Paul's legacy as a preacher of the Gospel is evident in the numerous churches he established and the epistles he wrote, which continue to be foundational texts for Christian doctrine and practice today.
His unwavering commitment to spreading the message of Christ to both Jews and Gentiles alike has left an indelible mark on the history of Christianity.
We do not have to wonder WHAT KIND OF SERMON PAUL PREACHED, as we read the book of Romans we get a good idea about some of the things that Paul preached about to the people of God in Romans 12.
• Some of the topics he dealt with are so deep that theologians for ages have been digging nuggets of gold out of the sermons he preached.
• However, some of the sermons he preached are down to earth topics that deals with our daily lives.
Such as…
I. OUR DEALINGS
That is, he preached on HOW WE ARE TO DEAL WITH EACH OTHER…
For example, If you remember in Romans chapters 9, 10, and 11, Paul addressed the Jew’s problem of thinking to highly of themselves because they were from the seed of Abraham.
They actually felt they were better than everyone else because they boasted they were from the seed of Abraham.
Everyone should be proud of their descendants. But they took it to the extreme they were descendants of Abraham
Illus: That would be like my mother came from the middletons and I boasted I was kin to the PRINCESS KATE MIDDLETON of WALES.
I have never done any research on that, but I had some relatives from her part of the country and I am sure somewhere our families crossed paths many years ago.
In fact, I was wondering why she did not call me to preach her wedding to Prince William…JUST KIDDING!
I am trying to make a point!!!
The Jews boasted they were something special because they were descendants of ABRAHAM.
But when he gets to chapter 12, this pride that the Jews had seems to be still on the mind of Paul as he now addresses the Gentiles.
WHY DO WE SAY THIS SEEMS TO BE STILL ON HIS MIND?
Because when he gets to chapter 12, he talks to the Gentiles about not THINKING TO HIGHLY OF THEMSELVES also.
Paul suggested they think “Soberly”.
A man’s thinking is messed up when he is not sober.
Illus: Most of us have heard a drunk talk. He thinks he is the toughest, best looking, most intelligent man on the face of the earth.
WHY DOES HE THINK THIS WAY?
Because his mind is messed up.
• Paul recognized that it is easy for the devil to mess up our minds and make us think to highly of ourselves.
• But if we are going to be right in our relationship with each other, we cannot think to highly of ourselves.
Illus: Listen, we should be able to look any man in the eye and say, I AM NO BETTER THAN YOU, AND YOU ARE NOT BETTER THAN IAM. You may drive a bigger car and live in a bigger house than I do, but all that means is that you have a bigger car and bigger house than I do.
He dealt with OUR DEALINGS with each other in that we are all EQUAL IN THE EYES OF GOD AND THAT IS ALL THAT REALLY COUNTS!!!
But also he deals with…
II. OUR DUTY
The church today has gotten side-tracked, and has lost its sense of DUTY.
It is absolutely ridiculous to believe God the Creator would create us and not have in mind a plan in CREATING US.
But yet there are literally thousands who live their life as if God had no plan for creating them.
Paul wrote to Timothy and spoke of the DUTY of the church, and he told him what that duty was: PREACH THE WORD!
When the Word of God is not preached, the church is in trouble.
Illus: One of the first things the U.S. Military did to win the Persian Gulf war was to cut off Iraq’s communications.
WHY WAS THIS A TOP PRIORITY?
• Because the U.S. Military if they can cut off their communications, then the soldiers cannot get their orders from their leaders, and they can be easily defeated.
• The devil knows that if he can cut off the communication of God’s Word from God’s church, the church can easily be defeated.
The devil is doing everything he can do to cut off God’s Communication to the church through the Word of God.
God communicate through His Word.
A question that is sometime asked, “Does God speak to us sometime other then through the Word of God.”
Now you can asked some of the militant fundamentalist that and they will say, “No, God only speaks to us through the Word of God.”
“Does God speak to us sometime other than through the Word of God.”
Yes, of course He does!!!
(1) Sometime He speaks to us through a Friend. In Proverbs we are encouraged to seek out a godly person for counsel.
(2)There are records in the scripture where God in the old testament spoke audibly.
