Transcript

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 15-16 NCV

Executive Producer

John

Podcast Introduction

This is Epistles Sunday. We’ll close the book of Romans with the reading of chapters 15 and16. I’m calling today’s episode “Unity.”

Comments on Romans 15-16

Thoughts on Romans 15

It doesn’t take a genius to notice that the enemy is doing everything possible to divide us. Black/white. Boomers/Millennials/Zoomers. Male/Female/Trans. Rich/poor. Conservative/Liberal/Left. Gay/Straight/?. Believer/Atheist. On and on it goes. Why do you suppose the enemy wants people so divided? Because if we’re fighting each other, we are weak. We won’t have time to notice who the real enemy is.

Paul begins to wrap up his letter to the Romans here in chapter 15 with a call for unity among the believers. 

Paul encourages both Jewish believers and non Jewish believers to be in harmony. And he told those who were strong in the faith to help those who were weaker. 

Since we are all part of Christ’s body, we are one body. A few years ago I had an accident on my motorcycle, and I ended up with a broken left ankle and torn meniscus in my knee. And guess what. My whole body was effected by those injuries. I was basically laid up for about three months. Sure, I could get around with crutches, but I really couldn’t do anything constructive. Once I got out of my cast, once I got a little bit of mobility, I wore one of those big boots. But there was still some pain and stiffness in the ankle. I limped, which was my body doing what it could to ease the pain and make up for the stiffness. It was trying to help the ankle, so that it could recover, so it can gain strength. The parts of my body that were strong were trying to help the weak part. 

This is what Paul told the Roman church they should do. Those strong in the faith should help the weaker members. Encourage them. Help them through times of weakness. Lift them up. Love them.

Don’t think of yourself as something special if your faith is strong, or if you’ve been a believer for a long time. Consider that you have a big responsibility to encourage others who are not as far along as you are. 

In doing this, we bring glory to God, people will know that we are HIs, and they just might see that He is the answer to the division they see so prevalent today.

We are called to be salt and light, to proclaim His name, to let people know that there is an answer to the terrible things that are happening in the world right now. Jesus is the answer. 

Beloved, as salt and light, we can’t hide the light under a basket. We are to let our light shine. Show people that there is hope, that there is a God that loves them, that they are of immeasurable worth, that Jesus paid the ultimate price to redeem them, and that He wants to give them life, an abundant life. The turmoil of this world is temporary. There is a future, and it is bright for those who know Jesus. This is our message, beloved. 

Thoughts on Romans 16

In chapter 16, vv 17 & 18 we read: “Brothers and sisters, I ask you to look out for those who cause people to be against each other and who upset other people’s faith. They are against the true teaching you learned, so stay away from them. Such people are not serving our Lord Christ but are only doing what pleases themselves. They use fancy talk and fine words to fool the minds of those who do not know about evil.”

So many messages out there today are aimed at tearing down our faith in Christ, and the Judeo-Christian values that have brought us so far. We hear it from nearly every quarter. News organizations, politicians, school teachers, even some from the pulpit.

Be wary, beloved. Stay away from false teachers. They are everywhere. Compare what they say to what scripture teaches. If it doesn’t line up, reject it. I have even had close family members fall victim to some of these people, and it is heartbreaking. My advice is do not listen at all. Follow what Paul said in Phil 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”

How do we do that? Fill your mind with scripture and prayer and worship. Turn off the news. Consume social media with a great deal of moderation and discernment. Pray without ceasing. Encourage others. Reach out to those who are suffering. Let the love of Christ in you flow out to them. Lives, and souls, are at stake. The enemy knows his time is coming to a close. He is fighting hard. We need to put on the full armor of God and get in the battle, knowing that He that is within us is greater than he that is in the world.

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Transcript

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Romans 15-16: Unity (LSFAB S13E050)

[TEASER – 0:00]
Don’t listen at all to them.

