Can we please turn to the last chapter of the book of Romans today? And hopefully we're going to be able to conclude this book today. I don't want to make any promises to you, but I would like to really deal with this last chapter that I think is so important, brothers and sisters, in Romans chapter 16, and that really applies very practically to each and every one of us today. The question that you might ask yourself and I might ask myself am I serving the Lord would I like to serve the Lord do I want to be a servant of the Lord in order that the Lord Jesus the Messiah will be glorified that the people of God will be blessed and the question is would I like or would I love to be a servant of our blessed Lord Yeshua the Messiah because to be a servant of the Lord, sometimes, in fact many times, you're not going to be appreciated at all times.

That you may not be understood many times. You may not be liked at times because service for the Lord means self-sacrifice. We have a whole chapter here in Romans chapter 16 in a climax that we have here at the end of all the information that the Apostle Paul gave to the Romans about sin, about salvation, about sanctification, about sovereignty, and finally about service. And in the climax of this book, at the end of the book, he's giving us 33 names of individuals that you might never hear about them, But the Apostle Paul had chosen to name them here at the end of the book of Romans. In fact, some of them you have hardly heard or you may have never have heard of them if he would not have put them here in the book of Romans.

When we read the book of Ezra, if you remember in Ezra chapter 1, we don't have still the names of those people who gathered back and went back to the city of Jerusalem to serve God, to rebuild the temple with Hubevel. But if you read chapter 2 of the book of Ezra, you will see how God is naming them. Name after name, he's mentioning them. Beginning in chapter 2, they which came with Zerubabel, and Yahshua, and Echemiah, and Sariah, and on and on, he gives us a list of names of individuals that you may have never heard about them before, had the Holy Spirit of God not have placed them in the canon of Scripture.

And the question is, do you want to serve the Lord? Do I want to serve the Lord? And is service for the Lord means that my name has to be mentioned and written, or do we really serve the Lord as unto Him, even though if somebody will not mention it and appreciate it, and knowing that Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, does appreciate and know everyone who is truly a servant or does any service for the Lord it is interesting also here that in Roman chapter 16 many women are mentioned you know the men oftentimes take the public place in a ministry but we don't even realize the importance of our sisters of the women in the work of the Lord the Lord Jesus the Messiah formed the body of Christ the body of Messiah and male and female we are all coming in from on the same ground but the sisters even though they don't have a certain public place they are essential in the work of the ministry and you will see how the apostle Paul appreciating the sisters the women that served him and served the.

Lord Jesus the Messiah as he was here being used by the Lord and so in chapter 16 we have some praises and some warnings that the apostle is giving here. In fact, if you will notice in the first 16 verses, we have some that he greets. In verses 17 to 19, there are some that we are to avoid. And in verses 20 to 27, there are some that we are to honor. That's what the apostle Paul, that's what Shaul does. He greets some, he warns about some, and he seeks to honor some, and he presents it to the believers at Rome. And I would like today to begin with the first few verses, and I'm going to take them in section.

Let's begin, first of all, in verses 1 and 2. And by the way, before I'm going to read verses 1 and 2, there are 33 people that are mentioned by name here in Roman chapter 16. Then nine of them are with Paul, eight of them are men, one of them are. Women, or is a woman. Then there are 24 that are found at Rome, 17 of them are men, and seven of them are women. He also mentioning some name of unnamed persons, some of them he called brethren, other he's called mother of Rufus, and another one the sister of another person, which their name are not mentioned, but their person is mentioned here in Romans chapter 16.

So let's begin by a commendation that is found in verses 1 and 2, and notice what we read. I commit unto you Phoebe, our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Sanchira, that ye receive her in the Lord has become a saint and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she have need of you for she has been a helper of many and of myself also the first person in that long list in Romans 16 is a woman by the name of phoebe if you have the king James version you will notice her name is mentioned. Also at the end in verse 27, which is actually was added there by those who compiled the King James Version.

And there it's mentioned that the letter that Paul had been writing to the believers at Rome was written from Corinth, and it's sent by Phoebe, a servant of the church in San Chira. This is actually not in the original, but it was added by those who compiled the King James Version. But the point is this, that apparently this woman by the name of Phoebe was carrying the letter of Romans from Corinth to the believers at Rome, given to her by the Apostle Paul himself, by Shaul, and he used her to give that great and important letter and to bring it to the believers at Rome.

But what does he have to say about Phoebe? He's saying, he called her, I commend unto you Phoebe, our sister, which is a servant of the church which is in Sancherah. The word for servant has come from the Greek word diakonos, which we often use as the word deacons, which is simply mean a servant. She was a servant in the church in Sancherah. She was a real servant. By the way, that word for servant is found elsewhere in the Scripture and it's really an interesting word for servant because it's found the Lord is saying, who of you want to be a servant among the people of God?

