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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Take your Bible, turn to the book of Romans, Romans, the book of Romans, and chapter 15. Romans, chapter 15. As you know, we’re going through the book of Romans and taking our good time and just picking up a few little jewels along the way. And you are not going to milk all the good stuff out of these verses. You’ll study them for your whole life and still see something that you didn’t know this there before. This is a chapter that deals with not only pleasing God, this is about you and I pleasing each other.

And so it’s in the Scriptures and so you’ve got to look at them. So look at this first of all, they’re in verse one where it says, we then that are strong ought to bear the the infirmity of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. So there’s, please mention twice. Verse three, for even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of them, that reproaches the fellow and me.

So we have some of these verses down through here that talks about, you know, So you got to find out just how do you do that? Now we know there’s a verse over there in the book of Revelation where he talks about for the pleasure of the art and were created for his pleasure to please God. So of course we’re supposed to find out what please is God. When he tells us to please one another and not ourselves, well then we got to find out what does that mean.

Then you’ll notice there in verse 26 for it hath pleased them of Macedonia and and I came out to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It pleased them to do something for somebody. That’s a good way of pleasing the Lord when we please those who are in need. Then He also says in verse 27, it hath pleased them verily and their debtors they are. And there’s a reason why. you know in the beginning it was the saints in Jerusalem it took everything they had sold it, gave it to the apostles and now they’re the poor saints in Jerusalem and now these people who have benefited the Bible says they’re going to receive back.

So there’s some wonderful things in this chapter but it’s dealing with those that are strong and how we’re supposed to help those that are week. And those that are weak is like a man that’s in a wheelchair. He needs help. He maybe can’t get around as good as you do. And so you’re supposed to look out for those individuals. And you see the word there in verse one, we then. So this includes every one of us. Now, you may not consider yourself to be that strong, but one thing that will help you to be strong is finding people who need help and helping.

You will strengthen yourself by helping somebody else is burdened. We often talk about with our physical bodies if you want to get in shape. I always thought round was a shape. But if you want to get in shape, Tom, stop laughing like that. But when you want to get in shape, you have to take and have some resistance, something you’ve got to lift and you strain a a little bit, putting pressure upon those muscles and stretching them so that you can kind of build up your muscles a little bit.

Well, it’s the same thing in the Lord’s work. Learn to help somebody else that’s a little weaker and you can become a little stronger. You’re going to help lift somebody else’s burdens for them. Now, if you look around, I’m sure you’ll find somebody that needs a little help. I must have answered 10 emails today or some of them. They’re just really neat. And some are, I mean, they’re, I’ve gotten some where they’re ready to commit suicide. Others are ready to leave their husbands.

And some are just plain, I’m having a panic attack. They call kind of problems. And so whenever you try to figure out how to help them, at the same time, you’re helping yourself. I wrote a little statement down and you ought to write this down because it’s a good statement. your faith now will help eliminate future doubts. Building your faith now will help eliminate future doubts. Because see if you wait till you have your doubts then you try to find something in the Bible that helps strengthen you a little bit.

But the way to stay strong and eliminate those doubts is continually keep feeding your faith. You feed your faith, your doubts will starve to death. But if you feed your doubts, then your faith will starve to death. So feed your faith. The reason for studying the word of God is because you’re feeding your faith. Now you see that word here where it says, we then that are strong ought. That word ought means this is something that you and we all use the word ought to do.

And it simply means that we owe a debt. It’s like an obligation. We are obligated to help those that are weak, because you’ll see that it keeps over and over again referring to when we were like that, what Christ did for us. So then you learn because of what He did for us as an example, we do that for somebody else. You’ll also notice that in these scripts, you’ve looked on in verse where he talks about now the God of patience and consolation.

See those that are stronger in the Lord are supposed to have more patience than those that are weaker in the Lord. Those that are stronger in the Lord are supposed to be able to console others who are struggling emotionally or whatever way that you can help somebody, well then where did you get it from? You got it from the God who supplies it. So God is teaching us that’s supposed to be strong, our patients, and where do we get patients from?

What works patients? Tribulation. So God allows us to go through tribulations because we’re going to learn patience because tribulations keeps you from getting, being, doing what you want on your time schedule. It always interrupts. So anytime you dedicate your life to the Lord, expect God to interrupt your schedule. Because see you have a plan, you schedule. Well, God got a plan and God got a schedule and sometimes they collide. They’re not exactly the same. We’re supposed to be willing to do whatever God brings into our lives so we never know exactly when He’s going to interrupt our schedule and it comes to sometimes put us in a state of shock.

But it is important to know. So there’s things that we ought to do because it is an obligation that we have to those that are weak. It’s not really supposed to be, well, you know if I want to or not. No, you’re obligated because you see once you’ve trusted Christ the Savior God has taught you things and because He’s taught you things God knows what kind of people to bring into your life because God knows what they need. So God’s going to use you to help those people and the more you learn the more valuable the more people you can help and serve in the Lord.

And one day when we get to heaven, yes, God is going to reward us for all these wonderful things. But remember this, as you go through here and you’ll find out love is to produce unity. When we love each other the way we should and everybody loved each other, there should be one main thing about all of it and that is we have unity. Now, this is mentioned quite a few times in a lot of places. But I just want you to look at a few of these things that I think will help.

Look in the book of Psalms 133 Psalms 133 Psalms 133 If you don’t have this verse underlying, I would definitely underline it. You see, this is on page 665 in a church Bible. We’re not interested in how fast we go or how many scriptures we can cover. Sometimes you need to just slow down a little bit and just think, do a little reasoning, a little meditating, and look at a verse and think upon it, meditate upon it. But now notice in verse 1, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in chaos and unity.

But see, it’s the love for one another. See, can you please one another that produces the unity? Unity doesn’t automatically happen. everybody is automatically on the same page. But because love covers a multitude of sin, love gives you some flexibility. You know when you love your husband or your love your wife, you give them a little flexibility. You know words you don’t make it so tight they can’t move. You cut them a little slack and that’s what you’re supposed to do.

And you adjust. But now notice what he says. This is a Good one. In verse 2 it is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard. Even Aaron’s beard that went down to the skirts of his garments. And you can preach a sermon on the fresh oil, fresh oil. It’s anointing with oil for positions of service. Samuel he had known it Saul and then later on he had known it David, but this is talking about the high priest, Aaron’s, the priesthood.

And then he noticed in verse 3, as the do of Herman and as the do that descended upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore. So when you and I, we go to the book of Galatians in chapter 3 when he’s talking about the blessing of Abraham, the blessing. tell you what it is right here even in no time is everlasting life eternal life that’s what that is so it’s good that God’s people dwell together in unity it is the will of God that we do so now I want you to also go back to the book of Romans and you’ll notice there’s a word here that’s mentioned called infirmities Infirmity simply just means weakness.

You and I have weaknesses in our life. I’m not talking about the sins of our life. I’m just talking about we’re weak. We don’t all have the same talent and abilities that everybody else has. I listen sometime to Peter Amato Singh and he got that great baritone voice. I mean just sounds so good and so soothing and sometimes you think, man I wish I could sing like that. I I used to listen to a girl named Penny Kanas. She used to sing in the singing groups down at Florida Baba College.

And she could sing, well, there, we’re fine. I mean, she could hit way up there and make your, you know, children, but I’m done, you’re fine. And you’d listen to that girl and think, man, I wish I could sing like that. Then I thought that wouldn’t sound too good for men to sing like that. But I wouldn’t mind other people being able to sing like that, but not everybody has the same talent and abilities. But now I want you to take your Bible hold of here, but look in 2 Corinthians in chapter 12.

2 Corinthians chapter 12, because it gives you a good explanation of what it’s talking about here in just a couple verses. A lot of things are wrapped up in few scriptures, but here in 2 Corinthians in chapter 12, the apostle Paul had been through so much. You talking about tribulation? He had it. I mean, he really had it. And because of all these things, he was beaten, left for dead. People took a vow to kill him, all kinds of things that just went through.

But he says that he had this problem because God had allowed him to get a glimpse of something in heaven. He couldn’t tell us what it was about only that unless he would be exalted above measure, God allowed him to be buffeted, a messenger Satan to just, I guess everywhere he went, he was always in, you know, why he called it, I died daily. It’s something that followed him around everywhere he went. Now, Now we don’t know what it was, whether it was a bad back, bad eyesight, or just fighting off wild beasts or people trying to kill him and all of us stoning that he went through, the shipwrecks, all those things.

But he said, less I’d be exalted above measure. In other words, unless I get too big for my britches, God kept me humble. I had to keep depending upon the Lord. And so the weaker he was in himself. Means the more he had to depend upon the Lord. So he says, I will gladly, you know, rejoice in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, whatever is done, God must get the credit. So he says here in verse eight, for this thing I besought the Lord three times thrice that it might depart from him.

And he said unto me, stop your griping and complaining. Well, he didn’t really say it that away. Says my grace is sufficient for me. thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly let, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities or my weaknesses. Tie those two words together because it explains what he means. That the power of Christ may rest upon me. Now we have some people that are weak in the Lord. Then there’s others who have weaknesses in other areas, and I believe the Apostle Paul is referring to something totally different for himself.

But there’s Christians who are not strong in the Lord because they’re weak in the Lord. Their faith is not strong in the Lord. Then you have to handle them differently than you would somebody who’s strong in the Lord. But regardless of how long you have been walking with the Lord, God seems to design life that we always need Him all the time. We always need the Lord. And it’s not like He gives you enough that you can coast on for the the rest of your life, you always got to stay at it.

Always got to keep learning something. But He says here in verse 10, therefore I take pleasure in infirmities. These weaknesses, the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in these infirmary approaches and necessities, in persecution, in distressless for Christ’s sake, but when I’m weak, then I am strong. Now this is all right for a strong man to be able to know and understand this. But that’s because your faith in the Lord is strong. So just hold the place in Romans, but look there in the book of Galatians in chapter 6.

Galatians chapter 6. I notice in verse 1 it says pretty much the same thing that we’re reading over there in the book of Romans in chapter 15. He says, brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meatness, considering thy self, let’s also be tempted. Here it’s using overtaken in a fault in spiritual. Over the other place it’s talking about a weak Christian and a strong Christian. But what is a strong Christian?

A strong Christian is a spiritual Christian. And what’s the difference here in verse 1 of chapter 6? A man be overtaken in a fault means coming from the fifth chapter. It means a person who is walking in the flesh. And he says, if you will walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So some of God’s children are not strong enough and they will walk into flesh. There will be some of God’s children that are learning how to walk in the Spirit, in obedience to God.

So those that are walking in the spirit are to help those that are walking into flesh. Considering yourself, because you realize how easy it is to fall, it won’t take much. And because if you can point out all the faults in somebody else’s life, you have to be careful because you may fall the same way during the same thing. So he makes his statement here. Considering thyself, lest I also be tempted to walk into flesh. So you that are strong are those that are walking in the spirit and those that are weak, those that are walking in the flesh.

So you need to help them. And some of God’s children are notuably just walking in the flesh. They haven’t grown enough. They’re just learning how to walk with the Lord. So Christians are always with a job to do. You may not always be out-so winning, but there’s Christians who have already been one and they need to be stronger in the Lord. So that’s why we care about them. Now you’ll also notice over there in chapter 15, we’ll go over there in just a minute, the one word B-E-A-R, bear.

You wanna know what does that mean? Well, this is how you get stronger. Bearing not just your burden and your responsibility, but the Bible also says bear ye one another’s burdens and responsibilities. Help the other Christians, the other brother in the Lord, to walk with the Lord. Helping them to carry their load. Strengthen them. See what he says in verse two? Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Moses.

Did I read it right? Some of you’ve been looking at your scriptures. You’re gonna let me get away with murder? Bear you one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Not the law of Moses, but the law of love. The law of Christ is the law of love. Where you love one another and you want to see them succeed. See one of the things about your maturity and God using you is because God wants you to help every child of God succeed.

I feel like I cannot succeed if I don’t help you succeed. My success is built upon, can I help you walk in the Spirit? Can I help you become obedient to the Lord? I want you to be as successful as you possibly can be. I want you to be as faithful as you can possibly be. Because if I don’t help you there, I don’t help you at all. I’m just spending your time and wasting my time. So I always want people to grow stronger in the Lord, learning how to walk with God on your own because you can’t always stand around and hold somebody’s hand.

You have to learn how to walk with the Lord. Now you take Tyler and Justin, they came down from Georgia. They’ve been here together going on four years. One of these days they may have to separate and and stand on their own right now. They encourage each other to like two peas in a pod. But one of these days Tyler’s going to go do his thing. Justin’s going to go do his thing. But now when they do, can they still stand strong and do right if they never see each other for 50 years?

One day you have a reunion to come back and say, how you been doing? And one will say, oh man, I find out walking in the flesh is so much easier. But now look what else he says in verse 3, for if a man thank himself to be something when he is nothing he deceives himself, but let every man prove or try test his own work, then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another. In other words you need to be filled with the joy and the satisfaction that you yourself are doing what God wants you to do.

And then because you do that, and then you help somebody else. You know that’s what God wants you to do. And you can have rejoicing them. And they may not respond correctly because you can help try to minister to a lot of people and they don’t respond. You are being blessed and filled with joy because you did what you’re supposed to do. Now look at the last part. In verse 5, for every man shall bear his own burden. You’re still responsible to do what God wants you to do and then to add a little bit more to it, help somebody else.

Be strong enough not just for you, We suck this. There’s a lot of people who are good soul winners, but they can’t teach somebody else how to be a soul winner. There’s a lot of people who know how to study the Bible, and they can believe it all, but they don’t know how to teach it. In other words, it teaches them, and they’re satisfied, and they’re growing, but they don’t know how to teach somebody else what they know. So part of your responsibility is not just to learn it for yourself, but you learn it so that you’re going to accomplish something with it.

See other people become stronger in the Lord. And it’ll be a blessing to you, a little pea-picking heart. And they go back there to the Romans in chapter 15. So bear the infirmity of the weak not to please ourselves because that’s one of the things we always want to do. We want to know, well, what am I going to get out of this? you can learn to have some joy because you see somebody else growing. What did Paul say, for ye are my crown of rejoicing.

You are my joy, my crown of rejoicing, even ye in the presence of the Lord at his coming. In other words, the people that he’s won the Christ will be his crown of rejoicing when he gets to heaven. And there’s another scripture that that says, I have no greater joy than my children walking in truth. To see people that either you want to the Lord or God’s children, then you’ve been used by the Lord to help them walk in truth, to learn, to do the thing God wants them to do.

Take your Bible and just look there in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And look there in verse 10. 10 verse 10. Because he says here in verse 2 of Romans 15, he says, let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. So we know we’re supposed to seek the good, to edify. And we said edify means to beautify what’s there and add to it. They should be a little richer because of you being in their life.

But notice when we talk about unity, It’s because the more you are on the same page, this is why you have this church and a Nat Church, and Nat Church, and Nat Church. And there’s so many different kinds of church because everybody believed just a little bit different. So they wind up, those that believe like this go here, and those that believe like that go there, those that believe like this go here. And so this one goes here and that one goes there.

And so you get all these churches where you have a few people that we all agree. And so they all these different churches. Now God says that we should all believe exactly the same thing. We should all be teaching the same thing. Why? How many different Bibles are there? There’s only one Bible. There’s only one Holy Spirit. And there is one primary meaning of the scriptures. Now there can be a lot of applications. But notice in verse 10, now IBC you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the what?

same thing and that there be no divisions among you and that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. That’s unity. Now is that what the Bible says? Did I read it right? Did you look at it? Did check it with me. Now the people in Corinth in this church, did they have this unity or were there major problems in this church? They had lots and lots of problems. They had all these divisions among them.

Not everybody thought the same thing, the same way. So that’s why when you have the differences you’re going to have contention. See there in verse 11, for it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of cloth that there are contentions among you. Now what do you think contentions mean? Striving. It’s a good word. Everybody’s not on the same page. Everybody’s got a problem and they caused devisions and irritability and all these things.

Notice why he says this. You see there in verse 13, is Christ divided, picking this person over that person or I was saved by this person. That was more important. I was, you were just saved. I was gloriously saved. I mean, Peter led me to Lord. Or who baptize you? Paul baptized me. And so you have the vision that goes on and a lot of damage being done. It’s time to make plans for the summer. Join us for summer camp July 9 through the 13th and fits Gerald, Georgia.

At summer camp, teens ages 13 to 18 will enjoy fun competitions while learning about the word of God. Over the years, hundreds of kids have been reached with the Gospel at Summer Camp. This is your opportunity to make summer meaningful and memorable for a teen in your life. The cost of Summer Camp is $150. If you’d like to donate a Summer Camp scholarship, you can do so by calling 813-884-4328 for more information. Thanks for joining us on Bible Eye.

If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. And we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon? Just keep looking up.