WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.919 Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church, 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:17.039 and it's my joy to bring God's Word to you today. A special welcome if you're new or visiting with us. 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:21.920 We're glad that you're here, and we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, 00:00:22.740 --> 00:00:25.820 but because we're following Jesus together as one community. 00:00:25.820 --> 00:00:31.780 And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one so good, they don't need God's grace, 00:00:32.380 --> 00:00:39.600 and no one so bad that they can't have it, which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in His Word. 00:00:40.120 --> 00:00:43.379 This morning, we're continuing our series in the Book of Romans. 00:00:43.939 --> 00:00:48.900 You'll remember that the Book of Romans is a letter written by the Apostle Paul in the 50s AD, 00:00:48.900 --> 00:00:53.100 and the Book of Romans is called Romans for a very simple reason, 00:00:53.100 --> 00:00:57.039 which is that it's written to the churches in the city of Rome. 00:00:57.579 --> 00:01:02.300 It is about the gospel, the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection, 00:01:03.100 --> 00:01:09.040 and Paul's hope is that the recipients, these churches in Rome, would be established in the gospel. 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:13.620 In previous weeks, I've said to you, and he says that later in verse 11. 00:01:14.180 --> 00:01:16.540 Verse 11 is not later now, it's actually this morning, 00:01:16.620 --> 00:01:19.799 so we're going to look especially at Paul's hope that they would be established. 00:01:19.799 --> 00:01:24.539 And there are many applications that we will find throughout the Book of Romans, 00:01:24.659 --> 00:01:26.560 and they come back many times. 00:01:26.679 --> 00:01:34.159 There's this special focus, this special concern that Paul has for the mission and the unity of the church. 00:01:34.859 --> 00:01:38.000 And as I've told you before, there are many spokes. 00:01:38.739 --> 00:01:43.979 Those spokes are going to come back over and over again to the hub of the gospel. 00:01:43.980 --> 00:01:47.620 I've also been reminding you to not fear. 00:01:48.020 --> 00:01:51.359 If you're worried about how slowly we're going through Romans, we will speed up. 00:01:51.659 --> 00:01:53.600 I'm going to honor that promise this morning. 00:01:53.719 --> 00:01:56.079 We are going to do, in fact, a whole eight verses. 00:01:57.240 --> 00:01:59.780 I have to confess, I'm a little bit sad about that. 00:02:00.520 --> 00:02:03.320 Martin Lloyd-Jones, famous for his series on the Book of Romans, 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:05.960 spent six and a half sermons on this section. 00:02:05.959 --> 00:02:13.120 So you can either thank me or complain about me, whichever your preference is. 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:16.259 But we are going to be in verses 8 through 13. 00:02:16.959 --> 00:02:20.840 And this week, because we are moving quicker, it's going to be a little bit more of an overview. 00:02:21.019 --> 00:02:25.519 We're not going to be able to go into as much detail as we have the last several weeks. 00:02:26.539 --> 00:02:29.180 But we're going to be asking this big question, which is, 00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:31.560 how do we grow as Christians? 00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:34.759 How do we grow as Christians? 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:37.159 And another question Paul is going to get at is, 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:39.680 why, in fact, should we go out in mission? 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:43.960 We don't want to be merely self-licking ice cream cones, 00:02:44.360 --> 00:02:47.659 but we want to actually be people who are spreading the good news of Christ. 00:02:47.819 --> 00:02:49.319 And so Paul is going to get at that as well. 00:02:49.379 --> 00:02:53.120 Not just our growth, not just the growth that happens inside of the church, 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:57.480 but the growth outside of the church as God brings more and more people to faith. 00:02:57.479 --> 00:03:01.500 It's with that that I invite you to turn with me now to Romans 1. 00:03:02.139 --> 00:03:04.879 You can turn in your worship guide. 00:03:05.519 --> 00:03:06.679 You can turn on your phone. 00:03:07.560 --> 00:03:08.899 You can turn in your Bible. 00:03:09.620 --> 00:03:12.199 No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's Word. 00:03:12.819 --> 00:03:15.659 And God tells us that His Word is more precious than gold, 00:03:16.099 --> 00:03:18.799 even the finest gold, and it's sweeter than honey, 00:03:19.019 --> 00:03:21.379 even honey that comes straight from the honeycomb. 00:03:22.179 --> 00:03:25.579 And so that's why we read now Romans 1, starting at verse 8. 00:03:25.580 --> 00:03:53.060 Verse 11. 00:03:53.060 --> 00:04:23.040 Verse 11. 00:04:23.060 --> 00:04:38.160 I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's Word. 00:04:39.319 --> 00:04:44.180 Our Father in heaven, we do thank you again for your simple mercies. 