I know I’ve said this many times before but vision leaks so I will say it again!  This series is designed to prepare us for a summer of faithfulness in our pursuit of God and our call to live on mission for His purposes.  Here’s a recap of what we have covered.

Week 1 – What threatens our faithfulness?

The biggest threats to our faithfulness (in my opinion) are idleness and idolatry.  We were created for worship and that means we will always worship something or someone.  I challenged us to think about what (or who) it is we are worshiping when we are not being faithful to God.

Week 2 – Remember-Rejoice-Restore

Another threat to faithfulness is forgetfulness.  We’ve heard the gospel so many times and received God’s grace and forgiveness so many times that we can occasionally forget how great He is and how undeserving we are.  This week we all shared moments or experiences that produced in us a deeper love for God.  We also made a short list of things God has done on our behalf.  I wanted us to call to mind the love and favor we have received and to rejoice in response.  From there, the prayer was for God to restore the joy of our salvation, our passion for Him, the vision and purpose He has for each of us, and our hope in His promises.

Week 3 – Draw Near

In every relationship, you periodically have to assess what is needed to keep moving forward.  An honest look at my own relationship with God revealed that I needed to spend some extended time in prayer.  We looked at the Lord’s Prayer together to remind ourselves that God and His renown should be the central focus of our prayer.  Yes, we should submit our requests and even our preferences, but as we mature and grow spiritually, we will start to yield all of those things to whatever God wills.  Our assignment for this week was to have a date with God –  time to fellowship with God in silence, in prayer, in singing, in piano playing, or whatever you desired.

Week 4 – Stirring our Affections

I wanted us to consider the things that stir our affections for God and make us feel that we are working in tandem with (and by the power of) the Holy Spirit.  In the times when you feel you are glorying God and truly loving people well – what are you usually doing?  Serving? Listening? Teaching? Praying?

In what areas of your life does God’s presence and power stir within you?

Every believer has at least one spiritual gift and every gift is of equal value when deployed with the right motives.  We all completed a Spiritual Gifts assessment to help us get an idea of how God may have wired us to serve for His glory and the up-building of our brothers and sisters.

Spiritual gifts are manifestations of the Spirit for the edification of the body (1 Cor. 12:7).  How cool is it that by serving, we get to provide evidence to a watching world that our God truly exists?! Our spiritual gifts are expressions of faith, to encourage and increase the faith of others.

One point I wanted to make clear was that while tests like the one we completed can help, there’s only one way to determine your spiritual gifts for sure: using them!  Most spiritual gifts tests are simply asking about ways you’ve served before. (If you’re only answering the questions hypothetically, your results could be incorrect.)

For the most part, it seemed like we were in agreement with our assessments (with a few exceptions) but I would encourage us all to take the opportunity to serve people in those ways – and some other ways, too. We might find some awesome confirmation of our spiritual gifts, or we might be surprised by ones we didn’t know we had.

Either way, we’ll be discovering more about our identity in Christ and the gifts God has given us.

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT WEEK!!!

Without vision the people perish! That’s  ‘Bible Speak’.  Modern language may say it this way, “Make a plan or plan to fail.”

For some of us, the next few months may be filled with change, adventure, travel, and increased ( or decreased) opportunities to use our time however we see fit.  As you begin to think about how your summer will unfold, consider how you would like to be intentional with your time and in your pursuit of and service to God.

If you need some help to get your brain going, here are a few ideas:

• What relationships do you want to invest in?
• How will you live missionally this summer?
• What opportunities to you have to develop and use your spiritual gifts for the up-building of your church?
• How will you make sure God doesn’t get your ‘leftovers’?

Bucket lists are pretty common in the summer and they are usually full of things that only gratify us in this life.  Let’s be intentional about planning for things that will continue to matter in eternity.  Better yet, things that will change where someone else will spend their eternity.

Be prepared to share your ‘list’ with us next week!!

In preparation for this past Tuesday, I took some time to think about what would benefit our group.  Our church, and by extension, our Point Groups strive to be fun, authentic and relational.  I really believe we cover all three of those but I wanted to be sure I put equal emphasis on each.  Que the makeshift game night!!

In addition to providing time for us to laugh, I wanted to illustrate a point.  There are times in every relationship when we have to step back and evaluate the current state of things to see where we might need to focus more time and energy.  The same is true in our relationship with God.

For me, I realized my prayer life could use some attention.

We looked at the Lord’s Prayer from the Book of Luke.  My overall mission was to remind myself (and anyone else who may have needed it) that prayer should be God-centered, not me-centered or circumstance-centered.  When I am self-focused or circumstance-focused in my prayers, I am praying for MY will to be done.  Not Gods. 

