Romans 15:1-7

Good morning, everyone. Open up your Bibles to Romans, chapter 15.

Romans 15 · chapter mention

Well, I hope you've enjoyed going through Romans verse by verse.

! I pray it's been a minister to your soul and encouragement to you.

! In these remaining chapters, there's a lot of practical application of what we've been learning in the book so far.

But really quickly, just by way of reminder, I kind of usually like to start with where we've been and where we're going

to help get people focused and know where we're at in the book.

But a lot of people will preach duty or obedience without a doctrinal foundation.

And others will preach duty without doctrine.

And both are kind of a worthless exercise. Both are essential.

And as Paul does in all his letters, he begins talking about our great salvation in Christ.

Talking about what Christ has done on our behalf.

The great grace that he's shown us.

And how we can have salvation and right relationship with God.

How to honor God, love God, and worship God in our lives.

He usually starts there, our identity in him, before turning his attention to just living obedience required by those who acknowledge those truths.

And that's important.

He's done that throughout Romans.

He's, for many, many, many chapters, talked about our great salvation, our great redemption,

and what has been accomplished by the grace of God in Christ.

And now he's turning attention to you.

Now, in light of these things, live this way.

In light of the fact that you have been chosen by God before the foundation of the world.

That you have been forgiven.

That your sins and your death that stood against you, that condemned you before God,

are now canceled because of the work of Christ.

That you are now justified in God's courtroom.

That you have right standing with him because of Christ's perfect life.

In light of all those things, adopted into his family.

A guarantee of eternal life.

In light of all these things, live this way.

And that's where these final chapters kind of take us.

In light of all that Paul has said, now live this way.

Our maturity means that our learning translates into living.

It's not just for our head knowledge or for us to debate other people or to make ourselves feel smart.

God's saving grace leads to a new life in Christ.

And so Paul begins probably the beginning of chapter 12, all the way up to where we're at today,

working out practical gospel living implications.

But knowledge has to be laid down first in many ways.

Matthew Henry, the Puritan commentator, once wrote,

The foundation of Christian practice must be laid in Christian knowledge and faith.

We must first understand how we receive Christ Jesus as the Lord.

And then we shall know the better how to walk in him.

So that's kind of where we've been.

And all these things.

So now where we're going today in chapter 15, Nathan did a wonderful job in chapter 14.

Just so you know, like as a pastor, talking to other pastors, those are hard chapters to navigate and talk through.

They tend to invoke a lot of emotion in the congregations.

And so I'm very thankful that God used him to help work us through some of the previous chapters.

And so where we're at today in chapter 15, Paul just continues expounding on what the new life in Christ looks like.

All right.

Every true believer is at the same place spiritually before God.

Okay.

As the saying goes, the ground at the foot of the cross is level.

Like no one is better than the other.

Every true believer has been justified, regenerated, loved, and accepted by God equally.

All right.

That is true.

However, they're not all equally mature as it goes to our progressive sanctification.

There are some believers who are further along in their walk with Christ and have a greater maturity.

They have more holiness in their daily life.

They obey with a greater fervor than other believers.

And so, so you follow me, all were equally, all believers are equally justified before God, but not all believers are equally sanctified before God.

As it translates into Christ likeness.

And, you know, all it takes is for you to remember maybe when you first became a believer and you knew some of those who were just older in the faith and you just thought, wow, like, I hope one day I can walk as they walk.

But then you find out they have their own issues as well.

But that's okay.

That's a normal thing.

That's the thing that's recognized in the scripture.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3, 1,

But brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, meaning mature, spiritual men, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.

So making this comparison that some of you are just very young.

I can't address you as spiritual men or someone who has been grown up in the faith.

So some just grow faster than others.

And that's what Paul is trying to point out here.

And in 14 and 15, Paul makes the distinction of those believers who are equally justified, but not equally sanctified.

And he classifies them in two ways.

There are the strong and there are the weak believers.

So don't spend this whole time wondering if you're strong or weak or if the person next to you is strong or weak.

That's not really the point of the day.

But he makes a strong appeal to the strong to live in unity with those who are weak.

