Acting on the Good News Marks of True

Spiritual Service--Part 3
by

John MacArthur
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-ntroduction A. The Touch /p It is said of the artist Hofmann that he would periodically visit the Royal Gallery of Dresden, where many of his greatest works were displayed. He would come with paints and brushes in hand and spend many days touching up his masterpieces to make them look their best. That is what the aster !rtist""the #ord $esus %hrist""desires to do with His children. It isn&t that the picture is not already painted' it&s (ust that it needs a small touch"up now and then. !s we go through life, it is very easy for some spots on the canvas to fade. )y studying Romans *+,"*-a, the #ord may well touch up some of the faded areas in our lives. 0. The Testi ony In Romans *+,"*-a, the apostle .aul opened his heart and revealed the motivation for his ministry to the Roman church. There is a marvelous flow to .aul&s writing in bearing his heart to them. There would be no better way for the Romans to get to know .aul since they had never met him than to hear of the man behind the message. He did not begin sharing his theology, doctrine, convictions, goals, or purposes. /irst he shared his heart. I had the privilege of attending seminary to study for the ministry. I learned much from the books I read, the notes I took, the papers I wrote, but I learned far more from the lives of the men who taught me. Rather than focusing on what they said, I concentrated on why they said it. That is what .aul did with the Romans. He in effect said, 0)efore I give you my theology, let me give you myself. 0 .aul is a model for all who would serve %hrist. Review -. A T1A234/5 SP-R-T (v. "( --. A &62&'R2'7 SP-R-T (v. 8( ---. A 9-55-2% SP-R-T (v. !#a( -:. A S/0M-SS-:' SP-R-T (v. !#b( :. A 56:-2% SP-R-T (v. !!(

:-. A 1/M05' SP-R-T (v. !;( 5esson :--. A 4R/-T4/5 SP-R-T (v. !3( 01ow I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you 2but was prevented thus far,3 that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 0 A. The Purpose of Ministry .aul saw the ministry as a 4uest for spiritual fruit. He saw it not as an end in itself, but a means to an end. The purpose of ministry is not the ministry itself but the fruit that results in peoples&s lives. The 4uest for spiritual fruit was the mainspring of all apostolic activity. $esus said, 05e have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit0 2$ohn *6+*-3. 0. The Pressure of Ministry ! person who serves with his whole heart is content only with spiritual fruit. 7ome people are content only with prestige, acceptance, or money. The devil tries to put that thought into my mind sometimes. 7ometimes thoughts like these pop into my mind+ 8hat do I care about people9 I know I&m saved and going to heaven. I&m well paid. !t the worst, I&ve got a good (ob with a lot of security. I can&t lose. )ut that is 7atan&s lie. 5ou can let him pressure you to settle for less than God&s best. y reaction to 7atan when he plants a thought like that is, I am not content to simply be taken care of or appreciated. The only thing that makes me happy in the ministry is bearing fruit. 7econd Timothy :+- says, 0The farmer that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits. 0 *. The emphasis 2v. *;a3 0I would not have you ignorant, brethren. 0 .aul used that phrase many times for emphasis. It points to an essential truth that .aul wanted to get across to his readers. He used it when he talked about the doctrine of salvation 2: %or. *+,3, 7atan 2: %or. :+**3, the second coming of %hrist 2* Thess. <+*;3, and spiritual gifts 2* %or. *:+*3. .aul was saying here, 0I desperately wanted to come to you that I might bear some fruit among you. 5ou can measure your commitment to %hrist by whether you are more concerned with what happens in others lives than you are with what happens in your own. :. The =>amination 2v. *;b3 0I purposed to come unto you 2but was prevented thus far,3 that I might have some fruit among you. 0 8hat kind of fruit was .aul speaking of9 Three things are spoken of as fruit in 7cripture+