A servant is the one who minister and serve the people of God. That's what Phoebe did. She was simply a servant. Maybe not everybody appreciated her. Maybe not everyone understood what Phoebe was doing. But Phoebe was a servant, and her name is mentioned here in the Scripture by the Apostle Paul. He took a note of mentioning Phoebe in his letter to the Romans. And even greater than what Paul said, the Holy Spirit of God placed this woman in the Scripture and said that she was a servant. Notice it says servant of the church. The church is not the building. The church are the people. She was ministering to the believers.

Apparently from verse 2, she said, should receive her in the Lord has become a saint and that you assist her in whatsoever business she has a need of and then notice he says for she has been a helper of many and also of myself oh brothers and sisters how we need these kind of sisters in our midst we need a sister we need brothers and sisters but specifically here sister that he's mentioning like phoebe that will minister the people to the people of God that will minister will encourage them will meet needs will know how to speak in due time there are many discouragements around us and phoebe was recognized by Shaul by Paul as a servant as simply a servant do we want to serve the Lord do i want to serve the Lord sometime brothers and sisters we would like to be so recognized and so placed in the front and here's a woman that never spoke of herself but somebody else such as apostle Paul have recognized her service there is a price in service there is a.

Need among the people of God when everything is falling apart we do not need great people we need simple people who serve our blessed Lord Jesus the Messiah and the people of God notice what he says about her number one receive her number two assist her and why because she had been assisting everybody else what a recommendation can you imagine to take such a recommendation by the apostle Paul can you imagine his word whatever he says was leaving such an impact upon others so when he was commending or recommending somebody they took it to heart and they recognize here is a sister that was serving the apostle Paul serving the local assembly in Sancherah, and we are to receive her, and we are to assist her.

And so, the first one, we see a recommendation. By the way, if you want to put a note in your Scripture about the word diakonos, a servant, you can find it in 1 Timothy chapter 3, verses 8 to 14, a few times. What is the business. And the work of the servant? He is to serve. He is to minister to the people of God. Sometimes we think that it is only the pastors are the ones who are to talk to share with people look at the kind of a person like Phoebe she must have been encouraging the believers maybe some were sick but she was visiting them she was doing all kind of things and ministering to the needs practical as well as spiritual needs because she was a woman of God there was a commendation by the apostle Paul for this woman by the name of Phoebe I can just imagine when people have gone astray she was probably visiting them.

When people were discouraged, when sisters were discouraged, she probably met their need by simply listening to them. What a wonderful sister to have in the midst of the local assembly. So he is the one that's commanding them. Now from verse 3 to verse 16, we have a series of salutations, a series of saying shalom to these people. In Hebrew. When it says greet someone, in Hebrew we say Sha'alu le Shalom. It's coming from the same Hebrew word of the song, Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalayim. Greet or seek for the peace and the welfare of somebody else. And notice how many names are mentioned here for verses 3 to verse 16. The first ones to note, just specifically here, is verse 3, 4, and 5a.

These people called Priscilla and Aquila, husband and wife team. What a wonderful thing to have a husband and wife team. I can tell you that I could not do much without the help of my dear wife, Irene. Very little if I wouldn't have the support of my dear wife. A husband and wife team is very essential in everything we do, specifically in the Lord's work. And so here he is saying, Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in the Messiah, Yeshua. Verse 4, Who have for my life laid down their own necks, unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles, likewise greet the church that is in their house.

You know what we learn here about Aquila and Priscilla? That apparently they had a local assembly using their own home, their own house, a place for the meeting room. You see, it says the church that is in their house. Apparently they invited believers and they use their home as a husband and wife to be a place where the believers meet, where the church met. But you know what they did for the Apostle Paul? It says here in verse 3, Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers. They were also helpers of the Apostle Paul. He says, who have for my life laid down their own necks. You know, it is a Roman expression because in the history of the Romans, laying down their own neck means that they endanger their lives.

You know, when the Romans were executing not only by crucifying, but also cutting the necks of people, it is laying down their own necks means they have endangered their lives for my sake. Don't you think the Apostle Paul will appreciate these kind of people? Aquila and Priscilla were this kind of a husband and wife team who assisted the Apostle Paul. Turn with me for a moment to Acts chapter 18, for a verse or two there. In Acts 18, we read in verses 1, 2, and 3, after these things, Paul departed from Athens, and he came to Corinth. And it was in Corinth, it says in verse 2 of Acts 18, that he found a certain Jewish man by the name of Aquila.

He was born in Pontius, lately came from Italy, and with his wife Priscilla, because that Claudius had commended all the Jews to depart from Rome, and came unto them, and because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and he wrought for by their occupation, for they were tent makers. You know, they were literally making tents, That was their Job, but over and above their Job of making tents, they were actually serving the Lord, using their house for their meeting, the local assembly of believers. You know, at that time, they didn't have like we can have buildings today where people coming together to a separate what we call church hall, meeting hall.

