Transcribed by Beluga AI.
Good morning everybody. It’s good to see you. I’d like to welcome those who are joining in person and those who are joining online.
Please pray for the Fernandez family. They made a last-minute trip to the Philippines. Just pray for good family bonding. Matthew and the kids are on their way to Korea. As you know, Emma’s father has not too much time left on this side of eternity, so just pray for God to minister to the family. Can you also pray for Ron’s daughter, Asia’s, mom? She is also not doing well. Ron is—let’s pray for wisdom for Ron to how to minister to his family member.
I’d like to welcome a special family that I’ve known—the husband, father—since he was a single student studying abroad in Japan. Jackie and I were missionaries there, and right after we got married, we didn’t know what we were doing, but we were there. Juhyuk was a student, maybe 19, maybe 20, around there, and now he is 45. He is married. It shows how old we’re getting. He has three kids, and he’s going to be spending a year in America for his job, and we’re so happy to have them. Praise God. Praise God.
Well, life is good. Eagles won, so… That’s their—Super Bowl defense is starting well. Phillies are in first place, and they might win the World Series. And Stanford women’s soccer is ranked number one in the country. My niece is playing there.
We were watching the USC game this past Thursday, and the USC band is incredible. There’s a reason why there’s such incredible school spirit at that school. They’re doing their school “fight on.” their victory symbols, and the band is almost like an additional player on the team. There’s this kind of low hum, and they’re like trash talking through music. I’ve never seen anything like that.
The first half was very tense. It was scoreless, and then I don’t remember who scored the first goal, but at some point, the atmosphere changed because the Stanford team captain scored a goal. She came right in front of the USC band and did this conducting motion to trash talk the band, and from then on, it was all Stanford. They won 5-1, and they are undefeated.
The reason why I bring up the women’s soccer is because that’s why Chris and Carolyn are here, to support their daughter. That’s why Jackie’s dad is here. That is why I am going to preach a short message, and we need to close up shop. They are playing UCLA at one o’clock, so I’m going to be rushing a little bit today.
So, all right. Well, please turn with me to Romans 15. I don’t usually cover an entire book, but the Lord had us finish Romans. So, Romans 15 and 16, we will wrap it up today.
Romans 15:1.
1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 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. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:1-7, ESV)
Amen. Okay, let’s pray.
Father, we avail ourselves to you. We’re all your children, and we want to hear from you.
Lord, reveal and share your heart with us of how you want us to live, how you want us to receive your love first and foremost, and how to live it out in community and for the sake of your glory to the ends of this earth as we exalt the Name of Jesus, so help us today, we want to hear from you. Thank you, Lord, for what you’re going to do in this time. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
If you could turn to the next chapter briefly. Chapter 16.
There is a list there, and I understand why pastors love Paul because they want a church filled with people like this. Paul shares a list of 26 plus names and even beyond that, family members. So it’s a pretty long list of people. And they are not just church members. These are co-workers in the faith, and they are risking their lives for the Lord and to support Paul. He says there’s a mother, and you’ve been like a mother to me.
And so, Paul is, there’s such affection as all of these people are serving the Lord, and every pastor wants this. But first, I would say God wants this. God wants this. His heart is that He wants all of us to be listed in His book as a co-worker, as somebody He can count on, somebody who will represent Him well and be close to Jesus and bear the fruit of Jesus. God wants all of our names on H list more than any human leader.
And so, how do we become that kind of a person who would be on such a list? Such a loving person?
You know, I look at my list. It is, compared to Paul, a short list. And this is just one church. Paul has his list at every church that he founded. And so, the number of people he’s praying for must be so long. His prayers are so long because he loves people so much. And I’m just challenged by somebody who can be so in love with God and love Jesus. And it just overflows for love for people as he meets people along this journey that he is running.
And so how do we get there? How do we become the kind of person who is loving like Paul and serving alongside of Paul? And these people on the list, they don’t have titles. They’re just faithful, they’re just zealous, they’re just loving. They risk their lives because they believe in what they’re saying. And how do we become people who love like this and can support people like Paul? And ultimately, it is to live for Jesus and to be on God’s list. How do we become this kind of person?
