²¹ Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.

²² I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord’s followers.

²³ Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus.

²⁵ Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. ²⁶ But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. ²⁷ All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.

Final Remarks

Paul concludes his letter to the Romans by making one more point. I think it’s a significant point: God always intended for the Gospel to be spread to all people, regardless of background.

In other words, at no point was God surprised in all of this. From the beginning, when he spoke to Adam and Eve after their sin, God knew the day would come for Christ to die on the cross. When God promised Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the stars of the sky, he knew that the day would come when salvation would be offered to everyone, not just the Jewish people.

Nothing surprises God. Whatever you may be facing in life, God knew about it. It didn’t catch him off guard. There’s comfort in that.

My prayer: Lord, I thank you that everything is in your hands. And nothing surprises you. That means, whatever I’m facing, you’ve prepared for it. If I trust you, you will lead me through every situation. That’s such an incredible truth. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹⁷ And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. ¹⁸ Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. ¹⁹ But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. ²⁰ The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

One More Thing

Paul wraps up his entire letter by driving home one last point. Remember, his original purpose in writing was to address divisions between the Jewish and Gentile believers. He has done that. By tying in the Old Testament Law to the value of God’s grace, he’s managed to draw both groups together.

But he knows that Satan loves to see the church divided. And so he warns them to be on their guard. To make sure they do everything to protect their unity.

It’s a warning that we need to heed even today. I believe one of the greatest threats to effective ministry is disunity. When we spend our time and energy battling each other, we have nothing left to present God’s love to the unchurched. Heck, even the Bible tells us that it is our love for each other than shows the unchurched we are Christ’s followers.

So, do your part. All of us. Let’s together protect the unity that we have. In doing so, we crush Satan’s ability to cause turmoil in our midst.

My prayer: Lord, I recognize that there are many great people out there doing wonderful things for you. I am not in competition with them. And so, I stand in unity with all of them. At the same time, I realize that there are times when I will disagree with those who serve at my side. Again, that’s okay. Even in our disagreements, I pray that we would find unity to serve you together. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹ I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. ² Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me.³ Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. ⁴ In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. ⁵ Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home.

Greet my dear friend Epenetus. He was the first person from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ. ⁶ Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

¹⁰ Greet Apelles, a good man whom Christ approves. And give my greetings to the believers from the household of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet the Lord’s people from the household of Narcissus. ¹² Give my greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, the Lord’s workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me.

¹⁴ Give my greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who meet with them. ¹⁵ Give my greetings to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas and all the believers who meet with them. ¹⁶ Greet each other in Christian love. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings.

Making It Personal

As Paul wraps up his letter to the church in Roma, he shares some personal remarks. I have to admit, it’s one of my favourite parts of Paul’s letters. He takes time to mention some of the individuals who have help him serve the church.

Let’s face it, no one is successful in ministry alone. I think it’s easy to forget that. So much is said about Paul and how successful his ministry was, and yet Paul recognizes that he doesn’t do it on his own. There are so many who stand with him, encourage him, strengthen him, bless him. Without those people, who knows how successful Paul would have been.

God has called each of us to serve in partnership with others. We all have a role to play. Successful ministry happens when we do our part and recognize the value of the others who serve alongside us.

Who are you serving with? Have you taken time to thank God for them? Perhaps now is a good time to do just that.

My prayer: Lord, I thank you for those who serve beside me in achieving all you’ve called me to do. From my wife and children, to the leadership team at Bikers’ Church, and all the members who fulfill their role each and every week, I am blessed to have great people at my side. And so, thank you for each one of them. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

³⁰ Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. ³¹ Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem. ³² Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.

³³ And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.

Pray For Me

Do you ever ask others to pray for you? I know some people who seem to ask for prayer about every single little thing. If I’m honest, sometimes I get tired of hearing them when we ask for prayer requests. There are some weeks when I wonder if they ever have anything they want to thank God for, or are the always just asking for something else.

But there are others who seem to never ask others to join them in prayer. And I know why many of people are like this, because I can be guilty of it.

