“PREPARING A CHURCH FOR MISSIONS” Part 2

Romans

How would you like it if someone you’ve heard of but never met decided to contact you and tell you that he was really looking forward to meeting you, was really looking forward to getting money from you, and was really looking forward to letting you do everything you could to help him get to where he really wanted to go? Does that sound a great deal like a second cousin who wants to pass through the L.A. area on his way to Sacramento to see the second cousin he really likes and would like to spend the weekend at your house so he can go to Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm without paying for hotel accommodation and so you can feed him? Or does that sound an awful lot like every missionary that has ever come through our Church?

If what I’ve just described sounds like some relative that immediately comes to mind, I’m terribly sorry for you. If what I’ve just described sounds much like any number of missionaries you’ve seen come through our Church, there’s a reason for it.

Picture the Apostle Paul in the Greek port city of Cenchrea, waiting for word from the ship’s captain that the boat has been loaded and will sail with the next tide. He sits at a table, dictating words to a man named Tertius, a former slave whose only name this side of heaven is the Latin word “Three.”

Though nothing more than a number to his master, “Three” was used by God to be the stenographer for the Apostle Paul as he dictated this letter to the Romans, Romans 16.22:

“I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.”

Another curious note about this picture of Paul waiting for his ship to sail is the woman standing by. Her name was Phebe. She was the woman from this port city Church chosen by Paul to hand carry what may have been the most important New Testament document yet penned to its destination. Romans 16.1-2:

1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.

Though he wrote to the Romans, Paul was on his way to Jerusalem to deliver a crucial love gift from the Gentile Christians in the Greek-speaking regions to their Jewish brothers in Christ, to alleviate the terrible suffering that had come upon them as the result of a great famine in the region. Romans 15.25-26:

25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

Won’t that unexpected love offering save starving believers’ lives and warm the hearts of Jewish Christians toward the Gentile believers they had been somewhat cool toward, even though they shared Christ as their Savior and their kinship as members of the family of God? That was the idea.

With that background information established, let us turn to Romans chapter one to see how Paul unfolded God’s plan for giving a vision for missions not to the preacher but to the Church members.

First, PAUL WROTE TO THEM OF A DESTINATION

Romans 1.8-13:

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

Notice that in four of the verses we have read, Paul refers to his desire and intention to eventually visit the believers in Rome.

In verse 10, he mentions that he has often asked God to allow him to visit the believers in Rome.

In verse 11, he told them that he longed to see them and wanted to give them a spiritual gift.

In verse 12, he indicated that he expected to be comforted by them, as he comforted them, and that he anticipated their mutual faith to be good for each other.

Then, in verse 13, he pointed out that he purposed to visit them on a number of occasions but was prevented for one reason or another. Writing to the Romans, he wanted to travel there so that he might have fruit among them as among other Gentiles.

Second, PAUL WROTE TO THEM OF A DESIRE

Please note that just as I indicated, traveling to Rome was Paul’s “destination,” this second point also concerns “a desire.” And what was Paul’s desire? Again, in verses 8-13, we see three features connected to Paul’s desire:

First, Paul wanted to give to the Romans, verse 11:

“For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established.”

Just as with any visiting missionary, Paul desired to impart to those he visited some spiritual gift. He wanted to give them something, minister to them, and strengthen them in the faith. I wish pastors more frequently allowed visiting missionaries to minister directly to their congregants rather than parading them on the platform without allowing them to preach, teach, and share.

But notice his second feature. Paul also wanted to give and to get from the Romans, verse 12:

“That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”

What honesty. When he wrote about being “comforted together” and about “mutual faith,” he was saying, “I’ll do something for you, and you can do something for me.” So, he did want to give to them. But he also wanted to get from them. Was Paul being upfront with these people? Yes. Was he being dishonest or unethical with them? No. Was there anything about what he had written thus far that appears to have been unspiritual? Not at all.

Now, for the final feature of Paul’s desire, verse 13:

“Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.”

The essence of what Paul has written up to this point is this: “Brethren, I plan on giving to you. I also plan on giving to you and getting from you. Finally, I’m coming to get something from you.” What Paul wanted is identified as fruit. The question is, what was the fruit that Paul wanted? Most people’s minds immediately run to Galatians chapter 5 (the fruit of the Spirit) or John chapter 15 (fruit from the Lord’s vine allegory, converts) at the mention of fruit in the Bible. But we need to understand that the fruit Paul referred to here was not the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5, nor was it disciples for the Lord described as fruit in John 15. This passage doesn’t refer to the fruit of the Spirit. Paul would not need to go to Rome to obtain the fruit of the Spirit. But what about fruit referring to converts? There are several reasons to think not. Turn to Romans 15.20:

“Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation.”

This verse reveals Paul’s commitment to a pioneering Gospel ministry, a groundbreaking ministry. He did not seek converts where the Gospel had already been preached. His ministry was to go to unreached regions. Look now to Romans 15.28:

“When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.”

