Chapter 15. We'll read together
the first three verses of this chapter. on me the title the message this
evening is a word to the weak and strong a word to the weak
and to the strong as I prepared this message I you know me that
normally I'm a a person a textual preacher. I usually have a text
and then from that expound the text and preach to you. This
message I have this evening is quite unusual for me. It is more of a topical message
than it is textual. And I don't normally do this
for several reasons because mostly a textual, a not a textual, but a topical
message. Usually people take the topic
and they twist it to scriptures to fit the topic, and that's
not my intention in this, and I don't believe it's happened
in this. I pray that this is for our benefit.
We who are believers in Jesus Christ, we confess this that
we are truly weak and feeble creatures. We are weak and feeble
creatures. When everything seems calm, when
everything seems smooth, and we feel strong in the faith,
we feel as though we can move mountains, There are times when
we are so sure of our hope of eternal glory, we are so sure
of our union with Christ, and we are so lifted up on the wings
of eagles that we can soar to the heights of glory and praise
God so sure that nothing can separate us from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus. There are times when we are so
strong, we feel so strong in the faith that we could say like
Job, though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Have you not said
that? I have. How many times have we
felt so strong in the faith that we said like Peter, though everyone
forsake you, I will die with you. And we, like these saints of
God, were very sincere. These saints were not joking
when they said that. You do not think that Peter was
joking. Peter was sincere when he said it. And so was Job. So was Job. And we, like these
saints, are very sincere and truly mean these things from
the depths of our heart when we are strong in faith. And so
tonight, if you're strong in faith, I want you to remember
this, believer in Christ, you should rejoice. If you are strong
in faith, rejoice. Rejoice! Give glory to God for
His grace that sustains you and causes you to mount up on wings
of eagles to run and not be weary. If you're strong in faith, rejoice. Give thanks for your strength. Let us offer to God the calves
of our lips, which is praise and thanksgiving in such times
of strength. If this is now your lot to be
strong in faith and in grace, then I exhort you now, believer,
as the scripture has said in our text, we then that are strong
are to bear the infirmities of the weak. of the weak. If you are strong now, listen
to what the scripture tells you. Listen to what the exhortation
to you who are strong in faith. It is to bear the infirmities
of your brethren. O you that are strong in faith,
forget not who it is that made you strong. If you're strong in faith, don't
forget who it is that made you such. It was God. If you are strong in faith, is
it not because God gave you such strength? If you are strong in all His
graces, remember, it is His grace that has forgiven you all of
your sins and trespasses. Remember, believer, therefore,
to forgive those who have offended you. If you're strong in faith,
does that mean that you're free from offense? No. We're subject
to be offended. And if your brother offends you,
you that are strong in faith, forgive him. Forgive him even
as Christ forgave you. You that are strong in faith,
forgive the one who is weaker. You who are strong in the grace
of faith should remember those who are fallen, those who have
been broken on the rocks either by divine providence or by divine
chastisement. Remember those, my friends, who
have sinned. Remember your brethren who have
fallen and sinned and are running contrary to the Christ that they
profess to believe. Remember your weaker brethren,
you that are strong. Go over to Galatians. Galatians
chapter 6. Galatians chapter 6 and look
what he tells us in verse 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken
in a fault, notice this, Ye which are spiritual. What is he saying? You that are strong in faith. Restore such an one in the spirit
of meekness. Notice this. Considering thyself. Considering thyself. Why is it
that you should restore such a one who's overtaken in a fault? Why is it that you who are strong,
you should do it considering yourself? Considering yourself,
lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens
and so fulfill what? The law of Christ. I heard this story of Walter
Groover. Walter Gruber's a missionary in Mexico been there for I imagine
close to 50 years preaching the gospel long time and he was being
visited Marvin Stoniker had visited him and Brother Walter Gruber
standing at the freezer freezer door open blocking his face and
Cody said Marvin he said Marvin won't you ask won't you ask Walter
if he can give you some ice cream and He said, Walter, can I have
some ice cream? And no word from Walter. Didn't
say a word, just left the freezer door open, just standing there.
