1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,160 What a joy to be with you this morning. 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:08,720 Heritage Church. When Hudson mentioned being 3 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:15,800 here, we were very, very just looking forward to the 4 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,520 opportunity. But then when I started thinking 5 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,600 about the topic, this was just a special time. 6 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:27,800 We're going to be in Romans chapter 15 in just a moment. 7 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:33,360 We'll read verses 20 and 21, but it'll be a while before we get 8 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,200 there. We'll make our way there walking 9 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:41,720 through the chapter. But it was a very, very just fun 10 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:46,200 time for me to think about Romans chapter 15 because it 11 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:52,080 goes back guys here on the 2nd row when Kay and I were students 12 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:56,360 at Oklahoma Baptist University. And so when we were students at 13 00:00:56,360 --> 00:01:02,520 OBU, I was in a group that, in that that asked us to pick a 14 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:08,440 life's verse. And so as I did that, I, I 15 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:10,960 picked 1. And it's a good verse. 16 00:01:10,960 --> 00:01:13,200 It's in the Bible. There's nothing wrong with it. 17 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,240 As a matter of fact, I'm going to be preaching on it next 18 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,400 Sunday morning in Texas. So it's kind of like these two 19 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,040 things have come together. Because you can tell by the way 20 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,000 I said that I didn't stay with that life verse. 21 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:32,320 It wasn't much of A life verse because in my opinion, it wasn't 22 00:01:32,320 --> 00:01:34,680 the Holy Spirit. He led me to it, but it was my 23 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,640 best intentions. So it was a little while after 24 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,520 that still students at Oklahoma Baptist University, a new 25 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,840 translation of the Bible had come out called the New 26 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,280 International Version. I know now it's the old in 27 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:50,280 anyway anyway it's been around for decades. 28 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:52,840 But anyway, back then it really was new. 29 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:54,960 OK, the name was appropriate for a while. 30 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,600 So anyway, the New International Version in Second Corinthians 31 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:05,080 chapter 5 verse 9, Paul says we make it our goal to be pleasing 32 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,440 to him, whether at home in the body or away from it. 33 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,120 And I thought, oh, if Paul made that his goal, why shouldn't I 34 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,160 make that my goal? And so I switched verses. 35 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:17,960 By the way, I've stayed with these, so it's good, OK? 36 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:22,720 But we make it our goal to be pleasing to him. 37 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:28,440 And that was the desire that I focused on then the Holy Spirit 38 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,800 guided me to to see that actually that word make it my 39 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,560 goal. Paul uses three times. 40 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:42,320 The 1st in order of his writings was First Thessalonians 4 where 41 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:45,640 he says make it your goal. It's a in a command form. 42 00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:48,760 Make it your goal to work with your own hands and mind your own 43 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,960 business as I commanded you, as I instructed you. 44 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:58,200 And then the the next in order would have been my second 45 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:02,160 Corinthians passage. And then the last time Paul uses 46 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,600 that word is in Romans chapter 15. 47 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,920 So this verse has been on my radar because actually I have a 48 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:16,400 life verb now. I want to work with my own hands 49 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,080 and mind my business. I want to be pleasing to him, 50 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,160 and then I want to be the one who gets to share the gospel 51 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,320 where he's not known. Romans chapter 15. 52 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:36,600 So we're going back 40 years. For Kay and me, it was 40 years 53 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:41,760 ago this fall that we were named as Foreign Mission Board 54 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:48,840 missionaries, and then further back than that when, when I was 55 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,560 a student. So would you stand with me as we 56 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:52,760 read? We're going to start with our 57 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:59,480 text, which will be verses 15, I mean verses 19 through 21. 58 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:03,000 But we'll, we'll make our way there slowly. 59 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:12,560 Paul says by power of signs and wonders, I liked faith and all 60 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:16,120 the rest of the praise band. I liked how we were singing 61 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,000 about the wonders that Jesus provides. 62 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:24,360 Paul says I fulfill the ministry of the gospel of Christ. 63 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:27,600 We're going to come back to that word fulfilled. 64 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:33,680 It's a big deal for Paul. Thus I make it my ambition. 65 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,760 There's the word. Have it as your gold. 66 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:44,440 Make it your aim, make it your ambition to preach the gospel. 67 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:50,160 Not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on 68 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,280 someone else's foundation, but as it is written. 