Trinity Evangel Church

We are part of a great offering of nations being sanctified by the Holy Spirit to be presented to God. Paul wrote Romans as part of that gospel work, and the first part of this paragraph lifts us up to the glory in that work. The second half of the paragraph, verses 17-21, belongs with the first part, but is more historical. As I said last week, starting in 15:14 Paul finishes off his letter with more personal than theological issues, and here he’s moving toward why he’s been trying to come and visit the Romans.

He’s got bold ambitions. The first part of the bold ambition is that he’s aiming for the nations to be made an acceptable offering to God through the gospel. This has to do with their believing and then obeying the gospel. “Jesus is Lord” is the right confession, and it changes all our conduct and culture. This ambition had been Paul’s aim as an apostle, and his letter to the Romans had included some bold reminders because, though he saw signs of God’s grace among them, he wanted more for them.

The second part of his bold ambition is that Paul aimed himself at places that had never heard the the name of Christ. He was what we might call a frontier missionary or pioneer missionary. Lots of jobs in lots of places belong with the preparing of an offering by the gospel, but Paul’s job was especially to take the gospel to places that had no knowledge of it. He’d been choosing his itinerary accordingly.

In verses 17-21 he shares his excitement about God’s work through him and shares his ambition to cover even more new ground. (One of my Greek texts — UBS4 has verses 17-21 as one sentence, and the ESV only has two sentences, 17 and 18-21. Another Greek text — THGNT has separate sentences for 17-19, 20-21. My point in mentioning that is to say there’s reasonable disagreement as to where the divisions happen.)

There’s a “therefore” or a then, connecting this boast to his bold project.

In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. (Romans 15:17 ESV)

Reason to be proud is the usual word for a boast, a thing that he can “glory” (KJV) in. There’s only so much that Christians are allowed to humble-brag about. Paul is able to make a big deal about “the (things he’s done) for God,” and even still, those were only done in Christ Jesus.

He’s about to explain what things/work he’s referring to, and it’s already been quite ambitious.

If you’re reading an ESV you can see the dashes, separating off a sort of parenthesis. Before and after those dashes we get a statement of his accomplishments.

For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience…so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; (Romans 15:18a, 19b ESV)

I venture is related to the world “boldly” in verse 15 (τολμηρότερον and τολμήσω); he was daring in some of his reminders to them but he would not dare in his boasting before them. His reminders were bold, but he’s not so bold as to talk about anything except what Christ has accomplished through me. What is that? It’s been the evangelization of parts of Syria and Turkey and Greece.

“Resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles” (NASB). Again, the Gentiles are the ethne, and here is their obedience of faith. “The obedience of faith” bookends the entire epistle (1:5, 16:25), and is only used in those two verses. Romans is the place to go for justification by faith alone. There is no earning salvation by works. And also, the gospel includes a command to believe, and living faith obeys the commands of Christ. This who know the Great Commission hear the connection, we are baptized into Christ and then taught to obey all that Christ commanded. Paul is doing that work among the peoples.

Specifically he’s worked from Jerusalem…to Illyricum. Illyricum is the area on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea that covers what we now recognize as Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia. That he worked from one and to the other probably he means all the area in between; the names are the edges.

source

And to have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel he doesn’t mean that all of them are ready to be presented as the offering to God, but that now those places heard the name of Christ.

This insert isn’t an afterthought, but it is a short clarification. It’s not necessary for the sentence, but it does give explanation as to the means of the accomplishment.

—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God— (Romans 15:18–19 ESV)

Paul did more than Francis of Assisi (who supposedly said "Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words”), Paul lived and spoke (and wrote). The deeds are probably explained by the phrase by power of signs and wonders, and the last two words probably “refer to the same events viewed from different aspects” (Murray); a miracle amazes and it points. While preaching and debating, Paul had healed a man born lame in Lystra, he’d expelled a demon from a slave prophetess in Philipp, and he’d raised Eutychus back to life even though he fell asleep during a sermon. These all were brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here’s his particular ambition, his aim; he “aspired” (NASB).

and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, (Romans 15:20 ESV)

A place where Christ has been named is not a place where everyone has become a Christian, but a place where anyone could become a Christian. It’s hard for us to go back and consider what life was like before Jesus.

I’ve mentioned before The Book That Made Your World, and what a privilege to have our own copies of the Bible, but even to live in this generation that stands on the shoulders of Book People. Going through Omnibus, the modern period is dark, but not because the Light hasn’t come. The light is on a stand in the middle of the room, but we’ve put a basket over the light. That was not always the case. Paul was taking the Light into places that had never seen it.

By God’s grace so many peoples have heard the name of Jesus, and the apostle John saw in times to come “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9 ESV).

And yet according to the Joshua Project website today there are 17,281 People Groups (ethne), with 7,246 still Unreached, some 3.4 billion people. The offering is not ready.

Going is NOT the calling/program/ambition of all, but it is the work of some. We wouldn’t say that there are modern apostles, but there are still evangelists and church planters. Others build on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, continuing the sanctification of the offering.

Those of us who have complete copies of God’s Word recognize this as Isaiah 52:15.

but as it is written,

“Those who have never been told of him will see,

In Romans 15:17-21, Christ is named explicitly in every verse except 21, which is a prophecy of Isaiah referring to "Him," the Servant of the Lord, the Messiah.

The salvation of Gentiles was prophesied. In that context are “the world-wide effects of the Messiah’s sacrifice” (Murray). For those who know the context in Isaiah 52:13-15, God’s servant will shut the mouths of kings, He will be their king, and we know Him as “our Lord Jesus Christ” (so named in Romans 15:6, 30).

Paul pushed for MORE, unto sanctification and into Spain! If it’s not broke, let’s get further west, and beyond. In one way we are the ends of the earth, 6,742 miles from Jerusalem to Marysville. And also, the offering isn’t ready just yet; the fulness of the Gentiles has not yet come in (Romans 11:25).

Let us not take gospel obedience for granted. Children, do you believe it? You know the name of Christ, do you believe and love and obey Him? The gospel is God’s power for salvation both far and near.

Beloved, you are probably not boasting enough in what Christ has accomplished through you. And, beloved, you are probably not being ambitious enough in pursuit of Christ accomplishing even more through you. Let your boasts in Christ, and ambitions for Christ, be BOLD.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Romans 16:25–27 ESV)

We are part of a great offering of nations being sanctified by the Holy Spirit to be presented to God. Paul wrote Romans as part of that gospel work, and the first part of this paragraph lifts us up to the glory in that work. The second half of the paragraph, verses 17-21, belongs with the first part, but is more historical. As I said last week, starting in 15:14 Paul finishes off his letter with more personal than theological issues, and here he’s moving toward why he’s been trying to come and visit the Romans.

He’s got bold ambitions. The first part of the bold ambition is that he’s aiming for the nations to be made an acceptable offering to God through the gospel. This has to do with their believing and then obeying the gospel. “Jesus is Lord” is the right confession, and it changes all our conduct and culture. This ambition had been Paul’s aim as an apostle, and his letter to the Romans had included some bold reminders because, though he saw signs of God’s grace among them, he wanted more for them.

