Your Day in Romans - 1:8-15

[Al Moak]

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The Second Sermon
Romans 1:8-15
What's Your Main Concern in Life?

What drives you?  Is there in your life one thing, more than any other, toward which you strive, toward which all your desires are focussed?  When we're very young, we might be focussed on a future vocation - being a fireman, a policeman, etc.  A little later, the focus might shift to "that girl" or "that boy."  Still later, it might be financial or vocational success or having a particular kind of house or car, or seeing the kids grow into mature, responsible adults.

Your chief focus might even be the church.  You might want to see great numbers of people coming to it, and you might want to see your church or your denomination conduct successful foreign or home missions. 

These are all good goals - nothing wrong with any of them.  But I'd like us to look today at another man's motivation, another man's main goal in life.  The man in view is Paul the apostle.  What moved him to live the life he lived?  What drove him to ship off to foreign lands and peoples, to go through storms, persecutions, sicknesses, and danger of death? 
Let's try to see Paul as he's revealed in his letter to the Roman church, and, as we see what really drove him, let's think about our own motivation in life as well. 

So what motivated Paul?  Was it wealth, fame, or eventual security?  It doesn't take much research to see that it couldn't have been any of those things, because he did all the wrong things to reach those goals. 

He never had a guaranteed salary, nor did he have the opportunity for relaxed retirement living.  In fact he was totally dependent, day after day, upon his Lord to move those to whom he ministered to supply him with even the necessities of life.  To summarize his fortunes, he had to tell the Philippians, "I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all (these) things through Christ Who strengthens me."

I don't think we could say that he was seeking fame, either. He told the Corinthians very plainly that he was whatever he was as a "minister of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true, as unknown and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed, as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." (2Cor. 6:4-10) Paul had a tough life!  He just didn't have time to seek earthly fame!

He summed it all up when he told the Philippians, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:21)  He simply meant that all his waking moments were centered around Jesus Christ – and even his eventual death would only free him to be with His Lord forever!  The love of Christ, not fame was his motivation.

We need to notice that he's really saying the same thing in other words in the passage before us today.  He says, "For God is my witness, Whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son . . . For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established - that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me."  Paul's aim in life wasn't fame, fortune, or security, but service to Christ - to see Christ fully reflected in each and every one of His people.  To put it simply, he wanted Christ glorified because he loved his Lord! 

Paul was writing specifically about that inner motivation of his  when he said to the Galatians, "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you."  Christ's people in the churches in Galatia, like those in Rome, were as dear to him as if they were his own children (and indeed they were), and in fact his concern for them even had the intensity of labor pains!

What I want us to see today is just that intensity – that urgency to live out the love of Christ.  It could be defined as an all-consuming inner drive to fulfill his ministry for Christ and to see its fruit.  We can see that drive here in Romans in three things: we can see it in his thankfulness to God, we can see it in his prayerfulness, and we can see it in his great longing to come to, to be with, and to minister to these people at Rome.

Paul rejoiced to see God's work in people wherever he found it. It really moved him to see people's faith and trust in Christ! (Phil. 4:1, 1Thess. 2:19)  Why?  No better answer can be given to that question than the remainder of those soul-baring words from his letter to the Philippians that I've already quoted in part.  He said, "for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.  For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.  Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.  And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again." (Phil. 1:19-26)

But why was Paul so thankful to see the fruit of the gospel?  His words to these Philippians make clear the answer: his sole concern in life was the glory of his Lord.  He loved Jesus Christ, and honor, praise, and glory to HIM was what he passionately desired. He didn't care whether he lived or died - he only cared that he might serve his blessed Master to the maximum.  To see fruit, to see, as the result of his labors, souls bowing in surrender to His blessed Lord, to see them trusting the wonderful One he trusted, to see them beginning to praise his praiseworthy Lord, to see them beginning to live lives that pleased his worthy Master - THAT was joy to Paul. 

So it was his own relationship to Christ that filled him with thanksgiving upon learning of these Roman Christians, these brothers and sisters who also trusted and served his dear Lord.

