Mar. 11, 2018 AM Christ, The One We Must Please by Pastor Josh Sheldon

Romans 15 and the Call to Christian Unity

We'll turn your Bibles now to Romans chapter 15. And we will continue to go through this book Romans 15 this morning we will attend ourselves to verses 1 through 13. Let me begin by reading all 13 verses.

This is the word of the Lord through the Apostle Paul. 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 reproached you fell on me. For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through the hope and Excuse me 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 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 for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs and In order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy as it is written.

Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing your name. And again It is said rejoice Oh Gentiles with his people and again praise the Lord all you Gentiles and let all the peoples extol him.

And again Isaiah says the root of Jesse will come even he who arises to rule the Gentiles in him the Gentiles hope. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit You may abound in hope.

Bearing With the Weak and Pleasing Our Neighbor

You know since we arrived at Romans chapter 14 We spent a good deal of time drawing these verses out as in other places in Romans. We've kind of put the brakes on and slowed down a bit and really taken our time going through these chapters Chapter 14 verse 1 all the way through chapter 15 verse 13, which we will Lord willing end with today.

They all support this one single overarching thought and. The importance of this one overarching thought is seen simply by the amount of ink that the Apostle Paul has dedicated to this Singular idea though.

He's gone at it in different ways from different perspectives. Which is how I've tried to try to break up the preaching to you. But there's really this is one big thought. It's this. Get along. Get along with each other.

Not just to be happy not just to be sociable. Get along and get along with each other because God gets along with you. Because of Christ Jesus his son God gets along with us. So get along with each other.

The first three sermons we had all from chapter 14 tell us not to allow things that don't matter to matter. You recall the term that we introduced adiaphora. It's a an indifferent thing. It's something that doesn't have a great significance.

Don't allow these things that don't matter to matter. For them in Rome. It was food and days. This differentiation between those Christians in Rome who came from a strong Jewish faith and those who came from a Gentile background and That's how they divided up the weak and the strong as I tried to speak of a little bit this morning to kind of correct a misperception from previous sermons.

But the weak were the ones who held to the law as a necessity. The strong were the ones who knew their freedom in Christ. The weak conscience refused certain foods because they just couldn't quite step into this gift of Liberty that Christ gives us and the stronger ones Understood and lived in that freedom the weak set aside certain days probably from the Jewish calendar calendar most assuredly then the Sabbath while the strong saw them as having passed away because of Jesus Christ and his fulfillment of everything they stood for and What they stand for but him.

The strong felt no scruple for one day over and against another. Now in the first 13 verses of chapter 15 Which I just read to you Paul caps off his argument with this final buttress one which covers virtually any question of Why or how we as Christians do anything?

Why is that? It's because of Christ because of Christ Jesus because of the acceptance we have with God. By and through the work of Jesus Christ with our Savior's demeanor towards us as our template for ours with each other.

He actually says do more than just get along. He says that the Christian community is one that follows Jesus by doing all for each other's good. If we are a community of believers. This is Paul's summary point.

Do more than just get along but do good for each other. Build each other up speak words that edify speak words that draw people into that image of Christ Jesus. Who is our common and only? Savior. Do this for each other's good and upbuilding and here's the reason.

Because just that's what Jesus Christ did for us. If you're a believer in Jesus if you are a Christian, that's what he did for you. Therefore do it for others. If we together as our as a body of believers that's what Jesus Christ did for us to bring us together to draw us into his image to recreate our hearts and These are the kind of things that should inform us when we speak to each other we deal with each other.

This is what he's saying here. If we follow Jesus if we're truly his followers then follow him in this community. We call church by doing good for each other simply because Jesus Christ did good for us.

The imperative of this is in the first couple of verses. I'm gonna read him again. I'm gonna read them again. Not dem I read them again. We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

But rather verse 2 let us let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up. You hear the ring from Philippians of considering others needs is better than our own. This word obligation. It's a it's a word that is in fairly common use in the New Testament and it has a commercial sense to it.

