Paul Talking about Money and Church Planting
[23] But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, [24] I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.
[25] At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. >[26] For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. [27] For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.
[28] When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. [29] I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
Look at how Paul operated in the early days of the church. He had plans to go see the Romans on his way to Spain. He’s covered the whole Mediterranean coastline, islands, and inlands, and now he’s going to plow his way west from Rome. If you look at it on a map and consider how they traveled in those days, Spain is the ends of the Earth!
He told them his whole plan and was even transparent about what it was going to take to pull it off. Not only does he talk about the money given to care for the poor in Jerusalem, but he also makes it clear that he is expecting the Romans to help him along on his way into Spain.
Whenever we talk about a family vacation, a new furnace, or where we’re going to go eat after church on Sunday, we talk about money too. It’s not bad to talk about money. It would actually be foolish to not bring up money. (That’s how you plan a vacation when you’re in your early 20s, then pay it off into your 30s!)
Paul was open with his plan and his mission that God was commissioning as much as he was open with the need for the Romans to get involved. We all share in the work together. Some try to make it to Spain, some care for the poor in Jerusalem, but we’re all in this together building the Kingdom of Heaven.
That generous sharing and loving state of giving are what drive us, like Paul, to “come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.”
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