For small and great who fear His name, the Lord has good in store. The Lord remembers the small and the great. That's tonight in Romans chapter 16. If you have your Bibles, please turn to the last chapter of the book of Romans. And that is found on page 1209 in your pew Bible, if you're visiting and looking for a page number, 1209. Tonight we consider together the first 16 verses. Let's give our attention tonight to the word of the Lord. Romans chapter 16. I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Sincrea, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Eponetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They're well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apellas, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsmen Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncretus, Phlegon, Hermes, Petrobos, Hermos, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologa, Julia, Nerus, and his sister, and Olympus, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss, and all the churches of Christ greet you. May the Lord bless the hearing of his word. Well, I read this passage at Devotions this afternoon with my children and my wife, and I looked at my wife, and I says, what do you think it's about? and she says well paul wants to say hi to everyone i thought that's a good summary of the chapter there's not much else to say right paul's saying hi to everyone well there's a lot more to it than that uh tonight's passage is an important passage as we begin to to wind down the book of romans and as i said before at the end of these books and even at the beginning of these books we find a lot of really exciting content a lot of exciting things that the lord inspired and wants us to know that all things are written for us to help us and encourage us. Remember, all scripture is given by inspiration from God and is profitable, even these lists of names. And tonight's passage is reorienting us as to why we're doing all of this. I find it fascinating that to me that the very first time we have the word church in this entire epistle is in the section that I read tonight. And that was purposeful by the apostle. Have you ever thought about what the church is and why it is so important? There are many reasons to answer that. There are many ways that we could answer that. But the church is the glorious body of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when Paul told the Ephesian elders to shepherd this body, remember what he said. He said, I want you to give yourselves to it, to care for them, to care for the church. Why do I, why should you do that? because he obtained all of these people with his own blood. I've always found that to be so remarkable that when the Apostle Paul looked at the church, he thought of people. We forget how God views his church. The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 21, says something very helpful about the church, that Jesus through the Spirit and Word is gathering, protecting, and preserving for himself a community chosen in faith we focus on the community but then it says this and of this community i am and always will be a living member we shouldn't forget individuals in the kingdom we shouldn't get that the church is made up of people and that the lord values every member of his kingdom, the small and the great that we sung out from that song. And we tend to forget this. I think the beautiful way chapter 16 is reminding us of, what it's doing here is reminding us of the goal of all of this and of all of the doctrine and of all of the teaching that we do, all that we are doing, it's for people. And you would think, well, of course I know that. No, the church often forgets that. Pastors forget that. Isn't that a strange thing that you could be teaching and teaching a whole lot of things, distinction, distinction, distinction, distinction, and forget who it's about and who it's for? Well, that's Romans 16. For each and every living member that Christ purchased with his own blood. And tonight, the passage is showing us how valuable each one is to him. So what we have here is Paul explaining to the church, really, if you were to break it down, that he remembers, and we're seeing here really through this the message of how the Lord looks at his church, that Paul was saying, I remember who you are. I remember what you have done. And as he goes through this, he's challenging the church and encouraging the church to look at each member the same way as he is looking at each member and what the Lord has done. And it's important tonight because it demonstrates how we are to think about each and every member, what we are to think about the body of Christ. And what Paul's doing then is to encourage that and to help us see and move forward in how we think and how we love, recognizing that every single one is special to the Lord. We read here in Romans 16, it's a kind of record, if you will. Not really a book of life, but kind of like a book of life because these are God's people. And a record of people who existed at a real time, in a real place, who have gone before us, who are absolutely no different than you, common folk, who were redeemed by the blood of the lamb. And what does the Lord think about them? Well, you have the greats in the Bible. When you're going to go to the hall of faith, where are you going to go? You're going to go to Hebrews chapter 11, and you're going to go to the mighty ones. You're going to go to the great ones. You're going to go to Abraham. You're going to go to Samson. You're going to go to Gideon. You're going to go to Moses. You're going to look at all the great names in the scripture. But here's another kind of hall of faith. The last one people ever talk about. The last one that anyone would ever go to. And I think there's a really powerful message in it. Who are they? Rufus. There's a name to bring back today. Rufus, Junia, Mary, Urbannas. Who are they? I have no idea. They're nobody you ever study their stories in the scripture. They're no one that you ever find that's great in our estimation that will ever mention that I want the faith of Rufus, you know. These people existed years ago. And what a message to end the book of Romans with, in Romans chapter 16, that the heart of Christianity and all that