Monmouth Church Of Christ Sermons Podcast

God's Joy In Our Repentance

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Luke 15:11-32
         “The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the Father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mind was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.“ (Luke 15:22-24, NIV)
         The parable of the prodigal son is a wonderful story about God's joy over our repentance. Repentance means “to change,” “to turn around,” to make an “about face.” Repentance means more than just saying “I'm sorry.” Repentance is the act of changing one's behavior and one's orientation towards a particular issue. Without change in one's direction, or change in one's life, there is no genuine repentance.
         In the context of explaining to the Pharisees how much God desires to bring sinners to repentance, Jesus tells the story of a Father who has two sons. The younger son takes his inheritance early, squanders it in reckless and extravagant living only to lose everything and wind up feeding pigs. He wasn't even able to eat what the pigs ate! But it was at this very low point in his life that the scripture says the man “came to his senses” and realized that in his loose living he had sinned not only against his father, but against heaven-against God. Upon his return home, and his confession of his sin, his father welcomed him home with open arms and threw a great celebration in honor of his son's return, and his repentance.
         The Apostle Paul says that “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.” (2 Corinthians 7:10-11). The parable illustrates Paul's point: when one is truly sorry for what one has done, there will be a great eagerness to change-to repent. Not only is there a desire for change, but there is a desire to “make things right,” a grief over the sin that has been committed, and a longing to lead a more Godly life. True repentance is very different from a rote “I'm sorry.” True repentance is seen in changed actions and attitudes.
         As the parable illustrates, sometimes life has to get pretty bad before we realize we need to make a change. The younger son had no thought of repentance while he was squandering his inheritance in luxurious living. While life was flowing very freely, he had no understanding of any need for change. It was only when the money ran out, and there was a famine in the land that he “came to his senses” and realized what he had done, and the error of his ways, so to speak. Just as the son took his inheritance and squandered it, so sometimes as Christians we presume upon our inheritance and Christ, take it for granted and spend our lives on activities that are ultimately worthless. As God blesses us with abundance in material possessions, and an abundance of love within our lives, do we not at times take it for granted and squander it unproductively? It is only when we are left without that we realize what we have done wrong. It is at that point when we 'come to our senses' and have a chance to repent and get our priorities straight. Or, alternatively for those not in Christ, many people hear the gospel over and over again but don't have any sense they need to repent until a tragedy strikes their lives and then they realize they need God after all.
         No matter which situation we find ourselves in, the parable teaches us that when we repent-when we turn back towards God-when we make that about-face-and change our behavior, God rejoices! Just as in the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin, when one sinner repents, there is much rejoicing in heaven.
         God is waiting for the lost to come to him, and if we have strayed from God, he is waiting for us to turn around and start walking towards him once again. God is filled with compassion towards us, and will run to meet us, to throw his arms around us and welcome us home once again!