69 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:58,360 Those who have never been told of him. 70 00:04:59,280 --> 00:05:05,280 We'll see. Those who have never heard will 71 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:08,160 understand. Let's bow together for prayer, 72 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:09,560 and then we'll look at the passage. 73 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:17,840 Father, we humble ourselves before you, Holy Spirit, who 74 00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:22,040 guided Paul to write these words. 75 00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:28,680 I'm asking that you would give ears to hear in this room what 76 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:30,800 the Spirit's saying through the Word. 77 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,480 We're asking, Father, that everyone who wants to hear from 78 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:43,000 God this morning would I ask it in Jesus name, Amen. 79 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,240 You may be seated. Well, if you want to turn one 80 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:52,760 book back to the left, let's get the setting for Romans. 81 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:57,440 It's right at the beginning of Acts chapter 20. 82 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:02,480 So in Acts chapter 20, the uproar ceased in Ephesus. 83 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,560 Remember, Paul stayed there a long time, but he still got run 84 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,800 out of town. Paul sent for the disciples, 85 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:14,680 encouraged him, said farewell, departed for Macedonia. 86 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:19,840 So we know from looking at 2nd Corinthians carefully that Paul 87 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:25,960 writes, writes Second Corinthians from Macedonia and, 88 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:30,800 and we don't know for sure, but but while he's in Macedonia, up 89 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:37,520 there at the top of Greece, he's actually close to Illyricum. 90 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:42,840 And so either he would say he's in the in the province next to 91 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:46,280 Illyricum or else he may have taken a little day trip. 92 00:06:46,280 --> 00:06:50,120 Well be more than that, but he could have taken a few days and 93 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:55,600 traveled across the good Roman roads over into a lyricum which 94 00:06:55,600 --> 00:07:00,600 will be in our text. And so we find here that he he 95 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:05,840 lightly in verse one has just written Second Corinthians. 96 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:11,160 Remember in the Corinthians he started talking about the 97 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:17,840 regions beyond, that the Holy Spirit was gripping his heart. 98 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:22,360 He had been faithful from Jerusalem around to Illyricum, 99 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:28,560 but for some time now he's been talking about regions beyond. 100 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,440 It's gripped, it's gripped missionaries hearts for 101 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:39,800 centuries. The regions beyond verse verse 2 102 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,560 and of Acts chapter 20. We're getting to our setting 103 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:44,240 there. He spent three months. 104 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,360 He came to Greece at the end of verse one. 105 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,920 I'm sorry, verse 2 when he had gone through these regions and 106 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:55,280 given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. 107 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:58,680 Ah, that's where he is when he writes Romans. 108 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:03,960 So probably the writing of Romans is right here at Acts 109 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:11,000 chapter 20, verse two and three. There he spent three months when 110 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,200 a plot was made against him by the Jews. 111 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:17,120 As he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return 112 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:21,680 through Macedonia. So we have the setting for the 113 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,160 book of Romans. Now let's narrow in a little bit 114 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,800 more. Remember the book of Romans, he 115 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:32,400 start, he, he starts off talking about how salvation by works 116 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,320 doesn't work. And, and so, so we have 117 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:40,720 everyone's under sin and, and that that the purpose of the law 118 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,400 was not to give righteousness, but it was to show people they 119 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:48,040 needed a sacrifice all through the Old Testament. 120 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,280 They needed someone who would pay the price for their sins. 121 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,680 The price was death and a substitute could pay it. 122 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:57,120 So remember he's picking up on that Old Testament theme of 123 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:01,920 justification by faith. So he talks about salvation. 124 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,520 Then he talks about what does this mean if salvation is coming 125 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:09,040 through Jesus Christ, what does that mean for Israel? 126 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,480 And he talks about that. And then he talks some about 127 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:17,960 about how we live in chapter 15. We're near the end in, in Moose 128 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:21,240 commentary, he, he comments on how this is where some people 129 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:25,000 start checking out. And I just think, no, no, don't 130 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,400 do that. This is getting to the the 131 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:33,040 really applicable part in so many ways for for throughout 132 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:38,840 church history, many who have felt Paul's same focus on the 133 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:41,920 nations. So we we get to chapter 15 now. 134 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,480 Now I mentioned the nations because the chapter 15 mentions 135 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:50,080 the nations more than any other chapter in the Bible. 136 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:57,960 Romans uses the word ethnos ethne 23 times. 137 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:02,880 Acts has used it 44 times. So he's not in first place, but 138 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:07,680 it's the second most. Romans uses the word we, we, we 139 00:10:07,680 --> 00:10:12,440 translate it Gentiles, we translate it nations. 140 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:15,800 We, we translated a number of different ways, but it's just 141 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,840 ETHN. So kind of like ethnicities or 142 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,640 something like that might be one way to think about it. 143 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:27,120 So so this chapter talks about the nation's more than any other 144 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:33,240 chapter in the New Testament. And so actually the the ESV does 145 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:39,280 a good job of catching that notice above verse 8 that the 146 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:42,720 heading that they put in there for that paragraph is Christ, 147 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:47,720 the hope of and they put in of Jews, which is barely mentioned 148 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:50,600 at the beginning of the paragraph, but it's Christ, the 149 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:54,640 hope of Jews and Gentiles, Gentiles, that's their our word, 150 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:59,800 the the word for the nations. And then dropping down to verse 151 00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:02,920 14, Paul, the minister to the Gentiles. 152 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:08,200 So he's, he switched his focus. Now he's going to get personal 153 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,720 and say, I'm going to a new place and I want you to help me. 154 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:17,560 But he's introducing the theme of the nations as part of why 155 00:11:17,560 --> 00:11:21,720 Christ ministered. And, and so that's where we are 156 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:26,840 in the book of Romans. Now let's, let's, let's do one 157 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,240 more thing to get the setting. Let's go back to Romans chapter 158 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:33,080 1. You see the nations is not 159 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:38,360 something new in Romans. I said that this book uses its 160 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:41,520 second most of all the New Testament, but but it's from the 161 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,320 very beginning. Gary Smith and his commentary 162 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:49,720 comments on in Acts chapter 15. He's returning to his original 163 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:54,960 theme for the whole book. Listen to Romans chapter one, 164 00:11:55,240 --> 00:12:01,360 verse 5, through whom we have received grace and apostleship 165 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:06,040 to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name 166 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:10,080 among all the nations. That's our word. 167 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:15,640 And so from the beginning in the introduction, Paul has said, I'm 168 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:22,880 writing to you and I'm going to be Christ has the the the seed 169 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:26,080 of David, the the one who's the Son of God. 170 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:32,960 Christ has made me a part of a ministry that's focused on 171 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:37,160 getting the gospel to the nations. 172 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:45,600 And so we have this central idea, a focus on the nations. 173 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:48,800 That shouldn't have surprised us, should it? 174 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:55,960 A focus on the nations. Let's maybe I'm turning too 175 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:59,440 much, but if you want to go back about 3 or 4 pages from Romans 176 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:04,640 one, let's look at Acts chapter 26 and and catch Paul's 177 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:07,200 description of the day he was saved. 178 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:15,520 I love it how in Acts 9 we have Paul's conversion, but then in 179 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:20,320 22 we have him telling his testimony to a group of Jews in 180 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:23,720 Jerusalem. But then in chapter 26 we have 181 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:29,400 him repeating his testimony when he's not talking to Jews. 182 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:36,680 So look at Acts chapter 26. Let's start, say in verse 16, 183 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,240 rise, stand on your feet. I've appeared to you for this 184 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:44,640 purpose to appoint you as a servant and witness to the 185 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:47,960 things which you've seen and those in which I will appear to 186 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:51,280 you, delivering you from your people and for the from the 187 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:56,840 Gentiles to whom I am sending you. 188 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:05,280 So from the time that Paul, blinded by the light, was told 189 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:12,800 to stand on his feet, from that moment he was told, here's your 190 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:19,440 assignment, Paul, I'm sending you to the nations. 191 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:32,120 Well, actually, Genesis 11 could have told us the focus was 192 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:38,160 bigger than Shawnee Pottawattamie County. 193 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:41,400 Kay's from Oklahoma City. I'm from Claremore. 194 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,640 No, he's not the creator of the United States. 