ROMANS 15:1- 13: RECAPTURING TRUE FELLOWSHIP IN THE LOCAL CHURCH.
RECAP: IN MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE WE SAW A NUMBER OF PREROGATIVES WHICH WERE TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH. SPECIFICALLY PAUL WAS SPEAKING TO THE STRONGER GENTILE CHRISTIANS WHO HAD THE LIBERTY AND WERE NOT BOUND BY DAYS AND MEATS TO CONSIDER THEIR DUTY TOWARDS THEIR WEAKER JEWISH BROTHER/SISTER.
IN THIS SECTION PAUL CONTINUES THE CALL TO ACCEPTANCE TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER IN A DIVERSE CHURCH WHERE WEAK AND STRONG BELIEVERS GROW TOGETHER.
1. ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER V1 – GOD HAS ACCEPTED THEM V3 -4
2. AVOID ALL CONTEMPT. V2-3 – THEY DO WHAT THEY DO TO PLEASE THE LORD V6-9
3. AVOID BEING JUDGEMENTAL V3B – 4 – JUDGEMENT BELONGS TO CHRIST V10 -12.
4. ALWAYS KEEP A CLEAR CONSCIENCE V5 – THIS IS PLEASING TO GOD V18
5. BEING MINDFUL OF OTHERS V12 -18.
CHAPTER 15 WE SEE A CONTINUATION OF HIS TEACHING FROM THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER IT OUTFLOWS FROM THE PRINCIPLE OF ACCEPTING ONE ANOTHER STRONG AND WEAK ALIKE. PAUL IN CHAPTER 15 CONTINUES TO ADDRESS THE STRONG (V1 PAUL AFFIRMS HIMSELF AS STRONG) EXHORTING THEM....
1. THE STRONG - ARE TO BEAR( SUPPORT – CARRY) WITH THE FAILING OF THE WEAK V1
THE CHURCH IS A FAMILY AND WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THAT FAMILY THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE WITH DIFFERING SOME ARE STRONG SOME ARE WEAK RATHER THAT THE STRONG TRAMPLING OVER THE WEAK IN MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE THEY ARE TO BEAR SUPPORT THE WEAK.
AS A CHAIN IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST LINK SO IS A FELLOWSHIP ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS WEAKEST MEMBER SO THE STRONG ARE NOT CALLED NOT TO USE THEIR LIBERTY AS A MEANS OF DESTROYING THEIR BROTHER/SISTER BUT AS A MEANS OF SUPPORT OF CARRYING THEIR BROTHER/SISTER.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF TEAM HOYT IT’S A FATHER SON TEAM DICK AND RICK HOYT. TO ME THEY EPITOMISE THIS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE STRONG BEARING WITH THE WEAK.
IN 1962 RICK WAS BORN HE HAD WITH CEREBRAL PALSY CAUSED BY A LOSE OF OXYGEN TO THE BRIAN BECAUSE HIS UMBILICAL CORD WAS WRAPPED AROUND HIS NECK. THE DOCTORS TOLD DICK HIS SON WOULD LIVE OUT HIS LIFE IN A PERSISTENT VEGETATIVE STATE AND THE BEST THEY COULD DO WOULD BE TO PUT HIM IN AN INSTITUTION.
HIS FATHER REJECTED THE ADVICE AND IN FACT AT THE AGE OF 12 ENGINEERS AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY FOUND THAT RICKS SENSE OF HUMOUR INDICATED INTELLIGENCE. SO THEY DESIGNED A COMPUTER WHICH RICK COULD COMMUNICATE. RICK WENT ON TO GET A COLLEGE DEGREE FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY.
DICK AT THE AGE OF 55 WITH RICK START TO COMPETE IN MARATHONS TRIATHLONS TOGETHER THIS WAS RICKS PASSION HE LOVED TO COMPETE HIS FATHER WOULD PUSH HIM AS HE RAN, ULLA HIM ALONG IN A RAFT AS HE SWAM , SIT HIM ON A SPECIAL DESIGNED SEAT ON HIS BIKE AS HE CYCLED. HERE IS A STRONG FATHER SUPPORTING HIS WEAK SON AND TOGETHER THEY ARE COMPETING TOGETHER, STRONG AND WEAK ARE UNIFIED.
• VIDEO SLOT - TOGETHER WE CAN ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS FOR GOD.. WEAK AND STRONG TOGETHER.
LET US BE INSPIRED BY GODS WORD TO BEAR WITH ONE ANOTHER WHETHER WEAK OR STRONG TO SUPPORT - TO CARRY ONE ANOTHER - TO COMPETE - TO SERVE – TO AS WE JOURNEY TOGETHER AS GODS LOCAL CHURCH HERE AT C.B.C TOGETHER.
