Is Your Name Written in the Book?

Rom 16:1-15

(hold up photo album)

I like to look through photo albums people keep on their coffee table. It allows you to learn about them and who is important to them. Each picture represents something special to that family. Sometimes there is only one picture of a person in the whole book, but at that moment, that one person was special. Others show up over and over again and obviously mean very much to the family. Each person is immortalized as long as that photo album exists. I was at my in-laws this summer and was looking through a photo book and there were many pictures that were obviously quite old, but no names were attached to them. Helene’s mom explained who they were and the relationship to her. I urged her to write down everyone’s names because once she passes away, the pictures will only be pictures of strangers instead of important family members.

Paul begins to wrap up his letter with several personal greetings to members of the church in Rome. Even though he had never been to that congregation, these people had become dear to him. His words are like a photo album. Each person there meant something to him. Some were very dear friends and some were people whom he had met on his travels and wanted to greet. Each one was immortalized by being a part of this letter. We know something about some of them and others we only know the names he has listed.

As we look at that list there are some things we can learn about those names that are important to the church even today.

PRAYER

I. Paul’s List of Names

A. Paul’s list of names

1. Phoebe – a dedicated servant of the church

2. Pricilla and Aquila – 2 people that had been a very important part of Paul’s ministry throughout the years.

a) Interestingly, Pricilla is almost always mentioned first. Probably because she was the more gifted one in their joint ministry.

b) These first two names indicate that women then and today, play very important roles in the life of the church.

c) They should not be relegated to second class citizens, but understand that both genders have been given different and equally important roles.

3. Epenetus – all we know about him is the fact that he was the first person to give his life to Christ in Asia.

a) Yet, what’s more important is that even though he was the first convert, he had remained faithful all those years.

4. Person after person is identified as beloved or dear.

5. Some had been imprisoned with Paul.

6. Some were dedicated laborers.

7. Tryphena and Thyphosa were probably twins and the words Paul uses for them indicates they worked to the point of exhaustion for the Lord.

B. What this list tells me is that the church this letter was written to had a wonderful group of dedicated Christians in it.

1. The church wasn’t perfect, as we have obviously seen over the last 15 chapters.

2. They didn’t have all their theology down

3. But the dedication to God was there.

4. Many members had a faith that led them to travel the world to teach the lost.

5. Many members had a faith that led to imprisonment.

6. Almost all of these people were commended for their hard work for the Lord.

II. Rochester’s list of names

A. Questions for us

1. What if a letter had been written to the church in Rochester?

2. What would Paul have said to us?

3. Whose names would have surfaced as special to him?

B. Would your name be on the list?

1. This is a list of the Who’s Who.

2. Not who’s who socially, but who’s who spiritually.

3. How many of us have a faith that takes us to other places to teach the lost?

4. How many of us have a faith to teach the lost even when we are in other places?

5. Who among us are willing to suffer persecution for their faith?

6. How many of us would be the beloved of a missionary or evangelist because of our continual support and prayer and love for them?

7. How many of us work so hard for God that other Christians can see beyond a doubt your commitment to God?

C. The Challenge

1. I know this isn’t a long lesson, but you don’t have to spend a lot of time to make the point of what this passage is all about.

2. Who among us will live a life so dedicated to God and his kingdom that our names would be at the end of the letter?