If you would, turn to Romans chapter 15. I
want to read verses 5, 6, and 7, and
hopefully bring a message from there. Romans chapter 15, beginning
in verse 5. The God of patience and consolation
grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ
Jesus. That you may with one mind and
one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore, receive ye one another
as Christ also received us to the glory of God. I've titled this According to
Christ Jesus. That's the title. Paul is writing
here toward the end of his letter to the Romans. And we have had,
up until this point, in this gracious letter, and I mean it
is a gracious letter, some of the most intense and yet succinct
doctrine this world has ever seen. Because you will see, as
you read in Romans, massive, gracious doctrine starting with
the power of the gospel and going on to the potter making things
with the clay. From the circumcision of the
heart to the election of grace. From being justified by his blood
to being grafted into that one olive tree. From all under sin
to grace reigns unto eternal life by Jesus Christ. From the
way we were to the way we are, all in Romans chapter seven.
From all things working together for good to them that love God,
to if God be for you, who can be against you? And this ain't
even close to what all Paul wrote in this letter. That's some of
the highlights. But where does Paul go after
all of this wondrous holy truth, all of this gracious, mighty
doctrine that he's preached? Well, he goes in to walk. Romans 12, he goes in and starts
talking about walk. He's already been writing of
walk throughout the rest of it. He mentions it. But he says,
to now present your bodies a living sacrifice, be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, Now, just to be clear, you don't
renew it, it's been renewed, it's been made new. It's been
renovated by God, put it that way. You don't think the way
you used to, and you think upon God, Christ, and the Spirit,
His work in you, around you, and in each other. Romans 13,
live where God has put you in this world. under the power of
God, which does include those having authority over you. Romans
14, live unto God and unto each other. Don't offend your weaker
brother. Don't offend your stronger brother.
Don't offend your brother. Now in Romans 15, here we are.
Guess what? You get more walk and you get
more doctrine. Verse five starts, now the God
of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward
another according to Christ Jesus. I looked up the word patience
here in Strong's Concordance and I really liked what I read.
He is the God of cheerful endurance. That's what the word means, patience.
Willingly patient. God is, we are not necessarily,
but He is the God of patience. He is the God of cheerful endurance
and the God of consolation, comfort, entreaty, exhortation, comfort. And I can tell you this,
there is no true patience or consolation outside of the God. of patience and consolation.
He is God of those things. Cheerful endurance is God. He is long-suffering toward us,
or if you like the way the scripture says it, to us-ward, not willing
that any should perish. God knows what he is doing. And God knows when he is going
to do what he is going to do. And he is long-suffering toward
us. He is the God of cheerful endurance
and consolation, but not to everyone. He is, but
not to everyone. Because the next two words say,
this God of consolation, this God of patience, grant you. Now, I do have to say this because
this is actually, I looked it up, this is actually in the past
tense. It's not grant you, it's the
God of patience and consolation has granted you. This has happened already. It's
actually in what they call the second Aorist tense, which to
us in English means absolutely nothing. It says it's the same
thing as the first Aorist tense. It's the past tense. Because what does that mean?
It means that God has given you whatever Paul's going to write
about after this, which I'll get to. God is the source of
it. God has given this to those he
has brought in to those that Paul is writing to The God of
patience and consolation has given this to you Now is that
special? Oh, yes, it is. Yes it is Because
he doesn't give this to all He has given this to those that
this book is addressed to and called of Christ Jesus And if you have been called into
Christ Jesus You have been given this by the Father and what's
it say? to be like minded This is a gift
given to you who believe and And the word like-minded means
to exercise the mind, to be disposed, to have sentiment, to set affection
toward. But the main definition of this
word to be like-minded is to think. It has been given to you
by the God of patience and consolation to think. That is amazing to me. That is
just simply wondrous to me. And to be honest, that's a miracle.
To exercise the mind, the God of consolations, the God of patience
has given to you to think, and by definition, to think correctly. Because this religious world
and all around us does not think correctly. They think. They have their thoughts. They
have their ways. And their ways are according
to their thoughts. But this is the God of patience
and consolation that has given to you to be like-minded. To think correctly. The religious
world, well, they don't think correctly and they show it. They'll add to the scripture,
they'll take away from the scripture. They'll deny scripture. They
rest the scripture to their own destruction. Why? Because that's the way they
think. That's the way they think. That's the way I used to think.
