Episode #132. Today we’ll read Romans chapter 15 together. Paul challenges us to please others and not ourselves, and to be of one mind together glorifying God.
Transcript
Joy: You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #132. Today we’ll read Romans chapter 15 together: Paul challenges us to please others and not ourselves, and to be of one mind together glorifying God.
Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast. I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together. Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should. It’s just easier to do it with a friend. So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud. I’m so glad you’re here!
Welcome
Holy smokes! Literally. I’m looking out my living room windows right now and were it not for the green leaves on the trees, I would guess that it was a foggy winter day. I saw a Tweet this morning from our Governor stating that in the last 72 hours, California has experienced 10,849 lightning strikes, leaving no fewer than 29 wildfires in their wake. He has just declared a state of emergency. It was a beautiful distant light show at 4 in the morning the other day. Never did I consider the damage being done.
Fires
Mitch and I have been trying to conserve running the air conditioner. It finally cooled down last night so that we could open the windows again. The minute I opened the sliding glass door, I smelled the smoke that was filling the air. Today, every flat surface in our house is covered by ash. And you have to understand, there aren’t any fires burning near us. There are just so many burning that there is a cloud of smoke over the entire state. If your state has lent resources to California to fight these fires, thank you. Can we take just a minute to pray?
Father, this has been a year of extremes. I thank You that we don’t have to be afraid. I thank You that You are mindful of our dilemmas and that we need Your care. Lord, would you give our firefighters and first responders extra measures of endurance? Would You protect them and uphold their families? Like You held back the Jordan River, Lord, please hold the fires at bay so that they may be extinguished. We put all of it in Your hands, knowing that You hear us. Amen.
If you would like to continue to pray for California, I’d appreciate it. Thank you.
Romans Chapter 15
Pleasing Others, Not Ourselves
Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.
Glorifying God Together
Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God. For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy.
As it is written,
Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and I will sing praise to your name.
Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people! And again,
Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples praise him!
And again, Isaiah says,
The root of Jesse will appear,
the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
the Gentiles will hope in him.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
From Jerusalem to Illyricum
My brothers and sisters, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the gospel of God. God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus regarding what pertains to God. For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me by word and deed for the obedience of the Gentiles, by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum. My aim is to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation, but, as it is written,
Those who were not told about him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.
Paul’s Travel Plans
That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you. But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while.
Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints, because Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs. So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will visit you on the way to Spain. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.
Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, and that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you.
May the God of peace be with all of you. Amen.
Closing Thoughts
Paul was certainly excited about the prospect of Jews and Gentiles being of one mind. And rightly so – it was why he had been called. But I can certainly overlay this onto our own culture today. Paul has already prayed that God grant us to live in harmony. Isn’t that incredible? Paul tells us that God gives endurance and encouragement to do that. Have we embraced that? How do we get that? How do we consistently glorify God the Father and Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice?
I know I’m getting kind of repetitive, but it doesn’t feel or sound like we’re of one mind and one voice in Christ at all right now. Does our speech glorify God and Christ? Is that our first priority or do we just want to be right? In order to live at peace with each other in Christ, we must receive this encouragement and endurance that God already offers. Let’s pray.
Prayer
Lord, thank You that You have shown us how to love. We pray, Holy Spirit, that you will fill us and that our actions may be pleasing to You. Fill us also with the passion that Paul has to tell others about You. Amen.
Thank you for joining me here today. I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here. In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort. Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us. If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review. Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you right here tomorrow. Be well!
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Show Notes
- Awesome Video of Solomon’s Temple
- These will help! Overview videos of all books of the Bible
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Bible Study Resources
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