WEBVTT 00:00:01.859 --> 00:00:04.759 Welcome to Life Group. We invite you to join 00:00:04.759 --> 00:00:07.400 us in this verse -by -verse study through the 00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:11.099 Word of God. In today's Life Group, we'll be 00:00:11.099 --> 00:00:16.260 looking at Romans chapters 15 through 16. As 00:00:16.260 --> 00:00:19.539 we have seen, Romans is one of the deepest theological 00:00:19.539 --> 00:00:23.820 letters ever written. Paul has explained the 00:00:23.820 --> 00:00:28.519 doctrines of sin, grace, justification, the Spirit, 00:00:28.859 --> 00:00:33.670 Israel, transformation, unity, and Christian 00:00:33.670 --> 00:00:37.590 living. And in these final chapters, Paul shows 00:00:37.590 --> 00:00:43.090 us what all this theology should produce. A church, 00:00:43.189 --> 00:00:47.090 a people that build each other up, that walk 00:00:47.090 --> 00:00:53.630 in unity, protect truth, and center on the gospel. 00:00:54.429 --> 00:00:58.229 These chapters are very practical, as we'll see. 00:00:58.990 --> 00:01:01.850 They answer questions like, what does spiritual 00:01:01.850 --> 00:01:05.849 maturity look like? How should strong believers 00:01:05.849 --> 00:01:10.609 treat weaker ones? What kind of people are a 00:01:10.609 --> 00:01:14.290 healthy church? How do we guard against division? 00:01:14.750 --> 00:01:20.930 And what ultimately stabilizes believers? So 00:01:20.930 --> 00:01:30.659 let's begin with verse 1. things like this. We 00:01:30.659 --> 00:01:34.079 must not just please ourselves. We should help 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:37.400 others do what is right and build them up in 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:41.400 the Lord. So Paul is saying here that if you 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:45.140 are strong, your strength is not just for yourself. 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:50.540 It is for serving others. The phrase being considerate 00:01:50.540 --> 00:01:54.829 means more than just tolerating someone. He shows 00:01:54.829 --> 00:01:58.049 us that it means lifting them, supporting them, 00:01:58.269 --> 00:02:03.090 helping hold them up. Our culture says something 00:02:03.090 --> 00:02:07.129 like, look out for yourself, protect your happiness, 00:02:07.189 --> 00:02:10.870 and do what only feels right for you. But Paul 00:02:10.870 --> 00:02:13.330 is showing us a different picture. He's pointing 00:02:13.330 --> 00:02:16.849 us in the opposite direction. He's saying and 00:02:16.849 --> 00:02:19.689 telling us to live for the spiritual good of 00:02:19.689 --> 00:02:25.159 others. We need to ask ourselves, do my choices 00:02:25.159 --> 00:02:28.759 build others up or just serve my preferences? 00:02:29.419 --> 00:02:32.900 Because one of Satan's oldest strategies is to 00:02:32.900 --> 00:02:36.759 convince believers to tear each other down. But 00:02:36.759 --> 00:02:41.280 true mature believers are builders. They choose 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:44.840 to build each other up. They intentionally build 00:02:44.840 --> 00:02:50.639 one another up. Verse 3. For even Christ didn't 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:54.099 live to please himself. As the scriptures say, 00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:59.360 The insults of those who insult you, O God, have 00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:02.840 fallen on me. Such things were written in the 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:06.620 scriptures long ago to teach us. And the scriptures 00:03:06.620 --> 00:03:10.199 give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently 00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:14.979 for God's promises to be fulfilled. Paul here 00:03:14.979 --> 00:03:17.719 is showing us that if we ever wonder what this 00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:21.620 kind of life looks like, that we need to look 00:03:21.620 --> 00:03:26.219 at Jesus. For Jesus is our example. He absorbed 00:03:26.219 --> 00:03:31.740 rejection. He dismissed offense. He endured misunderstanding. 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:36.800 Instead of vindicating himself, Jesus trusted 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:40.919 the Father. This is often where you and I struggle. 