Endurance and Encouragement

Morning everyone, good to see a greater thanks all for joining our lifestream is regarding mentioned going to turn your Bibles to Romans chapter 15. This can be a passage this morning.

As most of you know I have the privilege each week. Year of serving as pastor of worship. I have the honor of working for tech team working with our music team and thanks again to Jacob and Brian Elizabeth.

The whole team for the great job they did leaving us this morning and I worship ministries of every age. We have our goal really is to help cover church to worship God not here to reformat anyone. We're here to join together into to help each other crazy name of our Lord make his praise glorious to be God centered in our worship. That's the emphasis of our ministry also running through all of our worship ministries. All her ministries at the church is also ministry to one another and for worship ministry. When we gather for our rehearsals on Wednesday in our preparation. On Sunday we desire not only to prepare to lead our church and God centered worship, but also to be a ministry to one another to be a ministry that encourages one another and in so doing honors the Lord in this passage it would get a look at is a passage it's been valuable to us as a team. There is even a couple of kind of musical overtones in it and I trust will be of value to us as we looking God's word today to go ahead and read these verses from Romans chapter 15 to be on the screen here. Thank you very go out with your strong have an obligation to bear the failings of the week and not to please ourselves, but each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up for Christ did not please himself, but as is written 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 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 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 and we see in verses four and then verse five and there may the God of endurance and encouragement we see these two words and how we need today in any season of our lives. These elements endurance and encouragement. So as we look at this passage today really see how that would draw endurance and encouragement from God who is the provider of endurance and current and encouragement and also how we share that with one another and build each other up and in so doing God is glorified the name of Christ is exalted. Let's pray together.

Father, thank you for these rich in living words how they are life to us and we pray that today is a look in your word father you we you would give us eyes to see and ears to hear from you and that you would transform us. Father, we would be more conformed to the image of Christ and that we would honor and glorify your name. We commit this time to you with thanksgiving in Christ's name we pray.

Amen. This element this principle that God provides his people with endurance and encouragement.

God provides his people with endurance and encouragement. Spreading out on these chapters Romans chapter 14 and in 15 to go through in the context of these verses is on the interaction of the body of Christ with one another, told in chapter 14 to and it in a summary to lay aside our liberty for the sacrifice and for the benefit of each other and there's so much in these verses about how to glorify God and how that we interact with and serve one another.

But it's interesting that right in the middle that God gives us these verses that talk about endurance and encouragement again the principles for all time and in first serving one another as well. We know that were left to our own strength in her own preferences will tire get off track to God provides us endurance and encouragement for the benefit of us for the benefit of each other and to his glory. How does God provide us with endurance and encouragement while a couple ways are listed in these verses.

First of all, we have the work in the example of Christ.

The work in the example of Christ is versus are written to the body of Christ. And it assumes that we are in Christ that we are followers of Christ. So, just as we heard team seeing in and saying together about the living hope, but God has bridge the chasm between our sin in his holiness through Christ that we put our trust in him, receive him. We are followers of Christ and of course we implore you, that's are most important decision in all of life is and how we would respond to God's invitation to receive Christ and if you haven't done that. We of course implore you to do so. The followers of Christ.

Verse three here it lists the example of Christ. Christ did not please himself, but as it is written reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me. Paul here is applying Psalm 69 to the Lord. Psalm 69 and verse nine says for zeal for your house has consumed me in the reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen on me in the first part of the that verse zeal for your house has consumed me. You may recognize that quoted in the New Testament Christ purge the temple overturned the tables in this latter part here reproaches of those who have reproached you have fallen on me. People slander malign God himself. So of course Christ in pleasing the father in living a perfect life he to takes on the reproaches slandering, maligning of the world to look at Christ's response.

