The Body Of Christ, Alive! (Romans 15:22-16:16)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.960 --> 00:00:05.919 Well, first, just a little bit of context. If this passage is 2 00:00:05.960 --> 00:00:11.470 unfamiliar to you, I'd like to just summarize the basic setting that Paul explains 3 00:00:11.509 --> 00:00:16.469 here and then talk a little bit about some bad ways that we might read 4 00:00:16.550 --> 00:00:21.940 this passage of God's word. So the basic context. I hope you caught 5 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:24.820 it, but in case you didn't, there are a lot of details here. 6 00:00:25.219 --> 00:00:28.539 I'm Paul is writing to the Roman church. He has been in this 7 00:00:28.660 --> 00:00:32.700 letter. He's finishing the letter and he writes to them and says, I've 8 00:00:32.780 --> 00:00:36.369 been wanting to come to you, but now you understand why I haven't been 9 00:00:36.409 --> 00:00:40.090 able to. Right he's saying I've wanted to be there, but I have 10 00:00:40.289 --> 00:00:43.969 been hindered, he says in verse twenty two. But he explains why. 11 00:00:44.170 --> 00:00:49.009 It's now a time for him to come with a little however. He says 12 00:00:49.009 --> 00:00:52.880 I'm going to becoming but I need to go to Jerusalem first, and he 13 00:00:52.920 --> 00:00:57.240 gives a reason why. Why does Paul need to go to Jerusalem first? 14 00:00:58.119 --> 00:01:02.119 Well, it's because in Macedonia and a ca he's been going around to all 15 00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:08.430 the churches collecting money. He's been collecting money to bring to the church in 16 00:01:08.549 --> 00:01:15.629 Jerusalem. These churches over here in this region are sharing with these churches over 17 00:01:15.670 --> 00:01:23.260 here in another region. It describes a connectionalism, deep connections and accountability and 18 00:01:23.819 --> 00:01:26.459 need and sharing that they have with one another, and Paul is in the 19 00:01:26.540 --> 00:01:32.060 middle of that. He's in a way. They're connecting peace and he's taking 20 00:01:32.180 --> 00:01:37.170 this money from one to the other. So that's his basic explanation. He's 21 00:01:37.209 --> 00:01:40.530 giving the Roman church some details the hate. This is what's going to happen. 22 00:01:40.569 --> 00:01:42.409 I'm going to go to Jerusalem, I'm going to take this money and 23 00:01:42.489 --> 00:01:46.049 then I'm going to head to Spain and on my way to Spain I'm going 24 00:01:46.090 --> 00:01:49.879 to stop with you. I'm going to stay a little while. I'm hoping 25 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:53.480 to get some support and help for you from you for my trip to Spain 26 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:57.879 and be refreshed while I'm there. He does, however, since a little 27 00:01:57.879 --> 00:02:02.989 bit of danger. He says in verses thirty through thirty three at the end 28 00:02:02.989 --> 00:02:08.030 of Chapter Fifteen. Well, he asks for their prayers that Verse Thirty One, 29 00:02:08.069 --> 00:02:13.469 I may be delivered from the Unbelievers in Judea, that my service for 30 00:02:13.550 --> 00:02:17.900 Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints. Paul has faced lots and lots of 31 00:02:19.020 --> 00:02:24.419 persecution in his life and as he comes to the end of his years of 32 00:02:24.539 --> 00:02:30.930 ministry, he knows a full well that there are many Jews in particular that 33 00:02:31.009 --> 00:02:37.889 are unhappy with him as a convert to Christianity, as one who is, 34 00:02:38.250 --> 00:02:44.210 I'm come to the Lord Jesus Christ and is no longer persecuting the church. 35 00:02:44.250 --> 00:02:49.319 He's now going back into Jerusalem to deliver this money and he's a little bit 36 00:02:49.400 --> 00:02:54.120 afraid. Perhaps at least he asks that he might be delivered so that he 37 00:02:54.199 --> 00:03:00.469 may come to them after that. That's basically the end of Chapter Fifteen, 38 00:03:00.509 --> 00:03:07.110 and then he gives various personal greetings and instructions. Now, having said that, 39 00:03:07.990 --> 00:03:14.180 there are a couple bad ways that we might read this passage. The 40 00:03:14.300 --> 00:03:17.060 first bad way you can read it as you can simply ignore it as irrelevant, 41 00:03:19.219 --> 00:03:22.860 like picking up someone else's grocery list. You look at it and you 42 00:03:22.900 --> 00:03:24.500 say, well, I don't need these things, this doesn't apply to me. 43 00:03:24.659 --> 00:03:30.090 You know these are not it's not my grocery list. You can look 44 00:03:30.129 --> 00:03:35.930 at this and see all these references to specific people, specific actions, particular 45 00:03:36.090 --> 00:03:39.009 travel plans in a time and place and say this doesn't apply to me, 46 00:03:39.569 --> 00:03:46.560 like reading another church's announcement page or something like that. There's a problem with 47 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:51.240 this, though. It's true that there are all kinds of specific details about 48 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:54.680 the church in Rome, but the problem with this way of reading is that 49 00:03:54.750 --> 00:04:00.509 when God wrote this text, this letter through his apostle, he intended it 50 00:04:00.669 --> 00:04:03.909 to be what we call today an open letter. Perhaps you've seen these. 