WEBVTT 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:07.440 Hey, I'm Pastor Steve Hole. 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:11.759 I want to empower you today to walk in your true identity as a worshiper and warrior. 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:15.839 Today, embrace the power of God's Word and the Holy Spirit. 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:19.120 Welcome to the Born for War podcast. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:27.839 All right, we're finishing up the book of Romans. 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:38.640 If you've been with me for the whole 32 messages or close to it, you know more about Romans than 90% of the professors of seminaries out there. 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:51.280 This last part of Romans, starting with really chapter 12 to 16, is the most practical part of the book, and it's talking about unity and love. 00:00:51.840 --> 00:01:01.920 And you'll understand as we get halfway through chapter 16 why I have entitled this, A Loving Unified Church Crushes Satan. 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:08.560 The number one work of the enemy in anything is division. 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:10.799 That's what's happening in America right now. 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:25.840 The enemy is on the move in America dividing us, dividing us over political stuff, dividing us over economic stuff, dividing us religiously, dividing us spiritually, dividing us racially. 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:36.480 In any marriage, when the enemy has an inroad, he brings division in your own spirit. 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:40.079 It's like you got your navigation device, right? 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:44.079 And you come up to that intersection and it's not clear. 00:01:44.239 --> 00:02:01.920 I hate coming out of airport with the rental car, with the navigation system, and I and it goes like go northeast on Arroyo Avenue. 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:06.400 Where's Arroyo Avenue and what is Northeast? 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:07.040 Right? 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:11.199 Unless it's early in the morning and I can see, okay, it's the sun's coming in from over there. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:12.319 That's east. 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:15.840 Okay, if that's east, then that must be north. 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:22.080 And I can't tell how many times I've driven around, you know, the rent a car garage. 00:02:22.479 --> 00:02:26.080 And I see the exit sign, but it told me to go northeast. 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:35.199 So what this what the enemy does is he divides your spirit, and it's like you don't know what to navigate, right? 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:45.199 It's not that if there's anything wrong with you, or that you may not even done anything wrong at all, but you just feel this divisiveness in your spirit and you don't know what to do. 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:47.039 It's called double-mindedness. 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:48.560 You become double-minded. 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:49.759 That's what the enemy does. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:03:11.680 So here in chapter 16, Paul is gonna take us through over 20 names that he knows, people he knows in the church, that he's challenging and he's greeting with the desire that as he finishes up the book, that they'd be unified, that they would be loving, that they'd be kind to each other. 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:13.439 And that unity is the key. 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:18.960 Because with unity, see, here's the difference: unity doesn't mean unanimity. 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:22.560 It doesn't mean that we're unanimous in everything we believe in. 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:24.960 We're united by something. 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:27.919 And in the church, it should be Christ. 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:32.719 It shouldn't be how we do communion, it shouldn't be how we worship, even though that's important. 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:37.439 It's not how our building looks or anything like that, or what denomination you're part of. 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:40.719 Our unity should be Jesus. 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:53.039 And that's why I don't, you're not gonna ever hear me from the pulpit condemning any denomination or any Christian group, because there's Christians in every group, and there's non-Christians in every group. 00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:55.919 There's non-Christians in this room. 00:03:56.159 --> 00:03:57.919 You think you're a believer, you're not. 00:03:58.080 --> 00:03:58.800 I don't know. 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:00.319 Jesus knows. 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:04.960 But to the best of our knowledge, have you given your heart to Christ? 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:06.159 If you have, you're in. 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:07.360 You're on the team. 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:10.400 You you you get the you get the shirt, you know? 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:13.759 But it doesn't have your name on the back, it's got Jesus' name. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:19.040 His blood has covered you, he brings you into the team, he unites you in Christ. 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:23.439 And so for that, you're on my team, we're together, I'm for you, you're for me. 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:27.199 We do not have to agree on every little jot and tittle. 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:30.079 Um, some churches are like that, not this church. 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:35.360 We hold to the basic doctrines of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:40.240 We believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father. 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:45.600 We believe that this book is inerrant, infallible, and authoritative, okay? 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:47.680 And I could go through three or four other things. 