195 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,000 He's not the creator of the West. 196 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:56,640 In the beginning he created the heavens and the earth or in or 197 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:01,360 in Genesis chapter 12, when he when he begins to call the first 198 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:07,040 of the patriarchs, Abraham, and he tells Abraham, he gives a 199 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:09,720 promise to Abraham alluded in our text. 200 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:14,240 The promise given to Abraham was that through your seed who's 201 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:20,080 going to be blessed? All the families of the earth 202 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:26,080 and the the word nations is used when that passage is quoted in 203 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:32,200 Galatians chapter 3. So when Paul quotes the call of 204 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:37,560 Abraham, he uses this focus on the nations because from Genesis 205 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:42,560 one, our God is not a small God. He's the creator of heaven and 206 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:46,720 earth. From Genesis chapter 12, His 207 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:51,920 desire is to bless his children so that the ends of the earth 208 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:57,320 might be blessed. What an amazing Psalm to choose 209 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:03,040 for this morning's worship time. Psalm 67 I'm going to bless my 210 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:06,640 people so that there's a purpose there. 211 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,760 And the purpose for his people being blessed is so that the 212 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:18,360 ends of the earth can know of the salvation that he provides. 213 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:23,080 So we we shouldn't be surprised that there's a focus on the ends 214 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:26,160 of the earth. Matthew chapter 28. 215 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:30,120 What's the crescendo of the first Gospel in our New 216 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,880 Testament? The the crescendo Abraham was 217 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:38,240 mentioned in chapter 1 and David was mentioned in chapter 2 and 218 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,520 in chapter 1. And then as Matthew comes to the 219 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:47,360 conclusion, he says all the nations reflecting Abraham and 220 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:52,040 he talks about the authority reflecting David and he gives 221 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:55,320 the Great Commission that actually textually, there's no 222 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,040 reason we can't say it's not for every single Christian. 223 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:01,480 Amen. And every single Christian is 224 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:08,800 told make disciples. Perhaps command, go. 225 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:13,960 Perhaps as you're going, the text can go either way, but 226 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:15,839 here's the command of the Commission. 227 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:26,599 Make disciples where? Of all nations, among all the 228 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:31,040 nations, what's turn with me to Luke chapter 24, if you will? 229 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:36,080 We're looking at how we should not be surprised that Romans 230 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:40,240 chapter 15 is highlighting the nations. 231 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:45,440 Genesis started with it. The psalmist is clear about it, 232 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,960 but there's a there's a crescendo that the Matthew's 233 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:52,600 gospel is pointing to one thing and that is the crescendo. 234 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:56,800 The focal point of the gospel is make disciples of all nations. 235 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:00,880 In Luke chapter 24 we find how Luke brings his gospel to a 236 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:05,600 crescendo and that is with the risen Lord among the disciples 237 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:12,040 on resurrection night. And then we have this crazy 238 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:17,280 amazing thing that takes place. Look at Luke chapter 24, verse 239 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:19,960 46. Then he said to them, These are 240 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,720 the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, and 241 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,280 everything written about me in the law of Moses and the 242 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:28,360 prophets, the Psalms must be fulfilled. 243 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:34,480 Listen to verse 45. Then He, who is he? 244 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:42,320 The risen Lord, then He open their minds to understand the 245 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:46,360 scriptures. Ding Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding. 246 00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:52,360 This is the time to wake up. The risen Lord is about to help 247 00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:57,360 them understand the Bible. OK, this is sweet. 248 00:18:57,360 --> 00:19:03,440 OK, anybody here want to have God, Jesus Christ to give you a 249 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,640 short insight to understand your Bible? 250 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:12,920 Whoa now, catch what he says He said to them. 251 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:17,640 Thus it is written, and we're told He's about to help them 252 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:22,560 understand the Scriptures. The Christ should suffer and on 253 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:24,320 the third day rise from the dead. 254 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,880 Repentance and forgiveness of sin should be proclaimed in His 255 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:33,640 name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 256 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:38,600 The risen Lord says. Here are the two parts. 257 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,640 Here are the 2 main points of the Bible. 258 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:45,760 The Old Testament Messiah is going to come and pay for sins. 259 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:54,880 If you don't think that's worthy of being the first major point 260 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:59,440 of scripture, stop and think where you would be for eternity 261 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:04,200 without your Savior. Now this is a big deal. 262 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:11,400 Messiah is going to come because man is in sin and has no hope of 263 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:16,000 salvation. And God is going to send the 264 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,560 second person of the Trinity, God the Son, who's going to take 265 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:23,880 on human flesh so that he can be the one who is the sacrifice, 266 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:29,800 the substitute. But catch the second part of 267 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:32,840 what Jesus said the scriptures are about. 