God Wants Us To Strive Together For Our Savior Series

God Wants Us to Strive Together for Our Savior

The Book of Romans

Romans 15:17-33

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared January 17, 2022)

BACKGROUND:

*Please open your Bibles to Romans 15. In these last two chapters of Paul's letter, he opened his heart to talk about his future plans and pour out his affection for the Christians in Rome. Paul wanted them to strive together with him to keep spreading the good news about Jesus Christ. Now God wants us to do the same. Please think about this as we read Romans 15:17-33.

MESSAGE:

*A few years ago, our daughter Becky had minor surgery to remove a cyst from her hand. Thank the Lord, everything went well, and Becky had very little pain. But she basically lost the use of her hand for a few days, and that was a huge adjustment. I had to tie her shoes for the first time since 1982!

*At the same time one of our church members was trying to recover from a torn Achilles tendon. She was going through a thousand times more pain and trouble. Have you ever thought about your Achilles tendon? Probably not, but it's at the back of your lower leg. It's the thickest tendon in your body. If it tears, you certainly will not be able to walk on that leg, and you will have some of the worst possible pain. (1)

*It's important for the parts of our bodies to work together. But it is infinitely more important for the spiritual Body of Christ. That's what God's Church is, and Paul explained this to us in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. Please listen to it from the New Living Translation:

12. The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ.

13. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.

14. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

15. If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body.

16. And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body?

17. Suppose the whole body were an eye-then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything?

18. But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he wants it.

19. What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part!

20. Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

21. The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you."

22. In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary.

23. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen,

24. while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

25. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally.

26. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27. Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.

*All Christians are part of the Body of Christ, and God wants us to work together. He wants us to strive together for our Savior. "Strive." -- It's not a word we use very often, but "strive" is a good word. It means to devote great effort to accomplish something, reach a goal, or overcome opposition.

*And Paul used this word in vs. 30. Here Paul made an urgent plea to the Christians in Rome, and said, "Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you STRIVE TOGETHER with me in your prayers to God for me."

*"Strive together" is just one word in the original language. It has the idea of struggling, fighting, passionately working for something. This original word is where we get our word "agony." It was the same word used for competing in gymnastic games.