Strengthening One Another in the Faith

Welcome and Announcements

Amen. What an awesome time of worship we've already had. Amen. Amen.

We got children's church. So if any kids in here around that age of you know prek elementary, y'all follow and they're welcome to come. They can also stay in church whatever way they would like to do. But y'all can follow Greenley and Rachel.

But I tell you what an awesome I tell you it's I got to be honest like it's cool just seeing so many people right in front of you when you're preaching. Like it just feels more like family. Just what a joy to be here. What an awesome time to be here today.

Hey, I know we got several guests. Just so good to have each of y'all. After service today, we'll have a gift. I know Beth's normally here. What's that? Turn on your mic. Mic's not on. Is the mic not working? Thank you. There we go. Thank the Lord for my wife. Helps keep me in line.

But it is so good to have each of y'all here. If you are visiting after service, if you got a moment, stop by the lobby in there. We got a gift that we want to give you. Also, we do have connection cards. There should be a connection card in the pew in front of you. And if there is, you can just turn that in in the lobby. And that's just a way that we know to be able to reach out to you if you put down your number, email, that kind of thing. And if there's a way we can pray for you.

Wayne, when Wayne came up and he spoke about the men's relaunch next Sunday, we're you know the women just kind of outdo us honestly. But we're trying to get something going grow going with the men. So if you're a guy here and you just want to connect with other guys. Stick around after church next Sunday. It's really we want we need to build one another up. We need to sharpen one another. So if nothing else, come out to get some food and just connect with other guys.

We are also going to talk about what ideas for what the Lord might be leading us as a men's ministry. Wayne Lee is leading the men's ministry, but how can we be used by the Lord as a church family to grow the kingdom of God to disciple one another to love the community all around us. So, if you're a guy, we'd love you to just make plans. We do need to know if you're coming. So, if you do plan to stick around, let Wayne know. If you see me, you can let me know. And it is good to be able to have other guys, other Christian guys to help build one another up. And by the way, if you've been a believer a long time, you could offer a lot. You could offer a lot. You might think, you know, I'm good. I'm busy. But like, we're meant to make disciples. So, if we've been a Christian a lot of years as a guy, God could really use you to mentor a guy. So, I hope all of us will consider that.

Series Introduction: Romans

But last Sunday we kicked off a series where we're going to be in for a while, Lord willing. We probably will take some breaks, but we're working our way through the book of Romans. And that's quite a long book in the word of God, and there's quite a few sermons and most chapters. Last Sunday, we actually just looked at the introduction of Romans. I remember thinking, let's see, is there going to be a way to preach a sermon on the introduction? There's a lot that could be preached on those first seven verses. And we went to those first seven verses of Romans 1.

Today we're picking up in Romans 1:8. But in those first seven verses, Paul, you know, it's believed wrote he wrote the book of Romans under the inspiration of God. And he had never met those believers in Rome, but he was writing this letter and it got sent to the church in Rome. And he packed a lot in those first seven verses. It's actually the longest introduction that Paul has in any of his letters. You know, Paul wrote nearly half of the books of the New Testament under the inspiration of God. And those seven verses, it was quite a lengthy introduction, but it's also packed with so much.

Since he had never met them, he was letting them know he is called by God. He is set apart for the gospel of God. He said, and he also reminded them that they are too. In that introduction, there were a lot of themes that Paul hit up on that he touched upon for the Christian faith in those first seven verses. And much of those are he goes into more detail throughout the book of Romans.

But we honed in last Sunday on that first verse, and I'm paraphrasing it, but it says something like Paul, a bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that word bondservant means servant, slave. And basically we talked about how Paul, he was sold out for the Lord. And we asked ourselves, what about me? What about you? Are you sold out for the Lord? When Paul was saved on the road to Damascus, he was changed. What about you? Have you given your life to Jesus? And when you did, were you changed? And are you living in the new person you're living in Christ? It's amazing what God will do if we'll go all in for him.

I had a friend say something like that to me yesterday. But it's amazing what God will do when we just give him all of ourselves. Amen. It's amazing what God can do.

Scripture Reading: Romans 1:8-15

Today we're picking up in verse 8 of Romans 1. If you got your Bibles, open up there. We're going to be in Romans 1, beginning in verse 8. I do invite anybody that's able that would like to stand with me in honor of the reading of God's word.

Romans chapter 1 beginning in verse 8, the word of God says, "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if by some means now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift so that you may be established. That is that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you but was hindered until now that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So much as in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also."