And the answer is in chapter 15:1-7 that I read. It says,
1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. (Romans 15:1, ESV)
In a church context, we are encountering people of all shapes and sizes and different places in their spiritual journey. And some you feel so supported by, so strengthened by. Other people, weaker in faith, immature in character, they just annoy you to no end. And what does Paul do? He bears with them.
Think back to when you first met Jesus, what kind of person you were and I were. Not pretty, full of myself, arrogant, didn’t care a lick about anybody but myself, looking down on others, just a terrible, terrible character. While I was an enemy of God, not even interested in God, Jesus pursued me and He rescued me. And for, since age 19, He’s been bearing with Ray in all my weaknesses and shortcomings. By God’s grace, I’ve been moved along step by step with His help.
These people that we read about in chapter 16, they were not born again and suddenly they’re like this. But Paul, as one who disciples, the one who pastors, the one who is an older brother in the faith, he came alongside of weak brothers and sisters. He didn’t come to please himself. He’s living to serve people. And eventually, some of them who are weaker in faith grew and eventually made the list.
Some churches, the way they deal with weakness is “We have no patience for weakness.” It’s like the military. We’re going to yell at you, we’re going to say, “Get your act together.” And there’s just harshness, and there’s just this urgency that you got to get, you got, you got to shape up now or ship out.
And there’s this type of approach to try to manufacture a list like Romans 16, but it’s a false list because you see how they are at home. These leaders who on Sunday, they have it all together and they’re serving hard. You look at how they are at home, and it’s nothing like that because it is artificial, it is counterfeit.
The way God does it is He finds us where we are. He bears with our weakness. He sends people like Paul who are so patient. He must have been an incredible listener. He’s not sharing his convictions left and right, saying, “Why are you so uptight about eating and festivals and days of worship?” He restrains his convictions. He allows them to just express what they believe. And he doesn’t say, “No, that’s wrong. No, this is true. You need to learn what I learned. You need to be convicted like me. And all of us will be uniform and will be marching in line.”
Paul didn’t do ministry like that. And if you think about Jesus, he does not minister to us like that. He’s not harsh, He’s not impatient, He’s not pushing us beyond what we can handle. He just takes us gently through, one thing at a time, step by step.
Paul did this throughout his earthly ministry. That’s why he has people like on Romans 16, just from one church, 26 plus names that he’s so affectionate about, and says they are serving alongside of me.
It says in Romans 15:2,
2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (Romans 15:2, ESV)
What if whatever we gathered, we don’t care about ourselves, that we are interested in building my brother, my sister, and we’re not annoyed that they are where they are or they have the convictions that differ from my convictions? We meet them where they are, and our job is just to embrace the weakness and do whatever we can to build them up. Isn’t that the kind of church we want to be? So loving, embracing people, not kicking them out, not harsh with them. God is not harsh with us. Jesus is so gentle. He is the teacher, and He meets us where we are. He says, “Take this step. This is the only thing I want you to work on in this season.” Even though he sees a hundred things that are wrong with us, he says, “Just this one thing.”
If you’re in first grade, He only cares about the numbers. Just know your numbers. Second grade, let’s start adding the numbers, subtracting the numbers. Third grade, let’s start multiplying the numbers. He’s not telling you, “Well, how come you don’t understand calculus as a third grader?” It’s because that’s where you are. It’s okay. We progress at different paces. But God, He’s so gentle. He embraces our weakness, and He wants to build us up step by step.
And what if we, as a church, embraced each other’s weaknesses because we all have them? And our goal was, how can I build up my brother today? I’m not here to please myself. I’m here to love and to build up somebody. If we were that kind of church, people would want to come because everybody’s welcome. Weak or strong, it doesn’t matter; bearing with one another.
But because we’re sinful, when we are annoyed with someone, we just avoid that person. When our boss is annoyed with us, we want to switch jobs. We just, we just cut people off and we move ourselves from circumstances. And God is saying, “Let me deal with you there because there’s some sanctification I’m doing in that difficult situation. Don’t run away. I have you right where I want you. Let me, let me build you up.” So that you’re a kind of person, nothing bothers you. You don’t get triggered very easily. You’re very generous because look at how Jesus was in the next verse, verse 3.