The second part of his bold ambition is that Paul aimed himself at places that had never heard the the name of Christ. He was what we might call a frontier missionary or pioneer missionary. Lots of jobs in lots of places belong with the preparing of an offering by the gospel, but Paul’s job was especially to take the gospel to places that had no knowledge of it. He’d been choosing his itinerary accordingly.

In verses 17-21 he shares his excitement about God’s work through him and shares his ambition to cover even more new ground. (One of my Greek texts — UBS4 has verses 17-21 as one sentence, and the ESV only has two sentences, 17 and 18-21. Another Greek text — THGNT has separate sentences for 17-19, 20-21. My point in mentioning that is to say there’s reasonable disagreement as to where the divisions happen.)

# Work Boast (verse 17)

There’s a “therefore” or a **then**, connecting this boast to his bold project.

> In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. (Romans 15:17 ESV)

**Reason to be proud** is the usual word for a boast, a thing that he can “glory” (KJV) in. There’s only so much that Christians are allowed to humble-brag about. Paul is able to make a big deal about “the (things he’s done) for God,” and even still, those were only done **in Christ Jesus**.

He’s about to explain what things/work he’s referring to, and it’s already been quite ambitious.

# Work Area (verses 18a, 19b)

If you’re reading an ESV you can see the dashes, separating off a sort of parenthesis. Before and after those dashes we get a statement of his accomplishments.

> For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience…so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; (Romans 15:18a, 19b ESV)

**I venture** is related to the world “boldly” in verse 15 (τολμηρότερον and τολμήσω); he was daring in some of his reminders to them but he would not dare in his boasting before them. His reminders were bold, but he’s not so bold as to talk about anything except **what Christ has accomplished through me**. What is that? It’s been the evangelization of parts of Syria and Turkey and Greece.

“Resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles” (NASB). Again, **the Gentiles** are the *ethne*, and here is their obedience *of faith*. “The obedience of faith” bookends the entire epistle (1:5, 16:25), and is only used in those two verses. Romans is *the* place to go for justification by faith *alone*. There is no earning salvation by works. And also, the gospel includes a command to believe, and living faith obeys the commands of Christ. This who know the Great Commission hear the connection, we are baptized into Christ and then taught to obey all that Christ commanded. Paul is doing that work among the peoples.

Specifically he’s worked **from Jerusalem…to Illyricum**. Illyricum is the area on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea that covers what we now recognize as Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia. That he worked from one and to the other probably he means all the area in between; the names are the edges.


[source](https://www.evidenceunseen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Illyricum-to-Jerusalem-scaled.jpg)

And to **have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel** he doesn’t mean that all of them are ready to be presented as the offering to God, but that now those places heard the name of Christ.

# Work Means (verses 18b-19a)

This insert isn’t an afterthought, but it is a short clarification. It’s not necessary for the sentence, but it does give explanation as to the means of the accomplishment.

> —by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God— (Romans 15:18–19 ESV)

Paul did more than Francis of Assisi (who supposedly said "Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words”), Paul lived and spoke (and wrote). The **deed**s are probably explained by the phrase **by power of signs and wonders**, and the last two words probably “refer to the same events viewed from different aspects” (Murray); a miracle amazes and it points. While preaching and debating, Paul had healed a man born lame in Lystra, he’d expelled a demon from a slave prophetess in Philipp, and he’d raised Eutychus back to life even though he fell asleep during a sermon. These all were brought about by the **power of the Holy Spirit**.

# Work Ambition (verse 20)

Here’s his particular **ambition**, his aim; he “aspired” (NASB).

> and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, (Romans 15:20 ESV)

A place where Christ has **been named** is not a place where everyone has become a Christian, but a place where anyone could become a Christian. It’s hard for us to go back and consider what life was like before Jesus.

I’ve mentioned before [_The Book That Made Your World_](https://www.amazon.com/Book-that-Made-Your-World/dp/1595555455/), and what a privilege to have our own copies of the Bible, but even to live in this generation that stands on the shoulders of Book People. Going through Omnibus, the modern period is dark, but not because the Light hasn’t come. The light is on a stand in the middle of the room, but we’ve put a basket over the light. That was not always the case. Paul was taking the Light into places that had never seen it.

By God’s grace so many peoples have heard the name of Jesus, and the apostle John saw in times to come “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9 ESV).

And yet according to the [Joshua Project](https://joshuaproject.net/) website today there are 17,281 People Groups (*ethne*), with 7,246 still Unreached, some 3.4 billion people. The offering is not ready.

Going is NOT the calling/program/ambition of all, but it is the work of some. We wouldn’t say that there are modern apostles, but there are still evangelists and church planters. Others build on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, continuing the sanctification of the offering.

# Work Fulfillment (verse 21)

Those of us who have complete copies of God’s Word recognize this as Isaiah 52:15.

> but as it is written,

>

> “Those who have never been told of him will see,

> and those who have never heard will understand.”

> (Romans 15:21 ESV)

In Romans 15:17-21, Christ is named explicitly in every verse except 21, which is a prophecy of Isaiah referring to "Him," the Servant of the Lord, the Messiah.

The salvation of Gentiles was prophesied. In that context are “the world-wide effects of the Messiah’s sacrifice” (Murray). For those who know the context in Isaiah 52:13-15, God’s servant will shut the mouths of kings, He will be their king, and we know Him as “our Lord Jesus Christ” (so named in Romans 15:6, 30).

# Conclusion

Paul pushed for MORE, unto sanctification and into Spain! If it’s not broke, let’s get further west, and beyond. In one way we are the ends of the earth, 6,742 miles from Jerusalem to Marysville. And also, the offering isn’t ready just yet; the fulness of the Gentiles has not yet come in (Romans 11:25).

Let us not take gospel obedience for granted. Children, do you believe it? You know the name of Christ, do you believe and love and obey Him? The gospel is God’s power for salvation both far and near.

----------

## Charge

Beloved, you are probably not boasting enough in what Christ has accomplished through you. And, beloved, you are probably not being ambitious enough in pursuit of Christ accomplishing even more through you. Let your boasts in Christ, and ambitions for Christ, be BOLD.

## Benediction:

> Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Romans 16:25–27 ESV)

From Romans 15:14 we’re headed downhill toward the last “Amen” in the letter. Verse 13 (which we looked at last November) is a great benediction, a good word that bookends the last major division of the application/implications (that started in 12:1) which addressed brothers welcoming one another as Christ has welcomed us (14:1-15:13). What remains is more personal, with some reminders from Paul about his commitment to the church in Rome as part of his commission to take the gospel to the nations.

The paragraph covers verses 14-21. We’re going to take it in two parts. Verses 18-21 are probably one sentence, and it’s a sentence that begins by explaining verse 17; we’ll pick up at that point next time. For now verses 14-16 are a feast, more than an explanation for the epistle and his tone, they are an expression of Paul’s life aim. This is enough to get someone fired up; it certainly fired up the apostle.