He was eating his ice cream. And Betty said, Walter, now you
give him some of that ice cream. You're just being selfish. And
Walter said, well, Betty, I'm not being selfish. I'm just thinking
about myself. So, listen. Listen to the wisdom. Think about yourself. Consider
your brethren that is taken in a fault, him that is dashed upon
the rocks of providence, him that is suffering under great
affliction and adversity. Consider him. Consider him and
restore him considering thyself, lest you be taken. Why? Because you and Him are the same. What makes you strong and Him
weak? Is it not God? Is it not God? Believer, the apostle is telling
us that when we are strong in faith and grace, we should think
about ourselves that we are dealing with a brethren that is the same
as we are. We both, strong and weak, were
chosen by the Father in eternal election. We who are strong and
weak were redeemed by the precious blood of the Son of God. We who
are strong and we who are weak are both clothed with the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. Both the strong and the weak
have the same Holy Spirit dwelling in each of you. In each of you. And we both have been given the
same new nature that is created after God in true holiness. Consider
this. That the newest believer in Jesus
Christ has the same right and privileges as the eldest believer
in Jesus Christ. They're the same. They're the
same. Consider that as we endure one
another, as we bear under each other's burdens. The believer
who stands and preaches the gospel with boldness and stands in the
heat of the spiritual battle is the same as the weak and timid
warrior who has only the shield of faith quenching the darts
of the wicked one. Consider this. We are both more
than conquerors in Christ Jesus. Is that not so? Is that not so? The boldest and the most timid
are the same. They're both victors through
Jesus Christ, our Captain, our King. Both victors. So then, a word to those who
are strong, to you who are given a greater measure of grace and
faith, rejoice and be glad, refresh your souls for the journey, and
keep your eyes upon your weary brethren and help them, encourage
them in your time of strength, considering yourself, because
I'll tell you, if you're strong now, how long do you suppose
it'll last? before you need someone to come
along and encourage you. How long will it be? If you are
a believer in Christ for any amount of time, you know this
to be true, that we are strong at times in faith and every grace. But that does not always continue
to be the case. in Romans chapter 12 and verse
15. Flip over there and look at this
with me. Romans chapter 12. Considering you strong and remembering,
refreshing yourself in the gospel and encouraging your brethren,
remember this. Look at verse 15 of Romans chapter 12. Rejoice
with them that do rejoice. That's easy, isn't it? It's easy
when somebody's rejoicing. It's kind of easy to get caught
up in rejoicing, isn't it? It's kind of contagious. I like
it. I like when somebody else is
rejoicing. But notice this. And what does it say? And beat
them that weep. Is that what it says? No. No, it says weep with them
that weep. It's always our tendency when
we are strong in the faith and someone is weeping that we usually
beat them instead of weep with them. It is our natural tendency of
self-superiority and we should be very careful. When someone
is weeping, oh believer, don't look down at them, but rather
get down with Get down and bear under their
weeping. Bear under their weeping. Weep with them. Be of the same
mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend
to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Solomon says, Be not wise in
your own eyes. You who are rich in the grace
of God, do not mock those who seem poor in the grace of God. In doing so, you mock God. Is that not so? Who made them,
who gave them such a poor measure of grace? Is it not God? Matter of fact, I'll read it
to you. Turn over there to Proverbs chapter
17. Listen to this scripture. Proverbs 17 and verse 5. It says, Whosoever mocketh the poor
reproacheth his maker. Believer, consider the measure
of grace given to you is not because of you, nor is it given
for you, but rather it is given to you by the grace, the free
favor of God alone and for the glory of God alone. Oh, how foolish
we are to think so highly of ourselves So when God gives to
us an abundant measure of grace, we begin to strut around like
proud peacocks, showing the feathers of grace. And I know this, your pastor
is such a man. May God by His grace humble us. The scriptures are very clear.
It says, For I say through the grace given me to every man that
is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought
to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to
every man the measure of faith. You get that? How much faith
we have is given in a measure. Some have more and some have
less. But who it is that gives the
faith? Who is it that gives the faith? It's God that gives the
measure of faith. And so if I have great faith
or I have weak faith, is it not God who gives it? Is it not God who meets it out? Over in 1 Corinthians chapter
4, the apostle says this in verse 7, For who maketh thee to differ
from another? And what hast thou that thou
didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it,
why dost thou glory as if thou hast not received it? In other
words, he's talking about fake humility. We shouldn't have fake
humility. If we have faith, we should exercise
that faith. If we have love, we should exercise
that love. If we have any grace at all,
we should exercise what we have and give the glory to who? God,
who gave it. It's God who gave it. And we
should not strut around. Is not pride and grace opposed
to one another? You bet it is. Pride and grace
are opposed. Why is one brother strong in
the faith while the other brother suffers with thoughts of unbelief
and fear? Why is it that one brother is
given such a lot as seeing that nothing can separate him or cause
him to waver from the cause of Christ in serving Christ while
another believer is full of failures and pain and so that fear is
his constant companion? And every step of his journey
seems to be marked with doubts that he has any part with Christ
at all. What makes the difference? Is it not God? It is. It is God that makes a difference. But let them both the one who
is in doubt, the one who is weak, and the one who is strong. Let
them both, weak and strong believer, repose and find rest in this,
that all our salvation does not rest in any measure of our faith. Our salvation rests completely
and absolutely on Jesus Christ, the object of our faith. Isn't
that comforting? Isn't that comforting? It doesn't
matter how much faith God has given you, whether big or small. It only matters that the object
of our faith has accomplished salvation. And those who are weak, if you
are strong and you have the graces of God, we know it is the Spirit.
But you who are weak, we know this more than those that are
strong. We know more of our need. Isn't that right? When you are
weak, don't you know more of your need? Yeah. When we are weak, we know more
of our need of growth in every grace. But when we are made strong
in grace, we seem to forget that we have need of growing. We seem to forget when we are
strong that we've not yet come to the unity of faith and of
the knowledge of the Son of God to the perfect man. Are you the
perfect man yet? Have you made it? If you've made it, you need to
come up here and trade places with me. We've not come in the unity of
the perfect man yet. We've not all grown up and become
as mature in the fullness of Christ yet. That day is coming,
but it's not yet. Therefore, we all, from time
to time, must be brought low. We must suffer tribulation in
order that God should humble us. Should humble us. Now, the reasons God's hand be
upon us and cause us to be weak and to humble us are varied. It may be because of our sin.
He may put things upon us because He might be preparing us for
His use. It may be to prove our faith.
But whatever the reason for our trials and difficulties, the
result is always the same. It will cause His saints to grow
in every grace. This is the result of God's trials. This is the result of God showing
us our weakness. Believer, if you are in trouble
because of your sin, then humble yourself as a child under the
hand of your father's chastisement, knowing this, that God only chastens
those that he loves. Now isn't that wonderful? If
you're being chastened, isn't that wonderful? Isn't that good
news? If you weren't being chastened, you'd be a bastard and not a
son. But because you are chastened, you should humble yourself and
thank your Father for chasing you. Believer, if you suffer,
not because of your sin, but rather because of your faithfulness. Peter says this, if you suffer
for righteousness sake, happy are you. And be not afraid of
their terror, neither be troubled. O you that suffer for the gospel's
sake, happy are you, for God is preparing you for service. Isn't that what he does? He's
preparing us for our use. For tribulation worketh what? Patience. And who among us does
not need patience? and patience, experience, and
experience hope or confidence, and confidence maketh not a shame,
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Spirit which is given to us. Believers, let us be sure not
to look at our experience or our suffering or rejoicing and
compare it to others' experience. Don't do that. Not all believers in Christ are
brought down to the depths of suffering like Job. Have you been brought that low?
Because I haven't. I've been brought low. I've not been brought
that low. Not all of us have experienced
the heights that the Apostle Paul experienced. It was brought
up to heaven itself. Have you experienced that? I
haven't. So we should not compare our experiences in this. Otherwise,
we begin envying others, don't we? We look at his experience
or her experience and say, man, I'd like to have that one. No,
you've got your experience, what God gives you. It's what God
gives you. Most of us are somewhere in between
these two places. But no matter what your experience,
may the Lord bring us, no matter if it's the heights of joy and
gladness, so that we feel his presence, or if we're cast into
utter darkness and despair where we cannot see or feel his graces. Either way, we can and should
consider in both experiences, either high or low, either strong
or weak, that we do have access to God
by the grace that is in Jesus Christ. So no matter what your
experience, strong or weak, you have just as much right to the
throne of God as Job or Paul or Silas or any of these other
saints. Therefore, remember, no matter
your experience in the flesh, we are justified by the grace
of God through faith in Jesus Christ. You are justified. You know what that means? You're
innocent of all charges. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God. Remember, faith is a gift of
God's grace, but our justification is not dependent on the measure
of our faith. It's not even dependent upon
the act of our faith, but rather in Jesus Christ, the object of
our faith. It was not our faith that made
peace with God, but rather the blood of Jesus Christ on the
cross. Faith is a gift to the sinner, And all who are given
faith act upon that faith and receive the justification God
has given to us that Christ purchased. Just as a thirsty man is given
water, what do you suppose he'll do with that water? He'll drink it. If he's thirsty,
he'll drink it. If you give a starving man food,
what do you suppose he'll do with it? He'll eat it. He'll
eat it. But a dead man neither needs
it nor will receive it. Only those who are born again,
given, and given life both know their need of righteousness and
redemption, need of mercy and pardon, and we gladly with thanksgiving
receive it. Now did my receiving, his justification,
do anything to justify me? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. I receive no
glory for this. You see, so no matter what, weak
or strong, who gets the glory? God. In all things. In all things. Remember, He is
our salvation. Isaiah said, Behold, God is my
salvation. I will trust and not be afraid,
for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. And listen, He is
also become my salvation. You see, in eternity He was our
salvation. When Jesus Christ came and died
on the cross, He was our salvation. And now He has by grace come
to us and He has become our salvation. And you know what He's doing
right now? He is saving me now. He has now become my salvation. And now become my salvation.
And now become my salvation until He brings me home. He is all my salvation. So whether
you're in the depths or you're in the heights, it doesn't matter.
He is our salvation. Does this not humble us all? Both weak and strong? Should
we not then do what He did for us? Bear under one another's
burdens? Lifting up one another as He
sustains us? Should we not bear under one
another's burdens? I tell you this, I don't deserve
for you to bear under my burdens. But neither did you deserve Christ's
blood. And it's vice versa. We should be the most gracious
people on the face of God's earth. Should we not? Should we not
be most gracious to one another? Should we not be the most caring,
loving, and giving people on the face of God's earth, seeing
what great things He's done for us? What great things He's doing
for us? I know this. I'm here tonight, and I believe
on Jesus Christ still. You know why? Because he sustains
me. Otherwise, I'd gone away a long
time ago. He keeps me as the apple of his
eye. And he hides me under the shadow
of his wing. and there we are safe. May God give us grace to love
one another as we should and thus fulfill the law of Christ. Let's stand and be dismissed
in prayer.