Pride. Some people don’t ask others to pray for them because in asking, we think we are admitting to being weak and in need. We can handle it on our own so we don’t bother inviting others to join us in praying for a need. It’s pride. And in the end, we miss out as a result.

Jesus said that when two or three agree together on something, it will be done (Matthew 18:19-20). And yet, we remain silent. We go at it alone. And we miss out on a possible blessing.

If you’re struggling with something, I encourage you: ask others to pray with you.

My prayer: Lord, I know that sometimes my pride can get in the way of me asking. When I’m tired or discouraged, I often carry that alone. I don’t invite others to carry my burdens with me. It really is pride. Forgive me. I know that you purpose to work through community, and when I carry my cares alone, I turn my back on the very reason for that community. Perhaps I need to ask others to pray for me to break that pride. Amen.

Until tomorrow

²³ But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. ²⁴ I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.²⁵ But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. ²⁶ For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. ²⁷ They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially. ²⁸ As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain. ²⁹ And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together.

We Are Not Alone

During my road trip in late September, I spent the night in Roswell, New Mexico. Roswell, of course, is famous for the supposed crash of a UFO in 1947. As a result of that claim, the town has become a tourism hotspot. In my blog update of that day, I had a little fun with the idea of being in “Alien Country.”

When you make the statement, we are not alone, in a place like Roswell, it means something completely different than what I am trying to suggest today.

Paul is sharing an incredibly beautiful story of how churches from different communities have come together to support one another. While each church had their own challenges and issues, they recognized that they are not alone – they are part of a bigger Church family. They saw a responsibility to stand together.

And so, churches that had more gave to those who had less. They didn’t expect anything in return. They did it because in the end, they recognized the value of having strong, healthy churches in many different communities. I love that.

I also love that there are churches today who get that. Today, we find churches that go out of their way to be a part of the larger church community. Churches that offer their resources, materials, and finances to those who are in need. I think it’s great, and I hope that Bikers’ Church will always be one of those churches ready to give to others.

And yet, there are still some who think they are the only ones that matter. Churches who are so inward thinking that they forget about the larger church community. Their insecurity causes them to believe they are in competition with the other churches in their community.

Of course, every church is made up of people. The churches that Paul mentions in today’s passage are simply groups of people in those cities. Each individual decides if they will be part of a larger Church or if they will turn inward.

What kind of person are you?

My prayer: Jesus, it was you who prayed that your followers would be one. Your heart cried out for unity. I want have the same heart. I want to see the Church as bigger than just the one congregation I am blessed to be part of. I want to see the diversity and uniqueness of the greater Church. Thank you that because of the larger Church family, I can claim to have brothers and sisters all over the world. It is true, I am not alone. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹⁴ I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them.¹⁵ Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, ¹⁶ I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. ¹⁸ Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. ¹⁹ They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.²⁰ My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. ²¹ I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, “Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand.”

²² In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.

Preach Christ

Oswald J. Smith founded The People’s Church in Toronto, Canada in 1928. He was a passionate preacher who was also a strong believer is missions. In fact, People’s Church has been one of the greatest supporters of missionaries around the world. I have met their current pastor and his heart continues the tradition of Oswald J. Smith.

There is a famous “missionary quote” that Oswald J. Smith once made. “No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once.” I wonder if Smith was thinking of Paul’s words in this passage when he said that.

You see, Paul reveals his passion. He wants to bring the gospel to those who have not heard. It’s what drove him throughout his life. It’s why we have so many books of the Bible written by Paul. He would establish new churches in areas where the message of Jesus had never been heard.

I find it interesting today that so many people plant new churches and then go after other Christians to fill their new church. Rather than just focus on reaching those who don’t know what’s amazing about God’s grace, they chase after people who will jump from another church to their “better one.” What a shame.

When we started Bikers’ Church, our passion was to reach people who were not part of any church. That was (and is) our passion. The fact is, there are so many people who need to hear the message of God’s love for the first time, that we don’t have to chase after the ones who already know about that love.

When Smith made his famous statement, most of North America was Christian. That isn’t true today. I am amazed when I meet someone and discover that they truly have no idea about any aspect of the gospel. We now have a generation of people who are biblically illiterate. Jesus is foreign to them.