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:50.319 But after that, we can be gray on a lot of stuff. 00:04:50.480 --> 00:05:01.439 Some of you think that we should take communion with, you know, a chalice, and some with cups, and some with take uh offering with the plates, and some like Kentucky fried chicken buckets. 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:03.680 I mean, I don't care, okay? 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:07.680 But we care about the essential things, and that's what we're united on. 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:19.839 So turn in your Bibles to chapter 16 as we conclude this great book, I believe, the greatest book of the New Testament, arguably the greatest book of all time. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:24.720 So in this list, we're gonna have there's some really hard names. 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:31.120 So if I skip a name, it's because I've tried really hard to pronounce it in two services and I've flubbed up. 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:33.680 I'm 0 for two, so I'm not gonna be 0 for three. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:36.160 Okay, there's uh there's over 20 names. 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:37.839 Nine of them are women. 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:42.319 Four times he uses the word beloved with their name. 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:49.040 Um, Paul could not do his work in Rome without these precious people, and that's true here in this church. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:59.680 You look at this carpet, you look at these chairs, um, on Tuesday morning, there'll be 57 tables in this room with over 400 guys in here. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:05.920 Then in the evening, there'll be half that many tables with 200 women. 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:10.399 And then every one of these rooms will be changed out two or three times during the week. 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:14.319 And this will get vacuumed a bunch of times and there's food in the back. 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:15.680 People do that. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:22.879 They don't just magically happen, like when you're growing up and you know, it's just there because mom did it, right? 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:27.040 People do this stuff, and the church is people, and people are the church. 00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:28.959 The church is not this building. 00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:33.120 So, whenever if you're ever setting up an appointment with me and they ask, where do you want to meet? 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:38.800 and uh, and I say the ministry center, and then the response they usually get is, oh, you mean the church? 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:41.360 And I go, No, you're the church. 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:42.959 You're the church. 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:49.839 This is just a ministry center, it's just carpet and walls and uh paint and stuff. 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:58.160 And if the enemy begins to empower the government to bring persecution upon the church in America, we won't meet here. 00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:01.759 We'll be in houses all over the place, but we'll still meet. 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:03.759 Because you're the church. 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:05.279 So remember that. 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:14.000 When you go into situations where you're conflicted and people are saying maybe bad things about you or you disagree with them, remember you're the church. 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:20.399 You might be the only picture and feeling that most people have of the church. 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:22.879 So when you're there, be Jesus. 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:40.480 That's why we're doing the conference with Christopher Ewan, is because he's, in all the studies I've done on issues like LBGTQ and homosexuality, I feel like he's got the best line on what the scriptures say and the way in which we communicate it. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:48.639 Because it's not okay to have the right things to say, but then to treat people badly. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:50.480 That's not okay. 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:54.639 It's not okay to preach the good news and be the bad news. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:57.279 And so we're learning that, right? 00:07:57.360 --> 00:07:59.519 So let's let's pick it up in chapter 16. 00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:02.319 We'll close with this last chapter. 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:05.040 Next week, Christopher, you're going to be speaking. 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:11.279 And then the next week, in two weeks, we're going to start a new series, not on a book of the Bible for a while. 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:14.240 We're going to do the cosmic war. 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:18.720 The cosmic war, Satan, demons, and the kingdom of God. 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:23.519 So we'll be talking a lot about Satan, demons, and freedom that comes through the kingdom. 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:25.040 I commend to you, Phoebe. 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:27.680 This is like the easiest name in the group. 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:29.600 So, Phoebe. 00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:31.360 Everybody say Phoebe. 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:33.279 See, we can all do that one. 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:44.960 Okay, I commend you, Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church in Sincrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you. 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:49.360 For indeed, she has been a helper of many and of myself also. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:53.200 So Phoebe, historically, we believe, was a widow. 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:55.759 She could travel alone if she was a widow. 00:08:55.840 --> 00:08:57.519 You couldn't travel unless you're a widow. 