1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000
We must never forget the importance of individuals in our lives.

2
00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:17,000
As I look back over my early formative years, when I was still a child and a teenager,

3
00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:25,000
outside of my home I can remember a number of people who played an important role for me.

4
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:36,000
I remember in high school a pastor who gave me some special attention.

5
00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:43,000
I probably needed it, but because of that extra attention my life was impacted.

6
00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:50,000
He had time in the duties of his ministry to see a high schooler and to spend some time with him.

7
00:00:50,000 --> 00:01:03,000
Before that I remember being at camp as a junior and a counselor who took time to write me on a couple of occasions after camp,

8
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:13,000
and who would see me occasionally after that and would recognize me and ask me about my family, my home, about my future.

9
00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:18,000
That individual attention was very important to me, as it is to all of us.

10
00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:31,000
In high school also I remember an evangelist who came to town and sometime after that invited me to travel with him on an extended trip to the West Coast,

11
00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:37,000
just to keep him company. His wife couldn't travel with him at that time.

12
00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:42,000
We must never forget the importance of individuals.

13
00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:49,000
Crowds are but a lot of individuals compressed into any given area.

14
00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:55,000
As I look out here this morning I see individuals, not just a thousand people.

15
00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:06,000
I wish I had the opportunity to sit down with each of you individually today and just talk for at least a moment to find out how you are and what's going on in your life.

16
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:17,000
Each of us has his own identity and background, personality, his own way of thinking, goals, troubles, and heartaches.

17
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:29,000
I'm impressed that the Apostle Paul, with all of his greatness and his preaching to multitudes and to many,

18
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:36,000
never lost sight of the importance of individuals in his life.

19
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:43,000
We see that in our text today, Romans 16, verses 1 through 16.

20
00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:55,000
In this chapter there are more than 28 people who are greeted individually, and there are nine who are with Paul who send greetings.

21
00:02:55,000 --> 00:03:04,000
Now as I read this text I want you to remember that behind every life, every name mentioned here is a life.

22
00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:14,000
There are parents, there are perhaps children, there are concerns, there are spiritual gifts, there was a death.

23
00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:21,000
These are people that someday likely will meet in heaven.

24
00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:25,000
Let's read about them as the Apostle mentions them.

25
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:33,000
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Sincrea,

26
00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:43,000
that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you.

27
00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:50,000
For she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.

28
00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,000
You will notice there are three important things said about Phoebe.

29
00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,000
She is a sister in Christ.

30
00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:04,000
She is a servant of the church in Sincrea, which was near Corinth from where Paul was writing this epistle.

31
00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,000
This word servant is actually the word deacon or deaconess,

32
00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:15,000
and there are some who take it that she was therefore an official within the church as a deaconess,

33
00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:19,000
although the word nor the context neither demand that.

34
00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,000
The important thing is to notice that she was a faithful servant,

35
00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:28,000
for that's what the word means, of the church in Sincrea.

36
00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,000
And then she is called in verse 2 a helper of many.

37
00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:37,000
That word helper is different than the verb which is earlier in that verse.

38
00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:47,000
The noun helper of many actually is a technical word that refers to a wealthy patron in that day.

39
00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:54,000
That is someone who would take a special interest in certain people and would help them financially.

40
00:04:54,000 --> 00:05:01,000
Maybe some of you have experienced that, for example, in your college experience.

41
00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:09,000
There was someone who took special interest in you and gave you special gifts along the way to help you through college.

42
00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:15,000
There are some of you here today praying that someone would get under that burden, I'm sure.

43
00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,000
Well, perhaps there's a Phoebe here today who would do that.

44
00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:30,000
But apparently of many, and including the Apostle Paul, she was one who was a wealthy friend who helped support.

45
00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,000
Then he says,

46
00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:46,000
Greet Prisca, or Priscilla, and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, that's understandable,

47
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,000
but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

48
00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:53,000
And greet also the church that is in their house.

49
00:05:53,000 --> 00:06:01,000
Greet Epinetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.

50
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:05,000
Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you.

51
00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:19,000
Greet Adronikos and Junius, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners who are outstanding among the Apostles, who also were in Christ Jesus before me.

52
00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,000
Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.

53
00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,000
Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ.

54
00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,000
And Stachas, my beloved.

55
00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:33,000
Greet Appellus, the approved in Christ.

56
00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:37,000
Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.

57
00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,000
Greet Herodian, my kinsmen.

58
00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:46,000
Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.

59
00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:50,000
Greet Trifina and Trifosa.

60
00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:55,000
Their names mean dainty and delicate.

61
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:59,000
They may have been twin sisters.

62
00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,000
They are workers in the Lord.

63
00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:14,000
Greet Pursus, that is actually a literally Persian lady, the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord.

64
00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:20,000
Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine.

65
00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:31,000
Greet Asyncretus and Phlegon, Hermes, Patrabas, Hermes, and the brethren with them.

66
00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,000
Greet Philologus, now that's a hard one there.

67
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,000
I like to call him Phil for short.

68
00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:46,000
And Julia, Nerius and his sister, and Olympus, and all the saints who are with them.

69
00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,000
Greet one another with a holy kiss.

70
00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,000
All the churches of Christ greet you.

71
00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:59,000
From this listing of believers who were a part of the Roman Church Fellowship,

72
00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:06,000
we have some insight and understanding as to what that church was like.

73
00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:14,000
And from that we can make some solid applications to what Grace Church Roseville ought to be like.

74
00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:20,000
In the first place I want you to notice the richness of their fellowship.

75
00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:25,000
The names that we have read suggest a diverse collection.

76
00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:32,000
And yet a wonderful unity in that diversity and variety.

77
00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:40,000
The fellowship of that church cut across the social and cultural barriers of that day.

78
00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:49,000
Included in this list are Jews, for example in verse 3, Priscilla and Aquila.

79
00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:57,000
Also undoubtedly Adronikos and Junius in verse 7, as well as others.

80
00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:02,000
Jews are included here as well as Gentiles.

81
00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:06,000
Most of these names seem to be of a Gentile origin.

82
00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:14,000
And that would stand to reason for most of the churches in that day were predominantly Gentile in their composition.

83
00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:26,000
There were as well some who were apparently related some way to the aristocracy of that day.

84
00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:38,000
The name for example in verse 9, Stacus, is one that is associated with the imperial household, the imperial name.

85
00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:42,000
But then there were those who were commoners.

86
00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:50,000
The name Urbanus for example was a very common name of that day, of free Romans.

87
00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:54,000
But not those necessarily who were in the leadership.

88
00:09:54,000 --> 00:10:01,000
And then there are a number of names representing probably slaves.

89
00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:06,000
Those who did not belong to themselves but who belonged to wealthy masters.

90
00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:12,000
But who nonetheless were believers and were part of that church's fellowship.

91
00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:17,000
And then you will notice that there are both men and women in the list.

92
00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:21,000
There are at least eight women who are listed.

93
00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:25,000
There are two, perhaps three couples.

94
00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:34,000
In verse 7, Adronikos and Junius as written in my translation would be two men.

95
00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:42,000
But if it were Junia, and that's possible from the Greek, then it would be a feminine name

96
00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:46,000
and would either be a husband and wife or brother and sister.

97
00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:52,000
So there are two, perhaps three couples, one couple being Priscilla and Aquila,

98
00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,000
the other couple being in verse 15, Phil and Julia.

99
00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:01,000
So do you see that this is a church that was rich in its fellowship?

100
00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:06,000
There were Jews and Gentiles, there were those who were in leadership, there were commoners,

101
00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:10,000
then there were slaves, there were men and there were women.

102
00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:16,000
Every church, I think, ought to have this kind of richness in fellowship.

103
00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:24,000
Now I recognize that there is an argument by some regarding what they call homogeneous churches.

104
00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:32,000
That is, the churches naturally tend to be homogeneous, made up of people who are very similar

105
00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:40,000
in their cultural background and in their lifestyle and their income and so on.

106
00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,000
And there is some truth to that.

107
00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:51,000
And yet our church, and no church for that matter, should ever be exclusive in its fellowship

108
00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:56,000
so that there are some who are not welcome or who are excluded,

109
00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:01,000
who are considered undesirable for one reason or another.

110
00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:09,000
There should be no place in a biblical local church for discrimination on the basis of race

111
00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:13,000
or color or ethnic origin.

112
00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:20,000
I remember talking to a friend of mine who pastored briefly in the deep south,

113
00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:27,000
and in his very early ministry, and his early ministry turned out to be his later ministry as well.

114
00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:34,000
In his early ministry there, there was a black man who was led to Christ,

115
00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:42,000
and when he planned for the baptism of that man, there was a real problem in that church.

116
00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:47,000
There is no place for that kind of an attitude among God's people.

117
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:55,000
Neither should there be partiality to the rich over the poor, or to the noble over the commoner,

118
00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:58,000
or to the powerful over the weaker.

119
00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:04,000
Indeed, the early church, the middle church, the later church today,

120
00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:14,000
the church has almost always been mostly composed of those who are base and despised

121
00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:21,000
and counted as nothing as far as the world system is concerned.

122
00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:30,000
Not many noble, not many wealthy, not many famous are called according to 1 Corinthians 1.

123
00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:34,000
And I would guess that in this congregation this morning,

124
00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:40,000
that most of us are made up of the same kind of people as make up most churches.

125
00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:47,000
There should be no place in our midst for any kind of discrimination or partiality.

126
00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:52,000
Nor should there be a place for the lack of appreciation for both men and women

127
00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,000
in their roles of serving Jesus Christ.

128
00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:02,000
In Galatians chapter 3 verse 28, the apostle reminds us that in Christ Jesus,

129
00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:11,000
there is no longer slave or free, nor is there Jew and Gentile among those who are saved.

130
00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,000
Those distinctions are not important anymore.

131
00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:19,000
He says, neither female nor male.

132
00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:24,000
In other words, all of us are on the same ground when it comes to receiving Jesus Christ.

133
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:33,000
And all of us male or female, Jew or Gentile, employee or corporate owner,

134
00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:42,000
all of us are gifted spiritually and expected to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in the local church.

135
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:47,000
Now the New Testament does make some distinctions when it comes to the role of man and woman.

136
00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,000
We talked about those last Sunday night.

137
00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:56,000
There are some limitations that God has chosen to put upon the roles,

138
00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,000
and we expect to obey those.

139
00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:04,000
But there should not be any lack of appreciation for men and women both fulfilling the roles

140
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,000
that God has given to them within the local church.

141
00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:14,000
Both are gifted to minister to the body strategically and vitally.

142
00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:19,000
And so I expect that our church should be rich in its fellowship,

143
00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,000
and I hope that you will see to it that it is.

144
00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,000
How do you do that?

145
00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:33,000
By making sure that that person who may be a little different than you feels welcome.

146
00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:39,000
By going after that one who perhaps even stands in the corner and doesn't feel welcome,

147
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,000
and giving that person a genuine handshake,

148
00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:46,000
which by the way is the modern translation of what it says in verse 16,

149
00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,000
greet one another with a holy kiss.

150
00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,000
The Oriental custom was to greet by the kiss on the cheek.

151
00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:57,000
For us it's to give a warm and genuine handshake in our culture.

152
00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:01,000
That's what it means.

153
00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,000
Now I have heard people, and I'm sure you have too,

154
00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,000
who said about the church where I've pastored,

155
00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:12,000
both here and in other places, well I found them to be unfriendly.

156
00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,000
You know, sometimes it depends upon that person.

157
00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:20,000
If a person would have friends, according to Proverbs, he must show himself what?

158
00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,000
Friendly.

159
00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:26,000
I know, I remember one person in particular who had the habit of rushing into church

160
00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,000
at the very last minute,

161
00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,000
and leaving just as soon as the amen of the benediction was pronounced.

162
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,000
And that person condemned our church for being unfriendly.

163
00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,000
And yet the person was never around to be greeted by the church.

164
00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,000
Always a fast in and fast out.

165
00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,000
Almost like a fast food place, you know.

166
00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:47,000
A church is not intended to be a fast food restaurant.

167
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,000
We're to stick around for a while perhaps,

168
00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,000
and enjoy that fellowship before and after,

169
00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,000
and to greet one another.

170
00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:56,000
Let there be a richness, folks, in our fellowship.

171
00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,000
Don't let anyone be a stranger here in Grace Church.

172
00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:08,000
Don't let anyone feel that he's being treated with partiality.

173
00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,000
Whether rich or poor, Jew or Gentile,

174
00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,000
black or white or red, whatever,

175
00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:17,000
let all be welcome here in our church who love the Lord Jesus Christ

176
00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,000
and want to learn of Him.

177
00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:25,000
And then that early church was also close in its association.

178
00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:33,000
Our text is replete with references to family and household relationships.

179
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:40,000
For example, four times you will find the word beloved.

180
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,000
It's used in verse 5 and verse 8 and verse 9.

181
00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,000
And again in verse 12.

182
00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:51,000
You'll notice that Paul is very courteous and careful here

183
00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,000
in calling the men, my beloved.

184
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,000
But when it comes to the Persian lady in verse 12,

185
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,000
calling her the beloved,

186
00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:01,000
not wanting to cross any lines of propriety,

187
00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:04,000
but nonetheless calling these beloved.

188
00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:10,000
In verse 7, verse 11, and again later in verse 21,

189
00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:15,000
you will find the word kinsman used.

190
00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,000
There's a family word. What does it mean?

191
00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,000
Well, there are some who say these are Paul's relatives,

192
00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:26,000
perhaps cousins of Paul.

193
00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,000
Now that's a possibility, but if so,

194
00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:35,000
we don't have any indication that he had such relatives.

195
00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,000
In fact, in Philippians he seems to indicate that

196
00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,000
because of his conversion to Jesus Christ,

197
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:46,000
he had lost everything, including his family relationships.

198
00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,000
There are others who say, well, it means that they are Jews,

199
00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,000
as was Paul, and that too is a possibility.

200
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,000
I think there may be a better term,

201
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,000
a better explanation rather for this term,

202
00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,000
because there are other Jews on this list

203
00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,000
that he doesn't call kinsmen.

204
00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:04,000
And I think that that is that they were of the tribe of Benjamin,

205
00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,000
as he was.

206
00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:08,000
And so there was that special bond

207
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,000
even within their Jewishness with these people.

208
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:17,000
Then in verse 13 he mentions the mother of Rufus,

209
00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:24,000
Rufus, by the way, may have been the son of Simeon,

210
00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:29,000
the one who carried the crossbar of the Lord Jesus Christ to Golgotha.

211
00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:34,000
At least there is a Rufus who is mentioned in Mark 15, 21,

212
00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,000
and most scholars believe that when Mark wrote that gospel

213
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,000
he was writing from Rome.

214
00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:44,000
And so it would make sense for him to mention Rufus and Alexander,

215
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:47,000
who were a part of that church in Rome,

216
00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:53,000
but who were also the sons of that very well-known man

217
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,000
who carried the cross of our Lord.

218
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,000
But he mentions the mother of Rufus,

219
00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:02,000
and then he inserts this word, and mine.

220
00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,000
Why he does this, we're not sure,

221
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:11,000
but it may be that there was some point in Paul's life,

222
00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:15,000
perhaps early on in his Christian life,

223
00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:20,000
when this lady took Paul in,

224
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:26,000
and she became to him almost a surrogate mother.

225
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:31,000
And therefore he mentions her in this very sweet and kind

226
00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:35,000
and thoughtful way, remembering those special deeds of love

227
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:37,000
on her part for him.

228
00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,000
Do you see how this is such a family?

229
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:44,000
In verse 14 he mentions the sister of Nerus.

230
00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,000
He and his sister may be the children of Phil and Julia.

231
00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,000
We're not sure.

232
00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,000
But at least there's a sister.

233
00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,000
That's a family relationship.

234
00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,000
And then in verses 10 and 11,

235
00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,000
twice he mentions the household of somebody.

236
00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,000
He mentions Aristobulus in verse 10.

237
00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,000
There are some who think this Aristobulus

238
00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:12,000
may have been the grandson of Herod the Great.

239
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,000
Not saying here that he is a believer,

240
00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,000
but that within his household,

241
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,000
probably more likely his servants rather than his family,

242
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,000
there were believers.

243
00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,000
And then there's Narcissus in verse 11.

244
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:30,000
Narcissus, if he is the one known in secular history,

245
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:34,000
was a powerful Roman, a wealthy man,

246
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:39,000
and who was a part of the intrigues of the Caesar of his day,

247
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,000
who I think was Claudius.

248
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,000
And so within his household as well there were believers.

249
00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,000
So what do we learn from all of this?

250
00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:52,000
That this church was close in its associations.

251
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,000
I have a pastor friend who is serving the Lord this morning,

252
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,000
I suppose, down in southern Louisiana,

253
00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:01,000
a little country church.

254
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,000
He has, as I recall,

255
00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:09,000
about 120 people in his congregation.

256
00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:13,000
And of that number he told me that there were fewer than 10

257
00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:17,000
who were not related.

258
00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:22,000
Now can you imagine pastoring that church

259
00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:26,000
and crossing one of the relatives?

260
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,000
I can.

261
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,000
Or can you imagine not being one of the relatives

262
00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,000
and being in that church as a member?

263
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:38,000
Well, that's what you call real close association.

264
00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,000
You don't gossip about anybody in that church.

265
00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,000
That's not bad.

266
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:48,000
And even within our own church there are some family relationships.

267
00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,000
But it's not the earthly relationships

268
00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,000
that give us that closeness, is it?

269
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,000
It is rather our relationship in Jesus Christ.

270
00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,000
Now in the book of Romans there are two pictures

271
00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,000
of this close association that we have.

272
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,000
And they are mentioned here in our text,

273
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,000
though in an earthly way.

274
00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,000
Family.

275
00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,000
We are the family of God.

276
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:17,000
Look back at Romans chapter 8 and remember with me

277
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,000
these verses in the middle of the chapter,

278
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:23,000
verses 16 and 17.

279
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:27,000
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit

280
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,000
that we are, what?

281
00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:33,000
Children of God.

282
00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:36,000
And if children also heirs of God

283
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,000
and fellow heirs with Christ.

284
00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:44,000
And so He reminds us that we are the family of God.

285
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,000
There should be a closeness about us because of that.

286
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:54,000
It means that we have the same Father.

287
00:23:54,000 --> 00:24:00,000
It means that we are brothers and sisters.

288
00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:03,000
It means that there should be amongst us

289
00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:12,000
a loyalty and a love that pervades a family.

290
00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,000
I surely think that's true, isn't it?

291
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,000
When you have small children you begin to wonder

292
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,000
about that loving loyalty, don't you?

293
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:24,000
As you grow older you begin to see that loving loyalty develop.

294
00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,000
It tends to make me think that even spiritually

295
00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,000
in God's family it's the immature.

296
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,000
They have a hard time with that.

297
00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:38,000
That as we mature in our faith in Jesus Christ

298
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:42,000
that that loving loyalty develops more and more.

299
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:46,000
And then there should be a recognition amongst us

300
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,000
that we're all going to be in heaven together someday.

301
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,000
Now there may be somebody you don't like in this church,

302
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,000
I don't know.

303
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,000
Or maybe somebody else in God's family

304
00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,000
you don't like somewhere.

305
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,000
I hope that that's not something that's festering

306
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,000
in your spiritual life, is going to hinder you.

307
00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:09,000
But let's face it, not all personalities mesh.

308
00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,000
They don't.

309
00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,000
And we all have a little idiosyncrasies.

310
00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:18,000
And there is still some degree of humaneness about us.

311
00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:23,000
Some of us a higher degree of humaneness than others maybe.

312
00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:27,000
But there are reasons why some of us may not be close

313
00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:30,000
in friendship now.

314
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,000
But let's recognize the fact that in heaven someday

315
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,000
we're going to be together forever.

316
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,000
We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

317
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,000
So therefore it behooves us even right now

318
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,000
to work on those relationships

319
00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:48,000
and to develop that closeness with God's people.

320
00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,000
Let me tell you something, you don't get close

321
00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:54,000
to other people in the church just by attending worship

322
00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,000
once a week.

323
00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,000
You don't.

324
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,000
If you don't feel like you're really a close part

325
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,000
of this fellowship, let me ask you,

326
00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,000
are you a part of a small church

327
00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:07,000
or are you attending the doctrinal class

328
00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,000
or are you part of a growth group

329
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,000
where you are getting involved with a more intimate group

330
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,000
of people on a more personal basis?

331
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:20,000
You see, we have to work at this thing of being close.

332
00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,000
Even though positionally we are close as a family of God,

333
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:27,000
we have to work at putting that into our lives.

334
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,000
Do you come back on Sunday night

335
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,000
when we're a little smaller crowd?

336
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:36,000
Well, if all of you come back, we won't be smaller, will we?

337
00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,000
That's all right.

338
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,000
But do you come on Sunday night

339
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:43,000
and try to get into the fellowship of the church

340
00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:47,000
a little more and be close?

341
00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,000
I hope that there's not something like television

342
00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,000
or sports or family or whatever

343
00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:56,000
that keeps you away regularly from God's house.

344
00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:59,000
We have to work at this thing of being close

345
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:01,000
and association, and we ought to

346
00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:04,000
because we're a family, but also we're a household of servants.

347
00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,000
He mentions a couple of households here.

348
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,000
And in Romans 14, you'll recall that

349
00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,000
he challenges us who are judging others.

350
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,000
He says, who are you to judge the servant of another?

351
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:20,000
And that word servant means the household servant of another.

352
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,000
In other words, you and I are a part of God's household,

353
00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:28,000
and we have one Lord, one Master.

354
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,000
You don't serve one Master, and I serve another.

355
00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,000
We serve the same Master.

356
00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:38,000
Now, we may do different things in God's household,

357
00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,000
and we may be gifted for different ministries

358
00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,000
within God's household, but someday, folks,

359
00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,000
we are all going to stand before the same Master

360
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:51,000
and give account of ourselves.

361
00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,000
Therefore, we ought to work together

362
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,000
like servants of the same household

363
00:27:55,000 --> 00:28:00,000
and do our part and not expect others to carry our load.

364
00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:03,000
We ought to be involved working diligently

365
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:07,000
and faithfully as a part of God's household.

366
00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:10,000
We should not take each other for granted.

367
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:16,000
We should not be careless, but rather be expressive,

368
00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:20,000
encouraging, and loving, and respectful,

369
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,000
and helpful, and pleasing to others.

370
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,000
Let's be close in our associations,

371
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:30,000
as these people apparently were.

372
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,000
And then we notice also in this early church

373
00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:36,000
that they were deep in their commitment.

374
00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:39,000
That commitment was based upon their common bond

375
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:42,000
in Jesus Christ.

376
00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,000
Their commitment was not based upon the preacher.

377
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,000
I tell you, when a commitment to a church

378
00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,000
is based upon a certain preacher,

379
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:52,000
that church is in trouble.

380
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,000
A church cannot be preacher-oriented,

381
00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:57,000
personality-oriented, because what it is,

382
00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:01,000
the church will fall apart when the preacher leaves.

383
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,000
There were some prophesiers of doom

384
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,000
who said that Edina would fall apart

385
00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:10,000
when Pastor Bob left last fall.

386
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,000
They said, and I fear some of them

387
00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:16,000
maybe even with a little bit of jealous glee in their hearts,

388
00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,000
well, there goes Edina.

389
00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:20,000
Well, it hasn't happened.

390
00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:23,000
In fact, the church has grown since last fall,

391
00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:27,000
and I think that's a commendation to Bob's ministry.

392
00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,000
He didn't build it on himself.

393
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,000
He built it on the Lord Jesus Christ,

394
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:33,000
and I'll be very frank with you.

395
00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:36,000
That's what I'm seeking to do here as well.

396
00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,000
If you're coming to Grace Church because of Galen Call,

397
00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:43,000
then you're coming for a less than an appropriate reason.

398
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:46,000
Or if you're coming because of a certain pastor-teacher.

399
00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,000
Now, it's fine for those loyalties to develop,

400
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,000
but folks, the bond that should hold us together

401
00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:56,000
and give us our commitment is the fact that God has called us

402
00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:59,000
to be one in Jesus Christ.

403
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,000
He is the cohesion.

404
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,000
And if that pastor-teacher leaves,

405
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,000
or if I would leave this church,

406
00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:09,000
I would expect that you would be right here carrying on

407
00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,000
as long as God leaves you in this place,

408
00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:16,000
because Jesus Christ is our bond that holds us together.

409
00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:19,000
Now, that bond was so strong there among those believers

410
00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,000
that, well, for example, in verse 2,

411
00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:27,000
we see that Phoebe was one who gave of her wealth.

412
00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,000
There are some of us that don't have enough commitment

413
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:35,000
really to talk very seriously about giving money to God's work.

414
00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:36,000
We don't have enough commitment.

415
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,000
It takes commitment.

416
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:39,000
It takes trust in leadership.

417
00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:44,000
It takes belief in the objectives of a church.

418
00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,000
I would hope that we are deepening in that commitment

419
00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,000
to each other, and to the leadership here,

420
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:52,000
and to the objectives of our church,

421
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:54,000
to the vision that we have,

422
00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:56,000
to what we're seeking to do together

423
00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:59,000
so that our commitment is getting into our pocketbooks.

424
00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:02,000
Phoebe was one who shared of her monetary wealth.

425
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:07,000
She was a helper, a patron of many.

426
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,000
And that should describe us in our commitment,

427
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:15,000
so that our commitment involves our giving of our money.

428
00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,000
Then you will notice that in verses 3 and 4,

429
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:23,000
Persil and Aquila are commended because they had risked their necks.

430
00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:24,000
We don't know when this was.

431
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:29,000
Maybe it was the Ephesian riot back in Acts chapter 19.

432
00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:33,000
But there was some time when they imperiled their lives

433
00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:34,000
for the sake of the Apostle Paul,

434
00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:40,000
and because they stood in the way, Paul's life was spared.

435
00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,000
And Paul said, I'm thankful for that.

436
00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:44,000
Amen. I can understand that.

437
00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:47,000
And he said, so are all the churches of the Gentiles. Why?

438
00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:50,000
Because he had been able to continue his ministry,

439
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:53,000
especially among the Gentiles.

440
00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:57,000
And so there was gratefulness that these people had risked their lives.

441
00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,000
I wonder if our commitment is that much.

442
00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:05,000
If our commitment is to a church, or to a denomination, or to a preacher,

443
00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:09,000
I'll guarantee you that commitment is not going to be sufficient

444
00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:12,000
for us to risk our necks.

445
00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,000
It's only when that commitment is to the living Savior, Jesus Christ,

446
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:19,000
who is the one who died and who is alive forever,

447
00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:22,000
and who has the keys of death and Hades in His hand.

448
00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,000
It's only when our commitment is to that risen Savior

449
00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:29,000
that we're going to be willing to die,

450
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:32,000
because we know in dying we simply go to be with Him,

451
00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:38,000
whom we love and to whom is our commitment.

452
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:42,000
In verses 6 and 12 He commends some people for working hard.

453
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,000
I like that.

454
00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,000
There are others who are said to be fellow workers,

455
00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,000
but there are some who would have said they worked hard.

456
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,000
That's the kind of commitment they had.

457
00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,000
They were not interested in doing just a little bit,

458
00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,000
or just enough to get by, or just enough to impress others

459
00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,000
that they were doing something,

460
00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:05,000
but they were willing to get in there and plug away.

461
00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:10,000
And working hard, it means working to the point of agony and weariness.

462
00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:13,000
Now, once again, if a person is committed to a Sunday school class

463
00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,000
or to the church, eventually he's going to wear out

464
00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,000
in his commitment as he works.

465
00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,000
But if our commitment is to Jesus Christ,

466
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,000
we're going to be willing to be weary as He was weary

467
00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:29,000
for the sake of working for Him.

468
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,000
And then there was at least one, apparently, or perhaps two,

469
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:38,000
rather, in verse 7, who went to prison.

470
00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,000
In some respects, I think it would be easier to die as a martyr

471
00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:45,000
than to go to prison.

472
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:50,000
Yet there were two, Adronikos and Junius,

473
00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:54,000
who were prisoners, fellow prisoners,

474
00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,000
of the Apostle Paul at some point.

475
00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,000
Is our commitment enough that we're willing to take a stand

476
00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:03,000
for Jesus Christ as our society continues to become

477
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:06,000
more and more secular and anti-God?

478
00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:10,000
Are we willing to take a stand in our community

479
00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,000
and, if necessary, be willing to go to jail

480
00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:17,000
for a principle of God's Word?

481
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,000
Now, if our commitment is just to the church

482
00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,000
or to the denomination or to the preacher,

483
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,000
it's not going to be enough that we'll be willing to do that.

484
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,000
It won't.

485
00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:31,000
We'll give up long before we ever go to jail.

486
00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,000
But if our commitment is to Jesus Christ,

487
00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:36,000
there may come a day, folks, when you and I will face

488
00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:41,000
going before the courts in this land to take a stand for God.

489
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,000
And we'll pay a price.

490
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,000
Are you committed?

491
00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,000
Are you willing to pay that price?

492
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,000
Why does it cost you right now to be committed?

493
00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,000
You see, here were some Christians who were deep

494
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,000
in their commitment.

495
00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,000
And it wasn't just a commitment of words.

496
00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,000
It was a commitment of their lives and their money

497
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,000
and their deeds, their freedom.

498
00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:07,000
They said, we are committed to Jesus Christ,

499
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:13,000
and whatever the price, we will stick with that commitment.

500
00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:16,000
Some of us can't even stick with it long enough

501
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:20,000
to get back on Sunday night to church

502
00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:25,000
or to give the extra little bit

503
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,000
or to accept the job of teaching those children

504
00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:33,000
or to sing in the choir, to be the usher.

505
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,000
Frankly, folks, if our commitment doesn't cost us something,

506
00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:39,000
it's not worth a whole lot, is it?

507
00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:43,000
It's only when there's a price that we pay

508
00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:51,000
that that commitment takes on real depth.

509
00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:53,000
Finally, I would have you notice that this early church

510
00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:57,000
was also exemplary in its character.

511
00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:00,000
The quality of their lives can be expressed

512
00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:06,000
or is expressed in terms like verse 7,

513
00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:10,000
well known to the apostles.

514
00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:18,000
In other words, this couple, probably these two men,

515
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:25,000
these two people, by the quality of their very lives,

516
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:31,000
had gained recognition among the apostles.

517
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:36,000
Not everybody here had, and that's always the case.

518
00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:38,000
But there was something exemplary in the character

519
00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:43,000
of these two people so that the apostles were able

520
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:48,000
to converse about them and say, now, there is an example

521
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:51,000
of what Christian people ought to be.

522
00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:53,000
That's quality.

523
00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:58,000
And then there is in verse 10, I think, this striking phrase

524
00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:04,000
about Apellus says, the approved in Christ.

525
00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:06,000
I don't know what the test was,

526
00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:10,000
but there came some kind of a test to this man,

527
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:15,000
and as a result of that it is said he was approved in Christ.

528
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:20,000
Over in 2 Timothy, the apostle Paul says

529
00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:24,000
that we ought to study to show ourselves what?

530
00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:27,000
Approved unto God.

531
00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:30,000
Approved unto, this young man had.

532
00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:34,000
He was approved by God in whatever the test was.

533
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:35,000
Are you in a test today?

534
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:41,000
Through that test, that trial you're passing through,

535
00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:45,000
God is seeking to put the AUG stamp on your life.

536
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:48,000
Approved unto God.

537
00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:53,000
Somebody has put it this way, with all of your getting of degrees,

538
00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:56,000
get the AUG degree above all others.

539
00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:59,000
Approved unto God.

540
00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:03,000
And then there is a man in verse 13 who is said to be a choice man,

541
00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:10,000
chosen Rufus, a choice man.

542
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:13,000
Now what was there about him that caused him to stand out?

543
00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,000
I have no idea.

544
00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:18,000
But there was something apparently about his zeal,

545
00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:23,000
there was something about the sterling character that he possessed

546
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:28,000
that it is said he's a choice man.

547
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,000
Don't you want to be described that way

548
00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:34,000
as a choice person in Jesus Christ?

549
00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:36,000
A choice person.

550
00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:44,000
Not average, but well above average.

551
00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:48,000
You see, these people were exemplary.

552
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:52,000
You know, a church's character is the sum total of the character

553
00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:56,000
of its individual members.

554
00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,000
I've said it before and I will say it again

555
00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:07,000
that no church can rise higher than its weakest member.

556
00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:13,000
The character of each of us influences for good or for ill

557
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:18,000
what this total church is all about.

558
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:22,000
Grace Church Roseville is not just a reflection of its pastor

559
00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:27,000
or its elders or its pastor teachers or its Sunday school teachers.

560
00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:29,000
They're involved in it.

561
00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:34,000
But folks, our church is a reflection of all of us together

562
00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:38,000
without a single exception.

563
00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:39,000
Now there are people who say,

564
00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,000
well I'm not important.

565
00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:42,000
I don't count.

566
00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,000
That is not true.

567
00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:48,000
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ and you come here,

568
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,000
you are a member of the body

569
00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:54,000
and I want to tell you, you are important.

570
00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:58,000
You affect the rest of this body and the way you act

571
00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:03,000
and your attitude and how you contribute.

572
00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,000
My little toe is only about that long,

573
00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:09,000
but I want to tell you something, it's important to me.

574
00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:11,000
And when I hit it against the bed at night,

575
00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,000
I'm trying to find my way through the dark,

576
00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:17,000
it becomes very, very important.

577
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:19,000
It affects my whole body.

578
00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,000
And you say, well I've not been around here very long.

579
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:23,000
I don't do a whole lot.

580
00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:26,000
Maybe you should be doing more, I don't know.

581
00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:31,000
But there's no one who can say I'm unimportant.

582
00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:32,000
Somebody else might dare to say,

583
00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:34,000
well just one member living like the devil

584
00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,000
won't hurt anything, will it?

585
00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,000
Oh yes it will.

586
00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:42,000
Because you see, if one of us is allowing sin

587
00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:48,000
to reign in our lives, it is allowing leaven,

588
00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,000
the permeation of leaven,

589
00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,000
which in the Bible is a picture of sin,

590
00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:55,000
to be dispersed in our church.

591
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:58,000
And that's why it says in 1 Corinthians chapter 5

592
00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:01,000
that we are to keep our feast,

593
00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:08,000
our fellowship, free from leaven.

594
00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:10,000
Now we are all sinners.

595
00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:13,000
God's forgiven us in Christ.

596
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,000
We need to confess our sins

597
00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:17,000
and keep our accounts clean with God

598
00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,000
and not allow sin to accumulate

599
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:22,000
or any sin to fester and to be harbored in our lives.

600
00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:27,000
If we do, we affect the whole church.

601
00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:30,000
Somebody says, well nobody knows my sin,

602
00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:32,000
therefore it couldn't make any difference.

603
00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:34,000
Wrong again.

604
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:37,000
May I remind you of Achan in the Old Testament?

605
00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:42,000
He was a pain, if you'll pardon the pun.

606
00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:50,000
Achan went into Jericho with all the other soldiers

607
00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:53,000
of Israel when they took that city.

608
00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:55,000
And God had said ahead of time,

609
00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:57,000
now you're to destroy everything,

610
00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:59,000
but you're to keep certain things,

611
00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:02,000
they're to be dedicated to me.

612
00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:05,000
As far as anybody knew, everybody obeyed.

613
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:07,000
The battle was successful.

614
00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:09,000
They rejoiced in it.

615
00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:12,000
And then they went up against Ai.

616
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:15,000
And they were defeated soundly.

617
00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:18,000
And Joshua and the people went before the Lord.

618
00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:20,000
They said, Lord, what has happened?

619
00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:23,000
You said you were going to give us the land

620
00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:25,000
and you were going to conquer the people before us.

621
00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:27,000
And we've been beaten at Ai.

622
00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:31,000
God said, get out the lots and start casting lots

623
00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:33,000
and I'll show you.

624
00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:35,000
So we began to cast lots,

625
00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:37,000
which was God's way in that day

626
00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:39,000
of finding answers to things.

627
00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:42,000
And it finally came down to the casting of lots,

628
00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:44,000
the tribes, the families, and the households,

629
00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:46,000
down to this man Achan.

630
00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:48,000
You know what had happened?

631
00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:51,000
Secretly and apparently with the knowledge

632
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:55,000
of just his family, his children, his wife,

633
00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:58,000
he had taken some things from Jericho.

634
00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:00,000
He had taken some of the precious metal,

635
00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:02,000
which was to be given to the Lord,

636
00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:05,000
and he had taken some of the Babylonian garments,

637
00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:08,000
which were very fancy.

638
00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:10,000
He wanted them for himself.

639
00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:13,000
And so he took them and he hid them in his tent

640
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:18,000
and nobody but his immediate family knew about it.

641
00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:21,000
But I want you to notice that that caused the defeat

642
00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:25,000
of the whole army of Israel.

643
00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:27,000
So don't you think that a hidden sin

644
00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:30,000
doesn't affect this church?

645
00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:33,000
May I repeat that we will rise no higher

646
00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:36,000
than the weakest among us.

647
00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:39,000
And if any of us dares to allow sin to dominate,

648
00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:41,000
it not only affects ourselves,

649
00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:47,000
but it affects the whole of us.

650
00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:50,000
This church in Rome was an exemplary church

651
00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:52,000
in its character.

652
00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:54,000
We see the humility of these believers.

653
00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:56,000
I mean, there weren't really famous people here.

654
00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:59,000
Priscilla and Aquila, yes, they were well known,

655
00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:02,000
but only because God chooses to mention them

656
00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:05,000
in His Word.

657
00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:08,000
But then He mentions the rest of them, too.

658
00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:10,000
They were humble people.

659
00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:13,000
As Griffith Thomas said, humble helpers

660
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:14,000
rather than leaders.

661
00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:16,000
That's what they were.

662
00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:19,000
And yet God chose to inscribe their names

663
00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:24,000
in His eternal book.

664
00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:28,000
That's what we need today, our humble helpers.

665
00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:30,000
You know how I look at this chapter

666
00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:33,000
as we've read it in the first 16 verses?

667
00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:39,000
I think this is the Hebrews 11 of the church age.

668
00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:41,000
Hebrews 11 goes back to the Old Testament

669
00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:45,000
and names the great saints and commends them.

670
00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:47,000
But I think here in this listing we have

671
00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:50,000
the Hebrews 11 of the early church.

672
00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:54,000
Again, not famous people like Noah

673
00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:58,000
and Abraham and Moses, Hebrews 11,

674
00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:03,000
but common people, people like most of us here today.

675
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:05,000
And yet this fellowship of common people

676
00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:08,000
was so commendable that they received

677
00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:11,000
the admiring greetings of the churches of Christ

678
00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:15,000
in Asia and in that part of Europe

679
00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:18,000
where the Apostle Paul was as he wrote this letter.

680
00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:21,000
He says, the churches of Christ greet you.

681
00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:24,000
God chose to inscribe the names of many of them

682
00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:28,000
in His book.

683
00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:32,000
May I talk to you who are faithful

684
00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:35,000
in serving Jesus Christ,

685
00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:36,000
who have given your lives to Him

686
00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:39,000
and want to do whatever He wants you to do?

687
00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:45,000
Listen, you may never be famous or wealthy or powerful

688
00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:48,000
or influential or respected

689
00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:50,000
or even appreciated by the world,

690
00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:53,000
but let me tell you something.

691
00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:56,000
You will live like these believers did,

692
00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:59,000
and someday at the Bema Seat of Jesus Christ,

693
00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:05,000
He'll commend you.

694
00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:06,000
And that commendation

695
00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:17,000
will review with you your life

696
00:46:17,000 --> 00:46:21,000
and will give you your due reward.

697
00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:24,000
Now, if there's something to live for, that's it.

698
00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:32,000
If there's something to anticipate, to expect, that's it.

699
00:46:32,000 --> 00:46:34,000
If your name were to appear on such a list

700
00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:36,000
as we have before us here,

701
00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:40,000
how would you be described?

702
00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:45,000
If the Apostle said, greet Henry the...

703
00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:50,000
how would he write the rest of that sentence?

704
00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:54,000
If he said, greet Martha there in Roseville who...

705
00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:56,000
what would he say then?

706
00:46:56,000 --> 00:46:59,000
How would you be described?

707
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:01,000
You say, well, that's just theoretical.

708
00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:03,000
My name isn't in there.

709
00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:06,000
And that's right, but folks, someday

710
00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:10,000
our name is going to be called.

711
00:47:10,000 --> 00:47:12,000
And at that Judgment Seat,

712
00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:18,000
we are going to be described and revealed as we really are.

713
00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:22,000
And that's why it's so worth it

714
00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:25,000
to obey this Book and to trust God

715
00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:29,000
and to be faithful and to give ourselves

716
00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:35,000
in the deepest kind of commitment to Him right now.

717
00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:38,000
That's why it's worth it.

718
00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:41,000
Heavenly Father,

719
00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:44,000
I pray that you will take these words today

720
00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:49,000
and apply them to my life,

721
00:47:49,000 --> 00:47:53,000
to the life of our staff and our elders,

722
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:57,000
our pastor teachers, our Sunday School teachers,

723
00:47:57,000 --> 00:48:01,000
all who work with our children and adults,

724
00:48:01,000 --> 00:48:04,000
our choir, our ushers,

725
00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:07,000
every person who has a part

726
00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:11,000
in Grace Church Roseville as a member.

727
00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:14,000
And may we, in our fellowship, reflect

728
00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:18,000
what the Roman Church was,

729
00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:23,000
resulting in being able to hear your well-done

730
00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:27,000
on that day that we stand before you at the Judgment Seat.

731
00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:42,000
And I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.