Podcasts about Alistair

It's one thing to learn about Jesus' effective approach to sharing the Gospel with the woman at the well. But how can you actually put it into practice? Learn some helpful principles of evangelism when you join us on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

It's one thing to learn about Jesus' effective approach to sharing the Gospel with the woman at the well. But how can you actually put it into practice? Learn some helpful principles of evangelism when you join us on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

The Bible is clear that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was sufficient for the forgiveness of the sins for all who believe in Him—one sacrifice for all sins, for all time. So what's the purpose of Communion? Find out on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

You may take part in Communion at your church, but what does this expression of faith actually mean? Are you really eating and drinking Christ's physical body and blood? Take a closer look at the Lord's Supper along with Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

Some attend church out of a sense of duty—but that's not the model the early church established. Listen to Truth For Life as Alistair Begg explains how Sunday can be a joyful, reverent celebration that sets the tone for the week and points to eternity. Listen...

We can all probably list some effective ways to grow a strong, fit body. But how can the local church ensure that it's thriving and making a difference? Examine the four marks of a healthy church along with Alistair Begg on Truth For Life. Listen...

In our attempt to make Alistair’s recent sermons available as quickly as possible, the audio and video of the sermon are often posted before other supplementary elements. Please check back later this week for the finalized sermon title, description, topics, and transcript.

In our attempt to make Alistair's recent sermons available as quickly as possible, the audio and video of the sermon are often posted before other supplementary elements. Please check back later this week for the finalized sermon title, description, topics, and transcript. Bible passages: Psalms 139:13-18

A human body is made up of many different but interconnected parts, and it functions best when each part fulfills its purpose. Similarly, each believer has a vital role within the body of Christ, the church. Hear more on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

Christians are called to share the good news of the Gospel—but attempting meaningful conversations with loved ones can be intimidating. Hear how Jesus transitioned a natural conversation into a life-altering event, on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

Christians are called to share the good news of the Gospel—but attempting meaningful conversations with loved ones can be intimidating. Hear how Jesus transitioned a natural conversation into a life-altering event, on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

Being a member of the church is more significant than you might think. From the beginning, God's been calling out a people for Himself. For what purpose? On Truth For Life, Alistair Begg explains that God's master plan has an important role for each of us. Listen...

There are many stories about corrupt religious leaders who abuse their authority to dominate, manipulate, or take advantage of others. How can you recognize and prevent unbiblical leadership within your church? Find out on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

Who's in charge of your church? Is it the pastor? A team of elders? The board of trustees? Discover how the answer to this question impacts the health and growth of the entire church. Study along with us on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

We discuss all the news in the BBL with Alistair Dobson, in what has been an awesome season so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's possible to identify with a particular church as a result of heritage or family tradition yet not actually be included in the real church—the global community of God's chosen people. Find out why when you listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

Who, or what, is the church? Seems like a straightforward question, right? There's more to the answer than you might think! Listen as we address basic biblical truths regarding the nature of the church. That's the focus on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

Talking to others about Jesus can be intimidating. But evangelism doesn't need to be a big production of prepared speeches and handing out tracts. Join us on Truth For Life as Alistair Begg examines Jesus' simple interaction with a Samaritan woman. Listen...

Talking to others about Jesus can be intimidating. But evangelism doesn't need to be a big production of prepared speeches and handing out tracts. Join us on Truth For Life as Alistair Begg examines Jesus' simple interaction with a Samaritan woman. Listen...

Coasting downhill on a bike takes minimal effort; it isn't really exercise. And just sitting in church every Sunday is kind of like spiritual coasting! Listen to Truth For Life as Alistair Begg teaches us how to actively improve our spiritual health. Listen...

Jesus isn't slow in fulfilling His promise to come back. His apparent delay is purposeful. So what are Christians supposed to do while waiting? Study along as we consider how to prepare for Christ's return, on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

It's been more than two thousand years since Jesus promised He would return. How should we respond to scoffers who say He's not coming back? What's the reason for His delay? Hear the answers to these questions on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

Kate's struck by Erik's strong resemblance to Jakob. As she welcomes him, Erik assumes she's Jakob's landlord and can't believe how kind she's being. Kate is stunned and puts him straight. Kate's hurt that Jakob hadn't told Erik about her. Erik quickly corrects himself – of course he knew, he'd just forgotten. Kate's not sure whether to believe him. His gift of a smart speaker goes down well with Kate, though she accidentally gives away that it wouldn't be Jakob's ideal present. Honours even, the atmosphere thaws and they agree to have supper at the Bull. Alistair joins them, and they discuss Jakob as a child. Erik was always being compared unfavourably to his brother, who was diligent and organised. Kate points out that Jakob believes Erik was the favourite; he's the fun one with the glamorous career. When Erik goes to the bar Kate and Alistair agree he seems lovely and not at all how Jakob's made him out to be – though Alistair observes that someone this sociable and chatty would indeed be Jakob's nightmare. Jim's feeling overwhelmed with the burden of finding a best man for Jazzer, and a volunteer for the shop. Alistair insists his dad's the perfect best man, and Joy a great choice of volunteer. Jim thinks Alice might be a better option. Alistair suggests Jim adds Ed to his list of alternatives for the best man role. Later he shows Jazzer the list, but Jazzer still wants Jim. He suggests Jim shares the job with Ed. Jim thinks it's a marvellous idea.

Human nature balks at being told what to do—which is why false teachers' promises of freedom from rules can so effectively lure the unsuspecting away from God's truth. On Truth For Life, Alistair Begg teaches why this promised freedom instead leads to enslavement. Listen...

In our attempt to make Alistair’s recent sermons available as quickly as possible, the audio and video of the sermon are often posted before other supplementary elements. Please check back later this week for the finalized sermon title, description, topics, and transcript.

In our attempt to make Alistair’s recent sermons available as quickly as possible, the audio and video of the sermon are often posted before other supplementary elements. Please check back later this week for the finalized sermon title, description, topics, and transcript.

Political correctness wasn't Peter's concern when he warned the early church about the danger of false teachers. Do you have the courage to be a biblical Christian in today's world? Listen to Truth For Life as Alistair Begg examines Peter's warning. Listen...

Evangelism is vital to Christianity—yet many prefer to “leave it to the professionals.” Find out how simple daily tasks can become events of eternal significance when you share the Gospel with others. Study along with Alistair Begg on Truth For Life. Listen...

Audio Transcript: This media has been made available by Mosaic BostonChurch. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Bostonand our neighborhood churches or donate to this ministry, please visitmosaicboston.com. So we will be in Romans 15:22 through chapter 16:16. So we got a lot. We're going through a lot real fast today. There's a lot of topics covered here. So instead of reading the whole thing and then going into it, we'll read it in chunks as we go along. And I want us to focus on the major theme of Paul's argument here in Romans. And in this section, the idea that he is addressing is essentially how do we relate to one another? How do we interact with each other as Christians in real life, when sometimes things aren't always going as planned and aren't what you expect them to be? What should our mentality be towards one another? So with that, will you pray with me over the preaching of God's word. Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you that you allow us to be here together today to worship and bring honor and glory to your name. Lord, we thank you that you are a good and loving God and we ask that you give us love for one another in the same way that you love your church. Help us to truly seek the wellbeing and welfare of our brothers and sisters in Christ, to desire good for all your people. First and foremost, for those in your local church here that you have placed us in, but also for those who bear the name of Christ around the world. Help us to love and care for one another, all for the glory of your name. In Jesus' name. Amen. Alrighty. So we will still be spending our time in three points here today. The first point is be encouraged by other Christians. Secondly, pray for other Christians. And third, praise God for other Christians. So first, be encouraged by other Christians. And this is in verses 22 through 29 of chapter 15 where it says this, "This is the reason why I've so often been hindered from coming to you. But now since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, I'm going to Jerusalem, bringing aid to the saints for Macedonia and Achaea have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it and indeed they owe it to them, for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ." We'll pause there for now. And so the first point, be encouraged by other Christians. And Paul is talking about his desire, his wants to visit this church in Rome, a church he has never met before, a church that he had no part in planting, it was not planted by him. So he just wanted to go and be encouraged by a faithful church somewhere in the world, because they were faithful, they were worshiping God and he wanted that to be an encouragement to his soul. But he says in the beginning, "This is the reason I have been hindered." Well, what is the reason? That goes back to chapter 15, verse 20. He says, "I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named." So Paul is saying, "I really want to spend time in fellowship, be encouraged by this other church somewhere in the world, but God has placed a call on my life and I need to fulfill that call before I can go and experience that." So one thing that we should take note of here is we've been spending a lot of time talking about our calling, like that God has placed a calling on every single one of our lives, that God has placed us in specific cities, specific parts of the world, but also specific jobs, occupations, roles, and we are called to be faithful to the Lord in that calling wherever we are. And we need to understand that that calling takes precedent in our lives. We talked last week about fully submitting everything in our lives to God, to his will, to his desires. And that for Paul took precedent even more than something that is good, fellowshipping with other believers. Now, fellowshipping with other believers is good and something to be desired and we should want to do that, but it's not more important than the mission. And why I point this out is to say Paul is talking about another church. He is not talking about fellowship in the local church that he is at. So what I bring up to say is that we are still called to fellowship with one another, but oftentimes we might see other churches doing great and glorious things for the Kingdom of God and praise God for those churches, and we should want and desire to be with them and just simply be encouraged by the work that they are doing that is good, and it's something we should desire and do. But it shouldn't be in place of our faithfulness to the ministry that God has placed on our lives. Let us start by being faithful in service to the Lord here in our