a3 !ttitudes Galatians 6+::":; says, 0The fruit of the 7pirit is love, (oy, peace, long" suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self"control. 0 Those are attitudes. .aul wanted to come to the Romans with the right attitude. b3 !ction /ruit is not only who you are but what you do. 2*3 Romans -+::"".aul said, 0)eing made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness. 0 .aul is saying that forgiveness should usher itself into holy living. 2:3 .hilippians <+*?"".aul said, 0I desire fruit that may abound to your account. 0 )ecause he was such a model for the Roman believers, .aul wanted to bear fruit among them. )ut he also wanted to see them respond with the right attitudes, and actions. c3 !ddition .aul wanted to bear some fruit among the Gentiles, and in so doing wanted them also to share %hrist with others. 2*3 Romans *-+6"".aul referred to converts as fruit+ 0Greet my well"beloved =paenetus, who is the first fruits of !sia unto %hrist. 0 The concept of fruit is applied to people who come to know $esus %hrist and are added to the )ody of %hrist. .aul desired for men to be saved. 2:3 * %orinthians @+::"".aul said, 0I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 0 .aul&s desire was to see believers display right attitudes and actions. He also wanted people added to the Aingdom. The latter is the thrust of verse *;. 8hen .aul finally did arrive in Rome, his desire was fulfilled, for .hilippians <+:: says, 0!ll the saints greet you, chiefly they that are of %aesar&s household. 0 He had been used of God to win people in %aesar&s household to %hrist. His was the ministry of bearing fruit. &. The Pleasure of Ministry I could not survive a ministry of maintenance. To be satisfied with having a group of sanctified saints sitting around looking at each other is not real ministry. 5ou must be bearing fruit in the life of those you touch. That is the (oy of service. I become e>cited after hearing many testimonies of how God has changed people&s lives from the teaching of His 8ord. That is what real ministry is all about. The world is in a state of confusion and chaos from all the lies, wrong answers, and opinions. y wife and I walked into a store and overheard two of the employees talking about the book of Genesis. Bne man said, 0Bf course, anyone knows that Genesis is only a fairy tale. 0 The other man agreed. The first man continued, 0Genesis is meant to teach us a mystical moral. 0 !t that precise moment, my wife countered, 0The book of Genesis is historical truthC0 They were both shocked. y wife said to me, 0I can&t stand to hear people say things that aren&t trueC0 Those kinds of people simply

point to the folly of the world. %rashing into the world and bringing the truth is what real ministry is all about. :---. A2 60'7-'2T SP-R-T (v. !+( 0I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians' both to the wise and to the unwise. 0 A. The 6bligation to %od (v. !+a( 0I am debtor. 0 /or the apostle .aul, ministry was not an option' it was an obligation. He did not make the decision for ministry on a whim. He did not one day say, 0#et&s see, I could be a tent maker, or possibly an attorney, or even a politician. 1o, I think I&ll become a preacher. 0 The apostle .aul owed a debt to God. *. The compulsion .aul said 0/or though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of' for necessity is laid upon me' yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospelC /or if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward' but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me0 2* %or. @+*-"*?3. .aul didn&t want anyone to name a city after him or erect a statue in his honor. He knew he owed a tremendous debt to God because he was killing %hristians until God turned him around and called him into the ministry. .aul knew that had God not intervened, he would have continued to kill %hristians. .aul was saying, 0Don&t commend me, I have a debt to pay. God brought this to pass. 0 :. The commitment ! young man asked what motivates me to study week after week after week. I said that there are times when some passages are so e>hilarating, I can&t wait to get to 7unday to preach. )ut there are other times when I battle time problems and priorities that crowd out my study time. The ministry doesn&t seem that e>citing then. I really have to fight my way through those times because I know I have a debt to God. If you are involved in %hristian service only when you feel like doing it, you haven&t learned the kind of service that .aul described here. In the midst of a tough time in ministering to people, sometimes all you can rely on is your obligation to God. 0. The 6bligation to Man (v. !+b( 0I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians' both to the wise and to the unwise. 0 The implication of verse *< is that the debt .aul spoke about is a debt to God toward the Greeks and barbarians. )ecause of the ministry God gave .aul, he was obligated to serve men. If I am walking down the street and pass a house on fire, and the family inside is unaware of the situation, I have an obligation to help them. I cannot stand on the curb and think, I wonder if they&re worth saving. )ecause they are in a dire situation

