Bill Acton :: Romans 15:1-14 - The Christian as a Counselor

Sermon Outline for Romans 15:14

The Christian as a Counselor

1. Context – Accepting One Another
   1. Accept one another as an example of Christ
   2. Statement about the church at Rome – Rom 15:14
   3. “Competent to Counsel” – the Word
   4. Inspire, endorse, support, strengthen, stimulate, motivate, aid, lift,
      relieve, comfort, restore, instruct, nourish, cheer, encourage
2. The Ability to Counsel
   1. The knowledge from Scripture
      1. What a Christian knows: about God, Bible, sin, guilt, confession, faith, death, Heaven, hell, the world, society, hope, security, values, money, relationships, trials, suffering, righteousness
      2. Insights into the real issues of life
      3. The Christian knows the truth!
   2. The goodness from salvation
      1. Regeneration
      2. Sanctification
      3. New
      4. Holiness, purity and decency
      5. Love God
   3. The power from the Holy Spirit
      1. The urgent need
      2. Internal growth
      3. Work in the world
      4. The outward work is dependent on the internal growth
      5. Not to refuse or reject
      6. To choose or select
         1. David took five stones
         2. Heb 5:1
      7. High Priest selection
         1. The disciples – Mat 17:1
         2. To receive adoption – Gal 4:5
         3. We receive – Col 2:6
         4. The acceptance is a response, an agreement
   4. The experience of His acceptance
      1. By the power of the Holy Spirit
      2. His work of regeneration
      3. He makes it known – the notification of our election
      4. We respond –
         1. Law or works: I obey God, God sees my works,
            God accepts me
         2. Grace: God accepts me, I see His acceptance,
            I respond to Him
      5. We receive
      6. We accept – believing is receiving
      7. The glory of knowing His acceptance
         1. Rest – Peace – Joy
         2. All undeserved
3. The Practice of Our Accepting
   1. Grace undeserving – Rom 15:7
   2. The qualities involved
      1. Sincerity – “Do you care about me?”
      2. Approachable – available
      3. Unshockable
      4. Trustworthy
      5. Listening
         1. A quality and a skill
         2. Requires patience, endurance and energy
         3. How to listen
            1. To what is said – content
            2. To how it is said – feelings
            3. To what is not said – omissions
   3. The encouragement provided
      1. We all need it – rejection is devastating
      2. Discouragement can be deadly
         1. Hate, bitterness and withdrawal
         2. Contagious
      3. How to encourage
         1. Continually reaffirm the commitment to the relationship
            1. Acceptance: permanent – unconditional
         2. Continually reaffirm the priority
            1. “You are most important to me”
            2. I give you my life
         3. Meet at the same level
            1. Tell how we have been helped
            2. Come alongside
         4. Reinforce that which is good
            1. Good qualities
            2. Concentrate on the potential
            3. Speak that which edifies – Eph 4:29
            4. No cuts – no chops – no accusations
         5. Speak the truth in love – Eph 4:13
            1. Direct Biblical approach
            2. Approach – “Man on a tack”