Two weeks ago on Friday I was honored to lead morning devotions for the House of Representatives at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier. There is always a bit of added pressure when preaching to people in positions of power, but it is especially unnerving to do it on their turf. You can imagine how intimidating it is to stand before 150 well-dressed politicians in that majestic chamber. You feel the weight of three-hundred eyes and ears expecting you to say something intelligent and inspiring—in less than five minutes.

            To further complicate the occasion, I chose for my sermon topic: the perils of pride! I borrowed a piece of a recent sermon where I preached the biblical principle: “Pride goes before a fall!” (Maybe you remember it?) The sermon started off well. The whole chamber chuckled when I quipped, “I don’t know if there are any attitudes of arrogance in this statehouse…,” but you could feel the tenor of the room change the moment I mentioned the name Jesus. When I spoke about Jesus humbling himself by taking on human flesh and dying for our sins on the cross, I couldn’t help but notice the eye rolls and scowls that appeared on people’s faces. It was like an invisible wall of hostility went up right before me and I could see people thinking: “How dare you speak that name in this chamber!”

            Nobody likes the feeling of rejection, including me. If there was ever a time I was tempted to change course in the middle of a message, this was it!      

            In that moment, I had a decision to make—would I water down my words to appease the crowd or would I boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ? Would I be ashamed of the gospel or would I faithfully preach the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection?

            Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Have you ever been engaged in a conversation where the name “Jesus” evoked an irritated or angry response? Have you ever felt compelled to talk to someone about Jesus Christ, but when the time came, you were too chicken? I suspect that most of us have felt this tension before.

            The fear of rejection paralyzes so many people from proclaiming the gospel—even those who have received the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection. But I am so glad that the Apostle Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, which is the subject of this morning’s sermon from Romans 1:8-17.

 

Partners in Gospel Ministry (8-15)

As Paul continued the introduction to his Epistle to the Romans, his goal was to establish a ministry partnership with the church in Rome because he recognized that he could not accomplish the task of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth alone. We must remember that Paul had neither founded nor visited the church in Rome, but he had heard about their faith in Jesus Christ and he desired to partner with them to share the gospel in the capital city of the Roman Empire and gain the church’s support to launch a gospel mission to Spain. That is why, in verses 1-6, he went to such great lengths to introduce himself and establish his credibility as an apostle of Christ. Now in verses 8-15, he continues to lay a relational foundation with the Roman Christians in preparation for a personal visit and possible partnership together.

Paul begins this section of his epistle by expressing his thanksgiving to God because the Roman’s faith was being proclaimed all over the world. There is surly a hint of hyperbole when he says, “all over the world.” The Roman church was still fledgling—it did not yet have the time or strength to reach the ends of the known world (which was the reason why Paul wanted to go to Spain in the first place). But Paul was a pragmatic man—he knew that a little flattery goes a long way toward building a meaningful relationship. (You all should have heard some of the compliments Jennifer showered on me when she was trying to get me to propose to her. I knew she was exaggerating, but I still appreciated the gesture—and it got her a ring in the end.)

From there, Paul gets more serious in verse 9, when he tells the Romans that they are the constant object of his prayers and that he always prays for God to open an opportunity for him to visit their church in Rome. He longed to see them so that he could establish this ministry partnership whereby he could strengthen them with some spiritual gift (11), share mutual encouragement through each other’s faith (12), reap a harvest of souls in Rome as he had among other Gentiles (13), and preach the gospel in Rome (15).

This partnership in gospel ministry would help fulfill God’s calling in Paul’s life to be an apostle to the Gentiles. Therefore, he says, in verse 14, that he is under obligation to both Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and the foolish. By this, he means that God had called him to minister to those under Graeco-Roman culture and those outside it—everyone. Those who have intelligence and those who don’t—everyone. Paul would not rest until he fulfilled his obligation to God to share the gospel with every Gentile in the world, regardless of ethnicity or social class.

            We must note that Paul’s obligation was to God, but the payment is to people. The great nineteenth century missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, realized this, as was seen when it was suggested by someone that he had given his life to the Orient because he loved the Chinese. To this he shook his head and answered thoughtfully, “No, not because I loved the Chinese, but because I loved God.”