3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” (Romans 15:3, ESV)
And Jesus is saying, “All the insults that you received because of Christ, it all falls on me.” You’re actually not the target. It’s all the insults from this world, from people who hate Jesus, when they criticize you and say, “Why are you a Christian? You’re such a fool for serving the Lord. Save your money.” Whatever comments that you hear, Jesus is saying, “I hear it. It’s actually toward me.”
And Jesus didn’t please Himself. He bore our sins while we were enemies of God. He’s that kind of a person. So now He’s saying, within the context of Christian community, bear with one another, build each other up. We’re all weak in different areas. Let’s build each other up. Let’s not get annoyed. That annoyance that you feel, okay, the Lord wants to deal with it. Don’t worry about the other person. OK, they have their issues. Work on your annoyance with that person. Work on your inability to bless that person and your desire to avoid that person. That is what the Lord wants to deal with so that you become someone who can display the heart of God.
Jesus, as the prime example, while being insulted and disgraced, He embraces it all. But we’re not Jesus. And so we don’t have to embrace all of the hatred of this world. But at least He’s saying in a Christian community, when we’re some weaker, some stronger, the stronger ones bear with the weak.
So if you think you’re strong, how is it expressed? Do you get room for weakness, or do you need to share every conviction? Does that build that person up, or does that cause more of a gap? Because that person doesn’t share that conviction, and you think, “Well, I need to keep sharing my convictions,” and that person doesn’t feel it, and so they just feel a gap widening between you.
Why don’t you just restrain and refrain from sharing that conviction? Because that person doesn’t have that revelation yet. And just meet them wherever they are and try to encourage them, as if Jesus would meet them. Like if a trainer, if he sees you and you’re 350 pounds, he’s not going to say, “Let’s run a marathon tomorrow.” He’s going to say, “Let’s just, let’s just put the sugar away. Let’s just start walking around the block.” Because the trainer sees where the person is. And Jesus, He sees us. He sees where we are. And He’s not telling us to enter the Olympics or to run a marathon. He’s saying, “Okay, just take one step, just run around the block.”
And that is a strong person of faith who leaves room for weakness and says, “Okay, I want to, I just want to say this. I think this will be helpful. I think this will be helpful.”
Verse 4.
4 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. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:4-7, ESV)
So here it says, welcoming, encouraging, enduring harmony. So keep those verses in mind and let me read you one section in chapter 16, and we’ll close. Verse 17 of chapter 16.
It says,
17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (Romans 16:17-20, ESV)
And as you read these verses, it seems contrary to what we read in chapter 16 of having harmony, of encouraging and enduring and bearing. Now he’s saying avoid, don’t fellowship with.
So how do we reconcile these two, just one chapter apart? What the Lord told me is we bear with one another in our weaknesses within God’s boundary. And God’s boundary is chapter 16. That is a boundary you must not cross.
Jesus, because He is the Son of God, because He’s the light of the world, because He’s the truth embodied—Jesus can talk to anybody. There’s no boundary for Him. He wants to reach that false teacher. He wants to reach the Satan worshiper. He will go anywhere and He will not falter for a second because He is Lord. But we are not Jesus and we are naive and we can be deceived. I was deceived for 20 years because I didn’t know my Bible. I didn’t have the Holy Spirit in me.
And I just believed what I was heard, what I was hearing, and I was deceived. So, knowing that I could be deceived, I understand why God, in His protective heart over His children, puts a boundary and says, “You can bear with everyone in the church, but when it comes to somebody who calls himself or herself a leader and gives themselves a title and you perceive that their doctrine is not the same as what you know, avoid them. Because when you’re in their presence, they’re smooth talkers.”
I’m not a very smooth talker, so I don’t think I will fall into this danger. But because I do fall in the category of a teacher, this could apply to me. So a pastor, a teacher, a leader, and they have smooth talk and they flatter you. A spell comes over you spiritually and your eyes close and you get deceived. And you might think, “Well, I’m too smart to be deceived.” No, if we were so smart, if we were so able to discern deception, this wouldn’t be in Scripture.