God, thank you for your word. Thank you for how when we just read the word of God and we're prepared to pour and to listen, you speak to our hearts. God, I just as we're reading that word and as I'm praying, I already feel in my heart, you're already working at hearts. God, I just pray that as we preach the word, Lord, help me and help us and let the Holy Spirit move. God, I pray that your word would speak to our hearts. That you would let it penetrate our hearts, those of us that are born again, that are believers, to be molded more into your image, Lord, and to live more and more for you and to be bolder for you.

But I also, Lord Jesus, I pray that you would use your word in this time together as the Holy Spirit moves to lead a person to salvation that's in need. God, that if there's a person listening today that's never given their whole life to you, that's never surrendered their life to you, my prayer is today would be the day. And I pray they'd make it public. God, we love you and I just pray you to have your way. We need you. We love you. And Holy Spirit, move in our hearts and move in this place. It's in Jesus name we pray. All God's people said, "Amen."

Strong in the Faith – Spoken of Throughout the World

You know, something that hit me as I was reading this passage that kind of the God that God put on my heart is the fact that we need to be strong in our faith. You know that that opening verse verse eight it says first I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world that hit me.

That hit me and honestly the way it hit me I think there could be a couple ways you could take that but the way it hit me when I was reading that is that even though Paul had never met these believers in Rome and he was writing this letter to them. There was God was working in them. It says that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

What hit me with this is that those believers in Rome, people knew that they were Christians. Their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world. Now, also when we read that, we're reminded that the gospel is to go to all the nations and the faith that they believe in, faith in Jesus Christ, it's spoken of throughout the whole world because the gospel was spreading. But I can't help but think when I read that that Paul was also saying under the inspiration of God, I've been hearing about how strong your faith is in the Lord.

And you know, it just reminded me as a believer and I hope it challenges you, challenges me, that we need to be strong in our faith in the Lord. We need to be rooted in our faith in the Lord. Because if we're not strong in our faith, it's dangerous. If we're halfway in, halfway out, we're in a dangerous, dangerous place. The enemy loves it when we are not strong in our faith.

I know in youth Bible study, they have youth Bible study every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. Greenley and Raquel helping to lead that. But I know they've been going through the seven churches of Revelation up there. Isn't that cool that our youth are teaching through the seven churches in Revelation? Ain't that awesome? Some of you might not have ever studied that. I mean sometimes Christians are kind of overwhelmed to get into the book of Revelation. Well, the youth are digging into the book of Revelation, those seven churches. Ain't that awesome? I love it.

But they were talking about the lukewarm church right now. And God says he'll spit you out if you're lukewarm. But we look around today and a lot of times what we see with many people in church is kind of lukewarm. We're not always on fire for the Lord like we need to be. And a lot of that is because sometimes we don't stay strong in our faith. We've got to their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world. We've got to stay strong in our faith.

And to do that, there's a lot of things we need to do. But if we're not strong in our faith, the enemy will pounce us and we'll give into our flesh. We've got flesh.

I met a young lady at CH, one of the companies I go to as a chaplain the other day. She works at uh Zach's, one of the Zachs, and she heard she asked what I do in chaplancy. And I was just sharing when I would go out to companies and talk to people and sometimes get opportunities to pray with people, even see people get saved, even see people get baptized. Actually, someone we've got here today, two people we got here today, Amanda and Melissa were both baptized and I met Melissa through chap and Amanda. But I was sharing that with her and that young girl said, "I've been thinking about getting baptized." Isn't it amazing what happens when you just start talking about baptism and about salvation to somebody? Don't underestimate how God can do that because God might be dealing with that person about wanting to get baptized.

And by the way, I just saw Jordan back here too. Jordan also went through chaplancy and he's he got baptized at the same time. But like this girl, it kind of broke my heart, but I also loved it cuz I love that she cares. She just shared, "Yeah." And I said, "Well, have you ever trusted the Lord?" And she said, "Well, I don't I don't know that I have." So, we were talking about the gospel. That's good. You're getting to talk about Jesus. And I said, "Well, would you like to place your faith and trust in the Lord?" And she said, "Well, I just worry I'll mess up. And I don't want to be a hypocrite."

So, I appreciate that that somebody cares that they want to live for the Lord when they trust in the Lord. But I also said to her, I was like, "Well, you know what? None of us are perfect. Not one of us. Every one of us as a Christian, we've messed up." Now, don't take that as a license to sin. We're supposed to live for the Lord. But don't let that stop you from giving your life to Jesus. God will help you. When you make a true conversion and give your life to Jesus, God will help you.

And I asked a couple times, but she just wasn't ready. She just wasn't ready to do it. But you know, something I think about is being strong in the faith. It starts with our conversion. It starts with making a decision where we know that we're saved.