00:03:41.849 --> 00:03:45.849 we often want to defend ourselves. But Jesus 00:03:45.849 --> 00:03:50.050 shows us how trusting God by resting on the promise 00:03:50.050 --> 00:03:55.169 that He vindicates His people. When we walk through 00:03:55.169 --> 00:03:58.930 difficult seasons, Scripture then stabilizes 00:03:58.930 --> 00:04:02.750 our hearts. And it reminds us that obedience 00:04:02.750 --> 00:04:06.909 is always worth it, even when it's hard. Picking 00:04:06.909 --> 00:04:11.550 up with verse 5. May God, who gives this patience 00:04:11.550 --> 00:04:14.729 and encouragement, help you to live in complete 00:04:14.729 --> 00:04:18.550 harmony with each other as is fitting for followers 00:04:18.550 --> 00:04:22.589 of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together 00:04:22.589 --> 00:04:26.449 with one voice giving praise and glory to God, 00:04:26.629 --> 00:04:31.050 the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we 00:04:31.050 --> 00:04:36.430 see that unity glorifies God. Paul now turns 00:04:36.430 --> 00:04:40.410 this into a prayer. Unity is not something we 00:04:40.410 --> 00:04:43.610 manufacture through personality or preference. 00:04:43.990 --> 00:04:48.129 It is something God produces in surrendered hearts. 00:04:48.649 --> 00:04:52.709 Notice that patience is the character of God. 00:04:53.089 --> 00:04:56.910 God is patient with his people, patient with 00:04:56.910 --> 00:05:00.810 his plans, patient with our growth. And since 00:05:00.810 --> 00:05:05.379 God is patient, and we are in him, his patience 00:05:05.379 --> 00:05:10.500 equips us to be patient with each other. What 00:05:10.500 --> 00:05:15.639 is the result of this patience? Unity and worship. 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:21.720 Actually, unity amplifies our worship. When a 00:05:21.720 --> 00:05:24.500 church walks together in patience, unity, and 00:05:24.500 --> 00:05:28.120 real love for one another, God is glorified. 00:05:29.459 --> 00:05:34.360 Picking up with verse 7. Therefore, accept each 00:05:34.360 --> 00:05:37.779 other just as Christ has accepted you, so that 00:05:37.779 --> 00:05:41.620 God will be given glory. Remember that Christ 00:05:41.620 --> 00:05:45.639 came as a servant to the Jews to show that God 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:49.540 is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 00:05:50.199 --> 00:05:53.759 He also came that the Gentiles might give glory 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:58.220 to God for his mercies to them. That is what 00:05:58.220 --> 00:06:01.899 the psalmist meant when he wrote, For this I 00:06:01.899 --> 00:06:05.420 will praise you among the Gentiles. I will sing 00:06:05.420 --> 00:06:09.540 praises to your name. And in another place it 00:06:09.540 --> 00:06:13.959 is written, Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles. 00:06:14.779 --> 00:06:18.639 And yet again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:22.519 Praise him, all you people of the earth. And 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:26.100 in another place, Isaiah said, The heir to David's 00:06:26.100 --> 00:06:30.319 throne will come. and he will rule over the Gentiles. 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:35.519 They will place their hope on him. I pray that 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:39.279 God, the source of hope, will fill you completely 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:43.000 with joy and peace because you trust in him. 00:06:43.379 --> 00:06:47.939 Then you will overflow with confident hope through 00:06:47.939 --> 00:06:54.240 the power of the Holy Spirit. Here we are instructed 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:59.019 to receive others. The way Christ received us. 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:03.980 Think about how Jesus received you. He didn't 00:07:03.980 --> 00:07:06.560 receive you because you were flawless or because 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:10.339 you had everything figured out. He received you 00:07:10.339 --> 00:07:15.000 by grace. Knowing your faults and committed himself 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:20.060 to your growth. We're reminded again to don't 00:07:20.060 --> 00:07:25.279 make secondary issues ground. Grounds for rejection 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:29.139 of people. In the early church, one of the biggest 00:07:29.139 --> 00:07:34.060 divides was between Jews and Gentiles. Jesus 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:37.560 became a servant to Israel to fulfill God's promises, 00:07:37.779 --> 00:07:43.560 and God always intended for the Gentiles to glorify 00:07:43.560 --> 00:07:49.220 him for his mercy. Paul quotes multiple Old Testament 00:07:49.220 --> 00:07:53.610 passages to show that this was always. Part of 00:07:53.610 --> 00:07:57.350 God's plan. The nations praising him together. 