I had my own ideas. I had my own thoughts about God.
when I bothered to think about God. Walter, I was listening to you
this morning, and this place here where he is talking about
those who are the called of Christ Jesus, I used to be a beggar
on a dunghill. Now, I was on my own dunghill,
and I was happy to be there. And my dunghill may not have
been your dunghill. I was on the dunghill of religion. I was on the dunghill of self-will
and whatever, secularism, whatever you want to call it. But it doesn't
matter. It's still a dunghill. You can
be on the dunghill of legalism. You can be on the dunghill of
religion. You can be on the dunghill of
what the world calls Christianity. but you're still a beggar and
you're still on a dunghill. And until he calls you into Christ
Jesus and plucks you off of that dunghill to sit you with princes
and Kings, you are not going to know what it's like to be
like minded as Paul is writing here. And I didn't either. You said it last week, Walter.
The religious world wants to lead the good shepherd. How depraved are we? How depraved
are we? We're supposed to be the sheep
of God. They say they're the sheep of God, but they want to
lead the shepherd. They heap to themselves teachers
who say what they want to hear. And they will not. And I mean
this, they will not. It's not only they cannot, they
cannot either, but they will not hear the word of God because
they don't want to. They think they're in the light,
but they love darkness rather than light. And they, they, I
do like the way Paul wrote it. They heap to themselves, you
know, trust me, They'll find more teachers of lies because
that's what they want to hear. They do not want to be this like-minded. But it has been given to everyone
who is the called in Jesus Christ. This is the called out. These
are the saved. These are the regenerate and
the converted. It has been given to us to be
like-minded, to think, but not of ourselves. Not of
ourselves. It says it, one toward another. See, this is part of our walk. Think not of yourselves, but
one toward another. Now this word, one toward another,
it's reciprocal. This is just not me by myself,
it's me and you. It's not just you by yourself,
it's you and me, and everyone else. I am to think toward you,
but you are to think towards me. I am to think toward her,
and she's to think to me. This is not a single thing. This is given to everyone who
is called of Christ Jesus. Paul's writing it here. He does
say, grant you to be like-minded, but he does say, one toward another. Everyone to whom this letter
is addressed is to do this. And we are to think one toward
another, not just one another. Oh, bless his heart. No, you're
thinking toward someone. This word, well, where I said this word like-minded, Here I mean, let me just read
you something because he uses the exact same words a couple
of chapters ago in Romans chapter 12 and verse 3 For I say through the grace given
unto 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. Now, the
first word think in there is a form of this word that's used
in Romans 5. The next two, which says man
not think more highly than he ought to think, but to think
soberly, those two things are the exact same word as this one.
And it means to think. But then it says to think soberly.
And the words like fornejo, and the one where it says think soberly
is soforneo, and the one where it says not to think of himself
more highly, that's protosforneo. All three of them have the same
base word. Well, I'm sorry, the one where it says, the first
one is hyperproneo, excuse me, not to think of yourself more
highly, more hyper. All of these words have to do
with the thought processes of those that have been called in
Christ Jesus. We are not to think of ourselves
more highly, we are to think of ourselves soberly. Know who you are and know where
you came from. And know why you are where you
are. You were a beggar on a dunghill,
but you did not lift yourself off of that dunghill. You were
lifted off of a dunghill to set with princes and kings. And you
were lifted off of that dunghill by our Lord Jesus Christ, by
God the Father, and by the Holy Spirit. That's sobering, if you
know that. And see, that's the problem with
the world around us. They don't know that part. They
think they've gotten themselves off of the dunghill. And they
don't know that they're still on the dunghill. They think they've
removed themselves from the dunghill. But I know, by his grace and
by his word, that I did not lift myself off the dunghill. I was
lifted off. And I know if you're in Him,
you didn't lift yourself off the dunghill, you were lifted
off. And we are to think soberly of
ourselves, but we are to think toward one another. This is all believers, the word's
mutual. Me to you, you to me, to each
other. But then these last four words,
It says, according to Christ Jesus. According to his commandment,
if you wanna know. It's according to his commandment,
love one another. This commandment I give you,
what? That you love one another. Be like-minded, one toward another. Again, it's me to you, you to
me, Walter to me, Walter to you, and you to each other. This is
the walk of the child of God, and we do not walk alone. We walk according to Christ Jesus. According to his example, I said
it last week, he came to minister, not to be ministered unto. And
we are to minister, to help, to instruct, to think toward
each other. Our thinking toward each other
