Pastor’s Pen Pulpit Romans

September 18, 2005 #5 in series

THE SPIRIT OF A TRUE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL

Romans 1:8-16a

Part 1

Please read along with me in this section of Romans. To begin with, in a very real sense each and every one of us is a minister of the Gospel (Ephesians 4:11, 12). Some may serve in a paid professional manner, but according to this passage every saint is a minister. We are touching the lives of people. The gifted men in Ephesians 4 have the responsibility to mature the saints to the place where they are able to effectively minister to the Body of Christ. (Note: Please pray for the pastors and elders in our church as we endeavor to fulfill this mandate.

In Romans 1:8-16a Paul discusses the marks of a true minister of the Gospel as being THE MANNER IN WHICH HE SERVES. While Paul is writing primarily of himself, there is much we can learn about our own attitude in the ministry in which God has placed us!

1. A true minister serves God with a THANKFUL SPIRIT – v.8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” In all of Paul’s letters except one he thanked God for believers. The one exception is Galatians. The Galatian churches were turning away from the faith. Paul had to straighten them out doctrinally. Thanksgiving was top priority with the apostle. He writes “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all.” Paul then stresses a personal intimacy with God referring to Him as “my God.” This would be a foreign concept to the pagan mind. Also, most Jews would not refer to God as “my God.” Paul had a personal, intimate relationship with God. To Paul, God was not a theological abstraction, but a personal, loving Savior. Is He that to you?

From deep within your heart can you say with Paul, “my God?” Note also that he thanks GOD and not the Roman believers. Why? Anything that was happening in the church in Rome, Paul attributed ultimately to God. This is seeing God at the heart of everything good that occurs in the church. Note that he thanked God for ALL the believers. Although he had never met the believers in Rome, he believed that every believer was singularily important.

Sometimes we have a tendency to place one Christian above another in terms of importance. However, the big toe, in its own way, is just as important as the mouth. Why did Paul thank God? Because their faith was being proclaimed throughout the known world at that time. This body of believers was making a tremendous impact for the Lord Jesus Christ ( I Thessalonians 5:18). Paul had God’s agenda on his heart.

2. He serves God with a CONCERNED SPIRIT – v.9 “For God is my witness, Whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers… .” Paul was concerned enough for these believers that he prayed consistently for them. He called God as witness to this fact. Note he says “without ceasing.” This does not imply uninterrupted prayer – rather constantly recurring prayer (I Thessalonians 5:17). When Paul says that he serves with his spirit, he no doubt means he serves with his whole person. The spirit is the life source of the body. Paul threw himself completely into his ministry. The apostle prayed for every church he wrote to. I need to work on my prayer life! What about you?

3. He serves God with a WILLING SPIRIT – v.10a “making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.” If by some means or in any way possible. Paul was willing to visit the believers for the purpose of contributing to their lives. It seems like there might have been some resistence to Paul’s coming to Rome (I Thessalonians 2:18; Acts 16:6,7). Beloved, let’s ask God to send us into His service with willing hearts – without conditions. It is so fulfilling to make a contribution to someone’s life for God (Hebrews 10:24, 25).

4. He serves with a SUBMISSIVE SPIRIT – v 10b “making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.” Paul was always submissive to the will of God. He states that he is willing to come to the believers if it is in the will of God to do so. Submission was a strong trait in the life of the apostle. This is evident in his conversion statement in Acts 9, “LORD, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO?” Are you and I submitted to do God’s will, whatever it may be, or where ever it may take us?

5. He serves with a LOVING SPIRIT – v.11 “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established.” Paul longed to see them. The Greek word means “to long for greatly”. His motivaion and purpose is for their spiritual establishment through the exercise of spiritual gifts.

The greatest way you can show love to other believers is to minister to them with your spiritual gift(s). Question? Do you know what your spiritual gift is? Are you putting it to work in our local body? Let’s pray for one another that we may do just that.

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart?” Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)