So what is on Paul's mind in these last two chapters, chapter 14, chapter 15, is unity in the body.

Unity makes the gospel more attractive to an unbelieving world.

When they see our love and our care and our fellowship together.

As it says in Psalm 133, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

So unity, we would like to say, sort of adorns the gospel.

And it glorifies God.

On the other hand, whenever there's conflict, quibbling, and jabbing over minor secondary issues,

it's repulsive to the lost world around us.

Paul wrote to the Philippians that he longed to hear that they were standing firm in one spirit,

with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

That's Philippians 1, 27.

And what's very interesting, and we agree that there are some major first-tier doctrines that we cannot compromise on.

Like if you don't believe in the virgin birth, if you don't believe in salvation by grace alone,

through faith alone, and Christ alone, if you don't believe in the inerrancy of Scripture,

we probably need to part ways, right?

But however, what's really interesting is a lot of the infighting that happens

are usually over non-essential disagreements that cause conflict in the body.

And Paul is saying here, the strong are called upon to bear with the weak.

So he identifies them as strong and weak.

And so as we get into this chapter 15, with that in mind, let's read 1 through 7 today.

Paul says,

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak,

and not to please ourselves.

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written,

the reproaches of those who reproach you fell on me.

For whatever was written in the former days was written for our instruction,

that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures,

we might have hope.

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another,

in accord with Christ Jesus,

that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.

Now, just some more background.

I just kind of thought it would be helpful to kind of say this,

particularly what Paul is addressing.

It kind of translates maybe into some different issues.

In our day, it was at this time,

there were Jewish believers who were weak

because they had difficulty abandoning all the rights and prohibitions

that they felt compelled to follow in the Mosaic law.

Dietary laws, certain days, Sabbath observance, circumcision,

all these different things.

They just had a hard time detaching from those things.

Weaker Gentile believers,

who were really steeped in their pagan idolatry,

who worshiped the gods of Rome or the gods of Greece,

Apollo, Zeus, Jupiter, Mars, take your pick.

They had a hard time just coming in contact with anything

that just reminded them of that lifestyle,

like eating meat that had been offered up to pagan deities,

and celebrating certain festivals or days,

or just observing certain days that were tainted by idolatry,

and immorality and adultery.

So they just had to pull away from those things,

but both had very sensitive consciences as new believers.

They weren't mature enough to be free from those convictions at that time.

However, the strong Jewish believer,

who knew their freedom in Christ,

understood that the ceremonial requirements of the law,

the Mosaic law, were no longer binding on them.

Mature Gentile Christians understood that these idols,

that they had been offering up meat to,

weren't real.

Like, they could be knocked over.

They weren't a live thing.

So they could, therefore, eat that meat

that had been worthlessly offered to them.

Right?

But saying, Paul is saying,

act in accordance with your conscience on matters

that are not specifically commanded or prohibited in the Scripture.

So whether weak or strong,

the motive behind the weak or the strong believer,

that the motive is to please the Lord

and for them to bear with one another.

So that is the context, I guess,

in which he's addressing these specific things.

He doesn't want them to quibble and fight and divide over such issues.

Again, it's those non-essential issues

that often cause us to do that.

And so, he addresses the strong and the weak.

So in this first set of heartfelt appeals to the saints in Rome,

Paul calls them to please one another,

looking to Christ as the example.

So there's just, I think there's just five different points for you today.

But number one, just to help us walk through this,

this could have been two different points,

but I was just, as a good reform guy,

I was trying to have five points.

But the first point is,

look to others and away from self.

Look to others and away from self.

That's verses 1 and 2.

Let's read.

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak

and not to please ourselves.

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up.

So this is an exhortation.

We see this distinction of those who are strong.

So, I guess you could define those who are strong as those who are strong in faith,

strong in truth,

strong in their convictions,

and in their character before God.

He says,

That word obligation that we see here means like an owing of debt.

Someone that you are bound to repay.

It's also used in John 4,

the same word,

1 John 4,

Beloved,

if God so loved us,

we ought,

there's the same word,

to love one another.

We have an obligation to love one another.

And then you see the word that's used here,

bear.

We have an obligation to bear,

which means picking something up to carry a heavy burden.