Prayer should also be informed by scripture and rooted in faith.  Through prayer, we call upon the Lord to show Himself as mighty and sovereign in our lives and circumstances so that His name will be exalted and His will is done here on Earth, as it is in Heaven.

We are encouraged to pray for whatever concerns us.  We can ask God for anything (!!) as long as we follow up our request by asking God to align our wants with His and to change our hearts so we desire the things and outcomes He desires. 

Before Next Tuesday

Find some time to meet with the Lord.  Sit still and empty, completely hollowed out, meditating on the words and character of God.

Going forward through this summer, be sure you take periodic retreats and saturate yourself with the Bible until you feel that you are lifted into the presence of the Lord in a remarkable way so that your prayers are uncluttered by worldly thinking.

I spend a lot of time praying, studying, thinking, researching, writing, and listening when preparing for Tuesday nights.  When we finished Romans, I sat before the Lord and asked Him to give me something that would be beneficial to all of us.  I looked at the things God was revealing about my own life and asked Him to show me how to make that relevant for all of us.

As I mentioned before, I have heard many people, from many walks of life, say that they feel like they are dragging to the finish line.  If I can just make it through testing.  If I can just make it through this semester.  If I can just make it through this quarter at the office.  If I can just make it through this season.  I don’t know what’s on the other side of that ‘if‘ for everyone else, but for me, it’s usually something like ‘THEN I will be able to kick my heels up and have some ME time’.

Rest is good. I need rest.  We all need rest.  We need breaks in our schedule.  But those times of rest should include things that stir our affections for God.

As June approaches, I want to avoid the lie that says summer means a break from ministry, a break from community, a break from diligently seeking God in prayer and scripture, and a break from being a fully-engaged, active missionary in a lost and broken world.

This summer I want to be faithful in seeking the face of God and dwelling in His presence!

Here’s some of the wisest life advice I’ve ever heard – Make a plan or plan to fail.

We will use the month of May to plan and prepare for a Faithful Summer.  Here’s an overview for this ‘series‘.

Week 1 – Idleness and Idolatry

Our faithfulness to God and His mission and purpose for our lives is threatened by many external things in this world.  But I think the most dangerous threats to our faithfulness lie within us.  Our own tendency to grow weary and complacent and our search for something (beyond God) that would satisfy drive a wedge between us and our First Love.  This week we will take a close and honest look at what’s going on deep within our hearts that might threaten our intimacy with God.

Week 2 – Remember:Rejoice:Restore

When I survey the works and wonders the hands of God have performed in my life, I respond to Him in grateful worship.  When I remind myself of God’s glory and perfection and the price that Jesus paid to bring me into His presence, I am overcome with joy.  A renewed assurance of who God is and what He is doing in, around and through me restores my hope in all that He has planned for my life.  This week we will all have a chance to tell of what God has done for us and how He has drawn us to love Him.

Week 3 – Draw Near

How do you draw near to God?  How does your time in His word look? How healthy is your prayer life?  This week we will talk about the discipline of drawing near to God and carve out a time to intentionally meet with Him.

Week 4 – Vision Casting!

We are all uniquely designed and gifted by God.  The reason that we are living right now is because God determined that we are  necessary for His kingdom-building purposes for today.  He has you here on purpose, for a purpose.

As we break bread together over a potluck meal, we will have some time to talk about our spiritual gifts, our passions and talents, and the things that stir our heart for God and His people.  We will also each ask and answer questions like this: What is your mission?  Has God given you vision for your life?  What are you called to be faithful to do?

Week 5 – Accountability

The best way to prevent unfaithfulness is to guard against it.  This week, we will all present some plans and goals that we have to be faithful to God and the things of God over the summer.  What are we going to contribute to the vision and mission God has given us?  Then we will identify strategies to keep ourselves and each other accountable.

These are MY plans but they are subject to God’s authority.  My goal is not to write a curriculum.  My goal is to be sensitive to promptings of the Holy Spirit.  I pray each week that God would give me words and ideas that would bless the heart of His people.  I am always dependent on and open to His input (and to yours as well!).

I look forward to spending more time with each of you in the presence of God, our Father!

Thanks for sharing your “love stories” about God this week!  I love hearing other people talk about His goodness.  

Week One we addressed things that threaten our faithfulness to God.  I had us narrow down that list of things and focused on idleness and idolatry.

For Week Two, I wanted us to spend some time reflecting on the goodness and presence of God throughout our lives.  Too often I start to think that God has been missing in action and I start looking for Him in burning bushes and messages written in the sky.  I forget that every minute of every day God is constantly working ALL things for my good and His glory.

