Reading: Romans chapter 1 verses 1-27.
SERMON OUTLINE:
Be welcoming (vs 1-2)
Be honouring (vs 3-16&21-24)
Be discerning (vs 17-20)
SERMON BODY:
Quote: You all know the saying,
"You can choose your friends, but you are stuck with your family."
• Friends are a choice:
• You can choose who you want to befriend,
• We do that based on shared values, interests, and personalities.
• Family is a given:
• Your family, or your family of origin,
• Is the group of people you are born into, such as parents and siblings,
• And you don't have a say in who they are.
• But remember, they don’t have a say about you!
• We all need friends and family!
• Without the support of others, we will struggle through life.
Ill:
• Author Rd. Donald Joy.
• (expert on bonding and relationships).
• Wrote a chapter called, "Who's Holding Your Trampoline?"
• The odea is simple but very helpful.
• He is talking about a handheld trampoline or a Firefighters life net).
• (see photo).
• The circumstance of life is constantly bouncing us up and down,
• And you and I need individuals in our lives,
• When you're bouncing up and down and struggling,
• Who's holding your trampoline?
• Who is in your network of personal support?
• Who are the people, the family members and good friends,
• Who have a firm grasp on a corner of your life, helping to hold you up?
What Donald Joy says is every individual need four groups of people.
• Think of it as a four-sided trampoline.
• He calls the four groups, family, relatives, friends, acquaintances.
• #1: Family:
• These are your immediate family, parents, children, marriage partner.
• #2: Relatives
• Those are also part of your family but they're a little more distant,
• Uncles, aunts, grandparents.
• #3: Friends,
• Those people you trust the most those you laugh with and those you hang out with.
• #4: Associates.
• People you work with, people you join with in a team or club.
• People in your church.
• All four groups, says Donald Joy, represent a person's support system in any crisis.
• So pause, just think for a minute,
• How many people can you count in your life that are holding your trampoline?
• TRANSITION:
• The apostle Paul counts 28 people,
• And that's just in this chapter!
• Paul lists 26 people by name,
• And two other people that are unnamed.
The apostle Paul was a team player.
• He didn't operate alone.
• He was not a Lone Ran ger,
• He always had somebody around him.
Scan the passage and look at his use of langue.
• In verses 3,7,9 & 19 he talks about those who are “in Christ.”
• Those are his Christian brothers and sisters.
• Then in verses 8,11,12 & 13 he talks about those who are “in the Lord.”
• Again, they are his Christian brothers and sisters.
• Then in verses 5,8,9 &12 he talks about those who are, “dear friends.” or “beloved”
• Again, they are his Christian brothers and sisters.
• Then in verses 4&7 he talks about those who, “risked their lives”
• Those who, “suffered” with him.
• Again, they are his Christian brothers and sisters.
• Then in verses 3&9 he talks about those who are, “fellow workers.”
• Again, they are his Christian brothers and sisters.
• I labour this point to say, there is no such thing as a solo Christian.
• Every Christian is theoretically united in Christ and part of a spiritual family.
• Therefore, every Christian needs to practically be part of a local Church.
• And I challenge you this morning,
• That means more than just attending a Church,
• That means more than being on membership list.
• It means serving together, praying together, being together on a regular basis.
• Which leads to the obvious question:
• How connected are you to people in this church?
• How connected are you to this spiritual family?
(1). Be Welcoming (vv. 1-2)
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.”
Ill:
• Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth this week,
• After nine unplanned months in space
• The pair waved and smiled as they emerged from the SpaceX Dragon,
• Which splashed down off the coast of Florida?
• It was good to see NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore,
• Boldly praising Jesus Christ during a CBS interview,
• Before returning to Earth after being stranded in space for 286 days
• TRANSITION:
• Well, they got a good welcome home,
• Even the dolphins came alongside their pod in the sea to greet them.
Now notice in this chapter that the very first person on Paul's list is a woman.
• I emphasise that because I often meet people who tell me Paul was a woman-hater.
• My response is normally, prove it!
• Back up your statement with some facts.
• You may not like what he says regarding leadership roles in a local church,
• But there is no hatred there and Paul often worked alongside women in the gospel,
• In what was a very male dominated culture.
• What the apostle Paul does here in chapter 16,
• Was a huge statement when you realize it was written in antiquity,
• Written 2,000 years ago in a Greco-Roman culture.
• Today we might sarcastically say, “Big deal!”
• But at the time this was written, it was a very, very big deal!
• Notice: of the 26 people mentioned by name,
• Nine of the names are female names.
• And four of those women are described as being (vs 12),
• Hard workers for Christ.
• This chapter alone shows that the apostle Paul was not a chauvinist,
• And knocks on the head the idea that Paul wasn't very friendly to women.
• Many of his team were women.
• And if you compare biblical culture to prevailing culture,
• The Bible comes up trumps!
Note: Three things the apostle Paul said of Phoebe.
• #1: She was a sister in the Lord,
• That describes her relationship spiritually,
• She was a woman of faith in Jesus Christ.
• Therefore, part of the family of God.
• Everything starts with conversion – don’t get the cart before the horse!
• You cannot enjoy the blessings of salvation or truly serve Christ,
• Until you are saved, born again, converted!
• #2: She was (NIV), “a deaconess” (vs 1).
• Other translations say, “a servant”,
• This describes her role ministerially.
• Either word means she got involved, she was active in her Church.
Ill:
• The Greek word translated into English as "servant,"
• Is the same word used in Acts chapter six,
• For a group of men that the early church identified deacons.
• And it means somebody who serves the church in a very practical way.
• #3: She has been a “benefactor of many people”,
• That describes her activity practically.
• She was a benefactor is a patron, a sponsor, a supporter,
• She gave financial help to others including the apostle, Paul.
• So, Pheobe, was probably a wealthy woman,
• Who gave support to others including the apostle, Paul.
Now what I really like about Phoebe is…
• What she is commended for by the apostle Paul.
• Is something we can all copy,
• We can all emulate these character traits – they are doable,
• We to can all be, believers, all be servers & all be givers in the local Church.
Questions:
• Are you a believer? (not just a Church goer, a follower of Jesus).
• Are you a server? (is DRC a club you come along to or a place to serve?)
• Are you a giver? (every Christian is called to use give financially)
Be welcoming:
• The apostle Paul says when Pheobe comes to your Church,
• make sure you receive her, welcome her.
• We often use the word, ‘Hospitality,'
• Which literally means, ‘the love of strangers.’
• So, the apostle Paul tells this Church (and every Church),
• Be hospitable. Be welcoming. Love people. Love strangers.
• Once again, this is so easily doable,
• Are we a welcoming Church? Are we a hospitable Church?
(2). Be Honouring (vs 3-16 & 21-24)
3 Greet Priscilla[c] and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
5 Greet also the church that meets at their house.
Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among[d] the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.
Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.
11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.
Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.
13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.
15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ send greetings.”
“Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you, his greetings.
Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you, their greetings.”]
Ill:
• Good Dogs Wait for Their Names to Be Called | The Dodo
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/YBQ4rQJ0mkY?si=wgigpDy9M-of53U4
• (nice short video, I thought you would like).
• TRANSITION: Paul was a friend-maker,
• And in this section he honours his friends with a name-check!
Let me highlight a few.
• #1: Priscilla and Aquila (vs 3-5)
• They were a husband-and-wife team,
• And the apostle Paul encountered these two in Corinth,
Ill:
• Batman and Robin. Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Tom and Jerry,
• Barbie and Ken. Adam and Eve.
• You probably know something about each of those dynamic duos.
• But what about Priscilla and Aquila?
• They get six mentions in the New Testament,
• (Acts 18:1-2&18, 26; Rom 16:3; 1 Cor 16:19; and 2 Tim 4:19.)
• And they were a brave and dynamic couple.
• They risked their lives for Paul,
• We don’t know when this occurred.
• (perhaps during the riot in Ephesus—Acts chapter 19 verses 23-41),
• But Paul was extremely thankful.
• The apostle Paul led them to faith in Christ.
• They opened their heart to the gospel, then they opened their home for the gospel.
• Note verse 5: They are a couple that had a church now in their home.
• The early Church was a house-Church movement.
• They met in private homes until they outgrew them,
• And started building purpose built buildings.
• (Note: Churches are always the congregation/people and never the building)
The church in Rome during Paul’s time was made up of five groups, meeting in different homes:
• Priscilla and Aquila (vs 4,5).
• Aristobulus (vs 10).
• Narcissus (vs 11).
• Asyncritus and others (vs 14).
• Philologus and others (vs 15).
• Together, they formed the church in Rome.
• #2: Urbanus and Stachys (vs 9).
• We have no idea who these people are.
• Unlike Priscilla and Aquila who we read about in the book of Acts,
• These two names come without background information.
• Urbanus was a common name for slaves.
• Urbanus, do you recognize the sound of the word?
• Urban. Our word urban comes from Urbanus, it means city.
• And so, the word Urbanus means city-bred,
• Many scholars believe that Urbanus was probably a slave,
• Who was raised and worked in a city of Rome.
By way of contrast, the next name, Stachys, is an uncommon Greek name.
• But there is one listing in antiquity that mentions a guy named Stachys,
• It is found in the royal household in Rome.
• Many scholars believe that Stachys was probably a noble,
What is significant is that in the same sentence,
• We have a working class (a slave’s name),
• Alongside an upper-class name (noble name),
• We have somebody who's a servant and somebody who is royalty,
• And both equal in the Church.
• God is not a respecter of persons.
• Paul's friends included people of different social standings.
Ill:
• One of my favourite verses in the Book of Acts,
• Is an unusual one (chapter 20 verse 4).
“Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.”
• As with this list of names,
• We see Paul was a team player and we see who his team was.
• Note the man whose name was Secundus, which means “the second,”
• He was obviously a slave.
• At this time in history, the Romans did not bother to name their slaves,
• They just numbered them, one, two, three etc.
• Look again at Romans chapter 16 and verse 22,
• “I Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.”
• Paul dictated the letter to Tertius who wrote down his words,
• The name Tertius, means. ‘Three!’ Another slave name.
• In both lists of names,
• These people are equals! They are not second class people but equal.
• In the Church at Rome was the wealthy, the somebodies,
• Lived and sat along side the slaves, the nobodies,
• Yet, in Christ they are equals!
Ill:
• The great evangelist Billy Graham used to say,
• “The ground is always level at the foot of the Cross.”
• And the apostle Paul would say, “Amen” to that.
• He demonstrates that in these verses by using their names together.
Quote: An old song,
“You may own earth’s silver.
Have riches untold.
But all of earth’s wealth, my friend
Won’t save your soul.
You may live in a mansion.
All the world knows your name.
But at the foot of the cross, my friend
Everyone stands the same.
You may be a beggar.
Have nothing to wear.
May eat at a table.
Without one crumb to spare
But at the foot of they cross, my friend.
You may stand by a king.
‘Cause all of earth’s money
Won’t be worth anything.
The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
Anyone may come there for there is no cost.
Rich man or poor man, bonded or free.
The ground was levelled that day at Calvary.”
Different backgrounds and varied gifts:
• These commendations are given to Jews and Gentiles.
• To businesswomen (Phoebe); to public servants (Erastus).
• To scribes (Tertius);
• And to those with gifts of caring (Rufus’ mother) and hospitality (Gaius)
• Now I am going to be very disciplined and leave the list of names there,
• For the sake of time, let’s move on.
(3). Be Discerning (vs 17-20)
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naïve people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
Ill:
• If you play golf and you hit a bad shot, and the ball veers off and might somebody,
• You are supposed to shout, “FORE!”
• In other words, you shout out a warning.
• In life, we would all do similar.
• Maybe you see someone about to step into the road to cross it,
• And you see a car approaching they have missed,
• You would probably shout out, “Look out!”
• TRANSITION:
• hat is what the apostle Paul does in these verses.
• He gives a warning to the Church.
Any time there's a work of God, there's going to be a counterwork of Satan.
• That's the way it is. If God is on the move, so is the devil.
• Light always attracts bugs.
• And so, every Church need a flyswatter,
• And Paul provides that in this paragraph.
Notice: the apostle Paul’s words (vs 17).
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.
Keep away from them.”
Ill:
• A monk joined a monastery and took a vow of silence.
• He could speak only two words after every 10 years.
• After the first 10 years his superior called him in and asked,
• “Do you have anything to say?”
• The monk replied, “Food bad.”
• After another 10 years the monk again had opportunity to voice his thoughts.
• He said, “Bed hard.”
• After another 10 years went by, he was again called in before his superior.
• When asked if he had anything to say, he responded, “I quit.”
• The supervisor said,
“It doesn’t surprise me; all you have done since you’ve been here is criticize and complain.”
• TRANSITION:
• In a joke criticism may be humorous,
• In real life it can be dangerous.
The apostle Paul gives this advice:
• Be aware of those who cause divisions and offenses.
• Sadly, you find them in every Church!
• The word, ‘obstacles’ or ‘hindrances,’
• Refers to any obstruction placed in the way,
• That can cause someone to stumble or fall.
• People in every Church can stumble other believers,
• By fault finding and grumbling,
• They sow seeds of disunity,
• They make Church all about themselves and their wants.
• So, this verse says note who they are.
• And I love verse 17, where he says, “avoid them”.
• Question: What do you do with a divisive person?
• Question: What do you do a person who wants to argue all the time?
• The answer: is short and simple, don’t!
• The apostle Pasul says, Walk away. Ignore them.
• Because when you ignore a person like this,
• You're not giving them what they want the most,
• And that is attention.
• They want to control the narrative. Don't let them.
• They want to make it about them. Don't let it be.
• Walk away and move on.
• You have more important things to focus on!
Chapter 16 reminds us to focus/concentrate on building good relationships.
• We should welcome, honour, and protect those who belong to Christ.
• Marching forward together is always better than marching alone.
Ill:
• As a fan of football,
• What really annoys us, is when a player in the team,
• Seems to be playing for their name written across the back of their shirt,
• Rather than the club badge on the front of the shirt!
• Let’s be focussed, welcoming, honouring, protecting those who belong to Christ.
• Marching forward together is always better than marching alone.
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=nCFqCBNrwKNlnpmwLvOD5OUSjFoGfEup
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/_rOqt7znwGA