It's used of carrying a pitcher of water in Mark

and carrying a man in Acts 21.

But those of us in the body who are strong have an obligation.

We must bear for those who are weak.

Paul wrote in Galatians 6 something very similar.

He said,

Bear one another's burdens and moral faults,

and in this way fulfill perfectly the law of Christ,

complete what is lacking.

So the strong have a non-negotiable obligation,

responsibility to graciously support those who are weak

instead of making fun of them or belittling them

or selfishly just trying to satisfy their own desires.

So Christian living focuses on honoring God by serving others,

by serving our brothers and sisters particularly.

All right?

So he says,

that's the exhortation.

Strong should bear the failings of the weak.

Then if you notice,

he says,

pleasing ourselves.

Man,

there is a verse that wraps up what sin kind of does to us.

This could be a good one.

Our sin has corrupted us in such a way

where we have a fallen inclination always to please ourselves.

It is what we wake up with every day.

It's what follows us around.

And I'm not saying it's wrong for you to have,

you know,

desires that are God-given,

but we're speaking in terms of those things

where we seek to please ourselves at the expense of someone else.

Some people,

just without remorse,

will stomp or ride right over the interest of others

and pursue their own fallen selfish desires.

Maybe others may use their intellect

to maybe put on a cloak of humility,

but in the end of the day,

they use their intellect to manipulate the other person

to get their own desires served in the end,

pleasing themselves.

And in a world that yells at us,

you know,

protect yourself,

preserve yourself,

promote yourself,

entertain yourself,

and comfort yourself,

Christ comes along and He says,

deny yourself,

slay yourself,

and follow Me.

That doesn't just mean to not do certain things.

It's this idea of relinquishing absolute control

of our lives to Christ.

And this includes that fallen desire to always please ourselves

at the expense of others.

All right?

And so,

the other side of that is,

don't seek to please yourself,

but please others.

All right?

If you look in the next part of this,

but you see that the gospel beckons us,

the us is connected to the strong,

if you look at your pronouns

and who he's referring to there.

The us refers to the strong,

the we,

in verse 1.

To please his neighbor.

The neighbor is the weak believer here.

For his good,

to build him up.

I love that word.

The old word,

if you have an older Bible,

New American Standard,

King James,

or something like that,

I use the word edification.

Good old word.

But it really just means

this idea of almost building up a house,

like building,

strengthening,

to build someone up.

Instead of tearing something down,

you should seek to build them up,

to edify them.

And this is done through teaching,

through discipling,

by humbly serving them,

loving them,

sacrificing them.

So,

sin causes us to please ourselves,

but the gospel

brings about this revolution

in our understanding,

our relationships,

where we think of ourselves

with humility.

As Paul wrote earlier,

if you just want to look

back at chapter 12, verse 3,

he just says,

I say to everyone among you,

not to think of himself

more highly

than he ought to think,

but to think

with sober judgment.

To not have

an over-inflated view

of ourselves,

but to think of ourselves

in humility

in light of what Christ

has done for us.

So,

God has graciously sought

our greatest good

in Christ,

so the goal of all true believers

should be seeking

the good of others,

especially our brothers

and sisters

in Christ.

Paul kind of echoes that

in Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

Let each of you

look not only

to his own interests,

we're all familiar with this,

but also to the interests

of others.

Have this mind

among yourselves,

which is yours

in Christ Jesus.

So,

this is this idea

of being built up

such that believers

will one day

be conformed

to the likeness

of Christ.

That's what

the good is.

That's what

Christ's likeness

is what Paul talks about

as being the good

in Romans 8.

And so,

we're not

to merely just

tolerate,

that can be

very like us,

right?

We may tolerate

the failings

of the weak,

but we're not really

helping them.

Some people,

I've done it myself,

we can be just critical,

condescending,

rather than showing

respect for their

sincere views

that they hold

by not being that way

and just agreeing

like,

it's alright,

you know,

we don't have to

quite see eye to eye

on things.

We tend to like

put our stake

in the ground

and want to show

that they're wrong

about everything.

Rather than doing that,

we genuinely love them

in Christ.