and because I have the information that can save their lives, I have an obligation to them. If a man crosses my path who is in need of clothes or food, yet I say to him, 0)e warmed and filled,0 in the spirit of $ames :+*-, I have not discharged my debt. .aul owed the Gentile world the truth because they were on their way to hell and he knew the way to heaven. $esus said, 0Dnto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be re4uired0 2#uke *:+<,3. The apostle .aul had an obligation""first to God and second to the Greeks and barbarians. &. The 6rigin of the Ter s 0Greeks and barbarians . . . wise and unwise0 are parallel phrases. .aul was speaking of the educated and uneducated. The Greeks were very sophisticated and thought theirs were the most elite culture around. 8hen a person spoke a language other than Greek, the Greeks thought their unintelligible chatter sounded like 0bar"bar" bar"bar. 0 Thus, foreigners became known as barbarians. They were regarded as uncultured, uneducated, and unintelligent. .aul knew he had the same responsibility to the educated Greeks as well as the uneducated barbarians. There is a subtle point here+ 5ou cannot pick and choose whom you want to preach the gospel to. =very so often I will hear someone say, 0I&m trying to reach the elite. 0 I say, 08hy9 !re the elite better than the rest90 *. !cts *E+;<"".eter said, 0God is no respecter of persons. 0 !nd .aul endeavored to reach all people for %hrist, regardless of their race, background, or financial status. :. $ohn <""The first person $esus revealed His essianic identity to was a half"breed 7amaritan who had a handful of husbands and was living with a man who was not her husband 2vv. *-"*,3. The gospel is the great e4ualiFer because it does not differentiate between persons. 7he could be saved (ust as sure as anyone could. It is easy to be trapped in being a respecter of persons. any tend to evangeliFe high"income people and pass by lower"income people. However, the poor are more open to the gospel than the rich because of their need. -<. A2 'A%'R SP-R-T (v. !$( 07o, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 0 This wonderfully balances fulfilling your obligation to the #ord. 8e are to be happy and eager to fulfill the responsibility God has committed to your care. A. Paul=s 'ager Spirit .aul was consumed with doing the work of the ministry. *. !cts :E+::":<""0I go bound in the spirit unto $erusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, e>cept that the Holy 7pirit witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. )ut none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with (oy, and the ministry, which

I have received of the #ord $esus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 0 .aul&s self" preservation was not at the top of his priority list. His main concern was to fulfill the plan of God and the ministry God had given him. :. .hilippians *+:*""0To me to live is %hrist, to die is gain. 0 ;. : %orinthians 6+,""08e are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the #ord. 0 <. %olossians *+:;":<""0I, .aul, am made a minister. 8ho now re(oice in my sufferings for you. 0 6. .hilippians :+*?""0If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I (oy, and re(oice with you all. 0 .aul in effect, was saying, 0If I lose my life reaching you for %hrist, that would bring me great (oy. 0 .aul&s own personal life was never the issue. #ife had only one purpose for him and that was doing the will of God. He was always eager to preach. 0. 'paphroditus=s 'ager Spirit In speaking of =paphroditus, who had the same desire, .aul said, 0He was sick near unto death, but God had mercy on him' and not on him only but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. . . . /or the work of %hrist, he was near unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me0 2.hil. :+:?, ;E3. .aul e>plained that God was merciful in preserving =paphroditus because both their hearts would have been broken had he not been involved in ministry. .aul was so eager""like a racehorse in the gate or a sprinter in the blocks""waiting to gain the victory. )ecause .aul was like that, God had to hold him back once in a while because he was so ready to go. !re you as eager9 Is that the kind of service you render, or does someone have to prod you along with all their might (ust to get you involved9 If your service to %hrist comes from your whole heart, then you will be eager. <. A 0657 SP-R-T (v. !*a( 0/or I am not ashamed of the gospel of %hrist. 0 A. The Antagonis It is commendable that .aul was so eager to go to Rome because he knew what a volatile place Rome was. The citiFens of Rome were heavily involved in emperor worship and overt paganism. It was likely they would despise the gospel of $esus %hrist. 1evertheless .aul was not ashamed of the gospel of %hrist. 8hen .aul had the opportunity to preach, he preached to anyone. 8hen people are unashamed, they can do amaFing things. Those who are ashamed might be eager first, but when the battle starts, they faint. They are what I call, 0the sign"up specialists+ they sign up for almost everything the church has to offer and then