            This is precisely the reason why our church forms meaningful ministry partnerships today! Why do we support Rebecca Ashton as our missionary in Prague, Czech Republic? Is it because we love the Czech people? We don’t even know them! We support Becca’s ministry because: First, we love God and want to be obedient to his mission. Second, because we love Becca and want to support God’s calling in her life. And third, because even though we don’t have a personal relationship with the Czech people, we care about the condition of their souls. The same goes for Joe Gavin and the Chi Alpha college ministry at the University of Vermont. And for Pete Fiske, who leads the Church at Prison here in Vermont. And for our new partnership with Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama to give seminary students from the south a cross-cultural ministry experience here in northern Vermont!

            We are not all called to be foreign missionaries or ministers on college campuses or in the prison cells, but both as individuals and as a church community, we are called to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth. And one of the ways we do this is by forming meaningful ministry partnerships with people who can minister in ways that we can’t.

            As we see Paul form a partnership with the Roman church in this text, may we be thankful for the partnerships that God has given us! May we always be generous in our support and faithful in our prayers so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I am glad that none of our ministry partners are ashamed of the gospel, but they are all willing to proclaim the good news wherever God has sent them!

 

Not Ashamed of the Gospel (16-17)

Now I am not sure if you noticed this or not, but Paul began this segment of his letter with the word “First.” Typically, when someone uses this word it implies a sequence, but the word “second” or “next” never appears in the text. As Paul thanked God for the Romans faith, he became so consumed with talking about the gospel that he completely forgot to make his second point. This happens to preachers sometimes! And it is understandable in this case—Paul was so excited about partnering with the Romans in the mission of spreading the good news that Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins and rose on third day to deliver souls from the eternal fires of hell, that whatever else he was going to say paled in comparison and never made it to his parchment.

Instead of making his second point, Paul’s emphasis on the gospel builds to a crescendo in verse 16, when he declares, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” Look closely at his words! He knew that he didn’t have any power to save souls—it is God’s power revealed though the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And not everyone receives this salvation—it is only for those who believe. He clarifies this in verse 17 that God is the one who brings people into a right relationship with himself. Through the gospel, God offers his own righteousness as a substitute for our unrighteousness, and it can only be accessed through faith. No one earns there way into heaven through moral merit or good deeds. Paul knew that this gospel was the only hope for a sinful and dying world—that is why he was not ashamed of it!

            Church, Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, and neither should we! Unfortunately, some Christians today are ashamed of the gospel. They don’t speak up for Jesus Christ because they are afraid of rejection. Others hide their shame by building little Christian bubbles where they keep “sinners” at arm’s length. They only interact with other Christians so they don’t have to face any discomfort for believing in Christ.

            Paul was not interested in building Christian bubbles to protect himself from the evils of the world. His mission was to take the gospel to the world! He was not ashamed of the gospel, and neither should we!

            I am so glad that when God redeemed my old high school beer drinking buddy Jason Daugherty, that he was not ashamed of the gospel. I’m so glad that when I thought he fell off the deep end by going to church, that he wasn’t ashamed of the gospel. I’m so glad that when I laughed and lambasted him his for becoming a Christian, that he wasn’t ashamed of the gospel but he kept badgering me to come to church with him until I could resist no longer. I am so glad that he didn’t isolate himself from sinful non-Christian influences like me. I’m so glad that he picked me up on Sunday morning and coaxed me into church where I heard the gospel for the first time and was convicted of my sin and trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation for my soul and then received my own call to preach the gospel. Yes, I am glad that the Apostle Paul wasn’t ashamed of the gospel, but I am even more glad that my friend wasn’t ashamed!

            Well, you probably already know that I want to ask you a question! ARE YOU ASHAMED? If you have been ashamed, don’t let your past failures determine your future! Has God laid someone on your heart who needs to hear the gospel? Pray! Preach! Persist! Persevere! For the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes! We can’t force anyone to believe—that is God’s work! But we can tell them about Jesus!

 

            Two weeks ago I was preaching to a group of perturbed politicians in Montpellier and I had a decision to make. By God’s grace, I didn’t back down! I proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ to the best of my ability!

            The Apostle Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, and neither should we!

            How many of you have ever written a letter to a friend? Good, then you are all familiar with the process! How many of you have ever written a letter to a stranger? Good, then you know that the way you compose a letter to a friend is different from the way you would write to a stranger. How many of you have ever written a letter to a stranger to ask for money? Now this is indeed a tricky task! If you have ever written such a letter, you probably know how important it is to make a good first impression. Therefore, it may be wise to introduce yourself and establish your credibility before asking for financial support. And a polite greeting and a few compliments goes a long way too!