You know a lot about the apostle Paul. For that matter, we’ve been with him for fourteen and a half chapters (386 verses, 84 previous sermons) of this letter. If you had five minutes to write one sentence of Paul’s life mission, what would you say? You could hardly improve on Colossians 1:28, or even Philippians 1:25. Before he describes his work product (verses 17-21), he describes and defends what pushes his work. It wasn’t that he was discouraged about the Romans, it’s that his objective was so ambitious.

Two parts: his confidence in God’s work among them and his compelling desire for God to accept them. Paul was well pleased with them, he wanted God to be fully pleased with them.

Paul wrote an awful long letter to some people he was convinced had everything they needed.

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. (Romans 15:14 ESV)

This is personal, I myself and you yourselves, along with the my brothers. It’s personal and emphatic and affectionate.

It’s also confident. He starts by saying he’s satisfied, alright, also “convinced” (NASB) or “fully convinced” (NET), “persuaded” (KJV) as in, having been brought to a particular point of view. He had his info, and had no doubts. About what?

His confidence was in their maturity. They were full, filled with all, able. It’s astounding, considering that the church in Rome had to have been less than a decade old, and Paul had never been there (see verse 22). But Paul thanked God for them, “because your faith is proclaimed in all the world” (1:8).

Here their faith manifested in character: full of goodness. Their faith was not ignorant or sentimental, but they were: having been filled with all knowledge. (And that was true before having heard the contents of this letter.) And their knowledge was of the kind that was for the community, not just the individual: able to instruct one another, though “admonish” (KJV, NASB) would be better; assuming a standard and helping one another toward it in “congregational obligation” (Morris). (This was apparently true in spite of the stronger/weaker brother tangles.)

They had goodness, knowledge, and capacity for speaking the truth in love and building up one another in the body. That’s some reputation, and Paul accepts it, affirms it, and yet is both pleased and not satisfied. This reference in Mere Christianity isn’t exactly the same, yet there’s some overlap.

“As a great Christian writer (George MacDonald) pointed out, every father is pleased at the baby’s first attempt to walk: no father would be satisfied with anything less than a firm, free, manly walk in a grown-up son. In the same way, he said, ‘God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy.’”

With that kind of endorsement, what else to they need? I don’t think that Paul is merely being polite; he’s plainly thankful for them, while also having such a massive goal that he can’t consider his work done.

But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:15–16 ESV)

I referred to these verses a couple weeks ago applied to sermons and especially the word of reminders. Who’s to say that every Christian in Rome knew every bit of Paul’s teaching on sinfulness and guilt, on righteousness by faith and in our walk, on the love of God for groaning sufferers, on God’s blessing some to make Jews jealous that they would return to Christ, let alone all the particulars on presenting ourselves as living sacrifices. And so what if one of them said, “I know all that.” Paul still knew what God’s grace to him was for.

He wasn’t just reminding, some of his reminders were written to you very boldly. In the original text boldly or audaciously is the first word in the sentence, grabbing attention. He wasn’t holding back, wasn’t reluctant to remind them. It was part of his calling. That’s what the grace given to me by God refers to, not his salvation, but his apostleship, as evidenced by the fantastic progression of his purpose in verse 16.

He was a minister of Christ Jesus. It’s not the usual word for minister/servant, it’s leitourgon (λειτουργὸν), a man who leads in public service, typically in worship settings, but sometimes of the work of government officials. There’s a pattern to follow, a proper ordering of things. Of course our word liturgy descends from it. For sake of our mediation, he was a liturgizer of Jesus.

This was aimed mostly at τὰ ἔθνη (same as the object of the Great Commission), the “nations” or the “peoples,” so not the nation, Israel, but the rest, so the ESV translates it, the Gentiles, all ethnicities other than his own (his Israelite brothers, Romans 9:2-3, 10:1, 11:1).

Unlike his usual analogies (shepherd, builder, father, etc.), here Paul likens his work as priestly service of the gospel of God. He’s been talking about “the gospel of God” since the start: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1 ESV). The gospel is the good news about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and of peace through faith, but the whole news is from and through and to God.

This priesting work was preparing an offering, that the offering of the Peoples may be acceptable. He considered the whole “fullness of the Gentiles” (τῶν ἐθνῶν - see Romans 11:25) — as many as were appointed to eternal life (see Acts 13:48) — as a “gift” brought as an expression of service. The gospel is making, transforming, adorning, a gift-people. You are part of that gift.

“[D]oubtless this is the priesthood of the Christian pastor, that is, to sacrifice men, as it were, to God, by bringing them to obey the gospel.” —John Calvin

Such an acceptable offering is only possible as sanctified by the Holy Spirit. All three persons of the Trinity are working, and all three are honored as the offering is surrendered for His pleasure.

The gospel can be summarized, and, its aims are sweeping, both for each believer and among the nations.

As confident as Paul was in their faith, he was compelled by his bold ambition (also verse 20). In this case, if it's not broke, press the gas pedal.

Is your character full of goodness? Are you filled with the knowledge of God and His will? Are you ready to come along side your brothers so that they might walk even better in newness of life, for altar-living? If yes, praise the Lord! You’re still not done for the Lord, and in particular, we all are being consecrated for presentation to the Lord.

This is group jealousability for serious. The gospel of God is the power of God for salvation, from faith to faith, making an obedient offering to God. The gospel does more than get into your head, it messes with all our stuff.

Individually, we are meant for altar-living. Corporately, we are meant for completed, consecrated communing, to be an offering acceptable to God. He has purposed our whole group holiness and health. He has bold ambitions for us, to make us pleasing to Him. Live your amen, so let it be.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24, 28 ESV)

From Romans 15:14 we’re headed downhill toward the last “Amen” in the letter. Verse 13 (which we looked at last November) is a great benediction, a good word that bookends the last major division of the application/implications (that started in 12:1) which addressed brothers welcoming one another as Christ has welcomed us (14:1-15:13). What remains is more personal, with some reminders from Paul about his commitment to the church in Rome as part of his commission to take the gospel to the nations.

The paragraph covers verses 14-21. We’re going to take it in two parts. Verses 18-21 are probably one sentence, and it’s a sentence that begins by explaining verse 17; we’ll pick up at that point next time. For now verses 14-16 are a feast, more than an explanation for the epistle and his *tone*, they are an expression of Paul’s *life aim*. This is enough to get someone fired up; it certainly fired up the apostle.

You know a lot about the apostle Paul. For that matter, we’ve been with him for fourteen and a half chapters (386 verses, 84 previous sermons) of this letter. If you had five minutes to write one sentence of Paul’s life mission, what would you say? You could hardly improve on Colossians 1:28, or even Philippians 1:25. Before he describes his work product (verses 17-21), he describes and defends what pushes his work. It wasn’t that he was discouraged about the Romans, it’s that his objective was so *ambitious*.

Two parts: his confidence in God’s work among them and his compelling desire for God to accept them. Paul was well pleased with them, he wanted God to be fully pleased with them.

# Confident Approval (verse 14)

Paul wrote an awful long letter to some people he was convinced had everything they needed.

> I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. (Romans 15:14 ESV)

This is *personal*, **I myself** and **you yourselves**, along with the **my brothers**. It’s personal and emphatic and affectionate.