2. THE STRONG - ARE NOT TO PLEASE THEMSELVES V1.
PAUL HIS REAFFIRMING THE SAME THING HERE AGAIN REALLY THAT NONE OF US IS TO PLEASE OURSELVES IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ONE ANOTHER. WE SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT TO EACH OTHER. GOD DESIRES THAT WE STOP CONSIDERING WHAT I WANT OUT OF THIS CHURCH THIS TYPE OF SELFISHNESS DESTROYS THE CHURCH.
THE WORLD THINKS OF ITSELF, IT PUTS ITS OWN INTERESTS FIRST, THAT’S HOW WE USED TO THINK BUT TRUE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP WILL NO LONGER BE INDIVIDUALISTIC LOOKING AFTER ONES OWN INTERESTS, BUT MUST CONSIDER THE COLLECTIVE WILL OF THE FELLOWSHIP, IT MUST OVERRIDE OUR OWN PERSONAL DESIRES AND INTERESTS .
THIS IS VITAL FOR ANY FELLOWSHIP, IF ALL OF US JUST PROMOTE OUR OWN PERSONAL INTERESTS A FELLOWSHIP WILL FACE DISUNITY, YET IF WE CONSIDER THE WELFARE OF THE FELLOWSHIP AS PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE RATHER THAN OUR OWN PERSONAL WISHES A FELLOWSHIP WILL FLOURISH TOGETHER AS THE STRONG NO LONGER PLEASE THEMSELVES BUT SUPPORT THE WEAKER BROTHER /SISTER.
1. THE STRONG - ARE TO BUILD UP THEIR WEAK NEIGHBOURS V2
PAUL IS SAYING THAT THE LOCAL CHURCH SHOULD BE A PLACE WHERE OUR CHIEF CONCERN IS THE SPIRITUAL WELFARE OF OUR NEIGHBOUR SO HERE IS A CHURCH THAT IS UNIFIED COMMITTED TO ONE ANOTHER, IT PRAYS FOR ONE ANOTHER, SUPPORTS ONE ANOTHER, SERVES ONE ANOTHER, MINISTER TOGETHER, ITS IS A HEALTHY CHURCH AS IT IS BUILDING TOGETHER AND NOT DEMOLISHING. WHERE MUTUAL LOVE PRACTICAL CARE AND SUPPORT ARE EXPRESSED.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN THE INDIVIDUALS WHO DEMOLISH A BUILDING AND INDIVIDUALS WHO BUILD A BUILDING - WELL THERE IS NO SKILLS NEEDED TO DEMOLISH A BUILDING GIVE A PERSON A BIG MALLET HE WILL SOON BE ABLE TO DEMOLISH IT. ANYBODY CAN DEMOLISH A BUILDING.
BUT TO BUILD THAT’S A DIFFERENT STORY IT WILL NEED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EQUIPPED – QUALIFIED AND SKILLED TO BUILD, ITS NO GOOD EMPLOYING THE LABOURERS WHO DEMOLISHED THE BUILDING – TO BUILD IT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO PUT IT UP BUT WOULD BE RIGHT?
WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE LOCAL CHURCH. TO BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP IS OUR GOAL AND NOT TO DEMOLISH ONE ANOTHER. THAT IS WHY GOD HAS GIVEN HIS CHURCH PASTORS, EVANGELISTS AND LEADERS TO BUILD THE CHURCH UP AND NOT TO DEMOLISH THE CHURCH.
GOD HAS GIVEN LEADERS - TO BUILD HIS CHURCH
EPH 4: 11- 13 IT WAS HE WHO GAVE SOME TO BE APOSTLES, SOME TO BE PROPHETS, SOME TO BE EVANGELISTS, AND SOME TO BE PASTORS AND TEACHERS, 12TO PREPARE GOD’S PEOPLE FOR WORKS OF SERVICE, SO THAT THE BODY OF CHRIST MAY BE BUILT UP 13UNTIL WE ALL REACH UNITY IN THE FAITH AND IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD AND BECOME MATURE, ATTAINING TO THE WHOLE MEASURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST.
GOD HAS GIVEN HIS WORD - TO BUILD HIS CHURCH
2 TIM 3:16 ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD-BREATHED AND IS USEFUL FOR TEACHING, REBUKING, CORRECTING AND TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, 17SO THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK.
GOD HAS GIVEN HIS SPIRIT- TO BUILD HIS CHURCH
JOHN 14: 26 IS AN ADVOCATE A REPRESENTATIVE TO TEACH, TO GUIDE, REMIND US OF GODS WORD 15:26 TO TESTIFY TO JESUS 16:13 TO GUIDE US INTO TRUTH. TO BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP, TO BUILD.
