The Gospel Creates a Family

At this point, some men are already feeling the ache of failure.

Maybe you are thinking, “I have not done this well.” Maybe you have been passive. Maybe you have been harsh. Maybe your children are older now and you feel regret. Maybe no one ever taught you how to be a godly man.

Hear this clearly: the gospel is good news for weak men, absent men, angry men, passive men, and wounded men. Jesus Christ did not come for polished men. He came for sinners. He came for failures. He came for men who know they do not have what it takes on their own [cite:31][cite:34][cite:37][cite:38].

Jesus is the perfect Man Adam was not. He is never passive before evil, never harsh with the humble, never absent from His calling. He is not only an example to admire. He is a Savior to trust [cite:10][cite:31][cite:34][cite:38].

So say this plainly:

Repentance is not the end of manhood. Repentance is where biblical manhood begins.

The Conclusion of Romans

Main Idea

The gospel does not merely save individuals; it creates a family of missionary disciples who together display the wisdom, grace, and glory of God.

INTRODUCTION — WHY DOES ROMANS END WITH A LIST OF NAMES?

Church family, if you were writing the conclusion to the greatest theological letter ever written, how would you end it?

After fifteen chapters of rich theology, perhaps we would expect Paul to finish with one final doctrinal statement.

Perhaps we would expect one final challenge.

Perhaps one final explanation of justification.

One final discussion about Israel.

One final word about sanctification.

Instead, we get names.

Twenty-six names.

Greetings.

Relationships.

Stories.

Ordinary people.

At first glance Romans 16 can feel like a strange way to end the letter.

But when we slow down, we discover something beautiful.

Romans begins with the gospel.

Romans ends with the people the gospel creates.

Paul has spent fifteen chapters explaining what God does through Christ.

Now he shows us what that looks like in real life.

The gospel creates a family.

And church family, that is exactly what we have been seeing throughout Romans.

Romans is not merely a book about individual salvation.

Romans is about God creating a new humanity in Christ.

A new family.

A new people.

A new community.

A people who live by grace.

A people who love one another.

A people who participate in God’s mission.

And Romans 16 shows us what that family looks like.

POINT 1 — THE GOSPEL CREATES ORDINARY SAINTS

Romans 16:1–16

Paul begins by introducing Phoebe.

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe…” (Romans 16:1)

Immediately we notice something.

Paul knows people.

These are not ministry projects.

These are not statistics.

These are brothers and sisters.

Friends.

Coworkers.

Partners.

Family.

As we move through the chapter we encounter all kinds of people.

Men and women.

Jews and Gentiles.

Married couples.

Singles.

Wealthy people.

Ordinary workers.

Former pagans.

Former religious people.

People from every kind of background.

And what unites them all?

Christ.

Again and again Paul speaks of people who are:

“in the Lord”

“beloved in the Lord”

“workers in Christ”

“approved in Christ”

The defining feature of their identity is not their background.

It is Christ.

Church family, this is one of the great themes of Romans.

Romans 3 taught us that all have sinned.

Romans 5 taught us that Christ died for sinners.

Romans 8 taught us there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 12 taught us that we are one body in Christ.

Now Romans 16 shows us what that looks like.

A room full of ordinary people transformed by extraordinary grace.

The heroes of Romans 16 are not famous.

Most of these names appear nowhere else in Scripture.

And yet God knows every one of them.

The kingdom of God has always advanced through faithful ordinary people.

Mothers teaching children.

Believers opening homes.

People praying.

People serving.

People giving.

People encouraging.

People persevering.

The gospel creates ordinary saints who live extraordinary lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.

POINT 2 — THE GOSPEL CREATES A MISSIONARY FAMILY

Romans 16:3–16

One word appears repeatedly throughout these greetings:

Work.

Paul speaks of:

“my fellow workers”

“those who worked hard”

“workers in the Lord”

The gospel never creates spectators.

The gospel creates participants.

Paul highlights Priscilla and Aquila.

They had risked their lives for the gospel.

He mentions Mary who worked hard.

Persis who worked hard.

Tryphena and Tryphosa who worked hard.

What stands out is that nobody is doing the same thing.

Some host churches in their homes.

Some travel.

Some teach.

Some serve.

Some give.

Some encourage.

Yet all are participating in the mission.

Church family, this should sound familiar.

This is exactly how the church works today.

Not everyone preaches.

Not everyone leads.

Not everyone teaches.

But everyone contributes.

The church is healthiest when every member sees themselves as part of God’s mission.

One of the joys of being your pastor is seeing this happen.

I think of meals delivered during difficult seasons.

I think of people opening their homes for Missional Community.

I think of DNA groups meeting faithfully.

I think of brothers and sisters discipling new believers.

I think of people serving quietly when nobody notices.

Those things matter.

Those things are kingdom work.

Paul is reminding us that the mission advances through ordinary faithfulness.

POINT 3 — THE GOSPEL CREATES A PEOPLE WHO ENDURE UNTIL THE END

Romans 16:17–27

The tone changes in verse 17.

Paul warns against false teachers.

Even at the end of the letter, Paul remembers that the church must remain vigilant.

The gospel creates unity.

But not every call for unity is godly.

Truth matters.

Doctrine matters.

The gospel matters.

The church must remain rooted in Christ.

Yet notice where Paul ends.

Not with fear.

Not with anxiety.

Not with warning.

But with worship.

Verse 25:

“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel…”

After everything Paul has written, he reminds us where our confidence lies.

Not in ourselves.

Not in our strength.

Not in our church.

Not in our leaders.

God is able.

God is able to strengthen His people.

God is able to preserve His church.

God is able to accomplish His purposes.

God is able to finish what He started.

And then Paul concludes:

“To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Romans 16:27)

That is where Romans has always been heading.

The glory of God through Jesus Christ.

CONCLUSION — LOOKING BACK AT ROMANS

Church family, what have we learned together?

Romans has taught us:

We are more sinful than we imagined.

Christ is more gracious than we imagined.

The cross is more powerful than we imagined.

The Spirit is more active than we imagined.

The church is more beautiful than we imagined.

And God is more glorious than we imagined.

Romans began with:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16)

And it ends with:

“To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ” (Romans 16:27)

The gospel has carried us from guilt to grace.

From condemnation to adoption.

From enemies to family.

From death to life.

From scattered sinners to a missionary people.

And church family, we are living proof of that gospel.

LOOKING AHEAD — THE PSALMS OF SUMMER

As we finish Romans, we are not leaving the gospel behind.

We are simply learning how to sing it.

Throughout the summer we are going to spend time in Psalms 13–19.

These Psalms teach us how to bring our hearts before God.

They teach us how to pray when we are hurting.

How to worship when we are joyful.

How to trust when we are afraid.

How to repent when we fail.

How to delight in God’s Word.

If Romans has taught us what is true, the Psalms will teach us how to respond.

Romans has shaped our theology.

The Psalms will shape our affections.

Romans has shown us the greatness of God.

The Psalms will teach us to sing about it.

And I cannot think of a better place for us to spend the summer.

Discussion Questions

Looking back over Romans, what truth has most changed the way you think about God, yourself, or the gospel?

Which person in Romans 16 do you most relate to, and what does their example teach you about faithfulness in God’s kingdom?

Communion Transition

As we come to the table today, we remember that every name in Romans 16 has one thing in common.

They were welcomed by Christ.

And so are we.

The bread reminds us that Christ’s body was broken for us.

The cup reminds us that His blood was shed for us.

We come not because we are worthy, but because Jesus is.

Benediction

Psalm 19:14

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Amen.

I think this ending does three important things:

Faithfully preaches Romans 16.

Concludes the entire Romans series by looking back across the major themes.

Naturally launches into Psalms 13–19 by connecting Romans (truth believed) to Psalms (truth prayed, sung, and felt).