November 2, 2025 • 40 mins
We trace a straight line from Jesus’ Great Commission to the global worship of Revelation 7 and then get practical in Romans 15 about how the church actually moves the gospel from here to there. Paul’s ambition, the church’s support, and the power of prayer form a simple, urgent plan anyone can join.
• starting line of mission in Matthew 28 and Acts 1:8
• finish line vision in Revelation 7 with every nation
• Paul’s call to preach where Christ is not named
• strategy from Jerusalem to Illyricum to Spain
• our shared call at home, work, and school
• support through generous, strategic giving
• global missions offering and partner ministries
• praying for workers and becoming workers
• legacy of Lottie Moon and a sending culture
• invitation to respond, belong, and believe
If you're in our area and you don't have a church home, we would love to see you any Sunday morning at First Baptist El Dorado
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:03):
Hello and welcome to the FBC El Doredo Sermon
Podcast.
My name is Taylor Guerrera and Ihave the privilege of being the
pastor here at First Baptist.
And I want to thank you forlistening into our sermon this
week.
And I want to tell you this ifyou're in our area and you don't
have a church home, we wouldlove to see you any Sunday
morning at First Baptist ElDoredo.
(00:25):
Will you join me now inlistening to our sermon from
this week?
Amen.
You'll open your Bibles thismorning to Romans chapter 15.
That's where we will be today.
We'll make a couple stopselsewhere, but Romans 15 is home
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based today.
As we've been walking throughthe book of Romans, there are 16
chapters, and we're nearing theend of our year in Romans and
what a year it has been.
Let me pray for us and we willbegin.
Lord, by your spirit, would youspeak?
Would you move?
Would you transform?
Would you teach us today what itmeans to truly be on mission
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with you and for you throughyour spirit with your word?
Lord, teach us this morning,even now, we ask in Christ's
name.
Amen.
If you grew up in church, andand maybe you didn't, and that's
quite all right, but if you grewup in church, particularly maybe
in a Baptist or even SouthernBaptist church, you may remember
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uh being part of an activity uhwe used to call uh Bible drill.
If you remember what Bible drillis, it is basically this: you
line up a group of kids, yougive a scripture reference
chapter and verse, and it's justwho can find it the fastest, who
can get there the quickest.
You need a good quality Bible,or pages will be ripped out in
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the shuffling, but who can findit the quickest?
I'm sorry to tell you thismorning, but we're gonna have to
play a little Bible drill as webegin because I want to go about
three different places veryquick before we land at Romans
chapter 15.
And so if you will join me, nowif you don't want to
participate, I will tell you,it'll be on the screen, I
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believe, but Matthew chapter 28.
Matthew chapter 28, verse 18through 20.
It's Jesus giving the GreatCommission, and it says this.
I love hearing these pages turn.
That's exciting.
And Jesus came and said to them,All authority in heaven and on
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earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciplesof all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, andof the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observeall that I have commanded you,
and behold, I am with you alwaysto the end of the age.
This is on the other side, thisside of the resurrection of
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Jesus.
He has died for sin, he hasrisen from the grave, and now he
is giving really the marchingorders to his disciples, not
just the, at the time, elevendisciples that were there with
him, but really disciplesthroughout the generations.
To you and I, uh, this is ourtask.
These are the marching orders.
Go and make disciples.
Now, if you'll turn with me toActs 1.8.
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Acts 1.8, we see somewhat of acontinuation of that uh
commission that we're we've beengiven.
And Acts 1.8 says this But youwill receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you, andyou will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem and in all Judea andSamaria and to the ends of the
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earth.
If you take Matthew 28 and Actschapter 1, what you really see
here is we could call it thestarting line of the church.
This is where it begins.
Jesus sending out the disciples,putting them on mission.
This is the starting line.
Now, the question we have iswill this be successful?
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Jesus has spent three years withthese disciples, has now sent
them out to do the work ofministry.
He is ascending into heaven.
Will the disciples uh get thejob done, or at least get the
job started?
Well, now, uh, your last Bibledrill of the day, uh, Revelation
chapter 7.
Let's uh take a sneak peek atthe end of the story.
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I love that God sets his word upin such a way that we can uh get
a sneak peek at how all of thisends.
In Acts, uh excuse me,Revelation chapter 7, we read
this in verse 9.
This is uh in the heavenlyplaces uh at the end of all
things, as we see how the storyends.
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After this I looked, and behold,a great multitude that no one
could number, from every nation,from all tribes and peoples and
languages standing before thethrone and before the Lamb,
clothed in white robes, withpalm branches in their hands,
and crying out with a loudvoice, Salvation belongs to our
God who sits on the throne andto the Lamb.
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Now think about this thismorning, because we saw the
starting line.
Go make disciples.
You will be my witnesses inJerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the
ends of the earth.
So the calling for the gospel togo forward.
And then we see the results, thefinish line, where before the
throne of God, you have cominginto that heavenly place, people
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of every tongue, tribe, andnation.
And so, what do I take fromthis?
From starting line to finishline, I learned this about the
great commission that God gave.
It works.
It works that that God's missionfor saving souls and using
disciples like you and me to goout and and share the word of
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God and help people hear aboutJesus, it works.
Because in Revelation, we seejust how beautifully it works as
many come before the throne ofGod, not just from El Dorado,
Arkansas, but from every tribe,tongue, and nation.
It works.
So my question this morning isthis we see the starting line,
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we see the results at the finishline.
The question is now, how do weget there?
And in Romans chapter 15, Paulgives us just a little picture,
really, through his ownministry, of how we get there.
How do we, as individuals and asa church, get there?
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Get to Revelation chapter 7.
Well, I believe it starts withthis by the church understanding
the call.
That's number one, the churchunderstanding the call.
Look with me as I begin in verse14 of Romans 15.
I myself am satisfied about you,my brothers, that you yourselves
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are full of goodness, filledwith all knowledge, and able to
instruct one another.
Uh again, we're halfway throughchapter 15.
Romans is 16 chapters, so youcan kind of get a feel, starting
right here, that Paul is aboutto land the plane.
And it's been a beautiful planeride throughout the year, uh,
but now we're about to land thisplane.
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He he looks at this church, uh,these believers in Rome, and
he's just filled with love forthem.
He didn't plant the church, uh,but but he just knows how uh
beautiful in Christ this churchis, and how capable this church
is of taking the gospel forward.
Verse 15.
But on some points I havewritten to you very boldly by
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way of reminder.
Paul, you're exactly right.
Throughout this letter, you havebeen very bold at times.
Uh chapters 1, 2, and 3, Paulhad to let believers know just
how broken we are outside ofChrist.
But that boldness led to thegoodness of the gospel, that in
Christ we have hope.
And Paul says this, because ofthe grace given by God to be a
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minister of Christ Jesus, lookat this, to the Gentiles in the
priestly service of the gospelof God, so that the offering of
the Gentiles may be acceptable,sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
So even in these moments, as weseek to understand the call
here, Paul wants to show us hiscall.
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And Paul's call is this a callplaced on his life, not by Paul
himself, not by any any humanauthority.
This was a call placed on Paulby God.
Paul, who is a Jew of all Jews,a call by God to be a minister
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to non-Jews, a minister to theGentiles, to take the gospel
forward, to see to it that thegospel goes out and goes
forward, as we'll see in amoment, to places it has never
been, and that so many Gentilescome to know the gospel for
themselves.