                                                                                                                                Charles

The Parable Of The Lost Coin

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Luke 15:1-10

         “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:8-10, NIV)
         No one like to “lose” something. Whether it be house or car keys, an important piece of mail, a business document, a family heirloom, a wedding band, cell phone charger, or whatever it might be, none of likes to misplace something that we need. How many times have we 'torn up the house' looking for what we lost or misplaced? Perhaps we can't find something because someone didn't put it back in the right place, or because we carelessly put it in the wrong place. Or, maybe we lost something because we just lost it through no doing of our own. No matter, we are upset when we lose something of great value.
         Human beings, God's creation, are of great value to him. God loves each and every person that he created, and he wants to be in relationship with each one. But when we, as human beings wander off, when we 'get lost' then it concerns God greatly. God is upset when he can't “find us” so to speak. So, he wants to look for us until he finds us.
         Jesus told a parable to the Pharisees who didn't take to the idea of Jesus gathering around tax collectors and sinners. They apparently felt like Jesus should not be hanging around with the undesirable parts of society. They did not appreciate that these people were “lost.” They needed to be “found” by God. Jesus was the one who came to find them! The parable Jesus told them was about a woman who had lost a silver coin. In those days, that amounted to about a days pay. And what did she do? She “tore the house apart” until she found it. And when she did find it, she called all of her neighbors together, she was so excited.
         The point of the parable is that in God's eyes, the “lost” are like the lost coin. He wants sinners to be found, and when they are found, there is great rejoicing in heaven! In fact, Jesus says that even if it is just one sinner who repents, there is great rejoicing in heaven in the presence of the angels of God. God rejoices in heaven over those who are found: sinners who repent.
         When we think about those around us who are lost, let's think about this parable. We can have a part now in “rejoicing in heaven in the presence of the angels.” We meet people every day who don't know the Lord, they are “lost” and God wants them to be found. So, when we share the gospel with people in our neighborhoods, our workplaces, and anywhere else, God may lead, and those people turn their hearts toward the Lord in repentance, there is great rejoicing in heaven.
         But there is something else in this parable that is important for us to see. Those who are “lost” don't know they are “lost.” In the parable, the coin just doesn't “reappear” by itself, the woman must go look for it. And the parable is careful to tell us that it is work to find the coin: she needs a lamp, a broom, and must make a search. And it is not just a casual search-it is a thorough search! Only after the work has been done, is the coin found, and there is rejoicing.
          While God has put us in the midst of the lost, God wants us to be involved in seeking out opportunities to share the gospel with the lost. He wants us to be about the work of evangelism. In the parable, the woman lit a lamp and swept the house. In other words, she had to get adequate lighting, and she had to clean the house so the coin could be found. Is her work perhaps suggestive of the fact that in order for us to 'find the lost' we need to “light the lamp” and “sweep the floors?” In other words, spend time in the Word of God as the lamp unto our feet, and repent ourselves, as in clean out the debris from our own hearts so that we can see clearly who is around us that needs the Lord? If our minds are enlightened by the truth of the gospel, and if our hearts free from 'worldly care and clutter,' we will be equipped to not only see the lost, but to share in the gospel with them so that they may be 'found' by God. Then there will be much rejoicing!

Charles

Praying Persistently

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Luke 18:1-8

         Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
         For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming.'”
         And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8, NIV)
         We have all had times when we've felt like we have prayed and prayed about something in our lives and nothing has happened. It is as if we have been seeking the Lord wholeheartedly about something very important to us, but we don't seem to find any direction or any immediate answer.
         Jesus tells a parable to his disciples that addresses a situation very much like his. He tells the story about a judge whose job it is to bring justice and fairness to his subjects. But in the story, we find out that the judge does not care about people, nor does he care about God. He is everything a judge is not supposed to be. So, when Jesus bells us about a widow that kept coming to him begging him to grant her justice against her adversary, we don't initially expect that she will be met with compassion or success. But surprisingly, the judge is human after all. To keep from being worn out by her persistence, he grants her request.
         With this story in mind, we discover something very powerful about God. If a worldly judge who is hard of heart can be moved to act on behalf of a widow's persistence, “how much more” will God bring about justice for his own people, us! In other words, think about what God can do for us as the good, righteous, and loving “judge!” He will certainly help us. He will not keep putting us off, but will guarantee that “right” is done by us in our situations.
         However, it is important to note that Jesus says that God will see that God's own get justice “quickly.” “Quickly” is not the same thing as “immediately.” God is not “slow” in giving us what we need. God is accurate, and his timing is right. We are not promised that God will grant us our request “immediately” as in the “next second” or by our standards of “fast.” Rather, God will grant what is just in an expeditious and right manner.
         There is something more….Jesus' last statement, “However, when the son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” The point here is this: it is more important to endure in faith than to have our requests met “immediately.” It would not require much faith to get everything that we want “instantly.” God builds our faith through our perseverance. God is not interested in us having to suffer injustice, but God is interested in our faith being tested so that it will have its “perfect work” in our lives (James 1:1-5).
         Perhaps we are persisting in prayer that God will act in a certain way in our lives. Maybe, we, like the widow are seeking God to bring justice in our lives where we have been hurt or injured by someone. It could be that we have been pounding on heaven's door for God to act and act quickly. The parable Jesus tells assures us that God will act. It is in God's nature to bring about justice for his people. But again, God wants us to have faith and trust in him. We do not want to be found faithless when the Lord returns. Rather, we want to be found waiting expectantly and fully assured that in the end, God will make everything right that is currently broken. God must do this because he is a just God.
         So, we must continue to pray persistently-we must pray and never give up, trusting in the heart of God to act on our behalf. Let us not grow impatient or faithless as we wait on God's timing to answer our prayers. God will answer quickly, but not necessarily “immediately.” The parable assures us of God's love and God's attention to our persistent praying. God has heard, is hearing, and will continue to hear us when we petition him. Let us trust him as we pray.