There there's another young girl I met at a nursing home last week and she was talking about things of God and I asked her if she believed in the Lord and she said, "Well, sometimes I feel like I do, sometimes I feel like I don't." Which I think everybody has times they struggle with because they're not strong in the faith. But the question is it where it starts is with a true conversion experience. Where it starts is with fully giving your life to Jesus. Not like, yeah, I might believe, I might not. No, you're all in.

We just did a funeral for Kurt Pounders yesterday. I think that was yesterday, Friday, maybe two days ago. And Kurt, I had visited him many times at the hospital and he he said over and over, "I have trust in the Lord." And in fact, they had written down, Betty and Kurt had written down their testimony a lot of years back. So, he had the date written down. That's a cool thing of when he trusted in the Lord and how God saved him.

We've got to know there there was a man that used to go here. He's gone on to the Lord. A lot of y'all know him that been longtime members, Mr. Derwood Edwards. He would always say, "You got to know that you know that you know Jesus as Lord and Savior." And others have said that too. But bottom line, you got to know that if you were to die today, you know you're going to heaven.

And if you're not confident of that, that's why Jesus came for you. That's why Jesus died for you. That's why Jesus hung on that cross and died for you so you can be forgiven of sins when you trust in Jesus. Being strong in the faith, it starts with trusting in Jesus.

That other girl I was speaking about at the nursing home, she said she kind of believes, she kind of doesn't. She said when hard things happen in life, she doesn't really know that she believes in God. And the more I talked to her, the more she wasn't she she didn't really know that if she had fully believed in the Lord yet. But you know, I'm going to get to see those people again, Lord willing. And I gave them a chance. But my point is this. Part of being strong in the faith, it starts with fully trusting in Jesus at conversion.

So, if you're here today and maybe you do struggle a little bit, I want you to honestly ask yourself and talk to God. Have I ever given my life to Jesus? Jesus talks about the parable of the soils. Do y'all know which parable I'm talking about in the Gospels? It talks about seed being thrown out. And that seed represents the gospel and the word of God. Some of the seed went on stony ground. Some of it went on thorny ground and that represented the gospel being preached and someone maybe making a profession but it wasn't they weren't fully giving their life to Jesus. But when it falls on good soil they're kept by the power of God.

So the first question I think to ask yourself is are you saved? Are you born again? Have you made in your heart and determined in your heart that you believe in Jesus and that no matter what comes open in life you know you believe in Jesus. You know, you have trust in Jesus. And if you haven't, I pray today would be the day. I didn't give my life to the Lord till I was 27. I heard that. And I grew up in church, but I had not given my life to Jesus. And I pray if you're here today, that's where being strong in the faith begins.

But that's not where it stops. That's not where it finishes. It continues with being in church. It continues with having daily disciplines to be in the word and be in prayer. But it also continues with other believers strengthening one another in the faith.

Desire to Strengthen Other Believers

And that's what I want to take a few minutes to speak about today because I think in this passage, one thing we're reminded of in Paul is that he was one that he wanted he wanted to preach the gospel. He was a soul winner, but he also understood making disciples like Jesus said. It was about preaching the gospel. It was about sharing the gospel which all of us as believers are to do. But it's also about teaching and encouraging one another and helping one another be strengthened in our faith because the Christian walk is not easy and the Christian walk is not meant to one be one we do alone.

That's why one reason the church is so valuable because we can help encourage one another. But something that really God put on my heart when I read Paul's example was we ought to desire to strengthen other believers in the faith. We ought to have a desire to share the gospel if we're a believer. And we ought to have a desire to help others grow in their walk with the Lord.

You know, Paul, he had a desire to strengthen other believers. No question. And we see it here in this passage. He wanted to go to Rome. If you read that passage again, you'll see Paul wanted to go to Rome. And he wanted to go to Rome to preach the gospel. It even says that. And he one reason was he wanted to see fruit. He knew there were a lot of lost people in Rome. And Paul went all over preaching the gospel. That was one major reason Paul wanted to go to win people to Christ. Absolutely.

But in addition to that, he also wanted to go to Rome to preach the word to strengthen those believers who their faith was spoken of, but they needed to be strengthened in their walk with God. And so did Paul. Watch what it says. Verse 11 of Romans 1. For I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift so that you may be established. That is that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith of both you and me.

Paul understood that another way we can strengthen one another is through fellowship. Paul wanted to go to Rome so he could build the so he could preach the gospel and people get saved, but also so he could preach the word and he would build other believers up. There's something that happens when believers get together and our hearts right and we're not gossiping and we're not talking about bad about people. We're worshiping Jesus.

