February 16, 2025 – Romans 15:14-33

Lesson Date: February 16, 2025

Focal Scripture Passage: Romans 15:14-33

AIM: To lead students to discover five aspects of their God-given ministry to others, and to commit themselves to carry out their ministry using those methods.

 

Before class: Read the notes on Romans 15:14-33 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.  Get enough copies of the “Five Aspects of Ministry” handout for your anticipated attendance.  Write the word “Minister” on the board.

 

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Direct everyone’s attention to the word “Minister” written on the board.  Tell the class that when the word “minister” is used as a noun, it usually refers to someone who leads or serves a church as a pastor or ministerial staff person.

Ask: “What does the word minister mean when it is used as a verb?  What does it mean to minister?” (to serve or help others).  Ask: “What are some ways we can serve or help others?”  Allow time for some responses.

Tell the students that in the passage we will study today, the Holy Spirit of God inspired the Apostle Paul to explain the purpose of the ministry God had given him, and to lay out some of his future plans for ministering to others.  Tell them we can glean from this passage five different aspects or methods of ministering to others, which we can apply to our lives.

Tell the class that the title of today’s lesson is My Ministry to Others.  Tell them we will discover five ways we can minister to others.

 

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Tell everyone that this is our next-to-last lesson from the New Testament book of Romans.
   • Give everyone a copy of the new Sunday School Member Quarterly for the Spring quarter, and tell them next month we will begin a study of the Old Testament book of 1 Kings.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (My Duties in the Church; we discovered three duties God assigns to every church member).
   • Ask: “How have you done this week at carrying out your duties of edifying others, unifying the church, and glorifying the Lord?”
   • Ask if anyone would recite last week’s memory verse (Romans 15:1).
2. Encouragement.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 15:14.
   • Ask: “What did Paul say about the Roman Christians?” (they were full of goodness, knowledge, and able to admonish one another).
   • Explain that the word admonish means to warn, instruct, or encourage.
   • Ask: “Was Paul saying good things or bad things about them?” (good things).
   • Tell the class that Paul was encouraging the believers in Rome, by pointing out things they were doing well.
   • Ask: “Has anyone ever encouraged you? How valuable was that encouragement?” (an encouraging word motivates us to keep going and to try to do even better).
   • Ask: “What are some ways we can encourage others?” Allow time for some responses.
   • Summarize: One aspect of ministry is encouragement. We should minister to others by encouraging them in their Christian walk.
3. Proclaim the Gospel.
   • Read Romans 15:15-16.
   • Ask: “According to verse 15, how had Paul written to the believers in Rome?” (boldly).
   • Ask: “How did he describe his ministry in verse 16?” (he said he was the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel to them).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 15:17-18.
   • Tell the class that Paul refused to brag on himself, but only spoke or gloried in the things Christ did through him.
   • Read Romans 15:19-21.
   • Ask: “According to verse 19, what had God done in Paul’s ministry?” (mighty signs and wonders through the power of the Holy Spirit).
   • Ask: “Where had Paul preached the Gospel?” (from Jerusalem to Illyricum; use the Map to show those locations; this was the eastern half of the Roman Empire).
   • Ask: “What does verse 20 say he was striving to do?” (preach the Gospel where people had never heard of Jesus Christ).
   • Explain the following:
     • When we hear the word “preach,” we usually think of a pastor preaching to his church.
     • The Greek word translated “preach” here is the source of our word “evangelize.”
     • It simply means to proclaim or tell others about Jesus.
     • The task of evangelizing or proclaiming the Gospel is not limited to pastors; we are all told to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5).
   • Ask: “What are some ways we can tell others about Jesus?” Allow time for responses.
   • Summarize: One aspect of ministry is proclaiming the Gospel. We should minister to others by telling them about Jesus.
4. Presence.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 15:22-24.
   • Ask: “According to verse 22, why hadn’t Paul already visited the believers in Rome?” (he had been “much hindered”).