local church, the place where he has placed us, and as we are faithful here it grows the opportunity for more encouragement from other churches because we get to say, "Hey, I've been faithful. I need encouragement. I need strength and restoration. I can go to another faithful church and be encouraged by them." But we cannot neglect the call that God has placed on our lives wherever that may be. And secondly, I want to point out that this is Paul's view of rest. Paul views rest as fellowship with other believers. This is interesting. Is that how we view of rest? I think oftentimes we idolize rest to the point of saying, "I just need to be alone and nobody talk to me and then I'll be better." It's good, spend time alone. Every person needs some time alone with the Lord and to get rest. Sleep. Sleep is important. That is all good. I'm not trying to say anything against those things, but intrinsic to rest is fellowship with one another, with believers. This is part of the idea of Sabbathing, right? Sabbathing we talk about as a day of rest. But Sabbath is not a day to be alone by yourself and not talk to anybody. Sabbath is a time to be in fellowship with other believers. Alistair Begg is a preacher I believe in the Cleveland area who I love and respect and he has a sermon series on Sabbathing, I highly recommend it. It's a two-part series, but it completely changed the way I view Sabbathing and I'm sure it will for you. But one of the things Alistair says about it, I want you to read for us, he says this, "Loved ones, I've got to say something. Whenever our experience of worship is so devalued and our notion of the Lord's Day is so disintegrated so as to conceive of it in such a way that we believe that the religious exercises are supposed to get over and done with as fast as they possibly can so that we may get on with the day, then we stand condemned before the fourth commandment." This is keep the Sabbath, "We ought actually to be getting down on our knees and thanking God for the privilege of being brought under the orb of influence of a church that has determined on the basis of holy scripture that we will give every opportunity on the Lord's day for all the things that the Lord's day was intended to mean, for worship, for prayer, for study, for fellowship, for holy contemplation. And the fact that it does not appeal to us says more about the low level of our spiritual appetites than it does about anything else." Pretty harsh words. But it is meant to be an encouragement to us to say let's actually love and enjoy and praise God for the Sabbath. Let's honestly praise God for the opportunity that we get to meet in a church together and be encouraged by one another, that we have that power in each other's lives to strengthen and encourage and worship God together. And this is how much Paul loves God's people that he's like, "I'm working all the time, I'm planting churches." He's doing everything he can, "I want to go somewhere else. I want to go to Spain and plant churches. So for my rest and energy to plant another church, I'm just going to go and hang out in another faithful church. I'm just going to be there for a while. Be encouraged, be strengthened. Spend time together, be in each other's homes." That's what Paul takes encouragement from. So dear Christians, do we love to be with each other? Do we like to spend time together? Do we encourage each other when we are together? Are we building each other up for the sake of the mission that God has called each and every one of us too for the spread of the gospel? And we are also called not to think just about ourselves in the local church. Again, Paul is writing to other Christians that he has never met to the church in Rome, and he connects them with other churches that he has planted. This is in verses 26 and 27. He says, "For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it and indeed they owe it to them, for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings." So Paul recognizes that the church in Jerusalem was a spiritual blessing to all the other churches. What does that mean? Well, the gospel started, Christ came and was raised and the first church was in Jerusalem that worshiped him. And from there it went across the world. And so Paul recognized the need of the gospel to spread and the influence of the church in Jerusalem to have influence on other churches, and then in response, those churches should still care for the church in Jerusalem. So there's two specific ways that Paul brings this up. But first is we are called to care for those Christians who have had an influence on our spiritual health and wellbeing and our growth in life. Praise God for Faith Baptist Church in Hamilton, New Jersey, the church I grew up in, because they played an integral part in my faith as a Christian. And without them I don't know if I would be a Christian, I do because God is sovereign and he's in control of all things and he chose me to be safe in his child, so I am. And he would work his will through all things, but he chose to use that church. And I praise God for that and I want to honor them and be encouraged by the work that they're doing. And for many of us, we have home churches, we have places where we had heard the gospel for the first time and where we came to faith and we are called to honor them, we are called to remember them, be encouraged by them and encourage them in their times of need. For many people here Mosaic may be that church, Mosaic may be the church where you came to faith, it was instrumental in your growth. It is instrumental even to this day in my growth as a Christian. And I praise God for this church. And Paul says that those churches who are in need, like the church in Jerusalem, we are called to help. The churches in Galatia only existed because of the work of the church in Jerusalem. So they owed it to them, he said, to help and to give. It was also their pleasure, right? It's that balance of they were pleased to give aid and to help the church in