WEBVTT 00:00:01.449 --> 00:00:04.230 An assembly where fellow pilgrims meet for worship, 00:00:04.450 --> 00:00:09.449 instruction, and fellowship. An oasis in the 00:00:09.449 --> 00:00:13.109 desert of the world's pressures. That's what 00:00:13.109 --> 00:00:16.949 God intends for the local church to be. And he 00:00:16.949 --> 00:00:19.309 intends for one of the chief joys of the local 00:00:19.309 --> 00:00:23.329 church to be its unity of heart and its purpose. 00:00:25.129 --> 00:00:27.910 But as we have been discussing in the last several 00:00:27.910 --> 00:00:32.030 weeks, that unity can be easily fractured and 00:00:32.030 --> 00:00:37.549 the joy stolen from a local church. This unity 00:00:37.549 --> 00:00:40.170 develops within a church when believers become 00:00:40.170 --> 00:00:46.090 carnal and independent. That state is quickly 00:00:46.090 --> 00:00:51.549 exposed when issues which fall into the gray 00:00:51.549 --> 00:00:56.979 zone are focused upon. I have said before, and 00:00:56.979 --> 00:00:59.640 I repeat it, that there are more churches that 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:05.739 split over non -essentials and differences over 00:01:05.739 --> 00:01:10.280 legitimate gray issues than over the major doctrines. 00:01:11.739 --> 00:01:16.159 You say, what is a gray issue? A gray issue is 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:20.599 one in which there is no clear, properly interpreted 00:01:20.599 --> 00:01:25.680 Bible passage which says right or wrong. regarding 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:29.620 that issue. In other words, it is a legitimate, 00:01:29.739 --> 00:01:35.540 disputable issue where the Bible is not clear 00:01:35.540 --> 00:01:40.640 as to what is yes or no, right or wrong. And 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:45.379 there are those issues in every church. Unity 00:01:45.379 --> 00:01:51.060 can be achieved in a local church and preserved. 00:01:52.459 --> 00:01:56.299 if God's people will practice three principles 00:01:56.299 --> 00:01:59.760 that we've been studying in Romans chapters 14 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:04.680 and 15. The first principle is found in Romans 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:09.219 chapter 14, verses 1 through 12. That principle 00:02:09.219 --> 00:02:14.319 is simply accept one another. To the strong, 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:18.400 the apostle says, quit despising those who are 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:22.669 weak of conscience. And to the weak, he says, 00:02:22.789 --> 00:02:26.169 stop judging those who have a stronger conscience 00:02:26.169 --> 00:02:32.030 about these gray issues than you have. So quit 00:02:32.030 --> 00:02:35.729 judging one another is really what he says several 00:02:35.729 --> 00:02:39.129 times in that part of the chapter. That brings 00:02:39.129 --> 00:02:41.789 to mind a question. Is it ever appropriate to 00:02:41.789 --> 00:02:46.569 judge another person? Well, someone says, Jesus 00:02:46.569 --> 00:02:49.650 says, judge not that you be not judged, doesn't 00:02:49.650 --> 00:02:53.090 he? Yes, he does say that. I'd like you to turn 00:02:53.090 --> 00:02:55.389 to that passage in Matthew chapter 7 and look 00:02:55.389 --> 00:03:06.129 at it with me. Matthew 7, verse 1. This is in 00:03:06.129 --> 00:03:08.389 the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus says, Do not 00:03:08.389 --> 00:03:11.889 judge, lest you be judged. For in the way you 00:03:11.889 --> 00:03:14.789 judge, you will be judged, and by your standard 00:03:14.789 --> 00:03:18.689 of measure it will be measured to you. And why 00:03:18.689 --> 00:03:21.569 do you look at the speck? that is in your brother's 00:03:21.569 --> 00:03:25.610 eye. But do not notice the log that is in your 00:03:25.610 --> 00:03:28.930 own eye. Or how can you say to your brother, 00:03:29.009 --> 00:03:31.370 let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, 00:03:31.530 --> 00:03:35.409 the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite. First, 00:03:35.490 --> 00:03:38.689 take the log out of your own eye, and then you 00:03:38.689 --> 00:03:40.930 will see clearly to take the speck out of your 00:03:40.930 --> 00:03:45.150 brother's eye. And so our Lord is not saying 00:03:45.150 --> 00:03:49.740 that it's always wrong to judge. But he's telling 00:03:49.740 --> 00:03:53.680 us how we are to do that. First, we are to examine 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:56.840 ourselves before we make judgment on another. 00:03:57.939 --> 00:04:00.460 And if we need to take corrective steps in our 00:04:00.460 --> 00:04:05.419 own life, we are to do that. But after examining 00:04:05.419 --> 00:04:08.259 ourselves, we then are able to see the brother's 00:04:08.259 --> 00:04:11.800 need more clearly, and we are able to judge him. 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:16.740 But why do we judge him? Not to condemn him. 