Okay, now we're coming to the
last chapter in Romans 16. We have finally come this far
these many months to Romans 16. And you would think as you would
just maybe would kind of read over this chapter because of
these names that are mentioned here, they're kind of hard to
pronounce, they are for me, but they're special people. Romans
16 is just as inspired as Romans 8, Romans 9, Romans 3. It's just
as inspired. God is calling attention to His
people. The all-knowing Lord takes special
notice of His people, given to Him in that covenant of grace.
He said, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And
think about this, He knows each of His sheep by name. He knows them personally. He
knows them by name. You remember John chapter 10,
he said, I know my sheep by name, and they do follow me. Now, how long has he known their
names? He has known their names and
has known them personally before the foundation of the world.
That's true of all of God's saints. Their names were written in the
Lamb's book of life from the foundation of the world. Now
you think about that. He knew us long before we ever
knew Him. He knew us. He knew us. He chose
us in eternity. That is true of all of God's
people. Whether we talk about Rufus, or Apelles, or Gerbain,
or these people we read of in Romans 16, it's true of all of
God's people. chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world, and then in time he sends us the gospel. He sends
us a gospel preacher, and he sends forth that word to our
heart, and the power of his spirit gives us ears to hear, heart
to receive Him, He gives us an interest in those things which
by nature we have no interest in. And He makes us willing in
the day of His power, in time He redeems us and shows us and
teaches us that we are chosen in Christ, that we're justified
by the blood of Christ. Remember I told you one of my
favorite verses in Romans chapter 3 verse 24. Remember what it
said? justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. How
long has He been our Redeemer? A long time, for He is the Lamb
slain before the foundation of the world. So when He mentions
these people here, Phoebe, and Priscilla and Aquila, what He
says here and what He's doing. And as you look at this chapter,
really what He's doing here, He's describing to us those whom
He has chosen. This is the Lord's description
of His people. And in their life that we have
here before us, in the experience of their grace, we know the Lord
calls them, To Christ in saving faith, we call that the experience
of grace. For salvation, salvation is not
an isolated experience, but salvation is something by the grace of
God that we do experience in our life. We experience the power
of his gospel, the power of his grace, and he makes us willing
in the day of his power. It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling. Now this last chapter contains,
if I didn't miscount, 36 names. 36 names of sinners justified
by the Lord. Think of it. 36 sinners justified
by the Lord, made objects of His mercy, made objects of His
love. He set His love on old Rufus
from the foundation of the world. And in time, He called old Rufus
to Himself. Of these 36 names, both men and
women, are mentioned, both young and old, both Jew and Gentile,
who are called and described as who are loved of God, who
labored in the Lord, who learned the gospel, and gave their lives
unto it. It says of Aquila and Priscilla,
I believe it is, it says there who have for my life laid down their
own neck." They put their life on the line for the gospel. Now
that should get our attention. Now look at verse one and two.
I commend unto you Phoebe, Phoebe, our sister. Now I love the way
he writes that. She's our sister. She's ours
too. We're one family in Christ. I
command unto you, Phoebe, our sister, which is a servant of
the church, remember that's a high title, to be called a servant
of the Lord, which is at Sincreia, that you receive her in the Lord
as becoming saints. This is what saints do, they
receive one another, they love one another. The saints of God,
those who are sanctified in Christ, that you assist her in whatsoever
business she hath need of you, for she hath been a help. That
word there, succor, our Lord has called one who has succored
us, helped us, aided us, many and of myself also. What was this special task that
Phoebe had that he request that they receive her and that you
would assist her? You know what task and privilege
and responsibility was laid on this woman? Look at the footnote
at the end of chapter 16. Written to the Romans from Corinthus,
sent by Phoebe, the servant of the church that's in Korea. You
think about that, the very Word of God, the only copy, the only
copy that was made, written out by Paul, given to this woman
from Corinth all the way over to Rome What a responsibility was laid
upon this woman and yet Paul thought so much of her that he
entrusted the very written inspired Word of God that you hold in
your hand right now. Isn't that amazing? I find that
quite amazing. And of course you know this is
all by the providence of the Lord. God laid that on the Apostle
Paul to give this to this faithful woman. Faithful woman. Why didn't he choose a man? Why
didn't he choose someone like Samson or someone like faithful
Caleb? The Lord will use whom he will.