Hey, I love that Wednesday night we have Bible study and Reba just starts talking about, man, and I can't I'm kind of paraphrasing, but she starts talking about, you know, when we worship, you know, and we're singing worship songs like we shouldn't worry about what other people are thinking. We should if we want if God's leading us to hold our hand up or praise. I love the way Mila was just dancing out here. Yes. Little chap, you know, hey, just worship.

But we can strengthen one another in the faith when we come when we are gathered together. And that that might be on a Sunday morning, that might be on a Wednesday night, that might be at someone's home. But there is and Paul understood that. And something else Paul understood was that it wasn't just them that would be strengthened. He said that I also may be encouraged.

You know, I love that because a lot of times somebody will maybe be a pastor at a whatever and really have a lot of growth or whatever it is. We should never think we all need to keep growing. And I don't care how long you've been a Christian. I don't care how much you've been used by the Lord. Paul had been used, I would imagine, as the greatest witness ever. You know, we've had some other ones like Billy Graham, you know, but I mean, he was used all over the Roman Empire. And he still knew he needed he needed to be strengthened.

So he longed to go to Rome to preach, but he also longed to go to Rome to build those up in the faith and that he might be encouraged by their faith. There's something about gathering with believers that helps build us up in our faith. And you know, one time that that can happen at a ball game. I was out at a couple of high school games. Gabriel had a couple games. Jack back there played for North Brunswick and there was a there was an alarm that went off before the during the JV game and JV girls game. So all the parents and kids are all outside and a few of us dads were talking and we were talking about the Lord.

We were talking about how we're going to get a new body one day. We were talking about heaven and we were talking about how we got basketball, but more than basketball, we got to raise them up to know the Lord. And we were strengthened in our faith. All of us. There's something that happens when believers get together and start talking about things of God and praying where we're strengthened in our faith. And that can be at a ball game, in a parking lot.

And also, I can't help but think about church. You know, don't ever let the devil tell you church isn't important. Church is important and it's biblical. Hebrews 10:24 and 25 says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching." I don't know about y'all, but I see the day approaching.

I believe like my friend Mr. Jack back there says the next great thing that's going to happen is the rapture. Like a lot of y'all have heard David Jeremiah say a lot. The rapture could happen at any moment. And it says we need to gather all the more as you see the day approaching. Why? Because we need to stay strong in the faith. We need to build one another up. The enemy will try to tell you, "Well, I'm saved. I don't need to go to church. I don't need to do all that." We adopt that mentality. We get off on our own. The enemy will use that to get us into sin. The enemy, the enemy loves it when we get isolated and all to ourselves, and then we just start saying, "Okay, this is okay. That's okay."

Church is biblical first. We're biblically, if we believe the Bible is the word of God, we're to be a part of a body. But also on top of that, like it blesses us. Now, there's all kinds of people in church. So things things are done in church that that's not a reflection on God. When people mess up, that's not a reflection on God and his plan for the church. But when we gather together, we're strengthened.

You know, when we sing worship songs in our heart is focusing on God. And it's not focusing on other people or what people think. Kind of like what Reba was speaking about and what Reba shared that Wednesday night. Crystal referred to the scripture says we ought to worship in spirit and in truth because God is spirit.

When we come together there Paul understood gathering with the church he would be encouraged and they would be encouraged and it's the same for us today and I tell you we got all kinds of opportunities that we gather that we come together face to face and man when we come together to worship sometimes somebody might say I'm good I don't really need to be encouraged well maybe God could use you to encourage somebody else right and you're going to have some time that you're at rock bottom and you need to be encouraged.

So that's part of what we can do when we gather.

Ways to Strengthen One Another

One other thing I want to think about or speak about and we'll close with this, but when we're thinking about how strengthening one another in our faith in the Lord, we can strengthen one another in the faith through prayer. We can strengthen one another in the faith through gathering together and building one another up in the word and prayer. And we can strengthen one another in our faith through the preaching and the teaching of the word of God.

Paul said this in Romans chapter 1:15. So as much as in me, I am ready. He was ready. He ready in season, out of season. He said, "I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also." And again, he was ready. You'll read in there in Romans 1 that he wanted to see fruit. So he was ready because he wanted to see more. There was a pagan world there and he wanted to see more people getting saved. But he was also ready to preach the gospel because he wanted to preach the word to them and he knew the word would encourage them and he would be encouraged.

Paul understood that we're strengthened by the word of God. Do you know that today? That if you're struggling in your faith but you're a believer, the word of God will strengthen you. And sometimes we say we're not going to we don't have time to read the Bible. We do have time. It's just about what we make most important in our life.

