Revering the Word
Romans 16 Are you a fellow worker in Christ?
Good morning, everyone. We closed the book of Romans today in Romans chapter 16. It's a very unique chapter in Scripture. At the end, it will summarize the purpose of writing. However, prior to that, Paul names many people that Paul knew that were somehow going to be associated with the church in Rome and Paul is asking for the people of Rome whom this letter is being sent to honor those fellow workers who have labored along the side of Paul and he's wanting to Make sure that they have favor and goodwill these people who have served Jesus who have served the church who have served Paul When they get to Rome Paul did an amazing job of honoring People who served God and he mentioned them Often and usually built them up in his letters to the respective churches So that they would be respected and I think have a greater position of ministry in their respective region of where Paul was writing the letter So he begins in verse 16 chapter 16 verse 1. I commend to you our sister Phoebe who is a servant of the church, which is in St. Kriya that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and that you help her in whatever matters She may have need of you for she herself has also been a helper of many and of myself as well And what a high compliment to this woman Phoebe who served the church Served Paul and he's wanting to make sure that if she you know, she needs any help whether it be Other people to come alongside of her or monetarily that the church in Rome will Help her because she's proved to be so honorable Verse 3 Greek Prissa and Aquila my fellow workers in Christ Jesus who for my life Risked their own necks to whom not only do I give things but also all the churches of the Gentiles and you might recall that Paul worked alongside of these two He made tents alongside of them. They got involved in the ministry. They Helped instruct Apollos So that he understood things even better than he already did It's interesting. I wrote a report on this and I'm going to be writing something much more significant Yet this year regarding fellow workers it is a term that Paul used frequently and This is going to shock a lot of people But did you know that the word disciple vanishes from the Bible after the book of Acts? Yeah, you can look it up. The word disciple is not used in any book of the Bible after the book of Acts, so all the letters of Paul all the letters of Peter There is not one time the word disciple is used Instead the word fellow worker is used Frequently or something very similar. So as an example Later, we're going to see in this chapter fellow prisoner. We're going to see worker without the word fellow But I think he's really referring to the same kind of ministry and you know, we don't see people's faith I believe that God can write God knows when we truly believe and when we don't But what we can do is we can see what people do as a result of their faith I mean as an example it may even be just that they have an inclination to prayer and that they pause and pray often or Love to pray and that's a sign of their faith in the same way, you know, all of these people One of them it's mentioned that he just mentions them without mentioning anything about their service and perhaps That person was not a person of faith That might be Aristobulus. We'll see that later, but He he mentions all of them and ultimately I think it's because of their faith But he sees what they've done, right? I can't see your faith But I can see what you do because of your faith and that what you do as a result of your faith is a sign It's a demonstration. It's an example of what you believe and and Paul is taking note and giving thanks and Positioning these people for even greater ministry because of all they have done To serve Jesus and to come alongside him These people example of risk their lives Prissa and Aquila, you know Because Paul was many times threatened and even beaten and imprisoned because of his faith and to associate with him would be Dangerous and they did they did so Listen to what it says in verse 5 also greet the church that is in their house Praise the Lord. So there's a great sign of their faith They served God and even began meeting having a church meeting in their home Greet Eponatus my beloved who is The first convert to Christ from Asia So apparently still following the Lord praise God as well and Paul calls him as beloved But his first convert in that region greet Mary who has worked hard for you. That's what I was referring to before Again rather than calling her his disciple. He calls her a worker. She's worked hard for you greet Andrew Nicus and Junius my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners who are outstanding among the apostles and Who were also in Christ before me? You notice it says outstanding among the apostles Most commentators don't believe these guys were considered apostles, but they were they worked alongside the apostles and were looked at as outstanding You know at that time in working alongside The apostles that's the way most people interpret it because most of these people we haven't heard much about other than in this Section of Scripture in Romans 16 some some we have and many we haven't greet Ampliatists my beloved and the Lord Greet Urbana's here it is again our fellow worker in Christ And you know what a great thing to be said about you or me one day that we were a fellow worker and you know We're not above or below other people in the body of Christ. We all have different gifts and You know our job is just to serve the church and to serve fellow Christians and ultimately by doing so to serve Jesus and we all do it in different ways we're all fellow workers and you know a lot of people my church or Our church would be a better way of saying it come to mind right now. You know some clean some do tech some do worship some set up coffee, you know some lead Bible studies some Repair things are on the church and do the ground some come for outreach You know there's just so many different ways that people some lead men's ministry women's men There's just so many ways that people serve God and they're all fellow workers and that's all a sign of their faith and Praise God for all of them Would you be considered a fellow worker? Would you be known that your faith? Worked for the Lord that you served God and I would encourage you to to make that part of your life we should all be invested into our churches and ultimately into the church of Jesus Christ using our talents our time our gifts Our finances even to serve God's kingdom May we all be known that way and ultimately it's because of our faith that we we do that Greet Apellis the approved in Christ greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus greet Herodian my kinsmen greet those of the household of Narcissists What a name hey narcissists who are in the Lord greet Diphynia and Trifosa Workers in the Lord there it is again greet Persis the beloved who has there it is again who has worked hard in the Lord Greet Rufus a choice man in the Lord also his mother and mine Greet asks in chritus Fleegan Hermes Patrabass her mass and the brethren with me and this is one of the reasons sometimes like when you come along a fellow You know brother in Christ sister in Christ You you know you call them fellow brothers brothers sisters. We're part of the same family of God. We're serving Jesus Christ together There's a special kinsmen we have with fellow workers in Christ and that's why we thought times we call each other brothers It's awesome Greet Phylogus and Julia Nereus and his sister and Olympus isn't that interesting Olympus? You know there was a an Olympics back then essentially In Greece there are actually a Every four years there was one every year not always in Greece, but there were four different Olympians sort of speak the main one being in Greece But there was one every year and somehow this person probably got their name After something like that and all the saints who are with them Christians, you know by the way, we're all referred to as saints, you know sometimes You know you'll hear the Catholic Church talk about saints so and so and so and so like they're on some kind of different plane And there's nothing wrong with honoring people who have served God well But the point is we're all saints all of us who believe in Jesus are saints and part of his church greet one another with a holy kiss all the churches of Christ greet you and now we get I think a very significant closing to this letter Listen now. I urge you What a word I urge you brothers brethren keep your eye on those who cause dissensions Man and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you have learned and turn away from them and There are certain times where are there are people who just? They just do that there They just create drama. It's it's sad But there are people like that and their lives are just one drama to the next one church to the next They just create conflict wherever they go. They can't stay very long because it's just wherever they go they they create dissension and Me people learn from that that have those issues and may they learn to have more love and grace and Not have that be their lives Verse 18 for such men are slaves not of our Lord Christ But of their own appetites and by their smooth and flattering speech. They they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting You know, we got it. We got to be sound in our doctrine We've got to stick to the word of God and we've got to be careful Listen God looks very unfavorably on those who cause dissension For the report of your obedience has reached to all therefore I am rejoicing over you and What a what a great word he's saying listen I'm hearing good things about your obedience and you might recall that that's been a significant part of this letter is that your faith Our faith would lead to obedience to God to the Bible to Jesus and he's saying their obedience has Been heard it's been reported. It's been reached to all and Paul was rejoicing over their obedience But he says I want you to be wise and what is good and innocent and what is evil and that's a really great word Isn't it wise and what is good and innocent? And what is evil we got to be careful because evil lurks Satan still still steals kills and destroys And if we are not Being governed by the holy spirit You know evil can come out of us and out of our mouths and out of our thinking And we really need the holy spirit to correct us and make us more like him Be careful to get involved in evil dissension and things of that nature Make sure that you are you have the holy spirit guiding you and I in how we interact with one another The god of peace verse 20 will soon crush satan under your feet hallelujah, and you know Satan is is destined to be crushed But he has not had his finality yet in the lake of fire and one day he will If you stay close to jesus and his holy spirit Satan will not have the power over you that he could god will guide you If you surrender yourself to evil and you ignore this spirit Satan can have a much larger way in influencing One's life towards negativity and evil The grace of our lord jesus be with you hallelujah The grace the power the kindness the favor the mercy and forgiveness of god Timothy here's again my fellow worker greets you You know a disciple a lot of times is someone who was Imitating somebody else and becoming like someone else well Paul is not trying to You know First and foremost make people like him what we're trying to do now is make people like jesus I don't want many jays. I want many jesuses And what we do is we work alongside one another for the glory of god And we follow our lord and savior jesus together And we are together fellow workers serving jesus and learning to become more like him And we're becoming disciples of him And and that's Why we work alongside each other to become more like christ and paul called everyone fellow workers More on that in days to come So timothy greets you as so do lusius and jason and sosa pater my kinsman I tursus who write this letter greet you and the lord so paul had someone who uh, you know paul gave the words and Uh, tursus he wrote it down for paul Gaius hosts to me and to the whole church greets you So someone was hosting paul. Look at all these people who are serving alongside of him Someone was his host someone was helping him write it down hallelujah And the whole church greets you Erastus the city treasurer greets you just you know that there's a stone That still exists this day um I believe it's quarant where paul wrote this letter and it says erastus was a city treasure You can still see that stone today in court is the brother verse 24 is Perhaps not there but inserted in some manuscripts the grace of our lord jesus christ be with you Amen now verse 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 has been kept secret for long ages past See the jesus did not understand That jesus would come in australia in a spiritual kingdom and not an earthly kingdom at this time One day he will come back in the millennial reign to ruin reign, but right now he's ushered in a spiritual kingdom It was a mystery to the jewish people they didn't quite understand at the way it's happening today the church age But now is manifested it's now appeared this Holy spirit kingdom of god through jesus christ And by the scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of eternal god has been made known to all the nations So this gospel has been made known to all the nations and what is that same? That's saying to all the gentiles So now the church can be made up of any nation and any people it doesn't have to be to israel It doesn't have to be to a jew it's to all the nations and listen here. It is what paul began his letter with in chapter one he now boomerangs at the end of this book leading to obedience of faith among all the nations And that's what paul is after that's what jesus is after That as a result of us understanding the gospel and having faith in jesus christ that it would lead to us living Obediently to god living for god obedient to the faith And that's a great thing, right? I mean what what good is it if you have faith but there's no obedience if you have faith and there's no deeds even the demons believe in trumble and what is Desiring of the apostle paulin of jesus is that our faith would learn to abide And obey and to do and and as a result of our faith that we'd be transformed people living for the kingdom of god And that's then the goal of this letter that you'd understand the goth will thoroughly and that as a result You would turn into a fellow worker living To the obedience of faith hallelujah to the only wise god through jesus christ be the glory forever Amen hallelujah praise the lord It's so important that we see the goal I'm thinking of a someone I know right now that you know their faith And they may start off with a morning devotion, but their their faith It is not exemplified in how they live their lives Living their lives in sin and debauchery and Yet claiming to have faith that's not the kind of faith that god is desiring us to have uh Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind Romans 12 2 Romans 12 1 I urge you brother than by the mercies of god to present your bodies as a living sacrifice Holy and pleasing to god This is your spiritual worship. We are as a result of understanding the gospel To offer our lives to serve god's kingdom learning to be obedient to the faith It's a transformed life into the life of jesus not a conformed life to the patterns of this world And now we become fellow workers serving the king of kings and the lord of lords May it be obvious that as a result of your faith, there's fruit on your tree You're living for the lord a tree is known by its fruit May we live transformed lives and when we fail and when we make mistakes when we recognize that Praise god for his mercy praise god for his forgiveness may we repent of our sin And may we return to the lord and living for him and one day you will have not only the reward of heaven but the rewards in heaven Hallelujah Let's live for the lord together as fellow workers. God bless you all [BLANK_AUDIO]