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Romans 15:1-3 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. 3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me.

Last week we heard about the battle that was going on in the Church at Rome. Both Gentiles and Jews – each with distinctive different cultures – were coming into the Church. And their cultures were clashing. Paul told the Church:

Romans 14:19-21 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

Word Study: Paul ordered the Church to follow the Spirit of God, to stop letting cultural differences dismantle the Body of Christ. God calls us together to “EDIFY” other members in the Church. The word “EDIFY” is the Greek oikodomē (pro. oy-kod-om-ay’) which means “to build up, to promote another’s growth in Christian wisdom, to add to spiritually”. The same word is used again in our focal text:

Romans 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to EDIFICATION. {oikodomē}

We Are No More To Justify Sin In Our Members,
Than We Do Cancer In Our Bodies

What is the Lord telling us here? Should we look the other way on sin and iniquity? No, absolutely not. We who are saved belong to God.

1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s BUILDING. {oikodomē}

Preach! Christians that are Christians are “born again of the Spirit of God”. Receiving Jesus Christ as lord and Savior, God does a miraculous work in us. Our souls are awakened to the Light of God. We “walk in the Light as He is in the Light” (1 John 1:7). We are “born again, not of perishable seed, but imperishable, THROUGH THE LIVING AND ABIDING WORD OF GOD”. We do not turn a blind eye to sin, nor justify sin in our midst. The Apostle chastised the Church at Corinth for doing that very thing (1 Corinthians 5:1-5). The Apostle went on to say,

1 Corinthians 5:6 (LSB) a little leaven {yeast} leavens the whole lump

A little sin in the Body, like yeast, will “puff up” the whole dough. The corruption will spread. Sin has no place in the life of a Christian, nor of the Church. We are not to justify sin, but to speak the Word of God, to affirm what God has said is truth. Our language should affirm what God affirms, and cast out what God abhors. Again,

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of EDIFYING, oikodomē that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

This is Christ’s Kingdom. This is Christ’s Church. BUT we are not to brand something as “sinful” if God has not said so. In Rome, Gentile believers ate all meats, but Jewish Christians were raised that certain meats were “unclean”. Both cultures must give a little to maintain unity in the Body of Christ.

Romans 14:21 It is good neither to EAT FLESH, nor to DRINK WINE nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

Again, the Bible is not talking about sin, but about cultural differences. “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (vs 23). What you are doing may not be sinful – but you need to be careful to not let your freedom become that which enslaves another. For instance, the Apostle speaks of “DRINKING WINE”.

About Wine: We can argue this point all day long (and Baptists often do), but our Lord Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:3-10). Jesus turned water into GOOD WINE, for the Bible says:

John 2:10 … Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

Wine mingled with water was often used as a beverage in Jewish wedding feasts. No one drank to drunkenness, but we lie to ourselves if we do not recognize Jesus made wine. Jesus also used wine in His illustrations of Grace:

Luke 5:36-39 (KJV) {Jesus} spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was [taken] out of the new agreeth not with the old. [37] And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. [38] But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. [39] No man also having drunk old [wine] straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

The “NEW WINE” is unfermented wine, a type of pressed grape juice with very little alcoholic content. The “OLD WINE” is fermented, with a higher alcoholic content.

The Apostle told his student Timothy, who was suffering gastric upset:

1 Timothy 5:23 (KJV) Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.

Paul spoke of a “LITTLE WINE”. Why for the stomach? I looked it up, and found out “Red wine may have benefits for gut health due to its content of polyphenols, which can promote healthy gut bacteria. However, it’s important to consume it in moderation, as excessive alcohol can lead to health risks”. God knew about the benefits of a “LITTLE WINE” long before modern medical doctors did. Surprise!

But here’s the thing. The same Paul wrote:

Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

The Gentiles were encouraged to back off eating “unclean” meats in front of the Jewish Christians. The Jewish Christians were to back off requiring circumcision of Gentile believers. Paul said, “The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God” (Romans 14:22). Do not hinder the spiritual growth of other believers in your Christian liberty.

Christians Are Selflessly To Work Together
To Grow One Another Upward For Christ

Romans 15:1-2We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.

We please our neighbor – our fellow Christian – for his good. The Church is to be the light of the world. Beloved, humanity is sick, and the disease that has possessed it is sin. The true Christian says:

Psalm 38:18 (ESV) I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.

The lost person condones sin, justifies sin, modifies sin, denies sin. Those who are not born again hate the light of God. Jesus said:

John 3:16-21 {LSB} … For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. [18] He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [19] And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. [20] For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light lest his deeds be exposed. [21] But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been done by God.”

The world is sin sick – and loves the disease that possesses it. We who are the Body of Christ, the Church of the Living God, we are His Ambassadors on this planet. As His ambassadors we work together toward the goal of ministering to the sin sick and the lost. We cannot fix the world, but we can share the Gospel, that Jesus gave Himself for everyone who will believe. Yet, many will not come to Jesus to be healed. They love the disease that holds them. “Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light lest his deeds be exposed. [21] “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light”

Saved people do not live to please themselves.
They please themselves by blessing others.

