From Valley to Victory, Part 19

From the first pages in Genesis through the last pages in Revelation, promises from God are revealed. Now, the tricky part is knowing how to apply these amazing promises to life in 2024. Thank you for joining listeners all around the world for leading the way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Today, Dr. Youssef challenges you to step away from the name it and claim it teaching.

It's just diluted so many churches today. Now, keep in mind that leading the way is listener supported. It's so important to let Dr. Youssef know how you connect when you get in touch. That helps his leadership team measure and maximize stewardship and ministry efforts.

You can reach the team at ltw.org, or you can call them 866-626-4300 or 836-356. Well, let's listen together now as Dr. Michael Youssef challenges you with words from Romans chapter 15. Now, I want you to turn with me to Romans chapter 15, the first 13 verses. It's been a true blessing from God for me to prepare it. I hope and I trust and pray that it's been a blessing for you as you hear the Word of God spoken, taught, explained. Amen. Amen. Give God praise. Give him praise for his Word.

Please hear me right. You cannot read the scripture for any length of time without seeing how much God loves, blesses, and he himself is honored when true unity is taking place. Now, you have to understand there are people out there in church world, they said unity is when all the denominations just mixed up together, becoming ecumenical. That is not the unity the Bible talks about because unity has to be a unity about the truth. We have to be united in the truth, not ignore the truth for the sake of unity. Our salvation, in fact, is the one overarching basis for that unity. Our sharing of eternal life that we're going to be together forever in heaven should impact the shared life together in this earth, in this life. So, let me give you biblical evidence of why God loves unity over the truth. First of all, you see the Holy Spirit inspires David in Psalm 133 verse 1 when he said, how beautiful it is and pleasant it is for the brethren or sisters dwell together in unity. Secondly, Jesus himself in John chapter 10 verse 16, he said, I have other sheep. He's talking about the Gentiles who have not come in yet. I have other sheep which not of this fold, that's Israel.

I must bring them also. They shall hear my voice and they shall become one flock and one shepherd. Unity. Thirdly, he found it in Acts chapter 4. What God gave the early church such power, such blessing like we have never seen in history right after Pentecost.

Why? Because the Bible said they were of one what? A cord. The selfless unity that they exhibited in the early church should be an example to all of us to follow. It should be an example for our home groups, for our Sunday school classes, for our church at large. Listen to what Paul said, here's the fourth evidence, Ephesians 4, 2 and 3. Be completely humble and gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love, make every effort, here it comes, make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Even, that's the fifth evidence I want to show you in the scripture. The fractious, oh my goodness, read Corinthians.

They're individualistic, they would divide the church in currents. Even to them, Paul pleads in 1 Corinthians 1, 10. He's pleading, I appeal to you brothers in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no division among you, that you may perfectly be united in mind and thought. Now my beloved friends, there is a blessing, listen to me.

I experienced it too many times, but even if I didn't experience it, the Word of God is true no matter what. There is a blessing all its own in selfless unity which cannot come any other way. There is an answer to prayer in selfless unity that cannot come any other way. And I hear people running around living for self, pleasing themselves, running around saying, oh praying for a revival.

Right. God ain't going to send a revival to people who are not united in soul and body under the hand of the Holy Spirit. Question, how do we go about practicing this selfless unity in order that we may experience the unique blessing of God, the unique answers to prayer. Here the Apostle Paul gives us in this few verses, actually the first six verses, he gives us six characteristics, six characteristics that we need to exhibit in order to practice this selfless unity.

Whether it be in the home, in the marriage relationship, in the family or in the church. I'm going to be repeating them a lot, so if you're taking notes, don't panic, I will be repeating them. Put others up, put self down, put Christ before you always, put yourself under the authority of the Word of God, put yourself under God's power. Six, put God's glory above all else in your life. Then in verses seven to thirteen, the Apostle Paul practices what he just taught and literally sings a hymn of unity.

It's a hymn from the Psalms, from Isaiah, he sings a hymn. Let's look at these very quickly. Verse one, put others up. We who are strong ought to bear with failings or the weakness of the weak. And the word ought here means that we are in debt. We are under obligation to do that.

This is not take it or leave it. If you feel like it, we are under obligation to help the weak. Even being sympathetic with those who are spiritually weak does not mean that spiritually mature person approve of what they're doing or acquiesce to what they're doing.

No, no, no, no. We don't approve or acquiesce to their weakness, but we be sympathetic with it. Instead of the strong should offer help to the weak so that the weak become strong.

Not that we all become weak. By carrying the burdens of the weakness, we want them to come to know the liberty and the freedom and the joy that comes with that liberty and the joy that comes with that freedom. It means that we who are strong, not continuously being critical or condescending of those who have certain struggles in their life, no, no, no, but rather the strong must listen carefully to the weak or without agreeing with them. You don't have to agree, but patiently listen. Carefully listen.