[INTRO S13E050 – 0:10]
Hello, this is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, and podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we’ll read the entire Bible in a year. The website is lifespringmedia.com. This is Epistle Sunday, and we’ll close the book of Romans with a reading of chapters 15 and 16. I’m calling today’s episode, “Unity”. After the reading, I’ll have some comments for you. And I’ve got a surprise at the end of the show for you.

Before we read, let’s pray.

[OPENING PRAYER – 0:43]
Our gracious heavenly Father, how we love you, and we thank you for your Word. We thank you for our time together. And we ask that you give us something today that we can take with us. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Okay, let’s begin.

[ROMANS 15 (NCV) – 0:59]
Romans, chapter 15.

(1) We who are strong in faith should help the weak with their weaknesses, and not please only ourselves. (2) Let each of us please our neighbors for their good, to help them be stronger in faith. (3) Even Christ did not live to please himself. It was as the Scriptures said: “When people insult you, it hurts me.” (4) Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. The Scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope. (5) May the patience and encouragement that come from God allow you to live in harmony with each other the way Christ Jesus wants. (6) Then you will all be joined together, and you will give glory to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (7) Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other, which will bring glory to God. (8) I tell you that Christ became a servant of the Jews to show that God’s promises to the Jewish ancestors are true. (9) And he also did this so that those who are not Jews could give glory to God for the mercy he gives to them. It is written in the Scriptures:

“So I will praise you among the non-Jewish people.
I will sing praises to your name.”

(10) The Scripture also says,
“Be happy, you who are not Jews, together with his people.”

(11) Again the Scripture says,
“All you who are not Jews, praise the Lord.
All you people, sing praises to him.”

(12) And Isaiah says,
“A new king will come from the family of Jesse.
He will come to rule over the non-Jewish people,
and they will have hope because of him.”

(13) I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

(14) My brothers and sisters, I am sure that you are full of goodness. I know that you have all the knowledge you need and that you are able to teach each other. (15) But I have written to you very openly about some things I wanted you to remember. I did this because God gave me this special gift: (16) to be a minister of Christ Jesus to those who are not Jews. I served God by teaching his Good News, so that the non-Jewish people could be an offering that God would accept—an offering made holy by the Holy Spirit.

(17) So I am proud of what I have done for God in Christ Jesus. (18) I will not talk about anything except what Christ has done through me in leading those who are not Jews to obey God. They have obeyed God because of what I have said and done, (19) because of the power of miracles and the great things they saw, and because of the power of the Holy Spirit. I preached the Good News from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, and so I have finished that part of my work. (20) I always want to preach the Good News in places where people have never heard of Christ, because I do not want to build on the work someone else has already started. (21) But it is written in the Scriptures:

“Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard about him will understand.”

(22) This is the reason I was stopped many times from coming to you. (23) Now I have finished my work here. Since for many years I have wanted to come to you, (24) I hope to visit you on my way to Spain. After I enjoy being with you for a while, I hope you can help me on my trip. (25) Now I am going to Jerusalem to help God’s people. (26) The believers in Macedonia and Southern Greece were happy to give their money to help the poor among God’s people at Jerusalem. (27) They were happy to do this, and really they owe it to them. These who are not Jews have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, so they should use their material possessions to help the Jews. (28) After I am sure the poor in Jerusalem get the money that has been given for them, I will leave for Spain and stop and visit you. (29) I know that when I come to you I will bring Christ’s full blessing.

(30) Brothers and sisters, I beg you to help me in my work by praying to God for me. Do this because of our Lord Jesus and the love that the Holy Spirit gives us. (31) Pray that I will be saved from the nonbelievers in Judea and that this trip I bring to Jerusalem will please God’s people there. (32) Then, if God wants me to, I will come to you with joy, and together you and I will have a time of rest. (33) The God who gives peace be with you all. Amen.

[ROMANS 16 (NCV) – 5:13]
Romans, chapter 16.

