WEBVTT 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:03.720 Romans chapter 16, where we are today. 00:00:04.019 --> 00:00:06.540 And very simply, we're going to look at this section of scripture. 00:00:06.800 --> 00:00:14.000 And Paul's going to talk very personally now that he's shared about the Christian faith in the first eight chapters of 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:16.149 the Book of Romans, what we are to believe as Christians. 00:00:17.160 --> 00:00:20.560 And then chapter nine, nine and ten, he talks about nine, ten, 11. 00:00:20.560 --> 00:00:27.640 Actually, he starts to describe for us how that fits in a and a Jewish gentile world because we know Jesus was a 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:28.240 Jew. 00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:33.390 And God's message came through the Jewish people and now it's gone out to the rest of the world and to the Gentile world. 00:00:33.720 --> 00:00:36.560 And so the Jews and Gentiles are trying to figure out what this should look like. 00:00:36.600 --> 00:00:41.580 And so nine, ten, 11, sort of bridges that gap between Jew and Gentile and living for the Lord. 00:00:41.760 --> 00:00:49.120 And then in Chapter 12 and to the rest of the book, it's then the practical of how to live out your Christian faith, what that looks like, 00:00:49.140 --> 00:00:53.760 that you believe, what you believe and how it determines the way you behave, right? 00:00:53.780 --> 00:00:57.520 It's your orthodoxy, what you believe and your orthopraxy how you live it out. 00:00:57.980 --> 00:01:04.620 And the apostle Paul, he writes many of his letters that way in the New Testament, Paul's written 13 letters in the New Testament. 00:01:04.660 --> 00:01:05.560 Some say 14. 00:01:05.580 --> 00:01:06.680 I say 14. 00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:08.360 If you believe 13, you believe wrong. 00:01:08.520 --> 00:01:09.200 That's okay. 00:01:09.320 --> 00:01:14.110 But he wrote 14 letters because I include the book of Hebrews and the Apostle Paul's writings. 00:01:14.420 --> 00:01:21.460 But he writes often he talks about the belief of the Christian life and then the behavior of the Christian when they believe because what you 00:01:21.460 --> 00:01:23.420 believe is ultimately lived out. 00:01:23.420 --> 00:01:26.080 If you want to know what a person really believes, just look how they live, right? 00:01:26.180 --> 00:01:29.720 It declares to you the worship of their heart. 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:35.020 And so the apostle Paul, in talking about the book of Romans, he describes for us what the Christian life is about. 00:01:35.020 --> 00:01:38.510 And you find the very beginning without Jesus, you're in a very desperate place. 00:01:38.700 --> 00:01:41.480 In fact, the wages of sin, the Bible tells us, is death. 00:01:41.620 --> 00:01:43.640 But Jesus comes, pursues us. 00:01:43.780 --> 00:01:47.720 There's nothing that we have done to avail ourselves to Christ. 00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:50.000 But Christ, in his grace, gives his life for us. 00:01:50.020 --> 00:01:53.220 He meets us in our deepest needs and our darkest hour. 00:01:53.240 --> 00:01:57.940 Jesus knows everything we've done, and he loves us the same right in Romans five eight. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:05.040 While we're sinners, Christ demonstrates His love towards us and we become adopted into Christ when we embrace Jesus and what He's 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:05.600 done for us. 00:02:05.740 --> 00:02:09.160 On the cross in Romans Chapter eight, it starts off with that beautiful phrase. 00:02:09.160 --> 00:02:11.710 There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:02:12.180 --> 00:02:15.980 Romans Chapter eight is one of the most powerful chapters in all of Scripture. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:17.620 I know that's an opinion, but it's true. 00:02:17.620 --> 00:02:18.140 All right. 00:02:18.140 --> 00:02:25.240 And it's a beautiful section that defines who we are in Jesus, our identity in him being adopted into God's family and how God is 00:02:25.240 --> 00:02:27.560 for us and works all things together for good. 00:02:27.660 --> 00:02:30.410 To those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 00:02:30.820 --> 00:02:35.680 And as Jesus gives his life for us in Romans 12, we're called to give our life for him. 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:38.380 And we enjoy that relationship in Christ. 00:02:38.420 --> 00:02:39.970 And we begin to live it out. 00:02:40.180 --> 00:02:47.200 And now very practically, we see now, Paul, not just talking about living the Christian life and not just declaring to us what the Christian life 00:02:47.200 --> 00:02:48.850 is about and belief. 00:02:49.340 --> 00:02:56.420 But he shows his intimate personal care for the church in Rome as he's writing this letter to Romans 00:02:56.420 --> 00:02:57.170 right. 00:02:57.420 --> 00:02:59.590 To the city of Rome and the church in Rome. 00:03:00.220 --> 00:03:07.260 And Paul, in this chapter is revealing to us how beautiful ministry becomes because the purpose of ministry 00:03:07.260 --> 00:03:08.780 is always been about people. 00:03:09.380 --> 00:03:10.850 It's not about accomplishing tasks. 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:12.260 It's about reaching hearts. 00:03:12.260 --> 00:03:18.260 Sure, when you do ministry, you may accomplish a task, but the ultimate drive behind ministry has always been personal. 00:03:18.260 --> 00:03:23.160 It's always been about people and those relationships. 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:27.460 The point of ministry is to make it personal. 00:03:27.540 --> 00:03:32.260 Now, when we talk about making it personal, I don't mean that it becomes offensive to you, right? 00:03:32.260 --> 00:03:39.600 Oh, it's personal, but rather the way you get involved in ministry and how God's desire is for you to first 00:03:39.600 --> 00:03:41.280 know the heart of God. 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:46.550 And as God transforms your life, you share his heart for this world and the way that you interact with people. 00:03:47.500 --> 00:03:52.100 Because, well, God made people in his image, which gives us incredible value. 00:03:52.100 --> 00:03:54.380 Nothing else in creation is made that way. 00:03:54.540 --> 00:04:00.040 God, it tells us in Genesis, breathes His spirit into us, and we become a living being made in his image. 00:04:00.200 --> 00:04:06.240 And it's to say, out of all of creation that we are we are able to connect with Creator God. 00:04:06.320 --> 00:04:12.220 And not only did God make us in His image, God also gave his life for us that God became flesh and dwelt among us. 00:04:12.220 --> 00:04:16.940 It tells us in Genesis chapter one or excuse me, John, chapter one, he dwells among us. 00:04:16.940 --> 00:04:18.450 So Genesis deals with the creation. 00:04:18.640 --> 00:04:23.620 John deals deals with his life becoming flesh and giving himself for us. 00:04:23.900 --> 00:04:28.200 And there's nothing more valuable than God's life that God would become flesh and die for you. 00:04:28.200 --> 00:04:32.760 It's a God who pursues you, who loves you, very personal, God, very relational. 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:38.750 And if you want to show your love for God, one of the best ways to do that is seen in how you care for others and ministry. 00:04:38.880 --> 00:04:42.980 Then it becomes that tangible way of expressing our love for God and the way we care for others. 00:04:43.280 --> 00:04:46.980 I mean the Christian faith you think about we describe our church. 00:04:47.060 --> 00:04:51.010 The mission of our church is built on the two greats, the great Commission and the great commandment. 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:53.910 The great commandment is to go in the world and make disciples. 00:04:54.280 --> 00:04:56.560 That's Matthew 28, 19 and 20. 00:04:56.700 --> 00:05:00.100 Jesus wants us to reach others and to teach others about. 00:05:00.340 --> 00:05:03.960 God who became flesh and gave his life for them and to help them follow after Christ. 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:05.720 We were created for that purpose. 00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:07.600 Make disciples right. 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:14.540 But in Matthew chapter 22, verse 35 to 40, he also tells us the greatest commandment, which is to love God and love others. 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:17.730 So it tells us how we're to engage people when we make disciples. 00:05:18.380 --> 00:05:25.250 Loving God is all about relationship, The apostle Paul said his one pursuit in Philippians chapter three is to know Christ. 00:05:25.300 --> 00:05:32.620 Our primary interest for you this morning is that you have a relationship with God and you understand what that means to walk and fellowship with Christ and 00:05:32.620 --> 00:05:39.700 you let that relationship flow out of you into your relationship with others, that as you glorify God with your life, it becomes a blessing to the people 00:05:39.700 --> 00:05:40.620 around you. 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:48.640 And so, Paul and knowing this starts to show to us the intimacy of relationship by giving us really 00:05:48.640 --> 00:05:55.980 out of all the letters Paul wrote, the longest epilogue of greetings that he has written in all of his 13 or 14 letters. 00:05:56.960 --> 00:06:04.120 He usually concludes his letters by recognizing some people, and Romans becomes the longest list of greetings 00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:06.930 that the Apostle Paul includes in any of his letters. 00:06:07.240 --> 00:06:07.730 It is extensive. 00:06:08.640 --> 00:06:10.280 It is intimate, it is. 00:06:10.580 --> 00:06:11.060 It is personal. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:18.410 And it shows the tender heart of Paul and his appreciation for what God has done in the lives of others and his care for them. 00:06:19.220 --> 00:06:21.960 Sometimes we think of the apostle Paul and we think, Man, what a super Christian. 00:06:21.960 --> 00:06:23.010 Look at all the work that he did. 00:06:23.060 --> 00:06:25.260 But the reality is Paul never did it alone. 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:30.620 Paul had a large group that traveled with him when he started ministry. 00:06:30.620 --> 00:06:37.800 Sure, it was a smaller group, but as he continued to go further into places to preach the gospel, the team that worked with the Apostle Paul continued to 00:06:37.800 --> 00:06:44.240 grow further and further, and their impact was reaching the ends of the earth, or at least the ends of the known earth at the time. 00:06:44.840 --> 00:06:52.600 And so the Apostle Paul is working with a this large group of people, a community to make a difference for Christ 00:06:52.600 --> 00:06:54.740 and for us. 00:06:54.740 --> 00:07:02.000 This morning this section becomes rich and rewarding and showing us early insights to the life of the apostle Paul 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:09.160 and to the early Christian community and the characteristics they carried as they serve the Lord in the first 00:07:09.160 --> 00:07:09.910 century. 00:07:10.780 --> 00:07:19.260 One of the beautiful things about the Bible is not only does it give us commands or ideas 00:07:19.260 --> 00:07:26.460 of how we are to live the Christian life or wisdom in that sense proverbially, and how to live a life to honor God. 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:33.740 But it also shares the stories of how Christians did it or the Old Testament Saints would have done it in 00:07:33.740 --> 00:07:34.920 a narrative sense. 00:07:35.520 --> 00:07:43.040 I think sometimes as people, we learn best by example of seeing how other people have modeled it, and it helps us to make it a little more personal 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:45.620 in our lives and doing it that way. 00:07:46.060 --> 00:07:53.140 And I think with the apostle Paul, he's starting to give us insights into these early Christians in the way that they 00:07:53.140 --> 00:07:57.920 honored the Lord together as a community to make a difference for him. 00:07:59.100 --> 00:08:05.700 And the first century church, really the first three centuries of Christianity, that church was on fire. 00:08:07.180 --> 00:08:14.240 For their passion for the Lord and their love for the lost, and to see communities birthed in places where 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:21.400 there was no gospel presence and to get to understand their care for one another and what made 00:08:21.400 --> 00:08:24.370 them passionate about why they were doing what they were doing. 00:08:24.700 --> 00:08:27.380 That's what this letter shares with us. 00:08:27.420 --> 00:08:34.880 Just a little bit of insight of different people and what made them tick or what they were passionate about as they live 00:08:34.880 --> 00:08:35.750 for the Lord. 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:42.120 Some of these people in this list, in fact, most of the people that Paul describes here, we don't know anything else about them other than what Paul says in Romans. 00:08:42.179 --> 00:08:48.210 There's a couple that we know a little bit more about because they were more involved in Paul's ministry in a in a direct sense. 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:53.720 But some of them, the only thing that's spoken about them in church history is what's written in this letter. 00:08:54.640 --> 00:09:01.740 But I want to give you three ways this morning of making ministry personal through the way that Paul talks about the 00:09:01.740 --> 00:09:03.660 life of the church here in this passage. 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:07.300 And point number one in your notes is this and I want to tell you this. 00:09:07.400 --> 00:09:10.960 This first point I wrestled with, I was going to I almost pulled it out. 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:12.160 But I want to give you the biblical answer. 00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:20.080 And then I'm going to tell you I'm going to tell you a more elaborate way of explaining this that I think is probably better, but you're going to 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:21.680 get at least the concise, biblical answer. 00:09:21.780 --> 00:09:23.820 And then I'll I'll build on this a little bit. 00:09:24.040 --> 00:09:29.420 But point number one is this provide commendations, provide commendations. 00:09:29.460 --> 00:09:32.880 And this is exactly what the Apostle Paul is about to do with this lady. 00:09:32.900 --> 00:09:34.110 I'm going to call Phoebe her. 00:09:35.020 --> 00:09:37.050 The real pronunciation of her name is Phoebe. 00:09:37.500 --> 00:09:39.720 But that doesn't sound as good as Phoebe to me. 00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:40.890 So we're going to call her Phoebe. 00:09:42.040 --> 00:09:44.490 But and we're going to go through a list of names. 00:09:44.620 --> 00:09:50.540 I'm going to tell you, I didn't look up the Greek and how to pronounce every one of these names, So I've learned to say it, say it fast and say it confident. 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:52.420 And people are just going to believe what you say. 00:09:53.160 --> 00:09:57.940 Some of these I do know the correct Greek way of saying it, and I don't like the way it sounds, so I want to pronounce it. 00:09:58.820 --> 00:10:01.540 West Virginia, Utah style, which is kind of where I'm from. 00:10:01.760 --> 00:10:03.860 And whatever comes out comes out. 00:10:04.040 --> 00:10:04.340 Right. 00:10:04.340 --> 00:10:08.120 But provide, provide commendation. 00:10:08.640 --> 00:10:10.740 An and what the apostle Paul does in the beginning of this letter. 00:10:10.740 --> 00:10:17.800 Romans Chapter 16 is he's writing this letter and he's sending actually, Phoebe to take the letter to the Romans 00:10:17.800 --> 00:10:19.340 to Rome. 00:10:19.380 --> 00:10:26.520 Phoebe is in charge of receiving this letter from the apostle Paul, taking it to Rome and helping them understand what Paul meant through this 00:10:26.520 --> 00:10:29.160 letter, because she was there with Paul as he was writing the letter. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:33.540 And she can explain things to them if they have any misconceptions of what Paul's trying to say. 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:35.980 But she's been charged with taking this letter. 00:10:35.980 --> 00:10:43.280 And it was common in the first century that when you sent someone out like this, you would write a letter of commendation, that 00:10:43.280 --> 00:10:45.920 you would honor this person within this letter. 00:10:45.980 --> 00:10:50.700 So the people receiving it would understand the position or the authority that they had to present this letter. 00:10:50.760 --> 00:10:54.230 So they weren't skeptical of who this individual was. 00:10:54.760 --> 00:11:02.080 And so, Phoebe, even in this first century, being a female needed, I think, accommodations, especially because females weren't 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:05.470 treated with dignity and honor, especially in this first century. 00:11:05.740 --> 00:11:12.820 And so for them to be able to have a voice and to understand the importance of who they were and to be heard, this was important for the apostle Paul to do for people in 00:11:12.820 --> 00:11:16.410 general and more particularly for ladies. 00:11:16.580 --> 00:11:22.180 And so the apostle Paul writes this letter of commendation with Phoebe to send her on her way. 00:11:22.280 --> 00:11:29.320 And you find within this letter what makes her such a unique woman, because the apostle Paul describes the characteristics in 00:11:29.320 --> 00:11:33.980 her life that really highlighted who she was in Jesus. 00:11:34.400 --> 00:11:36.120 And she becomes a woman. 00:11:36.120 --> 00:11:39.130 That's made a tremendous difference for the sake of the gospel. 00:11:39.700 --> 00:11:46.800 And so the apostle Paul says, I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church, was his Cenchrea, which is 00:11:46.800 --> 00:11:53.940 just east of Corinth, where the Apostle Paul would have met Phoebe, that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of 00:11:53.940 --> 00:12:00.960 the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you, for she herself has also been 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:04.040 a helper of many and of myself as well. 00:12:04.860 --> 00:12:07.240 I want to talk about her characteristics in just a moment. 00:12:07.260 --> 00:12:14.560 But I want you to recognize that when the apostle Paul is sending this letter of commendation with Phoebe, what he's really ultimately doing 00:12:14.560 --> 00:12:16.940 and this is where I thought we could make a point. 00:12:16.940 --> 00:12:20.080 Number one is he's supporting the work of mission. 00:12:21.520 --> 00:12:27.240 Paul's life is on mission, and he wants to continue to see the church to live on mission. 00:12:27.860 --> 00:12:30.560 And so he's supporting missions to live on mission. 00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:35.150 And so he's doing whatever it takes for the sake of the gospel, short of sin. 00:12:35.760 --> 00:12:43.120 And we say that as a church like God has put us in a in an area to be a light for him to understand how important my relationship with God is 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.570 and not to leave it with me, because that's not what Jesus intended at all. 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:54.500 Jesus Jesus gave his life so people can come to know him and to walk with him and to enjoy that relationship with him. 00:12:54.500 --> 00:13:01.270 And so God wants me to use the talents and abilities and gifts He's given to me to give them away for his glory, to the benefit of others. 00:13:02.400 --> 00:13:06.640 And so Paul's heart is for the sake of mission to live on. 00:13:06.700 --> 00:13:06.860 Mission. 00:13:06.860 --> 00:13:07.300 Understand? 00:13:07.340 --> 00:13:12.820 God called his church not to exist for themselves, but to give themselves away for His glory in this world. 00:13:13.980 --> 00:13:17.760 And so he's sending Phoebe on this mission to go to Rome. 00:13:17.800 --> 00:13:23.860 And we've seen together, as we've studied Romans, that Paul's hope is to use the church in Rome to then send him on to Spain. 00:13:25.580 --> 00:13:31.570 And so Phoebe goes ahead of the apostle Paul to prepare the church, which is ultimately going to send Paul on to Spain. 00:13:32.300 --> 00:13:39.680 And his heart is all about mission, whatever it takes to see God's people expanding beyond themselves for his glory in this world. 00:13:40.580 --> 00:13:46.300 And sometimes it's providing commendation, praise or support and whatever is necessary to see that cause going. 00:13:46.300 --> 00:13:52.680 Sometimes it's going yourself, but it's living out the purpose which God has created the church in this world. 00:13:53.900 --> 00:13:58.280 And this is Paul's interest to make it personal, to invest in the mission of God in this world. 00:13:59.380 --> 00:14:04.040 And Jesus said, where your treasure is, that's where your heart will be. 00:14:04.840 --> 00:14:10.860 You can you can see what you value in this world by where you spend your resources, your time and your money. 00:14:11.960 --> 00:14:14.520 And when you invest in something, you have more interest in it. 00:14:14.520 --> 00:14:17.600 If you want to make it personal, invest in the work of God. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:24.990 You'll become more concerned or a growing concern with the type of care that's taking place. 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:33.260 And this is what's happening with Paul in the story as he's providing this combination and encouraging us and the aspect of 00:14:33.260 --> 00:14:36.380 how to make ministry personal through our care for people around the world. 00:14:36.440 --> 00:14:41.040 And can I just encourage you as a church to say I am blessed by the missional heart of this church? 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:50.540 And when we make it a priority every year to 10% of our budget to send towards the mission of God around this world, we have a particular interest 00:14:50.540 --> 00:14:52.310 here in Utah, and we should. 00:14:53.080 --> 00:15:00.340 I just went through statistics this past yesterday actually on the archive of religious data, just to remind myself of 00:15:00.820 --> 00:15:02.200 what's happening here. 00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:05.000 And the newer data is available for Utah. 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:12.980 And I found out the evangelical Protestant group within our state was in 2010 0.5% 00:15:12.980 --> 00:15:17.620 and Utah County, and today it's 0.4%. 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:20.400 We are we are losing, right? 00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:21.410 That's what that is. 00:15:21.920 --> 00:15:23.760 There's a there's a higher number. 00:15:24.100 --> 00:15:24.260 Right. 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:25.900 Of people. 00:15:25.900 --> 00:15:29.100 But there's a lower percentage because Utah County has grown. 00:15:30.140 --> 00:15:37.280 And if God's people really care about what God's Word says and if God's people really believe that Jesus transforms the life, then we should 00:15:37.280 --> 00:15:37.900 share that. 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:41.520 We should we should let that be what our life is about. 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:49.150 When people in your neighborhood think about you, they should think about Jesus because you're the model of Christ in your community. 00:15:49.820 --> 00:15:53.460 Now, some of you may be like, Oh, no, you think about your neighbor, but whatever. 00:15:53.460 --> 00:15:56.500 Whatever your situation is with your neighbor, if it's not good, change it. 00:15:56.500 --> 00:15:59.290 And if it's honoring to Christ, keep doing it right. 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:04.670 I mean, this is what Paul is saying is God created his church for a purpose in Jesus transforms life. 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:07.380 And you're the tangible expression of Christ in this world. 00:16:08.880 --> 00:16:16.500 And so the importance of making ministry personal and investing in the mission of God is how our lives, our 00:16:16.500 --> 00:16:16.500 lives achieve this. 00:16:16.500 --> 00:16:23.980 And for Phoebe, you see it in the words I highlighted here she is a she is a servant, which means she's self selfless, not selfish. 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:28.400 Her heart is for the people of God to accomplish it together and to serve that community for that purpose. 00:16:28.760 --> 00:16:33.820 And she's referred to as a saint, as the rest of the saints in the New Testament. 00:16:34.100 --> 00:16:36.300 Every believer, so you're aware, is a saint. 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:42.020 It's not just something for a special group of people who do more than than you're able to accomplish in your life. 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:45.080 Or you just look at them and think, well, that's the work for the Saints. 00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:46.260 You know, this is just little old me. 00:16:46.260 --> 00:16:49.100 No, every believer in the New Testament is a saint. 