Romans 15 Strength is For Service, Not Status

 

Romans 15

Strength is For Service, Not Status

Your acts of charity, compassion, sacrifice is seen by God

Your acts of service are seen by a world who needs the hope God gives

Remember Jesus’ words “By this shall all men know you are my disciples if you have love for one another”  John 13:35

Paul reminds us of a few ancient Scripture in Romans 15:9-12

To let us know of the praise and rejoicing all people of the world

Will give when we use our strength to help the weak

When our Strength is for service, not status

 

 

 

 Strength is For Service, Not Status

 

I have never had my home destroyed by a storm…

 

 But I, like you, have seen many homes destroyed

by tornadoes, hurricanes, floods,

and other natural and human disasters.

 

When we hear of a disaster…

 

 We turn our TVs on or run to social

media to see the destruction.

 

 In the midst of the damage…

 

 There are those who lost everything and

those who escaped without a scratch.

 

Every time disaster comes there are stories.

 

Stories of heroes who came to help

those who were in need.

 

You have probably heard the president,

or some leader, or maybe

a proud citizen say something like this…

 

“The human spirit is residual and

we will come together to  rebuild

and we will become stronger

because that is what we do.”

 

There are disaster relief programs…

 

Many of them volunteers and much

of the supplies come from donations.

 

There are many heart-warming stories

of those who are strong helping the weak.

 

We have seen the young couple looking to start a family

with dreams of their child’s future…

 

When those dreams of higher education or sports,

marriage are destroyed by some defect or injury.

 

 Then the loving parents come up with the strength

to care for that child for the rest of their lives.

 

When you step into parenthood…

 

 You are faced with great challenges

just to raise a normal child.

 

 But when you have a special needs child…

 

Those parents have to come up with

additional strength.

 

Parenting takes strength.

 

 But the parents of special needs children…

 

Need strength to become heroes.

 

This is what God wants us to do

to become strong to the weak.

 

Living a life that is not all about pleasing ourselves.

 

God made you and I strong…

 

And strengthens us so we can serve others.     

 

You can’t help your emotions

from feeling overwhelmed

when someone who is needy…

 

 Steps out to help someone else.

 

I am so glad God made us in His image.

 

Our God did not avoid our problems, weaknesses, trouble…

 

But He took our struggles upon Himself.

 

We not only read about God being our Helper…

 

But the life of Jesus revealed His compassion.

 

He went to the sick.

 

He comforted the one with loss.

 

Jesus walked on the earth to help those in need.

 

He didn't make it easy for himself

by avoiding people's troubles,

but waded right in and helped out.

Romans 15:3 MSG

 

We have also heard the reports

of those taking advantage of the weak.

 

People who use their strength in order

to gain higher status or power.

 

But God says…

 

 The greatest among you shall be your servants.

 

The scriptures, even though

many of them are thousand of years old…

 

Are there for you and I today.

 

God’s encouragement through the scriptures

is we endure and find hope.

 

Hope that gives us strength.

 

If you have hope, you have strength.

 

Strength that someone else who

has lost sight of hope needs.

 

Being strong in faith is being strong in hope…

 

Faith is the substance of things hoped for  

Hebrews 11:1

 

Hebrews 11 is all about the ancient biblical stories

of those who experienced…

 

God’s strength in their lives…

 

So you might have hope and strength

for yourself and others.

  

Your acts of charity, compassion,

sacrifice is seen by God.

 

Your acts of service are seen by a world

who needs the hope God gives.

 

Remember Jesus’ words…

 

 “By this shall all men know you are my disciples

if you have love for one another” 

John 13:35

 

Paul reminds us of a few ancient Scripture in Romans 15:9-12…

 

 To let us know of the praise and rejoicing

all people of the world will give

when we use our strength

to help the weak.

 

When our…

 

 Strength is for service, not status

 

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

Romans 15:1-6 MSG

 

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. 2 Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?"

 

3 That's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't make it easy for himself by avoiding people's troubles, but waded right in and helped out. "I took on the troubles of the troubled," is the way Scripture puts it. 4 Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. 5 May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. 6 Then we'll be a choir — not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!