I love that Paul said, "I'm a debtor." There in Romans 1 towards the end, he said, "I'm a debtor." What did he mean by that? He meant that he owes everything to Jesus. He knew he was a sinner saved by grace. And it's like he wanted to spend his days all in for Jesus, preaching the word, praying, praying for believers, strengthening believers. He was a debtor. So he wanted to go to Rome. And he didn't have a airplane he could fly. And it was a long way to get Rome, but he wanted to go there. And one reason he wanted to go there was to preach the word so people would get saved, but also to preach the word so those believers would be strengthened.

If you're struggling in your faith today, get in the word. It'll bless you. There's a man I was talking to a couple weeks ago that's reading through the Bible and he's got a time 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. He's got time and every day he's blocking out that time. The word of God strengthens and when we teach and preach the word of God to one another, we're strengthened.

And by the way, as a church family, we got different times that we gather together the word. You know, on Sunday morning, we have Bible study at 10:00 a.m. So, if you want to grow in the word, that's one opportunity. There's a youth Bible study for high school age, middle school age. There's a kids Bible study at 10:00 a.m. There's a youth Bible study at 10:00 a.m. up in the youth area. There's a women's Bible study at 10:00 a.m. There's a men's Bible study at 10:00 a.m. There's another Bible study at 10 a.m. And that's one way you could be strengthened and you can help strengthen others. You might be someone that's been in the word a lot of years and you could go into one of those Bible study classes and the way you know the word could really bless other people.

We all we have other times that we get together. Wednesday night we get together for the word of God and the kids have a time to get together for the word of God. But on Wednesday night before we get there, we tell everybody, "Okay, read try to block out some time and read the book of Malachi this week and we'll talk about the book of Malachi and what God gave us." We've been working through the Bible. I'm excited to get to the New Testament after this week. That'll be good. But we are strengthened through the preaching and the teaching of the word of God.

And I just want to wrap up. When I think about being strengthened by the word of God, it's the times we gather together. And I tell you what else, God could also use you to pour into them. One person to strengthen them. Somebody did that for me. And I've tried to do that for people over the years. When I got saved, a pastor came alongside of me. And he said, "I was wondering if you want to ever get together." And we started meeting every week for lunch. And we did different Bible studies. We committed scripture to memory. And eventually we did a through the Bible study, the one that we're doing on Wednesday nights.

And every week I would read on my own and the Holy Spirit would teach me. But every week I'd grab lunch and I'd just share what God gave me as I read through that book in the Bible. And I think about that pastor was a he had a lot of here he was pouring into this brand new Christian. But I'm going to tell you what God used it. God called me to preach.

Never underestimate the power of the word of God and how it can strengthen other believers. And in addition to gathering together on Wednesday or Sunday morning or those times, you could have a home Bible study with a few people or God might put on your heart somebody specifically to pour the word of God into.

Hey, you ever heard this saying, "Everybody needs a Paul. Everybody needs a Timothy. Everybody needs a Barnabas." We need a mentor Paul. We need an encourager and a peer Barnabas. And we need a Timothy who we pour into. But I hope today as we think about this passage in God's word where we see Paul understood the importance of strengthening those believers in Rome in their faith that he desired to go there and encourage them and disciple them. I hope that it encourages all of us to be committed to strengthening one another in our faith in the Lord.

I mean, for one, in our own time with the Lord, we take time with God. Wayne, him and Tammy try to help each other get time on their own with God. Wayne just took two days away with God. I love that where he just went on a little retreat. Take time in our own life daily where we get some time each day. Take time to retreat and also just take time to pour into others.

I hope that we're committed to saying, you know, with all God's done for me, I'm a debtor to Christ. And I want to share Jesus with this world. And I also want to be used by God to strengthen others in the faith. Strengthen others through praying for them. Strengthen others through gathering together as a church family and gathering with other believers. And strengthen others by teaching and speaking the word of God to one another.

Closing Prayer and Invitation

God, we love you and I just thank you for your word. I thank you for how your word opens up to us as we pour into it. God, any way I fell short, I know you can still use it. So God, I just pray that you use your word today and pray you're already working in hearts. And I pray that when we leave this place, you continue to work in hearts right now.

God, I just pray during this time where we have a time to just take a moment with you for a time of invitation, a time of response, I just pray you work in this place. And God, I just pray whatever way you might be working in hearts, whether that's for rededicating, whether that's for salvation, whether that's for growing in the Lord, whether that's for obeying you to what you're calling us to, whether that's to be baptized, whether that's to join the church, whatever it is, I just pray right now that we be faithful to obey whatever way you're leading us to. I pray in Jesus name.