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:48.459 We thank you for giving us the health and the strength to be here this morning. 00:04:49.259 --> 00:04:54.219 We thank you for your work in the life of the Apostle Paul that he wrote this letter. 00:04:54.859 --> 00:04:56.839 And we thank you that it's been preserved for us. 00:04:57.599 --> 00:05:00.120 We confess this morning that we need your help. 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:03.219 We can't figure it out on our own. 00:05:03.699 --> 00:05:06.799 We can't hear your voice clearly by ourselves. 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:09.839 And so we come simply asking for your help, 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:11.899 that you pour out your Spirit now. 00:05:12.279 --> 00:05:15.779 You'd open our ears and our eyes. 00:05:15.779 --> 00:05:16.979 You'd clear our minds. 00:05:17.239 --> 00:05:18.179 You'd soften our hearts. 00:05:18.739 --> 00:05:25.159 That we would be able to see and hear and understand and believe everything that you've written in your Word. 00:05:25.619 --> 00:05:28.679 And we ask these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. 00:05:28.979 --> 00:05:29.219 Amen. 00:05:29.220 --> 00:05:35.700 It was two weeks ago that we looked at Romans chapter 5. 00:05:35.860 --> 00:05:40.360 And if you were here, you remember I told you this story about Stanley McChrystal, 00:05:40.520 --> 00:05:45.060 the retired four-star Army general who was interviewed about crisis leadership. 00:05:45.460 --> 00:05:45.920 And he said, 00:05:46.080 --> 00:05:49.560 For a team, you need to answer one question, which is this. 00:05:49.840 --> 00:05:52.300 What does success look like? 00:05:52.840 --> 00:05:55.440 And so we talked from verse 5 about that very question. 00:05:55.439 --> 00:06:01.560 Paul tells us back then success looks like bringing about the obedience of faith. 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:11.779 And so we define the obedience of faith as bringing people to recognize and to serve Jesus as their King. 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:19.720 McChrystal said this, that you have to continue to reiterate what winning looks like to your organization. 00:06:19.720 --> 00:06:26.500 I bring up that review from verse 5 to highlight the logic of this letter by Paul, 00:06:26.580 --> 00:06:28.460 that he is building an argument, 00:06:28.860 --> 00:06:32.940 and he's actually circling around the same themes over and over again. 00:06:33.300 --> 00:06:37.280 So verse 5 gave us this mission, what success looks like for Paul. 00:06:37.760 --> 00:06:40.860 Now in this verse, he's going to apply that specifically. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:45.820 To bring about the obedience of faith is sort of this broad view of what's meant to happen. 00:06:46.220 --> 00:06:48.700 That could apply to any people anywhere. 00:06:48.699 --> 00:06:55.060 Now Paul turns to the people who are right in front of him, the ones receiving this letter. 00:06:55.500 --> 00:06:59.539 What does the obedience of faith look like for this church? 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:10.219 What does it look like for people to recognize and serve Jesus as their King in this particular city? 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:15.919 We're going to see here, Paul tells us two things, that it is to strengthen and to reach. 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:17.439 You don't need to remember that, by the way. 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:18.800 I put that as the sermon title. 00:07:19.879 --> 00:07:23.680 Whenever I can put the main points as the title of the sermon, I consider that a win. 00:07:24.420 --> 00:07:25.120 And so you have that. 00:07:25.180 --> 00:07:28.879 To strengthen and to reach is what Paul is here to tell this audience. 00:07:28.960 --> 00:07:31.480 He tells us that specifically in verse 11. 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:38.220 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you. 00:07:38.220 --> 00:07:42.600 In other words, these folks have already recognized Jesus as King. 00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:48.480 He's writing to a church, and so these are folks who have already seen Jesus as their Lord and their Savior. 00:07:48.640 --> 00:07:50.080 They've already been reached. 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:52.820 So the recognized part has already happened. 00:07:53.240 --> 00:07:55.300 It's not now that they need to recognize. 00:07:55.560 --> 00:07:57.840 It's that they need to obey Jesus as their King. 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:01.220 They need to proceed with the rest of the Christian life. 00:08:01.220 --> 00:08:06.220 And so Paul wants to see them established in that more and more. 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:11.800 He tells us that that's going to happen by this spiritual gift that he wants to give to them. 00:08:12.380 --> 00:08:15.840 There's some debate about what Paul means here by the spiritual gift. 00:08:16.280 --> 00:08:22.760 Some people say, well, the spiritual gift that Paul means to give is the content of the letter of Romans. 