Jerusalem in their time of need, but they did owe it. It was their responsibility they should have, and in the same way if we see those that have been instrumental in our faith, in our salvation and our growth and walk with Christ, we should joyfully seek to help them. And we kind of owe it to them, because they have brought us to this place and our relationship with Christ. And then secondly, he talks specifically about the poor in Jerusalem. And so before I get to the poor in Jerusalem, he points out that the church is giving to help the contribution of the poor in Jerusalem are Macedonia and Achaia. Well if you know anything about Macedonia, what the church in Macedonia is famous for as being poor. In Second Corinthians, Paul talks about the church in Macedonia as saying, "They're the ones that have suffered and endured great suffering and endured through poverty." And so they are known for being poor, yet they are the ones giving to the poor in Jerusalem. Well, their portion that they save and keep it for themselves so that they can be prosperous and take it, what's important to know is that in Second Corinthians Paul says that they have endured through that poverty. Not that they aren't poor anymore, but that they have proven faithful even in poverty, that they have proven to be able to care for one another, to provide for each other's needs even in their own poverty. So that way they could, with whatever they had left, give to those in need. So what does that mean for us. Christians do we care for those in need in our church first? Do we see people in this body who are in need, physical, financial needs, it's giving monetary value to those who are poor? Do we see brothers and sisters and help them? And the easiest way for this to start is our community groups, if you see somebody in your group who you know is in need, do we help them? Do we actually take steps to help. By God's grace a few years ago, I've been in a couple different community groups, but in one of the groups I was in a member was not able to pay for rent, was unable to afford rent, and another member of the group was financially blessed in that season and offered to pay for the rent of that person for a few months and was like, "I don't want them to know I'm going to do it, anonymously and give it to them." And I'm saying this because it's not me, I'm not involved in any of this. So this is I'm praising God for the work that he has done through other people. But they genuinely cared and loved each other, and they saw somebody in their group in need and they provided. We as Christians, as brothers and sisters in Christ need to be prepared to do the same, to care for one another practically in reality, even if it costs money, even if it's financial, even if it's time, even if it's relational, no matter what it is, we need to love each other enough to actually care for each other practically. And when you are able to do that, then your area of influence of generosity begins to grow, right? If you're able to provide for one another and care for each other in your group, maybe you get to the point where you say, "Hey, there's no one in our community group that has any needs." Praise God if that's your group, and if that's the case, maybe you should talk to other community group leaders and be like, "Hey, is there anyone in need? We have a wealth, we have an abundance within our group. Can we help you? Is there anyone in need?" And help each other. And then when we as a church, when we as Mosaic are helping each other, genuinely, always providing for each other's needs, supporting and encouraging each other when we need it, then God gives us that margin, that blessing to be able to give even more generously, regardless of the amount of our finances. That's never the point for Paul. The point is that they were faithful regardless of their finances. The church in Macedonia was faithful in the little that they had, that God blessed them with the ability to bless others. So Christians, let's strive to be a church that is faithful with what we have to provide for each other, care for each other, so that way we can become a greater blessing to those around the world. To the other churches in the city, to other churches that love the Lord and are in need. We want to be able to care for each other. And so you notice that the point is be encouraged by other Christians, but I'm talking a lot about how we can encourage other Christians. It's because to say be encouraged and encourage other Christians was too long of a point, it didn't really fit on the slide, but it's easy to say be encouraged. That's very passive. And how that happens is we have to encourage each other and then we will be encouraged by others when we are all living out this call. But point number two is pray for other Christians. This is in chapter 15, verses 30 through 33. It says this, "I appeal to you brothers by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the spirit to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen." So Paul is begging, or is asking, appealing to this church in Rome and saying, "Please pray for me." Saying, "I am trying to do what God has called me to do. Please pray for me." He needed their help. He was asking specifically for prayer to be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea who sought his arrest, who wanted him to be arrested for preaching the gospel. And so he wanted deliverance from them so he could be faithful in delivering the gift to the church in Jerusalem and be faithful in proclaiming the gospel around the world, specifically in Spain. And so what we need to understand is that when we are apart physically from each other and from other believers, what we are primarily called to is prayer. This is how we wage war, spiritual warfare, with brothers and sisters around the world when we are not able to physically be present with them. I know a lot of us have friends and family who are not from this area. Maybe we are not from this area, we're a