Charles

For I Am God, And Not Man

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Hosea 11:1-11

         “My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not man-the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.” (Hosea 11:8b-9)
         One of the most beautiful pictures of God as “Father” is the portrait of God in Hosea 11:1-4. God brought his children out of Egypt and “taught Ephraim” to walk, taking them by the arms, and healing them. He led them with kindness, and love, released them from oppression, and fed them.
         But, just like a father dealing with a difficult, strong willed, and unruly child, Israel kept walking away from God, their Father, making images, worshipping other gods, and just refusing to repent. The insults they heaped on God through their disobedience was devastating to God, and we hear the heart-break in God's voice as we read the book of Hosea.
         But how will God respond? Will God respond as a human parent might respond-just give up? Hosea tells us that God will execute justice, and will not exalt the people if they sin. But that said, God also says that he will not give up! “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?” Then he says, “My heart is changed within my; all my compassion is aroused.”
         The punishment for Israel is assured: swords will flash in their cities, their gates will be destroyed, God will put an end to their plans, and Assyria will rule over them because they refuse to repent.   Because God is just, sin will be punished. God does not 'look the other way' and pretend that Israel has not greatly offended him. Israel will have to bear the consequences of their actions, and those will be severe.
         However, God's nature and God's heart is such that he cannot turn away from Israel. “My heart is changed within me.” When he sees his own children suffering, how can he turn away? He cannot. His compassion is aroused for them, and he will not completely devastate Ephraim again. God will find a way to restore them. “I will settle them in their homes, “ declares the Lord (Hosea 11:11)
         God says “I am God, and not man.” Whereas, from a human point of view, we might think that God would have had enough. We might think that God's execution of judgment is the final word, that God would be perfectly right to wipe out such a sinful people. But this is human thinking. The prophet Hosea is very careful to point out that God does not think as human beings do, that there is something that is greater; God's steadfast love. It is God's ultimate desire to bless him people, even though they have treated him terribly, and forsaken him, and even though they must suffer the consequences for their sin, God still cannot turn away. God wants to bless them.
         God's love for us is eternal. God has shown us over and over again that he loves us, and cares for us, as the eternal divine Father. However, God's love is not to be taken for granted upon. Just because God loves us doesn't mean that we can take advantage of God's love and his grace towards us. Just as God cannot help but love us because that is in his heart, God is also just. Sin cannot stand. Rebellion against God cannot stand. Because God is a just God, sin must be dealt with, and injustice must be made right. God's justice and God's righteousness cannot be overlooked or ignored, just because we are assured that God loves us.
         The last verse of Hosea is powerful in this regard, “Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” (Hosea 14:9). God calls us to follow him in his ways and not be rebellious children following after what we think will make us happy and fulfilled in this lie. It is God who cares for us and we must realize that. Sin will be our downfall.   God calls us to repentance.
         Out of his great love he is longsuffering, waiting for us, as the perfect Father, to return from our stubbornness. He will respond to us as God, not as a man. Let us respond to his compassion and his love by following his ways.