00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:28.140 He can't come and see them, so he's just going to write to them everything that he would say. 00:08:28.139 --> 00:08:31.300 Other people say, no, look at verse 12. 00:08:31.599 --> 00:08:36.139 He seems to be saying there's this encouragement that's going to happen when they see each other face to face. 00:08:36.580 --> 00:08:43.580 And so the spiritual gift is going to be the fellowship and the sharing that happens as Paul encourages the church, 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:45.220 and the church encourages Paul. 00:08:46.139 --> 00:08:48.899 There is, in fact, probably both things going on. 00:08:49.179 --> 00:08:53.000 Paul has longed to see them for something that can only happen in person. 00:08:53.319 --> 00:08:54.819 We'll talk about that in a little bit. 00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:58.019 And he also longs to see them to instruct them. 00:08:58.139 --> 00:09:02.399 So this letter, in a sense, serves as the second best option. 00:09:03.299 --> 00:09:06.000 I've been trying to see you for a long time. 00:09:07.939 --> 00:09:09.360 I haven't been able to. 00:09:09.860 --> 00:09:14.960 I'm going to write you a letter so you can at least have some of the blessing that I want for you, 00:09:15.220 --> 00:09:19.259 some of the spiritual gift, the part that I can put into writing. 00:09:20.059 --> 00:09:22.960 Of course, there's some that can't be put into writing. 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:29.879 If it could be easily solved just by writing a letter, Paul would not tell us here how upset he is. 00:09:31.340 --> 00:09:37.460 He goes on to tell us it's not just that he wants to strengthen them, verse 12, that you can strengthen me. 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:40.480 So there's this mutual encouragement that's meant to happen. 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:45.800 There's something that's going to occur when Paul can be physically present with these people. 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:47.620 He's going to see their faith. 00:09:47.879 --> 00:09:49.279 They're going to see his faith. 00:09:49.579 --> 00:09:54.599 And together, both of their faiths are going to grow and increase. 00:09:55.959 --> 00:10:03.419 Verse 11, Paul's desire here to strengthen the church really is the center of the first half of this passage. 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:09.879 It tells us about everything that's going on in verses 8 through really about through 13. 00:10:09.879 --> 00:10:14.580 So verse 13, he tells them, by the way, it's not just that I want to strengthen you. 00:10:14.700 --> 00:10:18.200 I've been trying to accomplish this for a very long time. 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:25.139 And the way I've been trying to accomplish it, verses 9 and 10, for a very long time is that I've been praying about it. 00:10:25.340 --> 00:10:27.379 I've been praying about it constantly. 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:34.559 And as I think about these things, verse 8, I praise God for the way that your faith is already strengthened. 00:10:34.679 --> 00:10:38.779 It is so strong that people are hearing about it all over the world. 00:10:38.779 --> 00:10:42.799 Verses 10 and 13, but wow, what a bummer. 00:10:44.199 --> 00:10:47.299 God has prevented me from coming to you. 00:10:48.100 --> 00:10:49.360 So I've been wanting this. 00:10:49.419 --> 00:10:50.399 I've been longing for it. 00:10:50.439 --> 00:10:51.600 I've been desiring it. 00:10:51.659 --> 00:10:52.839 I've been praying about it. 00:10:52.860 --> 00:10:54.059 I've been thinking about it. 00:10:54.059 --> 00:10:58.959 But for whatever reason, in God's sovereign plan for the world, it hasn't happened. 00:10:59.299 --> 00:11:01.459 And so, oh no, what do I have to do now? 00:11:01.539 --> 00:11:02.879 I have to write a letter. 00:11:03.179 --> 00:11:04.959 What a second best option. 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:13.540 Paul doesn't tell us why it is that God has chosen in his providence to prevent Paul from visiting Rome. 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:17.360 I'm going to suggest to you at least one reason. 00:11:18.660 --> 00:11:24.780 Because Paul was not able to visit Rome, he wrote this letter that we are reading now. 00:11:24.779 --> 00:11:25.379 Wow. 00:11:34.379 --> 00:11:37.480 What a bummer for the church in Rome in the first century. 00:11:39.740 --> 00:11:45.919 What a great gain for God's church around the world and across time. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:50.740 This is not the main point of the passage, but don't forget this one thing. 00:11:51.179 --> 00:11:56.679 It may seem at times like what needs and must happen is blocked. 00:11:58.199 --> 00:12:02.860 God's purposes are much greater and bigger and wider. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:10.219 The loss of the Roman church, Christian, is your gain. 00:12:11.559 --> 00:12:14.240 Paul wants them to be established by his presence. 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:19.120 Oh no, he can only establish them through this 16-chapter letter. 00:12:20.460 --> 00:12:23.740 And so, that's the summary essentially of what's happening at the very beginning. 00:12:23.860 --> 00:12:26.320 The first half of this passage, Paul is saying this. 