The Local Church
Notes
Transcript
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Dismiss children for children’s ministry.
Introduction
What is your reputation?
Explain the importance of reputation and the reputation that some churches may have.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
Pray.
Main idea: The local church is vital to the Christian life.
Today, we will identify three impacts the local church has on the life of the believer.
The local church inspires thankfulness.
The local church inspires thankfulness.
After Paul has greeted the Roman church, he turns to a bit of a continued greeting in verses 8-15. Paul has explained in the introduction his apostolic authority as well as his calling to make Christ known among the Gentiles. Now, Paul expresses thanksgiving for this church.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
Paul uses the word, first, indicating that he is transitioning into the letter to the Romans. He states that he thanks God through Jesus for all of these Roman believers. These were believers that probably met from house to house and Paul is thankful to God for them. Paul knows exactly to whom thanks should be given as well. He is thankful to God because it is by God’s grace and sovereignty that these Roman believers have been saved.
Paul is thankful for their salvation. Likewise, Paul continues to give testimony to his thankfulness. He states that he is thankful because their faith is proclaimed in all the world. Now, we can understand that their faith was not made known throughout the entirety of the world. However, their faith was proclaimed or made known by many in the surrounding areas. Their faith was so testified about that it made its way to Paul. Paul had never visited the Roman Church. Yet, Paul who was certainly well-known by the early church is writing to them. They had such strong faith that he felt inclined to be thankful for them and to write to them.
This was a small church. The Roman Church was a seemingly insignificant church. Yet, their strong faith in Christ Jesus was characteristic of their church. This was their reputation. They were known for their faith. Regardless of their size or their building, they were a church that was devoted to Christ. They were leaning into Christ with faith.
This caused for Paul to be thankful for them.
Application: Are you thankful for your church? It is my prayer that whenever you think of The Church at River Mills you are immediately overcome with thanksgiving.
Furthermore, the Roman church was characterized by their strong faith. Part of our vision is to be the strongest church in Limestone County over the next five years. This is not a vision to be the best or greatest or have the nicest things. This is a vision for our church to be strong in our convictional standings upon God’s Word. It is a vision for our church to be strong in discipling believers to grow in Christ. To be strong in our fellowship and love for one another. TO be strong in our evangelism here in Owens/West Limestone and to the ends of the earth.
May we be like the Roman Church. Their key quality was faith in Jesus Christ. Our building is small. Our budget is not large. But, that does not matter as long as we are faithful to the Gospel. Faithfulness to the Gospel is the measure of success for a church. Our measure of success is not found in our numbers, buildings, budget, or programs. Our success is in commitment to the Gospel. Commitment to the Gospel is found in transformation by the Gospel. The Gospel transforms our lives in such a way that we are inspired to give thanks to Jesus Christ at all times and respond with obedience to the call to make disciples. Likewise, our faith causes us to look different. Our faith makes us thankful to God because of how He has saved us. That calls for us to be different to fellow believers and unbelievers.
As the local church, we must be faithful to reach out to one another when someone is sick or in the hospital. We must be faithful to pray for one another and work for the bond of unity within the church. We must seek to be faithful and growing in the Word as we are devoted to the Sunday morning gathering. We must be faithful to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. WE must be a church that is rooted in our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and take it to those around us. In doing so, we will see thanksgiving abound within our midst and the Lord continue to bless our church. As we are faithful, our faith will be made known. People may not attend our church, but they will surely know about our church when we are faithful. The local church is not something we should be passive about. The local church is the gathering we should long to be a part of above all other earthly offers. The local church should cause us to overflow with thanksgiving as we know that it is our family in Christ Jesus. May we be a church that is faithful and thankful for one another.
The local church invests encouragement in the lives of believers.
The local church invests encouragement in the lives of believers.
Just as Paul detailed his thankfulness for the Roman Church. He also sought to encourage them through prayer and a visit.
9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.
Paul appeals to God as his witness. As Paul seeks to further encourage the Roman church, he appeals to his apostleship. He is a servant of God as we saw last week in the first seven verses. Now, Paul points to how he serves. With his spirit, Paul gives everything he has in service to God. With his innermost self, Paul serves God. He is sent by God to serve Christ Jesus through the proclamation of the Gospel.
