The Ultimate Goal

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The 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.

We all set goals. Whether we’ve thought them out in great detail, or they’re just kind of hanging out there loosely, we’ve all got them.

Before I became a pastor I worked as a systems engineer with Motorola for 11 years. And after becoming a pastor, I worked another four years part-time. Towards the end of my engineering career at Motorola, the new buzz word became having S.M.A.R.T. goals. Everybody had to meet with their manager and set smart goals. That is, goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. You had to be going somewhere with your work plan, and had to know how you were going to get there.

2017 was the 500 year anniversary of the event that launched the Protestant Reformation. The German monk, Martin Luther, pinned his 95 theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther had an epiphany, a revelation when he was studying the book of Romans. His eyes were opened when he heard the apostle Paul say in vv. 16-17 of the first chapter of this letter, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” His world was turned upside down when he realized that being a Christian wasn’t about trying to keep yourself justified before God. It wasn’t about trying to measure up to the righteousness that God required. Being a Christian was about receiving justification from God by faith in Jesus Christ. He became a free man. His conscience was free. Countless people have come to rejoice in the fact that God is just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus ().

But can I tell you something? Our justification isn’t the goal. As wonderful as justification is, it isn’t the goal of God’s gospel. Paul didn’t stop writing the letter ch. 1, 3, 4 or 8 because he was going somewhere. He had a goal in mind that he was taking them to. What we find in this letter that the goal he’s taking them toward is worship. What we see in our text is that God’s goal for us is worship. God’s goal for everyone in here is worship. That worship described is not what we usually think of when we hear the word worship. But it is, I think, the worship that’s necessary as we continue to live in this world; the worship that’s necessary as we watch protests and deal with issues of race and justice, not just as a nation, but as a community; a worship that allows us to reject the polarizing press of political parties and move towards one another, not past one another. We’re going to explore this worship in our text under three w’s, Weakness, Writings, and Worship.

The Weakness

Let’s find our place in . Why is the apostle Paul saying what he’s saying here? If we step back from these seven verses to survey the landscape of Romans, what we’ll see is that in ch. 12-15 of this book Paul is giving instructions to the church for what life in this community is supposed to look like. He took 11 chapters to lay out the good news of Jesus Christ in great detail. He said that this good news, this gospel was the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, Jew and Greek. He said that our ability to stand in a good position in the presence of God, our justification, is not based on what we do with our lives. It is based on faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, and it’s not based on our good works. He has explained that this is because everyone is in the same boat. It doesn’t matter what your ethnic or religious background is, everyone has sinned, everyone has thought wrong thoughts and done wrong things. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. No one does good, Paul said, not even one person. Therefore, Jesus Christ is, and has to be, the hope of glory.

When you consider all of these things, Paul says at the beginning of ch. 12,

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

And he’s still talking about worship here in ch. 15 as a way of life. The first aspect of this worship that I want to hone in on is the weakness. He says in vv. 1-2,

“But we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for good, to build up.”

Had we been reading ch. 14 we would’ve found out that the weak he’s talking about here are those who are weak in faith. Their weakness is demonstrated by the fact that they eat only vegetables. They regard one day in the Jewish year better than another. They don’t drink wine. The strong, on the other hand, understand their freedom in Jesus Christ. They understand that Jesus has declared all foods clean. Nothing is off limits. I can drink wine as long as I’m not making myself drunk. I’m no longer bound to recognize and celebrate the special days of the Jewish year. And Paul counts himself among the strong. He says, “we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of the weak.” Notice that I didn’t say to “bear with” the failings of the weak. The word “with” has to actually be supplied in our English translations. It’s Ok to do so, but if you think of “bearing with” somebody the way we usually think about a phrase like that, you’re missing the gravity of Paul’s point. To bear the weaknesses, the failings, of the weak doesn’t simply mean to tolerate somebody.