The way that Christ

loves us

is 1 Corinthians 13

is love,

Christ-like love

is not arrogant

or rude.

It does not insist

on its own way.

It is not irritable

or resentful.

So,

there's a lot

in all this,

but I think

Nathan just covered

so much of this

so well

that I've been

just thinking

through this.

And if Paul is

continuing to write

about this,

it's because he knows

it's a serious thing

that you should

pay attention.

some of you

are older enough

in the faith

to witness

divisions in churches

and splits in churches.

And most of the time,

they're founded

in like very

non-essential things.

It's people's pride

being wounded

is quivling over

just earthly things

that are in the church.

and God is telling us

to not act that way.

So,

that's why there's

instruction on these things.

A lot of these

modern day things

that believers

may have disagreeing

things on,

I mean,

the big one,

obviously,

is just alcohol,

things like that.

I personally

don't drink alcohol.

I think it's kind of gross.

I just don't like it.

It's just nasty to me.

I've had it before

in the past.

But,

there are,

I kind of grew up

in the,

what you might call

the young,

restless,

reformed movement.

And,

there was like

this movement

where

they wanted to

replace

the Christian man

who was like,

kind of like

quiet,

meek,

and

dead fish,

handshake,

and

didn't cuss,

didn't drink,

you know,

and

never fought anything.

They wanted to

replace him

with the loud,

beer drinking,

cigarette smoking,

or,

you know,

cigar smoking,

you know,

and cussing,

you know,

kind of guy.

And,

I just felt like

something was just

not right about

either one of those.

Like,

wait a minute,

this is not

how Christ has

called us.

Eve had

liberty in Christ

to drink.

they were like

flaunting it around.

They were like

boasting about it.

And wounding

the consciences

of a lot of

other believers

who still had

an issue with it.

Right?

But I had,

you know,

one particular friend

who did do that.

He kind of boasted

about his liberty

a lot.

And,

another friend,

a different friend,

who was,

I would classify

as a strong believer,

a mature believer,

who liked to drink

on occasion,

usually just at home.

We were out,

we were out

meeting with

another brother

who was just

younger in the faith.

He was a new Christian,

but he had had

kind of a past

with alcohol,

with addiction.

And,

before we actually

went to meet up with him,

I just told

the strong brother,

hey,

like,

let's not tonight.

You know,

let's just not,

don't order,

don't order a beer.

Because,

like,

he,

one,

he may be tempted

by it,

but two,

his consciousness

isn't in a good place

to see things like that.

And,

he was just like,

no problem.

Like,

I'll gladly just

throw it all away

if that would help him.

You know,

just a mature response.

Not like,

well,

I'm a,

I'm gonna,

I'm in liberty,

so I'm gonna drink,

you know,

and do what I want to do.

But,

he,

he easily just said,

no big deal.

I'll,

I'll seek to please him,

you know,

more than myself here.

And,

like,

that's,

those are the examples.

They extend beyond

a lot of things.

But,

we must please others.

We must seek to please others.

We can't control the weak

or difficult brothers,

but with God's help,

we can,

he can help control us

as we react to them.

And,

God often uses difficult,

weak brothers or sisters

to reveal sin

in our own life.

how much patience we lack,

how angry and irritable

we can be

with their issues.

It keeps us dependent

on God.

So,

that's the first one,

is look to others

and away

from ourselves.

Number two,

you knew this was coming,

look to Christ.

Look to Christ.

See this in verse three.

Now,

this is the reason,

right?

For Christ did not

please himself,

but as it is written,

the reproaches of those

who reproached you

fell on me.

So,

it would be great to know

what this looks like.

But,

in Christ,

we have the perfect pattern

to follow,

the perfect example

in Christ.

Believers are to follow

the self-denying

example of Christ

and thereby live

in harmony

with one another.

And,

get what Paul is saying here.

This isn't just a random,

just be like Jesus

kind of

exhortation.

He really means this.

So,

why is he

pointing this out?

He's trying to say

that someone

who was the strongest

bore the weaknesses

of those without strength.

No one

was as strong,

perfect,

and innocent

as Jesus.

And,

no one

was more weaker,

broken,

and guilty

than us.

