Romans 16

Friends (Romans 16)

Introduction

Welcome

Good morning, My name is Troy, and I’m the Lead Pastor here at FCCCB

Welcome Guest

Connect Card

Online connection

Welcome those that join online

Jab 1

Who are your closest friends?

Think about that for a moment.

Who has been there for you through thick and thin.

Yes your spouse counts

Who would be here right now if you ask them today?

Jab 2

Let me tell you about some of mine.

Valerie

Mike, Valencia and Alex

Calvin, Allen

Catherine Bartlett

Mike Anderson

Darren

Led the first small group at my house

Tom

Whose church is meeting in a computer store right now

Nick leading a church of young college students in Tennessee

He will be here visiting us next Sunday

Ben feeding more people than attend his church every week

Anita

Operation Christmas child

Greg and Aaron Leading brand new churches in a brand new towns here in Florida

Greg you may know is my pastor and I am somewhat of a pastor to Aaron

Jab 3

And you here today are part of my ministry team

I do not want to call you out by name but I could

You know who you are!

I want you to know I am grateful for all you do for the kingdom and this local church

You are generous with your Time Talents and Treasure

When I see you coming to church my tail wags!

When you are here working for the lord my tail wags two.

Right Hook

You see we all need to be surrounded by people that help us.

Life is very hard alone

Digging a ditch alone is very hard.

(Video)

Hopefully as I listed my team you were thinking of yours.

(Take out that card and take notes. Who is on your team?)

Also whose team are you on?

It was no different 2000 years ago in the early church.

Leaders were working hard to grow the kingdom of God.

They had people that helped them just like we do.

Today let's take a look at a list of great servants in the church that were each recognized by Paul

Explanation

Get out your Bibles

Romans 16

Many people don’t spend much time reading this last chapter of romans.

It has a lot of hard to pronounce names(I’ve been practicing so here goes.)

Personal Greetings

6 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon, of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

5 Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.

6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.

7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.

9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.

11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.

13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.

15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Let’s take a look at some of the friends that helped Paul.

He started with Phebe she was a member of the church in Cenchrea

She was the one one that cared the letter to the Romans to Rome

Priscilla and Aquila

We meet in the the book of Acts 18

They were also tent makers like Paul

How they risk their lives we do not know.

Four people Pauls called “beloved”

Epenetus

The first convert in Asia

Amplias

Stachys

Persis

Andronicus and Junias are called “kinsmen,”

They may have been relatives of Paul’s

Once they were in prison with Paul

Rufus could be the same Rufus mentioned in Mark 15:21

Mark 15:21 “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.”

“This list tells us the roles people played in Paul’s ministry and the ministry of the churches.

Priscilla and Aquila were “helpers” and “laid down their own necks” for Paul.

The conversion of Epenetus led to the salvation of others in Asia.

Mary “bestowed much labor.”

Andronicus and Junias went to prison with Paul.

One can only give thanks for these devoted saints who fulfilled their ministries to the glory of God.

May we be like them!” (Wiersbe)

Application

May we be like them in our service to the Lord

Working hard

Staying true to the Gospel

Risking our lives if necessary

Working in unity with each other

May we be like Apelles whose fidelity to Christ stood the test

What else does Paul say to close out this chapter?

Make friends and know your friends

Not everyone may share your faith

Romans 16:17-20 “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

We don’t have to be friend with everyone

“For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.”

If you've been in the faith any length of time you've probably seen people like this.

Beware

By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

I have seen this kind of person and like they can do to the church if it's not pretty.

But remember the church is unstoppable

Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

Paul rejoiced because of their obedience.

He had received reports about how faithful the church in Rome was.

I love it when I get news about how other churches are doing

Florida ministers group

Paul continues naming names

Romans 16:22-27 “Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Jews. 22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.

25 Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

“What a remarkable chapter!

Paul greeted at least twenty-six people by name, as well as two unnamed saints; and he also greeted several churches that were meeting in homes.

He closed with greetings from nine believers who were with him in Corinth when he wrote the letter.” (Wiersbe)

It shows that Paul was a friend maker as well as a soul winner.

We need to make friends also both inside the church and outside the church

He did not try to live an isolated life; he had friends in the Lord, and he appreciated them.

Call to Action

Let Me Pray for You

Ephesians 4:20-21

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.