November 12, 2017
Morning Service

In chapter 14, Paul warned the church about how to deal with those who are at different places in their walk of faith as we are.  Some will be weaker in their faith and some stronger.  We are not to allow differences in opinion or different convictions on the liberties we have been given in Christ to be a stumbling blocks between us.  Whatever choices we make on the food we eat, what we should drink, or the day we worship should result in us having a clear conscience about what we are doing.  Paul says if anything we do is not of faith then it is sin.  We also have to be careful not to judge our brothers who make other choices than we do. We need to avoid the same trap the Jews found themselves in the OT.  The religious leaders would place such a burden of rules and regulations upon people that it became an impossible task to live your life without fear of failure.  God has not called us to life of bondage to a set of rules, but we are called to enjoy a loving relationship with the One who created us.  We then simply follow our hearts that are molded by His Word and the Holy Spirit to walk with our Savior in love.  It is that love for our Lord and Savior that really binds us together in unity as brothers and sisters.  As Paul winds down his letter to us (and the Roman church), he seeks to bring this point to light for us and summarize what he just stated in chapter 14.

Romans 15:1-2 Then we who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  (2)  Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good, to building up.

·         Out of the love for our God and our brothers, we need to have our eyes open to the needs that are around us.  With the power of our words and actions we can either build each other up or tear each other down.  James warned us to be “swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath” (1:19).   Let’s all be mindful that the words we say and the things that we do are “building up” and not the “tearing down” our brothers.

·           We are not to be people pleasers by any means, but we are in a sense to be “Our brother’s keeper” looking out for them as we do ourselves.  It is not about only us, we are to love our neighbor as yourself.  Paul put it this way in his letter to the Galatians.

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so you will fulfill the Law of Christ.

·         We are better together.  God has promised never to leave us or forsake us.  We need to make that same promise to our brothers and sisters in Christ.  A burden is always lighter when shared.

 

Romans 15:3-4  For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me."  (4)  For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, so that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

·         Paul encourages us to think of what Jesus Himself went through and to think on all the things we read in the OT scriptures.  These are both examples for us to learn from.  One of the best ways to understand what living our life as a “living sacrifice” is to study the four Gospels and pay great attention to what Jesus does and says.  He lived that life to perfection and is our example to shoot for.  He always placed others and His mission above His own personal needs.

·         All of the OT scriptures are also written and recorded for us to learn from.  Paul told this very clearly to the Corinthian church.

1 Corinthians 10:11  And all these things happened to them as examples; and it is written for our warning on whom the ends of the world have come.

·         It is always better to learn from someone who has been through something that you are facing.  They have that special insight that comes only from personal experience.  To be able to read about all the experiences that the saints have endured and how God was faithful to them is such an encouragement that we are to learn from.  We are truly blessed to be able to not only look at how God dealt with those in OT, but we can also read the NT and identify with the many teachings that are there.  By studying the same scriptures together, it will cause each of us to grow in the same direction uniting us into one mind.

Romans 15:5-7  And may the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded toward one another according to Christ Jesus,  (6)  so that with one mind and one mouth you may glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (7)  Therefore receive one another as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

·         Paul challenges us to lay all the differences we have aside while focusing on what we have in common.  We are to glorify God with one mind and one voice.  A body of believers that are not united in their message and their thinking will not be representing the true image of their Savior.  When we speak with one voice and our minds are all focused in the same direction it is a powerful thing.  This brings to mind when the apostles were persecuted by the Jewish religious leaders for healing a lame man and doing it in the Name of Jesus.  After being released from jail this happened.

Acts 4:23-31  And being let go, they went to their own company and reported what the chief priests and elders had said to them.  (24)  And having heard, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, Lord, “You are the God who made the heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that is in them;  (25)  who by the mouth of Your servant David has said, "Why did the nations rage and the people imagine vain things?  (26)  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ."  (27)  For truly, against Your holy child Jesus, whom You have anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the nations, and the people of Israel, were gathered together  (28)  in order to do whatever Your hand and Your counsel determined before to be done.  (29) And now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your Word,  (30)  by stretching forth of Your hand for healing, and miracles, and wonders may be done by the name of Your holy child Jesus.”  (31)  And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness.

·         With unity comes power.  The apostles prayed with “one accord” and asked God for boldness to speak the message of Jesus and the cross.  This pleased God greatly and He shook the whole building and filled them all with the Holy Spirit empowering them to speak with the boldness as they desired.  Listen to what a touch like this does to a group of unified followers of Jesus.

Acts 4:32-35 And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul. And not one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own. But they had all things common.  (33)  And the apostles gave witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power. And great grace was on them all.  (34)  For neither was anyone needy among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold,  (35)  and they laid them down at the apostles' feet. And distribution was made to every man according as he had need.

·         Wow, now that is living a life as a “living sacrifice” to the max.  That is what loving your neighbor as yourself looks like.  This is the example we are to shoot for.  How is the church as a unified body doing at this?  How are we as a unified fellowship doing at this?  How am I doing as a member of the Lord’s church?  I’m not sure about your opinion of these questions, but I bet we can all say there is room for improvement.  To change the world, I have to begin with me.  We all need to be a little less selfish with our time, money and love and be more unified in our minds and hearts to live our lives as “a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service.”  That means putting God first in everything and loving my brother as myself.

 

Lord please grant us the desire and courage to live our lives unified with one voice and one mind set upon bringing glory to Your Name.