(Exodus 3:14; Joshua 1:1; Judges 6:18; 1 Samuel 3:11; 2 Samuel 2:1; Job 40:1; Isaiah 7:3; Jeremiah 1:7; Acts 8:26; 9:15—this is just a small sampling).
With the hundreds of times the Bible records God speaking, we have to remember that they occur over the course of 4,000 years of human history.
God speaking audibly is the exception, not the ordinary.
If anyone claims that God has spoken to him or her, always compare what they said with what the Bible says.
If God were to speak today, His words would be in full agreement with what He has said in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
God does not contradict Himself.
(3) God can also “speak” to us through events.
Sometimes he speak to us by closing doors or opening doors.
(4) He can guide us through arranging our circumstances.
For example, for example, in Acts 16:6-7, Paul was trying to travel to different places, but when his way was blocked, they concluded that God was the one who had directed them not to go:
(5) And God helps us to discern right from wrong through our consciences (1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 3:16).
BUT IN THIS AGE OF DECEPTION, WE NEED TO BE VERY SKEPTICAL WHEN SOMEONE SAYS THAT GOD TALKS TO THEM IN THE WAYS I JUST DISCUSSED.
Illus: In this age we have television preachers talking all about visions or dreams. Men like Jesse Duplantis state God has literally brought him to heaven, not one time, but many times.
One time God asked him what his opinion about something was.
God who is Omniscient had a big problem he could not solved, and he had to ask little old Jesse his opinion. Lol!
Illus: If you want to go astray follow this crowd that some claim God showed them in a vision you should do this or that!
Listen, God never speak anything that contradict HIS WORD!!! NEVER!
God speaks through His Word. If it is not in His Word do not have anything to do with it.
• Some say, I feel this way! It does not matter how you feel if it does not line up with the Word of God leave it alone.
• Some say, I believe this! It does not what you believe if it does not line up with the Word of God leave it alone
• Some say, I was raised up to believe this! It does not matter how you were raised, if it does not line up with the Word of God leave it alone
Paul through the INSPIRED WORD OF GOD TALKS TO US ABOUT…
WHAT IS OUR DUTY AS A CHURCH?
It is the DUTY OF THE CHURCH-
A. TO EXPOUND THE WORD
Look at verse 6. Notice Paul said, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us…”
God has given all of us different gifts, and God wants us to discover them and use them for His glory.
If you are living, breathing child of God, when you were created He created you for a purpose.
• He has not given us these gifts just so we can brag about having them
• He has given us these gifts so that the WORD OF GOD CAN BE EXPOUNDED to a lost and dying world
God primarily speaks to us through PRECIOUS WORD OF GOD.
God has given each of us different gifts so that the church can communicate God’s love to the lost world.
WHAT ARE THESE GIFTS?
1. HE GIVES SOME THE GIFT OF PROPHESY
Look at verse 6, “...whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith."
• In the Old Testament, the gift of prophecy was the gift to proclaim and explain the past, present, and the future.
• In the New Testament, Paul states that this gift serves another purpose
Look at 1 Cor. 14:3, "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort."
That is, God’s Word is the prophetic Word of God. And when men preach His Word HE IS PREACHING THE PROPHETICE WORD OF GOD, it will Edify, Exhort, and Comfort people.
2. HE GIVES SOME THE GIFT OF MINISTRY
Look at verse 7, "Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering..."
The word "ministry" is diakonia, meaning: "A person that has a very special ability to serve, aid, help and assist others - to assist them in such a way that they are built up and truly helped.”
• Read what Jesus said in Matt. 10:42. “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”
• Look at Gal. 6:10, we read, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
3. HE GIVES SOME THE GIFT OF TEACHING
Look at verse 7, "...or he that teacheth, on teaching."
The word translated "teaching" is from "didaskon", which means: "The ability to explain, root, and ground people in the Word of God."
One of the last things Jesus commanded was that we should go out, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matt. 28:20)
4. HE GIVES SOME THE GIFT OF EXHORTATION
Look at Romans 12:8, "Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation..."
The word translated "exhortation" is "parakalesei", which means: "The ability to excite, motivate, advise, encourage, comfort and warn people."
Sometimes you will hear people say, "Our preacher is a real motivator." That is good. That is part of his job, but if that is all he does, he is not doing his job.
