Latest / HBCWestminster / 10.16.22 Romans 1:8-15 Pastor Danny Gardner

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10.16.22 Romans 1:8-15 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  Romans 1 and verse 8, if you would stand in honor of God's word as I read. I'll read verses 8 to 15. The word of God says, First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you,
• 0:34
  That is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you, but thus far have been prevented. In order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles, I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. Would you pray with me? Heavenly Father.
• 1:05
  We desire to know you through the opening of your eternal word. Lord, be revealed and be exalted in its preaching this morning. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Thank you, church. You can be seated. Well, as midterm elections approach, as the prospect of new leadership both locally and federally also approaches, does anyone else look over the list of candidates and just wonder, is this really the best our country has to offer?
• 1:43
  I mean, really? These guys? It seems like the higher you climb the political ladder, the closer you get to Washington, D.C., the more and more our politicians become almost cartoon characters, like caricatures of people rather than just normal people. Sometimes they seem completely out of touch with reality. And the more time ticks by, the more elections come and go, the more I wonder, the more we think,
• 2:14
  Why can't we find godly leaders to lead us? As important as it is to find godly leaders in politics, church, it is even more important to find godly leaders in the pastorate. I received perhaps the greatest ministry compliment I've ever received this last summer, just a few months ago. It was given to me by a man who only visited our church one time. I have not seen him again. He came to me after the sermon was finished. He said he was visiting from out of town. He says, Pastor, this will be the only Sunday I'm here.
• 2:48
  I'm from out of town. I'm on a business trip. And then he said, now you clearly believe what you're preaching. I didn't know whether he meant that as a compliment or not. That's all he said. I'm not kidding. I took it as a compliment. I was blessed by it. But it also made me curious about the alternative. Like, wait, are there preachers who don't believe what they're preaching? I think the sad reality is yes.
• 3:19
  Not every preacher actually believes what he preaches. We know that the message is important. But listen, church, so is the messenger. And before a man can show you his theology, he must show you himself. What kind of man is he? What kind of character does he have? Has he, like Acts chapter 4 describes those early apostles, has he genuinely walked with Jesus? Does he believe what he's actually preaching? Pastors, like people,
• 3:50
  often serve the Lord for a whole host of reasons. Some are even selfishly motivated, like Diotrephes. Diotrephes, mentioned in the Bible only one time. In all of the New Testament, Diotrephes shows up one time. And listen to what it says about him. The Apostle John, writing to this church, Diotrephes was a leader in the church. Maybe most agree, even the church's pastor. It was Pastor Diotrephes. And John says, I have written something to the church.
• 4:21
  But Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first. Whoa. I mean, that was backhanded, right? I mean, that was a smack, no doubt. That was not a compliment. I have, in moments like these, when I'm reading God's word, there are times when I stop. Maybe you do the same thing, when I just stop and say, thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord, that my name is not in the Bible. Has anybody else ever done that, where you're like, man, I'm so thankful it's not in there? Because what if your word, what if your name were written,
• 4:51
  forever in the eternal word of god and what it said about you was i have something to say to you danny who likes to put himself first what if that was in there forever the unfading word of god who likes to put himself first but he goes further he does not acknowledge our authority that is apostolic authority so if i come i will bring up what he's doing talking wicked nonsense about us and not content with that
• 5:18
  He refuses to welcome the brothers and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. In a mere two verses, we have the following statements made about this man, this pastor in the church, Diotrephes. He loves to put himself first. He's selfish. He refuses to welcome the apostles into the church. He maliciously spreads gossip about men of God. He withholds hospitality from other believers. He requires others to follow his poor example. And he just excommunicates anybody who crosses him.
• 5:49
  Like, wow. Have you ever run across people like Diotrephes? Like, anybody know that guy? You're like, wait a minute, I think I know that guy. He's my neighbor. I work with him. Right, he's my brother-in-law. I know that guy. Wait, it's Diotrephes. Have you ever, church, met a pastor like Diotrephes? Putting himself first, not willing to be taught, using intimidation to silence his critics?