That is Paul's call.
And really, it starts very earlyon.
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In Acts chapter 9, we see thevery beginning of this call.
In the first half of Actschapter 9, we see Paul, who
before this moment was thegreatest enemy of the church.
His life gets turned upside downon the road to Damascus by
Jesus.
He comes to know the Lordpersonally, then the Lord
reaches out to a man namedAnanias and says, I want you to
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go take care of Paul, help trainhim up in the faith.
Ananias really says what you andI would say is that I think
you've got the wrong guy here.
Uh you want me to go help trainPaul in the faith.
God, can I remind you of thefact that uh, you know, a week
and a half ago, Paul was huntingme down, and now you want me to
be his Sunday school teacher.
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I don't think uh this is gonnawork out.
But then the Lord says thesebeautiful words, verse 15, he
says this go, for he is a choseninstrument of mine.
How beautiful is that thegreatest enemy of the church,
go, he's a chosen instrument ofmine to carry my name, look at
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this now, before the Gentilesand kings and the children of
Israel.
I like where the Lord goes firstin this moment to carry my name
before the Gentiles.
I mean, this is the very chapterwhere Paul is converted, and
from the start, uh, he wantsAnanias to know, and really
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wants Paul to know, that you areon mission now, and your call,
your mission is to take thegospel to many, but certainly to
these Gentiles, a place wherethe gospel has not gone before.
Verse 17.
In Christ Jesus, then I havereason to be proud of my work
for God.
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Now, this is a boast, but it isa humble boast.
It is a boast in the rightplace, a boast in the Lord.
Notice he says, I am proud inChrist Jesus, and really it's
what Christ has done, but I'mI'm proud of what God has done
even through me.
Verse 18, for I will not ventureto speak of anything except what
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Christ has accomplished throughme to bring the Gentiles to
obedience by word and deed, bythe power of signs and wonders,
by the power of the Spirit ofGod, so that from Jerusalem all
the way around to Illyricum, Ihave fulfilled the ministry of
the gospel of Christ.
Verse 20 and 21, what is that uhministry?
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And thus I make it my ambition,here it is, to preach the
gospel, not where Christ hasalready been named, lest I build
on someone else's foundation.
But as it is written, those whohave never been told of him will
see, and those who have neverheard will understand.
What is Paul saying throughoutthis?
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That here is my ministry.
I boast in Christ of what he'sdone through this ministry to
take the gospel forward.
Now, you saw a couple placeshere, from Jerusalem to
Illyricum.
I want to put my first map up onthe screen, and you see three
locations here.
The bottom right, you see thatfirst location is Jerusalem.
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Right there in Israel, there, uhJerusalem, where we could say
the gospel began.
That's where Christ Jesus rosefrom the grave.
That's where our life began.
The gospel ministry began.
Around there is where Jesus gavethat great commission.
If you go all the way to thetop, that is uh pointed to the
region of Illyricum.
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Just below that is obviouslyRome, there in Italy.
So what Paul is saying is thatthe gospel has gone forth.
You look where it started inJerusalem, all the way up the
coast to this region ofIllyricum.
He's about to let them know thatit's going even further than
that, but you look at the groundthat the gospel has already
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gone, has already made progressin.
When you think about the factthis is written some 30 years
after the resurrection of Jesus,you see the fact that the
disciples have already been atwork and the gospel is already
going forward.
Now, Paul says this term that Iwant to preach the gospel where
it has not been preached before,lest I build on someone else's
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foundation.
What does he mean by that?
That sounds a littleterritorial, doesn't it?
That sounds a little maybe evenuh prideful.
I sure don't want to preach thegospel where you've been.
I, you know, I want to do my ownthing at a new place.
That's not how Paul means this.
What Paul wants is to see thegospel go as far as it can, as
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quick as it as it can.
And he says, all the way up thiscoast in this region, we are
seeing believers, we are seeingchurches planted, we are seeing
capable leaders that can carrythe gospel further into these
regions.
And so here's what I want to donow: expand the region even for
uh even further, where it'snever been before.
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Now we know that, and we'regonna see in a minute that he's
gonna do this with the help ofthe church at Rome, but I just
want us to think about as weseek to understand the call,
that if Paul's call and thesecond half of Romans 15, as it
has been in the entire life ofPaul, is to take the gospel
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where it has not been preachedbefore, I just want to tell you
that call to the Apostle Paul isthe same call that you and I
have today.
Matthew 28, the great commissionthat wasn't simply given to
these disciples way back when itwas given to you and I.
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The call of Acts 1.8 to take thegospel forward even to the ends
of the earth, that was not justgiven to disciples back in the
day, that was given to you andI.
That our call is to take thegospel where it has not been
preached, and that may look onthe other side of the globe
where there are even, as we sithere this morning, there are
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people groups, and I mean this,people groups that to this point
have never heard the name ofJesus, that are still in
absolute darkness, that don'thave the word of God translated
in their own language.
There are people right now forwhom that is the case.
So we want to go there, but alsoit means this in all of our
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lives, and we'll talk about thismore in a moment, that it means
taking the gospel to placeswithin our own sphere of
influence where there are peoplethat don't know the Lord Jesus.
I'm just gonna confess somethingto you, and I don't I don't know
if you'll even believe me.
Do you know your senior pastorhas two people living in his own
home that don't know JesusChrist?
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Would you believe that if I toldyou?
It's just the truth.
One of them's close.
But every day I think he'sclose.
But in my own home, do you knowI have a task to do?
I've got a five-year-old and uhand an almost two-year-old that
as they continue to grow, mywife and I are gonna continue to
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work to make sure the name ofJesus every day, day in and day
out, is shared with these two uhsweet little, uh, the sweet
little boy and girl every day sothat one day they would come to
know the name of Jesus.
Maybe you have someone in yourhome, a child, a brother, a
sister that doesn't yet know thename of Jesus.
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You have a task as well.
I know you've got someone atwork.
I know you've got someone onyour sports team, I know there's
someone there for whom thegospel has not penetrated their
heart yet.
And the call that was given toPaul is the call that's given to
you and given to me to take thegospel where it has not been
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taken before.
But not only do we need tounderstand the call, second is
this how do we get from Matthew28, the starting line, to the
finish line of Rev Revelationchapter 7?
By supporting the call.
By supporting the call.
As believers, we give oursupport to the call of ministry
that has been placed on all ofour lives.
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Look with me in verse 22.
This is the reason why I have sooften been hindered from coming
to you.
But now, since I no longer haveany room for work in these
regions, and since I have longedfor many years to come to you, I
hope to see you in passing as Igo to Spain, and to be helped on
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my journey there by you, once Ihave enjoyed your company for a
while.
Let's stop there for a moment.
We can put that second map up onthe screen with one more
location right there in Spain.
What we've said multiple timesthroughout this year as we've
walked through Romans is thatone of Paul's reasons for
writing to the Church at Rome isbecause Paul believes that the
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church at Rome can be aheadquarters for further
ministry.
Obviously, geographically, as welook to take the gospel into
Spain here in the firstgeneration, uh the first
century, geographically it makessense.
But also, uh, Paul doesn'tapologize for this.
