Though We Are Distant, We Are United!

Sermon - though distant, we are united

- I once again deliver a message to a small camera.

- I can imagine your faces as I’m preaching. Just as I remember our members that

have finished the race & are already in glory awaiting us.

- With that, There’s a yearning that wells up within me, & in this family of God.

- It’s a yearning to be together.

- This morning let’s dwell on this emotion, the emotion of yearning to be together.

Q- Is there another avenue, another way, we could take in this closed down country?

- I just expressed to you my longing, but this was Paul’s longing too.

Paul longed to be with the Church of Rome.

- I want to begin with reading from Romans 15:31-33.

- Paul writes a letter, from the church of Corinth, to the Church of Rome.

- This is around 56-58AD, & Paul has yet to make it to the Church of Rome.

- He desired to be with them though.

- Not only we’re they Roman citizens like him. They were also part of the family

of God.

Q- So What does Paul do?

- He writes a letter. It’s a letter with phases in it.

1. Righteousness needed

2. Righteousness provided

3. Righteousness vindicated

4. Righteousness practiced

Q- Kind of sounds like the Roman Road to salvation, doesn’t it?

(I hope you caught my sarcasm there)

- As Paul expressed the way to redemption, all have sinned, but Jesus is our

Redeemer. He then went on to what the church stands for, get out the Word.

- Rome, at that time, was full of different people & Paul knew the impact this church

could make.

- So, Paul desired to encourage his family, by showing them himself.

- The life of a Christian is not always a wonderful perfect life, & Paul’s the

shining example of this.

- Let’s read chapter 15:31-33 of Romans now.

Romans 15:24-33

24 Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.

25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

27 It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

28 When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.

29 And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

31 That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judaea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints;

32 That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

- Paul set his calendar. He will go from Corinth, to Jerusalem, & then to Rome.

- At this moment I can’t wait to finally be together again, but I want to show you

what took place with Paul’s calendar.

Prayer

- The year Paul wrote this letter was supposed between 56-58AD.

Q- Do you know when Paul made it to Rome, or how he got there?

- When Paul made it to Jerusalem, at some time in 58AD, he was going through a

nazarite cleansing ceremony at the temple with 2 others. He was accused by

certain people of defiling the temple.

- To bring a long story short. Paul ends up being held in Caesarea prison for more

than two years.

- When he finally makes it to Rome, it’s not as a free man, in 61AD. It’s one who is

imprisoned for two more years.

- Paul is Once more just on the outside of his family.

- History puts that in this time, Rome was at one of its busiest of times.

Q- Can you imagine the words Paul must have been told, & inspired with, in these two

years of house arrest.

- In those two years Paul wrote the epistles to the,

1. Ephesians,

2. Colossians,

3. Philippians, &

4. to Philemon.

- Great Words of courage, strength, defense, wisdom, & faith that came from