00:16:49.580 --> 00:16:53.200 And it's not because of what we do, it's because of what Jesus has done for us. 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:59.280 The only thing we contribute to our relationship with God, at least for in terms of salvation, is our sin. 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:03.520 We create the need for Jesus to have to rescue us. 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:11.400 Jesus comes in and saves our soul and we get the privilege then of living to honor him with our lives because of the love he's demonstrated to us 00:17:11.400 --> 00:17:16.440 and giving himself as a sacrifice, that's what transforms us into sainthood. 00:17:19.099 --> 00:17:21.160 Not ourselves, but Jesus. 00:17:21.160 --> 00:17:25.020 And this woman has come to know Christ in that same way. 00:17:25.020 --> 00:17:32.360 And she becomes a patron, which means she's also caring and contributing to the work of what God wants to do around the world. 00:17:32.420 --> 00:17:33.300 Phoebe's like this. 00:17:33.340 --> 00:17:35.120 You just show me the need and I'm going to show up. 00:17:35.600 --> 00:17:41.360 I don't care if it's in Cenchrea or Corinth or Rome or Spain, wherever you think the need is. 00:17:41.360 --> 00:17:43.520 I just want to go and I just want to serve. 00:17:44.620 --> 00:17:47.610 And Paul lists her as a patron for that reason. 00:17:47.960 --> 00:17:52.130 And basically what he's saying about Phoebe is whatever she touches, it just turns to awesome. 00:17:52.220 --> 00:17:54.510 And that's the kind of lady that she is. 00:17:54.680 --> 00:18:00.080 She walks in the room, and when she walks out, that room is better, having had her presence in it. 00:18:01.420 --> 00:18:08.920 It's I can think within our own church, the people as we serve, the way I see the people 00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:10.220 of God doing that. 00:18:10.220 --> 00:18:12.960 It's a beautiful thing as a pastor to be a part of that. 00:18:13.860 --> 00:18:19.450 When people walk into a room, they're not just thinking about what I can get, but what God has done in me so I can give. 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:23.700 In order to see what God desires to accomplish in this world. 00:18:24.840 --> 00:18:27.330 Point number two in your notes is this And by the way, this is the longer point. 00:18:27.600 --> 00:18:32.690 This is where we're going to go through a list of names as quick as possible, and I'll say as much as I can with the time that I have. 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:34.460 And eventually I've got to get to point number three. 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:37.970 But Paul just goes through this laundry list of people. 00:18:38.020 --> 00:18:39.060 But he does this. 00:18:39.080 --> 00:18:40.980 He wants to honor God's community. 00:18:43.620 --> 00:18:46.470 He wants to honor God's community. 00:18:48.260 --> 00:18:51.100 We talk in terms, by the way, God's community is the church. 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:54.370 We talk in terms of the church. 00:18:54.660 --> 00:18:58.540 It's important to remind ourselves this is Jesus's bride. 00:19:00.340 --> 00:19:02.770 Jesus cares so much about his church. 00:19:03.180 --> 00:19:05.400 He references it as his bride. 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:08.770 There is a particular interest. 00:19:11.860 --> 00:19:13.640 For a husband towards his bride. 00:19:14.660 --> 00:19:16.640 Doesn't mean that he doesn't care about other people. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:23.480 But there is a priority in relationship that comes with being husband and wife. 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:27.500 That bride isn't always perfect. 00:19:29.300 --> 00:19:31.760 But I can think of no better way to show my love for Jesus. 00:19:33.220 --> 00:19:37.200 Then to help prepare that bride for meeting Christ face to face one day. 00:19:40.080 --> 00:19:41.330 To help her look more beautiful. 00:19:42.600 --> 00:19:45.200 To know what it means as Jesus has given his life. 00:19:46.260 --> 00:19:46.820 For us. 00:19:47.380 --> 00:19:49.740 So we in turn, could give our life for him. 00:19:51.080 --> 00:19:57.120 And Paul wants to honor God's community in the same way and teaching us to do this. 00:19:57.120 --> 00:20:03.080 And so he does this by starting to identify people that are in the Church of Rome as he's had relationship. 00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:09.640 And he starts off with this couple named Prisca and Aquilla some some translations might have Priscilla and Aquila. 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:12.190 Both of those are true sometimes in the in the New Testament. 00:20:12.300 --> 00:20:16.380 Some some translations of the Bible use the word Prisca and Priscilla interchangeably. 00:20:17.720 --> 00:20:18.660 And it's not wrong. 00:20:18.760 --> 00:20:22.270 Some translations don't complicate it by just referring to as Priscilla the whole time. 00:20:23.360 --> 00:20:30.440 It's similar in our language as saying for Prisca, similar is saying if you know someone that has the name like Jennifer and instead of calling her 00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:33.280 Jennifer, you call her Jenny or Jen, right? 00:20:33.280 --> 00:20:35.020 And Prisca is that same way. 00:20:35.020 --> 00:20:37.730 And in this first century, she could be called Priscilla or Prisca. 00:20:38.380 --> 00:20:42.760 But in Romans 16 three, Paul introduces us to this couple, Priscilla and Aquila. 00:20:42.820 --> 00:20:50.160 Aquila being the husband, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, he says, who risks their own necks for my life, 00:20:50.260 --> 00:20:57.440 to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles also greet the church that is in their 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:01.280 house was Paul's honoring this community. 00:21:01.280 --> 00:21:03.920 Priscilla Naquela is one that we're familiar with in Scripture. 00:21:04.660 --> 00:21:08.240 Most of these names I've told you we don't know much about outside of just Romans. 00:21:08.560 --> 00:21:15.860 But Priscilla and Aquila up here a few times in Scripture in Romans 18, Paul encounters them for the first time in Corinth. 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:19.020 They were one of the groups that were expelled from Rome. 00:21:19.060 --> 00:21:25.300 Remember I told you as we started the book of Romans, that Emperor Claudius at one point had kicked the Jews out of Rome. 00:21:25.480 --> 00:21:26.610 And so they were expelled from Rome. 00:21:26.820 --> 00:21:30.310 Priscilla and Aquilla were expelled during that time under the Emperor. 00:21:30.500 --> 00:21:32.830 Paul runs into them at Corinth, where they were now living. 00:21:33.280 --> 00:21:38.430 They do ministry together in Romans 18, and then they go with the Apostle Paul to the Church of Ephesus. 00:21:39.300 --> 00:21:44.680 So they did ministry with the apostle Paul and ended up back in Rome doing ministry again. 00:21:44.820 --> 00:21:51.600 And it tells us that they were even willing to risk their lives for the apostle Paul in the work that God wanted to do within that community. 00:21:52.300 --> 00:21:56.680 Their ministry was so impactful that they even found one called Apollos. 00:21:56.740 --> 00:21:58.840 You'll know from Scripture if you're familiar with it. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:05.880 And Apollos became an incredible leader in the first century church, and they're the ones that worked with Apollos and discipled him and mentored 00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:07.530 him in Christ. 00:22:07.780 --> 00:22:15.170 But one of the things I love about this couple is you see Paul honoring this community is that they are a couple that does ministry together. 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:23.640 One of the most beautiful privileges that you can have if you're able to do within your home is to do ministry together as a couple to make Jesus 00:22:23.640 --> 00:22:25.360 the center of your family. 00:22:25.380 --> 00:22:31.400 I know not all of us are able to do that because sometimes we don't always have a home in an agreement in Christ. 00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:39.200 But if you do walk in Christ as a married couple, being able to honor the Lord together and find ways to serve 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:45.970 Christ in your own home, to make him the center there, that your home becomes a blessing to people around you. 