Charles

Glorifying The Lord With One Voice

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Romans 15: 1-13

         “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6)
          Paul concludes his letter to the Roman church with a plea for brothers and sisters in Christ to bear with each other and build each other up in the faith (Romans 15:1-2). He appeals to Jesus' example. While Jesus was on earth, he did not seek to “please himself” but rather he lived and died for our sake. Paul quotes the Psalms as he illustrates that Christ took upon himself the insults of others (Romans 15:3 and Psalm 69:9). In quoting from the Psalms he makes the point that all of the writing that has come before (referencing the Scriptures that comprise the Old Testament) was written for our learning so that we would be encouraged by seeing examples of endurance (Romans 15:4). By looking at the examples from the Old Testament, Paul says that we can see how God gave endurance and encouragement to the people. Likewise, God will give it to us, so that we might find unity among ourselves, and in that unity, glorify God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
         The goal of our unity is so that we might praise God. Jesus came to live and die to make a way for all to be brought together, both Jew and Gentile, to glorify God with one voice. Even though the Jews can praise God for his faithful fulfillment of the promises made to the patriarchs, the Gentiles can praise God for his mercy (Romans 15:7-12). Therefore, our acceptance of each other, has as its goal, giving God glory. God wants all of us to come together with one voice and praise him. God does not want his people to be divided. Rather in Christ, God wants us, by faith, to come into his presence with thanksgiving in our hearts and give him praise….all of us...together!
         It is only when we keep our focus on Christ that we are able to accept one another in love so that we might give God glory with one voice. There is much to distract us. There is much to keep us “down” and push us towards “giving up.” The Psalm that Paul quotes in Romans 15:3 comes from Psalm 69. Turning to Psalm 69, we see that the Psalmist was at a real point of discouragement:   he felt abandoned, hated without reason, aware of his folly, ashamed, insulted, and disgraced. He was in need of endurance! And yet after a heart-felt expression of his distress, he answers “I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69:30). He confesses that the lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.
         It is when we turn to God in repentance, praise and thanksgiving that we find our hope once again. Through the Spirit, God enables us to hope as we trust in him. As new creatures in Christ, as those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, as those who by faith stand at peace with God by grace, we are enabled to have hope by the Spirit. The strength to keep going is provided by God himself, as he is the God who gives endurance and encouragement.
         Moreover, the scripture tells us that God gives us a spirit of unity among ourselves so that we can glorify him (Romans 15:5-6). Again, the result of our faith, the result of our love for one another, is praising God with one voice. There is much joy in praising God in a unified way. And, when we accept one another in Christ, when we bear with each other's failings by the Spirit's power, we can experiencing this joy when we come together. We can experience God in the fullest sense when we come before him together in praise.
         In the Roman church, Paul acknowledges that there are some who are strong in their faith, and some who are weak in their faith. It is those who find themselves “strong” to bear with those who are weaker. Why? It is not to please themselves. Rather, in bearing with our brothers and sisters, and encouraging them, we can come to a point of unity where God will receive the praise and Glory for which Christ died.
         Just as Jesus gave it all up for us on the cross, so we should follow in his steps and do what we can to build up our neighbor in love. The result will be praise to God with one voice!

