Download Romans 15-14

The Heart Of The Minister
Romans 15:14-21
Introduction
I recently read an interesting observation by Fred Smith.
As a speaker, I've always accepted the responsibility for people listening to me. I've
never been able to rationalize that I'm too deep for them and they simply have to
listen harder.
I came by this conviction many years ago while driving through the farm country
of Indiana to make a speech. I was just starting out as a speaker, and my talks were
getting heavier and heavier. Although I was greatly pleased with what I heard, I
found I was talking to fewer and fewer people.
Then suddenly, there in the field that spring day in Indiana, I saw the model for
my public speaking that would last all my life. A man was plowing with a single
mule, and there must have been fifty chickens following him. As I watched, this
thought began to grow in my mind: The chickens will always follow the fellow who's
plowing up the worms. I realized then I had to feed people not only what I thought
would feed them, but what they are really hungry for.
Over the years I've found it's always the same: If you want the chickens to follow
you, you have to turn up the worms. When you do, they will be there--I promise
you! -- Fred Smith, Leadership, Vol. 2, no. 3.
Pain and suffering is the universal experience of human beings.
Paul knew people were starved for hope. People in crises need hope. Paul has reminded
the Romans that the Scriptures are a source of hope. God is the fountainhead of hope.
Those who lack hope often experience a profound lack of joy and peace.
Let me remind you of the context of this passage. Jews and Gentiles are to get along in
Christ. We are to preserve the ministry of unity in Christ towards one another. In spite of
differences we are to get along. Perhaps the greatest cause of personal grief is our failure
to cooperate with God, live in Christ and yield to the Holy Spirit. Failure to do so results
in personal relationships that fail. Failure in relationship may be the leading the cause of
grief in our lives. The greatest crises of our lives often emerge from acts of careless
disobedience to the commands of God.
In this passage—Paul offers a peek into the pastor’s heart. What kind of a minister is
Paul? If we listen carefully to Paul’s heartbeat we can get a glimpse of what God desires
for you. God has called you to be a minister. The word ‘minister’ simply means one who
serves. You are called to serve Jesus and in your service to Jesus you are to serve others.
Since so many people are in crises, since so many people need help and need hope, who
better to be instruments of hope, joy and peace than you?
A Heart Filled With Compassion (v.14)
A Heart Strengthened By Courage (v.15)
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The Heart Of The Minister
Romans 15:14-21
A Heart Directed and Called (v.16)
A Heart Committed To the Things of God (vv.17-19)
A Heart that Carries Christ (vv.20-21)
A Heart Filled With Compassion (v.14)
Romans 15:14 (NKJV)
14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
Romans 15:14 (NLT)
14 I am fully convinced, dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these
things so well that you are able to teach others all about them.
Paul tells the Romans you are ‘full’, ‘filled’ ‘able’. Paul’s heart is filled with compassion,
with graciousness towards the brothers and sisters in Rome.
It isn’t always a compliment—when someone says—“you’re full of it”. Full of what?
A preacher asked another preacher what he thought of his sermon. He said, “Well, it was
warm.” “What do you mean?” the other guy began to say—but before the full sentence
could come out he said, “OK—warm means ‘not so hot’.
Paul does not pretend to be ‘better’ than Joe average Christian. Paul is gracious and
compassionate. He reminds the Romans they are filled with all goodness and with all
knowledge. Not only are they filled with all goodness and all knowledge they are able to
‘admonish’ one another. The word ‘admonish’ means “competent (lit., “being able”) to
instruct (nouthetein, “to counsel, admonish”; cf. Col. 1:28; 3:16) one another. 1
Jay Adams translates this ‘competent to counsel’.
What does it mean to be filled with all goodness and knowledge? Does this mean we are
good or knowledgeable in the absolute sense? No—it means we are filled with Christ-we
are identified with Jesus Christ. In Jesus all goodness and knowledge are in us.
Colossians 1:27-28 (NLT)
27 For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you
Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will
share in his glory.
28 So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all
the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to
Christ.
We ‘warn’ them (same word nouthein).
1Walvoord,
J. F. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the
scriptures (Ro 15:14). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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Paul does not believe ‘the Senior Pastor’ is the only person competent to counsel. Paul
does not believe he is the only one who can impart hope by the wonderful promises of
God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul is giving the Christians in Rome permission to
love each other, and counsel each other and confront each other, and minister to each
other. The heart of hope links people to the restoration of a right relationship with God,
and with other people.
Does this mean Paul does not believe in professional counseling? Not necessarily. But it
must mean that Paul does not subscribe to the unbiblical notion that only professionally
trained counselors are competent to give hope in Christ.
