10 Marks of a Strong Church
Romans 15:1-13
1 So we who are strong have a duty to bear the weaknesses of those who are not strong, rather than please ourselves.
2 Each of us should please his neighbor and act for his good, thus building him up.
3 For even the Messiah did not please himself; rather, as the Tanakh says, ‘The insults of those insulting you fell on me.’
4 For everything written in the past was written to teach us, so that with the encouragement of the Tanakh we might patiently hold on to our hope.
5 And may God, the source of encouragement and patience, give you the same attitude among yourselves as the Messiah Yeshua had,
6 so that with one accord and with one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
7 So welcome each other, just as the Messiah has welcomed you into God’s glory.
8 For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the Jewish people in order to show God’s truthfulness by making good his promises to the Patriarchs,
9 and in order to show his mercy by causing the Gentiles to glorify God--as it is written in the Tanakh, "Because of this I will acknowledge you among the Gentiles and sing praise to your name.’
10 And again it says, "Gentiles, rejoice with his people."
11 And again, "Praise Adonai, all Gentiles! Let all peoples praise him!"
12 And again, Yesha‘yahu says, "The root of Yishai will come,
he who arises to rule Gentiles; Gentiles will put their hope in him."
13 May God, the source of hope, fill you completely with joy and shalom as you continue trusting, so that by the power of the Ruach HaKodesh you may overflow with hope.
(The Jewish New Testament)
1. The strong must bear with the failings of the weak. (1-3)
-Strive to please our neighbors and not ourselves with Godly wisdom. In all things we must try to please God. God will let us know if we are not pleasing Him.
-Follow the example of Jesus (3).
2. Scripture - "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us." (4)
-Scripture teaches us.
-Scripture encourages us.
-Scripture is the foundation upon which we are to build our lives.
-(2 Timothy 3:16-17) "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, {17} so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
3. Endurance - "...so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (4)
-The Scriptures give us hope as we read and learn to trust Jesus with all of our lives.
-(Psalms 25:3) "No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse."
-(Psalms 33:20) "We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield."
4. Spirit of unity (5-6)
-Spirit of unity comes from God.
-All in the church work for harmony.
-So that all in the church are united in purpose with Jesus and with each other.
-Look at the NIV of these two verses:
(Romans 15:5-6) "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, {6} so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
-(Colossians 3:14) "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
5. "Welcome each other" without discrimination. (7-8)
-This is how Christ accepted us.
-This brings praise to God.
-NIV says, "accept one another." We do not have to agree or even like another person in order to accept them as a child of God--a child of worth in God's eyes.
6. Glorify and praise God. (9-11).
-Sing praise to God.
-Rejoice.
-The church that doesn't praise God is not experiencing the power of God nor the mercy of God.
7. Have hope in the God of hope (12-13).
-Our hope is in God. We have no hope in anything else...only God.
-A church filled with the hope of God is a church expecting God to be present with them--they will not be disappointed.
8. Filled with Joy and Peace (13).
-The strong church is full of joy and peace that comes from God and His great mercy.
9. Trust in God (13)
-Trusting in God is so much easier said than done. The strong church will step out and display their trust in God through every action and not just their words.
10. By the power of the Holy Spirit (13).
-Everything must be done through the power of the Holy Spirit.
-We cannot make a church strong--only the Holy Spirit moving and working through a church will make it strong.
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