WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.719 Let's turn back together to that passage from Paul's letter to the Romans, Romans 15. 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:11.000 ! We won't be able to look at this chapter in any great detail, but three great truths I 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:14.000 ! think leap off the page. 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:22.280 I'm grateful for the devotional. A minister several years ago, Scotty Smith, from Nashville, Tennessee, 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:29.980 came and spoke at a vision weekend for the church planting group within the church. 00:00:29.980 --> 00:00:39.299 Scotty just has a remarkable way of capturing truth in a way that's both personal and powerful. 00:00:39.299 --> 00:00:46.359 And one of his devotionals, which I read in my class last semester, looked at Romans 15 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:51.100 and he highlighted these three descriptors of God. 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:57.939 The God of endurance and encouragement, the God of hope, and the God of peace. 00:00:57.939 --> 00:01:02.820 Because you see, how you see God is critical. 00:01:02.820 --> 00:01:05.060 Our understanding of ourself, of course, is important. 00:01:05.060 --> 00:01:10.259 I think it was John Calvin who said, really, the two great pieces of knowledge are this, 00:01:10.259 --> 00:01:13.099 knowledge of God and knowledge of self. 00:01:13.099 --> 00:01:16.519 And we really can't have either in isolation. 00:01:16.519 --> 00:01:20.920 We can't really understand God or ourselves in isolation. 00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:27.320 But how you understand God will shape, will shape your life, will shape your worship, will 00:01:27.320 --> 00:01:28.519 shape your service. 00:01:28.519 --> 00:01:34.939 C.S. Lewis once said, I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. 00:01:34.939 --> 00:01:42.159 Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:48.799 You see, if you believe that God is distant, then your experience will be of a God who is 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:49.200 remote. 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:57.439 If you believe that God is harsh, your experience will then be shaped by the God who seems to 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:00.199 be judgmental and condemnatory. 00:02:00.199 --> 00:02:06.560 If you believe that God is indifferent, you'll go through life thinking, doesn't know, doesn't 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:07.819 care, maybe both. 00:02:07.819 --> 00:02:16.680 If you believe that God is near, you will see God at all points of your experience. 00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:20.099 You'll see him in the ordinary and you'll see him in the extraordinary. 00:02:20.099 --> 00:02:26.400 If you believe that God is love, you will see testimonies of his love all the time. 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:33.359 And if you believe that God is intimately and personally concerned about you, you will be 00:02:33.359 --> 00:02:34.620 reminded of those truths. 00:02:34.620 --> 00:02:39.080 So how you see God will shape how you live. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:44.700 And how you live is a testimony of your theology. 00:02:45.379 --> 00:02:50.900 You know, that's, I was appointed now 13, can you imagine, I was 13 years here as assistant 00:02:50.900 --> 00:02:51.300 minister. 00:02:51.580 --> 00:02:53.620 I've now been 13 years at ETS. 00:02:53.780 --> 00:02:54.580 I can't believe that. 00:02:55.080 --> 00:02:56.759 Time just goes so quickly. 00:02:57.520 --> 00:02:59.840 And I was asked to teach theology. 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:04.060 I was asked to teach students about what God is like. 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:09.500 And there's no greater privilege to teach or to preach these great truths. 00:03:09.900 --> 00:03:14.159 And I just want to highlight what's already there in the passage. 00:03:15.300 --> 00:03:21.780 Because I think the Apostle Paul is drawing his magnificent letter to a close. 00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:23.879 And he wants to build up. 00:03:24.020 --> 00:03:25.300 He doesn't want to tear down. 00:03:25.580 --> 00:03:26.560 He wants to encourage. 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:27.740 He doesn't want to discourage. 00:03:27.740 --> 00:03:34.140 He wants to equip the audience there and now for the realities of life. 00:03:34.900 --> 00:03:37.879 I don't know about you, but life is tough. 00:03:38.699 --> 00:03:39.640 Life is unexpected. 00:03:40.539 --> 00:03:42.280 Things happen that you cannot predict. 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:48.379 But we have a God who is dependable, reliable, steadfast. 00:03:48.379 --> 00:03:50.240 So we learn three things. 00:03:50.359 --> 00:03:51.139 Well, we learn many things. 00:03:51.219 --> 00:03:52.740 But three things I want to highlight to you. 00:03:52.819 --> 00:03:53.439 Verse 5. 