 Romans chapter 16 beginning at verse 1, reading the first two verses. Paul writes, I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church in Sancraeum, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and a sister in whatever business she has need of you for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. So as we begin I want to lay a foundation for you by reminding you of a few things and that way we're going to be able to see what verse 1 would be referring to. Let me remind you that Jesus had commanded the church to go out into the whole world and to preach the gospel and to make disciples. In Matthew he had said in verses 19 and 20 of chapter 28, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. So the Lord Jesus Christ had said that you have a commission. Your commission is to go out and to make disciples to teach them everything that I have commanded you and the early church was faithful to that commission. On the day of Pentecost when the 120 were there in an upper room in the city of Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit fell upon them baptizing them and they went out to do the work of ministry. They began to travel the world preaching this message called the gospel. And when you read the book of Acts you find that it is filled with stories of mission journeys and churches being planted. So as is to be expected as the gospel went out and churches were planted, false teachers began to arise. Much of the New Testament is written concerning the spread of error through false teachers. The letters of 1st and 2nd Peter as well as Jude in the book of Revelation all worn concerning false teachers. Paul wrote the majority of the New Testament. It's estimated that he wrote up to 14 books, 13 for sure. And if you include the book of Hebrews, 14 out of the 27 books of the New Testament were written by the apostle Paul. And in his writings on many occasions he warned concerning false teachers. He wrote concerning error in the book of Romans in 1st and 2nd Corinthians and Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy as well as Titus. And he had written concerning false teachers because false teachers were beginning to enter in to the church. Now over the years from the inception of the church traveling teachers began visiting various cities and they wanted to enter into the congregations in order to teach the members of the body of Christ. The apostle John actually made it clear that this kind of thing was to be regulated. There were to be conditions. In 2nd John chapter, well 2nd John verses 10 and 11, he said, if anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. The word greet speaks of pronouncing a blessing. Don't bless them. Don't bless people who come into the church, bring in false doctrine. So in order to safeguard the churches, a system of letters of recommendation was used. You see this in 1st Corinthians 16 verse 3, how Paul says, when I come whomever you approve by your letters, I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. You see it in 2nd Corinthians chapter three verse one. Do we begin again to commend ourselves or do we need as some others epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You see the same sentiment in 3rd John verse 12, where it says Demetrius had a good testimony from all and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness and you know that our testimony is true. So this is commendation. You see in 2nd Corinthians Paul commending Titus to the Corinthians. In 2nd Corinthians 823, if anyone inquires about Titus, he's my partner and fellow worker concerning you. You see him recommending Timothy to the Philippian church in Philippians 2 22. You know his proven character that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel. So there was a system of recommendation that was in place in the early church. People would be going from place to place and sometimes they would misrepresent themselves as preachers of the true gospel. And so there was a system where if somebody were to come to the church they would normally need to come with a commendation or a recommendation. And that's what we're seeing here in Romans chapter 16. You're seeing a commendation. It's found in verse one when Paul says here I commend you to you Phoebe, our sister who is a servant of the church in St. Crea. And so as we begin chapter 16, Paul is concluding his letter and he begins and he has been sharing with them his travel plans. He administered, as he said, from Jerusalem to Illyricum. He was planning on ministering in other places. He wanted to go to Spain, but he also wanted to come to see the Romans. And so he had made it very clear in Romans 1525 that he wouldn't make any immediate departure to visit them. So in light of that he commenced to them a sister in the fellowship. Her name is Phoebe. Now Phoebe served the church of St. Crea. St. Crea was located about seven miles to the west of Corinth. It was actually a port city. And more than likely St. Crea was a daughter church to the Corinthian church. And it's possible that Phoebe was the one who was sent bearing the letter from Paul to the church there in Rome. As we look at her for a moment, I want you to see this with me. I want you to see first and foremost her name Phoebe. I don't know how many Phoebes we have in here. I know that there was one on TV for a while, but how many Phoebe's we have here? The word Phoebe is literally translated bright and radiant. That's what the word means. That's what the name means. And it would seem even from the beginning when Paul says, I commend you Phoebe, our sister, who's a servant of the church in St. Crea. It would seem that she was a woman who had lived up to that name. She was bright and she was radiant. Jesus and Matthew 516, it said, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father who's in heaven. So Phoebe is a woman whose good works are glorifying God and are well known of and well reported of. It's interesting how Paul begins to speak of her. And I want to show you a couple of things here. It's instructive that Paul refers to her as a sister as well as a servant. So she was a sister servant in the body of Christ. She was a sister in the Lord, meaning that she was