In order to pull myself out of those moments of forgetfulness, I take some time to reflect on what I know to be true of God and the evidence of those truths in my life.  I look back at the times when God provided for me and I remember that He is God, my Provider.  I look back at the times when God delivered me and I remember that He is God, my Deliverer.  I look back at all He has done on my behalf and that allows me to look ahead with a full expectation that He will do it all again.  He will never forsake me. He will never forget about me.

He won’t run out of favor for me.  He still has plans and purpose for me.  He is still wildly in love with me.  God never tires of pursuing me with His love, mercy, kindness and provision.

Remembering those things about God leads my heart to rejoice and worship.

I hate that I forget! So, how do I live with a constant awareness of the nearness of God? I remember!

I remember what His word says about Him.

^“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.” – Deuteronomy 7:9

I remember and then I rejoice.

1. Remember and rejoice that God saved you by the Holy Spirit.  He opened your heart to the reality of Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
2. Remember and rejoice that God is sovereign over all things.  There is nothing in this world that is not subject to God’s control and authority.  The restoration of this world, our lives, our situations and our families is not on our shoulders.  It all rests on His shoulders and it all responds to His command.  Psalm 135:6, “The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.“
3. Remember and rejoice that God finishes EVERYTHING He begins.
   Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” The calling He has on you and your life, He hasn’t forgotten about that!  He is not done sanctifying you. He has not abandoned the work He started in you or your family members. We have not been abandoned to wrestle with sin by ourselves, we have not been abandoned to deal with dark days and we have not been abandoned to walk through hard things on our own. Nothing separates us from God’s plans for our completion.

A strong assurance of these things produces an unshakeable hope within us! That hope inspires us to rejoice!

We remember, we rejoice and we ask God to restore.

We ask Him to restore the joy of our salvation.  We ask Him to restore our hunger and thirst for more of Him.  We ask Him to restore the vision He planted in us.  We ask Him to restore our faith in His promises.  We ask Him to restore our purpose.

And then we charge full speed into this summer (and into all that God has for us)!

Spend some time meditating on the goodness of our God this week!

I realize that I changed the flow this past Tuesday and that I flooded you guys with information.  I knew going in that would be the case.  Thanks for hanging in there and bearing with me as I attempted to cast a bit of vision for us going forward.

Summer is usually a time where we tend to slack off in many areas.  For me, that includes my pursuit of Godly wisdom and knowledge.  And community!  The goal for the coming weeks, how ever many that may be, is to prepare to have a faithful summer.  To train and discipline ourselves so that we avoid the pattern of the world that would cause us to lose the ground we have taken in our faith, our pursuit of righteousness and in our relationships.

Our goal for the coming weeks is to grow in the disciplines that bring about faithfulness.  I thought the best place to start would be to discuss two things that threaten our faithfulness:  Idleness and Idolatry.

Idleness – (my definition) A lack of discipline in abiding with the Lord through prayer, reading our Bibles and fellowship with other believers.  This leads to apathy about our sin.  In our idleness we often close our eyes, ears and hearts to the things of God.  From there our reverence for God starts to wane.  It is in our nature to worship.  When our affections are no longer for the Lord, that means we are already worshiping something or someone else.  We call those things idols.

Idols – I dealt with two types of idols (Branches and Roots or Surface and Source)

Branch/Surface Idols – I listed about 12 of these but this is a list that could could on and on.  These idols are the ones easily identified (materialism, body image, status, etc). Merely chopping down things on the surface does little to eradicate the things underneath that are actually responsible for growing the branches.

Root/Source Idols – I gave four of these (These come from the Sermon on the Mount).  The way to track a branch to its root is to figure out what you are hoping to gain through your surface idol. For example, it could be that I idolize work (branch/surface) because I think it the harder I work, the more money I make, the more CONTROL (root/source) I have over my future.

1. Control
2. Power
3. Approval
4. Comfort

Control Worshipers

• Seek self-discipline, certainty, standards
• Choose loneliness and forsake spontaneity to maintain control
• Fear uncertainty
• Can be condemning towards others
• Often marked by deep-seated anxiety and worry
• Attempt to micromanage every area of their life

Power Worshipers

• Seek success, victory, influence
• Fear humiliation and will do anything to avoid it
• Desire to dominate others
• Tend to use the people around them for selfish gain
• Angry (at times volatile)
• Prone to gambling and addictions
• Gain identity through competition

Approval Worshipers

• Constant need for relationships and approval
• Seek affirmation almost constantly
• Willing to forsake independence
• Prone to cowardice
• Struggle with insecurities about their decisions and opinions because they fear it may cost them someone’s approval
• Consumed by others’ opinions of them
• Seek love and affirmation from those they deem important (INSTEAD OF God)
• Often over-commit, over-promise, and overstate in order to gain affirmation
• Fear the rejection of people
• Their neediness often smothers those close to them