   • Ask: “What does verse 23 say about his desire to go see them?” (he had a great desire for many years).
   • Ask: “According to verse 24, when did Paul plan to visit the believers in Rome?” (on his way to Spain; locate Spain on the Map).
   • Ask everyone to turn back to Romans 1, and then read Romans 1:9-13.
   • Explain the following:
     • In the First Century there were no telephones, so Paul could not call the Romans.
     • There was no such thing as FaceTime, so Paul could not see the Romans and they could not see him.
     • The only long-distance communication available was through letters.
     • Paul wanted to visit the Roman believers in person to minister to them and help them grow in Christ.
     • He felt that nothing could take the place of a personal visit.
   • Stress the fact that while calls and texts are wonderful and convenient ways to keep up with others, nothing takes the place of the ministry of presence; in other words, ministering to people face-to-face.
   • Ask: “What are some ways we can minister to others by being present?” Allow time for some responses.
   • Summarize: One aspect of ministry is presence. We should minister to others by being present and available to them, especially when they are going through hard times.
5. Benevolence.
   • Ask everyone to turn back to Romans 15.
   • Read Romans 15:25-29.
   • Explain the following:
     • Many of the Jews in Jerusalem who received Christ as their Savior were completely cut off by their families and friends, often losing their homes and livelihoods.
     • As Paul traveled about preaching the Gospel and starting churches, the new Gentile believers wanted to send money to help the poor Jewish believers in Israel.
     • Paul’s plan was to carry this offering to the saints in Jerusalem.
   • Ask: “According to verse 28, what was Paul planning to do after carrying the benevolent offering to the Jewish Christians in Israel?” (travel to Rome and then on to Spain).
   • Tell the students that the Holy Spirit of God thought the ministry of benevolence was so important that He inspired the Apostle Paul to include these seemingly mundane details in his letter.
   • Ask: “What are some ways we can help others by meeting needs?” Allow time for some responses.
   • Summarize: One aspect of ministry is benevolence. We should minister to others by helping meet their legitimate needs.
6. Prayer.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Romans 15:30-33.
   • Ask: “What did Paul ask the Roman believers to do for him in verse 30?” (“strive together” with him in prayer).
   • Ask: “According to verse 31, what did he want them to pray?” (that he would be protected from the unbelieving Jews in Judea and that the benevolent offering would be accepted).
   • Ask: “What else did he ask them to pray for in verse 32?” (that God would let him visit the believers in Rome, and that his visit would refresh him and them).
   • Ask: “What did Paul pray for them in verse 33?” (that the God of peace would be with them).
   • Ask: “What are some ways we can minister to others through prayer?” Allow time for some responses.
   • Summarize: One aspect of ministry is prayer. We should minister to others by praying for them.

 

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Remind the students that the title of this lesson is My Ministry to Others.  Tell them we have discovered the following five aspects of our ministry to others:

1. Encouragement
2. Proclaiming the Gospel
3. Presence
4. Benevolence
5. Prayer

Explain that these five things are different aspects of ministry, but they are also different methods of carrying out our ministry as believers.

Ask: “Which of those aspects or methods of ministry are you most comfortable with?”

Ask: “Don’t answer out loud, but which of those aspects of ministry are you least comfortable doing?”  Remind the students that Paul used all of these methods as he ministered to others, and the Holy Spirit of God inspired him to write them in his letter to the Romans and then preserved His Word so we could read it and learn from it.

Tell the class that God expects us to minister to others and He gave us these tools and methods to use as we minister.

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Tell them to thank God for outlining some different aspects and methods of ministering to others.  Tell them to silently make a commitment to the Lord to use these methods in their ministry to others.  Tell them to ask God to help them as they minister.  Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a closing prayer.

 

CONCLUSION: Give everyone a copy of the “Five Aspects of Ministry” handout.  Tell them there are many opportunities for ministry in and through their Sunday School class, such as ministering to members, associate members, absentees, and prospects.  Urge them to ask God to guide and empower them as they minister.