Romans 15:7-13

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="097285a1erlcgo.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Grace Evangelical Church</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Grace Evangelical Church"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>    </B></div> <div> <A HREF="id296.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 13:17 p1"><U>Romans 13:1-7 p1</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id306.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 13:17 p2"><U>Romans 13:1-7 p2</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id307.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 13:810"><U>Romans 13:8-10</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id309.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 13:1114"><U>Romans 13:11-14</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id310.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 14:113"><U>Romans 14:1-13</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id311.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 14:1423"><U>Romans 14:14-23</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id320.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 15:16"><U>Romans 15:1-6</U></A>   |   <B>Romans 15:7-13</B>   |   <A HREF="id329.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 15:14"><U>Romans 15:14</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id330.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Romans 15:1521"><U> Romans 15:15-21</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id331.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 15:2223"><U>Romans 15:22-23</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id332.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 16:116"><U>Romans 16:1-16</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id342.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 16:1727"><U>Romans 16:17-27</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="096d2c00dkelyh.png"> <div> Main Menu:</div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who Are We?"><U>Who Are We?</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Do We Believe?"><U>What Do We Believe?</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Where Do We Meet?"><U>Where Do We Meet?</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Good News For You!"><U>Good News For You!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A></div> <bR> <div> Life of the Church:</div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Announcements"><U>Announcements</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Calendar"><U>Calendar</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id398.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Newsletters"><U>Newsletters</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Staff"><U>Staff</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id267.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon MP3s"><U>Sermon MP3's</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id341.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Library"><U>Library</U></A></div> <bR> <div> Ministries:</div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fellowship Groups"><U>Fellowship Groups</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Missions Ministry"><U>Missions Ministry</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mens Ministry"><U>Men's Ministry</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Womens Ministry"><U>Women's Ministry</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Childrens Ministries"><U>Children's Ministries</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Youth Ministries"><U>Youth Ministries</U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Romans 15:7-13</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="0a7bc4b0.jpg" border=0 width="700" height="75" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Join Together for God's Glory</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Romans 15:7-13</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>What is God's hope for the body?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Receive one another as Christ received you 15:7</B></div> <bR> <div> Hebrews 12:2; John 17:1, 21-24</div> <div> Romans 15:1-2; 7:18; 2 Corinthians 5:16</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Receive by serving and joining together 15:8-9</B></div> <bR> <div> 1 Corinthians 1:6,8; 2 Corinthians 2:21; Colossians 2:7</div> <div> Lamentations 3:17-21</div> <div> 1 Thessalonians 5:18</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Receive by rejoicing with all 15:10-12</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Receive God's hope by the Holy Spirit 15:13</B></div> <bR> <div> Romans 15:4,8</div> <div> John 15:10-11; Romans 5:1; Psalm 119:165</div> <div> Romans 12:3; 14:23</div> <div> John 7:37-39</div> <div> Acts 2:41-47</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B>God's hope belongs to believers </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>rejoicing in community!</B></I></div> <div> <B>Biblical Teaching on God living in the Believer's Soul (part sixteen)</B></div> <bR> <div> <U>The Importance of Good Materials</U></div> <bR> <div>      <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >How does all this affect the believer?  In our congregation, many different kinds of homes exist.  The same is true concerning homes in our souls.  In our congregation, there are many different kinds of homes or palaces in the soul.  If you live in a physical culvert, you may have a castle in your soul, it all depends on your level of growth in the Lord Jesus Christ.  As we look at the importance of good materials, we need to begin by looking at the foundation for every structure.  