268 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,800 The scriptures are about Messiah is going to come and that 269 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:43,040 mission is supposed to follow. That is that repentance for his 270 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:47,760 name in his name would be proclaimed to all the nations. 271 00:20:49,600 --> 00:21:00,200 And so we find the focal point of Jesus explanation of all of 272 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:08,160 scripture includes the nations. John has a different focal 273 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:10,640 point, of course. Mark, we're not real sure what 274 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:18,040 the ending first was, but but if Mark 1615 is correct, it ends 275 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:21,920 with a command to preach to every creature, which then 276 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:27,800 clarifies there's no confusion if if it's close to anything 277 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:30,480 human, preach to it. Preach to every creature. 278 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:36,000 Mark's ending John is going to focus on my Lord and my God is 279 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,960 going to be the the climactic statement at the end of his 280 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:40,320 gospel. So he's going somewhere 281 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:46,920 different. So he sneaks in the quote John 282 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:55,320 316. I'm kind of slow. 283 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,200 I hope you guys caught this. Maybe by the time you're in 284 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:03,480 college, I was maybe 8 or 9, maybe 10 years. 285 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:05,840 No, no, it was less than that seven or eight years after 286 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:11,840 college before I caught this. Who does God love? 287 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:21,040 God loves the world. It finally occurred to me if if 288 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:27,720 I don't love the world, I don't love like God does, if I love 289 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:32,160 anything less than the world, I've not yet been conformed into 290 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,160 his image in that area of my life. 291 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:42,000 If I have his heart, then I'll love the world like he does. 292 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:45,600 So so the first thing we've done in Romans chapter 15 is we've 293 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:50,720 seen this focus on the nation's shouldn't surprise us, but now 294 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:55,960 let's drop down. Well, actually we will stay 295 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:59,960 earlier. Let's walk through verse 8. 296 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:02,760 So what is God's plan for the nation's? 297 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:07,400 So this focus on the nation's, what's God's plan for the 298 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,120 nation's? Well, actually Romans 15 gives 299 00:23:10,120 --> 00:23:15,640 us this amazing outline. Look at look at verse. 300 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:22,080 Look at verse 9 where he quotes from second Samuel 22. 301 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:28,840 Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to 302 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:32,200 your name. Then he quotes from Deuteronomy 303 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,360 32 and he says, rejoice, O Gentiles. 304 00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:41,320 Remember all these are nations, ethne rejoice, O Gentiles with 305 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,560 his people. By the way, I love the 306 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:46,720 progression that's in these verses. 307 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:52,520 So in in in verse nine, the first quote, who is praising 308 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:54,720 God? Not the nations. 309 00:23:55,520 --> 00:24:00,560 In verse 9, who is praising God? The servant of God who's gone to 310 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,920 the nations. So the servant of God is in the 311 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:07,480 middle of the nations and he's praising God in the middle of 312 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:12,360 the nations. And now in verse 10, the nations 313 00:24:12,360 --> 00:24:15,120 are starting to join in. Notice who does the praising 314 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:19,240 rejoice? Oh, Gentiles with his people. 315 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:23,520 Now the Gentiles are joining in. Now look at verse 11 where he 316 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:29,000 quotes from Psalm 117. Praise the Lord, all you 317 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,040 Gentiles. Where's the servant in verse? 318 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:38,000 In verse 11, not even mentioned. Now the Gentiles are praising 319 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:41,920 God. As a matter of fact, it's pantha 320 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,840 ethne. It's it's all the nations. 321 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:46,760 The exact same quote from Matthew. 322 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:52,560 And actually it's a command here in the Greek. 323 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:56,600 In other words, in other words, whether or not Psalms 117 was a 324 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:59,680 command, the book of Romans has it as a command. 325 00:25:00,120 --> 00:25:08,200 And the command is praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, all the 326 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:11,200 nations, let all the peoples praise him. 327 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:15,440 And then verse 12 quotes from Isaiah 11. 328 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:19,680 The root of Jesse will come even who rises to rule the Gentiles. 329 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:25,200 In him will all the Gentiles hope. 330 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:34,280 Oh, do you see what happens when one of God's servants goes to 331 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:39,080 the nations and lives out the Christ's life, praising Him in 332 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:44,400 their presence, and the first fruits begin to come in and they 333 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:49,840 start to praise with the servant, and then they are 334 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:53,320 praising Him. Guess who? 335 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:58,440 Those who know the king and the king is ruling over them, guess 336 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:03,400 what they have? They have hope. 337 00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:08,800 Remember Ephesians chapter 2? Where, where, where, where? 