ROMANS UNWRAPPED 12

".......BY WHOM WE HAVE RECEIVED GRACE AND APOSTLESHIP, FOR OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH AMONG ALL NATIONS FOR HIS NAME" Romans 1 v 5.


The gospel is going global! It went global, it is still going global, and it is nigh on 2000 years later-must be some thing in this folks EH?

We'll look at this section Romans 1 v 5-15, under the heading THE MISSION as follows:

a) The RESOURCES of the mission-grace and apostleship.
b) The OBJECT of the mission-the obedience of faith.
c) The SCOPE of the mission-all nations.
d) The DIGNITY of the mission-for His name.
e) The OBLIGATIONS of the mission-worship, prayer, a sense of debt, readiness.



a) The resources of the mission:
"By HIM we have received grace and apostleship.......through HIM, through HIS agency, you see the force of this? Through WHOM?; through the one he's just been talking about! do you get it?
GOD'S SON, who came in flesh, SEED OF DAVID, who entered into death, who rose from the dead, SON OF GOD WITH POWER, who is now exalted as LORD-kurios-sovereign lord-
Yes, the one, now on the throne in heaven, with unlimited power and authority, HE sent me! Folks, we had better listen, hang on every word, for the ONE, destined for future world dominion, which will affect your future, sent Paul to tell you the good news.
From HIM we ( the apostles ) received grace ( the supply ) and apostleship ( the status ) for the task.
We all need both supply and status if we are to be used of God.


b) The object of the mission:
"Unto the obedience of faith.......". The gospel is demanding obedience; the obedience is faith; listening to what God is saying, believing it and acting upon it. It follows that refusal to believe is disobedience.
Romans 16 v 26 "but now is made manifest, and through the prophetic scriptures-R.V.- according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith".
Acts 17 v 30  "And the times of this ignorance, God having overlooked,-R.V.-now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: because He hath appointed a day ,in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He raised Him from the dead."
The gospel is sent to produce faith in the hearts of people, it is not an optional extra, it is not just a desirable option, it is a command to obey, from a God who went to such lengths to achieve it at great cost to Himself, because the human condition was so dire. Jesus, risen from the dead , to all the apostles, Matthew 28 v 18-19 "All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I commanded you: and lo I am with you all the days, unto the completion of the age" AMEN.



It is surely approaching the end of the age, of all the ages of time in world history this has been the longest: God, patiently waits, prolonging the day of grace, for all to respond, who will; I did in 1966, have you, will you respond now?




Tomorrow d.v. we will consider the scope and the dignity and the obligations of the mission.