Bible Guys Classics: Romans 15 Part 1

Well, Jeff, I don't know if you know this or not,

but I live to please you and your every whim.

Did you know that?

Well, that's what this passage is all about. God wants

you to be a people pleaser.

I'm not sure it says quite that.

No, Well, we're going to find out.

He's Chris and I'm Jeff and we're the Bible Guys.

Well, hey, Jeff, today we have a segment called mail

bags and we haven't and those are fun. Yeah, they

haven't done this in a while.

Those are great.

So listen. By the way, if you want to ask

a question that you would like us to, you know,

talk about, he would love to hear it. So just

send your question to info at the Bible Guys dot

com and we would love for, you know, for us

to look through them and perhaps even use one of

your questions. So today it comes from Jackie M.

Jackie M.

So she mailed this in emailed, I suppose.

Right, instead of I haven't seen this one, by the way.

Yeah, and so she says, if you could trade places

with anyone in the world, who would it be? And why?

Oh oh that's a good question.

It's fun.

Yeah, have you thought about this one.

No, I just now read it.

If we could trade places with anyone? Well, actually, Jackie,

I really like being me, I really do.

Oh come on, anybody in the world. I don't know.

Who do you have would trade places?

I mean, I guess the question. I mean you get

technical with it, but like, is it temporary or is

it permanent? Like trade places until you die?

I don't know. She didn't ask us.

I know. So let's let's assume that it's.

Temporary, temporary, a temporary thing, and it has to be

a real person.

Because none of us would want to abandon our lives

a real person, yes, of course.

Okay, Oh you're.

Talking about like Superman right now or in the past.

I want to be Superman for a day exactly. How

about let's do right now, living, right now living? Okay?

Oh man, I'm having a hard one.

Anybody who gets to go to space? How about that?

Oh wow, yeah, go to space.

That's a great answer.

I know I have good answers. All my answers are

great answer.

But do you have to have the knowledge? Are you

going to mess things up?

I don't know. They sent William Shattner to space.

Well, oh yeah, he's like ninety years old. I guess

you're right, okay, as long as you don't have to

do stuff.

Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm not saying I want to

be a technical astronaut.

Well, I mean, if you were like a heart surgeon,

I'd like to be a heart surgeon for Dan all

of a sudden, boot you popping?

Yeah, yeah, you know, kill somebody. I don't know. I

might be good at it, I've never tried.

I think I just just caught here.

Yeah, maybe how about you?

You know what I think? Honestly, I think I would

love to be a talk show host.

A talk show host.

Yeah. So who Jimmy Fallon?

Jimmy Fallon? Yeah, yeah, yeah, just because you do well

with that.

You know, you get that fun. You need to interact

with celebrities and movie stars and things, right, and you

get to creatively sort of still do what I do now,

which and you're so cute, right, which is the camera

loves me?

Yeah yeah, yeah, Okay, So you want to be Jimmy

Fallon and I want to be William Shatner. Apparently, apparently

that's the answer, Jackie M there you go. So hey,

by the way, I'm not sure if that's what she

was thinking, Hey, you know'll be fun.

If some of our listeners would actually comment in and

just tell me who you would switch for. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

who would you switch with?

If you're watching on YouTube, that's the place that we

can do this, right, it's ont.

On YouTube, okay, and or email us in yeah and

let us know, because that'd be fun to just read through.

Yeah.

Yeah, So if you're not watching on YouTube, email us

at info at the Bible guys dot com.

Yeah, that'd be fun. Oh that's great.

Well, today you already mentioned this that we're supposed to

be living to please others, right, and it can kind

of come off when you say that phrase, like we're

supposed to be people pleasers, which is really not the

case as a matter of fact. Paul warns against that idea.

But let's let's unpack it. So in Romans chapter fifteen,

we're coming pretty close to the end of the Book

of Romans, now we are. And so the first half

of the book he spends most of his time talking

about grace and the law.

That's it.

