For those of you that are joining us as visitors, we've been working through the book of Romans for the last couple of years. We're kind of nearing the finish line. We're toward the end of chapter 15. We've got another week probably in chapter 15 and then we'll hit chapter 16 during the month of May. So today we're going to be in Romans 15. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn there. We're going to be looking at verses 22 to 29. So beginning in verse 22 of Romans 15, this is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain and to be helped on my journey there by you once I have enjoyed your comfort a while. At present, however, I'm going to Jerusalem, bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ." The overarching context here in this passage is Paul's purpose and his plan to see the Christians in Rome, though he has never met them before. He penned these words in Romans by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit some seven to eight years before his death. He would continue working for the Lord, until the Lord brought him home, never ceasing to proclaim the gospel where God placed him. Now, this is an invaluable lesson for us. Many long for the day where they can retire from their secular vocation. But I want you to realize that you never retire from being a truth-telling disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. It should be our aim all of our lives to tell the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ proclaiming his name wherever the Lord has placed us. There's many examples of men who have done just this in past years. David Brainerd, though he died at a young age from tuberculosis, still on his deathbed, taught a young Indian boy how to read the Bible. Donald Gray Barnhouse was ushered into heaven shortly after completing his studies on the book of Romans. My dear friends, let us be zealous for the Lord, working for Him as it were all of our days, being ready to give people a reason for the hope that lies within us, and praying that the Lord would be pleased to use you and me for the rest of our lives to bring others to saving faith. So with this context in mind, let us consider first that Paul was providentially hindered by God from seeing the Christians in Rome. He had wanted to see them, but he had been hindered. Now, if you look at the word hindered, it means to cut into or to cut out. And it was literally a word that was used to describe a deep trench that was dug to prevent an enemy army from getting too close. Paul recognized that though he had wanted to see these Christians for quite some time, there had been reasons why he was unable to do so. Certainly was not for lack of commitment to or zeal for, the Roman Christians, rather it was a redirecting by the Lord for other tasks at hand. And so it is for us at times, the Lord providentially redirects our steps in order to accomplish His will. This may be true in your life as you see things delayed. Maybe the birth of children delayed, maybe retirement delayed, maybe ministry redirected. At times, the Lord intervenes through his providential calling and ordering of our lives to change our course. So the question then would be, what do we do in those times when we see the Lord kind of redirecting us and changing our course? Well, we do exactly what the Lord has called us to, recognizing that man establishes his plans, but God directs. This is what we read in Proverbs 16, 9, the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord established his steps. Furthermore, notice that while he has been hindered, this doesn't prevent him from planning. Verse 23, but now since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain and to be helped on my journey there by you once I've enjoyed your company for a while. Paul's planning. If I ask for a show of hands, how many of y'all are planners? You don't have to raise your hand, but a lot of you are planners. I'm one of those, too. So I resonate with this. There's a plan right in place. Some of you plan too much, as I do at times, too. But the point is that Paul is planning to get to them. He's not saying, oh, my work is done here, so I'm done. Now, my work is done here, but it's time for me to move on and come see you. Some Christians live their lives really almost on autopilot, expecting God to act supernaturally apart from any effort on their own. Now, certainly God can do that, but you realize that Christianity is an active religion, right? God is actively continuing to pursue you, but we, as the recipients of his grace, are actively pursuing the Lord. We're actively pursuing unity with believers. We're actively pursuing holiness. We should be actively putting on the old man and putting on the new man. We should be active in pressing on and living for the Lord. So we're not just waiting supernaturally on God to use us, we are actively pursuing what he's called us to do. And in doing that, God can do amazing things in your lives. It is not wrong to make plans in our ministry to others. For example, perhaps you invited someone to church today on Easter and that was a plan that you had to invite someone today. Maybe you have a plan to witness to an unsaved family member when you see them next time. Planning and ministry is essential, but we must also recognize that God may change the timing or the way in which our ministry is carried out. Jesus asked in Luke 14, 28, and 31, for which of you desiring to build a tower does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Or what king going out to encounter another king in war will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against him with 20,000? Now to be sure, though Paul thought his ministry had been completed in that region, he still had plans. How does this apply to you and me today? Well, we know that God desires, and we've looked at this throughout different parts of Romans, that God has gifted each one of you in different ways. And the goal is that you would use those gifts for his glory and the building up of the church. But he desires for you and me to be involved in perpetual ministry, lifelong ministry. But that ministry may change. For example, some of you may have once been deacons and now you're elders. Some may have once been teachers and now your focus is on mentoring and discipleship. In other words, we're