Word of Salvation – Vol. 20 No.18 – January 1974
Sharing With A Difference
Sermon by Rev. Adrian Leenman Th.Grad. on Romans 1:11-12
SCRIPTURE READING: 1Timothy 4
PSALTER HYMNAL: 170; 172:5 (law); 317; 327; 488;
The summer holiday-season is past; most people returned to work some time ago.
Schools have opened their doors again; Bible classes and other church functions have begun to operate and have found their respective places…
…and did you notice that Church life was then slightly different? It always is at the time of the holiday-season; the regular mid-week meetings are suspended, while the various committees postpone meeting.
The only other change is an extra Church service here and there on account of the Christian and Public Holidays.
But everything has returned to the usual church-activities that are associated with the function of the Church.
The regularity of working days and working hours has once again become the pattern. In the realm of church work home visitation has begun. It is possible that we do not always feel like going back to the more prescribed way of doing things.
This can also happen to a Minister and other Members of Session, when confronted with their tasks and obligations to see people – visit them as a Minister and as Elders.
This morning we have a text before us where the Apostle Paul comments on this aspect of church work and what does he say? He says: – I LONG TO SEE YOU…! Paul gives expression to the wish to visit, some day, the Christians in Rome. HE LONGS FOR THAT TIME, and yet, he most likely did not know very many people of that church personally… nevertheless he longs to come to them, it reads in verse 10.
It is profitable to us to consider two pieces of information; it will help us to see the connection and the reason why Paul writes this: He makes two statements:
One about the Congregation in Rome, and…
One about himself in relation to the congregation in Rome.
Paul can say: “I long to see you” on the basis of the statements he makes about the Roman Christians.
What does he say about them? In verse 8 he says: I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all THAT YOUR FAITH IS SPOKEN OF THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE WORLD…..!
Just imagine: Your Faith spoken of throughout the State, throughout the district you live in… that’s how these people are described…!
Paul then moves away from commenting on the people and turns to himself and he says about himself: God is my witness that without ceasing, without let up, I make mention of you ALWAYS IN MY PRAYER making request with God to come to you, to make the journey to Rome.
This illustrates how much Paul longed to see them. And why does he want to see them so eagerly?
To have a good old chat? For a cosy, social call? No, it says: THAT I MAY IMPART OR SHARE WITH YOU SOME SPIRITUAL GIFT…!
AND what does happen when people share things? Well, they give some of what they have to others and thereby show:
CONCERN AND LOVE
THE FOSTERING OF ONENESS… AND…
THE PROMOTION OF FELLOWSHIP.
This is what Paul intends to do… he aims at STRENGTHENING them by way of sharing, SHARING WITH THEM WHAT GOD HAD ENTRUSTED TO HIM TO AN UNUSUAL DEGREE.
We should realise, friends, that it is Paul’s aim to strengthen the believers in Rome. But wait a moment, did not he highly recommend them for their faith?? In verse 8…?? And now in verse 11 he seeks to strengthen THESE VERY SAME PEOPLE…! How are we to understand this??
Well, these two statements do point to the fact that believers are and always will remain in need of strengthening…. this is why Paul is eager to share things with them…. at the same time, he takes the initiative when it comes to sharing.
He wishes to be the one who hands out some spiritual gift and he does this in the capacity of servant of the Gospel.
This is indeed the primary task of those who have the spiritual oversight over God’s people; the Minister, in ‘handling the Word of Truth’; the elders, in making sure that this ‘handling’ is done correctly and seeking to point out the implications of living the Christian life to those given in their care.
But what are we to understand by ‘some spiritual gift’? We need not think necessarily of an extraordinary gift, but relate it to the term: ‘servant of the Gospel of God’s Son’ (Verse 9). The words ‘some spiritual gift’ may also be seen as a grace-gift. Can you think of a grace-gift YOU POSSESS?? Think about this in the simplest of terms….
