God's Best for Our Lives
The Book of Romans
Romans 16:20-27
Sermon by Rick Crandall
(Prepared February 2, 2022)
BACKGROUND:
*Please open your Bibles to Romans 16:20. Today we get the end of our verse-by-verse study of Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome. Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write this letter near the end of his third missionary journey. He was in Corinth for 3 months, making plans for a trip back to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple and deliver a generous love offering that the gentile churches had collected for the persecuted Jewish believers.
*John Phillips explained that while Paul was in Corinth, he heard that his close friend Phoebe was planning a trip to Rome. She was a dedicated servant of the Lord in nearby Cenchrea. And at some point, Paul must have offered to write her a letter of introduction to the Christians in Rome.
*And so, he did. But by the time Paul finished, he had written his theological masterpiece and one of the most important documents in the history of the world. A skeptic named Renan is credited with the statement that when Phoebe sailed away from Corinth, she "carried beneath the folds of her robe the whole future of Christian theology." He was right. (1)
*So, in these last verses, Paul wasn't talking about the weather. He was talking about some of the best things God wants in our lives. Please think about this as we read Romans 16:20-27.
MESSAGE:
*Did you ever go to the concession stand, and miss the biggest play of the game? Don’t you hate that? We don’t like to miss out, do we? Well, God doesn’t want us to miss out either. He doesn’t want us to miss out on His best for our lives.
1. AND IN THIS SCRIPTURE, GOD'S BEST FOR US INCLUDES HIS GRACE.
*One of the many things we can admire about Paul is this: He never got over the grace of God. The word "grace" is found 131 times in the New Testament, and 99 of those times are in Paul's Letters!
*In today's Scripture we see God's grace at the end of vs. 20, There Paul prayed, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen." And again in vs. 24, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
*How are we going to live good and godly lives? How are we going to have God's best in life? -- ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD!
*But what is God's grace? It's God's unmerited favor. Grace is getting good things from God that we could never deserve. Grace is the acronym G.R.A.C.E. -- God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
*Romans 3:23 tells us that all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But in Romans 3:24, Paul tells Christians that we are "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." This redemption is the price Jesus paid when He died on the cross for us. Jesus took all of the pain and punishment for our sins, and now our risen Savior will give His saving grace to everyone who will receive it.
*We don’t deserve to be citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. We don’t deserve to be members of God's family. But when we trust in our crucified and risen Savior, He washes away our sins, and gives us His everlasting life. That's God's saving grace. But it's not the end of God's grace in our lives! There is more grace, and that's what Paul was praying for in these closing verses.
*"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." That's talking about more grace, future grace. God wants us to know that He has more grace for us! And this is very important to the Lord. In fact, this same basic prayer is found 9 times in the New Testament. Eight of those times are in Paul's letters.
*For example, in 1 Corinthians 16:23, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." In Galatians 6:18, "Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen." And in Philippians 4:23, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
*Matthew Henry explained that God’s grace includes both "the good will of Christ towards us, and the good work of Christ in us." That's why God has more grace for you and me. (2)
*This same truth was on John's heart in John 1:16. There he tells Christians that we have all received "grace for grace" from Jesus Christ. "Grace for grace" means grace on top of grace, new grace, daily grace, growing grace, God's continual grace in our lives. Think of Niagara Falls. God's grace is like that, but infinitely greater, and it never stops flowing!
*It's no wonder then that this prayer for more of God's grace is also the last verse in our Bibles. In Revelation 22:21 John wrote, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
*Here's a little of John Piper's explanation of more grace: "If I say, 'Grace be with you,' I mean, 'starting now.' Not that you haven't known grace in the past, or haven't experienced it right up to this moment. But this blessing is for the future. May God do something gracious now. May God go on being gracious to you, starting now. Therefore, the grace in Paul's mind is not the grace of the past, but the grace of the future.
*The death and resurrection of Jesus were great works of grace. Your calling, and new birth, and faith, and repentance, and justification were all great past works of grace, if you are a Christian. But that is not what Paul is wishing for you. He is wishing for something new, something continued, grace upon grace, more grace. . .
