Now it came to pass as he was praying in a certain place, Jesus is praying, when he ceased that one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples. Yeah, you have to learn these things. It's a spiritual life. It's not a natural life. Some may get it a little faster than others, but when you understand these things, you know, this is one of the problems when Christians go into a church, they think, well, this is my father's house. Yeah, but you're not the steward.
So you just can't do whatever you want to do. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Romans.
Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Now here's Pastor Rick in Romans chapter 15 with this edition of Cross-Reference Radio. Verse 22, he says, for this reason, I also have been much hindered from coming to you.
What reason? He was too busy blazing the trail to get to Rome. He was too busy starting church churches where no churches were. He couldn't get to where there was a church that he wanted to bless. This letter bore fruit even beyond Rome.
We're part of that fruit down through the ages. All the other churches eventually, this letter eventually got to Ephesus and it got to Thessalonica and Philippi and all the other ones. He longed to bless people with what God had given him, refusing to bury the light. He wrote in the beginning of this letter, without ceasing, I make mention of you always in my prayers. They're on his heart.
And we'll find that out, we'll see that next chapter. Making requests if by some means now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you, for I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gifts so that you may be established. Now, I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often plan to come to you, but was hindered till now. So he's in Corinth writing this letter. His plan is to leave Corinth, to get to Jerusalem, celebrate the Passover, leave Jerusalem, and end up in Rome and then Spain. That's his plan. Of course, no plan survives contact with the enemy, because the enemy is going to be waiting for him in Jerusalem. So this ambition was there for many years, it tells us, in verse 23 also. Years earlier, he was hindered from returning to Thessalonica. Okay, what are we considering?
We're considering an admirable, aggressive ambition. And he has it constantly running. Back when he had started, he went to Philippi, started a church there, saved the Philippian jailer in his household, left that church because he was driven out of that city. He goes, he and Silas, to Thessalonica.
So Thessalonica, they chase him out of Thessalonica, he goes to Berea, they chase him out of there, so he ends up in Corinth eventually. But he writes to the Thessalonians, he says in the second chapter, the first letter to them, therefore I wanted to come to you, even I, Paul, time and again, but Satan hindered us. So what I'm trying to draw our attention to is that it wasn't Satan per se keeping him from Rome.
He was busy making churches, planting churches. But it was Satan that kept him from Thessalonica, as he says. So it's not always Satan who interferes with our admirable ambitions. Opportunities in other parts of the empire kept him from reaching Rome sooner than what he planned, and it may be the same for us. So coming back to being led by the Spirit, God, not personal ambition. His ambition was not personal.
It was God-given. God directed his steps. Acts chapter 16, he speaks about he and Barnabas, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. Now Asia, modern day Turkey, and then after you get north of Turkey, you're into Asia, according to the ancient maps. And so he's telling them, and we're being told in the book of Acts, that there were places the Holy Spirit said, it's not time for you to go there, I want you to go here.
Can't be two places at the same time, here's where I want you. Psalm 37 verse 23 puts it all together for us. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delights in his way. Yeah, the Lord delights in the way of the righteous man who is following the leading and not coming up with plans that are born out of his own ambitions and not supported by God. And that puts God in a difficult spot many times.
He still will bless oftentimes because you've kind of put him in a situation where the alternative is unacceptable to him and so he's going to still work with it, but it won't come out the way you had hoped, and eventually he'll bring that to light. So the best thing to do is to learn to be led by the Spirit. Verse 23, but now no longer having a place in these parts and having a great desire these many years to come to you. Well, these parts that he's referring to is Asia Minor where the seven churches of Revelation are, Colosseus, some others, and Troy and other places. Macedonia, that would be where Philippi and there's another one, oh Thessalonica. And then Acacia where there's the church at Corinth and Centuria, so that's what he's referring to. He says, I'm done with, I've planted churches here, now I'm going to get to you. That's my plan. He raised up churches that were self-sufficient, which is honorable.
They could take care of themselves. Verse 24, whenever I journey to Spain I shall come to you, for I hope to see you on my journey and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. Spain, where Jonah was trying to get to, to get away, to escape the call of God. And just sort of like Jeremiah, like Jonah said, you know Jeremiah may have been tricked, I'm not falling for it. I'm making light of it because it's one of the most magnificent stories in the Bible. A man called by God, went opposite of God, and God went and got him. And his belt was off when he got him. He gave Jonah a nice spanking.
Fantastic story. Probably the greatest part of the story of Jonah to me is that he tells us what happened. He says, look at what a fool I was. And he leaves it like that.
For us to say, yeah you're right, I don't want to be like that. Well, we have no knowledge that Paul knew there was a church in Spain. But he did know there were Jews, a lot of Jews in Spain, and he knew therefore there would be synagogues there. And as was his habit, he used the synagogues to launch the churches.
First he appealed to the Jews to win them. And if they, of course, resisted him, and there were any that did side with him, out of that would usually come the church. He would have a short stay in Rome.
That was his plan. He says, I shall come to you, but not as he envisions, to be helped on my way by you. There is a vague hint about Paul making it to Spain, a reference decades after Paul's death by Clement of Rome. Not, there were no popes. The popes were concocted centuries later. There were no popes at this time. Anyway, the early Christian writer, Clement, at the end of the first century, he makes a comment in his writings, and these writings are still available in Clement. First Clement, chapter 5, verse 7, he says that Paul went to the limits of the West, and in those days Spain was that. And so that would, you know, it's not biblical, but that doesn't mean it's not true.
It's historical, and much of history is accurate. And so we move on, if first, continuing in verse 24, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. Paul will learn just how much these Christians loved him when he comes to Rome. He survived the storm, he survived the swords and the serpent, the shipwreck, and he comes to Rome in handcuffs, in chains. And we read in Acts, chapter 28, one of the most touching parts of the book of Acts, Luke writes, and Luke was with him for this, he witnessed it. He says, and from there, when the brethren heard about us, that's Luke, including himself, they came to meet us as far as Apai forum and three inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.
That's probably Luke's way of saying Paul got choked up. When he saw them come 40 miles to intercept him in a loving way. There he is, stories have probably gone out, you know, Paul is in chains, he's coming as a prisoner of Rome, in their mind, he's prisoner of God, not Rome's. And they leave what they're doing to come out to welcome him to Rome. And they accompany him on the back, likely bringing bread and fruit and drink and things, just what an amazing picture. There is more to Christianity than surviving.
That's a picture of love. He survived the shipwreck and the serpent and the storm, all that stuff, and he's rewarded with loving Christians. Verse 25, but now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. While that miserable and worthwhile adventure awaits him, he will enter Jerusalem a free man, he will depart Jerusalem a prisoner, he will enter Rome a hero.
And that's why they came out to see him. So you're looking at the life of this person. This is what God does to the one that surrenders. And we get sidetracked by boredom, by little things, you know, a faithful in the little things.
What does that mean? You're not squeezing out of your Christian service as much as you think is really in there. And that can be frustrating.
It can be just drag you down. You got to learn to stick to it, to endure, to not give up. Look, I'm going to be faithful at the little things. If God gives me $5 to invest, I will invest it and not complain about why he gave the other guy $55. He says in verse 25, to minister to the saints. But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. So he's going to leave Corinth, that's his plan, and he's taking with him two things, a delegation from the churches in that region all the way over to Macedonia, and money, relief funds for the impoverished Jerusalem Christians. The money was not raised to spend on the church.
The money was not raised for missions. The money was raised to bring to Jerusalem for the Christians who are suffering persecution, overcrowding, and famine. Those three worked to pressure that church into this state of need that Paul knew very much about. In fact, he was likely responsible for some of it. The persecutions launched against the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem spearheaded by him.