It’s also *confident*. He starts by saying he’s **satisfied**, alright, also “convinced” (NASB) or “fully convinced” (NET), “persuaded” (KJV) as in, having been brought to a particular point of view. He had his info, and had no doubts. About what?

His confidence was in their *maturity*. They were **full**, **filled with all**, **able**. It’s astounding, considering that the church in Rome had to have been less than a decade old, and Paul had never been there (see verse 22). But Paul thanked God for them, “because your faith is proclaimed in all the world” (1:8).

Here their faith manifested in character: **full of goodness**. Their faith was not ignorant or sentimental, but they were: **having been filled with all knowledge**. (And that was true *before* having heard the contents of this letter.) And their knowledge was of the kind that was for the community, not just the individual: **able to instruct one another**, though “admonish” (KJV, NASB) would be better; assuming a standard and helping one another toward it in “congregational obligation” (Morris). (This was apparently true in spite of the stronger/weaker brother tangles.)

They had goodness, knowledge, and capacity for speaking the truth in love and building up one another in the body. That’s some reputation, and Paul accepts it, affirms it, and yet is both pleased and not satisfied. This reference in _Mere Christianity_ isn’t exactly the same, yet there’s some overlap.

> “As a great Christian writer (George MacDonald) pointed out, every father is pleased at the baby’s first attempt to walk: no father would be satisfied with anything less than a firm, free, manly walk in a grown-up son. In the same way, he said, **‘God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy.’”**

# Compelling Ambition (verses 15-16)

With that kind of endorsement, what else to they need? I don’t think that Paul is merely being polite; he’s plainly thankful for them, while also having such a massive goal that he can’t consider his work done.

> But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:15–16 ESV)

I referred to these verses a couple weeks ago applied to sermons and especially the word of reminders. Who’s to say that every Christian in Rome knew every bit of Paul’s teaching on sinfulness and guilt, on righteousness by faith and in our walk, on the love of God for groaning sufferers, on God’s blessing some to make Jews jealous that they would return to Christ, let alone all the particulars on presenting ourselves as living sacrifices. And so what if one of them said, “I know all that.” Paul still knew what God’s grace to him was for.

He wasn’t just reminding, some of his reminders were **written to you very boldly**. In the original text **boldly** or audaciously is the first word in the sentence, grabbing attention. He wasn’t holding back, wasn’t reluctant to remind them. It was part of his calling. That’s what the **grace given to me by God** refers to, not his salvation, but his apostleship, as evidenced by the fantastic progression of his purpose in verse 16.

He was a **minister of Christ Jesus**. It’s not the usual word for minister/servant, it’s *leitourgon* (λειτουργὸν), a man who leads in public service, typically in worship settings, but sometimes of the work of government officials. There’s a pattern to follow, a proper ordering of things. Of course our word liturgy descends from it. For sake of our mediation, he was a *liturgizer* of Jesus.

This was aimed mostly at *τὰ ἔθνη* (same as the object of the Great Commission), the “nations” or the “peoples,” so not *the* nation, Israel, but the rest, so the ESV translates it, **the Gentiles**, all ethnicities other than his own (his Israelite brothers, Romans 9:2-3, 10:1, 11:1).

Unlike his usual analogies (shepherd, builder, father, etc.), here Paul likens his work as **priestly service of the gospel of God**. He’s been talking about “the gospel of God” since the start: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1 ESV). The gospel is the good news *about* the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and of peace through faith, but the whole news is from and through and to God.

This priesting work was preparing an offering, **that the offering of the Peoples may be acceptable**. He considered the whole “fullness of the Gentiles” (τῶν ἐθνῶν - see Romans 11:25) — as many as were appointed to eternal life (see Acts 13:48) — as a “gift” brought as an expression of service. The gospel is making, transforming, *adorning*, a gift-people. You are part of that gift.

> “[D]oubtless this is the priesthood of the Christian pastor, that is, to sacrifice men, as it were, to God, by bringing them to obey the gospel.” —John Calvin

Such an acceptable offering is only possible as **sanctified by the Holy Spirit**. All three persons of the Trinity are working, and all three are honored as the offering is surrendered for His pleasure.

The gospel can be summarized, and, its aims are sweeping, both for each believer and among the nations.

As confident as Paul was in their faith, he was compelled by his bold ambition (also verse 20). In this case, if it's not broke, press the gas pedal.

# Conclusion

Is your character full of goodness? Are you filled with the knowledge of God and His will? Are you ready to come along side your brothers so that they might walk even better in newness of life, for altar-living? If yes, praise the Lord! You’re still not done for the Lord, and in particular, *we all* are being consecrated for presentation to the Lord.

This is group jealousability for serious. The gospel of God is the power of God for salvation, from faith to faith, making an obedient offering to God. The gospel does more than get into your head, it messes with *all* our stuff.

----------

## Charge

Individually, we are meant for altar-living. Corporately, we are meant for completed, consecrated communing, to be an offering acceptable to God. He has purposed our whole group holiness and health. He has bold ambitions for us, to make us pleasing to Him. Live your amen, so let it be.

## Benediction:

> Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

>

> The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24, 28 ESV)

Your blessing depends on the sermon-delivering-servant’s zeal to please God in order to serve you. It must be in that order. The minister is only as good for the flock as he is doing right by God and a being a faithful steward of God’s Word. When it comes to preaching, the preacher must not hold back any effort from knowing the Word and preaching the Word in order that the church will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.

Of course I’m usually just preaching the sermon, not talking about sermons as a sermon subject. But we’re finishing some reminders about our Lord’s Day liturgy, and, though the sermon is not the only important part, it is a part of how God shapes and strengthens His church. The power for getting the parts to work properly so that the whole body grows up into the unity of faith doesn’t come from the furniture/pulpit, it comes from God’s Word spoken by God’s representative and applied by God’s Spirit. When exercised rightly, preaching is salvation for the speaker and the hearers. This isn’t an adversarial relationship, but it’s not allowed to be a tickle party or affirmation therapy session either.

Here are a couple key passages that you need to know, passages that are always under the water of the sermonic iceberg.

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:13–16 ESV)

Progress is big. So is persistence in paying attention to life and teaching. The KJV opens verse 16 with “take heed,” which is probably just the right amount of not how we usually talk to get us to “pay close attention” (NASB). Keep a close watch (ESV), “Be conscientious” (NET).

There must be a maintained, mindful grasp on two things: 1) watch one’s self, as in one’s speech and conduct for setting the believers an example (see verse 12), and 2) watch one’s teaching, that it not be doctrines of demons (see 4:1) and not irreverent, silly myths (4:7), but in the fulness of God’s good things given (4:5-6) and the faith and doctrines that cause all our hope to be in the living God (verse 10); “for to this end we toil and strive.” Watch the teaching.

So “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them” (verse 15, NASB). The whole process matters as God’s means to the saving of the assembly. We know it’s God’s means, since God is the Savior (verse 10), and He uses in season and out of season reproofs, rebukes, exhortations, and truth-teaching to complete His saving work.

Another key passage relates to this work of watching.

Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. (2 Timothy 2:14–17 ESV)

It’s verse 15 in the middle there that’s fairly well known among Bible-loving people. Do you know what’s behind the command: Do your best? It’s the imperative form of the Greek word σπουδάζω, a cognate with the noun σπουδή, meaning zeal, which I’ve been touting like a Styrofoam #1 pointy-finger since we saw it in Romans 12:11 - “In zeal, don’t hold back.” So the verb form of it is “be especially conscientious in discharging an obligation, be zealous, take pains, make every effort” (BAGD).

What’s required is σπουδή/zeal for Scripture, taking pains over the pages of the Bible, making every effort to not get God’s Word wrong. Not only is God the judge, but the fruit is in the people. Certain teaching ruins the hearers, it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. That puts the teacher in a position of shame before God.

This calling—to be an agent of saving grace or of disgrace—is a beautiful and blessed but weighty and wearisome burden. Sometimes you’ll hear pastors tell people that if a young man can do anything else than be a pastor/preacher, he should. That’s not just because of James 3:1, it’s because there is a glorious and grave (though not grim) grind to beat on the Word so that its living waters will flow, and to be beaten on by that Word so that his own affections will abound, to watch his life and teaching, and to then carry that treasure in his jar of clay and pour it out for the work of life among the people.

God continues to be extremely kind to me in that He continues to give me desire/craving for His Word. I have σπουδή for Scripture.

That said, I am often tempted to hold back in the preaching. It requires Spirit-strength (as do any and all types of good works) to not be reluctant, but to be ready and sober-minded and enduring suffering (2 Timothy 4:2-5). Not only is the preacher’s schedule out of sync with most of the flock and to a degree even with his own family, his zeal in study and preparation is hardly ever met with similar zeal in eagerness to attend and receive. There are those who are asleep, spiritually and sometimes in the flesh. There are those who aren’t just resistant, they are recalcitrant. And yet “the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

But blessing and salvation are brought through the preaching of the Word. It’s the charge given to the minister in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus.

I mentioned three things last week that are being learned through sermons even when they are not the direct content of the sermon. The third point was that sermon hearers learn how to be Scripture readers by the example of the sermon preacher. He must watch the teaching, and so should you. For my part, when I’m preaching through a book of the Bible, I do think that I could synthesize my zeal for being intentional example under two headings. I am zealous that you would read and interpret every passage in its context, and I am zealous that you would read and receive all of it under Christ’s lordship.

Two parts of my Sermon Spoude.

There are a couple other ways to describe this, but it starts with a recognition of our privilege. We have Word Privilege. We should not give it up, we should give thanks to God for it, we should realize that to whom much is given much is required. Our Word Privilege comes in the fact that we have our own copies of the complete inspired Scriptures. We have what no one in the Bible had…a complete Bible.

One implication of that is that any given author—Moses, David, Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Paul, Peter, John—did not expect that his readers needed other books/writings to make his point. Each author had a point, and he made it his point with his own composition. For sure, some of the prophets wrote things that they weren’t fully sure how it would look when it came about, but that’s not the same as saying they expected their readers to need a concordance. Analogia Scriptura/Scripture-interprets-Scripture is great second, after the context of Scripture has proven incapable of understanding.

There are a bunch of quotes and allusions that NT writers make from OT passages. But the Romans, for example, did not have all the Jewish books, and did not need them. For that matter, the Jews in captivity in Babylon hearing Lamentations didn’t need Romans to understand what they needed to believe or obey.

You may, or may not, have noticed that I usually don’t have us going all over the Bible during our line—upon-line series. Stay here. See what’s here. You don’t need cross-references 98% of the time (even if that percentage is not scientifically determined).

Like real estate rules (Location. Location. Location), there are three most important rules for Bible reading: 1) Context, 2) Context, 3) Context. The most important thing you can figure out is: What did the author intend his readers to understand? As soon as you bring meaning with you into the passage (no matter how “true” the meaning), you are doing eisegesis, you are “interpreting into” rather than out of the passage.

The most helpful “hack” is to read in paragraphs. The invention of the chapter and verse notation systems are great for navigation, but they can make the point harder to notice. Use whatever tools you have access to and skill with, but most of what you need is to stay on the page you’re reading, think about the author’s intent, and ask the Lord for understanding (2 Timothy 2:7). Watch the teaching for ideas.

Every once in a while I hear the criticism that I do not preach Christ. I am honestly baffled by that. But, there are some virtuous sounding Bible reading strategies that always expect to see Jesus, and I don’t, so why don’t I?

There’s a passage that’s often used to argue for Christocentric reading, which has become a way of reading where Christ at the center of the meaning of every Bible text. Jesus taught the two disciples on their road to Emmaus.

beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27 ESV)

They immediately returned to Jerusalem, and were with the eleven disciples, when Jesus stood among them.

He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures…” (Luke 24:44-45 ESV)

The phrase in verse 44, (πάντα τὰ γεγραμμένα) is a substantival participle with a modifier: All the Having-Been-Written-Things (AtHBWT). And “in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” and everything written about me are not the same as saying “each thing was written about me.” Rather than the explicit subject of every Scripture, I prefer the description Christotelic, Christ is the endpoint.

There’s a Spurgeon quote that gets trotted out in these discussions: “I take my text and make a beeline to the cross.” First, it’s not yet been sourced as a thing he actually said; it has not been verified in searching his published works. Second, that’s not cutting a straight line with Scripture.

That said, all things are His things, and yet His things aren't His self. Nothing isn’t part of His property or part of His purposes, but we still maintain a distinction between those things and His Person. It is all the “word of Christ” (Colossians 3:16), so we can talk about any of His things and still be preaching Christ.

When the paragraph (pericope, proverb, prophecy) doesn’t explicitly mention Christ, I don’t think we should try to act like it is (we’re not looking for a “deeper meaning,” it’s usually a sort of Christocentric eiesgesis). Nor should we try to forget that it all relates to Him. But getting grief because you don’t see Jesus as the spiritual meaning of a verse is a burden I’m trying to show you isn’t yours to carry. Watch the teaching.

Why should you care about any of this? This is not just “Insider Bible” talk. You should care because your salvation and blessing depend on it.

You should also be zealous to pay attention to the Word, here and on your own. Be zealous to understand the context, be zealous to understand how all of it helps you live a more jealousable life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Let the Bible get into your bones. Let the Bible give you backbone. That CAN'T happen if you waffle on definitions. Don’t bend over backward on definitions, with pressure from the culture or even certain theological confessions. Christians have waffled on words such as: inspired, inerrant, elect, resurrection, day, Israel, land, man, woman. Heed the words. Let the Bible define its terms, and hold on to them..

Heed the Word. Heed All-the-Having-Been-Written-Things, for the endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures (Romans 15:4).

All the Having-Been-Written-Things (AtHBWT) point us to Christ in whom is our endurance and encouragement and hope. All the Word is from Him and through Him and to Him. Let the Word of Christ abide in You, and you will bear MUCH FRUIT and prove to be His disciples.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17 ESV)

Your blessing depends on the sermon-delivering-servant’s zeal to please God in order to serve you. It must be in that order. The minister is only as good for the flock as he is doing right by God and a being a faithful steward of God’s Word. When it comes to preaching, the preacher must not hold back any effort from knowing the Word and preaching the Word in order that the church will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.