transplant, and so we want to care and protect our friends and family back home, but we're not there. How can we do that? First and foremost, we pray. We pray hard. John Piper says, "You cannot know what prayer is for until you know that life is war." And so when we view that as the reality, we will be praying for each other and we will be praying for those we love and care about. But it's also for just everybody who is calling and who is faithfully following the call of Christ in their life, who bears the name of Christian. We need to be praying for Christ's church universal, but for the people especially that we know are in need. And Paul's asking for the church that doesn't know him to be doing this. So it's not just our best friends that we pray for, but it's when we hear of a brother or sister in Christ that's in need we pray, we seek their wellbeing, we do what we can to help. But what's really, I find interesting, I find really fun, I guess, fun may not be the right word but fun about this text is that Paul is asking for a deliverance and he was not delivered. If you know the story of Paul, he went to Jerusalem, delivered the gift, and he was arrested there. And it was actually because of his arrest that he appealed as a Roman citizen to go to Rome, and so Paul's desire, the reason he was asking for the church in Rome to pray for him is so that first he can go and be encouraged by the church in Rome, then he could go and preach the gospel where it had not yet been named, in Spain. Well God didn't answer the prayer the way he wanted him to, but God's plans are bigger than our plans and God's thoughts are bigger than our thoughts. So God used Paul's imprisonment actually to bring him to Rome, that was the way through which Paul was able to arrive and land in Rome. And not only that, we are told in history that the church in Rome heard of Paul's arrival when his ship landed and the group of Roman soldiers, was escorting him to the city that they walked 30 to 40 miles south of Rome to meet him, to greet with him, to celebrate his arrival and worship and praise God together 30 and 40 mile walk back to Rome. All in the witness of the Roman guards who are keeping him imprisoned. Paul wanted to be encouraged by the church in Rome, he was encouraged by the church in Rome, just not how he had planned or expected. And once he was in Rome, he was under house arrest where he was able to have as many visitors as he wanted coming and going. And so the church in Rome were primarily the ones visiting him and caring for him while he was in prison. The second thing Paul wanted to do was to go to Spain to preach the gospel where it had not been named. Sorry, Spain didn't get to hear Paul preach, but the gospel still has reached Spain. We're very thankful and praise God that the gospel reached Spain. We love Spain. But what happened while Paul was in prison at Rome? He wrote Ephesians, he wrote Philippians, he wrote Colossians, he wrote the books to Timothy. You see, Paul's vision for the spread of the gospel was Spain, God's vision for the spread of the gospel was these books that we hold in our sacred scriptures to this day that have been used around the world and for generations to proclaim the gospel to those who have not heard it and had not yet known it. So when we pray for Christians, those in need, those who need our help either in our local church or the church abroad, we need to recognize prayer does have power to change things. Prayer is important. It is how we wage war against the kingdom of Satan and for the Kingdom of God. And while we are persistent in our prayer, we trust the sovereignty of God. We trust that God is in control of all things and that his plans are greater than our plans and that even when we want things to go a certain way and the answer to our prayers may seem no in that moment, God is still working for good. He's still working for the spread and glory of his Kingdom and of the gospel. And lastly, I want to point out verse 33 is prayer language in and of itself. In verse 33, Paul says, "May the God of peace be with you all. Amen." Paul is praying for the church as he is asking them to pray for him. This is our relationship, we need to be praying for each other. And lastly, in this point, sorry, I say lastly and people think it's the end, it's not. Lastly in this point. Don't be that guy that says, "Praying for you." And doesn't actually pray. We all know we all have been there. We all understand. But don't be that guy. If prayer truly is how we wage war against the kingdom of Satan to say, "I'll pray for you." Is a promise to go out into the battlefield with somebody and then to not pray is to not go, and to leave them alone. So if you tell somebody, "I'm going to pray for you, pray for them." Do it, write, make notes, write calendar alarms, whatever you need to do to remember, do it. And that should also remind you to when you say it in the first place, to actually mean it, to be going in with the heart of, "I'm going to pray for you." And not a default response of, "They're saying something that's too much for me to handle. So I'll just say this to shut them up, I'm praying for you." No, no, no. We need to really mean it and truly pray for each other. And lastly, point three, we are called to praise God for other Christians. This is chapter 16 verses one through 16. And there are a ton of names in here. I promise I'm going to butcher half of them. I'm sorry. But I'm going to read through it, because Paul wanted to honor these people. I want to honor these people. But I also want to encourage you, if you like history, if you like puzzles, if you like seeing how things all fit together, really delve into this text and into the names and who they are and what it's been. It's actually been really a blessing to me this past week, but it's really fun just to see who these people are and what they've done. So if you like that kind of stuff, dig even deeper into the names. But I know a lot of us, the names, it's just