Pauls Passionate Apostolic Ministry Series

ROMANS 15:14-33. PAULS PASSIONATE MINISTRY FOR THE CHURCH TO EMULATE.

WE CAN EASILY FORGET THAT THE BOOK OF ROMANS WE ARE GOING THROUGH IS A PERSONAL LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN ROME. AS WE HAVE TRAVELLED THROUGH THE BOOK OF ROMANS WE HAVE SEEN IT IS FULL OF DEEP THEOLOGICAL AND DOCTRINAL TRUTHS: THE DEPRAVITY OF HUMANITY – THE ATONEMENT (PROPITIATION)- JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH – THE HOLY SPIRIT - LAW AND CHRIST – LAW AND - THE PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION- GLORIFICATION – GODS PURPOSES IN ELECTION FOR JEW AND GENTILE. WE HAVE SEEN OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN SOCIETY AND IN THE LOCAL CHURCH. GODS WORD IS LAID DOWN FOR US NOT AS A TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT ADVICE – OR OPEN FOR DISCUSSION OR CHANGE - BUT FOR THE CHURCHES INSTRUCTION AND APPLICATION.

WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT? THE ARTS, THE ENVIRONMENT, POLITICS, HUMAN RIGHTS, THE SCIENCES, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE YOU WILL EXERT A LOT OF TIME, ENERGY AND MONEY SOMEONE COULD POUR THEIR WHOLE LIVES INTO IT AND YOU WILL MOST PROBABLY KNOW ALL THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT IT AND YOU WILL BE PASSIONATE ABOUT SHARING IT WITH OTHERS. WHAT ABOUT MINISTRY ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT IT? GODS WORD SHARES WITH US TODAY, PAULS PASSIONATE MINISTRY: ROMANS 15:14 -33

THIS PART OF THE LETTER IS VERY PERSONAL IN NATURE. PAUL ADDRESSES HIMSELF REFERRING TO HIS APOSTOLIC MINISTRY TO THE GENTILES V16. THIS MORNING WE WILL SEE SOMETHING OF PAUL’S PASSIONATE MINISTRY.

TO MINISTER: TO SERVE OR SERVANT - BOND SLAVE. (ROM 1:1) I BELIEVE THIS PASSIONATE MINISTRY SHOWN TO US THROUGH THE APOSTLE PAUL CAN BE THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR A PASSIONATE MINISTRY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH TO EMULATE. ONE OF WHICH IS DEEPLY BIBLICAL AND CHRIST CENTRED.

RECAP: PAST CHARACTER AND CONVERSION. LET US REMEMBER HOW PAUL GOT WHERE HE WAS?

(PHI. 3:4-6) PREVIOUSLY A STRICT JEW FROM THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN, CIRCUMCISED ON THE 8TH DAY, HE HAD A GREAT EDUCATION TAUGHT UNDER RABBI GAMIEAL HE WAS SET APART FOR GREATNESS IN JEWISH CIRCLES. YET ON HIS WAY TO PERSECUTE CHRISTIANS ON THE RD TO DAMASCUS HE WAS SET APART BY GOD TO PREACH TO THE GENTILES (ACTS 9 1- 16) HE HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE RISEN CHRIST AND WAS CONVERTED. AND THE DYNAMICS OF HIS WHOLE LIFE CHANGED, NO LONGER SERVING HIS STRICT RELIGIOUS LAWS AND TRADITIONS BUT ENTERING INTO THE GRACE OF GOD. (V15-16)

THE REASON I AM UNPACKING THIS BACKGROUND IS THAT FOR ANYBODY TO ENTER INTO MINISTRY OF GOD THEY FIRST AND FOREMOST MUST BE CONVERTED. THE MINISTRY OF GOD IS NOT A VOCATION THAT ONE CHOOSES LIKE BECOMING A DOCTOR OR LAWYER, WHERE ONE TRAINS FOR SUCH A POSITION, ALTHOUGH THAT DOES HAPPEN TO THE DETERMENT OF THE CHURCH. BUT IT IS A CALLING OF GOD! BEING SET APART FOR HIS PURPOSES (ROM 1:1,15:15-16) THIS IS WHAT PAUL EXPERIENCED, IT’S A VITAL INGREDIENT FOR ANY MINISTER (BROADER SENSE EVERY CHRISTIAN IS A MINISTER) BUT HERE SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO THOSE WHO ARE GIVEN TO THE CHURCH TO EQUIP THE SAINTS FOR MINISTRY (EPH 4:9 – 13).

A PERSON MAY BE WELL EDUCATED, HAVE GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS, A GREAT PERSONALITY, A WHIZZ AT ADMINISTRATION GREAT PEOPLES PERSON, BUT ARE THEY CALLED BY GOD TO MINISTER IN THE LOCAL CHURCH? THIS IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE. OR DO THEY JUST HAVE SOME RELIGIOUS INCLINATIONS JUST LIKE A SOMEONE FROM ANY OTHER RELIGION?

PAUL CERTAINLY KNEW OF RELIGIOUS INCLINATIONS (HE HAD IT IN ABUNDANCE) THEN HE ENCOUNTERED THE GRACE OF GOD, TO BE A MINISTER...

DO YOU KNOW THIS GRACE? HAVE YOU ENTERED OUT OF A RELIGION INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST? HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED THIS GRACE OF GOD TO BE A SERVANT OF GOD IN YOUR OWN LIFE?

PAUL HAD A NEW OVERRIDING PASSION TO HIS MINISTRY NO LONGER WAS IT SET UPON HIS PERSONAL BIRTH RIGHT - VOCATION AND RELIGIOUS INCLINATIONS AS A RELIGIOUS JEW, BUT IT WAS CENTRED UPON HIS GOD AND SAVIOUR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST THIS WAS PAULS PASSION.

• COUNT NIKOLAUS LUDWIG VON ZINZENDORF WHO FOUNDED THE MORAVIANS SAID “I HAVE BUT ONE PASSION; IT IS HE, HE ONLY.”

1. PAULS PASSION TO TEACH THE CHURCH. v14 -16 READ VERSES

PAUL WAS AN APOSTLE ONE WHO HAD DIRECTLY SEEN THE RISEN LORD AND BEEN COMMISSIONED BY HIM WITH APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL INVOLVING PLANTING CHURCHES AND THEN TEACHING THEM THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL. PAUL’S AUTHORITY IS GOD GIVEN V15 -16 HE SPEAKS OF THE GRACE GOD GAVE HIM TO BE A MINISTER.

HE WAS A WRITER OF 13 NT BOOKS. (LEAVING HEBREWS OUT) GOD USED PAUL TO IMPART HIS GOSPEL TO US – SO THEIR IS NO BETTER PERSON QUALIFIED THAN PAUL HIMSELF TO TEACH AND TRAIN THE CHURCHES BECAUSE IT IS COMING FROM GOD. ROMANS WE HAVE SEEN THROUGH THE MONTHS ARE RICH WITH TEACHING MATERIAL FOR THE CHRISTIAN TO GROW AND MATURE IN THEIR FAITH. RIGHT THROUGH THE BOOK OF ROMANS – WE SEE PAULS PASSION TO TEACH IMPARTING CHRISTIAN TRUTH. PAUL WAS A PASTOR TEACHER WHO CARED FOR GODS CHURCH, HIS TEACHING ENABLED CHURCHES TO GROW AND AVOID ERROR: