WEBVTT 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:10.679 Chapter 1 to verse 8, and we will read for our 00:00:10.679 --> 00:00:16.219 text today, verses 8 through 15. I encourage 00:00:16.219 --> 00:00:18.440 you to get the outline out of your worship folder 00:00:18.440 --> 00:00:20.300 and to make use of that as we work our way through 00:00:20.300 --> 00:00:29.699 the text today. First, I thank my God through 00:00:29.699 --> 00:00:33.939 Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith 00:00:33.939 --> 00:00:38.570 is being reported all over the world. God, whom 00:00:38.570 --> 00:00:41.689 I serve with my whole heart in preaching the 00:00:41.689 --> 00:00:46.170 gospel of his Son, is my witness, how constantly 00:00:46.170 --> 00:00:50.810 I remember you in my prayers at all times. And 00:00:50.810 --> 00:00:54.950 I pray that now at last, by God's will, the way 00:00:54.950 --> 00:00:59.509 may be opened for me to come to you. I long to 00:00:59.509 --> 00:01:02.990 see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual 00:01:02.990 --> 00:01:06.569 gift to make you strong. That is... that you 00:01:06.569 --> 00:01:10.290 and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's 00:01:10.290 --> 00:01:14.329 faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, 00:01:14.489 --> 00:01:18.549 that I planned many times to come to you, but 00:01:18.549 --> 00:01:20.810 have been prevented from doing so until now, 00:01:20.969 --> 00:01:24.349 in order that I might have a harvest among you, 00:01:24.469 --> 00:01:28.750 just as I have had among the other Gentiles. 00:01:29.450 --> 00:01:33.569 I am obligated, both to Greeks and non -Greeks, 00:01:33.569 --> 00:01:37.219 both to the wise... and to the foolish. That 00:01:37.219 --> 00:01:40.219 is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also 00:01:40.219 --> 00:01:45.579 to you who are at Rome. The Apostle Paul had 00:01:45.579 --> 00:01:49.060 not been to Rome to this point, as it is clear 00:01:49.060 --> 00:01:52.980 here. Thus, he begins his book by introducing 00:01:52.980 --> 00:01:56.420 himself, you'll recall, as we looked at it last 00:01:56.420 --> 00:01:59.159 Sunday. In fact, in the very first verse, he 00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:03.379 uses three important words. Our thought today 00:02:03.379 --> 00:02:06.519 is the commitment that the Apostle Paul evidenced 00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:09.159 through the ministry God had given to him. The 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:11.780 title of the message is The Heart of Commitment. 00:02:12.259 --> 00:02:14.719 I think we'll discover today that the heart of 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:20.060 commitment is the commitment of the heart. The 00:02:20.060 --> 00:02:23.180 three words or phrases that Paul uses to describe 00:02:23.180 --> 00:02:26.500 himself in verse 1 are words or phrases of commitment. 00:02:27.560 --> 00:02:31.849 He says, Paul, a servant. of Christ Jesus, called 00:02:31.849 --> 00:02:36.530 to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel 00:02:36.530 --> 00:02:40.310 of God. A servant is one who has committed himself 00:02:40.310 --> 00:02:45.310 to the will of another person. He has no will 00:02:45.310 --> 00:02:49.590 of his own. His only concern is the pleasure 00:02:49.590 --> 00:02:52.689 of his master. The apostle calls himself that 00:02:52.689 --> 00:02:57.810 kind of a servant of Jesus Christ. He calls himself 00:02:57.810 --> 00:03:02.199 an apostle. The apostle is one who is sent on 00:03:02.199 --> 00:03:06.000 a mission with a purpose. The apostle had committed 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:10.580 himself to fulfill the mission given to him by 00:03:10.580 --> 00:03:17.000 Jesus Christ. And then the word set apart involves 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:20.039 a verb in the original language which means to 00:03:20.039 --> 00:03:24.860 mark off from others by a boundary. It means 00:03:24.860 --> 00:03:28.500 to separate from the mainstream. It's the word 00:03:28.500 --> 00:03:30.819 that is used in Matthew 13 of the separation 00:03:30.819 --> 00:03:34.439 between the righteous and the wicked at the judgment. 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:38.900 It is the word that is used in Acts chapter 13 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:43.039 when two apostles were separated from the rest 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:45.319 of the church and sent on a missionary journey. 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:50.819 It is a word of commitment, isn't it? One who 00:03:50.819 --> 00:03:54.520 is separated or set apart in this sense is one 00:03:54.520 --> 00:03:57.419 who is committed. to be different than others 00:03:57.419 --> 00:04:01.979 he is separated from the mainstream and so from 00:04:01.979 --> 00:04:05.479 the very beginning of this book the apostle makes 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:09.060 clear his own commitment to jesus christ in the 00:04:09.060 --> 00:04:11.319 text that we've read today he opens his heart 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:14.879 further to them and reveals to us the character 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:20.019 of a committed servant of christ 19 times in 00:04:20.019 --> 00:04:23.379 my translation in these verses that we've read 00:04:23.379 --> 00:04:27.500 the apostle refers to himself By personal pronouns, 00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:31.980 that was not Paul's normal message. He did not 00:04:31.980 --> 00:04:36.579 usually point to himself. But here he points 00:04:36.579 --> 00:04:39.740 to himself time and time again as he thinks about 00:04:39.740 --> 00:04:42.839 this matter of commitment. I don't believe that 00:04:42.839 --> 00:04:46.379 