(#468) Romans 15 - Christians are Trophies Displaying the Gloriousness of God

What does your trophy say about God?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome To 

BARAH MINISTRIES

a Christian Church

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher

 

Good Morning!

 

Welcome to Barah Ministries… a small, intimate, and local Christian Church with worldwide impact.  My name is Pastor Rory Clark.  At Barah Ministries, our God is the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We make a difference by teaching the Word of God from God’s perspective, and not from man’s perspective…because how God sees things is very different from how we see things. 

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians are Trophies Displaying the Gloriousness of God

 

In the National Football League, there is a provision called instant replay by which a controversial call can be revisited.  After the inspection, the referee’s talk to the fans and begins, “Upon further review…”. Well upon further review of Romans, Chapter 15, the portion of this chapter that finishes up Romans, Chapter 14 actually extends all the way through Verse 13. Before, I told you that Romans, Chapter 14 only extended through Verse 7 of Romans, Chapter 15.  So today we’ll see what Romans, Chapter 15, Verses 8 to 13 add to the context of Romans, Chapter 14.  What God wants for Christians is for us to become trophies in display cases for His gloriousness.

 

In the opening of every lesson at Barah Ministries, we learn something about God.  Today, we learn that one of the greatest gifts from God, and one of the most underutilized weapons in the Christian arsenal is PRAYER. 

 

God wants His believers to talk to Him.

 

What is prayer?

 

PRAYER

Intentionally sending messages to God, quite often without words.

  

As a believer in Christ, you, like Abraham, are a friend of God…it is only natural to have regular talks with your friend.  James, Chapter 2, Verse 23 says…

 

JAMES 2:23

…and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God…(he took God’s word for what it takes to be saved) … and the result of believing was that absolute righteousness was credited to his account,” and Abraham was called the friend of God (from that point forward).

 

God wants His believers to talk to Him.

 

We believers in Christ are friends of God, and when we talk to Him, God expects us to ask for things…John, Chapter 16, Verse 23 says…

 

JOHN 16:23

“Truly, truly, I (the Lord Jesus Christ) say to you … anything you ask of God the Father…He will give it to you in My name.”

 

Matthew, Chapter 21, Verse 22…

 

MATTHEW 21:22

“And all the things you ask in prayer…believing…you will receive.”

 

God wants His believers to talk to Him.

 

Even though God says He is willing to give us what we ask for, quite often, we doubt His promise.  Yet if we simply believe He tells us, then we understand this…First John, Chapter 2, Verses 1 and 2…

 

FIRST JOHN 2:1

My little children (believers in Christ) … I (the apostle John) am writing these things to you … (the things in this letter) … so that you may be able not to sin. And if (3) anyone sins (maybe you will and maybe you won’t… you have a choice) … we have an Advocate with God the Father…Jesus Christ the ONLY righteous One…

 

FIRST JOHN 2:2 

…and Jesus Christ Himself is the propitiation for our sins (the only perfectly satisfactory payment for our sins in the eyes of God the Father) … and not for our sins only (as believers in Christ) … but also for the sins of the whole world (for unbelievers as well).

 

In the Lord Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, we have a Person who is speaking out on our behalf as we pray.

 

God wants His believers to talk to Him.

 

Many of us don’t see ourselves as articulate.  We can’t always find the right words to say when we are talking to God.  Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 26 says that’s not a problem…

 

ROMANS 8:26

In the same way, God the Holy Spirit also helps our weakness when we are praying…for we believers in Christ do not know how to pray as we should… so God the Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words…

 

God the Holy Spirit speaks for us, even when we don’t have the words.

 

God wants His believers to talk to Him.

 

Here are a few tips on prayer.  All prayer is directed to God the Father… invoking the divine omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit…in the Lord Jesus Christ’s name.

 

A part of prayer is giving thanks to God…expressing gratitude for His many blessings…not only the blessings of prosperity but also the blessings of adversity.

 

A part of prayer is making petitions for yourself.  A petition is a formal request.  Since God considers your problems to be His responsibility, it is only natural to go to God, your friend, with every problem you face in life.

A part of prayer is making intercessions…appeals that benefit others.  We are asking God to bring His divine omnipotence into the human circumstances of others.

 

God wants His believers to talk to Him.

 

God talks to us through His Word…the Bible… a written record of His exact thoughts.  A few more tips on prayer...

 

Prayer is something you make time for.

 

Prayer is one of the most important things you do as a Christian.

 

Your prayers can change human circumstances because of the Source of your prayer’s power…God.  

