In the sermon titled 'Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome' by Jason Dohm, the focus is on Paul's long-standing desire to visit the Roman believers, which he had expressed since the beginning of his letter. Despite his eagerness, Paul had been hindered by his mission to preach the gospel in new regions where Christ had not yet been named. His commitment to spreading the gospel and establishing churches took precedence over personal desires. Paul planned to visit Rome as a stepping stone to Spain, the far western boundary of the Roman Empire, where he aimed to continue his mission. Before visiting Rome, Paul needed to fulfill his obligation to deliver contributions from Gentile churches to the poor saints in Jerusalem, highlighting the interconnectedness and mutual support among early Christian communities. This act also symbolized the breaking down of the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile in Christ. Paul anticipated that his visit to Rome would be blessed by God, allowing for mutual encouragement and the strengthening of faith. The sermon concludes with reflections on making thoughtful, prayerful plans while recognizing God's sovereignty, emphasizing the importance of community, and supporting mission work to spread the gospel.

We're going to start in verse 20 and read through 29. Jason will be teaching 20 through 29. So join me in Romans 15, starting in verse 20. And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation but as it is written to whom he was not announced they shall see and those who have not heard shall understand For this reason I also have been hindered much or hindered from coming to you, but now no longer having a place in these parts and having a great desire these many years to come to you. Whenever I sojourn or whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you.

For I hope to see you on my journey and to be helped on my way there by you. If first, I may enjoy your company for a while. But Now I'm going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints for it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed and they are their debtors for if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain.

But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Amen. The title of our sermon this morning is Paul's desire to visit Rome. He's already expressed that in chapter one. We'll see that again.

He's expressing it again here towards the end of the letter. He's had such a desire to go and meet the people that he's heard so much about. Maybe through definitely through Priscilla and Aquila and probably also others in that congregation. He wants to be there and meet them all, be with them face to face. This first part of Romans where he spoke of his desire to visit Rome for the first time.

A section of chapter one was very personal and specific to the believers in Romans. So a lot of Romans doesn't, it's not personal. It was written to them, but it could apply to any believer in any time. So we read Romans and you can see it coming directly to you. It's for you and that's fine, but in the first part of chapter 1 you saw, oh this is very personal, This is very specific to these people in Romans at in in Rome at that time.

And now after these great doctrinal teaching us about God and the nature of salvation and practical teaching us what the results of that doctrine should be in our lives. Now he returns to a very personal and specific mode. So that's where we are in our text this week. Paul speaks of his long-held desire to visit these believers in Rome. And he explains why he hasn't ever visited them before.

Most commentators think that he's probably in his early 60s when he writes to the Romans and he's been on the mission field for more than 20 years. How could the Apostle to the Gentiles not have been to Rome, the center of the Gentile world? Well, he's actually going to explain that in this text. And he tells them about something he has to do before he visits them. So he's writing this letter to them.

He's sending this letter to them, and he's telling them, I do, I've always wanted to visit. I want to visit now, but I have to finish this thing first before I come to you. And finally, he gives them his hopes and expectations for a visit. He has very clear thoughts in his mind about what a visit will mean for him, what a visit will mean for them. As we come to our text, let's ask God to help us.

God, I thank you so much for Paul's very evident love for your people in this text. He charts such a sweet, valuable course for us and how to think about believers near and far, how to think about believers that we are here with, share life with, and even believers who are across the world. Pray that you would give us such a heart towards your people. You have such profound love for your people, and I pray that we would share in your heart in that way. May our time accomplish that in Jesus' name, amen.

Let's begin by rereading Romans 15, verses 22 through 24. Follow along as I reread those three verses and then I'll talk about them. Romans 15, 22 through 24, Paul continues, For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. But now, no longer having a place in these parts and having a great desire these many years to come to you, whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey and to be helped on my way there by you.

If first, I may enjoy your company for a while. So in these three verses, we have Paul's plan to visit Rome. Taking notes on the handout, filling in blanks, plan, fills in the blanks, Paul's plan to visit Rome. The text begins, For this reason I have been much hindered from coming to you. For what reason?