Jesus used it many of his parables such as the unforgiving servant who when he was forgiven this enormous Obligation this enormous debt. He demanded that the obligation to him which was rather small you'll recall.

This obligation that was owed him and it was owed to him. He demanded it be paid. It was his right to collect and it was the others obligation to pay it. This word is also used in the ethical sense, which is how we have it here in Romans chapter 15.

John chapter 13 verse 14 Jesus Christ says that because he washed the disciples of the Apostles feet. Therefore we are obligated. That's this word. We have a duty to do the same for each other. Ephesians chapter 5 verse 28 speaks of a husband's duty to love his wife as Christ loved the church.

So this word is a very strong word in the commercial sense. The debt doesn't just go away the debt must be paid or forgiven. Of course as the parable goes very importantly. But it's a duty. It's something that must be satisfied.

And you see it translates very Transitions very easily into this ethical sense. Now Paul speaks of the weak then in Rome. The failings of the weak are very real. The weak conscience is one that is stymied in his growth into the image of Christ because it holds back.

It's like the kid who can't stand to go into those pickup baseball games because knowing he's not as good or as fast or as big as some of the other kids. He'd rather not participate because he knows he's gonna be chosen last if chosen at all.

And the weak conscience is like that kid. It doesn't want to step forward. It can't quite step into this image of Christ and all that inheres upon us in our life together. And that's the problem with the weak conscience not a lesser person and Paul never criticizes their faith.

But there's something in their growth in their building up towards Christ. This somehow stymied by this weak conscience. Paul never says. If they aren't weak he never says that their weaknesses don't lead to failings.

What he says though. He says to we who are strong. Not just liberal because we like the idea of having fewer rules if any at all. But having thought it through having studied it out in Scripture. We have a firm and a confident position.

And then having to do back then in Rome with days and with food and a few weeks ago. We had many examples that we could have here today in the church generally and in this church particularly the duty to the strong is to bear with the weak and Paul says we have an obligation this strong commercial word something that must be satisfied a debt that must be paid.

A Duty that must be executed. Unless we think we're allowed a begrudging or even a condescending tolerance of their infirmities. Verse 2 makes it a command. Rather than pleasing ourselves by trumpeting our superior maturity instead of that please your neighbor.

Of course when I said our spiritual maturity in the strong. Well, it's not really spiritual maturity at all. Is it not the way Paul says it here. It might be spiritual maturity. We might be growing into maturity and us together strong and weak together if we are working to please our neighbor work for his good.

Build him up, you know, my family used to have a vacation home up in northern, Oregon. About 80 miles south of Portland. It was four miles inland along the sleds River. It was beautiful and There was one rule for it.

We could all use it. We all had keys to it. There was only one rule. Leave it better than you found it. Whoever came next should find the window blinds dusted or the firewood resupplied. Maybe there'd be a house plant in one corner that warmed up that corner over there.

Maybe some kitchen tools so they could expand the menus you could cook leave it better than you found it. So with your brother or sister. So with your brother or sister that blood-bought brethren. Next to you behind you in front of you and your family so with them.

Leave him better than you found him. Jesus began the good work in him. God is going to bring it to completion and maybe you are the one who will bite be the means of that grace. That God intends to shower upon that person to build them up into Christ.

Maybe you strong one. Are that means of grace God is going to use? Leave them better than you found them. Leave them better. Maybe you will add that plant to the corner of the home that needed to be brightened up.

Maybe you will put another brick to fortify their foundation or another tool in their utility drawer. But if you're one of the strong. And you come upon one of these who has that weak conscience. It seems to hold them back.

Well, they just can't quite step forward into the ministry into the giftedness that God has them here for that. They can't quite break out of this this the shell that they're in and share with us what God gifted them for us.

Maybe you're that one and If you look at them as the my parents did that vacation home up in Oregon just follow this rule leave them better. Leave him built up leave them encouraged in the Jesus Christ into whose image.