Then he pivoted just a couple of chapters ago and

turns into so how should we live as Christians in

this grace we have, right.

It goes from theology to practical application.

Yeah yeah, yeah, well, which I think is really important

for all of us to think about. Sometimes theologians want

to kind of imply that the only thing that you

really need is good theology. But in maybe the most

theologically dense book in the Bible, Romans. Maybe only Hebrews

would be the other one. But Romans is more than

half application, right, And I think that's really important for

us to understand that theology that's not applied is of

no real use, right, And so you got to apply it.

And so this is why you spend so much time

applying it the way.

That's the message that you're speaking on Sunday. So the

main point of Sunday is relevant. Scripture practically applied always

results in life transformation.

That's right. That's right.

So let's just pick up in Romans, chapter fifteen. We'll

start verse one, and I'm just going to read like

the first thirteen verses because this is a big passage.

It says, we who are strong must be considered to

those who are sensitive about things like this, which must

not just please ourselves. We should help others do what

is right and build them up in the Lord. For

even Christ didn't live to please himself. As the scriptures say,

the insults of those who insult you, Oh God, have

fallen on me. Such things were written in the scriptures

long ago to teach us, and the scriptures give us

hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises

to be fulfilled. May God, who gives this patience and encouragement,

help you live in complete harmony with each other. It's

fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you

can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory

to God, the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Therefore,

accept each other, just as Christ has accepted you, so

that God will be given glory. Remember that Christ came

as a servant to the Jews to show that God

is true to the promises he made to their ancestors.

He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory

to God for his mercies to them. That is what

the Psalmist meant when he wrote, for this, I will

praise you among the gentiles. I'll sing praise this to

your name. In another place that's written, rejoice with his people,

you gentiles and yet again, praise the Lord, all you gentiles.

Praise him, all you people of the earth. And in

another place, Isaiah said, the air to David's throne will come,

and he will rule over the gentiles. They will place

their hope on him. I pray that God, the source

of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace

because you trust in Him, and then you will overflow

with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

So the second half of this passage is really talking

about because you're a believer, you know you have hope

in Christ and He's going to fulfill these things in

your life, all of God's promises in your life. But

the beginning of the chapter, he's really kind of highlighting

what he just spent all this time talking about in

Roman's chapter fourteen, and that is, don't cause other people

to stumble. Sure, and so he says, so you are strongness,

be considerate of those who are sensitive about things.

Like this, right, because it's attached to the previous thought.

That's right, which is we've divided up into chapters. But

that's correct, But he didn't have chapters when he wrote

this letter.

That's right.

So he was talking about eating meat that was offered idols.

He was talking about holy days all those kinds of things,

and he said, you know, you are free, but you

need to be considered to the people who struggle with

feeling like maybe it's wrong to do those things right.

Right, right, right. And last week that's where we left off.

We talked about how it's interesting to me and we

didn't talk about this part of it, but it's interesting

to me how those who may get offended sometimes could

be in the category of those who sort of misunderstand.

Because Paul says, hey, we both know this meat is

just meat. We both know that sacrificing it to that

false God means absolutely nothing because there is no false God.

That false God is a statue. Right, it's a piece

of wood, right, and so it's just a good piece

of cow right, right. And so he's like, so, really,

there's nothing wrong with eating it. But those who are weaker,

that's the part. It's those who are not as strong

in their faith, they don't understand the breadth of things.

Just be considered of them. If you know for a

fact that they're going to.

Stumble, right, yeah, or well, I don't even know if

you have to know for fact that they're going to stumble,

but what we do may cause him to stumble. And

he says, so you give up your freedoms for the

benefit of others. That's what the way of saying. So

he says that here, so we must not just please ourselves.

And then I think this is the real highlight, quite honestly,

is as he's talking about we should help others do

what is right and build them up in the Lord.

