The title of my message this
morning is Encouragement and Prayer Among Believers. Now,
we'll start off having to do with believers' encouragement
to one another in chapter 15, verse 13, where Paul says, Now
the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing
that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Notice that the Apostle Paul concludes his exhortation to
these believers by expressing his confidence in God and not
necessarily in the believer. And of course, we know that Paul,
he made it clear that he had no confidence in the flesh. All
of his confidence was in Christ. Paul's confidence was in God
who alone gives grace for his people that they might enjoy
fellowship together in Christ and in God's grace in them. The
God of hope tells us here that God is both the source and the
object of our hope in Christ. Our hope is a certain and firm
expectation of salvation and final glory. And this hope which
we have is attributed entirely to God's grace and mercy. And
this hope is founded upon the blood and the righteousness of
Christ alone. And then Paul says of this hope that believers have,
he says, is to fill you with all joy and peace in believing.
As we rest in Christ and depend upon him, and as we continually
look to him, following, honoring, we have all joy, which is the
fruit of the Holy Spirit and is a deep down assurance. of our complete acceptance before
God in Christ, and of our eternal well-being in Him, in Christ. And peace here, peace between
brethren, which binds us together in Christ. This joy and peace
comes in believing, in looking to Christ alone for salvation,
for righteousness, and for eternal life and glory. Joy, peace, and
faith, they're all gifts of the Holy Spirit. All gifts of the
Holy Spirit. But faith is the foundation grace. It's the foundation grace which
all of these other graces flow. See, if you don't have faith,
if you don't have faith, you don't have this true joy and
this true peace that we're talking about here by the Holy Spirit.
You must have faith. You must come to faith alone
because faith identifies as true God and true Christ and identifies
that work of salvation on your behalf, which gives you that
peace and that joy in believing. Paul then says that you may abound
in hope. As we continually look to Christ
for all salvation, we overflow in the hope of the gospel through
the power of the Holy Ghost. These graces within us and this
hope which we have and in which we may abound are all the gifts
and the operation of the Holy Spirit. In verse 14, Paul continues,
and I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that you
also are full of goodness filled with all knowledge, able also
to admonish one another. Paul was convinced of their salvation. He calls them his brethren, children
of the same father, saved by the same redeemer and born again
by the same spirit. He says of the believers that
you also are full of goodness. The goodness with which we are,
we who are saved or filled is not our own goodness. It is the
goodness of God in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Christ
himself living and working in us by the Holy Spirit and by
his word. The apostle says over in Galatians
2.20, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in
the flesh. I live by the faith of the son
of God who loved me and gave himself for me. This field with
all knowledge is the knowledge of God's grace in Christ, the
knowledge that he gives us by the Holy Spirit in his word,
whereby we are made able to admonish one another or to teach and correct
one another in love. Beginning at verse 15, Paul says,
nevertheless, brethren, he's still talking to the brethren
here at the church at Rome. I have written them more boldly
unto you in some sort as putting you in mind because of the grace
that is given to me of God, that I should be the minister of Jesus
Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering
up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified and set apart
by the Holy Ghost. Paul's boldness in his corrections,
instructions, and encouragements to this church here at Rome was
not to criticize them nor to diminish their zeal for the gospel
ministry. It was to remind them of and
to encourage them in the gospel ministry. He needed their help
in preaching the gospel to God's elect among the Gentiles here,
and in offering up of the Gentiles or presenting them unto God as
acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Literally,
Paul says here that he ministered as a priest of the gospel of
God. He refers to himself not as a
priest ministering in the service of the tabernacle of old, nor
in the law of Moses, but as one who ministers the gospel itself. He presented before the people
God's way of saving sinners based on that perfect satisfaction
to his law and justice found only in the blood and righteousness
of Christ. This ministry among the Gentiles
could not be promoted by believers at Rome if they continued to
argue with each other and to divide over non-essential issues. But it would be promoted if they
were to stand fast and be unified in the truth of the gospel. That's
where the unification comes with believers. Even though we come
here with all sorts of personalities, all sorts of different kinds
of relationships, cultures, and everything else, what unifies
us is this gospel. That's what unifies us. It's
this gospel of how God has unsaved us based on his righteousness
alone. Now, in verse 17, I have therefore
whereof I made glory through Jesus Christ, and those things
which pertain to God. Paul's ministry among the Gentiles
had been greatly blessed of God to the praise of the glory of
God's grace in Christ. Paul could rightfully glory or
boast in this, but only through Jesus Christ and those things
which pertain to God. Paul's boasting here was not
in his own goodness, his own abilities, but in the grace and
power of Christ. And as Paul gives all glory,
to God alone. Beginning at verse 18, Paul says,
for I will not dare to speak of any of those things which
Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient
by word and by deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by
the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, so that from
Jerusalem and round about and to Ilaricum, I have fully preached
the gospel of Christ. Paul had no interest or desire
to speak of things that God had not accomplished by him in the
ministry of Christ. Christ had worked many miracles
of his power through the Apostle Paul to bring the Gentiles to
faith. He had used Paul by word, that is, which is the preaching
of the gospel of Christ crucified and risen, and by deed, and that
is through sign, mighty signs and wonders by the Holy Spirit
of God. Now, it is only by the power
of the Holy Spirit that sinners are born again and converted
to Christ. But God uses the preaching of
the gospel by chosen ministers to accomplish this great work.