(1) I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a helper in the church in Cenchrea. (2) I ask you to accept her in the Lord in the way God’s people should. Help her with anything she needs, because she has helped me and many other people also.

(3) Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, who work together with me in Christ Jesus (4) and who risked their own lives to save my life. I am thankful to them, and all the non-Jewish churches are thankful as well. (5) Also, greet for me the church that meets at their house.

Greetings to my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first person in Asia to follow Christ. (6) Greetings to Mary, who worked very hard for you. (7) Greetings to Andronicus and Junia, my relatives, who were in prison with me. They are very important apostles. They were believers in Christ before I was. (8) Greetings to Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. (9) Greetings to Urbanus, a worker together with me for Christ. And greetings to my dear friend Stachys. (10) Greetings to Apelles, who was tested and proved that he truly loves Christ. Greetings to all those who are in the family of Aristobulus. (11) Greetings to Herodion, my fellow citizen. Greetings to all those in the family of Narcissus who belong to the Lord. (12) Greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, women who work very hard for the Lord. Greetings to my dear friend Persis, who also has worked very hard for the Lord. (13) Greetings to Rufus, who is a special person in the Lord, and to his mother, who has been like a mother to me also. (14) Greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and all the brothers and sisters who are with them. (15) Greetings to Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and to all God’s people with them. (16) Greet each other with a holy kiss. All of Christ’s churches send greetings to you.

(17) Brothers and sisters, I ask you to look out for those who cause people to be against each other and who upset other people’s faith. They are against the true teaching you learned, so stay away from them. (18) Such people are not serving our Lord Christ but are only doing what pleases themselves. They use fancy talk and fine words to fool the minds of those who do not know about evil. (19) All the believers have heard that you obey, so I am very happy because of you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

(20) The God who brings peace will soon defeat Satan and give you power over him.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

(21) Timothy, a worker together with me, sends greetings, as well as Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives.

(22) I am Tertius, and I am writing this letter from Paul. I send greetings to you in the Lord.

(23) Gaius is letting me and the whole church here use his home. He also sends greetings to you, as do Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus. [(24) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen.]

(25) Glory to God who can make you strong in faith by the Good News that I tell people and by the message about Jesus Christ. The message about Christ is the secret that was hidden for long ages past but is now made known. (26) It has been made clear through the writings of the prophets. And by the command of the eternal God it is made known to all nations that they might believe and obey.

(27) To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

[COMMENTARY – 8:44]
Today, Beloved, I’ve got thoughts on Romans 15 and 16. So let’s start with chapter 15. It doesn’t take a genius to notice that the enemy is doing everything possible to divide us, right? Black versus White, Boomers versus Millennials versus Zoomers versus Gen X, and on and on. Male versus female versus trans, rich versus poor, conservative versus liberal versus left, gay versus straight versus whatever else there is. Believers against atheists, on and on it goes. Why do you suppose the enemy wants people so divided? The fact is when we’re fighting each other, we’re weak. We don’t have time to notice who the real enemy is.

Well, Paul begins to wrap up his letter to the Romans here in chapter 15 with a call for unity among the believers.

Paul encourages both Jewish believers and non-Jewish believers to be in harmony. And he told those who are strong in the faith to help those who are weaker.

Since we are all part of Christ’s body… And when I say we, I mean believers… Since we believers are part of Christ’s body, we are one body. A few years ago, I had an accident on my motorcycle and I ended up with a broken left ankle and torn meniscus in my knee. And guess what? My whole body was affected by those injuries, I was basically laid up for about three months. Sure I could get around with crutches but I really couldn’t do anything constructive. Once I got out of my cast, once I got a little bit of mobility, I wore one of those big boots, you’ve seen them. But there was still some pain and stiffness in the ankle. I limped which was my body doing what it could to ease the pain and make up for the stiffness. It was trying to help the ankles so that it could recover, so it could gain strength. The parts of my body that were strong were trying to help the weak part.

