Why is Building So Important?

ROMANS 12-16:
Putting Your Faith into Action

Why Is Building So Important?

Rough Transcript

Khayree Pender

Khayree Pender:

Hello men in the mirror. Welcome to another men’s Bible study. I’ll be continuing to teach it from the book of Romans chapter 15, verses one through six. So if you have your Bibles with you today, how about you open up your Bibles and just read along with me. Chapter 15, verse one says this, we who are strong out to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good to build them up for even Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. So that through the endurance taught in the scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance, encouragement, give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.

Last verse says, so that with one mind and one voice, you may glorify the God and Father, our Lord Jesus Christ. Today, I’ll just be simply talking from a topic. Why is building so important? Men, if I can just have a moment just to tell you this. Reading this scripture, it has really opened me up. I can be honest and say that it really stunned me a little bit. Because just reading those few verses, it really gave me an eye opener on some things that I was falling short on. And that’s one thing about the word. That’s why I love it so much. It’s able to purge you and point out some specks and spots in our lives that we may be dealing with and show us how to deal with those things.

So in here it’s just talking about building. And like I said today, we’ll be talking about why is building so important? And I was looking at the basic functions of building and it said this, that the basic function of building is to provide structurally and sound environmentally controlled spaces to protect occupants and contents. Here’s a great part. It says, if this basic function is not achieved, it is because some aspect of the building has failed.

Can we take that right now just for a solid moment and look at our lives and see that the way that we’re living our lives, is it able to build and provide structurally sound controlled attitudes and mindsets for people? Or are we not achieving this because some aspect in our building, aspect of our lives has failed? Listen, when I read this scripture, I’m telling you, it just really put me into a place just like, wow, opened me up because I had really check to see what tools were I building with it, and what was I doing? And how am I building this?

PLEASE (NOT ME, BUT HIM)

So it brings me to our first bubble, as we begin to look at the scripture and the first bubble, which is simply called PLEASE, to please. Then you’ve got certain types of pleases, you got pleased when people feel as though that they’re begging, but then we have pleases as far as to please people.

So when we look at the scripture, it says this, it says we who are strong ought to bear with failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let’s just be honest. It’s easy for us to please ourselves. Why is it? Because that accomplishment, that goal, that thing that just happened, it builds us up. It gives us the self-esteem that we need. It gives us the confidence that we need to the point is that sometimes that we begin to build ourselves up. And we have brothers and sisters close to us that are weak in an area, or maybe failing and they may need it. But we’re too busy focusing on our strengths and not looking at what our brothers may need.

So therefore we are boasting in ourselves and pleasing our own selves. We getting the gratification for ourselves and not trying to reflect and show our brothers and our family members, the ones that are connected to us, how they can advance their selves. Or if we can really help them with the strengths that we may have. And it says this, each of us should please our neighbors for their good to build them up. Each of us should please our neighbors. So when we do something good, it’s not so much of us. Hey, you know what, look what I did. Let me get through this. Look at our lives or pointing at our fingers at them. And some things that may have failed in. But how about we just take time out from glorifying ourselves, bragging on ourselves, or boasting about accomplishments, or things that we didn’t do, or things that may not affect us how they affect people and help them.

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak. As we begin to look at this, can you really look at it and say, you know what? I’ve been pleasing myself. I’ve been patting my own self on the back about making it through. Or escaping the trial, or getting advanced through another level of something that I’ve probably been tampering with. Or something that’s been battling me. Or something I’ve been facing. And here it is, I’ve made it through, was able to see that I made it through. But then I have people around me that may be dealing with things. How would it help them out, if I was able to make sure I go back and let them know, listen, this is what I did to get through it. These are the steps and things that I had to handle to make sure I got through.

So as we begin to look at this as just the verses about the weak that are by us and pleasing ourselves. And then it says, each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. Why is building so important? So it brings me to my first question. It says this, are there individuals that you know who could immediately benefit from your strengths? And if you do know, what’s stopping you from helping them? That’s a great question. Are there individuals that you know who could immediately benefit from your strengths? And if so, what’s stopping you? And I’m going to be honest with you. When I said, I got purged a little bit from this, I knew what was stopping me. I’m just help you on that. I just didn’t know how they would take it. Who likes rejection. I don’t want them to reject me. Or I don’t want them to seem like that I’m boasting or telling them about it, but instead I need to help them.

So are they individuals that you know who could immediately benefit from your strengths? And if so, what’s stopping you? And it brings me to our Big Idea. Let’s use our tools to build and not to break. Let’s use our tools to build and not to break. Why is building so important? Building is so important because it helps. It protects, it shows, but if something is not right it’s because there was something wrong with our building aspect.

