Romans: Just A Reminder

Romans 15 - Pastor Eric Burton

‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭14‬-‭22‬‬
I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them. Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum. My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, “Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand.” In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.

Romans 15:14-22

Context: Paul’s main audience here is Gentiles, or people that are not Jewish.

Vs. 14 Paul is confident in his work among the Gentiles.
He was confident they were full of goodness. Despite the many issues he had to address in the church they were ultimately full of goodness. And not their own goodness but it is believed he is referring to the same goodness as a fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians.5:22 .

This goodness was not their own but the goodness of God in them.
Vs. 15 You just need a reminder.
Paul is telling us why he wrote this letter to the church at Rome. He is bold in his approach because they know what they should do but may not be living them out.

You are able to teach others but you just need a reminder. We don’t always need to learn something new we just need a reminder of something we
already know. There is a dynamic difference between teaching someone else what you know and actually living it out.

Paul is even careful not to preach to others and miss out on the power of the gospel himself.

1 Corinthians 9:27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Vs. 16-17
“Things pertaining to God”.
Paul refers to his work among the Gentiles as a minister pertaining to the things of God. This word minister is translated the same as priestly ministry.
Priests made sacrifices for God so that people could be made right.

Paul borrows this interesting phrase service of God, or things pertaining to God from the book of Hebrews to refer to mosaic code of sacrifices. 

Paul craftily weaves this phrase here in chapter 15 to show just as God used priests in the Old Testament to make sacrifices to forgive sins, he has used him to show the Gentiles that Jesus is their sacrifice for sin.
He wants it known that I am only doing the work of a priest but it is God that does the saving.

The preaching of the gospel should be confirmed.
Mark 16:20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

God uses me in spite of me.

Paul was very successful and gifted in his ministry but very careful to mention that it was God working through him in spite of himself.

The work of God was demonstrated with miraculous signs and wonders.
One of the most effective forms of evangelism is miracles, signs and wonders. Some people believe those works are over but they are what confirms the preaching of the gospel.

Mark 16:20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.
Paul is saying I made sure to present the gospel of Jesus Christ whenever miracles started occurring.

Miracles should never be in and of themselves the pinnacle of a ministry lest we get arrogant thinking we did something great. Miracle should always be accompanied with the Good News. People should always hear about Jesus, the greatest miracle worker.

Furthermore, Paul says, “In this way” I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum. Everywhere Paul preached miracles followed.

1000 miles between Jerusalem and Illyricum. No matter the race or nationality the power of God and the good news translates. It works for the Jew and the Gentile

Vs. 20-22 Paul’s ambition for mission
One of the most sobering verses in the Bible
The Apostle Paul wanted to preach the Gospel where people had never heard about Jesus. He is quoting from Isaiah 52:15 to illustrate his ministry. For they will see what they have not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about. The power of the gospel is that
Jesus is revealing himself to people where a preacher has never been. He doesn’t want to build on what another man has built. He only wants to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

Bring it home
Next week we get to look at Paul's travel plans to bring the gospel and how plans don’t always turn out like we intended. Paul is reminding the church at Rome with diverse culture and demographics that God has done a work in you. Whether you were Jew of Roman you needed Jesus.

Ephesians 2:17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Whether you were NEAR or FAR from Jesus we were all the same distance from hell.