At that time, they used to meet at homes. So when a person got saved and he accepted Yeshua the Messiah, The local assembly was in a home of one of the brothers, one of the believers. And so they were gathering together and they were hosting those people. Imagine what is involved to host people in their own home. We have a sister in Israel that her house today is the place where the believers meet. Every Shabbat, all those who come who are believers, who are gathered together for the listening of the word of God, they are coming to her own house. So her own house became like a train station.

You come to the home. If you have a problem, you phone to the house and she's trying to answer us and others trying to help. But their home was a place of the gathering of the saints. What a wonderful privilege it must have been. But what a hard label to have your house where everybody else come for the Bible study and to have your house where everybody else coming for the ministry meeting and everybody else coming for the prayer meeting and to use your house. Can you imagine what it involved? The setting up, the cleaning up, the preparation for food for fellowship. Can you imagine?

It is a hard work. And sometime, because they were under the Roman Empire, they were endangering their own lives. And the Apostle Paul recognized them in Romans chapter 16. We read of them in verses 1 to 3 of Acts chapter 18. In verse 18 as well we read, And Paul, after this, tarried there yet a good while. And then he took his leave of the brethren, and he sailed thence unto Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shown his head in Sanchira, for he had a vow. And he came to Ephesus and left them there. Apparently they sailed with him, Aquila and Priscilla, and they went with him from Corinth to Sanchira, from Sanchira to Ephesus, and he left them in Ephesus, and the Lord used them in Ephesus as well.

So on the one hand, their Job was to make tents, and on the other hand, while they do their physical work, they are ministering to the needs of the people of God, and that's why the Apostle Paul said, Greet! Al le-shalom! I ask for the peace of Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in the Messiah, Yeshua, who have for my life laid down their own necks unto whom not only I give thanks but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Whether it was at Corinth, whether it was in St. Chera, whether it was in Ephesus, the churches, the local assemblies, the believers in those Gentile areas have appreciated this Jewish man and his wife who had to flee from Rome because of what happened, the persecution in Rome against the Jewish people.

And they were used by the Lord for the benefit of the Gentile church, whether it was at Corinth, at Rome, and elsewhere, St. Shera and Ephesus. Notice now, he's continuing, and I'm just moving on because there's a great list here, and probably I won't be able to mention everyone or develop everyone's situation but look at this verse 5b we have another individual by the name of epanthus who is of the first fruits of achaia unto the Messiah unto Christ apparently this man by the name of epanthus he was one of the first individuals that the apostle Paul led to the Messiah if you ever led a person to the Lord what a privilege it is to lead somebody to.

The Lord. I had a few times that privilege to share with people the gospel and then to pray with them the sinner's prayer. Can you imagine what an impact that person lived on the life of the Apostle Paul or on your life and mine when you were used by the Lord Jesus, by the Holy Spirit of God, to lead a person to the knowledge of the Savior? Paul does not forget that. Paul remembered that it was a refreshment for his own heart. And he's saying, Salute my well-beloved Epontius, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto the Messiah. He's continuing now in the list. And here he's mentioning Miriam, or as we call it Mary, but in Hebrew it's Miriam.

Apparently she must have been a Jewish person who became a believer. We have many Miriams in the Bible. We have Miriam, the mother of Yeshua. We have Miriam Magdalene. We have Miriam, the sister of Moshe and Aaron. And we have another Miriam here mentioned. Actually, her name, Miriam, it does not give us a good meaning because to be angry or merry, merry, rebellious. And yet, there must have been a shame in her life when she came to know the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. And so he's saying, I greet Miriam who bestowed much labor on us. Here's again a sister. She labored. She bestowed much labor upon the Apostle Paul and all those who went with him and followed after him.

She served the apostle Paul. She served Yeshua the Messiah and those that are his servants. In verse 7, apparently there is other fellow Jews. And notice at verse 7 he says, Salute Andronosius and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners who are known among the apostles who also were in the Messiah before me. Here he is mentioning other two Jewish believers, apparently he says kinsmen, they are related to him in a sense they are Jewish by birth, and they also came to faith in the Messiah, and they were noted among the apostles even before the apostle Paul was a believer in Yeshua the Messiah. And he is taking a note, he is saying to salute them, they are my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners.

You see, they also suffered because of the name of Yeshua, the Messiah. And he's calling them fellow prisoners. They may have been in bonds because of the name of the Lord. They were serving the Lord, serving together with the Apostle Paul. And he does appreciate them very much. Apparently, they were his kinsmen, fellow Jewish people who came to faith in Yeshua, the Messiah. You notice here in this chapter, as we're going to read it, that there are some Jewish believers and some gentle believers. And they are united together. He's appreciating all those that belong to Yeshua the Messiah. Here's another one in verse 8. Ampilas, and I'm reading verse 8.