So as we begin to look at our scriptures and this story, or this passage of scripture, the next thing it tells me, which brings me to our second point, and that’s the past.

PAST (HELP, NOT HURT)

Let’s look at the past. And it says this. It says, for even Christ did not please himself as it is written, the insults of those had fallen on me. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the scriptures and encouragement, they will provide with hope. So it says for everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through endurance, that’s taught the in scriptures, the encouragement that they provide, they may provide hope for us.

So let’s just talk about it. We could talk about the past. So there’s two different ways that we could look at it. We could look at the past from being stuck in the past and upset sitting there and reflecting on things that we did. Or we can use our past as some type of way to encourage us as we begin to move on. Here, it says this. For everything that was done, all the insults. So we look at the past. We all have made mistakes in the past. We all have been faced with some things that we used it as a, it caused us to have it as a burden. And then some of us has used it as a great lesson for us to be able to ultimately be stronger.

So as we begin to look at it, it tells us right. Jesus, it took all the insults, all those things, all the slander, all those things were taken in. You know what? So we don’t even have to worry about those things. And we can even begin to be built off the scripture and give us encouragement so that we may have hope. So we have to use our past. The past sometime can haunt us. Let’s really think about it. There’s some things in the past that I know I need to let go. That may haunt me, or may even stop me from progressing to even get into that next level.

So we have to be able to look at this, but it shows us here that the past, we need to use our past as like a Slingshot. So it can catapult us to the next place or the next level that we need to be at. Because as we begin to look at it, we can’t let these things begin to haunt us and hold us back. We have to look at it. Tell us that it was written in the past. It’s done. So there’s some things that already happened. It’s done. And those things can sit there and reside with the word that was given in the past. And we can use those things that give us hope. So what is it that we’re looking at? We have to take it, let it be stronger. Let it causes us to be bold. Let it cause us to be able to reflect and not be haunted by this. But let it help us so that we can begin to face those things and not focus on other things that may not mean us, any type of good.

So let’s look back at this again. For everything that was written in the past, was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope. Everything that was written in the past. So that past correlates with our past. We have to understand and know that we have to used the past just like we’ll use the scriptures that is showing us. Hey, don’t let it haunt you, but let it help you. So you can begin to get yourself built up for what’s next. We have to understand and know.

And the fact that you’re not defeated by your past helps you build the person that’d be next to you or listening. Somebody may be dealing with something or may even try to advance and, oh man, I want to try this. Or I want to do that. Something that may not have worked out well for us, we can’t talk down about it. But hey, how about this? I’ve tried it before. May not have some success from it, but I encourage you to try it and do it. Let’s not knock the people that’s close to us or hurt our witness by the things that we have dealt with or even seen. Or may not been able to be able to supersede through and not give them a proper chance to do it.

So it brings my questions to us today. How have you used your past to help you in your present and prepare you for your future? That’s a great question. How have you used your past to help you in your present? Our current times, right now. We could reflect back on and see those things we didn’t like the feeling from it. And to also help you prepare for your future. Hey, you know what? I know what happened before, but I’m not going to do it. And I know how things will be on the up and coming times when I’m able to face it.

So as we begin to look at it, so after all, just like our Big Idea says, let’s use our tools to build and not to break. Oftentimes we are equipped with tons of tools of life and characteristics, but we allow those tools sometimes to help us build each other up, help us build ourselves. Or we can ultimately use them to start breaking and tearing things down. We have to understand that we may be coming in contact with people that may not be believers. People that may not understand or even have faced those things. It’s not for us to break them down.

It’s for us to build them up. Why is building so important? It’s a basic function. It helps for us to provide a sound and environmentally control area or space for people. But if those functions are achieved, it’s because some aspect of our building has failed. So as we begin to look where we are with our scripture and as we’re going up, it brings us to our last bubble, our last point, which is perseverance.

PERSEVERANCE (ENCOURAGE AND ENDURE)

As we begin to look at the scripture, it says, may the God who gives us endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ had. And here it is. So that with one mind and one voice, you may glorify God and the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Listen, may the God who gives endurance and encouragement, give you the same attitude of mind. Perseverance. And what is perseverance?

It just boils down too, doing something despite the difficulty or delay in achieving success. This scripture has really, really, really encouraged me and really like shook me up and purged me. Because just looking at the things, the pleasing, the past, and here now the perseverance not to knowing. And it’s also telling me that the scripture and God has given me the endurance and the encouragement, which correlates to me, breaks down the perseverance, doing something despite the difficulty or delay in achieving success.