All believers are ‘full of goodness’ (mestoi agathosunes)—full of kindness and
helpfulness, of virtue, excellence, peace, conciliation—this is an inner depth of character
and riches.
Many Christians say, “I am not competent, I am not qualified, I am not equipped, I am
not trained to deal with people’s problems.”
Paul says,
Ephesians 3:19 (NLT)
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.
Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Depth and comprehension of ‘all things’ is not the criteria which qualifies you to give
hope. Have you experienced the love of God in Christ Jesus? Does Jesus live inside of
you? Then you are filled with fullness of life and power that comes from God!
Paul says you are filled with all knowledge (pases gnoseos)—spiritual insight and
perception, knowledge of Christ, of God and the Holy Spirit. Do you know the spiritual
need of human beings? Do you know why human beings are in bondage? Do you
understand the devastating effects of sin? Do you understand the spiritual truth of the
gospel and the power of God to expose sin, forgive us, redeem us, and reconcile us to
God? The least qualified Christian is more qualified than the most qualified unbeliever—
to give hope!!!
Listen Christian—we are not hopeless or helpless. We are to abound in hope. How can
we be helpless when we are able to experience joy and peace by the power of the Holy
Spirit? Since we have the inexhaustible resources of the Holy Spirit, why in the world
would we rely on the resources of the world and their unproven and flawed theories of
human dysfunction? Why do Christians long to drink from polluted wells and broken
cisterns when we have the pure, fresh and living water?
A Heart Strengthened By Courage (v.15)
Romans 15:15 (NKJV)
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The Heart Of The Minister
Romans 15:14-21
15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you,
because of the grace given to me by God,
Paul’s heart is filled with boldness and courage. Paul has earned the right to be bold.
The Lord God called Paul to be a minister to the Gentiles. Do you recall the story of
Paul’s conversion in Acts chapter 9? The young rabbi from Tarsus was schooled at the
feet of Gamaliel. He was a Pharisee. He was a persecutor of Christians. Then Jesus
showed up. Jesus saved Saul and transformed him into Paul.
Acts 9:15-16 (NKJV)
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before
Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
Now Paul armed with only the “good-news” and an unshakable faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ would shake and shape Rome, the proud mistress of Civilization. Paul has a
missionaries heart. Paul longs for all to come to Christ. Paul’s heart is the heart of a
shepherd. A shepherd rescues sheep from danger. Sheep are in danger when they are
alone and isolated. Sheep are in danger when wolves and predators are present. The
shepherd’s job is to tenderly rebuke when the sheep resist the shepherds commands.
God is not angry or impatient or frustrated, God’s heart is a heart of compassion.
A Heart Directed and Called (v.16)
Romans 15:16 (NKJV)
16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that
the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
The Greek word for ‘minister’ is not the usual diakonos. The word Paul uses here is the
word that means to perform sacred rites and rituals. The Greek word is lietourgon. We
have the familiar English word ‘liturgy’. The word was used to describe a person who
functioned in priestly service. Phillips uses the example that just like Moses had a heart
for the people of Israel, God had placed on Paul’s heart a priestly calling on behalf of the
Geniles.
Think about what Paul is saying. I am priest of God. I am making an offering (bloodless
sacrifice)—the Gentiles. Paul wants the Gentiles to be holy and acceptable, pleasing to
the Lord. Paul’s holy task, was to devote himself to presenting the Gentiles to God. Part
of Paul’s purpose in life—was to prepare and present the Gentiles to meet God. For a
split moment, for a moment in time, Paul’s heart is torn open and we are able to see
inside his soul. What do you see?
Kent Hughes writes; “Here we are exposed to Paul’s remarkable self-conception. Though
he is involved in the dusty, mundane business of traveling the ancient world on foot,
suffering exposure, threats, beatings, and rejection, in his heart of hearts he sees himself
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Romans 15:14-21
in priestly garb in the temple, lifting up the souls of men which then ascend as a sweet
smelling fragrance to Christ”(Kent Hughes p.288).
God called Paul and directed him into the ministry. Christian—God has called you to
provide direction for hurting people, not just a bandage for a crises, but a safe pasture
bordered by unconditional love, and a corral—fenced in by Biblical correction. God has
called you to the ministry of hope and reconciliation.
A Heart Committed To the Things of God (vv.17-19)
Romans 15:17-19 (NKJV)
17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.
18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through
me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—
19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and
round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
(il—leer –e –kuhm). Illyricum was a Roman province in the Balkan Pennisula, which
stretched along the east coast of the Adriatic Sea from Italy to Macedonia. Paul preached
from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum. The other major area was known as
Dalmatia. Today this region is known as the former Yugoslavia and Albania.
My father used to say, “Gino, I’ve been everywhere—from Maine to Spain”.
