you this way writing the book of Romans helped Paul to fulfill his call God had called him to do that didn't he God had called him to minister to the Gentiles in this way. [00:04:01]

And he didn't just do it through his personal Ministry he also did it through writing letters like the book of Romans and the whole point of it was if you notice at the end of verse 16 he says that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable in other words the Gentiles have an offering to make you have an offering to make to God it's the offering of a Living Sacrifice your life poured out in full consecration in full surrender to God and that was the point of what Paul was writing so that the Roman Christians would be awakened and aware to this. [00:04:40]

Paul says well listen I've received this ministry I've received this calling from God and I'm going to glory in it not that Paul gloried in himself but he gloried in the call friends there's a completely appropriate way for you to glory in the call or in the ministry that God has given you in Jesus Christ oh not that you use it to applaud yourself or to Pat yourself on the back that's not the idea but you're glorying in what Jesus Christ has done in you in the ministry and the opportunity that he's given you. [00:06:32]

Paul had a heart a passion to fulfill that to the utmost if you see what he wants to say he says I want to speak of what Jesus Christ has accomplished in me he says he will not speak using a double negative I won't speak of what Jesus has not accomplished in me that means he would speak of what Jesus did accomplish in him and he'll do it notice here in word and indeed to make the Gentiles obedient in Mighty signs and wonders you see when Paul preached the gospel he preached it in fullness and he preached it with such faith and he expected God to do great things in changing lives in doing miraculous works. [00:07:04]

We almost get the sense here that Paul would have considered the bear preaching of the Gospel without the power of God present to radically convert lives to bring miraculous works and signs among him he would have considered that less than fully preaching the gospel I guess I could put it to you this way that Paul preached a gospel that had evidence behind it people could see it people could see that there was something important something impressive going on that it wasn't just some man standing behind a Pulpit blathering on about religious ideas but that there was a power and a character to it that touched lives and transformed things with a miraculous power of God. [00:07:39]

Paul didn't want to build on another man's Foundation Paul didn't want to go and just build on what another man had done Paul had that remarkable pioneering Spirit Paul wanted to preach the gospel in new places not in the old places but in the new places where it had never been preached before and Friends there's plenty room in the kingdom of God for both kinds of works there's plenty of room in the kingdom of God for those to work among those who already Christians to work in communities where there already is a Christian presence but but God forbid if we forget that there must always be a pioneering spirit in the church to go out and do work among those who have never heard. [00:12:20]

Now Paul wanted to minister in the Frontiers he wanted to minister in Spain he said oh I want to go there and spread the gospel there he wanted to be out on the Frontiers but God God had what I would call unexpected Frontiers for Paul oh Frontiers yes but unexpected Frontiers you see Paul would go and preach the gospel in a place where it had never been preached before and he would go and he would do that in Rome but you know how Paul got to Rome as a prisoner you know who paid for his trip the Roman government the unexpected Frontier was that he had to preach before Caesar Nero himself. [00:15:24]

Now Paul was on his way to Jerusalem and all the way along this journey the book of Acts tells us that he would stop in different cities and receive a collection for the poor of Jerusalem and this basically was Paul's message he said listen Gentile Saints you owe so much spiritually to these Saints in Jerusalem they're in material need right now these Saints who have blessed you spiritually you should help them materially in their moment of need I guess the message that I want to get to from that particular point is to understand that there is Ministry both in spiritual and material things. [00:18:20]

Now I beg you Brethren through the Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the spirit that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the Saints then I may come to you with joy by the will of God and that you may be refreshed together with you now may the god of peace be with you all amen. [00:22:48]