PRINCETON CHRISTIAN CHURCH
ROMANS 16:1-2 27 OCTOBER 24
A mega-church in Vista, California, made headlines last October when it canceled all of its worship services over the weekend.
Rather than meeting together in an air-conditioned sanctuary, North Coast Church closed its doors for what they called a “Weekend of Service,” providing churchgoers the opportunity to actually show the love of Jesus in their community.
Of the 7,000 believers who attend North Coast Church, over 5,500 of them showed up Sunday morning to live out their commitment as they tackled 139 community service projects at 70 different sites all throughout North San Diego County.
Pastor Larry Osborne, who is the senior pastor of the church, said, “Our weekly service projects and our Weekend of Service is simply one more way to help our members understand that church is what we are, not just something we go to… What we tell people is—this week, we’re going to be the church instead of just going to church.”
They understand what church is all about.
There are far too many Christians out there who have this mistaken belief that church is something you go to for sixty minutes on Sunday morning.
The truth is—we don’t go to church; we are the church! The church isn’t a place; it’s people! Jesus said…
“You are the salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13)
“You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)
“You are…a city set on a hill.” (Matthew 5:14)
You are the church! It’s up to us (you and me) to be the mouth, the hands, and the feet of Jesus—to be the church! Of course, getting involved in the community and doing service projects—like the folks at North Coast Church—is only part of what it means to be the church.
Being the church also means being like Jesus, being a part of God’s family, and giving of ourselves and our means.
I don’t believe there is anybody in Scripture who exemplifies what it means to be the church more clearly or concisely than an often-overlooked woman named Phoebe.
While there are no examples in the Bible of the perfect Christian—because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23) — there is this one woman, mentioned briefly in Romans 16:1-2, that I believe gives us some insight into what God wants from us and what it means to be the church. Let’s read these two short verses together:
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.” (Romans 16:1-2 NIV)
We know truly little about this godly woman who carried Paul’s letter to the Romans. We just have a brief mention of her name and service.
She was named after the Greek moon goddess Artemis, known commonly as Phoebe, who was supposedly associated with the light of the moon.
But the Phoebe that Paul so highly commended shined as a light for Jesus, the “Light of the World”!
In a short tribute of praise, Paul gives a beautiful description of this saintly servant of Jesus.
What do you suppose we can learn from someone mentioned only once and so briefly in Scripture? We can learn a lot—especially about what it means to “BE THE CHURCH.”
Paul, in these two verses, uses three powerful words to describe Phoebe. The first description he bestows on her is “sister.”
SISTER
Paul began by saying, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe.” First, being the church means being a part of God’s family.
We may not all be sisters, but we are all spiritual siblings.
The Bible says, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” (Hebrews 2:11 NASB).
That statement is an amazing truth. You are part of God’s family.
When you place your faith in Jesus, God becomes your Father, you become his child, other believers become your brothers and sisters, and the church becomes your spiritual family.
Jesus considered those who worked closely with Him on earth as His family.
Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 12:49-50:
“And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold, My mother and my brothers..” For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is My brother.” (Matthew 12:49-50 NASB).
It has been said so many times before—church is about family. It’s about having brothers and sisters who love you, who can come along next to you, and who can see you through life’s trying times.
Being included in God’s family is the highest honor and the greatest privilege you will ever receive. Whenever you feel unimportant, unloved, or insecure, remembering to whom you belong is vital to your existence.
That’s what family is, isn’t it—a place to belong? Even in the perfect paradise of Eden, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18).
We are not meant to be the Lone Ranger, Instead, we are created for communion and community.
Lanny Wolfe wrote a song titled “God’s Family”:
We’re part of the family that’s been born again.
Part of the family whose love knows no end.
For Jesus has saved us and makes us His own,
Now we’re part of the family that’s on its way home.
And sometimes we laugh together, sometimes we cry.
Sometimes we share together, heart-aches and sighs.
Sometimes we dream together of how it will be
When we all get to Heaven, God’s family.
That’s what God’s family is all about—laughing together, crying together, and dreaming together.
In fact, the Bible says that Christians are put together, joined together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, held together, and will be caught up together. There’s a lot of togetherness in God’s family!
Being the church means experiencing life together. And what do we do together?
Well, there’s another Bible phrase that answers that question— that phrase is: one another:
“Love one another” (John 13:34).
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love” (Romans 12:10).
“Honor one another” (Romans 12:10).
“Live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:16).
“Let us not judge one another” (Romans 14:13).
“Accept one another” (Romans 15:7).
“Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16).
“Teach one another” (Romans 15:14).
“Serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).
“Be kind and compassionate to one another” (Ephesians 4:32).
“Encourage one another” (Hebrews 10:25).
“Offer hospitality to one another” (2 Peter 4:9).
“Love one another” (1 John 3:23, 4:7, 4:11, and so many more).
It takes both God’s power and our effort to produce a loving Christian community.
Being the church means being a family and living out these “one another” verses daily. So, we need to make that our goal as God’s family.
Additionally, Paul goes on to describe Phoebe in yet another way. Paul calls Phoebe a saint.
SAINT
Paul told the Roman Christians to “receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints.”
In other words, roll out the red carpet, throw your arms wide open, and wrap them around her when she gets there!
Why? A saint is coming into your midst.
People generally believe that someone has to perform miracles or be canonized to become a saint. Every one of us is a saint from the time we come up out of the water of baptism.
