Sermon Tone Analysis

Greet One Another

Romans 16:1-16; I Peter 5:14; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12-13

“Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the churches of Christ send greetings.”

Romans 16:16

Today we begin a Lenten series based on the “One Another” passages found in the New Testament.

As I have been praying for you, and for so many others who are associated with The Seed, the Lord has put it on my heart to look at those passages that call us to be a community of believers.

One of the questions that I have wrestled with is, “How do we have community when there is so much dis-unity?”

I believe that with the advancement of all the electronic devices, our busyness of life, our divisive political world, our racial struggles, economic trials and religious differences, we have lost a real sense of connection with “One Another.”

The New Testament writers wrestled with some of the things we struggle with today.

In fact, many of the letters that were written in the New Testament were written to churches that were struggling with some of the exact things we struggle with today.

Over the next seven weeks, we will dive into the deep end of the pool, learning what the early church struggled with and how they were encouraged to …

Greet One Another --- Romans 16:1-16

Honor and be Devoted to One Another --- Romans 12:9-21

Submit and Serve One Another --- Galatians 5:13 & Ephesians 5:13-33

Live in Harmony with One Another --- I Peter 1:3:8-22

Teach, Admonish and Accept One Another --- Romans 15:1-7; Colossians 3:12-17

Bear with One Another – Ephesians 4:1-10

Love One Another --- John 13:1-34

An early “So what?” question is, “Have you ever thought about how we greet one another, honor one another, are devoted to one another, submit and serve one another, live in harmony with one another, teach, admonish, and accept one another, bear with one another and love one another?”

Before we turn to God’s Word for us, let us come to the throne of grace and seek God’s blessing.

“Lord, God of all love, mercy and grace, show us your truth as we open up Your Living Word and fill us with Your love so that we learn how to greet one another in love.

Amen”

We will look at several passages!

Romans 16:1-16

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.

2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow 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 Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me.

They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

8 Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord.

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

10 Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ.

Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.

11 Greet Herodion, my relative.

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 brothers with them.

15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them.

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the churches of Christ send greetings.[i]

I Peter 5:14

“Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”[ii]

I Corinthians 16:19-24

The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings.

Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.

20 All the brothers here send you greetings.

Greet one another with a holy kiss.

21 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.

22 If anyone does not love the Lord—a curse be on him.

Come, O Lord! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

24 My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.

Amen.[iii]

II Corinthians 13:12-14

Greet one another with a holy kiss.

13 All the saints send their greetings.

14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.[iv]

I Thessalonians 5:26-28

Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.[v]

FINAL GREETINGS

Many years ago, a doting groom penned a love letter to his bride.

Stationed at a California military base thousands of miles away from his wife, James Bracy's link to the lovely woman waiting for him to come home were their love letters.

But this letter didn't get delivered.

Somehow it was lost, lodged between two walls in Fort Ord's mailroom in San Francisco.

The letter was lost in the shadows, with its romantic affections of a youthful marriage, sealed with a kiss.

A half century later, James and Sallie Bracy had just finished celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and were relaxing in the living room when "Once in a While," their song, began to play on the radio.

Sallie remembered affectionately the 1950s song and how she used to get calls and letters from the man who owned her heart.

They joked together knowing there would be no letter or phone call this time because James was at her side.

Meanwhile, a construction crew was dismantling the old post office at Fort Ord, and they discovered a long-forgotten letter from a young army corporal.

The crew turned the letter over to Bob Spadoni, the postmaster in nearby Monterey.

Spadoni began the process of delivering that letter, tracking down the Bracys through post office records and phone books.

Just a few days after hearing their song, the letter, dated January 28, 1955, was delivered to Sallie Bracy.

The letter sent her heart aflutter, tears welled, and she again became a love-struck 22-year-old.

"It meant a lot to me then," said Sallie.

"It means even more now."[vi]

Many years ago, God wrote his love letter to us.

It's always waiting to be delivered!

It’s always waiting to be opened!

It’s always waiting to be read at just the right time.

It meant a lot then, and it means even more now.

Why?

It was sealed with a Holy Kiss of love.

When we read the closing of these letters, it is interesting that the letters end with a greeting to so many different people.

In the letter to the Romans, Paul includes the names of twenty-eight individuals.

Twenty-six are mentioned by name and two are said to be Rufus’ mother and Nereus’s sister.

There are five different groups, seventeen men, nine women, two couples and two households.

There were also five slaves mentioned and some of profound influence.

Aristobulus was thought to be the grandson of Herod the Great and friend of the Emperor Claudius.

Narcissus was likely a well-known freedman who exercised great influence on Emperor Claudius, and Rufus was possibly the son of Simon the Cyrene, the man who was asked to help carry Jesus’ cross to Golgotha.

What I found interesting in my study were the thoughts on Nereus.

The most interesting name in this final collection of names is Nereus.