He took it to another level, and that I'm sure he was mindful of and wanted to do all he could to assist them. Verse 26, for it pleased those from Macedonia and Acacia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. Well that's Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, and Centuria as I mentioned before, and any other believers in that region would have been part of this. Interesting, here in verse 26, the word translated contribution is actually quaenoneia in the Greek, fellowship. To make a certain fellowship. Why would he choose such a word? There are other words he could have used. He could have used words like contribution, because he's hoping that this will help the unity between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians.
And let me clarify that. The Jerusalem Christians and the Gentile Christians. Even the Jews from the, the Hellenistic Jews from the other part of the world had a problem with the Jews in Jerusalem. So Paul, he's saying we need to help them and hopefully, hopefully it will heal the relationship. He says, for the poor amongst the saints who are in Jerusalem, as I mentioned. Acts 2 begins the story, the pilgrims came, they got saved at Passover, Pentecost, and many of them decided to stay. They didn't have jobs, they were being fired from their jobs, they were being taken to jail. Paul writes to the Galatians, for you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
Those are real lives. Verse 27, it pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. Well, none of the Gentile churches, well the Jew-Gentile churches, none of them were pressured into giving.
It was all cheerful. And that's what happened here. 2 Corinthians chapter 8, because what happened is all the other churches heard about this and they said, we've got to do something. And so the plan was hatched and the Corinthians were a little sluggish at this and Paul writes to them from Macedonia, he says, man, don't forget, you were supposed to do this. So he just reminds them gently, but he talks about the Philippian Christians, the Christians in Philippi. He says, they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us by the will of God.
Previously, he said, they were themselves poor. Isn't that fantastic? They gave, they asked God, should we give this to the Christians in Jerusalem? And when God approved it in their hearts, they gave as cheerful givers.
This is a fantastic story. He continues in verse 27, and they are their debtors. Well, the Gentile Christians are spiritually indebted to help their Jewish brethren on multiple levels.
Bring that out a little bit more. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. Well, the Ethiopian jailer, I believe he was Ethiopian, the household of Cornelius, the Philippian jailer, their household, where would the Gentiles have been without the Jewish disciples of Christ? All of them were saved through the Jews, preaching the word of God. Christian Gentiles did not turn their backs on the Jewish Christians in need.
That's what's coming out of just this little comment as he's writing a letter, he's just telling them what's going on. We come, this is worth analyzing, because between the line, there are all these lives. When we get to the next chapter, one of the most beautiful chapters in the book, if you look at it this way, all those names, each one has a problem, a quirk, a need, a struggle, but on the other side of that, each one has Christ, each one has love, each one does their duty. It's a story of the church just captured in the names, and they're not even an exhaustive list. Their duty is also to minister to them in material things.
The Jews were the only teachers in the early days of the church. And Paul says, don't you forget that. He doesn't really have to say it.
They got it. Well, he is saying it to those in Rome. So he says, Gentiles, step up. Luke chapter 17, so likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, we are unprofitable servants, we have done what was our duty to do. The old saying, I don't know how old, can't be too old, there's no reward for doing the speed limit.
Well, except there's a lot less pressure. Okay, all of you all must drive the speed limit. Not. Verse 28, the speed limit's there to be challenged, don't you know that? Verse 28, therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. I'll turn my attention to you and Spain once I've done my duty in Jerusalem by bringing this offering. Verse 29, but I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Yeah, he's unaware of the drama awaiting him, but still, when he goes through that drama, what does he bring to Rome? Undiluted Christianity.
That's what he brings. The truth, the love that is to cover all of us in our walk with Christ. He gives, verse 30, now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me. Well, I hope you strive together with me. We've got to get to verse 33.
So it might be a little long today, but you'll be all right, I'm sure. Coming back to this, he says, verse 29, now I beg you. See, that's where the translators messed up for the new King James. Some of the other translations get it.
Even the old King James gets it right. Invite, beseech, those would have been better words. Beg for us implies reluctance and desperation.
And that's not what he is saying. The Greek word is better translated invite or beseech. And so he's inviting them to help. He continues, brethren, I invite you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit. Now, I've got to pause here to say you can love and you can pray in your own strength.