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:21.170 Please notice that. We judge him to help him. 00:04:23.110 --> 00:04:26.029 Jesus said, take that speck out of your brother's 00:04:26.029 --> 00:04:28.389 eye. He's got a problem. He can't see very well. 00:04:28.410 --> 00:04:32.290 He keeps winking and blinking. So get his eye 00:04:32.290 --> 00:04:35.329 open. Look in there after you've gotten the log 00:04:35.329 --> 00:04:39.129 out of your own eye and take that speck out for 00:04:39.129 --> 00:04:44.410 his good to help him. So Jesus is not saying 00:04:44.410 --> 00:04:47.839 here that it's always wrong to judge. There are 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:51.259 times, in fact, when we must judge another person 00:04:51.259 --> 00:04:55.720 if we're going to be obedient to God. I'll give 00:04:55.720 --> 00:04:58.699 you an example or two of that. In the first place, 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:02.560 in Romans chapter 16, verse 17, we are told that 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:06.540 we must watch out for a divisive person. If you 00:05:06.540 --> 00:05:07.800 want to go back there and look at it, that's 00:05:07.800 --> 00:05:12.639 fine. We can do that. Romans 16, verse 17, I 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:16.300 urge you, brethren, Keep your eye on those who 00:05:16.300 --> 00:05:20.740 cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to 00:05:20.740 --> 00:05:23.019 the teaching which you learned and turn away 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:26.480 from them. Now if I'm going to recognize them 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:29.339 and keep my eye on them and turn away from them, 00:05:29.420 --> 00:05:33.319 then I am in doing that judging them. You see. 00:05:34.990 --> 00:05:37.649 If I just try to push everything under the rug 00:05:37.649 --> 00:05:40.509 and ignore it and pretend it's not there, I'm 00:05:40.509 --> 00:05:42.949 not only disobedient to what God tells me to 00:05:42.949 --> 00:05:45.209 do here, but I'm creating a problem later down 00:05:45.209 --> 00:05:48.750 the road that's going to come up. So I am to 00:05:48.750 --> 00:05:54.589 judge what a divisive person is, and I'm to keep 00:05:54.589 --> 00:05:57.129 my eye on him and stay away from him. He's a 00:05:57.129 --> 00:06:02.129 troublemaker. We're also warned in 1 Corinthians 00:06:02.129 --> 00:06:06.009 chapter 5, to judge an unrepentant professor. 00:06:06.750 --> 00:06:10.769 I don't mean a college professor. They are rather 00:06:10.769 --> 00:06:14.470 unrepentant though, aren't they? I'm talking 00:06:14.470 --> 00:06:20.189 about one who professes to be a Christian. An 00:06:20.189 --> 00:06:24.110 unrepentant, professing Christian who's living 00:06:24.110 --> 00:06:29.490 in sin is one who is to be carefully judged. 00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:34.360 by the church, and if necessary, even put out 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:38.259 of the fellowship of the church. So there is 00:06:38.259 --> 00:06:41.439 a proper judgment to make when there is an unrepentant, 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:45.259 professing Christian, one who is involved in 00:06:45.259 --> 00:06:48.759 a public sin and will not give it up. Galatians 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:51.360 6 .1 commands me, if any man be overtaken in 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:53.819 a fault, you who are spiritual, restore him, 00:06:54.019 --> 00:06:57.500 considering yourself first, and do it with meekness 00:06:57.500 --> 00:07:01.480 and fear. And so I am to know when a brother 00:07:01.480 --> 00:07:03.680 is overtaken in a fault. I am not to pretend 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:07.079 he's not in a fault, that he's not been overtaken 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:10.079 by his sin. I am to see that he is and make that 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:14.920 judgment. And then considering myself first, 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:18.259 I am to go to him in a humble attitude and seek 00:07:18.259 --> 00:07:23.100 to help him recover himself from his sin. So 00:07:23.100 --> 00:07:26.730 there is a proper time to judge. Another one 00:07:26.730 --> 00:07:29.970 involves false teaching, 2 John chapter 10, Titus 00:07:29.970 --> 00:07:33.730 1, verses 9 to 14. We are to watch out for those 00:07:33.730 --> 00:07:36.990 that teach contrary to the word of God. We are 00:07:36.990 --> 00:07:41.529 to make a judgment about them and to rebuke them 00:07:41.529 --> 00:07:44.110 and expose them openly so that God's people are 00:07:44.110 --> 00:07:48.889 not led astray. So don't ever get into the mindset 00:07:48.889 --> 00:07:51.569 that it's always wrong to judge. That is not 00:07:51.569 --> 00:07:57.319 true. But when we do judge, we are to do it with 00:07:57.319 --> 00:07:59.540 a right motive, having checked ourselves first, 00:07:59.620 --> 00:08:02.879 and do it for the good of the other person, the 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:06.579 good of God's people, and not to condemn and 00:08:06.579 --> 00:08:11.939 to criticize and to be censorious. And when we 00:08:11.939 --> 00:08:15.560 come to this matter of gray issues, where the 00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:17.959 Bible is not clear as to what is right and wrong, 00:08:18.220 --> 00:08:22.339 where something is not clearly labeled a sin, 00:08:25.319 --> 00:08:28.420 then we are not to judge one another. That is 00:08:28.420 --> 00:08:31.319 an area where judgment is not to be carried out. 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:36.139 If it's sin, if it's false teaching and so on, 00:08:36.179 --> 00:08:39.279 that is to be judged. But if it's one of these 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:42.919 areas where the Bible is unspecific, we are not 00:08:42.919 --> 00:08:45.799 to judge one another. Rather, we are to accept 00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:49.080 one another, to welcome one another, to embrace 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:52.980 one another. If you and I will learn to do that, 00:08:53.740 --> 00:08:56.600 then we will be preserving unity in our fellowship. 