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:32.279 Wow, I praise God that you are growing so much and people around the world are hearing about it. 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:40.960 And I want to see you face to face so that we can grow together even more. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:46.080 Which brings us back to the question I asked you at the very beginning. 00:12:47.040 --> 00:12:50.720 How is it that we grow as Christians? 00:12:51.980 --> 00:12:54.280 Do you want what Paul says here? 00:12:54.340 --> 00:12:56.980 Do you want to become more established in your faith? 00:12:57.340 --> 00:13:02.759 Do you want your knowledge and understanding and trust and confidence and obedience to grow? 00:13:02.759 --> 00:13:09.419 If you do, what's the secret sauce? 00:13:10.700 --> 00:13:11.600 What's the recipe? 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:14.100 Well, Paul provides us here. 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:15.899 He doesn't give us all the answers. 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:18.939 He does give us one answer in particular. 00:13:19.639 --> 00:13:22.960 In these first few verses, Paul reminds us, 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:29.960 Christian community is essential to our growth in our faith. 00:13:31.900 --> 00:13:37.700 Christian community is essential to our growth in our faith. 00:13:39.040 --> 00:13:40.400 Now, notice what I didn't say. 00:13:40.920 --> 00:13:44.759 I didn't say that's the only avenue for our growth in our faith. 00:13:45.019 --> 00:13:46.740 It is a primary avenue. 00:13:46.740 --> 00:13:49.680 Yes, there's content and knowledge. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:53.940 If they weren't, Paul wouldn't have written a 16-chapter letter, right? 00:13:54.419 --> 00:13:57.259 There are things that he wants the church to know. 00:13:57.899 --> 00:14:05.899 And Paul makes it clear they have missed out by not seeing one another. 00:14:06.799 --> 00:14:08.980 This is on page three of your worship guide. 00:14:08.980 --> 00:14:16.840 What inspires and fortifies other believers is when they perceive the faith in other Christians. 00:14:17.740 --> 00:14:26.360 Seeing other believers trust God in the course of everyday life reminds us that God is indeed faithful 00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:31.139 and encourages us to trust him as well. 00:14:32.500 --> 00:14:36.920 We need each other's faith to grow. 00:14:38.980 --> 00:14:41.399 Yes, we need good doctrine. 00:14:42.139 --> 00:14:45.580 Yes, we need to understand what Paul has already told us in chapter one. 00:14:45.680 --> 00:14:48.440 We need to know what he goes on to tell us through the rest of the book. 00:14:48.820 --> 00:14:51.440 And we are not meant to do it alone. 00:14:52.700 --> 00:14:56.840 One of my favorite things about this church, people ask me sometimes, 00:14:56.920 --> 00:14:58.360 well, tell me about your church. 00:14:59.060 --> 00:15:02.320 Which is such a wide question, I'm not really sure what they're asking. 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:04.580 And so I'll just kind of go demographics. 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:06.960 I'll say, well, we're an intergenerational church. 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:10.900 So we have lots of older folks and lots of younger folks. 00:15:10.980 --> 00:15:12.379 And you know, we also have people in between. 00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:16.460 We have lots of medium folks and lots of middle folks. 00:15:17.780 --> 00:15:19.220 And that's great. Why? 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:23.860 Because we can encourage one another. 00:15:23.860 --> 00:15:28.539 And as Paul say here, verse 12, 00:15:28.680 --> 00:15:32.980 that is that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, 00:15:33.340 --> 00:15:35.600 both yours and mine. 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:40.539 Paul, of course, knows so much more about Christianity than they do. 00:15:40.539 --> 00:15:48.360 And he needs to be encouraged and sustained by their faith. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:54.240 Brothers and sisters, we need the same thing. 00:15:55.419 --> 00:15:59.079 We need to be encouraged and sustained by one another's faith. 00:16:00.219 --> 00:16:01.899 And so that's why we do many things. 00:16:01.959 --> 00:16:04.179 That's why we gather together on Sunday mornings. 00:16:04.179 --> 00:16:10.419 That's why we have a greeting time as a small symbol of what we hope overflows out into the rest of the week. 00:16:10.579 --> 00:16:18.179 That our small and brief drive-by interactions on Sunday morning would become deep, substantial, connected interactions. 00:16:18.939 --> 00:16:21.559 That's why we talk so much about being a thick community. 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:24.399 We're people who don't just see each other for a minute. 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:27.699 We want to be people who are involved in one another's lives. 00:16:27.700 --> 00:16:33.280 I still remember when I was in college, one lunchtime in the cafeteria, 00:16:33.780 --> 00:16:36.340 there was a gathering of students, 00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:41.980 and there was one student who was not a Christian but was just very curious about religion and Christianity and how it worked. 