            This is exactly what the Apostle Paul did when he wrote his Epistle to the Romans. Although he was aware of the Christian church in Rome, Paul had neither planted nor visited this church. He was currently stationed in the city of Corinth during his third missionary journey. He was on his way back to Jerusalem to deliver the collection he had gathered for the poor Christians there. After the finished this mission, he planned to go west and visit the Roman church. He hoped to use Rome as a launchpad to take the gospel all the way to Spain.

So instead of going to Rome directly, he sent this letter to prepare the church for his intended visit and request for financial support for his mission trip to Spain. For many years Paul had wanted to visit Rome to minister there, and this letter served as a theological introduction to that hoped-for personal ministry. Since he was not directly acquainted with the Roman church, he goes to great lengths to establish his credibility as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

As Paul introduces himself in Romans 1:1-7, he uses the titles “servant” and “apostle” to describe himself and the title “saint” to identify the Christians in Rome. As we will see, all three of these titles help us understand our own identity and calling to gospel ministry. Let’s take a closer look at Paul’s greeting with the gospel.   

 

1.) We are called to be servants of the gospel (1)

Contrary to the way we compose letters today, Paul states his name at the beginning of the letter, which was customary in the ancient world. After this, he immediately describes himself with the title “servant.” The Greek word [doulos] can be translated “servant” or “slave.”

Either way, the title carries a vertical and horizontal dimension.

 

Vertical Servanthood

Vertically speaking, servants have a lower status than their masters. By Paul referring to himself as a “a servant of Christ Jesus,” he is admitting that he has a much lower status than Jesus. He could have introduced himself with any number of personal honors or accolades to try to impress the Romans, but instead he chooses “servant,” which highlights his humility. Paul understood that the values in God’s kingdom are often opposite of the values of this world. In God’s economy, humility always trumps hubris. The highest status in God’s kingdom is to be a humble servant of Christ Jesus.

            This vertical dimension of servanthood is illustrated by economist John Kenneth Galbraith, in his autobiography, A Life in Our Times, who tells the story of Emily Gloria Wilson, his family’s housekeeper: “It had been a wearying day, and I asked Emily to hold all telephone calls while I had a nap. Shortly thereafter the phone rang. Lyndon Johnson was calling from the White House. “Get me Ken Galbraith. This is Lyndon Johnson.” “He is sleeping, Mr. President. He said not to disturb him.” “Well, wake him up. I want to talk to him.” “No, Mr. President. I work for him, not you.” When he called the President back, Johnson could scarcely control his pleasure. “Tell that woman I want her here in the White House.”

Friends, like the apostle Paul, we are all called to be vertical servants of Christ Jesus. May we always remember our rightful status under Jesus’ authority. Let us live lives of humility by submitting ourselves to our master. Despite our human achievements and successes, may we never think of ourselves more highly than we ought. And may we always be willing to follow him wherever he leads us!

 

Horizontal Servanthood

Horizontally speaking, a servant is someone who actually does something for somebody. Servants use their resources and abilities to help, assist, support, promote, advocate, or contribute something to benefit someone else. Paul had given up his personal ambitions and used his God-given abilities to serve the interests of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He served Christ by serving Christ’s people!

            I can think of many beautiful examples of horizontal servanthood right here in our church community, but let me share just one. Two weeks ago, Linda Hartman and Nancy Wilson took it upon themselves to plan and put on a dinner for our Beeson students from Alabama and all of our host families. They spent a whole Saturday afternoon and evening setting up, cooking up, and cleaning up for more than thirty people. Not only did they provide a wonderful meal that nourished our bodies, but they provided a powerful time of fellowship that fed our souls. Sacrificing your own time, talent, and treasure for people—that is what is what it means to be a servant of Christ Jesus!    

            Likewise, we are all called to be horizontal servants of Christ Jesus. May we be willing to use our God-given resources and talents to serve Christ and his people. This may mean sacrificing a day or afternoon of our time when we wanted to do something else. It may entail cooking, cleaning, fixing, teaching, driving, playing, baking, hosting, painting, plowing, or knitting. It could be something as extravagant as writing a big fat check or something as simple as sitting down and listening to someone. There are many ways to be a servant of Christ! How will you serve him?