Of course we know his example of surrender first about his commitment to the father and then also here in verse 15, not to please ourselves, but to please his neighbor for his goods rehab example of Christ as he surrenders and humbles himself example, the work of Christ. Next, God gives us encouragement and endurance through his word. This is his primary means daily of encouraging and providing us with endurance and looked in verse four, primarily is important verse about God's word. Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through the endurance or that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. This morning we saying songs from the Old Testament started off at Blessed be your name from Job, the Lord gives the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Psalm 46 the Lord of hosts is with us. He is our fortress and then even in those verses a different stories and narratives from the Old Testament. This is an important verse two is that it emphasizes importance of the totality of Scripture the whole counsel of God written for our instruction, that through endurance and through encouragement, we might have hope. And I think a couple points worth noting. Significantly, there was written for our instruction think that's, perhaps, to state the obvious, but always making sure that we're coming to God's word with a teachable and a humble spirit, not just seeking information or knowledge but knowledgeable changes. Pastor Rodney and his prayer recorded as verses from James that wanted to speak ears of the word, one that looks is that examples given their one that looks in the mirror and sees his reflection forgot and is goes out and doesn't change when looking at God's word and we want to change God's word is given not just to affirm us, even though it does that, but to form us as we come to God's word for instruction and for endurance for encouragement and look there at the end of verse four through the endurance of the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have talk about that often.

There's nothing worse than being or feeling hopeless, but we know that from the Christian we always have hope in God's word stirs that up in us and reminds us of that reality that we might be a people of hope. So we have the work we have the example of Christ, we have the word of God that gives us endurance and encouragement. What also we have, of course, the presence of God.

God is not as far off giving us sending us encouraging notes or words. His word is alive and he is with us. I love the passage in Matthew 11 that we know passerine role. Share from here soon versus 28, 34 Jesus says come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light and beautiful picture of Christ being right with us doing as it were heavy lifting.

His yoke is easy when we are aware of and looking at seeking the presence of the Lord in his burden is light.

So we have the presence of the Lord.

We have the spirit of course, that is our comforter that is our guide that brings the word alive in our hearts again where provided with endurance and encouragement through the work. The example of Christ through dwelling in his word to the reminder that his that we have the blessed promise of his presence with us. And of course we have the blessing and the benefit of the body of Christ that brings us to our next principal this morning that in the spirit of Christ we are to encourage one another and build one another up in the spirit of Christ we are to encourage one another and build one another up many of you may recognize those words are taken directly from a verse in first Thessalonians were were told and were commanded exactly that to encourage one another and to build one another up, God provides us with endurance and encouragement so that we might relay that share that with each other before we talk about some of these principles on encouraging building one another up to me just pause for a new a moment and encourage those who might be new to Calvary. In this unique season that were in and we had people join us on the lifestream all over the world people are new to Charlotte, join in on the lifestream haven't been able to be here yet.

Some of you in the room this morning. Your new to Calvary and you don't know many people here yet in all the situations I would encourage you to take a step of getting connected with the body of Christ are so many opportunities he seen them on the Calvary connection video could see them on the website but that's the ALJs adult life groups that meet regularly on zoom, that's the electives that are coming up that will meet on zoom if you knew are passerine role begins the membership class in a couple weeks was which we would recommend to everyone to some of the opportunities here of taking the step to getting connected and to getting involved. These one another's. This dynamic building one another so so you may not know really anyone in Calvary yet and I trust that you would find Calvary welcoming church and that you take that step to get involved encouraging and building one another up a couple of principles from these verses again. First of all throughout these verses again we have the mind and the example of Christ were told in verses one through three again in the spirit of Christ to put aside our own emphasis are our own interests. Interests and look at the interests of others and commend to you. Philippians chapter 2 verses one through 11, which beautifully shows that example of Christ. Philippians 2 verse four says let each of you look not only to your own interests, but to the interests of others have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus goes on to talk about him laying aside to to be a servant to become obedient even to death on a cross that we have that mind and that attitude of Christ, that we should display running through and as a motivator for all of these principles that we would prefer one another that we would put others interests above our own receipts and specifics from these verses exactly on this verse by verse one it says we were strong have an obligation to bear with the faint failings of the week though the word there bear see in Galatians. We know that were to bear one another's burdens, and it burying itself involves weight, involves lifting involves helping and exerting so our command there and no notice it says we have an obligation not just a suggestion but an obligation to bear with the failings of the week and so we have this this responsibility here to bear each other's burdens to bear each other's weaknesses and there is the distinction made here between the strong in the week, generally between the spiritually mature maybe the spiritually young who are growing will have times in our life and work. When weakness comes. Whether that's their sin or whether that's through circumstances and we need the strength of others.