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:52.600 That's what Priscilla and Aquila represent, to the point that they're willing to risk their lives to do so. 00:22:53.620 --> 00:22:56.580 Next, Paul points out this character by the name of Epenetus. 00:22:57.140 --> 00:23:02.180 We'll call him my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:10.000 Again, as Paul thinks about the beauty of the community, one of the things that almost immediately comes to his mind is the first person who came to 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:12.250 know Christ in Asia and by Asia. 00:23:12.380 --> 00:23:15.000 Paul's referring to this region called Asia minor. 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:16.980 It's where modern day Turkey is today. 00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:25.100 And when the Apostle Paul first journeyed into modern day Turkey and he preached the gospel there, this was his first convert. 00:23:25.980 --> 00:23:27.420 And Paul never forgot that. 00:23:27.420 --> 00:23:32.150 And this individual grew in the Lord to the point that he ends up in Rome continuing the ministry. 00:23:32.560 --> 00:23:37.300 He leaves the area he's from and goes to Rome to serve the Lord. 00:23:38.180 --> 00:23:45.240 Thinking missionally And Paul is just blessed by the first person that he came in contact in this 00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:49.780 region of Asia minor in Turkey that came to know Christ. 00:23:51.540 --> 00:23:53.020 You never forget those stories. 00:23:54.280 --> 00:24:00.830 I mean, we think in terms of evangelism, the church and living on mission is called in this world to seek the lost. 00:24:02.460 --> 00:24:04.460 And when people come to know Jesus. 00:24:05.980 --> 00:24:09.560 Evangelism is the lifeblood of the church. 00:24:10.820 --> 00:24:15.150 It gets people excited to see the effect that we have in our own community. 00:24:16.220 --> 00:24:23.440 And I think here at Alpine Bible Church to see our history as a community here, starting off with just a few 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:30.820 people in pennies in our bank account and watching how God grew a family, just the steady growth every 00:24:30.820 --> 00:24:38.240 year of our existence to see the impact that God has allowed us to have in our community is encouraging to 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:41.000 our church each and every year as we continue to grow. 00:24:42.100 --> 00:24:43.480 Evangelism is the lifeblood. 00:24:43.480 --> 00:24:50.480 And then and then when it becomes personal, like the apostle Paul and with Epaenetus here as a church, I think 00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:57.640 for decades, having been praying for some of you to come to know Jesus and 00:24:57.640 --> 00:25:05.600 have had now come to know Jesus or some of us here that are still sitting on the fence, to be honest, to 00:25:05.600 --> 00:25:12.860 embrace Jesus and to know the love of this God who has given his life for us, or even some of you today, 00:25:13.060 --> 00:25:17.500 that as you come to know Christ, you may be the only one in your family that knows Christ. 00:25:17.620 --> 00:25:24.900 But you have this hope in your heart that God would do more within the relationships that He has given you and the family 00:25:24.900 --> 00:25:29.550 that you have, that more people within your own family would come to know, to know the Lord. 00:25:29.620 --> 00:25:33.760 And you can feel and understand what it is for the apostle Paul to say. 00:25:33.760 --> 00:25:39.680 And I went to Turkey and I didn't know what to expect, but I just preached the gospel and I just wanted to be faithful to Jesus. 00:25:39.820 --> 00:25:41.860 And in the end, the results aren't up to us. 00:25:43.240 --> 00:25:46.700 But to see someone come to know Christ. 00:25:47.940 --> 00:25:49.060 And life began. 00:25:50.920 --> 00:25:53.920 What a beautiful moment that becomes. 00:25:54.100 --> 00:25:56.840 And then he goes on and he talks about this lady named Mary. 00:25:57.240 --> 00:26:00.240 And all he says about Mary is she was a hard worker. 00:26:01.220 --> 00:26:04.160 And what it's saying about Mary is Mary's not afraid of a challenge. 00:26:04.300 --> 00:26:06.520 She's not afraid of difficult things. 00:26:06.520 --> 00:26:11.000 She's she will wear herself out to help God's people move forward in this world. 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:13.500 She's not a woman of mixed motives. 00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:18.240 She wants to give everything for Christ and she gives her life for him to the benefit of others. 00:26:18.260 --> 00:26:19.980 She's a burden bearer. 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:21.510 She's a lifter of souls. 00:26:21.940 --> 00:26:23.670 She is she is not a complainer. 00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:26.960 She's not a nag, but rather she's a problem solver. 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:34.020 You show her a struggle and she will step into it with the gospel because she understands how the gospel pursues us in 00:26:34.020 --> 00:26:37.290 the midst of darkness and births, great light in our life. 00:26:37.940 --> 00:26:39.900 It's the gospel that gives us hope. 00:26:39.900 --> 00:26:41.780 It's the gospel that transforms us. 00:26:41.780 --> 00:26:43.400 And she's seen in her own life. 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:48.000 And so she's not afraid of hard moments because she knows how Jesus can transform them. 00:26:48.980 --> 00:26:54.320 And so Mary gives her life there, and Paul continues to honor that community in that way. 00:26:54.320 --> 00:27:01.340 And, when I think about even our own church, like one of the greatest blessings I think I have throughout the week is just showing 00:27:01.340 --> 00:27:02.380 up on Tuesday nights. 00:27:03.300 --> 00:27:08.520 I show up on Tuesday nights to serve in our food pantry ministry, and sometimes I get right in there and do things. 00:27:08.740 --> 00:27:13.540 And other times I just stand back and watch you guys do things because there's so many of you that show up to do things. 00:27:13.700 --> 00:27:16.420 It is incredible the amount of volunteers that we have here. 00:27:16.500 --> 00:27:24.360 And if you're looking for a way to serve the Lord, if you want to get your prayer on and also get your 10,000 steps in food 00:27:24.360 --> 00:27:25.940 pantry is the place to do that. 00:27:26.380 --> 00:27:30.880 This past week, I counted up Tuesday night as they took the tally. 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:33.560 After we were done, I think it was Robbie in one of our interns. 00:27:34.080 --> 00:27:38.060 I made them add up the total because we had so many people we were serving. 00:27:38.060 --> 00:27:39.330 We got I got to know what this is. 00:27:39.840 --> 00:27:42.960 659, 659 people. 00:27:42.980 --> 00:27:47.240 We can't we plan for a service to pack out at 125. 00:27:47.460 --> 00:27:49.680 You know, Now, that was family unit. 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:54.720 So not everyone in a family was counted or we count everyone in a family. 00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:58.400 And it may only be one person, a family that shows up, but maybe a group of people in the family that shows up. 00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:01.840 But from each family, 650 people are represented in that. 00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:05.320 That is incredible service for the Lord. 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:12.760 But our hope is not only to meet a physical need with people, but continue to offer 00:28:12.760 --> 00:28:16.160 the opportunity to also find their spiritual needs met in Christ. 00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:23.340 That's why we want to pray with people when we pass this food out, when we go out with people to their cars and we like to load up groceries 00:28:23.340 --> 00:28:27.710 and we just want to get to know people love on them, pray for them, invite them to church. 00:28:28.260 --> 00:28:32.230 And so if you're interested in that, there's an opportunity there to serve. 00:28:35.700 --> 00:28:37.080 And then in verse seven, he goes on and says this. 00:28:37.080 --> 00:28:37.820 He says, Greet Andronicus. 