00:08:57.759 --> 00:08:59.919 She's probably bringing this letter. 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:07.600 And it says that she's a servant of the Lord, and that word servant is diokonon, which is where we get the word deacon or deaconess. 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:10.080 So she's probably a deaconess in the church. 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:14.799 And she is giving the latter years of her life to the Lord. 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:27.519 And at this church, there's dozens and dozens of you in this body that are single, you're a widow, you've been through divorce, and you are here all the time serving, doing stuff. 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:29.679 And that is biblical and right. 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:31.039 We love having you around. 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:32.080 So keep it up. 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:33.440 It's fantastic. 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:36.320 Greet Priscilla, another easy one. 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:43.120 Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risk their own necks for my life. 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:49.759 So in the Greek, this who risked their own necks, this is a translation in the New King James Version. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:55.279 Literally, it means their necks have been under the axe. 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:14.000 So evidently, Priscilla and Aquila, who are catalytic church planters, we see them in the book of Acts, we see them in 2 Timothy 4, with house churches, have been in some very perilous situations where they risk their lives. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:27.039 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risk their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:30.639 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:35.679 Greet my beloved Epinetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ. 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:46.159 So it appears what we know of history, early church, first 250 years, all house churches, because it was illegal. 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:48.960 Illegal in the whole Roman area, so everything was house churches. 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:54.799 And at the road, we have community groups slash house churches. 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:57.519 So you should be in one. 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:05.440 Those are the best places to be because you get taken care of better than you do in the corporate church because we're just here so briefly. 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:08.080 And even if you come to a class, it's very brief here. 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:12.879 Where relationships happen is in the house churches of the road. 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:16.000 You can go on our website and find out one that's near you. 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:28.799 And if you get sick or you're going through something difficult, when you call the church, if you call the church, the first thing that our secretaries and stuff ask you is, what community group are you in? 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:32.240 Because we expect that the community group takes care of people. 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:34.799 It's the first line of pastoral defense. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:40.480 Now, I don't go to the hospital much unless people are dying. 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:45.519 So if you see me show up at your hospital, that's not a good sign for you. 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:50.320 So you don't want to see me at your hospital room. 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:56.799 You want to see community group people coming and praying for you and laughing with you and helping you get better. 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:01.200 If I show up, we're there to talk about your memorial service. 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:01.759 Okay? 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:09.600 I actually did that this week with a young lady who had has the forethought, because of the pronouncement over her, that she's gonna die. 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:13.200 We actually went through her whole memorial service, all the details of it. 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:16.399 And I videotaped her because I'm gonna use that at the memorial service. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:17.279 So it's pretty cool. 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:18.240 Most people don't think about it. 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:21.840 I mean, you think about, oh, we can't talk about that. 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:28.240 Oh so the last time I was with dad, we went to the Duke Clemson game. 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:33.600 Afterwards, we're sitting around the fire pit at my brother's house, and he said, You guys, I've got you guys here. 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:35.200 I want to talk about my funeral. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:41.360 And we already have a file on his how he wants the funeral to go, but he had some more things to say, so he shared those things. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:43.120 My dad's so funny. 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:45.279 He he's always planning. 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:54.000 I think he's probably planning what he's gonna say to Jesus when he meets him, where to where he can sit, where his house will be. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:56.080 I mean, mansion, whatever. 00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:59.279 Greet Mary, who labored much for us. 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:01.039 Greet Adronicus. 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:02.320 Remember him? 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:04.240 He's in Star Trek. 00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:10.000 So he's um and Junior, my countrymen. 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:12.879 So evidently Jewish, my countrymen. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:18.639 He could have, he could mean that they're from Palestine, that area where he grew up. 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:21.279 It could be that he means they're from Tarsus, where he grew up. 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:22.000 I don't know exactly. 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:25.759 He says, My countrymen, and my fellow prisoners. 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:33.279 So they must have been in prison together, who are of note among the apostles. 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:46.159 So these are some, this is the only references we have of them, but they must have been noteworthy in their witness for Christ that even the apostles knew about them, who were also in Christ before me. 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:49.279 So they were believers before Paul was. 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:52.480 Interesting, my fellow prisoners. 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:58.639 You know, if we were in China right now and we're in a house church somewhere, that might be the conversation. 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:03.679 Like, hey, Larry, uh, remember when we did prison together? 00:14:04.240 --> 00:14:07.279 Remember back in the day when we did those three years together? 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:11.919 Remember us hanging out in the weight room and doing that Bible study and we had 50 guys coming? 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:12.799 Remember that? 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:22.799 You see, what we do in America, because we're so privileged, is we talk about where we go hunting, where we go fishing, or where we go out to eat, or where we go shopping. 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:28.960 But for the early church, it was they spent time together in prison. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:30.559 And it was kind of cool. 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:32.720 Like, man, how long were you in? 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:33.840 I did five. 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:35.200 Man, I did eight. 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:37.759 Man, the food at that prison is terrible. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:41.360 But the one, a lot, the other one, the last one I was in was pretty good, you know? 00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:44.879 Bagels and cheese sometimes, you know, it was really good. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:50.320 Um, so we're pretty blessed, you guys. 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:57.120 So when you think you're really having it hard and persecution, just think about where the church has been historically through the years. 00:14:57.200 --> 00:14:58.720 And remember the people in China. 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:14.080 Remember the pastors in China, remember the pastors in Malaysia, remember the pastors in um India, where they're burning down tree, uh burning down churches left and right, um, and parts of Africa where they're also suffering for the Lord. 00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:17.679 Yeah, so he says these were fellow prisoners with him. 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:21.759 Greet Amplius, my beloved in the Lord. 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:31.919 Verse 9, greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and whatever that guy's name is, Stachis, my beloved, greet Apollos, approved in Christ. 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:34.879 Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:36.000 Now it's interesting. 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:43.120 Aristobolus, uh Josephus, the Greek historian, says he was the great grandson of Herod the Great. 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:46.000 Greet Herodian, my countryman. 00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:50.639 Greet those who are of the household of narcissists who are in the Lord. 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:53.919 Man, I wouldn't want to be named narcissists. 00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:59.039 I think it's like that. 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:02.399 Farside comic. 00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:14.559 The deer's in the woods, you know, and the deer talking to each other, and one deer's got like a bullseye right here on the heart section, and the guy goes, bummer of a birthmark. 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:21.840 Uh greet Trofina and Triphosa, who have labored in the Lord. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:25.759 Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:32.320 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:38.240 So turning your Bibles to the left, go to Mark chapter 15. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:42.879 I just want to make note of this guy, Rufus. 00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:44.399 Mark 15. 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:45.679 Remember the story? 00:16:46.000 --> 00:17:03.600 Jesus is carrying the cross, and he stumbles under the weight of the cross beam that he's carrying, and the Roman soldier recruits a guy named Simon of Cyrene to come and carry the cross the rest of the way. 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:09.039 Let's pick it up at chapter 15 of Mark verse 21. 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:18.079 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Sirenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:31.599 So this is the son of Simon, who carried the cross being for Jesus, and Simon's wife, Rufus' mother. 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:42.720 So it appears that Paul has become so close to the family that he considers Rufus' mother or Simon's wife to be like his mother. 00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:43.839 Can you imagine? 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:51.759 Like you've gotten saved, you come to the Lord, you've been persecuting the church, and you hear, hey, you remember that story you heard about Jesus carrying the crossbeam? 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:54.880 He fell, and yeah, there's a guy named Simon who came and carried. 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:57.279 Yeah, he says, that's his son. 00:17:58.400 --> 00:17:59.039 What? 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:00.240 Come on. 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:03.279 And that's Simon's wife, his mother. 