So were commanded we have an obligation to bear each other's weaknesses to bear each other's burdens. Again, not just Arcana turning a blind eye tolerating but to take on the responsibility of bearing which requires exertion, which remind us again why we need endurance and why we need encouragement next principal there.

I look in the next verse. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good build him up to build him up and I love that word build. Think of each other and we are to build one another mentioned already a context of these chapters and Romans chapter 14 as it goes through and talks about the differences on secondary matters at the believers had whether that was meet versus vegetables thinking maybe meet had been that had been offered to idols didn't want to partake in that some didn't mind her talk to about the some observing days probably a reference to the Sabbath and that some were diligently adhering to the to the Sabbath.

Others were not as much in these these matters that are given to us here and talk to Cigna student in twice least, why think twice in Romans 14 it talks about destroying one another so that if we if we abuse these secondary matters can actually destroy one another very strong words were not obviously to destroy one another, but rather to build each other up.

How do we do that how do we build one another. I think of some principles given us think of you list many ways. If building one another course, think, think first of all of the words that we words that we say love. Proverbs 2511 says a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver beauty and the power of thoughtful and meaningful words encourage one another by course by build each other. Of course, by praying for each other, encouraging one another received a phone call late Friday evening. One of her brothers. The church is a seasonal life and situation. We can't really get out right now as he would like to, but does remind me to Tim. I pray for you every day.

Love you and praying fervently revolving funeral yesterday praying for that. Praying for your message on Sunday. Great privilege to Calvary have so many people to pray for each other. For me that that was enough health one person that's all I needed. Notice the strength that comes from caring and thoughtful words sometimes you need to bear each other's we talked about here in building and pick one another think I've ever this illustration this week from my from someone who is a boxer and he spoke of when he was boxing in high school and talked about his high school coach's advice on a note how old this is to have high school boxing but he said is coaches greatest goal was to teach his boxers that they absolutely positively without question had to be get up fighters said if you're the ring just once in your life completely on your own and you get knocked down but you get back up again. It's a never to be forgotten. Experience your sense of achievement is distinct in your new and unique and sometimes the only thing that makes you get up someone in your corner yelling for how how true that that is you know what I think the thought thoughtful words are so meaningful they sometimes in church we might be better at sending cards flowery flowers and flowery words which again is meaningful only comes to these elements of getting ourselves dirty and helping some pick someone up off the canvas as it were, takes exertion does and takes her selflessness and sometimes that's done without any acknowledgment box is example of athletics and so the opponent is another athlete course in many areas of life. Opponent is much greater, or worse, as it were, then another athlete course for your enemy us talks about. He is our ultimate enemy, but this element when our brothers and sisters are flat on their back to me step in and build them up. Yesterday we had the funeral in the chapel for Tony, true blood, known by many of you faithful sister. Calvary thing. Most of you recognizing stood right there in the front row require very expressive worshiper diagnosed with cancer last fall passed away this past week and at a time of sharing there from those who had been ministered to the two from her and her by her and a couple people mentioned just things that have been done in secret and desperate times in their lives to really rescue them. In a sense it's a great example of us building up one another and I pray that each one of us would have someone in our corner of select boxing illustrate somebody in our corner, yelling that wants us to get up willing to do whatever it takes to help us and I pray that were that for other people as well. We're in the corner again not enough at this athletic contest need any motivation for that we love deal for favorite teams before helping one another in life.