I pray that we might ask ourselves about our own motivation in life.  Has Jesus Christ impressed you – has He impressed me - to the degree He did Paul?  Paul's love to Christ is expressed in his thankfulness for others who love his Lord.  How do you feel about other Christians?  Do you desire to help them in any way you can to serve your Lord?  Oh for churches full of brothers and sisters who love one another because they love Christ!  How powerfully and effectively such churches would proclaim the message of their Lord and Savior!

Is it possible that the churches of our day are as powerless as they are just because they don't adequately know and love Jesus Christ?  If so, then we need to ask ourselves whether we can, in fact, even claim true conversion.  If we haven't come to love Him and don't desire to serve Him, then how have we been converted?  Oh let us pray for Him to FILL our hearts!

Secondly, I believe we can see the greatness of Paul's inner drive in his prayerfulness.  He says, "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."

True prayer, after all, is a little like the bubbles from boiling water - they result from heat within. Prayer must be from the heart, it must result from inner concern and urgency.  Paul had plenty of those things, and the result was that his prayer life was constant and fervent.  In his first letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 3, verses 9, 10, he says, "For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?"  He was moved to great joy and eagerness whenever he so much as  thought of God's people. The result was that he just had to pray; he just had to plead with his Lord to allow him to come and perfect even further their relationship to Him.

Nor should such an attitude be limited to apostles or other leaders, as though it was only for a "higher" kind of Christians. Again to the Thessalonians Paul said, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  We ALL ought to be filled with thanksgiving for our brothers and sisters in Christ; we ALL ought to desire with great inner desire to help them in their Christian walk; we ALL ought to be full of prayer day and night for one another.  Brothers and sisters - why are we not so moved?  May God revive us!

Finally, we can see Paul's great inner drive in his desire to come to these Romans.  He's like the runner who is just coming around the end of the track on his last lap.  He sees that he's leading the pack.  He sees that if he can just put on a last, good "kick," he'll win the race.  So he gives it his all, he pours forth his last ounce of energy - all he's got - because he's determined and because his hope is high. 

Paul is in a race like that  - he's in a race for the people who have been redeemed by His Lord!  He sees that the Romans are growing and desiring to live for Christ.  He has great hopes for them and he has great love for the Lord he serves.  Desire wells up within him, desire to come, to minister, to serve, to encourage - to do whatever it takes for them all to win the race!  Oh how great is his desire for them!

Once again - should such feelings be limited to apostles or other "super Christians?"  They should not.  Writing to the Ephesians, Paul says that Christ perfects His church through the ministry of the members one to another.  He says it is "Christ from Whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."  Christ "causes growth."  But He does it through the labor of each and every part. 

Each of us here today is vital.  Each of us needs that same love, that same joy, that same inner motivation that Paul had - because the working of each one of us is the means, the only means of Christian growth in the body.

I believe one of the chief causes of powerlessness in the body of Christ today is just a lack of such concern, first of all for Christ, then for His people.  What we see here in Paul's letter to the Romans is what we need in our own hearts.

So - what drives you?  What's the one thing toward which you strive, toward which all your desires are focussed?  Let us confess our lack of love for Christ and His people.  Let us pray much for fervency.


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[Chris & Margit Saunders]

Yes indeed St Al, the letter to the Romans is indeed His letter through Paul to us, and our prayer should be that we would be His letter to others too.
That others could read His message clearly and correctly, that we are His epistles to the lost.
Some of us may be the only epistle that some people shall ever read.

[Al Moak]

Amen, St. Chris.  My prayer is with yours - may we be continually becoming better epistles.

[Kathy]

Preacher Al,  I am glad you are presenting Romans to us.  We were studying it in our evening training....but, even though I used commentaries I still couldn't quite get it "all - together"  I love the verses in Romans as to the saving power of our LORD and Savior. 
Now, maybe, I can take more time getting to know what God says to me as His servant.

[Al Moak]

Kathy - I pray our Father would bless you with lots of understanding as you study this mavelous book.

[Nita]

Dear Al, once again....thanks.  We study the Word to study Jesus.   I could study on Him forever.  Come to think of it, I will.

[Pat]

I so enjoyed this part 2 of Romans, Al. 

So - what drives you?  What's the one thing toward which you strive, toward which all your desires are focused?  Let us confess our lack of love for Christ and His people.  Let us pray much for fervency.

I must refocus on what drives me.