Jesus, during the Sermon on the Mount told of the wise and foolish builder.  One built his house on a rock, the other on sand,</FONT></div> <div> <I>Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house upon the rock.  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand.  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall (Matt. 7:24-27).</I></div> <bR> <div> Both men heard the words, but only the wise man applied the principles of truth to his life.   The foolish man either neglected to apply the truths to his life, or rejected the principles.  The sand on which he built was his own solutions rather than trusting in divine truth provided by the Rock -- Jesus Christ.  Luke records the same parable, writing that the wise man is the one who “dug and went deep” in building the foundation.  His soul structure will stand.  When you come to church and listen, you hear the words of God's message.  When you leave church, do you do anything with the words?  If you are like a few families who discuss what was  taught, or if you spend time reviewing your notes, or if you meditate on the passage seeking further illumination from God the Holy Spirit, then you will be taking the next step of being like the wise man in seeking better understanding and digging deep.  Acting upon the words is the essential step.  If the words have no affect in changing your heart, then, you have heard the words and not acted upon them.  </div> <bR> <div>      For example, we have been studying Romans for several weeks.  I have heard that book for 35 years -- as long as I have been a Christian.  I have heard the words and even been aware, somewhat, of what they mean.  So then why was it that I became angry in my marriage or family years ago?  Why did I not trust God was going to work out relationships and maintain God's peace and joy while I waited on God's perfect timing?  Because I was not applying what I knew.  I heard the words, but I was not fully believing them or applying them to my life.  I was the foolish man trusting in my own patience, rather than the wisdom of Christ.  I was trusting my own abilities, rather than the power of the Holy Spirit.  Beloved, you can know all sorts of passages of Scripture, but if you take one step away from the power of the cross, you're in trouble.  One step of independence from Him is disaster in life.  One step of indifference toward God's plan means Satan will use you for open season.  </div> <bR> <div>      The foundation is Jesus Christ.  We are wise only when we diligently take the Word and ask God to make it real to our lives and let Him take that Word and apply it to our lives.  Jesus Christ is also the cornerstone (1 Pet. 2:6).  Paul writes, “<I>You are of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone. (Eph. 2:20).  </I>Jesus Christ is the Rock of our foundation; the apostle's writings are the foundation of our understanding and temple of our soul.</div> <bR> <div>      The rest of the building materials are also important.  If a house is built with 1” x 2”s and one quarter inch plywood, it won't stand long in a bad storm.  When country-regionplaceIran had an earthquake several years ago, several thousand were killed because their homes collapsed on them.   Many homes were made of mud which crushed and suffocated the people.  There was no strength or flexibility in the walls.  When you fill your soul with God's Word, and it is applied to life, <I><B>that's the key</B></I>, you will stand as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:7-9, </div> <div> <I>But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.</I></div> <bR> <div> If your soul is built up with general knowledge of the Bible and Bible stories, without advancement into pillars of promises and principles, then you will be like the Hebrew Christians in Hebrews 5:11-14, </div> <div> <I>For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.  But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.</I></div> <bR> <div> Paul writes, “<I>Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.”(1 Cor.8:1)</I>  Knowledge is no better than a tinderbox of 1”x2”s in a tornado.  Love, however, is the tungsten alloy framework which withstands the greatest attacks and afflictions.  Love is knowledge put into action in the form of sacrifice for others.  Beloved, we need to raise the standard for our lives.  The writer to the Hebrews did not say, some of you ought to be teachers, he wrote, you all should be teachers according the abilities God has given.  You may not all be teachers in Bible studies, but you are teachers in teaching the unbeliever about the gospel.  You are teachers in sharing what God is doing in your life.  You are teachers in your families as God gives insight and opportunity to help a brother or sister who has been overtaken by sin.   Finally turn to 1 Cor. 3:11ff.</div> <div> <I>For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.  If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward.  If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.1 Cor. 3:11-15</I></div> <bR> <div> The divine work which remains, gold, silver, precious stones, is divine production under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  When you let the Word of Christ richly dwell in your souls, then God will build a structure of gold, silver and precious stone.  Your ministry in the Spirit toward God and others are the walls and decorations in your souls.  </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id329.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Romans 15:14"><U><B>Next Page</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Grace Evangelical Church"><U><B><IMG SRC="0c740400.gif" border=0 width="64" height="64" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Grace Evangelical Church"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>