He he desires that they would bea financial headquarters, that
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they could help, the believersat Rome could help financially
send Paul and other missionariesforward so that the church could
lay the groundwork in Spain forthe sake of the gospel.
He wants Roman help in thisendeavor to take the gospel
forward.
Now, what we see here is thefact that Paul is living out
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this very idea, the fact thatthe church can help support the
call in any number of ways, butcertainly as we see here
financially, what we see here inverse 25 is that Paul is doing
it.
At present, however, I'm goingto Jerusalem, bringing aid to
the saints.
Verse 26 and 27, he describesthe fact that there's these two
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churches that took up acollection for these believers
in Jerusalem.
Verse 28, what therefore I'vecome I've completed this and
have delivered to them what hasbeen collected, I will leave for
Spain by way of you, with yoursupport.
I know that when I come to you,I will come in the fullness of
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the blessing of Christ.
Paul has no doubt that thischurch at Rome is ready and
willing to step up to the platein every way to make sure that
the gospel is able to go forwardto Rome.
Here's the call of the church inthe first century and the call
of the church in 2025.
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I'm talking about the globalchurch, and I'm certainly
talking about First BaptistChurch of El Doredado.
That our call is this by anymeans possible to support the
work of ministry, to support thecall.
Now, we do that in any number ofways.
We'll talk in a minute throughour prayer, through our going,
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through all kinds of ways, buteven financially, as Brian came
up earlier, he talked about ourglobal missions offering.
In November, we kicked off ourglobal missions offering
emphasis month.
It has been unbelievable to seethis church work.
The fact that last year we weset a goal of$100,000 for this
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offering, and you went rightpast that.
The fact that by faith ourmissions team said, let's raise
it to$110,000, and I've got nodoubt in the Lord that one year
from now we'll be sitting inthis room seeing what God has
done through that.
But but Brian listed some ofthese things that that that
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global missions offering helps.
Certainly local partners likeHannah Center, Interfaith Help
Services, Eagle Foundation, HopeLanding, Magdalene House, so
many local partnerships, but italso helps in this way.
If you grew up Southern Baptist,there's probably some names that
you always grew up hearing inchurch.
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Somehow they went to everyBaptist church you've ever been
to, names like Lottie Moon,Annie Armstrong, and Dixie
Jackson.
And maybe you've wondered fromtime to time throughout the year
why those names don't getbrought up as much.
And it's simply for this reasonthey do get brought up, but
really all at once here inNovember as we talk about our
global missions offering.
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Because a few years back, we wekind of made one singular
emphasis that throughout theyear we collect into this global
missions emphasis, but thathelps support all three of those
offerings.
The Lottie Moon Christmasoffering, named after a
missionary that supports theInternational Mission Board,
this offering that sendsmissionaries all across the
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globe, trains missionaries,sends them out for the work of
ministry to take the gospelwhere it's never been before.
So let me tell you, when yougive towards the global missions
offering, you are literallysending missionaries out and
sending them forward.
The Annie Armstrong offering,which is for the North American
Mission Board, same kind ofthing.
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Missionaries right here in ournation.
The Dixie Jackson offering,which uh helps the state of
Arkansas, so uh missionaries andministries right here in our
home state.
That's all part of that globalmissions offering.
And this church has been sofaithful in any number of ways
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to give and support the work ofministry.
Even now, there are, and we'llpray for them in a moment, there
are uh missionaries that grew upin this church, helped supported
by this church, that are doinggreat ministry right now, uh,
all over the globe, planting achurch in our own state.
There are uh ministries andmissionaries going forward
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because this church supports thecall and you take that
seriously, and and and I'm justso grateful.
This isn't in the notes, I'mjust getting personal because I
just love you so much.
I'm just I want you to know I'mjust grateful for you that this
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is a church that that your yourhands are just open to the work
of ministry, like the church atuh uh at Acts that we've read
about over the last few weeks.
You don't you don't consideryour possession possessions your
own, but you you just ask thequestion how can with what the
Lord has given me make much ofJesus here and around the world?
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So I just say thank you.
Thank you.
The way you give isunbelievable.
So understanding the call,supporting the call, and lastly,
I just want to see this prayingfor the called.
That's our role as well as achurch, praying for the called.
Look at with me in verses 30through 33.
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I appeal to you, brothers, byour Lord Jesus Christ and by the
love of the Spirit, to strivetogether with me in your prayers
to God on my behalf, that I maybe delivered from the
unbelievers in Judea, and thatmy service for Jerusalem may be
acceptable to the saints, sothat by God's will I may come to
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you with joy and be refreshed inyour company, and may the God of
peace be with you all.
Amen.
What does Paul do in these lastfew verses of chapter 15?
He he just writes to the churchat Rome and says this, I just
need your prayers.
I I praise God for yourunderstanding of the ministry, I
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praise God for your financialsupport.
But but let me tell you morethan anything, Paul just says
this, I just need you prayingfor me.
You know, sometimes we'retempted to discount what is
possible through the prayers ofthe people of God.
If we're not careful, we canjust offer up that phrase, I'm
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I'm praying for you.
And how often have we said that?
And if we were honest withourselves, we we we we may have
done it once quickly, but we mayhave made it sound like a more
continual thing, and life got inthe way.
We're tempted to just discountthe possibility of prayer.
But think about what's going onas we pray to our Father that
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you and I have the opportunitythrough the work of Christ, that
he has died and risen from thegrave to forgive us of our sins
and invite us into his presence.
We now have the opportunity tocome before the Father, the God
of the universe, the God whoholds planets in place and
intercede on behalf of many, andcertainly those who are going
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forth in ministry, certainlybefore uh interceding for those
who are sharing the gospel, andwe have an opportunity to go
before the father and pray ontheir behalf that the ministry
could go forward.
And I just gotta wonder what ourFather in Heaven thinks when he
hears the prayers of his peoplepraying for uh other children of
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his for the work of the gospelto go forward.
I I can't imagine how much thatdelights the Father in heaven.
And you and I have thatopportunity every single day,
every single moment to pray forthose who are taking the gospel
forward.
Now you could almost say I'mtalking out of both sides of my
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mouth, and I am because we arepraying for the called, and I
don't want to discount that inany way because I want to uh
very much pay special attentionto those who are called, those
right now who gotta have that wetalk about spiritual gifts, that
apostleship call to go forward,to plant churches, to be
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missionaries here close to homeor the other side of the globe.
I I want to lift those up inprayer, and I want to be very uh
specially uh intentional aboutdoing that.
I also on the other side want usto realize now that every one of
us, in a sense, has a call totake the gospel forward.
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What I mean by that is that aswe pray for the called, we're
not allowed to forget that wetoo are called.
As we pray for those goingforward, we don't just get to
sit on the sidelines and and andact as if we're not called to go
forward.
Because as we talked about a fewmoments ago, we all have those
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in our lives that need thegospel, and you and I, every one
of us, we are called to take thegospel forward.
I won't name names, but I'll saythis.
I got an email this week from achurch member, and uh he the
Lord has just convicted hisheart in the most beautiful way
that he wants to uh take thegospel forward to some people
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that he works with.