Paul had fully preached the gospel of Christ, and in ministering
to the Gentiles, Paul did not hold back anything concerning
the gospel of God's grace in Christ. Now, he begins here in
verse 20, speaking some on the believer's caring for one another,
beginning at verse 20. Verse 20, it says, yea, so have
I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest
I should build upon another man's foundation. But as it is written,
to whom it was not spoken of, they shall see, and they that
have not heard shall understand. Paul was a pioneer missionary.
His desire was to preach the gospel where it had not been
preached before. God used him greatly to establish
churches in areas where Christ was before unknown. He was not
seeking honor for himself in this task of preaching the gospel,
but to glorify God in Christ. His desire was to see sinners
saved and God's people edified. He quotes Isaiah 52 verse 15
here and verse 21 that we're looking at in order to show that
his mission And his desire was the fulfilling of prophecy and
God's purpose to save his elect among the Gentiles. This prophecy
was of God through Isaiah was part of the prophecy that follows
in Isaiah 53 concerning the great and powerful work of Christ as
a suffering servant who would save his lost sheep by his obedience
under death. The calling of God's elect out
of every nation. is a direct fruit and effect
of the saving work of Christ on the cross. Let's look at these
verses here in John, Christ speaking here in John 6. Beginning at
John 6, verse 37, some verses that we're all familiar with, here's what Christ says. All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh
me I will in no wise cast out. Now, you know, in formal religion
and everything, a lot of times we used to read over these scriptures
here, and it just come off of our tongue. And really not seeing
what's this talking about here. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. and him that cometh to me, I
will know why it's cast out. That's not a maybe, that's a
sure and certain thing here that God's saying here, that Christ
is saying. In that everlasting covenant of grace, the father
gave Christ to people called his elect, his sheep. He gave
them to him. He became responsible for all
of us. All of God's elect is their substitute
and surety. Christ says all that the Father
gave me in time is going to come to me by the preaching of the
gospel. It's not a maybe, they're coming. He says, for I came down from
heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent
me. And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that
of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should
raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of
him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and
believeth on him, may have everlasting life, and I'll raise him up at
the last day." Now, this is assuring certain things here, folks. The
Jews then murmured at him because he said, I'm the bread which
came down from heaven. See, they knew he had said he's
God. And they said, is not this Jesus,
the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it
that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered
and said unto them, murmur not among yourselves. No man can
come to me except the Father which has sent me. Draw him,
and I'll raise him up at the last day. And he draws us by
the preaching of the gospel. He sends a faithful preacher
of the gospel our way. He sends a gospel preacher our
way, and he tells us this gospel. This gospel that identifies the
true and living God, this gospel that identifies the true Christ, this gospel that tells us that
we have no hope outside of Christ and His righteousness alone.