In this service to God, he ensures the Roman church that he makes mention of them without ceasing in prayer. He constantly prays for the Roman church to be edified and equipped for ministry. Likewise, he constantly prays that he will be able to come and visit them. Paul wants to visit the church; however, he has not been able to visit them up to this point because it has not been God’s will.
God’s will is superior to ours and cannot be thwarted. As God has prevented Paul from visiting the church, he has enabled Paul the opportunity to write to them.
I want us to look at the reason behind why Paul wants to come to this local church in Rome.
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—
12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Paul’s longing to see the church in Rome was not for some personal gain or to make his own name known. Paul was seeking to come and visit the church in Rome in order that he could impart or give some spiritual gift to strengthen them. Paul is not saying that he will come to visit and impart a gift as though he has all power and authority over them. He has been called to be an apostle for messenger to the church, yet he will come seeking to encourage them and be encouraged by them. Paul, though he was set apart by God to be the apostle to the Gentiles, was seeking to be encouraged by the local church.
Illustration: I love to visit with members and membership candidates. Oftentimes whenever I do visit, y’all have no idea how much I am encouraged by y’all. I go in seeking to encourage and build up those I visit, and I walk away more encouraged than I probably encouraged.
Paul was longing to visit with them because he wanted to encourage them and knew that he would be encouraged by them. Paul had a concern and love for the church that drew him to pray for them and long to be with them.
Application: The local church is made up of the body of believers in a community. As we come together, we pray for one another, hear the preached Word, sing worship to our King, and fellowship with one another. In that, we are encouraged and built up. However, the local church does not simply exist one day out of the week. The local church exists at all times. We are Christians every single day. We are to follow Christ with every aspect of our lives. In following Christ every single day, we will get beat up by the turmoil and pressures of this world. Satan is seeking to attack at every point in our lives through temptation. Trials arise and seek to cause division and doubt. Bad days can turn into pitfalls of sin. We must be on guard as following Jesus comes at a cost. Others will look upon us with scorn and disagreement. As we stand up for our marriages, others will seek to fight against marriage and call it a simple contractual agreement. Marriage is a covenant commitment between one man and one woman for life. As we stand up for our children to be brought up under the instruction of the Lord, we will face push back as we are called bigots and indoctrinators. We must educate our children under God’s instruction because the world is seeking to indoctrinate them under the schemes of satan. As we follow Christ and fight to keep our lives holy and pure before God, the societal push with advocate for us to let our guard down just a little bit and relax. In doing so, the devil seeks to shipwreck our faith by gaining a foothold.
With all of these pressures and schemes of satan that are waging against us, we need the church. If I have heard it once, I have heard it a million times. I believe in Jesus and can worship just as good at home as I can at the church.
If you have had that thought, let me ask you a question: How many Sunday’s did you worship Jesus Christ through His Word and Song when you did not attend the local gathering?
If you have had the thought, I can worship at home because the service is livestreamed. How many times did you get encouraged from an individual during that time?
With the culture and satan attacking us at all times, we need Jesus Christ and His Church. We cannot do it alone. Without the church, we would stumble and fall away. We need community around us to spur us on to good works and Christlikeness. We need others praying for us. Understand this as well. The church is not about you. The church is not about me. The church is about coming together for the glory of Jesus Christ. Notice these verses:
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
To carryout those things, we need to be at the local gathering. We have to be around one another. We must look to how we walk. We need community that holds us accountable and helps to walk in accordance with the Word. The church is about caring for one another. The church does not serve you. The believer in Jesus Christ serves Him within the context of the local church. In serving Christ, we will end up serving one another for His glory and not our own. It is mutual encouragement.
As this is our call, we know the price that comes with it. This should drive us to collectively depend upon Christ in prayer.
Paul prayed for the church in Rome and longed to be with them. Paul prayed unceasingly the text says. We are in the midst of spiritual warfare. How encouraging it is to know that you are prayed for. We need to pray for ourselves and one another.
