Okay, we're coming back now to
our study in Romans chapter 15. We can see from reading these
verses, we can see Paul's earnest, fervent desire to be with these
people who were believers who lived in Rome. that city of civilization,
that city in that day who was on the cutting edge of all things. Paul had a deep, deep interest
in their spiritual welfare of these believers at Rome. He prayed
for them. desiring to personally come and
to meet them, and to see them, and to be with them, but most
certainly he wanted to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ unto them. If you will hold your place there
and turn back to Roman chapter 1, you remember in Roman chapter
1, He says in verse 8, first I thank my God through Jesus
Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of throughout
the whole world. These believers were faithful.
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. These people were on his heart,
making requests, if by any means, now at length, I might have a
prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. I long
to see you. that I may impart unto you some
spiritual gift, to the end you may be established. That is,
that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith,
both of you and of me. 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, for I am a debtor, verse 14, both to the
Greeks, to the Gentiles, to the barbarians, for to the wise and
to the unwise, for as much as in me is, I am ready to preach
the gospel to you who are at Rome." Paul was a preacher of
the gospel, but he earnestly desired to see the salvation
of sinners. And it burned in his heart, and
he longed to meet these people. Now, notice verse 22, Romans
15. For which cause also I have been
much hindered, or in many ways, oftentimes, as the marginal reference
adds, hindered from coming unto you. Because the Apostle Paul
had been so fully occupied in preaching the gospel in many
other places, he was always about preaching. Everywhere he went,
he went preaching. He was hindered at this time,
he writes this letter from coming to them, and he writes this letter
from Corinth Remember, he stayed there in Corinth 18 months. Have
you ever noticed a footnote at the end of these books? Turn
to Romans 16, the last verse, and then notice a little footnote.
Have you ever noticed these? Written to the Romans from Corinthus
by Phoebe, the servant of the church of Synchria. and sent
by Phoebe, servant of the church of Sencrius." So, when Paul is
writing this letter to the Romans, he is at Corinth. Now, remember
how long he stayed at Corinth? He stayed at Corinth one year
and six months. Eighteen months he was there
preaching, preaching, preaching the gospel. We also know that
he was hindered from going to Rome at that time because of
the purpose of God, because of the will of the Lord. Remember
in Acts chapter 18, when Paul was persecuted for the gospel,
and he was ready to cut tail and leave town, remember in Corinth,
Acts 18, you remember what the Lord said to him? Paul, don't
leave. You stay right here, for I have
much people in this city." And he stayed there longer than he
stayed anywhere else, I would think so. He stayed there 18
months, preaching, preaching, preaching. As he says in 1 Corinthians
2, verse 2, remember what he said? I'm determined not to know
anything among you, but Jesus Christ. and him crucified. Paul was a determined preacher
of the gospel, but he had a great desire to come and to see them,
but he was hindered, and we know it's by the will and purpose
of God. Look at verse 23 and 24, but
now, having no more place in these parts, and he's talking
about all the places that he had been, where he had visited
as a missionary and preached the gospel and established many,
many churches in Galatia, Ephesus, Thessalonica, all those different
places that he visited. Having a great desire these many
years to come unto you, verse 24, whensoever I take my journey
into Spain, and of course this is always contingent upon the
will of the Lord, I will come to you. That is, if you look
at the map, As you go all the way over to the European countries,
Paul was going to stop by Italy and Rome on his way to Spain. I will come to you for I trust
to see you in my journey and be brought on my way to the word
by you if first I be somewhat filled with your company. Now we know from reading the
record of Scripture, Paul never made it to Spain, did he? He
did go to Rome, but not the way he thought he would go there.
But he never made it to Spain. He mentions that again, down
in verse 28. When therefore I have preformed
this, and have sealed to them this fruit, that is the gift
that was taken of the Gentile churches, I will come by you
into Spain. Now, a lot of times we purpose
to do things, don't we? And there's nothing wrong for
us to have a goal or an ambition to do this or to do that, but
remember what James taught us whenever we desire to go to this
city or that city or do this or to do that, it's always by
this rule, if the Lord wills it. And that's where we live,
that's the reality of our life. Paul had planned to take a trip
as far west as Spain and on that way there to stop by the country
of Italy and into Spain He says there in verse 23, but now having
no more place in these parts. Now what he's saying here is
this, he felt like his ministry in these parts of Macedonia and
Achaia and the countries of Illyricum, he felt like his ministry there
was completed, done. That's why he uses this phrase,
this phrase, no more place in this region, in this area, this
climate. But he expresses having a great
desire, not just for a day or a time, but for many years he
desired to come unto them and to preach the gospel. Now we
know that the Apostle Paul, from reading the book of Acts, we
know that the Apostle Paul did go to Rome, didn't he? But you
remember how he went there? He went there in chains. He went
there as a prisoner. We would say a prisoner of the
Roman government. But Paul, as you read through
his epistles, you remember when he talked about being a prisoner?
