Four Marks of A Church in Harmony Part One

Transcription

1 Four Marks of A Church in Harmony Part One Romans 15:1 6 Musicians are familiar with the terms unity or unison and the term harmony. They also know the term discord. You can tell the difference when they play in unison and when they play in discord. You can tell it too in your relationships. Can t you? Unity is good around all the major issues, harmony around minor issues, and discord rarely for discord can bring conflict and conflict can bring clarification and clarification can bring greater understanding and growth that will bring unity and harmony again. We have been learning a lot about relationships; relationships with Jesus Christ (sin, salvation, security, sanctification, service, surrender), with the church (discovering, developing, and demonstrating our spiritual gifts), with our enemies, with other believers, and with stringer and weaker believers (using our liberty to build up others). The Lord wants us to be in harmony with Him and with others. Paul, knowing the huge diversity of people in the church at Rome, wrote about four marks of a church in harmony and how to have that harmony in context of being light in a dark world. Four Marks of A Church in Harmony 1. Accept One Another with Consideration Romans 14: Build Up One Another without Being Offensive Romans 14: Please One Another with Christ s Example Romans 15:1 6 As we draw closer and closer to the holiday season, we see the shopping malls fill with holiday shoppers trying to find the right gift and the right price for the person they love. In other words, our desire is to please the one we love. Most of us know when we are pleased. The Britannica World Language Dictionary, published by Funk and Wagnall, 1964, p. 969, defines the word "please" - 1. To give pleasure to; be agreeable to; gratify, 2. To be the wish or will of, 3. To give satisfaction or pleasure. The key word in our passage today is the word "please." Various forms of the word are found five times in chapter 15:1-3, 26, 27, so therefore the proper relationship believers are to have toward strong believers and weak believers is to please them, not just themselves, and to do it because that's what Jesus did. We probably could all agree that when we are one with others we are the most pleased. Whatever we give or do for someone should have as its ultimate goal unity in mind. Obviously we can never please everyone, but our intention should be unity as it is with the Lord. 1

2 Notice: God the Father was interested in unity Ps. 133:1, "A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Jer. 32:38, 39, "And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:", and Ezek. 37:15-17, 19, "The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand...say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand." God the Son is interested in unity - John 17:21-23a, "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one;" God the Holy Spirit is interested in unity - At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon and within believers, they spoke in languages that all could understand. There came a spiritual unity which resulted in a display of active love one toward another - Acts 2: The Apostle Paul was concerned with unity. o In the church at Ephesus 4:2-6 o In the church of Corinth. 1:10, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." 12:12, 13, "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." o In all the churches of Galatia - Gal. 3:26-28 o In the church of Philippi - Phil. 1:27; 2:2 o In the church of Colosse - 3:11-14 The Apostles Peter (1 Pet. 3:8) and John (1 John 1:17; 3:16-18; 4:11, 20, 21) were concerned with unity. Other than sin and false doctrine, nothing destroys or paralyzes the body of Christ more than disharmony. In order to achieve the goal of harmony in the 2

