The Weak and Strong Pt 6

Good morning, if God’s people
would take their Bibles and turn once again to the Book of Romans,
but we have turned a corner and we find ourselves entering in,
even though we’re in the same general section, we’re entering
into Romans Chapter 15, Romans Chapter 15. Paul is dealing in
a much greater section, Romans, which began back in Romans 12
with The series that we called life
with others, how a Christian is supposed to relate to others
around them, and we’re in a particular section that began at the beginning
of Chapter 14 of Romans dealing with the weak and the strong. As I have suggested in weeks
past, what Paul has done here is clearly he’s given us five
distinct exhortations, and we have looked at several of them
already. First, there was the exhortation regarding differences,
and Paul just says there are going to be differences. There are going to be differences
in viewpoints, differences in convictions and primarily about
things that Scripture isn’t as explicitly clear about. We’re going to have differences,
he says, and. Based on the second exhortation,
which begins in verse 12 of Chapter 14, There are going to be offenses. People are going to be offended.
And what Paul really moves to do is to seek to minimize those
offenses. Well, Paul also wants to build
upon something that he’s already mentioned, and we move into the
third exhortation, which begins in chapter 15, which is the exhortation
to edification. Not just to putting up with one
another, but to actively taking a role in building up our fellow
brothers and sisters in Christ. If you would, just read along
with me, beginning in verse 1 of chapter 15, just those opening
four verses, where Paul writes, Now we who are strong ought to
bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just
please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor
for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please
himself, But as it is written the reproaches of those who reproached
the fell upon me for whatever was written in earlier times
was written for our instruction that through perseverance and
the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. There are
going to be differences. Paul has already alluded to that. We have seen it that Paul isn’t
just talking about one subject, one area of potential offense.
He has mentioned several, he has mentioned special days, he
has mentioned food and dietary restrictions, but Paul wasn’t
zeroing in on any one of those because he wants to address principles.
He has left them perfectly vague so that things that are potential
offenses in our day are also covered under these, not just
meet offered to idols, which we don’t have to worry about
and wrestle with, at least in our country primarily. Nor do
we necessarily get caught up in special days. Some still do. But this begins to cover all
of those things that come into play in our day and age. Vacationing,
which some people consider to be just wrong. Hair length. skirt and dress length, all of
those things that some people derive from the white spaces,
or perhaps they look to a scripture and they derive out what they
believe to be a biblical principle. And not only do they want to
maintain that principle, but they want others to honor it
as well. And therein lies the tension. There is the weaker
and the stronger. And Paul doesn’t zero in on any
of those. What he does is zero in on specific
principles that really are timeless and will not only cover the same
issues that were covered in the first century, as he mentions,
but they cover the issues that are in the 21st century and they
will be valid principles until the Lord returns. Now, Paul had
already addressed the negative principle. Paul had talked about
the fact that there are differences and we want to minimize the offenses
and that we are not to offend our brother’s conscience. We’re
not to coax him into our practice if he has a a conscientious objection
to it. Paul had dealt with the negative
part of that principle where we are supposed to hold our privileges
in check if you will. But there’s also a positive duty
that Paul wants to address. Paul wants to talk about that
duty and he wants to enjoin every believer into that duty. He wants
to remind them of the cause and the source of all duty. That
we are to look to our brothers and sisters in Christ and to
bear whatever load they also bear. It’s interesting that these
opening verses of chapter 4 are In a great deal summary of what
Paul has already said, Paul has much, much new to say to believers. If you would glance down at verse
one of chapter 15, where Paul says the strong ought to bear
the weaknesses of those without strength. Now, When Paul mentions
the strong and the weak here, it’s good for us to pause and
just a glance at that. He basically says that there’s
a duty that we need to fulfill, not just prohibitions, not just
an admonition of things that we’re to avoid or abstain from,
but that we are to emulate him, emulate Paul in is setting aside
his strength, the freedom that he enjoyed and essentially coming
alongside his weaker brother and living accordingly so as
not to offend. Paul did that and in a very lengthy
fashion in Romans or in First Corinthians, Chapter nine, Paul
deals with that where he had set aside freedoms and became
as the weak so that he could minister to the weak. He said it this way. Though I
am free from all men, I made myself a slave to all that I
may win the more to the Jews I became as a Jew so that I might
win Jews so that those who are under the law as under the law,
though not being under the law myself, so that I might win those
who are under the law. In other words, Paul honored
the law, even though he didn’t feel that it was obligatory for
himself. To those who are without law
as without law. It wasn’t that Paul was living
a hypocritical life, blowing like a leaf in the wind. Paul goes on to say, though not
being without the law of God, but under the law of Christ.
