Some of you know that in years past, I participated in something called GORUCK, where a team of folks would carry weighted rucksacks (or backpacks) and do whatever our instructor told us to do. I have a few pictures of me participating in this silliness (show pictures).

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I’ve done six of these types of events, and I’m often one of the smallest men in the group. Part of the task is carrying the rucksack that weighs about forty pounds. However, the instructor will often add additional weight to the group, often in the form of sandbags. On one particular event, we had about ten extra sandbags, some twenty pounds, some forty pounds, and some sixty pounds. We would rotate the sandbags around and carry them as we marched through the city. Well, when it came time for me to carry a sandbag, which one do you think they wanted to give to the guy who only weighed about 155 pounds at the time? The sixty pounder! I had to carry my forty-pound rucksack plus the sixty-pound sandbag. I’m not one to turn down a challenge, so I told the team leader I’ll carry it, but it will slow us all down. You see, our team was only as strong and fast as the weakest and slowest member. I was not the slowest, but I was one of the weaker men in the group. Eventually, they gave me a forty-pounder instead of a sixty-pounder, and our team started moving faster. Our team realized that it made sense to help the weaker members for the benefit of the entire team.

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This is our third weak where Paul is talking about how we should relate to our weaker brothers and sisters in the church. Paul is going to teach us in this week’s passage that when we help each other, it helps all of us, and it honors the Lord.

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Today’s sermon is entitled “Honoring God by Honoring One Another.”

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Before we go any further, let’s go to Lord in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.

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(prayer)

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In the last few weeks, we’ve heard about not disputing with those who are weak in their faith and not causing those who are weak to stumble. Here Paul is talking about this topic again.

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It seems to be clear that the way we interact with other Christians matters deeply. Indeed, it should affect the very way that we live.

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So, let’s look at this passage and look at four ways that if affects the way we live.

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First, . . .

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‌I. We live with humility as our aim.

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Let’s look at the entire passage together, and then we will walk through it.

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Let’s look at Romans 15:1-13:

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1 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. 2 Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. 4 For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. 5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.

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7 Therefore accept/welcome one another, just as Christ also accepted/welcomed you, to the glory of God. 8 For I say that Christ became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises to the fathers, 9 and so that Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

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Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,

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and I will sing praise to your name.

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10 Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people!, 11 And again,

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Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;

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let all the peoples praise him!

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12 And again, Isaiah says,

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The root of Jesse will appear,

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the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;