Perhaps you’ve heard that you can tell a lot about somebody by (fill in the blank). Like, you can tell a lot about someone by the way they speak to children. Or, you can tell a lot about someone by the way they treat a server at a restaurant. Or, you can tell a lot about someone by looking at their bank account. Or, my favorite, you can tell a lot about someone by what they keep in their bathroom.
In today’s passage, we’re going to learn that you can tell a lot about the apostle Paul by how he plans his travel.
Today’s sermon is simply entitled “Paul’s Plans.”
As Paul nears the end of his letter to the Romans, he is revealing some of his plans to them. As he does so, we see at least four aspects of Christian living in these verses.
We learn that Paul can’t even make plans without dropping spiritual truth in there!
So, let’s see what God has to say to us through the words of Paul. Before we do, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.
(prayer)
Before we dive into what we might learn from this passage, let’s dive into the passage itself. Look with me at Romans 15:22-33:
22 That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you. 23 But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you 24 whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while. 25 Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints, 26 because Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs. 28 So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will visit you on the way to Spain. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
30 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in fervent prayers to God on my behalf. 31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 and that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you.
33 May the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.
Ok, let us now see these four aspects of Christian living from the passage.
First, lets us see . . .
I. Christian fellowship (22-24)
First, we see that verse 22 starts as if we should have more information. Of course, we do have more information. We have the previous fourteen chapters and the first twenty-one verses of this chapter.
Paul says, “That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you.”
What prevented Paul from coming to see the Romans was the work of expanding the gospel in all the regions between Jerusalem and Illyricum. This expansion is what we learned about last week.
So, Paul wanted to see the Romans, but his mission work prevented him from doing so.
Paul says in verse 23, “But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you.”
Paul is saying that this part of his mission is over, and he is gearing up for his next mission, which we learn is in Spain.
By the way, when Paul mentions Spain, he is more than likely speaking of what is called the Iberian Peninsula, which occupies what is modern-day Spain and Portugal.
So, going back to the map from last week, Paul wanted to continue to travel in a western direction to expand the gospel.
Spain would have been all the way over to the west.
Paul wanted to visit Rome on the way to Spain, which would have been about halfway between Jerusalem and Spain.
So, Paul strongly desires to see the believers in Rome.
Most assuredly, Paul desires to see the Romans because he loves them in the Lord.
Church, we should have a strong desire to spend time with our brothers and sisters in Christ, as Paul desired to see the Romans.
Christianity is not a lone-wolf religion. Rather, it is an intimate relationship God and all of His children.
Now, just to be clear, it’s ok to be an introvert. It’s ok to want to be by yourself from time to time. I enjoy some good alone-time once in a while.
However, we must prioritize spending time with others who are also followers of Jesus.
As we learn in Hebrews 10:24-25, “. . . let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
Paul longed to see the church in Rome. He longed for Christian fellowship, and we should as well.
Second, we see . . .
II. Christian giving (25-29)
Paul has already indicated that he is pretty done with the expansion of the gospel between Jerusalem and Illyricum. He’s already indicated that he wants to go to Spain by way of Rome. However, he has some other affairs to tend to before he goes to Spain.
In verse 25, Paul says that he has to go to Jerusalem first because he has funds to give to the church in Jerusalem. These funds were donated by the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia.
Notice what’s happening here: Gentile churches are donating money to give to the Jewish church in Jerusalem.
The new Christian churches are generously giving to support the oldest church where it all started.
This generous giving that was exhibited by the Gentile churches was not done out of guilt; they were glad to do it.
Paul says in verse 26 that they were “ . . . pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.”
In verse 27, Paul adds that they gave with a sense of obligation because the gospel of Jesus Christ had come to them out of Jerusalem!
It didn’t matter that one church was Jewish and the others were Gentile.
It didn’t matter that they were far away.
What mattered is that the gospel had changed these people, and they wanted to give to their brothers and sisters in Christ because of the gospel.
Church, generous giving should be part of the DNA of a Christian.
When we’ve been given the greatest gift ever given, the gospel of Jesus, we should want to give back generously and sacrificially to the expansion of the gospel.
That is why here at First Baptist Bartow, we urge you to give to the expansion of the gospel through our church, and we urge you to give to the expansion of the gospel around the world.
There’s also an indication in verse 29 that perhaps Paul hopes that the church in Rome would be generous towards the expansion of the gospel through Paul.
Paul says, “I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.”
Paul is anticipating good things when he comes to see the Romans, perhaps including sacrificial giving that will fuel his work in Spain.
So, we see Christian giving.
Next, we see . . .
III. Christian prayer (30-33)
In verses 30-33, Paul asks the Romans to pray for him, and he offers a short prayer for them.
Church, I hope you know how important prayer is. I hope you know that I need prayer and that you need prayer. We all need prayer.
Paul believed in the importance of prayer, and so should we.
Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6. James teaches us in James 5 that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful. Jesus asked the apostles to pray before His crucifixion. Moses prayed, Abraham prayed, Jacob prayed, David prayed, Solomon prayed, Daniel prayed, Elijah prayed, the other prophets prayed, the apostles prayed, the early church prayed.
Church, we must be people of prayer! We must speak to God, let our requests be known, and plead that His will be done among us.
Paul says in verse 30, “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf.”
He asks specifically that they would pray for his protection, that his ministry would be received, and that he might make it to see them in Rome.
Finally, Paul prays a short prayer for them. He prays that “the God of peace be with all of you.”
That takes us to our final point.
IV. Christian peace (33)
Paul prays a wonderful prayer when he says in verse 33, “May the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.”
Church, people need peace, and what a blessing it is that we serve the God of peace.
We are to be people of peace, we are to pray for peace for others, and we are to bring others to the God of peace.
How do we bring others to the God of peace? We introduce them to the Prince of Peace.
As we are reminded this time of year of the prophecy from Isaiah 9:6: “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
So, seek peace towards others, seek peace in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and seek peace from the God of peace.
When someone mistreats you or takes advantage of you, seek peace from God. When you wonder how you’ll be able to pay all the bills that await you, seek peace from God. When a fellow Christian hurts you, seek peace from God. When you lose a loved-one, seek peace from God. When your kids or grandkids are dysfunctional, seek peace from God. When your parents are dysfunctional, seek peace from God. When your church is dysfunctional, seek peace from God. When everything around you is crashing down, seek peace from God.
Paul reminds us elsewhere, in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Let God guard your hearts; go to God for peace. Ask Him to comfort you. Ask Him to calm your heart. Ask Him to eliminate your fears and worry. Ask Him to show you that He is the God of peace.
In this passage, we see Christian fellowship, Christian giving, Christian prayer, and Christian peace.
We see God working among His people.
That takes us to our bottom line:
Bottom Line: Paul desired to see the work of God continue among the people of God.
As Paul is making his plans, he is interweaving the work of God all throughout. You see, Paul’s plans are determined by God’s plans.
As he is going about his life, he is incorporating and celebrating aspects of the Christian life.
We should live our lives that way as well. Everything we do should be dependent upon the will of God and the ways of God.
Challenge yourself to live out this passage in the following ways:
Weekly Challenge #1 – Commit to be more devoted in fellowship, giving, and prayer.
You can do it; you can live the Christian life the way God has created you to live it and called you to live it.
So commit yourself to Christian fellowship, commit yourself to Christian giving, and commit yourself to Christian prayer.
Weekly Challenge #2 – Find your peace in God.
The world will throw a lot your way, but God offers you peace, and that peace is found in Jesus.
Jesus, Himself said in
John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.”
If you find Jesus, you will find peace.
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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