SO GODS HEART FOR US HERE @ C.B.C IS BE A FELLOWSHIP WHERE THERE IS SUPPORT FOR ONE ANOTHER – SUBMISSION TO ONE ANOTHER – AND A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP IN THE TRUTH OF GODS WORD.
WHAT IS OUR MOTIVATION FOR DOING IT? PAUL ALSO GIVES US THE THEOLOGICAL REASONS FOR IMPLEMENTING THESE RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER WHICH WILL ENABLE US TO RECAPTURE TRUE FELLOWSHIP IN THE LOCAL CHURCH.
A. THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST 3 -5 ‘FOR EVEN CHRIST DIDN’T PLEASE HIMSELF’
• THE KIDS GAME ‘SIMON SAYS’ – WHAT JESUS SAYS, WHAT JESUS DOES
V3 IF WE CALL OURSELVES CHRISTIANS - THEN WE SHOULD FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE ‘FOR EVEN CHRIST DIDN’T PLEASE HIMSELF’ ARE YOU EVER ANNOYED WITH OTHERS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP YOUR LIBERTIES BECAUSE OF YOUR WEAKER BROTHER/SISTER. WEAKNESSES YOU DO NOT ACCEPT. CONSIDER JESUS HE WAS STRONG, HE WAS PERFECT, WAS HE NOT, YET HE WILLINGLY CHOSE TO BEAR -TO SUPPORT -TO CARRY – TO ENCOURAGE THE WEAKNESS OF HIS BROTHERS/SISTERS, HE DIDN’T PLEASE HIMSELF BUT ALWAYS CONSIDERED OTHERS.
REAL LIFE SCENARIOS
A. JESUS SUPPORTS HIS WEAK BROTHER: JOHN 13:37 PETER TELLS THE LORD HE WOULD LAY DOWN HIS LIFE AND FOLLOW YET THE LORD KNOWS HIS WEAKNESS V38. THREE DENIALS LATER JOHN 15:17, 25, 27 THE RISEN LORD NEVER FORSOOK PETER BUT REINSTATED HIM TO SERVICE JOHN 21:15 – 17 PETER POURED OUT HIS LOVE FOR THE LORD ONE MORE. JESUS SUPPORTED THE WEAK BROTHER
B. JESUS DIDN’T PLEASE HIMSELF MARK 14: 33- 36 WHICH IS NO GREATER SEEN IN GETHSEMANE DEEPLY DISTRESSED AND TROUBLED - THE SON OF GOD PETITIONED HIS FATHER THAT THE CUP OF SUFFERING PASS FROM HIM YET NOT WHAT I WILL , BUT WHAT YOU WILL. JESUS SUBMITS HIMSELF TO THE FATHER, HE NEVER PLEASED HIMSELF, HE DID THE WILL OF THE FATHER, BUT THAT SUBMISSION WAS NOT ONLY FOR THE FATHER BUT FOR YOU AND ME HE TOOK OUR PUNISHMENT, IT WAS LAID UPON HIM WHAT WE DESERVE. ISAIAH: 53:6B. THE LORD LAID UPON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL.
C. JESUS BUILDS THE WEAK JOHN 14:1-4 IN THE UPPER ROOM JESUS IS THE WEAK DISCIPLES ARE DISTURBED AND THE EVENTS TAKING PLACE THE ARGUING AMONGST THEMSELVES ABOUT POSITION – PETERS DENIAL- THE BETRAYAL - HIS TEACHING ON HIS IMMINENT DEATH - THE ROOM WAS IN UPROAR – JESUS COULD HAVE TORE INTO THEM AT THIS POINT - YET JESUS DOESN’T HE KNOWS THEIR WEAKNESSES AND SO RATHER THAN DEMOLISHING HIS WEAK BROTHERS HE CHOOSES TO BUILD THEM UP WITH COMFORTING WORDS WORDS ABOUT ETERNITY AND HIS FUTURE PLANS.
PHIL 2: 1-5 IF YOU HAVE ANY ENCOURAGEMENT FROM BEING UNITED WITH CHRIST, IF ANY COMFORT FROM HIS LOVE, IF ANY FELLOWSHIP WITH THE SPIRIT, IF ANY TENDERNESS AND COMPASSION, 2THEN MAKE MY JOY COMPLETE BY BEING LIKE-MINDED, HAVING THE SAME LOVE, BEING ONE IN SPIRIT AND PURPOSE. 3DO NOTHING OUT OF SELFISH AMBITION OR VAIN CONCEIT, BUT IN HUMILITY CONSIDER OTHERS BETTER THAN YOURSELVES. 4EACH OF YOU SHOULD LOOK NOT ONLY TO YOUR OWN INTERESTS, BUT ALSO TO THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS. 5YOUR ATTITUDE SHOULD BE THE SAME AS THAT OF CHRIST JESUS:
B. THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES V4 FOR EVERYTHING THAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE PAST WAS WRITTEN TO TEACH US, SO THAT THROUGH THE ENDURANCE TAUGHT IN THE SCRIPTURES AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT THEY PROVIDE WE MIGHT HAVE HOPE.