and toward one another is because of Him and His Spirit, the Holy
Spirit that is within us, the call of Jesus Christ. And I can tell you this. Any
other like-minded, any other thinking, other than according
to Christ Jesus, doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. There are people, and as far
as people go, good people, maybe even your family, who are good
to each other, who think about each other. We are the family of God. Every single believer is a member
of God's family, and we are to be like-minded one toward another,
no matter who they are, no matter where they are. As we know, because
any other like-minded doesn't count, it must be according to
Christ Jesus. This is a prerequisite for thinking
toward one another. This is the commandment I give,
that ye love one another. And we do this love according
to Christ Jesus, who loved us and gave himself for us. Yes, it is intensely personal,
salvation. I feel that Jesus Christ gave
himself for me. I know that Jesus Christ, but
here, this is, he gave himself for us. This is for all believers, preachers
included, Paul's including himself as an apostle. And it's all according to Christ
Jesus, the one who came, the one who ministered unto us, the
one who gave his life for us, the one who suffered, died and
was buried, the one who was forsaken on the cross by the father, his
father, whom he knew in a way we still don't know. And he died and was buried and
rose again according to the scriptures. And he ascended into heaven and
seated at the right hand of the Father, the majesty on high,
to ever liveth to make intercession for us, us. Be like minded toward who? The
ones whom our Lord Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call his brethren. Okay. Verse 6 says, that ye may with
one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ. I do like that, Walter. I've
started looking at these little words where you were talking
about that a few weeks ago. That ye. There's a purpose to
being like-minded toward one another. There's a purpose to thinking
one toward another. according to Christ Jesus. And
this purpose is for you. God doesn't need our walk. We
need our walk. Our walk is for us. Our being
like-minded, one toward another, that's part of the fellowship
that we have been brought into. His fellowship. And it's for
us. God has not left us alone on
this world. We have his spirit within us,
but we have his people we are to gather with and be around.
And we are to think toward, and they are to think toward us. You to whom it has been given,
you who are the called according to his purpose, that ye, With
one mind, one mouth, glorify God, the Father of Jesus Christ. I know what some people say and
what some preachers say. But we are not to think one thing
and say another. There are preachers around us.
Earl used to talk to them. I don't. But I have talked to
a couple who will say privately, if you ask them and if they sort
of trust you maybe a little bit, they understand that election
is in the Bible. That unconditional election is
in the Bible. That irresistible grace is in
the Bible. Now, they'll stick on that one
about limited atonement. They won't have that. But they'll
admit four of the five points of Calvinism. Some of them will.
But I can tell you this. They won't preach it. They'll acknowledge it in their
mind, but they won't say it with their mouth. That's not the way
we are to be. With one mind, one mouth, we
have not been given to think one thing and to say another. Now also I will say we should
think before we speak. That's a good idea. And I personally
know that this is a lot harder than it sounds because my tongue
is an unruly member. But our speech, our conversation,
our walk is to be of one accord within yourself and with all
the others that we are like-minded toward. We are to speak the truth
of God and lie not, and I mean one toward another. That's part
of love for one another. You don't want to lie to one
you love. You don't want to deceive one you love. with one mind and one mouth,
what? Glorify God. The Father of Jesus
Christ. Because whatever we do, we are
to do unto the glory of God. Every single thing. Jesus Christ
came to fulfill the will of his Father, and it is the will of
the Father that what? You believe, you think, you speak,
and you walk. according to Christ Jesus. Because we glorify God by being
like-minded one toward another. We glorify God by loving the
brethren. We glorify God by loving Christ.
We know the Father because we know the Son. That's the only way you can know
the Father. Wherefore receive ye one another
as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Wherefore. There's another one of them words.
Because of what come before. For the glory of God, in order
to glorify God, the Father of Jesus Christ, because of everything
that he has written before this, what's it say? Receive ye one
another. Take it in. Receive. Take it in. Hold on to one another. Admit it into your life. Admit
the brethren into your life. You don't have to receive everyone.
Thank goodness. Walter, we do our best to coexist
with everyone. Not like that bumper sticker,
but we do try to coexist. As much as life within you, live
peaceably with every man. But the children of God, our
brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to admit into our lives. We are to receive them and hold
on to them. And they are to receive you and
hold on to you. This is part of love one another. You don't ignore what you love.
