A Shepherd’s Accounting Pt 2

It’s not my birthday, it’s not
Christmas, it’s not Father’s Day, and I have almost six extra
minutes. Whatever will I do with it? If you would please take your
Bibles and turn to the book of Romans, we find ourselves in
chapter 15. I’ll find, I’ll find something. We are in the midst of the conclusion
that Paul has begun in this great epistle of Romans. I told you
there was an end. Paul is drawing to the end. It will take some time. He has some things yet to address. But largely what Paul is doing
is addressing his relationship here in chapter 15 with the Roman
church. Paul will spend no little time
engaging on that relationship We looked last week at the first
section, what we perhaps titled Blessing and Encouragement, where
Paul is both blessing this church and encouraging them in the process. The second section, beginning
in verse 17, is Paul’s boasting in God, that kind of an interesting
concept we’ll come to in the weeks to come. Paul spends a
great deal of time talking about the preaching of the gospel,
beginning in verse 20, and then appeals for prayer as he rounds
out this discussion of his relationship with the Roman Church in verse
30. But we we last week began to consider this little section
in verses 14 through 16, where Paul is essentially giving an
accounting. Perhaps he didn’t owe the Roman
church an accounting, but he took it upon himself to provide
them one. An accounting not only of their
lives in his view, but his life in their view. To tell them what
he believed God had done in him and was doing through him. We
began In verse 14 through 16 last week, that’s where we’ll
be again this Lord’s Day. If you would, let’s read together
those verses where Paul wrote in concerning you, my brethren,
I myself am also convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge and able to admonish one another. But I have written very boldly
to you on some point so as to remind you again, because of
the grace that was given me from God to be a minister of Christ
Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest, the gospel of God,
that my offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified
by the Holy Spirit. Well, we we began that section
Last week, Paul clearly turning a corner here and clearly beginning
to wrap up this epistle. But just like our beloved Apostle
Paul, he’s in no hurry to do so, and the first thing he turns
to is his relationship with the Roman church, and he turns specifically
to them as we saw. He wanted to give them an account,
an assessment, if you will, of where they stood spiritually
in his eyes. How were they doing? Paul will
go on to say that he had written them very plainly, boldly even. He had challenged them on a number
of key points and said some things that might lead some of them,
might lead even those reading the epistle years later to assume
that maybe the Romans were falling short. Well, we began and discovered
that Paul had a very high view of the Roman church. Paul had
a very strong opinion of them, and it was all good. Look at
verse 14. Concerning you, my brethren,
I myself am also convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness. Perhaps Paul had received reports
from others, but one of the opinions that Paul had of the Roman church
and a strong one was that they were full of goodness. Now, we
took time with this. Paul isn’t undercutting his doctrine
of sin, Paul isn’t somehow saying that, you know, there are there
is a pool of goodness that God somehow dips down into when he
finds Christians. Paul knew that all are sinful,
all are in need of a savior, but having been touched by the
grace of the gospel, by salvation, God has done a good work in them. And what Paul was referring to
when he said, you are full of goodness, he’s talking to saved
people, people who are now justified by God’s grace, who stand before
God, not perfect, but they certainly are. The work of God. They have a knowledge of the
gospel. The good news of Jesus Christ, They hold to the good
word of God, as it says in Hebrews. They are filled with God’s own
Holy Spirit, the fruit of which, among other things, is goodness.
God has indeed begun a good work in each of us. He has given to
us every good gift. And as Christians, we are to
cling to what is good, overcome evil with good, to be of good
courage, to have a good conscience, to think on what is good. To
speak good words that edify, to teach what is good, to lay
a good foundation, to hold fast that eternal comfort and good
hope, which is only possible by God’s grace. We are to watch
over others and to assure good behavior. We are to be good stewards
and good soldiers fighting a good fight. And ultimately, we are
to prove the good and acceptable will of God. We are full of goodness,
but only by God’s grace. But Paul had another assessment,
another element that he had seen in the Roman church. Not only
that they were full of goodness, but they were filled with all
knowledge. Now they knew that they were sinners. Before, they
were ignorant of that fact. Before they knew God, they thought
that they They had it all figured out. They didn’t need a savior.