a, okay, I'm going to skim through or skip over this section and get to the good stuff. But this is the good stuff too. So we're going to preach even the names, but Romans 16 versus one through 16 says this, "I commend to you our sister, Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her and the Lord in our way worthy of the saints and help her in whatever she may need from you. For she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary who has worked hard for you. Greet Adronicus and Junia, my kinsman and fellow prisoners, they are well known to the apostles and they were in Christ before me. Great Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ and my beloved Stachys, greet Apelles who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobolus, greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus chosen in the Lord. Also his mother who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philol-" Oh man, sorry, "Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you." All right. Told first service this, so second service if any of you are in teens, I want you to know you're all going to have to read this out loud to each other tonight. Just, no, I'm just kidding. But Paul here lists and greets those Christians who he has worked with and served the Lord with together, and writes essentially a letter of recommendation to the church in Rome for these people. So want to be clear about something, he is not writing to a church that he knows and picking out a couple of good people in there. I thought that's what was happening before I really started my study, and I was like, "Oh, maybe on Sunday I should go up and be like praise God for this person and that person and greet all of these people." And then I was like, "Yeah, that's just going to cause division because I don't know everybody who does everything in this church. And many of you that I do not know are still faithfully serving the Lord and are worthy of being honored before him for the work that you do." So that's not what Paul is doing, that's not what he's doing. What he is doing is he's writing about Christians, primarily Christians that he had met in Ephesus, we'll get into that in a second, to a church in Rome that they are newcomers to. They are newly members of this church in Rome. And he is writing a greeting to the church to say, "Welcome these people. They are faithful, they have served the Lord with me. They have proclaimed the gospel and have been used powerfully for the Kingdom of God. Welcome them." And Paul is thankful for all of the work that these people have done. These are people that didn't move around with Paul, didn't always stay with him, didn't go everywhere he went. He understood that they had calls that were different than his, but were ultimately about proclaiming the gospel. And so he was thankful and praised God for the impact that they had on his life and on the world around them. But I want to point out again that it is specifically people from Ephesus, mostly, not entirely. And we can go through all the names and see who is from where and go through all that, but to give just an example, I'm going to look at verse three where it says, "Greet Prisca and Aquila." For many of you, you might sound familiar and be like, "That sounds a little off." Well, it's Priscilla and Aquila, that's her full name. And why does he call her Prisca? It just shows that Paul actually was friends with these people. He actually liked them and they had nicknames for each other like, "Hey Priscilla, that's too formal. Prisca sounds good." So it's good. Have nicknames for each other, call each other by loving names. But they were people who helped him plant the church in Ephesus and helped him plant the church in Corinth. They were founding members of those churches and had worked powerfully with Paul for the Kingdom of God. He praises God for them. He says in an event that we do not know about, that they risked their necks for his life. So he is thankful for them. I'm bringing this up specifically because some scholars will try and say, "Oh, there's a lot of people in Ephesus. This is the wrong church. He meant to write to Ephesus and then they threw on Rome later." And I'm just trying to show that it was meant for Rome, because what we know is that in Acts chapter 18, we are told that Priscilla and Aquila were removed and kicked out of Rome for being Christians, because all of the Christians were kicked out of Rome at that time by a decree, and that decree ended seven years before Paul wrote this letter to the Romans. And so like many people there, you could see the floods of people, actually the church in Rome, the Jewish population in Rome grew more so after the people returned, because they had gone out, proclaimed the word of the Lord, and then more people came back with them than were there before. And so the church grew, but you saw a mass return of people who had been exiled from Rome, returned to Rome. And Priscilla and Aquila were likely these people. And we saw that, if you look at a map, you could see Ephesus is on Western Turkey, and that's what they called Asia in the Bible times, Asia was Western Turkey, just so you know. But Ephesus was there. Then they traveled to Corinth with Paul, which is essentially halfway between Ephesus and Rome, so we see that throughout their faithful ministry proclaiming the gospel, helping Paul and all that he did, they were journeying back to Rome, which is why they're here now. And Paul is saying, "Hey, there's these people in your church Rome, and they're just faithful servants. Welcome them. Praise God for them." And the word for greet I love, because it literally just means as welcoming someone into your home, the same way that you would welcome someone into your home, welcome these people in your church. So a few points that we should take away from this church is that first, do we welcome Christians? Do we welcome people into this building? When people enter this door, do we think of it as they are entering