 

In Ephesians, Chapter 3, Verses 14 to 21, the apostle Paul prays for believers in Christ, to give us an example of effective prayer…and in it, Paul asks for only one thing…let’s see what Paul prays for us…

 

EPHESIANS 3:14

For this reason, I (Paul) bow my knees before God the Father…

 

EPHESIANS 3:15 

…the One from whom every family, both in heaven (angels) and on earth (humans)…derives its name…

 

EPHESIANS 3:16 

…that God the Father would grant you believers in Christ, according to His glorious riches, TO BE STRENGTHENED WITH DIVINE POWER (OMNIPOTENCE) THROUGH HIS SPIRIT IN THE INNER MAN…

 

EPHESIANS 3:17 

…so that Christ may be at home in your hearts through faith…and that you, being rooted (like a plant) and grounded (with a firm foundation like in a building built) in unconditional love…

 

EPHESIANS 3:18 

…may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth (how

 wide) and the length (how long) and the height (how tall) and the depth (how deep) this unconditional love of God goes…

 

EPHESIANS 3:19 

…and that you may know through experience the unconditional love of Christ which is greater than mere knowledge of Him…that you may experience what it is like to be filled upto all the fullness of God.

 

EPHESIANS 3:20 

Now to Him who is able to do far more…abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine…according to the divine power that works within us…

 

EPHESIANS 3:21 

…to Him be the glory in the church…and in union with Christ Jesus…to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

 

Nothing is impossible with God.  

 

And when we experience God’s unconditional love, we have no choice but to pass it on to others through prayer.

 

God wants you to talk to Him.  

 

Prayer is the gift He gave so that we cantalk to Him.  First Thessalonians, Chapter 5, Verse 17 says…

 

FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:17

…pray without ceasing…

  

In other words…make it a habit to pray.

 

One of the biggest Satanic lies ever is that “God helps those who help themselves.”  The truth?  God helps the helpless.  Prayer is a gift he gave to us helpless ones so that we could ask Him for help.  Let's hear how MercyMe puts it in their song BEST NEWS EVER.

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

BEST NEWS EVER

MercyMe

 

OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…

 

Thank you, Father, for the power of prayer…thank you for giving us a way to talk to You…thank you for always listening…

 

Help us to follow Your example by helping the helpless…and as we are helpless ourselves, give us to the courage to ALWAYS come to you in prayer…

 

…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s

name...Amen.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians are Trophies Displaying the Gloriousness of God

 

Romans, Chapter 15, Verses 8 to 13…

 

ROMANS 15:8 

For I (Paul) say that Jesus Christ has become a servant (the Greek word diakonos) to the circumcision (The Jews…Jesus is The Jewish Messiah)… to proclaim the truth of God the Father…to confirm the accuracy of the promises given to the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)…

 

ROMANS 15:9 

…and Jesus Christ also has become a servant to the Gentiles…so that they may glorify God the Father for His mercy…as it stands written by King David, “Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles, and I will sing to Your name.”

 

 

 

ROMANS 15:10 

Again Moses says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people (The Jewish Race and Israel).”

 

ROMANS 15:11 

And again a psalmist says, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles…and let all the peoples praise Him.”

 

ROMANS 15:12 

Again Isaiah says, “There shall come the root of Jesse (the Messiah…the

Lord Jesus Christ)…and He who arises to rule over the Gentiles…in Him shall the Gentiles hope.”

 

ROMANS 15:13 

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so

that you will abound in hope by the power of God the Holy Spirit.

 

Ignatius Loyola was the founder of an order of Roman Catholic priests called The Jesuits…the Society of Jesus…not to be confused with the Dead Poet’s Society…and their motto was abbreviated AMDG…the Latin expression Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam…which translated means, "For the Greater Glory of God."  As you know I was trained by the Jesuits at St. Ignatius High School in Chicago.  The Jesuits had AMDG right…because everything we do as Christians is to be done “For the Greater Glory of God.”  In other words, Christians are trophies on display to show how glorious God is. What does your trophy say about God? My trophy proves that God can make something from nothing.  God took a poor ghetto boy and made him rich…not wealth measure by perishable things from the futile way of life we pursue in this world…but wealth measured by the amount of truth He implanted in my soul to help me see what He can realize through me.  Again, I ask…what does your trophy say about God?

 

We have been studying Romans, Chapter 14, Verse 1 through Romans, Chapter 15, Verse 13.  When we return from our five-minute break, we’ll take the offering and then we’ll summarize the learning that God has made available to us in this amazing passage.