Had we been reading ch. 14 we would’ve found out that the weak he’s talking about here are those who are weak in faith. Their weakness is demonstrated by the fact that they eat only vegetables. They regard one day in the Jewish year better than another. They don’t drink wine. The strong, on the other hand, understand their freedom in Jesus Christ. They understand that Jesus has declared all foods clean. Nothing is off limits. I can drink wine as long as I’m not making myself drunk. I’m no longer bound to recognize and celebrate the special days of the Jewish year. And Paul counts himself among the strong. He says, “we who are strong have are obligate to bear the weaknesses of the weak.” Notice that I didn’t say to “bear with” the failings of the weak. The word “with” has to actually be supplied in our English translations. It’s Ok to do so, but if you think of “bearing with” somebody the way we usually think about a phrase like that, you’re missing the gravity of Paul’s point. To bear the weaknesses, the failings, of those who are not strong doesn’t simply mean to tolerate somebody.

He’s talking about this community of faith that is created by Jesus Christ. Not everybody is going to be in the same place when it comes to their faith. Those who are stronger in the faith are obligated, not just to tolerate their brothers and sisters who are weaker, they are obligated to carry those who are weak. They’re not simply to endure through the irritating things those who are weaker say and do. The strong are strong to help sustain and support those who are weak, in order to build one another up.

He’s talking about this community of faith that is created by Jesus Christ. Not everybody is going to be in the same place when it comes to their faith. Those who are stronger in the faith are obligated, not just to tolerate their brothers and sisters who are weaker, they are obligated to carry those who are weak. They’re not simply to endure through the irritating things those who are weaker say and do. The strong are strong, not to please themselves, but to help sustain and support those who are weak, in order to build one another up.

He already set them up for this implication of their lives as Christians back in ch. 5, when he said in vv. 6-8, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus has already done bearing of the weak, and he didn’t bear with our weakness, he carried our weakness in his body on the cross. You see, what Paul is talking about is the cruciform (cross formed) aspect of the Christian community. He’s not making this stuff up off the top of his head. He knows that Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him take up his cross daily and follow me.” And he knows that there are practical applications and implications of the cruciform life that Jesus calls us to.

He already set them up for this implication of their lives as Christians back in ch. 5, when he said in vv. 6-8, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” When he was explaining the gospel Paul said Jesus Christ is the Strongest who gave his life for the weak ones, us. Christ has already done the bearing of the weak, and he didn’t bear with our weakness, he carried our weakness in his body on the cross. You see, what Paul is talking about is the cruciform aspect of the Christian community. He’s not making this stuff up off the top of his head. He knows that Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him take up his cross daily and follow me.” And he knows that there are practical applications and implications of the cruciform life that Jesus calls us to.

Let’s be honest. When you hear a passage like this, as you sit there and consider its implications for you, as you’re thinking, “how does this apply to me and my own life,” I can almost guarantee that you’re thinking of yourself in the position of the strong, not in the position of the weak. You’re not likely thinking, “I’m the one who’s weak and need other people to bear my weaknesses.”

Most of us don’t do that. When you go to the movies to see one of these super hero movies, you go to see Spider Man, or the X-Men or The Avengers, or Thor, you imagine yourself in the role of the super hero. You imagine yourself being the strong. Children, when Halloween comes around, and you start bothering your parents to buy you a costume, you don’t say to them, “I want to dress up this year as that person in the movie that Spider Man saved.” You can’t even find that costume in the store. If you said that, your parents would actually be happy. Because that would mean that they don’t have to spend any money to buy you a costume. They can just let you go trick or treating in your regular clothes. “Trick or treat! Who are you? I’m dressed as the person who the super hero saves.”

Most of us don’t do that. When you go to the movies to see one of these super hero movies, you go to see Spider Man, or the X-Men or Black Panther, or Infinity War, you imagine yourself in the role of the super hero. You imagine yourself being the strong. Children, when Halloween comes around, and you start bothering your parents to buy you a costume, you don’t say to them, “I want to dress up this year as that person in the movie that Black Panther saved.” You can’t even find that costume in the store. If you said that, your parents would actually be happy. Because that would mean that they don’t have to spend any money to buy you a costume. They can just let you go trick or treating in your regular clothes. “Trick or treat! Who are you? I’m dressed as the person who the super hero saves.”