00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:01.740 And then in verses 13 to 23, he says we are to 00:09:01.740 --> 00:09:03.539 build up one another. That's principle number 00:09:03.539 --> 00:09:08.299 two we're to follow. Essentially, he says we 00:09:08.299 --> 00:09:13.279 are never to destroy another believer by insisting 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:18.960 on our own rights. We may feel a freedom of conscience 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:27.129 to do certain things. For example, And we may 00:09:27.129 --> 00:09:32.409 know that it's okay to do that. But we have to 00:09:32.409 --> 00:09:34.590 remember that there are brothers who don't know 00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:36.669 that it's okay. Take that into consideration. 00:09:37.549 --> 00:09:40.149 And that love and concern for my brother will 00:09:40.149 --> 00:09:44.009 cause me to restrict myself. Because my concern 00:09:44.009 --> 00:09:47.210 is I don't want to make him stumble. I don't 00:09:47.210 --> 00:09:50.470 want to tear him down. I want to build him up. 00:09:51.590 --> 00:09:55.570 And so in love, I do what is necessary. with 00:09:55.570 --> 00:09:58.889 my own freedoms and rights, so that he is not 00:09:58.889 --> 00:10:04.370 harmed, but rather is edified. We come now to 00:10:04.370 --> 00:10:06.470 the third of the principles, and it's found in 00:10:06.470 --> 00:10:10.509 chapter 15, verses 1 through 13. And by the way, 00:10:10.529 --> 00:10:13.190 you will notice, as I read through this text, 00:10:13.289 --> 00:10:15.490 that the first two principles are reiterated 00:10:15.490 --> 00:10:18.350 in the text that we're going to read. You'll 00:10:18.350 --> 00:10:21.669 see them there if you look closely. Now we who 00:10:21.669 --> 00:10:26.370 are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those 00:10:26.370 --> 00:10:30.110 without strength and not just please ourselves. 00:10:31.409 --> 00:10:35.009 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good 00:10:35.009 --> 00:10:38.690 to his edification. For even Christ did not please 00:10:38.690 --> 00:10:42.009 himself, but as it is written, the reproaches 00:10:42.009 --> 00:10:46.250 of those who reproached thee fell upon me. For 00:10:46.250 --> 00:10:49.190 whatever was written in earlier times, was written 00:10:49.190 --> 00:10:53.289 for our instruction, that through perseverance 00:10:53.289 --> 00:10:56.370 and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might 00:10:56.370 --> 00:11:00.509 have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance 00:11:00.509 --> 00:11:04.049 and encouragement grant you to be of the same 00:11:04.049 --> 00:11:06.870 mind with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 00:11:07.230 --> 00:11:11.750 that with one accord you may with one voice glorify 00:11:11.750 --> 00:11:14.509 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:11:14.730 --> 00:11:18.039 Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:23.059 also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say 00:11:23.059 --> 00:11:26.019 that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision, 00:11:26.139 --> 00:11:30.360 that is, to the Jews, on behalf of the truth 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:34.659 of God, to confirm the promises given to the 00:11:34.659 --> 00:11:39.720 fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God 00:11:39.720 --> 00:11:43.019 for His mercy, as it is written, Therefore I 00:11:43.019 --> 00:11:46.440 will give thee Praise to thee among the Gentiles, 00:11:46.500 --> 00:11:50.100 and I will sing to thy name. Again he says, Rejoice, 00:11:50.100 --> 00:11:53.039 O Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:56.100 the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples 00:11:56.100 --> 00:11:59.320 praise him. And again Isaiah says, There shall 00:11:59.320 --> 00:12:02.679 come the root of Jesse, and he who arises to 00:12:02.679 --> 00:12:05.860 rule over the Gentiles. In him shall the Gentiles 00:12:05.860 --> 00:12:10.059 hope. Now may the God of hope fill you with all 00:12:10.059 --> 00:12:13.720 joy and peace in believing. that you may abound 00:12:13.720 --> 00:12:19.559 in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The 00:12:19.559 --> 00:12:23.179 third principle as to how to maintain unity in 00:12:23.179 --> 00:12:26.580 the church and to avoid church splits is this 00:12:26.580 --> 00:12:32.139 one that we are to please one another. This matter 00:12:32.139 --> 00:12:34.820 of pleasing one another is described in verse 00:12:34.820 --> 00:12:42.659 1 as a debt, something that is owed. especially 00:12:42.659 --> 00:12:48.379 by the strong, that is, those whose consciences 00:12:48.379 --> 00:12:54.320 are more mature, more enlightened. He says that 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:58.840 those who are stronger in conscience have a special 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:02.460 obligation to those who are weaker, and that 00:13:02.460 --> 00:13:07.419 obligation is to bear their weaknesses. That 00:13:07.419 --> 00:13:10.720 word bear means to carry. It is used literally 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:16.580 of Jesus bearing his cross. It is used figuratively 00:13:16.580 --> 00:13:19.419 by our Lord when he says those who would be his 00:13:19.419 --> 00:13:24.720 disciples must bear their cross. It means that 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:28.779 we who are stronger of conscience must bear the 00:13:28.779 --> 00:13:32.399 load of the weaknesses of those who are weaker. 00:13:35.690 --> 00:13:38.029 What that means is that I must be willing to 00:13:38.029 --> 00:13:42.990 restrict my own freedom. And not to live the 00:13:42.990 --> 00:13:46.970 way that I want and the way that I may feel free 00:13:46.970 --> 00:13:50.629 to live. But I must be willing to restrict my 00:13:50.629 --> 00:13:58.389 own freedom. To adjust my own convictions to 00:13:58.389 --> 00:14:02.169 whatever will contribute to the good of another. 