11 October, 1998 Introduction Do you know who you are? I'm not talking about your name or what family you belong to. I'm talking who you are in relation to God's kingdom work. If you were to introduce yourself to a group of people whom you have never met before, how would you do it? What would you tell them about yourself? I believe what you would tell them about yourself says a lot about who you perceive yourself to be. And if you are of the mind that the Apostle was about himself, you might find yourself introducing yourself as he did to the many churches that he wrote to. Case in point, the way he introduced himself to the church at Rome. If we would see ourselves as Paul saw himself and described himself to the believers at Rome, we just might have the same kind of passion for kingdom work that Paul had. Background The letter to the Romans is the most extensive, in-depth, formal and systematic epistle that Paul has written. It pretty much covers everything that needs to be covered concerning Christian life and doctrine. It has been said that if you only had one book of the Bible out of all the others, all you would need is Romans. The book of Romans has had a powerful influence on the lives of so many people in the history of Christianity. The story is told of one young man, who at an obvious crossroads in his life, sensed a divine command to open the Bible and read the first passage he came to. Doing so, he turned to Romans 13:13,14 and read these words: Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. The young man was St. Augustine and he said of this experience, "In an instant, the light of confidence flooded into my heart and all the darkness of doubt was dispelled." And who can forget the great reformation that was launched by Martin Luther after he found release from his struggles with God by claiming salvation by grace through faith when he read the words of Romans 1:17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." So the book of Romans is certainly life changing, as any other book of the Bible is. Rome was the capitol of and the most important city of the Roman Empire. It was located along the Tiber River and in Paul's day the population was over one million people - many of whom were slaves. It was a city of magnificent buildings but also one that was marred by slums. At this point in time, Paul had not visited there. The church at Rome was one that Paul had not planted but was probably founded by some of those who were converted on the day of Pentecost. So Paul had never visited this place where he, at the writing of this letter, longed to visit. And it is good that he had not been able to visit Rome before he wrote this letter. As John MacArthur points out that "in God's providence, Paul's inability to visit Rome gave the world this inspired masterpiece of gospel doctrine." But it would be in Rome where Paul would end up under house arrest for preaching the gospel and it was in Rome where his life would be taken from him for preaching the gospel. Paul's purpose in writing to the Christians at Rome was not to correct any kind of wrong theology or ungodly living but rather Paul writes this letter for a couple of other reasons: ·
To teach the great truths of the gospel of grace to those who had never had any kind of apostolic instruction ·
To introduce himself to a church where he had never visited and where he was not personally known. ·
To offer practical and doctrinal instruction. For Paul it was important to teach correct doctrine before he did practical living. How can one really live according to the truth if that person does not know the truth. In this epistle as in others of Paul's, doctrine is of prime importance. So Romans is primarily an epistle of doctrine but one that also emphasizes the practical outworking of doctrine. The theme of Romans is simple: the righteousness that comes from God - that God justifies guilty, condemned sinners by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. The letter consists of two halves: a doctrinal section - chapters 1-11 and a practical section in chapters 12-16. Just like he does in Galatians and Ephesians, Paul spends the majority of the letter laying a foundation for the kind of life that is expected of every follower of Christ. In the opening statements that Paul makes in his introduction of the letter, we can learn quite a bit about the man who wrote these words. Here Paul is introducing himself to a people whom he had never met in person. No doubt they had heard of him. And maybe they had heard some things that were not accurate. So here Paul cuts to the chase about who he is and what his purpose is - mainly his purpose in life and ministry. Paul was never one to have an identity crisis. He knew who he was, where he had come from, and what his purpose was. And it was that understanding of those facts of life that caused him to do what he did for the kingdom. People could say what they wanted to about him but he knew the truth about who he was and what he was about. Here we see Paul's credentials. Here we see the kind of man Paul was and the kind of people we need to be. We need to be able to say about ourselves as Paul is saying here in these verses about himself we need to be able to say that this is who we are and what we're about. From these introductory words to the church at Rome, I would like to share with you how these verses speak to me about this very issue. I. We Need to Come To Grips With Who We Are Paul had a pretty good grip on who he was in his relationship with God and in his relationship to kingdom work. And I believe that we need to see ourselves in this light as well. 1. We Are Servants of Jesus Christ - 1:1 Paul makes it clear as to what is first and foremost in his life - that he is a servant of Jesus Christ. The word he uses for servant is the common NT word,
J.I. packer points out that " 'servant' in our English New Testament usually represents the Greek
doulos (bondslave). Sometimes it means diakonos (deacon or minister); this is strictly accurate, for doulos and diakonos are synonyms. Both words denote a man who is not at his own disposal, but is his master's purchased property. Bought to serve his master's needs, to be at his beck and call every moment, the slave's sole business is to do as he is told. Christian service therefore means, first and foremost, living out a slave relationship to one's Savior (1 Cor. 6:19-20).It means being willing to do literally anything, however costly, irksome, or undignified, in order to help them.
And when the New Testament speaks of ministering to the saints, it means not primarily preaching to them but devoting time, trouble, and substance to giving them all the practical help possible."