Gently redirect their thoughts. The idea here is that the strong must show genuine love and appreciation for the weak believer without arguing over minor matters. In no way here the apostle Paul is saying that we need to compromise the truth of the gospel in order to do that. No. In no way Paul is encouraging us to undermine biblical morality or approval of sin. That is not what he's saying.

No. He is still speaking in the context of matters that are not necessary for salvation as we have previously seen in Romans 14. Put others where, put self where each of us should please his neighbor for his good, that's the neighbor's good, to build them up. Question, how do I use my Christian liberty, my Christian freedom, my freedom in Christ in dealing with others? Contrary to what you might think, liberty just kind of makes you flaunting it and liberty in which way you want.

No, no. It involves self-sacrifice. It may involve that we have to forego some of our liberties publicly. It may mean that there's certain food we don't have to eat if it's going to offend somebody.

There may be some liquids that you forego drinking in public if it's going to offend or hurt or causes a brother or sister to sin. Any exercise of our liberty in Christ, if our actions are going to cause someone to sin, it's going to cause someone to fall, it's going to cause someone to stumble, we don't do it. That's liberty. That is true liberty. Now people think for freedom in Christ you're free to sin. No, no, no. The freedom he gives us is freedom not to sin. No matter how badly you want to do this, hear me right, listen carefully. God does not give us our liberty and our freedom just for our benefit.

No, no, no. He gives it to us for the benefit of others. You read in Philippians chapter 2 verse 21, if you read it carefully, you see the pain in the voice of the apostle Paul about some people in the church of Philippi who are people in places of influence but they weren't thinking only of themselves and that caused him deep pain. They were not teaching wrong doctrines, they were not living immoral lifestyles, no.

The primary problem is that they were looking out for number one always while neglecting the members of the body. Put others where? Put self where? Put Christ before you always. Verse 3, since it's a testifying time, let me testify to you. Every time, every time, not on some time, sometimes or occasionally, every time I take my eyes off of Jesus, I blow it big time.

Not just little time, big time. Every time I take my eyes off of Jesus, I mess up completely. Even if my eyes are on good people, even if my eyes are on good things, even if my eyes are on ministry, it never fails.

I blow it every time I take my eyes off Jesus. Look at verse 3, for even Christ did not please himself but as it is written the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. My beloved, if your eyes are on Jesus, you will soon discover that while he was fully God and yet he laid aside, he gave up his splendor, he gave up his glory. He didn't give up his divinity but he gave up the manifestation of his divinity. While he's fully God, he became a servant while he's fully God and yet he fully obeyed the Father. Had Jesus sought to please himself and not the Father, he would not have divested himself of his splendor and glory and become man. You remember in his humanity in the Garden of Gethsemane and he was sweating blood and he said, Father, if you can see some way by which this cup will go away from me, thinking about that first moment, a few seconds in which for the first time since before eternity, he's going to be separated from the Father because he was carrying your sin and my sin and the sin of the world. If there's some other way, but in the end, Father, it's your will, not mine. Jesus said, I did not come from heaven to do my will. I came to do the will of the Father.

Please listen carefully. Think about this. When you are tempted to say, I am tired of serving my family, I'm tired of serving my church, I'm tired of serving period. When you're tempted to do this, look at Jesus. Keep your eyes on Jesus because keeping your eyes on Jesus will mean that you are willing to pay the cost, any cost, that you're willing to accept misunderstandings, ridicule, slander, deprivation, persecution and even loss of life itself for Jesus' sake. Put others where? Put self where? Put Christ before you? Put yourself under the authority of the word of God. Verse four.

For everything, can you say everything? For everything that was written in the passage, talk about the Old Testament, it is written to teach us so that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. Paul is talking about the Old Testament, the Old Testament of which today's preachers are saying we need to get unhitched from the Old Testament and the Ten Commandments. What a tragedy. See, the New Testament hasn't been written yet and that Paul here is talking about the Old Testament.

We don't need to get unhitched from the Old Testament in the 21st century, no, in a million does. Sometimes I hear these guys preaching these falsehoods and kind of remind me of the two guys who were trying to wedge a refrigerator out of the door. One was on one side, one on the other. My goodness, they kept pushing and shoving, pushing and shoving. They were sweating, they were exhausted and finally one of them said, we will never get this fridge out of the door. The guy on the other side said, out of the door. I thought we're pushing it in the door. That's what's happening. They are confused and they're confusing tens of thousands of people.

It's the saddest thing. Here Paul is saying, even the parts of the Old Testament like the ceremonial requirements which we don't live under anymore, the ceremonial laws already passed, fulfilled in Christ. Sure, but even those are very valuable for us today. From them we learn more about God's character. From them we learn to understand the ways of God. From them we see how God works. From them we can understand the mind of God and all of that encourages us to persevere in our circumstances. All of that encourages us to be patient. All of that empowers us to produce fruit. All of that empowers us to be anchored in God. Anchored in God.

You know the people who say I get unhitched from the Old Testament? It reminds me of somebody who might walk in here and say, you know, this building is beautiful. It is so beautiful. But we can't see the foundation.

Let's blast it. Huh? We can't see it, right? We can't see it. It's not really important.