saved. She had a relationship with Jesus, but she's also called a servant. She's a member of the body, but she's a servant of Christ and the body of Christ. Now being referred to in this way, being referred to as a servant isn't something to be ashamed of. Today it seems to me that people don't want to be referred to in that way. They don't want to be regarded as servants. They would rather be the head and not the tail. They would rather lead and not have a reputation of serving per se. They like the idea of being one who is vested with authority and prestige, but the idea of referring to a person as a servant is a very foreign thought for many people. I mean, we even use that phrase, you know, in a demeaning way. I remember when one of my kids was very, very small, they were very young and they got angry because they were told to do something. And I still remember them saying, what do you think I am, your servant? I said, no, you're dead. No, what do you think I am, your servant? And I said, yes, yes, but not for the reasons that you may think. A servant is actually something to be regarded. To be referred to as a Christian who serves is something not to be ashamed of. Paul wasn't devaluing Phoebe. Paul was magnifying her because he refers to her not only as a sister, but she's a servant, he said, of the church. The thought of a servant being something to be valued is really foreign. It's running contrary to popular opinion, isn't it? Even amongst Christians, the idea of being a servant is not something that they desire. But in Matthew chapter 20, Jesus was speaking, and he said in verses 25 through 28, well, it says Jesus called them together and said, you know that the rulers in this world lorded over their people and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you, it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant. And whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others and to give his life a ransom for many. So being regarded as a servant is a sign of honor in the upside down kingdom of God. In Matthew 2311, Jesus said, he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. Well, somebody says, well, how do I know that I have become a servant? You will know how you, when you have become a servant, by the way you react when you're treated as one. There's a humility involved in serving the Lord. And this woman here, Phoebe, is a sister, but she is a servant of the church in Synchroia. And so Paul is instructing the church. Now, what is he saying that they should do for the servant? Verse two, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and a sister in whatever business she has need of you, for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. So he says you to receive her. When he says receive her, show her the respect that is due to someone who is selflessly serving the Lord Jesus Christ. After all, she's carrying a letter that's inspired by God. So realize how solid she really is. And secondly, he says, receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and a sister. When he says receive her in a manner worthy of the saints, lovingly minister her to her, embrace her, welcome her, show her honor, show her the proper respect for her work in the Lord Jesus Christ. Show her respect. Now, there are immature Christians that almost go out of the way to be rude to you. They seem to think that if they treat you with respect that you're going to become proud. I still remember I was doing a pastor's conference in another state a few years ago now. And after I taught, I was in the back speaking to some of the attendees of the conference and a young man approached me and as he approached me, I shook his hand. He began to speak to me and then he began to insult me. And that wasn't a very good message. Now was it? It didn't really have much practical application for me. Now did it? And I'm looking at him. I don't know him from Adam. I've never seen this guy before. And as he's insulted me one thing after another, I smile at him and he finally says, you're probably wondering why I'm speaking to you in this fashion. And I said, well, that's a good question. Why? He says, because I have the gift of keeping pastors humble. Oh, you know, I've taught the gifts of the Spirit a number of times. I just haven't seen insulting people as one of them. I just haven't seen that yet. But he really felt that he was doing me a service by telling me how poor a job I did of communicating the word of God. And there are those sometimes in the body of Christ, it would seem who seemed to think that by saying things that are not kind or being rude or whatever it may be, you're going to actually keep that person humble when in reality we know that God is capable of keeping us humble by himself. He really doesn't need our help. You see, how are we to treat one another? Well, Paul is teaching us this as he speaks concerning Phoebe. He says that you're to receive her and you're to do so in a manner worthy of the saints. So he's saying we are to love one another, hold one another up in esteem. It's like what the Apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 2.17, when he said simply honor all people. When he says honor all people, he's simply saying give proper honor where honor is due. And so one, she's a sister in the Lord, but two, she's a servant of the body of Christ. And then three, he says a sister in whatever business she has need of you. Now, when he says that, I want you to see this, that word business there, when he says a sister in whatever business that word business speaks concerning the fact that this woman was what we would refer to today or what has been referred to. I don't use this term, but it's a term that's common. It's the word is a patroness. She was a wealthy business woman and she financially supported ministries. And Paul made it very clear that she has supported others and himself included. So he's saying that this woman is worthy of assisting because she assists other people. She's a successful business woman who has used the wealth that has been placed into her hands to invest in the kingdom of God. She had done so with other ministries and he said, I have been a personal beneficiary of the things that she's done. So