Charles

The Lord, Who Makes Us Stand

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Romans 14

         “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:4)
         From the outset of the letter to the Romans, Paul has stressed that we are counted right with God on the basis of our faith in Jesus Christ. He states clearly:
         “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:21-24.
         So, we are “right with God,” or “justified” on the basis of our faith, not on the basis of law, and not on the basis of works. Salvation is a gift of God. This way of being right with God is essential to the gospel, it is not a disputable matter. Paul takes great care in asserting over and over again what is essential to the gospel message: justification through faith in Jesus Christ that leads to being at peace with God (Romans 5:1).
         In Romans 14, Paul wants to demonstrate how the core of the gospel works itself out in terms of relationships within the body of believers. He is particularly concerned with showing how we, as brothers and sisters, relate to each other on matters that are disputable, and are thus not core to the gospel message.   Paul uses two examples that were apparently under discussion in the Roman church: the eating of meat, and deeming certain days as more sacred than others.
         Paul addresses the issues from the point of view of faith. He first acknowledges that one person's faith allows them to eat everything, but another person's faith does not. One person's faith allows them to consider one day more sacred than other, but another person's faith sees all days alike. Paul will say that what is important is 1) each person must make up their own mind about what he or she believes (Romans 14:5) and 2) that those who decide to eat meat or observe one day as special over another do so unto the Lord and give thanks to God (Romans 14:6).
         More importantly, Paul stresses that we are not to pass judgment on our brothers and sisters because their faith might allow, or might prohibit them to do as we might. Paul is clear that because we belong to the Lord, and because the Lord is our master, we are not to pass judgment or look down on our brothers and sisters who act in faith differently from ourselves (Romans 14:2-3, and Romans 14:7-10). We belong to the Lord, and it is the Lord who makes us stand before him righteous by faith. We do not make each other stand by our judgments or our assessments of each other. We are God's servants and God is the one who judges us (Romans 14:4).
         In addition, Paul stresses the reason Christ died and returned to life is so that he might be Lord of both the living and the dead. We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Every knee will bow before the Lord and every tongue will confess to God (Romans 14:11). Therefore we are not to pass judgment on each other (Romans 14:13).
         Apparently, in Rome, members of the body of Christ were being judgmental towards others and causing distress by the things they were practicing. Just as we are made right before God on the basis of faith, what we practice should likewise be done from faith. But when one person's faith allows them to practice one thing, but another person's faith does not, then what should we do?
         As we have seen, Paul instructs both sides not to judge the other or look down on the other. But Paul goes on to say that what should rule at the end of the day is love. And, it pleases God when we serve God in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17-18). In the case of the Roman church, Paul's view was that all food was clean in and of itself. However, it would be wrong of him to eat if it caused someone else to stumble or to act in a way that was at odds with their faith. So, what must be upper most in mind is not the exercise of one's freedoms, but what would lead to peace and mutual edification (Romans 14:19). The goal is building up the body in faith, and doing so in a way that is respectful of each other's faith. It is more important to show love towards our brothers and sisters than it is to exercise our freedoms.
          In conclusion, Paul reminds us that we must act in faith. He says, “and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” So, whatever we might believe about a disputable matter, we need to be sure that our belief and practice is rooted in faith. Even if we disagree with our brother or sister on a matter (as they did in the Roman church), we are not to pass judgment or look down on them. Rather, Paul encourages us, in faith, not to do anything that would cause our brother or sister to stumble. In this way, we build up the kingdom in love.