*The heart of biblical teaching about living the Christian life, is that to live as a Christian we need to believe in this future grace. We need to be confident of it, and bank on it, trust in it, and be satisfied by it." (3)
*Paul knew that everything he ever accomplished was by God's ongoing work of grace in his life. He confirmed this in 1 Corinthians 15:9-10, and said:
9. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
*Paul lived by faith in more grace. And that's what God wants us to do. That's why Hebrews 4:16 urges us to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
2. GOD'S BEST FOR OUR LIVES INCLUDES HIS GRACE. CHURCH, IT ALSO INCLUDES GODLY GREETINGS.
*God's best includes godly greetings like we see in vs. 21-23. Here Paul said:
21. Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, greet you.
22. I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. (Tertius took dictation from Paul on what to write.)
23. Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother.
*Many times, Romans 16 speaks of "greeting" different people. Sometimes the KJV says to "salute" them. But remember that it’s the same word in the original language. And it means to "welcome," "embrace," "greet," or "salute." The word-picture means "to enfold in the arms" or give somebody a big hug. Pull them to you, and receive them joyfully.
*Altogether, Paul mentions 35 different people by name in this chapter. John Phillips explained that "nine were with Paul in Corinth when he wrote: eight men and one woman. Twenty-four were at Rome. That included 17 men and 7 women, who were all lovingly greeted by Paul." By this point in Romans 16, we have already seen greetings sent to 27 Christian friends. And now in vs. 21-23, we see greetings from 8 other Christian brothers. (4)
*I used to wonder why in the world God bothered to put all of this greeting in His Word. But greetings like these are very important, because they show the kind of godly affection that the Lord wants us to share. Godly greetings let people know that we care about them. Godly greetings let people know that they matter, both to us and to God.
*God's Word is showing us here that He wants us to be giving the same kind of affectionate greetings. Melvin Newland explained that "Paul is saying, 'Reach out. Extend generous greetings to these people.'
*Someone has pointed out that about half of the people in this chapter are either slaves or women. Half of them were people who had very little influence or power in the community. So, Paul wasn't name-dropping here. He wasn't saying, 'Here are all these important people that I know. And I want you to be nice to them.' No. Paul was naming common, ordinary people, and he was saying, 'Please make them feel welcome. Please reach out to them, and communicate your love to them.'"
*And Melvin said, "That’s exactly what the church needs to do today. Maybe we need to do it more now than at any other time in our lives. We are living in a society where families have changed so much. Forty years ago, we defined an average family as having a 'husband and wife with 2.5 children. They lived in a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence. And they cooked hamburgers in the backyard on Saturday afternoon.' But today’s concept of an average family has to take into account single parents with children."
*We also must remember the mobility in our society today, and how most people are surrounded by strangers. Melvin Newland said, "In our mobile society the family is often moving from one city to another, from one side of the country to the other. They move to a new community and a new job. They move into a new neighborhood, and they think, 'We’ll make some good friends here.' But they find high fences between themselves and their neighbors because everyone wants privacy.
*They go to work and may make a few friends there. But it seems to be a 'dog eat dog' world, and fellow workers don’t always share the same values. Then they come to church, and what do they find? Is it any different at church?" (5)
*Well church, it ought to be different here! -- And thank God it is different here! Mary and I have been hundreds of miles from our families for most of our adult lives. And we are blessed by all of the technology that allows us to stay in touch. But I don't know what we would have done over the years without the love and support of local, loving, godly people. That’s how God wants us to care for other people today. So, don't miss the importance of the godly greetings in this chapter.
3. GOD'S BEST FOR OUR LIVES INCLUDES GODLY GREETINGS. AND IT INCLUDES GIVING GLORY TO GOD.
*In vs. 25-27 Paul continued his prayer. And Paul's prayer helps us see why everybody should give glory to God. Here Paul wrote:
25. Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began
26. but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith
27. to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
*Church: There are countless reasons why we should give glory to God. But the main reason Paul gives Him glory here is the gospel of Jesus Christ! And what is the gospel? It is simply the good news about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
*The gospel is the good news that God so loved the world He sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sins! The gospel is the best news ever given to man! And Paul summed it up for us in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. There he was speaking to Christians and said:
1. Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
2. by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain.
3. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4. and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
[1] THE GOSPEL IS TRULY THE BEST NEWS EVER, SO GIVE GOD GLORY FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE GOSPEL.
*In vs. 25, God is able to "establish" us according to the gospel. The original word for "is able" there is where we get our word "dynamite." God has the absolute power to "establish" us. That means to make us stable and strong.
*No matter what happens to us in life, our God is more than able to give us all the strength we will ever need. And it comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Glory to God!
[2] GIVE GOD GLORY FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE GOSPEL. AND GIVE HIM GLORY FOR THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL.
*In vs. 25 Paul mentioned "the preaching of Jesus Christ," and thank God for Paul's preaching! But also thank God for everyone else who has prayed, preached, taught, witnessed, and given for the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
*Thank God for the long chain of Christians who by the grace of God delivered the good news to us. Glory to God! Now God wants us to do all we can to spread the good news about Jesus! We can make an exponential difference in our world by spreading the gospel!
*John Warr reminds us of this truth. Back in the 1700s John was an apprentice shoemaker, and he was determined to be a faithful witness for Jesus. At some point, another apprentice was hired. His name was William.
*John Warr often talked to William about spiritual things, but the new worker didn't want to be bothered. Then one day the new man tried to switch a counterfeit coin for a good one, and he got caught. In his guilt and humiliation, William asked John for help and prayer. Then through the faithful witness of John Warr, William put his faith in Jesus Christ, and became a faithful follower of the Lord.
*But John Warr's witness also made an exponential difference in our world, because that new Christian was William Carey. He went on to pioneer modern missions in India, and has rightly been called "the Father of modern missions." (6)
*One person's salvation can affect countless others for all eternity. Glory to God! Glory be to God, because in vs. 26 He wants His gospel to be "made known to all nations!"
[3] GIVE GOD GLORY FOR THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL. AND GIVE HIM GLORY FOR THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE GOSPEL.
*God had a sovereign plan for the gospel from before the beginning of time. And His plan has unfolded according to His perfect will. That's why in vs. 25-26 Paul prayed:
25. Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began
26. but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God. . .
*Think about how blessed we are to live on the resurrection side of the cross. Talk about grace! Talk about unmerited favor! But it has all unfolded according to God's sovereign plan. Glory to God!
[4] GIVE GOD GLORY FOR THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE GOSPEL. AND GIVE HIM GLORY FOR THE SALVATION OF THE GOSPEL.
*Again in vs. 26, Paul gave glory to God, because the gospel "has been made known to all nations," . . . "for obedience to the faith."
*The gospel of Jesus Christ inspires saving faith. It gives birth to saving faith. That's why in 1 Peter 1:23-25, the Apostle said that all Christians have:
23. . . been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
24. because "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away,
25. but the word of the Lord endures forever.'' Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
*Christians: We have been saved forever by the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! So, in vs. 27, "To God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen."
CONCLUSION:
*Glory be to God for giving us the best life we could possibly have in this world, and a perfect life forever with Him in Heaven! Let's give Him the glory, as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Sources:
-BELIEVER'S BIBLE COMMENTARY by William Macdonald - Edited by Arthur Farstad - Thomas Nelson Publishers - "The Epistle to the Romans - Introduction" - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2000-2019
-EXPLORING ROMANS by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "Introduction" - Downloaded to "Bible Study 6" from Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc.
(2) MATTHEW HENRY'S COMPLETE COMMENTARY - Romans 16:17-20
(3) Adapted from "Grace to You" and "Grace with You" by John Piper - 1 Corinthians 15:10 - August 28, 1994
(4) EXPLORING ROMANS by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "How Paul Salutes His Brethren at Rome" - Romans 16:3-16 - Downloaded to "Bible Study 6" from Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc.
(5) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "Be Generous with Your Greetings" by Melvin Newland - Romans 16:1-16
(6) "Our Daily Bread" June 7, 1996 - Source: Sermonillustrations.com