Paul honored the very law of God, but he knew ultimately the
freedom that he enjoyed as a Christian. And he did it for one purpose,
that he might win those who are without the law, that he might
reach the Gentiles. Then he summarizes it in verse
22 of that chapter to the week I became weak that I might win
the week. That’s Paul’s point here. Paul
says, look, we ought to come alongside the weak. We ought
to empathize with those who are under these burdensome convictions
and that we ought to come alongside them and not placate them, not
play along, but we want to honor them. We want to walk alongside
them in Christ. for the purpose of encouragement,
for the purpose of allowing God to work in their lives. But the
interesting thing about this passage, Paul has been using
these terms, the strong and the weak. Those aren’t the terms
that he uses here, the New American translation notwithstanding.
The word here that Paul uses is the word able. That’s the
best rendering that you could give it. They’re just capable.
We’re the strong that are capable of certain situations. They’re
capable of bearing certain freedoms. They’re capable of coming alongside
a weaker brother and not just enduring his weakness, not just
putting up with him, tolerating him. But coming alongside and
picking him up and bearing his burden. It’s interesting that
word is rendered mighty in many places in the scriptures, Luke
24, Acts 18, and it conveys not just strength, but the resources
that are needed to employ that strength. This is a grace filled
man. This is a man who not only knows
right from wrong, but his walk with God is strong enough and
the grace of God is at work within him strongly enough. that he
can reach down and bear the weaknesses of others. Greek word translated here to
refer to the weak. It isn’t weak. It’s it really
it does refer to those that are without strength, but they are
unable. These are those that look at
the scripture and they are unable to live out their freedom, which
they don’t even realize they possess. They are unable and
therefore the strong be able are supposed to come alongside
them. And look what Paul says. Those who are strong or able
ought to bear the weaknesses of those who are unable, who
those without strength. We don’t like that word ought. The word basically points to
the fact that we have a debt. We ought to pay our bills. We
ought to do what’s right. We ought to obey the laws of
the land. It talks about obligation and
anything for almost anybody that is obligatory is offensive. We
get bothered by that word. But when you think of what Christ
has accomplished on our behalf, when you think of what Christ
has done for us, and that’s exactly the argument that Paul is making
here, and he’ll make it much more clearly in a moment. We
owe Christ, we owe God Almighty, we owe our fellow believers and
we owe because of what Christ has done on our behalf. And so
for Paul, there is no there’s no payback, as it were, to God
here that Paul mentions. But there is something that is
owed. As one pastor said, even in the Christian church, People
all too easily see it as unfair that their conduct should be
modified on account of considerations that seem of no importance to
them. Did you hear what he said? Someone has a conviction that
such and such is wrong. And we don’t want to comply with
that, we don’t want to skip lunch out with fellow believers. But
it’s their conviction that going out to lunch on the Lord’s Day
to a restaurant is morally wrong. Now, for us to coax them and
provoke them to come to lunch with us to twist their arm. Is
wrong, Paul has made that point already. But Paul goes on to
say here, not just should we not coax them to come out to
lunch, that would be wrong in and of itself. Well, we should
go the extra mile. But you know what, if you think
that going out to lunch is wrong on Sunday, are you OK with coming
over to my home? That’s what Paul is saying here.