Comfort Worships

• Seek privacy, lack of stress and freedom
• Strive to avoid stress and demands
• Can view other people as obstacles to their comfort/freedom
• Struggle to make and maintain authentic relationships (because they do not like to put in the work required to do so)
• Try to avoid vulnerability (seems too costly)

These are the negative traits of people who worship these idols.  I want to stress again, there is something redeemable in all of these areas.  For example, I think a person with control tendencies could also have some positive traits.  There is nothing positive about following a sinful desire to control things, but being wise, cautious and disciplined are all good qualities.  It’s like Connie said, (I think I’m paraphrasing) “A flaw is a gift gone awry”.  When I start to believe that I am a better captain of my ship and I can steer better than God, that’s when my gifts go awry.

My hope in presenting these idols is that we might be able to discern if we are currently (or have a tendency to) worshiping at an altar that is not God’s.  If we are worshiping one of these source idols, then we are suppressing the truth of God and we are calling God’s character into question.  All of our idol worship is an accusation against God.

When it comes to idols, God would simply have us repent.

First we name our idol. After we name it, we unmask it – discover how it lies to us.  Then we consider the price Jesus paid for us to be set free and made whole.  From this place of brokenness and godly-sorrow, we repent, ask for forgiveness and then rejoice because God has looked on Him who was slain and pardoned us.

The only way to remove these idols from your heart is to allow Jesus to reign and rule in your life in such a way that He displaces them.  When you see that He is the only one worthy of your worship and the only one who faithfully gives the things He promises, you will turn from all other idols.

If, like me, you have strayed from God’s altar, know that a loving, merciful, and forgiving God beckons you to come back to His open arms. 

Here I will highlight a few verses and individuals to enhance this chapter for you.

(1-2) A recommendation of Phoebe.

I commend to you Phoebe our sister: Paul certainly knew the value of what women could do in serving the church. Apparently Phoebe was on her way to Rome (probably entrusted with this precious letter!) and Paul sends an advance recommendation of this sister in Christ so the Romans will receive her and support her during her stay in Rome.

I commend to you: Such recommendations were important, because there was both great legitimate need for this kind of assistance, and many deceivers who wanted to take advantage of the generosity of Christians.

Servant is the same word translated deacon in other places. Phoebe seems to be a female deacon in the church, either through formal recognition or through her general service.

(3-5a) Greetings to Priscilla and Aquilla.

Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned in Acts 18:2, 18:18 and 18:26 as associates of Paul and helpers to Apollos. Apparently they were now back in the city of Rome. The church that is in their house: This phrase gives us a clue to the organization of the early church. In a city with a Christian community of any size, there would be several “congregations” meeting in different houses, since there were no “church” buildings at this time.

(5b-16)

Paul finds something wonderful to say about almost every person mentioned in this section – noting their labor, his special regard for them (beloved), their standing in the Lord (approved in Christ … in the Lord … chosen in the Lord).

There was great value of Paul’s extensive greetings to the Roman church.  After all, Romans was a letter to real people and, as far as we can see, ordinary people. They were like the most of us, commonplace individuals; but they loved the Lord, and therefore as Paul recollected their names, he sent them a message of love which has become embalmed in the Holy Scriptures. Do not let us think of the distinguished Christians exclusively so as to forget the rank and file of the Lord’s army. Let us value all Christ’s servants equally.  I read a quote once that suggested that it is far greater to be God’s dog than the Satan’s darling.

Notice all women mentioned in this chapter: Phoebe, Priscilla, Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, the mother of Rufus, and Julia. These women are said to have worked for the Lord!! May that be said of each of us!

(17-20) A word of warning regarding dividers and deceivers.

Note those who cause divisions and offenses: This has in mind both those who would divide God’s people (cause divisions) and those who would deceive God’s people (offenses … contrary to the doctrine you have learned). Once these have been noted (marked), they are to be avoided.

This is essential to God’s purpose for the church. Truth without unity leads to pride; unity without truth leads to a departure from the true gospel itself. Each of these must be guarded against.

By smooth words and flattering speech deceive: The warning is necessary because these dividers and deceivers do not announce themselves. They use smooth words and flattering speech and always target the simple – usually those who are young in the faith.

Do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly: Dividers and deceivers never want to appear selfish. Typically they perceive themselves as noble crusaders for a great cause. Nevertheless, however they may appear on the outside, their motives are essentially selfish and fleshly.

Your obedience has become known to all: This means that when it comes to dividers and deceivers, it isn’t that the Romans must correct a bad situation. They are already dealing with these situations well, and Paul is glad about it. Yet they must remain diligent against the attacks of the dividers and the deceivers.