For even Christ didn't live to please himself. So a

big part of our spiritual growth early on, when we

become believers, it's really about us because we're babies. As

a matter of fact, the Bible refers to us as

you know, babes in Christ. He says, right, And so

as a new believer, we're a babe in Christ. But

God's goal is not for you to stay a baby

in your faith. He wants you to grow up in

your faith. And eventually, as you grow up, you start

to be able to provide for yourself, take care of yourself,

not just rely on others to provide for you. And

then finally you start being able to provide for others

and care for others and develop others and so that's

kind of the expectation.

He says.

Unless you're developing others, you're not really strong in your faith.

You're not mature in your faith, you're not growing in faith,

because your focus should be to help others do what

is right and to build them up.

In the Lord.

Yeah, and you know what, it's actually a really great

perspective reminder for all of us who think that faith

is just us and God and nothing else, you know,

you know, and people use terms like well, my faith

is private and with the with what that translates into

a lot of times is saying like, well, I don't

necessarily go to church, I don't necessarily talk about my

faith at all with anybody else, don't I don't do anything,

but I do, you know, think about God or perhaps

even read or pray, and and it's an individualistic thing.

But again we've mentioned this before. Faith is not meant

to be you know, individual, it's communal.

Right, right, yeah, so then this this idea.

Have you ever heard people say I just don't feel

like I'm getting anything out of the services or.

All my life.

Yeah. Yeah, and you know, and by the.

Way, there's always those who say this is the best

thing I've ever heard, Oh, sure, and then and then

I'm not getting anything out of it, and then there's

then there's everybody in between.

So a lot of times the people who think that

everything you say or everything I say is brilliant, they're

new Christians and they're hearing these things for the first time.

Sure, or I would argue and say, or I would add,

not argue. I would add and say. When God is

at work in somebody's life, it doesn't matter what you say.

You can almost get up there and read the dictionary, right,

and it's like and it's like, oh, that was just amazing.

God just showed me. And it's like, really, that's what

you got out of it, because the Holy Spirit's already

doing a great work and they're sensitive the leader of

the Spirit.

Yeah, I would say there's a substantial difference between the

what the Holy Spirit would use if you read the

dictionary versus what the Holy Spirit would.

Use if you're using the Bible.

Supposed to be.

Funny, right, right, right, But the the I get what

you're saying that sometimes the Holy Spirit's already preparing a

person's heart and they're just ready to hear from God. Right,

And I believe that God speaks primarily through his word,

and he uses preachers to highlight that. But usually newer

believers when they hear the preacher preach an idea for

the first time, every new idea is amazing. But then

people have been a believer for a while, They've heard

all of your jokes, they've heard most of your stories,

they've heard how you apply things. When you come to

a certain topic. They already know how you're going to

close that topic, right. They knew all those things because

they've been around you a while, they've been a believer.

You've kind of poured out all that you have for them.

And then those are the people, these what I would

say maybe adolescent young adolescent Christians, but you know, post

pubescent Christians.

Just you know, they're they're just getting smart enough to go.

I feel like mom and dad aren't giving me enough anymore, right,

and I wish that the pastor gave me more. That

person is shifting from being a child in the faith

to being in a adult and the faith growing up

in their faith, and so it stops being so much

about you and starts being more and more and more

for others. So your spiritual growth there's only so much

content you can take in, and then you're just you're

just fat and blobby, but you're not strong. The only

way you can be strong and healthy is to use

all of what you're taking in right and build it

into spiritual muscle. And the only way you can do

that is to build others up. And that's really what

I think Paul's talking about you.

In fact, this is a great idea to talk about

just for a minute, because I've actually planned a series

coming up in our church coming up. Heritage Church is

where we both serve and for those who don't know that,

but it's actually information versus application. So a lot of

people think Christianity is more information. So a lot of

times when I hear somebody say I'm not getting enough

out of the services or whatever. Not all the time,

but most of the time, I would say, what the

really meaning is do my studying for me right? Because

what they're saying is you didn't teach me anything new

to which all I would really have to do, and

I have done this in so many occasions is I

would say, well, I just got a simple question for you.