Greet Ampilas, my beloved in the Lord. Another individual, maybe not a Jewish believer, a gentle believer in the Messiah, but he is calling him, he's my beloved. He loved this individual in the Lord, in the Messiah. In verse 9, he mentioned Urban and Stachius. It says in verse 9, Salute Urban, our helpers in the Messiah, and Stachius, my beloved. And then he's adding more individuals with those names that you and I would have never heard their names unless Paul had written them in Romans chapter 16. In verse 9, he's using this expression of a person who is being approved. Apelles, you notice verse 10, salute Apelles, approved in the Messiah, salute them which are in Aristobulus household.

This person by the name of Apelles was approved in Christ, in the Messiah. I'm reminded of the verse in 2 Timothy chapter 2, where Paul wrote to this young man, Timothy, and he said to him Timothy study to show yourself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Timothy you study the Scriptures and all of that you will be approved unto God here's a man in verse 10 by the name of apelles who was approved in the Messiah in Christ why you know when he studied the word when he learned the Scripture when he spent time with Yeshua the Messiah he was approved he didn't need even somebody else commanding him but by virtue of his life by virtue of his language and attitude he was approved unto God approved in the Messiah what a commendation to give to a man to a brother to a sister in verse 10 he also mentioning salute them which are at the house of Aristubulus his household Apparently, from what I understand from history, some suggest that he is the grandson of Herod the Great.

Aristobulus had been the grandson of Herod the Great. And what a wicked man Herod the Great had been. And yet, Aristobulus got saved. And some of his household got saved. And there was a change in his life. You know what Herod the Great had done? If you remember the story of Herod the Great, when the wise men came into Jerusalem and said, where is he that was born, the king of the Jews? And he would not share his kingship with anyone. And what did he do? He called his wise men, he says, you go and find him, and when you find him, tell me. And I'll come, and I'll worship him.

And you remember what happened? When they found the baby in a manger in Bethlehem, and they worshipped him, and they left another way, what did Herod the Great have done? He have sent to Bethlehem, and he have killed every baby, Jewish baby, from two years and under to make sure that the Messiah the king of the Jews will not remain alive but here's a grandson who turned to the Messiah and now the apostle Paul is greeting him and those that are in his household you know it is so beautiful to see the ways of God we have just talked about it recently in our meeting in niagara on the lake some people are godly men and women that have an ungodly children.

And some people have an ungodly life and their descendants end up to be a godly boys and girls, men and women. We do not know the ways of God. When Eli the priest among the people of Israel, his sons did not behave in a proper way that God had to take away the priesthood from him. And while he was taking the priesthood away from Eli, he was raising a young man by the name of Shmuel Samuel who ended up to be a man of God. And yet Samuel's sons did not behave in a godly way and had to be removed as well you don't understand the ways of God here's a man who is Aristobulus who is a grandson of a wicked man and yet he turned to the Messiah and following the Messiah and some of his household may have turned to the Lord Yeshua the Messiah what a wonderful ways the ways of God amazing ways of God we have in the Bible look in verse 11 now he's mentioning a person by the name of Herodion my kinsman verse 11 salute Herodion my kinsman and greet them that all are of his household of and he's mentioning another man by the name of Narcissus and you see again you could see that he's mentioning other individuals Herodion he's his kinsman could be somebody's connected with Herod and so on but he's or in the household of Herod.

Then Narcissus, which are in the Lord, and apparently here's another one. They are in the Lord. He's mentioning their name because they have been so dear to the apostle Paul. He continues now, and I'm reading in verse 12. He's using, here's two individuals that may have been a twin sisters or something. He says, salute Tryphina and Tryphosa who labor in the Lord. Here's two sisters that have been laboring in the Lord. And I want to encourage you, dear sisters, to continue to serve the Lord. You don't know what a blessing you are to those of us here. You don't even realize that. But here the Apostle Paul appreciates them.

He's saying, salute them. They are labored. They have worked hard in the things of the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which labored much in the Lord. Here's another sister that he's adding. They labored much in the Lord. They labored and labored, and their name was not mentioned all along until God had placed it in a canon of Scripture. And because most of the people who read the Scripture don't get to the end of the story, we always like the cream of the crop. We don't realize the importance that this individual had in the ministry of the Gospel. And now notice here, in the next verses, in verse 13, here's another interesting man by the name of Rufus.

It says here, Salut Rufus, chosen of the Lord, and his mother and mine. Now who is that rufus do you know who is that rufus turn with me to Mark chapter 15 for a moment very interesting Mark chapter 15 we learn that rufus was apparently the son of Simon in Mark chapter 15 we learn about rufus Mark 15 verse 1 let me find this verse and read it to you it says when Jesus the Messiah was sent before pilate and then later on he was on a way to be crucified it says here in verse 16 the soldiers led him away into the hall called the petroleum and they called together the whole band they closed him with purple they plaited the crown of thorn and they put it upon his head and they began to salute him and they said hail king of the Jews and they smote him on his head with a reed and they did spit upon him and they bowed their knees and worshiped him and when they had mocked him they took off the purple from him and.