The world, under the grip of satanic forces and the flesh, is a greedy, selfish, unsatisfied place. I am mildly amused at the finger pointing that goes on between Democrats and Republicans today. Each side points at the other, as if their party is headed by Jesus Christ. It is not. There are few politicians that are self sacrificing.

Go to their homes.
Look in their bank accounts.
What Church do they attend?
Are they active in the Body?
What do their spouses do?
Do they affirm the Word of God both publicly and privately?
Do they love Jesus?

I am not surprised by the things I see going on in the world, and neither should you be if you are a Christian. What does surprise me is when Church bodies get side-wise of the Word of God in loving one another. Christians are “not to please ourselves”. That cannot be our chief focus. We are to be imitators of Christ. Our focus is to “please {our} neighbor for his good to edification”. Not to please our neighbor in godless things, but to assist our neighbor in being more like Christ.

As you grow in Christ, help someone else grow in Christ. Seek for the Christ like unity of the Body.

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NASB20) Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

2 Corinthians 13:11 (NASB20) Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, mend your ways, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

The Church is to be unified on that which matters, on the teachings of God’s Holy Bible. But in the gray areas, the areas not clearly listed as sinful or forbidden in Scripture – these are not to be areas of contention. Our Lord Jesus set the standard:

John 13:34-35 (ESV) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. [35] By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

We Are Imitators Of Christ In Our Walk

Romans 15:3 For even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me.

Our Lord Jesus did not “please Himself”.
Jesus first of all lowered Himself.

Though God, the Son of God (John 1:14; 8:58; 10:30; Colossians 2:9) set aside His Heavenly Throne to come to this earth to save us. Jesus told us:

John 4:34 (ESV) My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish his work.

John 6:38 (ESV) I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of him who sent me.

Jesus did not please Himself. He set aside His infinite power, and came to earth to walk among us and be with us. The Bible says “Though Jesus was RICH, yet for our sakes HE BECAME POOR, so that BY HIS POVERTY WE COULD BE MADE RICH”. Jesus Christ came into this world representing the Kingdom of God. He left the glory and splendor of Heaven, to enter a broken world. He left the praises of the angels to come and be accused by the religious lost. Jesus did not please Himself.

He pleased the Father. John 8:29 (ESV) He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.

Jesus was mocked by the Pharisees as “Beelzebub”, the prince of demons (Matthew 10:25). On the night that Jesus went to Gethsemane three times He prayed:

Matthew 26:39 (ESV) My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.

It did not “please” Jesus, that is, it was not pleasurable for Him to come to this earth, nor the go to the Cross. He did this so that He might bring us to God:

1 Peter 3:18 (ESV) Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God

Jesus was strong for us, for we were weak. Once more:

Romans 15:1 We then that are STRONG ought to bear the infirmities of the weak

Jesus the Stronger supported us the weaker. Now we who are stronger are to support the weaker members of the Body. Who is the STRONG? How does one “grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

The Christian who spends a minimum amount of time in sin and a maximum amount of time in the Word grows in grace. He or she becomes more gracious, more like Christ, more like God Himself. The Bible says:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] PROFITABLE for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

What Should The Strong Do?

Young believers in Christ will be unaware that the Christian faith is a discipline. Those who are maturer, stronger believers are to guide those weaker in the faith. Those who are stronger are to …

1. Encourage all believers to attend the assembly of the Church. The Church is Jesus’ idea, not mine or yours. We are exhorted “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day {of the Lord} drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25). We want to promote love and good works, to the glory of God and the possible salvation of all who we come into contact with.

2. Encourage all believers to attend to the Word of God, both publicly and privately. I have often had people in the Church come to me, saying, “Pastor, I want you to talk to so and so, for they offended me”. I then ask, “Have you already taken the first step that our Lord Jesus commanded?” You see, He told us:

Matthew 18:15 (ESV) If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

Young Christians do not know this because they do not study their Bibles. The mature Christian is to refer – not to opinion – but to the Scripture. Jesus went on to say:

Matthew 18:16-17 (ESV) But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. [17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. {a lost person}

The mature believer approaches all things through the lens of the Scripture, not of self opinion. We ask ourselves, “What does the Bible say?”, or as our Lord Jesus stated, “It is WRITTEN”.

3. Encourage all believers to attend to both private and public prayer. Jesus never taught His disciples how to teach or preach, but Jesus taught us how to pray. He gave us very specific directives on prayer (Matthew 6:5-11; Luke 11:2-4; Matthew 6:9-15). What is interesting about prayer is that Jesus said to pray:

Matthew 6:12 … forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors …

and went on to say,

Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV) For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, [15] but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Prayer is so integral to the Christian way of life, that we are commanded

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

As We Come To Our Deacon Ordination

I want to thank God for the Deacons that this Church has called. Brother Jim was called with a 100% vote of the Church. If Brother Jim and his dear wife Sandra will come forward and be seated, I’m going to ask our Deacons to come by and “lay hands” on Jim, and to pray for both as we recognize God’s calling in Jim’s life. Though Sandra is not a Deacon, she will be very much involved in supporting Jim as he helps minister in this blessed Body.

May God bless us all to maintain unity, to the glory of God in Christ. Amen.