You know, have you mastered that which I talked about today,

And I've had people literally look at me and say no,

not even close, right, And I'd say, well, then, how

could you possibly say this message wasn't for you.

Well, that's a dangerous idea because Jesus said to whom

much is given, much is required.

Sure.

So if you're saying, I want more information, but I

haven't mastered what you gave me before, what you want

is you want to be accountable for even more that

you're not going to do.

Yeah, and heck, you don't even have to master it.

You just have to feel like you're you have a

good hold on Yeah.

Yeah, you're at least learning to apply it, right Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

So it's like, well, oh, I've heard that sermon before,

Well have you have you done it? Well? No, but

I know it. And it's like, well listen, then that

means you need to hear the sermon again. Yeah, Because

it's all about application. It's life transformation. And by the way,

Jesus gives us his word for results, so he always

says it's either inward results like you have peace, you'll

have joy, you'll find life, you'll find substance or purpose

or direction, or it's the result of moving God's kingdom forward.

You know, there's always you know, the furthering of His kingdom,

the furthering of his word, the credibility of His gospel.

And then you know, there's also results in our own lives.

And they could be both circumstantially, they could be relationally.

It can be all these different things. But the Word

of God is supposed to bring about results. And if

it's not about application and results, then it's you know,

it's not much. It's not good for much.

I think it's fair if somebody, if a mature Christian

comes and goes, hey, I'm just not getting what I

used to get from your preaching, It's fair for me

to pause and to think about it, sure, and to contemplate.

Have I let my attention to detail? Have I let

my you know, attention to study lacks right? But if

I haven't, then really it's probably not on me. It's

probably that part. And I believe that God allows a

certain amount of holy discontent at certain stages in your

spiritual growth to make you decide it's time for me

to move a little further in my faith. Otherwise we

would always stay in the nest, we'd never get out

of the out.

Of the crib, we'd never learn how to walk. Right.

There's all these little moments in our lives. I think

that this discontent rises up where we say there's got

to be more. And so if you're feeling a little

frustrated right now in your faith, I think maybe, especially

if you've been a believer for a while, maybe the

next thing is not just what can you get from

other Bible teachers? But now, who are you supposed to

be helping build up? As he says in that verse,

there it's our job to help others do what is

right and to build them up in the Lord.

Yeah.

Right, And if we're going to be more like Jesus,

we have to remember that even Christ didn't live to

please himself.

Right. And you know there's a zoom out button on

the Macintosh computer. It's like control whatever it is, right,

control whatever, and then you zoom out, zoom out. You know,

this conversation reminds me how one thing is connected to

the other. And I feel like I have a next

thought that always zooms out, and the zoom out thought

from that conversation is I guess it depends. Also, if

we're talking about Sunday morning, experiences for each believer. The

zoom out conversation is, I guess it depends on what

you believe the purpose of a Sunday morning is supposed

to be at your church. Because after all, we should

always keep in mind that this Sunday morning go to

church experience is not what was what was first in

place in the book of Accents.

Let's sing some songs, let's make a couple of announcements,

Let's have the pastor get up and talk for thirty

five minutes.

And look there's light lights, and thought, ye right, yeah, right,

So it was it was actually Christians meeting in homes

and and and actually it wasn't good what we're doing

now exactly.

They're taking scripture and just talking about it. That's right

on the surface as they as they this was church, yeah.

Right, And so it was just digging into God's word.

It was pressing into the words of Jesus in the

ways of Jesus. And so you know that that that

is that is a self feeder, right or feeding one another,

you know, each other, encouraging one another, sharpening one another.

But like you know, listen, if we're going to be

talking about the Western world, the culture of the United

States of America, the consumerism culture and everything else. The

reason why we do what we do is because we

know it's the best way to reach people and still

you know, sort of like incorporate God's word in their lives.

