INTRO.- ILL.- Little Billy brought home his report card. His mother was very disappointed with his low grades and she let him know about it. Billy said, “But it’s got a good side to it too. At least you know I’m not cheating.”
ILL.- Another boy came home from school with his report card. He said to his dad, “Dad, here’s my report card along with one of your old report cards.” His dad looked at the cards and said, “Well, son, you’re right. This old report card of mine doesn’t look any better than your report card. I guess the only fair thing to do is to give you what my father game me.”
How did your report card look when you were in school? What kind of grades did you get? And did you get what your father got if you had a poor report card?
I don’t ever remember getting a spanking for poor grades on anything I did in school, but I’m sure I got reprimanded in some form.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.
How is your spiritual report card? Is your faith being reported all over the known world? That’s highly doubtful. Is it even being talked about all over town? Or how about in your own family? Do your family members know that you are a person of faith by your actions, your speech, your church attendance, your giving, Christian service, etc.?
What is the evidence of your faith? How would your spiritual report card read? The faith of the Christians in Rome apparently had a good report card. Their faith was reported all over the known world at that time! Wow!
We don’t hear much today of people with faith like that. In the past, Billy Graham’s faith was evident to a large portion of Americans and even around the world. But we don’t hear of many like him today except for Rick Warren and a few others.
Both churches and individuals have a reputation either for good or ill, for faith or a lack of it. I heard about a church in Illinois that was known as a preacher killer and it was! On other hand, there are many churches that have a reputation for being kind, friendly, gracious, and giving.
I wonder our church report card would be considered by outsiders? Small? Hidden? Never heard of at all? Whoever heard of Loberg Lane? Christian Church? What kind? That’s what many people think. The term “Christian” has become somewhat generic to many people outside the church. That can be both good and bad. Many think that most churches are “Christian” in the sense of believing in Christ. THAT’S GOOD. But is there anything else distinguishing about our church that is good or Godly?
PROP.- Paul speaks of the faith of those saints at Rome.
1- A faith that is remembered
2- A faith that is renewed
3- A faith that is rewarded
I. A FAITH THAT IS REMEMBERED
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. I REMEMBER YOU. I REMEMBER YOU IN PRAYERS AT ALL TIMES.
Does anyone think of enough of you to remember to pray for you at all times? Every day? Many times a day. I pray so. I hope so.
Ephesians 1:15-17 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”
Philippians 1:3-4 “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy...”
Colossians 1:3-4 “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people...”
I Thessalonians 1:2-3 “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Do you get the picture? Do you see that Paul was a man who prayed much for others? He remembered them and remembered to pray for them. Are you constantly praying for others? And is your faith remembered by others in prayer?
ILL.-The earliest African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in their private devotions. Each one reportedly had separate spots in the thicket where he poured out his heart to God. The several paths to these little spots became distinctly marked; and when any one began to decline in devotions, it was soon apparent to others. They would then kindly remind him, saying, “Brother, the grass grows on your path yonder.”
Is the grass growing on your path? We all need to make prayer a priority in our lives. Jesus did. And we’ll get a whole lot more accomplished in this world if we do! And praying for others is one of the best prayers we can offer, besides praise and thanks to God.
If our faith is what it should be, we will be a people of prayer, remembering others in prayer and others remembering us in prayer. I sure hope someone is praying for me because I do a lot of praying for others!
Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
II. A FAITH THAT IS RENEWED
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—
It appears that Paul wanted to renew or strengthen the faith of others by imparting some spiritual gift.
ILL.- Some Go To Church...
Some go to church just for a walk,
Some go to church to laugh and talk,
Some go there the time to spend,
Some go there to meet a friend.
Some go there for speculation—
Some go there for observation,
Some go there to doze and nod,
Some, how few, to worship God.
When we gather, why do we gather? It is just a time of confab or just a time to get together to “shoot the breeze”? Or do we come to in order to encourage and edify others? Are we interested in seeing people grow stronger in the faith of Christ?