Bear the weakness of those with whom you walk. See, the tendency. The tendency
is for us to ignore all of those, to look down our nose, to mock,
to scoff, to think that their considerations are born out of
weakness. And because they’re born out
of weakness, we don’t need to tolerate that. You don’t need
to put up with that. We can live our lives as free
Christians. But what they forget. Is that
God himself is the one that has graced them. God himself is the
one that has made them to be strong. God has given them these
freedoms and he’s given them these freedoms that they might
come alongside and help and encourage others. Make no mistake, what
Paul says is very plain here. We ought to bear the weaknesses
of those without strength. We ought to not just put up with
them, but this word is very graphic, as you’ll see in a moment. It
literally means to carry, to pick up and to bear the burden,
not just to share the load, but actually to take it upon yourself. To take upon someone’s conviction,
to adopt someone else’s conviction, not as being a biblical position,
but as something that because it’s offensive to them, I will
bear. We talk about bearing trials,
we talk about bearing various burdens. Scripture mentions that.
We talk about enduring them with patience. And all of that is
true and accurate of this word. Let me tell you where this word
is used. in the New Testament. It’s used
in John 1917. Don’t turn. I’ll be gone by the
time you get there. They took Jesus, therefore, and he went
out bearing his own cross. That’s this word. It’s used in
a very literal sense where Christ picked up that heavy wooden beam,
shouldered it and carried it. And that’s all that Paul’s asking
us to do. is to do what Christ did, not
a heavy wooden cross, but the weaknesses of our brothers and
sisters in Christ. Could our load be as great as
Christ’s? I’ll tell you another way that this word is used, just
in case you think that that one is a little too far distant,
too inapplicable to your particular situation with regards to what
Paul’s saying here. Let me tell you where else it’s
used. It’s used in Luke 14, 27. In Luke 14, 27, Jesus said, whoever
does not carry his own cross. And come after me cannot be my
disciple. Jesus says, you know what you
have, likewise, a cross to bear, and at least in part, just based
on the the logical conclusion of this word and its link to
that particular passage, Paul says, you know what you have,
you have a cross to bear. And part of the cross with which
you have to bear is the weakness of your brothers and sisters
in Christ. You’re not to provoke them. You’re not to stir them
and provoke them into sin. You’re to bear with them and
their weakness. So that you don’t cause them
to sin. It doesn’t mean to put up with. Everyone gets tired
of being put up with. I get tired of being just tolerated,
tolerated is almost like you’re just nonexistent. I don’t want
to be tolerated like that, I don’t want to be put up with and neither
does the weaker brother. The weaker brother is legitimate.
God has already accepted him. Remember, God has already drawn
him in and Paul says, who are we to reject the one whom God
has accepted? Paul doesn’t tell us to tolerate
our brothers and sisters in Christ. He says, you know what? You’re
supposed to come alongside and pick up his burden. That when we’re in the same company
as them, we adopt the same practice. I suggested last week that if
some weaker brother comes over and he’s against the eating of
pork and you’ve cooked BLTs, put the BLT back in the refrigerator
and eat something else. What he’s provoking here, what
he’s rather calling us to is a sincere love, a genuine love
for our brothers and sisters in Christ, a consideration not
just for them, but even for their convictions. As one pastor said, for mature
believers. To voluntarily and lovingly refrain
from exercising their liberty in ways that might needlessly
offend the consciences of less mature brothers and sisters in
Christ. That’s what he’s calling us to. To bear with them. To come alongside them and to
say, you know, I don’t agree with you, but I’m going to set
aside my liberty and honor the way that you’ve chosen to honor
Christ. Remember, that’s what it’s all
about. He’s doing what he believes is an act of worship. Paul said the same thing to the
Galatians. Paul to the Galatians said, Brethren, even if anyone
is caught in any trespass. You who are spiritual, restore
such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each one looking to yourself
so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens. and thereby fulfill the law of
Christ. Now there, the admonition is a little bit different. What
he’s talking about is some sinful habit or practice that one of
your brothers and sisters in Christ has fallen into. And in
the sense of bearing their burdens, we come alongside. We don’t ignore
them. We come alongside and we admonish them from the scriptures.