she comes with a high commendation because she's living out the message of the gospel and the practical things that we can do to help one another in the Lord. It's like what Paul writes in 1st Timothy, chapter six, versus 17 through 19, when he says, command those who are rich in this present age, not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy, let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share. And so she had helped many. She had supported Paul as well. And he felt indebted to her. And by the way, that's a good thing. The things that we speak about here during Christmas, for example, the gifts that we put together for members of this church to me is a tremendous blessing for Christmas. The fact that we are able to give and donate towards the children in Mexicali with the shoe boxes and the toys, those things are great things to do. And that's basically what we're called to do. And so he speaks concerning her. And he said, this is a good woman. This is a woman who is used by the Lord. And we should love her and we should appreciate the work that she's doing. She's a benefactor and she's doing so for the things of the kingdom. And so he speaks concerning Phoebe. Now, when we get into verse three, we have from verse three through 16, a list. Let me read it to you. And then I'm going to get into it because there are some things here that I think are very practical to look at. So here we go. Now, I'm not going to pretend to be able to pronounce these words properly. And you'll see why in just a minute. Verse three, greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus who risked their own necks for my life to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise, greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epinatus, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ. Greet Mary, who labored much for us. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners who are of note among the apostles who also were in Christ before me. Greet Amplius, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ and Stacus, my beloved. Greet Appellus, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodian, my kinsmen. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. Greet Drifena and Trifosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved purses who labored much in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, in his mother in mind. Greet Billy, Bob, Joe and Mike. And Dolores, no, I wish. Greet Asynchritis, Flegan, Hermes, the Trobas, Hermes and the brethren who are with them. Greet Philologus and Julia, Narias and his sister and Olympus and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. Here's something for you and this is really what I'd like to share with you today, the beauty of fellowship. In the verses before us, we had 16 verses starting in verse one, going to verse 16. You have 24 names listed, 24 names. And what this really is as we're looking at the conclusion here of this portion is these verses are actually containing various greetings to members of the fellowship there in the Church of Rome, which is interesting to me in that Paul had never been to Rome. And yet he's greeting members of the body of Christ there in the city of Rome and he's doing so by name. So that would make it clear that Paul had perhaps served alongside of and had drawn close to these people, which gives to me insight into the fact that when you serve alongside of somebody over time, you get to know them more than simply by a face. You can actually go to know them by name. And another thing that is interesting is the fact that he could write and say, give greetings to these people because he knew where they would be. They were there at the church and we'll look at that in just a moment. But there's a certain thing about being part of a fellowship that has been lost on a generation today where we are now basically looking at what has been called the church on wheels. Some churches are referred to as the church of the open door because it's not that it's open for people to come in. It's open because people keep flooding out and they move from place to place. They don't have a sense of community. They don't have a sense of the need to remain and to grow where they're planted. They don't have that and many people today move from place to place, uprooting themselves, moving someplace else and never really are capable of ever having somebody write a letter and say, greet them by name because there's a good chance that they won't be there when that letter arrives. I was talking to somebody in our church. Her name is Mal. She's part of our worship team and just two weeks ago I believe it was, we were having a conversation and she said this to me. She said, do you know I've been here in the church for 29 years? And I looked at her and I said, man, yeah, I believe that. Look how old you are. No, she said, did you believe that I've been in the church for 29 years? I said, yeah, she was a teenager when she first came. She'd been serving the Lord in our worship ministry for a long, long time and what is a blessing as we were speaking is I began to realize that I first came into contact with her when she was around 17, that I a few years later had the honor of performing her wedding and then I had the joy of dedicating her four children to Christ and now soon I'll be dedicating her first grandchild and when you begin to look back over 29 years of relationship there is so much that you have that has joined you together that so many people do not have. They don't have relationship. They don't have fellowship. They don't have support. They don't have that because to them they don't understand the importance because they're not aware of how important it is to have something like that. You see, serving alongside of people is a great way to become grounded in your walk. You develop more than just a head nod kind of relationship with somebody or a glance at and you know maybe holding hands for a brief prayer before service. You actually develop real relationships. These people that are being referred to here in this portion before us guys, these are people who were committed. They were stable and they were fruitful in their faith. They followed the