to be ministering, but we're also to be flexible to how the Lord wants to use us and use our gifts in his timing and in his calling. Now, notice too that when Paul arrives in Rome, he desires to be helped by them. There's a mutual encouragement that he desires. And it's what we desire as Christians, we desire to be mutually encouraged one with another even as we sit around the tables today. We saw this earlier in Romans 1, 9 through 13, for God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his son that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers asking that somehow by God's will I may now at least succeed in coming to you. That's how he begins Romans, that's how he's ending Romans, he wants to see them. But then he says this, for I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, yours and mine. It's a wonderful thing when we have Christian friends, brothers and sisters in the Lord that we can journey alongside with because the way is not always easy, right? We wanna be mutually encouraging to one another. It's also important in a ministry context. Paul, for example, usually had someone with him who worked alongside him in ministry. He had Timothy in Ephesus, Titus in Crete, even had Luke with him in prison. And while in prison, Paul writes, Luke alone is with me, get Mark and bring him with you for he is very useful to me for ministry, 2 Timothy 4.11. Paul could not do any of his ministry. without the Holy Spirit's guiding and leading, and neither can we. But it was also important to him to have co-laborers, people that could work alongside him in that same purpose and mission. And so it is for us today. Pastors need one another to help them in their mutual ministry. Deacons need one another. Elders need one another. Whatever particular ministry you are involved with, you need other people. It's not a solo job, a team effort, mutually pursuing the same goal is important. Now, notice in verses 25 through 28 that Paul is on his way to Jerusalem to deliver contributions to them from Macedonia and Achaia. Now, Jerusalem, he's got to go there, but it's in the opposite direction from Rome. It's about 1,000 miles away from Rome. But the Gentiles in Macedonia and Achaia, had given to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. And so Paul was both acting as a messenger, but also as a deliverer. Jerusalem was a very poor area of the world, but it's likely that these Christians in Macedonia and Achaia were also very poor. And yet, don't miss this, they actually reached across the line, if you will. Remember, it was the Jewish Christians, many of whom were in Jerusalem, that did not really want to welcome the Gentile believers. And yet, we see in this passage, we see the Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia giving to the needs of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. So, it brings a point home that we should be giving to others. Now, notice how Paul viewed this offering. Three things, he says, first in verse 25, I'm going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. We don't know what kind of aid this was, but it was likely material gifts. It was probably also monetary gifts. The idea of bringing aid carries with it the idea of caring for one another, especially for the poor. Now, certainly within the local church, the deacons do a great job of caring for those both inside the church as well as sometimes outside the church, but it's really incumbent upon all of us as Christians to care for and give freely to others. Second, Paul writes in verse 26 that the churches in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution. They were pleased to do it. They did so joyfully, not out of compulsion. Paul writes about this in 2 Corinthians 9, 6, and 7. The point is this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And that's exactly what these Gentile Christians, they were doing. They weren't forced to give. They gave freely and they gave freely with a cheerful heart. So too for us today, let us give to the Lord and to his work in a cheerful manner as a token of what the Lord has done for us. Now third, notice in verse 27, the Gentiles have to share in their spiritual blessings, they also ought to be of service to them in material blessing. James Boyce writes, the Gentiles of Greece, owed support to the Christians of Judea because they had received their spiritual blessings through them. And he goes on to write, it's a simple principle, a Bible teacher ought to be supported. He should not have to do secular work to support himself, though good ministers are usually happy to do it if that proves necessary. Paul himself worked even as a temp maker at Corinth when his support got low. But this should not be the normative practice. A church, if at all possible, should set aside funds to hire a minister and pay him enough to where there's not a financial burden on him, where there's not financial pressure to have to get another job to assist him in providing for his family. We see this in 1 Timothy 5.17, let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. So the idea here is to make sure that they are paid enough to provide for their needs, much like the widow. Now, we do know that Paul was pleased with the gift from the Macedonian churches. He writes on another occasion, which is 2 Corinthians 8, 1 and 2. We're going to camp out here for a second. So really important verses to pay attention to. Again, 2 Corinthians 8, 1 and 2. We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia. For in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part." James Boyce uses that text in 2 Corinthians 8 and wisely points out three elements of giving. which he calls God's formula for great giving. First notice in verse two, the Macedonian church gave during a severe test of affliction or trial. Now we don't know for sure what that affliction was. It could have been poverty, it could have been persecution, it could have been both, but we know they still looked, even in the midst of their own trial, they still looked to the needs of others and not their own. which is exactly the opposite of what we do today, isn't it? If you go through a deep trial or a difficult time, it's so easy to become more intrinsically oriented, thinking about our own needs and how to resolve that particular trial. Well, the