338 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,960 He says you used to be far off. You you, you weren't part of 339 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:16,680 God's people and you didn't have the promises. 340 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:27,120 And then he says you were without hope and without God. 341 00:26:32,630 --> 00:26:38,030 Do you remember what it's like to be without hope? 342 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:45,880 Do you remember where you knew? Deep inside, my family means 343 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:49,000 well and my friends mean well. But I'm alone in this world 344 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:55,000 because you were. And you thought. 345 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,800 I don't know exactly what's going to happen after death, but 346 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:02,000 I don't think it's going to be good because it wasn't. 347 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,840 And do you remember someone explained the cross and that 348 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:12,000 Jesus paid for your sins, and that not only does salvation 349 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:16,320 mean that you have eternal life in heaven, but it means that you 350 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:21,360 have life with God now and love and joy and peace? 351 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:26,000 Or what God wants to fill up your life and spill out as the 352 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,800 fruit of the Spirit. You see, the hope that we have 353 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,760 in Christ is hope for today, and it's hope for yet forever. 354 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:38,760 But people who don't know about Jesus do not have hope. 355 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,360 So Paul has described what he desires. 356 00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:46,440 God's plan for the nations is that they would hear about Him 357 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,400 and that they would come to know Him and that they could have 358 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:55,320 hope. I don't know about you, but 359 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:58,040 somehow it just seems really wrong to me that people would 360 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:01,720 hear about Jesus for the first time when they hear Him say 361 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:07,960 depart from me. Do you know that there are 362 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:11,400 approximately 2 billion people on planet earth right now who do 363 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:13,360 not know someone who knows Jesus? 364 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,680 Not only have they not heard the gospel, but if they ask all of 365 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:20,280 their close friends, not one of them knows Jesus. 366 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:25,720 It's interesting to me that it was 18 O 4 when the world first 367 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:30,440 got to 1 billion people. It was 1927 when the world got 368 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,480 to to it's second billion people. 369 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:39,440 Now we're over 8 billion people. But 2 billion of them don't know 370 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:43,000 the plan of salvation. They probably have barely heard 371 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:46,640 about Jesus and it was as a false teaching about a prophet. 372 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:53,960 They don't know someone who could tell them how to be saved. 373 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:57,360 And now we get to a concluding part. 374 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:01,760 We're finally down to Romans 15 verse 20 and 21. 375 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:06,680 So we've we've talked about the nations and we've talked about 376 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:10,880 God's plan for the nations. So here's I want us to conclude 377 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:18,120 thinking about what's my place in God's plan for the nations. 378 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:20,280 The nations have been his focus from the beginning. 379 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,320 He told us that that's what the Scriptures are about. 380 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,720 So the nations are His focal point. 381 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:37,280 His plan is for people to hear about His Son and Him and for 382 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,440 Him to receive glory among all peoples. 383 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:44,440 What's your plan? Where's what's our place here? 384 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:48,560 Paul comes to my favorite this verb make it your goal. 385 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:56,120 And he says I make it my ambition to preach the gospel. 386 00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:00,240 Can I can I just say I think it's Scripture is a perfect 387 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:04,080 text, perfect treasure. It has it's worded exactly 388 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,880 right. Paul didn't say we. 389 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:15,080 Paul didn't say yuans. He didn't say y'all, he said I. 390 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:19,480 Now we know from the Great Commission that every, every 391 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,000 believer as they walk through life is supposed to be making 392 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:27,160 disciples of all nations in just a little bit in our passage 393 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:30,040 here, Paul's going to tell them I want to come through Rome on 394 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:32,680 my way to Spain. And when I come through, I'm 395 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:36,480 counting on you guys to support me financially as I go on to 396 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:39,000 Spain. Rough, rough, rough paraphrase. 397 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:43,760 So he's counting on the Romans to support him, much like the 398 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,760 Philippians did. Remember Paul says Paul wrote 399 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:49,360 the Philippians, and he says from the very beginning, you've 400 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:53,680 been supporting me financially. And he calls them partners. 401 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,560 So. So some people partner with the 402 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,680 gospel, getting to the ends of the earth by by giving 403 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:05,040 generously. When this church takes up 404 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:08,520 offerings for missions, you have something else you could spend 405 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:13,400 your money on. You have kids or grandkids or 406 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:16,360 you have think bills to pay at school. 