They put his own clothes on him and he led him to be crucified and now verse 21 and then they compel a man by the name Simon a Cyrenian who passed by coming out of the country the father of Alexander and Rufus to bear his cross apparently when the Lord Jesus the Messiah was walking with the cross after he was beaten. Apparently on the streets, there was a man by the name of Simon, a Cyrenian. He came, he was one of the people in the crowd, and perhaps one of those soldiers said to him, hey, you help him to bear the cross. And can you imagine, Simon had to remember that he was helping to carry the cross of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

He had experienced somewhat, and he saw the pain and the sorrow and the suffering and the rejection of Yeshua the Messiah. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. I don't know if they were there with him, but he may have told them, sons, I'm going to tell you something. I've been in the city of Jerusalem, and I was one of those people in a crowd, and the soldier took me and told me to carry the cross of one by the name of Yeshua from Nazareth. And I helped him to carry the cross. Sons, I want to tell you, I believe that he was the promised Messiah.

He was carrying the cross and later on they hung him on that cross. And he cried out, my God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? Sons, he must have said to Alexander and Rufus, I want to tell you that he was the promised Messiah. And apparently, at least we learn here from Romans chapter 16, Rufus have accepted him. In fact, it says that Rufus was chosen of the Lord. You know, we learn here the truth of election, that God had chosen us in Christ, in the Messiah, before the foundation of the world. And here's Rufus, chosen in the Lord. And it seemed to be, brothers and sisters, that Rufus' mother, who must have been the wife of Simon, became like a mother to Shaul, to Paul.

And she must have treated him as her own son. And many times where Shaul or Paul was with them, she have treated him like his very own mother and that's why he's saying in verse 13 of Romans 16 chosen of the Lord rufus chosen of the Lord salute him and salute his mother and his mother is also mine that means that he took she became like a mother unto the apostle Paul in the way that she had treated him and helped him and mothered him and cared for him but what a privilege to be the son, Rufus, the one that is chosen from the Lord, and the one that his father helped Yeshua the Messiah to carry his cross to the place of crucifixion.

Notice now in the next verses we have in verse 14, we have five more names are mentioned, and the others called brethren, you notice verse 14, We do not know who those people are. I tell you, very difficult names to express, Greek names. They must have been Gentiles believers in Yeshua the Messiah, that Apostle Paul appreciated them and their other brethren who have been with them. He's mentioning now in verse 15, he's adding another individual to the list here, and he's calling, verse 15, salute Philogos and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympus and all the saints which are with them. Here's another list of names. By the way, the name here for Philogos or philogos come from two Greek words phileo had to be for the word lover and logos is the word you remember it's John 1 1 in the beginning was the logos the word and the word was with God and the word was God this name philogos is a lover of the Lord as the eternal word wonderful name and he's saying, salute them, say shalom to them, greet them, salute followers, and Julia, and Nero's, and his sister.

He is a sister of Nereus, whose name is not mentioned, but Paul knows who she was, and he's greeting her. He's saying to them to greet them. And Olympus, and all the saints which are with them. It looks like to me, brothers and sisters, that the assembly at Rome must have met. In more than one location. There must have been one assembly, one local home in one place, and another local home in another place, and believers were meeting in those more than one locality. Interesting that we have here in Romans chapter 16. So that list, and the last thing that he's saying to them in verse 16, he says, salute one another with a holy kiss.

The churches of the Messiah, salute you. That expression, salute one another with a holy kiss, is an expression of love among the believers that was expressed in the first century. That holy kiss, the expression of holy kiss is mentioned in various times at the end of 1 Corinthians 16, 20, in 2 Corinthians 13, 12, in 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 26. This expression of a holy kiss is mentioned again and again by Apostle Paul, and it was a kiss of affection, a kiss of love. Today, of course, in North America and other countries in the world, this kiss has not been much done because of, who knows, the thoughts in the mind of believers. But in first century, the kiss of affection that was given to one another, it was such a sign of love and care among the people of God.

So in the first 16 verses. Of our chapter we have some that he was greeting he was greeting them from the brothers that were with him and he was greeting them that were in Rome and he was giving them and recognizing them as part and parcel of the ministry of the Lord Jesus the Messiah but now notice that and we're moving on now from the greeting to some now he's giving them some warnings and he's giving them the warnings, and some that they are not to greet now, but to avoid, to be very careful. So we have in verses 17, 18, 19, and 20, four things that I'm going to mention.

The first thing is what are we, what are the believers at Rome to avoid? It says in verse 17, I beseech you, brethren, Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learn and avoid them. Now that is so important, brothers and sisters, apparently it's not a new thing that we have in our present day, those that are actually causing divisions among the people of God. Apparently already in first century, in the time when Apostle Paul was writing and he was ministering the gospel, he's already in the foundation of the church, the assembly, there were already some who were causing divisions.