Helping one another to stay strong in the Lord. Building one another next year. In this passage so significant. I think we have a couple of one another's listed look at the ones in this passage and then within a look at a few others. We know that the Lord gave us a new commandment to the new commandment I give to you. John 13 that you love one another, but this will all men know you are my disciples, if you have love one another in the New Testament we have dozens of one another's listed a reminder to us of how much and how important our testimony and encouragement of one another would be here in this passage we have in verse five that God would grant us to live in such harmony with one another. So we have this command to live in harmony to live in unity with one another. Verse seven says welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you. Some translations say except one another so we have a couple of these that are these commands that are given to us to encourage them to build one another, of living together with in unity with one another being welcoming to one another and of the dozens that are mentioned in the New Testament written a put about 10 of these on the screen and I want you to reflect on these before we do encourage you to consider how we can even practice these during this unusual time in the summer so isolated home not as together as we would like to be. Even though increasingly were able to gather but want you to think that even in this pandemic season. How can we practice, how can I practice these one another's look at some of these, the first of already mentioned from John 13 verse 34 to love one another, the umbrella over all of these. How do we love one another. Roman 16 just like other officials. Sister greet one another more than just a hello to caring and loving greeting verse 3R number three there from second Corinthians 13 the comfort one another with no second Corinthians 1 also talks about the God is a God of comfort as we experience discomfort were able to comfort others examine the command to comfort one another.

All of us probably most of us know somebody in this church is gone through or going through dire circumstances.

We are to be a comfort one another Ephesians force is to be kind and forgiving one another, be kind to one another. Forgive one another dislike act of God in Christ has forgiven us command to us.

Maybe were harboring something in our hearts needed something that somebody has done to us first said to us again and they may not even acknowledge that it's wrong for the kid that can eat us unit our hearts destroyed from the inside out.

Be kind. Be forgiving one another. Ephesians 5 says submit to one another.

This aspect of again to put up referring others before ourselves. Submit to one another and few more to come from Colossians 3 were to teach and admonish one another and seeing that those verses. That verse also talks about music of the psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and purpose that were to teach and were to admonish one another regarding quoted first Thessalonians 511 to encourage and build up one another. Hebrews 13 is similar to encouragement to exhort one another.

There he from Hebrews 10 stimulate love and good works in one another and last and certainly not least to pray for one another think it's a back on number nine there Hebrews 10 that's that's the passages don't forsake the assembling of ourselves together were encouraged best as we can to take the step of gathering together. We know that some can't be here yet. The purpose of gathering together we worship God hears to encourage build one another up to stimulate one another to love and good works, and I know that some of these refill inhibited right now because we can't interact closely is as much you can't talk to one another the same way that we would like to think we put our minds to it in our hearts to find ways to practice these one another's just as if there were no restrictions and let me encourage you to kick to to do that and lastly here is not so. We know we draw encouragement from God share encouragement would build one another up, but there's a great purpose and a great product and that and that is that as we live as we serve as one another in unity.

God is glorified read this quote this week in a high commentary says the goal of our relationships among Christians as a unified glorying of God.

Our goal in our relationships is to glorify God. That may seem obvious, but I thought how often do we think about pay when were together as a body of Christ. What are we trying to accomplish and usually rightfully theirs.

A task a little whatever team or ministry that were on the worst is worship staff and is calorie staff are looking right now meeting tomorrow about our goals for this this coming season. How we can accomplish ministry in this differing is different season, but a reminder that the goal of our relationships is a unified glorying of God that is running through everything in the matter what we're doing.

What task is at hand to do it in unity to the glory of God. These verses hearing in verse five and six tell us to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ that together you might glorify you are together you may with one voice horrify the God and father and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So in our harmony and in our unity. We are to glorify God have these items here that are the talk about the kind of musical references in a way. Today we had one voice per student ensemble sing for us and their name is is taken from this verse here in Romans 15, six, and these harmony is not just a musical term email user in music and talking about with one voice is not just singing and speaking expressing as well, that certainly applies to music we have these principles. Principles here had enough somebody would recognize and get this out of my pocket. What this is this a tuning fork so old-school enough somebody would recognize this, but this is used for tuning instruments gathers you hit it gives you a note that many of you know that maybe some your younger don't have experience with those us. It's a tuning fork.