Small, weak, insignificant people to accomplish his purpose. You
know why he does that? That he might have all the honor
and glory. in the saving of his people. I commend them to you,
Phoebe, our sister." Isn't that special? Paul says that she's
been a great help to me and to many others as a servant of the
Lord. Paul mentions other women in
his epistles and he says of them, "...who labored with me in the
gospel." Now, we've studied both 1 Samuel and we've talked about
Hannah, haven't we? How Hannah gave that special
son that the Lord gave her, Samuel, unto the Lord. And we've also
studied the book of Ruth. Remember? How Ruth was married
to the kinsman-redeemer, Boaz. We've also studied the book of
Esther. The book of Esther, that was
a special study, those 12 chapters. You see the Lord uses whom He
will to magnify His grace. And in this case it was Phoebe.
Now, no doubt she didn't travel from Sincreia. Sincreia was a
port city there in Corinth, a very busy port city. But no doubt Phoebe also traveled
with others as she made her way with, you reckon how she guarded
that Word? Here's the Word of God. The only
copy there is. Boy, she'd give her life for
it, wouldn't she? She'd stand firm for it. I find
that quite amazing. That you receive her in the Lord
and become a saint, that you assist her in whatsoever business. Boy, she's on the Lord's business.
She's doing the Lord's business. She hath need of you, for she
hath been a help of many, and of myself also. And then this
familiar husband and wife. God calls attention to Aquila
and Priscilla, my helpers in Christ Jesus, who have for my
life laid down their own necks and to whom not only I give thanks,
but also all the churches of the Gentiles." They give thanks
for Aquila and Priscilla. Now, you know the reference there.
Turn to Acts 18, Acts chapter 18. Here's the reference. Paul
actually worked with Aquila and Priscilla. Acts 18, verse 1. After these things, Paul departed
from Athens and came to Corinth. You got it? Acts 18, 1. and found
a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy
with his wife Priscilla, because Claudus had commanded all the
Jews to depart from Rome and came unto them. And because he
was of the same craft, he abode with them, for by their occupation
they were tent makers. After these things, Paul departed
from Athens. and came to Corinth and found
Aquila and Priscilla. Now, what a special, special
time together. Notice how well they were taught
in the Scriptures. Stay right here in Acts 18. And
in verse 24, a certain Jew named Apollos, born in Alexandria,
an eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
This man was instructed in the way of the Lord, being fervent
in the Spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the
Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. Remember, the New Testament
wasn't written. And he began to speak boldly
in the synagogues, whom when Aquila and Priscilla heard, they
took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more
perfectly. Now you think about that, here
is a mighty man in the scriptures, yet he was ignorant on certain
things and Aquila and Priscilla were so taught and rooted and
grounded in the gospel, they were able to help Apollos. Look
at the last verse in Acts 18, and after he was taught these
things, he mightily convinced the Jews in that publicly showing
by the Scripture that Jesus was the Christ. What a special couple
Aquila and Priscilla were helpers, helpers in the Lord who have
for my life laid down their own necks unto whom not only I give
thanks, I give thanks to the Lord for them but also all the
churches, all the churches of the Gentiles It's a miracle that
any Gentile would believe the gospel. You think of the paganism
that was rampant in that Gentile world. I mean, they had no scripture. They had no prophets. They had
no tabernacle. They had none of these things.