Now they know otherwise. Now they know their desperate
condition and now they know the God of salvation. Now they know
the savior that God has provided. Now they know the mystery of
the gospel. And outside of that, there really
isn’t a whole lot of knowledge that we need, is there? They
were filled with all knowledge, they were full of goodness. And
as we saw in closing last Lord’s Day, they were able to admonish
one another. They had the spirit of God indwelling
them, they had been regenerated, brought to life, saved by God’s
good grace, and now they had been not only indwelled by the
Holy Spirit, but had been given and granted open eyes to view
the very word of God. And to take that word of God
and to lovingly come alongside their brothers and admonish and
warn and appeal to their consciences and bring to bear the word of
God on their hearts and to appeal to them to do what is right and
to relent, to lay off of sin and to pursue righteousness.
They were able by God’s grace to admonish one another. This
was no this was no fledgling church. This was no fly by night
operation there operating in Rome. This was a solid work of
God that had been planted and was growing and flourishing.
They didn’t need the Apostle Paul, but the Apostle Paul gives
his absolute affirmation to them of what God had done in them.
Outside of any thing that Paul had done in them. But Paul is not finished with
his accounting. Paul is giving them an assessment.
They didn’t ask for it. They didn’t demand it. But Paul
took it upon himself not only to tell the Roman church what
he thought of them, but he also now moves to tell the Roman church
about himself and about his own ministry, about his own standing
before God. In the course of this shepherd’s
accounting, we not only see the shepherd’s accounting of the
flock. But we see the shepherd’s account of his own ministry.
First and foremost. As Paul begins. There in verse
15, we see that. A shepherd’s ministry. The Christian
ministry is a ministry of uncommon directness. It’s a ministry of
uncommon directness. Look at verse 15. Paul said,
I’ve written very boldly on some points. The verb there tomah is used
about a dozen times in the New Testament, eight of those times
by Paul, and it’s translated in a variety of different ways,
not only in the New American, but even throughout other translations.
It’s not always translated bold. In fact, there’s another much
more common word for boldness. In Romans 5-7, he says it this
way, one would hardly die for a righteous man, though perhaps
for the good man someone would dare even to die. It’s a different
kind of boldness. It’s daring. Romans 15-18, he’ll go on to
use this here momentarily, I will not presume, I will not dare
I will not be so bold as to speak of anything except what Christ
has accomplished through me.” We’ll come to that passage. In
1 Corinthians 6.1, does any of you, when he has a case against
his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not
before the saints? In other words, he says, look,
if you have problems in the Christian kingdom, if you have problems
in the church, bring it before the elders. Don’t you dare take
it before a heathen court. Second Corinthians ten to translate
that courageous. And on and on it goes the word
is simple. But this particular word is is
the adverb and the only time that it’s used in the New Testament
is right here. So we get little help from elsewhere
in the New Testament. What Paul really seems to be
pointing to is to dare to do something or bear something that
is terrible or difficult. that he had the tumerity, the
gall, the boldness to say some things to the Romans that needed
to be said. The sad thing is that very few
people would have that kind of boldness and that’s what made
it so rare. It has a, this word has a comparative
element to you, to it rather. It could be even translated more
boldly. I have written to you very boldly
or even more boldly. And there’s a question there. Is Paul saying that I wrote to
you more boldly than I should have? Is Paul saying that I wrote to
you more boldly than you expected? It certainly could be a possibility.
Is Paul saying that I wrote to you more boldly than I would
have spoken to others, that others have it together? And but for
the Roman church, I had to write to you very boldly. I think what
Paul’s saying here is Paul saying what everybody else knew. Very
few people would have the love in their hearts to lay before
his dear friends the things that Paul had said to them, and we’ll
review some of those in a moment. He said, comparatively, I wrote
to you more boldly than almost anybody would ever speak to you.
In fact, Paul says, I’ve written very boldly to you on some points
and he leaves it very general. We’ll look at some of those.
