The Book of Romans: A Church Worth Celebrating

 The Book of Romans

Welcome:

Good morning! Welcome to Eastern Shore Baptist Church. My name is Stuart Davidson, and I have the privilege of serving as the pastor here.

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July. Our nation’s freedom is a tremendous blessing from God. Days like yesterday remind us to pray for our country, pray for our leaders, pray for our military, and pray that God would send revival across our land.

If you’re visiting with us today, thank you for being here. We are honored that you’ve joined us. If you’re a member, it’s always good to worship with our church family. If you’re watching online, thank you for joining us as well.

Before we continue, let me remind you about our prayer line. If you have a prayer request, simply text it to 251-222-8977. A member of our prayer team will begin praying for you right away. We’d be honored to pray for you.

Introduction to Today’s Message:

Friends, many of you have been members of some great churches over the years. My prayer is that you’re a member of a great church today. I hope being part of this church encourages you. 

I hope coming here draws you closer to Christ. 

I hope this is a place where you’re challenged to put away sin, to grow in your faith, and find genuine friendships. 

I hope when you pull into the parking lot and walk through these doors, you’re thankful for what God is doing right here at Eastern Shore Baptist Church. 

Paul knew what it was like to love a church. When he wrote to the believers in Philippi, he thanked God every time he remembered them. 

He rejoiced in their partnership in the gospel. 

He commended their generosity, their faithfulness, and their willingness to stand firm for Christ even when it was difficult. 

Just like Eastern Shore Baptist, they weren’t a perfect church, but they were a healthy church, and Paul celebrated what God was doing among them.

Paul felt much the same way about the believers in Rome. He was thankful for their faith. He was encouraged by their testimony. He knew God was using them in a powerful way to advance the gospel. They were a church worth celebrating.

Friends, that brings me to the title of my message this morning, “A Church Worth Celebrating.”

Today’s Message:

“A Church Worth Celebrating”

Introduction to Today’s Thought:

Friends, do me a favor. There on your outline is our thought for today. Let’s fill in the blanks together.

Today’s Thought:

Church, Advancing The Gospel Today Will Attract Satanic Attacks Tomorrow! 

That is exactly what Paul understood.

Paul believed the church in Rome was worth celebrating, but he also believed the church in Rome was worth advising. 

He knew that just because God was moving among His people did not mean they were beyond danger. 

Lives were being changed. The gospel was advancing. 

The church was making an impact. 

Yet Paul knew the enemy would not stand by and do nothing.

Friends, I don’t believe I’m speaking out of turn when I say this. I don’t know that there has ever been a better time to be part of the Eastern Shore Baptist Church family than right now. 

God is blessing this church. Our attendance is growing. 

More people are connecting to Life Groups than we’ve seen in years. We are seeing people baptized. 

We are seeing men, women, and students serving on mission trips here at home and around the world. God is at work in this place, and we ought to thank Him for it.

Church, let me tell you what I’ve learned in my ministry service. 

Every time God begins to move, Satan begins to oppose. 

Every time the gospel advances, the enemy pushes back. 

Every time a church grows stronger in its commitment to Christ, it places a larger target on its back.

That is why Paul’s words are so important. He wanted this healthy church to stay healthy. 

He wanted this faithful church to remain faithful. 

He wanted them to understand that spiritual success does not remove spiritual warfare. In many ways, it invites it.

Introduction to Today’s Quote:

Friends, there on your outline is a quote from the late Pastor John MacArthur, who faithfully served Grace Community Church for more than five decades. 

Pastor MacArthur understood that a healthy church is never a church without conflict. In fact, he often reminded his congregation that when God begins to bless a church and the gospel is advancing, Satan begins to oppose that work. Listen to what he said:

Today’s Quote:

“When God begins to bless a church, Satan begins to attack the same church. If we are walking worthy of our calling… then you can be sure of one thing, and that is that you are going to run right into the enemy. It is impossible to live in the manner that Ephesians outlines without having conflict with Satan. MacArthur explains that the Christian life and the faithful church are not on a pleasure cruise but engaged in spiritual warfare.”