We need the passion and purpose that Paul had.

My prayer: Lord, send me. Send me to those who have not heard the message of God’s amazing grace. Help me to touch their lives with a message of hope and forgiveness. Reveal to me, even in the midst of my everyday life those who need you. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

⁵ May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. ⁶ Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. ⁸ Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. ⁹ He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: “For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.”

¹⁰ And in another place it is written, “Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles.”

¹¹ And yet again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. Praise him, all you people of the earth.”

¹² And in another place Isaiah said, “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him.”

¹³ I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

As Christ Accepted You

I struggled with breaking up this passage because Paul is flowing with a single theme throughout these words. That theme: accept others the same way Christ accepted you. Can you imagine how differently we’d live if we actually follow that philosophy? I can. Our lives would be filled with a hope and a joy that can only come from God.

What a minute … did I just make a huge leap there? How does treating others the way I was treated by Christ lead to me living with hope and joy? Well, according to Paul, when we treat others with the same grace and acceptance that we experienced, there comes a unity within our hearts. And out of that unity flows beautiful worship to God. It is through our worship to God that we connect to him. And God is the source of all hope and he fills us with joy and peace as we worship him.

Maybe you missed all that when reading today’s passage? If so, go ahead and read it again, the rest of us will wait for you. It’s all there. Paul lays it all out as a simple journey. Live in harmony with others by treating them with grace and acceptance and you will experience a sense of worship that leads you into a place of incredible joy and peace.

Seems worth it to me.

My prayer: Lord, I admit it that far too often I struggle with showing the kind of grace and acceptance to others that you’ve shown me. I want you to forgive me without question. I want you to completely understand where I’m at. And yet, sometimes I am less than gracious is my understanding of where others may be. Forgive me for that. Help me to learn to live in unity with others so that we might experience a sense of worship that is beyond what we could experience alone. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹ We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. ² We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. ³ For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” ⁴ Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

Mentoring

Probably the most common word used in the New Testament to describe Christians is disciple. The Gospel writers, Paul, John, and others who wrote the letters we find in the New Testament often referred to those who followed Jesus as his disciples. A disciple is one who learns from another or follows the principles of another person.

It’s fairly common today to talk about people as disciples of someone else. If you are in marketing, advertising, or promotions, chances are you are a disciple of Seth Godin. Or, you know people who follow his principles. If you are in business, you might be a disciple of Malcolm Gladwell or Zig Ziglar.

The point I’m trying to make is that it’s fashionable to be a disciple of someone. Some would argue that it’s vital to success in just about any field to be a disciple – a learner – of someone else. We may not ask “Who is your mentor?” but people do believe in the value of being mentored.

What’s not discussed as openly is the idea of being a mentor to someone else. I believe that’s what Paul is talking about in this passage. The idea of finding someone who is a little bit behind where you are in their spiritual development and inviting them to learn from you. Paul is suggesting that we must not be so focused on ourselves that we can’t walk with someone who isn’t as strong as we are.

Let me make a rather bold statement: I believe that every Christ follower should be learning from someone else as well as investing in someone else. In other words, every Christ follower should be both a disciple and a mentor. Who are those people in your life? Who is the one that you are helping along the journey?

Now, for some, the very thought of helping someone else grow to the level that you are at is pretty scary. After all, you may not be very proud of the level you are at. And, that’s probably something you should then work on. But, no matter where you are, I have no doubt that there is someone who could benefit from learning what you’ve learned. Someone who can grow from your experiences.

So, my challenge to you is simple (some would say it’s quite difficult). Find someone that you will mentor for 2010. A person who could benefit from what you’ve already learned about following Jesus, not matter how young into your own journey you might be. And invite them to grow with you.