We're all short of the strongest of the strong and The weakest of the weak are together both infinitely far from ultimate that ultimate image that is Jesus. Leave them better than you found them by approaching knowing this might be God's grace.

That his providence that brought you there to have this opportunity and approach them with humility. Knowing that no matter how strong we are or you are or how weak you are or I am. No matter we all have a long ways to go to get to Jesus Christ and we can both build one another up and There's a reason there's a because here in verses 3 and 4.

Christ Did Not Please Himself

Why do we do this? What is what is this great motivation we can have because for Christ? Did not please himself, but as it is written the reproaches of those who reproach you fell on me. He's our ultimate example in all things.

What I just quoted there what Paul quoted is from psalm 69 and It sums up the incarnation of Jesus Christ. It sums up the inestimable qualities of the man who was God in the flesh who came not to be served but to serve others.

He who deserves more than anyone ever did to be served in any way he demands. And yet this Jesus. This God in the flesh this eternal Son of God who came to bear our sins to serve us ultimately on the cross.

He didn't demand he be served. But he served others and that's exactly what Paul says here. Why are we to build one another up? Why are we to look for our neighbors good? What is this ultimate motivation because Jesus Christ?

When he came Did not work to please himself but others. Hebrews 3 13 13 uses this same word for reproach. Let us go outside the camp and bear the reproach that Jesus endured. Those reproaches that he endured that were to fall on us.

He took them upon himself and In no more profound way did he work not to please himself but to please others. And who did he please by this? But his father I've come to do your will is my delight to do your will as the author of Hebrews quotes from the psalm.

And did he not please us. Those whom the father gave him those who was God's predestined will that Jesus Christ should have us in him representing us as he went to the cross and Suffered for our sins and our reproach your sin my sin put upon him for this reason.

Work to the good of your neighbor. Get along. Because Jesus Christ the sinless one Gets along with us with you with me sinners all. So therefore Do not reproach each other. The whole purpose of the incarnations was so our reproach which is to say God's angered our sin will be borne by by him.

The book of Exodus tells of Moses and the elders sitting and eating before the Lord in that book chapter 24 verse 11 says that God did not lay a hand on them as 70 elders and Moses and Aaron's sinners all just like us here in this place sat in Fellowship gazing upon God as they ate together in peace and God did not lay his hand on them.

To not welcome one another is to reproach one another. It would be as if one of those elders there sitting before God Welcomed by the Almighty in their presence would say something to the other one sitting next to him something like well God seems quite willing to have you in his presence, and I'm very good being able to be there myself.

But I'm not real keen on having to be in your presence. I'm okay with God having you in his presence. I'm okay with me being there. I'm just not okay with us being together. It would be exactly like saying that There's a purpose to all this.

It's in verse 4 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. We might have hope. The hope of the strong one who up builds that weak one.

How does that build your hope. You see God working in that one not pride that he did something through me. Though we can praise God for that that he uses men and women with feet of clay to build each other up.

But doesn't that give us hope when we see people respond? to the doctrines of the faith. And we see people growing from a Lesser understanding to a greater understanding of what the scriptures say. Doesn't that give you hope when you see people coming up and being built up that way and then walking in those ways and Certainly the one who finally says I get it.

This strong brother this strong sister who really understands these things through patience through following Christ's example. By working for my good as his or her neighbor. Has built me up and shown me a better way in just as one Slice of the Christian life.

And doesn't that give them hope. And then we don't don't we both fulfill. Whether it says that the scriptures say we might have hope. So Paul's using this for how we build each other up how we help one another how we encourage one another.

What does this verse say that says that scripture is for us today. We dare not Divide our testaments and say well, I'm only in a New Testament. I don't need the Old Testament. These things were written for our instructions for us today.

It's inclusive. He says whatever was written the whole thing from Genesis all the way to a few years after Paul's execution by Nero to revolution it revelation written for our instruction. And he also says something very important here and this is why I had Dale read to you from Luke chapter 24.

Because the whole scripture is Christ focused. It's all centered on him it all shows us Jesus Christ in his coming in his work in his ascension in his return. It's all about him. That's the example. We have everything that was written is for our instruction.