Pastor John MacArthur’s sermon “Satan’s Attack on the Spirit-Filled Church”

Introduction to Today’s Scripture:

Brothers and sisters, do me a favor and open your Bibles to Romans 16, verses 19 and 20. If you don’t have your Bible with you, the passage will be on the screens in just a moment.

While you’re turning there, let me briefly set the stage. Paul is bringing his letter to the church there in Rome to a close. Paul’s epistle has taught us about the sinfulness of man, and the saving grace of God. 

We’ve learned about justification by faith, and the security of the believer.

Paul has shown us the work of the Holy Spirit, and what it means to live a life that honors Christ. 

He has spent sixteen chapters laying a solid foundation for the Christian life.

Now, as he closes the letter, Paul leaving the church with one final word of encouragement and warning. These last two verses may be brief, but they are filled with practical truth for healthy churches like Eastern Shore Baptist Church. 

Again…I’ll be reading Romans 16, verses 19 and 20.

Statement of Belief:

“We are opening the living and powerful Word of God…truth without error, breathed out by Him, and fully sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. It is our authority, our guide, and our hope. In honor of the God who gave us His perfect Word, I invite you to stand with me as we read it together.”

Today’s Scripture:

Romans 16:19-20 CSB 

The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil. [20] The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Pastor: ”This is the Word of the Lord.”

Congregation: “Praise His name. Praise His Holy name.”

Paul’s Parting Advice To An Advancing Church…

First…Continue In Your Devotion vs. 19

Brothers and sisters, we’ve made it to the heart of today’s message.

“Paul’s Parting Advice to an Advancing Church.”

First, you can fill in these blanks with me, Continue in Your Devotion.

Listen again to what Paul says in verse 19:

“Your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil.” (Romans 16:19, CSB)

There on your outline you’ll also find a simple explanation of this point:

“Faithful churches continue obeying Christ even when obedience becomes difficult.”

Friends, when I think about devotion, I think about marriage. God has been very good to me. I have been blessed with the devotion of one woman for nearly twenty six years. Angela and I dated for six years before we were married. 

Naturally we had bumps and bruises along the way. Relationships are difficult sometimes. 

Have there been moments when we had to forgive one another? Of course. 

I can promise you friends that there have been moments in our marriage, where I have been very unlovable. There have been moments in our marriage, where we have had to choose to love one another because the feeling of love had dissipated.

We’ve had our fair share of disagreement and arguments. Church I want you to know this love is not a feeling. Love is not induced by hormones or chemicals. You’ve heard people say that they have fallen in love while others have said that they have fallen out of love. Love is not a lucky break and love is not something that you fall into or out of. Love is making a devoted choice to stick to one another in the good days and bad, and a happy and sad in the poor and in the wealthy.

Through it all, we kept coming back to each other. 

We chose to love one another. 

We chose to forgive one another. 

We chose to remain devoted to one another.

Even so, twenty six years doesn’t compare to the devotion of a couple of record breakers.

According to Guinness World Records, David Jacob Hiller and Sarah Hiller shared the longest verified marriage in history, eighty eight years and 349 days. Imagine nearly nine decades of choosing one another, day after day.

Today, the longest married living couple is Lyle and Eleanor Gittens. They have been married for more than eighty three years. 

When they were asked the secret to a marriage that lasted so long, Eleanor said, “You have to like the person, as well as love. I think liking is even more important.” 

Lyle simply said, “I love my wife.” 

Then he added these words that caught my attention: “You just live every day and you become almost one person.”

Friends, I thought about that quote from Lyle Gittins all week.

Isn’t that God’s desire for every Christian? 

Not that we become one with another person, but that every single day we become more like one Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Every morning we should wake up with one goal. 

Today I want to look a little less like Stuart and a little more like Jesus. I want my thoughts to honor Him. 

I want my words to honor Him. 

I want my attitude to honor Him. 

I want my actions to honor Him.

How does that happen? It doesn’t happen because we tell people we’re Christians. It doesn’t happen because we carry a Bible to church or wear a Christian T shirt. It happens when we obey Christ. Jesus even says in the gospel of John that if we love him, we will obey his commands. 

Obedience is the clearest evidence of devotion. 