My prayer: Lord, I want to thank you for the many people who have spoken into my life over the years. As I consider some of the mentors I have had, I realize just how blessed I am. At the same time, I look at some of the people I have had the chance to mentor. Today, they are pastors, missionaries, business people. Thank you for allowing me to play even a small role in their spiritual growth. And help me to always see the next person you have called me to mentor. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

²⁰ Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. ²¹ It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. ²² You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right.²³ But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

Follow Your Convictions

Once again, remember to whom Paul is writing this letter. His readers are a mix of Jewish and Gentile Christians. These two groups are at odds over what is appropriate and what is inappropriate behaviour for a follower of Christ. It has got so bad that the church in Rome is in danger of splitting. It is certainly becoming ineffective in ministering to others as a result.

And in the end, nothing should come in the way of reaching the unchurched. One of the greatest criticisms the unchurched have about church people is our hypocrisy about loving others. We claim to love everyone, and yet we fight with anyone who holds to a different standard than we do. We split over the smallest of issues. We battle about doctrine, lifestyle, worship expressions, etc. In the words of Reginald Denny, Rodney King “Can’t we all just get along?”

Paul suggest that we should strive not to allow anything to destroy the work we are called to do. Now, as I pointed out yesterday, that’s not always easy to accomplish, and it’s truly a matter of the heart. We need to respond, even to those who disagree, out of a deep sense of humility and love.

Paul then goes one to talk about the importance of following your convictions. If a behaviour causes you to be even remotely uncomfortable, then you should avoid it. Don’t do something just because others push you to do it. If God is challenging you in an area, then listen to his voice.

However, I believe this is a starting point. You see, we can only trust our personal convictions to a certain point. Paul isn’t saying to only follow your personal convictions. Remember, he is speaking here of those “grey areas.” There are still things that are wrong to do regardless of how you feel about it personally.

Let me give you a very practical example. You may not feel that it’s wrong to lie when crossing the border with purchased goods. Rather than declare the full amount, you tell the border guard that you bought less than you did. After all, the government is ripping you off anyway. So, you feel no personal conviction to be dishonest. Does that mean that it’s okay to do it? Of course not, because the Bible is clear that you should be honest at all times.

So, follow your convictions. But recognize the limitations of your personal convictions.

My prayer: Lord, help me to always place the mission of the church ahead of my personal convictions. In other words, when I can work in unity with others without compromising the call you have placed on my life, help me see that and choose to live that way. Your calling is far more important than my personal choices. At the same time, help me to discern when my personal convictions are out of life with your holiness. In all things, may I do only that which brings honor to you. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹⁴ I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. ¹⁵ And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. ¹⁷ For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. ¹⁹ So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

Check Your Heart

I believe that what Paul is talking about in this passage is a matter of the heart. In a sense, he’s suggesting that we need to have an attitude check. Are you willing to give up something just to help out another? Or do you always respond by saying something like, “Look, if you don’t like that I do that thing, then don’t hang around with me. I have a right to do it, and don’t believe it’s an issue, so deal with it on your own.”

Now, we probably don’t use those words, but I’ve heard many people respond that way when someone else struggles with a certain behaviour. But are we truly living in community with others when we respond like that? I think we do need to check our heart and consider just how vital that behaviour is.

But does that mean we should never do anything that bothers someone else? Of course not. If we tried to follow that kind of principle, we’d never do anything at all. Let’s face it, no matter what you do, someone will be bothered by it. I can remember the first article that was written in a local newspaper about Bikers’ Church. A few days later, there were a couple of letters to the editor. One in particular when on about how horrified the person was at the idea of a church for bikers. Bikers’ Church wouldn’t exist if we were worried about offending some religious person.

Having said that, we still need to check our heart – our attitude – when we feel that we must continue something even when it bothers other people. Is our heart pure before God? Are we doing whatever the behaviour is because we feel strongly that the Lord is directing us, or are we pushing to continue it just to drive home a point to someone who is offended?

It’s a question we must ask as a church and as individuals.

My prayer: Lord, I recognize that there are times when you will call us to do things that upset others. I know that your word makes it clear that we should chase after your approval rather than the approval of man. And yet, I also know that you call us to do so with a hear that is pure before you. Forgive me for the times when I just want to prove a point to someone. And help me to always demonstrate love when I must tell someone that I cannot stop what they don’t like. Amen.”

Until tomorrow.