Bearing Others’ Burdens

Today on Renewing Your Mind what it means to bear one another's burdens. We got up there with the scruples of the week and not to please ourselves, so it's not trying to please people for the sake of personal gain, but we are not to seek our own pleasure, or the pleasing of ourselves to the hurt of our brothers and sisters. If we implemented principal. Consider how much conflict can be avoided. So many times though we struggle. We know that principal though we we get distracted and frustrated in this prideful result is we don't treat one another very well today Renewing Your Mind, Dr. Cecil Texas to Romans chapter 15 to remind us of the practical implications of bearing one another's burdens, false treatment of this question of how we regard the weaker brother and things that are already offer us. That is of things that don't have any intrinsic or inherent ethical bearing, but which some people may or may not have scruples about was the matter so serious to the apostle that he dealt with it at great length here in Romans it also in his correspondence to the Corinthian church. Also, it was part of the substance of his writing to the Galatians and it was also very much at the center of the debate in the first century church of how the Jewish converts were to receive and deal with the Gentiles as the gospel was expanded to them and they were given full membership in the new covenant community so this was a matter of great urgency to the apostle as we see already in chapter 14 that Paul reiterates the same point again and again, you may find tiresome, but that he stresses so that we will indeed get the point that he is communicating and so let's again look at verse 19 the time one over briefly last week. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. First of all, there is a conclusion here that comes from his previous reasoning and it is a call to action. It is a call to pursuit when we pursue something it is something that we chase or in which we seek not casually, but with a degree of earnestness, so that's the action that Paul is calling us to to chase after this, to seek it diligently and what is it that he's calling us to pursue. Let us pursue the things that make for peace with the opposite of peace, its war, its conflict and the people of God are not to be people who are chasing after fights that are constantly looking for conflict. Rather, we are to be those who search for those things that make for peace and as I mentioned before, not that carnal peace the false peace the Neville Chamberlain kind of peace but the peace that passes understanding the peace that Jesus himself left as his legacy remembering said as his last will of testament peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world gives. Have I done to you and it is not without reason that our Lord has been called the Prince of peace affect his ultimate mission dear ones, was to bring for us. Peace with God to reconcile us. We who were alienated from the Lord bring us together with him. Let us pursue the things which make for peace and then he says in the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food memories already said that the kingdom of God is not an eating and drinking will notice that there is a sharp contrast between two words here in this sentence and sentences that I just read. There is the word that has to do with edification when he says that we ought to pursue the things of peace and the things by which we edify one another and then later on in this same epistle.

He speaks again about those things which are done for edification and in stark contrast to that concept of edification is the negative prohibition do not destroy each other or the work of God over food, edify, destroy, when the work of demolition is done on large buildings.

The charges are set in such a way within the structure that once the charges have been ignited. The building implodes instantly.

The thing you'll never forget about the twin towers is how quickly they fell to the ground and ever since then there've been plans and structures of rebuilding, but how much longer does it take to build a building than it takes to destroy the edify to produce an edifice involves building the start opposite of destroy.

And here's what Paul was concerned about in terms of the manifestation of love in the body of Christ of life in the Christian community saying to these people look, it's a lot easier to destroy than it is to build it so much easier to destroy your brother than it is to edify your brother and yet what Christ has come to do is not to destroy us, but the destroy the works of the devil to destroy the works of darkness. But in the same time to build for himself a people that will manifest his own image and that's what we are to find in the life of the church and so we are not to be known for the way in which were critical of each other and attacking each other and gossiping about each other, slander, dear friends, is the principle work of Satan. That's why his title in the New Testament is the slanderer, the one who is destructive, the one who brings false claims to people to tear them down but we are called to do so is the apostle, in the name of Jesus is not the Terry trailer park, but the ability trailer up all things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense is good needed to eat meat or drink wine or do anything by which your brother stumbles or is a friend that was made weak again. He is repeating this principle that we've looked at already intently of being considerate of our weaker brothers and sisters, and he said if you have faith that is if you're not the weaker brother and if you understand your freedom in Christ have it to yourself before God.

If you go to the marketplace and purchase the meat that had been offered to idols.

Don't flaunt your liberty in front of your weaker brother, your meat having product have it before the Lord who sees all things have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves, but he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith or for whatever is not from faith is sin.