He shows us our sinfulness and causes us to flee to Christ by
the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God in that new birth. Now, in
conversion. This also establishes the message
that ministers of Christ are to preach. It is the good news
of salvation by God's grace through the Lord Jesus Christ, based
entirely on His finished work, whereby sinners are justified
before God, forgiven, and ultimately glorified on His blood and righteousness
alone. That's what believers look to,
His blood, Christ's blood, His righteousness alone. We have
no hope. in anything that we do or are
unable to do because it don't measure up. It don't measure
up to that standard, which is Christ. Perfect perfection. We can't, but we have one that's
been charged to our account and that righteousness that's charged
to our account was established and worked out by our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ and him alone. Another important truth
that is supported here is that God uses means of the preaching
of the gospel to save his elect people. The apostle Paul says
in verse 20 of Romans 15, 20, yea, so have I strived to preach
the gospel. Well, what are you preaching
the gospel for, Paul? Those who would reason that God's elect
will be saved without hearing the truth truth of the gospel
and believing in Christ and him crucified and risen again have
no scriptural support for that. God glorifies himself in the
salvation of his people by the Lord Jesus Christ in their calling
by the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit. See, this is
how we glorify God. by believing Him, believing Him,
believing how He saves us based on Christ alone. How can we glorify
God the Father if we don't know anything about Him? This is where
the Gospel comes. Look again at John 6, 37. It
says, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him
that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Once again, God's
Word here says that all that the Father gave to Christ and
the everlasting covenant of grace shall in time, shall in time
come to Christ by faith. No ifs, ands, and buts about
it. They gonna come to Christ. If God chose you and give you
to his son, and his son come here and did everything that
was required for their salvation, to present them faultless without
blame before him, He's going to send the Holy Spirit
because all these things that we have, where it's peace and
faith and peace and all these things that come as far as fruit
and effect of what Christ did for us, they're going to in time
come about in us as we hear the gospel, believe the gospel, come
to Christ. Verse 22 says, for which cause
also I have been hindered from coming to you. Paul says, speaking
of these believers at Rome, but now having no more places in
these parts and having a great desire these many years to come
to you, whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I'll come
to you, for I trust to see you in my journey and to be brought
on my way titherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled
with your company. Paul's zeal and desire to preach
the gospel in other places had hindered him from visiting these
believers here at Rome, where Christ had already been preached
and where the gospel was already known by these believers here
at Rome. Paul expresses a twofold desire here. To him, he says,
to visit the believers at Rome and to enjoy fellowship with
them and to preach the gospel in Spain. Those were two of his
desires here. Since Rome was on his way to
Spain, he planned to visit with them on the way. We know that
Paul did go to Rome, but not as he had hoped. He eventually
went there as a prisoner, and there seems to be no record that
he ever went to Spain. And that right there tells a
little bit about, see, Paul, in his plans, this is what he
had planned. to come and visit with him and so forth, but he
was able to see a lot of them and see them, but it wasn't as
he planned because he was put in prison there in Rome. And
a lot of times we do the same thing. We make plans. Sometimes
those plans don't work out like we have laid them out to be. We laid them out to be so just
real neat. But God brings about his desires in us in the way
that is best for us in these matters. Verse 25, Paul said,
but now I go to Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For
it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain
contributions for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. As much
as Paul wanted to visit Rome and go to Spain, there was a
more immediate need for him to go back to Jerusalem. Paul mentioned
this intended journey in Acts 19.21. Believers in Jerusalem
at this time were in poverty, not only because of great persecution
from the enemies of Christ and his truth, but because of a great
famine in that land at the time. The believers in Macedonia and
Achaia had to collect money and gifts to help their poor, suffering
brethren there at Jerusalem. This is a great example of believers
caring for one another, as we are one spiritual family under
Christ. This is a great example of true
godly love of the brethren. Not that we're going to get anything
out of what we do here, given these things, but we do it because
of what Christ has done for us. Now, verse 27 says, it had pleased
them verily, speaking of these brethren there, Macedonia and
Achaia, and their debtors they are. It says, it had pleased
them verily, or truly, and their debtors they are, for if the
Gentiles have been made for takers of their spiritual things, their
duty is also to minister unto them carnal things. The Gentile
believers had benefited from the Jewish believers in things
pertaining to God and salvation. As we studied in chapter 11,
the Gentiles are very much indebted to the Jews because God set the
Jews apart and preserved his gospel in that nation. In this
sense, salvation is of the Jews. It came to the Jews first. Christ
himself, as to his humanity, was a direct descendant of Abraham.