We call them back to the path of righteousness. Paul here calls it the law of
Christ, this is the this is what Christ would have. And likewise,
with regards to their areas of scrupulous practice. Paul says
the law of Christ must supersede all. As one pastor said under the
gospel, the strong, that is, those who, because of their inner
freedom, which has been given to them, have plenty of room
in which to maneuver. They have an inescapable obligation
to help carry the infirmities, disabilities, embarrassments,
and encumbrances of their brothers who are having to live without
that inner freedom which they themselves enjoy. It couldn’t
be any more clear. Paul says that we who are strong
ought There is a moral obligation based on the work of Christ himself. We ought to bear the weaknesses
of those without strength. But get this. He adds this and
as soon as he adds this, he has every one of us. Look at the
passage again, verse one. Now we who are strong ought to
bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just
Please ourselves. Remember, that’s what life’s
all about, right? He’s got us all. When we get out of bed,
the first thing that we begin to think about is ourselves.
Can’t wait for that hot shower. Can’t wait for that hot cup of
coffee. Can’t wait for breakfast. Can’t wait for my quiet time.
Can’t wait. Can’t wait to please myself. And he’s not talking
about evil inclinations here. He’s just talking about the way
of life that we really want to take care of ourselves. He’s
not saying that it’s wrong. He’s assuming that we love ourselves
and that we will care for our needs. One referred to this as the guiding
principle of human actions, isn’t that true? It’s us. It’s all
of us. And so all of us, because he’s
addressing all of us and all of us have this tendency to please
ourselves, he says that shouldn’t be all that it’s about. It’s
assumed that we’ll want to take care of ourselves, it’s assumed
that we’ll want to please and do things that are pleasing to
ourselves. To our needs. But no, it would be absolutely
ludicrous here to read into this some idea that Simply doing something
because it’s pleasing because we enjoy it is wrong. That’s
not what Paul’s saying at all. What he’s basically pointing
to is that it’s wrong to ignore the convictions, ignore the concerns,
ignore the thoughts of our brothers and sisters in Christ all the
while we are enjoying something that is pleasing to us. We have
to take their opinions into consideration, we have to take their lives into
consideration. It doesn’t mean that we’re never
to do anything that we enjoy. But we’re never to do anything
that pleases us. When we disregard what it does
to someone else, we’ve talked about that. So Paul draws this conclusion
in verse two. Glanced down, if you will, He
said, let each of us please his neighbor. It’s a foregone conclusion.
We’re going to please ourselves. But he says, let each of us please
his neighbor for his good to his edification. Now, Paul, I
don’t want you to get me wrong, Paul makes it absolutely clear
what he means here, because Paul makes it absolutely clear that
we’re not supposed to live a life that runs in circles trying to
please people. And there is a difference. Let
me explain. It isn’t always right and good
and proper to please our fellow men. Paul points that out in
a number of scriptures elsewhere. Just jot these down if you think
of it. Galatians 1.10. Paul said, Am I now seeking the
favor of men or of God? Or am I striving to please men? Isn’t that what you just admonished
us to do, Paul? Not when it comes to salvation. Paul says, look, I’m not going
to jump through hoops just to please men. But we are, once we are saved,
once we have secured our salvation, which is to be justified by faith
alone in Christ alone. Once we have that secure, we
are to look about. We are to look and to see how
we may go about pleasing a brother and sister in Christ. There’s
a difference. He mentions the same thing to
the Thessalonians. He says to the Thessalonians
in chapter two, verse four, in his first epistle to them, just
as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel,
so we speak, we speak exactly what God told us to speak is
essentially what he says, where the Bible speaks, we speak. We have been approved by God
to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing
men. We have an entire day and age
in the church, and especially in this country, where that’s
exactly what some people do. Paul called them ear ticklers.