This follows again what we looked at last week about the danger and impropriety of acting against conscience or out of a bad conscience and so he continues then in chapter 15 with the admonition when he says we then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the week and not to please ourselves that each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. Just take a second year to go a little further later on in the New Testament to Paul's writing to the church in the Galatian community were Paul uses some of the strongest language, the rights anywhere in his epistles about the collations because they have compromised the gospel. He says in chapter 1 verse one. I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel which is not another. There are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel is Christ.

But even if we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached, let him be accursed, let him be on a Tama letting him be damned. That strong language and we said before, Saul said again. If you missed it the first time that anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed will notice how Paul follows up with this very very sharp and strong warning, the rhetorical question, for I do I now persuade men, or God, or do I seek to please men for fire still please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ that seems to be in direct contradiction to what I just read to you out of Romans where Paul talks the route the business that we are not to be pleasing ourselves, but we are to be pleasing our brother and here he says to the Galatians, if he is pleasing to men. He cannot be a disciple of God that he's obviously talking about to completely different types of pleasing of others in Galatians. He's talking about a sin a sin by which the church is been laid waste countless of times in church history where the gospel of God has been compromised or distorted, for the sake of man pleasing for we know that the gospel is foolishness for those who are perishing. We know that there's a build in hostility in the heart of human beings against the truth of God and if we seek that carnal peace by which we seek to avoid conflict at any cost. And if we seek to please men rather than God. We are enemies of the gospel. So in the context of the Galatian struggle. Paul talked about man pleasing is a dreadful vice, not as a virtue, and he talks later about those who give the service of site we talk about lip service in our language of people who sell yes I believe that when we really don't. Those who give the service of site mainly those people that will work diligently when the eye of the supervisor or the overseer is directed in their direction.

Then they were car. But as soon as the boss leaves services supervisor goes down another hall, then that person takes his ease and no longer gives forth any effort to do what is right. That's man pleasing of the worst sort. That's not what Paul was talking about in the passage that I just read in Romans but rather he says we ought to bear with the scruples of the week and not to please ourselves, so it's not trying to please people for the sake of personal gain, but we are not to seek our own pleasure, or the pleasing of ourselves to the hurt of our brothers and sisters. That's the principle in this whole discussion about being patient and forbearing with each other in the life of the Christian community. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good leading to edification. Then he goes on to give the supreme model for this, for even Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me, that is Jesus pleasure was not always to do what Jesus wanted, but the quotation here is from the song.

Let's look back at that for just a moment. Psalm 69 that the apostle refers to in verse 19 we read you know my reproach, my shame and my dishonor my adversaries are all before you reproach has broken my heart.

I am full of heaviness and I look for somebody to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me golf for my food for my thirst.

They gave me vinegar to drink.

We see then that this song is a Psalm of messianic future expectancy in the beginning of that same song in verse five we read of God.

You know my foolishness, my sins are not hidden from you.

Let not those who wait for you to be ashamed because of me. Let not those who seek to be confounded because of me of God of Israel because, for your sake I have borne reproach for your sake I have borne reproach, shame has covered my face.

I become a stranger to my brothers and alien to my mother's children. Why because zeal for your house has eaten me up in the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. That's the text that Paul quoted in the broader context of which the Messiah is known as the Lord Jesus was known later for his singular zeal for his father's house zeal for my father's house has consumed me. It's eaten me alive. That's how Jesus is described in the Scriptures as one who was so passionately committed to doing the will of the father.

He was consumed by rather than pleasing himself is meat in his drink was to please the father. Therefore, the reproaches that were directed against God came upon him, and Paul now directs the Romans to the supreme example of Jesus who was willing to suffer the reproach of this world and not to please himself that his people would be redeemed and would be at how unlike our natural selfishness. That is where we want so much to please ourselves, rather than to please others who among us has the grace so sown in their souls that we are consuming by a passion to put others before ourselves, so that when we do with the apostle enjoins here to seek to please others to their edification. The byproduct for us is not loss but gain much sorrow, but joy where we ourselves are edified in that process, whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope who I can't pass over the through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures. I know of nothing on this planet more comforting to the soul than the word of God when I am down in my soul is cast down, and it is cast down from time to time justice. Everyone is in the midst of sorrows in the midst of fear if I need to have my soul raised again out of depression. There is no greater panacea for it than to immerse myself in the word of God. When Simeon is depicted over here saw the Christ child be brought in for dedication. You recall the song the note to menace because the spirit had promised him that he would not see death until he would see the Christ child when he saw Jesus in the arms of his mother. He sang and looked at medicine now let us thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen both the Redeemer of Israel, not the Savior of his room, the consolation of Israel used to trick my seminary students say have all heard the title of the Paraclete, which is often translated by the word comforter and I said in the New Testament who's the Paraclete who is the comforter and they all razor in the cell that's easy.