00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:43.879 And he posed to me this what if. 00:16:44.300 --> 00:16:49.520 He said, what if you're a Christian and all you did was just read the Bible by yourself? 00:16:50.020 --> 00:16:51.360 That would be fine, right? 00:16:52.420 --> 00:16:55.060 And as a 19-year-old, I didn't really know what to say. 00:16:55.060 --> 00:16:56.740 I thought, well, that's a really interesting question. 00:16:57.700 --> 00:16:59.360 I'm not sure what to say to this guy. 00:17:00.340 --> 00:17:02.820 As a 35-year-old, I can tell you this. 00:17:03.140 --> 00:17:04.640 That is incredibly ironic. 00:17:05.380 --> 00:17:10.380 It's incredibly ironic because as you're studying the Bible by yourself, what are you going to do? 00:17:10.600 --> 00:17:15.319 You're going to come to passages like this that say it's important to not be by yourself. 00:17:16.819 --> 00:17:17.840 So what are you going to do? 00:17:17.900 --> 00:17:20.620 You're studying the Bible by yourself, and you read Paul, and he says, 00:17:20.700 --> 00:17:23.059 hey, it's actually really important for you to be with other Christians. 00:17:23.059 --> 00:17:27.799 You're reading this passage that's to the churches in Rome. 00:17:27.919 --> 00:17:30.799 It's to a community of people who are gathered around together. 00:17:31.179 --> 00:17:33.740 In other words, the whole Bible is predicated. 00:17:33.940 --> 00:17:34.579 It's built on. 00:17:34.639 --> 00:17:35.619 It's established. 00:17:35.619 --> 00:17:39.259 It's on this idea that God has a people who gather together. 00:17:39.259 --> 00:17:46.839 The idea that you could somehow be separate from God's people doesn't make sense in the scope of the Bible. 00:17:46.920 --> 00:17:48.480 There's no category for it. 00:17:49.220 --> 00:17:51.059 It is not there. 00:17:51.059 --> 00:17:54.940 Why do you not read the Bible by yourself? 00:17:54.980 --> 00:17:56.579 Because it's not written to you. 00:17:58.579 --> 00:18:00.919 It's written to God's people. 00:18:01.559 --> 00:18:02.759 You're one of God's people. 00:18:03.940 --> 00:18:06.519 Yes, it's written to you in a certain sense. 00:18:06.740 --> 00:18:10.460 It is written to the church in an even greater sense. 00:18:10.879 --> 00:18:17.240 Yes, Paul is glad he can write to these people, and that is not enough. 00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:21.000 He longs to see them face to face. 00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:24.980 Do you want to grow as a Christian? 00:18:26.259 --> 00:18:29.680 You must do it with others. 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:34.380 Now, if you're tempted to think to yourself, yeah, but I'm just so advanced, you know. 00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:36.740 I just know so many things. 00:18:37.180 --> 00:18:39.920 There's nothing I can learn from anyone else. 00:18:40.339 --> 00:18:41.620 There's a lot to unpack there. 00:18:41.740 --> 00:18:43.240 One of the things to unpack is this. 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:47.220 Do you know as much as the Apostle Paul? 00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:51.819 No, you don't. 00:18:52.920 --> 00:18:54.579 Paul needed other Christians. 00:18:55.559 --> 00:18:59.400 Christian, you need other Christians too. 00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:05.200 Yes, being strengthened contains content. 00:19:05.500 --> 00:19:06.720 It's not less than that. 00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:08.319 It's so much more than that. 00:19:09.120 --> 00:19:11.759 Christianity is not a correspondence course. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:13.500 It's not a virtual campus. 00:19:14.259 --> 00:19:17.640 No, Paul wants to see them face to face. 00:19:17.640 --> 00:19:25.160 I tell folks in our new members class, this church is not a vendor of religious services. 00:19:25.420 --> 00:19:29.460 We do not provide a buffet of religious products and experiences. 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:32.340 No, we're actually a spiritual community. 00:19:32.339 --> 00:19:36.419 We are a spiritual family. 00:19:37.220 --> 00:19:40.079 We exist as a unit, right? 00:19:40.099 --> 00:19:42.839 We don't just come, take what we want, and then leave. 00:19:42.959 --> 00:19:45.399 No, we live life together. 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:52.080 If you look on page 14 of your worship guide, you'll see what it is that we're about as a church. 00:19:52.580 --> 00:19:55.940 It's going to sound surprisingly like Romans 1, verses 8-13. 00:19:56.460 --> 00:19:59.160 You'll see that on the top right, we're about thick community, 00:19:59.740 --> 00:20:03.560 which means we're about being engaged and involved in one another's lives. 00:20:03.559 --> 00:20:06.700 We take seriously the principle that Paul outlines here. 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:08.679 We want to be mutually encouraged. 00:20:09.419 --> 00:20:13.119 We know that takes more than just shaking each other's hands on Sunday morning. 00:20:14.039 --> 00:20:16.859 We want robust discipleship. 00:20:16.940 --> 00:20:18.639 That's what Paul is doing here in this letter. 