People who only say what people really want to hear. That I’m
basically good. We’re all going to heaven. Don’t
ever address sin. pleasing men. That’s not what
Paul’s talking about here. Salvation is secure, the gospel
is absolutely intact. What Paul’s talking about here
is that we’ve got to look about, we’ve got to see our brothers
and sisters in Christ. And if there’s some liberty that
I can set aside in order to please my brother in Christ and to walk
with him in rich fellowship, then I do it. Paul addresses the same thing.
With regards to even the way a Christian works. In Ephesians
chapter 6 verse 6, he says that our work as servants is to be
done not by way of eye service as men pleasers. We’ve all worked
with that guy, right? You know, the boss walks out
of the room and he rolls his eyes, puts his feet back up on
the desk, even, you know, begins to drowse off. And then the boss, he hears him
coming, right? Here’s him walking down the hallway.
Man, the feet come down. Boy, he’s busy. They’re the busiest
looking people you’ve ever met. They’re men pleasers. They do
all that they do to be seen by others because they don’t ever
realize, they don’t acknowledge that God is watching. Well, that’s
not what Paul’s talking about here in Romans. Not at all. There he’s talking about those
who do their work irrespective of the fact that God is watching.
They think that it’s only men that are watching, and it’s wrong
to cater to those who watch our outward
behavior. But Paul says here, he’s not
talking about our work, he’s talking about the way that we
live our Christian lives. It doesn’t call us to just a
warm, fuzzy, with our brothers and sisters in Christ, he calls
us to a real heartfelt and legitimate sentiment on their behalf. We’re
to really aim for what’s good, for what’s good in conduct and
in keeping with what promotes wholesomeness in their own character.
We’re to think about them before we do anything. Will this be
for his good? Will this be for his edification? Is this going to build him up?
Is this going to encourage him in his walk with Christ? Or is
it going to tear him down? See, when you look at these two
words that Buffett, that admonition that we are to please his each
of us, please his neighbor for his good and his edification.
They basically begin to point to the principle of what I would
call Christian amiability. We’re just supposed to be eager
and peaceable with our brothers, eager to walk with them, eager
to be at not only peace, but eager to build them up. The word
can be translated affable, just easygoing. Not somebody who’s
wound so tight that ready to spring at a moment’s notice.
One described it as a disposition to please or comply. Good naturedness. You know, we’ve all met those
people. They’re ready to pounce at every turn. They’re just ready
to catch you in something. And we don’t want to be like
that. We don’t want to live like that.
We don’t want to live provocative lives. We want to please our
neighbor. We want to walk with him in Christ.
We want to walk with him in peace. We want to advance his growth
in grace, not hinder it. As one said, every strong Christian
is to learn to please his neighbor instead of pleasing himself regardless
of his neighbor’s interest. He is to be considerate, to take
due account of the position in which his brother is placed. Remember, we said that our job
is not to change Him. It’s not our job. God is perfectly
capable. Our job is to come alongside
of Him and to love Him as a brother in Christ, if He professes Christ,
and to love Him and walk with Him and encourage Him to grow
in grace. And along that path, if God chooses
to change His conviction and to say, you know what? Bacon,
BLTs, they’re fine. Candy corn is fine. If that’s
God’s prerogative and God wants to do that, that’s God’s job,
not mine. But he points to here. In these
little positive admonitions is really the root of the problem,
isn’t it? We tend to get into these rash, harsh judgments of
other people. We intend to we do it in order
to alienate others. We’ve got them pigeonholed now,
we know that they’re one of those, right? And he basically points
to the fact that it’s a lack of love, a lack of self-denial. And he reminds us immediately
that it was the Lord Jesus Christ who set the tone, set the example,
that’s where he’s headed. Romans 14, 19 summed up just
we just studied this verse. So then we pursue the things
which make for peace in the building up of one another. That really
should be one of the chief verses on a refrigerator on the flash
cards that we use, that is that is a paramount verse for relating
to one another, isn’t it? Philippians 2 is another. Get
this. Do some of the things that you
do not out of a selfish or empty Spirit, empty conceit. Is that what it says? Do nothing. Can you imagine? Can you imagine
how revolutionary if you backed up and said, wait a minute, we
run this through this grid. Is this out of a spirit of selfishness
or empty conceit? Am I doing this only because
this is my freedom and by golly, I’m going to maintain grasp and
use of this freedom. Paul says, do nothing from selfishness
or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, regard one another is
more important than yourselves. You know, my brother’s perspective
is more important than my own. Another person’s opinion or conviction
is more important than my own. Can you imagine how revolutionary
that is? Do not merely look out for your
own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
That echoes our thought. And so you say, well, OK, so
we’re supposed to bear the weaknesses of those who are strong. Pleasing
our neighbor, how do we do that? How do we minister, really minister? In graciousness to our weaker
brother, to those who are unable. Let me suggest just a few things. What about praying with them?