our home let's welcome them. Let's greet them. Let's genuinely care for them and love them, and greet them as you would to your own home. Not just a hello and goodbye, but actually spend time with them. Talk to them, get to know them. I just want, I got to point out the holy kiss thing, in verse 16, it says, "Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches in Christ greet you." That had always been a little weird to me. Why are we kissing each other in church? That seems odd. But then thinking about greeting each other as welcoming into your own home, it makes all the sense in the world. For those of you who don't know, I'm Italian, and what that means is you hug and kiss everybody when you see them and you welcome them. I learned at a young age that not everybody does that. I was a kid, my friend's grandfather had just passed away, I had never met her grandmother before and we were at the funeral and I saw the grandmother and I was just like, "I want to show her that I love her and I care for her." So I hugged her and I kissed her on the cheek and she was mortified. And I was like, "I am so sorry." I was seven so I think she brushed it off, but I was like... Anyway, so I learned not everybody kisses on the cheek. So I stopped doing that. And then I moved to Boston. You all know. But I was in college at Northeastern and first day there, I met a few people, we became friends, it was good, the next day I was like, "We hung out, we had a good time, we're friends, I'm going to give everybody a hug." So I'm like going down the line, giving everybody a hug. And then I get to the first girl in the line and I give her a hug and she just freezes. And I was like, "Oh no, I did something horribly wrong." I am sorry to that person. We became really good friends after that. Praise God that she forgave me. But I was like, "Okay." That's not the point. The point is not that, but the point is to love and greet each other as if they're your family, so you need wisdom, you need to act wisely, but welcome people in your home as if they're your family. What this means for me now is we have a community group in our home and our community group, we eat dinner at the start. Why? Because my family loves food. Again, we're Italian, but when I'm with my family, the primary thing we talk about is what food are we going to eat? Oh, we eat breakfast, we're done with breakfast, what are we going to eat for lunch? We're done with lunch, what are we going to eat for dinner? What are we eating for the rest of the week? And we spend time eating food together and having fun. And so my community group is my family, and so therefore we eat together, we spend time together. And it doesn't have to be a meal. It doesn't matter what the thing is, but think about what do you do with your family? How do you welcome and greet your family? Are you willing to do that with each other here? Do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ enough to do that and actually welcome people, again, with wisdom, but actually loving and caring for one another? I want to read a quote from Justin Martyr, because he gives the context for when and where this holy kiss was used in the churches primarily. So in his first writings, Justin Martyr says this, "But we, after we have thus washed him." So that's baptism, "Who has been convinced and has ascended to our teaching." So someone is saved, agrees with the gospel, they are baptized, "Bringing him to the place where those who are called brethren are assembled in order that we may offer hearty prayers and communion in common for ourselves and for the baptized person, and for all others in every place that we may be counted worthy, not that we have learned the truth by our works." Sorry, lost my place, "Now that we have learned the truth by our works also to be found good citizens and keepers of the commandments so that we may be saved with an everlasting salvation. Having ended the prayers we salute one another with a kiss." So this is literally how the early church welcomed people into the family. You're saved, you're baptized. We all kiss on the cheek. Holy kiss. But the point is that was how families greeted each other then, and when somebody is saved, when a person is saved, brought into the family of God, they are actually viewed as being brought into the family, not just another person in a building. So let's welcome people like that, and when we see the work that others are doing in the church, the ways that they have encouraged us, developed our faith in the church we bring praise to God and we love each other like Christ loved the church. This is the summary of the whole sermon. Love each other like Christ loved the church. How's that? He actually loved them. That was real. And he did it practically. He gave up everything, he came to earth, he lived for them, provided for their needs, cared for them. Ultimately, and the most loving thing of all, died on the cross to save us all from our sins when we trust in him. And so we are called to love each other with real love, but a practical love, sometimes may be costly, but that is able to proclaim the love of God to all those who are witnesses. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you. We praise you that you have saved us through the working of your son Jesus, and that you loved us enough to not stay in heaven and shout that you love us, but to come and show us, to live it out practically. Lord, help us have hearts to love each other, help us practically with our hands, with our time, with our money, with everything that we have, provide and care for each other in times of need. Lord, help us to do this faithfully so that we can overflow with generosity, so that we can be a greater blessing to those around us, to the churches, to the missionaries, to the world around us, to those who bear the name of Christ, so that we can see your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, we thank you and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen.