• 6:22
  Maybe the most stinging question this morning would be this one. Have you yourself ever acted like diatrophies? It's almost become cliche at this point to come across unfortunate exposés revealing the sins of mega pastors, right? It's almost the cool kid thing to do now. To find this guy who's been pastoring this church, it's a great big church, he's been doing it for years, but now...
• 6:44
  the behind the scenes, what was kind of the message behind the man and to expose him of all of his faults. And it's funny to me that people really didn't think they sinned. We do find these unfortunate exposures of men who have bullied their way into Christian famedom. Like, well, what was their motivation in pursuing pastoral ministry to begin with? Others, I think, might pursue pastoral ministry because they're attracted to the
• 7:16
  attention that pastors receive. They see a man who people listen to who gets a lot of claps on the back and they decide pastoral ministry is probably for them. Others might be financially motivated seeing an opportunity to shear the sheep rather than to feed the sheep. Others probably just seek the approval of those to whom they minister. Others seek notoriety or fame using the pulpit to prop up their own names. Others may enjoy the authority that pastors have. They just like telling people what to do. Pastors get to tell people what to do.
• 7:49
  Still others may be attracted to the many fringe benefits that come along with being called a shepherd. Pastoring presents some very unique challenges and difficulties, no doubt. But it also carries with it some very unique privileges. You're invited where other people are not invited. And those privileges at times attract the wrong kind of leader. And the Apostle Peter warns against that type of leader in 1 Peter 5.
• 8:18
  He says, so I exhort the elders. That word for elders is synonymous. It is used interchangeably in the New Testament with pastors and shepherds. Elders, pastors, shepherds, pastors. As a fellow elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, but not under compulsion, willingly, as God would have you. Not for shameful gain, so don't be in it for the money, he says.
• 8:48
  but eagerly, not domineering over those in your charge. Don't lord your authority over them, but rather be an example to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. In our text in Romans, we find that the apostle Paul does an interesting thing. Before he gets to the meat of his explanation of the gospel, which you'll notice will come next week, right? Verses 16 and 17 will be our study next Sunday.
• 9:19
  verse 16 for i am not ashamed of the gospel we said that romans more clearly than any other new testament book defines the gospel itself but before he gets to the what of the gospel he gives the why behind his preaching it he gives his motivation in preaching the gospel and the reader sees that his motivation was gratitude to god affection for the people he served
• 9:45
  And an understanding of his true and genuine calling from God himself. And so let's look at verse 8. Notice, what is the first word of verse 8? The first word is first. You guys all have your Bibles open, right? Verse 8 sitting on your lap there. The first word of the first verse is the word first. The first in Paul's introduction is never followed by a second or a third. So if you're looking there for an outline, he's like, okay, he's outlining it for us.
• 10:16
  There's the verse that says first. Where's the verse that says second? He never gives the second and the third. And the reason was because he was not giving a list or a sequence of things. Rather, he was putting what was most important first. It would be like us saying, first and foremost, let me give you what is the highest priority first. And so he says, first. And we see there, what was first?
• 10:45
  First, it was gratitude to God overflowing in intercessory prayer. Verse 8, I thank my God. I thank my God right out of the gate. Gratitude to God through Jesus Christ for all of you because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. He was thankful to God for the entire Roman congregation whom he had never met.
• 11:12
  I'm thankful to God for all of you, and a grateful pastor is a genuine joy to his people. Unfortunately, grateful pastors are sometimes hard to find. A man who is motivated in ministry by anything other than his genuine love for God and his confidence in his ministerial calling will not be grateful. If he doesn't love the Lord,
• 11:38
  and knows that he's not called into ministry, that will not be a grateful pastor. Gratitude is one of the first indications of a godly leader. You may ask the question, well, how do I know if my pastor is grateful for me? How do I know if I have a grateful pastor? How can you tell if your pastor genuinely loves you? And the answer is, it's the same way you can tell if anyone else loves you. The truest mark of genuine love
• 12:08
  is prayer on behalf of that person. The people you pray for the most are the people you what? Love the most. We do not truly love those for whom we never pray. A husband or wife who does not pray for their spouse, a parent who does not pray for their child, a believer who does not pray for the lost, does not genuinely love them. And in the same way,
• 12:34
  A pastor who does not pray for his people does not genuinely love them. And here we find in the text that Paul's gratitude in verse 8 for the people spurred him to a healthy prayer life for those same people. Verse 9 says, For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers. If you guys like to underline or circle certain words, here's a couple. Without ceasing.