I mean, really getting down and just. Praying together. Tearing down all the burdens
going just the two of you or just a few of you and positioning
yourself before Almighty God himself. There’s something humbling
about that, isn’t there? There’s something leveling that
levels the playing field of, you know, it no longer becomes
the strong and the weak when you’re standing before Almighty
God, does it? What about going with Him and just unburdening
your own heart, confessing your own sin with Him, crying out
to God and extolling Him for all that He is, not all that
you are. And then going before Him and
reciting the Scripture, reciting the promises and echoing all
those great things that God has done for us. Well, that’s a way
to build up your brother in Christ, isn’t it? Haven’t you had those
that have come alongside you? They wanted nothing more than
to drop a pillow on the living room floor and to kneel together
in prayer. Haven’t people done that with
you? What about counseling? Sometimes we think we’ve got
to send them to a professional. What about just listening? Just
getting into a conversation and just listening, hearing them
out, how did you arrive at these conclusions? How did how did
you develop these convictions? And not for the purpose, Paul’s
already made it clear, not for the purpose of passing judgment,
just to hear, just to listen, to graciously lend an ear to
a fellow brother and sister in Christ. From the very start of. my ministry, I called what I
do discipleship counseling. There was an element of both
in every relationship. We listen for the purpose of
discipling others. Everything that we do becomes
discipling then, right? What about encouraging? What
about just coming alongside and saying, you know what, I see
God doing certain things in you. I see some strengths in you.
I really want to encourage you for who you are in Christ. Paul
will spend almost the entire last chapter of Romans doing
nothing but that. Just acknowledging other people’s
gifts of grace. What about exhorting? What about
doing what we’re supposed to do? And to exhort one another
to love and good deeds. To come alongside and to really
prompt someone to take up some new ministry. To try some new
approach. to come alongside and exhort
them to do and to be what God has called them to be. And if
need be, what about admonition, admonishing a brother and sister
in Christ? What about, you know, reminding
them of what the Scriptures say, not by way of correcting their
weakness, not by a way of criticizing their scruples, but simply what
we would do with any brother. You know, we need to be We need
to be more faithful in what we’re doing. We need to be more dutiful
in what we’re doing as brothers and sisters in Christ. Those
are just mutual admonitions. But perhaps the one we overlook
the most. Is one that Paul. Paul, you know, didn’t do like
so many people do in our day and age, a lot of people in our
day and age would say, don’t do as I do. Paul said, watch
me and do likewise. We’re not real good at exemplifying. We’re not real good at living
our lives before others, our weaker brother included, living
our lives so that it does become a model for him. It becomes a
living testimony of Christ. Christ at work in me. You see,
we get fed up with him. We’re tired of him. We don’t
care what he sees in our life. We should. You should. Paul says, let me give you one
reason. That’s all he needs. Let me give you one reason why
it’s so crucial that not only you bear the weaknesses, but
you please your brother and sister in Christ. You edify Him. Why
is it so crucial? Why should I bother? Look at
verse 3. For even Christ did not please
Himself. We’ve got a pretty good role
model here, don’t we? Paul doesn’t pull Any punches
here, he cites the greatest example, the greatest cause of all to
adjust our conduct, the Lord Jesus Christ, for even Christ
did not please himself, but as it as it is written, the reproaches
of those who reproach thee fell upon me. See, immediately, Paul turns
to the highest standard he can turn to. When it talks about
motivating the Christians conduct. Christ’s example. Here is presented before us,
held up not simply as a model, somebody for us to emulate. This
is the motive. This is why we do what we do.
