Romans 1:5 – Grace & Ministry
5. By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
I. Received Gifts
a. Paul is going to describe the powerful, life-changing gifts he has received from Christ
b. James 1:17 -- Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
c. We must recognize that everything good in our life is a gift from God
d. 1 Corinthians 4:7 -- For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
e. This is true of both gifts (like grace) and calling (like apostleship)
f. Because we receive these from the Lord, it is foolish to:
i. Boast of our accomplishments
ii. Glory in our abilities
iii. Feel insecure in our work
iv. Compare ourselves to others
g. Like the parable of the talents, we must reverently fulfill our calling understanding the giver of the gift will measure our faithfulness in service
II. Grace
a. Grace is mentioned 24 times in the book of Romans, 159 times in Scripture, with over 100 of those being from the Apostle Paul
b. This consistent theme from Paul is the foundation of understanding salvation
c. We would misunderstand grace to understand it in its current human context – She has grace, he was a gracious host
d. Grace in the New Testament refers to the great undeserved showering of God’s goodness on the unworthiest of recipients, sinful and rebellious people
e. Grace is the reason and means by which God brings us salvation
i. Ephesians 2:7-9 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
f. Grace is given to heal the spiritually sick, not to decorate spiritual heroes.
g. Part of our problem is in understanding the nature of grace itself.
i. Grace is scandalous.
ii. It’s hard to accept, hard to believe, and hard to receive.
iii. Grace shocks us in what it offers. It is truly not of this world.
iv. It frightens us with what it does and how we need it.
h. Grace teaches us that God does for others what we would never do for them.
i. We would save the not-so-bad.
ii. God starts with prostitutes and then works downward from there.
iii. Grace is a gift that costs everything to the giver and nothing to the receiver.
iv. It is given to those who don’t deserve it, barely recognize it, and hardly appreciate it.
v. That’s why God alone gets the glory in your salvation.
vi. Jesus did all the work when he died on the cross.
i. In the end grace means that no one is too bad to be saved.
i. God specializes in saving really bad people.
ii. Do you have some things in your background that you would be ashamed to talk about in public?
iii. Fear not.
iv. God knows all about it, and His grace is greater than your sin.
j. Grace also means that some people may be too good to be saved.
i. That is, they may have such a high opinion of themselves that they think they don’t need God’s grace.
ii. God’s grace cannot help you until you are desperate enough to receive it.
iii. There are two kinds of people who need Grace – those who know they need it, and those who think they don’t.
k. Grace offers us a fresh start.
i. The Christian life is really a series of new beginnings.
ii. That’s what grace is all about. No one is first, and no one is last.
iii. I’m not better than you and you’re no better than me.
iv. You’re no worse than I am and I’m no worse than you are.
v. We’re all covered by the grace of Christ.
l. When you get what you deserve, it is justice
i. When you get goodness you don't deserve, it is grace
ii. When you deserve hell and God gives you heaven, it is grace
iii. When you fall, and there is a hand to pick you up, there is grace
iv. When you are sick, and you receive His healing touch, there is grace
v. When you are a prodigal, but there is a Father running toward you with a robe, shoes & a ring, there is grace
vi. When you fall into the your same weakness & sins, and you find He is still faithful to forgive, there is grace
m. I think the biggest gap in our understanding in our culture is grace.
i. Take for example Alan Jackson, a singer after my own heart (almost all of his songs have something to do with food)
ii. I said where I come from
iii. It's cornbread and chicken
iv. Where I come from a lotta front porch sitin'
v. Where I come from tryin' to make a livin'
vi. And workin' hard to get to heaven
n. Grace is the power behind the gospel. (not creed, religion or philosophy)
i. It’s the wonder of the gospel. (that God would reach somebody like me)
ii. It’s the distinction of the gospel. (No other religion is based redemption—giving a second chance to anyone who has fallen)
iii. GRACE: God’s favor that is unearned, undeserved and un-repayable.
III. Apostleship
a. While GRACE ALONE brings us right standing with God, calling and service flow out a worshipful life
b. Paul’s calling was apostleship, one of the five ministry offices given to the church
i. Ephesians 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
c. There are other ministry gifts that we will see as we peel back the layers of calling in the text of Romans 12:5-8
i. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
d. Without dissecting every type of ministry gift, it is clear that there are numerous outlined:
i. Prophetic
ii. Service
iii. Teaching
iv. Encouragement
v. Giving
vi. Administration / Leadership
vii. Mercy
e. The key thing to understand is calling flows out of grace
i. When you receive grace, serving in the Kingdom is your response of worship
ii. Service does not bring you right standing with God
iii. But when you have received life-altering grace, you respond with worship of giving your time, talent and treasure
iv. Luke 7:47 – Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
v. Luke 17:10 – So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
f. Just as Paul (transformed from Saul) devoted his days & martyrdom to carry out his calling of apostleship, we must find our calling and gifting to serve
i. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;
IV. For HIS Name
a. While Paul poured his life out as a labor for Christ, it was not to build a memorial to himself
i. Philippians 2:17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
ii. 2 Timothy 4:6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.
b. Colossians 3:17 – And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
c. Harry Truman said “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
i. Paul would probably say, “it is amazing what you can accomplish if only the Lord gets the credit”
d. John 12:32 “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself”
e. If our lives are a measure of our worship to the NAME of JESUS, is He worshipped with a praise He is truly worthy of?
f. While our corporate time of worship, lifting hands is good and important, the greatest worship is what we do that brings glory to the Name of Jesus