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:07.039 You know, wouldn't you want to go up and just go, what was it like? 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:13.039 You were with Jesus in the last couple hours before he was crucified and died. 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:16.400 It must have been some fascinating stories there, right? 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:19.200 So imagine Simon though from Cyrene. 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:20.160 He's from Cyrene. 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:45.119 He's coming in to Jerusalem for the Passover to sacrifice the Passover lamb, and then there's all this ruckus and this huge crowd happening toward him, and this Jewish guy is carrying this beam, and he stumbles in front of him, and they give him the beam to carry for Jesus. 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:52.960 He came to do the Passover sacrifice of the lamb, and now he's carrying the beam of the Passover lamb. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:55.039 That's intense, man. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:56.480 So that's Rufus. 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:57.839 That's who he is. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:02.880 Greet that guy and the next guy and Hermes. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:03.599 That's a good one. 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:08.000 I got Patrobus, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:12.160 Greet the lola lologos. 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:19.440 And Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympus and all the saints who are with them. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:24.720 Greet one another with a holy handshake. 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:28.319 The churches of Christ greet you. 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:34.079 There was this guy in my church at Mountain Springs. 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:36.559 Kissing me all the time. 00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:40.640 Oh, he's kissing me. 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:49.279 So I'd see him on Sunday and I would see him in the distance, and I would move along the edges of the church, you know, head down. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:50.640 You know. 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:58.720 When he kissed me on the lips, that's when I had to say something, man. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:04.960 So handshakes are cool. 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:06.559 Stick with handshakes, you guys. 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:09.599 I think that's that's a that's a good way to go today. 00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:15.759 Now, this is Middle East, and you know, if you how many of you have been to the Middle East, I mean they do a lot of kissing on the cheeks and stuff. 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:21.279 And I guess, I mean, I guess I would do it if I was there too, but we're not there. 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:22.240 We're here. 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:22.960 Okay. 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:37.680 Well, now he gets to um, I think the the crux of the chapter, the crux, the last part of his letter, and this is why I've entitled this, you know, Love and Unity Crushes Satan under our feet. 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:39.119 Verse 17. 00:20:39.279 --> 00:20:51.279 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you've learned, and avoid them. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:21:03.519 So literally what he's saying is take note, be on the lookout for those who cause divisions and offenses. 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:16.640 There are people who are so damaged and have been hurt so many times, maybe when they were growing up, they can't trust authority figures. 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:29.519 They were hurt by their parents, they've been hurt by others in authority, and so it's hard for them in a local church to listen and to be a part of the team. 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:33.839 And so they're they're always looking for a crack. 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:36.240 And there's a lot of cracks. 00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:49.599 There's a lot of cracks in any organization with people in it, that they then become gossips and they talk a lot, and they email people, and they start causing division. 00:21:50.079 --> 00:21:54.400 They can ruin a family, they can ruin a church. 00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:58.559 Demons are always behind division. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.039 Demons are always behind division. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:06.960 God is always for unity. 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:12.240 Now, I'm not talking about the division that comes through bad doctrine and good doctrine. 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:21.839 I'm talking about those that come in with bad doctrine that we know is bad doctrine to pull people away from good doctrine. 00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:26.960 There's also people who they actually have such a need to be needed. 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:34.079 They have such a need to be noticed that they'll almost say anything to get attention so they can be the center of something. 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:36.880 And they can be very, very divisive. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:37.839 It's really sad. 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:39.680 Sad to be around those people. 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:42.400 And uh and I've had to deal with it from time to time. 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:43.200 Not a lot. 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:49.039 We generally are very unified church, but we've had a few situations where things have gone awry. 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:53.039 And I'll explain in a minute how we at the road deal with that. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:54.400 But take note. 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:57.680 Take note of people like that and avoid them. 00:22:57.920 --> 00:22:59.839 Let me say there's kind of two ways to look at this. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:07.599 One is you avoiding those kind of people that are gossips and stuff, but on the other hand, you need to be unoffendable. 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:10.480 We need to grow in being unoffendable. 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:15.440 In other words, people are gonna say stuff that offend us that they didn't, they didn't mean to. 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:19.680 But some of you are like, there's two kinds of people. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:24.240 There's pine tree people, and there's rose bush people. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:27.200 How many have tried to grow roses in Colorado? 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:29.759 Okay, not many of you, and there's a reason. 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:32.720 Um roses are hard to grow. 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:36.559 Roses need the right sunlight, they need the right moisture. 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:39.039 Everything has to be perfect for roses to grow. 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:41.759 And some of you are rose bushes. 00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:53.039 And if everything's not perfect, you're just like pine trees, I mean, they grow anywhere. 00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:57.359 We got pine trees growing out of the cracks of our house. 00:23:57.680 --> 00:24:02.319 I mean, there's pine pine trees just grow and they they're just they're all over the place. 00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:03.839 And I want to be a pine tree. 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:11.920 I want to be able to grow in almost any situation, even if I don't get the moisture perfect or the sunlight perfect, or people don't treat me perfect. 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:20.160 I can move along and forgive quickly, try to be unoffendable, and uh, and and move along, because that's that's an exciting life. 00:24:20.319 --> 00:24:28.559 But anyway, so he's talking about here people who have become divisive in the church, avoid them. 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:29.680 And here's why. 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:31.119 Verse 18 is why. 00:24:31.200 --> 00:24:32.000 It's important. 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:48.079 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:53.680 So what tends to happen is that the best people get deceived. 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:57.200 And that's why we at the road, we try to guard our church. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:03.519 We, when we see stuff out there that we don't like, we try to come in and talk about it and be open and vulnerable about it. 00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:10.960 Don't beat around the bush, but talk about it because it's it's I'm covering for those who don't have great theology. 00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:20.160 I'm covering for those who are easily manipulated or pulled in to smooth, flattering words that can happen. 00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:21.759 So we I want to protect them. 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:26.079 We want to protect them as a church because there's people like that that do that. 00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:40.960 Because when we do that, we're putting up, we're putting up a barrier of protection for those that are simple and don't understand truth, and maybe don't understand a half truth from a whole truth. 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:45.279 By the way, if you get truth from one person, you're getting half of it. 00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:46.240 Right? 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:51.359 So if you're hearing one side of the story, just remember I'm getting one side of the story. 00:25:51.519 --> 00:26:00.240 Well, he's a or she's a and you're like, okay, sounds like you've got her kind of rough. 00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:02.240 Are you guys in a community group? 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:02.720 No. 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:04.880 Do you guys have any relationships in church? 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:05.440 No. 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:07.359 Are you guys just kind of on your own? 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:08.000 Yes. 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:09.359 Good luck. 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:11.039 Good luck. 00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:18.880 Because if all you have an opinion on is your opinion on, you just might be deceived. 00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:27.680 But if you've got some people around you that are more mature than you that you can share with, you can bounce stuff off with, they help give discernment and wisdom. 00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:29.039 That's why we need each other. 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:31.359 And it's fun, fun to grow that way. 00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:36.160 So at the road, we follow Matthew 18, 15 through 18. 00:26:36.319 --> 00:26:38.400 Matthew 18, 15 through 18. 00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:41.440 We call it our covenant of harmony. 00:26:42.160 --> 00:26:46.240 And even though you're in a perfect church, what? 00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:48.319 Why are people snickering? 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:55.279 Even though you're in a perfect church, sometimes, very rarely, like maybe once every 10 years, we have a problem. 00:26:56.160 --> 00:26:56.480 No. 00:26:56.799 --> 00:27:00.400 We have regular problems because they're made up of people and we're not perfect. 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:02.160 So this is what we follow. 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:03.920 It says, this is what the scriptures say. 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:13.200 Moreover, if your brother sins against you and brothers and sisters will sin against you, go and tell them his fault between you and him alone. 00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:16.240 If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:24.559 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:28.000 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:34.079 But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. 