Faithful When It Hurts
Notes
Transcript
Intro: Theme/Topic (What’s the problem, the question, etc.)
Well, it’s Super Bowl Sunday. And I want you to consider the fact that every football player grows up with a picture of how the story is supposed to go.
You work hard.
You follow the coaches.
You learn the system.
You sacrifice.
And eventually… success follows.
Playing time.
Opportunity.
Recognition.
Winning.
Faithfulness leads to reward.
At least that’s what we expect.
But sometimes the story doesn’t go that way.
Think about Kurt Warner.
He wasn’t a first-round pick.
He wasn’t even drafted.
At one point, he was stocking shelves in a grocery store just to pay his bills. He played arena football. He played in NFL Europe. He was cut. Overlooked. Almost forgotten.
And if you had looked at his life in those seasons, you could have easily concluded: This isn’t working.
But Warner kept showing up.
Kept practicing.
Kept preparing.
Kept being faithful.
Long before he ever became a Super Bowl champion, faithfulness looked like obscurity.
Now consider a man from the early 16th century like William Tyndale.
Tyndale believed ordinary people should be able to read the Bible in their own language. That conviction didn’t bring him fame.
It made him a fugitive.
He was branded a heretic.
Hunted across Europe.
Betrayed.
Imprisoned.
And eventually executed.
The irony is striking.
While Tyndale was condemned by church leaders in England, almost seventy years after he was martyred it was the King of England—King James—who commissioned a Bible to be translated into English.
And it was Tyndale’s work that became the backbone of what would become the most beloved English Bible in the Protestant tradition.
Today, many of the English Bibles we read are built on the foundation of Tyndale’s labor.
But at the time, faithfulness didn’t lead Tyndale to applause.
It led him to a prison cell.
And before we distance ourselves from Tyndale as some extraordinary spiritual giant unrelated to our lives…
We need to recognize that the same pattern shows up in quieter, everyday ways for Christians today.
You choose to honor Christ in your workplace…
and it costs you advancement.
You try to walk in integrity…
and you’re labeled as difficult.
You speak graciously about biblical truth…
and you’re misunderstood and labeled a dangerous extremist.
You obey God in your home, in your marriage, in your parenting, in your relationships…
and things don’t suddenly get easier.
No headline.
No spotlight.
No applause.
Just faithfulness.
And sometimes pressure.
Sometimes isolation.
Sometimes loss.
Which means this isn’t just Tyndale’s story.
And it’s not just Paul’s story.
It’s often our story.
And here’s the uncomfortable reality:
Sometimes obedience doesn’t look like victory.
Sometimes doing exactly what God asks leads not to success…
…but to slander and suffering.
And that raises a question every honest Christian eventually has to face:
How should we respond when faithfulness to Christ leads to suffering instead of success?
That’s the very question standing in front of us in Acts 21.
Paul has obeyed the Spirit.
Paul has followed Christ’s call.
Paul has walked straight toward Jerusalem knowing hardship awaited him.
And instead of celebration…
He finds chains.
Scripture
So, grab your Bibles and turn with me to Acts 21:17–36 and let’s see how God teaches us to respond when obedience becomes costly.
If you need to use a pew Bible, you’ll find today’s text on page 1106. Once you’re there, please stand with me if you are able and follow along with me as I read...
When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.
On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law,
and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.
What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.
Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;
take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.
But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them.
When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,
crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”
For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.
And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done.
Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.
And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd,
for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”
This God’s Word!
Prayer
Father, as we spend time in your Word today, may it open our eyes to the beauty of Christ and strengthen, encourage, and embolden your people to increased faithfulness in a world that so often opposes your truth with slander and lies. We ask this in Christ’s name — AMEN!
Intro: Formal (give context to passage, setting the scene, big idea)
As we step into this passage, let’s quickly remember where we are in the story of Acts.
With Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem, this marked the end of his third missionary journey.
For years he’s been traveling, preaching, planting churches, and suffering for the sake of Christ.
And now, despite repeated warnings that hardship awaits him in Jerusalem, Paul is convinced that the Spirit is leading him there.
Not because it will be safe.
Not because it will be celebrated.
But because it is necessary.
Paul is not chasing comfort.
Paul is walking in obedience.
And what we see in Acts 21 is not a tragic accident.
It is not a plan gone wrong.
It is the unfolding of God’s plan for the next stage of Paul’s ministry.
Because from this point forward, Paul’s mission will advance not primarily through missionary journeys…
…but through trials, imprisonments, hearings, and appeals.
God will make Paul’s chains into a pulpit.
Which brings us right back to the tension we’ve been sitting in.