We’re going to go on a little tour, turn all the way back to
Romans chapter one. And just check yourself. When
was the last time you heard somebody say these things to you? Romans 1.18. The wrath of God
is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Try that
in your gospel presentation. Romans 1.28 if you would. Just
as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them
over to a depraved mind to do those things which are not proper,
being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full
of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice. Paul was telling the Romans from
the bottom of his heart in the most loving manner possible the
doctrine of man. That we are utterly sinful and
desperately needful of a Savior. Try this. Look at verse 1 of
chapter 2. You have no excuse. Every one
of you who passes judgment. For in that you judge another,
you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the
same things. He says what Jesus said. You
hypocrites. Every single one of us has sinned. Every one of us stands in need
of the Savior. Romans chapter 2 verse 9, there
will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does
evil of the Jew first and also of the Greek. You know, that
is one of the most loving things you could ever tell somebody.
Do you know that there is a judgment? Do you know that you will stand
before a holy God? Do you know that he will call
you into account? Do you know that there is such
a thing as wrath? Look at verse 12. For all who
have sinned. The most loving thing that Paul
could have done is speak in the superlative there, because that’s
the truth. For all who have sinned without
the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned
under the law will be judged by the law.” In other words,
no one escapes. Everyone will give account to
God. No wonder he concludes in Romans 3.23, all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God. One of the most loving statements
ever communicated to mankind. Paul wasn’t singling out the
Romans. Paul was loving the Romans line upon line, word after word,
statement after statement, as bold as they were. Look at chapter
five. He gives them good news, too.
He doesn’t just give them the cold, hard facts of the gospel
that we are sinful and desperate in need of a Savior. It says
in verse 12, just as through one man sin entered the world,
that is through Adam, And death through sin. And so death spread
to all men because all sin. And He’ll go on to outline to
them. So also through one man, the
Lord Jesus Christ, came salvation. Through one transgression, verse
18, there resulted in condemnation to all men. Even so, through
one act of righteousness, there resulted in justification. Paul’s
not done saying hard things. Look at verse three of chapter
six. That all of us who have been
baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death.
Now, the next time you have a baptism service and we need to have one
the next time you have a baptism service, maybe that’s our verse.
Are you ready to die? Because that’s essentially what
you are signing up for in baptism. There, though, what Paul is talking
about, if you remember our treatment, it’s not water that he’s talking
about. It’s being placed into Christ. We are immersed into
Christ and we die with Christ. We die to our sin. That’s Paul’s
great address there. Look at verse 11. Even so, consider
yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Do not let sin reign in your
mortal body so that you obey its lusts. Paul is speaking very
boldly to people he had never met. No wonder he has to explain
himself here. Look at chapter 8 verse 1. Chapter 8 verse 1. You talk about
a bold statement. That Paul could not possibly
say this. Could not possibly say this without
the grace of God equipping him to do so. Therefore, there is
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Paul
knew the gospel. Paul knew that all who placed
their faith in Christ are now absolved of their sin. It’s paid
for in full. And they stand before a holy
God, a wrathful God, a God who will judge no longer. to face
any kind of condemnation. What about the way God runs the
world? Look at 828. We’re talking about a bold statement. Paul
basically thinks that he knows how God runs the whole world.
We know that God causes all things to work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are called according to His
purpose. God’s in control, Romans. Turn over to chapter 11. We know that the Roman Church
was at least in part a body of Gentile believers. It was a mixed
body of Jews and Gentiles. How would you like this for a
bold statement? Look at verse 17. If some of
the branches, that is the Jews, were broken off and you being
a wild olive were grafted in among them. Verse 18, do not
be arrogant. Don’t get proud about this relationship
that you have with God. Look at verse 21, for if God
did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
Couldn’t be any more bold. And then Paul begins to wrap
up this great section in verse 36, from him and through him
and to him are all things. Paul, it just seems like goes
from superlatives to superlative. Chapter 12, verse 18, if possible,
so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. That’s
easy, right? That’s astounding. Impossible
without the grace of God. But Paul, in the boldness granted
to him by the Lord Jesus Christ, he says, you know what? You go
out and you be at peace. Do everything in your power to
make peace with everyone you know. That’s God’s command. And then these verses, which
were just very popular, given the context of our own day and
age, Romans chapter 13. These were very bold verses talking
about one of the most heathen and vile governments that’s ever
existed. Paul says this. Every person
is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. Oh, great.