And he's been burdened for theseuh uh men that he works with,
and he wants to take the gospelforward, and so he he called me
and just sent me an email withjust a a document that he he
wrote uh just kind of regardinghow he'd like to kind of share
the gospel in a very uhmethodical, beautiful way,
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scripture wrapped up throughoutit, and and he just wanted me to
look it over for him.
The reality is I'm I was sothankful.
I'll tell you it was so good hedidn't need me to look it over,
but I did look it over, and andand I just love it.
And I've been praying for himand praying for these
conversations, and I just wantyou to know this isn't some
far-off thing.
There are people on your pewright now, uh, there are people
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in this room right now that thatjust capture a little vision of
the gospel going forward, andthen they realize I don't have
to wait for someone else.
I can be the missionary to my mywork, that I can be the
missionary to my school, thatthat I know the gospel and I can
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take the gospel forward.
And so, even now, maybe eventhis week, there are uh gospel
conversations going on at acertain workplace, and I am
praying and can't wait to hearmore about how it goes.
But this is what this callinglooks like that God has called.
Called you right where you'reat, right where he has placed
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you.
That we understand the call,that we support the call, that
we are praying for the called,all the while realizing that
that we too are uh in a sensecalled ones, called to take the
gospel forward.
In Charlottesville, Virginia, inthe mid-1800s, a young girl set
in church, Charlotte Moon, atthe first Baptist Church, Park
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Street, and she responded to thegospel one day.
She came to know the Lord.
She was baptized there abouttwenty-five years later with her
sister at the age of 33.
Lottie Moon went across thecountry to China to live there,
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to serve there, to really giveher entire life for the sake of
more and more uh in her contextin China to come to know the
gospel.
You gotta think in themid-1800s, uh uh, you know, she
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went first with her sister, butcertainly uh later on, just
Lottie Moon, uh uh a youngsingle woman in the mid-1800s
going across the globe tominister in China.
There's probably plenty ofpeople there at the First
Baptist Church Park Street thatmeant well, that I'm sure loved
her and and maybe told her,maybe this is for someone else.
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Maybe there's there's someoneelse who can go.
And Lottie Moon just said this.
Actually, maybe God is justcalling me.
And she gave her entire life tothose people in that place.
And what happened there, manycame to know the Lord, and still
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uh these many, many years later,we still see the impact of her
ministry, not just there inChina, but certainly as her name
is remembered and this offeringis is given as we think about
her incredible ministry, thegospel is still going forward.
Why?
Because this 33-year-old uhwoman many, many years ago, just
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said this.
I'll go.
And I just wonder this morning,and y'all can call me silly, and
you can, and maybe I am, but Ijust wonder if the next Lottie
Moon is not right here, rightnow, at First Baptist Church at
El Dorado.
I mean it.
Call me silly, I just mean it.
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That right now there's somelittle boy or little girl over
in the preschool at this momentgetting a diaper changed, or I
don't know, but but they're justover there, and and and we've
got no idea, but they're gonnagrow up in this church and grow
up in the faith, and they'regonna go to the other side of
the globe and just make a wholelot of Jesus.
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Or that there's some uhelementary school student in
this room right now, and they'vegot a busybag in hand, and they
may be playing around oftic-tac-toe as we speak.
And and maybe dad is notlistening to the sermon but
playing tic-tac-toe with them.
But right now, that little boyor little girl, they don't know
it, or maybe they do know it.
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They've already got a passionfor someone in their class that
doesn't know Jesus, but thatwill lead to someone on the
other side of the globe one day.
There's someone in the room,maybe a family that just says
one day, we're called to go.
And I don't know what it allmeans.
I don't know what it all lookedlike.
I don't I don't know what thenext steps are, but I know this
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the Lord has called us.
There's someone maybe reachingretirement age that says this.
I may be retiring, but God's noteven close to done with me.
And you are gonna go to thenations and you are gonna make
much of Jesus.
You can call me silly if youwant, but I just wonder if that
next Lottie Moon is not righthere among us.
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Why?
Because more and more would webe, Lord, a church that
understands the call, thatsupports the call, that prays
for the call, that when thoseamong us feel the call, we do
nothing but support.
We do nothing but encouragethat.
And we as a church come togetherand say, if you feel called, we
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are gonna help you explore thatcall in every way.
And if you want to go to theends of the earth, we will help
get you there.
That we would be that kind ofchurch.
That's what Paul had in mind forthe church at Rome.
I believe that's what God has inmind for First Baptist Church of
El Dorado.
A church that is ready to makemuch of Jesus right here and
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around the world.
Will you bow your heads with menow?
And I think it'd be uh wrong forus not to take a few minutes to
pray together as we think aboutthat last point that we are
called to pray for those who arecalled.
Would you right now, whereyou're seated, I I want to pray
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for just a few things, butcertainly I want to pray for
about three different groups,individuals that really are from
among us.
And I won't, for a couple ofthem, I won't even use last
names, but would you just taketime right now to pray for Jamie
in North Africa?
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Pray for Jamie, pray for thegospel ministry to expand, pray
for her encouragement, pray forwhat the Lord is doing with
Jamie in North Africa.
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Would you pray for Kevin andBarbara?
They're in the Middle East andtheir ministry, and many of you
know Kevin and Barbara, andcertainly over the last uh six
or eight months, know a lot ofwhat Barbara's walking through
as well, and and just as afamily, um personally for them,
but certainly their ministry,that the gospel would continue
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to go forward.
Pray for Kevin and Barbara now.
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For someone who grew up in thischurch and now is just making so
much of Jesus.
Will you pray for Landon Norman?
Pray for Landon, pray for hisfamily there as they've recently
planted a church in NorthwestArkansas and they have already
baptized a few.
They are already seeing justincredible fruit from that
ministry.
But will you pray for anotherone of our own, Landon Norman,
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with this church in NorthwestArkansas?
Lord Jesus, we do lift these upto you.
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We lift up uh even more today,uh, all around the globe, uh,
missionaries, uh, those who aretaking the gospel forward just
like these that we've named,church planters across the
globe.
Uh Lord, we we we lift up thesethis morning, and we just first
say thank you.
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Thank you for the call you'veplaced on their lives, thank you
for their willingness to sayyes, to put that blank check on
the table and just say, Lord,you you fill in the blanks.
Wherever you lead, I'll go.
And so, Lord, I just give youpraise for this, Lord.
I just pray for theirencouragement even now.
I am certain there are beautifuland joyful days, and I am
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certain there are some toughdays.
Lord, but throughout every day,would you give them the
encouragement needed?
Give them the strength to carryon, Lord, as a church, would we
help strengthen them in any andevery way?
Would we help answer the callwhen they call, Lord?
And Lord, would your name goforward?
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Just as Paul said this morning,to places it's never been
before, through these that we'venamed, and through the many
around the globe, and througheven these right here in this
room, uh whether it's right herein El Dorado, in our state, in
our country, in our world, Lord,let the gospel go forward.
And Lord, would you use us?
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Lord, we thank you, and Lord, wecontinue to worship now through
this invitation.
If there's any this morning,Lord, that feel called to come
be a part of this church, thatfeel called to maybe for the
first time put faith in you forthe first time to make you Lord
of their lives, to say, LordJesus, you died for me, you rose
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again, you've forgiven me, andyou are Lord.
Lord, would today be the day?
Lord, however we need torespond, let us do it now as we
worship you in Christ's name.
