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Title: Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome
I. Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world
One of the first things that we learn from Paul is that the witness of the Church in Rome has stretched all the way to Judea. Historically, we don’t know who or how the church in Rome was established, but it does pave the way for the idea that Paul wasn’t the only way the early churches sprung up all over the Mediterranean.
Point: We have a great record of Paul’s ministry work, but it wasn’t the only way God was spreading his Gospel.
Many Jews would travel to Jerusalem for various festivals and occasions throughout the year, and perhaps some of these Jews heard the Good News and returned to their home towns and helped to start churches.
V8 (read) side note: Notice the possessive language Paul is using: “My God, Your faith, etc,”
No wonder Martin Luther said, ‘Christianity is uniquely the religion of the possessive pronoun.’
One of the criticisms I hear most often about Christians is that they “speak of God as if they know him personally.” Well, yeah. And that is unique to our religion.
I don’t get the impression that Paul was easily impressed. The fact that this church in Rome was “known throughout the whole world” leads me to believe they were a church that was changing things, stirring the pot, making a name, not for themselves, but for Christ, in their respective community. We’d do well here at Heritage to consider it our mission to be known by our stripes. It’s happened to me a few times, I’ve been on campus and someone will say, “Your from that Church on Center St.”
“Well, yes, how did you know?”
“Students and AU are talking about the work you guys are doing.”
We all know there are huge, sleeping congregations all over Ashland, let’s be that little fiery one instead.
II. Without Ceasing
We are given a rare glimpse here into Paul’s personal conduct in his prayer life. We see three things:
1. He prays for the people he doesn’t even know (Do you and I?)
2. He prays without ceasing (until his prayers are answered…in this case, to come to Rome to see them.)
3. He makes mention of them always. (Essentially, every time he prays, he prays for this Church.)
As I mentioned last week, a few years ago we studied Dr. Gregory Frizell’s “How to Develop a Powerful Prayer Life” during our Wednesday night studies. This lesson from Paul is just as challenging to model after. How do we usually pray:
1. For things we know only.
2. Until we get tired of praying for it.
3. When we remember to do so.
You know why we don’t pray more like Paul?
1. It takes time
2. It takes patience
3. It takes discipline
but most of all:
4. It takes faith.
It takes faith to pray when we don’t know the situation, or know what tangible result we’re praying for. It takes faith to pray for a people when you have no way of getting a “prayer list update at 20 after every Sunday morning.”
Yet despite all this, I’m inclined to believe that the more we must “put ourselves out there” the more we are forced to live, and pray, by faith, the closer to God we grow.
Consider James 1:3 “Knowing that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
Simply put: The personal discipline of learning to wait on God is a doorway to which we can more readily experience his Sovereign Plan. (Repeat)
III. A way in the will of God
v10 (read) This may be the most comforting thing that Paul has ever written, apart from Romans 8:38-39, which assures our salvation.
I can’t tell you how moved I am to read that Paul did have his own desires, and he petitioned God that He might hear Paul’s pleas. But the utter humility that Paul shows in making his request is a model to us all.
Paul knows what he desires, but he will only pursue it if he can find a way in the will of God. How beautiful.
And the real beauty, and I would argue, the secret to understanding Paul’s logic can be found in the words “now at last.”
For Paul, the question had become, “Now Lord? Now is it time? May I now Go to Rome?”
When you couple this plea with what can be clearly seen at the end of the book of Acts concerning Paul’s two years of imprisonment, and his countless trials, and his shipwreck, you start to see how Paul could have such a patience.
When the Lord appears to Paul in prison and says, “Paul, you will be my witness in Rome” Paul knows the deal is sealed. It will happen, the question now becomes “When?”
For many of us, we are praying and requesting the right things, we just need to wait for the right time. It may be God’s will for our lives, just not yet.
Close:
v11-12 (read)
Paul’s reasons for wanting to visit are simple, he wants to be encouraged and to encourage this body of believers. I understand Paul. There are many weeks when I can’t wait until Sunday morning because I need to be encouraged by this body. There are weeks when I wonder what I toil for so long, and then I see all of you Bibles open, minds poised, looking expectantly at me for a Word from God. And I don’t wonder any longer.