Remember he always added, you remember what he added? He added,
I'm the prisoner of the Lord. He never considered himself a
prisoner of Rome, but he was a captive of the Lord Jesus Christ. And oftentimes he referred to
himself more often as a servant of the Lord than he called himself
the apostle of the Lord. And he was both, but he was a
prisoner of the Lord. Now look at verse 25. But now,
he said, I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. Now, this is most interesting. While Paul was in Corinth and
preaching the gospel in those areas of Macedonia and Achaia,
he heard of the sufferings and the persecution of the Jewish
believers in Jerusalem. And he desired to go there and
to minister to them the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We
see something of this man's compassion now. We know that when he goes
to Jerusalem, from reading the record in the book of Acts, when
he goes to Jerusalem, You remember what happened to him? He was
persecuted, he was arrested, and he was sent to Rome as a
prisoner. Now I've got a reference written
down here in Acts 24, 17. Don't turn, let me just read
it to you. He said, now after many years I come to bring alms
to my nations and offerings unto You remember Paul was a Jew. He was a one-time Pharisee, tribe
of Benjamin, Hebrew of Hebrews. You remember from chapter 9 and
chapter 10, he said, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer
to God for Israel, his own blood relationship that they may be
saved. He had a desire for the Roman
Gentiles, to believe the gospel, but he also had a desire for
those in Jerusalem who were the self-righteous Jews. He also
desired to seek their salvation. I'm troubled in my own heart
that I don't have the conviction for the seeing God save other
sinners. Now, I have a conviction, but
I want a greater conviction. And I mean by that, I want the
Lord to give me a greater burden to see the Lord save sinners. Not this idea, well, you know,
everything is predestinated and determined, we don't need to
do anything. That is so, but I also want a desire like the
Apostle Paul had. I want a desire for the Lord
to use this ministry to be the means of the salvation of other
people. And the Lord uses the preaching
of the gospel to bless his people and to call them out with the
gospel. That's why we endeavor to preach the gospel on the internet,
on the radio, Through the tape ministry, through the bulletin
ministry, this gospel goes everywhere out of this little place. The
gospel is sent. Why do we do that? Because he's
commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature. Now I can't personally, in my
person, travel to all countries in this world, China, Russia,
Australia, all these different countries around. But you know,
when we get that sermon audio report each month, you know,
there's over 60 foreign countries where the gospel from this place
has gone out. 60 foreign countries in every
state, 50 states. Now, it's amazing, is it not? And the Lord blesses His Word
where He is pleased to send. Some of these countries I read
through that list, some of these countries I've never even heard
of. They're just little, teeny outposts, but the Lord has His
people where they are, and He will, by one means or the other,
get the gospel to them. By internet, maybe by someone
traveling and preaching the gospel to them, but it pleads the Lord
through preaching to call out and to save His people. Now, look at verse 26. For it
had pleased them. Now, he uses this word here,
pleased, twice. Verse 26, For it had pleased
them. Verse 27, It pleased them barely. Now this is most interesting.
It pleased them of Macedonia. Now this includes the churches
of Ephesus and Philippi and Corinth. It pleased them of Macedonia
and Achaia. And that again is this region
of Illyricum. You can look at your map. To
make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at
Jerusalem. It had pleased them verily. Now, when Paul was there preaching
the gospel, he had heard of the persecution of those believers
who stood for the gospel there in Jerusalem. And it was pleasing
to the Gentile church in Macedonia and Achaia and that region to
take up a collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem, to
take up a monetary money collection And he did so not by the commandment
of the law of Moses. We're going to read this in just
a minute, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. Not by the commandment of
the law of Moses, but out of love for Christ. Out of thanksgiving unto the
Lord Jesus Christ. Remember we studied in the book
of James, or maybe it's in the book of James and the book of
Acts, where it says it's always a blessing to give rather than
to receive. It is a joy to give, to be able
to support the ministry. And the basis of giving, the
basis of our giving is out of love, gratitude, and thanksgiving. I mean, the Lord has done so
much for us. We give back. You see, we give
back only that which belongs to Him. Everything belongs to
the Lord. And giving, our giving as believers,
is out of love, gratitude, and thanksgiving. God has so blessed
us with all spiritual blessings, it is a blessing to give to support
the ministry of the gospel. Now, notice verse 27. Romans 15, 27. "...and it had
pleased them truly." I mean, they were truly blessed and pleased
to take up this offering. And then he mentions here that
they're debtors. They're debtors. Now, we're all
debtors to God's mercy and His grace. We're all mercy debtors. "...and it had pleased them barely."