It's not significant. Let's blast the foundation. How long would the building stand? Not very long. That's what they're doing. Now I've got to confess to you, there are parts of the scripture when I get to it, I groan. When I get to Job, I start praying, Lord help me. I'm going to read through Job. And yet Job's endurance motivates me to endure. Job's patience encourages me to be patient.

Job's waiting for God's timing helps me and motivates me to wait for God's timing. How would I come to these passages about the Old Testament offerings? And you know, sin offering, drink offering, and burnt offering, and this offering, and that offering. You know, in the daily chronological Bible I use, you know, I systematize them, and I groan. But then I close the Bible and look up to heaven. I said, thank you Jesus that in you on the cross you have made all of these sacrifices so that I may be set free and saved eternally. Far from dragging me down, I want to get unhitched from the Old Testament. I believe the Lord can teach us some marvelous things, and that's what Paul is saying here.

He said they were written for us today so that we may learn from them. Put others where? Put self where? Put Christ where?

Put yourself under? Fifthly, put yourself under the power of God. Here's the amazing part, verse five. Look at verse five with me. Even the things that God requires of us to do, he gives us the power to do them. Isn't that a wonderful God we have? Isn't that an amazing God we have? Romans 15, 5, Paul said, may the God who gives endurance and encouragement, gives you the spirit of unity among yourself as you follow Christ Jesus.

He is saying that our unity with one another, our patience with one another, our perseverance with one another can only be accomplished through the power of God working in us. Listen, you want to try it on your own? You can't do it.

It's an impossibility. You try it on your own and you're going to fail over and over again. And the devil loves it because he wants you to fail. I cannot tell you the times in which I stand there and sometimes I'm down on all four before God. I said, God, I can't do this. And literally I hear the voice of God say, God, I can't do this. Now you can do it through me and through my power.

I'm glad you came to that conclusion. Put others where? Put self, put Christ before you, put yourself under, put yourself in his, finally put God's glory above all else. Look at verse 6. So that with one heart and one mouth you might glorify God our Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then in verses 7 to 13, he practices what he just commanded and he began to sing with one voice.

Obviously, probably hoping that that's what the church in Rome will be doing, singing with one voice. Now I began the message by telling you about the unique blessings that comes from selfless unity. I began by telling you about answers to godly prayers that stems from selfless unity. And here Paul is saying the consummate purpose of that selfless unity is not your neighbor, even though he says that's important. But the consummate, the ultimate, the zenith, the apex is to please who? The Lord, is to please the Lord.

That's what it's all about. When there is selfless unity over the glory of Jesus, watch out. God's blessings is going to come in a unique way. God's answer to prayer are going to be manifested with great power. God's power itself will become manifest in the midst of this sinful generation.

There's one thing I notice in the book of Revelation. There are no solo songs. There were always corporate singing. They were singing of one voice. They're praising God with one voice, one heart. They were so united together in praising God. The 24 elders, they cast their crowns at the feet of Jesus and they sang with the angels.

And then every living creature comes in and joins in singing. And then even those who've been victorious over the beast, they were given harps and they began to sing together. Verses 7 to 13, Paul sings from Isaiah. He sings from Psalms glorifying God for his mercy to the Gentiles. Remember, we were no mercy people.

We had no mercy. We were not part of the covenant. So he was thanking God for his mercy upon the Gentile and then he's thanking God for his faithfulness to the Jews because the Old Testament kept prophesying about Jesus, kept prophesying about Jesus and then Jesus showed up. So he's thanking God for his faithfulness to his promises in the Old Testament to the Jews, to Israel and he comes and then he begins to sing in unison. Now, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace that as you trust in him so that you might overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. A challenge to please the Lord through unity from Dr. Michael Youssef on this episode of Leading the Way audio.

Now, before we run out of time today, I've got a quick story. It highlights what's happening in many parts of the world through the ministry of leading the way. A Muslim from Syria contacted Leading the Way's field team because they had some questions about Christianity. Well, the team addressed his inquiries and after some further conversations, they asked if he wanted to receive Jesus and he prayed at that moment with the field team leader.

He shared that after he prayed, he experienced a joy that he had never had before and now he is a new person. Please know that when you pray for and when you stand with Dr. Youssef in Leading the Way, you're part of reaching brothers and sisters in Christ like this young man all around the world. We want to encourage you to learn more. Participate in the Open Door Campaign. This is Leading the Way's ministry plan to reach the unreached, the unchurched at home and around the world.

Learn more about it. Give us a call. We're at 866-626-4356 or you can visit us at ltw.org. Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef is listener supported. There are several ways you can stand with Dr. Youssef and support Leading the Way's gospel impact around the world. One, consider a generous one-time gift. Two, become a frontline mission partner, those who give monthly. Or three, join the community of Cornerstone Partners who give in and through their estate. Learn more at ltw.org. This program is brought to you by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Connect further with audio and video content at ltw.org or through your favorite social media platform including YouTube, Facebook, X, previously called Twitter, Instagram, and more.