You receive it. And you receive those whom you
do love. And it says it, as Christ also
received us. Christ is not ashamed to call
them that are sanctified brethren. This is the comparison by Paul
written here. Receive you one another as Christ
received us. How did he receive us? Freely
with love and with grace. He received us and we are to
receive each other or we are to receive us. We are to receive
others who believe. We are to receive our brethren
freely, totally, in complete fellowship, in partnership, and
in participation with one another. This is part of loving one another. And then he says it, what? To
the glory of God. Wherefore, receive ye one another,
As Christ also received us, what, to the glory of God. Now Christ delivered us to the
Father, holy and without blame. We have been, are to, excuse
me, we are to receive one another as Christ received us to the
glory of God. Our reception, our receiving
of our brothers and sisters is to be to the glory of God. Because God is not only glorified
in our salvation, and he is, God is glorified in our walk
in the spirit. He is glorified in our reception,
our fellowship, our gathering together in his name, where two
or three are gathered together, there I am in the midst of them. Be like-minded one toward another. He is in our midst whenever two
or three are gathered in his name. He is glorified by the
fellowship of his son, which he has given to us to be a part
of. We have been received to the
glory of God in Christ Jesus and according
to Christ Jesus because we have been brought in, and I was listening
to it this morning, some of the adoption of sons when we are
called to be saints in Jesus Christ. We have been brought
into our knowledge that we are a member of the family of God. You are my brothers and sisters
in Christ. You are my family. Those that
are gathered here, those that are gathered elsewhere, they
are my family. And when I meet them, I am to
be like-minded toward them. It's not just us here, although
this is whom we have to do, and this is the group we've chosen
to gather with, and this is the place I want to be. But all of the family of God
glorifies God. We have been brought into the
family of God in Christ Jesus, according to Christ Jesus, according
to his work, his will, and his effort. Not mine, not mine. Now we say it often because it's
true. The doctrine of Christ is to
lead to your walk in this world, in this life. But I will tell
you this, something I have found almost equally true, your walk
in this life will lead to an understanding of more of the
doctrine of Christ. And if it doesn't, there's something
wrong with you, or there's something wrong with me. because there's
a comprehension of the truth of Jesus Christ that comes from
the experience of walking with Him and walking in the Spirit. Not that you learn a new grand
truth by walking that you didn't know before, no, but you come
to understand the doctrine you have been taught more as you
walk in it. For example, I can use this one
because it's an easy one for me. I know from personal experience
and I know from observational experience of the truth of the
statement Paul wrote in Romans 8. All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them that are the called according
to his purpose. And I know that doctrine better
now by the experience of my walk and by the observation of others
walk than I knew it 30 years ago when I read it. I believed
it then. I believe it now. But I know
it now far better than I ever did. I know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, that are called according
to his purpose. And I've experienced it. That's
something your walk does for you. I've seen it in you that
are here. I've seen it in me. I've seen
it in others. Because in these three verses
here, Paul wrote in Romans 15, there is one thought. There's
a progression shown of the walk and the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
God has given to us to be like-minded toward one another according
to Christ Jesus, that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify
God. Wherefore, because of all this,
receive one another as Christ received us, what? To the glory
of God. This is all one thought. Because you see Paul's words,
you think, you speak, you receive. Why? Because of what Christ did
for us. He did it for all, but it affects
you. It affects me. Our walk is not
all the same, but our walk is all in Him. Because if it ain't
in Him, it ain't a walk. That's the way it is. That's
the way it is. You know? Because if you're not
walking in the Spirit, you're still sitting on the dunghill.
Whether you know it or not. Whether you think it's a really
nice smelling dunghill. Whether you're happy to be there.
Like I used to, it was still a dunghill. That's right. Whether
I know it or not, whether I like it or not, it's still a dunghill.
The walk of the believer is definitely part of growing in the grace
and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. You will understand more of the
assembling of yourselves together. You will learn more about all
things working together for good to them that love God. because the salvation of his
people glorifies God. And the walk of those who have
been brought in also glorifies God. Because our walk is one
of those things that works together for good to them that love God,
to them that are the called according to his purpose. We have been given to think and
speak and act according to Christ Jesus. That's a miracle of grace. Because we, and I include everybody,
we who hated him now live because of him. and we live unto him and we live
according to him. We think of him and we speak
of him and we walk in his spirit and because of him we gather,
we assemble and we are to be like minded toward one another.
We fellowship, we receive one another, because Christ has received
us unto the glory of God the Father. See, there are reasons and there
are purposes all throughout this book. But you'll also read all
throughout this book that those reasons, those purposes, and
the will of God does things. He works His will in us as we
are here. He brings us to Himself. He accepts
us in His Son. And we are glorified in Him. We are accepted in Him. We are
blameless in Him. And we are to walk in Him. And we are to be like-minded
one to another. to the glory of God according
to Christ Jesus. Our Heavenly Father, we are thankful
for this time. Thank you, Lord, for what you've
done. Thank you for everything you've
done and that you're going to do. Be with Walter as he comes
to bring us a message this afternoon. This day and this place And we'll
give you all the praise and the honor and the glory because it
is yours, now and forever. Amen.