Of course I’m usually just preaching the sermon, not talking about sermons as a sermon subject. But we’re finishing some reminders about our Lord’s Day liturgy, and, though the sermon is not the only important part, it *is* a part of how God shapes and strengthens His church. The power for getting the parts to work properly so that the whole body grows up into the unity of faith doesn’t come from the furniture/pulpit, it comes from God’s Word spoken by God’s representative and applied by God’s Spirit. When exercised rightly, preaching is *salvation* for the speaker and the hearers. This isn’t an adversarial relationship, but it’s not allowed to be a tickle party or affirmation therapy session either.

Here are a couple key passages that you need to know, passages that are always under the water of the sermonic iceberg.

> Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:13–16 ESV)

Progress is big. So is persistence in paying attention to life and teaching. The KJV opens verse 16 with “take heed,” which is probably just the right amount of not how we usually talk to get us to “pay close attention” (NASB). **Keep a close watch** (ESV), “Be conscientious” (NET).

There must be a maintained, mindful grasp on two things: 1) watch one’s *self*, as in one’s speech and conduct for setting the believers an example (see verse 12), and 2) watch one’s *teaching*, that it not be doctrines of demons (see 4:1) and not irreverent, silly myths (4:7), but in the fulness of God’s good things given (4:5-6) and the faith and doctrines that cause all our hope to be in the living God (verse 10); “for to this end we toil and strive.” Watch the teaching.

So “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them” (verse 15, NASB). The whole process matters as God’s means to the *saving* of the assembly. We know it’s *God’s* means, since God is the Savior (verse 10), and He uses in season and out of season reproofs, rebukes, exhortations, and truth-teaching to complete His saving work.

Another key passage relates to this work of watching.

> Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. (2 Timothy 2:14–17 ESV)

It’s verse 15 in the middle there that’s fairly well known among Bible-loving people. Do you know what’s behind the command: **Do your best**? It’s the imperative form of the Greek word σπουδάζω, a cognate with the noun σπουδή, meaning *zeal*, which I’ve been touting like a Styrofoam #1 pointy-finger since we saw it in Romans 12:11 - “In zeal, don’t hold back.” So the verb form of it is “be especially conscientious in discharging an obligation, be zealous, take pains, make every effort” (BAGD).

What’s required is σπουδή/zeal for Scripture, taking pains over the pages of the Bible, making every effort to not get God’s Word wrong. Not only is God the judge, but the fruit is in the people. Certain teaching **ruins the hearers**, it **will lead people into more and more ungodliness**. That puts the teacher in a position of *shame* before God.

This calling—to be an agent of saving grace or of disgrace—is a beautiful and blessed but weighty and wearisome burden. Sometimes you’ll hear pastors tell people that if a young man can do anything else than be a pastor/preacher, he should. That’s not just because of James 3:1, it’s because there is a glorious and grave (though not grim) grind to beat on the Word so that its living waters will flow, and to be beaten on by that Word so that his own affections will abound, to watch his life and teaching, and to then carry that treasure in his jar of clay and pour it out for the work of life among the people.

God continues to be extremely kind to me in that He continues to give me desire/craving for His Word. I have σπουδή for Scripture.

That said, I am often tempted to hold back in the preaching. It requires Spirit-strength (as do any and all types of good works) to not be reluctant, but to be ready and sober-minded and enduring suffering (2 Timothy 4:2-5). Not only is the preacher’s schedule out of sync with most of the flock and to a degree even with his own family, his zeal in study and preparation is hardly ever met with similar zeal in eagerness to attend and receive. There are those who are asleep, spiritually and sometimes in the flesh. There are those who aren’t just resistant, they are recalcitrant. And yet “the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

But blessing and salvation are brought through the preaching of the Word. It’s the charge given to the minister in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus.

I mentioned three things last week that are being learned through sermons even when they are not the direct content of the sermon. The third point was that sermon hearers learn how to be Scripture readers by the example of the sermon preacher. *He must watch the teaching, and so should you.* For my part, when I’m preaching through a book of the Bible, I do think that I could synthesize my zeal for being intentional example under two headings. I am zealous that you would read and interpret every passage in its context, and I am zealous that you would read and receive all of it under Christ’s lordship.

Two parts of my Sermon Spoude.

# Everything you really need to know is in the passage you’re reading.

There are a couple other ways to describe this, but it starts with a recognition of our privilege. We have Word Privilege. We should not give it up, we should give thanks to God for it, we should realize that to whom much is given much is required. Our Word Privilege comes in the fact that we have our own copies of the *complete* inspired Scriptures. We have what *no one in the Bible had…a complete Bible*.

One implication of that is that any given author—Moses, David, Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Paul, Peter, John—did not expect that his readers *needed* other books/writings to make his point. Each author had a point, and he made it his point with his own composition. For sure, some of the prophets wrote things that they weren’t fully sure how it would look when it came about, but that’s not the same as saying they expected their readers to need a concordance. *Analogia Scriptura*/Scripture-interprets-Scripture is great *second*, after the context of Scripture has proven incapable of understanding.

There are a bunch of quotes and allusions that NT writers make from OT passages. But the Romans, for example, did not have all the Jewish books, and did not need them. For that matter, the Jews in captivity in Babylon hearing Lamentations didn’t need Romans to understand what they needed to believe or obey.

You may, or may not, have noticed that I usually don’t have us going all over the Bible during our line—upon-line series. Stay here. See what’s here. You don’t *need* cross-references 98% of the time (even if that percentage is not scientifically determined).

Like real estate rules (Location. Location. Location), there are three most important rules for Bible reading: 1) Context, 2) Context, 3) Context. The most important thing you can figure out is: *What did the author intend his readers to understand?* As soon as you bring meaning with you into the passage (no matter how “true” the meaning), you are doing *eisegesis*, you are “interpreting *into*” rather than out of the passage.

The most helpful “hack” is to read in paragraphs. The invention of the chapter and verse notation systems are great for navigation, but they can make the *point* harder to notice. Use whatever tools you have access to and skill with, but most of what you need is to stay on the page you’re reading, think about the author’s intent, and ask the Lord for understanding (2 Timothy 2:7). Watch the teaching for ideas.

# All Scripture is the word of Christ, but not every word is about Christ explicitly.

Every once in a while I hear the criticism that I do not preach Christ. I am honestly baffled by that. But, there are some virtuous sounding Bible reading strategies that always expect to see Jesus, and I don’t, so why don’t I?

There’s a passage that’s often used to argue for Christocentric reading, which has become a way of reading where Christ at the center of the meaning of every Bible text. Jesus taught the two disciples on their road to Emmaus.

> beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27 ESV)

They immediately returned to Jerusalem, and were with the eleven disciples, when Jesus stood among them.

> He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures…” (Luke 24:44-45 ESV)

The phrase in verse 44, (πάντα τὰ γεγραμμένα) is a substantival participle with a modifier: All the Having-Been-Written-Things (AtHBWT). And “in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” and **everything written about me** are not the same as saying “*each thing was written about me*.” Rather than the explicit subject of every Scripture, I prefer the description Christo*telic*, Christ is the endpoint.