And,

Christ denied

himself.

He didn't seek

to please

himself,

but to please

the Father.

You see that in

John 5,

John 5:30

verse 30.

John 8,

39.

My desire is to do

the will of him

who sent me.

It was extremely

difficult and painful

and eventually

cost Jesus'

his own life

on the cross

to seek to honor

and please

his Father.

So,

both in his life

and in his

agonizing death,

we vividly see

his utmost concern

to please the Father

and to seek

our good

and accomplishing

the work

of redemption.

He didn't look

to his own desires.

He didn't look

out for his

own benefit.

Christ,

I mean,

the ultimate example

of that is in

Gethsemane where

he basically just

prays like God,

Father,

with drops of blood,

right?

If there is any

other way

for this cup

to pass from me,

nonetheless,

let your will be

done

and not mine.

He has submitted

himself to that.

So,

Christ is the

highest,

supreme example

of living

for God's glory

under hardship.

And showing that,

he quotes a

messianic psalm,

Psalm 69,

Psalms 69:9

verse 9,

which reads,

in its context,

For zeal for your

house has consumed

me,

or eaten me up,

and the reproaches

of those who

reproached and

insulted you

have fallen upon

me.

So,

reproach means

reviled,

persecuted,

insulted.

That's what

reproach means.

And Paul applies

this text to

Jesus,

expressing those

words of a

righteous man

who endures

insults and

scorn for the

sake of God's

glory.

We need to

understand that

it was Christ's

zeal and passion

for God that

brought suffering

upon him.

Passion actually

means the

degree of

difficulty that

you're willing to

go through to

accomplish the

goal.

That's what a

passion means.

It isn't like

rah-rah or

passionate.

It's like

whatever you

say, that

thing is worth

everything, worth

sacrificing for,

worth dying for.

And for Christ,

it was zeal and

love for his

father, and that

brought great

suffering upon

him.

And that's what

Paul is challenging

us with here,

for us to bear

the weaknesses

of others in

living to

please God by

pleasing our

neighbor, and

making real

everyday choices

of self-denial,

even limiting our

liberties if

necessary, giving

them up for the

spiritual good of

those who are

weak.

But it's almost

sort of laughable

though, to be

honest.

It's yet, when it

comes to us, by

comparison, that

scale is like

Christ gave up

all he had to

suffer and endure

for our good.

It just makes

what he's asking

us to give up,

just a little bit

of liberty, kind

of seems like

trifling a little

bit.

Almost just like,

yeah, I don't

have any excuse

to complain because

of all that he

sacrificed for me.

The scale of his

personal passion and

sacrifice in

comparison to the

restriction of our

liberty for the

sake of weaker

brothers is a

trifling thing,

really.

But he's

highlighting that,

like follow

Christ's example.

But how many of

you just the, I

kind of grew up as

a really early

Christian wearing

the WWJD

bracelet, and then

it just kind of

donged at me, I

really, really

stink at doing

what Jesus does.

And it kind of

occurred to you

that it's not

just be like

him and that's

it.

It can be

discouraging.

We all have

failed to live

like Christ

day after day.

And an

encouraging word

for those of you

who may feel

that way is that

it's been said

by Wiser

Man that Christ

is first our

Savior before

he's our

example.

All right?

So he, we

come to him as

broken sinners in

need of his

saving grace.

And he

transforms us

and promises

never to leave

us or forsake

us.

And he gives

us his

resurrection life.

Give us what

we need to

serve him as

we come to

him daily.

So if you're

having an issue

with that, he's

provided a way

for you to

follow him by

going to him.

So look to

Christ.

Then number

three, look to

the scripture.

Verse four.

For whatever

was written in

former days was

written for our

instruction that

through endurance

and through the

encouragement of

the scriptures,

we might have

hope.

So as it is with

all things in the

Christian life,

we are to look

upon God's glory

in his word and

be transformed

by it.

I think I fell

into a habit

maybe in the

last few months

of just more

or less reading

the scripture out

of duty rather

than delight,

more out of

obligation than

desire, and

failing to

recognize that

God will use

this to help

make me more

like Christ.

