For The Glory Of God

1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Prayer: Father God thank you for another moment we get to acknowledge your grace. Thank you for giving us the strength to overcome circumstances that can cause us to be off track in our lives. Father as we read and hear your scripture, please give us the focus we need to receive a transformed heart for your glory amen.

In the text as Apostle Paul writes to the church, he continues to draw their attention towards living a selfless life that gives glory to God. In life we all struggle and have seasons of amnesia of how selfless God has been toward us and remains... Then and now we must be reminded that in who we are as believers or Christians that our lives and everything we do and become should be for His glory.

What is the glory of God? The glory of God is the beauty of His spirit. It is not an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty, but it is the beauty that emanates from His character,

from all that He is. The glory of God, which is manifested in all His attributes together, never passes away. It is eternal.

Christ reflects His glory according to Hebrews.1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

So, as Christ radiates the glory of God, we are also called to reflect His glory towards one another as believers and to our neighbors.

Point 1- Please and build up your neighbor for the glory of God

1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

We are obligated to live this out in our lives to please for his good and build up our neighbors. This defines a selfless nature. Our natural inclination is to please ourselves... we are not strong in our faith to tear them down and discourage them, we are to please and build up and this should all be for the glory of God.

1 Thess.5:14

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, [a] encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

We all need the scripture prescription of patience...
How have you pleased and built up a neighbor in the past or present? How have you lived out patience?

2- Live in, live out, and apply scripture for the glory of God

3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

It is our call and duty to live in and live out scripture as Christ did. Christ remained selfless to the cross. He lived and he died selflessly. Christ knew that reproach would be his to bear. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Live in, live out, and apply scripture for the glory of God

This is our instruction that builds endurance with in us and encourages us to have hope in God! To have hope when you feel hopeless, to have hope when everything around you appear hopeless, therefore my hope is in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone,

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.

Scripture is King!

Paul encourages the church to:

3- Live in harmony with one another for the glory of God

5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The formula to living in harmony with one another is God giving endurance plus God giving encouragement found in Christ Jesus. Bringing us to a place of unity with God our father.

“God wants us to be united around our common Savior and toward a common kingdom agenda. Just as in an orchestra each instrument makes a unique sound but plays the same song, so also each believer possesses unique traits but moves in a common direction” Dr. Tony Evans

Live in harmony with one another for the glory of God

Paul chooses the word one intentionally, unity is not a matter of sameness, but of oneness. The body of Christ blends different people together into a beautiful array of redeemed lives. Unity does not wash our differences; it combines them to form something greater

4- Welcome one another for the glory of God

7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Paul wants us to always remember how Christ accepted us in our sinful state of living. Paul reminds us that there was never a gap wider than the one between us and God. If Christ accepted, you... when you were weak and ungodly, certainly you can accept others when they differ from you in much less significant ways.

How has God welcomed you?
God wants to welcome you today...