For us to know how to do these things that Paul would have us to do here. To build one another up to work for the good of each other as neighbors. In the scripture that Dale read Jesus says exactly this.

What Paul says in Romans 15 what I'm trying to bring to you this morning that the scriptures are there they're about Jesus Christ. They bring hope because it's a divine message. Christ is our unity. This verse is five and six.

Christ Our Unity in the Scriptures

It's kind of a doxology here. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus. The encouragement the Endurance that is necessary to do God's bidding are from where?

They are from God himself. His nature is what we must what was must permeate this place. It comes from him. It's embedded throughout his word so that Former days has current application here so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the cause he is the reason he is everything that brings us unity the more we agree with God about Jesus. The more we agree with each other about each other really. But the more we agree with what God says in his scripture about his son Jesus Christ our Savior the more we agree with that.

The more we're in agreement with God and the more we then agree with each other and the better Foundation we have for building each other up for working to the good of each other as neighbors. What is the response to this?

Is it simply God has accepted you. God has accepted them verse 7 therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God the fulfillment of God's Promises in Christ it means something.

That God from the time of Genesis all the way to the end in Jesus Christ return. Everything that God promises us in Christ Jesus his son. It means something and if it doesn't mean that we can live together in harmony because God above lives in harmony with us.

Then I'd have to ask what does it mean? We understand and we believe by faith in this place that when we come together by faith in Christ Jesus God's son to together worship him that God by his spirit is with us.

We speak and we pray often of the enormous the incredible privilege. We have to be in God's very presence right now, and he's not laying a hand on us. Though our feeder of clay. Though we sin constantly.

Though our what holiness we have is Incalculably small compared to what God actually is it doesn't even bear any kind of comparison knowing all that. And he's not laying a hand on us. It has to mean something that Christ Jesus His son our Savior is one who brings that to us the one who gives us this privilege it means something welcome one another the way God welcomed the 70 elders back in Exodus and Laid not a hand on one of them the way now this moment God has us in his presence and Seems not to be laying a hand on us because he's pleased with us.

He's pleased with you. He's pleased with me us as a body because of Christ Jesus his son therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God as God has accepted us or because of that therefore accept each other.

It's a begrudging acceptance it's a resisting acceptance only if That's the way God accepts you or me. And so if you have this attitude towards another and it's a brother or sister in the Lord. I would have to say You may be that you may be resistant to them.

You may dislike them even be begrudging about your presence or your acceptance of them. That's all fine if Important if if you can show me from the scripture That that's the way God has accepted you or anyone else who claims faith in Christ Jesus.

Which of course cannot be done. It says in the book of Ephesians chapter 1 that because of Jesus Christ We are accepted by God accepted in the beloved loved by God the Father because God the Son loves us Redeemed by him because God the Father placed us in the Son to be redeemed and so Accepted and able to stand in his presence without fear or trembling knowing God will not lay a hand.

Do this because God has accepted you and Do this. The same way he's accepted that limp noodle-brained weak conscience brother over there. The one who can't get with the program of liberty from rules Know that he has accepted that stronger one over there who by the strength of their intellect intellect and the sheer incisiveness of their biblical Insights lives in Liberty all of us together.

Accepted by God is so important therefore accept one another and Earlier Paul made it clear that not just accept one another we are neighbors together. We are close. We are intimate. We are bound together By our common faith in our one Savior verses 8 to 13.

Christ the Servant to Jew and Gentile

Where most of the Old Testament references are from the Apostles pen? It really gives us the basis for this Christ became our servant. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy as It is written to support all this as it is written.

Therefore. I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name. That's from Psalm 18 verse 49. You might want to turn there actually turn to Psalm 18 verse 49. If you use in the black pew Bible, that's page 456 I'll start at verse 46 as the Lord lives and Blessed be my rock.

Excuse me. The Lord lives and blessed be my rock and exalted be the God of my salvation. The God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me who delivered me from my enemies. Yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me.