00:03:54.099 --> 00:04:02.799 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each 00:04:02.799 --> 00:04:05.759 other that Christ Jesus had. 00:04:06.460 --> 00:04:07.060 Endurance. 00:04:08.079 --> 00:04:09.780 The ability to keep going. 00:04:10.680 --> 00:04:14.960 Now, the endurance that is spoken of here is not your endurance. 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:17.819 It's not how strong your faith is. 00:04:17.819 --> 00:04:19.659 It's not how deep your commitment is. 00:04:19.659 --> 00:04:23.659 But the endurance that's spoken of here is the endurance of God. 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:25.860 How strong is his commitment? 00:04:26.540 --> 00:04:29.000 How deep is his power? 00:04:29.579 --> 00:04:32.800 How able is he to keep you going? 00:04:33.379 --> 00:04:35.879 Those are two very different propositions. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:40.360 Because if I were to ask each one of you today, how strong? 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:41.339 How committed? 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:42.399 How deep? 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:44.719 There'd be a variety of answers. 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:52.500 But if we ask ourselves how strong, how committed, and how deep is the commitment of our God to us, 00:04:52.700 --> 00:04:53.960 that doesn't change. 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:56.040 That is universal. 00:04:56.600 --> 00:05:01.860 Because he is the God who sticks with his people. 00:05:01.860 --> 00:05:09.220 If there's one of many lessons that you could learn from the 66 books of the Bible, God sticks with his people. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:15.340 He sticks with his people not because of who they are, but he sticks with his people because of who he is. 00:05:16.080 --> 00:05:17.340 He doesn't let them go. 00:05:18.199 --> 00:05:19.879 And we're going to be looking at that this evening. 00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:21.540 The God of all grace. 00:05:22.199 --> 00:05:25.360 The God who looks upon us with unmerited favor. 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:29.460 The God of endurance and the God of encouragement. 00:05:30.980 --> 00:05:35.120 Now, I think encouragement and enthusiasm are cousins. 00:05:36.280 --> 00:05:43.879 There was a Harvard commencement address by the famous essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. 00:05:44.939 --> 00:05:47.240 And he closed his address with these words. 00:05:47.340 --> 00:05:47.540 He said, 00:05:47.540 --> 00:06:12.300 I think the author of this letter was a man who was an enthusiast. 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:16.000 A man who had a mission and a man who had a message. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:19.379 He could summarize his message quite succinctly. 00:06:19.939 --> 00:06:20.259 He said, 00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:22.000 We preach Christ crucified. 00:06:22.180 --> 00:06:23.040 That was his message. 00:06:23.639 --> 00:06:26.660 And his mission was to tell people the message. 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:31.899 So we have an enthusiast telling us of encouragement. 00:06:32.819 --> 00:06:34.699 Now, as you read through the scriptures, 00:06:35.259 --> 00:06:38.720 the Bible tells us that God by his spirit gives gifts. 00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:40.600 He gives gifts to his people. 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:47.700 And we have particular gifts and particular aptitudes that he gives each one of us. 00:06:48.500 --> 00:06:52.120 And in fact, the gift of encouragement is a spiritual gift. 00:06:52.900 --> 00:06:55.100 However, I've searched the scriptures. 00:06:55.340 --> 00:06:55.720 I did that. 00:06:55.820 --> 00:06:57.100 I just double checked this morning. 00:06:57.760 --> 00:07:01.080 And I've yet to find the spiritual gift of discouragement. 00:07:01.860 --> 00:07:04.000 The spiritual gift of fault finding. 00:07:04.460 --> 00:07:06.760 And the spiritual gift of a critical spirit. 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:08.540 I just haven't found that yet. 00:07:08.540 --> 00:07:11.620 Maybe if you find that in the Bible, you let me know. 00:07:12.020 --> 00:07:15.260 But what I find is that we have a God who encourages. 00:07:15.760 --> 00:07:19.000 And we have a God who wants his people to be encouragers. 00:07:20.260 --> 00:07:22.660 Famous preacher of a previous century. 00:07:23.500 --> 00:07:25.140 A man who was not well educated. 00:07:25.300 --> 00:07:27.020 He left school at the age of 10. 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:29.040 He was not gifted. 00:07:29.500 --> 00:07:31.360 Well, he was gifted intellectually. 00:07:31.560 --> 00:07:32.160 But he was not. 00:07:32.320 --> 00:07:36.480 He didn't have the advantages that most people would have had. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:39.879 But at the age of 17, something unusual happened. 00:07:40.780 --> 00:07:42.640 You see, he was forced to go to church. 00:07:43.060 --> 00:07:45.160 Maybe you've been forced to go to church. 00:07:45.700 --> 00:07:48.020 I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. 00:07:48.640 --> 00:07:50.259 You see, his uncle owned a shoe shop. 00:07:50.400 --> 00:07:52.580 And this young man wanted a job. 00:07:52.640 --> 00:07:54.040 And the uncle said, I'll give you a job. 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:54.980 There's one condition. 00:07:55.100 --> 00:07:55.860 You go to church. 00:07:55.960 --> 00:07:57.439 You go to my church every Sunday. 00:07:57.840 --> 00:07:58.720 The young man agreed. 00:07:59.520 --> 00:08:01.880 And in addition to church, there was a Sunday school. 00:08:01.980 --> 00:08:05.120 And Sunday school at that time was for adults or young adults. 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:07.280 And he went to the Sunday school class. 00:08:08.020 --> 00:08:11.080 And here was a man who really knew nothing about the Bible. 00:08:11.660 --> 00:08:14.200 The other members of the class were Harvard graduates. 00:08:15.140 --> 00:08:19.660 And this young guy from the country, the minister would say, well, now look at John's gospel. 00:08:20.180 --> 00:08:23.360 And this young guy would just start flicking the Bible from the beginning. 00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:25.300 He didn't know where to find John's gospel. 00:08:25.300 --> 00:08:29.939 But he had the benefit of encountering a Sunday school teacher who was kind. 00:08:31.379 --> 00:08:37.180 And for those of you who have taught Sunday school, never underestimate what your impact has been. 00:08:37.860 --> 00:08:44.379 Never underestimate how much you may have said or shown young people many years ago. 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:48.460 And you see, that young man, remember, because of the first time he was in this class, 00:08:48.539 --> 00:08:50.139 when he couldn't find the book of the Bible, 00:08:50.139 --> 00:08:56.539 his Sunday school teacher named Edward Kimball handed him his open Bible at the right page. 00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:59.240 And the young guy thought, this man is for me. 00:08:59.819 --> 00:09:00.980 I'm going to be for him. 00:09:01.559 --> 00:09:06.699 So when the Sunday school teacher later came by this young man's place of work, the shoe shop, 00:09:07.340 --> 00:09:10.559 you see, the Sunday school teacher was concerned that his class, 00:09:10.939 --> 00:09:12.679 they might have known a lot of stuff. 00:09:12.919 --> 00:09:14.319 But they didn't know Jesus. 00:09:15.139 --> 00:09:18.000 You see, Paul wants to teach us a lot of stuff, yes. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:20.360 But above all, he wants us to know Jesus. 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:24.440 You see, you can know a lot of stuff about Jesus, but not know Jesus. 00:09:24.899 --> 00:09:27.259 But if you know him, you know all that you need to know. 00:09:28.059 --> 00:09:31.980 So Kimball went to the shoe shop and told this young man about Jesus. 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:34.679 And he was converted then and there. 00:09:35.179 --> 00:09:36.059 His life was changed. 00:09:36.919 --> 00:09:39.899 He later went on to preach to 100 million people in person. 00:09:40.100 --> 00:09:41.779 Not a bad life achievement. 00:09:41.779 --> 00:09:45.579 And this young man grew into an older man. 00:09:46.579 --> 00:09:47.759 But it's interesting. 00:09:48.500 --> 00:09:50.319 D.L. Moody was often criticized. 00:09:51.360 --> 00:09:53.199 You see, isn't that easy to criticize people? 00:09:53.879 --> 00:09:57.360 And he said, you may find hundreds of fault finders among professed Christians. 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:01.600 But all their criticism will not lead one solitary soul to Christ. 00:10:02.199 --> 00:10:07.079 I never preached a sermon yet that I could not pick to pieces and find fault with. 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:13.400 I feel that Jesus Christ ought to have a far better representative than I am. 00:10:14.220 --> 00:10:18.139 But I have lived long enough to discover that there is nothing perfect in this world. 00:10:18.580 --> 00:10:21.860 If you are to wait till you find a perfect preacher or perfect meetings, 00:10:22.259 --> 00:10:25.020 I'm afraid you'll have to wait till the millennium arrives. 00:10:25.639 --> 00:10:27.860 What we want is to be looking up to Christ. 00:10:28.580 --> 00:10:30.480 Let us be done with fault finding. 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:37.320 So if we have a God who encourages, we should be people who are encouragers. 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:39.759 Our God strengthens. 00:10:39.920 --> 00:10:40.899 Our God equips. 00:10:41.320 --> 00:10:42.600 Our God builds us up. 00:10:42.680 --> 00:10:45.539 He does not want us to tear down one another. 00:10:45.920 --> 00:10:49.340 He wants us to encourage each other along the road. 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:54.920 I don't know about you, but whatever I'm doing, if I'm encouraged, I do it better. 00:10:55.720 --> 00:10:57.759 If I'm encouraged, I speak better. 00:10:57.860 --> 00:10:59.539 If I'm encouraged, I teach better. 00:10:59.539 --> 00:11:01.819 If I'm encouraged, I cook better. 00:11:01.879 --> 00:11:03.799 Whatever it is, you just do it better. 00:11:04.500 --> 00:11:10.039 So we have a God who brings endurance and a God who brings encouragement. 00:11:10.740 --> 00:11:17.519 And notice that one of the characteristics of endurance and encouragement is unity. 00:11:18.519 --> 00:11:23.879 Verse 6, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:11:23.879 --> 00:11:28.879 Accept one another then, just as Christ accepted you. 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:30.720 So this is who God is. 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:32.500 This is what God does. 00:11:32.700 --> 00:11:34.919 And this is how the people of God respond. 00:11:35.860 --> 00:11:37.879 We are given his endurance. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:39.039 We are given his encouragement. 00:11:39.439 --> 00:11:46.139 So therefore, we are to be encouragers to one another and to have a unity of heart and a unity of mind. 00:11:46.139 --> 00:11:54.620 Secondly, we see that in verse 13, we read, 00:11:54.620 --> 00:12:10.120 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:12:10.620 --> 00:12:13.279 Encouragement, endurance, and hope. 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:21.620 Now, sometimes in the Bible, the Bible uses a word that we are familiar with in our day-to-day conversation. 00:12:21.939 --> 00:12:23.120 Some words are quite different. 00:12:23.579 --> 00:12:27.399 You know, the Bible uses words like justification and we don't often use that word. 00:12:27.939 --> 00:12:33.240 But when you use the word hope, the Bible speaks of hope in a very particular way. 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:36.779 But we often use hope as kind of a vague desire. 00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:38.060 I hope to. 00:12:38.700 --> 00:12:41.620 You know, I hope one day to go to Australia. 00:12:41.740 --> 00:12:42.659 I don't think I ever will. 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:44.419 But maybe one day I'll go down under. 00:12:45.259 --> 00:12:51.120 But the Bible, when it speaks of hope, speaks of a firmly rooted truth. 00:12:51.700 --> 00:12:54.639 Of a guaranteed expectation. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:13:00.720 The God who guarantees certain things for the future. 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:02.679 And we trust in him. 00:13:03.159 --> 00:13:04.840 And we trust that he is faithful. 00:13:05.319 --> 00:13:07.980 And what he promises, he delivers. 00:13:08.659 --> 00:13:10.039 The God of hope. 00:13:10.419 --> 00:13:12.740 You see, the God of hope fills his people. 00:13:13.220 --> 00:13:15.659 He fills his people with joy and with peace. 00:13:16.059 --> 00:13:19.759 And the Holy Spirit then overflows in their lives. 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:20.200 Why? 00:13:20.939 --> 00:13:23.439 Because they are not living for this moment. 00:13:23.779 --> 00:13:25.620 They are not living for this day. 00:13:25.980 --> 00:13:29.360 They are not living according to the spirit of this age. 00:13:29.700 --> 00:13:31.860 We are looking forward and we are looking upward. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:35.019 This world is not heaven. 00:13:35.740 --> 00:13:36.500 It's not hell. 00:13:36.819 --> 00:13:37.659 But it's not heaven. 00:13:38.319 --> 00:13:39.860 We are looking to a better place. 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:41.279 We are looking to a better country. 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:44.460 We are aspiring higher. 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:46.819 Not because of who we are. 00:13:46.820 --> 00:13:50.220 But because we have a God who is filled with hope. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:53.480 And fills his people with hope. 00:13:54.560 --> 00:13:57.560 C.H. Spurgeon, another great preacher of a different age. 00:13:58.020 --> 00:13:59.940 He says, without Christ there is no hope. 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:03.360 You see, endurance without Christ is no endurance. 00:14:03.520 --> 00:14:05.340 Encouragement without Christ is no encouragement. 00:14:05.700 --> 00:14:07.400 Hope without Christ is no hope. 00:14:08.040 --> 00:14:14.540 So even when the Apostle Paul is not specifically referencing the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:14:14.539 --> 00:14:16.860 We know that that's his focus. 00:14:17.259 --> 00:14:18.199 He's already told us. 00:14:18.319 --> 00:14:19.779 We preach Christ and him crucified. 00:14:20.599 --> 00:14:24.559 You know, he is determined to know nothing but Christ crucified. 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:27.659 That's the sum and substance of his message. 00:14:28.139 --> 00:14:29.480 So we have hope. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:38.439 And this hope is intended for people who are surrounded by situations that appear to be hopeless. 00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:44.620 You see, again, a previous commentator. 00:14:44.980 --> 00:14:47.060 You know, I quoted C.S. Lewis to begin with. 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:49.320 C.S. Lewis, again, had a great fluency of words. 00:14:49.480 --> 00:14:55.740 G.K. Chesterton was another commentator who could put words together quite well. 00:14:56.180 --> 00:14:59.320 And he says, hope means hoping when things are hopeless. 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:01.660 Or it is no virtue at all. 00:15:01.659 --> 00:15:06.199 As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude. 00:15:06.779 --> 00:15:10.919 It's only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength. 00:15:11.779 --> 00:15:14.360 And I think what Paul is saying to the Christians in Rome, 00:15:16.059 --> 00:15:17.719 your situation is not good. 00:15:18.659 --> 00:15:20.459 Your prospects are not bright. 00:15:21.539 --> 00:15:25.779 Your future, humanly speaking, is insecure. 00:15:25.779 --> 00:15:31.299 He's not trying to tell them to pretend that things are different because things are tough. 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:35.439 But he wants them to know that there is a God who is the God of hope. 00:15:35.779 --> 00:15:36.939 The God who brings hope. 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:38.379 The God who brings joy. 00:15:38.500 --> 00:15:39.699 The God who brings peace. 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:44.959 Because these characteristics and qualities are not circumstantial. 00:15:45.339 --> 00:15:47.759 They are not dependent upon a situation. 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:56.319 So when you feel hopeless, that's when the God of hope begins to shine even brighter. 00:15:56.860 --> 00:16:01.700 Begins to bring even greater comfort, greater encouragement. 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:08.480 And you know, again, just as endurance and encouragement foster unity, 00:16:09.399 --> 00:16:13.379 notice that hope produces something. 00:16:13.379 --> 00:16:18.519 Because we're told that hope and the work of the Spirit are intimately connected. 00:16:19.299 --> 00:16:27.179 The God of hope and the power of the Holy Spirit work together to produce an overflow 00:16:27.179 --> 00:16:29.600 in the lives of God's people. 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:37.639 Now, as you read the Bible, you'll see that the chapters are separated by big numbers, 15, 16. 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:44.460 In the NIV that I'm reading here, we have a break at verse 13 and 14. 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:46.980 Paul, the minister to the Gentiles. 00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:49.639 Now, these breaks are not in the original. 00:16:50.199 --> 00:16:53.699 And sometimes these breaks come at inopportune times. 00:16:54.179 --> 00:16:57.939 Because I think the break almost makes you pause after verse 13, 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:01.759 take a new breath, and then start as if verse 14 is a new thought. 00:17:02.419 --> 00:17:05.279 But actually, verse 13 and verse 14 are intimately connected. 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:07.519 Because verse 14 says, 00:17:07.639 --> 00:17:10.420 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, 00:17:10.740 --> 00:17:14.960 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge, 00:17:15.180 --> 00:17:17.680 and competent to instruct one another. 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:21.680 At ETS, we want to do three things. 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:24.039 We want to impart knowledge. 00:17:24.700 --> 00:17:27.740 We want to encourage skills. 00:17:28.339 --> 00:17:32.240 And we want to help develop character. 00:17:32.940 --> 00:17:35.139 Knowledge, skill, character. 00:17:35.980 --> 00:17:38.299 But most important of all those three is character. 00:17:39.299 --> 00:17:42.619 It was Albert Einstein, you know, the famous scientist. 00:17:43.539 --> 00:17:44.440 He said this, 00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:48.119 Most people say it is the intellect that makes a great scientist. 00:17:48.879 --> 00:17:49.680 They are wrong. 00:17:50.279 --> 00:17:51.099 It is character. 00:17:52.139 --> 00:17:53.319 Einstein was once asked, 00:17:53.579 --> 00:17:55.019 Professor Einstein, 00:17:55.420 --> 00:17:57.379 can you tell me the speed of light? 00:17:57.819 --> 00:17:59.359 Remember, E equals MC squared. 00:17:59.579 --> 00:18:00.779 C is the speed of light. 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:02.759 He says, no, I can't. 00:18:02.980 --> 00:18:03.859 I can look it up. 00:18:04.740 --> 00:18:06.500 So he didn't know it off the top of his head. 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:09.299 So knowledge, of course, is important. 00:18:09.399 --> 00:18:11.339 But most knowledge you can look up. 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:13.339 Character is key. 00:18:13.799 --> 00:18:15.339 Not what you know, but who you know. 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:18.220 Not what you have, but who you are. 00:18:18.940 --> 00:18:22.259 And what you have in verse 14 are those three qualities. 00:18:22.259 --> 00:18:24.900 Because first of all, full of goodness. 00:18:24.900 --> 00:18:25.599 That's character. 00:18:26.180 --> 00:18:29.960 You can only be full of goodness if you are in Christ, united to Jesus. 