00:28:37.900 --> 00:28:45.360 And Junia kinsfolk, Paul says, And my fellow prisoners, prisoners who are outstanding in the view of the apostles 00:28:45.360 --> 00:28:52.720 who also were in Christ before me, these individuals willing to go to prison with the Apostle Paul, 00:28:52.760 --> 00:28:53.240 they are recognized. 00:28:54.360 --> 00:28:56.950 I really, I think in this passage is just being fiercely faithful. 00:28:57.660 --> 00:28:59.220 And I think there are a husband and wife. 00:28:59.300 --> 00:29:00.760 Some people debate that as this. 00:29:01.140 --> 00:29:05.480 Are these two individuals, two guys serving the Lord with the apostle Paul? 00:29:05.480 --> 00:29:07.860 Is that a husband wife combo again, like Priscilla and Aquila? 00:29:08.100 --> 00:29:11.160 As I looked at it, it's difficult really to determine, but I'm going to say husband and wife. 00:29:11.240 --> 00:29:11.560 Okay. 00:29:11.660 --> 00:29:15.700 I think it's more likely it's a husband and wife combo again, serving the Lord. 00:29:15.860 --> 00:29:19.630 But they're faithful to the Lord, no matter the circumstance. 00:29:19.960 --> 00:29:23.020 They're willing to risk for the sake of Christ. 00:29:23.060 --> 00:29:24.430 And they do that with the apostle Paul. 00:29:25.040 --> 00:29:32.280 And Paul recognizes that they're related to him or kinsfolk in him, which means they could either be directly related 00:29:32.280 --> 00:29:40.980 to the apostle Paul or at least Jewish, and they're willing to give it all in order to serve Christ, which 00:29:40.980 --> 00:29:43.080 I think is important as you think about ministry for the Lord. 00:29:43.120 --> 00:29:44.160 What are you willing to pay? 00:29:47.220 --> 00:29:48.340 How far are you willing to go? 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:51.180 What cost? 00:29:54.020 --> 00:29:57.600 If Jesus was willing to go to the grave for you. 00:29:59.240 --> 00:30:00.740 Would you be willing to go to jail for him? 00:30:02.540 --> 00:30:02.640 I. 00:30:04.800 --> 00:30:05.570 I expect. 00:30:06.980 --> 00:30:11.650 Some time within my life that will become a very real reality. 00:30:14.660 --> 00:30:18.100 I I'm not going to go around this world picking fights with people. 00:30:19.480 --> 00:30:24.260 But I'm not going to go back down when someone tries to call me to compromise my faith in Christ. 00:30:27.160 --> 00:30:29.580 If it costs, will you pay? 00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:33.020 Is the truth worth it? 00:30:33.220 --> 00:30:33.840 Enough for you? 00:30:35.320 --> 00:30:37.500 Is Jesus worth enough for you? 00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:45.280 Honestly, I think in order to see Christianity move forward in our country, which right now it is not. 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:48.100 It's going to take more sacrifice. 00:30:50.420 --> 00:30:52.060 And God's people have to be willing to give. 00:30:54.740 --> 00:30:55.980 That only happens. 00:30:57.620 --> 00:31:01.600 When you understand the richness of what it is to have a relationship with Jesus. 00:31:03.720 --> 00:31:05.300 When he becomes your sole prize. 00:31:07.220 --> 00:31:09.600 When you understand the extent of his love towards you. 00:31:11.300 --> 00:31:13.160 And therefore make the conscious decision. 00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:16.260 To express your love in the same way. 00:31:18.700 --> 00:31:20.480 When Jesus said the Christian life was like that. 00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:20.580 Right? 00:31:22.560 --> 00:31:23.480 Take up your cross. 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:25.740 And follow me. 00:31:27.520 --> 00:31:28.570 That is a life of sacrifice. 00:31:31.540 --> 00:31:32.760 The idols of our heart. 00:31:34.360 --> 00:31:39.200 We'll call, call us and cause us to sell short of faithfulness in Jesus. 00:31:41.280 --> 00:31:46.240 Before we ever get to that type of temptation where the consequences may be so high. 00:31:46.360 --> 00:31:48.180 I think it's important for all of us. 00:31:49.560 --> 00:31:51.720 To make our primary value in life. 00:31:51.840 --> 00:31:52.200 Christ. 00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:55.740 And no matter where it takes us. 00:31:56.860 --> 00:31:59.940 Trust that there will be a God who will meet us and sustain us through it all. 00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:03.500 Paul goes on from there. 00:32:04.180 --> 00:32:05.580 It's a sobering moment. 00:32:05.580 --> 00:32:11.930 Paul goes on from there and he talks further about some other individuals abilities. 00:32:12.380 --> 00:32:16.910 My beloved and the Lord Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ. 00:32:17.400 --> 00:32:23.980 And I'm going to say statues only because the real pronunciation of this makes me spit everywhere. 00:32:24.420 --> 00:32:31.660 But this is Statius, my beloved right and Urbanus we've already talked about just a fellow worker, a hard worker, but I want to point out with Apple 00:32:31.660 --> 00:32:35.160 itis and Statius just one word to describe him. 00:32:35.160 --> 00:32:36.420 And I think that's all you need. 00:32:37.520 --> 00:32:37.720 Beloved. 00:32:39.300 --> 00:32:40.340 Beloved. 00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:49.040 If for the apostle John, who wrote the Gospel of John and the three letters and John and the Book of Revelation, that was that was his identity 00:32:49.040 --> 00:32:49.920 in Christ. 00:32:49.960 --> 00:32:52.570 If you ask John, describe yourself who you are in Jesus. 00:32:52.740 --> 00:32:58.000 That's the way John described himself in his own letters, that he was beloved in Christ. 00:32:58.960 --> 00:33:03.480 When we talk about this Apple itis, one of the things that I want to recognize. 00:33:03.660 --> 00:33:07.850 You notice in this picture there's a picture in the background here that isn't in the other slides. 00:33:08.250 --> 00:33:15.440 And the reason I wanted to point this out to you is in the end of the first century, early second century, the Christians 00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:18.460 started to develop these things called catacombs. 00:33:19.560 --> 00:33:26.400 And in Italy, some were discovered and this is one from the first century, late first century, maybe early second century. 00:33:26.400 --> 00:33:33.470 They're not quite sure when it was dug and when it was abandoned, but it was the catacomb of Domitilla. 00:33:34.760 --> 00:33:42.000 And in this particular catacomb, you'll find within a burial chamber and on the burial chamber in Italy, 00:33:43.300 --> 00:33:47.970 where this letter is being written to, you'll find the name abilities. 00:33:50.300 --> 00:33:57.720 Now, no one knows for sure if it's the same apple itis in this letter, but it would make sense if this person's being honored 00:33:57.720 --> 00:34:01.060 and his life would have ended somewhere at the end of the first century. 00:34:01.800 --> 00:34:07.930 That because he was in a letter, they would want to provide a place to remember and his connection to the New Testament. 00:34:08.260 --> 00:34:14.620 His name is a common slave name in Rome, so there may have been many people named Apple itis who came to Christ. 00:34:14.639 --> 00:34:17.300 And so who knows if it's him or not buried in the tomb. 00:34:17.520 --> 00:34:18.920 But it's interesting to see. 00:34:19.960 --> 00:34:25.179 And the thing that makes us unique is this idea of being beloved. 00:34:25.260 --> 00:34:30.120 And for us in Christ, that identity is more than enough. 00:34:31.480 --> 00:34:35.020 And the reason for that is religion will tell you. 00:34:36.300 --> 00:34:38.980 Be good so that you can be loved. 00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:42.980 But Christianity tells you. 00:34:44.540 --> 00:34:46.120 Because you're loved in Christ. 00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:48.739 You then from that can be good. 00:34:49.940 --> 00:34:53.570 It's the love of God that motivates us to do good things in this world. 00:34:54.679 --> 00:35:00.320 We're not concerned about our position in Jesus because we know who we are in Christ, because Christ gave His life for us. 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:01.940 Jesus paid for all of me. 00:35:02.680 --> 00:35:08.200 I'm not here to prove myself to God in order in hopes that God might rescue me or love me. 00:35:08.340 --> 00:35:10.060 I already know in Christ I'm already loved. 