I think I will never cease to
be amazed that men and women who profess to believe God, who
profess to love Christ, who profess to be his servants, willingly
absent themselves from the gathering of God's people for worship,
when Zion is the place God formed for his own abode. This is his habitation where
his people gather in his name to worship him. What a privilege,
what an honor to be here with you in God's house. It should not be my purpose in
life to be rich, successful, or even happy. It should not be my purpose in
life to be rich, successful, or even happy, but to be useful. What a goal, to be useful. John Bunyan years ago wrote this
tremendous statement. You have not lived today until
you've done something for someone who can never repay you. The Spirit of God says much the
same thing. By love, serve one another. We're told that David, that great
king, the sweet psalmist of Israel, the man after God's own heart,
David served his own generation by the will of God. How I want
to live like that. To serve the generation in which
I live by the will of God in some useful way to your souls. Living for God is living for
the benefit of others. Serving God is serving others. Be sure you understand that.
Write it down, don't forget it. Living for God is living for
the benefit of others. Serving God is serving others. We can serve others without serving
God. but we cannot serve God without
serving others. That is the doctrine of Romans
chapter 15. If you open your Bibles there
and just hold them open on your laps. Romans chapter 15. Paul begins the chapter continuing
on what he'd been talking about in chapters 13 and 14 of unity
and fellowship in the bonds of the gospel. He begins by saying
we are not to please ourselves. Rather, let every one of us please
his neighbor for his good to edification. Not to please ourselves. That's an unusual title for a
message, I know. But I couldn't think of a more
appropriate one with which to summarize this chapter. Not To
please ourselves, that's my subject. Not to please ourselves. Not to please ourselves. What
a strange, strange statement in this world in which everybody
is taught to live to please themselves. We live in a world rampant with
theft because men and women are taught from their youth to please
themselves. We live in a world rampant with
dishonesty because children are taught from their youth to please
themselves. We live in a world rampant with
debauchery, sodomy, fornication, adultery, divorce, remarriage,
all those things happening every day because men and women live
to please themselves as they've been taught. If we would live
for God, we are not to please ourselves. If we would live to
God, we must not please ourselves. Why did you do that? Well, I
wanted to. Well, it felt good. That's what I decided to do.
We are not to please ourselves. Hold your Bibles open here at
Romans 15. As we look at these 33 verses, I want to show you
seven things clearly set before us in this chapter. May God,
the Holy Ghost, whose word we had before us, now inscribe the
lessons of this chapter upon our hearts and cause us to live
accordingly. Verses one, two, and three. Here's
the first lesson. Our singular example in life,
in all things, is Jesus Christ, our Lord. singular example in
life in all things is Jesus Christ our Lord. He teaches us by his
example how to live. in his association with others,
in family situations, among friends, among enemies, serving others. He gives us a marvelous example. You remember he washed his disciples'
feet and he said, I've given you an example. You go do what
I've done. Read about the Redeemer in the
totality of his life. Read the whole of his life, what's
written for you in the book of God. Read what God says about
the life of the Christ, the God-man, our mediator, and follow his
example, and you will be well-governed in your life. Hear me, Don Fortner. Follow his example, and you will
be well-governed in your life. Follow his example. in walking
with God, in dealing with God, in the things of God. Follow
his example in association with men, in dealing with men, friend
and enemy, righteous and wicked, and you will have an example
that will direct your steps aright. Christ is our example. Look at
verse one. We then that are strong, ought
to bear the infirmities of the weak. What does that take? What does that take? What does
that take? And not to please ourselves.
That's all it takes, not to please ourselves. Let every one of us
please his neighbor for his good to edification. Paul begins the
chapter telling us that we're not to please ourselves, but
rather to live always giving priority to one another, especially
to those who are weaker in the faith, especially to those who
do not enjoy as we may the great liberty that is ours in Christ
in all matters of indifference. Some men just have a conscience
about the use of alcohol or tobacco or about the use of eating certain
meats or certain foods. Well, you don't have to have
them. You can do without them. You don't have to offend your
brother. You don't have to show what liberty you have. Behave
for their benefit. Don't please yourself, but rather
accommodate your brother or your sister. Always in all things
be patient, overlooking, kind, forbearing, and forgiving. Now I can't tell you how God
has preached this message to me the last several weeks. Always,
always, always be kind. patient, overlooking, forbearing,
forgiving. You don't have to say everything
you think, and you don't have to have your way. As a matter
of fact, it's usually best not to say everything you're thinking,
and not to have your way. It's just best, it's just best.