Here, the word “fruit” is specifically used to describe the love gift from the Gentile Churches to the Jerusalem Christians. The “fruit” in this verse is, in a word, money, an offering. Paul did not go to Rome to win folks to Christ there. They were capable of evangelizing their region themselves. And he could have reached lost folks for Christ elsewhere. No, the reason he wanted to go to Rome was to get from them ... money. The Gospel ministry does, after all, need to be financed.

THE THIRD THING PAUL WROTE TO THEM OF WAS THEIR DEBT

Romans 1.14-15:

14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

Indicating that he was ready to preach the Gospel in Rome was not saying that he actually did preach the Gospel in Rome. Want to know why Paul wanted to come to Rome? Want to know why Rome was a destination? Want to know why he wanted to strengthen them in the faith so they could and would give him money? He had a debt to pay.

Understand, his debt was to both Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and the unwise. Paul was so committed to discharging his obligation to tell others of Christ that he would even go through Rome on his way to Spain to preach the Gospel ... if it would help him accomplish his goal of paying off his spiritual debt.

How would preaching the Gospel help Paul pay off his debt and discharge his moral obligation to tell the lost of Christ? Understand that the Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But it is not only that. The Gospel encompasses God’s entire plan of redemption, from the promise God made in the Garden of Eden,[1] to the covenant He established with Abraham,[2] and is wholly fulfilled following Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection when the Savior comes again. Thus, it is possible and so necessary for sinners to focus their attention on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. It is good news to every sinner that Christ is such a Savior. But the Gospel’s scope is much broader than the essentials for a sinner to trust the Savior.

Though not explicitly stated at this point, what was implied is that Paul’s duty, obligation, and responsibility (his debt, if you will) were also their duty, obligation, and responsibility. Just as Paul had a moral obligation to declare the unsearchable riches of Christ, so did the Christians he wrote to. And so do the Christians I am preaching to.

SO, PAUL, AND THIS IS POINT NUMBER FOUR, NEXT WROTE ABOUT GOD’S DESIGN

He devoted most of his content to this portion of his letter. Paul wrote to the Romans not to win them to Christ, but so they would better understand how their individual Christian lives fit into God’s grand design. Let me give you an overview of this letter to the Romans to show you what Paul accomplished quickly:

In Romans chapters 1 through 3, Paul presented humanity’s (to say every person’s) need for justification in the sight of God. You might wonder, “If the Romans he wrote to were already Christians, they should already know that unsaved people need to be saved from their sins. Paul shouldn’t have had to tell them that.” While that certainly is true, how many people think certain things apply to them, but not to everyone else? “Sure. I know that I’m a sinner who needed to be saved. But who am I to say that everyone is a sinner in need of salvation?” In Romans 1 through 3, Paul conclusively established that everyone needs to be saved. Everyone needs to be justified in the sight of God. All have sinned and come short of God’s glory.

Having shown that to his readers, Paul moved on to show them the nature of justification in chapters 4 through 8. Understand that there exist two plans of salvation. The first is the plan whereby someone tries to be good enough to merit God’s favor and be rewarded with salvation. Then, there is the plan that recognizes that each person is totally incapable of being or doing anything good enough to merit salvation from God. If salvation is to be received, it has to be given as an undeserved gift. Of these two plans of salvation, the latter, of course, is God’s plan. The former plan is favored by religionists who have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. That is the approach advanced by the evil spirits promoting their doctrines of demons. The lake of fire is the destiny of those who embrace such an approach. What Paul accomplished in chapters 4 through 8 is a description of God’s plan of salvation, which features justification by faith, and a description of the believer’s relationship to sin after faith and trust in Jesus Christ, having a redeemed soul ready for heaven, but still having an unredeemed body that is, however, guaranteed the glory of the resurrection.

Of course, the Jewish believers among his readers wondered about the nation of Israel. Since salvation is not the result of any attempt at obeying the Law given to Israel, and since Church-era believers are not obligated to submit to the Law,[3] what about Israel? Their concern was a valid one. Recognizing the concern Jewish believers would have for their kinsmen according to the flesh and being concerned that God is accurately shown to be a covenant-keeping God faithful to His Word, Paul showed that God had not forgotten Israel in Romans Chapter 9 through 11. Expressing his heartfelt desire for Israel’s national deliverance, Paul informed his readers that although Israel was set off to one side of God’s plan of redemption, they would be at the very focus of God’s dealings again in the future. But for now, their blindness to the reality of Christ being the Jewish Messiah and the fulfillment of all of God’s promises to their people continues until a future time. At that future time, Paul insisted, “all Israel shall be saved.”[4]

Having dealt with the sinfulness of all humanity, the salvation of sinners, and the situation regarding Israel, chapters 12 through 16 of this letter is an application of earlier doctrinal truths to daily living. Why did Paul devote so much space to addressing the doctrinal issue, dealing with God’s design?