Be wise in what is good: This is the best defense against dividers and deceivers. It is of far more use to know the good than it is to know the evil, to learn about the genuine rather than the counterfeit.

The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly: Any church with the well-deserved reputation of the Romans, who stays on guard against both dividers and deceivers, will see God crush Satan under your feet shortly.  We see that God does the crushing, but Satan ends up under the feet of believers.  Of course, this will not ultimately happen until Satan is bound and cast into the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3); but every victory God wins for us right now is a preview of that event.

(25-27) Conclusion to the letter: praise to God.

With all the dangers facing the Romans – and every church – Paul fittingly concludes by commending them to Him who is able to establish you. Paul also knows that this will be done according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ.

According to the revelation of the mystery: Paul means this as the whole plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. Though God announced much of the plan previously through prophecy, its final outworking wasn’t evident until revealed by God through Jesus.

When Paul concludes with to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever, he is reflecting on both the wisdom of God’s plan in the gospel and the fact that such wisdom is beyond man. God had a plan no man would come up with, but the wisdom and glory of the plan is evident.

If there is anything Roman explains from beginning to end it is the greatness and glory of this plan of God that Paul preached as a gospel – as good news. It’s entirely fitting that Paul concludes this letter praising the God of such a gospel.

God has also, in the gospel Paul preaches, chosen to glorify Himself through the person and work of Jesus Christ, and to glorify Himself that way forever. Amen!

Thus concludes a beautiful book of the Bible.  It is my strong belief that every Christian should read Romans at least twice in their lifetime.  I pray that the Holy Spirit opened this book up to you in new ways over the last several weeks.  I encourage you to revisit this ‘crown jewel’ of the Bible often!

Here are some of my expository notes for this chapter.  I hope they prove beneficial to your study of this passage.

(1-2) Filled with care and concern for others.

1. We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
   1. We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves: If you consider yourself strong in comparison to your brother, use your strength to serve your brothers in Christ – instead of using your “strength” just to please yourself.
   2. Bear with: The idea isn’t really bearing with, but bearing up the weaker brother – supporting him with your superior strength.
   3. This goes against the whole tenor of our times, which counsels people to “look out for Number 1” and despises those who live lives of real sacrifice for the sake of others. Yet, undeniably Paul points the way to true happiness and fulfillment in life – get your eyes off of yourself, start building up others and you will find yourself built up.
2. Let each of us please his neighbor: It is a simple, yet challenging call to simply put our neighbor first. Paul later wrote much the same thing in Philippians 2:3-4: Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
3. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good: This shows that Paul does not mean being a “man-pleaser.” Such a person may want to please his neighbor, but not for his good.
4. Leading to edification: All too often, Christians find it easier to tear each other down instead of building each other up; this is a classic strategy of Satan against the church that must be resisted.

(3-4) Filled with the example of Jesus, who always put others first.

For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

a. For even Christ did not please Himself: Jesus is the ultimate example of one who did not please Himself, but put others first. Paul’s classic development of this idea is in Philippians 2:5-11.

b. As it is written: As Jesus took abuse and suffered wrong for God’s glory, He fulfilled what was written in God’s word. Jesus showed by example that for the most part we are entirely too quick to vindicate ourselves, instead of letting God vindicate us. Jesus showed how the Father is well able to vindicate us.

c. The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me: The commandment Jesus fulfilled from Psalm 69:7 applies to us as well. It was written for our learning, that we might have hope, knowing we are doing what is right even when it is difficult.

(5-6) A prayer for the fulfillment of this attitude in the Romans.

The God of patience: Our God is a God of patience. We are often in so much of a hurry, and God often seems to work too slowly for us. Often the purposes of God seem to be delayed but they always are fulfilled. God’s delays are not His denials, and He has a loving purpose in every delay.

We love God’s patience with His people – we need Him to be patient with us! Yet we often resent God’s patience with His plan – we think He should hurry up. Nevertheless, God is patient both with His people and in His plan.

That you may: The goal is to glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We accomplish that goal by having one mind and one mouth – by unity in our thinking and speech.

(7-13) Filled with love for others and joy and peace by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore receive one another: Instead of letting these issues about disputable things divide the body of Christ (especially making a division between Jew and Gentile), we should receive one another just as Christ received us – in the terms of pure grace, knowing yet bearing with our faults.