Amen.
Would you stand now as weworship?
If you have any decision, I'llbe right down front.
Would love to talk with you.
Hello and welcome to the FBC El Doredo Sermon
Podcast.
My name is Taylor Guerrera and Ihave the privilege of being the
pastor here at First Baptist.
And I want to thank you forlistening into our sermon this
week.
And I want to tell you this ifyou're in our area and you don't
have a church home, we wouldlove to see you any Sunday
morning at First Baptist ElDoredo.
(00:25):
Will you join me now inlistening to our sermon from
this week?
Amen.
You'll open your Bibles thismorning to Romans chapter 15.
That's where we will be today.
We'll make a couple stopselsewhere, but Romans 15 is home
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based today.
As we've been walking throughthe book of Romans, there are 16
chapters, and we're nearing theend of our year in Romans and
what a year it has been.
Let me pray for us and we willbegin.
Lord, by your spirit, would youspeak?
Would you move?
Would you transform?
Would you teach us today what itmeans to truly be on mission
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with you and for you throughyour spirit with your word?
Lord, teach us this morning,even now, we ask in Christ's
name.
Amen.
If you grew up in church, andand maybe you didn't, and that's
quite all right, but if you grewup in church, particularly maybe
in a Baptist or even SouthernBaptist church, you may remember
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uh being part of an activity uhwe used to call uh Bible drill.
If you remember what Bible drillis, it is basically this: you
line up a group of kids, yougive a scripture reference
chapter and verse, and it's justwho can find it the fastest, who
can get there the quickest.
You need a good quality Bible,or pages will be ripped out in
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the shuffling, but who can findit the quickest?
I'm sorry to tell you thismorning, but we're gonna have to
play a little Bible drill as webegin because I want to go about
three different places veryquick before we land at Romans
chapter 15.
And so if you will join me, nowif you don't want to
participate, I will tell you,it'll be on the screen, I
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believe, but Matthew chapter 28.
Matthew chapter 28, verse 18through 20.
It's Jesus giving the GreatCommission, and it says this.
I love hearing these pages turn.
That's exciting.
And Jesus came and said to them,All authority in heaven and on
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earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciplesof all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, andof the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observeall that I have commanded you,
and behold, I am with you alwaysto the end of the age.
This is on the other side, thisside of the resurrection of
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Jesus.
He has died for sin, he hasrisen from the grave, and now he
is giving really the marchingorders to his disciples, not
just the, at the time, elevendisciples that were there with
him, but really disciplesthroughout the generations.
To you and I, uh, this is ourtask.
These are the marching orders.
Go and make disciples.
Now, if you'll turn with me toActs 1.8.
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Acts 1.8, we see somewhat of acontinuation of that uh
commission that we're we've beengiven.
And Acts 1.8 says this But youwill receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you, andyou will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem and in all Judea andSamaria and to the ends of the
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earth.
If you take Matthew 28 and Actschapter 1, what you really see
here is we could call it thestarting line of the church.
This is where it begins.
Jesus sending out the disciples,putting them on mission.
This is the starting line.
Now, the question we have iswill this be successful?
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Jesus has spent three years withthese disciples, has now sent
them out to do the work ofministry.
He is ascending into heaven.
Will the disciples uh get thejob done, or at least get the
job started?
Well, now, uh, your last Bibledrill of the day, uh, Revelation
chapter 7.
Let's uh take a sneak peek atthe end of the story.
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I love that God sets his word upin such a way that we can uh get
a sneak peek at how all of thisends.
In Acts, uh excuse me,Revelation chapter 7, we read
this in verse 9.
This is uh in the heavenlyplaces uh at the end of all
things, as we see how the storyends.
(04:55):
After this I looked, and behold,a great multitude that no one
could number, from every nation,from all tribes and peoples and
languages standing before thethrone and before the Lamb,
clothed in white robes, withpalm branches in their hands,
and crying out with a loudvoice, Salvation belongs to our
God who sits on the throne andto the Lamb.
(05:19):
Now think about this thismorning, because we saw the
starting line.
Go make disciples.
You will be my witnesses inJerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the
ends of the earth.
So the calling for the gospel togo forward.
And then we see the results, thefinish line, where before the
throne of God, you have cominginto that heavenly place, people
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of every tongue, tribe, andnation.
And so, what do I take fromthis?
From starting line to finishline, I learned this about the
great commission that God gave.
It works.
It works that that God's missionfor saving souls and using
disciples like you and me to goout and and share the word of
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God and help people hear aboutJesus, it works.
Because in Revelation, we seejust how beautifully it works as
many come before the throne ofGod, not just from El Dorado,
Arkansas, but from every tribe,tongue, and nation.
It works.
So my question this morning isthis we see the starting line,
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we see the results at the finishline.
The question is now, how do weget there?
And in Romans chapter 15, Paulgives us just a little picture,
really, through his ownministry, of how we get there.
How do we, as individuals and asa church, get there?
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Get to Revelation chapter 7.
Well, I believe it starts withthis by the church understanding
the call.
That's number one, the churchunderstanding the call.
Look with me as I begin in verse14 of Romans 15.
I myself am satisfied about you,my brothers, that you yourselves
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are full of goodness, filledwith all knowledge, and able to
instruct one another.
Uh again, we're halfway throughchapter 15.
Romans is 16 chapters, so youcan kind of get a feel, starting
right here, that Paul is aboutto land the plane.
And it's been a beautiful planeride throughout the year, uh,
but now we're about to land thisplane.
(07:29):
He he looks at this church, uh,these believers in Rome, and
he's just filled with love forthem.
He didn't plant the church, uh,but but he just knows how uh
beautiful in Christ this churchis, and how capable this church
is of taking the gospel forward.
Verse 15.
But on some points I havewritten to you very boldly by
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way of reminder.
Paul, you're exactly right.
Throughout this letter, you havebeen very bold at times.
Uh chapters 1, 2, and 3, Paulhad to let believers know just
how broken we are outside ofChrist.
But that boldness led to thegoodness of the gospel, that in
Christ we have hope.
And Paul says this, because ofthe grace given by God to be a
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minister of Christ Jesus, lookat this, to the Gentiles in the
priestly service of the gospelof God, so that the offering of
the Gentiles may be acceptable,sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
So even in these moments, as weseek to understand the call
here, Paul wants to show us hiscall.
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And Paul's call is this a callplaced on his life, not by Paul
himself, not by any any humanauthority.
This was a call placed on Paulby God.
Paul, who is a Jew of all Jews,a call by God to be a minister
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to non-Jews, a minister to theGentiles, to take the gospel
forward, to see to it that thegospel goes out and goes
forward, as we'll see in amoment, to places it has never
been, and that so many Gentilescome to know the gospel for
themselves.
That is Paul's call.
And really, it starts very earlyon.
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In Acts chapter 9, we see thevery beginning of this call.
In the first half of Actschapter 9, we see Paul, who
before this moment was thegreatest enemy of the church.
His life gets turned upside downon the road to Damascus by
Jesus.
He comes to know the Lordpersonally, then the Lord
reaches out to a man namedAnanias and says, I want you to
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go take care of Paul, help trainhim up in the faith.
Ananias really says what you andI would say is that I think
you've got the wrong guy here.
Uh you want me to go help trainPaul in the faith.