At that moment, we are at our purest; He makes us holy. A saint is any person who has been buried with Christ in baptism.
In fact, Paul addressed this letter “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints” (Romans 1:7).
If you are in God’s family, then you are a saint.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you will always act like a saint.
Sainthood, or being set apart as a child of God, is an ongoing lifelong process. It is, very simply, the process of becoming like Christ.
The Apostle Paul says it this way in 2 Corinthians 3:18:
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
Both being the church and being a saint mean becoming like Jesus.
The ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort but character development. You were created to become like Christ.
But the thing is — we cannot reproduce the character of Jesus on our own strength.
We can make all kinds of New Year’s resolutions, exercise our willpower, and carry out our best intentions—but they are not enough. Only the Holy Spirit has the power to make the changes God wants to make in our lives.
Do you sometimes wonder why you aren’t more like Jesus? Here is another question that might help us answer that question.
Have you ever noticed how couples who’ve been married for a long time start to look alike?
After so many years or decades of togetherness, they start to have the same mannerisms, the same inflection in their voice, and even the same facial expressions. The more time you spend with someone, the more you become like that person.
So, apply that thought to this question: how much time do you spend with Jesus?
How much time do you spend praying and talking with God about life’s failures and successes?
How often do you open your Bible and just listen to what he has to say? It is easy for us to read a verse or two, maybe a chapter, every day, and we think we have been in contact with God.
But did we hear what He said in the words we read? Did we really know that He was speaking directly to us through those words?
More than anything else, I believe it is true that the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make us more like the Son of God.
But we have to open it; we have to want it and cooperate with the Holy Spirit.
How does that happen in real life?
Through spending time in prayer, through reading our Bibles, through personal and public worship, and also through the choices and decisions we make.
You’ve heard the question: “What would Jesus do?” We need to repeatedly ask that question and follow His answer. It will always be the right answer.
What if, for one day, Jesus lived your life for you?
What if, for twenty-four hours, Jesus wakes up in your bed, walks in your shoes, lives in your house, and assumes your schedule?
Your boss becomes his boss, your kids become his kids, and your headaches become his headaches.
Your health doesn’t change. Your circumstances don’t change. Your schedule isn’t altered.
Your problems aren’t solved. Only one thing changes.
Philippians 2:5 (NASB) says:
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” We have to have the attitude of Christ.
The heart of Christ-likeness is having a heart like Christ. God’s plan for you is nothing short of wanting to give you a new heart.
Long before Jesus walked the land of Galilee, God promised (Ezekiel 36:26 NLT) :
I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you.”
God loves you just the way we are, but he refuses to leave us that way. He wants us to be just like Jesus. He wants us to have a heart like his. That’s what it means to be the church.
Paul had one last word to describe this saintly sister named Phoebe. He calls her a servant.
SERVANT
Once again, Paul says, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church.”
The word used here for “servant” is the Greek word diakonos, which is usually translated as “deacon” or “minister.”
The point, however, is not that she held a special position or title in the church. What it refers to is that she served her local church in a variety of ways.
In the next verse, Paul says, “Help her in every way you can, for she has helped many in their needs, including me”
Being the church means helping out; it means being a servant. This saintly servant sister apparently did this in the church at Cenchrea.
The point is—being the church requires us to help out in whatever way we’re needed.
Some people feel like they aren’t qualified to do anything but come to worship. They don’t believe they could ever teach a class, or they are afraid to speak in public, or their lives are already so busy.
But it all comes back to the same question:
“What would Jesus do?” Or, rather, “What would Jesus have me do?”
Pray about it specifically. Choose to do what God wants you to do and then trust his Spirit to give you the power, love, courage, or wisdom you need to do it.
Robert J. Morgan once told the story of a preacher who was approached by a man who wanted to join the church.
“But,” the man said, “I have a terribly busy schedule. I can’t be called on for any service, like serving on any committee, or teaching a class, or other such things. I just won’t be available for special projects, or to help with setting up chairs or things like that. I just want to sit through Sunday worship and then go on about my business.”
The preacher thought for a moment and then replied, “I believe you’re at the wrong church.
The church you’re looking for is three blocks down the street, on the right.”
The man followed the preacher’s directions and soon came to an abandoned, boarded-up, closed-down church building. It was a dead church—gone out of business.
Truly, that man was truthful in what he said. He wanted to join the church, he wanted membership, likely thinking his membership would bring him prestige and honor in the community. But he wanted nothing to do with fellowship or discipleship.
Finding the church building abandoned, boarded up, and closed down is what happens to churches that don’t have servants.
I know I am preaching to the choir because most of you serve the family of Jesus Christ here in some capacity every week. In doing so, you are being the church.
Being the church means being a servant. Phoebe was a servant of the church; she had the heart of a servant. Of course, she was a worthy example to follow.
Conclusion:
Church isn’t something that opens or closes with a prayer.
Church isn’t just something you attend; it’s something you are.
Church isn’t a place or a building; it is people.
What does it mean to “be the church”?
Well, if Phoebe is any kind of example to go by, it means:
BEING A SISTER OR A BROTHER - a vital part of God’s household, fashioned for God’s family.
BEING A SAINT—created to become like Christ and learning to have a heart like His;
and it means
BEING A SERVENT—made for ministry and willing to help out.
So, whatever you do, wherever you go, whether it’s Sunday, Saturday, or any other day in between—remember to be the church.
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