“Christ did not receive us because we were perfect, because He could see no fault in us, or because He hoped to gain somewhat at our hands. Ah, no! But, in loving condescension covering our faults, and seeking our good, He welcomed us to His heart; so, in the same way, and with the same purpose, let us receive one another.” – Charles Spurgeon

As it is written: Paul quotes a series of passages from the Old Testament demonstrating that God intends that the Gentiles would come to praise Him. Instead of dividing over disputable matters, Jews and Gentiles should unite in Jesus over the common ground of praise.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace: The prayer and blessing concluding the section is appropriate. As God fills us with the blessings of His joy and peace in believing, we are equipped to live in this common bond of unity God calls us to.

(14-16) Paul’s reason for writing.

1. Able also to admonish one another: Paul didn’t write because he felt the Roman Christians couldn’t discern what was right before God or admonish each other to do right. Rather, he wrote to remind them, encouraging them to do what they knew was right.
2. That I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles: This is consistent with Paul’s calling to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. In fulfilling this call, he didn’t just preach the gospel of salvation but also instructed believers how to live before God.
3. That the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable: When the Gentiles live glorifying God, then their offering to God is acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit – the necessity of such a sacrifice makes Paul’s writing necessary.
4. Romans 15:16 is filled with the language of priesthood. Paul says he serves as a “ministering priest” of Jesus Christ presenting the gospel as a “priestly service” so Gentile converts would be an acceptable sacrifice to God.

(17-19) Paul glories in the work God has done through him.

1. Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus: As he considers his call to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, Paul can glory in God that he received such a call – speaking only of the things God did through him to bring salvation to the Gentiles.
2. In word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient: God used mighty signs and wonders and the broader power of the Spirit of God to help Paul fully preach the gospel of Christ everywhere he went – from Jerusalem to Illyricum. We sense that Paul would consider “bare” preaching, without the active and sometimes miraculous work of the Holy Spirit evident, to be less than fully preaching the gospel.

20-21 Explain Paul’s desire to preach the gospel in new places.

Not where Christ was named: Paul did not want to build on another man’s foundation. Rather he wanted to do pioneer work for the Lord – not because it was wrong or bad to continue the work begun through another man, but because there was so much to do on the frontiers.

(22-24) Why Paul hasn’t visited the Christians in Rome yet.

1. For this reason I also have been much hindered: It was his great desire to do pioneer work that hindered him from coming to the Romans, though he did desire to see them.
2. Whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you: Therefore, Paul supposes that he will visit the Romans on a future trip to Spain, where Paul will preach the gospel on the frontiers. Stopping off in Rome on the way, Paul anticipates that he can enjoy the support and fellowship of the Romans before he goes to preach the gospel in the regions beyond.

(30-33) Paul’s plea for prayer.

Strive together with me in prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe: Sensing that danger awaited him in Jerusalem (having been warned several times as recorded in Acts 20:22-23 and Acts 21:10-14), Paul knew he needed the prayers of God’s people to see him through the difficulty promised him.

Strive together with me: The idea is that Paul wants the Romans to partner with him in ministry through their prayers. The New English Bible translates this, be my allies in the fight. The New Living Bible translates the phrase like this: join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.

The ancient Greek word translated strive together is sunagonizomai – literally meaning, “agonize together.” To emphasize the importance and intensity, Paul repeats the word twice: sunagonizomai sunagonizomai.  This same root word for agony is used of the anguished prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus asked His disciples to agonize with Him in prayer. They failed at that critical moment and left Jesus to struggle alone. We must not leave our ministers and leaders to struggle alone.

Pastors are sustained by the power of the Spirit through the support of their congregations.  May this passage encourage you to pray for the leaders in the church!

(1-2) Receiving the weaker brother.

1. Receive the one who is weak in the faith: These are words to take seriously. Paul warns us to not make spiritual maturity a requirement for fellowship. We should distinguish between someone who is weak and someone who is rebellious.
2. There are many reasons why a Christian might be weak.

– They may be a babe in Christ (babies are weak)

– They may be sick or diseased (by legalism)

– They may be malnourished (by lack of good teaching)

– They may lack exercise (needing exhortation)

Eats only vegetables: As an example of a doubtful thing, Paul looks at those who refuse to eat meat for a spiritual reason. Perhaps they refused it because they feared it was meat sacrificed to a pagan god (as in 1 Corinthians 8). Perhaps they refused the meat because it wasn’t kosher, and they stuck to Jewish dietary regulations and traditions.

i. Because some Christian saw nothing wrong in this meat and others saw much wrong in it, this was a burning issue among believers in Paul’s day. While the issue of not eating meat for spiritual reasons is no longer directly relevant to most Christians today, there are plenty of issues where some believers believe one way and others believe differently.

ii. He who is weak eats only vegetables: In Paul’s mind, the weak brother is the stricter one. It wasn’t that they were weaker in their Christian life because of what they ate or didn’t eat, but they were weaker because of their legalistic attitudes and lack of love towards others.

iii. Undoubtedly these weak ones did not see themselves as weaker. It’s likely they thought they were the strong ones, and the meat-eaters were the weak ones. Legalism has a way of making us think that we are strong and those who don’t keep the rules the way we do are weak.