anyone has ever been more committed to Jesus 00:04:46.379 --> 00:04:49.699 Christ than was Paul. And that's one reason that 00:04:49.699 --> 00:04:53.300 his life has had such a dramatic impact, indeed, 00:04:53.339 --> 00:04:57.680 upon world history. It is still through the days. 00:04:57.699 --> 00:04:59.779 It is the life that is committed to something 00:04:59.779 --> 00:05:03.040 that counts. Whatever the cause or whatever the 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:05.939 person, it is the life that is committed that 00:05:05.939 --> 00:05:09.600 makes the impact. It's the difference between 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:13.360 a leaf that floats down the stream and a rock 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:16.680 that's there in the stream bed that forces against 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:19.879 the pressure of the water. The leaf makes no 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:22.879 impact at all, though it may seem pretty. But 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:25.319 it's the rock that causes that stream to be disrupted. 00:05:26.699 --> 00:05:29.399 The rock is committed, you see. And it's the 00:05:29.399 --> 00:05:32.480 committed life in the mainstream of society that 00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:36.160 makes a difference in it. I think of the man, 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:41.439 David Livingston. The story is told that when 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:44.480 Stanley, the reporter from Great Britain, found 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:48.139 Livingston, that great missionary who had lived 00:05:48.139 --> 00:05:53.779 for some 30 years in the heart of Africa, he 00:05:53.779 --> 00:05:55.680 wanted him to come back to England with him. 00:05:56.220 --> 00:06:00.160 Livingston refused to go. Two days after that, 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:06.160 he made this entry in his diary. March 19, my 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:12.540 birthday. My Jesus, my King, my life, my all, 00:06:12.680 --> 00:06:19.439 I again dedicate my whole self to thee. Accept 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:23.660 me. And grant, O gracious Father, that ere the 00:06:23.660 --> 00:06:28.480 year is gone, I may finish my work. In Jesus' 00:06:28.600 --> 00:06:33.720 name I ask it. Amen. And it's interesting that 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:37.939 a year later, his servants found him dead on 00:06:37.939 --> 00:06:43.160 his knees. And that's why his name still lives 00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:46.360 today among followers of Jesus Christ, because 00:06:46.360 --> 00:06:50.720 of commitment. May I say to you that our need 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:55.670 today, dear people, is for more people like Livingston, 00:06:55.769 --> 00:07:00.870 who will say to Jesus, my all I give to you, 00:07:00.990 --> 00:07:06.149 accept it. I believe that Paul was that kind 00:07:06.149 --> 00:07:09.790 of man, and in our text today, he illustrates 00:07:09.790 --> 00:07:13.230 to us the heart of a committed servant. It seems 00:07:13.230 --> 00:07:15.149 to me that a committed servant is characterized 00:07:15.149 --> 00:07:19.949 by seven possessions. There are seven things 00:07:19.949 --> 00:07:24.660 he possesses. which show that he is committed 00:07:24.660 --> 00:07:29.439 to Jesus Christ as a servant of his. The first 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.879 possession is found in verse 8, where the apostle 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:37.360 possesses an unselfish joy in another's success. 00:07:38.040 --> 00:07:40.519 When he says, first I thank my God, he's not 00:07:40.519 --> 00:07:42.480 necessarily saying I'm going to have a second 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:44.620 and a third thing. He's not talking about a list, 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:48.019 but he's suggesting here that this is his priority. 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:51.540 Thanksgiving was number one on Paul's list all 00:07:51.540 --> 00:07:55.290 the time. His heart overflowed with gratefulness. 00:07:55.870 --> 00:07:58.870 And he says, I thank God. That's to whom the 00:07:58.870 --> 00:08:01.750 thanksgiving was directed. Through Jesus Christ. 00:08:02.290 --> 00:08:04.829 That's appropriate. We're to pray through Christ. 00:08:05.170 --> 00:08:09.029 He is our access to the Father. He says, I thank 00:08:09.029 --> 00:08:14.230 my God through Jesus Christ for all of you. That's 00:08:14.230 --> 00:08:17.509 kind of an amazing statement. Anytime a person 00:08:17.509 --> 00:08:21.089 can say, I thank God for all of you, even when 00:08:21.089 --> 00:08:23.560 some of them may not be. his closest friends, 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:27.660 it's a big heart. And that's what Paul was saying 00:08:27.660 --> 00:08:32.139 here. Though he had never really met them, and 00:08:32.139 --> 00:08:37.220 though they had no real way of knowing him, he 00:08:37.220 --> 00:08:39.919 says, I thank God for all of you. He could have 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:42.580 said, I thank God for Aquila and Priscilla, and 00:08:42.580 --> 00:08:44.259 he could have named, and he does name later in 00:08:44.259 --> 00:08:46.120 the book, a few others that he did know, among 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:49.399 the hundreds, at least, in Rome who were saved. 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:52.929 But he says, I thank God. for all of you. And 00:08:52.929 --> 00:08:56.629 why was he giving thanks? Because their faith 00:08:56.629 --> 00:09:00.529 was being spoken about all over the world, which 00:09:00.529 --> 00:09:02.870 is a way of saying all over the Roman Empire. 