God, can I remind you of thefact that uh, you know, a week
and a half ago, Paul was huntingme down, and now you want me to
be his Sunday school teacher.
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I don't think uh this is gonnawork out.
But then the Lord says thesebeautiful words, verse 15, he
says this go, for he is a choseninstrument of mine.
How beautiful is that thegreatest enemy of the church,
go, he's a chosen instrument ofmine to carry my name, look at
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this now, before the Gentilesand kings and the children of
Israel.
I like where the Lord goes firstin this moment to carry my name
before the Gentiles.
I mean, this is the very chapterwhere Paul is converted, and
from the start, uh, he wantsAnanias to know, and really
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wants Paul to know, that you areon mission now, and your call,
your mission is to take thegospel to many, but certainly to
these Gentiles, a place wherethe gospel has not gone before.
Verse 17.
In Christ Jesus, then I havereason to be proud of my work
for God.
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Now, this is a boast, but it isa humble boast.
It is a boast in the rightplace, a boast in the Lord.
Notice he says, I am proud inChrist Jesus, and really it's
what Christ has done, but I'mI'm proud of what God has done
even through me.
Verse 18, for I will not ventureto speak of anything except what
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Christ has accomplished throughme to bring the Gentiles to
obedience by word and deed, bythe power of signs and wonders,
by the power of the Spirit ofGod, so that from Jerusalem all
the way around to Illyricum, Ihave fulfilled the ministry of
the gospel of Christ.
Verse 20 and 21, what is that uhministry?
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And thus I make it my ambition,here it is, to preach the
gospel, not where Christ hasalready been named, lest I build
on someone else's foundation.
But as it is written, those whohave never been told of him will
see, and those who have neverheard will understand.
What is Paul saying throughoutthis?
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That here is my ministry.
I boast in Christ of what he'sdone through this ministry to
take the gospel forward.
Now, you saw a couple placeshere, from Jerusalem to
Illyricum.
I want to put my first map up onthe screen, and you see three
locations here.
The bottom right, you see thatfirst location is Jerusalem.
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Right there in Israel, there, uhJerusalem, where we could say
the gospel began.
That's where Christ Jesus rosefrom the grave.
That's where our life began.
The gospel ministry began.
Around there is where Jesus gavethat great commission.
If you go all the way to thetop, that is uh pointed to the
region of Illyricum.
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Just below that is obviouslyRome, there in Italy.
So what Paul is saying is thatthe gospel has gone forth.
You look where it started inJerusalem, all the way up the
coast to this region ofIllyricum.
He's about to let them know thatit's going even further than
that, but you look at the groundthat the gospel has already
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gone, has already made progressin.
When you think about the factthis is written some 30 years
after the resurrection of Jesus,you see the fact that the
disciples have already been atwork and the gospel is already
going forward.
Now, Paul says this term that Iwant to preach the gospel where
it has not been preached before,lest I build on someone else's
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foundation.
What does he mean by that?
That sounds a littleterritorial, doesn't it?
That sounds a little maybe evenuh prideful.
I sure don't want to preach thegospel where you've been.
I, you know, I want to do my ownthing at a new place.
That's not how Paul means this.
What Paul wants is to see thegospel go as far as it can, as
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quick as it as it can.
And he says, all the way up thiscoast in this region, we are
seeing believers, we are seeingchurches planted, we are seeing
capable leaders that can carrythe gospel further into these
regions.
And so here's what I want to donow: expand the region even for
uh even further, where it'snever been before.
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Now we know that, and we'regonna see in a minute that he's
gonna do this with the help ofthe church at Rome, but I just
want us to think about as weseek to understand the call,
that if Paul's call and thesecond half of Romans 15, as it
has been in the entire life ofPaul, is to take the gospel
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where it has not been preachedbefore, I just want to tell you
that call to the Apostle Paul isthe same call that you and I
have today.
Matthew 28, the great commissionthat wasn't simply given to
these disciples way back when itwas given to you and I.
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The call of Acts 1.8 to take thegospel forward even to the ends
of the earth, that was not justgiven to disciples back in the
day, that was given to you andI.
That our call is to take thegospel where it has not been
preached, and that may look onthe other side of the globe
where there are even, as we sithere this morning, there are
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people groups, and I mean this,people groups that to this point
have never heard the name ofJesus, that are still in
absolute darkness, that don'thave the word of God translated
in their own language.
There are people right now forwhom that is the case.
So we want to go there, but alsoit means this in all of our
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lives, and we'll talk about thismore in a moment, that it means
taking the gospel to placeswithin our own sphere of
influence where there are peoplethat don't know the Lord Jesus.
I'm just gonna confess somethingto you, and I don't I don't know
if you'll even believe me.
Do you know your senior pastorhas two people living in his own
home that don't know JesusChrist?
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Would you believe that if I toldyou?
It's just the truth.
One of them's close.
But every day I think he'sclose.
But in my own home, do you knowI have a task to do?
I've got a five-year-old and uhand an almost two-year-old that
as they continue to grow, mywife and I are gonna continue to
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work to make sure the name ofJesus every day, day in and day
out, is shared with these two uhsweet little, uh, the sweet
little boy and girl every day sothat one day they would come to
know the name of Jesus.
Maybe you have someone in yourhome, a child, a brother, a
sister that doesn't yet know thename of Jesus.
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You have a task as well.
I know you've got someone atwork.
I know you've got someone onyour sports team, I know there's
someone there for whom thegospel has not penetrated their
heart yet.
And the call that was given toPaul is the call that's given to
you and given to me to take thegospel where it has not been
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taken before.
But not only do we need tounderstand the call, second is
this how do we get from Matthew28, the starting line, to the
finish line of Rev Revelationchapter 7?
By supporting the call.
By supporting the call.
As believers, we give oursupport to the call of ministry
that has been placed on all ofour lives.
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Look with me in verse 22.
This is the reason why I have sooften been hindered from coming
to you.
But now, since I no longer haveany room for work in these
regions, and since I have longedfor many years to come to you, I
hope to see you in passing as Igo to Spain, and to be helped on
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my journey there by you, once Ihave enjoyed your company for a
while.
Let's stop there for a moment.
We can put that second map up onthe screen with one more
location right there in Spain.
What we've said multiple timesthroughout this year as we've
walked through Romans is thatone of Paul's reasons for
writing to the Church at Rome isbecause Paul believes that the
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church at Rome can be aheadquarters for further
ministry.
Obviously, geographically, as welook to take the gospel into
Spain here in the firstgeneration, uh the first
century, geographically it makessense.
But also, uh, Paul doesn'tapologize for this.
He he desires that they would bea financial headquarters, that
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they could help, the believersat Rome could help financially
send Paul and other missionariesforward so that the church could
lay the groundwork in Spain forthe sake of the gospel.
He wants Roman help in thisendeavor to take the gospel
forward.
Now, what we see here is thefact that Paul is living out
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this very idea, the fact thatthe church can help support the
call in any number of ways, butcertainly as we see here
financially, what we see here inverse 25 is that Paul is doing
it.
At present, however, I'm goingto Jerusalem, bringing aid to
the saints.
Verse 26 and 27, he describesthe fact that there's these two
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churches that took up acollection for these believers
in Jerusalem.