(3-4) Judging our brother is inappropriate because we are not their masters.

There is a lot of useless, harmful division among Christians over silly, bigoted things. Paul isn’t telling these Christians to erase their differences; he tells them to rise above them as Christian brothers and sisters.

(5-6) Judging our brother is inappropriate because these are matters of conscience.

By bringing in the aspect of observing certain days, Paul lets us know that he is talking more about principles than specific issues. What he says has application to more than just eating meat.  In such issues, Paul is willing to leave it up to the conscience of the individual. But whatever we do, we must be able to do it to the Lord, not using “conscience” as an excuse for obviously sinful behavior.

(7-9) We live and die to the Lord.

We must understand that from beginning to end our life is connected to other lives. Paul reminds the Roman Christians that “No man is an island.”

(10-12) Judging our brother is inappropriate because we will all face judgment before Jesus.

The strict Christian found it easy to judge his brother, writing him off as an unspiritual meat-eater-compromiser. The free Christian found it easy to show contempt against his brother, regarding him as a uptight-legalistic-goody-good. Essentially, Paul’s answer is “Stop worrying about your brother. You have enough to answer for before Jesus.”

The judgment seat of Christ is only concerned with a Christian’s rewards and position in the kingdom, not with his salvation.

Every knee shall bow: The quotation from Isaiah 45:23 emphasizes the fact that all will have to appear before God in humility, and give account of himself before God. If this is the case, we should let God deal with our brother.

(13) Summary: don’t make it an issue of judging, but don’t use your liberty to cause another brother to stumble.

This does not take away the need and the responsibility for admonishment (Romans 15:14) or rebuke (2 Timothy 4:2). When we admonish or rebuke, we do it over clear Scriptural principles, not over doubtful things. We may offer advice to others about doubtful things, but should never judge them.

(14-15) Destroying a brother makes a privilege wrong.

Paul knew that there was nothing intrinsically unclean about meat that was not kosher or sacrificed to an idol. Yet there was nothing that could justify the destruction of a Christian brother over food. The issue now is not my personal liberty; it is walking in love towards a brother that Jesus loves and died for.

If Jesus was willing to give up His life for the sake of that brother, I can certainly give up my steak dinner!

(16-18) Pursuing the higher call of the Kingdom of God.

Our liberty in Jesus and freedom from the law is good, but not if we use it to destroy another brother in Christ. If we do that, then it could rightly be spoken of as evil. If we place food and drink before righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, then we are hopelessly out of touch with God’s priorities and His heart. Serving God with a heart for His righteousness and peace and joy is the kind of service that is acceptable in His sight, and will be approved by men.

(19-21) Use your liberty to build each other up, not to tear each other down.

If eating or drinking something will stumble another brother, then we are not free to do so. Even if we have the personal liberty, we do not have the liberty to stumble, offend, or weaken a brother.  We should not think that Paul would permit us to cater to someone’s legalism. Paul speaks about the stumbling of a sincere heart, not catering to the whims of someone’s legalism.

(22-23) The concluding principle of faith.

Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves: There are many ways to apply this verse but here’s is the way I am leaning today – there are things that God may challenge us to give up, but we go on approving them in our life – thus we condemn ourselves. It may not be that the thing itself is clearly good or bad, but it is enough that God has spoken to us about this matter.

Each of us must ask: “God what is there in my life hindering a closer walk with You? I want to know the happiness that comes from not condemning myself by what I approve in my life.” This takes faith, because we often cling to hindering things because we think they make us happy. Real happiness is found being closer and closer to Jesus, and by not being condemned by what we approve.

Whatever is not from faith is sin: Paul concludes with another principle by which we can judge “gray areas” – if we can’t do it in faith, then it is sin. This is a wonderful check on our tendency to justify ourselves in the things we permit. If we are troubled by something, it likely isn’t of faith and likely is sin for us.

Making sense of the government’s legitimate authority and the Christian’s response.

Every soul certainly includes Christians. Paul simply says that we should be subject to the governing authorities. This was in contrast to groups of zealous Jews in that day who recognized no king but God and paid taxes to no one but God.

For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God: We subject ourselves to governing authorities because they are appointed by God and serve a purpose in His plan.

i. No authority except from God: God appoints a nation’s leaders, but not always to bless the people. Sometimes it is to judge the people or to ripen the nation for judgment.

ii. We remember that Paul wrote this during the reign of the Roman Empire. It was no democracy, and no special friend to Christians – yet he still saw their legitimate authority.

iii. Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, one of the worst Roman governors Judea ever had; and Paul under Nero, the worst Roman Emperor. And neither our Lord nor His Apostle denied or reviled the ‘authority’ placed over them.