There’s a Spurgeon quote that gets trotted out in these discussions: “I take my text and make a beeline to the cross.” First, it’s not yet been sourced as a thing he actually said; it has [not been verified in searching his published works](https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/blog-entries/6-quotes-spurgeon-didnt-say/). Second, that’s *not* cutting a straight line with Scripture.

That said, all things are His things, and yet His things aren't His self. Nothing isn’t part of His property or part of His purposes, but we still maintain a distinction between those things and His Person. It is *all* the “word of Christ” (Colossians 3:16), so we can talk about *any* of His things and still be preaching Christ.

When the paragraph (pericope, proverb, prophecy) doesn’t explicitly mention Christ, I don’t think we should try to act like it is (we’re not looking for a “deeper meaning,” it’s usually a sort of Christocentric eiesgesis). Nor should we try to forget that it all relates to Him. But getting grief because you don’t see Jesus as the spiritual meaning of a verse is a burden I’m trying to show you isn’t yours to carry. Watch the teaching.

# Conclusion

Why should you care about any of this? This is *not* just “Insider Bible” talk. You should care because your salvation and blessing depend on it.

You should also be zealous to pay attention to the Word, here and on your own. Be zealous to understand the context, be zealous to understand how all of it helps you live a more jealousable life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Let the Bible get into your bones. Let the Bible give you backbone. That CAN'T happen if you waffle on definitions. Don’t bend over backward on definitions, with pressure from the culture or even certain theological confessions. Christians have waffled on words such as: inspired, inerrant, elect, resurrection, day, Israel, land, man, woman. Heed the words. Let the Bible define its terms, and hold on to them..

Heed the Word. Heed All-the-Having-Been-Written-Things, for the endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures (Romans 15:4).

----------

## Charge

All the Having-Been-Written-Things (AtHBWT) point us to Christ in whom is our endurance and encouragement and hope. All the Word is from Him and through Him and to Him. Let the Word of Christ abide in You, and you will bear MUCH FRUIT and prove to be His disciples.

## Benediction:

> Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17 ESV)

This will be a sermon reminding us about how God's Word works in us and about how sermons from God's Word stimulate learning for our progress and joy of faith.

Paul didn't get tired of his reminding work. He told the Romans that he'd been bold in reminding them because of God's grace so that they (especially the Gentiles) would be a people of living sacrifices consecrated by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:14-18).

Paul told the Philippians that it was “safe” for them that he kept reminding them; reminders were in their best interests (Philippians 3:1). Peter thought the right sort of reminders would disturb his readers, as in stir them up, wake them from sleep, especially that they would have instant recall of the truth even when he was gone (2 Peter 1:12-15).

Words do work. Of course it's possible to love in word and not deed, but some deeds of love require words. Words express love and exalt love and urge embodied love. The Word of God is living and active. God's words created heaven and earth and continually uphold the universe. God's words create and continually sustain our salvation. His Word guides and grows, like light and food.

The words of truth transform us as they renew our minds. Of course it is possible to be little more than truth collectors, gathering doctrine like we gather data, organizing our theological spreadsheets rather than presenting ourselves as living sacrifices. But the eleven chapters of teaching wrapped up in "therefore" in Romans 12:1 gets unwrapped in the obedience of faith, in righteousness and joy and harmony.

As the Word teaches and transforms, there are lines drawn, not only right and wrong, but contours of beauty to behold, lines of reasoning to follow, and patterns to build upon. Sometimes building requires some demolition first. Sometimes we need more than a wet-cloth wipe down, we need walls hammered down. A preacher is not an ear-tickler, nor is the Word a feather-duster (more like fire, or like a hammer, Jeremiah 23:29). Sometimes loving words work against a previously held, even previously loved mental model. Of course this is true for pulling down idols, but also true for reshaping false worldviews.

These are all things the Word does, but you can have your own copies these days (unlike ANYONE in the Bible). And praise God! So what's the deal with scheduling a sermon for every Sunday?

There is a liturgy to the sermon. We don't believe that the best liturgy is only a sermon, nor that the sermon is the final aim of the liturgy. But there's benefit beyond what's in the package of any given sermon.

When you listen to enough sermons you learn more than just what words are used; there is learning in the liturgy of the sermon. Here are three things learned through the liturgy of the sermon.

This is part of what the sermon is good for now. The minister of the Word (see Acts 6:4 for this sort of work and title) exults in the truth and the people exult with him. We’re not always learning how everything works, but how it feels, like flying in a plane.

It is not best to think of this as a classroom, though there are some overlapping activities. This is a place of worship, not a place to think about how to worship after class. At some point we might ask, "When am I going to use this?" The answer is in part: right now. This isn't just preparation for praising God, this is part of our praise.

The words read and explained exalt Him. “May those who love your salvation say continually, ‘Great is the Lord!’” (Psalm 40:16). No matter how long the sermon, it can't fulfill, but it can further, our meditating on the Lord day and night. So the sermon from that living Word is a key part of letting the Word dwell in us richly, that is, dwelling in the Body/assembly (Colossians 3:16). Our corporate mediation on the Word starts to define us. The living Word is a communal document, the living Word forms communities.

We are worshiping as we receive the Word (James 1:21), as we believe the Word, as we let the Word go to work on us.

For this benefit the sermon works both now and later. The minister of the Word expresses the truth and the people can better express their knowledge of it.

Not everyone is a mouth (1 Corinthians 12:19-20). Not everyone speaks the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11), has a speaking gift. Not everyone should be a teacher (James 3:1). But every member of the body who is richly indwelt by the Word has a sort of teaching work (Colossians 3:16). Not all are pastors or teachers, but pastors and teachers are to equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12), which includes ministering the word to others, “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Speak comfort, peace, perspective, admonition. Hear how the minister does it and do likewise.

Sometimes we know something but we don't know what it's called. Or we've been working on something in our minds and we're 90% of the way there, but need help with the last part. It's not just possible, but likely that lots of time you don't need a new engine, but you do need someone to show you where to bang underneath the engine to jolt the electrical contacts, then the car is purring again.

Helpful teaching provides helpful categories, names, hooks for your thoughts. For example, the comparative and integrated shelves were not hard to see in Scripture or to believe, but they are extremely useful by being named.

A thing I don't get tired of reminding us about is whether we are stimulating faith or stimulating doubt. We are all learning one way or the other through the liturgy, including the sermon part. This belongs with what we say, and a lot with our tone. Even the 2 Corinthians passage assumes the answer is YES to faith. “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV)

But by caricature, and it is funny in a way, the Babylon Bee had a resolution for Paul Washer of “An increase of 15% in the number of Christians questioning their salvation.” That’s not actually what we’re aiming at, and not what we want the flock to learn.

This has lasting value, beyond the sermon itself. The minister of the Word shows the people by example how to go directly to God in His Word for themselves.

Beloved, I do not say these words all the time, but my life and my sermons are aimed at this. I want you to go to the Word. I want you to read it, meditate on it, and be careful to do it for your blessing.