God will use

this to help

strengthen my

heart.

So although the

New Testament is

inspired by God,

that's a whole

other message.

Paul specifically

has in mind the

Old Testament

scriptures here.

He says,

for whatever is

written in the

former days,

and I mean,

just read Romans,

right?

Like he references

the Old Testament

many, many, many

times to prove

his point,

and he just did

by quoting

Psalm 69.

He's reminding

us of this

importance,

that full

confidence that

the Old Testament

was written down

for our instruction

in the encouragement

of God's people.

Sort of indirectly

implying that all

of God's words

scriptures are God's

words.

He inspired them.

He put them down

for us.

And those things

that were written

a long time ago

don't just serve

the needs of those

people, but continue

on to serve the

needs of his people

today.

It goes on for

later centuries.

So, saying to the

strong believer,

then, go back

and read the

scriptures.

If you're struggling

with being patient,

if you're struggling

with being discouraged

at the growth of

these weaker

brothers or sisters,

if you're struggling

with that,

if you feel

faint-hearted,

go to the

scriptures.

If you're feeling

exasperated,

in the scriptures

you will find

instruction.

That means like

teaching,

training,

to help us

know how to

bear with

the weaker

believers.

And then,

that will also

help us establish

endurance,

which this word

endurance means

to bear up

under extreme

difficulty

and to persevere.

So, just think

about it.

Does the Bible

have any stories

like that?

Many, many.

Noah,

Joseph,

Moses,

David.

Take your pick.

Like, all stories

of God

helping His

people bear up

under extreme

difficulty.

So, look to

those

in the

scripture

who look to

God to go

through difficult

times.

And then,

beside that,

if you're feeling

disheartened,

like massively

discouraged,

it says that the

scriptures can

give you

encouragement.

That means

comfort,

strength,

consolation.

So, far

beyond the

limited value

just for

Christians,

the record of

all God's

dealings with

His people

in the past

have been

deliberately

preserved for

our good,

our encouragement,

spiritual benefit.

There's just one

place I have for you

to turn today.

Well, actually two,

but before we

close, but look at

Psalm, hold your

hand in Romans,

but look at

Psalm 119.

Look at

Psalm 119,

Psalms 119:49

verse 49.

Psalm 119.

The psalmist,

speaking of the

goodness of God's

Word, God's

law, he says

in verse 49,

remember your

word to your

servant in which

you have made

me hope.

So, God's

voice, God's

Word incites

real hope in

His people.

Verse 50,

this is my

comfort and

affliction that

your promise

gives me life.

Maybe go down

to verse 52,

the whole thing,

but really just

for sake of time.

Verse 52,

when I think

of your rules

from of old,

I take comfort,

O Lord.

The saying that

God's Word gives

us genuine

comfort and

life.

Verse 54,

your statutes

have been my

songs in the

house of my

sojourning.

So, God's

Word is the

song that we

sing as we

travel through

this foreign

land called

earth.

This life

that gives us

joy and hope

to press

forward.

It's to our

H81.

My soul

longs for

your salvation.

I hope in

your Word.

So, if you're

feeling discouraged,

you feel like

your endurance

is wavering,

God's Word is

meant to give

us hope,

to hold fast,

to cherish

hope,

so that we

will believe

that those

weaker brothers

or sisters

may one

day mature,

overcome.

Fourthly,

back in

Romans,

verse 5,

and he

goes from

talking about

the Scriptures

to prayer,

and Paul

says,

may the

God of

endurance and

encouragement

grant you

to live in

such harmony

with one

another in

accord with

Christ Jesus.

So, there is

a dependence

on God's

power here.

This cannot

be done.

Have you ever

just tried

putting up

with somebody

in your own

strength?

Putting up

with your

own friends

or family

that can

sometimes just

be hard to

deal with,

or just a

weaker brother

in the Lord?

Try doing it

in your own

strength,

and you'll be

pulling your

hair out

and throwing

things.

But God

gives us

what we need.

He alone

can give us

what we need

to patiently

endure and

persevere.

Whatever He

requires of us

in His commandments,

He gives us

the grace

to follow.

