FAITHFUL FRIENDS

Romans 16:1-27

INTRODUCTION:   

As you may know, I am not a movie-watcher.  I get too fidgety before the movie is over.  Maybe I’m ADD or something; I don’t know.  But there are a handful of movies I have enjoyed.  My favorite movie is Dunston Checks In.  I want to play a clip from that movie for you this morning.

 

(PLAY CLIP OF FINAL CHAPTER OF DVD – SHOWING THE CREDITS FOR THE MOVIE)

 

The plot is a little thin and the characters are not well developed in this clip, are they?  I took the time to count and there are 278 names that appear as the credits roll at the end of this movie.  Does anyone actually read this stuff?  This is a little better than some that scroll at warp-speed so that no normal person could read the names if he wanted to.  But again, what normal person would want to read the names at the end of a movie?

 

When you get to the end of one of Paul’s epistles, does it not seem a bit like watching the credits at the end of a movie?  Nobody actually reads that stuff either, do they?  But perhaps we should because they introduce us to people who were significant in the life of the first century church

 

From Romans 16, we can learn that the Christian church at Rome was a lot like other churches we’ve all known and loved.  Within the lines of these verses, we will find examples of faithful friends, fierce foes and firm foundations.  May I point out some examples from the credits at the end of this letter?

I.          FAITHFUL FRIENDS (16:1-16, 20-23)

Paul’s life and labors were enhanced by faithful friends who partnered with him in the work of the church.  He wrote:

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.

^

^21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.

^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

There are at least three categories of faithful friends that Paul lists in the credits at the end of this letter.   First of all, there are friends who are servants.

A.     Servants

Seven times in this section, Paul identifies people as his fellow servants with one form or another of that word. 

·         Phoebe is called “a servant of the church in Cenchrea” and the word for servant is the feminine form of the term, deacon: deaconess.

·         Priscilla and Aquila are called “my fellow workers”

·         Mary is said to have “worked very hard for you”

·         Urbanus is identified as “Our fellow worker in Christ”

·         Tryphena and Tryphosa are listed.  Don’t you suspect they were sisters?  Maybe even twins?  Interestingly, their names translate to “delicate” and “dainty”.  And they may have been but it did not keep them from being described as “those women who work hard in the Lord.”

·         Persis is identified as “another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord”

·         And Timothy is called “my fellow worker”

 

We do not know very much about some of these folk but we know a little about a few of them.  One thing we know for sure about each of them is that they were servants of the Lord and of his church.  There is nothing that binds a church together quite like working together.  When Christians serve together they stick together.  And when they stop serving, they are more apt to squabble.  Paul’s ministry was enhanced by faithful friends who were servants.

B.    Saints

Two times in this passage, Paul calls individuals “saints”.  Nine more times, he describes people as being “in Christ” or “in the Lord”.

 

The word “saint” is from the same Greek root as the word “holy”.  When a thing is holy, it is something that has been set apart for the Lord.  When a person is called a saint, it means he has been set apart for the Lord. 

 

If you are a Christian, if you have accepted Jesus as your savior and if you have given your life to the Lord, you now belong to Him.  You’ve been set apart for Him and for His work.  That makes you His.  That makes you holy.  That makes you a saint.

 

There were many saints in Rome; many people who had given their lives to Christ.  Some would eventually give their lives for Christ.  Any who had set themselves apart for Christ were a tremendous encouragement to Paul in his work for the Lord.

C.    Sufferers

Among those whom Paul greets are servants, saints and sufferers.  Paul identifies Andronicus and Junias as relatives of his and he says they were in prison with him.  Paul says they were Christians even before he was and that they are “outstanding among the apostles” (whatever you take that to mean).

 

Paul says that Apelles was “tested and approved in Christ”.  The idea is a bit like Quality Assurance in a manufacturing facility.  Parts are fabricated then tested and finally given the stamp of approval if they meet specifications.  Apelles had been through the testing and had received God’s stamp of approval.

 

Paul’s ministry was enhanced because of faithful friends who were fellow sufferers for the sake of the Gospel.  Those who’ve been in the trenches and who have suffered for the cause will always encourage one another.

II.                  FIERCE FOES (16:17-19)

In Romans 16:17-19, Paul alerts the Roman Christians to the presence, within the church, of enemies of the Cross.  I want to suggest to you that these folk were not confined to the church in Rome in the first century of the church.  We have them in today’s church, too.  Paul wrote:

^17 I urge you, brothers, 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 am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil

A.     The Divisive

The first people to whom Paul alerts us are those who are divisive.  He advises the Roman Christians to watch out for them.  In every age, there have been people who have caused disruption, disturbance and division in the church.  It is in the third verse of the epistle of Jude that we run across Paul’s admonition to “contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.”  Unfortunately, some have misunderstood that to be a command to be contentious for the faith.  Paul says to watch out for the divisive.

B.    The Demanding

Paul also says to watch out for the demanding.  These are the ones who put obstacles in the way of sincere Christians.  Paul is describing those who impose demands on disciples that the Lord never put on them.  These are very often legalists who impose rules and regulations that are not found in Scripture.  Paul says to keep away from them.  He says that such people are not serving the Lord; they are serving themselves and satisfying their own appetites.

C.    The Deceitful

And, Paul says to watch out for the deceitful.  These folk employ what Paul describes as “smooth talk” and “flattery” for the purpose of misleading the naïve and trusting believers.  Beware of those who would deceive you into following them instead of following the Lord.

III.                FIRM FOUNDATIONS (16:25-27)

^25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to 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 nations might believe and obey him— ^27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

In this passage, Paul details the firm foundational pillars upon which a solid church is built.

A.     The gospel

The first of the foundational pillars of the church is the gospel.  We throw that word around a lot in the church.  We use it so much that it has become a kind of religious jargon.  May I remind you of the simple meaning of the word “gospel?  The word literally means “Good News”. 

 

The Good News that is the Gospel is that Jesus lived a sinless life, died to pay the penalty for all the sin of all men, he was buried and three days later he came back to life and reigns with God in heaven.  And the part that makes this The Good News is that because of all those truths, you can be free from the penalty and the power of your sin. 

 

A foundational truth of the church is The Good News of the Gospel: that all people can be saved from their sins.

B.    Inspired preaching

A second foundational truth of the church is inspired preaching.  Paul writes that the Christians in Rome were “established” (or grounded) because of the Gospel and because of his “proclamation of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past.” 

 

The secret that had been kept for centuries but that was revealed to Paul was that even people who were not Jews could become a part of the family of God.  When God revealed that truth to Paul, it inspired his preaching.

 

Let me ask you: is there anything about the Lord that really excites you?  Is there anything about Jesus that you find to be so fantastic that you just can’t help but tell others about it?  There certainly ought to be.

C.    Wisdom of God

The third foundational truth of the church is the wisdom of God.  Paul is even more profound when he identifies YHWH as “the only wise God”.  God is the only Being who is supremely wise.  But beyond that, YHWH is also only ever wise.  He is never anything other than wise: His decisions are always wise; His actions are always wise; His correction is always wise.  He is the only wise God.  Truly, the wisdom of God is foundational for the church.

CONCLUSION:      

The wisdom of God is foundational for the church.  And the heart of God is foundational for the Christian.  Will you join with me in singing a prayer that God will give us a heart like His?

 

INVITATION:                        “Change My Heart, O God”

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