00:20:18.759 --> 00:20:22.419 He's laying out for them the truths of the Christian faith, 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:24.940 and he says, you know how that happens? 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:27.220 It happens together. 00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:29.379 And then what's there at the bottom? 00:20:29.380 --> 00:20:35.800 We have gospel hub that we would be receiving and sending people out as they PCS and move and relocate. 00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:39.740 Man, that sounds a lot like Romans 1, verse 8. 00:20:40.180 --> 00:20:46.840 I thank God through Jesus Christ for all of you because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 00:20:52.380 --> 00:20:54.400 The joy that we have as Christians, 00:20:55.400 --> 00:20:57.880 it is joy we find together. 00:20:57.880 --> 00:21:01.900 It is not joy we find alone. 00:21:03.580 --> 00:21:06.720 Do you want to grow as a Christian? 00:21:07.760 --> 00:21:09.880 Then embrace God's people. 00:21:11.300 --> 00:21:16.160 Find other Christians to go on the journey. 00:21:21.120 --> 00:21:25.560 You remember Paul's definition of success from verse 5. 00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:28.279 It was to bring about the obedience of faith, 00:21:28.359 --> 00:21:33.299 and we've talked about people recognizing and serving Jesus as their king. 00:21:33.700 --> 00:21:35.500 So we've talked about the serving part. 00:21:35.740 --> 00:21:37.679 We've talked about the strengthening part. 00:21:37.919 --> 00:21:40.379 Now we're going to go back to the reaching part, 00:21:40.460 --> 00:21:43.599 because Paul also has a lot to say about that. 00:21:43.779 --> 00:21:46.259 It's not just that they're going to obey Jesus as king. 00:21:46.359 --> 00:21:48.039 No, Paul's not satisfied with that. 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:53.659 Paul wants many people to recognize Jesus as king. 00:21:54.180 --> 00:21:57.659 And so that takes us to verse 13, which is the transition verse here. 00:21:57.660 --> 00:22:19.779 Paul's not satisfied with growth inside of the church. 00:22:19.779 --> 00:22:23.240 Paul wants growth outside of the church. 00:22:24.059 --> 00:22:29.180 Paul's not content that the members of the church would just become stronger and stronger in their faith. 00:22:29.460 --> 00:22:33.639 No, he wants people who are not in the church to embrace faith. 00:22:33.740 --> 00:22:35.440 And so he's looking for this fruit, and he says, 00:22:35.539 --> 00:22:37.160 I want this fruit from both of you. 00:22:37.740 --> 00:22:41.920 I want it from your group, and I want it from the other group. 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:44.700 You'll find this on page 7 of your worship guide. 00:22:45.380 --> 00:22:48.000 The harvest, or the fruit Paul longs for, 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:51.660 is the work of God in changing lives to righteousness, 00:22:52.259 --> 00:22:56.860 both by new conversions and by growth in godliness. 00:22:57.779 --> 00:22:59.400 So he's talked about growth in godliness. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:00.800 That's the strengthening. 00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:04.600 Now he's talking about new conversions. 00:23:04.900 --> 00:23:07.720 All of that is the fruit that he wants. 00:23:07.720 --> 00:23:13.380 It's not enough for Paul to strengthen those who are Christians. 00:23:13.900 --> 00:23:17.920 He also wants to reach those who aren't. 00:23:19.160 --> 00:23:22.299 Verse 14 goes on to tell us why this is so important to him. 00:23:23.259 --> 00:23:23.980 It says this, 00:23:24.680 --> 00:23:28.339 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, 00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:30.500 both to the wise and the foolish. 00:23:31.120 --> 00:23:34.039 Now there are at least two things happening in that verse. 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:36.400 One of them is Paul's sense of obligation. 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:38.240 What does he mean? 00:23:38.420 --> 00:23:39.580 He's in a sense saying, 00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:42.660 hey, I have a debt that I need to pay off. 00:23:43.840 --> 00:23:47.120 Now that's not really how we think about sharing the gospel, 00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:47.700 I would imagine. 00:23:47.780 --> 00:23:50.080 We don't think about it as this debt that we need to pay. 00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:51.660 Paul, however, does. 00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:55.960 And commentators, multiple commentators, explain it this way, 00:23:56.019 --> 00:23:58.780 that there are two kinds of ways you can owe someone a debt. 00:23:58.779 --> 00:24:04.839 If you loan me $100 and I need to pay that back to you, 00:24:04.940 --> 00:24:07.859 I owe you the money that is yours that you gave me. 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:11.180 But there's a second way I can owe you a debt. 00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:13.559 Let's say your grandmother came to me 00:24:13.559 --> 00:24:15.960 and your grandmother said, 00:24:16.440 --> 00:24:19.299 here is $100 for John. 00:24:19.299 --> 00:24:22.019 Well, I now owe John $100. 