God wants to use him to: Excite, Motivate, Advise, Encourage, Comfort, and WARN.
In many of the "baby boomers" churches, preaching has become a thing of the past. In fact, many of their preachers say, "I am not a preacher, I am a communicator."
What they mean by that is that they stand before the people each week, and communicate things that make them feel good about themselves.
Illus: That raises problems. That is like a person going to a doctor and saying, "Doctor, examine me and when you are through the only thing I want to hear from you is good news! If you do not tell me the good news I want to hear, I will find another doctor down the street who will tell me what I want to hear."
God places pastors in churches to preach all kinds of messages because the needs of the body of Christ are many.
5. HE GIVES SOME THE GIFT OF GIVING
Look at Romans 12: 8, "...he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity,..."
God gives most people the gift of making money so they can give some to God’s work, but some are able to give to God's work in an abundant way.
6. HE GIVES SOME THE GIFT OF ADMINISTRATION
Look at Romans 12: 8, “...he that ruleth, with diligence..."
Illus: Dr. Jerry Falwell states that his success came not because he is a great administrator, but he has surrounded himself by men who were.
This means some are given the ability to lead, the ability to handle authority. These are to rule with diligence. It is not something to only be taken seriously every now and then, but every day they are to be busy, working at doing all they can to advance the work of God.
7. HE GIVES SOME THE GIFT OF MERCY
Look at Romans 12: 8, "...he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."
This speaks of the person who is full of forgiveness and compassion, pity and kindness toward others.
Notice, they are not to forgive grudgingly. We are not to think about a certain thing that happened ten years ago, and still be angry.
Paul says we are to forgive with "CHEERFULNESS."
God gives all these gifts to EXPOUND the WORD OF GOD.
He also gives these gifts:
B. TO EXPAND THE WORK
HOW DO WE EXPAND THE WORK OF GOD?
1. THE BELIEVER'S LIFE SHOULD REVEAL LOVE WITHOUT DISSIMULATION
Look at verses Romans 12:9-10, we read, “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”
These verses are teaching that Christians are to love one another without hypocrisy.
The word "dissimulation" means: "to love without play-acting."
So many today have a pretended love. They have an ulterior motive when they do something for someone. In other words they do what they do for these reasons:
• To seek gain
• To gain position
• To gain attention
• To court favor
• To boost self
1 John 3:18 states, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."
Notice, Paul states that our love should be one that desires the best for people, and at the same time we are to "Abhor that which is evil..."
That is, we may not love a person's ways, but we love the person.
2. THE BELIEVER'S LIFE SHOULD REVEAL THAT HE IS SERVING THE LORD
Look at Romans 12:11, we read, “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.”
This scripture reveals two extremes:
a. SOME ARE LAZY - One sure sign of a lack of love.
Just as there are men who do not love their families enough to work for them, there are those all over this nation who, week after week, never turn a hand for the Savior they claim they love. The only thing they care about is themselves and wanting a hand out!
Our lives should reveal that we love the Lord by our constant service for Him.
b. SOME ARE FERVENT - One sure sign of love.
The word translated "fervent" here is the word "zeo", which means: “To be hot, to boil, to set aflame.” In today's language it means to be on fire for God.
The believer should be revealing that he is serving the Lord. He is not a LAZY rascal just claiming to love the Lord, but a FERVENT worker, ON FIRE FOR GOD!
Also…
(1) THE BELIEVER'S LIFE SHOULD REVEAL HE IS A GODLY PERSON
Look at Romans 12:12, we read, “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”
The Christian faces many trials, but he recognizes that he does not face them alone.
He does not have to turn to the world for a false solution, he can turn to God, "...instant in prayer."
(2). THE BELIEVER'S LIFE SHOULD REVEAL THAT HE FEELS FOR THE NEEDS OF HIS BROTHERS
Look at Romans 12:13, we read, “Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.”
That is, the Christian gives generously, willing to share what he has to meet the needs of a brother or sister he knows has a legitimate need. He even opens the doors of his home to believers who need a place to stay.
Conclusion:
We can see from Romans 12 the kind of sermon that Paul preached and we should preach today.
I. OUR DEALINGS
II. OUR DUTY
A. TO EXPOUND THE WORD
B. TO EXPAND THE WORK