00:14:02.649 --> 00:14:06.590 That's what he's saying. And I am to do that 00:14:06.590 --> 00:14:11.690 not with condescension and not with resignation, 00:14:11.789 --> 00:14:19.730 but I am to do it with humility and love. I says 00:14:19.730 --> 00:14:22.950 that which is to guide me as I restrict myself 00:14:22.950 --> 00:14:30.250 is that which is the good of another. Verse 2. 00:14:32.039 --> 00:14:35.220 He says, I am to please them for their good, 00:14:35.340 --> 00:14:39.200 that is, those who are weak. In other words, 00:14:39.220 --> 00:14:44.480 I am not to please him if in doing so I would 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:52.759 actually do him damage in the long run. I am 00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:56.320 not to restrict my freedom if in so doing I'm 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:58.840 going to set an example for him that will hinder 00:14:58.840 --> 00:15:03.500 him ultimately. Example. As a parent, I get a 00:15:03.500 --> 00:15:07.279 little concerned when my youngest son, who is 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:10.659 two, picks up a butcher knife. Now, I realize 00:15:10.659 --> 00:15:17.440 that I'm restricting his liberty. I know that 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:20.240 it makes him unhappy when I take it away. But 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:24.259 I do that nonetheless. Now, the reason I do that 00:15:24.259 --> 00:15:28.679 is for his good, right? That's my concern. That's 00:15:28.679 --> 00:15:32.960 my guide. Now, if you can carry that idea across 00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:38.159 to what we're talking about here. When it comes 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:41.200 to these gray issues, where I have more freedom, 00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:47.879 perhaps, than my brother, I am to please him. 00:15:48.980 --> 00:15:51.259 And to do that, I probably will have to restrict 00:15:51.259 --> 00:15:54.940 myself. But I need to be sure that as I do that, 00:15:54.980 --> 00:15:59.200 I'm doing it for his good. that in the long run 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:02.440 I'm not going to do more damage to him than good. 00:16:03.659 --> 00:16:09.600 To please him does not mean to indulge him, but 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:12.620 it means rather that I do what is necessary that 00:16:12.620 --> 00:16:15.120 he, for that period of time, may be helped along 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:18.799 in his Christian life. And my motive for doing 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:21.340 this is to be his good and the glory of God. 00:16:22.419 --> 00:16:25.059 It is the Lord Jesus Christ who gives us the 00:16:25.059 --> 00:16:28.000 example in this. I think there are four words 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:31.860 in verse 3 that, in a very fine way, give a summation 00:16:31.860 --> 00:16:36.299 of his whole life. He did not please himself. 00:16:37.580 --> 00:16:40.879 He did not please himself. That's the way I'm 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:44.700 to live and the way that you're to live. Psalm 00:16:44.700 --> 00:16:48.320 69, the last part of verse 9, is quoted here 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:52.659 in verse 3. The reproaches of those who reproach 00:16:52.659 --> 00:16:56.929 thee fell on me. That's a word put into the mouth 00:16:56.929 --> 00:17:01.429 of our Lord by the Holy Spirit. What it actually 00:17:01.429 --> 00:17:05.289 does is to prophesy the cost to God's servant 00:17:05.289 --> 00:17:09.009 who would seek the good of others. Because you 00:17:09.009 --> 00:17:10.849 see, often when you seek the good of others, 00:17:10.890 --> 00:17:15.470 you're not appreciated. So don't expect applause 00:17:15.470 --> 00:17:21.369 when you seek the good of somebody else. So you 00:17:21.369 --> 00:17:23.789 restrict yourself. Don't expect anybody to get 00:17:23.789 --> 00:17:27.210 up and give you a check for that. Not going to 00:17:27.210 --> 00:17:29.769 happen. As a matter of fact, the Word of God 00:17:29.769 --> 00:17:31.789 indicates that more than likely what you're going 00:17:31.789 --> 00:17:35.589 to get is reproach. You'll be misunderstood and 00:17:35.589 --> 00:17:38.910 maligned by some people when you begin to live 00:17:38.910 --> 00:17:43.049 to please others. That does not mean that I become 00:17:43.049 --> 00:17:45.910 a man -pleaser in my motive. That's not the idea. 00:17:46.809 --> 00:17:49.569 But for my brother's good, I seek to please him. 00:17:50.140 --> 00:17:52.700 And to do that, I'm willing to restrict myself 00:17:52.700 --> 00:17:57.960 and my own liberty. Now you say, well, that seems 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:01.160 like an awfully big sacrifice. After all, I have 00:18:01.160 --> 00:18:03.059 a clear conscience about some of these things 00:18:03.059 --> 00:18:06.099 that other people stumble over. Let them grow 00:18:06.099 --> 00:18:10.539 up. Well, perhaps they need to grow up. But we 00:18:10.539 --> 00:18:12.539 ought never to shun the sacrifice that we may 00:18:12.539 --> 00:18:17.359 need to make for their good. I think our Lord 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:19.259 gives us the example in that too, doesn't he? 00:18:20.970 --> 00:18:23.470 He did not shun the sacrifice that he needed 00:18:23.470 --> 00:18:27.950 to make for our good. So any sacrifice that we 00:18:27.950 --> 00:18:30.470 think we are making in our liberty, let us examine 00:18:30.470 --> 00:18:33.549 that sacrifice and measure it against the sacrifice 00:18:33.549 --> 00:18:38.529 that Jesus made for us. But you say, that's tough. 