This is why we want to care about our brothers and sisters in Christ.
This is why we want to bear their burden. This is why we want to
build them up. Because Christ himself didn’t
even please himself. One pastor said it this way,
who was more careful to bear the weaknesses of others? And you begin to think of what
Jesus Christ did. Coming down, taking on human
flesh, going to the cross for you and me. It is so easy for
a man whose conscience is quite clear about some course of action
to snap his fingers at his critics and say, I’ll please myself. He has every right to do so.
That is not the way of Christ. His way is to consider others
first, to consult their interests and to help them in every possible
way. So both. In Christ’s incarnation
and in the nature of his life here on Earth, Jesus Christ wasn’t
about seeking to please himself. In fact, Mark 1045, the theme
verse of the entire gospel of Mark, Even the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as
a ransom for many. Aren’t you glad that Jesus, looking
at our weakness, didn’t say, no, I’m not obligated. Paul knew what he was doing when
he quoted the Lord’s example here. Paul pointed to the sacrifice
of Christ and to all that Christ had done. And he takes us back
to that great passage in Philippians, which passage we just consider
do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. And in that passage,
he cites the greatest example of of all have this attitude,
which was also in Christ Jesus. who, although he existed in the
form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.
He cites Christ as the motivation, not just the example, but the
motivation for doing what’s right. Paul says it elsewhere to the
Corinthians, he said, you know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, what if he had stood pat on that? You know what? I’ve got this
thing. I’m in heaven. I’m good. They’re
in trouble. It’s not my problem. That’s the
attitude that we project. When we don’t care about our
brother’s weakness, when we don’t care to fellowship with him because
he holds some quirky view. That wasn’t Jesus attitude. Not at all. Look at the remainder
of the verse. Even Christ did not please himself,
but as it is written, the reproaches of those who reproach thee fell
upon me. Let me explain that for a moment.
Paul takes this quote quotation from Psalm 69. And he uses it
in a little bit different. Fashion than it does in the original.
Psalm 69, 8 said this, I become estranged from my brothers and
alien to my mother’s sons for zeal for your house has consumed
me and the reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen
on me. Now, in the psalm, it’s the sufferer,
it’s this godly sufferer who speaks and he’s referring up
to God. But when Paul uses this, He uses
it of Christ, Christ addressing God, basically saying that the
reproaches, the hatred that men have towards the world have fallen
upon him. That is Jesus Christ. And that the whole purpose in
pointing to this reference is to point to the lengths that
Christ went to in not pleasing himself. Jesus went out of his
way to not please himself. Jesus took upon himself everything
that was burdensome. And it’s interesting, from the
earliest days in the church, this psalm was seen as a messianic
psalm. They looked at it and they saw
the passion of Christ. And the gospel writers, they
were quite helpful in directing the early church To that consideration,
listen to just a few quotations. In John, chapter 15, it said
they had done when they had done this. Pardon me. They have done
this to fulfill the word which is written in their law. They
hated me without a just cause. That’s Psalm 69 for. In John,
chapter two, verse 17, his disciples remember that it was written
zeal with your zeal for your house will consume me that after
the cleansing of the temple. Psalm sixty nine nine. In John
19. After this, knowing that all
things had already been accomplished to fulfill the scripture, said,
I am thirsty and a jar of sour wine was standing there, so they
put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop
and brought it up to his mouth. Psalm 69, verse 21, and then
in the book of Acts, it was written in the book of Psalms, let his
homestead be made desolate, let no one dwell in it, let another
man take his office. Psalm 69, 25. You see, Jesus
Christ, Jesus Christ modeled the testimony of this psalm.