Here we go. For there is no authority except
from God and those which exist are established by God. Therefore,
whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God
and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. Very bold. What Paul says here
in Romans 15, 15. When he says that, look, I, I
spoke to you more boldly. He spoke to them more boldly
than any person ever has. He spoke to them more boldly
than any person ever would. There have never been any more
bold words written than here in the book of Romans. Paul says,
look, I said what I needed to say and I said it as strongly
as I felt it needed to be said. You know why? Because that was
Paul. That was the Apostle Paul. Faithful to the end. To the Ephesians. He sent a prayer request, and
based on all that Paul endured, all that Paul went through, I
could have thought of a lot of prayer requests. What did Paul
pray for? Boldness. Boldness in his speech. Pray on my behalf that utterance
may be given to me at the opening of my mouth to make known with
boldness the mystery of the gospel, that in proclaiming it I may
speak boldly as I ought to speak. God had a standard for Paul.
God had a standard for those in ministry. And we are to speak
with the boldness of God. To the Corinthians, he wrote,
we are not like many. Peddling the word of God, but
as from sincerity, as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight
of God. Paul did everything he did knowing
that God was looking at him. He conducted his ministry as
if God himself were evaluating him, and he was. To the Thessalonians,
Paul would write, recounting his ministry to them after we
had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you
know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel
amid much opposition. It didn’t matter who was against
him. Paul was going to dish it out, and he did. For our exhortation
does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit, but just
as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.
So we speak. Not as pleasing men, but God
who examines our heart, Paul wasn’t looking to please anybody
but God and God had given him a message and he’d given him
a standard and he said go. And so for ministry in the modern
day, Can pastors do any less than reprove, rebuke and exhort
with great patience and instruction? Can any believer who is also,
remember, competent to counsel, can any believer not speak the
truth in love? That if you see a brother and
sister And they’re running afoul of the gospel and running afoul
of God’s standards. Can any brother and sister absolve
himself of the responsibility to address such a brother in
love? No. Look back to Paul’s example
of boldness and he said, look, I admit it. I’ve written to you
very boldly on some of these points. And that was exactly
what God would have wanted. Shepherd’s account of his ministry,
Paul says that this Christian ministry is a ministry of uncommon
directness. But secondly, it is a ministry
of simple reminders. It’s a ministry of simple reminders.
Look at the verse again, verse 15. Where Paul just says, I’ve
written you very boldly on some points so as to remind you again. What? We just read through some
of those little subtle, you know, reminders like flipping the calendar.
Oh, today’s the day, you know, we’re going to be condemned if
we don’t repent. The word translated here to remind
is a compound of three Greek words, ep, ama, ana, mim, nesko,
and Essentially, he could have used the word Mimnesko, which
just means to remind us the mildest form. By the way, I’m reminding
you, this is what you need to do on Monday. We do this all
the time, right? Little sticky notes everywhere. Call the doctor. Take the car in. There’s a little
more direct way of saying it, and that’s Anna Mimnesko. I’m putting this upon you. I’m
placing this remain reminder upon you. And Paul uses an even
more Powerful term. In this. Three part compound. But in this listen to how he
uses just even the two part compound. The direct approach. He said
to Timothy I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God. That’s
not just a subtle reminder. That’s not take the car in on
Monday morning. This is look God has begun a good work in
you Timothy. He has given you gifts. And, you know, the you
know, the standard, you know, the calling that we have to whom
much is given, much is required. Get up, Timothy. Get busy, Timothy. Fulfill your ministry, Timothy. Said this to Timothy. In chapter
two, verse eight of this second epistle, remember Jesus Christ. Well, that’s strange, isn’t it? But we do have a We have a tendency. We have a tendency to forget.