Charles

Respecting God's Authority

Sun, 25 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Romans 13:1-7
         “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Romans 13:1-2)
         Romans 13 makes it clear that, as Christians, we are to be submissive to the authorities that govern our land-whether they be municipal, state, or national laws. Paul makes it clear that God has a hand in establishing these authorities, and that they are God's servants (Romans 13:6). As such, Paul encourages us to be obedient to established laws, paying taxes or other revenues that are due, as well as respect and honor (Romans 13:7). To have a submissive mindset towards authority is a matter of conscience, Paul says. Furthermore, to rebel would bring punishment that ultimately comes from God. The governing authority is God's servant and has been put in place not only to govern, but to bring punishment on those do not live according to the laws.
         Many have approached this passage and ask the question “Well, what if the governing authorities institute a law that go against God's laws?” Or “What if I disagree with the laws that are in place?” Or, “Is Paul advocating capital punishment when he says that the governing authorities 'do not bear the sword in vain' as they are God's servants-against of wrath-to bring punishment on the wrongdoer?” And there are many such questions that could be asked.
         However, while these are important questions to ask, they often eclipse the main point that Paul is trying to make: In view of God's mercy, we are to have a disposition of being law-abiding citizens who show respect for authority. For all the questions that we might ask, we can't forget that Paul is establishing the reality that God has a hand in place those who will govern the land.   And, as such, we need to respect what God is doing. Jesus makes the same point when he answers the Pharisees' question about authority when he says, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's” (Matthew 22:15-22)
         One of the major encouragements to the early churches was to behave in such a way that it would not bring reproach upon the church. As Christianity in all ages is counter-cultural, and against the flow, Christians are supposed to live in ways which do not give outsiders a reason for discrediting the gospel message.   The message of being submissive in all walks of life comes through in Titus Chapter 2. We are to behave in respectable ways towards each other so that “no one will malign the word of God.” (Titus 2:4), teachers are to show soundness of speech so that opponents may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about them (Titus 2:7), and those who are in a servant position are to behave towards their masters in such a way that they will make the teaching about God and Jesus attractive.
         Furthermore, in I Corinthians 6, Paul addresses a church that has gone to 'court' to settle disputes one with another. This public show of discord within the church family was shameful to the message of the gospel. Rather than push for one's rights and risk undermining the message of the gospel, Paul argues, “Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?” For Paul, to have public lawsuits and displays of disobedience or discord where matters of public obedience are concerned means that the Christian community has “been defeated already.” (I Corinthians 6:1-9).
         The problem that we face as human beings in all ages is that of pride, and wanting “our rights.” This pride manifests itself in various forms of rebellion or in-submissive behavior whether it be in the home, in working relationships, on the job, or against governing authorities. The self assertion above any form of authority is something which the people of God in all ages has been challenged to overcome.   From the story of Cain and Able, through the Ten Commandments, on through the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles Paul, Peter and John, and the writings of the other New Testament letters, God's people have been taught the principle of showing their submission to God through being submissive to one another, and showing submission to the authorities that God instituted on earth.
         Jesus is our role model for submission. He did not speak on his own authority, but spoke only what the Father gave him to speak (John 12:49-50). He did not act on his own authority, but did only what he saw his Father doing (John 5:19-20). Likewise, the Holy Spirit does not reveal anything contrary to the will of Jesus or the Father (John 16:13).
         This life is temporary, and the rewards are great in the next life because of what God in Christ has done for us. Let us make that message attractive to unbelievers by the way in which we live and act towards outsiders and the authorities God has put in place to govern this world.
                                                                                              Charles

Holy Manners

Sun, 18 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Romans 12:10, 13:8-14