THE SCRIPTURES SHOULD MOTIVATE TRUE FELLOWSHIP - TRUE FELLOWSHIP CAN ONLY BE UNDERTAKEN IN THE LIGHT OF ALL THE SCRIPTURES FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION - WHETHER WEAK – STRONG. WE CANNOT PICK AND CHOOSE OUT TEXTS THAT SUIT OUR NEEDS – FOR CHRISTIAN LIBERTY - WE MUST TAKE THE WHOLE OF SCRIPTURE TO BEAR UPON US.
WE CANNOT HAVE TRUE FELLOWSHIP WHEN WE DOUBT THE SCRIPTURES - ITS RELIABILITY IF WE NEGLECT THE SCRIPTURES IN THIS WAY– THEN IT WILL BE TO OUR LOSS AS A FELLOWSHIP – (WE MAY BECOME A MERE SOCIAL CLUB A CHURCH OF GOOD WORKS ALONE WITHOUT A MESSAGE) IT’S ONLY AS WE SUBMIT TO THE SCRIPTURES CAN THE WEAK AND THE STRONG BENEFIT FROM ITS TEACHING, ITS ENCOURAGEMENT AND HOPE.
C. FINALLY THE GLORIFICATION OF GOD V5-6 MAY THE GOD WHO GIVES ENDURANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT GIVE YOU A SPIRIT OF UNITY AMONG YOURSELVES AS YOU FOLLOW CHRIST JESUS, 6SO THAT WITH ONE HEART AND MOUTH YOU MAY GLORIFY THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
WHAT CAN BE GREATER MOTIVATION THAN BRINGING GLORY TO GOD? THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER SHOULD BE OUR MOTIVATION TO IMPLEMENT TRUE FELLOWSHIP IN THE LOCAL CHURCH. WHAT BRINGS GLORY TO GOD? TRUE FELLOWSHIP – AND THIS ISN’T MANUFACTURED BUT GIVEN BY GOD
WHERE THE GLORY OF GOD RESIDES THERE WILL BE...
A. GOD GIVES A SPIRIT OF UNITY - AMONGST YOURSELVES. WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF OUR LOCAL CHURCH (NOT CHURCHES, NOT DENOMINATIONS) AS WE FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST JESUS.
B. ONE HEART AND MOUTH YOU MAY GLORIFY GOD – HERE WE TRUE FELLOWSHIP ) A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS IN HEART AND MOUTH GLORIFYING GOD
CHOIR TOGETHER: IMAGINE A CHOIR SINGING DIFFERENT HYMNS AT THE SAME TIME WHAT A NOISE THAT WOULD MAKE, WHAT CONFUSION IT WOULD BRING, ITS NOT PLEASING TO THE EAR, ITS NOT GLORIFYING TO GOD - BUT A CHOIR SINGING OF THE SAME HYMN SHEET TOGETHER IS HARMONY, IT WILL BE PLEASANT AND SO THE LOCAL CHURCH IS TO BE A PLACE WHERE BROTHERS AND SISTER AGREE TOGETHER WITH ONE HEART AND MOUTH.
CORINTH WAS A YOUNG CHURCH WITH MANY DIVISIONS PAULS CONCERN IS SHARED 1 COR 1:10. I APPEAL TO YOU, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THAT ALL OF YOU AGREE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND THAT THERE BE NO DIVISIONS AMONG YOU, BUT THAT YOU BE PERFECTLY UNITED IN MIND AND THOUGHT.
RECAP: TRUE FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER......
• WHERE WEAK AND STRONG ARE TOGETHER SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER
• CONSIDERING OTHERS ABOVE OURSELVES.
• BUILDING OTHERS UP AND NOT DESTROYING EACH OTHER.
• OUR MOTIVATION
• THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. – WHO SUPPORTED – CONSIDERED OTHERS- AND WHO BUILT UP TRUE FELLOWSHIP.
• THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES
• THE GLORY OF GOD IN HE LOCAL CHURCH – A GOD GIVEN UNITY WORSHIPPING GOD WITH ONE HEART AND MOUTH BRINGING GLORY TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD
AMEN.