We remember all the good things, and then we have the Lord’s table. And then we kind of spend a few
minutes remembering, oh yeah, what he endured for us and what
he went through. But we have a tendency to forget,
and Paul knew that even of Timothy. He said, remember Jesus Christ. Risen from the dead, descendant
of David, according to my gospel for which I suffer hardship,
even to imprisonment as a criminal. Paul goes on to say it’s a trustworthy
statement, if we died with him, we will also live with him. If
we endure, he will reign. We will reign with him. If we
deny him, he will deny us. If we are faithful, he remains
faithful, for he cannot deny himself. Remember these things,
Timothy. And you know what he tells Timothy? Not just remember
these things, but remind everybody else. Remind them of these things
and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle
about words which is useless and leads to the ruin of the
hearers. Paul had to remind Timothy. Paul had to remind Timothy to
remind the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 4 7. This reason I’ve sent you Timothy,
who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, even though
I had to remind him. And he will remind you of my
ways which are in Christ. That’s what the ministry is.
I don’t stand up here week in a week out and say anything profound. I just stand up here and give
you one reminder after another. Peter, Peter did the same thing. I will always, 2 Peter 1 12,
I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though
you already know them. That’s basically what counseling
is, right? You’re sitting there talking
with a friend and, you know, they’re down in the dumps and
you just basically, you know, you’re gracious about it, but
you basically just review through, you know, trials are temporary. Trials come sifted through God’s
fingers. They serve a purpose. They drive
us to God in prayer. But, as I said, Paul uses the
strongest possible term. And this one, this term, eponym,
is the most personally responsible reminder. Paul takes personal
responsibility to remind the Romans who and what they are
in Christ. Paul wasn’t teaching anything
new. He wasn’t teaching anything novel. He was afraid of anything
that was novel. Paul wasn’t saying anything that
a rightly taught Christian believer wouldn’t already know, and that’s
most times what we say. Oh, that’s right. I know. One pastor said there is the
tactful assumption that the Romans are knowledgeable in the faith,
and Paul is not. been putting novel teachings
before them. It is probable that Paul’s treatment
of the great things in this epistle brought before the Romans many
things they had not realized before. But the essence of it
all in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is something that
has always been basic in Christian experience, that of the Romans
and all other believers, Paul was enlarging their horizons,
but he was reminding them things of things that they already knew. So when we come alongside our
brothers and sisters in Christ, when when we preach the word,
when we open the Bible to teach, we’re not coming up. Beware.
Beware if I ever stand here and tell you I’ve got something brand
new nobody’s ever thought of. I know who wrote Hebrews. Run. We have to be ready to remind
people of the simple principles of Scripture. And more often
than not, we go back to the same kinds of things. Paul frequently, it’s amazing
as I looked how many different ways Paul reminded his believers
and how gracious he was in it. We use some of these, but no
note how frequently Paul used some very subtle devices to accomplish
these reminders. Just listen. Acts 20, 34. Remember,
he had called the Ephesian elders to himself and he’s basically
recounting his ministries about to tell them that, look, I’m
going to Jerusalem, liable to be arrested, imprisoned, probably
killed. Tears at the end, prayer. But
when he calls them to himself, he says, you yourselves know. That these hands minister to
my own needs. Essentially, what he says is,
remember, remember when I came and I ministered among you, I
wasn’t a burden to you. Ephesians 5 says the same thing,
this, you know, with certainty. It does it another way in Romans
2, which first we looked at a moment ago, it’s a reminder of things
that we both know to be true. We know that the judgment of
God rightly falls upon those who practice such things, and
you basically find yourself nodding with him, right? Yeah, we do.
Yeah, that’s right. That’s true. And it’s a reminder. He does this reminder by way
of suggesting impossible ignorance. Romans 2, 4. Do you think lightly
of the riches and of his kindness and tolerance and patience, not
knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
Oh, yeah, that’s kind of how you find yourself answering that
you’ve been reminded of God’s patience and tolerance and kindness.
There is this gracious reminder, this device that Paul uses what
I would call gracious concurrence. Romans 5, 3, not only this, but
we exult in our tribulation knowing, oh, yeah, knowing that tribulation
brings about perseverance. There’s a reminder of the device
that he uses challenging, as I said a moment ago, the impossibility
of ignorance, not just the unlikelihood of ignorance. Now he challenges.