So the thing about perseverance, what I love this scripture is, success is at the end of the sentence. But we have to do something despite of the difficulty or the delay that it may bring us. It may not be instantaneous. It may not be one minute. It may take a long time. There may be stages and phases through it, but we can’t let it get in the way of us achieving our success. So, sometimes going through these things and building up people and also building up ourselves. We have to use them tools, not just building people, but also to, hey, do some refining work on our own selves. Sometimes it won’t feel good. Sometimes we may not immediately see the fruits of our labor. We may not see the works truly in its entirety at that point in time, but we cannot let the difficulty or delay block us from achieving our success. May the God who gives you an endurance and encouragement.

So here it is. Going through whatever we may be facing, the mindset, the thoughts, the people, our surrounding, we have to make sure that we are applying the encouragement and the endurance. Because we have to make sure we pulling from our perseverance. So that we won’t let it get in our way, because guess what? There are men waiting on you to take a step. There are men waiting to hear your words, or your outplay, or your outlook on things. Your very words on someone going to take a step or a leap of faith, it may be dependent on the words or the way that you live, the way that you say it.

So you have to make sure that your posture is right. You have to make sure that your mind is together. You have to make sure that you’re leaning on these things. That you know that you’ve made it through and came out with victory to be able to speak to these men. And after all, here’s a great thing that I even noticed. That even going through this, our posture speaks more than sometimes our words. We have to make sure that we don’t give up on those things.

So it brings me to our last question. And the question is this, in our time of reflection, can you name a few times when you knew God was glorified in your perseverance? Just in your time of reflection. Right now if you take some time. Can you name just a few times when you say, you know what? I knew God was glorified in my perseverance. Why? Because I wanted to give up. I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t see the outcome. And what I was facing, I didn’t see success at the end of it anywhere. But most of the time, sometimes, here it is. Our own selves, ourselves get in the way of ourselves. Ourselves get in the way of ourselves from achieving what’s already there for us. And it’s great because it tells us that the God gives you endurance and encouragement and give you the same attitude. That’s what it boils down to.

We have to make sure that our attitude is right. We have to make sure that those things are aligned. We have to make sure that we’re pleasing. The way that we’re living, what we’re saying, what we’re doing, how we carrying ourselves. We have to make sure that we focus on the past, but don’t focus on the past. What do you mean? We’re focusing on the past, because I seen what happened before, and I know what I need to do to improve on myself and I’m not getting stuck in where I was as far as what the past was there for me. But I can also reflect back on the past of the scriptures that was already set before me.

And tell me that was already done, I don’t even have to worry about it. Because why? For even Christ did not please himself, but it is writen the insults of those has fallen on him. It is written that the past was written to teach us. So the past is just simply written to teach us. The past in the scriptures and our past in our own lives, the story that we’re living. It’s just simply there to teach us. And here it is. Now, we have to make sure that we hold on and cling to our perseverance. Why? It may be a difficulty. It may get difficult. We may feel like we may be denied through the process, but we have to understand and know that success is at the end.

So in your time of reflection, can you name a few times when you knew God was glorified in your perseverance? Because somebody watched you not give up. Somebody watch you not throw in the towel. Somebody watch you walk with your head high, even though you should’ve been walking with your head low. Where has God been glorified in that? It’s nothing but God that pulls you through, which brings us to our last Big Idea once again. Let’s use our tools to build and not to break. We have to be mindful of the tools that we possess. And we have to be mindful that some people that may not have encountered God, that may just be a lump of clay or mold waiting to be molded. And we have to make sure that we’re using the proper tools to build a foundational structure for someone.

So as we keep ourselves together, why is building so important? It is because we have to please, we have to make sure that the past is there, and we have to make sure that we persevere. And our Big Idea tells us, let’s use our tools to build and not to break. Well men, if you will, do me a favor, just bow your head and close your eyes. And let’s just close with a word of prayer. Dear heavenly father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for our men. We thank you for blessing each and every one of us all today. Father, we don’t know what we may face. We know that we have faced some things and there’s some things that we may need to go back and face. But you told us in your scripture that you giving us the encouragement and the endurance to go on.

So God we ask that you help us right now, God. We may be in a state or a place that we don’t know how to apply those things. We ask that you allow us to be keen to the voice of the holy spirit, say here, that when things come up, that we can focus on the words and encouragement. And give us the proper attitude and mindset to carry those things out. God, we know that building is important and we thank you. Continue to build in us on a daily basis. We thank you God, for everything that you’ve done and everything that you’re going to do. And you remind me in your precious name, that we believe in you and trust in you, Jesus Christ. Amen.