00:27:34.319 --> 00:27:39.200 Assuredly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:42.559 See, do you see the context of the last verse? 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:49.200 Binding and loosening is not just about prayer, it is that, but it's really about relationships. 00:27:50.240 --> 00:28:01.599 So when we go and we talk about stuff and we work things out, we're binding division and we're loosening forgiveness and unity. 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:03.279 That's what he's saying. 00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:07.920 So the context is work it out together first. 00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:09.920 I'll give you three steps that we follow. 00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:14.000 The covenant of harmony, step one, is with the person in you. 00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:15.920 You go to that person. 00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:17.759 We don't want to hear about it. 00:28:17.920 --> 00:28:18.799 You work it out. 00:28:18.960 --> 00:28:19.920 You guys work it out. 00:28:20.079 --> 00:28:26.880 Step two, if you can't work it out, bring along a leader, bring along a pastor, and we'll help you out if we can. 00:28:27.119 --> 00:28:34.240 And then step three, if that still doesn't work, we sometimes have to release people and say this may not be the church for you. 00:28:34.799 --> 00:28:38.640 And my philosophy is restore the humble, put out the prideful. 00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:41.839 Restore the humble, put out the prideful. 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:44.000 And we've done over a hundred. 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:46.640 Over a hundred of these covenant of harmonies have happened. 00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:48.000 That's what I know of. 00:28:48.160 --> 00:28:50.319 There's probably some I don't even know anything about. 00:28:50.559 --> 00:28:55.279 We've only had to release two people so far out of our church. 00:28:55.680 --> 00:29:01.359 One single person and one couple, we had to say, look, you need to go haunt another church. 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:04.319 Because you don't get it. 00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:06.960 We don't play by your rules. 00:29:07.039 --> 00:29:08.160 We don't play by your game. 00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:13.680 We're playing by the rules of unity, love, forgiveness, care, and humility here. 00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:15.119 That's what we're all about. 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:17.359 And so that's pretty good. 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:19.839 98, 99% track record. 00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:24.640 So, wow, God's word works if we follow it. 00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:27.759 For your obedience has become known to all. 00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:28.559 Verse 19. 00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:39.839 Therefore, I'm glad on your behalf, but I want you to be wise, and I think this is really a key principle, be wise in what is good and simple concerning evil. 00:29:40.079 --> 00:29:45.759 Sometimes you hear stuff and you know it's divisive, and you need to say, I don't want to hear anymore about that. 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:49.279 Don't call me, I'm not gonna listen to your gossip anymore. 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:50.720 I don't have anything to do with that. 00:29:50.960 --> 00:29:53.440 You can have your opinion, that's fine, keep it to yourself. 00:29:53.599 --> 00:29:59.599 It's like me growing up on the ranch in the farm with grandma and my granddaddy, and I'd say, Granddaddy, what about so-and-so? 00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:06.400 You know, like I was living there for two years in this small town, and of course, granddaddy had been there his whole life. 00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:09.599 He's 65 years old or so at that time. 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:10.799 He knows everybody. 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:15.599 So I'd ask him using the last name, do you know so-and-so's father? 00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:20.559 And if there was no answer, that meant not good. 00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:26.000 If he said, Oh, he's a good man, then that spoke volumes to me. 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:31.680 But dad, but granddaddy would not speak evil or negative about anybody. 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:33.359 He would just be silent. 00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:35.359 He would just go silent on that. 00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:38.640 And so that's a good principle to live by. 00:30:38.880 --> 00:30:42.319 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet. 00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:45.839 You see, when we walk in unity, it crushes Satan. 00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:49.119 When you walk in unity in your marriage, it crushes Satan. 00:30:49.359 --> 00:30:54.960 When you walk in marriage, you walk in unity in your own spirit, you're not double-minded, it crushes Satan. 00:30:55.200 --> 00:31:01.200 When you go to work and you're fully, wholeheartedly there for Jesus, it crushes Satan. 00:31:02.240 --> 00:31:05.200 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will be with you. 00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:07.039 And he says, Amen. 00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:09.200 I mean, right there, man, amen. 00:31:09.279 --> 00:31:11.920 I'm not thinking, it's like this is what I wanted to say. 00:31:12.160 --> 00:31:15.200 And I wonder if he like goes, Amen, like I'm done. 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:17.279 And the Spirit says, No, you're not. 00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:19.839 And so he has a couple more paragraphs. 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:28.079 Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and another one of those words, suscipator, my countrymen, greet you. 00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:34.720 I, Tertuus, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. 00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:38.559 So Tertius was evidently the secretary of Paul. 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:43.440