Paul is faithful.
Paul is obedient.
Paul is walking in the will of God.
And yet, everything seems to be falling apart.
So once again we ask:
How should we respond when faithfulness to Christ leads to suffering instead of success?
Acts 21:17–36 shows us that God does not leave His people guessing.
When faithfulness leads to suffering, we respond with
God-centered praise,
Gospel-driven unity,
And a readiness to face fierce opposition.
That’s what we’re going to see unfold in three movements:
First, we will see Paul and the church PRAISE GOD for what He is doing, even as tension is rising.
Second, we will watch Paul EXPECT OPPOSITION, as obedience quickly leads to misunderstanding, slander, violence, and arrest.
Third, we will see Paul respond by PURSUING UNITY, willingly laying aside personal rights for the good of Christ’s church.
And through all of it, God is not absent.
God is not surprised.
God is not losing control.
God is advancing His mission.
So let’s walk through this text together and learn how to respond faithfully when obedience becomes costly.
Praise God
Praise God
When Paul arrives in Jerusalem, remember — he knows, at least in part, what’s waiting for him.
Prophets have warned him.
Believers have pleaded with him.
Suffering is not a surprise.
So the question is: What does Paul do?
Does he hire bodyguards?
Does he find a secure location and lay low for a few days?
Does he start working political angles to gain favor with key leaders?
Does he begin mapping out an escape plan?
No.
Verse 17 tells us: He goes to see the brothers.
He goes straight to the church.
And Luke tells us it’s a joyful reunion.
For Paul, this isn’t unusual.
This is business as usual.
He’s at the end of his third missionary journey now. And every time Paul finishes a trip like this, he does the same thing:
He returns to God’s people.
He gathers with the church.
He reconnects with the body.
Then, the next day, Paul meets with James — the half-brother of Jesus — and all the elders.
And what does Paul do?
He doesn’t talk about how hard his life has been.
He doesn’t emphasize how much he’s suffered.
He doesn’t rehearse how courageous he’s been.
He doesn’t pad his resume.
Luke says:
“He related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.”
Paul’s report is not man-centered.
It is God-centered.
You can almost imagine what that sounded like.
Paul told about how the gospel shook Ephesus so powerfully it triggered a city-wide riot.
Paul shared about how people in places like Athens and Corinth heard the good news of Jesus.
Paul talked about assassination plots that God foiled.
About lives transformed.
He talks about God’s power at work.
In other words: Paul shows up saying,
“Let me tell you what God has been doing.”
And how do the leaders respond?
Verse 20: “They glorified God.”
That’s the goal.
Not admiration for Paul.
Not amazement at Paul.
Only praise directed to God.
Here’s what this teaches us:
When we see God working, it is right and good to talk about it.
Not to boast.
Not to self-promote.
But to magnify God.
Because when God’s people hear about God’s work…
God gets more glory!
That’s why I love our annual Thanksgiving service. It gives you the opportunity to tell everyone what God has been doing in your life.
That’s why we produce an annual report coming out in a few weeks, filled with ministry stories.
Because telling what God has done fuels worship.
May we follow the instructions of Psalm 105:1-2
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!
Now notice something important:
Paul’s focus in Jerusalem is not on the suffering ahead.
His focus is on the faithfulness of God behind him.
He doesn’t lead with fear.
He leads with praise.
And this isn’t new for Paul. Think back to Philippi.
Paul and Silas — beaten, bloodied, and chained in the middle of the night…
And what are they doing?
Praying. Singing. Worshiping.
Church, learn this from Paul:
When you see suffering on the horizon…
It is not time to panic.
It is not time to spiral.
It is not time to turn inward.
It is time to lift your eyes.
It is time to remember what God has done.
It is time to praise God.
Because praise reorients the soul.
Praise reminds us who is sovereign.
Praise anchors us in truth.
So let me ask you:
What has God been doing in your life?
Where have you seen His grace?
Where have you seen His faithfulness?
Where have you seen Him change a heart?
Where have you seen Him sustain you?
And are you talking about those things?
Not as stories about you…
But as stories about Him.
Because when faithfulness leads to suffering,
The first faithful response…
Is to praise God.
But praising God does not magically make all of Paul’s problems go away.
In fact, almost immediately, Luke shows us that faithfulness doesn’t just coexist with opposition…It attracts it!
Right here in verse 20 after telling about how they gave glory to God for Paul’s report — in the same verse the leaders pivot to warn Paul about opposition.
Expect Opposition
Expect Opposition
We’ve seen Paul face opposition many times already in Acts.
We’ve seen him threatened.