00:09:03.990 --> 00:09:07.289 He thanks God that their faith is widely known. 00:09:08.870 --> 00:09:13.570 They were positioned in the cesspool of the Roman 00:09:13.570 --> 00:09:17.509 Empire. Everything vile and dirty flowed out 00:09:17.509 --> 00:09:21.350 of Rome and then eventually back to Rome. And 00:09:21.350 --> 00:09:24.769 in the midst of that wicked, immoral, degenerate 00:09:24.769 --> 00:09:30.309 city was a church, an assembly of people who 00:09:30.309 --> 00:09:32.509 lived for the glory of God, whose lives were 00:09:32.509 --> 00:09:36.490 different. And their faith was spoken of throughout 00:09:36.490 --> 00:09:39.750 the Roman Empire. No apostle had founded their 00:09:39.750 --> 00:09:42.750 work. No apostle had been to their city yet, 00:09:42.809 --> 00:09:46.029 as far as we know. And yet their faith was so 00:09:46.029 --> 00:09:48.730 genuine and so life -changing that it was known 00:09:48.730 --> 00:09:53.120 around the Roman Empire. So Paul rejoices in 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:58.740 their success and in their fruitfulness. You 00:09:58.740 --> 00:10:00.340 know, I think that's one of the tests of a real 00:10:00.340 --> 00:10:04.059 servant. How do we react when another person 00:10:04.059 --> 00:10:09.940 is successful? How do you react when another 00:10:09.940 --> 00:10:13.899 person is promoted and you perhaps are overlooked? 00:10:15.320 --> 00:10:18.059 How do you feel when the spotlight is upon the 00:10:18.059 --> 00:10:21.279 other guy? When you've done just as much or maybe 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:27.440 more than he has or she has. When the other person 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:32.600 is selected and you're left behind. It's at times 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:34.759 like that that our commitment is put to test. 00:10:35.539 --> 00:10:41.799 Are we committed to our own reputation? Are we 00:10:41.799 --> 00:10:46.379 committed to our cause? Or are we committed to 00:10:46.379 --> 00:10:49.840 the cause of Jesus Christ? as his servant. And 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:52.059 the only real important thing is that his cause 00:10:52.059 --> 00:10:57.000 goes forward. When another person is successful, 00:10:57.259 --> 00:10:59.919 our attitude reveals the kind of commitment we 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:04.120 have to our common cause. In this case, the cause 00:11:04.120 --> 00:11:06.799 of Jesus Christ. Let me illustrate this even 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:09.159 more by turning you to Philippians chapter 1, 00:11:09.299 --> 00:11:12.559 where we see some more statements of Paul regarding 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:15.720 this matter of commitment to the cause of Christ. 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:22.659 When Paul writes this particular epistle, he 00:11:22.659 --> 00:11:27.100 has arrived in Rome. We'll talk about the circumstances 00:11:27.100 --> 00:11:31.820 in a few moments. But he says in verse 15 of 00:11:31.820 --> 00:11:35.799 Philippians chapter 1, It is true that some preach 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:41.340 Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out 00:11:41.340 --> 00:11:44.899 of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing 00:11:44.899 --> 00:11:47.240 that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 00:11:47.779 --> 00:11:50.929 The former... that is, those who preach Christ 00:11:50.929 --> 00:11:54.710 out of envy and rivalry, preach Christ out of 00:11:54.710 --> 00:11:59.549 selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that 00:11:59.549 --> 00:12:02.110 they can stir up trouble for me while I am in 00:12:02.110 --> 00:12:06.950 chains. But what does it matter? The important 00:12:06.950 --> 00:12:09.669 thing is that in every way, whether from false 00:12:09.669 --> 00:12:13.549 motives or truth, Christ is preached. And because 00:12:13.549 --> 00:12:16.730 of this, I rejoice. What is Paul saying here? 00:12:17.419 --> 00:12:18.919 Well, there were some people who didn't like 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:23.340 Paul. And so to create a burden upon him, to 00:12:23.340 --> 00:12:25.299 make him miserable while he was in his chains, 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:29.720 they preached Christ out of envy and rivalry 00:12:29.720 --> 00:12:32.480 for him, out of their own selfish ambition, not 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:36.179 sincerely, hoping in some way to stir up trouble 00:12:36.179 --> 00:12:41.519 for Paul. They didn't like him. Yet, apparently, 00:12:41.539 --> 00:12:43.580 they were successful in what they were doing. 00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:46.559 They were preaching Christ. though not with pure 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:50.159 motive. Does Paul say shame on them? Does he 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:54.519 degrade them? Paul didn't enjoy the fact that 00:12:54.519 --> 00:12:56.299 they didn't like him, but he says it doesn't 00:12:56.299 --> 00:12:57.899 really make that much difference to me because 00:12:57.899 --> 00:13:02.460 the important thing is the cause. Christ is preached, 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:05.980 he says, and in that I rejoice. What does that 00:13:05.980 --> 00:13:08.720 reveal about Paul? That his commitment was not 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:11.440 to his reputation or to his comfort or his success, 00:13:11.740 --> 00:13:16.330 but to the success of Jesus Christ. To the success 00:13:16.330 --> 00:13:19.269 of the gospel message. Is that where your commitment 00:13:19.269 --> 00:13:26.590 lies today? Are you committed to your cause or 00:13:26.590 --> 00:13:30.090 the cause of Jesus Christ? Are you committed 00:13:30.090 --> 00:13:35.289 to your personal success or the success of Jesus 00:13:35.289 --> 00:13:41.269 Christ? That's one test of commitment. A truly 00:13:41.269 --> 00:13:44.389 committed servant possesses an unselfish joy. 00:13:45.070 --> 00:13:49.450 in the success of another. No jealousy, no sense 00:13:49.450 --> 00:13:52.549 of competition, just joy that the other brother, 00:13:52.669 --> 00:13:55.409 that we may disagree with him in some minor aspects, 00:13:55.690 --> 00:14:00.929 is nonetheless successful in his ministry. In 00:14:00.929 --> 00:14:05.809 verses 9 and 10, we see a second possession of 00:14:05.809 --> 00:14:10.830 the apostle. It is an undivided sincerity in 00:14:10.830 --> 00:14:17.019 spiritual duties. Look at what he says. God, 00:14:17.019 --> 00:14:21.860 whom I serve with my whole heart in the preaching 00:14:21.860 --> 00:14:24.600 of the gospel of his Son. That is a tremendous 00:14:24.600 --> 00:14:29.500 statement. He says, I serve God in my spirit, 00:14:29.620 --> 00:14:34.440 literally. The idea is wholeheartedly. With the 00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:38.740 deepest aspect of his being, he is committed 00:14:38.740 --> 00:14:45.389 to Jesus Christ, and sincerely so. And he says, 00:14:45.470 --> 00:14:49.230 God is my witness how constantly I remember you 00:14:49.230 --> 00:14:53.450 in my prayers at all times. Prayer is a spiritual 00:14:53.450 --> 00:14:56.610 responsibility for every one of us who knows 00:14:56.610 --> 00:15:02.730 Christ. Every one of us has that spiritual duty. 00:15:03.929 --> 00:15:07.629 And no one knows whether you pray or whether 00:15:07.629 --> 00:15:09.450 I pray because that is something that's done 00:15:09.450 --> 00:15:14.220 in secret. So what does Paul do? He calls God 00:15:14.220 --> 00:15:17.179 as his witness. Let me ask you something. Would 00:15:17.179 --> 00:15:19.100 you like to call God as a witness to your prayer 00:15:19.100 --> 00:15:25.039 life this last week? The apostle says, God is 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:29.940 my witness. How constantly I remember you in 00:15:29.940 --> 00:15:34.919 my prayers at all times. The apostle Paul was 00:15:34.919 --> 00:15:38.440 a man who was so sincere, who was so pure in 00:15:38.440 --> 00:15:40.480 his motives that he was willing to allow God 00:15:40.480 --> 00:15:43.759 to reveal the truth about him. That is to be 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:47.600 his witness. May I say to you that true commitment 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:51.240 can only be based upon wholehearted sincerity. 00:15:55.059 --> 00:15:57.580 An undivided heart is not a committed heart. 00:15:58.259 --> 00:16:00.659 Rather, a divided heart is not a committed heart. 00:16:01.460 --> 00:16:05.519 Only an undivided heart, a whole heart, is truly 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:08.980 committed to whatever the cause. Whether it be 00:16:08.980 --> 00:16:12.679 to socialism or to Jesus Christ. whether it be 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:16.419 to the advance of the gospel of humanism or the 00:16:16.419 --> 00:16:19.519 advance of the gospel of the Lord Jesus. It is 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:22.340 only the whole heart that is truly committed. 00:16:23.399 --> 00:16:25.340 Is that the kind of commitment that you have? 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:32.840 An undivided sincerity? The apostle reveals to 00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:35.440 us in the last part of verse 10 a third possession 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:40.320 that he had. It was an unpresuming attitude in 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:43.919 his future plans. Remember, he is not committed 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:46.879 to himself, he's committed to Christ. And so 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:50.000 he says, and I pray that now at last, by God's 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:54.019 will, the way may be open for me to come to you. 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:59.100 Paul had a desire. He wanted to go see the Romans. 00:16:59.240 --> 00:17:03.720 We'll see why later. But he says, I pray that 00:17:03.720 --> 00:17:06.559 if it's God's will, he will allow me to do this. 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:11.619 So a third characteristic of a truly... committed 00:17:11.619 --> 00:17:14.779 person is that he has an unpresuming attitude 00:17:14.779 --> 00:17:18.460 regarding his future plans. Paul was a man of 00:17:18.460 --> 00:17:22.500 vision. He laid plans, and yet his plans were 00:17:22.500 --> 00:17:28.599 always conditioned to the will of God. Are you 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:32.759 that committed? Are you willing to say, Lord, 00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:36.539 these are my plans, but I will only do them if 00:17:36.539 --> 00:17:43.490 that's your will? Are you willing to allow interruption 00:17:43.490 --> 00:17:53.890 or cancellation or some intervention or a disappointment 00:17:53.890 --> 00:18:01.069 to redirect your future plan? If you can't say 00:18:01.069 --> 00:18:04.509 yes with a whole heart about that, then the commitment 00:18:04.509 --> 00:18:08.650 that you have is not a very deep one. What about 00:18:08.650 --> 00:18:13.150 the commitment you have to be married? I don't 00:18:13.150 --> 00:18:14.789 believe that a person is ready to be married 00:18:14.789 --> 00:18:18.269 until he's willing to be single the rest of his 00:18:18.269 --> 00:18:23.470 life. What about the commitment that you have 00:18:23.470 --> 