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This is a sermon on Romans 15:1-13 that is part of a series of messages on the book of Romans. Paul urges his readers to understand the attitudes of Jesus and copy them.
Written Excerpts:
Introduction:
We are getting close to the end of our series of messages on the book
of Romans. Today we will finish up the main body of his letter, then the
remainder of our messages (maybe 2 more) will focus on Paul’s closing remarks.
We have been talking about looking out for the welfare and the good of
others in the body of Christ who may be at a different level of spiritual
development than what we are.
The title I have chosen for today’s message, “To Be Like Jesus” you
might recognize as the title of a chorus from many years ago. I have used it
because of the references in today’s text that speak of the attitudes Jesus
displayed in His life.
It seems to me that every true Christian should be concerned about
living in a way that is patterned after the life of Christ.
ills. – “When the wife of missionary Adoniram Judson told him that a
newspaper article likened him to some of the apostles, Judson replied, ‘I do
not want to be like Paul… or any mere man. I want to be like Christ… I want to
follow Him only, copy His teachings, drink in His Spirit, and place my feet in
His footprints… Oh, to be more like Christ!’” (www.sermonillustrations.com)
If you have picked up one of the outlines I have made, you will notice
that we are starting today’s message at lower case (iii) which is part of the
main point “F” at the top of the page.
We’ve already talked about i & ii, which covered chapter 14. Today
we are looking at the first 13 verses of chapter 15.
iii. Those who are mature live in community with others. (15:1-13)
What does it mean to live in community?
Well, we understand that “no man is an island to himself.” The NT does
not portray a Christian faith that is to be lived in isolation. (It can be
lived in isolation, if that is the unavoidable circumstances a person find
himself in, but…)
Christians are meant to live in the context of fellowship and mutual
edification as they grow in their understanding of salvation and in the
practical application of it in their daily lives.
It is so much easier for believers to conceive of all kinds of wild,
heretical ideas when we “go it alone.” We need the fellowship and the
accountability of other believers to help us stay in the right path.
It seems that Paul is wrapping up his admonitions about the weak and
strong believers, by explaining how they should live in community with one
another.
a. Community
living includes living like Jesus. (1-6)
As I already stated a few minutes ago, it seems like everyone would be
able to agree that all Christians should model their lives after Jesus Christ.
But, what does that involve? Well Paul gives us a few guidelines in
verses 1-6.
1. Demonstrate patience like Jesus. (1)
“bear” – carry a burden.
Wuest's Word Studies – When
an informed believer foregoes an action which he knows is right, but which a
weaker Christian thinks to be wrong, and does it for the sake of not offending
that weaker Christian, he curtails his own freedom of action, denies himself something that is
legitimately his, and this is a burden to him.
Not pleasing self can prove to be a “burden to bear” for some people,
and bearing burdens requires patience or endurance.
So, if we want to be like Jesus, Paul implies that we need to be
willing to bear the burden of voluntarily denying some of our own desires in
order to improve the success of weaker Christians.
2. Minister to needs like Jesus. (2)
“please…for good…to
edification” – Notice here that
Paul did not just give a blanket statement that we should all try to please our
neighbor. No, he qualifies the command by saying, “leading to edification.”
All our attempts to please and accommodate the weaker brother or sister
should be with the purpose of promoting their “good” and to “edify” or build
them up in the faith, not to perpetuate their immaturity or their weaknesses in
faith.
The point is that there are plenty of things we can do for one another
to build each other up, and we should take every opportunity to do so.
3. Sacrifice self like Jesus. (3-5)
“even Christ did not please
Himself” (v. 3)
“be like-minded…according to
Christ Jesus” (v.5)
The life of Christ is a story of self-sacrifice and suffering for the
benefit of others. If the Son of God can give up what He gave up and if He can
endure what He endured, then by all means, Christians should be able to maintain
that same attitude in their interactions with each other.
When we read about the experiences of Christ and the purposes of God in
the Scriptures, they inspire patience, comfort and hope in us.
The same God who authored those scriptures is the One who enables us to
be like Jesus.
4. Glorify God like Jesus. (6)
“that you may…glorify the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Here in v. 6 and again in vv. 7, 9, the emphasis is on giving or bringing
glory to God.
The wording in these verses is in the form of a prayer that this would
be accomplished in their lives. Paul is praying for all of them to display the
same kind of attitudes as Jesus, so God will receive the glory.
b. Community living includes breaking down barriers. (7-13)
I have described verses 7-13 as pertaining to the breaking down of
barriers because of the repeated references to Jews and Gentiles in these
verses.
There are hardly any barriers that were more pronounced than the one
between Jew and Gentile. The “walls” erected in the OT to protect the “Word
committed to the fathers” from being mixed with paganism, are now eliminated
for the salvation of the Gentiles.
There are at least two main reasons for breaking down barriers.
1. Removing
barriers glorifies God. (7)
“Christ received us… to the glory of God;” “that the Gentiles might
glorify God”
There is no greater barrier between persons than the gulf that
separated humanity from God. If Christ was willing to span the gulf that
existed between us and God to save us for the glory of God, then surely
Christians that have different beliefs and different levels of maturity can
overcome the barriers that separate them.
When we do this, the implication is that it will bring glory to God,
just like it did when Jesus received us.
Here is another reference to the fact that bringing glory to God is not
only the primary goal of Jesus Christ, but it is to be our primary objective as
well.
2. Removing
barriers unites Jews and Gentiles. (8-13)
Paul uses the example of Jesus again to emphasize that He provided
blessings to both Jews and Gentiles.
He blessed the Jews by confirming the truth of God in the promises made
to the patriarchs and ancestors. (v. 8)
He blessed the Gentiles by fulfilling the promises so that the
salvation promised would be passed on to the Gentiles as well, and they too
would glorify God for His mercy.
By giving these quotes from the OT, Paul is showing that God intended
all along to include the Gentiles in redemption.
References to Jews and Gentiles represent the distinctions between the
weak and the strong. The Jewish Christians were generally weak, because of
trying to live the gospel in the “garment” of the law. The Gentiles on the
other hand, were considered the “strong” ones because they lived out their
faith in freedom; not ever having been bound by the law, which they did not
know.
This principle of removing the barriers between Jew and Gentile is
emphasized in Ephesians 2:14-16 (NKJV).
14 For He Himself is our
peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of
separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that
is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create
in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and
that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby
putting to death the enmity.
Conclusion:
The burden on Paul’s heart is for the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome
Whether one is weak or strong; Jew or Gentile; or defined by any other
distinction, all those who have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ should
be helping one another to grow in faith and in their understanding of the
Christian life as taught in Scripture.
I didn’t plan on singing a closing song for today, but I would like to
read the words of the chorus that I mentioned at the beginning of the sermon.
To Be Like Jesus (# 565)
To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus!
My desire – to be like Him!
All thro’ life’s journey from earth to glory,
My desire – to be like Him!
To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus!
How I long to be like Him!
So meek and lowly, so pure and holy;
How I long to be like Him!
The bottom line is this: If we want to be like Jesus, we will always be
concerned about the welfare of others; not just about ourselves.
“On a wall near the main
entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio ,
Texas
‘James Butler Bonham – no picture of him exists. This portrait is of
his nephew, Maj. James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle. It is
place here by the family that people may know the appearance of the man who
dies for freedom.’
“No literal portrait of
Jesus exists either. But the likeness of the One who died for our freedom can
be seen in the lives of true followers.”(www.sermonillustrations.com)To view the next sermon in this series, click here.
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