00:18:39.670 --> 00:18:45.009 Yeah, it's tough. It's tough to live for others. 00:18:46.650 --> 00:18:50.430 It's difficult to be consistent in doing that. 00:18:51.029 --> 00:18:56.670 How's it done? It means living a selfless lifestyle, 00:18:56.890 --> 00:19:00.109 and that's a lifestyle that self doesn't like. 00:19:04.150 --> 00:19:09.769 It's not natural to myself to give up my rights 00:19:09.769 --> 00:19:14.150 for another person. I mean, I can do it once 00:19:14.150 --> 00:19:16.509 or twice, especially if I'm patted on the back 00:19:16.509 --> 00:19:20.390 for it, but to do that all the time? Come on. 00:19:21.549 --> 00:19:24.829 I don't think anybody can do that. Well, you're 00:19:24.829 --> 00:19:28.730 right. We can't do it in ourselves. If we try 00:19:28.730 --> 00:19:30.509 to live this way in ourselves, we're going to 00:19:30.509 --> 00:19:32.190 get tired and we're going to get discouraged. 00:19:34.190 --> 00:19:36.809 But Paul tells us that we can do it because God 00:19:36.809 --> 00:19:40.390 gives us both perseverance and encouragement 00:19:40.390 --> 00:19:46.529 as we live a selfless life. Where do we find 00:19:46.529 --> 00:19:49.369 this spiritual power? Well, he tells us in verse 00:19:49.369 --> 00:19:53.960 4 of the Scriptures. It was the scripture which 00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:57.200 predicted Christ's sufferings and the glory that 00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:01.859 was to follow. And he says it is through the 00:20:01.859 --> 00:20:05.039 scriptures, the examples of the scriptures, the 00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:08.200 stories of the saints in the Old Testament and 00:20:08.200 --> 00:20:12.759 in the New as we look at it. It is the examples 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:15.380 of the scripture that gives to us perseverance, 00:20:15.660 --> 00:20:19.839 patient endurance to hang in there when it gets 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:26.230 tough. living to please others. It is the Scripture 00:20:26.230 --> 00:20:29.569 which brings us promises of encouragement. After 00:20:29.569 --> 00:20:33.230 all, isn't the process of Scripture always suffering 00:20:33.230 --> 00:20:39.130 followed by glory? Yes, it is. God doesn't promise 00:20:39.130 --> 00:20:41.369 us we won't have suffering. Indeed, He assures 00:20:41.369 --> 00:20:45.609 us we will. But He says, be encouraged because 00:20:45.609 --> 00:20:50.049 following the suffering comes the glory. So you 00:20:50.049 --> 00:20:54.049 see, from the Bible we get, by examples and by 00:20:54.049 --> 00:20:59.730 promises, both endurance and encouragement. We 00:20:59.730 --> 00:21:02.650 see that it's worth making the temporary sacrifices 00:21:02.650 --> 00:21:06.930 that we do in order to receive eternal gain. 00:21:07.630 --> 00:21:11.470 It's worth it. The scriptures tell us that. So 00:21:11.470 --> 00:21:13.430 that's one place that we get spiritual power. 00:21:14.329 --> 00:21:16.690 But that's coupled here in the text with prayer. 00:21:17.210 --> 00:21:19.589 In verse 5, Paul prays. He says, Now may the 00:21:19.589 --> 00:21:22.670 God who gives perseverance and encouragement 00:21:22.670 --> 00:21:27.130 grant you like -mindedness. Prayer is the other 00:21:27.130 --> 00:21:33.950 source of the qualities of endurance and encouragement 00:21:33.950 --> 00:21:39.650 that we need to live a selfless life. As we pray 00:21:39.650 --> 00:21:43.309 and come before God, God gives to us supernaturally 00:21:43.309 --> 00:21:49.609 the fruit of the Spirit. And the characteristics 00:21:49.609 --> 00:21:52.430 of Jesus Christ then flow through our lives, 00:21:52.589 --> 00:21:56.549 and those include love and joy and peace and 00:21:56.549 --> 00:22:04.769 long -suffering, patience with others, with circumstances. 00:22:06.910 --> 00:22:10.009 The Lord gives to us encouragements along the 00:22:10.009 --> 00:22:12.130 way. Aren't you glad for the little encouragements 00:22:12.130 --> 00:22:14.410 that God drops into your life every now and then? 00:22:15.349 --> 00:22:19.779 Maybe it's a note from somebody. Maybe it's a 00:22:19.779 --> 00:22:22.400 very clear, specific, and quick answer to prayer. 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:27.460 Whatever. God drops encouragements into our lives 00:22:27.460 --> 00:22:31.720 as we abide in fellowship with himself. You say, 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:34.359 it's tough to live to please others. Yes, my 00:22:34.359 --> 00:22:37.400 friend, it's tough. But God gives to us his word 00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:40.579 and fellowship and union with himself so that 00:22:40.579 --> 00:22:43.220 we have the power to do it by the Holy Spirit. 00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:46.779 So we can't cop out and say it's too difficult. 00:22:48.269 --> 00:22:52.190 It's not too hard for God. You say, what's it 00:22:52.190 --> 00:22:55.170 going to accomplish if I live this way? Just 00:22:55.170 --> 00:22:59.029 exactly what we've been talking about. If you 00:22:59.029 --> 00:23:02.529 and I will learn to accept our brothers who differ 00:23:02.529 --> 00:23:09.190 from us and to seek to build them up and to please 00:23:09.190 --> 00:23:14.849 them, it will produce unity in the fellowship 00:23:14.849 --> 00:23:19.650 of our church. Now it seems to me that we have 00:23:19.650 --> 00:23:22.849 in verses 5 and 6 three insights into what kind 00:23:22.849 --> 00:23:27.450 of unity this is, the nature of it. He says in 00:23:27.450 --> 00:23:33.630 the first place, it's like -mindedness. A united, 00:23:33.730 --> 00:23:38.710 harmonious church has mutual like -mindedness. 00:23:38.910 --> 00:23:41.490 Now that does not mean that everybody agrees 00:23:41.490 --> 00:23:44.269 on every little detail. That will never happen. 