00:18:28.490 to that particular job that you want? Or position 00:18:28.490 --> 00:18:34.970 in your employment, your corporation? What about 00:18:34.970 --> 00:18:38.829 the things that you'd like to buy? Your plans 00:18:38.829 --> 00:18:45.269 for the summer? I'm not talking about things 00:18:45.269 --> 00:18:46.730 that are bad. I'm talking about things that are 00:18:46.730 --> 00:18:49.829 fine, that are good. Are you willing to say, 00:18:49.890 --> 00:18:52.730 Lord, these are my plans, but your will be done? 00:18:53.450 --> 00:18:56.970 See, that takes commitment. The apostle had that 00:18:56.970 --> 00:19:02.289 kind of commitment. He called himself a servant 00:19:02.289 --> 00:19:04.410 of Jesus Christ. A servant, as we've said, is 00:19:04.410 --> 00:19:07.109 one who has no will of his own. So he lays down 00:19:07.109 --> 00:19:09.289 plans. He says, Lord, now your will be done. 00:19:10.809 --> 00:19:14.410 We see this in chapter 15. of this epistle and 00:19:14.410 --> 00:19:18.049 Paul's remarks in verses 30 through 32. Let me 00:19:18.049 --> 00:19:21.250 read them to you. He says, I urge you, brothers, 00:19:21.369 --> 00:19:23.529 by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the 00:19:23.529 --> 00:19:26.750 Spirit to join me in my struggle by praying to 00:19:26.750 --> 00:19:30.410 God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the 00:19:30.410 --> 00:19:34.849 unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem 00:19:34.849 --> 00:19:37.549 may be acceptable to the saints there so that 00:19:37.549 --> 00:19:42.440 by God's will. I may come to you with joy and 00:19:42.440 --> 00:19:46.180 together with you be refreshed. So again, he 00:19:46.180 --> 00:19:48.579 emphasizes the fact these are my plans. Pray 00:19:48.579 --> 00:19:52.299 for me. God's will may be done. Now, in fact, 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:56.599 God's will was for Paul to go to Rome. But he 00:19:56.599 --> 00:20:00.279 went there in shame. When he got to Judea, he 00:20:00.279 --> 00:20:04.720 had some problems. He was put under arrest. It 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:08.640 involved months and months of incarceration and 00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:12.839 unfair treatment. Interruption, disappointment. 00:20:13.859 --> 00:20:16.099 The plans that he had made to go to Rome seemed 00:20:16.099 --> 00:20:20.579 to be shelved. And then the Lord appeared to 00:20:20.579 --> 00:20:23.079 him one night and said, Paul, just as you have 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:25.400 preached the gospel here, so you're going to 00:20:25.400 --> 00:20:28.000 preach the gospel in Rome. I'm going to send 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:31.380 you to Rome. It wasn't the kind of passage that 00:20:31.380 --> 00:20:35.359 Paul wanted, but he got there and God used him. 00:20:36.259 --> 00:20:38.859 He had an unpresuming attitude about his future. 00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:43.160 Is that where you are in your commitment? The 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:45.259 fourth possession that he had, verses 11 and 00:20:45.259 --> 00:20:50.400 12. He possessed an untiring concern for the 00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:55.319 welfare of others. He says, I long to see you. 00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:59.539 That is a deep, emotional word, that word long. 00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:02.920 It's the kind of longing you have when you're 00:21:02.920 --> 00:21:07.779 homesick. Have you ever been homesick? I don't 00:21:07.779 --> 00:21:10.109 think there are any of us. that has not at some 00:21:10.109 --> 00:21:14.250 time faced that excruciating pain. Paul, though 00:21:14.250 --> 00:21:16.369 he had never seen them, is saying, I'm homesick 00:21:16.369 --> 00:21:20.309 to see you. He was desirous of seeing them, not 00:21:20.309 --> 00:21:22.990 so that he could get something from them, but 00:21:22.990 --> 00:21:25.869 so that he could give something to them. He says, 00:21:25.890 --> 00:21:29.710 I long that I may impart to you some spiritual 00:21:29.710 --> 00:21:34.109 gift to make you strong. You see, Paul was a 00:21:34.109 --> 00:21:38.380 people person. in the truest sense of that word. 00:21:40.140 --> 00:21:42.720 He was the kind of person that wanted to give 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:47.440 to others. He wanted to build up others. He wanted 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:52.299 to make them strong. The idea behind that word, 00:21:52.420 --> 00:21:56.900 strong, that verb, strong, is pictured well, 00:21:57.019 --> 00:22:02.359 I think, in the Old Testament, in the Greek translation 00:22:02.359 --> 00:22:06.460 of the Old Testament, in Exodus. 17, 12, where 00:22:06.460 --> 00:22:11.500 it talks about the two men, Joshua and Aaron, 00:22:11.579 --> 00:22:15.099 who stood beside Moses. And while the battle 00:22:15.099 --> 00:22:17.220 was taking place down there in the valley, they 00:22:17.220 --> 00:22:21.720 held up his hands. The same word is used there 00:22:21.720 --> 00:22:25.359 as is used here. Paul is saying, I want to come 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:28.940 to you that I may hold you up so you may not 00:22:28.940 --> 00:22:31.480 get worn out and weary. I want to strengthen 00:22:31.480 --> 00:22:35.569 you. Do you have that concern for other people? 00:22:37.690 --> 00:22:40.150 And yet Paul wanted them to know that this was 00:22:40.150 --> 00:22:45.069 not, they were not to understand this as though 00:22:45.069 --> 00:22:48.890 he was the great reservoir and they were nothing. 