This was a messianic psalm. This did point to the Messiah
that would be the suffering servant. Paul said he spared nothing.
He held back nothing in enduring. And, of course, I think what
it most most plainly points to that Christ wasn’t about pleasing
himself, it points to the Garden of Gethsemane, doesn’t it? Matthew,
Chapter 26, not as I will, but as you will. What he was about
was pleasing his heavenly father. That was first and foremost in
his mind, and he knew that in order to do that. He would be. Caring for the needs
of the sinners. One said it this way, that Christ
submitted himself to the reproaches heaped upon God rather than please
himself, the quotation illustrates Christ’s principle in the most
extreme case. And in the argument from it,
from the greater to the lesser, Christians should act upon the
principle in lesser difficulties. That’s what Paul’s doing. We
give you a brief illustration as we begin to close. The foot
washing passage, remember, Christ went about John 13, washing the
disciples feet, and at the end of it, he said, Do you know what
I’ve done for you? I’ve given you this example that you ought
to serve one another. And in a very real way, what
Paul has done is take Christ’s example of bearing the reproaches
of God by going to the cross for you and for me. And he says,
I’ve given you an example. You’re not supposed to be about
pleasing yourself, that’s not supposed to be paramount in the
life of the Christian. And then Paul closes the first
four by saying whatever was written in earlier times was written
for our instruction. He says that that psalm, the
psalm was written for a purpose, and the purpose is to teach us,
to point us to the truth, that through perseverance and the
encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. See, Paul
knew that this reference to Psalm 69 seemed a bit abrupt and maybe
Maybe he thought that the point wasn’t immediately clear, and
so he drives home the point that, you know what, this Old Testament
is perfectly relevant for the Christian’s life. We are to look
to it for lessons. And he justifies the use of that
Old Testament psalm, they were written for our instruction,
just as it says in 1 Corinthians 10, 11, that those scriptures
were written for our instruction. That as we. Persevere by God’s
grace. And in a sense, our tank begins
to run a little bit low, we return again to the scriptures and the
encouragement of the scriptures fills us up and we persevere
further. We persevere and we begin to
run lean and we return again to the scriptures and are encouraged
all the more to persevere. Said one, the scriptures provide
ample evidence of God’s fidelity, especially when they are read
in light of Christ’s fulfillment. Therefore, their readers are
encouraged to place their trust in the Lord and wait patiently
for him. In essence, what Paul is saying here is the more we
persevere and the more we dip into scripture and the more we
persevere and the more we feast upon God’s word. The more prepared we’re going
to be. The more we’re going to cultivate a hopeful spirit and
the more the things of this earth and the special privileges that
we think that we have, that we can separate and ourselves from
those and that we can live a new and different life according
to our brothers and sisters weaknesses. Paul says. Whatever written was
written in earlier times was written for our instruction that
through perseverance and encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have
hope. This whole life, this is what
it’s all about. It’s the hope of Christ. It’s the hope of glory. It’s
the hope of heaven. We can’t lose sight of that.
Let’s pray. Our merciful King, We humble ourselves. We’ve enjoyed
for several weeks, perhaps. Almost in tongue in cheek, snickering
about the weaknesses of others. Well, we judged ourselves to
be strong. Men and women of great conviction,
but biblical conviction. Not off the mark on any doctrine
or practice, we are the strong. And yet, Father, now we see that.
We are the ones in focus. And that we have great cause
to examine our own hearts and to return again to your word
and to examine our own hearts and to see whether we. Conduct
ourselves as Christ would have us to live For His glory. For His cause. God grant us the
grace to consider our brothers and sisters in Christ as more
important than ourselves. And to respond accordingly by
Your grace. We thank You and we praise You
in Jesus’ name. Amen.