It’s absolutely impossible. Do you not know? Romans 6, 3,
that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have
been baptized into his death. Do you not know 1 Corinthians
3, 16, that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of
God dwells in you? How could you forget that? Do you not know that the saints
will judge the world? Oh, yeah. Reminders. Do you not know that the unrighteous
will not inherit the kingdom of God? Oh, yeah. Let’s talk about a contemporary
reminder for our day and age. Do you not know that the unrighteous
will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither
fornicators nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor feminine or homosexuals. Oh, yeah. First Corinthians 619. Do you
not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit? So Paul used every means he had
just to keep bringing up the truths and principles of God’s
Word. And so it’s only right and proper
for pastors, for the saints of God to do the same thing. To
bring the truths, the duties, the responsibilities, The standards
before other people’s eyes and to gently use these reminders
in their lives. I love the way one. One. Poet jotted this principle down,
he said, men must be taught as if you taught them not and things
unknown proposed as things forgot. Did you hear that? That’s just
an amazing statement. That’s Christian ministry. Paul’s not done with his assessment
of his own ministry. Paul’s not done talking about
his role in the Christian ministry and really what ministry should
be. He’s giving an account of his ministry, but he’s really
talking about the Christian ministry at large, by the grace of God.
It’s a ministry, first of all, of uncommon directness. It’s
a ministry of simple reminders. It’s a ministry of God’s provision. Look at verse 15, where Paul
says, I’ve written you very boldly on some points so as to remind
you again, because of the grace that was given me from God to
be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. Paul didn’t
earn this. You don’t sign up for this deal.
You don’t force yourself in. Paul never forgot how he came
to be in the service of the Lord. You remember that on the road
to Damascus, Paul wasn’t pursuing ministry. Paul wasn’t, you know,
going to seminary and being discipled and, you know, all of those good
things that we do. Paul never takes any credit for
himself. Paul never takes any credit for his training. Paul
never puts any stock in that for his privileges, for his gifts,
for his skills. No, instead, what Paul does at
every opportunity, he gives glory, full credit to God alone. For
gifting him, for calling him, for equipping him. You see, Paul knew that ministry,
no matter how small or how great, and we are wrong when we call
ministry small. Any ministry is great in God’s
eyes. If God has called us to it, if God has equipped you for
that particular ministry, then that is a great ministry. That’s
how God wants you to serve Him. Ministry, no matter how small
or great, is only of God’s unmerited grace. We didn’t deserve it to
begin with. No one, no one ever went into
the true Christian ministry without the bestowal of God’s undeserved
enabling grace. God never got a deal in anyone. No one. I love the way an African-American
pastor put it one day. He said some is sent, the others
just went. What Paul was acknowledging is
that he didn’t pursue the Christian ministry. God put him there and
he put him there only by his grace. Paul didn’t deserve it. Paul didn’t earn himself. I it
really bothers me when I hear saints say, oh, if only so and
so some music artist usually, oh, if only so and so could get
saved, wouldn’t that be a great win for the kingdom? I don’t
know. How do you know that in getting saved, they don’t lose
that? Putrid gift they have of weaving words together that say
nothing. Paul said, you know what, I knew
it. I’ve known from the very moment that I got saved. Paul
said in his letter to the Galatians, when God, who had set me apart
even from my mother’s womb, called me through his grace. As soon
as Paul became a Christian, he knew he knew that God had designs
on him from eternity past, and he seized hold of him and he
placed him into his service. Paul’s specific call to take
the gospel to the Gentiles was also only by God’s grace here
in this particular passage. He says that the grace of God
was given to me to be a minister of Christ to the Gentiles. He
says the same exact thing to the Ephesians in Ephesians 3
1. They’re writing largely to Jewish
and Gentile believers. For this reason, I, Paul, the
prisoner of Jesus Christ, for the sake of you Gentiles, if
indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which
was given me for you.” It was all by grace. Paul’s bold words to the Roman
Church were only possible by God’s grace. Whatever Paul accomplished,
everything that Paul did was only by God’s grace. You remember
1 Corinthians 3.10? According to the grace of God,
which was given to me like a wise master builder, I laid a foundation.