51 00:04:04.310 --> 00:04:10.180 Somebody writes a letter to someone else but calls it an open letter, meaning 52 00:04:10.219 --> 00:04:15.020 it's directed to this person but it's intended to be read widely. That's what's 53 00:04:15.060 --> 00:04:17.379 going on here with Paul. He's writing an open letter to the church in 54 00:04:17.420 --> 00:04:23.860 Rome for the benefit of all the saints, which means that it's not someone 55 00:04:23.899 --> 00:04:27.970 else's letter that we're just kind of listening to and can either take or leave 56 00:04:28.170 --> 00:04:33.649 whatever we like. But God is communicating to us, he's writing to us 57 00:04:34.009 --> 00:04:39.279 for our benefit, so we can't ignore it. It's a good time to 58 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:44.040 remember, or to remind you, that when God in scripturates his word, 59 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:48.240 he chose to give us a very rich variety of all kinds of forms and 60 00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:56.069 situations in which to communicate to us. God communicates to us through geopolitical history, 61 00:04:57.949 --> 00:05:03.470 songs, prayers, prophetic announcements, apocalyptic visions, law, codes, 62 00:05:03.629 --> 00:05:12.300 love, poetry, sayings, biography and letters correspondence. This ought not to 63 00:05:12.540 --> 00:05:17.620 annoy us, but to inspire gratitude. It's a reminder that God speaks to 64 00:05:17.699 --> 00:05:21.769 every part of our lives, that when he came into the world, when 65 00:05:21.769 --> 00:05:28.209 he makes his announcement of the Gospel, he comes to the world in an 66 00:05:28.329 --> 00:05:33.410 earthly, incarnate and exceedingly relevant way. Our God, our God, is 67 00:05:33.490 --> 00:05:38.600 a good God and a gracious God. And with that in mind, we 68 00:05:38.680 --> 00:05:43.040 ought to remember that Romans is scripture. Second Peter Three hundred and sixteen says 69 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:47.040 exactly this, and Second Timothy Three hundred and sixteen reminds us that all scripture 70 00:05:47.079 --> 00:05:51.829 is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for a proof, for 71 00:05:51.990 --> 00:05:59.709 correction and for training in righteousness. So our basic approach can't be to ignore 72 00:05:59.750 --> 00:06:03.980 this passage. We can't read this list of names on these greetings and instructions 73 00:06:04.060 --> 00:06:09.139 and travel plans and say, well, must not be for me. We 74 00:06:09.300 --> 00:06:14.180 can't our whole approach and belief about what God has done. Our belief about 75 00:06:14.180 --> 00:06:18.810 the scripture means that God has communicated it to us. So we can set 76 00:06:18.889 --> 00:06:23.370 that aside and thou start asking now well, if we're not ignoring it, 77 00:06:23.529 --> 00:06:26.250 what are we doing it? What are we doing here? What is God 78 00:06:26.649 --> 00:06:31.129 saying? And that takes me to the second bad way to read this passage. 79 00:06:31.769 --> 00:06:39.399 It's better than ignoring it, but it's also insufficient, because Paul's aim 80 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:44.079 in this letter is to tell us the good news of Jesus Christ. We 81 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:49.750 can't read this and just merely extract a bunch of rules or ways of living 82 00:06:49.790 --> 00:06:58.389 or or even particular doctrines. Paul's aim in writing the entire letter was to 83 00:06:58.509 --> 00:07:03.339 communicate to this church and us the good news of Jesus. He wrote the 84 00:07:03.420 --> 00:07:09.100 letter so that we might know Jesus through faith and receive in him a salvation 85 00:07:09.220 --> 00:07:15.139 that includes everything belonging to eternal life in him. If you go back, 86 00:07:15.970 --> 00:07:17.610 you can do this in your bibles, or just listen, if you go 87 00:07:17.730 --> 00:07:21.129 back to the very first words and Romans, listen to what Paul does. 88 00:07:23.569 --> 00:07:28.850 Paul a Servant of Christ, Jesus, called to be an apostle, set 89 00:07:28.889 --> 00:07:32.879 apart for the Gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in 90 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:38.759 the holy scriptures, concerning his son, who was descended from David according to 91 00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:42.639 the flesh and was declared to be the son of God and power, according 92 00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:46.949 to the spirit of holiness, by his reserfrection from the dead, Jesus Christ, 93 00:07:46.110 --> 00:07:50.589 our Lord, through whom we have received grace and Apostleship, to bring 94 00:07:50.629 --> 00:07:55.829 about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among the nations, 95 00:07:55.949 --> 00:08:00.420 including you, who are called to belonging to Christ, Jesus Christ, to 96 00:08:00.540 --> 00:08:03.980 all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be sayings, 97 00:08:03.660 --> 00:08:07.540 grace to you and peace from God, our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 98 00:08:09.180 --> 00:08:13.250 So what does Paul do? Paul's job and the beginning of a letter, 99 00:08:13.410 --> 00:08:16.970 is to say who the letter is from, to greet those he's writing 100 00:08:18.089 --> 00:08:22.490 to. But that's not just what he does. Right he takes the opening 101 00:08:22.569 --> 00:08:26.050 of a letter, this part of the foreman fills it with the Gospel. 102 00:08:26.769 --> 00:08:31.000 He fills it with his purpose and his mission, which is to say God's 103 00:08:31.079 --> 00:08:35.000 purpose and his mission for the church. Grace to you and peace. I 104 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:39.240 come in the name of the Lord Jesus I come because of the Gospel and 105 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:43.909 because of God's grace. This is how bald begins the letter and he continues 106 00:08:43.990 --> 00:08:48.950 on with this. Continues on. I'll mention just that one important verse that 107 00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:52.870 the Gospel is the power of God, unto salvation for All who believe. 108 00:08:54.830 --> 00:08:58.220 This is how Paul opens the letter and it's how he closes. To go 109 00:08:58.340 --> 00:09:03.980 to the very end, Chapter Sixteen, Verses Twenty Five through twenty seven, 110 00:09:03.019 --> 00:09:07.620 which will get to in a few weeks. Paul says now this is the 111 00:09:07.659 --> 00:09:11.929 end of his letter. Now to him who is able to strengthen you, 112 00:09:11.049 --> 00:09:16.690 according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation 113 00:09:16.970 --> 00:09:22.690 of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed 114 00:09:22.250 --> 00:09:26.799 and through the prophetic writings, has been made known to all the nations, 115 00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:31.360 according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of 116 00:09:31.480 --> 00:09:35.919 faith to the only wise God, Be Glory forevermore through Jesus Christ. Amend 117 00:09:37.830 --> 00:09:43.190 same thing, essentially right. There's different, little bit different content there, 118 00:09:43.230 --> 00:09:46.750 but the purpose is the same. He's communicating to us the Gospel, the 119 00:09:46.950 --> 00:09:52.980 preaching of Jesus Christ. That's who he wants us to know and we won't 120 00:09:52.980 --> 00:09:56.179 do it here, but you go through every chapter, every part of this 121 00:09:56.299 --> 00:10:01.100 letter, from beginning to end, from intro to conclusion, and it's all 122 00:10:01.139 --> 00:10:05.700 the same. Right. So here's my rhetorical question for you. Here, 123 00:10:05.899 --> 00:10:09.529 in fifteen, twenty two through a sixteen, Sixteen, did Paul's mind just 124 00:10:09.929 --> 00:10:15.090 slip a little bit and forget his point? Did his pain sort of drop 125 00:10:15.330 --> 00:10:22.240 into an unimportant footnote? Or is Paul still communicating the thing that he started 126 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:26.080 to communicate, that he has been communicating the whole time and that he will 127 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:31.720 finish communicating? Of course that's the answer, Paul, and just brack it 128 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:35.429 a little section. And this is the the Non Gospel Section, the unimportant 129 00:10:35.429 --> 00:10:39.190 section that you don't need to pay attention to. Right. So we can't 130 00:10:39.269 --> 00:10:41.269 read this and say, well, I don't know what this is about, 131 00:10:41.269 --> 00:10:46.629 I'll just try to find some rules for holy living and move on. It's 132 00:10:46.710 --> 00:10:50.379 better than ignoring it, but it's certainly not what Paul wants or what God 133 00:10:50.460 --> 00:10:56.100 wants. Paul's aim in this letter is to tell us about Jesus. You 134 00:10:56.179 --> 00:10:58.340 read it in the first versus, you read it in the last verses. 135 00:11:00.100 --> 00:11:07.129 So how do these things go together? Paul is praising men and women in 136 00:11:07.210 --> 00:11:11.210 this passage. He's talking about his plans. He's clearly filled for the joy, 137 00:11:11.889 --> 00:11:16.049 with joy for the things that they are doing the future, things that 138 00:11:16.090 --> 00:11:22.879 they will do. How does all this go together? Well, what Paul 139 00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:26.879 has done here is he's taken a standard part of a letter, just like 140 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:30.679 he did at the intro and just like you did with the conclusion, and 141 00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:37.110 he's infusing it with the flavors and the colors of the God bull. He's 142 00:11:37.149 --> 00:11:43.350 taking this standard section that, in one way might that is about greetings and 143 00:11:43.509 --> 00:11:48.019 plans and instructions, but it's also testifying to the work of God in the 144 00:11:48.139 --> 00:11:52.779 body of Christ, you might put it this way. In the first chapter, 145 00:11:52.820 --> 00:11:58.059 Paul tells us that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. 146 00:11:58.940 --> 00:12:03.529 But here in these last chapters, Paul is showing us the power of the 147 00:12:03.649 --> 00:12:09.210 Gospel into salvation. He's showing us how the Gospel is affecting the lives of 148 00:12:09.289 --> 00:12:16.000 these believers. He says that to them and he says it to us as 149 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:22.480 well. So what is the Gospel? What is the Gospel? That is 150 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:26.919 the power of God unto salvation that he talks about in the beginning, that 151 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:31.070 he teaches throughout the letter, and now he's showing in the life of the 152 00:12:31.190 --> 00:12:37.389 church the fruit of it being born. Well, simply put the Gospel is 153 00:12:37.549 --> 00:12:45.620 the news of God's perfect salvation. It's the cure for the sick. The 154 00:12:45.740 --> 00:12:52.940 Gospel is site for the blind, freedom for the captive. The Gospel is 155 00:12:52.019 --> 00:12:56.100 the good news that gives hope to the hopeless and joy to the joyless. 156 00:12:58.500 --> 00:13:03.690 The Gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ, the son of God, 157 00:13:03.929 --> 00:13:11.250 has been sent into the world to save us from our sins, sins and 158 00:13:11.409 --> 00:13:15.879 a sinful nature, that we were born into sins, in a sinful nature 159 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:20.600 that we are captive to, and then we've committed all kinds of gross and 160 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:26.549 and intolerable things against a most holy God, Sin which has brought about misery 161 00:13:26.629 --> 00:13:31.870 in this world, curse and death and darkness. The good news is that 162 00:13:31.909 --> 00:13:37.909 Jesus Christ has come into the world to bring light and life, to take 163 00:13:37.990 --> 00:13:43.820 all of our sins, all of our death, all of our ugliness on 164 00:13:43.940 --> 00:13:50.899 himself and hand over to us the newness of life, eternal life. In 165 00:13:50.019 --> 00:13:56.009 exchange. It's a new life that's so new, in fact, that it 166 00:13:56.090 --> 00:14:03.529 can be described as being born again, a very descriptive and powerful image Jesus 167 00:14:03.570 --> 00:14:09.649 himself uses in John Three. It's life that is holy and new. It's 168 00:14:09.889 --> 00:14:15.480 fit for dwelling with God eternally. At the beginning of time, man's sinned 169 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:18.279 and fell away from God, but at the fullness of time God has come 170 00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:24.159 to man overcome our sin that we might be loved and belong to him forever. 171 00:14:26.029 --> 00:14:30.429 How do we receive this salvation? How do we find this salvation that's 172 00:14:30.470 --> 00:14:35.470 promised in the Gospel? Well, Paul tells us in his letter, it's 173 00:14:35.509 --> 00:14:39.820 not by achieving certain things, being born into a certain family or people or 174 00:14:39.899 --> 00:14:46.620 race. It's not based on ethnicity or money, or age or good works, 175 00:14:46.620 --> 00:14:52.409 none of that. Every single person his rus who has received this salvation, 176 00:14:54.610 --> 00:14:58.370 who's received the benefits of this good news, has received it only one 177 00:14:58.450 --> 00:15:03.529 way, and that's through faith in Jesus, who is our healing, our 178 00:15:03.690 --> 00:15:07.519 power, our salvation, and so we trust in him and in him only, 179 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:13.440 and find eternal life. That's how we come to benefit from the good 180 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:18.919 news of the Gospel, that's how we come to experience the power of salvation, 181 00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:26.549 just as the Roman Christians did, so also with with us. So 182 00:15:26.710 --> 00:15:31.110 That's the Gospel that brings the the good news, that is the power of 183 00:15:31.350 --> 00:15:37.940 salvation, to those who believe it. Now we're ready to see what God 184 00:15:37.019 --> 00:15:41.100 has done in this community, this church, and what he might do in 185 00:15:41.259 --> 00:15:48.059 ours as well when we trust him. So what do we see here? 186 00:15:48.059 --> 00:15:52.370 What kind of Church has God created? A kind of organism? What kind 187 00:15:52.370 --> 00:16:02.450 of community has the Gospel produced here in Rome? Well, first it's a 188 00:16:02.690 --> 00:16:07.840 life sharing, a fellowshipping community. Listen to what Paul says. In Verse 189 00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:11.360 Thirty Two of Chapter Fifteen, he says that he wants to come to them 190 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:18.950 with joy and be refreshed in their company. In Verses Twenty three through twenty 191 00:16:19.029 --> 00:16:22.350 four, he says, I've long been hindered in coming to you. I 192 00:16:22.509 --> 00:16:26.990 hope to see you as in passing as I go to Spain. I want 193 00:16:26.990 --> 00:16:32.149 to be helped by you after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 194 00:16:33.580 --> 00:16:38.820 Coming to church is not just about hearing a sermon or singing a hymn. 195 00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:47.409 It is those things, but it's also about being together, being refreshed, 196 00:16:48.289 --> 00:16:53.850 being encouraged. This is Paul's joy, to come to them and be refreshed 197 00:16:53.929 --> 00:17:00.129 by their company. People that he used to persecute, people that were once 198 00:17:00.169 --> 00:17:06.880 afraid of him, he now expects to go to and have fellowship with, 199 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:12.279 to go to and find joy and refreshment. That's one thing that the Gospel 200 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:19.470 has produced a life sharing, a fellowshipping union of people, a communion ty. 201 00:17:22.869 --> 00:17:27.309 Next, the Gospel also produces, God produces through the Gospel, a 202 00:17:29.430 --> 00:17:34.619 mentoring community, people that are interested in teaching and encouraging each one another. 203 00:17:36.380 --> 00:17:38.859 Paul says this in various letters. He says teaching, Admonish One another with 204 00:17:38.900 --> 00:17:45.769 psalms, him spiritual songs. He encourages older people to teach younger people. 205 00:17:45.769 --> 00:17:48.930 Indeed, in a section that we looked at just a little bit ago, 206 00:17:49.049 --> 00:17:55.890 he said in Chapter Fifteen, I trust that you are. He says in 207 00:17:56.089 --> 00:18:00.279 this is verse fourteen, you are able to instruct one another. This is 208 00:18:00.440 --> 00:18:04.559 a part of church life, instructing and teaching, and I take it that 209 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:11.240 Paul is a is has this in mind in chapter sixteen, verse thirteen, 210 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:15.630 when he says greet Rufe is chosen in the Lord, also his mother, 211 00:18:15.190 --> 00:18:19.230 who has been a mother to me as well. I think that's such a 212 00:18:19.390 --> 00:18:30.380 sweet verse. Have you had that experience in your life where you know people 213 00:18:32.220 --> 00:18:37.579 who would you consider a mother or a father in the Lord? Perhaps you 214 00:18:37.700 --> 00:18:42.009 are a mother or a father in the Lord. I'm to others. Paul 215 00:18:42.049 --> 00:18:48.769 seems to have had this experience the care, the instruction, that the watchfulness 216 00:18:48.170 --> 00:18:53.089 of some one, and here an older woman, Rufus, chosen in the 217 00:18:53.170 --> 00:18:57.359 Lord greed him also as mother, who has been a mother to me as 218 00:18:57.480 --> 00:19:04.799 well. This's very sweet way that Paul puts this. This fellowshipping community in 219 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:11.390 community is one that has an order to it. People are exercising their gifts 220 00:19:11.509 --> 00:19:15.750 and stations and callings in life as God has called them to. Paul has 221 00:19:15.910 --> 00:19:22.829 personally experienced this blessing. He's thankful to Rufus and his mother for it and 222 00:19:22.950 --> 00:19:29.940 he addresses this and praises God for it. Another thing that the Gospel produces 223 00:19:30.019 --> 00:19:33.900 in the church, that God produces through his good news, is a physical 224 00:19:34.779 --> 00:19:41.730 of physical serving and sharing community. It's not just about being together or instructing 225 00:19:41.930 --> 00:19:48.329 from heart to heart mind to mind, but there's a physical, tangible things 226 00:19:48.450 --> 00:19:52.650 that are happening as well. Remember the whole context for this part of the 227 00:19:52.690 --> 00:19:56.880 letter. How Paul Begins. He says I'm going to Jerusalem to bring aid 228 00:19:56.279 --> 00:20:03.119 to the saints. He has collected money from some Christians to bring it to 229 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:08.470 other Christians who are in need. We have other examples of this in this 230 00:20:08.630 --> 00:20:14.069 passage. So in Verse Sixteen, or Sorry, Chapter Sixteen, Verses One 231 00:20:14.150 --> 00:20:18.829 and two. He talks about phoebe. I commend to you our sister Phoebe, 232 00:20:18.829 --> 00:20:22.299 a servant of the Church at Sin Crea, that you may welcome her 233 00:20:22.420 --> 00:20:26.740 in the way, welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the 234 00:20:26.819 --> 00:20:32.019 saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she 235 00:20:32.140 --> 00:20:38.049 has been a patron of many and of myself as well. Most scholars agree 236 00:20:38.410 --> 00:20:44.890 that what is Paul is talking about in Phoebe's role here is her bringing this 237 00:20:45.170 --> 00:20:51.400 letter to the Roman church. This is an important point. Phoebe, the 238 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:57.119 sister in the Lord, is fulfilling an extremely important task. We it's hard 239 00:20:57.160 --> 00:21:00.680 to deserve go back in time and, you know, play a time travel 240 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:06.470 games, but in a sense, if phoebe hadn't fulfilled this job, we 241 00:21:06.589 --> 00:21:11.509 might not have Romans. Phoebe brought this letter to the church. She fulfilled 242 00:21:11.589 --> 00:21:17.430 this calling and, Paul says, welcome her in the Lord, serve her, 243 00:21:17.670 --> 00:21:22.940 give her whatever she needs, because she has given you this thing. 244 00:21:22.980 --> 00:21:26.900 Indeed, she has been a patron of many and myself as well. This 245 00:21:27.059 --> 00:21:32.339 is an extremely far cry from a low view of women in the church. 246 00:21:32.700 --> 00:21:37.970 We might add, Paul is commending this sister and her work that she is 247 00:21:37.049 --> 00:21:41.250 doing here. He's thankful for her, appreciative of her. He's telling the 248 00:21:41.329 --> 00:21:47.960 church to serve her, indeed, as she has served others in her particular 249 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:53.319 roles and callings. This physical service, greet her, bring her in, 250 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:59.960 take care of what she needs. Is actually several other examples of this. 251 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:03.109 Possibly marry in verse six, where it says Mary, who has worked hard 252 00:22:03.190 --> 00:22:07.269 from you, and certainly of PRISCA and Aquilla, who are spoken of as 253 00:22:07.390 --> 00:22:15.099 opening their home to host church meetings. This is not just a menial service 254 00:22:15.259 --> 00:22:19.740 that they're doing if they're doing it in the Lord and as a response to 255 00:22:19.779 --> 00:22:23.900 the Gospel working in them. It's a part of this Christian life, this 256 00:22:25.180 --> 00:22:33.210 sharing of our physical things and and and resources with one another. Fourth a 257 00:22:33.450 --> 00:22:38.609 praying community. This is another thing that God has produced in this church. 258 00:22:40.690 --> 00:22:45.559 We read in Verse Thirty Thirty of Paul's desire for them to strive together with 259 00:22:45.880 --> 00:22:52.039 me, he says, in your prayers to God on my behalf. Now 260 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:55.519 there are fellow workers, and he mentions these. All. Come to back 261 00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:59.910 to that in a moment, people that likely had accompanied him on various journeys 262 00:22:59.950 --> 00:23:04.349 and had served alongside of him in different situations, but here he tells them. 263 00:23:04.390 --> 00:23:07.710 I don't want everyone in the Church of Rome to join me on my 264 00:23:07.789 --> 00:23:14.420 trip to Jerusalem, but I do want you to strive with me, how 265 00:23:15.339 --> 00:23:22.579 in your prayers to God on my behalf. Paul has this deep sense that 266 00:23:22.779 --> 00:23:29.410 his ministry is upheld by the prayers of the people, that he will not 267 00:23:29.650 --> 00:23:37.609 be successful unless God answers their prayers. That's not to say that that the 268 00:23:37.769 --> 00:23:44.160 work of God is entirely dependent on human work. God works apart from our 269 00:23:44.279 --> 00:23:48.279 works all the time, but it's also true that God brings us into his 270 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:55.279 work and uses our works, our prayers, even to accomplish his holy will. 271 00:23:56.349 --> 00:24:00.829 This is an amazing thing, because our prayers are feeble, our prayers 272 00:24:00.869 --> 00:24:07.109 are mistaken, our prayers are lost, our prayers are halfhearted, and yet 273 00:24:07.190 --> 00:24:12.259 God uses them, uses jars of clay, even like Paul, even like 274 00:24:12.420 --> 00:24:18.019 you and me, to accomplish his ends. Paul is not God is not 275 00:24:18.220 --> 00:24:22.700 coming to a church that is strong and mighty and simply pinning a ribbon on 276 00:24:22.779 --> 00:24:30.609 it. God comes to the Church in Rome and is creating this a praying 277 00:24:30.250 --> 00:24:37.569 community. They love Paul, he loves them and that is expressed in actual 278 00:24:37.799 --> 00:24:47.279 prayers. Fifth and evangelistic community, all of this stuff that is going on 279 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:52.470 has, has a sense of a desire for the word to go out and 280 00:24:52.710 --> 00:25:00.230 participation in that. As they strive to support Paul through their prayers, they're 281 00:25:00.230 --> 00:25:07.539 striving to support this missionary as he goes on to Jerusalem, as he encourages 282 00:25:07.619 --> 00:25:14.259 them with the physical and spiritual resources of God and God's people. It's an 283 00:25:14.299 --> 00:25:18.660 evangelistic community. He asks that they would strive in him with prayer that he 284 00:25:18.700 --> 00:25:22.650 might be delivered. INVERT. Chapter Sixteen, Verses Three, in falling, 285 00:25:22.730 --> 00:25:26.329 he speaks of PRISCA and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ who risk their 286 00:25:26.529 --> 00:25:33.369 necks for my life. They joined with him, with Paul, in his 287 00:25:33.490 --> 00:25:41.759 evangelistic task to preach the Gospel, even risking their very own lives. Evangelism, 288 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:48.480 spreading the Gospel, often does require risks, if you count his concerns 289 00:25:48.519 --> 00:25:52.589 about the unbelievers in Judea. Of this is at least the second time in 290 00:25:52.670 --> 00:26:00.190 this passage that Paul has expressed a concern for physical safety. PRISCA and Aquilla 291 00:26:00.269 --> 00:26:04.140 were there for him. They weren't just in the back seat waiting for this 292 00:26:04.619 --> 00:26:10.779 Minister of the Gospel to do his work. They were participating with him as 293 00:26:10.900 --> 00:26:14.180 fellow workers, supporting him in some way, even to the point of their 294 00:26:14.180 --> 00:26:18.890 own lives. But it wasn't just for Paul, he says, they risk 295 00:26:18.970 --> 00:26:25.890 their next to whom I not only not only I give thanks, but all 296 00:26:26.089 --> 00:26:30.930 the churches of the gentiles give thanks as well. You see these connections. 297 00:26:30.410 --> 00:26:33.359 Paul says, because of what they did, I was able to do this, 298 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:37.480 and because what I was able to do, the Gospel was able to 299 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:41.160 be preached to the gentiles. And so now, in thankfulness, will just 300 00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:45.680 send that back down the chain. There's this tight communion of these people. 301 00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:48.910 There's not just this guy who does that thing and that person who does that 302 00:26:49.109 --> 00:26:52.829 thing and well, the rest of us, we just kind of sit around 303 00:26:52.829 --> 00:26:56.509 and we're here. No, they're engaging with one another, sharing with one 304 00:26:56.589 --> 00:27:00.900 another, suffering with one another, striving with one another for the sake of 305 00:27:02.299 --> 00:27:07.380 the gospel of Jesus. Why? Because they've been saved by the gospel of 306 00:27:07.460 --> 00:27:14.019 Jesus. Something amazing has happened in their lives. There's andronicus and Julia in 307 00:27:14.180 --> 00:27:19.450 Chap in verse seven, who suffered in prison with him there's appennatus in verse 308 00:27:19.609 --> 00:27:26.009 five. WHO'S THE FIRST CONVERT TO CHRIST AND ASIA? Just a reminders. 309 00:27:26.049 --> 00:27:30.880 Were considering an evangelism that Paul doesn't say my first convert, but the first 310 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:38.559 convert. We preach the Gospel. The Lord makes the converts. There are 311 00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:44.200 many other examples here of fellow workers. Paul doesn't specify exactly in what sense 312 00:27:44.309 --> 00:27:47.589 they're working with him, but in a way it doesn't matter. They are 313 00:27:47.789 --> 00:27:52.910 joining with him and whatever particular callings and gifts they have to get the news 314 00:27:53.349 --> 00:28:00.339 out to the gentiles. And he's thankful and he's excited and he knows that 315 00:28:00.500 --> 00:28:06.460 when he comes to this Gospel infused, Christ centered community he's going to be 316 00:28:06.539 --> 00:28:14.490 enriched, he's going to find joy and refreshment. Their connection, in other 317 00:28:14.529 --> 00:28:18.170 words, with Paul, is because of the mission of God. Paul says 318 00:28:18.210 --> 00:28:23.049 in fifteen twenty nine that he's going to come and bring them the fullness of 319 00:28:23.089 --> 00:28:30.039 the blessing of Christ. He appeals to met them in fifteen, verse thirty, 320 00:28:30.279 --> 00:28:33.000 by Our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the spirit, to 321 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:37.039 strive with him in the prayer of God. Over and over again we read 322 00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:41.079 the Lord, the Lord, the Lord, the Lord, the Lord Jesus 323 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:44.470 is King, is central to what Paul is doing. He's the one who 324 00:28:44.470 --> 00:28:48.630 sends him on this Great Commission. It's because of this commission, it's because 325 00:28:48.710 --> 00:28:52.190 of the Lord, that they are all joining together, in joining together in 326 00:28:52.349 --> 00:29:03.700 service to the king. Beloved brothers and sisters, you who are connected to 327 00:29:03.900 --> 00:29:11.049 one another because of the gospel of Jesus, know that what God has done 328 00:29:11.170 --> 00:29:15.250 here for the church in Rome is what he is doing for us as well 329 00:29:17.569 --> 00:29:22.049 when we trust on him. He took these people who were formerly apart, 330 00:29:23.170 --> 00:29:30.880 apart in I mean separated, separated from the Great Covenant of Grace, and 331 00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:37.119 he's grafted them in. I find it very striking some of these names that 332 00:29:37.240 --> 00:29:41.950 he uses. Some of them Jewish names, like Herodian, for example, 333 00:29:44.230 --> 00:29:48.750 many others gentile names, even names that we recognize as the names of the 334 00:29:48.910 --> 00:29:55.900 gods, the Hermes. These are people that are named after other gods, 335 00:29:56.019 --> 00:30:03.059 that have been borne up in a culture of idolatry, of faithlessness. No 336 00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:07.049 wonder Paul says he's satisfied when he sees their progress of faith, when people 337 00:30:07.049 --> 00:30:12.009 who are once named after other gods and serving the Gods of their imaginations and 338 00:30:12.170 --> 00:30:18.089 giving glory to the created things instead of the creator. Are Now, through 339 00:30:18.170 --> 00:30:25.119 Jesus, worshiping the God of the universe, together with others and even with 340 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:33.240 Jews. Do you want to experience that kind of salvation? Do you want 341 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:40.910 to see this kind of community in our church or in communities throughout our city 342 00:30:40.990 --> 00:30:47.750 or throughout the world, then we must put our faith in Christ and call 343 00:30:47.869 --> 00:30:52.779 others to do the same. For just as apples aren't produced on branches that 344 00:30:52.819 --> 00:30:59.099 aren't connected to an apple tree, the fruit of the Gospel isn't produced unless 345 00:30:59.180 --> 00:31:03.890 it is connected to Christ. If we want this church, we can't busy 346 00:31:04.009 --> 00:31:10.690 ourselves with business models, entertainment, church tradition or any number of other things. 347 00:31:11.289 --> 00:31:17.690 We have to hear the words of Christ and trust in him and give 348 00:31:17.769 --> 00:31:23.279 ourselves fully to him, because what this passage is testifying to us is that 349 00:31:23.400 --> 00:31:29.839 when we do that, when the members, when we become members of the 350 00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:36.869 body of Christ, we receive the blessings of Christ. What we have here 351 00:31:36.950 --> 00:31:41.589 in this passage is a high definition picture of all that Paul has been writing 352 00:31:41.630 --> 00:31:45.029 about in this letter. We are seeing the body of Christ and action, 353 00:31:45.430 --> 00:31:49.140 and it ought to give us confidence that all that Paul has been writing to 354 00:31:49.180 --> 00:31:56.500 us about the Gospel. Is absolutely true that the mission God sent Paul on 355 00:31:56.660 --> 00:32:02.410 is a mission that has resulted in fruit. So, when we think about 356 00:32:02.450 --> 00:32:07.930 what kind of church we want to be, what kind of community that we 357 00:32:07.089 --> 00:32:13.690 want to have, a fellowshipping community, a mentoring community, a physically a 358 00:32:14.009 --> 00:32:20.920 serving and sharing community, a praying community and evangelistic community, let us build 359 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:30.430 churches and communities that are truly Christian, that we might worship Christ, pray 360 00:32:30.670 --> 00:32:36.029 in Christ, share things in Christ's name, teach and mentor according to Christ's 361 00:32:36.069 --> 00:32:40.589 words and join in that Gospel Mission to spread the word to others, even 362 00:32:40.670 --> 00:32:45.740 as even as it has been brought to us. How do we get to 363 00:32:45.859 --> 00:32:52.539 that point? We ask the Lord for it, we pray and depend on 364 00:32:52.579 --> 00:32:55.740 him, as we do for all things. We come to him by faith 365 00:32:55.779 --> 00:33:00.490 and say we do not have these things, we lack in these ways, 366 00:33:01.130 --> 00:33:05.730 and we know that it all comes by your grace. So we trust in 367 00:33:05.849 --> 00:33:08.410 you, through your work in Jesus and by the power of the spirit, 368 00:33:09.089 --> 00:33:16.160 to do among us your holy will. So let's pray for it, even 369 00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:16.599 right now.