Romans 16 | Jerry Harris

Wow. That's that.

That's worship right there. That's praising God right there.

I don't know about all the rest of you campuses, but it was

getting it. Was getting good in here.

Up in here. Yeah, well, I am.

How you doing? Crossing church.

You doing OK? You sound like it.

You look like it. I'm thankful for each and

everyone of you. And God is good.

God is good. How often is he good?

That's right, he's good. All the time.

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This region that are joining with us.

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Up in Monmouth and they still have the stock.

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Awesome to see 15 baptisms last month.

You know, coming out because you know even though.

They're inside those bars and doors and fences.

They don't keep the Holy Spirit out, He gets.

Right in there. And he does the work, doesn't.

He's pretty awesome. And here we are today and we're

at the end of this series Romans.

I have the privilege of preaching this last sermon in

the series from Romans 16 and. Thursday, Thursday evening, I

got done with the sermon bill twiddell or leads our.

Our prison ministry right over there and he comes up to me,

he's got his hand out, shakes my hand, he goes.

That is the best. Sermon on Roman 16 I have ever.

Heard my head goes like that. He goes it's the only sermon

from Roman 16 I've ever heard. It goes right back down because

it's not necessarily a a passage of Scripture.

That might command your attention.

I mean, there's all of these. Really meaty, substantive things

that we're reading as we study through Romans.

And you get to Romans 16 and it's the apostle Paul.

Just. Greeting a bunch of people,

right? You know, just want you to greet

this person, thankful for this person, glad this person's part

of the team. He just kind of goes through all

of these. Names and so it's really easy

for me. I don't know about you, but it's

it's. Easy for me to just kind of just

read over that. I mean, I don't like neglect it.

At least I don't think I do I. I just.

I just kind of read over it like that's just.

Kind of what you do at the end of a letter.

But I was, I was preparing for this sermon.

I I thought, you know. I want to go down a little.

Bit deeper and you know God never disappoints and all he

does is reminds you that there isn't anything in that book that

he didn't really want to be in there, that there was something

in there that he wanted us. To know and incorporate.

Into our lives. That's going to make us better

believers, better followers of Jesus.

Christ and boy, if he didn't do it again, I am really excited to

preach this sermon to you. But what I want to do is.

Begin by review, because Romans is such an incredible letter,

such an incredible book in the New Testament, and we learn

such. Incredible things, and I just

want to just review those with you.

We've learned so much about the nature of this world around us,

particularly from God's point of view.

We've learned that we're all sinners.

In need of a Savior, and that Savior has been provided for us

in Jesus. We've learned that the grace

that Jesus provides. Cannot be earned, and it is the

only thing that has the power to reverse the curse.

That comes to us as a result of our.

We've learned that we received that grace by faith in Jesus and

when we come into a relationship with.

Him That grace is revealed to us.

We've learned that in Jesus we are no longer condemned, that

we've been adopted into the family of.

God that we can actually call God ABBA father, which means

daddy. We know that he.

He. He.

Knows about our hurts and he comforts us.

And that everything's going to work out.

Just trust him. Everything's going to work out.

We know that we are more than conquerors through.

Jesus, that nothing has the. Power to separate us from him.

That we've been chosen. That we've been justified.

And someday we'll be glorified. We've learned that this grace is

there for everyone and we are called to share that.

Good news with everybody. That God is transforming us.

As we submit to his will. And we live by his standards,

not the world's standards. And we learn that we need to see

ourselves as a family. We need to help.

The weak instead of pushing. Them down because God loves.

Us all the same. So when we get to this last

chapter and the apostle Paul gets very.

Personal and he gets personal with specific people who.

Serve and who lead in the Roman church.

And I know that at first this passage.

Doesn't seem that interesting, but if you take a closer look

you're going to find a lot more. There are 29 people mentioned in

Roman 16 by name. 29 of them. What's really interesting is the

Apostle Paul only personally knows or has met three.

Now that was. The first thing that really

occurred to me like, wow, that's interesting.

Paul doesn't really even know. These people.

And yet he's greeting them and he's and he's encouraging them

and he's lifting them up and he only knows 3.

We know that because of what it. Says in Romans 15 that Paul

wanted to visit Rome, but he hadn't done it yet.

And so it's. Interesting to me.

How personal he is with specific people.

And I think it's also important to note that because individual

people are very important to God.