We’ve seen him beaten.
We’ve seen him left for dead.
We’ve seen him imprisoned.
Last week, we even saw opposition wrapped in love — tearful believers pleading with Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
But in verses 27–36, Luke shows us something different.
The city is stirred up.
An angry mob forms.
People begin shouting.
Hands are laid on Paul.
And once again, Paul is nearly killed.
Roman soldiers rush in.
Paul is seized.
Paul is bound with two chains.
Which very likely fulfills Agabus’s prophecy from last week’s passage about Pauls hands and feet being bound in Jerusalem.
None of this is new for Paul.
But I want to draw your attention to something specific about how this opposition explodes.
Before fists start flying…
Before chains are slapped on Paul…There is something else.
Lies.
Slander.
Whispers.
Seeds planted in people’s hearts and minds.
Back in verse 21, the Jerusalem elders tell Paul something about the Jewish Christians:
“They have been told about you…”
Not, “They have seen you do this.”
Not, “They heard this from you.”
“They have been told.”
Rumors are already circulating inside the church.
Then in verse 27, Jews from Asia — likely some of the same Jews who opposed Paul in Ephesus — begin spreading these accusations publicly.
Notice the contrast:
Paul is telling true stories about what God has done.
His enemies are telling false stories about Paul.
So let’s examine the accusations.
They claim Paul teaches Jews to forsake Moses.
That he tells Jews not to circumcise their children.
That he teaches Jews to abandon Jewish customs.
Are these true? No.
In chapter 16, Paul has Timothy circumcised so he will not unnecessarily offend Jews.
In chapter 18, we see that Paul himself participated in a Nazarite vow.
Paul even hurried back to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost because the Jewish calendar was still important to him.
All this shows us that these accusations collapse under even the slightest of scrutiny.
So why do people believe them?
Because the lies touch something sensitive.
They threaten something cherished.
Jewish identity. Tradition. Culture.
And that’s often how slander works.
People are most receptive to rumors when those rumors confirm their fears or protect their idols.
And church, this is painfully familiar territory.
We are far more likely to listen to gossip when it intersects with what we already feel strongly about. — A favorite program or ministry. A beloved tradition or practice.
And notice that what starts as a whisper becomes an assumption.
And assumptions quickly become a conclusion.
And a conclusion becomes a verdict.
And before a hand is ever raised against Paul…
His character is assassinated.
And eventually, that character assassination fuels an attempt on his life.
That same dynamic plays out in churches today.
Gossip rarely announces itself as evil. It usually feels subtle.
Concerned.
Curious.
Even spiritual: “Will you pray for so and so, I heard they’re struggling with…”
“Have you heard about…?”
“Can you believe…?”
Whether the information is true or false, the problem is the same:
You are talking about someone instead of talking to them.
You are involving people who are not part of the solution.
And Scripture takes this seriously.
James says the tongue is like a small rudder that steers a great ship.
Like a small spark that sets a whole forest on fire.
Tiny words. Massive destruction.
With our tongues, we have the power to praise God and bless others but with that same power comes the ability to curse those made in His image!
There’s an old story about a woman who spread a rumor about her neighbor that turned out to be false.
Full of remorse, she went to a wise man and asked how to fix the damage.
He told her to buy a chicken, kill it, and pluck out its feathers one by one and drop them along the path as she walked home.
The next day, he told her to go back and collect all the feathers.
She quickly discovered it was impossible.
The feathers had blown everywhere.
The wise man said,
“It’s easy to drop them.
It’s impossible to gather them all back.
Likewise, it does not take much to spread a false rumor,
but you can never completely undo the wrong.”
Church we must take this to heart!
This is yet another tactic of the enemy that we should expect when we seek to serve Him in faithfulness! Before physical threats, often lie verbal assassination.
And this is a tremendous temptation. Proverbs 26:22 says:
The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels
Gossip tastes good. It feels satisfying.
It feels interesting. But it poisons.
So how do we stop the fire?
Proverbs 26:20 tells us:
For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.
Don’t be wood. It takes two.
One to whisper. One to listen.
So, if someone begins sharing information about another person that is not theirs to share, lovingly stop them.
Say, “I don’t think I should hear this.”
Redirect them to the person involved.
And if someone repeatedly gossips, Scripture says we should lovingly confront them — and if they refuse to change, be careful about how much influence they have in your life. Proverbs 20 says:
Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.
Why does this matter?
Because one of Satan’s most effective strategies is internal sabotage.
If he cannot silence Christians through external persecution…
He will try to fracture them through internal suspicion.
Paul nearly lost his life in Jerusalem.
And the spark that ignited the mob was not a miraculous sign or a flagrant crime.
It was lies.
So when we seek to follow Christ faithfully…
We should not be shocked when opposition comes.
And sometimes the sharpest opposition will not come from outside the church…
But from inside.
Which means we must expect and guard against opposition.
We must be vigilant about how we use our words.
Because faithfulness does not make us immune to attack.
It makes us targets.
And when this happens and the crosshairs are on your back, what is the faithful Christian response?
We’ll discover this now in my final point where we see Paul humbly pursuing unity.
Pursue Unity
Pursue Unity
When the enemy seeks to divide.
Paul seeks to unite.
When the enemy whispers.
Paul humbles himself.
When the enemy stirs suspicion.
Paul takes steps toward peace.
The Jerusalem church leaders propose a plan in verses 22-24.
They ask Paul to publicly demonstrate that, as a Jewish Christian, he still respects Jewish customs.
Paul is to purify himself, accompany four men who are under a vow, and pay the cost of their sacrifices.
The purpose is simple:
If the people see Paul doing this, they will know the rumors about him are false.
Now, some commentators argue that Paul makes a serious mistake here.
They claim he compromises the gospel.
I don’t believe that’s what’s happening — for several reasons.
First, this purification ritual was not an admission of guilt.
Paul had just spent extended time in Gentile regions.
According to Jewish custom, that would render him ceremonially unclean to participate in temple activities.
So Paul observes this practice to avoid unnecessary offense.
Second, the sacrifices connected to these vows were not sin offerings.
Paul himself had taken a similar vow earlier in Acts 18, likely as an expression of devotion and dependence on the Lord.
And there is nothing in the text that suggests Paul or these men believed these practices contributed anything to their justification before God.
If Paul had believed that, it would have been a serious error!
But everything we know about Paul argues the opposite.
Paul is crystal clear: We are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
So what Paul is doing here?
He is not compromising the gospel.
He is applying the gospel.
Paul has freedom in Christ. Which means, he does not need to do any of this.
And Paul could have said,
“These people are wrong.”
“They’re misinformed.”
“They should know better.”
“I refuse to play along.”
But he doesn’t.
Instead, Paul lives out what he wrote:
To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.
Paul’s driving passion is not self-protection.
Not reputation management.
Not asserting rights.
Paul’s passion is the glory of God and the unity of Christ’s church.
Here’s the key principle:
Paul never sacrifices truth.
But he willingly sacrifices preferences.
Paul never bends doctrine.
But he gladly bends personal liberty.
This is spiritual maturity.
Paul does not use his freedom as a sledgehammer.
He lays it down.
He chooses the harder path of humility.
He refuses to weaponize his liberty.
He is living out what he wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.
Church, this confronts us because we live in a rights-driven culture.
“I have the right to be heard.”
“I have the right to defend myself.”
“I have the right to do what I want.”
But Paul asks a different question:
“What will build up the body?”
“What will preserve unity?”
“What will advance the gospel?”
True Christian freedom is not doing whatever I want.
True Christian freedom is being so secure in Christ that I can gladly lay down what I want.
So what does this look like in real life?
It looks like singing songs that aren’t your personal favorite because they help someone else worship.
It looks like staying after church to talk with someone when you’re tired.
It looks like serving in a ministry that isn’t convenient or glamorous.
It looks like letting go of an argument you could win for the sake of peace.
It looks like choosing not to post something online even though you have every right to.
It looks like entering someone else’s world instead of demanding they enter yours.
None of these things earns our salvation.
But they display the heart of someone who has already been saved.
That’s Christian maturity.
That’s gospel-shaped freedom.
This requires an identity anchored in Christ, not in culture, not in tradition, not in preference.
Here’s the warning:
Don’t become a slave to legalism.
But also don’t become a slave to your freedom.
Because even freedom can become an idol.
Paul says in Galatians,
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
But in Acts 21, Paul shows us something beautiful:
He is so free in Christ…
That he can choose restraint.
He is so secure in Christ…
That he can choose humility.
He is so confident in the gospel…
That he can step toward people who misunderstand him.
And Paul’s willingness to do this points us to someone greater than Paul…
Jesus.
Jesus did not cling to His rights.
Jesus did not insist on His status.
Jesus did not demand His privileges.
The Eternal Son of God took on flesh.
The King of Heaven became a servant.
The Righteous One was slandered.
The Sinless One was falsely accused.
The Holy One was condemned.
Jesus laid down His life…
For people who lied about Him.
mocked Him.
and rejected Him.
People like us.
And He didn’t just die.
He rose victorious over sin.
Victorious over death.
And what did you contribute to all of this? — Absolutely nothing!
This means unity with God is not achieved by your rituals.
Your moral effort.
Or by cultural conformity.
Unity with God is achieved only through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
So let me ask you plainly:
Have you turned from your sin and trusted in Christ?
To do this requires humility on your part...
You must stop relying on yourself, your morals, your rituals…
And start relying on Christ Alone to forgive you and make you new!
You can even be a very religious person and yet have never put your trust in Christ.
If this is you — lay down your pride and come to Christ today!
Trust Him to be your Savior! For all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved!
Now church, the same Savior who forgives sinners…
Creates a new people.
A united people.
A humble people.
A people who are so free that they can lay down their rights…
Because Christ laid down His life.
And church, if that gospel has truly taken root in us…
We will not cling tightly to preferences.
We will not easily divide.
We will pursue unity.
Because we have been united to Christ.
Conclusion/Response (Gospel & Repent/Believe)
Now let’s circle back to where we started.
Every football player grows up believing that if you work hard…
If you follow the coaches…
If you learn the system…
If you sacrifice…
Then success will follow.
But Kurt Warner’s story reminds us that long before there was a Super Bowl ring…
There were years of obscurity.
William Tyndale’s story reminds us that long before his work shaped the English Bible…
There was a prison cell.
And Paul’s story in Acts 21 reminds us that long before gospel fruit spreads across the world…
There would be chains.
Which means God is gently but firmly correcting our expectations.
Faithfulness to Christ does not guarantee ease.
It does not guarantee applause.
It does not guarantee visible success.
Often…
It leads into suffering.
So we asked a question:
How should we respond when faithfulness to Christ leads to suffering instead of success?
Acts 21 has answered that question.
When faithfulness leads to suffering…
We praise God.
We lift our eyes off ourselves and remember what God has done.
We expect opposition.
We are not naïve about the cost of obedience.
And we pursue unity.
We lay down preferences, rights, and comforts for the good of Christ’s church.
Not because it’s easy.
Not because it feels natural.
But because that is exactly what Christ has done for us.
Jesus praised His Father even as He walked toward the cross.
Jesus endured slander, lies, and opposition.
Jesus laid down His rights.
Jesus became a servant.
Jesus gave His life.
And Jesus rose again.
So church, if you are walking through a season where obedience feels costly…
You are not abandoned.
You are not forgotten.
You are not off course.
You may be walking the very road God has appointed.
And if you have never turned from your sin and trusted in Christ…
Today is the day.
Lay down your pride.
Lay down your self-reliance.
Come to the Savior who laid down His life for you.
And for all of us who belong to Christ…
Let’s be a church that praises God.
Let’s be a church that is ready for opposition.
Let’s be a church that pursues unity.
And let’s walk faithfully…Even when it hurts.
Prayer
Lord we confess that we often want faithfulness without cost. Forgive us. Fix our eyes on Jesus, who laid down His life for us. And shape us into a people who treasure Christ above comfort, unity above preference, and faithfulness above success. And use our lives to advance Your kingdom for your glory. We ask this in Christ’s name — AMEN!
Closing Song:
Closing Words:
Church, we have just sung that our hope is built on a firm foundation.
Not on our performance.
Not on our strength.
Not on our success.
But on Jesus Christ and His unchanging promises.
If you have never turned from your sin and trusted in Christ…
If you have been relying on your morality, your religion, or your effort…
Today is the day to come to Jesus.
Lay down your pride.
Lay down your self-reliance.
Trust in the One who laid down His life for you and rose again.
For all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
And for those of you who do belong to Christ…
Faithfulness is not a one-time decision.
It’s a daily path.
So what is your next step?
Maybe it’s baptism — publicly identifying with Christ.
Maybe it’s church membership — committing to walk in covenant community.
Maybe it’s getting involved in a discipleship group.
Maybe it’s stepping into an area of service.
Maybe it’s repentance in a specific area of your life.
Don’t leave unchanged.
Take a step of obedience.
One good way to do this is by filling out one of our Next Steps Cards and dropping it off at the Welcome Counter on your way out today. Or, you can fill the same card out online using the QR code on the card.
Now as you go…
Remember that we are not sent into a friendly world.
We are sent into a broken world.
A confused world.
A hurting world.
A world that desperately needs Jesus.
So go anchored in Christ.
Go praising God.
Go expecting opposition.
Go pursuing unity.
And go holding out the gospel of Jesus Christ — the only hope for sinners.
BENEDICTION: Romans 15:5–6
“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