00:07:57.889 --> 00:08:01.470 Instead of being divided, they should be united 00:08:01.470 --> 00:08:05.889 in worship. Then comes one of the most beautiful 00:08:05.889 --> 00:08:08.750 blessings in all the New Testament. Now may the 00:08:08.750 --> 00:08:13.610 God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in 00:08:13.610 --> 00:08:17.610 believing that you may abound in hope by the 00:08:17.610 --> 00:08:21.509 power of the Holy Spirit. Notice the progression 00:08:21.509 --> 00:08:26.829 here. Believing comes first, and believing lends 00:08:26.829 --> 00:08:30.689 to joy and peace, which leads to overflowing 00:08:30.689 --> 00:08:35.210 hope, and that is a result of being empowered 00:08:35.210 --> 00:08:39.909 by the Spirit. The Christian life is not sustained 00:08:39.909 --> 00:08:47.230 by striving on our part, but by trusting. Picking 00:08:47.230 --> 00:08:51.879 up with verse 14. I am fully convinced, my dear 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:55.539 brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. 00:08:56.100 --> 00:08:59.220 You know these things so well you can teach each 00:08:59.220 --> 00:09:04.080 other all about them. Even so, I have been bold 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:07.600 enough to write about some of these points, knowing 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:12.240 that all you need is this reminder. For by God's 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:16.320 grace, I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:21.179 to you Gentiles. I bring you the good news so 00:09:21.179 --> 00:09:24.299 that I might present you as an acceptable offering 00:09:24.299 --> 00:09:31.720 to God made holy by the Holy Spirit. Here we 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:35.820 see Paul explaining his ministry. He is reassuring 00:09:35.820 --> 00:09:40.340 the readers. He is not correcting them as an 00:09:40.340 --> 00:09:46.480 immature church. He is reminding a capable one. 00:09:47.659 --> 00:09:50.580 Sometimes believers don't need new information. 00:09:51.179 --> 00:09:55.220 They need encouragement to live what they already 00:09:55.220 --> 00:10:00.379 know. Paul describes his calling as being a minister 00:10:00.379 --> 00:10:05.779 to the Gentiles. He seeks his work as presenting 00:10:05.779 --> 00:10:11.600 people to God like an offering, sanctified by 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:15.809 the Holy Spirit. This is a wonderful picture, 00:10:15.929 --> 00:10:20.269 right? People aren't just projects in ministry. 00:10:21.070 --> 00:10:26.330 They are offerings to God. Picking up with verse 00:10:26.330 --> 00:10:31.230 17. So I have reason to be enthusiastic about 00:10:31.230 --> 00:10:35.029 all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service 00:10:35.029 --> 00:10:39.230 to God. Yet I dare not boast about anything except 00:10:39.230 --> 00:10:43.259 what Christ has done through me. bringing the 00:10:43.259 --> 00:10:46.940 Gentiles to God by my message and by the way 00:10:46.940 --> 00:10:50.960 I worked among them. They were convinced by the 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:54.480 power of miraculous signs and wonders and by 00:10:54.480 --> 00:10:58.700 the power of God's Spirit. In this way, I have 00:10:58.700 --> 00:11:02.519 fully presented the good news of Christ from 00:11:02.519 --> 00:11:08.360 Jerusalem all the way to Illuricon. Here, Paul 00:11:08.360 --> 00:11:13.750 is not boasting in himself. He is celebrating 00:11:13.750 --> 00:11:18.070 what Christ has accomplished through him. Ultimately, 00:11:18.149 --> 00:11:23.509 all lasting fruit is the work of God. Paul's 00:11:23.509 --> 00:11:28.029 ministry involved both word and deed, accompanied 00:11:28.029 --> 00:11:31.809 by the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit. 00:11:32.110 --> 00:11:36.809 For Paul, preaching the gospel included the power 00:11:36.809 --> 00:11:40.559 of God on display. with evidence of miracles, 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:45.000 signs, wonders, and changed lives. Verse 20. 00:11:45.379 --> 00:11:48.620 My ambition has always been to preach the good 00:11:48.620 --> 00:11:50.919 news where the name of Christ has never been 00:11:50.919 --> 00:11:53.940 heard, rather than where a church has already 00:11:53.940 --> 00:11:57.659 been started by someone else. I have been following 00:11:57.659 --> 00:12:00.379 the plan spoken of in the scriptures where it 00:12:00.379 --> 00:12:03.700 says, Those who have never been told about him 00:12:03.700 --> 00:12:06.860 will see, and those who have never heard of him 00:12:06.860 --> 00:12:11.159 will understand. In fact, my visit to you has 00:12:11.159 --> 00:12:13.840 been delayed so long because I have been preaching 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:17.879 in these places. But now, I have finished my 00:12:17.879 --> 00:12:20.899 work in these regions, and after all these long 00:12:20.899 --> 00:12:24.779 years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. I 00:12:24.779 --> 00:12:27.879 am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I 00:12:27.879 --> 00:12:31.600 will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:34.580 your fellowship for a little while, you can provide 00:12:34.580 --> 00:12:39.419 for my journey. We can see here that Paul was 00:12:39.419 --> 00:12:43.519 a pioneer, not because building on someone else's 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:46.340 work is wrong, but because there was still so 00:12:46.340 --> 00:12:49.399 many who had never heard, and he was so passionate 00:12:49.399 --> 00:12:52.179 about it. And really, when we think about it, 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:55.600 every healthy church should carry this same passion 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:58.580 that Paul had. We need to ask ourselves, who 00:12:58.580 --> 00:13:03.419 still needs to hear? And where is our frontier? 00:13:04.779 --> 00:13:07.539 It's clear that Paul hoped to visit Rome on his 00:13:07.539 --> 00:13:11.639 way to Spain, and he likely saw Rome as a central 00:13:11.639 --> 00:13:15.019 base for Western missions in the future. But 00:13:15.019 --> 00:13:17.980 here we learn something important, that we make 00:13:17.980 --> 00:13:22.360 plans, but God directs our paths. Paul eventually 00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:27.000 reached Rome, but as a prisoner. But we know 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:30.840 that even prison by the Holy Spirit for Paul 00:13:30.840 --> 00:13:35.159 became a new frontier to spread the gospel. This 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:38.120 is such a perfect reminder that God's ways are 00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:42.360 not limited to our ability, and His ways are 00:13:42.360 --> 00:13:48.679 not confined to our travel plans. Verse 25, But 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:51.980 before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take 00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:55.759 a gift to the believers there. For you see, the 00:13:55.759 --> 00:14:00.059 believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly 00:14:00.059 --> 00:14:02.879 taken up an offering for the poor among the believers 00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:06.769 in Jerusalem. They were glad to do this because 00:14:06.769 --> 00:14:10.570 they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since 00:14:10.570 --> 00:14:12.909 the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings 00:14:12.909 --> 00:14:15.490 of the good news from the believers in Jerusalem, 00:14:15.870 --> 00:14:19.570 they feel the least that they can do in return 00:14:19.570 --> 00:14:23.769 is to help them financially. As soon as I have 00:14:23.769 --> 00:14:26.529 delivered this money and completed this good 00:14:26.529 --> 00:14:30.649 deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my 00:14:30.649 --> 00:14:34.289 way to Spain. And I am sure that when I come, 00:14:34.549 --> 00:14:40.690 Christ will richly bless our time together. Paul 00:14:40.690 --> 00:14:44.149 was delivering a financial offering from Gentile 00:14:44.149 --> 00:14:47.970 churches to believers in Jerusalem. And he tells 00:14:47.970 --> 00:14:50.190 us his reasoning here, and it's very simple, 00:14:50.289 --> 00:14:54.129 that if the Gentiles benefited spiritually from 00:14:54.129 --> 00:14:58.009 the Jewish believers, that it is only right that 00:14:58.009 --> 00:15:01.029 they supported them materially with their finances. 00:15:03.179 --> 00:15:07.059 Picking up in verse 30. Dear brothers and sisters, 00:15:07.340 --> 00:15:10.620 I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ 00:15:10.620 --> 00:15:14.519 to join in my struggle by praying to God for 00:15:14.519 --> 00:15:18.860 me. Do this because of your love for me, given 00:15:18.860 --> 00:15:22.399 to you by the Holy Spirit. Pray that I will be 00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:25.440 rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:29.320 God. Pray also that the believers there will 00:15:29.320 --> 00:15:31.980 be willing to accept the donation I am taking 00:15:31.980 --> 00:15:37.279 to Jerusalem. Then, by the will of God, I will 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:40.679 be able to come to you with a joyful heart and 00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:44.879 will be an encouragement to each other. And now, 00:15:44.919 --> 00:15:48.220 may God, who gives us his peace, be with you 00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:55.360 all. Amen. In these verses, Paul makes this urgent 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:59.059 appeal. He says, join me in my struggle by praying. 00:15:59.220 --> 00:16:03.279 The phrase literally means, let's agonize together 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:07.279 with me. And Paul is, he's inviting the believers 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:11.179 to join him in the battle through prayer, through 00:16:11.179 --> 00:16:16.059 intercessory prayer. Even the apostle Paul here, 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:21.039 he knew he could not do ministry alone. He's 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:24.340 asking for prayer for protection from unbelievers, 00:16:24.379 --> 00:16:29.149 acceptance. among the saints in joyful fellowship. 00:16:29.669 --> 00:16:32.850 And this reminds us of a very important lesson 00:16:32.850 --> 00:16:35.929 and something that's very vital, that spiritual 00:16:35.929 --> 00:16:40.389 leaders are sustained by praying people, and 00:16:40.389 --> 00:16:44.470 no one is beyond needing prayer. Now let's move 00:16:44.470 --> 00:16:49.049 to Romans chapter 16. Here we see that the gospel 00:16:49.049 --> 00:16:54.440 creates a family. Paul now greets a long list 00:16:54.440 --> 00:16:58.179 of believers, and this is more important than 00:16:58.179 --> 00:17:02.960 it might seem. Romans was not written to theologians, 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:06.240 it was written to real people, ordinary believers 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:12.299 who loved Jesus. Starting with verse 1, I commend 00:17:12.299 --> 00:17:15.880 to you our sister Phobie, who is a deacon in 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:19.700 the church of Cancria. Welcome her in the Lord 00:17:19.700 --> 00:17:23.559 as one who is worthy of honor among God's people. 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:28.160 Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:32.660 helpful to so many and especially to me. Give 00:17:32.660 --> 00:17:36.539 my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co -workers 00:17:36.539 --> 00:17:41.099 in the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they 00:17:41.099 --> 00:17:44.460 once risked their lives for me. I am thankful 00:17:44.460 --> 00:17:47.950 to them. and so are all the Gentile churches. 00:17:48.529 --> 00:17:52.069 Also give my greetings to the church that meets 00:17:52.069 --> 00:17:55.509 in their home. Greet my dear friend, Epinatus. 00:17:56.109 --> 00:17:59.009 He was the first person from the province of 00:17:59.009 --> 00:18:02.950 Asia to become a follower of Christ. Give my 00:18:02.950 --> 00:18:06.490 greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for 00:18:06.490 --> 00:18:11.890 your benefit. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my 00:18:11.890 --> 00:18:15.910 fellow Jews. who were in prison with me. They 00:18:15.910 --> 00:18:19.269 are highly respected among the apostles and became 00:18:19.269 --> 00:18:24.789 followers of Christ before I did. Greet Amphilantus, 00:18:24.869 --> 00:18:28.809 my dear friend in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our 00:18:28.809 --> 00:18:33.390 co -worker in Christ, and my dear friend, Satchus. 00:18:34.349 --> 00:18:38.549 Greet Apelles, a good man whom Christ approves, 00:18:38.569 --> 00:18:41.430 and give my greetings to the believers from the 00:18:41.430 --> 00:18:45.970 household. of aristobulus greet herodian my fellow 00:18:45.970 --> 00:18:49.150 jew greet the lord's people from the household 00:18:49.150 --> 00:18:54.609 of narcissus give my greetings to trifina and 00:18:54.609 --> 00:18:59.509 trifosa the lord's workers and to dear persis 00:18:59.509 --> 00:19:04.730 who has worked so hard for the lord greet rufus 00:19:04.730 --> 00:19:10.130 whom the lord picked out to be his very own and 00:19:10.130 --> 00:19:13.190 also his dear mother who has been a mother to 00:19:13.190 --> 00:19:18.349 me. Give my greetings to Asencritus and Phlygian, 00:19:18.490 --> 00:19:23.009 Hermes, Patrobus, Hermas, and the brothers and 00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:26.269 sisters who meet with them. Give my greetings 00:19:26.269 --> 00:19:32.890 to Philologus, Julia, Nereus, his sister, and 00:19:32.890 --> 00:19:36.069 to Olympus and all the believers who meet with 00:19:36.069 --> 00:19:40.829 them. Greet each other with a sacred kiss. All 00:19:40.829 --> 00:19:43.930 the churches of Christ send you their greetings. 00:19:45.789 --> 00:19:49.670 Now we look at the list of people that Paul referred 00:19:49.670 --> 00:19:53.190 to. The first one is Phobie, and he calls her 00:19:53.190 --> 00:19:58.609 a faithful servant. And she most likely is the 00:19:58.609 --> 00:20:02.650 carrier of this letter. She's called a servant 00:20:02.650 --> 00:20:06.430 and a deacon. Those words are often translated 00:20:06.430 --> 00:20:10.759 interchangeably. He describes her as a helper 00:20:10.759 --> 00:20:15.279 of many, including himself. Never underestimate 00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:20.200 the power of practical service in advancing the 00:20:20.200 --> 00:20:23.779 gospel. Then he moves on to Priscilla and Aquila. 00:20:23.980 --> 00:20:28.579 He calls them courageous co -laborers. This married 00:20:28.579 --> 00:20:32.019 couple risked their lives for Paul and hosted 00:20:32.019 --> 00:20:34.960 a church in their home. Before church buildings 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:39.859 existed, believers gathered in houses. Christianity 00:20:39.859 --> 00:20:44.180 was deeply relational. Sometimes the greatest 00:20:44.180 --> 00:20:49.220 ministry happens around a dinner table. Then 00:20:49.220 --> 00:20:53.380 he goes on to speak to a church full of faithful 00:20:53.380 --> 00:20:56.779 workers. Paul greets many others, men and women, 00:20:56.859 --> 00:21:01.059 who labored, served, suffered, and remained faithful. 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:04.980 Some had been believers even before Paul himself. 00:21:06.029 --> 00:21:09.930 and others were noted as approved in Christ. 00:21:11.069 --> 00:21:14.690 You see here that Paul is generous with encouragement. 00:21:15.410 --> 00:21:18.130 And we need to learn something from this. Healthy 00:21:18.130 --> 00:21:23.529 churches celebrate faithful people, not just 00:21:23.529 --> 00:21:27.849 the visible leaders. Notice how many women were 00:21:27.849 --> 00:21:31.930 honored here. Women played a vital role in the 00:21:31.930 --> 00:21:36.559 early church's ministry. And Paul ends this section 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:41.319 with, greet one another with a holy kiss. In 00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:45.799 that culture, that was the normal greeting. But 00:21:45.799 --> 00:21:51.140 it points to a deeper kind of sincere affection 00:21:51.140 --> 00:21:56.480 among God's people. Because the church should 00:21:56.480 --> 00:22:02.500 ultimately feel like real family. Picking up 00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:06.339 with verse 17. And now I make one more appeal, 00:22:06.539 --> 00:22:10.539 my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people 00:22:10.539 --> 00:22:14.019 who cause divisions and upset people's faith 00:22:14.019 --> 00:22:17.460 by teaching things contrary to what you have 00:22:17.460 --> 00:22:21.700 already been taught. Stay away from them. Such 00:22:21.700 --> 00:22:25.559 people are not serving Christ our Lord. They 00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:29.160 are serving their own personal interests. By 00:22:29.160 --> 00:22:33.710 smooth talk and glowing words, They deceive innocent 00:22:33.710 --> 00:22:38.549 people. But everyone knows that you are obedient 00:22:38.549 --> 00:22:43.450 to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want 00:22:43.450 --> 00:22:47.910 you to be wise in doing right, to stay innocent 00:22:47.910 --> 00:22:52.849 of any wrong. The God of peace will soon crush 00:22:52.849 --> 00:22:58.029 Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord 00:22:58.029 --> 00:23:04.200 Jesus be with you. Here, Paul is encouraging 00:23:04.200 --> 00:23:11.160 the church to guard from division. After the 00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:15.119 warmth of all the greetings comes a warning. 00:23:16.140 --> 00:23:20.519 Note the people who cause divisions and avoid 00:23:20.519 --> 00:23:26.960 them. See, both truth and unity must be protected 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:31.519 at the same time. Because unity without truth, 00:23:32.329 --> 00:23:36.849 will always drift into error. But truth without 00:23:36.849 --> 00:23:43.630 unity always becomes harsh. And the deceivers 00:23:43.630 --> 00:23:47.250 that came in, they used smooth words and flattering 00:23:47.250 --> 00:23:51.730 speech. They often targeted the young in the 00:23:51.730 --> 00:23:55.410 faith. And their real motive was not serving 00:23:55.410 --> 00:24:00.299 Christ, but serving themselves. We need to be 00:24:00.299 --> 00:24:04.880 wise in what is good and simple concerning evil. 00:24:05.640 --> 00:24:10.220 We need to know truth deeply rather than becoming 00:24:10.220 --> 00:24:15.339 fascinated with deception. Then Paul gives a 00:24:15.339 --> 00:24:20.420 powerful promise that the God of peace will crush 00:24:20.420 --> 00:24:26.490 Satan under your feet. Here we... See again that 00:24:26.490 --> 00:24:32.289 God is always victorious. And believers can walk 00:24:32.289 --> 00:24:37.910 in it. Picking up with verse 21. Timothy, my 00:24:37.910 --> 00:24:41.650 fellow co -worker, sends you his greetings, as 00:24:41.650 --> 00:24:46.990 do Lucius, Jason, and Sospiter, my fellow Jews. 00:24:47.970 --> 00:24:51.549 I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, 00:24:51.750 --> 00:24:56.180 send my greetings too. as one of the Lord's followers. 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:02.920 Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also 00:25:02.920 --> 00:25:06.599 serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, 00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:09.819 the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, 00:25:09.940 --> 00:25:15.200 and so does our brother Quartus. Now all glory 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:20.079 to God, who is able to make you strong, just 00:25:20.079 --> 00:25:24.119 as my good news says. This message about Jesus 00:25:24.119 --> 00:25:28.119 Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles. 00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:32.039 A plan kept secret from the beginning of time. 00:25:32.380 --> 00:25:36.940 But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal 00:25:36.940 --> 00:25:40.380 God has commanded, this message is made known 00:25:40.380 --> 00:25:44.640 to all Gentiles everywhere so that they too might 00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:49.880 believe and obey. All glory to the only wise 00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:56.109 God. through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. Paul 00:25:56.109 --> 00:25:59.130 closes Romans with greetings from his ministry 00:25:59.130 --> 00:26:03.549 team, including Timothy and Tertius, the man 00:26:03.549 --> 00:26:06.730 who physically wrote the letter. And then he 00:26:06.730 --> 00:26:10.289 ends exactly where the book of Romans should 00:26:10.289 --> 00:26:15.869 end. He ends with worship. Now to God, who is 00:26:15.869 --> 00:26:20.339 able to keep you strong, who is able... To establish 00:26:20.339 --> 00:26:26.240 you. With all the pressures believers face. Our 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:30.019 stability and our strength comes from God. Through 00:26:30.019 --> 00:26:34.819 the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul calls it a mystery 00:26:34.819 --> 00:26:39.740 once hidden but now revealed. God's plan to save 00:26:39.740 --> 00:26:46.180 all nations. And as he finishes. To God. Alone 00:26:46.180 --> 00:26:50.819 wise. Be glory. through Jesus Christ forever. 00:26:52.019 --> 00:26:58.079 Romans 15 and 16 teaches us that the gospel -shaped 00:26:58.079 --> 00:27:03.579 church should be supportive, where the strong 00:27:03.579 --> 00:27:07.039 support and carry the weak. It should be unified, 00:27:07.299 --> 00:27:12.559 rallying around a central message that's received 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:16.740 by the grace of God. It should be hope -filled. 00:27:18.250 --> 00:27:22.490 empowered by the Holy Spirit. It should be missional. 00:27:23.430 --> 00:27:27.250 It should care about the unchurched and unreached. 00:27:28.069 --> 00:27:33.890 It should be relational, honoring faithful servants 00:27:33.890 --> 00:27:38.490 in the body of Christ. It should be on guard 00:27:38.490 --> 00:27:43.970 or guarded, protecting the truth. It should be 00:27:43.970 --> 00:27:48.480 prayerful. Striving together in intercession, 00:27:48.519 --> 00:27:53.279 praying for each other fervently. It should be 00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:59.299 worshipful, giving glory to God alone. And above 00:27:59.299 --> 00:28:07.519 all, God is able to establish his people. So 00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:09.980 we don't place our confidence in personalities 00:28:09.980 --> 00:28:14.900 and programs or in plans. We anchor ourselves 00:28:14.900 --> 00:28:20.380 in the God who strengthens His church. Thank 00:28:20.380 --> 00:28:23.180 you for joining us for Life Group. Allow God's 00:28:23.180 --> 00:28:26.180 Word to build your faith and transform your life.