You know, we're not just talking about the Roman Church when we

read. The Book of Romans we're.

Talking about real people who are leading real.

Lives and had real challenges and we're doing real work for

the Kingdom. And I think that's an

encouragement because as we look at ourselves today, here we are

at the. And God doesn't just see the

crossing, He sees all these individual people who have.

All of these challenges, and they're overcoming those

challenges through the Holy Spirit and God is releasing.

Them into the world to use their.

Gifts and talents. To build the Kingdom, to bring

his lost children. That is a big encouragement to

me. The second thing that I that

that. I kind of take in personally is

that since there's only. Three that are personally known

to Paul. In this group of 29, they didn't

have to be a friend to Paul to be important.

I think a lot of. Us might feel a little

disconnected and we might like, you know, kind of fill in some

of the blanks like maybe these people are doing this or that in

Ministry because, you know, they're connected like they're

they're. Well known by other people, and

what this tells me is that. You can do incredible stuff in

the Kingdom of God, and you don't have to be a friend of so

and so. You don't have to be connected

to so and so that God sees you. And he knows what your gifts and

your talents are, and he wants to implement them into the

Kingdom. And what you do for the Lord

that's important teaches me that too.

So here's what I want to do. I want to.

Go through some of this list all right because.

These names are mentioned, but maybe we don't really know who

these people are. And let's spend some time

understanding who these people. Are that Paul mentions.

And then maybe place their example over our lives and let

it challenge us and how we might want to reach out.

How we might want to incorporate ministry into our lives to

change the world on God's terms. And the first one that we're

going to learn about is a girl. Named Phoebe.

A woman named Phoebe. Let's look at.

Verse one and two of chapter 16, it says I commend to you, our

sister. Phoebe A Deacon of.

The Church of Centuria, I ask you to receive her in the Lord

in a way worthy of his. People, and to give her any help

she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many

people, including me. Now you learn some stuff right

away. All right.

About Phoebe. She's a woman of some means

because she has been supporting the ministry where the Apostle

Paul is. He's in.

Corinth at the time, and Phoebe is in Centuria, which is the

port. City of Corinth, and she's been

supporting them financially. So she's a businesswoman, she's

probably reasonably wealthy and she's been helping the ministry,

but you learn more than that. You see, Paul is writing.

This letter to the Romans from Corinth in Greece and the Roman,

Roman churches in Rome in Italy, and if you can think a little

bit on your world map, kind of like your invisible world map up

here. If you if you look at Southern

Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, below that you the, you

have the. Boot that comes down right,

which is Italy. And Rome is kind of South

Central Italy. But then you have to go over to

the next peninsula, which is a long way away to the east, and

that's Greece and and the the the Greek peninsula comes down

and there's kind of a separation.

You kind of see the main body of the of the.

Going down into the Med. And then it kind of has a

disconnected feel of this lower part.

And Corinth is right there. So in order to get from corn to

Greece, you had to board? That's the Isthmus of Corinth,

and that's where Corinth. And you had to.

Sail this long journey in the Aegean Sea and in the

Mediterranean Sea, and it was actually a very dangerous

journey. So that is what the Apostle

Paul. Is having Phoebe do.

He's having her take. The letter to the Romans and

deliver it to Rome from Greece, which means she has to board

ship. She has to make this not exactly

safe journey and she has to deliver this letter.

Wow, that that's. A pretty big responsibility,

right? And if, if she makes it,

hopefully she will make it to Rome.

She's going to be a stranger there, right?

And so the Apostle Paul as they read this letter.

They want. He wants them to use it.

And understand it that they would take care of Phoebe while

that she was there. They they would house her.

They would provide for whatever. Provisions that she needed help

her to get back. To Greece when that letter is

delivered, so he's. Looking to them to be hospitable

to her. And commends them to her as A

and. She's actually holds an office

in the church. She's a Deacon in the church, a

servant leader. So she has.

To be a woman of some great commitment.

Because it would. Take great commitment to do that

and that's where she challenges. Me, I can tell already that.

Phoebe is an influential person and probably runs a business.

So would I. Listen to somebody tell me to do

something. Say I need for you to do this

for the Lord. Would you do this?

Would I drop it all I mean? Think about how long she's going

to be gone. She's going to have to get on

the ship. She's going to have to go all

this way. She's going.

To deliver this letter, she's going to have to kind of

reprovide. And she's going to have to come

back. That's going to take a long

time, which means she's going to be leaving her.

Business, right? And all the other things.

Maybe she's got a family and she's got a deal do this other

thing. Is that going?

To be, you know, uncomfortable for her, Wouldn't it be just

easier? For her to stay in Corinth.

Couldn't somebody else deliver this letter?

But she doesn't do that. She takes this letter.

She does this challenging. Thing for the Lord and.

Some of us may not. Think that delivering a letter

is such a great thing. You know, the Book of Romans as

a letter might be the greatest letter ever written by human

hands. Like the most important letter

ever. And she didn't go to.

Kinko's and make copies. There's one letter that letter's

written on a scroll by. Hand, right?

And she's. Delivering this one, what would?

Happen if the ship that she was. Sailing on with shipwreck like

the one that happened with Paul that we read about in the book

of Acts. When he was shipwrecked, what

if? What would have happened?

What would have happened to the? Letter would have been gone.

There was only one. Right.

Think about what we would. Have all missed out on you.

See, I owe her. I owe Phoebe.

The Roman Church owed her because the Roman Church needed

to read what the apostle. Paul had delivered to them, but

so do I. I mean, I'm a recipient.

That letter. And if it hadn't been for

Phoebe, would I have ever received that letter?

Would I have ever? Been able to to read that?

Letter for myself and incorporate its teachings into

my spiritual life. I want you to think about this

just because some of us struggle with.

Some of us. Struggle with responsibility.

Some of us struggle. With anything that might make us

a little less comfortable, some of us might go to church.

And go, you know, I really didn't like that song, that.

Got that? Got a little too.

Lively for me, that last. One I don't.

Know if I'm going to go for a few weeks.

I mean, just a tiny little bit of uncomfortability.

And we were we're like piercing out.

Look at her. You see, That's her story.

My question is, what's your story?

Next people we meet is Priscilla and Aquila, married couple.

We read about them in verses 3 to the five, A says.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus.

They risk their lives for me. Not only I, but all the churches

of the. Gentiles are grateful to them.

Greet also the church that. Meets in their house, Priscilla

and Aquila. Now this is who they were.

Because they're. Written about more than once in

the New Testament, they were Jews who originally lived in

Rome until the Roman Emperor Claudius passed a decree that

expelled all the Jews. From Rome.

So imagine having to deal with that.

They had a business. Like you have your whole

livelihood. There you have.

You had their. Their business there they had.

Belongings, maybe a home, and then all of a sudden you have to

uproot yourself. And leave because of an

emperor's edict. For some people that would make

them pretty bitter, but you really don't see that in

Priscilla and Aquila because because the the.

Situation that happened in Rome. They immigrate to Greece,

particularly Corinth. And they're tent makers by

trade. And that's interesting because

the Apostle Paul is also. A tent maker.

And he's in Corinth. And so they have this.

Commonality and they begin to talk together and they form a

relationship. And very probably the Apostle

Paul lived in the. Home of Priscilla and Aquila in

Greece and so as Paul. Was planting that church and

developing that church. Priscilla and Aquila were also

doing that with him. So they were church planters

along with the Apostle Paul also says that they risked their

lives for Paul. So it wasn't long before they

were, only. Doing the missionary work in

Corinth, but as Paul decided to sail to go to Syria, they said

they would go with. And so they became missionary

leaders with Paul to go to. And on the way they stopped in a

mega city of the ancient world. Ephesus And there was a church

that got established an Ephesus. The Apostle Paul moved on, but

Priscilla and Aquila stayed in Ephesus and helped plant that

church and develop that church, probably the greatest church.

Of the New Testament, when we read the book of Ephesians, they

were probably the the the most spiritual best.

Church in the ancient world, and I think a lot of that is due to

the leadership of these two people, Priscilla.

And Aquila, there was a person in Ephesus.

That became an evangelist. But only he only knew the

baptism of John, a baptism of repentance.

He didn't know. About being baptized into

Christ. And it says in the book of Acts

that Priscilla. And Aquila took him into their

home. And explained to him more

perfectly the way of. So they were doing all sorts of

really important work. Apollis ended up.

Being one of the greatest leaders of the 1st century.

Church and he was taught. By Priscilla and Aquila.

When we catch up with them again, they're back in Rome

because Claudius, the emperor, died, and then the Jews were let

back in. So they went back to where they

were before and they were continuing to build the church

again that they helped established in the 1st place,

Priscilla. And Aquila are the ultimate

power couple of the New Testament.

They are truly a power couple. And I love that about them.

And I think that's how they apply to us is that a lot of us

have. Our ministries.

We have our gifts and talents that we want to use for the

Lord. But you know that God can use us

as couples. It's one thing I love about my

relationship to Allison is that. Yeah, we're a married couple,

but we're also a ministry couple.

We've always been a ministry couple when I falter a little

bit and. Kind of lose some of my zeal for

Ministry. She's the one pushing me on.

She's always been doing ministry.

She was doing ministry before I was doing ministry.

She decided to go to Bible college before I decided to go

to Bible college. I'd like to.

I'd like. To think we're kind of a

ministry power couple. Not on the.

Not in the league of Priscilla and Aquila, but it's really cool

to. Think that you can do ministry.

Together, not just apart. And I don't know how many of you

might be considering that you see.

Married couples can be ministry partners.

That's Priscilla. Annaquila's story What's your

story? Then we meet this man named.

Epinitas the Apostle Paul introduces us to him in the

second-half of the 5th. Verse, he says.

Greet my dear friend. Epinitas who was the first

convert? To Christ in the province of.

That's really all it says. About him, But it's enough.

Because what he says is he's the first comfort in some

translations of the New Testament, he said he was the.

First fruits of a in, in. Well, Akeya or the Asia that

Paul's talking about. Is the lower part of Greece when

you get below the Isthmus of Corns.

He was the first Christian down there.

Now you may have heard the statement before the first one

through the. Wall always gets bloody.

It's not always. Easy to be first right?

Cuz other people kinda look at you and you go like what is what

are you doing? Especially in a culture like the

Corinthian culture, which is such an idolatris.

Such a godless culture. Here comes this guy and he's

heard about. Jesus.

And he's accepted Jesus, and he starts telling people about this

man named. Jesus, who happens to also be

the Son of God and who died and rose from the dead.

And some of that's pretty, you know, unbelievable to people.

And yet, that's what he's saying.

And I'm sure that he endured a lot.

Because he was the first one telling the story, but we find

out later. That that that region of

southern Greece became a powerhouse of believers and it

all. Started with this guy.

Now, how does that relate to you?

How does that relate to me? I'll tell you how it.

Does a lot of you in this room and at?

All of our locations, You were first.

You were first. You know what I mean by that?

You were the first person in your family to say I want Jesus

Christ to be my Lord and Savior. You are the first person who

took it seriously enough to step out on faith and some of your

family were like, going, what are you doing?

Some of your family thought, I mean it's is he in a?

Cult. Is this psycho?

You know, like, what's going on here?

Some of your friends were saying.

Hey. Dude, come out, Let's go out.

Let's do something tonight. And it's like, you know, I

really don't do that anymore. And then your friends are trying

to look. And they're like, what you think

you're better than? For some place, some some

crevice, some crack in your faith that they can point out

your. It's hard to be first when

you're first. You're a pioneer and a lot of.

You at the crossing, your pioneers.

You were the first not easy to be. 1st But God recognizes it

when you're first. God recognize it when you're the

first one to influence your family, because God sees what

you don't. See, he sees not only how you

influence your family, your friends, your community, but how

you influence people from generation to generation.

Because you were willing to be. 1st That's Epinitus's story.

What's yours? Maybe you're like Mary of Rome.

In the sixth verse it says Greek Mary who worked very hard for

you. That's all it, says Greek Mary,

who worked very hard for you. Maybe you read that script.

Sure. And they say, let's just go over

the. OK, great, good.

No, that speaks to me. Because I've talked to a lot of

people that go to church and they see.

Some people that they consider very talented, maybe on stage or

preaching or in the, you know, doing ministries, all these

various ministries and they're. They do it so well and then

other people, you know that. This that might make a person

feel a little selfconscious. Like, I don't know that I really

have any really profound gift. I don't know that I have

anything that really makes me stand out.

I remember. The guy that I that.

That he was the senior minister. Of the church I grew up in.

And I remember talking to him about Ministry and he goes, you

know, I'm not really that good at anything.

I just work harder than everybody else.

Because he had grown a great church, God used him in a

profound way, but he. Recognized his limitations.

Even though he had those limitations, he could work hard.

And I'm telling you, you're standing.

In a space that didn't come from a whole lot of talent.

But a lot of people who really put in the hard work.

And maybe that's what God's called you do to be like a Mary

of. Who?

Just who? Just.

Really works hard. Who works passionately?

Who shows? Up I'm at a I was talking to a

guy that's been a friend of mine a long time that it was in the.

Lobby here at 48th St. And it was.

Before first service and he's getting ready to.

Do ministry and. And he asked me questions.

He goes, How long have you been here now?

I said 20. Five years, he goes.

We've been doing this ministry for 1818 years, been showing up

every week to do ministry in a kids area.

He and his wife, you know, people aren't.

Going to probably write articles.

About that. But that's exactly what the

crossing is about. That's exactly what the Kingdom

of. God needs.

That's it. That's Mary's story.

What's yours? Then there's this other power

couple he mentions, Andronicus and Junia.

It's in verse seven. It says Greek, Andronicus and

junia my. Fellow Jews who have been in

prison with me, they are outstanding.

Among the apostles, and they were in Christ.

Before I was. I mean, it's that last.

It's that last phrase that catches me.

They were in Christ before I was.

Wow means that they were older in their faith than the Apostle

Paul. But to understand a little bit

deeper and to kind of connect it to other scripture, they had

been in Rome for a. They were obviously

missionaries. Paul mentions that they had been

imprisoned for their. Long time they've been done

ministry there for a long time and it helps us to understand A.

Little bit about how the Church in Rome was established.

Because Paul didn't do it. He never even been there, right?

Well, a clue comes from Acts chapter 2, because when Peter

Acts 2 · chapter mention

preached this first sermon on the day of Pentecost and the

church was. Established that day.

It tells you where the people were from that were there, and

one of the places they were from on the day of Pentecost was

Rome. So it was.

Very, very possible that these two people that these two

people, Andronicus and Junia. Were there at the day of

Pentecost. It is very possible that they

heard Peter Sermon and responded to it.

It's also possible, since it was 50 days after the death, burial

and resurrection of Jesus, that they may have known.

Jesus personally they may have been.

One of the followers of. Jesus himself, and then heard

that sermon. They may have been two of the

3000. People that were baptized.

That day and then took the message of Jesus.

Christ back to. Rome and established a church in

Rome. That the Apostle Paul now is

writing to. The thing that hits me about

them is that they were seasoned. Believers, so we know that the

book of the the letter of Romans was written about. 60AD So that

means these people have probably been believers for like 27

years. They've been there a long time,

so they had longevity and there may be people.

Here at this location, other locations, you've been believers

a lot longer than the people that are sitting around you.

And you're still here. You know, I know people that

have come to the Crossing, maybe they kind of have some pedigree

and they come to the crossing and they're here for a while and

then they. But there are people that have

been at the crossing since the very first.

Day of This, established in 1974.

And they're still here today. Do you know how many changes

this church has gone through in all those years?

And they hung with all. Those changes, they stuck

around. I mean, there's been a lot.

And they didn't give up. And they could.

They didn't. Peace out they had.

Probably tell you war stories and sacrifices from the past.

That got us here today, and here's what I want.

To say to those of you. I can see two right back there,

the Flinches right back there. They were.

Two of the people do this. Those two people right there.

They were two of them that started this church in 1974.

They're still here today. That's what I'm talking about.

And here's the deal. We owe you.

We owe them for their vision, for their willingness to embrace

new things, to sacrifice substantially.

For the cause of the Kingdom of God, That's their story.

What's yours? It continues.

This list continues. More names mentions groups that

are meeting in. Households like Aristobulus and

Narcissus along with Priscilla and.

That they had church. That churches that met.

In their homes, Roman, 16. Identifies at least five house

churches, because what that's how churches met in the 1st

century, They met in people's. Homes.

But there were a lot more than five.

Tacitus was a Roman historian, and he wrote.

In 60 AD, about the number of Christians in Rome, and this is

how he described them, he said it was an immense multitude.

Wasn't a Christian, so God's done an incredible work.

There are more people that are mentioned.

There are married couples. There are sisters.

There's a mother and a son. There's a mother and a son, and

the mother and the son that's mentioned in this list is really

interesting because they're very probably the widow and the son

of Simon of Sirene. And you can look.

At that because it's recorded mark 1521 Remember who Simon of

Sirene. Was he was a guy that was there

when Jesus was being crucified and when he was carrying his?

Cross to his execution. He was no longer able to carry

it. He was too exhausted.

To carry it, and they pulled a man.

Out of the crowd. A man named Simon of Sirene,

from North Africa. And he picked up that cross, and

he carried it the rest of. The way to Calvary.

If in. Fact this is the widow and the

son of Simon and Sirene. Not only did Simon and Sirene

become a believer, he became a church planner in Rome.

Took his wife and son. And here, after he dies, they're

still working in that church, making a difference for Jesus

Christ. What an awesome story.

Craig Keener says that Roman, 16, greets twice as many men as

women but commends. Twice as many women as men.

Why do I say that? Because women do.

Incredible ministry. And Paul knew it and appreciated

it. And that's why you read it.

You read about so many women in this.

List and the and Romans also. Teaches us that Paul wasn't the

only missionary out there. The church at Rome was.

Established by regular Jewish people like I said, who were

there at Pentecost and came back.

And then it was reinforced by new arrivals from various

persecutions. Of Jews and Christians who left

Israel or that region. For safer places to live.

Some incredible stories. The point is the Roman.

Church was thriving. But it still had plenty of.

Challenges and I can tell. You that the crossing church is

thriving. But guess what?

We still have plenty of challenges and one of the main.

Reasons he wrote the letter is because people in Rome we're

having trouble getting along, and sometimes so do.

We but he says. Something at the end in Romans

1619 and I remember when I was in.

We had high school group. While back we used to sing a

song called Roman, 1619 says. And we would just.

It was basically a song that that these the scripture was put

into song and what the scripture says.

Is be excellent in what is good. Be innocent of all evil.

That's how it begins. So that's the advice Paul's

giving us. Be excellent in what is good be

innocent of. All evil.

How are you doing at being excellent at what is good?

What are you excellent at? Could Could some people say

you're excellent at things that aren't really that?

Good Like criticism. Like pointing out things that

you don't. Like about this or that?

What are you excellent at? Are you excellent at good

things? Things that.

Produce peace. Things that produce

encouragement. Things that pull people together

rather than tear them. Apart, some people will say,

well, I'm excellent at politics. Does that really pull people

together or is it tear them? Apart, what I'm saying is be

excellent at what is good. That's that's that's good

advice. And then he says be innocent of

all evil. That one's harder.

That one's harder. How in the world can you be

innocent of all evil, I mean? Do you have to like put your?

Hands over your ears or over your eyes or over your mouth to

be innocent of all evil because we live in a culture.

That is completely soaked and saturated in evil.

And if you're like me sometimes, you.

Feel like evil's winning? Not just around me, but in me.

Like, evil's winning, but evil's not winning.

Here's some good. News it won't.

It won't win. God wins.

God will. How do I know that?

Because of the second part of that verse, Roman 1620 A.

What does? It say it.

Says and the God of peace will soon crush Satan when you are

excellent about what is good and you are innocent.

Of all evil. Do you know what God does with

that? He crushes Satan.

Now it says the God of peace. God doesn't want to.

A lot of people think. About, you know, our heavenly.

Father like God is this judging, condemning.

God, He doesn't want to judge. Anyone doesn't want to condemn

anyone. He wouldn't have sent his son.

If he did, he put all the condemnation and judgment of the

world. On his own son.

True. He doesn't want to condemn the.

World he loves this. World he loves you.

And so he's giving us a way out. But I find out the last three

words of that really important. And the God of peace.

Which is a God of peace will soon crush Satan underneath your

feet. Not underneath his feet, not

underneath his feet. Underneath your.

Feet So when you're excellent about what is.

Like you're seeing in this list and you're trying to be innocent

of all evil because you're trusting that God will take care

of everything. In the end, God's gonna use the

ministry that you do and the life that you live for him to

crush Satan underneath your feet.

You see, you have more power than you can know or understand

because we are children of the living God.

We are join airs with Jesus Christ.

We are filled with the Holy Spirit to accomplish the mission

of bringing. God's lost children, home and

every. Time that happens every time you

see that up on the video screen. You know what the soles of your

shoes are? Getting closer to Satan's head

because he's losing this battle, and you're going to win this

battle. Now, like many of Paul's

letters, he ends glorifying God. It's a glorification of God.

There's a word for that that we use and it's.

Called Doxology and it starts in verse 25 and I'm just going to

read it over you. Okay, as we close now to him.

Who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel?

The message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with

the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages.

But now revealed and may known through the.

Prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so

that all the Gentiles. Might come to the obedience.

That comes from faith. To the only wise God.

Be glory forever through Jesus Christ and all God's people,

said Amen. Let it be so we're moving to a

time of decision. There are some of you here who

have never made a decision in your heart in life to have an

intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and I'm going

to ask. You a rhetorical question.

What in the world are you waiting for?

If you read the book of Romans, and this is who your God is,

this is how personally is, this is how much not that he loves

you. But how much he loves you?

And what the evidence of that love is?

His own son on the cross, Dying. Bleeding.

To pay a debt. That we couldn't pay not to just

save you from hell, but adopt you into his family.

To call you by his. Name to make you a joint.

Heir with Jesus Christ. Think of it.

What in the world are you waiting for?

You know the Bible. Says that where two or three are

gathered, that that Jesus Christ is in our midst, He's right

here, right now. He's walking these aisles.

He knows and he knows everything about you.

He knows all the secrets you don't tell anybody else, all the

things that make you very spiritually dirty and ugly.

He knows all that, and he loves you and doesn't even slow him

down. It doesn't even slow his.

Love down because he wants you in relationship with him.

And the question is, how long are you going to be watching

this parade go by? Until you just step up and say

I'm going to be. Part of it, there's going to be

somebody right over there by the baptistry would love nothing

more than to talk. To you about next steps in your

relationship with Christ. And you can be.

Part of this parade. Shout in the name of Jesus, who

makes all the difference. If you'll come into an intimate,

personal relationship with him, quit.

Listening to. The devil, He's a liar.

Quit listening to yourself. You're a liar thinking, well, if

I get my life better and get my priorities straight, well, then

maybe I'll no you need to come. With the all the trash bags.

You need to come with the mess because when you come that.

Way to the Lord you're coming, honestly.

He'll take care of it. That's what Romans teaches us.

He already knows that about you, but he loves you anyway if

you're online. You've never made a decision.

You can press that button. You can talk to somebody.

Right now I. Think my wife's on there right

now. There's a lot of us here today.

We've made that decision. For Christ we we accepted him,

right? But are you engaging?

Are you being part of the solution?

Are you following the calling of Jesus?

Christ have the cares of this world, the lower story, all the

challenges. Have they gotten you so

internally focused that you can't get out and focus on on

what God's agenda is? You all have a gift.

You all have a talent. Everyone in this room, you have

a talent. God's given you at least one.

Some of us are three talent people, some of us are five

talent people. Some of us are one talent

people. There is no such thing as a no.

Talent person. You all have some.

Ability that God has given you. Maybe it's like Mary of Rome.

Maybe you can just. Work hard or it may be something

else. I don't know what it is, but let

me clue you in on something. There's a difference between a

talent and a gift. A talent becomes a gift when you

give it. Back to God.

A talent becomes a gift. When you give it back to God.

And you allow him to utilize it to accomplish the mission of

bringing the lost kids home. I mean your.

Talent might be amazing. But you put the holy.

Spirit in there. And you turn that talent to a.

Gift You watch what God can do because he can do.

More abundantly beyond what you can ask or imagine with the

thing that he planted inside of you.

If you'll just let him do it. And that's why these steps are

up here today. Because just because you've made

a decision for Christ doesn't mean.

That you don't need to. Do business with God.

Today that you don't need to come to him today that you don't

need to ask him to do something fresh and new today to.

Stir up that. Fire inside of you today, and

maybe it's in that. Talent, that.

Needs to be a gift, so I call you.

As a fellow believer in Christ to get.

Serious about your faith would. You stand with me in Jesus name

we come. Before you, Heavenly Father,

realizing. That there's nothing inside of

our hearts that you don't see and know more intimately than we

know ourselves. You see all of the mess, all the

inconsistency. All the hypocrisy, you see, all

that, but you still love. Us it doesn't change.

In Jesus name, Amen. Your love never changes.

And there's more love in you than there is sinning us.

And I pray, Father, in this moment we would humble ourselves

and receive from you what only you can give or.