– a grace gift can be the usual preaching of the Word, taking place either publicly from the pulpit or privately from a kitchen chair;
– a grace gift can take the form of an exhortation. And to exhort or correct a fellow believer is NOT EXCLUSIVELY the task of the Session, IT’S YOURS AS WELL… We do realise, don’t we, that this can only be done by those who live in accordance to Biblical principles themselves and who themselves are free from constant and visible faults;
– a grace gift can be: using your time to the spiritual profit of others; using your talents to the welfare of fellow-man;
– a grace gift can be: the showing of deeds of mercy; the giving of some of your time or attention to a lonely and forlorn soul, or to speak to a spiritually lonely figure wherever such a person may be found… or to rule the Church with all diligence and wisdom and forbearance – THAT IS A GRACE GIFT…..!
Paul wishes to emphasize that these Roman Christians WERE SOUND as far as their status and Faith went, but far from perfect and IN NEED OF STRENGTHENING….! .And are we not in the same boat?? We are not unbelievers, yet in need of strengthening. Paul loves to attend to them exactly ON THAT SCORE… TO MAKE THEM WELL-ESTABLISHED AND FIRM and that is rightly part of his task…!
However, we know from experience that it is impossible that someone or something keeps giving out all the time. This applies to all things in life: THERE MUST BE TIMES OF RECOVERY…
times of withdrawal and retirement
we need time to refuel,
to have the run-down batteries of the soul and spirit recharged….
Or do you think that a minister never runs out
and can keep going endlessly??
Paul, the great Hero of the Faith,
the miracle worker,
the personally called apostle,
personally called and commissioned,
the great bridge builder and dambuster
the spearhead of the New Testament Church,
WHAT DOES HE SAY???
He says: THAT WE MAY MUTUALLY BE ENCOURAGED by each other’s Faith, ALTHOUGH YOUR FAITH IS KNOWN THE WORLD OVER, yet both of us need to be comforted….!
People sometimes think that the Minister is ‘always all right! – as far as these things go – but Romans 1:12 gives us a different picture. It says that I, Paul, may be encouraged in the Faith… TOGETHER WITH YOU….!
Surely, many of us can somehow contribute to each others’ spiritual welfare by showing some of those plain, everyday spiritual gifts.
Much of the Elders’ work does centre on ‘going to see the people.’ That means: YOU as families and as individuals. And do we realise that the quality and the tenor of every visit does, to an extent, depend on how much we are interested in each other’s spiritual welfare??
Yes, on the part of the visiting Elders there is the sharing of some spiritual gift IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN, but on YOUR PART there ought to be the idea of comforting one another and at the same time the sharing in some spiritual gift.
It is very encouraging to hear people say: ‘Yes, I know my Saviour better and more intimately than before… or: ‘I like you to share this or that thought with me’ – or: ‘I see certain issues clearer and better than before, let me therefore share this in prayer with you.’
THIS IS MAKING PROGRESS ON OUR EARTHLY PILGRIMAGE
THIS IS COMFORTING ONE ANOTHER.
It is the Biblical way. Quite natural. Quite normal.
It is more UNnatural and ABnormal to think that each one in the congregation must hang on to his or her Faith as if we do not belong together or are not related to one another…! No, says Paul, YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN INSTRUMENT, you have been given a tool, and that is: EACH OTHER’S FAITH, both your and my Faith, he says.
The idea of encouraging each other must be worked from BOTH SIDES, then both parties will receive grace and BECOME ATTACHED TO EACH OTHER.
Is it not true that relationships do function as long as the conditions set for relationships are met??
Psalm 25 brings this out clearly when it says: God is faithful to those who keep His covenant….! Friendships and relation ships are maintained ONLY if the laws of friendship are met….! The same thing happens in our text: mutual relationships of fellow believers must be fed BOTH WAYS. There must be a response. To keep on giving out makes the giving out a lot more difficult, it makes it tiring and trying…!
On the other hand, a simple statement made in Faith and coming from the heart, can mean so much, IT STRENGTHENS TIES AND BRINGS UNITY….!