model of the foundations of the early church. When you see that the early church had a habit it was called the marks of the church. You'll see what I mean. It's found in Acts 242 when it says it continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers. So these were people who were locked in. They had a life in Christ and a life with one another and it's interesting because most of these people are known only to Paul and to God because we don't recognize them. There's nothing that I can say about them other than read their name. Now there are some that you can read of them. You can you can find in scripture in other places for example verses three and four where it says greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus who risked their own necks for my life to whom not only I give thanks but also all the churches of the Gentiles. So he speaks concerning Priscilla and Aquila. He says in verse five greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Eponaeus, Nadus who is the first prince of Echaia to Christ. So he can speak concerning Priscilla and Aquila first and foremost. He came into contact with them several years earlier in the city of Corinth. It's recorded in Acts chapter 18. It says in verses one through three after these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth and he found a certain Jew named Aquila born in Pontus who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome and he came to them. So because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked for by occupation they were tent makers. So he speaks concerning these dear friends and notice how he says in verse four they risked their lives and so they were beloved friends who had risked their lives for Paul and he loved them very dearly. Not only were they good friends and all but verse five says greet the church that's in their house. So they're an example of a husband and wife laboring in the gospel together and they have a church that meets in their house because he says greet the church that is in their house because he had been pastor and he had pastor to church in Corinth. They had returned to Rome and they're now ministering there and the church is meeting in their home. So we know these are a ministry couple. Now when he speaks of Eponaeus he refers to him as the first convert in Corinth and therefore he's dear to him so he gives a greeting to this man that he would know as his first convert. My sister Madeleine would be what I would refer to as my first convert because my sister Madeleine gave her heart to Christ the same day I gave my heart to the Lord. We have a lady that I know her name is Tracy and when our church was young we were meeting in Ontario in a small church we rented on Vine Street and I gave an invitation and I had not given invitations prior to this and I gave an invitation and one person came forward her name is Tracy and when Tracy came forward at that invitation it was just Tracy and me talking there and she gave her heart to Christ and when she gave her heart to the Lord at the end of the service he was standing there and I began to visit with her and she asked me for some advice. I'll never forget this conversation. She said to me my boyfriend Frankie is in Washington right now he's not a believer and now that I've given my heart to Christ what am I to do and I said Tracy the Bible says we're not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers so the first thing I would encourage you to do is call him up and share what you did today share with him you got saved and encourage him to do the same thing because if he refuses Christ you cannot have a relationship with him according to scripture so call him and talk to him about Jesus so she goes home and when she goes home she makes a phone call to Frankie and I'll never forget this because she calls and she says Frankie I want to talk to you for a minute and Frankie says I'd like to talk to you too Tracy but let me share something with you he said I went to church today I don't go to church he said I went to church today and I gave my heart to Jesus Christ and I got saved and Tracy says wow this is amazing she goes I did the same thing long story made short he came back down from Washington served with us in the church for a long time and now he pastors the church of Calvary Chapel in Virginia so I can speak concerning this greet this first convert kind of thing because it is a special and a dear relationship that you have and that's what Paul is speaking about right here he says give him my greetings I love him very much now he goes on in verse 6 and he says greet Mary who labored much for us now this is a woman who is unknown to us but notice he said she labored much for us that means she had grown weary serving them serving the Lord his labor it is physically tiring we know that and that's one of the reasons why this last Friday we had a Christmas boutique for our single moms and that's one of the reasons why I just bless the Lord for for the team of women who came and served the women served them a meal took care of their children and just ministered to them and it was long and it was laborious but it is loving and it's what God calls us to do and serving the Lord sometimes is tiring it can make you tired in Galatians chapter 6 verse 9 it says let us not grow weary while doing good for in due season we will reap if we do not lose heart and so labor can be difficult and it can be fatiguing and indeed he he mentions it about Mary he says it is tiring it is something that happens but it is something well worth doing he goes on in verse 7 and and he says greet Andronicus and junior Mike Kinsman and my fellow prisoners who are of note among the apostles who also were in Christ before me he begins to speak concerning blood relatives in in verse 11 he speaks of erodian in verse 25 jason and sassapater and they were also relatives and so it would seem here that as he's referring to andronicus and junior that they're serving sentences they have served sentences in prison also they were converted before paul but they were known by the apostles by name and then when you go through verses 8 through 10 there are various other names mentioned he speaks in verse 10 of the household