Romans 1:8-15

Paul shows us a living example in the book of Romans of the way to take a city f= or Christ. Paul reveals four major things that will lead to a church that reac= hes people:

#1 – Being thankful &a= mp; having God’s heart

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all because y= our faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world” (v.8)

The first thing Paul does to open the way for the gospel in Rome is to thank = God. Paul realized that without God, the gospel would not be able to have any effect. Paul refers to God as “my God” and it is through His li= ving relationship with God that Paul realized he was in a partnership with God f= or the gospel. He realized that God was the one responsible for the work that = took place inside the heart of man and this realization caused him to give thank= s. To reach our city with the gospel we must have an understanding that we can= not do it without God. He is the one who saves. This understanding causes us to give thanks and glory to God when He reaches people.

A second striking fact about this verse is why Paul was thanking God –“because your faith is proclaimed”. This shows that Paul had God’= ;s heart. God has the world on His heart. He wants man to be saved. Paul had s= uch a living relationship with God that this became his heart, his prayer, and = his thanksgiving. This is where the gospel is born in a lifelong and lasting wa= y in our own lives. It comes through a living relationship with God where God reveals His heart to us.

#2 – Serving in prayer=

“For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers.” (v.9)

Paul’s response to seeing the heart of God was serving in the gos= pel through prayer. Reaching others with the gospel seemed to constantly be in Paul’s heart and became a natural subject of his conversation with Go= d. God and Paul had the same heart, which caused Paul to have lots of conversations and “mentionings” to = God concerning people in all different places. The gospel was not an activity to Paul, but the product of a deep knowing of God and a source of constant fellowship.

#3 – Encouraging and imparting spiritual gifts to one another

“Beseeching if by any means now at last I may be prospered in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you that I may impart to (sha= re with) you some spiritual gift so that you may be established; That is, that= I with you may be encouraged among you through the faith which is in one anot= her, both yours and mine.” (v.10-12)

Paul realized that in order to reach the city of = Rome, there needed to be a mutual encouragement among the saints and an “imparting” to one anothe= r of the spiritual gifts necessary. Paul was not a one man show! He was hoping to see an atmosphere produced among the saints of constant encouragement and equipping towards then end of the gospel

#4 – Being ready to announce

“And I do not want to be ignorant, brothers, that often I purpose= d to come to you (yet was hindered until the present), that I might have some fr= uit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am debtor to Gree= ks and to barbarians, both to wise and to foolish; So, for my part, I am ready= to announce the gospel to you also who are in Rome,” (v.13-15)

Paul didn’t just talk about the gospel. Nor did he just stop at praying for the gospel. He was ready to announce the gospel. He was ready to take the lead to be an example. This is why he says “for my part̶= 1;. He realized that his sharing of the gospel he was only a “part”= but he also took the initiative to be ready.

Being ready is very practical. On our jobs we can be ready. When we are= at the grocery store we can be ready. When we walk in our neighborhood we can = be ready. When we are ready, we are actively looking for opportunities to share the gospel with people in our lives.