• 13:04
  and always without ceasing and always i mention you in my prayers asking that somehow by god's will i may now now at last succeed in coming to you without ceasing and always are pretty convicting words when applied to prayer he doesn't say just genuinely i genuinely pray for you i sincerely pray for you i occasionally pray for you i pray for you every time i think about you he says
• 13:34
  all the time, and for all of you. Now, can I ask you, church, do you do anything without ceasing? Always. I mean, what is it? Is there an answer to that question? I was thinking about this. What do you do without ceasing? Everybody says breathe, okay? The last two services also said it. I also, that is the answer I came up with in my notes, breathing. That's what I do, Lord. I do breathing all the time. I don't stop. If I do stop, it's not for very long.
• 14:06
  okay? I breathe without ceasing. You know what's interesting? George Mueller, George Mueller, who was that famous missionary, we'll call him a missionary, but really he's the guy who started all those orphanages 150 or so years ago in the UK, what is today modern-day Wales, right? George Mueller of Bristol. George Mueller said that the Word of God is the bread of the Christian life.
• 14:33
  Okay? So he says, this is our food. And we come to it like food. And then he says, prayer is the breath of the Christian life. This is our bread, but prayer is our breath. And that was a pretty good way to understand it. He understood it the same way we do. It's like breathing. We do it all the time and without ceasing.
• 14:59
  Maybe if you were going to compile a list, you put breathing at the top, maybe eating or sleeping. People who commute long distances would say driving. You want to know what I do all the time? Driving. I was speaking a couple of weeks ago to one of our members here who told me over lunch that he recently ran a 50K. I thought I ran a race. Oh, good for you. How far did you run? 50 kilometers. And I'm like, I'm not great at math.
• 15:31
  But I know what a 5K is. Right, a 5K, 3.2 miles, somewhere in there. I've been invited to run 5Ks with church members, and I'm like, no way. Why would I do that? You want me to run for three miles? I don't even bike for three miles. Why would I do that? I'm not running for three miles. And so I'm like, okay, I know 5K. He did that 10 times. He did 10 consecutive.
• 15:59
  5Ks. He ran 32 miles in a race against other people. He wasn't the only one in the race. I thought maybe you just show up and you win. But there was more than one person who did this race 32 miles. You guys, honestly, I don't even drive 32 miles. If it's 32 miles away, I'm like, it's a little far. I don't want to go. 32 miles. I asked him, how did you prepare? Guess what he said? I ran.
• 16:30
  I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah. But how much? All the time. All the time. I ran all the time. I ran every day. I ran all the time. It's what I did. I ran and I ran and I ran and I ran so that I'd be ready to run 32 miles. And here the apostle says, that's my prayer life. That's my prayer life.
• 16:58
  Right? I always pray for you. Consistently pray for you. Without ceasing, nonstop, I pray for you. The question that typically remains unasked regarding personal prayer is this one. Let me just ask you, and I really am looking for an answer. Is prayer a privilege? Everybody agrees prayer is a privilege, right? If I were to say, is prayer a privilege or is prayer a burden? You guys would all say what?
• 17:30
  It's a privilege. Okay, then here's the question. It's going to sting a little bit. If prayer is such a privilege, then what? Then why don't we do it all the time? Why do we treat it like it's a 50K? We treat it like it's a burden. I think that there are two reasons. If you're taking notes, you can write these down if you'd like. But I think there are two reasons we don't pray without ceasing. Maybe we just throw these little prayers in occasionally, but why not always? Why not without ceasing first? Why don't we pray without ceasing first?
• 18:03
  Because maybe we don't actually believe in the God to whom we pray. Don't forget, beloved church, that we don't believe in the power of prayer. And let me let that settle for just a second. Ponder that statement for a moment before you stand up and say heresy and start tweeting and doing whatever, okay? We don't believe in the power of prayer. We believe in the power of the God of prayer.