of aristobulus the grandson of herod the great he may have been converted at least had members of his household who were and then in verses 11 through 16 there are various names i'm not going to go through all of them but he sends greetings to so many people and that reveals something that we'll look at as we're about to close it reveals personal relationships that are found in the church i've had people approach me in the past and i'll say this briefly but it's true who have said this is my first time here and i just want you to know that this is a very unfriendly place and i've said rawl come on man this is an unfriendly place i said really yes listen i don't consider this an unfriendly place at all we have our share of stinkers there's no doubt about it but we have to understand a few things one not everybody has a good day every day some of you wanted to come to the first service and you made it to the second that means you walked in in a bad mood sometimes you can come into that driveway and before you get into the driveway you're having a fight you are so angry and you're yelling at one another and the kids are making noise and you're turning around saying if i could reach you i'd break your legs i'm so angry because you're having a bad day if anything happens when you hit the driveway and you go up suddenly the holy halo comes upon hope praise the lord you're here to worship Jesus oh he's so good oh god bless your brother i love you you know but you're having a bad day that happens to us all it just can be rough sometimes we can have difficulties not only that there are times that that we've gone through severe loss i cannot tell you the amount of conversations i've had over the years with people who have made it to church and they're going on you know it's an eight cylinder car running on three cylinders it has been so tough they've had so great loss such great pain i have spoken after service one person will walk up to me and say you know praise the lord i just just asked my girl to marry me we're going to get married pastor i'm so excited and the next person after them will say my wife of 45 years just died and i don't know what i'm going to do without her from one moment i'm rejoicing with somebody in the next moment i'm weeping with somebody in the same church service where somebody will say my husband died or somebody will say my my children are going bad and they're going they're going through rough times if i were to ask some of you in this room right now and i wouldn't of course but we're right to ask what is going on what really is going on remove the mask and say what's happening a lot of you bring pain into this church every time you enter in there's a lot of pain in this church because there's a lot of pain in this world so when we come in and we say that person's not friendly to us to me well that doesn't make much sense proverbs 18 24 says a man who has friends must himself be friendly there needs to be an attitude that i bring in if i'm going to have a friendship with anybody i need to be friendly myself and i also need to give people grace listen i had so many conversations that are heartbreaking in between services and sometimes i will bring those tears to the pulpit and sometimes i will weep and you don't know why it's because i've heard some pain that has still is still on me i'm still thinking god i'll help this i'll help this situation that's what happens that's what ministry is guys that's ministry the young woman many many years ago when i was an assisting pastor in another church i'm standing there and she walks up to me she's 21 years old and she says to me pastor can you pray for me and i said well of course what can i pray about and she says i was doing my wash last night at a laundromat and a man raped me would you pray for me and i'm looking at this young girl who just barely was able to get out of bed and get to church so she could be prayed for and i'm thinking this broken woman nobody knows what she just went through i've talked to so many men whose wives are so many wives whose husbands died suddenly just died suddenly they come for the first time as a widow or a widower to church because he just died four days ago and the place that i should be is with the body of christ and no they're not smiling and no they're not radiant and no they're not happy they're broken hearted and that happens do you know that we have about 50 funerals a year in this church there are people in our fellowship who have gone home to be with the lord some who are very dear to me that break your heart and you can have a sadness it happens it happens the young mother who brought her her little boy about six years old and brings that little boy to me and he's just real quiet and i'm looking down at this little guy and i have an affection for small children and all and i'm looking down at him and he's got his shoulders kind of shrugged and he's looking at his feet and a beautiful little guy and she says pastor can you pray for my son and i said well of course what can i pray for she says well yesterday she was divorced she said yesterday his father told him i don't love you and i'm looking at this little guy right when his shoulders dip even further and a little boy sobbing sobbing as i reach my arms and i hold them to my chest and i pray for this little guy that's in your church that's pain that's sorrow that's life and unless the church unites we can be overwhelmed by grief but who do you have that you go to how can you have somebody to go to if all you do is come in and leave come in once in a while and never plug in how can you have somebody who knows the condition of your heart if you never draw close enough to share it paul could write to a church that he'd never been in and by name could say i want you to greet this person and greet that person and oh by the way would you greet this person they're my blood relatives they're doing good they're of wow reputation the apostles know and would you please greet this person and that person you see let me tell you something about this letter when the letter was brought to the romans they would have a meeting where the church gathered and the pastor would say we received a letter from the apostle paul