Since governments have authority from God, we are bound to obey them – unless, of course, they order us to do something in contradiction to God’s law. Then, we are commanded to obey God before man.

(3-4) The job of government: to punish and deter evildoers.

(5-7) The Christian’s responsibility towards government.

Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

a. Therefore you must be subject: We must be subject to government; not only because we fear punishment, but because we know it is right before God to do so.

      –For conscience sake: Christian obedience to the state is never blind – it obeys with the eyes of conscience wide open.

b. You also pay taxes … Render therefore to all their due: We are also to pay the taxes due from us, because there is a sense in which we support God’s work when we do so.

    -By implication, Romans 13:6 also says that the taxes collected are to be used by government to get the job done of restraining evil and keeping an orderly society – not to enrich the government officials themselves.

c. Taxes … customs … fear … honor: We are to give to the state the money, honor, and proper reverence which are due to the state, all the while reserving our right to give to God that which is due to God alone.

d. In light of this, is rebellion against government ever justified? If a citizen has a choice between two governments, it is right to choose and to promote the one that is most legitimate in God’s eyes – the one which will best fulfill God’s purpose for governments.

        -As well, in a democracy, we must understand that there is a sense in which we are the government, and should not hesitate to help “govern” our democracy through our participation in the democratic process.

(8-10) The obligation to love.

Owe no one anything except to love one another: On a personal level, the only “debt” we are to carry is the “debt” to love one another – this is a perpetual obligation we carry both before God and each other.

Love your neighbor means to love the people you actually meet with and deal with every day. It is easy for us to love in the theoretical and the abstract, but God demands that we love real people.

Love is the fulfillment of the law: It is easy to do all the right religious “things” but to neglect love. Our love is the true measure of our obedience to God.

(11-14) The urgency to love and walk right with God.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: Because we know the danger of the times and we anticipate the soon return of Jesus, we should be all the more energetic and committed to a right walk with God instead of a sleep-walk with God.  How important it is to awake out of sleep! We can do many Christian things and essentially be asleep towards God. What a difference it makes when we are awake!

– We can speak when we are awake

– We can hear when we are awake

– We can walk when we are awake

– We can sing when we are awake

– We can think when we are awake

Cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light: The illustration is from taking off and putting on clothes. When you get dressed every day, you dress appropriately to who you are and what you plan to do. Therefore, everyday, put on the Lord Jesus Christ!

The works of darkness are characterized as revelry and drunkenness, licentiousness and lewdness, strife and envy. These are not appropriate for Christians who have come out of the darkness into God’s light.

i. The idea behind the word for licentiousness is “the desire for a forbidden bed.” It describes the person who sets no value on sexual purity and fidelity.

ii. Lewdness has the idea of a man who is lost to shame. They no longer care what people think and flaunt their sin openly, even proudly.

We are called to make no provision for the flesh. We have a work to do in walking properly, as in the day – it isn’t as if Jesus does it for us as we sit back; instead, He does it through us as we willingly and actively partner with Him.

Ask yourself these questions at the end of the day!

LEARN:
What have you done to grow in wisdom and stature today?
What do you know today about God, His Word or His purposes that you did not know yesterday?
What are you going to do differently as a result of what you have learned?

LEAD:
How is this world or are others better today because you have stepped up and been God’s servant?
When you showed up, how was evil restrained, injustice conquered, love multiplied, captives rescued and/or joy increased.

LOVE:
What have you done today to make someone else know of God’s great love for them?  Has your motivation for everything been love of God and others?
Example: “May this small act of kindness remind you of God’s great love for you.”

LAUGH:
Have you laughed out loud today?
Have you made others laugh much today? A joyful heart is good medicine – Proverbs 17:22

LIVE generously:
How have you shown generosity today? 

Who is better off because God stewarded you with His resources?

LIVE with gratitude:
How have you expressed a heart filled with Thanksgiving today for the multitude of blessings you have received?

LIFT others up:
Who have you encouraged today with a word, a phone call, an email, a note or a card?

LEAN on others:
Who are you relying on to spur you on?  Confront you? Shepherd you?
Who has access to your heart? Who faithfully reproves you?  Sharpens you?  Admonishes you when you are unruly?
When is the last time you repented and changed because someone who loves you “smote you in kindness”.

LIVE it all by faith (by yielding to the Spirit):
What have you done today that only makes sense because you believe in the grace of Christ and the resurrection of the dead?
Have you lived today by faith? By the power of in constant relationship with the Spirit?