• 18:35
  There's a big difference between those two things. Because all kinds of people pray, don't they? Do pagan prayers work? Do heathen prayers work? What's the difference? They're praying. What's the difference? You said you believe in the power of prayer. Oh, no. There's a big difference. We don't just believe in the power of prayer. We believe in the power of the God of prayer. Everything else is casting magic spells.
• 19:01
  Right? If I just say the right words, and I say them in the right order, and I fold my hands just so, and I cross my eyes, and I crinkle my nose, then heaven's genie will be forced to do my bidding. And you know, church, that's exactly what the world thinks prayer is. I'm reminded of a Peanuts cartoon, you know, Charlie Brown Peanuts, or Charlie Brown's buddy Linus.
• 19:27
  is seen deep in thought, and Lucy walks in and asks, what are you doing? And Linus says, well, I think I've just made a theological discovery. If you fold your hands and then hold them upside down when you pray, you get the exact opposite of what you're praying for. Probably what the world thinks, but prayer is not an enchantment.
• 19:54
  A prayer is not mere wishful thinking. That is what the world thinks. You just put these positive thoughts out there into the universe, and if you do that enough, enough positivity will come back to you with positivity, right? That's what they think. Well, I'm just really glad you're an optimistic person, right? You just keep speaking positive thoughts, and they'll eventually come through. Well, that's not what prayer is. It is not to be put on par with writing letters to Santa Claus. Although, again, that's probably the closest...
• 20:23
  cultural understanding of it that's probably what your heathen neighbor thinks right you're basically writing letters to santa claus and it was not many years ago that i was meeting with a man from highland at a local restaurant just down the street for lunch when we had received our food i said hey let me pray for the food we bowed our heads to give thanks to god as we did we had just bowed our heads and closed our eyes we're sitting across from this table a man we did not know
• 20:51
  walked past our table, kind of stopped, and very loudly said toward the two of us, Dear Santa, just like that, and then kept walking. I thought, well, that's, number one, that's pretty bold. Number two, that is probably what most people think prayer is. If you don't believe in the God of prayer, if it's just these words that are just being thrown onto a piece of paper, just being thrown out so that you can bless your food, I mean, it's an enchantment.
• 21:21
  It's just the power of positive thinking. But lest we forget, when we are praying, we are invoking the name of the God of the universe. There's an actual God behind it. We are offered through invitation to enter into his presence and to present our requests. It is, church, a privilege. A second reason I think we don't pray without ceasing is that maybe we don't believe that God will hear or answer our requests. Maybe he really is powerful enough.
• 21:52
  but he just doesn't care. W. Bingham Hunter in his book, The God Who Hears, worded it this way, our culture believes that God has become too small to intervene in the world anymore and that we have become too sophisticated to ask him anyway. He said modern people believe that God is small and we are big. Maybe he just isn't going to listen to us. Maybe he's not going to answer our prayers, but church, this could not be further from scripture's truth. Jesus said in John 15 and verse 7, if you abide in me and my words abide in you,
• 22:23
  ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. Matthew chapter seven and verse seven, Jesus again, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. So let me ask you, church, are you asking? Are you seeking? Are you knocking? Do you believe that God himself is the power behind prayer? Do you believe that when you pray, God hears and that God answers? And for whom do you pray? Because your prayer will be the greatest mark of your genuine love and gratitude.
• 22:54
  for them. We see that godly leaders are grateful prayers, but we also see a second mark of a godly leader in verse 11. See that a godly leader gives, he does not take. A godly leader gives, he does not take. Notice verse 11, for I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you. That is that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. Paul states in verse 11 that he desired to go to Rome.
• 23:22
  to impart some spiritual gift to the church there. He had no interest in visiting Rome as a tourist. Do you see that? He doesn't say, I'm coming to Rome so I can work on my tan. He was not making vacation plans. He wanted to go to Rome to give of himself rather than to indulge himself. And what gift did he desire to impart? Look at your Bibles. Find the answer for yourselves. He talks about this spiritual gift in verse 11, but then he states what the gift is in verse 12. Do you guys see it?
