Download Romans 15:8-13 (Unified Worship is the Church`s Greatest Witness)

Romans 15:8-13 (Unifed Worship is the Church's Greatest Witness)
Overview: Romans 15:8-12 reveal that the inclusion of Jews and Gentles together in the church fulflls God’s promises given in
the Old Testament. The passages from the Psalms, Moses, and Prophets in verses 9-12 show that the unity of Jews and Gentles
is best seen in corporate worship. Such united praise fulflls God’s ultmate purpose, which is that his name would be honored
and praised among all peoples. It is not Paul’s goal merely to seek social peace between Jews and Gentles. The goal of his
mission is to bring Jews and Gentles together in fervent worship and praise of God. People place their hope in what will bring
them the greatest happiness in the future. The supreme object of our hope is also the object of our praise and worship. Paul
prays that believers will be flled with hope and fnd God to be the delight and joy of their hearts.
Romans 15:8-9a For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confrm the
promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentles might glorify God for his mercy.
Paul is now rootng Christan unity in the Old testament promises. The goal of God's decree was His own worship and glory.
In these verses we see an interestng progression of God's plan for the Gentles.
Romans 15:9b As it is writen, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentles, and sing to your name.” (Psalm 18:49)
Here David promises to praise God in the presence of the Gentles for the great salvaton the Lord have brought to him.
Romans 15:10 And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentles, with his people.” (Deuteronomy 32:43)
This song of Moses is writen at the end of his life before the Israelites go into the Promised Land. He is rejoicing with
wilderness sojourners, which included Gentles, over God's salvaton and preservaton of His people.
Romans 15:11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentles, and let all the peoples extol him.” (Psalm 117:1)
This is the shortest Psalm at only 2 verses. It encourages all the natons to praise the Lord for His truth and steadfast love.
Romans 15:12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentles; in him will the
Gentles hope.” (Isaiah 11:10)
Isaiah prophesies of the coming Christ and includes the Gentles under His rule. The Christ is the hope of the Jews and
Gentles alike.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fll you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may
abound in hope.
Paul pronounces a prayer of blessing of supernatural joy, peace and hope for all believers.
Summary: God's purpose in salvaton has always been that all natons would glorify and worship Him.
Word Study:
servant
confrm
glorify
mercy
praise
rejoice
praise
extol
hope
peace
power
A minister, servant, deacon.
to put something beyond doubt, confrm, establish
to infuence one’s opinion about another so as to enhance the later’s reputaton, praise, extol
spoken of as a passing over deserved punishment
to declare openly in acknowledgment, profess, acknowledge (as in confess sins)
to be glad or delighted, be glad, enjoy oneself, rejoice, celebrate
to speak of the excellence of a person, object, or event—‘to praise
the act of expressing admiraton or approval, praise, approval, recogniton
to look forward to something, with implicaton of confdence about something coming to pass
a state of freedom from anxiety and inner turmoil—‘peace, freedom from worry.
power, especially achieving power.
Thoughts for Refecton and Applicaton:
• What do people see when they look at your life; examine the things you pursue and listen to the things that bring
you the most happiness? Do they see that Christ is your deepest desire?
• The church has become inward focused and hidden in the walls of the building. In what ways can we beter glorify
God in the presence of a lost world? How can we beter positon ourselves to help them to desire to have a
relatonship with our Lord?
• When is the last tme you told a lost person your salvaton story? When you tell your story, is God the hero? Do
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you speak more about what you have done or God's miraculous transformaton? If your life story were a product
sales pitch, would anyone be compelled to accept what you ofer?
God is the gospel. How much tme do you spend each day worshipping God for His mercy toward you? Are your
thoughts consumed by physical blessings or the blessing of a relatonship with God.
There are stll many peoples that do not worship God. How can we beter allocate personal and collectve resources to
see God worshiped among the natons?
Family / Small Group Discussion Starter: We will not truly worship God publicly if we are not worshipping privately. Is your
individual / family worship tme a priority in your life? What does this tme look like for you? Discuss things that hinder
your personal worship tme. What things hinder you from glorifying God publicly? How do those hindrances highlight the
enemy's spiritual atack to rob God of the worship He is due? Discuss ideas to keep the tme more consistent and fresh.
Cross Reference Verses:
Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee! Let the natons be glad and sing for joy! (Psalm 67:3-4)
May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvaton say evermore, “God is great!” (Psalm 73:4)
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalm 16:11)
Because your steadfast love is beter than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lif up
my hands. (Psalm 63:3-4)
Behold, God is my salvaton; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become
my salvaton. (Isaiah 12:2)
For the earth will be flled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14)
Quotatons:
John Piper: God is most glorifed in us when we are most satsfed in Him
John Piper: Missions is not the ultmate goal of the Church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is
ultmate, not missions, because God is ultmate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall
on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.
Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal of missions. It’s the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the
natons into the white hot enjoyment of God’s glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.
A.W. Tozer: I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth
who is bored and turned of by worship is not ready for heaven.
Paul Tripp: You cannot divide human beings into those who worship and those who don’t. Everybody worships; it’s just a mater
of what, or whom, we serve.
D.A. Carson: “Worship is the proper response of all moral, sentent beings to God, ascribing all honor and worth to their CreatorGod precisely because he is worthy, delightully so.”
Mat Chandler: Typically church leaders long for a program, a method to help people within the church multply. And while these
ideas are grounded in sincere motvatons, the answer is not another program. Organic multplicaton simply happens as people
are constantly and contnually refreshed with the gospel and reminded of their part in the greater story.
Gordon McDonald: “There are too many people claiming to be followers of Christ who lost sight of their own sinfulness
years ago. If they atend worship on Sunday, they leave without ever having had the experience of brokenness and
repentance before God that indicates true worship.”