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.759 You can only be full of goodness if you are one of his people. 00:18:33.859 --> 00:18:36.140 That's who you are, your Christian character. 00:18:36.140 --> 00:18:38.640 Second, you are filled with knowledge. 00:18:38.759 --> 00:18:39.600 You need to know something. 00:18:39.980 --> 00:18:41.620 You need to know something about Jesus. 00:18:41.780 --> 00:18:43.300 You need to know something about God. 00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:45.400 You need to know something about the Holy Spirit. 00:18:45.800 --> 00:18:47.540 You need to know something about yourself. 00:18:48.460 --> 00:18:52.600 And third, that you are competent to instruct one another. 00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:54.620 You have some skills. 00:18:55.340 --> 00:18:58.220 And those skills are, in this case, internal. 00:18:58.759 --> 00:19:02.300 That you can instruct or encourage or build up one another. 00:19:03.259 --> 00:19:05.420 Character, knowledge, skill. 00:19:05.420 --> 00:19:11.140 So as a follower of Jesus, who you are is the most important thing. 00:19:11.539 --> 00:19:13.660 What you know is important and what you do is important. 00:19:14.039 --> 00:19:16.600 But your character is critical. 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:19.019 God of endurance. 00:19:19.900 --> 00:19:20.860 God of encouragement. 00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:22.500 God of hope. 00:19:23.580 --> 00:19:26.240 And third, at the very end of the chapter we read, 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:30.200 The God of peace be with you all. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:31.600 Amen. 00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:34.159 Now this word peace. 00:19:35.459 --> 00:19:37.459 When you learn a new language. 00:19:38.419 --> 00:19:40.079 If you're building vocabulary. 00:19:40.419 --> 00:19:42.759 You often, especially with adjectives. 00:19:43.199 --> 00:19:47.039 You begin to build vocabulary with antonyms. 00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:48.619 Tall, short. 00:19:49.139 --> 00:19:49.959 Old, young. 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:51.159 Rich, poor. 00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:55.859 And peace is one of these words that we often associate with its opposite. 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:57.639 Peace and war. 00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:00.860 I think Tolstoy had a book by that time. 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:04.240 I think he put them in different, reversed order. 00:20:05.300 --> 00:20:07.560 But sometimes you can think, well that's it. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:09.340 Peace is the absence of war. 00:20:10.060 --> 00:20:11.420 Peace is the absence of conflict. 00:20:11.740 --> 00:20:13.060 And yes, that's true. 00:20:13.700 --> 00:20:15.520 But peace is much more than that. 00:20:16.259 --> 00:20:18.300 Peace is not just the absence of conflict. 00:20:18.460 --> 00:20:21.620 But peace is the presence of harmony. 00:20:22.140 --> 00:20:23.900 The presence of wholeness. 00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:24.860 Of completeness. 00:20:24.859 --> 00:20:30.979 When you hear a song sung well by a solo performer. 00:20:31.219 --> 00:20:31.859 You would say, wow. 00:20:32.500 --> 00:20:34.000 That's a wonderful singer. 00:20:34.719 --> 00:20:38.240 But when you hear a song that is sung beautifully. 00:20:38.579 --> 00:20:40.919 By a chorus with parts. 00:20:41.719 --> 00:20:42.759 You say, wow. 00:20:43.819 --> 00:20:44.779 That's magnificent. 00:20:45.579 --> 00:20:46.379 You hear the bass. 00:20:46.439 --> 00:20:47.419 And you hear the soprano. 00:20:47.500 --> 00:20:48.099 You hear the altar. 00:20:48.219 --> 00:20:48.759 You hear the tenor. 00:20:48.939 --> 00:20:50.079 You hear the male voices. 00:20:50.199 --> 00:20:51.279 You hear the female voices. 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:53.119 You hear the harmony. 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:55.960 But it all blends together in unity. 00:20:56.680 --> 00:20:57.980 That's what peace is. 00:20:58.639 --> 00:21:03.920 In the Old Testament, the visual illustration of peace is a stone wall. 00:21:04.680 --> 00:21:09.200 And a stone wall where every stone is in its proper place. 00:21:09.980 --> 00:21:12.819 The absence of peace is that stones are missing. 00:21:12.819 --> 00:21:16.639 I've never been to Rome. 00:21:16.759 --> 00:21:18.279 I hope one day I can get to Rome. 00:21:18.500 --> 00:21:24.339 But I'm told that the Colosseum is magnificent to view. 00:21:25.079 --> 00:21:27.079 But the Colosseum is a ruin. 00:21:27.679 --> 00:21:31.419 You get a scale of how magnificent this building was one day. 00:21:31.559 --> 00:21:32.419 It used to be. 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:34.200 But it's just a ruin now. 00:21:34.200 --> 00:21:38.799 But imagine every stone in the Colosseum is in place. 00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:41.039 Just as it was when it was built. 00:21:41.180 --> 00:21:43.720 How magnificent that building would be. 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:50.380 The God of peace is the God who fits every stone in place perfectly. 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:53.840 Our lives often seem incomplete. 00:21:54.620 --> 00:21:57.920 Our lives often seem to be out of place. 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:05.000 But the God who we worship is putting all the right pieces in all the right places. 00:22:05.660 --> 00:22:08.720 And making us complete in Jesus. 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:13.340 Because when you come to trust in Jesus, there is an immediate completeness. 00:22:14.019 --> 00:22:19.480 But as you come to know and grow in Jesus, that completeness begins to grow. 00:22:20.380 --> 00:22:23.560 We begin to see that our lives are coming together. 00:22:24.360 --> 00:22:26.080 Not perfect by any means. 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:33.539 But the God of peace begins to unify us individually and collectively. 00:22:34.639 --> 00:22:43.399 So, the Apostle Paul wants to leave his audience with this note of encouragement. 00:22:43.579 --> 00:22:44.519 He wants to build them up. 00:22:44.619 --> 00:22:45.639 He wants to strengthen them. 00:22:45.960 --> 00:22:47.019 He wants to equip them. 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:48.639 The challenges are many. 00:22:49.139 --> 00:22:50.980 The enemies are many. 00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:53.379 The difficulties are many. 00:22:53.380 --> 00:22:57.340 And yet, God is with his people. 00:22:57.900 --> 00:22:58.860 God is with them. 00:22:59.320 --> 00:23:00.040 He's for them. 00:23:00.600 --> 00:23:03.280 And through the Holy Spirit, he's actually dwelling in them. 00:23:04.120 --> 00:23:07.300 God who brings endurance doesn't let them go. 00:23:07.800 --> 00:23:10.560 The God who encourages them along the way. 00:23:11.260 --> 00:23:16.520 The God who fills them with hope that overflows in joy and peace. 00:23:16.519 --> 00:23:18.740 And the God who brings harmony. 00:23:19.299 --> 00:23:20.680 The God who brings unity. 00:23:21.259 --> 00:23:23.319 The God who brings completeness. 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:25.819 Now, what do we do with these truths? 00:23:26.379 --> 00:23:27.279 Very quickly. 00:23:28.279 --> 00:23:32.000 The Apostle Paul doesn't leave us without application. 00:23:32.859 --> 00:23:34.139 You see, the Bible is wonderful. 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:40.259 You know, as you read this chapter, you see the way in which the Apostle Paul informs. 00:23:40.259 --> 00:23:44.099 You see the way in which the Apostle Paul encourages. 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:51.980 But he wants his audience to take this knowledge, to apply it personally, and then to live it out. 00:23:53.099 --> 00:23:54.240 Verses 1 to 2. 00:23:54.980 --> 00:23:57.460 We are to bear with and we are to build up. 00:23:57.980 --> 00:23:59.920 Look at the, just as the chapter started. 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:05.099 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 00:24:05.640 --> 00:24:09.720 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good to build them up. 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:12.420 We bear with and we build up. 00:24:12.660 --> 00:24:13.000 Why? 00:24:13.360 --> 00:24:17.779 Because our God bears with us and our God builds us up. 00:24:18.140 --> 00:24:20.660 So if we are his people, we do the same thing. 00:24:21.539 --> 00:24:23.279 We don't have the same power, of course. 00:24:23.779 --> 00:24:25.600 We are not perfect, of course. 00:24:26.059 --> 00:24:32.660 But our characters begin to be more and more like the God who saves and the God who rescues. 00:24:33.360 --> 00:24:35.160 You see this in families, don't you? 00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:42.860 When you're a kid, you kind of, you know, you look at your parents and you think, I'm never going to be like them. 00:24:43.240 --> 00:24:45.380 I'm never going to say the things that they say. 00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:47.019 I'm never going to do the things that they do. 00:24:47.019 --> 00:24:52.920 But then you catch yourself years later and you see the qualities of your father or your mother. 00:24:53.240 --> 00:25:00.720 The words that they said, the phrases that they use, even the physical characteristics, the way in which they walked or talked. 00:25:01.220 --> 00:25:02.519 And it just kind of comes through. 00:25:03.079 --> 00:25:03.400 Why? 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:06.040 Because you were brought up within that household. 00:25:06.220 --> 00:25:07.720 You were brought up within that family. 00:25:08.080 --> 00:25:13.720 And you take on the qualities and characteristics of your parents, for good or for ill. 00:25:14.280 --> 00:25:19.860 But when you're part of God's family, you take on his qualities and his characteristics. 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:25.460 And unlike human parents, all of his qualities and characteristics are for good. 00:25:25.940 --> 00:25:26.540 None are for ill. 00:25:27.160 --> 00:25:28.800 So he's the God who builds up. 00:25:28.900 --> 00:25:29.540 We build up. 00:25:29.539 --> 00:25:33.639 He is the God who bears with and we bear with. 00:25:34.539 --> 00:25:38.059 Verse 6 tells us that we are to glorify God. 00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:40.200 We are to give God the glory. 00:25:40.819 --> 00:25:41.899 We are to give him the credit. 00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:51.899 You see, if this was about your endurance and your encouragement and your hope and your peace, what you do, you could take the credit. 00:25:52.680 --> 00:25:53.359 But it's not. 00:25:53.619 --> 00:25:54.379 It's about him. 00:25:54.960 --> 00:25:56.180 He gets all the credit. 00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:57.659 He gets all the glory. 00:25:57.660 --> 00:26:02.440 Verse 7 tells us that as we glorify God, we accept one another. 00:26:03.140 --> 00:26:08.460 Notice that the Apostle Paul very rarely, if ever, uses an either or. 00:26:09.160 --> 00:26:13.360 He doesn't say you can glorify God or you can accept one another. 00:26:13.900 --> 00:26:15.300 He says, no, no, you do both. 00:26:15.880 --> 00:26:17.880 If you glorify God, you accept one another. 00:26:18.180 --> 00:26:24.320 That doesn't mean that you accept everything that everyone does because much of what we do is disordered. 00:26:24.840 --> 00:26:25.720 We get it wrong. 00:26:25.720 --> 00:26:29.440 But you see, the vertical and the horizontal go together. 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:30.819 You glorify God. 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:31.900 You accept one another. 00:26:32.019 --> 00:26:32.279 Why? 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:36.079 Because we are on the same journey and we will arrive at the same destination. 00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:43.859 And finally, again, we've taken a kind of a whistle-stop tour through this chapter. 00:26:43.960 --> 00:26:47.039 I'm not suggesting we've dealt with everything by any means. 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:56.919 But if we are to glorify God, if we are to accept one another, the final exhortation in the chapter, quite lengthy, is prayer. 00:26:57.740 --> 00:26:59.019 We pray for one another. 00:26:59.460 --> 00:27:00.740 We pray with one another. 00:27:00.740 --> 00:27:08.039 We need God and prayer is one of the best ways that we lay hold of that God that we need. 00:27:08.539 --> 00:27:13.240 When you pray, you recognize that you do not have what you need. 00:27:13.539 --> 00:27:15.920 When you pray, you ask God for help. 00:27:16.299 --> 00:27:21.339 When you read a chapter like this and you think, I'm not that good at building other people up. 00:27:21.339 --> 00:27:24.039 I'm not that good at bearing with one another. 00:27:24.339 --> 00:27:29.299 I'm not that good at glorifying God or I'm not that good at accepting people. 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:30.539 You pray. 00:27:31.699 --> 00:27:33.199 Pray for your leaders, yes. 00:27:33.339 --> 00:27:35.000 Pray for those who are preaching. 00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:36.419 Pray for those that are teaching. 00:27:36.659 --> 00:27:37.799 Pray for those that are leading. 00:27:38.199 --> 00:27:39.559 But pray for each other. 00:27:40.199 --> 00:27:41.079 Pray for yourself. 00:27:41.740 --> 00:27:43.539 Because prayer is simply this. 00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:44.359 Help. 00:27:44.359 --> 00:27:50.439 I was speaking to one of the guys in HMP Edinburgh. 00:27:50.639 --> 00:27:52.059 I saw him before I went away. 00:27:52.539 --> 00:27:54.279 And I said, I'm going to teach you a short prayer. 00:27:55.779 --> 00:27:58.559 When you need help, I want you to say three words. 00:27:59.079 --> 00:28:00.279 God help me. 00:28:00.919 --> 00:28:06.379 I saw him the other day and he was in the segregation unit, which means maybe he wasn't always praying that prayer. 00:28:06.439 --> 00:28:09.879 But nonetheless, and I said, you remember the prayer? 00:28:10.219 --> 00:28:13.079 And he looked at me and he said, God help me. 00:28:14.359 --> 00:28:15.279 That's what we pray. 00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:16.519 God help me. 00:28:16.740 --> 00:28:17.799 I don't have the answers. 00:28:18.139 --> 00:28:18.759 God help me. 00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:19.819 I don't have the strength. 00:28:20.159 --> 00:28:20.679 God help me. 00:28:20.719 --> 00:28:21.659 I don't have the wisdom. 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:22.519 God help me. 00:28:22.599 --> 00:28:24.119 I got it wrong again. 00:28:24.459 --> 00:28:26.359 But God help me. 00:28:27.019 --> 00:28:27.339 Pray. 00:28:28.619 --> 00:28:38.379 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of the Spirit to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 00:28:38.879 --> 00:28:40.179 So pray for me. 00:28:41.099 --> 00:28:42.199 And I'll pray for you. 00:28:42.859 --> 00:28:44.000 We pray for each other. 00:28:44.359 --> 00:28:46.859 Because we need God's help. 00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:49.979 And may God bless his word to each of our hearts. 00:28:49.979 --> 00:28:51.079 Let's pray.