Can I offer you this help this morning? Would you consider the reality that no one is in the camp of the strong all the time? Paul’s particular emphasis on what he’s addressing with these Christians in Rome had to do with eating and drinking and holy days. But there are all kinds of other areas in trying to follow Jesus where we may be strong or weak. You can be in either camp depending on the issue. So let me say this as it relates to how we respond to this pressing issue of race and justice. Walk with humility. Because you might not be among the strong. You might be among the weak. That consideration and reflection is actually what will help give you a mind to bear the weaknesses of others or to be carried by the strength of others.

Can I offer you this help this morning? Would you consider the reality that no one is in the camp of the strong all the time? Paul’s particular emphasis on what he’s addressing with these Christians in Rome had to do with eating and drinking and holy days. But there are all kinds of other areas in trying to follow Jesus where we may be strong or weak. You can be in either camp depending on the issue. So let me say this as it relates to how we respond to this pressing issue of race and justice and political polarization. Walk with humility. Because you might not be among the strong. You might be among the weak. That consideration and reflection is actually what will help give you a mind to bear the weaknesses of others or to be carried by the strength of others.

I almost titled this sermon “Christian Debt” because of the way this verb “obligation” or “owe” is so foreign to our drive to be independent - to be my own man - to be your own woman. We don’t like it, but we get the fact that we owe the government taxes. We get the fact that, unless you’re independently wealthy, when you buy a house you owe the bank a debt. It’s called your mortgage.

When it comes to the issues of social justice and racism that are raging in our culture are you convinced through the study of God’s word that your position is correct? How are you engaging particularly other Christians who disagree with you? Is your language and approach vitriolic? Is your approached designed to tear down or build up? You are obligated as a Christian to bear the failings of those weaker in the faith in a way that builds up. It’s your debt. Paul has spoken of this debt earlier.

Romans 13:8–10 ESV

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

The Writings

Here’s the reality. The position that everyone is called to take is the position of servanthood. Let each of us please his neighbor, for his good, to build up. Paul is reflecting what Jesus says in the gospels when he said, “Whoever wants to be great must be a servant. Whoever wants to be first must be a slave of all. Because the Son of Man didn’t come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” If you want to understand the Christian faith, you have to understand this reality. That in Jesus Christ the playing field is leveled. There are no super saints. There are no super Christians. Those who are more mature in the faith do not have some special status over those who are less mature in the faith. One group is not more Christian than the other group.

That’s why Paul could say in 14:15, “For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.” And in 14:20, “Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God.” My freedom as a Christian is much more than the freedom to eat what I want and to drink what I want. My freedom is the freedom to lay down my life for my brothers and sisters. My liberty as a Christian is the liberty to die to my own preferences, the liberty to die to my desire to please myself. My freedom as a Christian is the freedom to say, “I want to see you grow to maturity in Christ.” “My heart’s desire is to do everything I can to edify you, to build you up in the faith, to see you come to maturity in Christ.” And this is something that we are to pursue, building each other up, edifying one another, pleasing one another.

We’re not left to figure out what this looks like. Where do we see this bearing with the failings of the weak modeled for us? What is our example of not pleasing ourselves, or better yet, who is our example? Our example is found in the writings, Paul says, in the Scriptures.

For even Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The insults of those who insulted you have fallen on me.’ For whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, so that through the endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (vv. 3-4).

Jesus did not please himself. He said that he came to do his Father’s will. In those Scriptures, those writings that were written beforehand for our instruction we find words like these from the mouth of the prophet Isaiah,

Isaiah 53:3–7 ESV

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. ()

It was the Lord’s will, the prophet says, to crush him. Jesus is our example, living not to please himself, but doing all to please the Father so that he could bring you into God’s glory.

This was written, the apostle says, for our instruction. This was written so that we might have hope. The endurance and encouragement of that Scripture is intended by God to give us hope for the here and now for our life together as his people. The hope is that God is the one who enables us to endure through the challenges of strong and weak living together in one body for the glory of God.