00:22:49.809 --> 00:22:53.390 He says, what I really mean is, verse 12, that 00:22:53.390 --> 00:22:57.630 you and I may be mutually encouraged by each 00:22:57.630 --> 00:22:59.769 other's faith. Paul says, I want to come to make 00:22:59.769 --> 00:23:03.539 you strong, but brothers, listen. My coming will 00:23:03.539 --> 00:23:06.200 make me stronger, too, because you will minister 00:23:06.200 --> 00:23:09.019 to me. You know, that's the way fellowship always 00:23:09.019 --> 00:23:13.380 is, true fellowship. Isn't it great when you 00:23:13.380 --> 00:23:16.420 have another person or a small group of people, 00:23:16.500 --> 00:23:20.160 perhaps your growth group within your small church, 00:23:20.359 --> 00:23:24.220 and you have that kind of intimate relationship 00:23:24.220 --> 00:23:28.160 with that person or those persons in which... 00:23:28.250 --> 00:23:31.069 There is a mutual strengthening that like iron 00:23:31.069 --> 00:23:35.230 sharpens iron. Isn't it great to have a friend 00:23:35.230 --> 00:23:38.890 who will tell you off occasionally? Tell you 00:23:38.890 --> 00:23:44.190 the truth, do it hurt? There's a verse in the 00:23:44.190 --> 00:23:47.910 Proverbs that says, faithful are the wounds of 00:23:47.910 --> 00:23:54.609 a friend. Sometimes a friend wounds, but they're 00:23:54.609 --> 00:23:58.470 faithful wounds. The cutting is done out of love. 00:23:59.190 --> 00:24:02.470 The hurt is done out of compassion so that there 00:24:02.470 --> 00:24:04.710 may be long -term healing and strengthening. 00:24:05.789 --> 00:24:10.410 The lancing of a boil hurts terrifically, but 00:24:10.410 --> 00:24:12.690 the result of that is that poison drains out 00:24:12.690 --> 00:24:15.549 of it and genuine, deep healing can take place. 00:24:15.970 --> 00:24:18.069 And every now and then, some of us get boils 00:24:18.069 --> 00:24:20.869 in our spiritual lives, and I thank God for those 00:24:20.869 --> 00:24:24.289 people who are true enough to us who will come 00:24:24.289 --> 00:24:28.049 along and lance those. and hurt us so that we 00:24:28.049 --> 00:24:30.509 can be drained of the poison and ultimately heal 00:24:30.509 --> 00:24:35.250 the problem. Do you have that kind of concern 00:24:35.250 --> 00:24:37.890 for another person? Are you willing to do that 00:24:37.890 --> 00:24:41.670 to somebody? Sometimes we are so concerned that 00:24:41.670 --> 00:24:44.269 we are accepted by others that we're unwilling 00:24:44.269 --> 00:24:48.069 to tell them the truth. You know what that is? 00:24:48.109 --> 00:24:52.750 That's selfishness. We excuse and call it love 00:24:52.750 --> 00:24:54.529 for them. We don't want to hurt them. It's not 00:24:54.529 --> 00:24:57.710 love for them. If they need to be told the truth, 00:24:57.950 --> 00:25:03.490 we need to tell them the truth in love. The apostle 00:25:03.490 --> 00:25:05.690 had an untiring concern for others' welfare. 00:25:07.029 --> 00:25:09.650 That's evidence of true commitment to Jesus Christ. 00:25:10.769 --> 00:25:12.869 And then there's a fifth possession that he had. 00:25:13.490 --> 00:25:17.609 Verse 13 reveals that. It is an unquenchable 00:25:17.609 --> 00:25:23.410 desire for spiritual fruit. The apostle says, 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:26.000 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers. I've 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:28.640 longed many times to come to you in order that 00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:32.660 I may have a harvest among you, just like I've 00:25:32.660 --> 00:25:36.839 had in other places. The Apostle Paul did not 00:25:36.839 --> 00:25:40.960 like going through motions. He wanted spiritual 00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:44.079 fruit from his life. And you know that somebody 00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:46.660 who serves with his whole heart like Paul did 00:25:46.660 --> 00:25:51.539 can only be satisfied with genuine fruit. Frankly, 00:25:51.660 --> 00:25:55.650 statistics... do not mean anything to him. Numbers 00:25:55.650 --> 00:25:59.789 are meaningless, except as they relate to people 00:25:59.789 --> 00:26:03.009 who are genuinely being helped. The apostle says, 00:26:03.049 --> 00:26:05.390 I want to come to you and have genuine, true 00:26:05.390 --> 00:26:08.710 spiritual fruit among you. In the New Testament, 00:26:08.869 --> 00:26:11.069 there are different kinds of spiritual fruit. 00:26:11.569 --> 00:26:14.069 For example, in Galatians chapter 5, there is 00:26:14.069 --> 00:26:16.710 the fruit of the Spirit. It talks there about 00:26:16.710 --> 00:26:19.990 attitude, love, joy, peace, long -suffering, 00:26:20.009 --> 00:26:24.660 and so on. In Hebrews chapter 13, it talks about 00:26:24.660 --> 00:26:28.420 the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name, 00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:30.160 and so that's a kind of fruit that's important. 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:33.740 In Philippians 4, 17, it talks about the fruit 00:26:33.740 --> 00:26:36.859 of some kind of positive action. In Philippians 00:26:36.859 --> 00:26:39.079 4, it was the taking of an offering for the ministry 00:26:39.079 --> 00:26:43.220 of Paul and the poor. And then there is in the 00:26:43.220 --> 00:26:46.200 New Testament the fruit of converts. That's the 00:26:46.200 --> 00:26:48.400 kind of fruit I think Jesus is talking about 00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:51.819 in John 15 when he says, Herein is my Father 00:26:51.819 --> 00:26:54.519 glorified, that you bear much fruit, and that 00:26:54.519 --> 00:26:57.960 your fruit remain. That's real, genuine fruit, 00:26:58.140 --> 00:27:02.160 not superficial things. And I think that's what 00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:04.940 Paul is talking about here. As Griffith Thomas 00:27:04.940 --> 00:27:08.079 said, ever the eager soul winner, the apostle 00:27:08.079 --> 00:27:11.420 constantly craved and looked out for fresh opportunities. 