Verse 28, what therefore I'vecome I've completed this and
have delivered to them what hasbeen collected, I will leave for
Spain by way of you, with yoursupport.
I know that when I come to you,I will come in the fullness of
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the blessing of Christ.
Paul has no doubt that thischurch at Rome is ready and
willing to step up to the platein every way to make sure that
the gospel is able to go forwardto Rome.
Here's the call of the church inthe first century and the call
of the church in 2025.
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I'm talking about the globalchurch, and I'm certainly
talking about First BaptistChurch of El Doredado.
That our call is this by anymeans possible to support the
work of ministry, to support thecall.
Now, we do that in any number ofways.
We'll talk in a minute throughour prayer, through our going,
(20:21):
through all kinds of ways, buteven financially, as Brian came
up earlier, he talked about ourglobal missions offering.
In November, we kicked off ourglobal missions offering
emphasis month.
It has been unbelievable to seethis church work.
The fact that last year we weset a goal of$100,000 for this
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offering, and you went rightpast that.
The fact that by faith ourmissions team said, let's raise
it to$110,000, and I've got nodoubt in the Lord that one year
from now we'll be sitting inthis room seeing what God has
done through that.
But but Brian listed some ofthese things that that that
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global missions offering helps.
Certainly local partners likeHannah Center, Interfaith Help
Services, Eagle Foundation, HopeLanding, Magdalene House, so
many local partnerships, but italso helps in this way.
If you grew up Southern Baptist,there's probably some names that
you always grew up hearing inchurch.
(21:28):
Somehow they went to everyBaptist church you've ever been
to, names like Lottie Moon,Annie Armstrong, and Dixie
Jackson.
And maybe you've wondered fromtime to time throughout the year
why those names don't getbrought up as much.
And it's simply for this reasonthey do get brought up, but
really all at once here inNovember as we talk about our
global missions offering.
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Because a few years back, we wekind of made one singular
emphasis that throughout theyear we collect into this global
missions emphasis, but thathelps support all three of those
offerings.
The Lottie Moon Christmasoffering, named after a
missionary that supports theInternational Mission Board,
this offering that sendsmissionaries all across the
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globe, trains missionaries,sends them out for the work of
ministry to take the gospelwhere it's never been before.
So let me tell you, when yougive towards the global missions
offering, you are literallysending missionaries out and
sending them forward.
The Annie Armstrong offering,which is for the North American
Mission Board, same kind ofthing.
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Missionaries right here in ournation.
The Dixie Jackson offering,which uh helps the state of
Arkansas, so uh missionaries andministries right here in our
home state.
That's all part of that globalmissions offering.
And this church has been sofaithful in any number of ways
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to give and support the work ofministry.
Even now, there are, and we'llpray for them in a moment, there
are uh missionaries that grew upin this church, helped supported
by this church, that are doinggreat ministry right now, uh,
all over the globe, planting achurch in our own state.
There are uh ministries andmissionaries going forward
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because this church supports thecall and you take that
seriously, and and and I'm justso grateful.
This isn't in the notes, I'mjust getting personal because I
just love you so much.
I'm just I want you to know I'mjust grateful for you that this
(23:38):
is a church that that your yourhands are just open to the work
of ministry, like the church atuh uh at Acts that we've read
about over the last few weeks.
You don't you don't consideryour possession possessions your
own, but you you just ask thequestion how can with what the
Lord has given me make much ofJesus here and around the world?
(23:59):
So I just say thank you.
Thank you.
The way you give isunbelievable.
So understanding the call,supporting the call, and lastly,
I just want to see this prayingfor the called.
That's our role as well as achurch, praying for the called.
Look at with me in verses 30through 33.
(24:20):
I appeal to you, brothers, byour Lord Jesus Christ and by the
love of the Spirit, to strivetogether with me in your prayers
to God on my behalf, that I maybe delivered from the
unbelievers in Judea, and thatmy service for Jerusalem may be
acceptable to the saints, sothat by God's will I may come to
(24:41):
you with joy and be refreshed inyour company, and may the God of
peace be with you all.
Amen.
What does Paul do in these lastfew verses of chapter 15?
He he just writes to the churchat Rome and says this, I just
need your prayers.
I I praise God for yourunderstanding of the ministry, I
(25:04):
praise God for your financialsupport.
But but let me tell you morethan anything, Paul just says
this, I just need you prayingfor me.
You know, sometimes we'retempted to discount what is
possible through the prayers ofthe people of God.
If we're not careful, we canjust offer up that phrase, I'm
(25:28):
I'm praying for you.
And how often have we said that?
And if we were honest withourselves, we we we we may have
done it once quickly, but we mayhave made it sound like a more
continual thing, and life got inthe way.
We're tempted to just discountthe possibility of prayer.
But think about what's going onas we pray to our Father that
(25:52):
you and I have the opportunitythrough the work of Christ, that
he has died and risen from thegrave to forgive us of our sins
and invite us into his presence.
We now have the opportunity tocome before the Father, the God
of the universe, the God whoholds planets in place and
intercede on behalf of many, andcertainly those who are going
(26:16):
forth in ministry, certainlybefore uh interceding for those
who are sharing the gospel, andwe have an opportunity to go
before the father and pray ontheir behalf that the ministry
could go forward.
And I just gotta wonder what ourFather in Heaven thinks when he
hears the prayers of his peoplepraying for uh other children of
(26:39):
his for the work of the gospelto go forward.
I I can't imagine how much thatdelights the Father in heaven.
And you and I have thatopportunity every single day,
every single moment to pray forthose who are taking the gospel
forward.
Now you could almost say I'mtalking out of both sides of my
(27:06):
mouth, and I am because we arepraying for the called, and I
don't want to discount that inany way because I want to uh
very much pay special attentionto those who are called, those
right now who gotta have that wetalk about spiritual gifts, that
apostleship call to go forward,to plant churches, to be
(27:28):
missionaries here close to homeor the other side of the globe.
I I want to lift those up inprayer, and I want to be very uh
specially uh intentional aboutdoing that.
I also on the other side want usto realize now that every one of
us, in a sense, has a call totake the gospel forward.
(27:51):
What I mean by that is that aswe pray for the called, we're
not allowed to forget that wetoo are called.
As we pray for those goingforward, we don't just get to
sit on the sidelines and and andact as if we're not called to go
forward.
Because as we talked about a fewmoments ago, we all have those
(28:15):
in our lives that need thegospel, and you and I, every one
of us, we are called to take thegospel forward.
I won't name names, but I'll saythis.
I got an email this week from achurch member, and uh he the
Lord has just convicted hisheart in the most beautiful way
that he wants to uh take thegospel forward to some people
(28:38):
that he works with.
And he's been burdened for theseuh uh men that he works with,
and he wants to take the gospelforward, and so he he called me
and just sent me an email withjust a a document that he he
wrote uh just kind of regardinghow he'd like to kind of share
the gospel in a very uhmethodical, beautiful way,
(28:59):
scripture wrapped up throughoutit, and and he just wanted me to
look it over for him.
The reality is I'm I was sothankful.
I'll tell you it was so good hedidn't need me to look it over,
but I did look it over, and andand I just love it.
And I've been praying for himand praying for these
conversations, and I just wantyou to know this isn't some
far-off thing.