The Worship

Let me free us up so that we’re not left with a burden that’s too heavy for us to bear. We can’t do it. This example of Jesus given to us in the Scriptures as one who was willingly afflicted and oppressed and crushed, not because he had done anything wrong or worthy of that affliction. This denying ourselves to please others, this dying to self that you might build somebody else up, this laying aside of your privileges for the benefit of others. We don’t have the love, the endurance, we don’t have the desire to do this all day, everyday. You might be inspired to be self-denying and self-sacrificing sometimes, but not all the time.

Don’t think that you can live this life of worship that is being described here by Paul as self-denying, self-sacrificing, focused on building up others without the detailed instructions. Here’s what I mean. Paul says, all that was written in Scripture has power and purpose. It has power for endurance and encouragement. When we come to the Bible, we’re not just coming to words on a page or on a screen. We’re coming to the very word of the living God. Paul says in v. 5 that God is a God of endurance and encouragement. He is a God who gives endurance and encouragement. How does he help us to endure? It is as his Spirit works in our hearts by and through his word. The purpose behind this power, at the end of v. 4 is that we might have hope.

That we might have hope for what?

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. ()

Why is it that we are to live in harmony with one another? Why is it that we are to look to please our neighbor? Why are we to bear with each others weaknesses and failings? Why are we to edify and build one another up? It is all so that we might glorify God. Worship is described here as having a united mind and voice. It is described here as a lifestyle of welcoming one another for the glory of God just like we were welcomed by Jesus Christ into the glorious presence of God.

Understand that this worship being described here is a supernatural thing. When you see sports teams, whether it’s football or basketball or baseball or soccer or whatever the sport, the best teams are the ones who have a united mind and voice. They are committed to one another and to their goal. That’s what you’re going to see in the teams that hold up championship trophies at the end of the season. That’s not a supernatural thing. That’s something that men and women can accomplish in their own strength and determination. But the reason why what Paul talks about here is supernatural has everything to do with the goal. The goal is the glory of God. The goal is for the whole creation to be able to look at what is happening among those who follow Jesus and say, “Oh my goodness. How did that happen? How did those people with all of those differences come together and commit to stay together, loving God and one another, even though they could easily check out?” It’s supernatural because it causes people to say, “Look at God when they look at the church.”

God’s goal is His glory; he’s working by his Spirit to bring his people together across every dividing line. It has far too often and for far too long been the case that you can look at the church in our land and you scratch your head about God. Do you hear what he says in v. 7? Therefore, since the goal is the glory of God, welcome one another just as Christ welcomed you into the glory of God.

Here’s the brass tax. What does it look like for those who are not like us feel welcomed here? What are we willing to give up, how are we willing to change so that those who are not like the majority of folks here start to feel like they belong, start to feel like this is home. You cannot assume your way into this goal. In order to welcome us into the glory of God Christ had to become like us. He couldn’t do it from afar. How much are you willing to move toward those who are not like you racially, socio-economically? How much are you willing to change and to be changed in order to pursue this goal?

The good news is the good news of the unity of the human race. And the Church is a proleptic sign of that eschatological reality. It is a sign of the unity of the human race that will one day be perfectly achieved. It is also a sign of a cosmic unity that all things are summed up in Christ, and the Church is to be the visible communion of human beings that anticipates that ultimate union of all things in Christ. It is a living sign; a community where that unity is already experienced in some degree…This is, in some respects, is the whole point of redemptive history. That God is going to knit back the human race in his Son. When the church fails to be that proleptic reality of the eschatological union of all things in Christ, then we are very deeply failing in the calling we’ve been given.

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:3–7)

It was the Lord’s will, the prophet says, to crush him. Jesus is our example, living not to please himself, but doing all to please the Father so that he could bring you into God’s glory.

The Spirit of Christ will empower you to move toward one another, to welcome one another. He delights to do that work. But rest assured. He’ll change you in the process. This change is good. It will make you an even more beautiful body as you glorify him together with one voice.

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