00:35:10.100 --> 00:35:14.680 In fact, in First John, chapter four, verse eight, it tells us God is love. 00:35:15.820 --> 00:35:17.400 His nature is love. 00:35:18.300 --> 00:35:22.180 Meaning there's nothing I've done that is going to make God love me less. 00:35:22.220 --> 00:35:23.920 There's nothing I'll do to make God love me more. 00:35:23.940 --> 00:35:25.300 His nature is love. 00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:31.840 That also means that God's nature isn't contingent upon what I do or don't do. 00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:33.940 God. 00:35:34.080 --> 00:35:35.880 God himself is love. 00:35:36.320 --> 00:35:37.450 That's who he is. 00:35:37.580 --> 00:35:39.520 He can't be less than who he is. 00:35:39.580 --> 00:35:40.900 God is love. 00:35:41.040 --> 00:35:46.970 And He's provided the opportunity for me to connect with him in relationship by pursuing me, giving his life for me. 00:35:47.020 --> 00:35:52.760 And I can give my life in response to that and experience the fellowship of that love in Christ. 00:35:53.320 --> 00:35:56.160 I certainly need the forgiveness of God to walk in that fellowship. 00:35:56.380 --> 00:35:57.360 I need to lay my life down. 00:35:57.360 --> 00:36:01.040 I need to ask God forgive me, make me new in you. 00:36:02.320 --> 00:36:04.360 But being beloved is all that I need. 00:36:04.420 --> 00:36:07.440 Because it says in Christ, I have all that I need in him. 00:36:08.860 --> 00:36:10.180 I don't have to prove anything. 00:36:12.460 --> 00:36:17.960 Because in Jesus I am beloved and there is no no greater position than that. 00:36:19.720 --> 00:36:24.160 Paul then goes on, he says, and the community greet Apalis the approved in Christ. 00:36:24.380 --> 00:36:27.580 So not only do you have the beloved, but you also have the approved. 00:36:29.100 --> 00:36:32.050 And when you think in terms of being approved, what is saying to you is this Apalis. 00:36:33.380 --> 00:36:40.620 He went through a tremendous time of persecution, some sort of struggle he endured, but his life was faithful to Jesus. 00:36:41.160 --> 00:36:48.240 And so he is approved because he has gone through the fire and he continued to stay committed to Christ because when he came out on the other end, he 00:36:48.240 --> 00:36:50.820 was just as sweet with the richness of Jesus. 00:36:50.920 --> 00:36:53.360 You cut apalis and he still bleeds Christ. 00:36:55.920 --> 00:36:58.860 This is a beautiful reminder for us in serving the Lord. 00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:05.090 If you have the approval of Jesus. 00:37:06.880 --> 00:37:07.720 What else do you need? 00:37:10.080 --> 00:37:13.440 Someone was walking through this world, do things to please people. 00:37:15.740 --> 00:37:20.800 But if you already have the approval of Christ, can I just tell you who cares what people think? 00:37:21.820 --> 00:37:23.160 Who cares? 00:37:24.180 --> 00:37:26.440 And that's the pressure that the world's going to put on you. 00:37:27.540 --> 00:37:29.200 Conform be cancelled. 00:37:30.840 --> 00:37:32.590 Reject what's so sacred. 00:37:32.700 --> 00:37:33.670 Turn your back on Jesus. 00:37:35.860 --> 00:37:39.140 Or you can choose rather than living a life to try to please everyone. 00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:44.220 You can live a life to please the one. 00:37:46.060 --> 00:37:52.260 It's a way more simple life to wake up every day and just say, God, what honors you? 00:37:53.080 --> 00:37:54.170 That's what my heart desires. 00:37:55.040 --> 00:37:56.840 It puts everything else into perspective. 00:37:57.680 --> 00:37:57.980 Yes. 00:37:57.980 --> 00:37:58.720 You want to love on people? 00:37:58.860 --> 00:37:59.860 Yes, you want to care for people. 00:38:00.820 --> 00:38:01.200 But. 00:38:01.320 --> 00:38:03.560 But I don't have to agree with everybody. 00:38:04.680 --> 00:38:07.940 I always want to love people, but I don't always have to agree with people. 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:15.960 And our culture needs that and God's people especially to show what it means to stand on the truth of who 00:38:15.960 --> 00:38:19.020 Christ is and to still love people, even if you disagree with them. 00:38:20.080 --> 00:38:27.740 And this is Apalis walking in a complex world in Rome about the martyr, the apostle Paul. 00:38:27.780 --> 00:38:31.440 And in just a decade, Paul is going to meet his martyrdom as he's writing this letter of Romans. 00:38:32.120 --> 00:38:39.220 And Apalis is standing in the midst of a tense place in this world, still caring for people, but ultimately honoring 00:38:39.220 --> 00:38:39.820 God. 00:38:40.080 --> 00:38:44.380 And when it came time to be persecuted for the sake of Christ, he still chose Jesus. 00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:53.040 And therefore Paul says he's been approved and Paul honoring that community and he goes on and greet those who are in the household of 00:38:53.040 --> 00:38:59.740 Aristobulus greet Herodion my kinsman, greet those of the household of narcissists. 00:38:59.980 --> 00:39:05.220 Can I tell you, if you're looking for baby names, probably the one to not pick is narcissist. 00:39:05.700 --> 00:39:09.680 I don't think narcissists would like that either because he thinks he's the greatest person on this list already. 00:39:10.020 --> 00:39:10.500 Who is? 00:39:10.520 --> 00:39:12.060 I'm kidding. 00:39:12.240 --> 00:39:12.460 I'm kidding. 00:39:13.100 --> 00:39:15.220 Who are in the Lord. 00:39:15.480 --> 00:39:23.280 So we think in terms of this passage, Paul is showing the impact of how it's reaching entire communities and aristobulus 00:39:23.280 --> 00:39:26.100 and narcissists when he talks to him about households. 00:39:26.920 --> 00:39:30.820 Scholars believe that he's talking about slaves under someone's household. 00:39:30.820 --> 00:39:35.940 The entire group of slaves came to know the Lord under this these particular households. 00:39:36.640 --> 00:39:38.870 And, it's one of the beautiful things of knowing Christ. 00:39:40.240 --> 00:39:44.750 There's probably nothing more demeaning of a human being than slavery. 00:39:45.740 --> 00:39:48.980 And to put them in a position where they're treated like property rather than people. 00:39:49.920 --> 00:39:55.700 But, one of the things I love about the Bible, when you start in the book of Genesis, do you know the Bible began written to slaves? 00:39:57.140 --> 00:40:00.060 The book of Genesis is Moses writing to the slaves. 00:40:01.300 --> 00:40:08.380 And after spending years in slavery, losing their identity, being treated as a tool God from the very beginning 00:40:08.380 --> 00:40:14.180 of the book, the way he's telling the story of Genesis is to help them understand their worth being made in the image of God. 00:40:15.700 --> 00:40:20.530 And can I tell you, as people in this world, I don't want to compare where we are in America to slavery. 00:40:21.060 --> 00:40:25.820 But I do think it's important to recognize that we become slaves of something. 00:40:26.940 --> 00:40:34.000 We're worship beings and we want to find our value and we will look to things in this world to make us feel important, and we'll become 00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:41.000 slaves to that thing in order to find our value and define our worth or our meaning, our identity, and 00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:48.090 how important it is for us who know Christ, our Creator who gave his life for us by becoming flesh, to be able to share that with others. 00:40:48.460 --> 00:40:55.240 I mean, you see in this world, people going extreme just to find some sort of identity, some sort of meaning to their life. 00:40:56.180 --> 00:40:56.820 And you have it. 00:40:57.620 --> 00:41:02.680 You have it as a church in your creator and it changes and transforms our life. 00:41:02.700 --> 00:41:10.780 When you study the first century church to see the impact that God had, God's word had in the community of slaves. 00:41:10.860 --> 00:41:18.140 Christianity was a grassroots movement, and it impacted the really the poor and the destitute. 00:41:18.140 --> 00:41:20.480 And it started to make a difference in this world. 00:41:23.380 --> 00:41:28.280 And we have the same privilege today to meet people in their brokenness who don't understand who they are. 00:41:29.880 --> 00:41:32.780 And to share who God has made them to be. 00:41:33.800 --> 00:41:35.620 And he goes on verse 12, I want to go a little faster here. 00:41:36.780 --> 00:41:40.860 It's Triphylia and tryphosa and persis, whatever that is. 00:41:40.860 --> 00:41:45.610 These are three ladies that Paul is talking about in the Lord and the first two ladies there. 00:41:45.740 --> 00:41:51.920 Their names are from the root word, delicate, which it carries the idea of being. 00:41:52.020 --> 00:41:53.290 What he's saying is soft and delicate. 00:41:53.360 --> 00:41:57.860 He's saying these women may look small in stature, but they pack a powerful punch in Jesus. 00:41:58.200 --> 00:42:01.560 They get it done when things are with them in the Lord. 00:42:01.620 --> 00:42:03.980 And then he goes on with a longer list of names here. 00:42:04.060 --> 00:42:05.200 Rufus, I forgot about Rufus. 00:42:05.640 --> 00:42:12.720 Rufus was one who some believe his dad carried the cross in the first century when Jesus was being carried going to Calvary 00:42:12.720 --> 00:42:14.650 and he dropped with the cross. 00:42:14.740 --> 00:42:21.030 The person that they picked to carry the cross was a man named by Cyrene and his son, it tells us in Scripture was Rufus. 00:42:21.640 --> 00:42:23.280 And some think that this is the same Rufus. 00:42:23.520 --> 00:42:26.420 His dad carried the cross, which is incredible, right? 00:42:26.420 --> 00:42:31.570 You're like, Rufus, you walk in the room, someone say, Rufus, tell us about who you are in Jesus. 00:42:31.820 --> 00:42:34.620 And he says, Jesus says, Take up your cross and follow me. 00:42:35.120 --> 00:42:35.940 Oh, we did. 00:42:35.940 --> 00:42:38.360 We literally carried the cross of Christ. 00:42:38.380 --> 00:42:39.230 That's who he is. 00:42:39.440 --> 00:42:41.330 And then he goes and shares more people. 00:42:41.440 --> 00:42:42.160 Another list. 00:42:42.160 --> 00:42:47.580 And I'm going to be honest and just say, I think this is the Apostle Paul get in the end and thinking, why don't you start listing names? 00:42:47.640 --> 00:42:49.590 If you forget somebody, you get in trouble as a pastor. 00:42:49.700 --> 00:42:54.420 You know that if you think people and you forget someone else, sometimes you get in trouble. 00:42:54.440 --> 00:42:56.040 So Paul is like, just give me some names. 00:42:56.280 --> 00:42:59.640 He starts listing those names out, but he wants to honor the community. 00:42:59.880 --> 00:43:01.220 And so let me give you the last point here. 00:43:02.300 --> 00:43:06.040 We want to continue the story as well with hospitality, continue the story through hospitality. 00:43:07.160 --> 00:43:11.870 So not only do we want to live in mission, not only do we want to honor God's community where we are, but we want this story to continue. 00:43:12.880 --> 00:43:16.670 And he and he tells us this through a term of hospitality. 00:43:16.780 --> 00:43:18.310 He says, greet one another with a holy kiss. 00:43:20.100 --> 00:43:25.790 Now, the Bible says in James chapter one, verse 22, Don't just simply be hearers of the word, but be doers of the word. 00:43:26.260 --> 00:43:27.580 And so I want you to turn to your neighbor. 00:43:28.520 --> 00:43:29.060 I'm just kidding. 00:43:29.120 --> 00:43:31.790 I'm not going to do that in this culture. 00:43:32.480 --> 00:43:34.120 That's how they greeted in our culture. 00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:37.740 I am I am okay with a hug and a three Pat. 00:43:38.140 --> 00:43:38.360 Don't. 00:43:38.420 --> 00:43:38.700 Don't. 00:43:38.760 --> 00:43:40.680 Not four, not five, three, Pat Done. 00:43:40.720 --> 00:43:41.380 All right. 00:43:42.080 --> 00:43:47.310 I want to embrace one another, wish each other well, encourage one another in the Lord. 00:43:47.460 --> 00:43:48.910 But the idea is hospitality. 00:43:49.940 --> 00:43:52.240 You make a difference to the way you care for people. 00:43:53.580 --> 00:43:54.620 Jesus loves people. 00:43:54.660 --> 00:43:55.140 And so should we. 00:43:56.340 --> 00:43:59.760 And we come from a world full of brokenness. 00:44:00.680 --> 00:44:02.310 And you never know what a heart is wrestling with. 00:44:02.400 --> 00:44:06.000 If you see someone before you, just rest assured they probably need a couraged. 00:44:07.220 --> 00:44:12.740 And God calls us to be a people that are hospitable and the way that we care for one another. 00:44:13.440 --> 00:44:14.190 So let me end with this. 00:44:17.220 --> 00:44:18.240 In 1800. 00:44:19.420 --> 00:44:22.370 There was a man by the name of John Todd, who was born in Vermont. 00:44:24.120 --> 00:44:31.180 Before he could even remember, his family moved to Killingworth, Connecticut, and by the time he was six years old. 00:44:32.320 --> 00:44:34.390 Both of his parents had died and he was orphaned. 00:44:36.440 --> 00:44:40.280 The children and the family were parceled out to different family members. 00:44:40.280 --> 00:44:45.360 And John was given to one of his aunts and she lived just ten miles away. 00:44:46.700 --> 00:44:53.920 And she brought him in and treated him as if she were he were her own and she loved him 00:44:53.920 --> 00:45:00.770 and helped him go on to college where he graduated from Yale to help him find his first occupation in this world. 00:45:01.160 --> 00:45:02.800 And he she cared for him. 00:45:03.780 --> 00:45:11.200 One day she became ill about 35 years after she received him, she became ill and concerned with 00:45:11.200 --> 00:45:12.600 where this might lead. 00:45:13.160 --> 00:45:14.380 Thinking death was near. 00:45:14.420 --> 00:45:15.540 She wrote a letter to John. 00:45:16.980 --> 00:45:23.720 And John, in that moment, not able to just drop everything and get right to her before he came for a visit. 00:45:23.720 --> 00:45:30.780 He went ahead and wrote a letter in response, and he wanted to encourage her, knowing that she was seriously ill and she may pass. 00:45:30.820 --> 00:45:37.980 But this is this is what Orphan John wrote when he wrote to his aunt who 00:45:37.980 --> 00:45:39.100 cared for him. 00:45:40.240 --> 00:45:43.600 He says it is now nearly 35 years since he was 41 years old. 00:45:45.120 --> 00:45:49.780 I, a little boy of six was left quite alone in this world. 00:45:51.080 --> 00:45:55.080 I have never forgotten the day when I made the long journey to your house in North Killingsworth. 00:45:56.200 --> 00:46:02.800 I still recall my disappointment when, instead of coming for me yourself, you sent your hired hand, Caesar, to fetch me. 00:46:03.600 --> 00:46:08.960 And I can still remember my tears and anxiety as I perched on your horse and clinging tightly to Caesar. 00:46:08.960 --> 00:46:10.920 I started out for my new home. 00:46:12.360 --> 00:46:19.460 As we rode along, I became more and more afraid and finally said anxiously to Caesar, Do you think she will go to bed before 00:46:19.460 --> 00:46:20.100 we get there? 00:46:20.840 --> 00:46:22.500 Oh, no, Caesar said assuredly. 00:46:23.880 --> 00:46:26.060 She'll for sure stay up for you. 00:46:26.780 --> 00:46:30.660 When we get out of these here woods, you'll see your candle shining in the window. 00:46:31.460 --> 00:46:35.890 Presently, we did ride out into the clearing, and there, sure enough, was your candle. 00:46:36.960 --> 00:46:41.180 I remember you're waiting at the door that you put your arm and. 00:46:41.360 --> 00:46:41.800 Excuse me? 00:46:41.840 --> 00:46:45.400 You were waiting at the door, that you put your arms around me. 00:46:46.040 --> 00:46:47.760 That you lifted me down from the horse. 00:46:48.460 --> 00:46:52.060 There was a fire on your fireplace, a warm supper on your stove. 00:46:52.840 --> 00:46:59.600 After supper, he took me to bed, heard my prayers, and then sat beside me until I dropped asleep. 00:47:00.800 --> 00:47:04.040 You undoubtedly realize why I'm recalling all these things. 00:47:05.040 --> 00:47:07.480 Some day soon, God may send for you. 00:47:08.720 --> 00:47:09.980 He may take you to a new home. 00:47:10.880 --> 00:47:17.100 But don't fear the summons or the strange journey or even death at the end of the road. 00:47:17.860 --> 00:47:20.040 You will find love and a welcome. 00:47:20.860 --> 00:47:24.400 You will be safe in God's love and his care. 00:47:25.720 --> 00:47:30.820 Surely he can be trusted to be as kind to you as you were to me. 00:47:34.380 --> 00:47:37.960 Because I read that story to say what John Tyler found. 00:47:39.100 --> 00:47:42.680 Was a reflection of the heart of Christ and his aunt. 00:47:45.400 --> 00:47:46.140 Church. 00:47:47.180 --> 00:47:52.660 What we have the privilege to do is to be a reflection of Christ to a broken world. 00:47:54.500 --> 00:47:56.180 You never know where people are coming from. 00:47:57.320 --> 00:47:58.970 But we do know what everyone needs. 00:47:59.800 --> 00:48:02.120 Everyone needs Jesus. 00:48:03.220 --> 00:48:05.680 Your commendation towards the concern of mission. 00:48:06.500 --> 00:48:07.540 Your heart for his community. 00:48:08.460 --> 00:48:10.140 Your hospitality for others. 00:48:10.680 --> 00:48:11.820 That's how God makes a difference.