 

FIVE MINUTE BREAK

Unconditional Love

Donna Summers

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians are Trophies Displaying the Gloriousness of God

 

Let’s welcome Deacon Denny Goodall with today’s offering message.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:12

For even as the human body is one and yet has many parts…likewise all the members of the body of Christ, though they are many, are one body…so also is Christ One.

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 12:13 

For by one Spirit we believers in union with Christ were all baptized into one body…whether Jews or Greeks…whether slaves or free…and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

 

OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

David Bauer, Instrumental

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians are Trophies Displaying the Gloriousness of God

 

There are many things we can say about our God…one of the best is that He is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine…here’s Chris Tomlin to sing about OUR GOD.

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

OUR GOD

Chris Tomlin

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians are Trophies Displaying the Gloriousness of God

 

Welcome back!

 

So what does Romans, Chapter 14, Verse 1 through Romans, Chapter 15, Verse 13 teach us?

 

The Lord Jesus Christ is strong, and He came to the earth to die for underdogs…the weak…the whole human race.

 

The Lord expects us believers in Christ, as He makes us strong in faith, to edify the weak in faith…to follow His example.

 

The Lord expects us not to have qualms of conscious…unease in our relationship with Him…because Satan encourages us to direct our attention to our sins.

 

Rather, the Lord prefers that we relax in the comfort of the freedom The Cross provides, knowing that the Lord considers our problems to be His responsibility and that He will handle everything in the matter of our own weaknesses.

 

Sometimes, the Lord wants The Strong in Faith to forgo freedoms, especially when they can be a stumbling block to The Weak in Faith.  In fact, He thinks it is our obligation to do this…a debt we owe to Him and to them.  Romans, Chapter 14, Verse 19…

 

ROMANS 14:19

So then we believers in Christ pursue the things which make for peace and for the building up of one another.

 

The Lord encourages mutual edification…it is what the Lord wants Christians to do for each other and for the world.  Yet the Lord knows how difficult this challenge is…Matthew, Chapter 16, Verse 24…

 

MATTHEW 16:24

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If (for the sake of argument) anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

 

As Christians, we take up our crosses and follow Jesus when we display His glory by doing exactly what He would do in the treatment of others. All we have to do for the greater glory of God is to reflect His perfection…His eternal nature and focus…His unchanging approach to life…His independence and self-sufficiency…His holiness…His power…His wisdom…His grace…His goodness…His unconditional love…and His justice…just to name a few things.

 

As June Murphy would say in song…quoting James…we count it all joy, when we fall into various trials…a trial like this…all for the greater glory of God.  Denying self-gratification and sacrificing for others is a trial.  We do it, as Romans, Chapter 15, Verse 6 tells us… 

 

ROMANS 15:6

…so that with one accord believers in Christ may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Moses requested this revelation from God in Exodus, Chapter 33, Verse 18…

 

EXODUS 33:18

Moses said, “I pray Lord, You show me Your glory!”

 

Thank God that it is His responsibility to show us how to reflect His glory.  We could never do it in our own power.  Ephesians, Chapter 1, Verse 17 tells us that God gives us…

 

EPHESIANS 1:17b

…a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

 

It is with this wisdom that we learn to reflect God’s glory.

 

So how do we, as believers in Christ, become the kind of people who deny self and who sacrifice for others, especially when others are different than us?  That’s what this passage teaches us.  Well, God uses His power to make us into people who can operate this way…all for the greater glory of God.

 

To reflect God’s glory, we fix our eyes on Jesus by studying His Word…the Word teaches us endurance in the face of trials…the Word asks us to love and encourage others…in the face of trials we are to have hope…a fixation on the things not yet seen…and most of all we pray when we want to see things change.

 

There is much to learn from this passage.  It closes this way…Romans, Chapter 15, Verse 13…

 

ROMANS 15:13 

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so

that you will abound in hope by the power of God the Holy Spirit.

 

At the moment of salvation, God gives us the gifts of joy and peace.  Why? Because we took His word for it in the matter of salvation…we believed.  He rewarded us with hope through the power of God the Holy Spirit.  As we abound in hope, we can’t help but reflect the glory of God.  

 

How did you do this week in the matter of abounding in hope?

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

The closing moments of this study are for the benefit of anyone who does not have a personal relationship with the Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We want you to know that GOD WANTS YOU. 

 

How often do you think about eternal things?  

 

It’s easy for human beings to be concerned only with the here and now… a concern with the things that busy us in our time on earth…a concern with the things that are temporary. Yet as human beings, we know that nobody gets out of this life alive, so there is the question of what people call “the afterlife” … the things that happen after we die …the things eternal.

 

The bible tells us that God's enemy, Satan, is the one who deceives us into being short sighted like this. Satan wants to keep our focus on temporary things so we don't prepare ourselves for eternal things.  First Peter, Chapter 5, Verse 8 warns us to…

 

FIRST PETER 5:8

Be of sober spirit…be on the alert. The adversary…the devil (Satan) prowls around like a roaring lion…seeking someone to devour.

 

Satan busies us with things that distract us from eternal matters.  He diverts our attention to meaningless things so we don't think about valuable things.  For example, the Bible tells us how easy it is to be deceived by material wealth, a problem that pervaded the church at Laodicea.  Revelation, Chapter 3, Verses 15 to 18…

 

REVELATION 3:15

“I (the Lord Jesus Christ) know your deeds…that you (like the water in your homes) are neither cold nor hot…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) wish that you were cold or hot.”

 

REVELATION 3:16 

“So because you are lukewarm (like the water in your homes)…and neither hot nor cold…I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

 

The Lord wants us to be aware…He doesn’t want us to be oblivious.

 

REVELATION 3:17 

“Because you Laodicean believers say, ‘I am rich…and have become wealthy…and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are (spiritually) wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked…”

 

REVELATION 3:18 

“…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become (spiritually) rich…and white garments so that you may clothe yourself (not the black wool that gave you material wealth)…so that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed…and I advise you to buy from Me eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.”

 

Material wealth often blinds us to our spiritual poverty.  We think only about now and not about eternity.  What is it that the Lord wants us to see?  Matthew, Chapter 6, Verse 24…

 

MATTHEW 6:24

“No one can serve two masters…for either he will hate the one master and he will love the other master…or he will be devoted to one master and he will despise the other master. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

 

The Lord wants us to see the two ways to get to heaven.  The first way to get to heaven is to be perfect like God is perfect because God demands perfection from us.  Material wealth can't buy perfection, nor does it buy a relationship with God.

 

Are you perfect enough to get into heaven?  Once we sin, we are no longer perfect according to James, Chapter 2, Verse 10…

 

JAMES 2:10

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point (he breaks one law)…he has become guilty of breaking the whole law.

 

Once you realize you’re not perfect, the only real way to get to heaven is by means of God’s grace, which is free of charge.  In John, Chapter 14, Verse 6, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said… 

 

JOHN 14:6

…to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation), and I am the truth (through the Word of God…the gospel message), and I am the resurrection life (eternal life)…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”

 

Once you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, God makes you perfect.  At the moment of your salvation, the Lord imputes His absolute righteousness…His perfection…to you.  Accepting the Lord Jesus Christ’s grace gift of eternal life saves you.  As a result of the Lord’s work at the Cross…the work that paid for the sins of all mankind, including yours…sin was eliminated as a barrier between you and God.  Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 21 says…

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:21

God the Father made Jesus Christ who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in union with Him.

 

So if you are imperfect, and you are if you don’t have a relationship with Christ, you can be made perfect by God…your admission ticket to heaven…by asking God the Father to credit your account real wealth… spiritual wealth…His own righteousness…His own perfection.  Having God’s righteousness makes you spiritually wealthy.  God will honor your request, when you ask, and you will be saved. Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…

 

ACTS 16:31 

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

 

John, Chapter 3, Verse 36 warns…

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”

 

John, Chapter 3, Verse 17…

 

JOHN 3:17

For God the Father did not send God the Son into the world to judge the world…but God the Father sent God the Son into the world that the world might be saved through Him.

 

Who is this God who saves you?  The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ…in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4… 

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3

For I (Paul) delivered to you as of first importance what I also received… that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Scriptures…

 

FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 

…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Scriptures…

 

Take the free gift of eternal life right now!  There’s no time to waste!  Just tell God the Father that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is the moment of perfection…that is the moment of eternal life…for you.  NOW is the time to think about eternal things.  God wants you.  Real wealth happens when you decide to have a relationship with Him. 

 

God’s grace is sufficient for us…because divine power is perfected in human weakness…so let us believers in Christ be happy when we are weak…for it is when we are weakest that God’s power makes us strong.  Why? Because divine strength is perfect. Here’s June Murphy to sing about it in the song…HIS STRENGTH IS PERFECT.

 

CLOSING SONG

HIS STRENGTH IS PERFECT

June Murphy

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Thanks for coming!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for listening!

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