We can learn much of one another, we may complement each other and so TOGETHER make up the Body of Christ which is His Church…He is the great Shepherd of the sheep, Who came to GIVE — all the time – give — UNTIL HE HAD NO MORE TO GIVE…. even the very last thing one can give, HE OFFERED UP: HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP….!
The text further shows us a perfect example of balance, Paul, as an Apostle exercises his privilege, namely: to impart some spiritual gift…
and secondly: he is aware of both weakness and strength and EXPECTS ENCOURAGEMENT FROM BOTH SIDES AND BOTH WAYS, having Faith as the instrument to share such encouragement.
Paul encourages fellow believers with the weapon of FAITH.
Faith in God, is:
the great central and saving keyword of the Bible
the key to unlock heaven with,
the way of knowing the Father and
the way to meet the Father
The way TO BE WITH THE FATHER….
Progress on our pilgrim track is measured by FAITH……!
However, God has given us an additional way of maintaining the Faith. This is shown in verse 8 where Paul brings these people before God in a prayer of thanksgiving that is: PRAYER ON BEHALF OF THE OTHER.
Verse 9 tells us: WITHOUT CEASING I MENTION YOU ALWAYS IN MY PRAYERS
– personal prayers
– prayers of thanksgiving
– AS WELL AS OF PETITION….!
In this way Paul regards prayer as an instrument to facilitate the sharing of some spiritual gift…
— some spiritual gift shared on a horizontal level
— some spiritual gift having also vertical dimensions,
namely: prayer of thanksgiving and of petition.
Paul began by telling FIRST what he loved to do for the strengthening of the other and when that functions, THEN A FAVOURABLE REACTION WILL RESULT…
AIMING at the encouragement of each other having Faith as its instrument and the instrument revitalised by acknowledging the Giver of it — GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT –He is the Giver of Faith…!!
The work of visitation and pastoral work has begun again in a more schematic and systematised form…!
Let us make it our prayer to view this aspect of work in the church correctly. Remember, it is primarily the elders’ responsibility to do the regular visitation work BUT IT IS NOT EXCLUSIVELY THE ELDERS’ WORK. WE, ALL TOGETHER, BELONG TO THE CONGREGATION…!!
– Can you say: ‘I long to see you, fellow-believers SO THAT we may share in some spiritual gift-SO THAT we may mutually be encouraged?
–.CAN YOU TRULY SAY THIS?? There is another year of pastoral work waiting for the Minister and for the elders, there is another year filled with opportunities to encourage one another…!!!
It will also be a year wherein fatigue will take its toll; where enthusiasm will make room for depression, where construction turns out to be destruction, where appointment proves to be disappointment,
But, in spite of all this, God’s Faithfulness towers above this sky high, with the steadiness of a mountain range.
Its climax of manifestation is found in the fulfilled work of the Lord Jesus. This work is not only proof of God’s faithfulness, IT IS MORE. IT HAS A SAVING PURPOSE….!
On the basis of Faith IT HAS MADE AND STILL MAKES ROOM for permanent enthusiasm. It provides the world with the best constructed and most needed plan, namely: THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION versus all the destruction CAUSED BY MAN…!
It provides for the Greatest of all Appointments, namely: the Divinely appointed Son of God,
– to dwell among men,
– to die an Atoning and Liberating death
AVERTING DESTRUCTION AND DISAPPOINTMENT
and pointing to LIFE…!!
Indeed, we have moved into another year of pastoral and visitation work and we may keep moving,
STEADILY UNDISTURBED
ENCOURAGED BY THE SHARING OF EACH OTHER’S FAITH…!
Do let your light shine so that all around you be illuminated and so portray and reflect the finished work of the Christ of the Scriptures.
He is Light, He asks us to walk in the Light of His Word, that Word is the Power of God unto salvation for all those who believe…
AND FAITH MAY BE — MUST BE SHARED.
Amen.