407 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:25,600 But you give because you have God's heart for the nations and 408 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:30,040 by your giving you are sharing in the work. 409 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:36,160 Paul's later on, he's going to, at the end of this chapter, he's 410 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:39,320 going to say pray earnestly for me. 411 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:44,120 And that's how many of you are a part of what God's doing in your 412 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:48,760 day is You're praying earnestly. And when you receive prayer 413 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:51,360 requests, you're not just glancing over them, but you're 414 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:54,800 getting them out regularly and you're falling on your knees. 415 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,560 And when God wakes you up in the middle of the night, you're 416 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:03,600 praying for those. You're sharing in the work by 417 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:08,840 you're praying in chapter 16, Paul's going to mention Aquila 418 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:12,640 and Priscilla, and so some of you share in the ministry. 419 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:15,840 When your church has a mission trip, you go every once in a 420 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:19,040 while. You've gone several times 421 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:22,600 throughout your life to the nations, and that's sharing in 422 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,680 the gospel, getting to the ends of the earth. 423 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:30,400 But that's not what Paul said he could do. 424 00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:36,360 It's not enough for Paul that he prays for somebody else to go. 425 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,080 It wasn't OK for Paul that he gives money for somebody else to 426 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:45,840 go. It wasn't OK for Paul to do an 427 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:52,760 occasional trip. Jim in as the choir was singing 428 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:59,960 Not a call. We heard a call in the night. 429 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:05,280 You see, there are those who, like Elbert and Kay, we were 430 00:33:05,280 --> 00:33:09,680 minding our own business in Oklahoma when the Holy Spirit 431 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:15,280 made it clear it was us. We were the ones that were 432 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:21,200 supposed to go. And I know some of your stories 433 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:27,960 in this room where you heard. Maybe it was from some of the 434 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:33,320 songs like we sang this morning, but some people here like the 435 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:38,720 apostle Paul and they say I have to be the one who goes. 436 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:46,600 That's my place in the Kingdom. And Paul says I'm fulfilling 437 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:57,240 what he told me to do. So my question this morning, do 438 00:33:57,240 --> 00:34:04,680 you know your place in God's plan for the nation's asking? 439 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:13,639 He wants to show if He's guided you and that's why you've been 440 00:34:13,639 --> 00:34:18,480 giving sacrificially, would you be affirmed this morning? 441 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:23,639 And if he's gripped your heart and you've been praying 442 00:34:23,639 --> 00:34:26,760 faithfully, would you be affirmed this morning that 443 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:31,360 you're not wasting your time, that you're a part of what God's 444 00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:35,600 doing in our day? But maybe there are some others 445 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,760 in the room. And you would say for the first 446 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:41,040 time, maybe I'm feeling what Paul felt. 447 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:49,960 And my place is to be the one who goes the nations. 448 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:57,680 That's His focus in Scripture, His glory among the nations. 449 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:03,200 His plan for the nations includes someone getting there 450 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:06,400 and telling, because how can they hear unless someone 451 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:11,800 preaches? And He has a place for every one 452 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:18,600 of us to share his heart. Now, by the way, if you're here 453 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:20,760 without Christ, let me tell you your place. 454 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:26,600 Your place, it was that God brought you here this morning to 455 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:31,080 hear about a Savior who left heaven to pay for your sins. 456 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:36,200 And if God inside of you is drawing him, you to himself, 457 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:40,600 your place is to respond to the Spirit. 458 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:44,520 We're going to sing and then we're going to sing again about 459 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:52,840 build my life. Let's build our lives with His 460 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,640 heart, fulfilling what He tells us. 461 00:35:56,640 --> 00:36:02,240 Our part is among the nations. Father, we bow before you right 462 00:36:02,240 --> 00:36:05,320 now. We thank you for your word, 463 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:09,360 Father. Our desire, our request, our 464 00:36:09,360 --> 00:36:13,040 prayer was that anyone who wanted to hear from God would. 465 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:17,560 Now we're asking that you would give us boldness to respond, 466 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:28,760 that as you have spoken, that we would affirm Your plans are best 467 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:34,960 for our lives, and we want to build our lives on your love, on 468 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:40,400 your word we pray in Christ's name, Amen. 469 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:44,360 Thanks for listening. To learn more about Heritage 470 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:47,400 Church or if you'd like to respond to this sermon, visit 471 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:51,840 our website at www.heritageshawnee.org.