Well, this is what Paul told the Roman church they should do. Those strong in the faith should help the weaker members. Encourage them, help them through times of weakness, lift them up.

Now, if your faith is strong, don’t think of yourself as something special. Same thing if you’ve been a believer for a long time. Consider that you have a responsibility to encourage others who are not as far along as you are.

In doing this, we bring glory to God. And that’ll show people that we are his, and they just might see that he is the answer to the division that they see so prevalent today.

We’re called to be salt and light, Beloved, to proclaim his name, to let people know that there is an answer to the terrible things that are happening in the world right now. Jesus is the answer.

And, Beloved, as salt and light, we can’t hide that light under a basket. We’re to let our light shine, show people that there is hope, that there is a God that loves them, and that they are of immeasurable worth, that Jesus paid the ultimate price to redeem them, and that he wants to give them life and abundant life. The turmoil of this world is temporary. There is a future and it is bright for those that know Jesus. And this is our message, Beloved.

And now on Romans 16. In verses 17 and 18, we read: “Brothers and sisters, I ask you to look out for those who cause people to be against each other and who upset other people’s faith. They are against the true teaching you learned, so stay away from them. Such people are not serving our Lord Christ but are only doing what pleases themselves. They use fancy talk and fine words to fool the minds of those who do not know about evil.”

Beloved, so many messages out there today are aimed at tearing down our faith in Jesus and the Judeo-Christian values that have brought us so far. We hear it from every quarter: news organizations, politicians, school teachers, even some from the pulpit.

Be wary, Beloved. Stay away from false teachers. They’re everywhere. Compare what they say to what Scripture teaches. If it doesn’t line up, reject it. I’ve even had close family members fall victim to some of these false messages and it is heartbreaking. My advice, if you ask me, is don’t listen at all to them. Follow what Paul said in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”

How do we do that? We fill our minds with Scripture and prayer and worship. We turn off the news. We consume social media with a great deal of moderation and discernment. We pray without ceasing, encourage others. We reach out to those who are suffering. Let the love of Christ in you flow out to them. Lives and souls are at stake. The enemy knows his time is coming to a close. He’s fighting hard. We need to put on the full armor of God and get in the battle knowing that he that is within us is greater than he that is in the world.

[LIFESPRING FAMILY HOTLINE – 14:01]
I’d love to know what you think. Call the Lifespring Family Hotline at 951-732-8511. And if you’re outside the US, what do you do? Yeah, put a +1 at the beginning of that number. Also, you can comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com and you can email me at st***@*************ia.com.

Tomorrow is the Law Monday. We’ll read Genesis 28 through 31.

Boost.

[SUPPORTER SHOUT-OUTS – 14:31]
Our Executive Producer today is John who sent in his monthly $50 donation. John, thank you so much for your faithful giving brother. God bless you.

Now if you believe in what the Lifespring Family Audio Bible is here for, that is to help you read through the Bible in a year and to share the uncompromising message of the Gospel, and if you’d like to see it continue, please go to lifespringmedia.com/support. Take a look around, pray and ask the Lord what he would have you do, and then do it, lifespringmedia.com/support

[PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISE REPORTS – 15:06]
And since it’s Sunday, this is our time to share prayer requests and praises.

Let’s continue to pray for Bryan Duncan’s wife, Cassie. Bryan told me today that she’s just getting by and anxiously awaiting surgery on December 23, hoping that maybe someone will cancel a surgery appointment so that she can get in sooner. He said the swelling on the side of her face from her fall the other day in the… in the garage where she just did a faceplant on the concrete floor, he said that’s going down, but she still does have a black eye. Also, they just got a new puppy and the puppy is kind of helping to get her mind off of the pain. That’ll happen when you have a puppy around. It’s almost like having a brand-new baby. So that’s a good thing.