Evangelism is vital to Christianity—yet many prefer to “leave it to the professionals.” Find out how simple daily tasks can become events of eternal significance when you share the Gospel with others. Study along with Alistair Begg on Truth For Life. Listen...

Peter warned Christians to be on the alert for false teachers among them. So what is it that we should look for? On Truth For Life, Alistair Begg examines the strategy, impact, and destiny of those who distort God's truth and lead believers astray. Listen...

Our guy got tased. We talk adapting our content in 2023, golf brands investing in content creators, Pinehurst building a 10th course, and Riggs playing in a pro “scratch” tournament with Alistair. Also: Why do people walk out of “bad” movies? Who walks off a bad golf course? And Dan reports on new developments on the Scott Stallings Masters invitation story.You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/foreplaypod

Some people claim fresh insight or unique understanding of the Bible. That may sound intriguing—but learn why we should immediately run from such assertions. Listen to Truth For Life as Alistair Begg investigates Peter's eyewitness account of Jesus' authority. Listen...

In our attempt to make Alistair’s recent sermons available as quickly as possible, the audio and video of the sermon are often posted before other supplementary elements. Please check back later this week for the finalized sermon title, description, topics, and transcript.

Our muscles grow stronger when we exercise, but they'll quickly atrophy if we stop. Our faith is similar. Learn about the benefits of persevering in faith—and the eternal and significant danger of neglecting it! Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

False teaching and persecution have threatened the Christian faith from the church's earliest days. How do we discern truth and stay strong in our beliefs while living in a confused and corrupt world? Hear the answer on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

In our attempt to make Alistair’s recent sermons available as quickly as possible, the audio and video of the sermon are often posted before other supplementary elements. Please check back later this week for the finalized sermon title, description, topics, and transcript.

What better way to kick off 2023—not by establishing New Year's resolutions but by considering the source of true spiritual growth and change! Alistair Begg is beginning a study in 2 Peter. Study along with us on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

When dancers spin, they establish a focal point so they can maintain their balance. Christians similarly need focus to stay strong in faith in the midst of chaos and confusion. So where do we look? We'll find out on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

When dancers spin, they establish a focal point so they can maintain their balance. Christians similarly need focus to stay strong in faith in the midst of chaos and confusion. So where do we look? We'll find out on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

The prophet Jeremiah bemoaned the sorry state of God's people, defeated and enslaved by Babylonians. Then he recalled something that gave him hope—and still gives us hope today. Find out what that is when you listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

Christians aren't spared from failure or suffering. So what can we do when circumstances are bleak? How did God's people find hope when they were exiled to Babylon? Hear an encouraging word for discouraged people on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

Unlike royalty or celebrities who keep protective barriers around themselves, Jesus walked among common, ordinary people. Why would the incarnate God immerse Himself in crowds of sinners? Hear the answer on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

How did Jesus' divinity affect His humanity? Did He have a special glow? Was He truly like us? Paul taught that Jesus made Himself nothing—but not by depleting Himself. On Truth For Life, Alistair Begg considers the amazing reality of Christ's incarnation. Listen...

We're off for the holidays but we didn't want to leave your podcast feed empty this week so here's a recent conversation that Kyle Merber and I had with PUMA Elite's Patrick Tiernan and Fiona O'Keeffe while at The Running Event in Austin, Texas. They're fantastic leaders on the up and coming team based in North Carolina that is coached by Alistair and Amy Cragg. Tiernan sat down with us just two months after running 2:11:02 in his marathon debut at the Chicago Marathon. Fiona has put together a strong year that was highlighted by a 67:42 half marathon in Houston and her first national title at the U.S. 10-Mile Championships in October. She was also the top PUMA woman in their win at Sound Running's Cross Champs, which was the day after we recorded this. SUPPORT THE SPONSORS TRACKSMITH: Running in cold weather requires thoughtful layers and Tracksmith's Fells Collection is a Citius favorite. During the month of December, visit tracksmith.com/citius and use code “CITIUSMAG” at checkout for free shipping and to support Achilles International – Their mission break down barriers to race start lines and empower the disability community to cross the finish line. VELOUS is an active recovery footwear brand designed to help you restore, revive & re-energize before and after you train. Two years in development, this team has created the world's most comfortable, supportive and lightweight active recovery shoe in the world. Get 20% off using code CitiusMag20 GARMIN: Music. Training. Data. The Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is my favorite running partner. You do the running. This GPS running smartwatch does the thinking. It even gets to know you and your body better, mile after mile and song after song. Get one for yourself here >> https://bit.ly/3Pcu0qo FINAL SURGE: If you are a coach, Final Surge makes planning and analyzing workouts simple and helps streamline communication with your athletes. Final Surge is also here to offer up some world-class training programs. Check out their offerings today: FINALSURGE.COM – USE CODE CITIUS FOR 10% OFF. HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

Curiosity about Jesus' childhood is natural. What was He like? Could people see that He was special? The Bible doesn't give us many specifics. Explore the ordinary and extraordinary details that Scripture does reveal on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...

The Bible teaches that Jesus came from heaven to please God the Father and to do His will. What was His earthly mission, and what significance does it have for each of us? Join Alistair Begg as he explores the answers to these questions on Truth For Life. Listen...

The Bible teaches that Jesus came from heaven to please God the Father and to do His will. What was His earthly mission, and what significance does it have for each of us? Join Alistair Begg as he explores the answers to these questions on Truth For Life. Listen...

When Mary and Joseph found young Jesus talking with the teachers in the temple, He explained that He had to be about His Father's business. What did He mean? Listen to Truth For LIfe as Alistair Begg takes a look at this brief glimpse into Jesus' youth. Listen...

You may be indifferent about things like the color of your church's bulletins or the brand of coffee served. But when it comes to responding to the Gospel, neutrality is not an option. Find out why when you listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Listen...