Series Title: The Line in the Sand
Message Title: The Starting Line
Scripture:
Romans 1
7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong--12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
There is a progression found in these verses that, in verse 12, reaches a crescendo, a climax saying, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
What is it that brings us,
(Romans 1:6) “…those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”
to the point of being an encourager to one another?
We see at the end of our scriptures for today where it says, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, but where is the starting line? Where is the beginning for such a great role? It starts in verse seven.
Loved by God
Called Saints
The objects of Grace
Recipients of Peace
Before we go into the motivation to be a mutual encourager, let’s retrace our steps a little and find out what it means to be called of Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 22:14, NIV) "For many are invited, but few are chosen."
(Matthew 22:14, KJV) “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
When Jesus spoke those words, the word invited or called symbolized the gospel being proclaimed to the world. To anyone and everyone that had ears the call went out. Then later, in Romans, chapter one, verse six and again in verse seven, the word was refined by the Spirit of God to mean those that not only heard the call, but accepted the invitation to become a child of God. Yet the development of the word doesn’t stop here in verses six and seven, but continues its refining process until we see it for the last time in
(Revelation 17:14) These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
In the Gospels, the message, the call, went out from the lips of our Savior, Jesus Christ, to all that could hear. In the epistles, the message continued to go out and those who listened, accepted, and acted upon that divine invitation are reckoned to be among the called of Jesus Christ.
Are you among the called of Jesus Christ? That’s the first step in becoming an encourager. That’s the first step in truly knowing the message of Thanksgiving.
The believers that Paul has addressed this epistle to, and every believer today, are the object of the powerful message that was sent out from God. You have believed the message of God and you have passed from death, into life. No longer are you under the curse, no longer do you have to fear death, no longer do you have to wonder about what comes next. No longer do you have to please others. No longer are you held in bondage by a decaying world. You are children of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. That is the message of Thanksgiving! One small step for man, one giant step in your relationship with Jesus Christ! Amen?
How do you become an encourager? Again those points are:
Loved by God
Called Saints
The objects of Grace
Recipients of Peace
Loved by God
Paul tells the believers in Rome that they are loved by God. Sure, God loves everyone,
(John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
But the same Apostle that wrote those words is the very same one that wrote these words:
(1 John 3:1) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
The Creator God loves the world and the men and women in the world. So much so, that He sent his Son to die a criminal’s death on the cross. But, only those that have put their faith in that finished work on the cross become sons and daughters of God and have the right to call Him Father.
We are asked to love all men and women of this earth, yet those in your very household are the ones that are your beloved. The unbeliever is never called beloved in scripture, and most definitely Paul is not speaking to the unsaved in this portion of scripture. No, Paul is talking only to:
(Romans 1:6) “…those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.”
If there is anyone of you here today that has not heeded the call to belong to Jesus Christ, then anything else that is said concerning Thanksgiving or encouragement will be confusing to you because, though you are loved of God, you are not the beloved of God, you are not accepted in Jesus Christ!
(Ephesians 1:6, KJV) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
That is the starting line. That is where you begin. That’s the beginning for the Christian, and it’s not found in works. That’s the introduction for the Christian life, and it’s not based on us making ourselves clean, but on the blood of Christ washing us making us clean. He is the solid rock on which I stand. That is what I’m thankful for, how about you? What is your hope built on?
Let’s sing this hymn, "My Hope is Built" (Solid Rock)[without the second verse]
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
Refrain:
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.
His oath, his covenant, his blood
supports me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.
(Refrain)
When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found!
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne!
(Refrain)
Called Saints
If you are called to belong in Jesus Christ, and are loved by God, then it follows naturally that you are a called saint. That is the new name of the redeemed. The old name was sinner, now you’re a saint.
When man wants to make someone a saint, he does it a different way than God’s way of making a saint. When man wishes to make someone a saint, an application is submitted to ecclesiastical authority. A specific process is followed. The person’s life and service on this earth is reviewed. Then a committee is appointed to find out all the wrong things this person did. After that, a defense committee is formed and they find out all the good that person did. Evidence of miracles and healings are submitted. The process could take years. Finally, if he or she is found worthy, then they receive sainthood.
With God, there is quite a different process. He doesn’t care what you did before coming to know Him. He’s forgotten all of that and it never will be brought up again. Amen?
You, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, the loved of God, are called saints.
You are:
The Objects of Grace
Day by day, you are the objects of the love and grace of God. and when you are surrendered to it, you shall be
Recipients of Peace
Grace and peace come to you, the called of God, jointly from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. God who has become the Father of those who believe in Christ is the author and source of grace and peace. The Lord Jesus Christ is the bringer of that grace and peace, and the Spirit of God is the maintainer of that grace and peace.
Through these very things,
-belonging to Jesus
-loved by God
-Grace and peace from God and Jesus
the Roman Christians became encouragers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So much so, that Paul encourages them by telling them the impact of their efforts. Reported all over the world!
These very things should also be the only motivation that we need to be encourages of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
William Arthur Ward, author, pastor, and teacher once said,
“Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you.”
Paul could have flattered the Romans and said something nice about them. He doesn’t do that. Instead, he chooses to report on what he has observed.
When’s the last time you reported to someone what you’ve observed. Here’s some things I’ve observed...
=You know I’ve heard there are a lot of kids here on Monday nights.
=I heard through Jody Crain that the mission team not only did a great job, but were really well-liked by the people there. They put smiles on everyone’s faces.
=Our records revealed that God has used this small church to raise over $26,000 in one year for missions.
When’s the last time you passed along praise that you’ve heard that was directed at someone you know, but came from someone else? Did you get jealous or envious and contain that fire, or did you let it spread and let that person know exactly how much they encouraged someone?
My prayer for you and your family this Thanksgiving is that you may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith here at Uijongbu Community Church.
Summary:
In every leadership seminar, class, or study, the first thing we’re called on to do others, right after loving them, is to encourage them. Encouragement is like fertilizer to the flower. Never give it any, and you really don’t notice too much on the outside, but it’s life has been strengthened, lengthened, and brightened.
Are you a discourager or an encourager? You may be the only person that has the opportunity to strengthen someone. You may be the only person that the opportunity to brighten up someone’s day. So far this day is about 40,000 seconds old, how many of them have you spent encouraging someone?
I want to read a note to encourage you to be an encourager by thanking God for what He has done in your life. I want you to reflect upon this short note this week as Thanksgiving comes and goes.
Charles L. Brown, Content The Newsletter, June, 1990, p. 3.
Why did only one cleansed leper return to thank Jesus? The following are nine suggested reasons why the nine did not return:
One waited to see if the cure was real.
One waited to see if it would last.
One said he would see Jesus later.
One decided that he had never had leprosy.
One said he would have gotten well anyway.
One gave the glory to the priests.
One said, "O, well, Jesus didn’t really do anything."
One said, "Any rabbi could have done it."
One said, "I was already much improved."