we're doing was not for the super pastors. It was not for who we think are the greats or for the elite. This is the reason. This is why we're doing this. This is what this is about. the first question you have to ask tonight as we open this up is how did paul even know these people you know he knows them by name and he's never been to rome he didn't have facebook most likely he had heard of some of them in reports hadn't he he had heard reports of what these people did but most he knew by name here that he mentions because these were people who he had come across in his missionary journeys who helped him who were of great significance remember last time to helping him forward and that's why that whole helping forward was a major theme to continue that many of these people had been crucial to the helping forward of the apostle paul and as we look at these in a sense it's really encouraging to think about the service of god's people this way I know it doesn't quite fit but I want you to think of epitaphs you know it's a short statement written on a headstone about somebody about a person's life I went to the LA Times this week and I just was curious reading obits is strangely morbid but it is kind of fun sometimes and last week I I read a whole bunch of in light of this I wanted to read obituaries so I read obituaries. Here's what I came up with. Robert Strauss dies at 95, former Democratic Party chairman. Jackie Gaughan dies at 93, pioneer of the Vegas casino industry. David Brenner dies at 78, comedian who was a favorite of Johnny Carson. Larry Scott dies at 75, champion bodybuilder. Joseph Sachs dies at 78. Law professor wrote an influential article on public trust doctrine. L. Ren Scott dies at 49. Model who became a fashion designer. How do you feel about that? It's tragic a little bit, isn't it? This is what fills newspapers. People's lives, and if it's a life apart from faith in Jesus Christ, the thing that you're all thinking is, what value had it? What value did any of that I read really have in the whole scheme of things? What good is it to die apart from Christ and have on my gravestone that I played a role in Batman? What legacy is it that I left behind and pioneered the casino industry in Vegas? I think of William Grinnell's famous statement, it can be written on the tomb of an unrepentant sinner. Here lies a man who in all his life never worked one hour for God. One hour. That's Esau's life. Now why am I saying that tonight? Because this is not how God views you. and doesn't that matter tonight doesn't that just lift us up in the greatest amount of encouragement when god's saying i look at you a certain way i see you a certain way romans 16 is god's inspired epitaphs if you will of people people just like you and he's telling us i know them i saw what they did it mattered it mattered a lot and the holy spirit through the apostle wants to share the joy of what god is doing in lives in the lives of his people this is the whole perspective of the bible that when god saves a sinner the most amazing thing happens you know it was so wonderful when clinton stood up this morning but i i quoted that verse because i was thinking about tonight that that the perspective of heaven when one sinner repents everyone's rejoicing everyone's excited everyone's singing that this happened there is more joy in heaven says jesus over one sinner who repents and over 99 just persons who don't need it And I can't help but seeing here that this was to be instructive for the church all throughout since the time it was given and dictated and then penned and handed to Phoebe. We'll look at that here in a minute. That this was how the church was to be viewed. This is how God wanted you to know of his view of you. I needed to be reminded of this and so do you. The reason I say that is because the minister often gets very weighed down with conflict. The minister gets easily sidetracked in all of the conflicts of the ministry and fights over doctrinal controversies which are important. No one downplays that. There are controversies that are important. There are those we have to contend for. But they're so easy to get sucked into that you forget what this is really about. What the goal is. It was like when I was younger, I used to be a track runner. And I'd be at the starting line, and I hated track. And the worst thing about track was is the anticipation for that gun to go off. And I'd throw up, and I'd get all worked up, and my coaches would have to come and calm me down and say, listen, Chris, do you know that 10 negative thoughts, I mean, one negative thought, it takes 10 positive ones to replace? In other words, you're defeated out of the gates. Why am I saying that? Well, it's easy in the conflict, one conflict, to forget all this. all the wonderful positive things that the Holy Spirit is really doing in the hearts and lives of his people and it's fascinating that next time and I have to devote a sermon to it because I need it more than anyone it's easy for pastors to get caught up in disputes over stupid things and Paul is about ready to warn in the next section of what divisive people he mentions all these people of god all the things that are happening and then he says see them stay away from them notice this look at um look at this i appeal to you brothers watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you've been taught and what does he say take them all on avoid them i haven't been good at that i as a young pastor you know you're you're the young profit. You're going to go get them. Avoid them. You see what they do? They do nothing but take you away from this. Avoid the divisive people. And this is why Paul says we can become terribly warped and sidetracked through their behavior and forget the goal. And Paul reminded Timothy of that problem when he said listen we endure all things for the sake of who god's elect that they here's the goal may obtain the salvation which is in christ jesus with eternal glory don't forget the little 90 year old lady saint who has come to faith in christ but is suffering and so on and so on and so on constant distraction and distraction and it's easily to forget the marvelous program of the spirit's work in the hearts and lives of you i love this because paul is showing what this is all about not losing the goal being reoriented to the goal he had an intense love for the people of god and every pastor has to have a love for the people of god i once heard a pastor say to me in the midst of conflict boy ministry would be so great if it wasn't for the people and we laugh and you realize you wouldn't have a ministry without the people anyone who doesn't love people can't do this and it's amazing at how paul looked at people paul had a longing for people paul wanted to see them go forward in it these were people whom jesus specifically died for and what so excited paul was that paul was being used as a weak servant as he said i'm the chief of sinners to bring these people in and the mere thought that god was saving through the ministry and using people for this end to save souls from eternal death did we forget that what we're doing is a rescue operation to save people from the awful judgment to come longed for the progress of the church in philippians paul said of the church therefore my beloved and longed for brethren my joy and my crown stand fast in the lord you hear what he said you are my crown i wear you on that day when i we are all in glory do you realize that you're the crown that i'm going to wear he was thinking of the day of judgment when jesus renders his righteous judgment against the world and all those who had come in through the ministry of the gospel and had been brought in there was this deep sense of joy that's what we're working for it's what we're laboring for it's a humbling thing for a gospel ministers that the souls that that that you're laboring for would be presented perfect i know there's a lot of things you could be doing you could do all sorts of other things in the ministry and you can get burnt out and tapped out and all those other things but i know that the most needful thing is the ministry of the word and giving myself above other things to that that's it that that is what the lord says so chapter 16 then is a list of names recognizing who they are what they've done to remind us what the church is and i want to highlight for you now a little bit to give you a sense of this how encouraging this is the names particular names that had impacts upon him particular names that he could not forget a people when he thought in his mind he saw their faces and it greatly encouraged him the first is she's a little bit different he's commending phoebe tonight to them she's an interesting figure she's called a servant which is the same word for deacon or diakonos, deacons. It's led many to think that there was the office of women deacon early in the church. The reason that's not so is because you have specific commands for only males to be in that position. But that said, don't pass over this too quick. She gets a remarkable commendation. A servant of help to the Apostle Paul you'll notice in verse 2 phoebe was sent to the romans many have recognized it was probably through the hands of phoebe that this epistle was delivered wow paul was at the port of corinth when romans was written and he entrusted this epistle most likely to in the hands of this woman who today we now have it was carried by her a woman full of good works a woman full of service you'll get these spotlights in the scripture of women like this i think of the one in acts now there was in joppa a disciple named tabitha which translated means dorcas she was full of good works and acts of charity full of them you've heard me say that there uh in a minister in a pastor's labors there are so many that encourage you along the way and i can't begin to name all of the women who have been remarkable encouragements in the ministry who who were encouragement to the to the leaders of the church encouragement to me as a pastor who were really pillars and backbones in the church in the service to the needy sometimes i wonder if because of the women's ordination thing that we've reacted the other way and not use the gifts of women as we should in the church it's really beautiful here a wonderful encouragement for the women in the church imagine this being said of you you are a servant and a helper to your minister in advancing the truth of the gospel. That's special. Don't ever overlook it. What a privilege. He goes on in verse three. Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. He thanks them and noticed that he references the church that was in their house. This was a remarkable couple. A husband and wife kind of team. They started homes, churches in their homes in those days. Who were Prisca and Aquila? They were the married couple whom Paul met in Corinth. And you remember what happened. Paul had to work there a long time and they got to know each other. And Paul went on to Ephesus and this couple went with him to Ephesus. And remember what happened. It says, he says, they risked their necks for me. He's probably referring to the riot that broke out where he was almost killed by the mob riot and when over these goddesses of Diana, the goddess Diana, these idols, and they risked their necks to help and save him. What's notable about them is what they did for a young pastor. And what a good setting to say this in. We've got loads of young ones studying to be the bastards. Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only of the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him. And when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, showing from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. There was this young preacher who was bold, but God used this couple to encourage him, to help him in their maturity along the way, to push him forward, to explain things. Maturity. A wonderful section, isn't it? And the result was that the gospel was much furthered through Apollos as Priscilla and Aquila were in the background doing this. Paul's deeply touched. You know what he says? I want you to thank them. And guess what? All the churches thank them in the Gentile regions for what they did. They're known. Recognize what the Lord is doing. My father was a basketball coach for 20 years. And he always had amazing teams, good teams. He always said to me, though, since he was troubled by how backwards things were, you always would have the hotheads who were always concerned about how many points they scored. And they're always worried about their names getting on the board. And he would always say to me, it's wrong. They never get it. It's wrong. They always get in the newspaper, but you know what? It only comes by the sweat and the hard work of those rebounders. It only comes by the sweat and the hard works of those who are actually boxing out, who are setting screens, who are doing nothing that's glorious behind the scene. Well, I believe the apostles understood and demonstrated humility. They weren't hotheads, even though pastors can have a problem with that. They were in the trenches for sure, but they knew, they knew that they were helped forward in a very significant way by God's people this way. Without which, these not doing their part, the ministry would not advance. We saw that last time with giving. It wouldn't advance. It's interesting. I've said before, the things that the Lord mentions on that day. Of all things that He mentions on that day, the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom, prepared for you for the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me. The righteous will say, Lord, when did we do those things? The King will say, and as much as you did it, to one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it. to me. A few more tonight. Greet Eponetus, who's the first fruits in Achaia, or Asia, to Christ. Can you imagine saying that? This was my first convert there. This was the first one the Lord used me to bring in. You know how special that is in the apostles' mind, this is the man I remember. This is what I saw ministry like. When somebody came in, he was the first one. From a pastor's perspective, the first kind of fruit that way is something you never forget. I can tell you mine, but I won't. But it's remarkable. I can still see their face. greet him. He was my first fruits of the ministry. I can never forget him. I'll never forget Eponacus. Mary. Who's Mary? I have no idea. It's none of the ones in the gospel. She's not one of the Marys in the gospels. It's just Mary. She labored for us. She labored much for us. Andronikos and Junia, we were prisoners together. We were bound up together. They were so strong in the Lord. All the apostles recognized it. And you know what? They came in the kingdom way before me. These were pillars. And you know what? In God's providence, there we were in prison together. Amplius, my beloved in the Lord. I love him. Rufus. Chosen in the Lord. What a remarkable thing to say, isn't it? He's chosen. I see it. How would you like this on your epitaph? Apellas. Approved in Christ. Wouldn't that be the best thing that could ever be said of you? Approved in Christ. I'd love to have that on my tombstone. Are you seeing how God views His people? Are you getting a sense of this? And then Paul turns, and at the end of this greeting section here, he says, greet one another with a holy kiss. That may seem foreign to us, but that was a common way of embracing in the world in that time. And Paul is saying to the Romans, I want you to greet one another in the Lord like I am sending greetings to you. I want you to think of yourselves this way. I want you to look at one another and think of yourselves in this way. Embrace one another like I am embracing you. You recognize these things are happening in the life of the body. You recognize the Lord is working this way in your church. This is the body of Christ. Greet your brethren. I suppose I have to ask the question, what do uninvolved people do? Do they stay around and greet their brethren? Uninvolved people who are doing nothing in the kingdom are absent from the lives of God's people. And if your name was put here tonight and the pastor, your name was put in front of the elder body, what would be said? Sinners saved by grace, amen. But what were the fruits that would show from your life in the body of Christ? Would it be something small that you think is insignificant? It's important. All sorts of people have been a blessing in the ministry in my short time already. And I'm sure if I could start going down the rows right now, I could put a whole bunch of little statements after you in the short time I've already known. Think of the encouragement tonight. Dear servant, that person, there's so much life in them, they're approved in Christ. I love to think about this tonight. It's such an encouragement. I hope it's never said, that one is a grumbler and a complainer. It'd be a bad thing to have on the epitaph, wouldn't it? He ends this list by saying, and I could hear him saying, If God so views his people this way, then you view his people this way. That's the encouragement. You embrace them this way. I want you to see that you have that responsibility, says the apostle. Embrace your brethren. Embrace them this way. Recognize what God is doing in them in service for his gospel and in love for one another because ultimately all these things listed here tonight in Romans chapter 16 are evidences that Christ has purchased people with his precious blood. And that life is no waste. Not like what we read in the LA Times. These lives are no waste. He purchased them. And so I say tonight, in the life of the Escondido United Reformed Church, receive one another, greet one another with tender affection as members together of the glorious body of the Lord Jesus Christ, His church. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, we bow tonight and are so grateful for how you speak of us. Because we know we don't deserve them. We don't deserve anything that we have. And yet we have everything. And thank you for encouraging us in how you look at your people. And may this kind of view of the church spill over here that we would greet one another with brotherly love and embrace. Being involved in the lives of people. Remembering what this is all about. And keep us pastors from forgetting that this is about people. Help us never to forget that this is about people who need to understand your gospel and your love. And where there are divisions and people who are just destroying the body, Bring those to nothing. But keep us fixed on your great working to save a people that no man can number, purchased by the precious blood of the Lamb. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.