Macedonians, and this example of the Macedonians teaches us that when we're going through a difficult time, yes, those are times that we need to be ministered to for sure, right? But the example of Macedonians teaches us that we should consider even more the needs of other people. Yes, even when we're going through difficult times, more than our own. We see a powerful example of this in Jesus, who even while hanging on the cross for my sins and for yours, thought of others. Of course, the whole time he was thinking about you and me, right? About our sins that he was atoning for. And yet he also thought of the soldiers when he said, father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Luke 23, 34. He thought of his dear Mary when he said, woman, behold your son, John 19, 26. And even thought of the converted dying thief when he said, truly, I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23, 43. Well, the Macedonian church not only gave during affliction, but they also gave out of an abundance of joy. What were they joyful about? We don't know for sure, but we do know that they were certainly joyful about their salvation, and so should we. You know, it's easy for those that have been, we could say, brought up in the church, maybe came to Christ at a young age, that as the years go on, that enthusiasm and that joy can wane a bit over the decades. And yet, it should not be. As the Lord continues and as we see him working in our lives and putting off sin and putting off the old man, putting on the new, how overjoyed and enthusiastic this should make us about living for him. God, through Jesus, has provided. a remedy for you and for me. He is atoned for your sins, bearing God's wrath on the cross that you deserved, and yet he was raised on the third day. So how do we repay? Well, we can't repay him fully, but certainly this involves living a life of joy, living a life of joy that is consecrated daily to the Lord, glorifying him and enjoying him forever. In 1874, Francis Ridley Havergal, wrote, take my life and let it be. It's one of the great hymns of the faith. But in verse four, she wrote this, take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold. James Boyce writes that these lines are autobiographical. That is, she did exactly what she described. We know from her writings left behind that at her death, literally at the time around when she wrote these words, She sent to the Church Missionary Society all of her gold and all of her silver jewelry, including a jewelry chest that she described as being fit for a countess. She wrote to a close friend, I don't need to tell you that I never packed a box with such pleasure. It gave her great joy to live out the words that she'd written and to give it away. That's the kind of joy that generous Christians should have. It's the kind of joy that you and I should have. And guess what? Joy is contagious, right? As you are joyful and living out your life, even in the midst of trial at times, people look on that and they see the Lord Jesus Christ working in and through your life. The Macedonian church gave in time of affliction, they gave out of an abundance of joy, but they also gave in extreme poverty. Macedonians had very little materially and yet they still gave. In many circles today, it is the poor that give more than the richer. And yet, all of us are commanded to give to the work of the church and to help those in need. Certainly, those with more means should give more. But the principle is that all of us, as Christians, like the Gentiles of Macedonia, should be giving to the work of the Lord. Well, notice in the final verse in Romans 15, 29, Paul states, I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. In the Bible, we see two types of blessing. First, every spiritual blessing we have in Christ. Secondly, we pray for our ministry with others to be a blessing to them. We see this in a hymn that Moses wrote and one that I pray often, it's in Psalm 90, 17. Let the favor of the Lord Our God, rest upon us and establish the work of our hands. Yes, establish the work of our hands. What's he saying? May what I'm doing with my hands be a blessing to other people. And it's exactly what Paul is closing out Romans 15, 29 with. James Boyce writes this. Now, as I read this, I want you to think about just your own life in the context of this particular passage today. Boyce begins, Have you ever thought of your life in those terms, that is being a blessing, spiritual blessing to other people? Most Christians want God to bless them, meaning they want God to preserve them from physical harm, give them a long life, help them to make a lot of money, and keep their children out of trouble. Those are blessings, of course, but they are self-centered and they certainly do not represent the fullness of what God is capable of doing or is willing to do in and through us for the spiritual well-being of other people. Listen to what he says, I encourage you to think of your life as a means by which God may be able to impart spiritual blessings to other people. I encourage you to think of your life as a means by which God might be able to impart spiritual blessings to other people. And you might say, well, Kevin, I can't do that. I can't impart spiritual blessing. Well, think about this. Has God given you a gift to use? Yes. Use your gifts in a way that will glorify him, build up the church, and in a sense, in that way, be a true spiritual blessing to those around you. Let us then, in light of this passage today, be encouraged to minister to others until the Lord takes us home to glory. and to care for, look out for the needs of others, that we might be using our gifts proactively as a spiritual blessing to those around us in need. Let's pray. God in heaven, we thank you, Father, for your word. We thank you that it does not return void. So, Father, would you take these words from your scripture today, apply it to our lives in a way that we need it to be applied? Some need to be encouraged. Some need to be humbled. Whatever the case may be, would you take these words and would you, through the Holy Spirit, help them to be effectual in our lives, that we would use our gifts that you have given in a way that would glorify you and be a blessing, a true blessing to others around us. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.