If I tell Angela that I love her every day…that’s nice…but if I never do anything to express that love through action what I say, rings hollow.

Love is more than something we say. Love is something we show. It is demonstrated through faithfulness, sacrifice, forgiveness, kindness, commitment. The same is true in our relationship with Christ. It is easy to say, “Lord, I love You.” The real question is, “Does my life prove it?” 

For instance…

If we tell people that we love God and we love Jesus, yet we never come to church, how can those words be true?

If we tell people that the gospel is the greatest message ever given, yet we never share our testimony and never invite anyone to hear it, how can those words be true?

If we tell people that the Bible is the Word of God, yet we never open it Monday through Saturday, how can those words be true?

If we tell people that prayer changes things, yet we never spend time praying, how can those words be true?

If we tell people that Jesus has forgiven us of every sin, yet we refuse to forgive those who have hurt us, how can those words be true?

Friends, our words matter, but our obedience gives credibility to those words. That is exactly what Paul saw in the church at Rome. They didn’t simply say they loved Christ. They lived like they loved Christ. Their obedience had become their testimony.

Jesus never asked for empty words. He asked for faithful obedience. Love for Christ is best expressed by living the way Christ has called us to live.

That is exactly what Paul celebrated in the Roman church. Their obedience had become their reputation. They were known for following Jesus.

I will quote John’s gospel again, chapter 14 verse 15.

“If you love me, you will keep my commands.” (CSB)

Paul’s Parting Advice To An Advancing Church…

First…Continue In Your Devotion vs. 19

Next…Cultivate Biblical Decrement vs. 19

Friends, let’s move to our next point.

Paul’s parting advice to an advancing church. 

First, continue in your devotion. 

Next, cultivate biblical discernment. 

Listen again to the last part of verse 19: 

“But I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil.” (Romans 16:19, CSB) 

There on your outline you’ll find the explanation for this second point: 

“A faithful church will pursue biblical wisdom while refusing worldly compromise.”

Friends, let’s begin with a definition. What is discernment?

Discernment is the God given ability to recognize the difference between truth and error, right and wrong, and wisdom and foolishness. Discernment allows us to see life through the lens of Scripture instead of the lens of culture.

When I think about discernment, I think about a meteorologist. 

A meteorologist spends countless hours studying weather patterns. 

He looks at radar, temperatures, wind speeds, pressure systems, and computer models. 

He gathers as much information as possible before making a forecast.

Several years ago, many of us remember the blizzard that surprised Birmingham. One of the meteorologists covering that storm was James Spann. I have a tremendous amount of respect for James Spann. In my opinion, he’s one of the best meteorologists our state has ever had. 

Yet even someone with his knowledge and experience can occasionally misread the signs. 

That week, the forecast underestimated what was about to happen. 

The snow came. 

The roads became impassable. 

Thousands of people were stranded. 

Students spent the night at school. 

It became one of the most memorable weather events in Alabama history.

Friends, I don’t share that story to criticize James Spann. I share it because it reminds us of something important. If someone with decades of experience can occasionally misread the signs, then so can we.

That is why Biblical discernment is so important.

The good news is that God has not left us to figure life out on our own.

He has given us the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 14:26 that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, would teach us all things and remind us of everything Christ has said.

He has given us His Word. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” God’s Word helps us recognize truth and exposes error before it takes root.

He has given us wise, Godly counsel. Proverbs 11:14 reminds us, “There is safety in a multitude of counselors.” God often uses mature believers to help us see what we cannot see ourselves.

He has also given us the local church. We worship together. We study God’s Word together. We sharpen one another. We encourage one another. We lovingly hold one another accountable. None of us is meant to follow Christ alone.

The believers in Rome understood that. They were growing in wisdom while remaining innocent concerning evil. They were becoming students of God’s truth instead of students of the world’s philosophies.

There is danger here folks. Churches rarely abandon truth all at once. It usually begins with one small compromise. One slight departure from God’s Word. One decision to accommodate the culture instead of obeying Christ. Before long, a church that was once discerning becomes disrupted.

Paul says, “Don’t let that happen.”

