Choosing What Answers Righteous Prayers | Romans 15:7

Scripture

• Romans 15:7

About this sermon

Introduction: Many years ago, there was a man who used to tell me, when he wanted to exhort me: “Don’t make my prayer life look bad.” What he was saying to me, in his own unique way, is that he cared for me, and prayed for me, and he hoped that the knowledge of that would motivate me to live in a way that cooperated with his prayers. THAT SAME SENTIMENT IS ON DISPLAY IN THE 7TH VERSE. It is vain, to pray about something that you have no real desire for. It is vain to pray about something that you are unwilling to live out. We can pray righteous prayers, we can make righteous professions, but the fulfillment of what we pray for, will often require OUR OWN OBEDIENCE. Will you put FEET to your prayers? Are you willing to submit to the Word of God, and obey the Word of God, as you offer prayers that accord with Scripture? We are not just to pray Scripturally accurate prayers; we are to take Scripturally accurate action. We examine that commitment this morning under four headings. • THE RIGHTEOUS PRAYER FOR GOD’S PEOPLE (vs.5-6) We need to review for a moment. Remember Paul’s prayer-wish in verses 5 and 6. He prays that our God would meet with us in His Word (vs.4-5) in such a way that we know endurance and encouragement. Remember, we saw the tie between Paul’s description of what we experience in the Scriptures, and how he describes God in the following verse. He prays that God would grant us to live in a kind of harmony that accords with Jesus Christ. That is, he prays that we would know endurance and encouragement in a kind of unity that is only possible in Jesus Christ. And he prays this with a particular goal in mind. He prays that will one voice we would glorify God. WE CAN EXPLAIN THAT PRAYER, SIMPLY, IN TWO STATEMENTS. HE PRAYS THAT WE WOULD BE UNIFIED. HE PRAYS THAT WE WOULD GLORIFY GOD. • THE OBEDIENT CHOICE THAT ACCORDS WITH THAT PRAYER (vs.7a) Now, that is a prayer that every Christian must say amen to. That is a prayer that accords with Christ. And if He is our Lord, then we agree with Him. It is a prayer that accurately reflects a congregation-wide obligation. We learned that in verses 1-2. We cannot be submitted to Christ and refuse to pray such a request. We cannot be submitted to Christ and refuse to rejoice in such a request. BUT NOW, IN VERSE 7, WE ARE REMINDED THAT THE ANSWER TO THAT PRAYER IS FOUND IN OUR OBEDIENT CHOICES. THEREFORE! Both aspects of that prayer are now exhorted in the life of the congregation. • IT IS A COMMAND GIVEN TO THE ENTIRE CHURCH The imperative in this verse is something that was called for in 14:1. But in that verse, it was those who are stronger in faith being exhorted. HERE, THE EXHORTATION IS CONGREGATION WIDE. • IT IS A COMMAND OBEYED ON A MUTUAL AND PERSONAL LEVEL We are to welcome one another. John MacArthur – “Proslambanō (accept) is an intensified form of lambanō and carries the meaning of receiving something or someone to oneself with special concern.” Harrison and Hagner – “‘Accept one another’ picks up the emphasis of 14:1, where the same verb occurs, but here the charge is directed to both groups rather than to the strong alone. Each group is to accept the other group as they are, as fully justified members of the Christian church, without prejudice and without the attempt to change them.” Thomas Schreiner – “Indeed, it repeats and broadens the initial exhortation in 14:1. Instead of being plagued by dissension (14:1) and mutual recriminations (14:3), Paul wants the community to be filled with joy and peace in believing (15:13).” Charles Hodge – “The word accept has the same meaning here as it has in 14:1, “Take one another to yourselves, treat one another kindly, even as Christ has kindly taken us to himself.” John Calvin – “For he, having received, not one or two of us, but all together, has thus connected us, so that we ought to cherish one another, if we would indeed continue in his bosom. Only thus then shall we confirm our calling, that is, if we separate not ourselves from those whom the Lord has bound together. What are each of these men recognizing? They are recognizing that to RECEIVE one another is something much more than TOLERANCE. It is ACCEPTANCE. It is not SELECTIVE acceptance. It is an acceptance based on the reality of our common life in Jesus Christ. We are to love each other. Because we have entered into the love of God. We are (as Calvin said) to CHERISH one another. We are (as Hodge said) to treat one another kindly. We are to be concerned for each other in a genuine way. There is to be affection, and care, and concern, and commitment. We are to receive each other generously and graciously and with a love that is loyal — that does not let go of one another.

Topics

• Prayer