Yet God called out his people out of this Gentile world and
established a church. Likewise, he says, Likewise,
verse five, greet the church that is in their house. You see
that? Now, a lot of churches in the
early days started in people's houses. Now, many of you have
been to Todd's Road Grace Church and you go down there and you
see that nice building and that large crowd, but you know how
that ministry started? It started in Todd and Lynn's
apartment when they were in college. It started in their apartment. And now, 40 years later, you
see what 40 years of laboring in the Lord. So, it's not a shameful
thing when there's no place to go hear the gospel for a small
group of people. This has happened many times,
many, many cases I know of where churches started just with a
few families. A minister in Kingsport, that's
how it started there. And we didn't go down there with
a, you know, a large crowd and big building. I mean, we met
in a school room every week for several years, and then in a
storefront, and then finally they were able to purchase a
small building. But it started, really, It started
in the hearts of the Lord's people there. Likewise, greet the church
that is in their house. Now, the second part of verse
5, salute my well-beloved, my well-beloved Eponidas, who is
the firstfruits, or one of the first converts of Achaia, of
that region of Achaia, in Christ Jesus. Greetings to my well-beloved
Eponidas. Eponidas was an object of God's
sovereign mercy. He's called the well-beloved
Eponidas, and that is true of all of God's people, or is it
not? The Lord said, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well
pleased, and all of God's people are well loved in the Lord. And he was a object of God's
sovereign mercy. He said, I will have mercy on
whom he will have mercy. Down in verse 8, it talks about
another man and Phyllis, my beloved. And then Urbain in verse 9, and
Stachys, beloved also in the Lord. All of the Lord's people
are well beloved of the Lord from eternity. This is that special,
sovereign, electing love of God. And that's the only love of God
that this book teaches. This book does not teach a universal
fatherhood and a universal love of God. That's just not so. at
the lie that many people have believed for years. God is not
the father of all men. You make good on that? I believe
I can. The Lord said of those Pharisees,
you are of your father the devil. And then we know from Romans
8 that the love of God is in the Lord Jesus Christ. So, these
people are well beloved of God, loved with an everlasting, electing
love. I've loved thee with everlasting
love, Jeremiah 31, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
myself, have I drawn you unto myself. The Lord having loved
his own, loved them to the end. I love to talk about Notice,
as you read down through here, it doesn't put the focus on their
love for the Lord, does it? Did you notice that? It doesn't
put the focus on their love for the Lord. Now, I get a little
bit concerned about people when they talk about how much they
love the Lord. That concerns me a little bit.
I'm more concerned about His love for us. I want to talk about
how He loves us. He whom thou lovest is sick.
Remember about Lazarus? It didn't say, well, Lazarus
loves you so much. No, He whom you love is sick. You see, the focus is always
upon the Lord's love for us. Having loved His only, He loved
Him to the end. I don't like to sing that song,
and I don't know that we ever have here or not, but, oh, how
I love Jesus. I have a problem with that, because
I'm so ashamed of my love to the Lord. Now, don't get me wrong.
I can say with John Newton, John Newton put it this way, I love
the Lord, and I do by His grace. We love Him because He only first
loved us. I love the Lord, but not like
I should, not like I want to, not like I will someday. But
how compared, comparatively speaking, what is your love compared to
His love for you? Now, I don't want to talk about
how much I love the Lord. Don't, just don't go there. But if we're gonna talk about
love, let's talk about His love for us. Now, I can brag on that. I can brag on that. And then it says in verse six,
Greek Mary, who bestowed much labor on us. This is not Mary,
the mother of the body of the Lord Jesus, nor Mary, whose seven
demon spirits were cast out, but rather a humble servant of
the Lord, Paul chooses, by inspiration of God, God singles her out. You see how intimate, how intimate,
how intimately acquainted the Lord is with you? He knows your
heart. He knows your name. He knows
your trouble. He knows everything about you. That's comforting to me. Remember
what David said, Lord you know my frame, you know I'm but dust. That's all I am. Dust. Dust. And then verse 7, Salute Adonicus,
Janiah my kinsman. Now these may have been Jewish
and of the tribe of Benjamin. You remember in Romans 9 and
Romans 10, how Paul prayed for his, my brethren, my kinsmen,
according to the flesh, that they might be saved. He said,
I wish myself a curse from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen,
according to the flesh. But Adonicus and Juniah, my kinsmen,
now notice this, my fellow prisoners, my fellow prisoners." Now, I
don't know that they may have been in prison with Paul when
he was in prison. Maybe that's where they met.