(Your Father Loves You by James Packer, Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986, Page March 3)
That is what being a servant of Jesus Christ is all about. That was the kind of man Paul saw himself to be and that is the kind of people you and I need to see ourselves as being.
2. We Are Ambassadors of Jesus Christ - 1:1,5
Paul refers to himself here as an apostle. The word apostle simply means "one who is sent." In the NT it primarily refers to the 12 disciples and then to Matthias who was chosen to replace Judas. But in a broader sense and less official, it can describe anyone whom God has sent with the message. Paul knew without a doubt that not only was he a servant but he was an ambassador of Christ by virtue of him being called to be an apostle.
a. Our calling is from God - 1:1
Paul mentions the call three times in these 7 verses. He refers to his call to be an apostle, the call that is extended to people from among all Gentiles and the call to be saints. The word is
klhtos and simply means called or invited as being invited to a meal as figurative for being invited to the kingdom. Here in Romans 1:1 the call seems to be suggesting a call to an office but for Paul the call as a Christian and as an apostle is the same thing - it is a call of God and initiated by God.It was God's idea for Paul to be a Christian and it was God's idea for Paul to be an apostle.
Remember this - whatever God has called you to - it was His idea - He thought of it first. He initiated the call to follow and the call to serve. When Jesus called the 12 disciples, it was His idea. The disciples did not come running up to Him and ask Him if they could abandon their livelihoods and follow Him to who knows where. Jesus sought them out and called them. And when it comes to our Christian life and ministry, Jesus sought us out too. It was His idea from the beginning.
But keep in mind two things about Paul being sent as an apostle. First of all, his calling was clearly from God - that we have established. But his calling and apostleship was also recognized by the leadership of a local church - the church at Antioch. And it was out of that church that he and Barnabas was sent and also acceptable to. He was not sent out of his own volition but he was sent out by God and by man.
Though we are initially called of God to do kingdom work and proclaim His message, let us not think that we can just go about and do what we think God is calling us to do apart from being accountable to other leaders as well as to God.
b. Our calling is by His grace - 1:5
Paul recognized that his being called to be a Christian and an apostle was not based on his own merits or his own abilities. His call to apostleship and his call to follow Jesus was based solely on the grace of God. The grace he speaks of here is the word he uses over and over again in this epistle and others.
And it is the word that you have heard me preach on over and over again. The word is
caris and it means "favor, gracious care, help and goodwill." It refers to that which one grants to another - the action of one who volunteers to do something to which he is not bound. And notice how Paul obtained this grace. He says that he received it. The word is lambanw and it means "to receive, to get or obtain." It is most often used in the passive sense meaning, "to acquire." This favor, gracious care, goodwill - this grace was something that Paul received by God. Paul knew without a doubt that through the grace of God he had been called to be an apostle and that he had been fitted out with the abilities that was required for this office.The fact is that we are who we are by the grace of God. Whether you are a Sunday school teacher, a trustee, an elder or a deacon, a junior church worker, or whatever it is you are doing for Him in the context of the church or in your life's vocation, it is by His grace that you can service and follow Him. You and I do not have the resources within ourselves to do anything for God. The only thing that we really have within ourselves to do is to be sinners. To serve Him, to follow Him, to do the work He has called us to do is beyond the resources that we have within ourselves - it is by His grace that we can be and are ones who are sent into this world to do His will.
Paul knew that his life and calling was completely by the grace of God and it was on the grace of God that he fully leaned.
c. It is for His glory - 1:5
All that we do is to be done in such a way that we would do honor to the name of Jesus. That is part of what Paul is talking about when he says that he is called to be an apostle for His name's sake. It is do what we have been called to do and be that God would be honored and glorified. We need to be careful that we would do anything that would bring dishonor to his name as we serve Him and follow Him.
II. We Need to Understand What Our Purpose Is
Paul recognizes that he is not his own but, God's sovereign choice, he has been set apart. The word set apart means "to sever, to separate, or to appoint." It is used for the divine separation for service and is the word that is used of the Holy Spirit separating Paul and Barnabas for missionary service in Acts 13:2.
Paul was first and foremost set apart by God when God met him on the Road to Damascus. And he was set apart by man when the Holy Spirit instructed the brothers at Antioch to set apart Paul and Barnabas for the work to which they had been called.
So what had he been set apart for? Just what was Paul's purpose in life? And just what is our purpose?
1. To Proclaim the Gospel Message - 1:1
Here Paul introduces the basic theme of his letter - the gospel. And it was the proclamation of this gospel that was at the core of Paul's being. His passion in life was to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
And he makes some definite statements about this gospel message that he has been called to proclaim to the world and to the believers at Rome.
a. It is a message that comes from God - 1:1
Paul had often been accused of making up the message that he had been proclaiming. But here he makes it clear that this message is not of his own contriving but it is a message from God. And that is what gives the message of the gospel its power and authority. It is not something that is man made but it is directly from the heart of God. And that same gospel message from God is the message that you and I are to be proclaiming.
b. It is a message that was promised through the prophets 1:2
The gospel, of which devotes much devotes much of this letter, had been promised beforehand through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures. The word uses is a rare one meaning just that - "to announce beforehand or to promise beforehand." One commentator points out that "promise means more than prophecy because it commits the Almighty to make good His word, whereas a prophecy could be just an advance announcement of something that would happen.