I couldn’t have done anything if it weren’t for God’s grace. One pastor said of that passage,
by the grace of God, he means all the gifts and influence of
the spirit, which not only qualified him for his work, but rendered
him so laborious and so faithful he attributes to God all that
he was and all that he was able and able to accomplish. Says
the same thing at the end of that same epistle by the grace
of God, I am what I am. No servant of God, no servant
of God ever enters into the ministry on his own, no servant of God
ever does what he does on his own. It is always and only by
the grace of God that specifically to what did God call Paul? Look
at the passage, if you would. He speaks of the grace that was
given me from God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles,
don’t get tripped up. You know, we love titles pastor,
reverend, minister of the gospel, the very right reverend, you
know, and the fancier they are, the more nauseating they are
to me. But this one this one isn’t the normal word for minister.
The word minister, we often It’s just the word for deacon. That’s the transliterated version
of it. That’s not this word. This word
is later, which you can hear it in the word, it’s where we
get our word liturgy. This is a this is a religious
servant. This is somebody doing a noble
work, even if it’s not formal ministry. It was used of the. In the Septuagint of the priest,
the work that the priest did, but in the New Testament, this
word is use of public service performed. It’s it’s the way
the work is done. That makes it. Noble and weighty. Think of this, this word later,
Goss is used of the government’s service, civil government service.
Romans 13, six for this, you also pay taxes for rulers are
later goss of God, their servants of God. It’s use of the priest’s
ministry in Hebrews 10, 11, it’s used of Christ’s ministry in
Hebrews eight to. It’s used of Paul’s ministry
again in second Corinthians nine. The ministry of this service
is not only fully supplying the needs of the Saints, but is overthrowing
overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. It’s used of the Philippians
ministry. It’s used of a papyrus is ministry
to Paul. It’s used of the Gentiles ministry. God’s grace. Had so worked in
Paul’s life. that he he was a solemn servant
before God. That’s what he was called to.
He was called to be a servant of God and of his only. But there’s
a fourth assessment as we close this morning. In this shepherd’s
account of his ministry, not only was it a ministry of uncommon
directness, a ministry of simple reminders, a ministry of God’s
own provision, Fourthly, it’s a ministry of solemn worship. It’s an active worship to be
in God’s service. Look at verse 15 and 16 again. I’ve written you very boldly
on some points so as to remind you again. Because of the grace
that was given me from God to be a minister of Christ Jesus
to the Gentiles. Watch this. Ministering as a
priest the gospel of God. that my offering of the Gentiles
might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. You know
what’s amazing? The word gospel, good news. You and I know it as it’s used
100 times in the entirety of the New Testament, 70 of them
by Paul, 10 of them here in the book of Romans. To say that Paul
was gospel focused is an understatement. Paul was not just all about the
gospel. He was only about the gospel. But this image that he uses,
and it’s really an illustration, it’s a remarkable illustration
for Paul to speak of this God given task, this task of spreading
the gospel. The good news of Jesus Christ,
he uses this imagery of a priest as if he’s going in to offer
a sacrifice before God. It’s amazing language. And it’s
rich. And he says that because the
grace of God was given to me from God to be a minister of
Christ Jesus to the Gentiles ministering as a priest, the
gospel of God, that my offering of the Gentiles might become
acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. You see, if we can’t
make some sense of all this. The whole passage is figurative,
Paul wasn’t going to sacrifice any Gentiles on any altar. Paul
wasn’t. playing the part of a priest.
Paul wasn’t going to reinstitute any kind of formal sacrifice. Paul’s using the language, the
Old Testament language, and it’s masterful what the Spirit does
through him because he draws back in the Jewish believers. And he says, look what I’m doing. is a solemn ministry before a
holy God. This ministry to which I’ve been
called ministering as a priest. And here he uses a different
word than what he had just used for minister. Neither here does
he use the word deacon. He uses a different word entirely.
It talks about the priesthood. This is the sacrificing priest.
And it pictures Paul as it were standing before the altar with
this great sacrifice of Gentile converts presented before the
Lord. I mean, it’s an amazing image,
if you think of it, that Paul, quite undeserving, called by
the gospel, called in by God’s grace, placed into service, humble
service before him, sent out to preach the best news the world
has ever heard. And then ultimately, he comes
before God with a gift in his hands to lay at the altar. And
it’s the Gentile believers, essentially, including you and I. Speaks of offering the Gentiles
and this whole idea symbolizes the priest going before God,
entering into his presence and bearing this gift. But watch
what happens. that my offering of the Gentiles
might become acceptable. And the word here, again, is
another one of these threefold compounds. I’m not going to belabor
the point. Part of the word is decamite.