Maybe they were in prison for the gospel like Paul was. But
notice this in verse 7, "...who are of note," they're notable,
"...among the apostles who also were in Christ before me." Other apostles, Peter, John,
These men, Adunicus and Juniah, my kinsmen, were noteworthy,
even, and recognized among the other apostles. And they were
in Christ before me. Now, Paul is saying, in a matter
of time, as far as time goes, they were believers in the Lord
Jesus Christ before I was. That is, when I met them, they
were believers. But as far as God's eternal covenant, we're
all in Christ before the foundation of the world, as I had on the
radio program this morning. We are blessed with all spiritual
blessing according as God has chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world. Verse 9, our helper in Christ,
and stachys, my beloved, Verse 10, Apelles, Apelles approved
in Christ. You see that? Approved, now we
know Apelles was a faithful servant of the Lord, but it doesn't say
he was approved by his works. He was approved by his deeds.
He's only approved in Christ. Now, what does that tell us?
We are only accepted in the Beloved. You see that? Approved in Christ. Salute them that are of the house
of Aristobulus and the household. Salute Herodian, my kinsmen. Greet them that are of the house
of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. Salvation is in the Lord. Salute Trithena, Triphophis,
who labored in the Lord. They labored. It was a labor
of love where motivated and given who labored much in the Lord.
Faith worketh by love. His love constrains us. And then
I've got to get down Persistus, Tryphena, Tryphosa, who labored
in the Lord, labored much in the Lord. And again, it's a labor
of love. It's a blessing to serve the Lord. And then I got to get
to Rufus. I love that. I love old Rufus. He was probably a rough guy.
His name was probably Ruffus. And they just shortened it to
old Rufus. But notice, chosen in the Lord. How many times it says that your
people are beloved of the Lord and chosen in the Lord. And that's
our hope. is being in the Lord, that we
might win Christ and be found in Him. Salute then these names
in verse 14 and verse 15, with all the saints which are with
them. And then he says, verse 16 in closing, Salute one
another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute
you. Now, let me go back and mention
this. Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord, his mother and mine. Now, his mother was chosen in the
Lord, but evidently the mother of Rufus was like a mother figure
to the Apostle Paul. And then greet one another with
a holy kiss. This is a holy greeting, like
we do when we meet one another. We shake hands or we hug one
another's neck. This is a holy greeting. This
is a greeting of love, greeting of affection. I'm somewhat perplexed,
so I have to give you a bump this morning. But I'd rather
shake your hand and embrace you. But a bump is to keep from spreading
germs. But I think about the opposite. What would be the opposite of
a holy kiss? I think about the kiss of one
named Judas. His kiss wasn't a holy kiss.
Remember, he came and kissed the Lord. It was a kiss of deceit,
a kiss of betrayal. We're to greet one another warmly
in the Lord. And then he says, as I pointed
out, the churches of Christ, the churches of Christ salute
you. Now, you will not find in scripture
where it says, the church of Christ. It's always plural, churches. What is a church? Well, we have
that universal church. Those chosen in Christ and called
out. That's what the word actually
means. Church means the called out. The called out. The called
out of darkness into His marvelous light. The calling out of the
people by the Lord's call with the Gospel, meeting together
as a congregation in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, seeking
to worship Him, seeking to lift Him up. Now, I'm not big on names. I'm not big on names at all.
But the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is where His glorious
person and His effectual priestly work is declared. He is the head
of the church. We are the body of that church,
body of believers. Christ is the head and we are
the body of Christ. I'm glad it's that way.