Our Changed Relationship to the Weak – Part 3 Our Changed Relationship to the Weak in Faith – Part 3 Romans II Series [24] Romans 15:1-7

RECAP & OVERVIEW: ROMANS 14:1-15:13 WHO: The Weak & the Strong in Faith  Weakness referred not to their spiritual maturity of faith but to their weak conscience of faith concerning Christian liberty in eating meat or keeping Sabbath.  Paul addressed his exhortation primarily to the strong in faith. Why? The strong in faith were free to do both so they can to adjust themselves to the weak—but not the other way around.

RECAP & OVERVIEW: ROMANS 14:1-15:13 WHAT/WHY: Four principles [not rules/laws] to be applied in disputes on these non-essentials  Principle #1 [Christ’s Lordship] Accept one another without judging others (14:1-12).  Principle #2 [Kingdom of God] Build one another without stumbling others (14:13-23).  Principle #3 [Christ’s Example of Love] Please your neighbor in love [15:1-7).  Principle #4 [Christ’s Example of Acceptance] Rejoice with one another in God’s plan (15:8-13).

HOW SHOULD WE FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE OF LOVE? 1)Bear the failings of the weak, being considerate of their weaknesses. We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. (v.1)

HOW SHOULD WE FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE OF LOVE? 1)Bear the failings of the weak, being considerate of their weaknesses.  Bear [bastazo] = carry a weight/burden  It does NOT mean: Grudgingly tolerate the weaknesses of the weak in faith.  It means: Gladly relinquish your rights to carry the burdens of the weak in love. Why? Christ has done the very thing for us! We who have strong faith ought to shoulder the burden of the doubts and qualms of others, and not just to go our own sweet way. Rom 15:1 [J. B. Phillips]

HOW SHOULD WE FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE OF LOVE? 2)Please your neighbor in love to build him up. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 ForChrist did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me. (vs. 2-3)

HOW SHOULD WE FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE OF LOVE? 2)Please your neighbor, for his own good, to build him up.  To “please” does NOT mean: appeasing others, pleasing people as a motive, or needing to be needed—in all these, the focus is still on self.  To “please” means: to shift from self-centeredness & self- serving to other-centeredness & serving others; it is to choose to live a life of JOY—Jesus, Others, Yourself.  We are to please the neighbor not ourselves, but for his own good, aiming to build him up.  In this context, it requires choosing to give up our rights to please the weak in the faith seeking for his good, so that we would strengthen and build his faith. Why? This is how Christ lived—we are to follow Christ’s example!

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 1 Corinthians 9:22

HOW SHOULD WE FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE OF LOVE? 3)Have hope through Scripture’s instruction in following Christ’s example. 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. (v.4)

HOW SHOULD WE FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE OF LOVE? 3)Have hope through Scripture’s instruction in following Christ’s example.  Living the Jesus way is not easy—it requires self-denial and putting others first even when it is difficult.  Three ways in which Scripture help us in following Christ’s example: [1] All the scriptures are for our instruction; [2] they give us endurance and encouragement; [3] they give us a sustaining hope even in hard times.  This is the work of God through Scripture—to hope in God requires a change in the way we think and see the reality and future, which is the outlook and attitude of faith.

HOW SHOULD WE FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE OF LOVE? 4)Welcome one another for the glory of God. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (vs. 5-7)

HOW SHOULD WE FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE OF LOVE? 4)Welcome one another for the glory of God.  Why should we welcome and accept one another in spite of differences that require our self-denial and love? Ultimately, Christ’s example is to bring glory to God.  As we are guided by Scripture, we are to pay attention to two things: [1] praying together for God’s glory among us, and [2] praising & glorifying to God together.  This must be our ultimate goal, our supreme passion in life as well as in our relationships to the weak—to taste, savor, and show the glory of God!

A Radically Serious God-Centered Passion Almost everything in American culture threatens this radically serious, God-centered passion to see and savor and show the glory—the greatness and beauty and worth of the full range of his perfections, his eternal being and unchanging character, his independence and self-sufficiency and holiness, his infinite power and wisdom and goodness and justice and wrath and mercy and patience and grace and love. Almost everything in American culture threatens to make our devotion and our services and our mind and our heart shallow and casual and chatty and—our most favorite blessing of choice—fun. I plead with you to pray with me that God stagger us with a proper sense of his greatness, and to that end that he would give us what Paul calls a “spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him” (Ephesians 1:17). Oh, how we need to know God and to feel something of the wonder of his glory. Pray with Moses in Exodus 33:18, “Show me your glory.” - John Piper

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE 1.Follow Christ’s example to BE NOT SELF-CENTERED BUT OTHER-CENTERED.  Bear the weaknesses of the weak in faith.  Use your strength as opportunity for service not status. 2. Draw your hope from SCRIPTURE-GUIDED LIVING.  Be encouraged to follow Christ’s example from Scripture.  Develop endurance in practicing self-denial and love. 3. Cultivate A RADICALLY SERIOUS GOD-CENTERED PASSION for God’s glory as your ultimate goal in accepting others.  Pursue a passionate harmony to bring glory to God.  Devote yourself to prayer in order to kindle this passion.