00:23:45.490 --> 00:23:50.119 Never in this world will that happen. We all 00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:56.680 have little idiosyncrasies and differences about 00:23:56.680 --> 00:23:59.619 things. We're never going to see everything just 00:23:59.619 --> 00:24:02.500 alike. There are Democrats and Republicans here 00:24:02.500 --> 00:24:04.420 in this congregation this morning, for example. 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:11.759 I'm sure there are Democrats. I'm sure there 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:18.160 are Republicans, too. What does it mean then 00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:20.019 that we're like -minded? I'll tell you what it 00:24:20.019 --> 00:24:22.359 means. Here's what it means. It means that those 00:24:22.359 --> 00:24:26.700 differences that I perceive, I push down and 00:24:26.700 --> 00:24:31.420 away. And I don't concentrate on them. I acknowledge 00:24:31.420 --> 00:24:35.799 that they're there, but so what? They're unimportant. 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:41.400 The important things are the things that count 00:24:41.400 --> 00:24:45.329 and on those we agree about. And so therefore 00:24:45.329 --> 00:24:50.509 we have a like -mindedness. That's what the like 00:24:50.509 --> 00:24:55.309 -mindedness is that he describes here. A united, 00:24:55.450 --> 00:24:58.430 harmonious church is one that has a mutual like 00:24:58.430 --> 00:25:02.349 -mindedness in the membership. Then he says, 00:25:02.430 --> 00:25:05.650 furthermore, we're to be of the same mind with 00:25:05.650 --> 00:25:09.579 one another according to Christ Jesus. This harmony, 00:25:09.740 --> 00:25:12.400 this unity that we are to have reflects the person 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:14.819 of Jesus Christ. That's the second thing I'd 00:25:14.819 --> 00:25:17.960 like to say about it. Jesus Christ is not divided. 00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:24.339 As God and man, he is perfectly united, never 00:25:24.339 --> 00:25:28.279 to be separated or divided in his deity and humanity. 00:25:28.539 --> 00:25:33.779 He is perfectly united in one person as God and 00:25:33.779 --> 00:25:38.930 man, fully God and fully man. And just as He 00:25:38.930 --> 00:25:42.809 is perfect in His unity, we are to reflect Him 00:25:42.809 --> 00:25:48.809 in the unity that we have in our church. Just 00:25:48.809 --> 00:25:51.809 as He lived in perfect oneness with His Father, 00:25:51.910 --> 00:25:56.089 we are to live in a oneness with one another. 00:25:57.210 --> 00:26:00.210 The unity that we are to have is to be one that 00:26:00.210 --> 00:26:06.269 reflects the person of our Savior. And thirdly, 00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:09.119 The third insight that we see about this unity 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:13.740 is that it glorifies God. In verse 6, he says, 00:26:13.779 --> 00:26:18.599 That with one accord you may with one voice glorify 00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:20.839 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:26:21.380 --> 00:26:24.339 My friend, God is glorified when there is unity 00:26:24.339 --> 00:26:27.059 in a church, and when there is disunity, God 00:26:27.059 --> 00:26:31.240 is not glorified in that church. It's that simple. 00:26:33.500 --> 00:26:37.970 With one accord and one voice, We are to worship 00:26:37.970 --> 00:26:42.109 God and in so doing we glorify Him. We honor 00:26:42.109 --> 00:26:48.490 Him. We exalt Him. We extend His reputation in 00:26:48.490 --> 00:26:53.589 the community. We help people to understand what 00:26:53.589 --> 00:26:57.849 God is like when in love and humility we love 00:26:57.849 --> 00:26:59.950 one another and accept one another and build 00:26:59.950 --> 00:27:03.349 up one another and please one another. The world 00:27:03.349 --> 00:27:05.650 looks at the church like that and it says, my. 00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:10.000 Isn't that unusual? Unfortunately, yes it is. 00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:15.559 That's what this will accomplish if we dare to 00:27:15.559 --> 00:27:19.579 live this way. It seems to me this final thought 00:27:19.579 --> 00:27:21.720 about the glory of God is the most important. 00:27:24.680 --> 00:27:27.220 It serves really as the motive for preserving 00:27:27.220 --> 00:27:29.880 unity. Why should I be concerned as a member 00:27:29.880 --> 00:27:33.859 of this church about keeping it united? Well, 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:37.480 my primary motive is that That glorifies God. 00:27:39.319 --> 00:27:42.079 And really, verses 7 through 13 in our text, 00:27:42.180 --> 00:27:47.799 the glory of God is the content of it. He talks 00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:51.259 about that. He says in verse 7 that it's for 00:27:51.259 --> 00:27:56.000 the glory of God that Christ welcomed us. The 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:59.640 Lord Jesus Christ does not hold us off from himself. 00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:06.420 He doesn't keep us at arm's length. No, he's 00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:10.640 embraced us and held us to himself. He has accepted 00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:13.779 us fully. Do you understand that, Christian? 