And they were causing divisions among the people of God. They're causing stresses. They're causing problems among the people of God. And he says, listen, you avoid them that cause divisions. Now, notice he used that word, Mark them. Now. We are not to put an X on the back of a person that is causing division, but we are to Mark them In our mind, we are to recognize if we know that there is a brother or a sister who are causing division among the people of God, we are to be mature enough to understand it. We are to be mature enough to recognize, ah, ah, wait a minute, I'm not going to take part in this thing.

I'm not going to be adding to the problems of the people of God. And you know, brothers and sisters, we know it's existing today in the present day in the church in which we are finding ourselves today. This is something that is existing everywhere in many places that those who desire to cause divisions among the people of God what a shame is to spend our energy and our time to cause havoc and divisions among the people of God I want you to read a verse with me please turn with me to the book of Proverbs for a moment Proverbs chapter 6 Solomon of all the king of Israel already in the words of wisdom that he had given to the people of Israel, he have said this in Proverbs chapter 6, verse 16, six things does the Lord hate.

Yes, seven are an abomination unto him, unto the Lord. And then look at the six things plus the one. Number one, a proud look, verse 17. Number two, a lying tongue. Number three, hands that shed innocent blood. Verse 18. Number four, a heart that devises wicked imagination. Verse 18, feet that swift to run after mischief. Verse 19, a false witness that speaketh lie. And notice the last thing in verse 19, and he that sow discord among brethren. Let me tell you, God hates those that sow discord. I should say it this way. God hates the deed of those who sow discord among brethren. God does not hate anybody. He loves men, but he hates the sin.

God loves the sinners and hates the sin. And here the apostle Paul saying, listen, I want you to realize that you Mark those which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned. And notice he add to it, avoid them. You notice He doesn't say, fight them. He doesn't say, hurt them. He says, avoid them. Sometimes we need to be wise enough to say, if you carry on in your way or this way, I have no part in that. Some of the reasons why there are so many problems among the believers in the present day dispensation is because there's constantly friction among the people of God.

And there seem to be those who think that their business is to add to that. So they're putting the wedge a bit deeper and deeper and deeper so the friction will grow and the division will grow. And then what happened? The sheep are scattered. The Lord is not honored. And even those who cause divisions are really not happy. They don't do a service to God. That's why he's saying, I beseech you, brethren. Mock them, number one, and avoid them, number two. Don't go in their pathway because you end up to be a party to this kind of attitude. Now not only he's saying in verse 17 that he's saying to avoid them but i just want you to know this when it comes to the word Mark i want you to see the other side of the word Mark for a moment turn with me to philippian chapter 3 again using the word Mark it is again the apostle Paul who used that word in philippian chapter 3 and verses 18 and 19 i'll read from verse 17 where the pastor Paul said to the Philippians, brethren, be followers together of me in verse 17.

And then he says, and Mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example. Here's again, he's saying to Mark them, but this time to Mark those who follow the Lord, who are setting an example, who are following the Lord Jesus and setting an example. Oh, how we need to Mark our brothers and sisters when they walk with the Lord and they are good example we are to mock them and to seek to follow after them. So you see the two sides we are to mock them that cause division but we are to mock those that walk in a way that is an example to the saints then he says back in Romans chapter 16 and verse 18 and he's saying about them he says for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus the Messiah but they're serving their own belly that by good words and a fair speech they deceive the hearts of the simple amazing how with words as he says here with good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple you know at the end who get hurt not so much the mature Christians the mature believers they do get hurt but the simple one the one who is yet haven't mature enough they hear this rumor then they hear there and then they hear another rumor and then they hear another word and another word and they end up at the end to be deceived and they end up to be at the end destroyed.

Their hearts are following after that and they end up not growing in the things of the Lord and you know isn't it amazing that good words and the fair speeches doesn't it remind us of what happened in the garden of Eden where Satan came to Eve and he said has God really said do you mean God really said to you that you should not eat from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil did he really say it and then he says no he says God really don't care for you because if you will have the knowledge of good and evil you will be like gods and immediately Eve was looking wow I'm going to be like God knowing good and evil and he succeeded to deceive Eve and the deception of Satan is a continuous thing that is happening and he's using all kind of ways in which he deceived the people of God he cannot take a salvation from a person that belonged to the Lord but he can.

Surely deceive the people of God in one way or another that's why there are so many friction and so many sadness among the people of God so he deceives the simple it says in verse 19 on the other hand look at the importance of obedience he says in verse 19 for your obedience is come abroad unto all men I am glad therefore on your behalf but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good but simple concerning evil you see Paul saying he's commending them he says look your obedience. Everybody hear about your obedience. It left an impact upon people. He says, and I want you to be wise unto those things which is good, but simple to the evil things.