And Kathi will be going to City of Hope tomorrow for labs to check the cancer markers in her blood. And she’ll get a shot, which is a monthly thing to strengthen her bones and the doctor is going to decide how often they need to come in since she’s not getting the chemo infusions. Remember, they said that those were just too toxic for her. She just wasn’t able to tolerate those. The doctor will decide whether she comes in once a month, every week, or every two weeks. So we’ll be praying about that.

And also, as we move into the holiday season, with Thanksgiving coming up this Thursday, already, here in the US, I think about the fact that this can be a difficult time for some people and maybe some in the Lifespring family. So I’ll pray for you too.

Let’s pray.

Our loving heavenly Father, we thank you for the book of Romans and the rich truths you gave to the Apostle Paul to pass along to us in its pages. We pray, Lord, that you’ll help us to be salt and light. Help us to be bold in proclaiming your name. Help us to do the work you’ve called us to do. Help us to share Jesus with those who need him.

Lord, we pray for Cassie. Give her relief from the pain and may the time go quickly until her surgery. If possible, it would be great if it could happen sooner than the scheduled December 23. Strengthen her, Lord, and help her to find rest in you. We thank you that her face is healing up from the fall and just pray that you would continue that as well.

We pray for Kathi’s trip to City of Hope tomorrow we’re hoping to see her cancer markers come down. But as always, Lord, she’s in your hand. And we know that that’s the very best place to be. You have a plan for her life, and we know that your plan is right. We leave her in your care and we trust you. We thank you that she has been feeling better, and we know that you’ve given her this grace. And we thank you for that.

And now as the holidays approach, Lord, we know that for some people, this is a sad time, a time of loneliness. We pray for these precious ones now. May they feel your close presence and know that you love them. Fill their hearts and minds with your grace and your peace and make us aware of opportunities to include them in our celebrations to help them through the lonely times and to help them feel loved. I thank you for the Lifespring family, Lord, and pray that you bless each one. And I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Wednesday will be the next time we share together in praises and prayer requests. And if you’ve got anything that you’d like us to pray with you about or rejoice with you about, go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com

[OUTRO S13E050 – 18:30]
Thanks to Sister Kirsty, Brother Sean of San Pedro, and Sister Denise for all the help that they do. Thanks again to John for helping to make this episode possible. And thanks to you for asking me to be a part of your day.

Comment on the show by calling the Lifespring Family Hotline at 951-732-8511, or by going to comment.lifespringmedia.com, or by emailing me at st***@*************ia.com. I really do want to hear from you. Come on, don’t be shy. To support the show go to lifespringmedia.com/support.

At the top of the show, I told you that at the end of the show, I would have a surprise for you. The surprise is I’m going to share a song from Bryan Duncan with you. It’s called “I Can’t Imagine”. Seems appropriate for today for some reason. I hope you like it.

And until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Bye.

[BRYAN DUNCAN SINGS “I CAN’T IMAGINE” – 19:20]
I can act like I’m alright, smile in the darkest night, come what may
I can talk like I’m so bright, yea, like I’ve seen the light
in a cheap cliche’

But I can’t imagine where I would be without you.
I can’t imagine what I would do without you.
I can believe what you say to me..
And I can see what you mean to me..
But I can’t imagine where I would be without you.
I can’t imagine what I would do without you.

You’re the healer I run to with the feelings I can’t work thru
day by day.
The one that I run to, pouring out all my heart to you
cause you hear me pray.

But I can’t imagine where I would be without you.
I can’t imagine what I would do without you.
I can believe what you say to me.. we can do anything.
and I can see what you mean to me.. cause you bring everything.
But I can’t imagine where I would be without you.
I can’t imagine what I would do without you.

I can believe what you say to me.. we can do anything.
and I can see what you mean to me.. cause you bring everything.
But I can’t imagine where I would be without you.
I can’t imagine what I would do without you.

And I can’t imagine where I would be
without you.

[STEVE WEBB – 24:11]
Lifespring Media, bringing the message of hope, love, and good news since 2004.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Transcript corrected by Denise