Paul just gave us the reason in verse 20. Let's look back a couple of verses. Here's what he just said in the letter. And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel not where Christ was named lest I should build on another man's foundation." Paul has always known that it was his mission to press forward the Gospel frontier, to just expand the range of where the Gospel had been preached, and where the name of Jesus had been named, and that has been His focus. There were believers at Rome.

There was a church at Rome. The gospel has been preached at Rome. Christ was named in Rome. So While Paul had had a desire to visit Rome for a long time, checking off items on his bucket list was not Paul's great compulsion. We definitely get this from this text.

Do You have a list of things you really want to do while you have time to do it. I do too. Paul did too, but it wasn't his great compulsion. He was a bond servant of Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ had him always pushing forward the boundaries of the kingdom of God by preaching the gospel where it had never been preached, by seeing Christ named in regions where Christ had never been known, never been named, never been loved, never been embraced.

Paul calls this being much hindered. He wanted to visit Rome. That was old, not new. He said, these many years, I've wanted to do this these many years. So this is not a new desire.

It was an old desire. But his calling kept him focused on other regions. It could go without saying that there was no two hour flight to Rome. It was a four to six month walk to Rome from some of the regions that he was he was laboring in. So no, no two hour flights to Rome was not a thing to be undertaken lightly.

And his calling was had kept him focused for many years when he wanted to go to Rome had kept him focused away from Rome in other regions where he was pressing forward the boundaries of where Christ was named. Paul actually began to write about this in chapter 1. So turn back to chapter 1. Let's go back to the beginning. In chapter 1, Paul started to speak to the Roman believers about this in chapter 1 verses 8-13.

Follow along as I re-read Romans 1, 8-13. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, and I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making requests if by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift so that you may be established. That is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you, but was hindered until now, that I might have some fruit among you also just as among other Gentiles." Paul's heart was with them, Paul's prayers were with them, and he had often wanted to actually be with them. Paul wanted to impart spiritual blessing to them and to be mutually encouraged in the faith among them. He knows that if he can get there, they'll be encouraged by his faith and he'll be encouraged by their faith. Paul had often planned to visit them, but he says right here in chapter 1, I was hindered. Now we know it hindered him.

It was actually the internal compulsion that he had to labor in regions where the gospel hadn't been preached yet. That was what was hindering him. Paul wants to have some fruit among them, just as he had also fruit among other Gentile cities and regions. After all, Rome was the center of the Gentile world. It would be strange if Paul lived and died as the apostle to the Gentiles and never made it to Rome.

And he's wanted to do that for years. OK, back to our text, back to verses 23 and 24. Let me just read those again. But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey and to be helped on my way there by you if first may I may enjoy your company." Paul is now satisfied that in the regions where he has been laboring the gospel has been preached Christ is named and churches have been established in many of the major population centers and commissioned to spread the good news.

So has he been to every single community in those regions where he's been laboring? No, he hasn't. But in the major population centers, many of them, he has preached the gospel, established churches, and given to them the commission that Jesus has given to all of his people, which is to keep spreading the gospel where we are. So Paul is satisfied that his work in those regions actually has been completed. Listen to Acts 14.

I was in my reading plan this week, and I thought, this is such a good description of how Paul operated, of what Paul's repetitive practice was in terms of establishing churches and strengthening them and then commissioning them. This is Acts 14, 21 through 23. And when they, this is Paul and his brothers who were ministering with him, And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. So in the chapters leading up to that, it talks about him being in the cities. So he went to another city and preached the gospel, and then he returned back through these cities where he had been preaching the gospel.

He returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. So when they had appointed elders in every city and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. So we see so clearly that this is Paul's practice to go to a city, evangelize, make disciples, go to another city. But then he would come back. He would double back, go to these cities, and then he would establish these churches by appointing elders, plural, in every church, singular.

By the way, this is one of the places that we see local church government by a plurality, more than one qualified men. This is really the pattern of the New Testament. It was Paul's pattern at the beginning of his first missionary journey and At the end of his third missionary journey, we see him doing that same thing. Paul was not just a hit and run evangelist. Now, are there times where we only have one shot and we take the shot and we tell someone about Jesus and we never see them again.

Yes, and of course there are times when that's appropriate. But that was not Paul's pattern. Paul's pattern was to preach the gospel and then double back and then appoint elders in the church so that there was ongoing governance, ongoing encouragement, ongoing preaching, sound preaching of the Word of God, and then he would write letters to those churches. That's what a lot of the New Testament is. So Paul was not a hit-and-run evangelist.

He was a man who was establishing churches. And, so he was laboring in those regions to establish churches and he sees an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Meaning He sees an opportunity to accomplish two things at once. He can visit Rome, which he has wanted to do for a long time. And he can use Rome as a jumping off point to bring the gospel to Spain, where Christ is not named.

So to Paul this is a dream come true. I've wanted to visit Rome for the longest time. I get to visit Rome and use it as a jumping off point to do this thing that I have this ongoing internal compulsion for which is to preach the gospel where it's never been preached. See Christ named, loved, embraced where he's never been named, loved, embraced. I can do these two things at one time.

Paul sees an opportunity to join a longtime desire visiting Rome to his primary mission, taking the gospel where it's never been before. Spain is well west of Rome. Paul would be coming from way the other side of Rome, way southeast of Rome, and Spain is far to the west of Rome. Spain was the far west boundary of the Roman Empire, so there's nothing farther west in the whole Roman Empire of Spain. So again, Paul would be pushing out the boundary of where the gospel has been preached.

Finally, Paul says this. If first I may enjoy your company for a while. I find it easy to dehumanize Paul. He can seem like a gospel machine. Seem like a gospel robot.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you know, and then the robot goes to the next town and the next town, the next region, the next region. Because he's so focused on the work. Paul was no gospel machine. Paul was no gospel robot. And this text re-humanizes him.

Paul did have a God-given internal compulsion. You should thank God for that. The Gospel made it to you because of the internal compulsion, pressing compulsion that God gave to the Apostle Paul. Thank you, Lord. The Gospel made it to me.

But Paul also knew by experience the pleasure of simply spending time with the spiritual brethren that he actually had more in common with than his bloodline brethren. So if you've been in the faith for a while, this this resonates, you have a frame of reference for this, you also know this by experience. There are bloodline relatives that you have very little in common with, that it's hard to spend time with, but there are spiritual brethren that you have so much more in common with, And it's just like a breath of fresh air to be to be with them. There is pleasure simply in being together. What are we going to talk about?

Who cares? It'll be sweet when we talk about it, whatever it is. You know it'll be sweet. I spent the day on the ports with Molly yesterday. What did we talk about?

I don't remember. Who cares? But I know that it was sweet. It was a pleasure just simply to be with a brother, even born on the same continent as me. I'm sure we're related through Noah and then through Adam, but that's about it.

It's not much closer than that. So we don't have a lot of bloodline to draw on, but man do we have a lot of spiritual commonality to draw on that makes it sweet to just be together. Paul knew that by experience. Rob Ventura says this in his commentary, Paul desired not only their finances but also their fellowship in the Lord. He is hoping for help.

Heaven knows he needs the help to go to Spain. He did rely on his brethren and the Lord to help send him to new regions. Often they sent him with resources. Sometimes they sent him with people. Rome might do both.

I'm sure he's hoping for both, but he's looking for more than finances. He's looking for fellowship too. Praise the Lord for that. This is not just a mercenary visit to Rome for the Apostle Paul. He might get finances, but he's looking forward to sweet fellowship with with brethren of the Lord.

All right, verses 25 through 27. Let's move to the next section. This is 25 through 27. But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.

It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. In verses 25 through 27, we have Paul's more immediate objective. So if you're taking notes on the handout by filling in blanks, immediate fills in the blanks. Paul's more immediate objective.

Before Paul can visit Rome, there's a commitment that he's made and he has to fulfill that commitment first before he's free to go to Rome and That commitment is to deliver contributions from multiple Gentile churches So not one church but multiple of the Gentile churches I'm calling them Gentile churches not because they were exclusively Gentiles. You read his letters, you get the sense that there is a Jewish presence along with probably a majority of Gentiles in those churches, but they're in Gentile lands. They're certainly churches outside the boundaries of Israel, so I'm calling them Gentile churches. He's committed to deliver contributions from multiple Gentile churches to Jerusalem to minister to the poor saints there. The Gentile believers in Macedonia.

So we know about churches that were planted in Macedonia because of his letters, Philippians is to the Gentile Church in Philippi, that Thessalonians, for Second Thessalonians is to the Gentile church in Philippi. Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians is to the Gentile church in Thessalonica. And also this other region that he mentions, Achaea. We know of a church from Paul's letters in Achaia, which is Corinth, is in that region. And these churches have banded together to contribute for this purpose.

These regions, Macedonia and Achaea, were where Paul was laboring and planting churches in his first two missionary journeys. So if you chart where he went on his first missionary journey, starting in Antioch, going all over the place, ending up back in Antioch, and then his second missionary journey, you find him going throughout these regions, Macedonia and then Achaia. In verse 26, Paul says, it pleased them to give. And again, in verse 27, it pleased them indeed. So Paul wants to make it clear through repetition that these Gentile churches were actually happy to give to the poor saints in Jerusalem.

This was done out of the love and goodwill of one set of believers towards another set of believers. These Gentile churches were happy to do it. Pleased them to do it. 2 Corinthians 9, verse 7, Paul says, God loves A cheerful giver. Who did we have in Macedonia?

Who did we have in Achaia? Cheerful givers. They were pleased to give towards this. There were needy saints in Jerusalem. Saints actually literally means holy ones.

Ones that God has called out to be his own, separated out to himself. So there were these people who God had separated out to himself, brothers and sisters in the Lord to all believers everywhere in the world, and they were needy in Jerusalem, and the Gentile churches pooled their resources they joined together their resources to meet those needs. We do know that in a New Testament book written specifically to Jews in Hebrews, Hebrews 1034 says, you joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. So this New Testament book written specifically to Jewish believers, the book of Hebrews notes that Jewish believers were often having their goods plundered. No one, the unbelieving Jews didn't have more hatred towards anybody than they had towards believing Jews.

They weren't happy about believing Gentiles, but they saved the most of their hatred towards believing Jews, and no one was more persecuted than believing Jews. Paul knew that, How did he knew that? Because he had been on both sides of it. He had been a persecutor of believing Jews before conversion and he had been persecuted by unbelieving Jews after his conversion. So we do have a possible connection here.

Why were there needy Jews in Jerusalem? Some Jews were having their goods plundered. We know that from Hebrews 10.34. We read about pooling of resources from these Gentile churches in 1 Corinthians 16. So turn there.

I would like to look briefly at somewhere else where Paul speaks of the pooling of resources from Gentile churches to send to needy saints in Jerusalem. This is 1 Corinthians 16. I'll be reading 1-5. Listen to 1 Corinthians 16 verses 1-5. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches in Galatians, so you must do also.

On the first day of the week, let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters, I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem but if it is fitting that I go also they will go with me now I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia for I am passing through Macedonia so there you have it he's he's saying I'm coming to you I'll be coming through Macedonia on the way to you. He's visiting the churches in Macedonia. And then when I get there, I don't want to be taking up collections when I get there. Here's how I want you to organize to pool our resources for the needy saints in Jerusalem.

When you meet on the first day of the week, each of you set aside something as you may prosper. As God gives you extra, take some of that extra and set it aside week by week so we don't have to take up offerings when I get there that you already have accumulated the resources. And then whoever you appoint will go with me to Jerusalem and we'll go together to give these contributions to those who need them in Jerusalem. So Paul had a very active role in this. He helped them to organize, to accumulate resources for this purpose.

And then he traveled with appointed representatives to Jerusalem to deliver those contributions. Then in verse 27, Paul says this. I am in the wrong chapter. Then in verse 27, Paul says this. It pleased them indeed, these Gentile churches in Macedonia and Achaia, please them indeed, and they are their debtors.

For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things." Paul says that the Gentile believers have a debt to pay to Jewish saints. They owe them. How so? Because the spiritual blessings that the Gentile believers have become partakers of, the blessings of the Gospel, they have become partakers of those spiritual blessings. That word partakers literally means come into fellowship with the Jewish believers were first partakers of those gospel blessings and now the Gentiles have come into fellowship with the Jewish believers of these gospel blessings.

They have come into fellowship with them of these gospel blessings. And these gospel blessings came through God's covenant people. The Jews. Listen to what Matthew Henry says. Matthew Henry says, from the stock of Israel came Christ himself, according to the flesh, who is the light to enlighten the Gentiles.

Out of the same stock came the prophets and apostles and first preachers of the gospel. Thus did the Gentiles partake of their spiritual things and receive the gospel of salvation as it were at second hand from the Jews. In other words, the Jews got it first. That was by design. Jesus restricted his ministry overwhelmingly to within the borders of Israel, but that wasn't the ultimate plan.

The Jews got it first. It was established among the Jews and then Jews took it to the Gentiles. Who is Paul? Paul's a Jew. How did the gospel make it to so many Gentiles so fast through the labors of Paul the Jew and through so many other believing Jews who were dispersed from Israel both through gospel convictions and through persecution right it happened both ways There were Jews who knew the Great Commission, had the gospel to take, and they had the compulsion that Paul had.

So they took the gospel to the Gentiles, like Paul did. And there were Jews who were simply persecuted out of Israel, and they took the gospel with them. That's really how the gospel came to Antioch, where believers were first called Christians. It was the persecution that happened in Acts chapter eight. Paul says this to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 9 verse 11.

1 Corinthians 9 verse 11. Paul says, if we have sown spiritual things, so planted spiritual seeds for you, Is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If we came to you at great personal cost, I mean, Read Acts. Did the gospel come to the Gentiles where Paul brought it? Where the gospel had never been preached, Christ had never been named.

Did it come at great personal cost to Paul? You bet it did. If That was the circumstance of me coming to plant gospel seeds in you. Is it a great thing if I reap your material things? That's what he asks the Corinthians.

The principle is this. When someone gives of themselves to impart spiritual blessings to you. Just stop and think about that. Someone gives of themselves so that you'll have spiritual blessings. You can bless them back by helping them with material things, especially when they're in need.

This is just common sense. It's just logical. When someone lays themselves out, spends themselves to impart spiritual blessings to you there's a way you can bless them back by helping them with material things especially if they're needy John Murray and his commentary says it this way charity is an obligation, but not a tax. That's helpful. Charity is an obligation, but it isn't a tax.

It is not in the same category as a commercial debt incurred, which we are under contract contractual obligation to pay. It is the indebtedness arising from benefits received as when we acknowledge our indebtedness to a great benefactor. So it's not like a commercial contract, like you signed now pay. Okay, it's like the indebtedness from when you've received something of incredible benefit. How do you feel when when someone takes pains to do something great for you, don't you feel like I should find a way to repay that kindness that was such a tremendous benefit to me?

Don't you think that? That's what Paul is saying here about the Gentiles and their Jewish brethren. That's what Paul is helping the Gentile believers do. And he has to fulfill that commitment before he can visit Rome. That's really what this section is about.

He's made that commitment and he has to fulfill it before he can visit Rome. One final comment before we move on to the last section. This is not in the text, but it's related. In Ephesians 2, Paul says that the middle wall of separation between Jew and Gentile has been broken down in Christ. There used to be this wall of separation between Jew and Gentile, but Jesus coming and living, dying, rising from the dead, ascending, has obliterated that wall.

It's broken down that wall between Jew and Gentile. Taking these contributions, accumulated, pulled from multiple Gentile churches, is an action that will one, be a practical demonstration of that from the Gentile side. It's a practical demonstration that the Gentiles recognize that in Christ that middle wall of separation that existed for millennia has been obliterated by Christ. We're brethren, let us help! We're not acknowledging a middle wall of separation between us and you.

You're our brothers, let us help. That middle wall of separation back up. As you read Acts, you find that there is an impulse in the Jewish believing community, in the Jewish church, to little by little, lay some of those bricks back and start building back up that middle wall of separation. That's all of what Acts 15, Do you have to be circumcised to be saved? So, and there are people in the church in Jerusalem that are saying, absolutely.

Now the letter that went back to the Gentile churches was Absolutely not. You do not have to be circumcised to be safe. Don't be circumcised. But there was an impulse in the Jewish church to, maybe even unwittingly, start laying those bricks back and building up that middle wall of separation. And this will help them fight that impulse.

OK, final two verses. Romans 15, 28, and 29, follow along. Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. In these two verses we have Paul's expectations for the visit.

Paul calls his mission to the poor saints in Jerusalem, sealing this fruit to them. These contributions, pulled together from the Gentile churches, these contributions are seeds that were planted growing up and bearing fruit that in a sense came back to the planters. There is a sense in which these Jewish believers could trace back these contributions coming in and say, oh you know what we did plant seeds. There were these Jewish believers that went out beyond our borders into the Gentile regions. And now look what's coming back.

Fruit is coming back from those seeds that went out. The fruit is the faith and love of the Gentile believers. And the actual material contributions are simply a representation of that. The, the stuff, the material help, the, The money is just a tangible symbol. It's about so much more than just money.

The money is representing something. What is it representing? It's representing the faith of the Gentile believers and the love of the Gentile believers. It's a fruit. That's what Paul and those other approved representatives will be delivering to the needy saints in Jerusalem.

In verse 29, Paul writes out his expectations for a visit to Rome. I know that when I come to you I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Paul expects the blessing of God on his time in Rome. So he's anticipating having time in Rome. What does he expect?

He expects God to bless it. However much time it is, whoever he meets, he expects God's blessing on that time. He expects to preach the gospel there. He said that in chapter 1 verse 15. And when he preaches the gospel there, he expects for God to bless it.

Why? Because God sent him to a lot of places and God keeps blessing his preaching of the gospel. And he doesn't expect his trip to Rome to be any different. I expect to preach the gospel there, I expect God to bless it. He expects to encourage the believers there and to be encouraged by the believers there.

He said that in chapter 1 verse 12. Why is that? Because he keeps going from one place to the other, to the other, to the other. And he keeps being able to encourage, seeing the results of his encouragement among believers in these different places, and knowing that he comes away encouraged by that. It has happened again and again and again.

He expects to visit Rome. He expects to experience that again. The Gospel of Christ has many blessings. The gospel of Christ has many blessings. And Paul knows God, so Paul expects to experience those blessings among the believers in Rome.

He's experienced it over and over and over again. God hasn't changed. He doesn't expect the results to change. I expect to go there preach and have that blessed by God because he keeps blessing my preaching. He expects to go and encourage and be encouraged because that's happened over and over again.

God hasn't changed. He expects that to happen again. Okay, a postscript. Coming completely outside the book of Romans, but reflecting on what we're seeing here in the book of Romans, a postscript, or as Paul Harvey would say, now the rest of the story. A few of you are old enough to know what that means, the rest of you, no problem.

Ask me later who was Paul Harvey. Did Paul go to Jerusalem? Yes, he went to Jerusalem. What did they do there? They put him in prison.

They persecuted him for his gospel labors and tried to kill him. The unbelieving Jews did that. Oh, I didn't mention anything about that here. Didn't say anything about imprisonment and attempted murder. It's missing.

But there's going to be imprisonment and attempted murder. Did Paul go to Rome? Yes. Was it as a pass-through on the way to Spain? It was as a prisoner.

He didn't mention that here. Coming two years shackled between two soldiers. Let me give you three texts. Proverbs 16, 9. A man's heart plants his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Proverbs 19, 21, There are many plans in a man's heart. Nevertheless, the Lord's counsel, that will stand. Jeremiah 10, 23. Oh Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself. It is not in the man who walks to direct his own steps.

What do we learn from Romans 15? What do we learn from Proverbs 16-9, Proverbs 19-21, Proverbs 10-23? We learn this. Make plans. Making plans isn't anti-biblical.

Making plans isn't ungodly. Paul made plans. Make thoughtful plans. Make careful plans. Make prayerful plans.

And then hold them lightly. Make those thoughtful, careful, prayerful plans and then hold them lightly. Knowing that your father, the sovereign king, might have other and ultimately better plans. You have to keep that in mind. You make those plans, you think about them, you be careful with them, you pray over them, amen to all that.

You better hold them lightly because your father is a sovereign king, he's going to decide what happens. Sometimes we find you know what he planted those plans in my heart. He had had to have been him planning that plan in my heart because it happened just like I planned it. Is that all was how it works? Not for Paul, not for you.

Not for me. Hold those plans lightly. Your Father is the Sovereign King. If you're a believer, God is your Father and He is also a Sovereign King who determines how everything is going to work out. Everything.

You might have other plans And if he has other plans, they're ultimately better plans. So don't be afraid that your plans aren't going to work out. It's either like you planned it, because God planted that plan in your heart, and he blessed it and brought it to be, or he has something better in mind. So we have no fear that our plans might not work out. If he has other plans, they'll ultimately be better.

Applications, let me give you four. Number one, know your post and man it. Know your post. Where am I supposed to be? Where does God want me?

Work hard to figure that out. God give me a compulsion. What should I be doing? Give me such a strong conviction about what I should be doing. And when God does, man that post.

You man it. You stay at it. Don't abandon that post. Paul didn't. He manned his post.

He had a bucket list, but the bucket list could wait until he was finished preaching the gospel and seeing Christ named where he had never been named, and establishing churches and appointing elders and writing letters to the people in those places. Then, he was at liberty to go to Rome. But not in the way he thought. I guess he wasn't at liberty. He wasn't at liberty when he went to Rome.

He was in prison. There is a time for refreshment and enjoyment. You can find that throughout the Bible. You shouldn't feel bad about refreshment and enjoyment. But that is not the end of our lives.

The great end of our lives is the post that God gives us to man. Know your post, man. Number two. How are we doing at enjoying each other's company? I've been actually tuned into The fact that too often I'm all business.

You might not know that side of me, but if you work with me for very long, you'll learn that side of me. What is it, all business? If you're like that, you should fight that impulse. We should do well at enjoying each other's company. What are you going to talk about?

Who cares? Enjoy being together. It's good. We can actually refresh each other and help each other stay at our post over the long term. There is a refreshing, a strengthening that happens when we enjoy each other's company that helps us keep going.

Isn't that true? Can you keep going forever without being refreshed by your brother's company? I can't. I can't do it. I need it.

You need it. We need it. How are you doing at enjoying each other's company? Make sure you have a place for that. Make sure that place is getting attention, enjoying each other's company.

Three. Be prepared to be open-handed with saints in need. Oh, that's halfway across the world. Yeah, it was halfway across the world. From Macedonia and the Kaia to Jerusalem, it was halfway across the world.

They felt like there are saints there that have need. And even though they're so far away even though they're Jews we're Gentiles that middle wall of separation is gone we should help them. We owe them a debt of gratitude the gospel came to us from them We'll minister to them with our materialities. We belong to each other near and far. That's true.

The New Testament teaches that. You don't get that. I don't know how to help you. We belong to each other near and far. Number four.

From last week. I'm just gonna bring forward one from last week. Let's keep the frontiers in our crosshairs. Thank God for local church. Thank God for work given to do together in a local community.

But we should keep the frontiers and the crosshairs. And the people who have been given an unquenchable internal compulsion by God to keep going where Christ hasn't been preached so that His name will be named there we should help them. Paul's counting on it. Paul's counting on believers helping him go to the next frontier financially and otherwise. Let's pray.

God I'm learning so much. We're at the end of Romans. I continue to learn so much week by week, text by text, the things that are here. Either learning new things or being reminded of things that I haven't thought of in a while. Thank you so much for this truth that we get to encounter in Romans week after week.

Pray that you would press these truths on our hearts. Help us to be moved and helped and changed by them. In Jesus' name, Amen.