drop out because of their lack of commitment. =agerness needs to be followed up with boldness. 0. The Attitude The pagans in Rome had branded %hristianity as atheism and cannibalism. In their lack of understanding about the %hristian communion service, they assumed %hristians ate one another. The $ews had branded %hristianity as heresy, blasphemy, and lawlessness. The gospel has always a stumbling block and a rock of offense 2* .eter :+,3. However, .aul didn&t care. He was not ashamed of the gospel and was bold enough to preach the gospel message to anyone. He proved that in $erusalem, in !thens, and would prove it in Rome as well. He proved it in every city he visited because the servant of the #ord should always go into any situation with an unashamed, bold attitude. %ommentator Geoffrey 8ilson wrote, 0The unpopularity of a crucified %hrist has prompted many to present a message which is more palatable to the unbeliever, but the removal of the offense of the cross always renders it ineffective GGal 6+**H. !n inoffensive gospel is also an inoperative gospel. Thus %hristianity is wounded most in the house of its friends0 2Romans+ ! Digest of Reformed %omment G%arlisle, .enn+ )anner of Truth, *@?-H, p. :<3. any have emasculated the gospel so that it won&t offend anyone. I spoke at a youth rally on the need to be saved. !fter my message, the wife of the rally director said, 05our message offended me because you preached as if all of these young people were evil. 0 I said, 0I&m glad you heard that message because that&s e>actly what I wanted to communicate. 0 7he said, 0)ut you turned them off. 0 7adly, that is the predominate mentality of many people today+ they don&t want to offend anyone, so they compromise the message. However, those who stick to the real message of the gospel are unashamed in their boldness in speaking about %hrist. &. The Action I am convinced that the church of $esus %hrist has not even begun to see what God can do in our world if we began to live out all ten marks of true spiritual service. The world would be forever touched if believers served out of thankful, concerned, willing, submissive, loving, humble, fruitful, obedient, eager, and bold spirits. However, the tendency is the opposite. !sk God not to allow you to become comfortable in your %hristian life or spiritually laFy. !sk Him to make you a true spiritual servant. 4ocusing on the 4acts *. 8hy would the #ord want to touch up the canvas of our spiritual lives 2cf. Rom. *+,"*-a' see p. *39 :. In Romans *+,"*-a, the apostle .aul opened his heart and revealed the IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII for his ministry to the Roman church 2see p. *3. ;. True or /alse+ 7tudying what a person says is always more important than what his life is like 2see pp. *":3.

<. How did .aul see the ministry 2see p. :39 6. The purpose of ministry is not the ministry itself but the IIIIIIIIII that results in IIIIIIIII IIIIIIIII 2see p. :3. -. 8hat was the mainspring of all apostolic activity 2see p. :39 ?. True or /alse+ ! person who serves with his whole heart is content only with spiritual fruit 2see p. :3. ,. How can you measure your commitment to %hrist 2see p. ;39 @. 8hat three things are spoken of as fruit in 7cripture 2see pp. ;"<39 *E. #ist the nine attitudes described as fruit of the 7pirit 2Gal. 6+::" :;' see p. ;3. **. Give scriptural e>amples of the fruit of addition 2see pp. ;"<3. *:. 8hich concept of fruit was .aul mainly dealing with in Romans *+*; 2see p. <39 *;. =>plain the eighth mark of true spiritual service 2see p. <3. *<. 8hat is meant by having an obligation for ministry 2see pp. <"639 *6. 8hat was the debt .aul owed to the Gentiles9 8hat was his message to them 2see p. 639 *-. 8hat was the difference between the Greeks and the barbarians 2see p. -39 *?. =>plain the ninth mark of true spiritual service 2see p. -3. *,. 8hat was .aul&s chief concern in life9 8hat was low on his priority list 2see p. ?39 *@. 8hy was it a commendable thing that .aul desired to go to Rome 2see p. ,39 :E. 8ho are the 0sign"up specialists0 2see p. ,39 :*. The servant of the #ord should always go into any situation with an IIIIIIIIIIIIII, IIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIII 2see p. ,3. ::. 8hat is a predominate mentality of many people today concerning the gospel and its presentation 2see p. ,39 :;. 8hat 4ualities could %hristians adopt to change the world for $esus %hrist 2see p. @39 Pondering the Principles *. The apostle .aul longed to bear fruit among the believers in Rome He wanted to have the right attitude toward them, take the right course of action in furthering their spiritual

growth, and desired the salvation of all those he came in contact with. Do you possess a fruitful spirit9 Do you have a good attitude toward those you come in contact with9 !re you endeavoring to bring others to %hrist9 Take the following passages and determine which could be classified as attitude, action, or addition fruit+ $ohn <+;6";-, *:+:<' %olossians *+;"-' and .hilippians *+@"**. Bnce you&ve determined which fruit is being talked about, ask God to allow you to have a fruitful spirit. :. 1o matter what the costs, .aul was consumed with doing the work of the ministry. His own personal welfare was not his main priority. #ife for .aul had only one focus and that was the souls of lost men and women. 8hat is your preoccupation9 Is your heart consumed with doing the work of the ministry9 7tudy the following verses and ask God to cause you to have the same kind of attitude toward the work of the ministry+ Isaiah -+,, atthew @+;?";,, and !cts :*+*;. emoriFe at least one of them.