Blessing of the Benediction

Romans 15:13New King James Version

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Title: Blessing of the Benediction

Intro: A church service can be a spiritual oasis for many people.

Taking part in worship, surrounded by fellow brothers and sisters in the faith, orients our lives toward God.

Worship reminds us who we are as people created in God’s own image; we experience the assurance of Christ’s unyielding love, and constant presence.

In turn, this spiritual oasis helps us navigate the complexity of our lives and the struggles we sometimes encounter.

Maybe this is something you have experienced.

Of course, in any church service, the time will always come wherein we need to exit the sanctuary and step back into the world.

We go back to our homes with the leaky faucets and over-due bills; we go back to our work with the awaiting deadlines and tasks.

As we exit the doors of the church it can be easy to feel that this spiritual oasis is now behind us.

This is why the benediction is so important. Have you ever stopped and listened to the benediction?

Have you ever thought deeply about what it says about you, and your life? Often, we don’t.

For many churches, the benediction is the final act of worship.

The priest or pastor stands before the gathering, with hand extended over the congregation, and closes the service.

It can be easy to see the benediction in this way, as nothing more than the appropriate way to end a religious service.

The prayer is said, the service closes, and we are on our way.

What if there is a bit more to the benediction? What if the benediction is not simply a fancy prayer, but a profound act of empowerment and sending?

What if the benediction actually declares a reality for your lives, a reality bestowed upon you in that moment?

If so, it might just be something we need to pay attention to.

Revelent question? So the question is this Morning What Is a Benediction?

A benediction is a blessing. This is the simplest definition, and it is the one thing we need to remember. The word is taken from the Latin meaning “blessed.” For example, the Song of Zechariah (found in Luke 1:68-72) is often referred to as “The Benedictus.” This is because the Latin rendering of these verses opens with the phrase; “Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel” (Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel).

 In a benediction, one offers a prayer of blessing. Either one blesses “The Lord, the God of Israel”, or one extends a blessing upon an individual or a community.

That's what our text is this Morning it is a Benediction that would be prayed by the apostle Paul that The God of Hope would bless them and fill the church at Rome.

Many time when we see the apostle Paul often after he does his heavy lifting and teaching moves from the doctrines to exhortations on how we should live our lives everyday lives.

That's where we are the book of romans is a book that builds off its self chapter 1-12 is what God through Jesus Christ has done for us and 13-16 is our response to what God has done and after all that God has done for us!

Paul writes to them in chapter 15 about being in unity with one another like so many churches they were dealing with division within believers let me say this the devil is always working in division among God people because He knows that when we get on one accord as the body of christ he kingdom is at stake because when get together it is no secret what we can do for God. When we are together people can be saved when we are together ,hungry families are fed the naked is clothed.

Furthermore Paul wrote Romans around A.D. 57–58 while in Corinth, preparing to deliver a Gentile offering to the impoverished believers in Jerusalem and planning a mission to Spain Bible Hub. The Roman church consisted of two main groups: Jewish believers, many of whom were cautious about dietary laws and Sabbath observance, and Gentile believers, who understood their freedom from ceremonial law Bible Hub. This created potential tension in the community, particularly regarding food sold in pagan markets and religious observances. Paul’s message in Romans 15 addresses these tensions, calling for harmony and mutual respect among believers And When he gets done expressing the need of unity among the saints of God and closes his thoughts with a Benediction a prayer of Blessing over the Jew and gentile believers in Jesus Christ and his First request is that God would would fill them with Joy!

Filled with Joy:

In the Bible, joy is a deep, abiding sense of fulfillment and gladness rooted in a relationship with God, transcending circumstances and arising from trust in His promises.

Definition and Nature of Biblical Joy

Biblical joy, derived from the Greek word chara, is more than temporary happiness; it is a stable, spiritual rejoicing that comes from knowing God and trusting in His character and promises (John 15:11, Romans 8:28) Bible Hub.

Unlike fleeting happiness, which depends on external conditions, biblical joy persists even in trials because it is anchored in the unchanging nature of God and the hope found in His Word In the Bible,

joy is a deep, abiding sense of fulfillment and gladness rooted in a relationship with God, transcending circumstances and arising from trust in His promises. Despite the challenges and the division that were amongst the people further more they had to deal with the wide spread of persecution upon the christian church ! But Paul Prays a benediction and that they would be filled with Joy!

Secondly he pray that they would be filled with peace! This Not the peace of absent of chaos

Greek word "Eirene" emphasizes tranquility and unity among people.

I told you earlier that were great division among the jews and gentile believers over things concerning the law and rituals. When you flip back over in Romans chapter 14 you will see where Paul has to correct some of their thinking because you Jewish believer's who thought in order to be a good Christian and followers of Jesus you had to still keep some of the mosaic laws that why he brings up one man esteem

English Standard Version Chapter 14

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

English Standard Version Chapter 14

9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother

So When gets to his prayer yes he wants them to have peace in their hearts but more than that he wants them to have peace among each other! A true sign of a mature church is not measured by how many members we have not by money we have not by but by how we love and care for one another. If we are going to be impactful Not for our own agendas but for the Kingdom of God its going to be done in in the spirt of unity. We cant be bickering over things that has nothing to do with soul winning for Jesus christ. And many time the enemy comes in and we allow him to split our churches over things that has nothing to do with the great commission that all of us were called to do. I see it all the time being in church and meeting with pastors from different churches we live on two spectrum we see those who are extremely traditional and those who are not. And what it does is it causes confusion and chaos between the people of God . But we are children of God ought not be those who throw wood on fire but we should be fire extinguishers by providing peace in chaotic circumstances. That's why Jesus said in Matthew 5 verse 9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God

And Finally he prays by the power of the Holy sprit that they would abound in Hope. And let me say this this why living a spirt filled life is important because we need the enabling powder of the Holy sprit to help fullfill the Hope thst we need in our live

Hope is a foundational element of the Christian faith, providing assurance, motivation, and a sense of purpose in the face of life's challenges.

Biblical Foundation of Hope

Hope in Christianity is not merely wishful thinking; it is a confident expectation rooted in the promises of God. The Bible describes hope as an anchor for the soul (Hebrews 6:19), offering stability and assurance amid uncertainty. This hope is deeply embedded in Scripture,

with the Old Testament using the Hebrew word "tikvah," which conveys a sense of expectation and trust, while the New Testament employs the

Greek word "elpis," signifying a confident expectation of good 

Can I tell you as a child of God we better learn how to abound in Hope.

And in cruel unjust world we need hope.

Look at all the cruel gestures we deal with daily.

When we live in the state of Oklahoma who claim to be in the bible belt and live by word of God and yet refuse to give people a livable wage That's a cruel gesture.

When you live in a culture that built its wealth off the back of free labor of blacks and yet refuse to acknowledge the pain and wealth gap and refuse to bring closer that a cruel gesture.

If we be honest we need hope this Morning. But we can give God praise this Moring that by power of the Holy sprit despite all that is wrong in our life and our world we can still believe God.

That all what hope mean that it is that still Believe God still have Hope.

Broke, I still have Hope

Terminal sickness, I still have hope

Family in the same house but scattered in love,I still have hope,

No Matter what I still have a great expectation of A better day