POINT NUMBER FIVE IS THE DESTINATION.

Paul begins to wrap it up in Romans chapter 15, where he reveals a key ingredient in his letter to his readers. To this point, the Romans knew Paul’s destination: the city of Rome. Now, with a solid doctrinal footing underneath them, Paul reveals the destination. Notice the three destinations he provided in this 15th chapter of Romans.

His immediate destination was, of course, Jerusalem, 15.25:

“But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.”

His intermediate destination was, we have already found out, the city of Rome.

But what was his ultimate destination? What was the destination of Paul, 15.24-28?

24 Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.

25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

28 When I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.

“Oh. So you want to visit us ... on your way to Spain. Is that it? You really love us. You really want to spend time with us ... so you can get money from us to go to Spain?” Do you see why Paul spent so much time developing a solid doctrinal footing before telling them his ultimate destination? If they had been as ignorant as they were before they received his letter, if they had not seen God’s grand design for reaching sinful members of the human race with the truth, if they had not been thoroughly convinced of humanity’s profound spiritual need, they might have been offended by what Paul proposed to them.

BUT NOW, POINT NUMBER SIX, THEY COULD FULLY UNDERSTAND AND EVEN SHARE WITH HIM IN NOT A DESIRE BUT THE DESIRE OF HIS HEART

His immediate desire was to obtain the fruit, the money, to Jerusalem. That money would help those Jewish believers and strongly motivate them to be more accepting of Gentile believers like us.

After that, Paul’s intermediate desire was to reach Spain with as much financial backing as he could secure. Why would Paul want to do that? Romans 15.23:

“But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you.”

The Eastern Mediterranean was already being aggressively evangelized. Paul, a groundbreaking Church planter, was compelled to go where the Gospel had not been preached. And that was in the Western Mediterranean. That was Spain. But with travel and technology being what it was in Paul’s day, his present support system was overextended, based as it was in the Churches in Antioch, Ephesus, and Philippi, to supply him with finances at the edge of the known world. So, he wanted the Romans to work with him, them doing the praying and the financing, him doing the preaching and the Church planting, and to be his Western Mediterranean base of ministry support.

But that was just his intermediate desire. His ultimate desire, the desire, if you will, was to reach the people living in Spain for Christ.

As important as missions are, it amazes me that more pastors and Church leaders have not recognized that Paul’s letter to the Romans is a missionary letter. It was written by a missionary to Church members to persuade them to become mission-minded members, to prepare them, and to encourage them to join him in reaching the lost living somewhere else, in Spain, for Christ.

History tells us that Roman believers were persuaded. God used Paul to convince them that all people are sinners, that sin condemns sinners to eternal damnation, and that only the Gospel he preached would rescue the perishing. They began to stand with him and collaborated with his use of Rome as his base of operations to reach Spain with the Gospel.

But more than that, they gave. They gave money. Paul received “fruit” from them to finance his Gospel penetration into Spain. And it may very well be that the sketchy records of Gospel preaching missionaries who reached out as far as England and Ireland as early as the second century were the result of the Roman believers responding to this letter and being ready to support Paul when he arrived in Rome.

I pray that our Church responds to Paul’s letter to the Romans similarly. I pray that we will realize the role God has assigned to us in planting Gospel-preaching Churches and seeing people saved.

Our Church supports 16 mission projects to establish and strengthen Churches. Some missionaries are older, while others are young. They are called to very different kinds of service.

We will likely soon be able to support new mission projects for one reason or another. To do that, our mission giving needs to do more than remain steady. We need our members to add to their mission giving so we can address the issues arising from some of our missionaries’ advanced age and the new missionaries we want to partner with.

We need newer members to begin faithfully giving to missions above their tithe. We also need longtime members who do not yet support our missionaries to begin giving weekly to our Church and eventually giving to missions.

So, let’s make a fresh start giving to missions. Look at your missions giving in light of Paul’s letter to the Romans. See if you can join with others so we can respond to their needs.

I urge those of you who already give to missions to prayerfully consider giving a bit more ... even if it’s only $5.00 more per week. And those of you who do not give to missions ... give something.

Give any amount at first, but choose to do so regularly, weekly. My wife and I increased our giving several months ago to lead the way. So, I am asking you to do what we are already doing.

The letter to the Romans was written to answer one question: What are you going to do? And if you are willing to do more, if God so leads, great.

As we consider Paul’s letter to the Romans, let’s remember that this lost world has a profound need. God has ordained that the message they need be proclaimed here at home and prayerfully financed abroad.

__________

[1] Genesis 3.15

[2] Genesis 12.1-3

[3] Romans 3.19

[4] Romans 11.26

Preparing A Church For Missions, Part 2