It used to tune in Smith Martin comes in is more a lot of tuning that's done in instruments not done electronically.

The plug-in shows you on a meter to write in tune back in the day use a tuning fork. I was in college one of our conducting professors required that we would get a tuning fork carried around in her pocket and hit it 100 times each day so that hopefully will get that a in our ear all the time so I know today's students you care on smart phones in your pocket.

We carried around tuning forks back in the day when a what a bunch of nerds. We were about. The principle is there that tuning to the same standard."

Here Ada vetoes as were my favorite authors and he has his quote about tuning think getting it on the scale you about tuning has it ever occurred to you that 100 pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other. They are of one accord by being tuned onto each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow so 100 worshipers met together each one looking away to Christ during heart mirror to each other than they possibly could be.

Were they to become unity, conscious and turned their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship in the principle of obvious if we all show applicants go around the room kinda tuning each other were going to get off track, but if we tuned to the same standard of Christ were in tune and bequeathed and in tuning to his standard to his word, we become more in tune with one another and of course the example given to think of him, I come, thou fount of every blessing to my heart to sing his grace and that's what the feet are Romans five and 615, five and six is telling us to do here is to tune our hearts to one another that we might sing or proclaim his grace says in verse five that were to live in such harmony to like mindedness.

It's not just a musical term, even though few here great harmony in any instrument or invoices are you able to participate in that. You know it's great experience is pleasing to our ear to pleasing experience. It's a like mindedness that we are to have as the body of Christ that together with one voice we would glorify God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So in our harmony of our love for Christ.

Our message becomes unified and this is it talks about the inner and the expression of one accord with Christ is translated. Other places like minded having the same heart Christ rebuked the Pharisees because there had the right words on their lips, but their hearts were far away from them having the right heart is the body of Christ and having the right expression one voice that would glorify God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ and operated a we as a body of Christ would serve one another would serve God in a way that brings great glory to his name is we serve together in unity, our great God is glorified. But would we do today in response to God's word. First of all, the principle of abiding in Christ and abiding in his word each day. How do we receive endurance and encouragement to feast on God's word every day, feasting on God's word every day. Also, should abound in serving and encouraging one another, been given several practical steps this morning several things one another's in our courage, go home and electronically search the search one another in the New Testament dozens will come up some that we've already mentioned others that we have in some there are warnings that says don't devour one another, but abounding in serving and encouraging one another and I would encourage you to take that that step this week of practicing some of these one another supplier heart and your mind how you might encourage one another and I think sometimes in the church is as large as Calvary. We have the blessing of interacting with people at in such similar circumstances with her were the season of life with small children with a single with the report within the nest is empty all different kinds of ways we can be with people with very similar circumstances in life but the body of Christ is to be greater. That is a matter thing was beautiful small expressions of the larger body are people from different seasons in life and how they can submit one another so that our unity is not falsely based just on secondary things in life where were from all these other things that are age all these other things can be our secondary compared to tuning our hearts and living through by Christ and according to his word, past Monroe gave us at the beginning of 2024 themes that were to focus on-listing of this is week is first on your study God's word on next surrender to God and then serve Christ and the last one is share which I know pastor's ability to focus on next week, but I think we have these here study God's word surrender to God. Surrender to one another, submit one another and serve to serve Christ wholeheartedly and serve one another. Be encouraged to endure in so doing, glorify God. Let's build one another up straight again.

Father, thank you again for your these rich words of life that you given to us and I pray this would characterize us as individuals and father as a church and we look around us and we see so much that is broken in our world and in our nation and father we pray for healing. Pray for healing from the disease of sin. We know that's our greatest failing our greatest disease.

Our greatest cure and rescue. We pray that many would be drawn to you. Many would respond to the gospel. Pray for those here joining lifestream in the room as well. Father, we know many. Some are facing incredibly different certain difficult circumstances. God encourage them, strengthen them for all of us. Father helps to serve one another to your glory and we give you my thanks and praise the name of Christ and met