You rescued me from the man of violence for this I will praise you O Lord among the nations and sing to your name great salvation. He brings to his king and shows steadfast love to his anointed to David and his offspring forever.

Of course David Israel's poet is the author of this psalm and David is the typological forerunner of Christ Jesus. He represents God's intention that all nations should be subdued ultimately under Jesus Christ.

And David here he gives this the psalm of victory this warriors cry of success. He fulfilled God's design of the nations being subdued under him. And how did he do that? By the sword and ultimately Nations are subdued under the ultimate king son of David, which is Jesus and if David subdued them by the sword Jesus by the cross and the faith he's given us to believe in that cross.

It's a warriors psalm. Verse 10 from Romans again rejoice. Oh Gentiles with his people. That's Deuteronomy 32 43. I'll take a look there. That's on page 39 in the Blackpoo Bible and this is the end of Moses's song one of the last things he said to Israel before he died and Israel went without him into the promised land.

This is Deuteronomy 32 page 175 in your pew Bible. I'll start at verse 39 again. See now that I even I am he this is God speaking. I am he and there is no God beside me. I Kill and I make alive. I wound and I heal and there is none that I can deliver out of my hand for I lift Up my hand to heaven and swear as I live forever.

If I sharpen my flashing sword my hand takes hold on judgment. I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood and my sword shall devour flesh with the blood of the slain and the captives captives from the long-haired heads of the enemy and.

And now the verse that Paul quotes in Romans 15 Rejoice with him O heavens bow down it bow down to him all gods. For he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people's land.

Now when Paul quotes this he uses Gentiles in a place of heavens he says rejoice with him O heavens as Moses's word and Paul says rejoice with him O Gentiles. Which if you study it out in some detail, you'll find out that's more likely actually the Hebrew original O Gentiles and Paul's not proof texting here just to convince us to get along.

He's placing these texts before us in their original context to show us God's will remember that these things I'm reading to you these Old Testament passages written for our instruction that we might have encouragement and hope and Endurance from the scripture.

He's supporting this idea of Working towards each other's good towards being neighbors with each other. Serving one another because Christ Jesus served us. Remember that that is what these passages from the Old Testament is supporting and again Praise the Lord back to Romans for a moment.

Praise the Lord all you Gentiles and let all the peoples extol him. For great is his steadfast love for us and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord. That's psalm 117. That's the full psalm.

Just those two verses God's unchanging Love his steady faithfulness to his own word are cause enough for anyone to praise him. Paul goes on and again Isaiah says the root of Jesse will come even he who rises to rule the Gentiles in him will the Gentiles hope.

That's part of what Dale read to you from Isaiah chapter 11. Matthew 12 21 quotes this thing Gentiles will have hope. Gentile participation in Christ. Which is the only basis for truly praising God because we are participating in Christ.

It comes as a result of the person and the work of that root of Jesse. Who is Christ Jesus? These warrior Psalms That I've read to you from Psalm 18. From the end of Deuteronomy 32 of Moses's song are reminding the reader.

They're reminding them back then and us today. That God gave victory to his servants. That God gave victory to Israel under Moses's leadership. So Moses ends with this warrior song reminding the people of those who were subdued under them.

Psalm 18 Supporting that we must be neighbors with each other supporting that we must follow Christ's example of servanthood to each other building one another up and That Psalm to support that premise to support that imperative to us today reminds us That King David subdued those Gentiles under him.

And can read about that all throughout 2nd Samuel and and all the victories that he had. Is that not the basis? Is that not a great basis of foundation for us to obey the Apostles command and Treat one another as neighbors and work to our neighbors good because Christ Jesus did and Christ Jesus the ultimate fulfillment the one that Moses's song in Deuteronomy 32 and David's victories extolled in Psalm 18 .2.