Paul made a 1400 mile journey from Jerusalem to the former Yugoslavia—all without
buses, cars, or modern transportation. Paul’s transportation was his own two feed, shod
with the gospel of peace or literally—the ancient version of Berkenstocks. Paul walked,
talked, prayed, preached. Paul dreamed dreams and had a vision of a Roman world
transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul engages in some sanctified boasting. Sanctified because his soul makes its boast in
the Lord. “Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus”—that is I have a legitimate
reason to glory (exult) in my work for God (in what through Christ Jesus I have
accomplished concerning the things of God—AMP Bible). Eugene Peterson adds this
insight in his contemporary paraphrase of The New Testament;
Looking back over what has been accomplished and what I have observed, I must say I
am most pleased—in the context of Jesus, I’d even say proud, but only in that context. I
have no interest in giving you a chatty account of my adventures, only the wondrously
powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me that triggered a
believing response among the outsiders. In such ways I have trailblazed a preaching
message of Jesus all the way from Jerusalem far into northwestern Greece. This has all
been pioneer work, bringing the Message only into those places where Jesus was not yet
known and worshiped. My text has been, “Those who were never told of him—they’ll see
him! Those who’ve never heard of him—they’ll get the message” (pp.393-394).
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(v.19) “through mighty signs and wonders” God used signs and wonders—not to bring
Gentiles to faith in Christ—but rather as a platform-a stage to consider the claims of
Christ. Signs and wonders in and of themselves, miracles have rarely been an instrument
of conversion. “We preach always Him” Martin Luther wrote, “this may seem a limited
and monotonous subject, likely to be exhausted, but we are never at the end of it”. These
signs and wonders were to attest to the power of God and the presence and power of the
Holy Spirit. Some of these signs included the special miracles in Ephesus (Acts
19:11-12) and an instance of wonder was Paul shaking off the viper in Acts 28:3-6.
The Lord wants you to model hope for people in pain. Do you live a healthy faith filled
life? Even strong, healthy, sheep can sometimes become casualties in a cruel world.
Courageous involvement in people’s lives requires hands on encouragement and
instruction. Unfortunately some sheep prefer dangerous independence to safety beside
the shepherd! You may want to give hope—but some choose to wander off and refuse to
allow God to lead them, following a path of their own choosing. Some people choose to
live their own lives—no matter how Biblical your counsel, no matter how wise your
instructions, no matter how sane and sensitive your services. My shepherd’s heart is
always distressed when people wander—but we must let them. And we must stand ready
when they cry out for help.
A Heart that Carries Christ (vv.20-21)
Romans 15:20-21 (NKJV)
20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should
build on another man’s foundation,
21 but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not
heard shall understand.”
Long before Star Trek, Paul purposed to “go where no man has gone before”. To seek
out those who were dead in trespasses and sins, to boldy go where no man had ever
preached the gospel.
(v.21) Paul again quotes Isaiah 52:15. Paul’s command of the Scripture is remarkable.
Paul does not take the Scripture out of context in order to make a pretext.
Isaiah 52:15 (NKJV)
15 So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not
been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider.
Paul’s heart was a heart that desired to bring Christ to the nations. Everyone must hear
the gospel. All people must be given the opportunity to receive Christ. This is not
simply a Biblical mandate, a divine decree, a holy commission. This is the heart of Jesus,
to see a lost world given hope in the gospel.
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“America has more unchurched people than the entire populations of all but 11 of the
world’s 194 nations!” (see Barna Rechurching the Unchurched cover).
Conclusion
God uses people. Paul wrote; “and so, I have made it my aim”—God gave Paul a unique
and specific task. What is your task? What are you aiming at? Do you want to help
hurting people? Then do what Jesus did. Have compassion. Mark 6:34 (NKJV)
34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for
them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many
things.
Jesus met people at their greatest point of need!
John 3:5; 7 (NKJV)
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he
cannot enter the kingdom of God.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
Jesus offered hope, rest, and peace in relationship with him.
Matthew 11:28 (NKJV)
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Jesus confronted people who were in error and counseled or admonished those who
lacked faith.
Matthew 8:26 (NKJV)
26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked
the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Jesus made every effort to redirect people’s thinking.
Matthew 5:27-28 (NKJV)
27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery
with her in his heart.
Jesus expressed His rightful authority.
Matthew 7:28-29 (NKJV)
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His
teaching,
29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Jesus emphasized right attitudes and right behavior.
Luke 6:47-48 (NKJV)
47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:
48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And
when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for
it was founded on the rock.
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Jesus held people responsible for what they knew to be true or to what Jesus had told
them.
Luke 10:13-14 (NKJV)
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in
you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth
and ashes.
14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.
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