• 23:52
  That is what? Mutual encouragement. Mutual encouragement. The gift of mutual encouragement. A strengthening of faiths by the sharing of testimonies, by the speaking of truth in love, by the commendation to continue the good fight of the faith. Paul's faith, we see, was a giving faith. And church is your faith. A giving faith.
• 24:23
  In the friendships the Lord has provided, is it your desire to build up the other, knowing that you will also be built up in return? In the conversations you have, even just day-to-day in the world or in the church or in the school, are your conversations giving conversations? Do you seek to encourage others? Or do you, in those conversations and friendships, only seek to get?
• 24:49
  You see here that Paul's desire was to give before it was to receive. And this, I believe, is another mark of a godly leader and pastor. This is why 1 Timothy 3 includes, in the qualifications of an elder and pastor, the prohibition that that man must not be a lover of money. Must not be a lover of money. 1 Timothy 3, giving all of these qualifications for an elder.
• 25:13
  Don't appoint an elder who is a lover of money. If your goal is to make a bunch of money, don't become a pastor. That's what he says. And that's not because it's impossible to make a bunch of money as a pastor. There are plenty who do, who become very wealthy as pastors. It's not to say that it's impossible. It is possible. It's just not godly. Do you see what he's saying? Listen to how Paul described his ministry instead of self.
• 25:43
  sacrificial. He described himself, 2 Timothy 4 and verse 6, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering. You have this simile here, right? An illusion. He says, my life is being poured out. It's not being poured into. Do you catch that? I'm being poured out. The time of my departure, referring to his death, the time of my departure has come. He continues, 1 Thessalonians 2, being affectionately desirous of you.
• 26:11
  We were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own selves because you had become so very dear to us. Man, listen to that. You talk about a pastor's heart. I didn't just show up and preach. He said, I opened my entire life to you. I lived with you. I lived among you. I was available to you. My family was available to you. My home was available to you. I laid down my life for you because I loved you so much.
• 26:39
  2 Corinthians 12, I like this one. I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. The apostle willingly laid down his life for the Gentile churches, of which Rome was only one. He's a giver and not a taker. We see finally that a godly leader upholds the cause of the gospel. In fact, I believe this should be their singular...
• 27:08
  focus if they do everything else as pastors well but don't do this if they don't preach the gospel then they are not actually godly leaders look at verse 13 i do not want you to become unaware brothers that i have often intended to come to you but thus far have been prevented in order that i may reap some harvest among you that is a spiritual harvest a harvest of souls among you as well as among the rest of the gentiles
• 27:38
  I'm under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. I'm eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. All men and women in leadership have been divinely appointed to those positions of authority for the express purpose of advancing the cause of righteousness for the glory of God. I'm going to read that again because I didn't get any amens. That was a good one for an amen. Let me read it again.
• 28:11
  All men and women in leadership have been divinely appointed to those positions of authority for the express purpose of advancing the cause of righteousness for the glory of God. Amen. That is why God gives authority to some over others. The only reason that he does is so that they will uphold the righteous and punish wickedness. That's what Romans 13 says. Policemen, judges.
• 28:42
  Nurses and doctors, those are positions of authority. Teachers, principals, mothers and fathers, governors, congressmen and women, even the president, are all given divine authority in order to uphold the cause of the helpless, to be the physical representation of God's authority on earth over those entrusted to their care. It is their job to use the authority that God has given them
• 29:12
  to uphold God's definition of righteousness. Amen? How many of them actually do this job well? How many of them actually have this perspective? In the year 1561, so we're talking almost 500 years ago, there was a feud brewing between reformer John Knox, who was a famous pastor, teacher, writer at the time.
• 29:42
  And the Queen, Queen Mary, known as Mary, Queen of Scots. As a pastor, Knox was disgusted by her policies. But he was even more concerned for her eternal soul, and so he began writing letters. And 500 years ago, that was apparently something you could do. I don't imagine that my letters would get any return. But I said, Dear Mr. President, signed respectfully, Pastor Danny Gardner of Westminster, Colorado. I probably would not get a handwritten response. But it is actually not...