On the other hand, at that time, the Jews were in no way indebted
to the Gentiles. The Jews were the first believers. The Jews received no advantage
from the Gentiles, but the Gentiles had received much from them.
As they had received spiritual advantage from the Jews as a
means of hearing the gospel, these believers, therefore, felt
indebted to share their material blessings with the Jewish believers
that had need at that time. The Gentiles knew God had used
the Jews to spread the unsearchable riches of Christ. The Gentile
believers showed how they valued this by sharing their material
blessings. Then Paul says, verse 28, when
therefore I have performed this, speaking of carrying those funds
to those believers there at Jerusalem, and have sealed to them this
fruit, I will come by you into Spain. Paul intended to go to
Rome on his way to Spain when he finished this task, and literally
put his seal on this fruit of theirs. Paul commended their
gifts as the fruit of faith, love, and gratitude. In that
day, a seal that we see here was used to stamp anything as
genuine and to distinguish it from a counterfeit. This fruit
of giving was convincing evidence that their faith was real and
that Gentiles had received the gospel, not in word only, but
in truth. In verse 29, Paul says, and I
am sure that when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness
of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Paul's expectation
was to go to Rome and enjoy their fellowship in fullness and the
blessings of the gospel of Christ. As we know, his journey to Rome
was under many hardships and much of opposition. He finally
got to Rome, but as a prisoner, as we said. This, however, did
not rob him of the fullness of the blessings of Christ and the
joy of fellowship with the believers there at Rome. It also did not
harm It also did no harm to the ministry of the gospel of Christ,
but actually promoted that ministry. Even in his confinement in Rome,
he wrote to the church of Philippi, and in Philippians 1, 12 through
14, Paul, as he wrote to this church at Philippi, said, But
I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which
happen unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of
the gospel. speaking of him being in prison, so that my bonds in
Christ are manifest in all the palace and all the other places. And many of the brethren in the
Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to
speak the word without fear, as they looked and saw where
Paul was in prison. Now, this right here, as we close
out. Well, we're going to be on verse
30. Now, I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Christ's sake and
for the love of the Spirit, that you thrive together with me in
your prayers of God for me. Now, one of the most serious
things we can ask from one another is prayer. What we're asking
our brethren to do is to go before God on our behalf. This request
is not taken lightly. Paul qualifies it with, for the
Lord Jesus Christ's sake and for the love of the Spirit. He
takes great care to ask brethren, those who believe the same God,
who have one true mediator, Christ, the Lord our righteousness, those
who are washed in the blood of Christ and clothed in his righteousness,
who have been born again by the Holy Spirit, as revealed by their
faith and love, he asks them to pray. for him and with him. And in this prayer, this love
that we have for each other and that we pray for each other has
not been shared abroad in the heart of an unbeliever. Therefore,
to ask an unbeliever to pray for us is to make an earnest
request of someone who on our behalf unto a false god and upon
false ground. That is simply saying that if
you know that someone is worshiping a false god and a false religion,
that to go ask them to pray for me, it would be asking them to pray
to their false god on your behalf. And we don't do that, when we
ask for individual to pray for us. We want to ask believers
to pray for us. They're the ones that are trusting
in, believing on the true and living God, not a false God.
And that's what Paul speaks of here. Paul says, pray for me
that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea. and that my service which I have
for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints. Many Jews in Judea
rejected the gospel and were ready to accuse and attack Paul
when he returned. Paul, being aware of the possible
dangers, asked his brethren to pray for his safety so that he
could complete the mission the Lord had given to him. Paul knew
that God's will would be done, but he also knew that it was
God's will for him to express his faith in Christ by seeking
to pray and seeking his brethren to pray for him. And then he
says that I may come into you with joy by the will of God and
may be and may with you be refreshed. Paul asked them to pray also
that God would provide a way according to his will for him
to come to Rome and experience firsthand the joy and refreshing
of their fellowship. He looked beyond the dangers
of going to Jerusalem and toward the joy of meeting with his Christian
brethren there at Rome. Paul's desire was to go to Rome
and share in that joy that they would experience with both weak
and strong believers. Now, the last verse that we see
here, verse 33, Paul then closes out this particular chapter 15
With now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. And that's
the way I'm going to close out this particular Bible study this
morning. Amen.