A Church Built Together in the Lord
Romans 16:1-19
Romans 16 celebrates the unity and dedication of the early Roman Church despite its diversity. The church consisted of Jews and Gentiles, slaves and freedmen, the wealthy and the poor, yet it thrived because of a shared faith in Christ.
The Roman Church’s strength came from its commitment to Christ. By focusing on shared faith, members looked beyond social, economic, and cultural divisions. Jesus’ prayer and desire for unity is fulfilled in John 17:20-21. The Roman church prioritized identity in Christ over worldly distinctions. John 15:5 (“I am the vine; you are the branches”) highlights the necessity of staying connected to Christ. This connection is important for spiritual strength, growth, and the ability to serve effectively in daily life and ministry. Here are a few key points Paul addresses in this passage.
1. Warning Against Division
In Romans 16:17-18 Paul warns against those who create divisions or act with selfish motives. There may be some who may appear to be serving God but are in fact serving themselves. Matthew 7:21-23 emphasizes that outward religious acts are insufficient. It is important to self-reflect on your spiritual walk with God and ask God for discernment. Are you seeking self-gain or a genuine relationship with Christ, marked by love and obedience? True faith is demonstrated through obedience to God’s word and visible transformation. This transformation reflects God’s work in a Christian’s life and serves as a testimony to others.
2. The Call to Genuine Faith
Christians are encouraged to regularly examine their hearts to ensure their actions stem from a love for God, not obligation or superficial devotion. How are you living your life outside of Sunday, and house church on Fridays? Christians can fall into a crippling routine of spiritual highs and lows. Do you see yourself on a spiritual high after a revival or a mission trip only to experience a spiritual low for the rest of the month/year? Instead, genuine faith requires consistent dedication and a deep relationship with Christ. We can prioritize spending more time in prayer and in scripture rather than on distractions such as smartphones and social media. When we start to prioritize God, we become living testimonies to the world. If we have a close relationship with God, we might experience change. If we change, our families change, then our house churches change, and then our entire church changes.
The Roman church stands as an inspiring example of what the body of Christ can achieve when rooted in faith, unity, and commitment. As a congregation, we are challenged to follow the model of the Roman church and to live a shared life that is more devoted to God.
Reflection: I think it was interesting listening to Pastor Lee’s experience in Kazakhstan. Despite opposition from Islamic communities and potential rejection from their own families, the church he had visited remained faithful to God. It was humbling to hear that the church in Kazakhstan and Christians in other parts of the world were sacrificing their time and resources and making every effort to serve God. It made me reflect on my own priorities and my lack of devotion. In my own life, instead of giving God the last remainders of my time and resources, I hope to offer Him the first fruits, whether that be through offerings, time, resources, efforts, etc.
Discussion Questions:
What does your relationship with God look like today? How can your life become a living testimony for God?
What are the priorities in your life? With those priorities in mind, what do your daily actions and thoughts look like?
What were your main takeaways from this week’s message?