It’s used dozens of times in the New Testament of just receiving.
And here’s the here’s the image that came to my mind and I’m
trying to think of the distinction between these three different
words. that could have been used. Dekomai
is like an usher taking a movie ticket. Now, I know some of you
go to the movies and, you know, we just talked about people with
scruples, so that’s OK. Some of you go to the movies
and when you get there, the usher is going to take your ticket. That’s
kind of the way Dekomai is used. It’s just basic receiving and
you can receive some great things. Prost Dekomai is a little stronger
word. This means to accept favorably. to, you know, reach your hands
out and take it into your hands and receive it as your own. And
this is at least the manners that we’re all taught when we’re
given a gift, right? That’s how we’re supposed. Oh,
thank you. And even though it’s the wrong
color and the wrong side, we’re still gracious about the way
we receive it. But this this word that Paul
uses here, that’s not either one of those. The word that he
uses is you pros deco my. which means a very favorable
acceptance. Paul wanted to present a finished
work to God, a work that God had completed and that God would
not only take it into his hands like a movie ticket. God would
not only take it into his hands like a gift with a gift receipt
that he might return. He wanted God to take it into
his hands as a precious treasure. Let me give you one illustration
in closing, an illustration from a passage which uses both the
mildest form of this word, deco my and the most intense form
of the word. You cross deco my turn, if you
would, to Second Corinthians six. I told you I could find something
to do with six extra minutes. Second Corinthians, chapter six,
and we’ll close. This is such a this is such an
amazing passage, you know, Paul is talking about the Christian
ministry in this section from chapter two, verse 17 on, he
is focused on the Christian ministry, the difficulties of it, the joys
of it, the calling, the equipping, the challenges that come with
ministry. It’s an amazing passage and it’s Here’s where we’re going
to center second Corinthians chapter six. Look at verse one.
Where Paul says in working together with him, we urge you not to
receive the grace of God in vain, for he says at the acceptable
time, I listen to you on the day of salvation. I helped you.
He quotes Isaiah chapter forty nine verse eight there. Thus
says the Lord in a favorable time. I’ve answered you in the
day of salvation. I’ve helped you. I will. I will keep you
and give you a covenant of the people restored to the land to
make inherited. Here’s what Paul does. Watch
this. Working together with him, we urge you not to receive deco
my the grace of God in vain. Don’t just take it in hand. Ponder
what it is is being offered to you. It’s the very gospel of
God. It’s the gospel of salvation. We urge you not to receive the
grace of God in vain. Don’t receive it casually or
coldly, for he says at the acceptable time again, deco my and he quotes
Isaiah 49. But watch this. Paul zeroes in
and he looks them in the eye, as it were, and he says, behold.
Now is the acceptable, the Eupros Dekomite. Now is the time for
you to reach out and lay hold of salvation as the very precious
and vital thing that it is. It’s an amazing twist. Now is the acceptable time. Behold,
now is the day of salvation. The only way that that was going
to happen for the gift of the Gentiles is that they were They
were being sanctified by the Holy Spirit Himself, says Paul.
That little by little they were being purified and set before
God as a finished product, complete by His grace. We have that to
look forward to. Paul completes his accounting,
not only his accounting of the saints in Rome, and saints even. This morning, but he accounts
for his own ministry and the ministry of the gospel even today. Would you humble yourselves before
that God? Our merciful King, we humble
ourselves. And Lord, having heard the Just
the recounting of all that Paul addressed to the Roman church.
We are such desperate sinners outside of Christ, we’re so utterly
needful. But you have sent. The perfect
sacrifice, that’s the testimony of Romans Chapter five, which
Paul recounted to the Romans as so much boldness. The Christ
had accomplished it all. Lord, how else could anyone say
there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus? Father, there is no other way
to close. Then to consider those words we’ve just read. Today
is the acceptable day of salvation. Today is the day to receive what
God has offered. Our merciful King, if there are
any in our midst, who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as
their Savior. May they receive it even now
as a precious gift of God. Faith in Jesus Christ and forgiveness
of sin. It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray.