WEBVTT 00:00:02.160 --> 00:00:07.200 Now, if you uh know me well, I am not much of a movie person. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:14.480 Not that I think there's anything morally wrong with movies, but if it's a Friday night, I would just rather watch a sporting event. 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:16.239 Anyone else out there? 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:17.679 A few. 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:22.800 If it's not Star Wars, I probably have not seen it. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:25.440 I do love Star Wars. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:28.000 I'll come back to movies in a second. 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:33.200 A few summers ago, I had the privilege of getting to visit Rome, Italy. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:36.159 And I got to visit the Roman Coliseum. 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:50.799 It was a spectacular sight to behold, the architecture of the building, all the seats, the VIP areas for the Roman senators, the underground catacombs where the gladiators would get ready for battle. 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:54.399 It wasn't much different than our stadiums today. 00:00:54.960 --> 00:01:02.159 As the social media joke goes, I've spent just about every day since thinking about the Roman Empire and the Coliseum. 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:17.439 I'm not sure if you know this about the Coliseum, but at one point in our tour, they talked about how they would flood the Coliseum floor with water, and they would have naval battles in the Colosseum Bowl. 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:23.599 I spent the next few years trying to picture how that would work. 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:25.599 And what would it look like? 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:30.640 Was the floor really that watertight that it didn't instantly leak out? 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:32.959 How big were these boats? 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:37.439 My imagination raced at what this could look like. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:45.599 Fast forward a few years, I'm watching a basketball game and a commercial for the new movie Gladiator 2 comes on. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:53.120 In the commercial, they show the Roman Coliseum flooded and gladiators having a battle on water. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:55.840 I'm quickly like, oh man, that's awesome. 00:01:56.079 --> 00:02:03.519 I've got to go see this movie because I have been dying to know what it would look like to have a ship battle in the Coliseum. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:11.039 I will say my first order of action was to watch Gladiator One because I was 30 years old and had never seen Gladiator. 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:13.840 Justin would be very disappointed too to know that. 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:16.560 And guess what? 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:22.800 My imagination of what these naval battles looked like, it was fulfilled when I saw the movie. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:24.319 It came to life. 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:27.439 I got to see a representation of it. 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:43.599 Now, pivoting to us here today, I know for me, as we've gone through the book of Romans for the last year, we have gotten to walk through some of the most epic sentences, paragraphs, and chapters in the whole Bible and of our faith. 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:46.080 Big question. 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:55.599 Has the book of Romans' epic theological teaching captured your imagination for the practical? 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:58.560 What did it look like in the church? 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:05.520 Do you long to be in a gospel-saturated church like the one we read about here in Rome? 00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:09.360 I think it's a question we ask ourselves often. 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:12.639 What did the early church look like? 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:21.199 I know for some of you here today, you may be struggle with Christianity because you've seen the church act in terrible ways. 00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:22.639 I've got great news. 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:30.159 Here in Romans 16, Paul is painting a portrait for us of what the church should look like. 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:40.639 My prayer, whether you are on fire for Jesus or far from him, is that you'd see the beauty of the church in today's message and be drawn in. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:50.319 To set our stage for our text, the book of Romans is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome. 00:03:51.039 --> 00:04:06.800 If you look at uh verse 2, because of Paul's instructions there, where he asked the Roman church to welcome Deacon Phoebe, scholars agree that this letter written by Paul was most likely hand delivered by Deacon Phoebe to the church. 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:09.840 You could call it the Phoebe Express if you'd like. 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:13.120 Here we find ourselves at the end of the book. 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:15.840 These people have opened this letter, they are starting to read it. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:23.600 And at the end of the letter, Paul ends it by personally encouraging members of the Roman church he knows. 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:28.639 These personal greetings are regularly found at the end of Paul's letters. 00:04:28.720 --> 00:04:35.920 You might think of Colossians, 2 Timothy, By Lemon, 1 Corinthians, just to name a few. 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:44.560 But one thing that makes this ending in Romans different than all the other letters is the unparalleled amount of people mentioned. 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:46.639 Mariah can tell us about that. 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:50.800 30 people and families are referenced here. 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:57.120 This is by far the longest and largest of Paul's closing personal greetings. 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:06.800 Here in this passage, we get to know about 30 people in and around the Church of Rome 2,000 years ago. 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:15.360 What we'll see from our text today, and it'll be our three major points, the church is made up of a diverse group of people. 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:23.360 The church shows diverse acts of love to one another, and the church's unity is in one thing: Christ. 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:26.399 You'll see those points in your bulletin. 00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:35.120 Our main idea for today is the church glorifies God through diverse relationships. 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:37.360 You'll also find that in your bulletin. 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:44.240 Once again, the main idea: the church glorifies God through diverse relationships. 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:50.160 Let's look at our first main point and takeaway from the passage, diverse people. 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:55.439 Hope you still have your copies of God's word open as we'll be referencing back to them a lot. 00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:01.920 Let's start by looking at these 30 incredibly diverse people mentioned here. 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:07.040 Starting in verse 3, Prissa and Aquila. 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:10.720 Now you might be asking, is that the same Priscilla and Aquila? 00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:11.199 It is. 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:16.800 The ESV here translation is just a slight variation of the translation of the name. 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:28.319 So in verse 3, we meet Priscilla and Aquila, a married couple who were missionary partners with Paul in Corinth and Ephesus, and now find themselves in Rome. 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:31.519 Similar to Paul, they were tent makers. 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:37.759 You could have called them the APP Aquila, Priscilla, Paul Tent Making Company back in the day. 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:45.600 Aquila and Priscilla's ministry for the church is so wound together that you can't mention one without the other. 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:57.439 In verse 5, we meet Epineatus, who get this, was the first Asian person to ever accept Christ. 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:00.160 What a cool piece of history that is. 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:09.199 Scholars estimate that the book of Romans could have been written as recently as one year after Eponaius came to faith. 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:11.600 He's a young believer in the church. 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:15.439 He's also a different nationality than the church he goes to. 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:19.279 He's in a European church, but he is from Asia. 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:24.480 This means he's an immigrant to Rome and an immigrant in the church. 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:32.639 Looking at verse 7, we're introduced to Andronicus and Junea, who were fellow prisoners with Paul. 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:36.160 The text doesn't state why they were in prison. 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:39.199 They could have been put in prison for their faith. 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:44.079 There's also the possibility they had been in prison a long time and came to faith in prison. 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:46.720 Or a myriad of other scenarios. 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:51.839 Whatever the scenario is, we've got ex-prisoners in this church. 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:55.839 In verse 13, we meet Rufus and his mother. 00:07:56.399 --> 00:07:59.600 Rufus' mom was a mother figure to Paul. 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:02.319 We'll talk more about what that looked like later. 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:12.240 But demographically, we see this church has older women in it who are mature in faith and making an impact on all those around them. 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:19.759 Even the apostle Paul is edified and sanctified through these mature, faithful women. 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:27.680 Speaking of women, nine of the 30 people mentioned in this passage are women. 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:37.440 As many of you know, to uplift, mention, exonerate, uplift is, hey, our structure of the church, there's a lot of women in there in leadership. 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:40.799 To do that was very countercultural. 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:46.080 Parkside ladies, you play a critical role in the church. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:52.080 Paul sees women as vital to the health of the church then, and you are vital to Parkside now. 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:53.279 Keep going. 00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:58.960 In verse 8, we're introduced to a lady named Ampyletus. 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:12.000 Now we don't have a thorough description of her from the text, but Christian tradition and secular scholars hold that she was a member of an imperial family that was extremely noble and wealthy. 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:19.519 In verse 10, we actually meet another wealthy person, a man named Aristobulus, who was the brother of King Agrippa. 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:29.679 In verse 11, we meet Herodian, who historians say was a current slave at the time, or at best a recently freed slave. 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:49.919 Here in the Roman Church, we have men, women, singles, married, families, Asian, Europeans, Jews, Gentiles, old, young, rich, poor, slaves, prisoners, immigrants, spiritually mature, missionaries, new believers. 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:54.159 And who knows what other differing backgrounds. 00:09:55.519 --> 00:10:00.080 What does this mean for our biblical portrait of the church today? 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:08.000 The early church was one that was extremely diverse in every physical and spiritual demographic you can imagine. 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:14.639 Our church today should also reflect the diversity of our surrounding area. 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:17.200 And all these categories I mentioned earlier, right? 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:24.000 Gender, marital status, nationality, race, age, tax brackets, spiritual maturity. 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:27.519 We should look like the community around us. 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:29.360 And guess what, Parkside? 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:31.360 In some of those ways, I think we're doing amazing. 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:33.200 We are doing a great job. 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:36.879 In some ways, I'm sure we could all agree we we could do better. 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:52.720 As we look to reflect on this portrait of the early church, I want to give us as Parkside one specific encouragement of how I've seen us grow in diversity and one specific challenge for our church in an area that I think we can grow. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:55.039 I'll start with the challenge. 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:09.919 Growing up here in Brownsburg, going to church here and going to school at BCS, I know I personally always kind of had the assumption that our town was not very racially diverse. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:19.919 In 2018, I went to my first Brownsburg football game in many years, and I was shocked at the diversity I saw in the crowd. 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:27.039 Caucasians, African Americans, Latinos, Asians, all in the crowd wearing Brownsburg purple. 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:30.960 It was seemingly the most diversity I had seen in Brownsburg ever. 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:39.759 It was a beautiful picture of all kinds of different people coming together to cheer for one thing, the Brownsburg football team. 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:47.679 I'm sure all of you can think of a similar story where you anecdotally see our town getting more diverse. 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:53.200 Maybe at the store, maybe your kids' soccer team, maybe the school your kids go to. 00:11:55.600 --> 00:12:00.159 First person anecdotes are helpful, but data is also helpful. 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:09.600 According to a 2010 census data, Brownsburg was over 93% white. 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:12.799 2010 census, 93% white. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:26.480 According to the 2024 census data, 14 years later, Brownsburg is now 77% white, making about a quarter of Brownsburg African American, Latino, and Asian. 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:32.960 In the last 15 years, our town has become three times more diverse. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:41.120 Now that's a beautiful thing. 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:44.559 Now I don't want you to hear this wrong. 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:55.679 We are going to be ecstatic at every person who joins our church through membership, every person who makes a decision for Christ, every person who gets into our baptismal. 00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:59.759 Of course, we are going to be ecstatic at anybody that does those things. 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:01.919 I hope that would go without saying. 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:09.200 But as a church, we should in essence be a representation of our community around us. 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:23.519 If we are evangelizing to the parents or the kids on our children's ball teams, our neighbors, those who come to Storytime in the park, the data is saying that group should look more and more diverse. 00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:30.000 Now I'll say diversity is not something we need to go out and explicitly go out and search for, right? 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:35.600 It should really just come naturally as we live lives in Brownsburg and the surrounding areas. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:39.360 I know for Alice and I, we moved to Brownsburg one year ago. 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:47.120 And on one side of our house is a white family, on the other side of our house is an African-American family, and across the street from us is a Latino family. 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:54.399 So as we look to evangelize, the fruit should look like those we are rubbing shoulders with. 00:13:55.919 --> 00:14:10.879 One of those things that I think works against this is the temptation of what Justin talked about last week, where it can be human or worldly nature to kind of surround ourselves with people who look like, talk like, and act like us. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:15.279 But that is not what we see in the Roman church 2,000 years ago. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:18.159 And it should not be true of Parkside today. 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:23.759 We want our fellowship and our worship together to be a small taste of heaven. 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:30.960 Jesus is in the business of gathering a people from every type, tongue, and nation to himself. 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:33.679 Revelation 7 would say this. 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:58.080 After I looked and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:09.120 So Park Side, let's look to keep evangelizing to those around us, our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends. 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:15.759 Invite those around you to read the Bible with you and come experience the beauty of the church. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:22.639 I will say I have seen us growing in this area, but I think we still have a ways we can go. 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:31.200 I just heard a beautiful story this week of some members in our church who are immigrants from Africa going to church here. 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:41.600 And their son had a planned surgery this week, and during the days in and around the surgery, they were showered with visits, prayer, encouragements, and love. 00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:46.799 What an incredible sight for the outside world to see. 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:56.399 This is a beautiful, beautiful display of what our unity as a church being formed in Christ, not what the world tells us. 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:02.399 Now go to my encouragement. 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:03.360 That was my challenge. 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:05.200 Let me go to my encouragement. 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:15.679 In the last 10 years, I have been so encouraged by the increasing amount of young adults in our congregation. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:22.000 Adults who are in their 20s, 30s, early 40s, singles, families. 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:30.159 If you would have been here 10 years ago, 10 years ago plus, seeing a baby or someone in their 20s and 30s was a rarity. 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:33.840 If you've been here for less than 10 years, talk to someone that was here 10 more years ago. 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:36.799 It was a rarity 10, 15 years ago. 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:42.480 I remember hearing stories of there being one, two, three babies in the nursery. 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:46.559 If you've seen the nursery recently, that is kind of hard to fathom. 00:16:48.480 --> 00:17:09.200 As a church, about 10 years ago, as we have founded ourselves on our four core principles, delighting in the gospel, growing through relationships, serving our community, and sending into the world, this Bible-saturated, Christ-exalting base has allowed us to grow in love for one another. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:17.440 I have heard of countless young people that have come here in the past decade and said, wow, this church seems really healthy. 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:21.599 They love one another, and they are all about the Bible. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:27.440 Our church is being a light on the hill, and people are becoming attracted to the light. 00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:30.319 Jesus would say it this way in Matthew 5. 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:33.119 You are the light of the world. 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:36.559 A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:44.400 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:54.079 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:59.039 We shine our light as a church, God gets the glory. 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:09.279 One story that I think really reflects this being lived out well as a church comes from one of our members who is a grad student. 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:14.079 Now I need you to maybe watch me, follow along, because I don't want this story to get confusing. 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:22.319 Our grad student in their cohort of, you know, 30, 40 people, invited three of his cohort to come to church with him. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:24.079 They came to church. 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:27.839 He let me know, he texted me the night before, hey, I'm gonna bring three friends to my cohort. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:28.960 Can you come up and say hi? 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:31.039 I'm like, great, I love getting those texts. 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:32.960 I know Justin talks about loving getting those texts. 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:34.720 We're gonna get those more often. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:37.359 Service ends. 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:45.119 I look over at this member and his three friends that came, and there is a mass of people around these visitors. 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:47.279 It's kind of like uh Jesus with the paralytic. 00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:50.799 I can't even get close, I might have to repel from the ceiling to get down there. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:52.480 That would not look good. 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:59.039 Um, these people came and were warmly welcomed. 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:03.359 Now it gets even better. 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:12.720 This member of ours, after a long week of tests, the whole cohort's like, hey, let's go out, grab a bite to eat, grab a drink, hang out. 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:13.440 It was a hard week. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:14.720 I like great. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:17.759 Whole cohort sitting around at this bar. 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:22.400 These people over here who, these people were invited to church, these three came. 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:29.759 Someone over here says, Hey, I've been looking for a church with great community in love for one another. 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:43.599 These three college students who came to Parkside once, have not been back since, said to them, Hey, if you are looking for a church with great community, love for one another, you need to go to Parkside. 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:56.000 Graduate students who came to our church once are telling their friends of the genuine love in community here at Parkside. 00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:01.759 Let me say this one more time. 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:13.599 If our church's love is so well known and so evident, that is being talked about by college students in Broaderville on a Friday night by 20-year-olds in a bar. 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:16.400 How awesome is that? 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:17.920 Is that not what we're all living for? 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:20.960 Is that not what we all mean by growing through relationships? 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:22.640 That's astonishing. 00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:24.720 That is a miracle, amen. 00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:28.319 That is only something God can do. 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:32.720 That's what a church should look like. 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:36.880 And once again, especially, I hope you find encouragement. 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:46.079 Those who were here 10 years ago plus, and maybe you listened to the podcast last summer, you can think of how maybe people in this own building used to talk about our church or people in the surrounding area. 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:50.400 We've now got 20-year-olds in a bar talking about the love we have for one another. 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:55.039 This is a city on a hill shining its light. 00:20:56.240 --> 00:21:03.279 How can we draw in a diverse group of people from every age, tax bracket, spiritual maturity, and ethnicity in here? 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:09.119 How can we do that in accord with what scripture and the portrait Paul is painting here? 00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:11.839 John 13, 35 says it best. 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:20.240 By this, everyone will know you are my disciples if you love one another. 00:21:23.119 --> 00:21:29.839 Our love for one another proves that we are Christ's disciples and will draw people into the church. 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:31.359 But what does that look like? 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:33.519 What does love for one another look like? 00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:36.640 Let's look at our second point: diverse love. 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:50.319 Here in our passage, we see diverse diverse acts of love being displayed in the early church. 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:52.880 Look down at the passage with me. 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:59.599 Verse one we've got instructions to welcome Phoebe, showing her hospitality. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:03.759 A place to stay, a bed, food, fellowship. 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:10.160 Verse 2, we see that Phoebe was a patron to many and myself. 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:22.000 The idea of this word patron here is providing help or assistance in times of need, especially in regards to hospitality and finances. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:28.480 Verse 3, we see Priscilla and Aquila risk their neck for my life. 00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:31.279 This was likely on their missionary journeys with Paul. 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:34.400 You can maybe think of when Paul got kicked out of Ephesus. 00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:38.880 Verse 6, we see work hard for you. 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:42.240 These people are working hard for each other. 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:45.920 Verse 12, they worked hard in the Lord. 00:22:46.160 --> 00:22:49.119 Working hard for you, working hard for the Lord. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:56.000 In verse 13, we see Rufus' mom has been a mother to Paul. 00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:01.279 Now, this probably means both physically and spiritually, a mother to Paul. 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:07.200 Physically, making meals, doing laundry, giving him a place to stay. 00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:15.599 And spiritually, she likely instructed him with sound wisdom, prayed for him, and encouraged him to keep going in the Lord. 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:24.720 And our final act of love, cited here in verse 16, it's the infamous greet one another with a holy kiss. 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:35.599 Now I've heard from many of you that you think it's awkward and forced when we do a mid-service, turn, greet, and shake your neighbor's hand. 00:23:35.839 --> 00:23:39.279 Imagine if we did a turn, greet and kiss your neighbor. 00:23:41.279 --> 00:23:43.519 How awkward and forced would that be? 00:23:43.759 --> 00:23:48.160 I guess it depends on who you're sitting by, but just joking there. 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:56.240 But seriously, some of you are probably getting a little nervous or weirded out when you hear greet each other with a holy kiss. 00:23:57.440 --> 00:24:05.759 As you can probably guess, how people have warmly greeted each other can vary from culture to culture, century to century. 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:11.039 The call from Paul here is not that after service you need to turn to your neighbor and kiss them. 00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:16.960 It is that they need to be greeted with a warm affection for one another. 00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:21.839 In first century Rome, what did it look like to warmly greet each other? 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:24.000 It looked like kissing each other. 00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:28.400 In my stereotypical mind, I think Europeans still greet each other like this. 00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:31.119 I don't know if that's true, but that's just what I got in my hood. 00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:38.480 We want to emulate greeting each other with warm, holy affection. 00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:47.200 Thankfully, today we've got handshakes, hugs, the combination of the two, the bro hug, or dap as it's now being called. 00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:49.759 There are plenty of ways to show affection. 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:53.039 I'm going to tell some stories later where we where we see those in action. 00:24:54.319 --> 00:25:07.920 In these 16 verses, we see various kinds of acts of love: hospitality, finances, risking lives for one another, working hard for others, working hard in the Lord, being a physical or spiritual mom or dad to someone. 00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:12.000 And in verse 16, greeting each other with holy affection. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:17.920 Now I have two observations of the acts of love in this text. 00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:24.640 One, there is no act too small to be done for God's glory in the church. 00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:32.319 My second observation, there is no act too big to be done for God's glory in the church. 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:45.599 As we went through this list of the ways the Roman church is loving each other, I hope you noticed many of them seem a little menial, insignificant, not that hard to do. 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:49.039 Let's go with our first one, showing hospitality. 00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:56.880 Today, what that looks like for our church, having people in your home for the called out conference when heart song and guest speakers come. 00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:00.400 Inviting new members over for dinner to get to know them. 00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:04.960 Hosting a game night for your Christian and non-Christian friends to come over. 00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:08.960 It was a beautiful thing last called out. 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:13.200 The lady who ran the bookstore came up and gave a little spiel of what they were doing. 00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:18.640 And she had mentioned Gary and Mindy Buck were some of the most hospitable people she had ever met. 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:23.519 That's how we want to be known as a church, a hospitable people to guests. 00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:25.279 Let's continue on in that. 00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:37.920 Maybe, like Phoebe, you need to step out and be a financial patron to missionaries, others in the church, or maybe for the first time, the church itself. 00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:44.720 We see regular and sacrificial giving as normal in the early church. 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:53.440 If you are a member here at Parkside and not giving, let Phoebe's example be an encouragement to you to start giving today. 00:26:54.240 --> 00:27:00.000 For those who are giving generously to the church, there are plenty of other opportunities. 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:05.839 We see Deacon Phoebe generously giving to missionary Paul's mission work. 00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:15.440 Now, our church generously gives to our missionaries, but our gifts cannot totally suffice for the missionaries' mission work. 00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:21.599 So they're required to go out and find funding from other churches and other individual supporters. 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:29.200 For youth groups, like events like Called Out, Winter Camp, Mission Lab, they just left the other day. 00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:33.599 Kids regularly need scholarships in order to go. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:39.039 You could give a few hundred dollars for a student to hear the gospel for a weekend. 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:46.240 If any of that sounds interesting to you, come up and see me, see one of the pastors. 00:27:46.559 --> 00:27:50.720 We would love to let you know how you can be a patron in the church. 00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:53.119 And that's not just a say-say statement. 00:27:53.279 --> 00:28:03.039 I would love for multiple of you to come up to me after and say, Austin, next time a student needs a scholarship for a youth group event, could I be your first call? 00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:04.640 Me and John would love to hear that. 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:05.920 We'd love to work with you on that. 00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:11.200 I'd love for some of you to come up and say, Austin, the budget's tight. 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:15.680 Can you pray that I would faithfully and cheerfully give and can we meet and make a game plan? 00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:26.960 I'd love to hear some of you say, hey, we'd love to go beyond, above, and beyond and support some of our missionaries as individual supporters. 00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:29.440 I know some of our individual missionaries who need that. 00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:33.119 I would love for you guys to approach me after and ask how you can get involved. 00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:35.599 Let's look back at our acts of love. 00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:37.359 How about in verse 6 and 12? 00:28:37.599 --> 00:28:42.400 Paul talks about people who are working hard for others and hard for God. 00:28:43.440 --> 00:28:54.319 This looks like, well, maybe the what's seemingly is easy, we know it's not, but working in the nursery, working in kidstown, setting up chairs on Saturday or Sunday so that we can meet in here. 00:28:54.559 --> 00:29:02.079 How about continuing to reach out to your Christmas project family or helping out in the park when we had our workday a few weekends ago? 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:06.640 I heard an awesome example of this in our young adult Sunday school class. 00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:15.519 One gal mentioned, now it is June, she said, I am still regularly meeting with the family I was paired with for the Christmas project. 00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:17.039 And guess where they met? 00:29:17.279 --> 00:29:20.079 They met at the park just as like two weeks ago. 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:24.880 Park was clean, beautiful, new mulch, things are tidied up. 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:39.200 Plenty of us in this room met a month or two ago to clean up the park, and now there's other people in the body inviting people from the Christmas project to continue to build a relationship and build and uh ask them to church, ask them about doing a Bible study. 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:50.799 In verse 16, or sorry, in verse 13, we see Rufus' mom become a spiritual mother to Paul. 00:29:54.160 --> 00:30:10.640 What would our church look like in five years if ten of you, wise, mature believers, like Rufus' mom, said, I'm gonna be a spiritual mom or father to someone a few decades younger than me in the church. 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:20.559 We'll meet for coffee, read our Bibles, pray, talk about what it looks like to be a godly believer and a faithful spouse and parent. 00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:26.400 I would love to see so many of you take up that challenge and meet with someone a few decades younger than you. 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:31.920 If you'd be interested in being discipled or being the discipler, please come and see me after. 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:42.079 Along with these relatively small acts of love, we do see that there is one that would cost us everything. 00:30:42.319 --> 00:30:44.319 And I do want to make sure and call that out. 00:30:44.480 --> 00:30:50.480 In verse 3, we see Priscilla and Aquila risk their neck for my life. 00:30:51.519 --> 00:31:01.599 We talked earlier about how there is no act too small to be done for God's glory in the church, but there is also no act too big to be done for God's glory in the church. 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:11.200 Here in Romans 16, we see people risking their lives for their fellow brothers and sisters in the church. 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:25.359 Now, I'm not sure if any of us in this room are going to be called to do that, but in Hebrews 10, we have a beautiful example of people who are willing to give up their property, their reputation, their jobs for their fellow Christian brothers and sisters. 00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:29.759 And I think there's plenty of us in this room that might be called to something like that. 00:31:31.119 --> 00:31:36.720 There is no act too big or too small to be done for God's glory in the church. 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:39.519 Now I want to tell a quick personal story. 00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:46.640 While it's obvious to us, probably, that big acts for God have eternal impact for all those around us. 00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:52.559 I've got a personal story that even the small acts of love can change lives for the gospel. 00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:55.440 Let me get a drink. 00:31:55.519 --> 00:31:57.759 I hope I don't cry during the story, but maybe. 00:32:00.720 --> 00:32:04.480 As many of you know, I grew up here at church and went to school at BCS. 00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:07.920 I then uh went off to Purdue for college. 00:32:08.559 --> 00:32:15.759 And my freshman year after um, during my freshman year, following Christ was a major struggle. 00:32:16.160 --> 00:32:18.880 I was lackluster in my church attendance. 00:32:19.039 --> 00:32:24.960 I did not commit to any single church, chased after the things that the world's chase after. 00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:37.440 And I came home that summer and uh I was living at home and I got a call out of the blue that one of my best friends from college had passed away that morning in a car accident. 00:32:38.559 --> 00:32:45.119 In that moment, for lots of reasons, the way I had lived my freshman year, I was crushed to say the least. 00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:49.279 Felt like I had lived a wasted year spiritually at school. 00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:57.279 I spent hours sobbing, questioning how could a how could a good God allow something like this to happen? 00:32:57.599 --> 00:33:03.279 Do I even want to be a Christian and follow a God that cut my friend's life short? 00:33:04.240 --> 00:33:09.519 I was in a serious crisis of faith in May of 2014. 00:33:11.119 --> 00:33:18.559 The next Sunday, I came here to church, numb in my mind to what was going on, just didn't care. 00:33:18.880 --> 00:33:21.039 Really just wanted to come and see my friends. 00:33:21.200 --> 00:33:23.519 My heart was cold toward God. 00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:26.720 I don't remember a song that was sung. 00:33:26.880 --> 00:33:29.839 I don't remember a single word from the sermon. 00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:38.240 But after the service was over, Donna Hooper made a beeline for me and gave me a big old Donna Hooper bear hug. 00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:43.680 And she said, I'm sorry to see what happened to your friend, and I'm praying for you. 00:33:45.359 --> 00:33:47.599 In that moment, my heart melted. 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:57.920 I had uh tears streaming down my cheeks, feeling the warm embrace of a fellow church member, and that my church family was there for me and praying for me. 00:34:03.200 --> 00:34:05.839 Greet one another with holy affection. 00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:13.920 The body is being built up for the glory of God, even through what is seemingly small acts of love. 00:34:14.960 --> 00:34:23.760 I'd encourage you, we don't have 30 minutes in between Sunday school and uh service just because it'd be fun or the timing works out better. 00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:25.920 We we call that community time. 00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:29.440 Revolutionary things like in my life happen during community time. 00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:32.639 They happen in the 30 minutes hour after service is over. 00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:36.239 Like I said, I didn't remember a single song or word that was said during the sermon, right? 00:34:36.320 --> 00:34:42.800 There could be people like that out there today that need to know their church family loves them through holy affection. 00:34:44.079 --> 00:34:48.000 This is why one of our core values is growing through relationships. 00:34:48.800 --> 00:34:49.920 Think about this. 00:34:50.239 --> 00:35:02.639 In Paul's encouragement to the Roman church, we don't see any ministry cited, any events, any small groups, all great things that the Lord has designed. 00:35:05.599 --> 00:35:10.000 But God's church is designed to grow through relationships. 00:35:11.760 --> 00:35:17.519 God's church will not grow through cool new auditoriums. 00:35:18.079 --> 00:35:25.199 God's church will not grow through attractive ministries that meet every need and check every box of every person going to the ministry. 00:35:26.719 --> 00:35:34.639 God's church will not grow through seeker-sensitive events with cool keynote speakers, lights, cameras, projectors, LED walls. 00:35:34.800 --> 00:35:42.800 It won't grow through trying to water down Jesus through TV shows, merchandise, or having your favorite athlete have a Bible verse on their shoes. 00:35:43.519 --> 00:35:45.440 How has God designed the church to grow? 00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:51.199 God has designed his church to grow through the covenant family, loving one another. 00:35:53.039 --> 00:35:57.360 Why has God designed us and the church to grow through relationships? 00:35:58.239 --> 00:36:00.159 I'll try to keep this short. 00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:04.639 It's because it's a small echo and foreshadowing of himself. 00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:09.360 This is actually part of what it means to be made in God's image. 00:36:09.920 --> 00:36:12.000 Our God is a relational God. 00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:14.559 One God, three persons. 00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:26.159 God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, together for all time, loving, serving, and being fulfilled in one another. 00:36:26.800 --> 00:36:32.000 It's a relationship that's a beautiful, almost song and dance, a weave together. 00:36:32.400 --> 00:36:37.760 I kind of imagine it'd be like if uh here in Indiana, you know, we love our basketball. 00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:42.719 It's like if Magic Johnson, Tyrese Halliburton, and Michael Jordan did a three-man weave, just a beautiful in and out. 00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:44.800 No, you have the ball, no, you, no you. 00:36:47.039 --> 00:36:52.320 When God created us in his image, we mirror and echo this reality. 00:36:52.719 --> 00:37:00.400 We as humans grow through relationships, and in turn, the church is designed to grow through relationships. 00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:08.159 God's church will grow as we love one another and serve one another, and we'll be united like the Trinity is united. 00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:10.719 We see this idea actually all throughout Scripture. 00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:12.320 I'll read two of the more common ones. 00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:14.000 Ephesians 4. 00:37:15.119 --> 00:37:25.280 May we no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes. 00:37:25.440 --> 00:37:44.000 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. 00:37:45.119 --> 00:37:49.440 Hebrews 10 describes the gathering of believers, the church, this way. 00:37:50.000 --> 00:38:03.519 And let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all more as you see the day drawing near. 00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:11.199 The Roman church grew through relationships, then Parkside today should grow through relationships. 00:38:11.519 --> 00:38:16.320 Scripture is clear, God's church will grow through relationships. 00:38:17.760 --> 00:38:21.440 Let's now look at our third and final point: unified church. 00:38:26.400 --> 00:38:33.840 With all this diversity that we've talked about, what could possibly be strong enough to unite us together? 00:38:34.159 --> 00:38:49.760 Where do men, women, old, young, singles, married, new believers, missionaries, Asians, Africans, Europeans, Americans, tent makers, prisoners, immigrants, rich, poor, and all the members of the church, where do they find their hope and unity? 00:38:50.159 --> 00:38:51.119 In Christ. 00:38:51.679 --> 00:39:00.000 Here in this passage, Christ is mentioned 12 times, and 10 of those is in the Lord or in Christ Jesus. 00:39:00.480 --> 00:39:07.119 If you like to highlight or underline in your Bible, this would be a great repetitive phrase to underline, and I'll go through them quickly. 00:39:07.599 --> 00:39:11.199 Verse 1, welcome her in the Lord. 00:39:11.679 --> 00:39:15.280 Verse 3, fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 00:39:15.599 --> 00:39:18.400 Verse 7, they were in Christ. 00:39:18.639 --> 00:39:21.679 Verse 8, my beloved in the Lord. 00:39:22.079 --> 00:39:25.199 Verse 9, fellow worker in Christ. 00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:27.760 Verse 10, approved in Christ. 00:39:27.920 --> 00:39:30.239 Verse 11, greet those in the Lord. 00:39:30.480 --> 00:39:33.119 Verse 12, greet those workers in the Lord. 00:39:33.360 --> 00:39:36.880 Also later in verse 12, who has worked hard in the Lord. 00:39:37.119 --> 00:39:41.280 In verse 13, chosen in the Lord. 00:39:44.400 --> 00:39:52.480 From Paul's perspective, his common ground with members of the Roman Church is one thing and one thing only. 00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:55.920 It's that they are believers in Jesus Christ. 00:39:56.079 --> 00:39:58.880 They are one family in Jesus. 00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:04.960 This is what enables all the diverse love we see in the Roman Church. 00:40:05.119 --> 00:40:08.880 It's what has given Paul such a deep love for these people. 00:40:09.119 --> 00:40:12.719 You can hear it in his writing here in chapter 16. 00:40:13.119 --> 00:40:22.000 Last week, we covered in chapter 15, he said he had longed for many years to be with these people and he hopes to be with them soon. 00:40:23.119 --> 00:40:28.159 These are not superficial relationships, these are deep friendships. 00:40:28.559 --> 00:40:33.280 They have been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows of life together. 00:40:33.440 --> 00:40:42.079 They've stayed at each other's houses, they've shared meals, they've been family to each other, and they've risked their lives for one another. 00:40:42.800 --> 00:40:51.840