There are people on your pewright now, uh, there are people
(29:23):
in this room right now that thatjust capture a little vision of
the gospel going forward, andthen they realize I don't have
to wait for someone else.
I can be the missionary to my mywork, that I can be the
missionary to my school, thatthat I know the gospel and I can
(29:44):
take the gospel forward.
And so, even now, maybe eventhis week, there are uh gospel
conversations going on at acertain workplace, and I am
praying and can't wait to hearmore about how it goes.
But this is what this callinglooks like that God has called.
Called you right where you'reat, right where he has placed
(30:06):
you.
That we understand the call,that we support the call, that
we are praying for the called,all the while realizing that
that we too are uh in a sensecalled ones, called to take the
gospel forward.
In Charlottesville, Virginia, inthe mid-1800s, a young girl set
in church, Charlotte Moon, atthe first Baptist Church, Park
(30:29):
Street, and she responded to thegospel one day.
She came to know the Lord.
She was baptized there abouttwenty-five years later with her
sister at the age of 33.
Lottie Moon went across thecountry to China to live there,
(30:54):
to serve there, to really giveher entire life for the sake of
more and more uh in her contextin China to come to know the
gospel.
You gotta think in themid-1800s, uh uh, you know, she
(31:14):
went first with her sister, butcertainly uh later on, just
Lottie Moon, uh uh a youngsingle woman in the mid-1800s
going across the globe tominister in China.
There's probably plenty ofpeople there at the First
Baptist Church Park Street thatmeant well, that I'm sure loved
her and and maybe told her,maybe this is for someone else.
(31:35):
Maybe there's there's someoneelse who can go.
And Lottie Moon just said this.
Actually, maybe God is justcalling me.
And she gave her entire life tothose people in that place.
And what happened there, manycame to know the Lord, and still
(31:56):
uh these many, many years later,we still see the impact of her
ministry, not just there inChina, but certainly as her name
is remembered and this offeringis is given as we think about
her incredible ministry, thegospel is still going forward.
Why?
Because this 33-year-old uhwoman many, many years ago, just
(32:18):
said this.
I'll go.
And I just wonder this morning,and y'all can call me silly, and
you can, and maybe I am, but Ijust wonder if the next Lottie
Moon is not right here, rightnow, at First Baptist Church at
El Dorado.
I mean it.
Call me silly, I just mean it.
(32:38):
That right now there's somelittle boy or little girl over
in the preschool at this momentgetting a diaper changed, or I
don't know, but but they're justover there, and and and we've
got no idea, but they're gonnagrow up in this church and grow
up in the faith, and they'regonna go to the other side of
the globe and just make a wholelot of Jesus.
(33:01):
Or that there's some uhelementary school student in
this room right now, and they'vegot a busybag in hand, and they
may be playing around oftic-tac-toe as we speak.
And and maybe dad is notlistening to the sermon but
playing tic-tac-toe with them.
But right now, that little boyor little girl, they don't know
it, or maybe they do know it.
(33:21):
They've already got a passionfor someone in their class that
doesn't know Jesus, but thatwill lead to someone on the
other side of the globe one day.
There's someone in the room,maybe a family that just says
one day, we're called to go.
And I don't know what it allmeans.
I don't know what it all lookedlike.
I don't I don't know what thenext steps are, but I know this
(33:43):
the Lord has called us.
There's someone maybe reachingretirement age that says this.
I may be retiring, but God's noteven close to done with me.
And you are gonna go to thenations and you are gonna make
much of Jesus.
You can call me silly if youwant, but I just wonder if that
next Lottie Moon is not righthere among us.
(34:04):
Why?
Because more and more would webe, Lord, a church that
understands the call, thatsupports the call, that prays
for the call, that when thoseamong us feel the call, we do
nothing but support.
We do nothing but encouragethat.
And we as a church come togetherand say, if you feel called, we
(34:25):
are gonna help you explore thatcall in every way.
And if you want to go to theends of the earth, we will help
get you there.
That we would be that kind ofchurch.
That's what Paul had in mind forthe church at Rome.
I believe that's what God has inmind for First Baptist Church of
El Dorado.
A church that is ready to makemuch of Jesus right here and
(34:48):
around the world.
Will you bow your heads with menow?
And I think it'd be uh wrong forus not to take a few minutes to
pray together as we think aboutthat last point that we are
called to pray for those who arecalled.
Would you right now, whereyou're seated, I I want to pray
(35:08):
for just a few things, butcertainly I want to pray for
about three different groups,individuals that really are from
among us.
And I won't, for a couple ofthem, I won't even use last
names, but would you just taketime right now to pray for Jamie
in North Africa?
(35:29):
Pray for Jamie, pray for thegospel ministry to expand, pray
for her encouragement, pray forwhat the Lord is doing with
Jamie in North Africa.
(36:10):
Would you pray for Kevin andBarbara?
They're in the Middle East andtheir ministry, and many of you
know Kevin and Barbara, andcertainly over the last uh six
or eight months, know a lot ofwhat Barbara's walking through
as well, and and just as afamily, um personally for them,
but certainly their ministry,that the gospel would continue
(36:32):
to go forward.
Pray for Kevin and Barbara now.
(37:06):
For someone who grew up in thischurch and now is just making so
much of Jesus.
Will you pray for Landon Norman?
Pray for Landon, pray for hisfamily there as they've recently
planted a church in NorthwestArkansas and they have already
baptized a few.
They are already seeing justincredible fruit from that
ministry.
But will you pray for anotherone of our own, Landon Norman,
(37:29):
with this church in NorthwestArkansas?
Lord Jesus, we do lift these upto you.
(37:51):
We lift up uh even more today,uh, all around the globe, uh,
missionaries, uh, those who aretaking the gospel forward just
like these that we've named,church planters across the
globe.
Uh Lord, we we we lift up thesethis morning, and we just first
say thank you.
(38:12):
Thank you for the call you'veplaced on their lives, thank you
for their willingness to sayyes, to put that blank check on
the table and just say, Lord,you you fill in the blanks.
Wherever you lead, I'll go.
And so, Lord, I just give youpraise for this, Lord.
I just pray for theirencouragement even now.
I am certain there are beautifuland joyful days, and I am
(38:34):
certain there are some toughdays.
Lord, but throughout every day,would you give them the
encouragement needed?
Give them the strength to carryon, Lord, as a church, would we
help strengthen them in any andevery way?
Would we help answer the callwhen they call, Lord?
And Lord, would your name goforward?
(38:56):
Just as Paul said this morning,to places it's never been
before, through these that we'venamed, and through the many
around the globe, and througheven these right here in this
room, uh whether it's right herein El Dorado, in our state, in
our country, in our world, Lord,let the gospel go forward.
And Lord, would you use us?
(39:18):
Lord, we thank you, and Lord, wecontinue to worship now through
this invitation.
If there's any this morning,Lord, that feel called to come
be a part of this church, thatfeel called to maybe for the
first time put faith in you forthe first time to make you Lord
of their lives, to say, LordJesus, you died for me, you rose
(39:39):
again, you've forgiven me, andyou are Lord.
Lord, would today be the day?
Lord, however we need torespond, let us do it now as we
worship you in Christ's name.
Amen.
Would you stand now as weworship?
If you have any decision, I'llbe right down front.
Would love to talk with you.
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