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God Loves and Appreciates us all!

Murray Wade
03/30/25 - Sunday

God Loves and Appreciates Us All! (3-30-25, Oak Ridge, TN)

Sometimes we might wonder about some things related to our work for the Lord?

Maybe you are working hard for the Lord and you wonder if you are making a difference?

Maybe the things you do for the Lord and others are behind the scenes?

Maybe you wonder if you are valuable to the Lord?

Romans 16:1-16 (Brethren simply working for the Lord)

Phoebe – mentioned once here - helper of many

Priscilla & Aquila – They are mentioned six times in the New Testament, always together, in Acts 18:2-3, 18-19, 26; Romans 16:3-4; 1 Corinthians 16:19; and 2 Timothy 4:19. Fellow workers in Christ Jesus

Epaenetus – mentioned once here - beloved

Mary – mentioned once here - "toiled greatly" or "worked hard"

Adronicus & Junia – mentioned once here - my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Amplias – mentioned once here - my beloved in the Lord

Urbanus – mentioned once here - our fellow worker in Christ

Stachys – mentioned once here - my beloved

Apelles – mentioned once here - approved in Christ

Household of Aristobulus – mentioned once here

Herodion – mentioned once here - my countryman

Household of Narcissus – mentioned once here - who are in the Lord

Tryphena & Tryphosa – mentioned once here -  who have labored in the Lord.

Persis – mentioned once here - who labored much in the Lord.

Rufus – mentioned twice – chosen in the Lord

Asyncritus/Phlegon/Hermas/Patrobas/Hermes – mentioned once here - and the brethren who are with them.

Philologus & Julia/Nereus and his sister/and Olympas – mentioned once here - all the saints who are with them.

1 Corinthians 16:13-24

Household of Stephanas – mentioned here & in 1 Corinthians 1 – devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints

Fortunatus/Achaicus – mentioned once here - for what was lacking on your part they supplied

Aquila & Priscilla – and the church in their house (Read verse 16 again – Laboring & working for the Lord)

Colossians 4:7-18: (Scripture reading)

Tychicus – mentioned in five passages - a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord

Onesimus – mentioned here and in Philemon - a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you

Aristarchus – mentioned in five passages - my fellow prisoner

Mark the cousin of Barnabas – mentioned in seven passages – Also John Mark author of the gospel of Mark

Jesus who is called Justus – mentioned once here “These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.”  

Epaphras – mentioned in three passages - who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ - always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God - he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.

Luke – writer of Luke & Acts - the beloved physician

Demas – mentioned in three passages - greets you

Nymphas – mentioned once here - and the church that is in his house.

Archippus – mentioned in two passages - "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." – In a sense this applies to all disciples of Jesus!

2 Timothy 4:9-22:

Demas – mentioned in three passages - has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica

Crescens – mentioned once here – departed for Galatia

Titus – mentioned in eleven passages and in the book of Titus – departed for Dalmatia

Luke writer of Luke & Acts - is with me.

Mark - mentioned seven times and author of Mark - bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.

Tychicus – mentioned in five passages - I have sent to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus (mentioned once here) at Troas when you come--and the books, especially the parchments.

Alexander – seems to be only mentioned once here - the coppersmith did me much harm.

Prisca & Aquila – mentioned in six passages - greet

The household of Onesiphorus – mentioned in two passages - greet

Erastus – mentioned in three passages - stayed in Corinth

Trophimus – mentioned in three passages I have left in Miletus sick. Do your utmost to come before winter.

Eubulus – mentioned once here - greets you

Pudens/Linus/Claudia – mentioned once here - and all the brethren – greet you.

These passages illustrate that: (1) The Holy Spirit knew all these were important. (2) God knows what you are doing. (3) God knows your name! (4) We all have work to do and the goal is to always please God (John 8:29). (5) I am thankful for all the brethren here doing such good things publically and just as important, all the good works going on behind the scenes! Thank you; we appreciate all you do!

I now want to take a quick look at a few more passages that speak more generally about brethren:

Acts 28:12-15 (NKJV): And landing at Syracuse, we stayed three days. From there we circled round and reached Rhegium. And after one day the south wind blew; and the next day we came to Puteoli, where we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

Romans 16:14 (NKJV): Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

1 Corinthians 16:20 (NKJV): All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

Colossians 4:15 (NKJV): Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.

2 Timothy 4:21 (NKJV): Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.

These last passages all refer to brethren. They are part of the Lord’s body. Something special about sports teams is that you have a special bond and comradery. Or if you are bonded by being with a group of folks that work together such as those in the service, in an office for a business, or part of a group of likeminded folks. Once you are on that team, you have a special bond to your teammates, and if they are Christians, that bond sometimes lasts a lifetime. At my advanced age, I have been blessed to play basketball with a bunch of younger and middle aged brothers in Christ.

Real Friends Article

The brethren mentioned by name or just by the term brethren have a special bond to those they worship and work with in their local congregations, and when they travel to other places, they automatically have a special bond to other disciples of Jesus. We are part of the best team there is in this world. Part of Christ’s special nation who have been redeemed from our sins. When we were baptized our sins were washed away because Jesus gave His life to atone for our sins! And He adds us to His team (Acts 2:47).  He died for everyone, because small or great in man’s eyes, all brethren are equally precious to Him!

If you are not a Christian, this lesson should be an encouragement to you. Give your life to Jesus and God will know about all the good things you are doing and then will give you the reward of Heaven! 

If we can help you now, please let us know while we stand and while we sing!

Real Friends Or Deal Friends? Excerpts from Mark Dunagan daily email:

I heard someone recently talk about their “deal friends”.  I had never heard the expression “deal friends” versus real friends.  According to the Internet, “deal friends” are:

“Deal friends are the buddies who can help you get ahead in life, the friend from whom you need or want something. Deal friendships feel incomplete because they don't involve the whole self”. So deal friends are the people who can help you get what you want. Their friendship is based on some sort of benefit, probably material, that they bring into your life. They are the people who can give us access or make certain phone calls so that things go smoother.

The thing is that in many instances when we walk away from a career or job, often those deal friendships end. They were based around some sort of economic interest. Many people I run into have also commented about all the friendships they had when their kids were in sports, band, high school, or some other activity.  When the kids graduated, many of those friendships tended to end, and end rather dramatically. Because what you had in common were not shared values, but rather, a shared earthly activity.  

By contrast, there are real friends.  Again, from the Internet: “At this level, bonds flourish in a shared appreciation for something virtuous and meaningful beyond individual interests. Whether fueled by a joint passion for a social cause or a shared religious belief, these connections transcend instrumentality, reflecting intrinsic value and a mutual commitment to each other's well-being”.

Real friends are the people who genuinely help us get ahead, that is, they help us keep our head on straight, they give excellent advice, are willing to do small but inconvenient things for us,  they are good listeners and push back when necessary.  They are not merely our friends when we are young, healthy, and at the top of our game, but equally friends as we age and are no longer young, healthy, in demand, or at our prime.

When we look at God, it is clear that He wants us as real friends and not deal friends, for Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:6-8).  We were a liability to God. When looking for deal friends, most people ignore the people who tend to look like liabilities and only opt for those who can do something for them.

So, the question we all must ask ourselves is, how many of our current friends are deal friends versus real friends, and are you looking for and wanting to be a real friend?

To tie in with our lesson: Brethren in the Lord are real friends!