In other words, don't be overly involved in that which is evil. Don't be occupied with this. Be occupied with that which is good. Philippians chapter 4, whatsoever is good, whatsoever good report, whatsoever is pleasant. Think on those things. We don't need to be occupied with evil. We don't. Need to hear all the time the bad stuff, because evil defiles. Evil is like cancer. It's spread, and it's adding, and it's adding, and it's keeping us occupied with that evil. But we have to be simple with that which is evil, but really wise to that which is good. That's what he's saying to the Romans. And you know the truth of the matter that the source of the ones that cause division is none else but Satan himself, because he says here in verse 20 of Romans chapter 16, the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.

The God of shalom going to bruise Satan under your feet shortly. See, Satan's Job is constantly to counterfeit. He does that among the people of God. You see, he cannot take the place of the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. So what does he do? He constantly works among the people of God to seek to discourage them, to divide among them, to do all kind of things which will hinder the work of the Lord. And that's what the Apostle. Paul was warning against. I want to read a verse in 2 Corinthians. Turn to 2 Corinthians, and I want to read about those that are coming and transforming themselves as if they are angel of the Lord in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 in verse 13 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 13 for such are false apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into apostles of the Messiah and no wonder for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to their works see apparently there were those who were claiming to be in early church as there are an apostle or messengers of God but they actually were messengers of Satan himself they were not doing the Job that the Lord gave they were doing the Job that Satan wanted them to do and how careful we are to be how careful the Roman believers they received greetings to some but warnings about others be careful we need to be wise in those.

Things and brothers and sisters let's do the service of the Lord and not the service of the enemy of the Lord let's serve and minister our brothers and not allow divisions to come in the of the people of God. Let's not be participating of those that are causing divisions and all kind of offenses among the people of God. Let's be aware of that. Let's Mark them in our mind, pray for them that the Lord will change their ways, and if there is not a change, avoid them. That's what we need to do by the grace of God. And so now we saw some greetings, then we saw some warnings, and let's quickly go to the climax here at the end of this chapter 16 of Romans and let's go to the last verses notice that he gives now in verse 20b to verse 24 some personal very personal greetings notice he mentioned Timothy first of all it says in the end of verse 20 the grace of the Lord Jesus.

The Messiah be with you Amen and then he said Timothy now notice people that were with Paul now He says, Timothy, my work fellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sospitar, my kinsmen, salute you. Now he is giving greetings from himself and the people that were with him to the brothers and sisters at Rome. And he's saying, Timothy, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sospitar, and they were his kinsmen, they salute you. Apparently there were Jewish believers that were serving with him. They were saluting the brethren at Rome. They were his kinsmen. Then it says in verse 22, the one who puts Paul's letter on paper, he mentioning, I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.

Apparently, Paul was dictating what he was saying to the believers at Rome, and a man by the name of Tertius was the one who putting it on paper, on ink. Some suggested that Apostle Paul had a problem with his eyesight. So he did not actually write it himself but he dictated guided by the holy Spirit of God and the man by the name of tertius he wrote this epistle he saluted them in the Lord also beautiful then you notice in verse 23 gaius was Paul's host we read of him gaius my host and of the whole church salute you arrestus the chamberlain of the city salute you and Coratius, a brother, also salute you.

He's mentioning Gaius, he has apparently hosted him in his home. Erastus, the chamberlain of the city, he got saved and he also saluted them. And a man, a brother by the name Coratius, also a brother, saluted them. Those people were with Paul. You see how many? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight people were with the Apostle Paul. Eight or nine people would be the Apostle Paul saluting now the brethren which are in Rome. Jewish believers, Gentile believers, united in the Messiah, serving the Lord, greeting one another in the things and. The love of the Lord Jesus. And then he's saying now in the last verses now, you see the conclusion, the doxology we have in verse 24, 25, 26, and 27.

And allow me just to belabor that a little bit. He's saying in verse 24, the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be with you all. He wanted that the grace of the Lord, it is the grace of the Lord that he wanted to be with them. You know, grace is a favor of God that we did not deserve. A favor of God that the brothers and sisters in Rome received. They did not deserve it, but Paul wanted that God's favor, the Lord Jesus' favor, will be upon them. And now in verse 25, Paul desired to establish the believers according to his gospel. And so he's writing in verse 25, Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Yeshua the Messiah, according to the Revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith, to God only wise be glory through Yeshua the Messiah forever.

Amen. This is the doxology. And have you noticed one thing that is really interesting here, that the Apostle Paul mentioned here, that we find it in the book of Ephesians, the book of Colossians, the word mystery. He's saying in verse 25, Now unto him that have the power to establish you according to my gospel. The Apostle Paul was preaching the very same gospel that Peter and James and John was preaching, but he received a special Revelation that had to do with the Gentile world as well, That the Gentile world together with the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers are now part of the church of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

And he calls it a mystery. You see he says according to the Revelation of the mystery which was kept in secret since the world began. But now was made manifest by the Scriptures of the prophets that's new testament prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting God now brothers and sisters look at this you see from the beginning of the creation of this world when God had made Adam and Eve he had given the Revelation that he had given to us in the old testament in the Tanakh in the Scriptures. But this mystery that the Jew and the Gentile will be united in the body of Christ, the body of Messiah, according to this verse, it says it was kept secret since the world began.