and he would read from verse one all the way to the end because it was a letter and so as he's closing it every one of these names mary andranicus junius amplius urbanus they're all there in the congregation they're all being greeted because paul knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they would receive his greetings because he knew where they would be they would be in church that was the early church that's not the church of the 21st century because the church of the 21st century is the church on wheels but that church was a church that knew that working together loving one another was the way that christ had designed the body of christ now some people don't care about what i'm saying some people actually get offended by that are you telling me that i'm supposed to love these people know the bibles telling you that you're supposed to love one another you see when my father went home to be with the lord we didn't expect that my dad died suddenly i went to the hospital and while i'm there on on that thursday my father died and i was shocked i went outside and i gathered myself i had to go to the airport i had to go pick up my sister rebecca who was flying in from from new mexico and she didn't know pop had gone home to be with the lord so marina i have to go to the airport here in ontario and and i go in and i'm waiting for her and when she finally comes i walk up to her and i say to her papa went home to be with jesus and my sister breaks down right in the middle of the airport she starts you know having a tough time of it and i'm holding her in my arms as strangers are walking by and i comfort my sister and i put her in my car i drive her to my mom so that she could be with mom because i had to come here to church because we had a thursday night bible study and i came walking into the bible study poncho was with us doing the thursday night jeff sears walks up to me a brother in the fellowship i love very dearly and he already knows what had happened and he takes me in his arms and holds me then my brother-in-law matt who is also a part of our church comes walking up to me and he loved my dad both jeff and matt loved my dad and matt just puts his arms around me and holds me and i go up to the front and i say we have a guest with us today poncho is a good brother and the lord i can't remain here my dad just died i have to go home and begin to take care of some things and i walk off and poncho says wait a minute you're not getting away without prayer and they pray for me and i walk out and i take care of business because that's what you have to do but i had people in my life that for that moment could hold and say i'm with you in this i hope you have somebody that you can do that with too i hope you have somebody in your life that can when you're hurting doesn't have to say a word just can put their arm around you and say you know i'm with you that's what church does for you that's what being part of the body of christ does for you and so many of you when you fall you fall alone and there's nobody there to pick you up and there's no sense of love and there's no sense well if you're going to have friends prove yourself to be friendly come with a heart that's willing to be open willing to be vulnerable willing to get involved paul could write to a church and he can say i want you to say hi to all 24 names one name is the one bearing it 23 are those who are attending that's the way it should be that's how it should be and when he says greet one another with a holy kiss that speaks of a of a friendliness have a love and a warmth and acceptance um when i was first saved and i saw that greet one another with a holy kiss i like that verse because i thought there's some cute little girls here that i'd like to greet then i found out it was brothers who would kiss a brother on the cheek and the women who would greet in that fashion there was a propriety in it but was the point the point was love one another many years ago 30 years ago i was standing in front of a church our church after a service ministering to a man who was uh well i'll put it this way if you looked up the word macho in a dictionary they had his face there very macho and uh he had he came his wife had brought him because he had anger issues and uh they had asked if i would speak to him and i was speaking to him and this friend of mine that i'd known for a while came walking by and as he's walking by i'm talking to this extremely macho guy when my friend looks at me and says pastor david and he comes walking up and he says this i'll never forget it he says i haven't kissed you in a long time and he kisses me right in front of mr macho just and this guy is looking at me like what kind of church is this you know but my friend is that way he was invited to david's uh wedding and reception and he walked up to me and gives me a kiss he just does that and i'm you know i'm secure enough to know that that's a brotherly love kiss and all of that right but that's an evidence that there is an affection it's a greeting that is deep it's not a shallow thing you don't just walk up to strangers and give them kisses on the cheek do you but you do family you come to my house and if you're member of our family if you ever saw us around each other we are kissing monsters you know my my girls kiss each other in laws you know it's just that way we we are very affectionate in that way as family when you have a relationship with somebody that your dear they're dear to you you don't even think about it you just don't even because it's love that's what he's talking about greet one another greet one another with a holy kiss love one another serve next to one another care for one another be involved in the body of christ with one another because that's what church is as foreign as the idea is to so many people that's what the church is supposed to be and it's my prayer that someday all of us will understand that that's what it's all about love one another greet one another serve one another care for one another pray for one another exhort one another comfort one another why because the day is approaching we need to be ready together with one another to meet the lord in the air and when we do that god will be pleased