Paul made a similar declaration in the opening words to his letter to Titus in chapter 1:1-3 where he writes:
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness--
a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
The good news that Paul preaches has been in the heart and mind of God since the beginning of time.
c. It is a message that is focused on Jesus Christ - 1:3-4
So many of us think that the proclamation of the gospel is not the responsibility of the ordinary, everyday Christian. But that could be further from the truth. The proclamation of the message is the responsibility of everyone who has become a follower of Jesus Christ.
In his book entitled, Good News is for Sharing, Leighton Ford tells of a time that he was speaking at an open-air crusade in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He says that Billy Graham was to speak the next night and had arrived a day early. He came incognito and sat on the grass at the rear of the crowd. And so because he was wearing a hat and dark glasses, no one recognized him. Directly in front of him sat an elderly gentleman who seemed to be listening intently to my presentation. When Leighton invited the people to come forward as an open sign of commitment, Billy decided to do a little personal evangelism. He tapped the man on the shoulder and asked, "Would you like to accept Christ? I'll be glad to walk down with you if you want to."
The old man looked him up and down, thought it over for a moment, and then said, "Naw, I think I'll just wait till the big gun comes tomorrow night."
Mr. Ford comments, "Billy and I have had several good chuckles over that incident. Unfortunately, it underlines how, in the minds of many people, evangelism is the task of the 'Big Guns,' not the 'little shots.'
(Good News is for Sharing, Leighton Ford, 1977, David C. Cook Publishing Co., Page 67)Always remember this - that God can use some of you to proclaim the gospel as He can someone like the Apostle Paul. It has little to do with the person doing the proclaiming but it has everything to do with the power and the grace of God in that person to share that message.
And can you imagine how different things might be if we understood that it is our purpose to share the gospel message in our own sphere of influence? That was Paul's purpose - set apart for the gospel. And even though he was an itinerant apostle and evangelist, his purpose is not much further from what God's purpose is for you and for me. And if we saw things that way, we might have the same passion that Paul had.
2. To Promote a Life of Obedience - 1:5
Specifically, it is obedience to God and His commands. Jesus commands each of us who follow Him to "...go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
Here in verse this obedience is to be taken in the sense of promoting obedience to the message of faith. But it also may be taken with a more general view of promoting obedience, which springs from faith. In other words, if a person has truly put their in Jesus and have come to be a follower of Him, obedience will be an obvious outcome.
Paul never proclaimed a message that excluded a life of obedience. In Paul's theology, obedience to God was not the basis of our salvation but it was an outcome of our salvation. Those who had been truly converted to follow Christ would be a people who would follow Him in obedience. And it was that life of obedience that Paul promoted, as you can see in the latter part of this epistle. Jesus lived a life of complete obedience to His Father and those who follow Him should do no less. Paul knew that his salvation was based, not on his own good works or accomplishments for the kingdom. But yet he was as obedient as anyone could be. And it was that life of obedience that springs from faith that Paul promoted. It is a life of obedience that God enables us to live and it is a life of obedience that we live to please Him. And we are to promote that life of obedience not only in word but by example.
3. To Perform the Task to Which We Have Been Assigned - 1:5,6
Paul had been assigned to be an ambassador of Christ to the Gentiles. It was a task that he knew was his without a doubt. And it was a task that he took seriously and he had committed the rest of his life to accomplishing that task.
Paul knew exactly what his purpose in life was - and it was that purpose that was the driving force behind everything he did. He lived to do just exactly what God had set him apart to do.
It is said that news commentator Dan Rather has a good way of keeping his professional objective always in mind. He says he looks often at a question he's written on three slips of paper. He keeps one in his billfold, one in his pocket, and one on his desk. The probing reminder asks, "Is what you are doing now helping the broadcast?"
(Our Daily Bread, March 9)Maybe we could write a similar question to ourselves, "Is what we are doing now helping to advance the gospel of the kingdom?"
Do we know what our purpose is? And are we living for that purpose?
Conclusion
If we could see ourselves as Paul saw himself and described himself to the believers at Rome:
· We would know who we are - that we are servants of Christ, ambassadors of Christ.
· We would know what our purpose is - to proclaim the gospel message, to promote a life of obedience and to perform the task to which we have been assigned.
· But more than being like Paul the Apostle, we really need to follow the example of Jesus Christ our Lord.
When the wife of missionary Adoniram Judson told him that a newspaper article likened him to some of the apostles, Judson replied, "I do not want to be like a Paul … or any mere man. I want to be like Christ...I want to follow Him only, copy His teachings, drink in His Spirit, and place my feet in His footprints...Oh, to be more like Christ!"
And if that is our desire, then we will be able to say of ourselves as Paul writes here in Romans 1.