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. (2 Peter 1:12–15 ESV)

What a privilege, and what an opportunity, to have our own copies. A sermon from the Word is a feast for faith, and it’s also an example where you can get your own ideas for how to have good food at home. You might not have gone to culinary school for cooking sermons, but you can get a solid, tasty meal. That’s a feature.

I’m devoted to “the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13) so that you will be saved (1 Timothy 4:16), that you will taste that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2:2-3), and that the whole body will grow up in every way into Christ (Ephesians 4:15).

I don't expect this to be the "final" word, and for a few reasons. No human preacher is inerrant, and we all have truth to speak to one another in love. Examine. Sharpen. Edify. Be noble as you examine and test (Acts 17:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:21), to hold fast what is good.

You are blessed by the Lord when you delight in worshipping the Lord. You are blessed by the Lord when you delight in mediating on His Word, as one like a well-watered tree, fruitful and alive. Get you to God’s Word.

And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32 ESV)

This will be a sermon reminding us about how God's Word works in us and about how sermons from God's Word stimulate learning for our progress and joy of faith.

Paul didn't get tired of his reminding work. He told the Romans that he'd been bold in reminding them because of God’s grace so that they (especially the Gentiles) would be a people of living sacrifices consecrated by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:14-18).

Paul told the Philippians that it was “safe” for them that he kept reminding them; reminders were in their best interests (Philippians 3:1). Peter thought the right sort of reminders would *disturb* his readers, as in stir them up, wake them from sleep, especially that they would have instant recall of the truth even when he was gone (2 Peter 1:12-15).

Words do work. Of course it's possible to love in word and not deed, but some deeds of love require words. Words express love and exalt love and urge embodied love. The Word of God is living and active. God's words created heaven and earth and continually uphold the universe. God's words create and continually sustain our salvation. His Word guides and grows, like light and food.

The words of truth transform us as they renew our minds. Of course it is possible to be little more than truth collectors, gathering doctrine like we gather data, organizing our theological spreadsheets rather than presenting ourselves as living sacrifices. But the eleven chapters of teaching wrapped up in "therefore" in Romans 12:1 gets unwrapped in the obedience of faith, in righteousness and joy and harmony.

As the Word teaches and transforms, there are lines drawn, not only right and wrong, but contours of beauty to behold, lines of reasoning to follow, and patterns to build upon. Sometimes building requires some demolition first. Sometimes we need more than a wet-cloth wipe down, we need walls hammered down. A preacher is not an ear-tickler, nor is the Word a feather-duster (more like fire, or like a hammer, Jeremiah 23:29). Sometimes loving words work against a previously held, even previously *loved* mental model. Of course this is true for pulling down idols, but also true for reshaping false worldviews.

These are all things the Word does, but you can have your own copies these days (*unlike ANYONE in the Bible*). And praise God! So what's the deal with scheduling a sermon for every Sunday?

There is a liturgy to the sermon. We don't believe that the best liturgy is *only* a sermon, nor that the sermon is the final aim of the liturgy. But there's benefit beyond what's *in* the package of any given sermon.

When you listen to enough sermons you learn more than just what words are used; there is learning in the liturgy of the sermon. Here are three things learned through the liturgy of the sermon.

# 1. We learn how to worship together through the living Word.

This is part of what the sermon is good for *now*. The minister of the Word (see Acts 6:4 for this sort of work and title) exults in the truth and the people exult with him. We’re not always learning how everything works, but how it feels, like flying in a plane.

It is not best to think of this as a classroom, though there are some overlapping activities. This is a place of worship, not a place to think about how to worship after class. At some point we might ask, "When am I going to use this?" The answer is in part: right now. This isn't just preparation for praising God, this is part of our praise.

The words read and explained exalt Him. “May those who love your salvation say continually, ‘Great is the Lord!’” (Psalm 40:16). No matter how long the sermon, it can't fulfill, but it can further, our meditating on the Lord day and night. So the sermon from that living Word is a key part of letting the Word dwell in us richly, that is, dwelling in the Body/assembly (Colossians 3:16). Our corporate mediation on the Word starts to define us. The living Word is a communal document, the living Word forms communities.

We *are* worshiping as we receive the Word (James 1:21), as we believe the Word, as we let the Word go to work on us.

# 2. We learn how to say what we were (close to) thinking about the living Word.

For this benefit the sermon works both now and later. The minister of the Word expresses the truth and the people can better express their knowledge of it.

Not everyone is a mouth (1 Corinthians 12:19-20). Not everyone speaks the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11), has a speaking gift. Not everyone should be a teacher (James 3:1). But every member of the body who is richly indwelt by the Word has a sort of teaching work (Colossians 3:16). Not all are pastors or teachers, but pastors and teachers are to equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12), which includes ministering the word to others, “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Speak comfort, peace, perspective, admonition. Hear how the minister does it and do likewise.

Sometimes we know something but we don't know what it's called. Or we've been working on something in our minds and we're 90% of the way there, but need help with the last part. It's not just possible, but likely that lots of time you don't need a new engine, but you do need someone to show you where to bang underneath the engine to jolt the electrical contacts, then the car is purring again.

Helpful teaching provides helpful categories, names, hooks for your thoughts. For example, the comparative and integrated shelves were not hard to see in Scripture or to believe, but they are extremely useful by being named.

A thing I don't get tired of reminding us about is whether we are stimulating faith or stimulating doubt. We are all learning one way or the other through the liturgy, including the sermon part. This belongs with what we say, and a lot with our tone. Even the 2 Corinthians passage *assumes* the answer is YES to faith. “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV)

But by caricature, and it is funny in a way, the [Babylon Bee had a resolution for Paul Washer](https://babylonbee.com/news/we-asked-13-evangelical-leaders-what-their-new-years-resolutions-were-and-heres-what-they-said) of “An increase of 15% in the number of Christians questioning their salvation.” That’s *not* actually what we’re aiming at, and not what we want the flock to learn.

# 3. We learn how to read and understand for ourselves the living Word.

This has lasting value, beyond the sermon itself. The minister of the Word shows the people by example how to go directly to God in His Word for themselves.

Beloved, I do not say these words all the time, but my life and my sermons are aimed at this. I want you to **go to the Word**. I want you to read it, meditate on it, and be careful to do it for your blessing.

> Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. (2 Peter 1:12–15 ESV)

What a privilege, and what an opportunity, to have our own copies. A sermon from the Word is a feast for faith, and it’s also an example where you can get your own ideas for how to have good food at home. You might not have gone to culinary school for cooking sermons, but you can get a solid, tasty meal. That’s a feature.

# Conclusion

I’m devoted to “the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13) so that you will be saved (1 Timothy 4:16), that you will taste that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2:2-3), and that the whole body will grow up in every way into Christ (Ephesians 4:15).

I don't expect this to be the "final" word, and for a few reasons. No human preacher is inerrant, and we all have truth to speak to one another in love. Examine. Sharpen. Edify. Be noble as you examine and test (Acts 17:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:21), to hold fast what is good.

----------

## Charge

You are blessed by the Lord when you delight in worshipping the Lord. You are blessed by the Lord when you delight in mediating on His Word, as one like a well-watered tree, fruitful and alive. Get you to God’s Word.

## Benediction:

> And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32 ESV)

In order of testimonies: