Please stand to Romans and chapter 15. Romans chapter 15. That's the passage we'll be looking at together. And while you're doing that, let me echo the announcement that I made this morning about the annual conference. We've just heard Elder Chaconta praying for that conference. I really need to emphasize that it's our conference. We've been running this conference now for about 31 years. This is our 31st year of hosting this conference, and it really depends on us. It depends on us to support it. It depends on us to be present, to prioritize it in our lives, and thus we can benefit from it. And so we are appealing to all of you as members, friends, and so on, to ensure that you publicize this conference. It's being publicized right now on social media. Just keep sharing every day, sharing and sharing. which in these days is not like sharing bread. It's simply pressing a little button and it goes to your friends. So let's make sure we are not as stingy as we were in primary school when we had our local bands. Let's not do that. This is something that the more you share, it won't be like the less you have, it still remains the same. But you get blessed because as other people are edified, it comes back to you in terms of God's blessing. The theme is biblical parenting. It's what lays a solid foundation for the next generation. And you can be sure that the problems we're having today arise from what our parents didn't do. Let's make sure we do not fail the generation that's coming. And so we have probably one of the best teachers on the subject of shepherding a child's heart, and that is Dr. Ted Tripp from the US and his wife. ministering to us. And so it's not going to cost you anything. There's no money to pay. Simply get on to either the Kawata Baptist Church website or the Lusaka Baptist Church website and there's a link there. Within two to three minutes you put in your details and what will happen is that updates will be coming straight to you, but also it means that the planners have some rough idea how many people they'll be ministering So again, I appeal eight more days. Let's make sure we register Okay Romans 15 we are looking today at verse 17 to verse 19 But I want us to begin once again from verse 14 The Bible says there I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. But on some points, I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister. of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel, so that, and that's the goal, that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. And then verse 17, that we are looking at all the way to verse 19, in Christ Jesus, Then I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders. by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum, I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ. Well brethren, as you can see, we are still continuing in the 15th chapter of the book of Romans and we have crossed over now into what we would perhaps refer to as personal words of the Apostle Paul to the church that he was writing to. It's something that he does in literally each of his epistles. Somewhere towards the end, you notice how he begins to speak more about himself and his relationship to the church than his actually expounding Christian truth. And yet, this does not mean that we should become half asleep when we come to those passages. Because what these passages do for us is to give us a backstage view of the early church. We are not simply seeing the didactic teachings. We are now seeing something of the relationships that were taking place behind the scenes And so we can ask ourselves the question, are these relationships true about us as well? And if they are not, then we do something about it so that we can come back in line with the New Testament. Now last time we saw that even healthy churches need the ministry of gospel preachers. We saw that from the point where the Apostle Paul said that on some points he had written boldly by way of reminder. And the reason why he could have done that is because of the grace of God that had been given to him. And what was that grace? to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, so that in the end, the Gentiles may come to know Christ. The Gentiles may be sanctified. The Gentiles may bring glory and honor to Almighty God. And so it is not enough to simply have churches started and those who begin churches then move on. They need to ensure that there is a voice that remains a clarion call to the people of God in order for them to worship God and to live for God appropriately. Well, today we're going on to see how such individuals' glory in ministry fruit. Such individuals' glory in ministry fruit. In fact, the word there for glory is really busty. Sort of being proud of what it is that is a fruit of their ministry. Now, in a sense, that should shock us. And we will try and explain that in a moment. But for me, I am concerned about the opposite. I'm concerned that we have too many preachers who hide their barrenness. behind a false humility. They hide their barrenness behind a false humility. In other words, I should not be thinking about fruit, I should simply continue being faithful, and yes, yes, I cannot see any fruit, but hey, you know, God is sovereign, and then I simply continue doing my work. Now, there's something of a truth there. But it's half the truth. And half the truth is never the whole truth. There is another side. And that other side is human responsibility. The two are to be held in tandem. The two are to be held in tension. We are to relate to both at the same time. So what are we learning from the Apostle Paul here? First of all, it is simply this, that true gospel preachers will labor in such a way that they can be truly proud of their work. They will labor in such a way that they can be truly proud of their work. And in a sense, this is the shocking statement that we have from the Apostle Paul here in verse 17. He says, in Christ Jesus, then I have risen to be proud of my work for God. The little phrase, then, that we find in the ESV is actually the word, therefore, which means there is something before that he is now bringing to conclusion. So the apostle Paul is saying, therefore, in Christ Jesus, I have risen to be proud of my work for God. So we need to quickly peep at what it is that has preceded, that makes the Apostle Paul be proud of his work. And it is the grace of God that has been given to him, that enables him to do that which is otherwise humanly impossible. Look at the way he had put it earlier on. He says halfway through verse 15, because of the grace given me by God. And what is this grace that has been given to him? To be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God. We opened that up last time, what this priestly service was all about. But notice the fruit of it. so that the gentiles, the offering of the gentiles, may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. This ought to be the fruit. And what Paul is saying there is, hey, I am proud to announce to you that that is actually what's been going on. that there's been this actual fruit. Gentiles are coming to God in genuine repentance and faith and they are being built up in their faith so that through them God would be truly glorified. Now, most of us would wish that the Apostle Paul would simply say, not so much that I am proud of this, but rather that perhaps all he would say is that I rejoice in it, which is really where we would want to end. We would like to end with simply saying that in Christ Jesus then, I have risen to rejoice in my work for God. But actually, Paul is using the very word that is shocking. He's using the word boasting. It is being proud of something. And it's the way in which we as human beings feel when we are seeing a positive fruit of something that we have done. If you are a farmer and you have spent your time in plowing and sowing the seed and weeding and so on, and finally the harvest comes in, you are not simply happy, you are proud of the fruit that has come out of your labors. And that's what Paul is talking about here. The catch is that it is in Christ Jesus. In other words, he has recognized that it is not in his own strength. It's in the strength of Christ. It's in the ability given to him by Christ. It is in the grace that God has given him that this has been produced. But we should not take away from him, nonetheless, the sense of pride in what he has done. But let's quickly go on because this aspect of it being in Christ is what he again develops as he speaks about this achievement being Christ's achievement rather than his own achievement. Look at the way he puts it in verse 18 and verse 19. It says there, for I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me. So this is not really human pride, sort of cha-cha-re, pointing at yourself. This is being proud of what the Lord has achieved through him. And it goes on to say, to bring the Gentiles to obedience. So again, we can see that preceding part. Bringing the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God. So this balancing phrase is ultimately what we should be comfortable in. It is being proud, yes, it's busting about what has happened, but at the same time recognizing that this is not my own fruit ultimately. It is the fruit of what Jesus Christ has done. And he's done it in two ways. First of all, it is through the word, or by the word, he says there. Bringing the genders to obedience by word, he says. And obviously what he means there is by the preaching. the clear preaching of the gospel and the teaching of the length and breadth and depth and height of Christian revelation. He's saying I have been preaching this and I can see the fruit of it. But secondly, it is also by power, by power, and thankfully he opens up what he means the deeds being the power of signs and wonders, and he qualifies it even further saying by the power of the Spirit of God. And this is really because he was an apostle. And part of the ability that God gave to the apostles was this ability to perform signs and wonders and mighty acts. And it's important, brethren, that we pause for a moment and recognize that. Because the Bible is full of this testimony. The fact that those who are called to the preaching ministry are not a sort of faceless bureaucracy. They are all exactly the same, like products out of a Chinese factory. They all do the same thing. Not at all. Notice, for instance, very quickly in Ephesians 4, the famous verse 11. where the Apostle Paul is very clear about the different kinds of preachers of the gospel that God, through Jesus Christ the Son, has given to the church. It says there, I begin reading from verse 10, Chapter four, he who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens that he might feel all things. And he, referring to the same one, and that's Jesus Christ, gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the shepherds and teachers. The actual Greek there is simply the shepherd teachers. That's the phrase that is there, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. In other words, there are clearly four categories of those who are called in this way. There are the apostles and prophets, and then you have the evangelists, and then you have the shepherd teachers. Now there is a difference between the first two and the last two. The first two, that is the apostles and prophets, were primarily foundational to the Christian church. And therefore, they were given these abilities that were extraordinary. And they were consequently, because they were foundational, they were a temporal office that was there purely at the beginning of the Christian church. Now this is not me speaking as a Reformed Baptist. It's what the Bible itself teaches. We see this, for instance, in this same book, actually, in chapter 2 and chapter 3. Let's quickly peep there. Chapter 2 and chapter 3. In chapter 2, we notice this in verse 20, but let's begin from verse 19. So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, and notice this, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. Why does Paul not add the evangelists and Pastor-teachers. Well, it's because it is these first two that are foundational to the Christian Church. He says the same in chapter 3. Chapter 3, and this time we read it in verse 5. I'll begin from verse 4. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it has now been revealed, notice, to his holy apostles and prophets. by the Spirit. He does not add the evangelists. He does not add the pastor teachers. It is to these two categories only that there is this extraordinary miraculous element that was because it was foundational to the Christian Church at the point at which they were receiving this revelation that made up the New Testament. Now, as part of what you notice about them is this aspect of the signs and wonders. The Apostle Paul refers to this Talk about coincidences in 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 12. Exactly what we were reading a few minutes ago. Just in case you were half asleep, let's go back there. 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 12. The Apostle Paul says there, the signs of a true apostle. were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works." In other words, how do you question my apostolic role? How? When the very signs that show that I was an apostle worked abundantly among you, you Corinthians. And again, all you need to do is to go through the book of Acts. Those of you with pen and paper, I'll give you the passages. I don't have time to open them all up. But when you go through them, you notice how, again and again, that which is miraculous is being done by the apostles. Maybe let's just see the first three, and the rest I will give to you. So let's go to the book of Acts, and chapter 2, and then we'll also look at chapter 3, and then we'll also look at chapter 2, chapter 4, and chapter 5. Acts, beginning with chapter 2, just when the New Testament began, verse 42. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And all came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And then it speaks about everyone else, and all who believed were together. Chapter 4 and verse 33. chapter 4 and verse 33, and with great power The apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and great grace was upon them all. And in case you're wondering what this with great power is, we go to chapter 5 and verse 12. Chapter 5 and verse 12. Now, many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And then it adds, and they were all together in Solomon's portico, and so forth. So you can't miss this aspect, that these were signs of the apostles. This was evidence concerning those who were apostles. We find the same in chapter 9 verse 32, chapter 13 verse 6 downwards, chapter 14 verse 3, And verse 8 to verse 10, chapter 15, verse 12, chapter 19, verse 11, you can't miss the fact that this gift, this gift that was given to the apostles included the ability to perform miracles, signs, and wonders. What about the prophets? The prophets were not particularly known for the miraculous, but they were known for receiving divine revelation directly from God. And consequently, they would be able to pass that word directly to the people that were before them. And we can see this again in the book of Acts, chapter 11, verse 27. Now, in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and foretold that it is by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world. So this was direct revelation from the Spirit that enabled them to pass on this information. We also notice that there were prophets in chapter 15 Just after the Jerusalem Council, there were two brothers that were given to Paul and Barnabas to go back to Antioch to go and minister to them. And we read in chapter 15 and verse 32, And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. So they were not just receiving direct revelation and teaching, but they were ensuring that teaching was appropriately being done by them. We get back to Agabus again but prior to that we've got Philip's children and I want to say a few things about Philip himself in a few moments. Chapter 21 verse 9 and verse 10. Chapter 21 verse 9 and verse 10. This is what we read there. I begin with verse 9 because it's talking about Philip. Maybe let's just go to verse 8. On the next day, we, referring to Paul and Luke and others, the apostolic team, we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the Evangelist. So clearly he had that gift that was in the third category. Okay, but listen to this, who was one of the seven, so he was also an individual who was among the deacons in the church. So in terms of office, He was in the office of deacon, at least the earlier deacon, because by this time he's now staying in Caesarea, so he moved away long ago. We'll come back to him in a moment. who was one of the seven and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. So again, here were ladies in his family that were prophesying. They were receiving direct revelations from God. And doesn't say they were teaching it, but they definitely were receiving direct revelations from God. But listen to this, verse 10. Sorry. Yeah, verse 10. While we were staying, For many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. So the same guy we saw earlier on in chapter 11. And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his feet and hands. and said, thus says the Holy Spirit. Again, that's revelation, direct revelation from God by the Spirit. This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. So what we see here is that with these two gifts that were given to the church, there's no doubt that there was something miraculous, something extraordinary about them. But what we've also seen from Ephesians itself is that it was foundational to the Christian church, and consequently temporal, because you don't continue building the foundation, you build the foundation once and for all, and then you start erecting the superstructure. However, when it comes to evangelists and pastors and teachers, generally speaking, they were but ordinary officers where they were teaching God's Word, and this was to continue to the end of time. Now, people debate the issue of evangelists, and that's primarily because there is, again, insufficient data on it. Notice how much data I gave you with apostles, how much data I gave you with prophets. But the difficulty with evangelists is that it's only mentioned three times. And only three. One is to do with Philip in the book of Acts, where we saw. The second is in Ephesians chapter 4, where we've also seen. And then the third is when the Apostle Paul says to Timothy before he dies, that do the work of an evangelist. And so that remains a point of argument and debate and so on. And also partly because in the book of Acts, there's a Philip and theologians continue to debate whether it's Philip the Apostle or Philip the disciple, rather the deacon. But be that as it may, he's the one who's called evangelist. And earlier in chapter 11, he is full of signs and miracles and wonders. And so there is that aspect that at least produces a little bit of dust in the air. But having said that, It's obviously true that when you think about at least Timothy right before Paul dies, there's nothing in Timothy's life that even suggests any miraculous element. But the teaching was definitely there, the teaching. And also, as we shall see in a moment, this expansion of the kingdom of God. Now why have I gone into all this trouble? It's because we should not run away from passages like this. We shouldn't even feel that there's anything wrong because here is one who was not just called to be a preacher, he was called to be an apostle. And as he argues with the Corinthians, he says, why should you make me look like an inferior apostle when you saw, when I was in Corinth, that the signs of the apostle were flowing right through me. Signs, wonders, and mighty deeds. So this is something that Paul could glory in, not so much that I can do miracles, but that through the gift that God has given me as an apostle, look at what he has achieved through me. Now that's the principle that we then bring back to ourselves and we say, You claim that Jesus Christ has called you to be an evangelist? Well, let's see what he has accomplished for you. Because if he has called you to this, then surely the grace of God should be given you to bear the fruit for that calling. Has he called you to be a pastor teacher? Exactly the same thing. Where is the fruit? Because ultimately, that's what you should be rejoicing in. That he has gifted me to do his work and hey, look at what he has done through me. Look! And it is that that you rejoice in, that according to the ministerial gifts that he has given to you, you should be able to say, Christ has achieved. Look, look, look. Now, the last bit that we notice from here. is that God extends the boundaries of his kingdom through true gospel preachers. And this is what the busting is in. It is this pushing of the boundaries of God's kingdom. Back to our text. Back to our text. I begin from verse 18. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, and then here's the phrase, so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum, I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ. I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ. You see, it was the spiritual capturing of lands that were previously under the domain of darkness that made the Apostle Paul to boast. And I repeat, the evidence is there. He is saying, now some of you have good Bibles that have got maps at the back. Now, if you have such a Bible, then take time later on to peep there and see where Jerusalem is, and then proceed to see where Illyricum is. And I'll easily show it to you right now. Assuming in front of me here is the Mediterranean Sea. On this side is where you have Judea, and that's where you have Jerusalem. And then you have the various provinces on top here. And then you have that shoe, or that boot, that we refer to as Italy. OK. So where is Jerusalem? We all know where it is. It is right here. On this side, where is Illyricum? Illyricum is just next to Italy, just on top of Italy. That's where it is, just before Rome. So what is Paul saying? Paul is saying, beginning here, all the way through all these provinces, all these provinces, up to Illyricum, the gospel of Jesus Christ has been conquering the land. Now, let me quickly read to you what those provinces are. There is Syria, somewhere here, and then there's Cilicia, then there's Cappadocia, and then there's Galicia, and then there's Bithynia, and then there's Pontus, and then there is a small province called Asia, and then there is Macedonia, and then there is Achaia, somewhere under Macedonia, and then you get to Bithynia. Can you imagine what Paul is saying? Can you see why he's glorying? Why he's boasting? Lands have been conquered by the gospel. And he's saying, this is what Christ has done through me. Not by a gun or pistol, but by the power of the gospel and the gifts that God, through Christ, has imbued in me. And this is what I want to boast about. This is what through God has been done. Literally, the next province is where Rome is. And because the church is already there in Rome, we'll come to study this very soon, Paul is not interested in getting to Rome. He wants to cross and get to Spain. Because, as he says, he wants to take the gospel where the gospel hasn't reached. So that he can conquer more lands. So that he's got something further to boast about concerning the great work that God has done. And therefore, to him, Rome is not a priority. Yes, I'll pass through, he goes on to say in the remaining verses of this chapter. But his eyes are set on Spain. Brethren, this is what we need to be hearing from men who are claiming that God has called them. That's what you should be hearing. They should be talking in terms of the triumphs of His grace. They should be speaking in terms of hearts that are being conquered. They should be speaking in terms of churches that are being planted. They should be speaking in terms of progress and progress of the gospel. And they should be doing so with great excitement. When they come for a missions conference, they should be able to show us on the screen and say, look, You sent me to Nyimba, where we have conquered Sinda, we have conquered Petawuke, we have conquered Katete, we have conquered Chipata, we have conquered Lundaz, we have conquered, we are going! That's what we should be hearing. And not some old grandfather just wanting to have a paid retirement. No! Is God calling you? The question is this, is there fire in your bones? That's what we should be speaking about. Is the gospel through you going to conquer the world? I'm not simply, ah, you know, I haven't yet got my pay. No, you know, we need more money. No, we need more support. No, we need, we need, we need. But where is that burning fire that's conquering the lands? Through the gospel. Through your gifting, where you can say, look at what Christ has done. So you can see, brethren, as I hurry on to close, where there is true gospel preachers with God's call, there is this spiritual bursting at what the Lord has done, what the Lord is doing. And I want to repeat, I am very concerned That as preachers, we are hiding our barrenness behind a false humility, which we ought not to. Which we ought not to. Because the phase we are in is the extension of the borders of God's kingdom. That's the phase of history we are in. We're not called to simply be sitting on someone else's eggs until they hatch. We are being called to multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it in a spiritual sense. That's what we are being called to do. Every Christian is called to evangelize. Every Christian is called to disciple those who are younger than them. Every Christian is to do that in a general way. That's not what we're talking about. When we are praying, Lord, raise forth liberals. When as elders, we are yearning that some young souls will come out of the woodworks and say the gospel is burning in my soul. Send me. This is what we want to say. This is what we want to say. Not individuals who fail to do anything else in life. They completely failed. And now they come saying, you know, I think God is calling me. It's this. It's this. So that in a few years time, we are able to say, look at what the gospel has done there. Look at what Jesus Christ has done through this servant of his. Look, look. Where are we hearing these testimonies of boundaries being extended by powerful gospel preaching? Where? Because that's what we should be praying for. Apostles, yes, they are gone. Prophets, yes, they are gone. Although there are a lot of guys calling themselves like that, but that's beside the point. Evangelists, we can argue. But definitely, this calling to be proclaimers of the gospel, ministers of the gospel of Christ, in the same league with the apostles, with the prophets, with the evangelists, as pastor-teachers, ought to continue! And we ought to be rejoicing in what the gospel is achieving. There's a call that continues to come. over the restless waves. Send the light. Send the light. They are souls to rescue. They are souls to save. Send the light. We don't just want to be paying out salaries. We want to be hearing these testimonies of pride in what the Lord has done through me. May God help us to bring back these days for Jesus' sake. Amen. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, thank you for the testimony of the Apostle Paul. No doubt a man who suffered much, as we saw in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 earlier today. and yet one who's not in any way depressed, but rather rejoicing and bursting in what you have done through him. Father, we continue to pray that we will continue to see men coming out of this factory line. men upon whom your hand is evident, men who will do nothing but proclaim this powerful gospel, men who will indeed raise the dead through the ministry of the word. Oh, God of heaven, we plead that you might do this for us. that a band of men, terrible with banners, powerful proclaimers of the gospel, will indeed extend the boundaries of your kingdom in our generation and in generations to come. This is what we ask for, oh God, for Jesus' sake. Amen.