James Montgomery Boice wrote:
“I think he (Paul) really did pray all the time, just as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and other effective Christian workers did. Luther once said that he had to much to do in a day that he could not get through it without spending at least three or four hours on his knees before God each morning.”
We must seek God in prayer each day relying upon Him and commit ourselves to the local church. We need each other to be mutually encouraged in the faith. This takes place within the context of the local church.
The local church ignites believers with devotion to the mission.
The local church ignites believers with devotion to the mission.
Paul continues in verses 13-15.
13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.
Paul draws in the attention of the Roman believers by writing, I do not want you to be unaware. He is calling them in and explains that he has had every intension to come and see them. However, he has been providentially prevented. It has not been God’s will for Paul to travel and see these believers. Likewise, Paul’s intention in come was to reap a harvest among them and the rest of the gentiles.
What Paul means by reap a harvest is to share the Gospel and see the Holy Spirit draw sinners to salvation. New lives being renewed by the salvation that is found in Christ Jesus. Paul is eager to come preaching Jesus Christ to the Roman Church and the Gentiles around there.
Romans 1:14 (ESV)
14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
While Paul has been prevented in coming, he testifies to his obligation. The word obligation is from the greek word opheiletes which means to be under obligation or a debtor. Paul has been called to preach to the Gentiles. He is under that obligation to God. Because of that, Paul will preach to the differing types of Gentiles.
Paul will preach to the Greeks which were the educated philosophers as well as the barbarians who were the uneducated. He would preach to both the wise and the unwise without regard. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the great equalizer. According to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, every single person regardless of social status is under sin. The only way in which any one can be saved is through faith in Jesus Christ’s finished work on the cross of Calvary and His resurrection. Therefore, Paul was preaching to all the Gentiles as he had been called to do.
It was this obligation that made him long to go to Rome. To visit the church and seek lost souls come to know Christ.
15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
Application: Within the context of the local church, we have one central task whenever we come together on Sunday. That task is to worship Jesus Christ. The primary way in which we do so is through the preaching of His Word. The pastor preaches and the congregation affirms the message preached being built up to go out and proclaim the message to others. Paul was eager to visit the Roman church to preach the Word and see the church built up to engage the culture with the Word.
We have been given a task as the church.
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
You have probably heard me read this passage before, and I can assure you that I will read it again at some point. This is the Great Commission. Before ascending back to heaven, Jesus gave the disciples this command. They were to go into all the world proclaiming the gospel making disciples. That is our task.
This is a task given by God that cannot be accomplished alone. We need one another. We need the local church to be behind us. Every member of the local church has a body of believers stand behind them and beside them cheering them on.
William Carey, the Baptist missionary, told Andrew Fuller before going to India,
“I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the ropes.”
This must be our position as believers. We have been given the great commission to go and make disciples. We each and everyone must go to our community with the Gospel. In doing so, the church, each individual member, has a hold of the rope hold each other up to share the Gospel and make Christ known.
Conclusion
I return to my opening question.
What is our reputation?
The Church at River Mills must be a church that stand strong in making Christ known. Far to often, churches have become known for things besides making Christ known. Churches can become characterizes for their buildings, numbers, pastor, or style. However, if the church is known for making much of Jesus Christ, she has missed her calling.
John MacArthur writes,
“The purpose of all true ministry for God is to bear fruit in His name and with His power and for His glory.”
That is the calling of the church. We are to go out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We proclaim to our community that we are each and every one sinful and not right with God. We need salvation. Salvation is offered in Jesus Christ alone through His death on the cross and resurrection. Through repentance and faith, the sinner can be saved from sin.
Steve Lawson says,
“God delights in building churches who are on the gates of hell and establishing a Gospel witness in the most difficult, dark, demanding places.”
This was the characteristic of Rome. This is the characteristic of our community. The Roman church was known for their strong faith. If The Church at River Mills is not known for her strong faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, give her a little time and she will no longer be here. But, if The Church at River Mills establishes herself upon the Word of God with a devotion to Gospel proclamation, she will endure until the return of Jesus Christ.
22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
This must be our reputation. We must be the Church in Owens and West Limestone that is going out into our community proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in so doing snatching people out of their future in the fire of hell.
Will you join me in that effort?
Share the Gospel.