00:27:13.420 --> 00:27:18.420 Does that describe your commitment? Do you have 00:27:18.420 --> 00:27:23.460 an unquenchable desire for spiritual fruit? What 00:27:23.460 --> 00:27:27.319 a great way to begin a new week, to commit yourself 00:27:27.319 --> 00:27:30.259 to that. To say that as you go back on that job 00:27:30.259 --> 00:27:33.819 tomorrow, your desire there is not to get the 00:27:33.819 --> 00:27:36.099 paycheck next Friday, but your desire there beginning 00:27:36.099 --> 00:27:38.460 tomorrow is to have spiritual fruit in that office. 00:27:40.160 --> 00:27:42.779 Maybe to see another believer encouraged and 00:27:42.779 --> 00:27:44.559 brought out of the depression that he's in or 00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:48.579 she's in. Or to see that... A person who is unsaved 00:27:48.579 --> 00:27:53.720 and so ungodly he's detestable. Warmed and loved 00:27:53.720 --> 00:27:56.920 and eventually won the faith in Jesus Christ. 00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:01.700 That's spiritual fruit. Then the apostle had 00:28:01.700 --> 00:28:04.720 a sixth possession that indicates his genuine 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:09.440 commitment to Christ. Verse 14. I'm obligated 00:28:09.440 --> 00:28:12.619 both to the Greeks and non -Greeks, both to the 00:28:12.619 --> 00:28:17.960 wise and the foolish. He possessed an unrelenting 00:28:17.960 --> 00:28:22.119 sense of personal obligation. Now, I want you 00:28:22.119 --> 00:28:25.279 to notice something. He does not say, I am obligated 00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:30.019 to Jesus Christ. That thought could be found 00:28:30.019 --> 00:28:32.240 in other places in his writing. But look at what 00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:37.579 he says. I am obligated to people, to Greeks 00:28:37.579 --> 00:28:40.339 and non -Greeks, to wise and to foolish people. 00:28:41.460 --> 00:28:44.339 He is saying here, I am obligated. I am indebted 00:28:44.339 --> 00:28:49.420 to all men. Why is that? Because, dear friends, 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:53.240 the possession of the gospel, listen, the possession 00:28:53.240 --> 00:29:00.880 of the gospel makes all men my creditors. Because 00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:03.579 you and I possess the saving message of Jesus 00:29:03.579 --> 00:29:06.099 Christ, we are indebted to all men to give them 00:29:06.099 --> 00:29:08.619 that message. In the same way that a person who 00:29:08.619 --> 00:29:10.940 might find the cure for cancer would be indebted 00:29:10.940 --> 00:29:13.920 to get that cure to all men as quickly as possible. 00:29:14.599 --> 00:29:22.500 We are indebted. Regardless of race or social 00:29:22.500 --> 00:29:27.319 standing or intellectual accomplishment, Paul 00:29:27.319 --> 00:29:31.980 says, I am indebted to all men. Not just my social 00:29:31.980 --> 00:29:35.440 class, not just the people who are of my race, 00:29:35.640 --> 00:29:39.579 not just the people who speak my language, but 00:29:39.579 --> 00:29:45.670 all people. Do you feel that way about it? I 00:29:45.670 --> 00:29:49.789 hope you do. Do you sense that personal obligation 00:29:49.789 --> 00:29:54.509 to get the gospel message to others? At the root 00:29:54.509 --> 00:30:01.170 of all commitment is a heart of obligation. And 00:30:01.170 --> 00:30:04.849 then the final possession that we'll look at 00:30:04.849 --> 00:30:08.650 this morning is found in verse 15, where the 00:30:08.650 --> 00:30:12.250 apostle says, that is why, because of this obligation, 00:30:12.529 --> 00:30:15.990 that's why I am so eager. to preach the gospel 00:30:15.990 --> 00:30:20.329 also to you who are at Rome. He was ready. He 00:30:20.329 --> 00:30:23.089 was eager as much as was in him to get to Rome. 00:30:24.269 --> 00:30:27.009 The hindrance of his coming there had not been 00:30:27.009 --> 00:30:29.609 in him. In fact, he's already told them many 00:30:29.609 --> 00:30:32.490 times, I have laid plans to come to you. But 00:30:32.490 --> 00:30:35.569 I've been hindered in doing that. What he was 00:30:35.569 --> 00:30:38.150 hindered by, he does not say. It may have been 00:30:38.150 --> 00:30:42.390 the pressure of other needs. It may have been 00:30:42.390 --> 00:30:44.730 Satan hindering him. It may have been the Holy 00:30:44.730 --> 00:30:48.250 Spirit just saying, Paul, not yet. He says, to 00:30:48.250 --> 00:30:50.490 this point I've been hindered. You know, I would 00:30:50.490 --> 00:30:53.049 imagine the Romans were wondering why Paul hadn't 00:30:53.049 --> 00:30:55.589 been there. Can you put yourself in their place 00:30:55.589 --> 00:31:00.069 for a moment? There had been a nucleus of believers 00:31:00.069 --> 00:31:06.049 in Rome now for 20 -some years. And they had 00:31:06.049 --> 00:31:09.259 heard of this guy called the Apostle Paul. who 00:31:09.259 --> 00:31:11.299 was preaching the gospel to Gentiles throughout 00:31:11.299 --> 00:31:12.900 the Roman Empire, but he had never showed his 00:31:12.900 --> 00:31:16.980 face yet in Rome. I can almost see them waving 00:31:16.980 --> 00:31:19.740 flags from over there in Rome saying, Paul, we're 00:31:19.740 --> 00:31:24.160 over here. Why don't you come and see us? Paul 00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:27.339 is saying, folks, I'm eager to come. I have planned 00:31:27.339 --> 00:31:30.380 to come. As much as in me, I am ready to come 00:31:30.380 --> 00:31:36.039 right now by God's will. Are you that eager to 00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:40.240 get the message out? You know, Paul knew what 00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:42.619 price might be required of him to go to Rome. 00:31:43.799 --> 00:31:47.940 He recognized it could cost him his life if he 00:31:47.940 --> 00:31:50.700 went to the city, and yet he was willing to pay 00:31:50.700 --> 00:31:52.759 the price. You know what his attitude was when 00:31:52.759 --> 00:32:00.980 his life was threatened? So what? So what? Is 00:32:00.980 --> 00:32:02.759 that your attitude about life? Are you eager 00:32:02.759 --> 00:32:04.500 to do whatever God wants you to do, whatever 00:32:04.500 --> 00:32:08.579 the price, even your own life? What do you do 00:32:08.579 --> 00:32:15.480 with a person who's not afraid of death? That's 00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:18.359 why, to put this in another realm, terrorists 00:32:18.359 --> 00:32:22.640 are such a threat to civilization. Because they 00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:26.599 are not afraid to die for their cause. If they 00:32:26.599 --> 00:32:30.099 are killed, so what? It's their cause they're 00:32:30.099 --> 00:32:35.500 advancing. We radically disagree with their cause. 00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:39.720 But we have to admire that kind of commitment. 00:32:40.099 --> 00:32:42.079 You see, it's that kind of commitment that's 00:32:42.079 --> 00:32:44.220 going to get the attention of our world for Jesus 00:32:44.220 --> 00:32:49.900 Christ. The Apostle had an unhesitating enthusiasm 00:32:49.900 --> 00:32:54.500 in representing Christ. That's what we need today. 00:32:55.579 --> 00:32:58.200 Let me read to you some words written by a man 00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:02.380 named Jonathan Edwards, a man that God used to 00:33:02.380 --> 00:33:07.089 shake this continent. A couple of hundred years 00:33:07.089 --> 00:33:12.950 ago. These are the words of his consecration. 00:33:13.029 --> 00:33:20.289 Listen to them. I claim no right to myself. No 00:33:20.289 --> 00:33:23.769 right to this understanding, this will, these 00:33:23.769 --> 00:33:27.470 affections that are in me. Neither do I have 00:33:27.470 --> 00:33:31.289 any right to this body or its members. No right 00:33:31.289 --> 00:33:34.970 to this tongue, to these hands, feet, ears, or 00:33:34.970 --> 00:33:40.150 eyes. I have given myself clear away and not 00:33:40.150 --> 00:33:43.210 retained anything of my own. I have been to God 00:33:43.210 --> 00:33:45.769 this morning and told him that I have given myself 00:33:45.769 --> 00:33:49.190 wholly to him. I have given every power so that 00:33:49.190 --> 00:33:52.210 for the future I claim no right to myself in 00:33:52.210 --> 00:33:57.890 any respect. And fourth, I am not to act in any 00:33:57.890 --> 00:34:01.809 respect as my own. I shall act as my own if I 00:34:01.809 --> 00:34:04.490 ever make use of any of my powers to do anything 00:34:04.490 --> 00:34:07.450 that is not to the glory of God, or to fail to 00:34:07.450 --> 00:34:09.889 make the glorifying of him my whole and entire 00:34:09.889 --> 00:34:14.469 business. If I murmur in the least at affliction, 00:34:14.650 --> 00:34:19.889 if I am in any way uncharitable, if I revenge 00:34:19.889 --> 00:34:23.909 my own case, if I do anything purely to please 00:34:23.909 --> 00:34:26.929 myself or omit anything because it is a great 00:34:26.929 --> 00:34:33.400 denial, To myself, if I take any praise for any 00:34:33.400 --> 00:34:37.340 good which Christ does by me, or if I am in any 00:34:37.340 --> 00:34:40.699 way proud, I shall act as my own and not God's. 00:34:41.699 --> 00:34:52.300 I purpose to be absolutely his. Words like that, 00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:58.239 we can't wonder why he shook the continent. I'll 00:34:58.239 --> 00:35:03.800 tell you something. We need today a spiritual 00:35:03.800 --> 00:35:06.320 revival of commitment to Jesus Christ like we've 00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:10.460 never seen before. We need it on the high school 00:35:10.460 --> 00:35:12.880 campuses. We need it on the college campuses. 00:35:13.940 --> 00:35:16.199 We need it out there in the factories, in the 00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:21.219 offices, in our neighborhoods. A loving and absolute 00:35:21.219 --> 00:35:25.940 commitment to Jesus Christ. Is that where your 00:35:25.940 --> 00:35:30.769 heart is today? Maybe you're like me. You look 00:35:30.769 --> 00:35:33.730 at your life and say, that's what I want, but 00:35:33.730 --> 00:35:39.349 I see a lot of holes. Today would be a good time 00:35:39.349 --> 00:35:41.909 to get honest with God and confess where the 00:35:41.909 --> 00:35:45.530 holes are and to, by faith, make the commitment 00:35:45.530 --> 00:35:58.150 that we ought to make. Let's pray together. Father, 00:35:58.780 --> 00:36:04.380 this morning as much as any time. Some of us 00:36:04.380 --> 00:36:06.300 who see that the heart of commitment is really 00:36:06.300 --> 00:36:11.400 the commitment of the heart. As we view our lives, 00:36:11.460 --> 00:36:15.800 there are a lot of spots where we must confess 00:36:15.800 --> 00:36:20.219 the sin of a lack of commitment. We're not really 00:36:20.219 --> 00:36:23.500 concerned. We don't really care. We're like a 00:36:23.500 --> 00:36:25.559 leaf going with the stream instead of like a 00:36:25.559 --> 00:36:32.789 rock that makes a difference. I know that there 00:36:32.789 --> 00:36:34.869 are many today who would share with me a prayer 00:36:34.869 --> 00:36:40.489 of commitment. We would say to you, Lord, forgive 00:36:40.489 --> 00:36:48.690 us for we have failed. Today, by faith, we give 00:36:48.690 --> 00:36:55.170 you our whole self. We claim no right to our 00:36:55.170 --> 00:37:01.760 wills, our bodies, our plans. and put them on 00:37:01.760 --> 00:37:12.179 the altar. Consume us, O God. Our prayer would 00:37:12.179 --> 00:37:17.519 be that that Jim Elliot prayed, Lord. Make us 00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:24.059 thy fuel, O flame of God, and let us burn for 00:37:24.059 --> 00:37:30.760 thee. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.