00:28:14.539 --> 00:28:17.539 Do you understand that you don't have to do one 00:28:17.539 --> 00:28:21.200 single thing to make the Lord Jesus Christ accept 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:25.940 you? As one who has trusted him, he has fully 00:28:25.940 --> 00:28:28.400 accepted you. You can't do anything to make you 00:28:28.400 --> 00:28:34.410 more acceptable to him. He loves you. And just 00:28:34.410 --> 00:28:37.890 as he has accepted us so freely by grace and 00:28:37.890 --> 00:28:40.990 in love, we are to accept one another the same 00:28:40.990 --> 00:28:45.710 way. And there are times when that means overlooking 00:28:45.710 --> 00:28:52.630 a fault or ignoring a sin against us, thinking 00:28:52.630 --> 00:28:54.730 the best of the other person rather than what 00:28:54.730 --> 00:28:58.569 we may have heard. We accept one another just 00:28:58.569 --> 00:29:02.990 as our Lord Jesus has accepted us. Then he says 00:29:02.990 --> 00:29:06.869 that it is for the glory of God that Christ became 00:29:06.869 --> 00:29:10.730 a servant to his fellow Jews. See that in verse 00:29:10.730 --> 00:29:14.430 8? I say that Christ has become a servant to 00:29:14.430 --> 00:29:18.609 the circumcision. That's the Jews. In behalf 00:29:18.609 --> 00:29:21.890 of the truth of God, in order that he might confirm, 00:29:22.269 --> 00:29:26.230 the idea is to confirm by fulfilling, the promises 00:29:26.230 --> 00:29:31.150 given to the fathers. So for the glory of God, 00:29:31.230 --> 00:29:34.630 the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, came into the 00:29:34.630 --> 00:29:39.369 world and made himself a servant. He did not 00:29:39.369 --> 00:29:43.349 express himself as a sovereign, but rather he 00:29:43.349 --> 00:29:46.630 came as the servant of the Lord. And he did that 00:29:46.630 --> 00:29:48.750 that he might minister to the Jews and fulfill 00:29:48.750 --> 00:29:52.349 God's promises to them, but more than that, he 00:29:52.349 --> 00:29:58.720 did it for the Gentiles too. Verse 9. He became 00:29:58.720 --> 00:30:01.660 a servant to the Jews that by fulfilling God's 00:30:01.660 --> 00:30:05.140 promises to them, he might bring glory to God 00:30:05.140 --> 00:30:08.460 through the Gentiles by bringing them to God 00:30:08.460 --> 00:30:15.140 too. The idea is that he has united Jew and Gentile 00:30:15.140 --> 00:30:19.799 now in one body, the church. So that there's 00:30:19.799 --> 00:30:22.619 no difference as far as God is concerned anymore 00:30:22.619 --> 00:30:26.450 between Jew and Gentile. And then he quotes from 00:30:26.450 --> 00:30:29.509 the Old Testament here, from every part of it 00:30:29.509 --> 00:30:31.309 as the Jew would look at it, from the former 00:30:31.309 --> 00:30:38.930 prophets in 2 Samuel, verse 9, from the law in 00:30:38.930 --> 00:30:42.230 verse 10 when he quotes from Deuteronomy. He 00:30:42.230 --> 00:30:44.950 quotes from the writings as the Jews divided 00:30:44.950 --> 00:30:47.069 the Old Testament in verse 11 when he quotes 00:30:47.069 --> 00:30:51.309 from Psalm 117. And in verse 12 he quotes from 00:30:51.309 --> 00:30:55.559 the latter prophets. The prophet Isaiah, again, 00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:58.599 as the Jews would divide the Old Testament. He 00:30:58.599 --> 00:31:01.319 says, throughout all the scriptures in the Old 00:31:01.319 --> 00:31:04.619 Testament, God has prophesied that he is going 00:31:04.619 --> 00:31:07.660 to bring blessing to not only Jew, but Gentile 00:31:07.660 --> 00:31:10.660 too. And he says, now Jesus Christ came as a 00:31:10.660 --> 00:31:15.000 servant to do that, to put us together. And so 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:17.440 the thrust is, what he has put together, don't 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:21.500 you tear apart. Because you see, the problem 00:31:21.500 --> 00:31:23.460 was, apparently there in Rome, the Jews and the 00:31:23.460 --> 00:31:26.059 Gentiles were the one arguing over the diet and 00:31:26.059 --> 00:31:28.960 the days that we've talked about before. And 00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:31.140 they were in danger of creating a little schism 00:31:31.140 --> 00:31:34.880 in the body. And so Paul writes to remind them, 00:31:34.920 --> 00:31:37.660 look, the Lord Jesus Christ came as a servant 00:31:37.660 --> 00:31:41.480 to put you together. Don't tear it apart. For 00:31:41.480 --> 00:31:44.519 the glory of God, maintain that unity in the 00:31:44.519 --> 00:31:48.680 body. Though you have some differences. in these 00:31:48.680 --> 00:31:50.740 gray issues. You see the point how it applies 00:31:50.740 --> 00:31:56.720 to us? I'm sure you do. Verse 13, he says that 00:31:56.720 --> 00:31:59.299 the result of Christ's saving, unifying work 00:31:59.299 --> 00:32:04.980 is that the God of hope gives us hope. That is, 00:32:05.019 --> 00:32:09.319 Jew and Gentile alike now have a glorious future. 00:32:12.140 --> 00:32:17.720 A glorious future in the plan of God. Not only 00:32:17.720 --> 00:32:20.799 that, but right now we also have joy and peace 00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:28.839 and the power of the Holy Spirit. I am burdened, 00:32:28.839 --> 00:32:33.859 dear people. I am burdened that we maintain and 00:32:33.859 --> 00:32:37.700 preserve with all diligence the unity of Grace 00:32:37.700 --> 00:32:42.539 Church Roseville. And that's not just my job 00:32:42.539 --> 00:32:45.640 or the job of the elders or the job of the pastor 00:32:45.640 --> 00:32:48.259 teachers or the Sunday school teachers or the 00:32:48.259 --> 00:32:51.660 pastoral staff. That is the job of every one 00:32:51.660 --> 00:32:57.319 of us who's a member of the church. Chances are 00:32:57.319 --> 00:33:03.099 that we would be divided over those non -essentials, 00:33:03.099 --> 00:33:06.599 over those gray issues that really don't amount 00:33:06.599 --> 00:33:09.880 to a hill of beans in the long run. Because that's 00:33:09.880 --> 00:33:14.539 what most churches divide over. But let's refuse, 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:18.619 by the grace of God, to do that. But let's obey 00:33:18.619 --> 00:33:23.180 the Word of God, accept one another, build up 00:33:23.180 --> 00:33:29.299 one another, and please one another. How concerned 00:33:29.299 --> 00:33:32.500 are you for your fellow believers' spiritual 00:33:32.500 --> 00:33:36.240 welfare? Oh, you say, well, I want all Christians 00:33:36.240 --> 00:33:41.329 to grow. Wonderful. But how are you applying 00:33:41.329 --> 00:33:47.109 that in some other believer's life? How do you 00:33:47.109 --> 00:33:51.210 really measure your concern for another believer's 00:33:51.210 --> 00:33:58.329 spiritual welfare? What specific actions or what 00:33:58.329 --> 00:34:02.150 changes do you need to carry out this week in 00:34:02.150 --> 00:34:05.390 order to be a preserver of our church's unity? 