So the Sunday Morning experience has developed along with just

our culture, right, So you know, the minute that the

McDonald's drive through came out, our whole entire culture changed

with consumerism. So it's like, so the church sort of shifts,

not because we are culture followers. We shift because of

Paul's principle where he says we become all things to

all people, to the Jews that became a Jew, to

the slaves that became a slave, to the gentiles that

became gentiles. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to win

some at any cost. And so the church follows the

methods just to make sure that we capture the attention

of people, because honestly, we don't need light shows for

the gospel. But what we do is we put on,

you know, a church experience to capture the attention of

people's hearts, their minds, their spirits so that the Holy

Spirit may have room for when the Word of God

is delivered clearly that people are ready to receive it.

So we're the conditioners for our kitchen table theologians that

are paying attention. You use the phrase church experience a

few times, or this is church. We are the church.

Both believers gather together are the church. But then what

we're talking about is our gatherings, our worship gatherings, our

teaching gatherings, all those kind of things. That's what we're

talking about on a Sunday morning, And a lot of

times people feel like I'm not getting anything out of

that gathering anymore. And I think that the more you mature,

the gathering or the purpose of the teaching around you

changes for you personally. At first is just to inform

you and to begin to have something for you to

apply later on. You're gathering information in a way that

educates you on how to educate others with that same idea. Right, So,

maybe in the world, I would one of the things

I do a lot of is I'm around a lot

of church planting, both in the US and globally more

than most. Right would would you agree with that idea

that I'm around the church most So I'm very familiar

with a couple of the strategies that are being used

around the world very intimately as they're being developed, And

so I could on occasion walk into a meeting as

they're talking about church planting and go, oh, I don't

know need this. I know all this, Except recently my

role with the Timoth Initiative has changed a little bit

where I'm speaking more and more and more with potential

donors and people that are looking into this, investigating it

on a prove it to me level. Well, now every

time I sit in the room and listen to the

other experts talk about it, I'm learning the same thing

I already know. Now I'm learning it from a different

perspective of how do I explain it to these people

who need the proof that it really works? And I

think it's the same thing when I first became a Christian,

just learning about Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross.

That was amazing for me, but I didn't understand the

intricacies of it until I needed to begin to explain

it to others. So then when you talk about sacrifice

of Christ on the Cross, I'm hearing it it benefits me,

but I'm also hearing it on how can I better

communicate it to somebody else. So, yes, I've heard it,

but I'm hearing it in a different way now and

for a different purpose now, right, And because I'm choosing

to take the next step in my communication, the next

step in my influence. And this is what I believe

he's trying to tell us, is that there's a moment

or there's a time in your life when it's not

just about you taking in the information first time for you,

but you can take that exact same information and if

you're understanding that you have a responsibility for the other

believers behind you, coming up up behind you, then you

start to hear the same thing in a different way,

and quite honestly, it makes it fresh and new and

exciting all over again.

Yeah, And that is a great That is a great

example because when you're when you're viewing something through the

lens of somebody else's ears, their understanding, it really does

it's like whoa, all of a sudden you pay attention

to it. And that's great, And that's that's also good

good perspective and good information and good reminder for us

as communicators, for those who communicate, right, And but you

know what, it reminds me of as well, when somebody

brings a guest with them for the first time, and

they'll bring like a neighbor they've been asking for like

six months, and they'll finally walk in through the doors,

and then this regular attender will come up to me

and they'll say, hey, listen, I have my friend with

me today, so you better be good. Yeah, yeah, right,

And it's like, and I always laugh because I always think, oh,

you know what, before you said that, I was shooting

for mediocrity, but now I'm going to raise the bar.

I'm going to really try this time.

But what they're but they're what they're really saying is

I'm gonna attention to every single word because I'm viewing

it through the lens of my guests, yes, or my

neighbor of my friend.

And I think that that is what real mature Christianity is.

That's right, right, right, that's.

That's that's a good place to end. And so we

will see you next time on the Bible guys.

Mhm h m hm.