         “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10)
         “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
          And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:8-11)
         In view of God's mercy, in light of God's saving grace, in response to the gospel message, we are to love one another. In fact, our acceptance of the gospel message creates within us the continuing debt to love one another. Paul sums up all the commandments of the law in one rule “Love your neighbor as yourself.” And we are to be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
        How do we love our neighbor? Paul mentions two things for our consideration. One is found in Romans 12:10, to “be devoted to one another in brotherly love, and to honor one another above ourselves.” The other is found in Romans 13:10, “Love does no harm to its neighbor.” Let's take each of these in turn.
         “Being devoted to one another in brother love, and honoring one another above ourselves” has to do with being committed to one another because of the grace we share in the gospel. To love others is a response to grace. Brotherly love in Christ has to do with respecting the fact that we have come to the same Lord, the same salvation, the same Holy Spirit, the same grace, the same hope, and the same eternal destination because of Christ. The love we share between us is created because Christ has loved us and saved us.
         As such, we are to be completely humble towards one another. Just as Christ gave himself up for us, so we are bound to show this same love towards our brothers and sisters and give ourselves up for them, in love. We have no right whatsoever to lift ourselves up over others.   Thus, we regard none of our brothers and sisters in Christ from a worldly point of view. We now see them as those for whom Christ has died, and those whom we are indebted to love. Our love is to be devoted, not whimsical, convenient, or self-serving. It is not the kind of love that is always thinking about “me” and what “I want” or what “I need.” But in that consideration, we are to “let the other person go first” so to speak. The New King James version says, “in honor, giving preference to one another.” In other words, to love one another in response to grace, we put our wants aside and give preference to the other in terms of how we can serve them.
         Love does no harm to its neighbor, Paul says. Because of grace, we are to have “Holy Manners,” a way of being and living that shows love and respect for our brothers and sisters in each thing that we do. All of us are equal, and equally deserving of love. We are not to ignore some and prefer others. We are not to hold grudges, perpetuate division, or act in unseemly ways to wards our brothers and sisters. We are not to gossip, talk ill, make sarcastic comments, talk down, or do things which hurt or harm -and we need to communicate with each other so that we know if we are doing something that is causing injury to a brother or sister.
         So how can we demonstrate “Holy Manners?” What if we approached each conversation we had with our brothers and sisters, each interaction with our church family, and each attitude towards one another as if Jesus was standing right beside us? The fact is, Jesus is right beside us, and he is watching to see how we act towards each other, those for whom he also died and rose again. How would an awareness of Jesus' presence beside us, and his knowledge of our thoughts and attitudes inside of us, change our behavior towards our brothers and sisters?
         Of all people, our brothers and sisters in Christ should receive our very best attitudes, our very best actions, our very best treatment. Why? Because in Christ, they, like us have been redeemed!   We are to go out of our way to treat our brothers and sisters with the very best effort because of the common heritage we share in Christ. To think ill of our brothers and sisters, or to treat them badly may show that we really have not grasped the truth of the gospel message.
         As Paul says, there is an urgency to loving our brothers and sisters. We are to love one another because our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Jesus return is coming soon, and we want to be ready for that. So, let us think about how to act towards one another with “Holy Manners,” in response to grace and in view of God's mercy.

Charles

Being Joyful In Hope

Sun, 11 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Romans 12:12

         “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
         As today is Mother's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to consider a scripture that can be a wonderful guide for anyone who is a parent, especially Moms.   The Word of God is sensitive to our needs as human beings, and God is faithful to tell us how to navigate both the good times and the trying times in life with joy. In response to God's mercy, Paul encourages us to “be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” Let's take some time out to consider how this speaks to us as parents.
         If there is one thing we have as Christians in any situation, it is hope! We, of all people, are the most blessed to have hope. We have hope not only in this life, but hope of eternal life with Christ. As the Spirit lives in us to help us live that new life in Christ, the Spirit inspires “hope” within us (Romans 15:13). The hope that we have is not something conjured up by our own imagination. Hope is produced in us through the power of God's Spirit in response to God's grace. (Consider how Jesus' Mother was joyful in hope - Luke 1:39-55.)
         As parents, we don't always know what will happen to our children, how they will grow up, how they will respond to the pressures of life, or what kinds of interests they will pursue in life. There is always a tendency to 'worry' about what will happen to them, or to become afraid of how the outside influences might affect them. But consider the scripture “Be joyful in hope.” Love for our children “hopes all things” (I Corinthians 13:8). As parents, we always have hope that God is at work in the lives of our children, and that God is able to make things work out for them, even if the way seems dark and dreary at times. Romans 5:5 says that hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out this love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Loving our children involves “hope”-Spirit inspired hope-for this life and the life to come.
         To raise children is to be acquainted with affliction. How many times have we had to stay up with our children at night when they are sick, or endure hardship with them at school as they struggle to learn a difficult subject or deal with difficult people, or simply as they go through awkward stages in their lives. God encourages us to be “patient in affliction.” As parents, sometimes the truth is that we really don't know what to do to best handle a situation. Sometimes, we are just as lost as our children are in knowing how to respond or what to do. Sometimes, the answers to our children's problems are not apparent to us or to anyone around us. It is here that God tells us to be patient in affliction. Again, patience is a fruit of the Spirit, and God is with us, and by his grace, gives us the patience that we need.   As Paul says in Romans 5:3-5, our character is built through suffering. And as we are “patient in affliction” we teach our children to be the same way! Consider the widow of Zarephath as she was patient in affliction-1 Kings 17:7-24.
         Finally, the Word encourages us to be “faithful in prayer.” There is simply no more sound way of being a parent than to be faithfully praying for our children. To be “faithful in prayer” means to have prayer as a central part of the way we live our lives. As parents we remember to be lift our children up before the Father and asking for his wisdom and his guidance in how we are to raise them. All too often we can become so consumed with the daily “goings on” of life that we forget to pray for our children. (Consider Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2.)
         As the book of James says, if we lack wisdom we should ask as God gives generously without finding fault (James 1:5). One thing that we always need as parents is the wisdom to know how to respond to our children, and how to raise them in a way that is Godly and responsible. God knows what we need and he is willing and able to provide us with the kind of wisdom that we need to parent our children.
God answers prayers.
God is faithful.
God provides as we are….
Joyful in hope,
patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer

Charles

Practicing Hospitality

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Romans 12:9-16

         “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:9-13)
         What is one way we can show sincere love for one another? Romans 12:13 instructs us to share with God's people who are in need and practice hospitality. Love is something that God wants us to show for each other. If we have sincere love for one another we will practice hospitality, and through hospitality we will be able to find out the needs of our brothers and sisters and share in these needs as God leads us.
         What is hospitality? By definition, the word in Greek that is translated as “hospitality” in our English Bibles is the word “phioxenia” “Philo” meaning “love” and “xenos” meaning “strangers,” or a “love for strangers.” This word is found several times in the New Testament both to refer to how we are to treat each other and how we are to treat strangers. Romans 12:13, 16:23, 3 John 1-6, and I Peter 4:8-9 speak about showing hospitality to one another. I Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:8 instruct that those who are overseers must be hospitable. However, Hebrews 13:2 speaks about showing hospitality to strangers, as in so doing, some have “entertained angels without knowing it.” So “hospitality” includes not only an openness to each other, but a kindness to visitors, a friendly welcome, or kind and generous treatment offered to guests or strangers that come our way.
         What does hospitality look like? In its simplest form, hospitality can be a welcoming greeting or expression of God's love one for another, or to visitors that enter our midst. This can be difficult to do with someone we don't know: a stranger. However, is not also true that many of us in this room were strangers to each other in one way or another when we first arrived? Maybe we still feel like strangers to some in the congregation because we have not gotten to know them yet. Our tendency is to greet those we are comfortable with, talk to those we are like or have common interests. This is a good thing, but God calls us to something deeper and more intimate. Their are many ways we can be hospitable if we are willing to practice it, and allow God to give us the grace. As we begin to practice hospitality, not only because as Gods word instructs us to do so, but out of true love for others, the body of Christ will become stronger.

         Also, when someone extends hospitality to we need to realize that this may be God intervening in our lives, through this individual. Our yes/no answer is very important. We are talking about responding to God's love for us with a sincere Love for others….a love that is not about me, but about honoring others above myself. In our mind, we may not want to exercise our default responses: “I feel uncomfortable around other people” or “I have other plans.” The point is when God calls us to either give or receive hospitable, we should respond in a way that is consistent with God's mercy. If we can't make it to an invite, we may want to take it on ourselves to make time in the near future to get together. There are many roadblocks to hospitality time /busyness./ not wanting to open up our home. But God asks us, in faith, to love one another, and to love strangers, by showing hospitality.
        Hospitality is a tool we can use to express sincere Love. Hospitality says I'm thinking of you and want to include you in my life and to get to know you better if you'll let me. Showing hospitality is a way we can allow the Love of God to flow through others and at the same time experience the Love of God. Hospitality for needs to be shared and met. Hospitality through the grace of God can turns strangers into brothers and Sisters, in Christ.
       So, it is as important to give hospitality as to receive it. We are new creatures in Christ.(2 Corinthians 5:17-21.) God will give us the Grace and Faith to show hospitality. We all have needs, and as we practice hospitality in response to Gods Word we will be growing in our faith and preparing a place where love is sincere.
                                                                                                       Mark