In other words, the Old Testament Hebrew prophets have been limited to the information that you and have because of the Revelation that the Apostle Paul received from our risen Messiah? What was the Revelation? What was that mystery that the Apostle Paul received the Revelation concerning this mystery? You know what that beautiful mystery that now had been revealed, even though it was hidden, it was not known before, the Apostle Paul now received this Revelation from the glorified Lord Gentiles and Jewish people are going to be united in the body of Messiah you and i today are part of this union of all believers from among Israel and among the Gentile world who came to faith in the Messiah and became what is known today as the bride of Christ the bride of the Messiah that is the mystery that is now revealed i want to show you just a couple of verses go back to Romans chapter 11 and i'm reading this verse verse 25 but i would not brethren that you should.

Be ignorant of this mystery lest you should be wise in your own opinion that blindness in part happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentile become in and so all Israel shall be saved here's the first time we have here in Romans chapter 11 verse 25 the mystery don't be misinformed brethren about this mystery that now blindness in part happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles become in Israel had been blinded partially that now Gentiles as well as Jewish believers going to be part of what is known as the church the assembly the ecclesia the called out ones it was not revealed in old testament time it was not revealed as it says in Romans 16 it was not revealed it was kept secret since the world began now secondly turn to Ephesians please Ephesians chapter 3 again we're mentioning that mystery that now had been revealed Ephesians chapter 3 the apostle Paul continue and he's saying there in verse 1 to 9.

For this cause i Paul the prisoner of Yeshua the Messiah unto you Gentiles if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given unto me towards you how that by the Revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote before in a few words, whereby when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of the Messiah. And now notice verse 5, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and the prophets by the Spirit that the Gentiles, here's the mystery, the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promises in the Messiah by the gospel.

Do you know, brothers and sisters, that in the Old Testament period of time, the church age was hid in God and was not known to mankind at all. Even Old Testament prophets of Israel did not know about this present-day dispensation. You remember the apostles themselves said to him, When are you restoring the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, It's not for you to know. The time and the seasons. So right now he's building the assembly, the body of Messiah, and in the future he will restore the nation of Israel and he will restore the tabernacles of David which were broken down. But in the present day dispensation, we are part of the body of Messiah, the bride of the Messiah.

And that is Jewish person and Gentiles who believe in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, in the season of his rejection, which make us part of the assembly, the called out ones. It says in Ephesians chapter 3, it was not made known in the past. But then he says, to make that all men see, verse 9, In the fellowship of the mystery, which is from the beginning of the world, has been hidden in God, who created all things by Yeshua the Messiah. God did not reveal it until the Messiah was rejected and was crucified and was placed in a grave and was resurrected. Then the Apostle Paul received that Revelation from the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

Finally, Colossians chapter 1 and verse 24 to 27, Again, in connection with this mystery, Colossians 1 and verse 24, it says this, Who now rejoice in my suffering for you, and fill up that which is behind of the affections of the Messiah in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church. Wherefore I made a minister according to the dispensation of God which is given unto me for you to fulfill the word of God, even, here's the word, the mystery which hath been hid from the ages and from the generations, but now is made manifest to his saints. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentile, which is the Messiah in you, the hope of glory.

That's the mystery that Apostle Paul is speaking about here in chapter 16 of the book of Romans. And that mystery is you and I, Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free, who came to faith in the Lord Jesus the Messiah in the present day dispensation of his rejection. And he called out, become part of this assembly, the body of Messiah, the bride of the Messiah, that soon and very soon the Lord will call us and will take us to be with him in glory and we're going to be forever with him as the bride of Christ, the bride of the Messiah. Distinct from Israel the nation, the wife of Jehovah.

And yet connected, interwoven, connected with each other because of the finished work of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. To the only wise God be glory through Jesus, the Messiah, forever. Amen. That's how he concluded the book of Romans. Amazing. 33 names of individuals that he appreciated. Some to greet, some to warn against, and some, as he's giving them here, some personal testimony of individuals who wanted to greet the believers at Rome. May the Lord bless us and encourage us. Brothers and sisters, just before the meeting, some of us spoke about the fact that we really want that the Lord will come already and take us to be with Him at home.

Some of us are tired. Some of us have discouragement. You never know. Maybe the Lord will come today and take us to be with Him in glory. Wouldn't it be wonderful? Be wonderful if He will come and take us to be at home with Him in glory. Well, with this message, we concluded the book of Romans. And I trust that you have been edified by the writings, by the letters that Paul wrote to the Roman believers.