00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:25.099 It's not something John gave to me. 00:24:25.180 --> 00:24:27.379 No, it's something I received from his grandmother 00:24:27.379 --> 00:24:29.500 that now I have to pass on. 00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:32.940 Paul is saying that he owes a debt 00:24:32.940 --> 00:24:36.720 to Greeks and to barbarians, 00:24:36.819 --> 00:24:38.419 both to the wise and to the foolish, 00:24:38.639 --> 00:24:40.079 in that second sense. 00:24:40.339 --> 00:24:41.000 In other words, 00:24:41.180 --> 00:24:44.680 God has given Paul the gospel to pass on. 00:24:44.680 --> 00:24:48.340 And until Paul passes on the gospel, 00:24:48.660 --> 00:24:51.920 he is in debt to those who need to receive it. 00:24:52.360 --> 00:24:55.100 He has a debt that must be paid off. 00:24:55.420 --> 00:24:58.039 God has given him a task to fulfill 00:24:58.039 --> 00:25:00.759 something that belongs not to Paul, 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:03.360 but belongs to those outside of the community. 00:25:05.240 --> 00:25:06.440 And so it's a reminder, 00:25:07.320 --> 00:25:09.000 the gospel does belong to us 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:11.140 as something that's our hope and our confidence. 00:25:11.680 --> 00:25:13.779 It does not belong to us 00:25:13.779 --> 00:25:16.259 as something that we have exclusive rights over. 00:25:17.059 --> 00:25:19.519 No, it's meant to be spread and shared. 00:25:19.660 --> 00:25:20.559 It's meant to go out 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:21.899 and be part of this harvest 00:25:21.899 --> 00:25:22.980 that Paul talks about, 00:25:23.220 --> 00:25:26.440 the church growing and expanding. 00:25:27.799 --> 00:25:28.859 And so he sees himself. 00:25:28.980 --> 00:25:30.599 He has this debt he needs to pass on. 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:32.160 He needs to pay it off. 00:25:32.500 --> 00:25:33.960 And the rest of his life 00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:36.019 is going to be fulfilling 00:25:36.019 --> 00:25:38.859 the task that God has for him. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:41.399 He then goes on to tell us 00:25:41.399 --> 00:25:43.379 who he owes this debt to. 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:46.399 He owes it to the Greeks 00:25:46.399 --> 00:25:47.339 and to the barbarians, 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:48.839 to the wise and the foolish. 00:25:49.339 --> 00:25:51.319 So he owes it to people who speak Greek 00:25:51.319 --> 00:25:52.920 and those who don't speak Greek, 00:25:53.420 --> 00:25:54.700 which is Paul's way of saying 00:25:54.700 --> 00:25:56.200 he owes it to people 00:25:56.200 --> 00:25:58.180 regardless of what culture they're in. 00:25:59.019 --> 00:25:59.819 Okay, it doesn't matter 00:25:59.819 --> 00:26:00.940 your nation or ethnicity. 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:03.859 This sounds a lot like verse five again. 00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:05.559 Remember, the scope of Paul's mission 00:26:05.559 --> 00:26:07.240 was among all the nations. 00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:09.079 Well, we shouldn't be surprised then 00:26:09.079 --> 00:26:10.879 when that same theme shows back up. 00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:12.340 Here's who he owes it to, 00:26:12.420 --> 00:26:13.240 all the nations. 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:14.240 Okay, so all cultures. 00:26:14.820 --> 00:26:17.120 He also owes it to the wise and the foolish, 00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:18.740 which is Paul's way of saying it. 00:26:18.840 --> 00:26:21.120 I owe it to people who have gone to Harvard, 00:26:21.940 --> 00:26:23.480 and I also owe it to people 00:26:23.480 --> 00:26:24.640 who didn't graduate from high school. 00:26:25.220 --> 00:26:28.960 This is not limited to one socioeconomic class 00:26:28.960 --> 00:26:30.000 or type of people. 00:26:30.360 --> 00:26:32.440 No, part of what's offensive about the gospel 00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:35.120 is you don't need to be elite to access it. 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:38.159 What we hope is true of our church 00:26:38.159 --> 00:26:40.259 is that it represents all sorts of people 00:26:40.259 --> 00:26:42.219 from all sorts of backgrounds. 00:26:42.959 --> 00:26:44.639 If we were to say this today, 00:26:44.699 --> 00:26:46.099 we might articulate it in this way. 00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:49.679 The gospel is for those who stay at the Broadmoor. 00:26:50.599 --> 00:26:54.119 The gospel is also for those who work at the Broadmoor. 00:26:54.979 --> 00:26:57.839 The gospel is for those who are enlisted. 00:26:58.879 --> 00:27:01.019 The gospel is also for those who are officers. 00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:04.400 The gospel is for those who are native Coloradans 00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:05.440 and have a bumper sticker. 00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:10.700 The gospel is for those of us who are transplants. 00:27:11.460 --> 00:27:12.559 Praise God for his grace. 