ILL.- The Perfect Church
I think that I shall never see
A Church that’s all it ought to be:
A Church whose members never stray
Beyond the Strait and Narrow Way:
A Church that has no empty pews,
Whose Pastor never has the blues,
A Church whose Deacons always deak,
And none is proud, and all are meek:
Where gossips never peddle lies,
Or make complaints or criticize;
Where all are always sweet and kind,
And all to other’s faults are blind.
Such perfect Churches there may be,
But none of them are known to me.
But still, we’ll work, and pray and plan,
To make our own the best we can.
How can we build the church and make her better? By ministering to one another and especially, by having an “outreach” mentality? Most of the time, all our ministries are geared to people in the church and not the lost who are on the outside. Both need to be done. Evangelize and edify.
Hebrews 10:23-25 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
This is what we do for one another in the church. We do things that encourage one another in the faith. We set the best example. We lead and encourage by example. We listen, pray and serve not only for ourselves but also for the purpose of encouraging others in the faith.
ILL.- I remember one time when I was a student at OCC in the 1960‘s. I attended the Fairview Christian Church in Carthage, MO. The teacher of our class was the preacher, Boyce Mouton, who was an excellent teacher and preacher. He couldn’t be beat. He knew his Bible and he knew how to present it. But I remember one time when he asked one of our young deacons to teach the class. As I recall, that deacon was very nervous about teaching because he’d never taught a class before. His nervousness was quite obvious, but he did a good job and that broke the ice for him to continue to teach.
By stepping out on faith in his teaching, he encouraged others whether he realized it or not. And this is what we all must do or should do in some form. We may not teach but we should do things that encourage others to serve: teaching, visiting, working in the church, offering to serve in any form.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—
We can’t impart spiritual gifts to others, because only God can do that, but we can’t encourage one another in the faith! We can minister to one another any way we can. Speak good words. Do good deeds.
Acts 16:40 “After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
III. A FAITH THAT IS REWARDED
12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. Where do I get this “rewarded” business? Paul spoke of having a harvest among you.
ILL.- A Yale University president gave this advice to a former president of Ohio State: “Always be kind to your A and B students. Someday one of them will return to your campus as a good professor. And also be kind to your C students. Someday one of them will return and build you a two-million dollar science laboratory.”
That might be true and it might not be true but kindness does pay. It’s a principle of scripture. We reap what we sow in life. If we sow good stuff it will bless others and it will also come back and bless us as well!
Galatians 6:7-10 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Whenever you sow good in the lives of others you will eventually reap a harvest of good or be rewarded with good. We don’t do good in order to get good stuff from God but good will come our way. We sow good just because God says to do it.
We need to busy sowing good stuff in this world. Every chance we get. We must do like Jesus who went about doing good. We must use every opportunity to do good: run errands, help neighbors, do a kind deed, etc.
ILL.- Some time ago my son Shane wrote me via email and asked me to pray for his friend, Justin, because Justin’s mother was about to die from cancer. Naturally, I told him I would. Shane wrote back and said his friend Justin asked him to come over and pray for him and his mother. That was on a Friday night. Shane said he’d never done that before, but he did it anyway and said he tried to be as positive as possible. (I’m sure he was probably quite nervous about doing that. How do you pray for someone who is dying?)
Would you do that for a friend whose mother was dying? Or for anyone who had a family member who was dying? That is just one good deed that we could do for others and it will be a blessing to all who are involved.
Proverbs 11:17 “A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.”
CONCLUSION--------------------------
ILL.- A mother asked her boy, “Why aren't you doing very well in history?" He replied, “Because the teacher keeps asking about things that happened before I was born!”
Is that how you feel about many things in regard to the faith? It’s beyond you? How is your spiritual report card? What kind of grade do you have?
We all need to live in such a way that our faith will make a mark on others, and in a positive way.