00:34:05.950 --> 00:34:09.360 Do you need to go to a brother? and bury the 00:34:09.360 --> 00:34:16.420 hatchet? Do you need to stop another person who 00:34:16.420 --> 00:34:18.960 is involved in a conversation that's critical 00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:23.579 and judgmental and correct him? Do you need to 00:34:23.579 --> 00:34:27.519 ask God yourself to correct your own attitudes 00:34:27.519 --> 00:34:35.440 in some of these non -essential areas? How are 00:34:35.440 --> 00:34:39.929 you going to apply this passage? What other believer 00:34:39.929 --> 00:34:44.010 do you need to accept who differs with you over 00:34:44.010 --> 00:34:49.610 a gray issue? How are you going to build up that 00:34:49.610 --> 00:34:52.610 person who's seated beside you or behind you 00:34:52.610 --> 00:34:57.929 instead of turn them down? What do you need to 00:34:57.929 --> 00:35:02.190 do to please another, to restrict yourself for 00:35:02.190 --> 00:35:07.309 another's good? I recognize, too, that I'm talking 00:35:07.309 --> 00:35:11.139 to... not a small number of people who really 00:35:11.139 --> 00:35:17.039 don't belong to our local church. May I say to 00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:19.579 you that if you don't belong to a local church, 00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:24.199 you ought to, to be under its watch care, to 00:35:24.199 --> 00:35:27.460 invest your spiritual gifts, your time, your 00:35:27.460 --> 00:35:32.099 resources, to be active in its ministry. Well, 00:35:32.139 --> 00:35:34.159 you say, I haven't found a perfect church yet. 00:35:36.239 --> 00:35:38.199 Congratulations, you've made an important discovery. 00:35:39.500 --> 00:35:42.980 There are no perfect churches because there aren't 00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:45.539 perfect people in the world, not even Christians. 00:35:48.780 --> 00:35:53.179 You never will find a perfect church. So be realistic. 00:35:53.780 --> 00:35:56.239 You say, but I don't agree with some things in 00:35:56.239 --> 00:35:58.960 the church I'm thinking about joining. Then where 00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:01.000 will you find a church where you agree on everything? 00:36:02.039 --> 00:36:04.159 You better go out and start it and plan for a 00:36:04.159 --> 00:36:08.460 membership of one. Because that's the only place 00:36:08.460 --> 00:36:10.579 you're really going to agree. And you'll probably 00:36:10.579 --> 00:36:18.639 have a split over that someday. You need to let 00:36:18.639 --> 00:36:20.920 God lead you in this matter of being a part of 00:36:20.920 --> 00:36:28.500 a fellowship. To find out if you can agree on 00:36:28.500 --> 00:36:30.719 the essentials with the body of believers. Perhaps 00:36:30.719 --> 00:36:32.659 here at Grace Church, perhaps another church 00:36:32.659 --> 00:36:36.920 in our town or in the city where you live. And 00:36:36.920 --> 00:36:39.820 then you need to decide to become a functioning 00:36:39.820 --> 00:36:42.480 part of that body and to forget about the disagreement 00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:46.099 on those silly minor things that are holding 00:36:46.099 --> 00:36:54.780 you back now. God's plan for this age is not 00:36:54.780 --> 00:36:57.320 complicated. It's the local church. Are you part 00:36:57.320 --> 00:37:00.420 of God's plan? Are you part of building what 00:37:00.420 --> 00:37:04.219 God is doing in this world? Let's pray. Heavenly 00:37:04.219 --> 00:37:09.599 Father, Grant to us, I pray, the ability to personally 00:37:09.599 --> 00:37:12.079 examine ourselves to see where we are. Not to 00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:16.239 examine anyone else, but just our own hearts. 00:37:17.320 --> 00:37:19.940 And may we be able to honestly say that we're 00:37:19.940 --> 00:37:22.400 living in conformity to your revealed will for 00:37:22.400 --> 00:37:26.500 us as your children, pilgrims in this world. 00:37:27.739 --> 00:37:30.139 And Lord, if there are some brothers and sisters 00:37:30.139 --> 00:37:33.059 here who need to get attached to a colony of 00:37:33.059 --> 00:37:37.230 believers, in this alien atmosphere. I pray that 00:37:37.230 --> 00:37:39.250 you'll lay on their hearts your direction and 00:37:39.250 --> 00:37:44.030 guide them to make that attachment so that they 00:37:44.030 --> 00:37:48.429 can participate in that local church. And Father, 00:37:48.550 --> 00:37:50.650 if there be someone here today who's not saved, 00:37:50.690 --> 00:37:52.969 who's never trusted the Lord Jesus, who's still 00:37:52.969 --> 00:37:56.789 lost in sin, oh, may that one today understand 00:37:56.789 --> 00:38:02.179 the finished work of Christ. his death, burial, 00:38:02.260 --> 00:38:04.480 and resurrection, and receive the living Christ 00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:08.800 into his heart and life today. And we pray this 00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:10.539 in Jesus' name. Amen.