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:15.920 The gospel is those who are old, 00:27:16.019 --> 00:27:17.799 and it is for those who are young. 00:27:18.599 --> 00:27:21.319 Paul's debt is to everyone. 00:27:22.460 --> 00:27:23.879 He's not to pick and choose. 00:27:24.519 --> 00:27:27.059 No, he's to go out and share. 00:27:28.539 --> 00:27:30.339 And so this reminds us of another element. 00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:32.959 Again, this is on page 14 of your worship guide. 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:34.539 What is it that we're about as a church? 00:27:34.859 --> 00:27:37.059 We want to be about fervent witness. 00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:40.839 We want to take seriously that we have a debt. 00:27:40.980 --> 00:27:43.579 God has given us something that's meant to be shared. 00:27:44.099 --> 00:27:47.279 We're not here to be a self-licking ice cream cone. 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:51.039 We're not here just so that we could grow alone by ourselves. 00:27:51.139 --> 00:27:53.720 No, it's meant to be passed on to others. 00:27:53.819 --> 00:27:56.859 Our faith is meant to be shared. 00:27:57.619 --> 00:27:59.720 This is on page 8 of your worship guide. 00:27:59.720 --> 00:28:05.680 What a freshness would come to our motivation if we saw ourselves as great debtors 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:10.380 to our neighbors, our community, our city, to the poor as well as the rich. 00:28:11.079 --> 00:28:16.920 This kind of a debtedness might even make us run the risk of appearing a fool 00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:20.519 by telling a deluded sinner we will pray for him. 00:28:20.519 --> 00:28:30.440 Christian, do you know that you hold something that belongs to someone else? 00:28:32.099 --> 00:28:37.079 Do you know that the gospel is not just meant to be something we hold in here, 00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:39.400 but something we share out there? 00:28:39.400 --> 00:28:50.420 It is for you, this is verse 13, as well as the rest of the Gentiles. 00:28:50.420 --> 00:28:53.980 Now, as I've been telling you, there's many spokes. 00:28:54.100 --> 00:28:57.180 Those spokes are constantly coming back to the hub of the gospel. 00:28:57.880 --> 00:28:59.860 And the same thing is true this week. 00:28:59.940 --> 00:29:01.840 Go back to the very beginning, verse 8. 00:29:02.560 --> 00:29:09.700 Paul is giving thanks for the growth that's happening in this church through Jesus Christ. 00:29:09.700 --> 00:29:15.580 In other words, Paul is doing the same thing we've done this morning. 00:29:16.039 --> 00:29:19.940 When Paul prays, whether he's giving requests or giving thanks, 00:29:20.100 --> 00:29:21.640 Paul prays in the name of Jesus. 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:23.480 Why? 00:29:25.120 --> 00:29:28.580 Because it's in Jesus' name that he has access to the Father. 00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:34.960 Jesus is the one who has paid the price that we should have paid. 00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:38.480 He's received the penalty that we should have suffered. 00:29:39.079 --> 00:29:41.180 And now, as we've talked about many times, 00:29:41.220 --> 00:29:45.319 as he sits at the right hand of God the Father, he represents us. 00:29:46.559 --> 00:29:50.160 And so we have access, not access that we've earned or deserved, 00:29:50.799 --> 00:29:53.180 access that's been given to us. 00:29:53.600 --> 00:29:56.380 It's Jesus' life and death and resurrection 00:29:56.380 --> 00:29:59.460 that gives them what Paul has just talked about in the previous verse, 00:29:59.460 --> 00:30:04.259 that they would have grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:09.700 That's the grace that allows them to grow as they're strengthened through mutual encouragement. 00:30:10.160 --> 00:30:16.240 It is the grace that motivates them for the gospel to be not just for folks in here, 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:18.700 but folks out there. 00:30:19.579 --> 00:30:24.460 For I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 00:30:24.840 --> 00:30:28.500 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, 00:30:28.920 --> 00:30:30.840 both yours and mine. 00:30:30.839 --> 00:30:34.939 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, 00:30:35.159 --> 00:30:37.119 both to the wise and to the foolish. 00:30:37.659 --> 00:30:43.759 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:46.039 Let's pray together. 00:30:48.220 --> 00:30:52.199 Our Father in heaven, we do praise you and thank you again for your word, 00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:53.699 which you use to strengthen us. 00:30:54.119 --> 00:30:56.240 And we thank you that you've also given us your people. 00:30:56.240 --> 00:31:00.680 We ask that you would use both of us, both of those, to grow us up in grace, 00:31:00.759 --> 00:31:03.779 that we would grow in our knowledge and we would grow in our love. 00:31:04.299 --> 00:31:07.420 We would do that as we follow Jesus together as one community. 00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:10.640 We ask these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. 00:31:11.140 --> 00:31:11.380 Amen.