Because Christ Jesus won the victory. Because under Christ Jesus all peoples are subdued and not by the sword. Not by massive armies. Not by David's good leadership, and he must have been a fantastic general, but by the Lord of hosts Yahweh Tzva 'ot the martial God leading his armies out and Giving them victory to point forward to an ultimate victory, which is the cross and under the cross all are subdued.

Have you been subdued by that cross? Do you know Christ Jesus? By subdued I mean has your sit has your pride been crushed by the cross has your sin been exposed. If you claim Christ Jesus I tell you That you must have been subdued by that cross that you are part of that victory train of the end of Deuteronomy 32 and What David extols to God for the great victories?

You come in that victory parade as part of Jesus Christ's spoil of those He is subdued under him from all nations from all kindred from all tongues. This is why I believe the Apostle Paul quotes these psalms.

Warrior psalms. Psalms reminding us of God's victories. Psalms reminding us that men with feet of clay men with spirit like ours Moses David won these great victories. Not just to gain the land though they gained the land not just to secure borders though David did that but most importantly To make them back then when they read these things to yearn For the ultimate victory in Christ Jesus and for us today.

These things written for our instruction that we might have the encouragement and hope of the scriptures being able to look and say yes God did in time and space give these victories. That we might look to the cross and know that those were just a smattering.

Just a the slightest hint of this ultimate victory of Jesus Christ on the cross. So because of these things because of the victory God gives because of you being subdued by the ultimate victory of Jesus Christ that he won on the cross.

Accept one another. Build one another up. Know each other as neighbors. Be with one another the way Christ Jesus was with you. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Hope, Joy, and Peace by the Power of the Holy Spirit

Paul ends this way he implies that everything he wrote starting at verse 1 maybe just verses 7 through 13. But maybe all the way back to verse 1 that it all ties to this one grand purpose. That we would have joy and peace and believing and that us together by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and among us we might have the hope that the scriptures give us as we look back to what they pointed to and.

Then we look even a little closer to the cross and what they fulfilled for us. That would then mean that living together and for mutual up building in accordance with the Old Testament writings. And his references are from the law from the prophets and from the Psalms and that clearly Ties with Jesus's statement that Dale read to you from the end of Luke his gospel.

That they should act as a confirmation of our faith. They should fill us with joy and peace. Make and make more obvious and real the presence and working of God here in this place by his Holy Spirit. Hope is found in the way.

We treat one another as he lays out here for us and most especially. Do we find hope as we for each other? Imitate Christ. What's the purpose of the Old Testament? I mean a perfectly correct answer is to show us Jesus Christ.

These are they which speak of me said our Lord. There's another purpose to it all and this is no less about him. It has to do with our life together as believers in Christ Jesus. The Old Testament references from each of the major portions they support Paul's premise.

That they showed us Christ would be a servant. The Son of Man who came to serve and not be served. The parable about the workers and the master who serves the table. Do you remember that when Jesus said he will ungird himself and he will serve us when we're at that banquet.

Foot-washing where he says now you have an obligation for that towards each other. And Paul brings all this together and Said this is what were to be for one another. Douglas Moo Has a quote that I would give you and we will close with this.

He says only when Jew and Gentile Rejoice together in the common. Hope will they be able to praise God as he wants to be praised? With the United Hearts and voices of a community of believers a community of believers that in Imitation of Christ Jesus our Lord serve one another as neighbors and do all for each other's good and upbuilding.

Which is no less than what Christ Jesus did for you if you believe in him for myself and for all of us together and may we By living out what Paul gives us in Romans 15 1 through 13 and all the rest of this book that we've been going through.

May he give us encouragement as We follow his scripture. May he give us endurance. As times are hard sometimes. And we need to struggle through. We need to press on. We need to put that foot in front of the other and all by The power of his spirit and surrender to him and all of this in Imitation of Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen. Heavenly Father we do. Thank you for the day that you've given us and there's word that we have. And we pray I pray Lord that we would together be this body that treats one another even as Christ Jesus treated us that we do all for one another's good and for the upbuilding of Everyone into the image of him who bought us at the cross.

Christ Jesus and none other. We pray in his name. Amen.