John gives the same warning in 1 John 4:1:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” (ESV)

Paul’s Parting Advice To An Advancing Church…

First…Continue In Your Devotion vs. 19

Next…Cultivate Biblical Decrement vs. 19

Lastly…Celebrate Satan’s Defeat vs. 20

Friends, we’ve made it to our last point.

Paul’s parting advice to an advancing church.

First, continue in your devotion.

Next, cultivate biblical discernment.

Lastly, celebrate Satan’s defeat.

Listen to what Paul says in verse 20:

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” (Romans 16:20, CSB)

There on your outline you’ll find the explanation for this final point:

“A faithful church will endure persistent and present spiritual battles because Christ has already secured the final victory.”

Friends, the church has always been under attack.

In the first century, the Roman Empire tried to silence the gospel through persecution. Christians were imprisoned, tortured, and put to death. Still, the church endured. 

In the centuries that followed, false teachers attempted to corrupt the gospel from within. God continually raised up faithful men and women who defended the truth of His Word. Still, the church endured. 

During the Protestant Reformation, believers were imprisoned and executed for translating and preaching the Scriptures. The gospel continued to spread. Still, the church endured. 

In the twentieth century, communist governments attempted to eradicate Christianity. Churches were closed. Pastors were arrested. Bibles were confiscated. Yet today, some of the fastest growing churches in the world exist in places where believers have faced tremendous persecution. Still, the church endured. 

History teaches us a simple lesson. Satan has never stopped attacking the church, and God has never stopped building it.

One of my favorite examples comes from the ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Throughout his years at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Spurgeon faced relentless criticism. 

Newspapers attacked him. 

Fellow ministers questioned him. 

Many abandoned him because he refused to compromise Biblical truth. 

Yet Spurgeon never measured success by popularity. He measured it by faithfulness. 

He understood that if Satan could not silence the Gospel, he would try to discourage the messenger.

Oh friends, very little has changed.

Whenever God begins to bless a church, Satan begins looking for a way to oppose it. 

Discouragement. 

Division. 

Temptation.

False teaching. 

Distraction. 

Scripture reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil.

Church, don’t forget this. 

Satan is a defeated foe. 

He knows his time is short. 

Like a wounded animal, he lashes out, hoping to wound as many people as possible before his final judgment. 

His attacks may be fierce, but they are temporary. 

His power is limited. His defeat is certain.

That is why Paul could write with such confidence, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” The cross settled the outcome. The empty tomb announced the victory. One day, Christ will completely and forever defeat every work of the enemy.

Until that day, we celebrate Christ’s victory, and we celebrate Satan’s defeat. 

We do that every time we bow our heads in prayer. 

We do that every time we gather to worship and sing God’s praises. 

We do that every time we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and faithfully follow Jesus. 

Every act of obedience declares that Christ is King and Satan has lost.

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15:57,

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NKJV)

Conclusion:

Church, don’t lose heart. 

Don’t give up. 

Don’t become discouraged by the battles you face today. 

Jesus Christ has already secured tomorrow’s victory. 

Stand firm. 

Keep serving. 

Keep worshiping. 

Keep sharing the gospel. 

The King we serve has never lost a battle, and He never will.

Friends, The Battle Is Real, But The Victory Belongs To The Lord.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your Word and for the encouragement we have received today. Thank You for reminding us to remain devoted to You, to cultivate Biblical discernment, and to live each day in the confidence that Satan is a defeated foe. Help us to love You with our  obedience. Give us wisdom to recognize truth. Bless us with strength to stand firm when the enemy attacks.

Father, I pray for those who are hurting today. Comfort those who have recently lost a parent, a spouse, or someone they love. Draw near to those who are grieving broken relationships. Restore what can be restored, and give peace where healing will take time. Strengthen those who are battling disease, facing difficult diagnoses, or caring for loved ones who are suffering. Encourage those who are weary, discouraged, anxious, or wondering if they can take another step. Remind them that You have not abandoned them, that You are walking beside them, and that Your grace is sufficient for every trial.

Lord, bless our church. Keep us faithful to Your Word. Protect us from division, distraction, and compromise. Thank You that the battle is real, but the victory belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ.

We ask all these things in His powerful and precious name.

Amen.