You're free to do that if you're not careful. Christians have to learn to pray. Any of you offended by that? Any of you think that when you come to Christ, you just own it? You don't have to learn how to pray because you have just this love for God. Well, that's not what we're taught in Scripture. Luke, chapter 11.
Now it came to pass as he was praying in a certain place, Jesus is praying, when he ceased that one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples. Yeah, you have to learn these things. It's a spiritual life. It's not a natural life.
Some may get it a little faster than others. But when you understand these things, this is one of the problems when Christians go into a church, they think, well, this is my father's house. Yeah, but you're not the steward.
So, you just can't do whatever you want to do. That you strive together with me in prayers to God for me. Well, all servants need prayers is another lesson. Even the great apostle Paul coveted their prayers. Now, striving and struggling go with prayer.
And if they didn't, then everybody would be at the prayer meetings. Prayer is hard to do. Here's what I've been wanting to say about striving and struggling in prayer. You may find prayer to be difficult and prone to ineffectiveness. But just remember this, hell hates all of your prayers because hell fears all of your prayers. Hell knows that if you pray to God, there are going to be prayers that break through, that are granted, and it won't be in the interest of the devil. That alone should be incentive to do as Luke tells us, men ought always pray and not lose heart.
If hell is afraid of something you do, then you need to do it. Verse 31, that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints. Well, just in case they didn't know what he was facing, he knew. He knew those guys in Jerusalem, they were militant, they do them harm. He's asking for four things in this prayer request. Deliverance from the militant Jews, and he will be delivered, but they're going to get a couple of shots in, which I, you know, I just don't want that to happen to me.
I don't want to be punched in the face, but that's what he subjected himself to and more. Then he prayed for the gratitude in the church when the gift arrived, which sadly we have no record. We have no record of anybody in Jerusalem saying to Paul and the Gentiles, thank you.
We have no record of them coming to his assistance when he was arrested. We have Gentile Christians there. How eye-opening is that? He prayed that he would get to Rome if it was God's will, and he prayed that when he got to Rome, it would be joyful. You say, well, why would he have to say that? Because at this time, he had already written at least three Corinthian letters.
Two we have, one is gone. In those letters, there was confrontation. He makes one trip to Corinth, and it does not go well. And so he knows the volatile nature of born-again people, potentially the volatile nature. And so he says, when I come to Rome, I don't want the drama I got in Corinth.
And so it makes perfect sense if you understand what he has been through. He arrives later, but he arrives God's way, and he pens four letters on the way. And where would we be without Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon?
If you study Philemon, you say, why am I missing? Where has this letter been all my life? This love poured out by one Christian to another on behalf of yet another, and one in particular doesn't deserve it.
It's incredible. Well, in two of those letters, well, two, we'll keep it there, Ephesians and Colossians, he specifically asked them to pray. He says here in verse 31, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to all the saints.
So I already mentioned that. They did not seem, the hospitality was lacking when Paul, in fact, you know, that's how he got arrested. James says, hey, why don't you go down to the temple and do this?
He should have never done that, but he did. Verse 32, that I may come to you with joy by the will of God and that, and may be refreshed together with you. So he reaches Rome, hands chained, heart captured by God. Verse 33, now the God of peace be with you all.
Amen. So he closes with El Shalom, or Shalom, not Shalom, Shalom. God of peace, verse five in this chapter.
God of hope, verse 13, and the God of peace, verse 33. Thanks for joining us for today's teaching on Cross-Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia.
We're currently going through the book of Romans. If you're in need of hearing this message again, or want to listen to others like it, head over to crossreferenceradio.com. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast too, so you'll never miss another edition. Just go to your favorite podcast app to subscribe. On our website, you'll be able to learn a little more about the ministry of Cross-Reference Radio, so make a note of it, crossreferenceradio.com. That's all we have time for today, but thanks so much for listening. Pastor Rick will be back next time in the book of Romans, here on Cross-Reference Radio.