 

2.) We are called to be apostles for the gospel (2-6)

After Paul introduces himself to the Roman church as a servant of Christ Jesus, he immediately moves on to the next title: “apostle.” The term “apostle” literally means “messenger”—someone who delivers a message to someone else. As verse 2 indicates, Paul was not a self-appointed apostle; God had specifically called him and set him apart to be the messenger to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people).

This title draws our minds back to Paul’s miraculous conversion. Do you remember the story? While Paul, the notorious Christian persecutor, was walking on the road to Damascus, he was blinded by the light when Jesus appeared and confronted him about his unbelief. This persecutor of the faith was transformed into a preacher of the gospel.

But what was this gospel he was called to deliver? The word “gospel” (euangelion) simply means “good news”—more specifically, the good news of redemption for this broken world through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul unpacks the meaning and significance of the gospel in verses 2-6. He mentions that this good news was promised throughout the Old Testament. There are many places in the Hebrew Scriptures where God promises to send a Messiah who will redeem and restore all the brokenness in the world. The prophet Isaiah promised that the Messiah would be born from a virgin mother. The prophet Micah promised that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. The prophet Jeremiah promised that the Messiah would establish a new covenant—a covenant of grace.

These promises were fulfilled when the Messiah finally appeared—when the Son of God, Jesus Christ, took on human flesh and was born of a virgin mother in the town of Bethlehem. Jesus’ full humanity was declared through his descendance from King David. Jesus’ full divinity was proved by his resurrection from the dead. This same Jesus, who rose from the dead, was the very one who gave Paul the gift of grace, forgave all of Paul’s past sins, and called him to be an apostle to take this good news to the gentile nations. Just as the Romans were called to belong to Christ, so other people in other places were called to belong to Christ. They just needed someone to tell them!

The term “Apostle” is typically reserved for Jesus’ original twelve disciples and Paul, those who were eyewitnesses of Jesus and were called to proclaim the gospel. Most of us sitting here this morning have never seen the resurrected Christ with our physical eyes, but we are all called to be apostles with a lower case “a.” We are not all called to be a missionary like Paul, a preacher like Peter, or an evangelist like John, be we are all called to testify to the good news that Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and rose on the third day to offer us eternal life!

            Are there people in your world who don’t know what Jesus has done for them? Who do you know that needs God’s grace—someone in your family, in your workplace, at your school, on your street? Will you be there for them? Will you tell them what Jesus has done for you? Will you invite them to come to church with you? Like Paul, we are all called to be servants and apostles of Jesus Christ!  

 

3.) We are called to be saints because of the gospel (7)

After Paul finishes his lengthy introduction, he finally greets the Christians in the Roman church in verse 7. In his greeting, he reminds these believers that they are deeply loved by God and that they are called to be saints. A saint is simply a person who has been set apart to live a life of holiness or moral purity. When most of us hear the word “saint” we think of it with a capital “S” in reference to those individuals who have been canonized by the Roman Catholic Church with the special status of Saint. That is not the type of saint Paul is talking about here. He means saints with a little “s” as in “communion of saints” when we recite the Apostle’s Creed. The communion of saints refers to the myriads of simple faithful followers of Jesus Christ through the centuries. These Roman Christians were not perfect in any sense of the word, but they were called to be saints because they were loved by God. It was now their job to live a life worthy of their calling.

            And so it is with us today—I doubt if any of us will ever achieve the status of Saint in the Roman Catholic Church (although can you imagine how ironic it would be for a Protestant to do this?), but we are all called to be saints because we are loved by God. As we saw in the preceding verses, Jesus loved us so much that he died on the cross to redeem us from our sins. One of the ways we show our gratitude for this is to live a holy life—to avoid arrogance and egotism, addiction and abuse, dishonesty and corruption, and monetary manipulation, and sexual sins, just to name a few.

            Instead, as saints, may we pursue honesty and integrity in everything we do, even when it is difficult! May we honor God with our attitudes and our actions, our minds and our money, and our bodies and our behaviors! Let us live like the saints we are!

 

Well, as we begin this sermon series through the Book of Romans, Paul is greeting us with the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we have been transformed by this gospel, God has given us three titles: servant, apostle, and saint. Let us live according to our identity and calling! Be a servant by serving God’s people! Be an apostle by sharing the good news! And be a saint by living a holy life! Now let’s get to it!