It's the Holy Ghost notice said the Holy Ghost is the other Paraclete another comforter and when you have another of something that presupposes that there is at least one before that one and the primary Paraclete, the primary comforter of the New Testament is Jesus and he bestows his comfort to his people through his war when God speaks dear friends, even when he speaks in judgment. There's comfort of an ass. What's the difference between the accusation of Satan where he calls attention to your sin and the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

The difference is simple. When Satan comes to accuse you. He comes to destroy you, and there was no comfort in it. When the spirit convicts you of your sin. As painful as it may be he never leaves us destroyed, even in his conviction he brings comfort he brings consolation never leaving us without hope, but rather with the certainty of the forgiveness that is there for us to hear.

Paul speaks of the comfort of the Scriptures in order that we might have hope. You see, without the patience and the comfort that is delivered to our hearts by the word of God.

We would be like the rest of the world without hope. Look outside at the world that is perishing before your very eyes, and you see people parading with pride and eloquence and all that, given thin disguises of their sad hopelessness here without Christ.

Your without hope with Christ you're never without hope. Now Paul speaks in terms of benediction now may the God of patients and comfort, whose word gives you patience and whose word gives you comfort now my that God of patience and that God of comfort, grant you to be like-minded toward one another. According to Christ Jesus. You may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ us will be like in heaven I will be just like listening to Clarissa, but when we get to heaven.

The Saints there will be of one mind, and of one voice together singing to the honor and to the glory of God.

That's what the church in this world is supposed to look like.

Therefore, now we come to another conclusion receive one another, just as Christ also received us the glory of God. You see, when I receive you in your weakness and your strength and when you receive me and my weakness and in my strength.

You don't just edify me you don't just edify yourself when you do this you do it, to the glory of God the glory of God. When I receive you. I'm not just being kind to you. I'm glorifying God I'm glorifying Jesus.

Now I say that Jesus Christ is become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made to the fathers that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy, she brings it back to that question that he's dealt with throughout the epistle of the place and the function of the Gentiles in the kingdom of God in the new covenant is freaking out about glorifying God and now he says that Christ became a servant to the circumcision, that is, to the Jew for the truth of God to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy confirm the truths God said to the Jew.

I poured out the mercy and grace to the Gentiles, to the glory of God. And then he cites the several passages from the Old Testament.

For this reason, I will confess to you among the Gentiles and sink your name again.

He says rejoice, O Gentiles with his people again saying the merger of Jew and Gentile coming together with one voice with one mind with one Lord, one faith, one baptism, praise the Lord, all you Gentiles lot in all of you nations again. Isaiah says, there shall be a root of Jesse somebody that comes from the family of Jesse from the seed of David who comes centuries later, who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles and in him that is in Christ, the Gentiles, so hope now again may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, may be filled with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit, just in passing the slightest hint here of what Paul will elaborate in great detail to the Corinthians into the Galatians of the fruit of the spirit that the Holy Spirit works in our hearts when he sheds a broad the love of Christ in us that produces the fruit of joy and peace and hope forbearance, patience and kindness, goodness, humility.

That's what the God of all hope does who fills us with his love and the power, love and joy and peace, the fruit of the spirit.

It's simply impossible for us to display it without the Holy Spirit.

Another wonderful reminder today from Dr. RC Sproul listening to the Sunday edition of Renewing Your Mind and the each Lord's day were making our way through Dr. Sproles verse by verse sermon series. In the book of Romans. There are 59 of the sermons more than a year of Sunday evening services at St. Andrews Chapel where Dr. Sproles served for many years as copastor. We put the full series onto a single USB drive and would be happy to send it to you for your donation of any amount of my colleagues and I are not in the office today. Of course, on the Lord's day, but you can still make your request online.

When you go to Renewing Your Mind.org. You often heard Dr. Sproles referred to Romans as Paul's magnum opus. It contains the most complete treatment of the gospel of any New Testament book that I think will return to the series again and again as you study Scripture are web address again is Renewing Your Mind.org and that we thank you in advance for your gift of any amount as you request a series I thank you for joining us today. We hope you'll join us again next Sunday for Renewing Your Mind