That famous

prayer by

St. Augustine,

Lord,

grant,

command what

you will,

but grant

what you

command.

Give us

the grace

to follow

your commands.

So,

God grants,

you see this

word,

graciously

supplies us

the ability

to live in

such mutual

harmony

and understanding

with one

another

in accord

with Christ

Jesus.

So,

Christ is

that unifying

point.

We all

come back

to Him.

So,

just sort of

stating it

very plainly

to wrap

this up

here,

your hope

and mine

is not

found in

our ability

or our

willingness

or our

resolve

to endure,

but in

God's

unshakable

enduring

commitment

never to

turn from

the work

of grace

in us.

our hope

to be

faithful

is that

we have

been welcomed

into

communion

with the

one

who will

endure

no matter

what.

Right?

So,

why is that

important to

learn?

It's important

because at

best,

our endurance

is just

spotty.

We forget

who we are

and we think

that grace

is just not

essential

throughout our

daily lives.

We get

discouraged

and throw

in the towel

on doing

good things

and serving

people.

We rebel.

There are

times that

we,

myself,

I fail

and I

attack those

around me.

Not because

I don't know

it's wrong,

but just in

that moment,

I just

don't care.

Sin has

caused me

to forget.

So,

our hope

of endurance

is not

found in

our own

strength

and character,

but in

God's

alone.

So,

Paul wrote

that to

the Colossians

that he

prayed that

they would

be strengthened

with all

power.

according to

his glorious

might,

for all

endurance

and patience

with joy.

Colossians

1,

11.

So,

may that

be our

prayer.

So,

Paul is

sort of

wrapping

that up

saying to

the believers,

despite your

differing views

on some of

these things,

be loving

and live in

harmony with

one another

with the

common Savior

Jesus Christ.

Right?

So,

what's the

goal of

everything we've

just said?

What's the

purpose?

That leads

to the

last point.

Look to

God's

glory,

verse 6

and 7.

He says,

so that

together you

may with

one voice

glorify the

God and

Father of

our Lord

Jesus Christ.

Therefore,

welcome one

another as

Christ has

welcomed you

for the

glory of

God.

And so,

Paul continues

praying,

says,

main purpose

here being

Christian unity,

the main

point of

unity,

being just

for the

sake of

other

believers.

That's

important.

But,

the purpose

is to

honor and

please God

both in

our

individual,

public,

corporate

lives.

So,

here's the

beautiful

thing.

When we

love one

another in

Christ,

when we

bear with

the failings

of the

weak,

when we

bear

patiently

their

failings

and their

issues,

when we

endure with

those who

are difficult

to live

with,

and when

we love

each other

despite minor

differences,

it reflects

God's unity

in Himself

and it

brings Him

glory.

And this

is the last

thing I

wanted you

to turn

to.

This was

Christ's

prayer for

us.

He prayed

this.

You could

say one

of His

dying

prayers,

one of

His

dying

desires

was for

unity.

John 17

John 17:21

verse 21.

John 17

John 17:21

verse 21.

He's

praying for

all future

believers here,

including us,

and He

prays in

verse 21,

that they

may all

be one,

just as

You,

Father,

are in

Me,

and I

in You,

that they

also may

be in

us,

so the

world may

believe that

You have

sent Me.

You see,

that idea of

our unity

reflects the

relationship

between the

Father and

the Son and

the Spirit.

Verse 22,

the glory

that You

have given

Me,

I have

given to

them,

that they

may be

one,

even as

We are

one.

I in

them,

and You

in Me,

that they

may be

perfectly

one,

so that

the world

may know

that You

have sent

Me,

and love

them even

as You

have loved

Me.

So in

conclusion,

when God's

people live

together in

one accord

and we

worship Him

together with

one voice,

we can

truly glorify

the God and

Father of

our Lord

Jesus Christ.

He's promising

to empower

us to do

that,

and therefore

He wraps it

up.

Therefore,

welcome one

another as

Christ has

welcomed you

for the

glory of

God.

God.

So whether

we're strong,

whether we're

weak,

whether we

need help,

we all

ought to

seek to

please one

another.

The mutual

acceptance of

one another

will bring

glory to

God.

Let's pray

together.