Sermon Tone Analysis

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Theme: We were made to be a part of God's family.

Theme: We were made to be a part of God's family.

Date: 08/06/17 File name: Romans49.wpd

ID Number:

Date: 08/06/17 File name: Romans49.wpd

ID Number:

If you’re like a lot of Christians, you get to chapter 16 and you probably read through it like you’re reading trough the genealogies of Jesus — that is you read quickly and probably superficially, and in doing so you miss some really important truths.

You do that because there are so many names in the chapter that are hard to pronounce.

However, when Paul begins naming names we are reminded that the Apostle is writing to a real church, and to real people, in a real place, with real issues that need to be really settled.

If you’re like a lot of Christians, you get to chapter 16 and you probably read through it like you’re reading trough the genealogies of Jesus — that is you read quickly and probably superficially, and in doing so you miss some really important truths.

You do that because there are so many names in the chapter that are hard to pronounce.

However, when Paul begins naming names we are reminded that the Apostle is writing to a real church, and to real people, in a real place, with real issues that need to be really settled.

Chapter 16 is essentially a P.S. — a postscript to the main body of his letter.

He ends chapter 15 saying, “The God of peace be with you all.

Amen.”

That sounds suspiciously like an conclusion, but remember — this is Paul, and the apostle has a few more things to say.

In particular he needs to mention and commend some people.

A few are mentioned in other parts of the New Testament, but the vast majority of these names are lost to the annals of church history.

In his Letter to the Church that is at Rome, Paul has defined the Gospel — that we’re saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

He has provided us a systematic theology and circumscribed basic Christian doctrines.

He’s given us a lengthy practical section on how confessing Christians ought to flesh out the gospel that they have received into their lives.

Now, in this last chapter, he’s going to lay down some essential ecclesiology — the theology of church life.

In this chapter we get something of an insider’s look of an early 1st century church and what was important to them.

We learn four things:

The Early Church Was Deeply Relational

• The Early Church Was Ministry-Minded

The Early Church Was Ministry-Minded

• The Early Church Was Doctrinally Careful

The Early Church Was Doctrinally Careful

The Early Church Was Gospel-Centered

• The Early Church Was Gospel-Centered

I. THE EARLY CHURCH WAS DEEPLY RELATIONAL

1. we learn from this chapter that the Church is family

a. we are part of a family of faith

1) to be a sister or a brother is not just an honorary title for a fellow believer

2) it is descriptive of the believer’s relationship with fellow Christian

2. what looks like a hodgepodge of names we can’t pronounce, interspersed with a few random thoughts of the Apostle, actuality paints for us a picture of what a healthy congregation looks like

random thoughts of the Apostle, actuality paints for us a picture of what a healthy congregation looks like

a. one of the characteristics of a healthy congregation is that they live in relationship with each other — there’s a unity and a harmony born out of genuine love for each other

with each other — there’s a unity and a harmony born out of genuine love for each other

b. and why wouldn’t we consider each other as family considering that we all have the same Heavenly Father?

same Heavenly Father?

3. the same verses that teach us that the early church was deeply relational, also teach us that ...

us that ...

II.

THE EARLY CHURCH WAS MINISTRY-MINDED

1. the second characteristic of a healthy congregation is that they are deeply concerned about ministry — extending a loving hand to those in need in the name of the Savior

about ministry — extending a loving hand to those in need in the name of the Savior

2. Christian ministry is the activity of the local church in the fulfillment of its biblically defined mandate in the world

defined mandate in the world

a. it is God, himself, who has clearly laid out for us in the Scripture what the ministry of the Church is

the Church is

1) we don’t decide why the Church exists

2) we don’t decide what the purpose of the Church is

3) we don’t decide what the Church is supposed to do

b.

God has already done that because the Church is His institution on earth not ours

3. the ministry of the church is spelled out in what we call the Great Commandment and the Great Commission

the Great Commission

a. 1st, the ministry of the Church can be defined by the Great Commandment — “Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind ... 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

(, , NIV)

“Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind ... 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

(, , NIV)

b. 2nd, the ministry of the Church can be defined by the Great Commission —

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

(, NIV)

c. that’s it ... every ministry of a local New Testament church flows out of those two commandments

commandments

1) everything we do must be evaluated against those two commandments

4. the early church is our model for ministry as outlined in

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.

45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.

They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.

And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

(, NIV)

a. the church is to

1) teach the apostle’s doctrine,

2) engage in fellowship,

3) commemorate the breaking of bread (i.e. the Lord’s Supper)

4) pray together,

5) care for one another,

6) worship God in spirit and in truth, and

7) actively evangelize the community

b. in we discover that there is an army of people doing ministry, and none of them are professionally trained or ordained

of them are professionally trained or ordained

5. the list represents a variety of social classes

a. many appear to be slaves or perhaps former slaves known as freedmen

1) we know this because names like Urbanus (vs.

9), Persis (vs.

12) and Julia (vs.

15) were common names among slaves

15) were common names among slaves

b.

Prisca and Aquila (vs.