3 church at Rome and in the body of Christ, Paul writes that the brotherhood should please one another (15:1-6), and should rejoice with one another in God's eternal salvation (15:7-13). How do we please one another Biblically? (1) Show An Obligation For Others - 15:1a We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak A. While everyone has the responsibility to please one another, it is especially important for the strong to do so. B. "Ought" comes from the Greek word opheilo which means "owing a debt" or "having an obligation to someone." The high priest was obligated to offer sacrifice - Heb. 5:3. Believers are obligated to follow the example of Christ. See 1 John 3:6; 3:16; 4:11. C. Bear" comes from the Greek word bastazo which means "to pick up and carry a burden." It was the word used in carrying a pitcher of water (Mark 14:13) or carrying a man (Acts 21:35). D. To show obligation for others is more than to just tolerate the weaknesses of others, but to carry the person. We are not to just tolerate a person's views which are different than ours, but to show respect for the person and their beliefs. See Phil. 2:3,4.This also implies that strong believers should voluntarily restrain from exercising their liberty which might needlessly offend the weaker brother...those "of the weak." See I Cor. 9: E. Paul was not speaking of compromising doctrine or biblical standards for the approval of the world. See Gal. 1:10. He was speaking of forfeiting personal liberties. See Ps. 46:1; Prov. 14:21, 31; Gal. 6:1, 2; I Thes. 5:14. (2) Demonstrate Self-Sacrifice For Others - 15:1b, 2 and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. A. While all believers have been set free from bondage, we are set free not to please ourselves but the Lord and others. Speaking to the church at Philippi Paul mentored Timothy who sought to please others in contrast to those who sought their own interests and not Christ's. (Phil. 2:19-22). B. Even though Paul admonished the Roman believers to please their neighbors, he also included himself, "Let everyone of us...". C. To please our neighbors is: To do good To build him up - Romans 14:19; Phil. 2:2-5 (3) Conform to Christ As Our Example - 15:3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." 3

4 A. While we are not Christ, we do have Him as our example to follow. See Phil. 2:6-8. B. Jesus Christ being God, went through the entire cross experience, not to please Himself, but to please Father God by doing His will. See Matt. 26:39, "And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." and John 5:18. "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God."' and John 6:38, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." (4) Submit To God's Word - 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. A. Old Testament Scripture was written for use during Old Testament times and for present day instruction. See 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21; 1 Cor. 10:6, 11. B. Since we live as members of the body of Christ, we will from time to time have "run-ins" with each other and conflicts with our opinions. How do we keep stable in our thinking and unified in our function? Through "hope," the joyful anticipation that... Our position can also be shown in our practice. In heaven we will all be fully one (Rev. 21:3-5), "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." C. How do we get hope? Through having patience (perseverance) Through having comfort (encouragement) D. How do we get patience and comfort? From the Scriptures (Ps. 119:25, 37, 40, 50, 88, 93, 107, 149, 154, 156, 159). From God (Rom. 15:5a; Col. 1:27). (5) Depend On The Power Of God - 15:5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 4

5 A. What God grants us through His word - patience and comfort and hope in pleasing others (v. 4); He also grants us through prayer (v. 4 - this is Paul's momentary benediction of Roman Christians to be like-minded). B. What God commands, He enables. C. Like-minded is inseparably linked to Jesus Christ. To honor and glorify Christ is to please others by being like-minded in unity with them. (6) Give Glory To God - 15:6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. A. The ultimate purpose of pleasing others is not unity, but to glorify God. This glory to God comes when believers: Have one mind (think the same) Have one voice (say the same) B. What Christian unity is not: Charity at the expense of theology Theology at the expense of charity Conformity at the expense of theology and charity * One wag explained the balance as "in major things have unity, in minor things have liberty, but in all things, have charity." C. What Christian unity is: Living as a family with one Father - Jesus Christ Sharing as a fellowship with things in common Serving as a body with each member having needs. * I like what James Montgomery Boice writes, "we might summarize these three images for the church by saying: 1) "family" stresses our relationship to God (since He is the Father who brings his children to being); 2) "fellowship" stresses our relationship to one another (since we share many things together); and "body" stresses our relationship to those who are without (since we exist to witness to serve those who do not know Christ)." [Romans, Vol. 4, James Montgomery Boice, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, p ]. Action Points 1. I will seek out someone with whom I disagree and find a way to show respect for him. 2. I will give up having my own way so I can serve others with whom I disagree. 3. I will remember the example of Christ who put up with an awful lot to meet the needs of others. 4. I will abide in God's Word for patience and comfort knowing I will be tested. 5. I will depend upon God's power to help me because I can't serve others effectively without it. 6. I will endeavor by God's grace to live and speak in one accord with others to glorify God. 5

6 Dr. Stan Ponz Senior Pastor International Baptist Church 808 / PastorStan@Internationalchurch.us This message may be downloaded FREE from our website at 6