• 30:11
  hard to find many of these correspondences online. You can go and look at pictures of the actual letters that John Knox was sending off to the queen and the letters that the queen was writing in her own hand back to him. Really interesting. You get to read about Knox's rebuking Queen Mary's defiance against the Lord and then the queen coming to her own defense. And there are times when I think it would be nice
• 30:39
  If the Lord would raise up a modern John Knox, who will just take people to task, right? Who will have both the courage, but also the platform to speak the truth, even to yell the truth, if that's what's needed, to those in positions of authority in order to force them to consider their own eternal destinies. Wouldn't that be nice?
• 31:10
  I would commend to you here a letter recently written by one such man, I believe, Pastor John MacArthur in Southern California. John MacArthur is the pastor of Grace Community Church where he's been for 50 years. He has a couple of schools, the Master's University and Seminary. I have two degrees from those schools. Now, listen, let me qualify by saying I do not believe, I do not agree with every single thing John MacArthur has ever said. But then again, I don't agree with every single thing I have ever said, okay? And so,
• 31:40
  Just know that going in. But I do appreciate the letter that he recently wrote. And again, I would commend it to you. It's easy to find online. I think it was respectfully done and well-timed. We don't have time for the whole thing. But let me read you some highlights of a letter that he wrote just a few weeks ago, Pastor John MacArthur to Governor Gavin Newsom, the governor of California. Pastor MacArthur, I don't need to itemize or elaborate on the many immoral decisions you have perpetrated against God and the people of our state.
• 32:11
  which have only exacerbated our problems. Nevertheless, my goal in writing is not to contend with your politics, but rather to plead with you to hear and to heed what the word of God says to men in your position. My concern, Governor Newsom, is that your own soul lies in grave eternal peril. You will stand in the presence of the holy God who created you, who is your judge, and he will demand that you give an account for how you have flouted his authority in your governing.
• 32:41
  how you have twisted his own holy word to rationalize it he concludes by saying my plea to you sir is that you would not let it come to that that you would not go to that day of judgment apart from receiving forgiveness and righteousness through faith in christ alone please respond to the gospel turn to christ and listen how he ends it and use your office to advance the cause of righteousness instead of undermining it
• 33:08
  The only reason, he says, you have the authority that you do is because God gave it to you, and now you're using his authority to undermine his righteous standard? Change your mind. For the sake of our state, for the sake of our people, for the sake of your eternal soul, change your mind. Here was a man who not only had the courage to write the letter, but the platform, and I think you see that the Apostle Paul was such a leader.
• 33:37
  courageously using the platform the Lord had given him for the furtherance of the gospel. He ends here this small section by stating that he will preach. Verse 14, he actually says, I'm under obligation. Do you see that word? I am obliged to do it. I've been commanded to do it. I have to do it. I will do it. Both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. But then in verse 15, he uses a different word.
• 34:07
  Not only do I have to do it, but verse 15, what does he say? I'm eager to do it. I don't only just have to do it, I want to do it. I'm willing to do it. Now, Paul knew that Rome was a volatile place, religiously, politically. It was not safe for Christians to openly espouse the gospel, and yet here he says, I am eager to do that which will put me in chains. In fact, the next verse, he even goes one step further. Not only was he obliged,
• 34:38
  and eager verse 16 says i am not ashamed i'm proud to do it we'll come to that next sunday he said i would wear that as a badge of honor and church is this your attitude toward preaching the gospel would you along with the apostle paul say woe to me if i don't would you count your life
• 35:03
  Your calling unfulfilled. If you got all the way to the end of your life and you accomplished every single other dream and yet the gospel never graced your lips to an unbeliever, would you not consider your life a wash? A godly leader, a godly pastor must be grateful, loving, prayerful, giving, and preaching. And Lord, we would ask that you would give us these types of leaders.
• 35:37
  that you would give us these types of pastors, and Lord, even more than that, that you would make each and every one of us these types of leaders. Before we pray for somebody else, Lord, we pray it for ourselves. Make us a grateful people and a loving people. May we be a people who pray without ceasing, that we are giving rather than taking, and that we are eager to preach the good news. In Jesus' name, amen.