God teach me that. Our first response to almost
everyone's actions is either to show ourselves in some way
superior or to retaliate about something someone has done or
with regard to something someone's done to offend us. And it's never
right. It is never right. What are you
supposed to do? Just take it? Yeah, that's what
you're supposed to do. Just take it, live with it. It
won't hurt you, be good for you, be good for you. Listen to the
word of God. Above all things have fervent,
fervent charity. That's a strange word for charity. Fervent charity, burning charity
among yourselves. Now come, for charity shall cover
the multitude of sins. Well, that don't matter, I love
her. That don't matter, I love him. That's insignificant, I
love him. I'll put up with it, I love him.
Charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Quoting from Proverbs,
this is what the Proverbs said that Peter quotes from. Hatred
stirreth up strifes. Hatred's just got to keep something
stirring. It's just got to keep something
stirring. Yack, yack, yack, yack, yack, yack, yack, yack. It's
got to keep something stirring. Yacking about this, yacking about
that. What does it, well, I just want to tell the truth. Hatred.
I'm just telling what's so, hatred. Hatred constantly stirs up strife. Love covers it, covers a multitude
of sins. Here's the motive, the inspiration,
the example Paul gives. For even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, The reproaches
of them that reproach thee fell on me. I can't say much about
this. I'll come back to it, Lord willing,
if you'll permit me to, in days ahead. But our Savior, the Lord Jesus,
never sought, as long as he walked on this earth, in the totality
of the days of his life, living in the will of God for the glory
of God and the good of men. Our Savior never sought his own
comfort, his own ease, his own benefit, his own profit, or his
own glory in anything. Not once, not once. He subjected
himself to every imaginable inconvenience. He subjected himself to every
form of suffering and at last to the shameful, ignominious
death by which his very name and character were publicly reproached. The suffering and death of a
common fellow on a cursed tree as one cursed of God manifestly
so. How come for us, for us, how
much more you and I ought to do the same? He bore our reproaches. Surely we ought to bear with
one another's weaknesses. He willingly bore our sins in
his body on the tree. How willingly we ought to bear
with a brother's immaturity. He who was rich for our sakes
made himself poor that we through his poverty might be made rich. how happy we ought to be to deprive
ourselves of temporary pleasure for the good of others. Here's
the second lesson, verse four. Pick it up. You have in your
hand the word of God. This book, this book, this book. You have it in your hand. The
word of God was written specifically for this purpose, to make sinners
wise unto salvation. Look at verse four. For whatsoever
things were written aforetime were written for our learning,
that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might
have hope. through the giving of God's Word
over a course of a long period of time. by the comfort declared
in God's word, the comfort of the gospel. Comfort ye, comfort
ye my people. Sayeth the Lord, declare to Jerusalem
that her iniquity is pardoned, that she is received at the Lord's
hand, double for all her sins. Righteousness is hers. Declare
the patience and the comfort of the scriptures that you might
have hope. the hope of life everlasting
through Jesus Christ the Lord. Oh, you will be wise to know
everything you can written in this book. Read it, learn it,
pray for God the Holy Ghost to write it on your heart. Thy word
is a lamp under my feet and a light under my pathways. Wherewithal
shall a young man order his life? Take heed to God's word and learn
God's salvation. Learn the hope of life. It comes
only by the obedience of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as the
sinner substitute unto death. Only by faith in him. Believe on the Son of God and
this salvation is yours. Believe on the Son of God and
righteousness is yours. Believe on the Son of God. Will
you now believe? Believe Him and walk in the blessed
hope of everlasting salvation. Number three, look at verses
five, six, and seven. And learn this. Our great object
in life ought to be the glory of God. Now the God of patience
and consolation, what a name for our God. The God of patience
and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another
according to Christ Jesus. What does that mean? ye may with
one mind and one mouth glorify God even the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ. What? One mind and one mouth? That you People of God, you saved
sinners, you redeemed by the blood of Christ, you who are
born of God, you who are united as one body in Christ. Why shouldn't one body act and
speak with one mind and one mouth? If we're one, one in Christ Jesus,
walking together. You better watch out, they're
brethren. They look out for each other. We ought to have just
that kind of reputation. We ought to have just that kind
of reputation. So that for, they go to church out of Grace Baptist
Church, they stick together. They stick together. One mind,
one mouth. You won't hear them saying anything
bad about each other. They stick together. They cover
for one another. That's what brother's supposed
to do. That's what brother's supposed to do. I had no brothers
growing up. I had three sisters. And more
often than not, I either got my nose bloodied or I bloodied
somebody else's, taking care of my sisters. That was my job. Made it my job. It is to this
day. And my sisters, and my sisters.
that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another. Embrace one another. Take each
other in. Hold each other by the hand.
Hug one another up close. How's that? How's that? As Christ
also received us. Would you receive me just like
Christ received you? God give me grace to receive
you always, everywhere, in all circumstances, exactly as Christ
received you. How is that? Just like you are. Just like you are warts and all. Just like you are for the glory
of God. For the glory of God. Well, I
reckon I can overlook his crooked necktie. I reckon I can overlook it. For
the glory of God. Yeah. Yeah. For the glory of
God. Let us do all things for God's
glory, especially this thing of family, this thing of church,
this thing of fellowship in the gospel. Whether therefore you
eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. In this family relationship,
in this family relationship especially. Whatever you do, do it to God's
glory. Number four, verses eight through
12. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, is the Savior of the world. Now read these verses
as they're written and understand. Paul wrote this letter to the
saints at Rome. Most of them had been converted
out of pagan Roman idolatry. Most of them had all their lives
been practicing paganism. And the filth of idolatry, the
gross filth practices of idolatry are not such things as we will
speak about in public, in public before men and women and before
children. They're just horribly evil. Paul writes to these Gentiles. No wonder the Jews looked at
Gentiles as something slightly lower than women and dogs. Gentiles,
thank God I'm not a woman, a dog, or a Gentile. These Romans had
been converted out of Gentile pagan idolatry. And Paul's writing
to these brilliant educated pagans whom God had saved by his grace.
Among them were some Jews who had been converted. who lived
at Rome. Paul writes here to tell the
Romans, the Jew and the Gentile, the bond and the free, the learned
and the unlearned, the male and the female, the black and the
white, Christ is not the savior of one race. of one group of
people, of one nationality. He is the Savior of the world. The Samaritans spoke like this. We know that he's the Christ,
the Savior of the world. That doesn't mean he came to
save everybody in the world. That does mean that he came into
this world to save God's Israel. only the lost sheep of the house
of Israel, none but the lost sheep of the house of Israel,
all of the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and he will
save them every one out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue
scattered in all the world. Let's see if that's what it's
saying here in Romans 15 verses eight through 12. Now I say that Jesus Christ was
a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God. And then
he speaks about the circumcision in a strange way. To confirm
the promises made to the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that
the Gentiles might glorify God. Wait a minute, what's that got
to do with the circumcision? We are the circumcision. Not those
who are circumcised physically, not those who are Abraham's physical
seed, but those who are circumcised spiritually, those who are called
of God, those who are born of God. He says that the Gentiles
might glorify God for his mercy. And then he begins to quote from
the scriptures. He quotes one after the other in the Old Testament.
The Scriptures in the Old Testament said, as it is written, for this
cause I will confess thee among the Gentiles, the Lord Jesus
speaking, and sing unto thy name. And again, saith, rejoice ye
Gentiles with his people. And again, praise the Lord, all
ye Gentiles, and laud him, all ye people. And again, Isaiah
saith, there shall be a root of Jesse. and he shall rise to
reign over the Gentiles. In him shall the Gentiles trust. Christ is the Savior of the world. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not, but to as many as received him. To them
gave he power to become the sons of God. To them, all who receive
him. Listen to me now. God, help you
to hear me now. Oh, I would to God, I could get
the ear of every needy soul in the world today. Watch this. I wonder if I have the right
and the power to take that. I wonder. Yep, I do, I just got some. I
just got some. I know it's mine, because I've
received it. To as many as received him, to
them gave he the power, that's the right, authority and the
ability to become the sons of God to as many as received Him. Receive Jesus Christ right now
and go home, my brother, sons of God, daughters of God. Here's
the fifth thing, verse 13, Are you listening? You can never find real, lasting
joy and peace in life without faith in Jesus Christ, God's
Son. Everybody wants to be happy.
Everybody wants joy. Everybody wants peace and nobody's
got any. Young people, I know it's hard
for some of you young people to believe this, I was much young. And young people loved to party
and have a good time. They love to party, have a good
time, and that's all right. I'm not belittling that, that's
all right. Old folks do too, they just can't
stay up as late. But most of the time we do stuff
trying to act happy, thinking it'll make us happy. Hear me,
hear me. You will never find true, lasting
joy and peace in life without faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Look at verse 13. Now the God
of hope, he who is our God, the God of all grace, the God of
patience and consolation, he's the God of hope. The God of hope
fill you with joy and peace in believing that ye may abound
in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. It is the God
of hope who gives sinners hope. I have a good hope through grace,
do you? I have the hope of everlasting
life. I have the assured hope of eternal
glory. I live in hope of the resurrection. I don't mean by that, I sure
do hope there's a resurrection. No, I mean I'm looking for it.
I'm looking for it. I have a good hope through grace
and a hope of life eternal. will give you peace in this temporary
existence. A hope of life eternal will give
you joy in the depth of your soul. Peace, joy, the joy of
forgiveness, the peace of heart. These boons of grace come to
sinners through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. All those
and only those who believe on the Son of God have joy and peace
and hope. And this gift of faith is ours
only by the power of God, the Holy Ghost. I've been calling
on you. I've been pressing some of you
for a long time now to believe on the Son of God, to take Christ
for yourself, Oh God, help me to take it. Believe
Him. If you can, if you do right now,
believe on Him. If right now you believe on Him,
it's because God, the Holy Ghost, by omnipotent power, has given
you life that produces faith and joy and hope. Number six. The Lord, our God, almighty,
sovereign, gracious, and wise, the God of heaven condescends
to use saved sinners as instruments in his hands to accomplish his
purpose of grace in saving sinners, verse 14. And I myself also am
persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness."
You're full of goodness. God's made you new creatures
in Christ. Filled with knowledge, all knowledge, all knowledge.
You know everything you need to know. Able also to admonish
one another. Nevertheless, brethren, I have
written more boldly unto you in some sort as putting you in
mind because of the grace that's given to me of God. The grace
that's given to me of God. What is that? That I should be
the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. Ministering
the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable
being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. I have therefore whereof
I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain
to God. Saved sinners being taught of
God are filled with all knowledge. You have an unction from the
Holy One and you know all things. What does that mean? You know
everything you need to know. everything beneficial to your
soul, you know God. We know our sin and Christ's
righteousness. We know our iniquities and Christ's
satisfaction. We know our weakness and Christ's
strength. We know our impotence and Christ's
omnipotence. We know our depravity and Christ's
grace. We know our guilt and Christ's
forgiveness. And the great God of heaven condescends
to use fallen sinners to make His grace known to fallen sinners. The gift of preaching the gospel
is a gift of grace. I did something this week I've
never done before. Don't really know what possessed
me to do it. Something must have clicked in my head, something
I read or something. I decided I'd look up the meaning
of the name fort. I sure do like what I read. I
love it, I love it. Fortner is originally a German
family of royalty, but the Fortners were keepers of the door, keepers
of the gate in the royal household. God has made me a doorkeeper
in his house. That's what preachers are. They're
portrayed in the temple service, doorkeepers. They let folks in
who ought to be brought in and keep things out or be kept out.
That's what a preacher is, doorkeepers, doorkeepers. Oh, what a privilege,
what a privilege. I wouldn't trade places with
anybody in the world at any time. God let me be a doorkeeper in
his house, serving your souls and serving his cause in this
world. You see, all who are born again,
and Brother Lindsey has emphasized last couple of weeks, all who
are born again, are born again by the preaching of the gospel.
And believing on the Lord Jesus, sinners redeemed by blood and
saved by grace are sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Made holy,
regenerated, made gods, made new creatures in Christ by the
Holy Ghost. and those men who are called
and gifted of God to preach the gospel glory. They're always
glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to
God. Election and redemption and sovereignty
and predestination and grace and salvation and resurrection
and life and eternal glory. One last word, we'll come back
to this chapter again, the Lord willing. Here's the seventh thing
with which I send you home. Faithful gospel preachers. Faithful
gospel preachers. Faithful gospel preachers. Whether
this shuts me out or puts me in, this is true. Whether this
shuts out the fellow down the road or the fellow up the road,
this is true. Faithful gospel preachers are
men devoted devoted to Christ and his cause,
his gospel, his people, and his glory in this world. Faithful
men are. Faithful men are. Sadly, sadly, most who wear the
name preacher, pastor, evangelist, missionary, are devoted to their
pleasure. If I am that by my own mouth
and by God's word, I am judged and condemned. Faithful men, faithful men, faithful
preachers are devoted Their lives are devoted. Their minds are
devoted. Their thoughts are devoted. Their time is devoted. Their
hearts are devoted to Christ, his cause, his gospel, his honor,
and his people in this world. Look at verse 18. For I will
not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not
wrought by me. He said, I'm gonna tell you what
Christ has done by me. I'm gonna tell you what I know.
To make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, through mighty
signs and wonders by the power of the Holy Ghost. God worked,
God worked as I preached. God worked as I labored. so that
from Jerusalem and round about to Elycrium, I have fully preached
the gospel of Christ. I have fully preached the gospel
of Christ. Everywhere I go, I've told men
about Jesus Christ crucified, risen and reigning. Yea, so have
I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest
I should build upon another man's foundation. Now, Paul's not saying
that you shouldn't do that. Those who build on a foundation
are just as good as those who lay the foundation. He said,
as God has ordained things, I went about laying the foundation.
But as it is written, to whom he was not spoken of, they shall
see. And they that have not heard
shall understand. for which cause also I have been
much hindered from coming to you. He says, I've had you on
my hearts for a long time, but God's put other things in my
hands to do. But now, having no more place in these parts,
my work here is done, and having a great desire these many years
to come to you. He says, I've been hearing about
you, I've been hearing about you for a long time, and I wanted
to come and preach to you. Whensoever I take my journey
into Spain, I will come to you, for I trust to see you in my
journey and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if
first I be somewhat filled with your company. But now I go to
Jerusalem." He said, I'm on my way to Jerusalem now, to minister
to, that is to serve the saints. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia
and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints
which are at Jerusalem. The Gentiles, being converted
by the grace of God, found out that the saints of God at Jerusalem
were in need. They said, let's take up an offering and we'll
get it to them. It hath pleased them verily, and their debtors
they are. For if the Gentiles have been
made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty, I love those
two words, their duty, they're bound, they're bound, not by
law, not by constraint, except by gratitude. Their duty is also
to minister to them in carnal things. When therefore I have
performed this, They've trusted to me this gift, and I'm taking
it to the saints at Jerusalem, and have sealed to them this
fruit. I will come to you by spade.
Now listen to Paul's words. And I am sure that when I come
unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the
gospel of Christ. I am sure that when I come to
you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel
of Christ. Paul, how are you sure of that?
Now, I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus' sake and
for the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in
your prayers to God for me. that I may be delivered from
them that do not believe in Judea, and that my service which I have
for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints, that I may come
unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed. Here Paul expresses great confidence
that his preaching in Rome would be blessed of God. and that he
and God's saints would be refreshed together in the sweet bonds of
Christ. He had the joy of a sweetness
beyond description to any preacher, of knowing that he had an interest
in the prayers of those whose welfare he sought, for whom he
labored. Paul had been enabled of God
to pray for these Roman believers. And he drew great, great comfort
from the fact that he would come to them in the fullness of the
blessing of God because God had enabled him to pray for them.
When a faithful pastor and a servant of Christ is led and enabled
to pray for others, Those he serves. And those he serves are
led and enabled of God to pray for him. Blessings are sure. Blessings are sure. How encouraging
it is to any preacher to know that he lives in the affections
of those for whom he labors and among whom he labors in the gospel.
Nothing does me more good in my heart coming from men than
the assurance of those to whom I preach here and around the
world that they lift me in their hearts to the court of heaven
and God on his throne. The thought that God's people
pray for him lifts his servant's heart to God in devotion, thanksgiving,
committing himself the more to the work. Paul knew that he would
come to Rome in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel
of Christ. because his heart was there. And God was his witness
that he never ceased to pray for them at the throne of grace,
as he declares in chapter one. More than that, praying for them. In Acts 23, the Lord God said,
Paul, you will preach this gospel at Rome also. I will, I'll come
to you in the will of God. This is my plan and it's going
to be brought to pass because God has assured me that it shall. Oh, it is truly blessed, truly
blessed for you and I to be carried on the wings of faith and prayer
to the throne of grace and blessed to carry one another. When that
happens, as I carry you on the wings of faith and prayer to
the court of heaven, to God on His throne, as you carry me on
the wings of faith and prayer to the court of heaven, to God
on His throne, I promise you, every time we meet, I will come
to you as Peter did to Cornelius, and you will gather here as Cornelius
and his household did before Peter, saying, therefore, we
are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded
thee of God. And God will pour out his Spirit
upon us. Now, The God of peace, the God of
patience and consolation, the God of hope, the God of peace
be with you all. Oh, the God of peace. The God of peace make himself
your God. The God of peace be with you
today, and tonight, and tomorrow, and in every step of your lives
until you are at last at home in heaven with the God of peace. Rex and Debbie are going to Maine,
didn't you Rex? Going to Maine Friday. The God
of peace be with you. The God of peace be with you.
I presume David's at home, probably watching right now. The God of
peace be with you. The God of peace be with you.
The God of peace be with you all, for Christ's sake. Amen.