But because of the potential to fall into deception and because we’re not Jesus, God puts a boundary bear with all of the body of Christ, all the members of the body of Christ. But pastors, preachers, teachers, leaders, be careful. With them, discern. Don’t be naive. They will say one thing. You feel like you are on the top of the mountain because you’re under their spell. They say one thing, you’re in the doghouse because you’re under their spell. Smooth talk. Flattery. We are so susceptible to deception. And if you’re a proud person, a little flattery goes a long way to you being deceived. So God says bear with one another in God’s church. But He puts a boundary and a limit.
Pastors, preachers, teachers, be careful. Be careful. Don’t be naive. Avoid them, don’t bear with them. You, if you bear with them, you will fall away. And so out of God’s protection, He says, okay, God, I want, God says, “I want to use you to live for Jesus, to save the world.” At the same time, God says, “I want to save you, minister, I want you to be saved. Church member, I want you to be saved. So don’t be lost to deception.” That is out of God’s protective heart for His children.
Avoid preachers, teachers, whose doctrine has swayed, swerved from the teaching of the apostles that we find in Scripture. And let’s not be naive. Any one of us can fall into deception.
Okay, let’s pray.
Father, we thank you for your Word. On one hand, you challenge us within the body of Christ to bear with one another as you bore with us in our weakness, in our atheism, in our religiosity, in our rebellion towards you. You bore all of our sins while we insulted you and we mocked the Name of Jesus. You received all of these insults upon yourself, Lord Jesus, as you hung upon that tree and became sin for us. Thank you, Lord, that you are such a gracious God who endured this for us.
And now you are sharing your heart with us. That you want us now to display that same heart toward the body of Christ. To bear with one another’s weaknesses. To bear with our sins and our immaturities and our convictions that could be wrong. To bear with one another. To come not to please ourselves, but to serve. Not to build ourselves up, but to come to build my brother up, my sister up. What a different mindset for church. We’re coming to serve, we’re coming to bless. We’re coming to build up different convictions, different prayer needs, different places in our spiritual journey, different backgrounds, so different in many cases in the body of Christ. And yet you want us to be one.
Lord, we want to bear with one another. At the same time, Lord, we understand that your heart is for us. While wanting to use us to save others and to build others up, you want first and foremost to save us. And so you cannot allow us to be deceived. And so you warn us to avoid certain people who are behind pulpits, and they’re wolves in sheep’s clothing. We need to discern that. We need to avoid such people who put us under their spell through smooth talk and flattery.
The weapons of the enemy, the ways Satan in the garden used smooth talk to deceive Eve and eventually Adam. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. We see the schemes of the enemy. They have not changed from the very beginning.
And so Lord, help us to understand your protective heart toward us. And we want to heed your warning and be careful who we allow into our inner circle, who we bless, who we give our ear to. We want to be very careful. We want to make sure their doctrine is in accord with the apostles’ teaching. You have the Spirit that you’ve given to us so that we can test the Spirits and other people. We want to do our best, Lord, not to be deceived and to follow the true Jesus all the way to the end and not to fall to a counterfeit.
There are many antichrists, many substitutes, many counterfeit Jesuses in this world. And so Lord, we pray that we would lift up the true Jesus that we find in Scripture, that is confirmed by the Holy Spirit in us, and that we’d follow Him and Him alone. Not a person who, not a church, but only King Jesus, who is King of kings and Lord of Lords.
We thank you for bearing with all of our sins on the cross. We thank you for allowing your blood to be shed and your body to be broken. Thank you that we can unify under this one act of partaking in the Lord’s Supper, declaring the unity as the body of Christ comes under the head, who is Jesus Christ here and everywhere in the world for all generations.
We praise you Lord. Please be with us. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
And after you pray, examine your heart. After you have repented of any sins that may not have been repented of, if you’d like to partake in the Lord’s Supper with us and the Lord gives you a green light, it’ll be here waiting for you.