And they're debtors. We're debtors unto God, aren't
we? We're debtors to His grace. And these folks feel indebted
to the Lord for all the blessings they had received. For if the
Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, and
we are made partakers by His grace. We are partakers of a
divine nature. We are partakers of all spiritual
blessings in Christ. For if the Gentiles have been
made partakers of the spiritual things, And that's what he has
blessed us with, with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly in
Christ Jesus. Remember, Ephesians chapter 1.
Their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things. Now, it pleased them. because
they were debtors to the Lord's mercy. Now, let's turn and read
about this when Paul, what he's writing about, is what is given
to us over here in 2 Corinthians 8, verse 1. Turn over there. 2 Corinthians 8, verse 1. Moreover, brethren, we do you
to wit, We want you to know of the grace of God bestowed on
the churches of Macedonia. Notice grace is bestowed, it's
not earned. Grace is the free favor of God.
How that in great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and
their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality,
or the generous heart. For to their power I bear record,
yea, beyond their power, they were willing of themselves, remember
it pleased them truly, praying us with much entreaty, or asking
us that we would receive the gift, the offering, and take
upon us the fellowship of the ministry of the saints. And this
they did, not as we hoped, But first, they gave their own selves
to the Lord, and unto us by the will of the Lord, as much that
we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would finish
also in you the same grace also. Therefore, as you abound in everything
in faith, look at verse 7, in utterance, in knowledge, in all
diligence, in your love to us, see that you abound also in this
grace also. Now what you're talking about
here is the grace of giving. Well, I speak not by commandment,
but by the occasion and affordedness of others, and to prove the sincerity
of your love." Now, here's the bottom line. In all of our giving,
look at verse 9, one of my favorite verses. For ye know the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your
sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be
made rich." So he encourages them to give on the basis of
how the Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for us. Though He is
rich in all rich blessings, He impoverished Himself with our
humanity and with our sin, that we might be truly made heirs
of God, joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ, and truly
partakers of all spiritual blessings. Now, back to the text, Romans
15, 27, "...and had pleased them barely, And they're debtors, they're
debtors they are. They recognize and own that too, don't they?
For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of the spiritual
things, their duty is also to minister unto them in natural
things, carnal things. Because the Gentile church had
benefited so much and had been blessed with spiritual blessings
by the gospel, that was first given to the Jews. The Gentile
church felt that their honor, duty, and privilege, responsibility
was to give to those believers in Jerusalem to help them with
natural things. They have been blessed by the
spiritual blessing that came through the Jews. Now the Gentile
church wanted to help the church there in Jerusalem. Now look
at verse 28, When therefore I have preformed this, Paul takes up
this collection, and personally takes this money that was collected,
and delivers it to the church there in Jerusalem. When therefore
I have preformed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, it
is the fruit of the Spirit of God working in them, I will come
to you into Spain, and I'm sure that when I come, I shall come
in the fullness of the blessings of the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. This generous spirit of giving
and concern and love for other believers is the fruit of the
Spirit working in us, for the fruit of the Spirit is what?
Love, joy, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, temperance, and faith.
Paul was eager to personally deliver this gift to the believers
at Jerusalem, and we know that he did so. Now don't turn, let
me just read this to you, and our time is gone. But in Acts
chapter 20, when the believers at Ephesus there warned him that
bonds and afflictions awaited him in Jerusalem, remember? In
Acts 20 verse 23, he says, verse 22, Now behold, I go bound in
the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the thing that shall
befall me there, save the Holy Ghost, witness in every city,
saying that bonds and afflictions abide in me, but none of these
things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so
that I might finish my course with joy in the ministry which
I received of the Lord Jesus, to testify The gospel of the
grace of God. And that was his desire, to preach
the whole, or to preach, as he says, all the counsel of God,
keeping back nothing that was profitable unto them.