Welcome One Another

Relating with others is at the very center of most all of our lives.  Although we all desire and want to relate with others, we also know that relating with others can be very difficult.  I observe two very distinct ways that we can relate with others . . . 1) Selfish Relating is relating with others because of how we benefit from the relationship.  We enjoy relating with others because they make us feel good, loved, wanted, and valuable.  Another alternative that very few people experience is . . . 2) Shared Relating is relating with others because of the mutual benefits that you and the other person experience as a result of the relationship.  In Romans 12:5 Paul describes this ideal type of shared relating with others by saying, “we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another (cf Eph. 4:25).”  God’s ideal relationship is between brothers and sisters in Christ who share mutual love, acceptance, and belonging together.

God has provided a number of relational characteristics in His Word that will help us experience this type of shared relationship with others.  Let’s look at the very first characteristic of a godly relationship with others . . .

READ:  Romans 15:1-7

In verse 7 Paul gives us Godly Relational Characteristic # 1: WELCOME One Another!  The word welcome means to, “accept or receive someone into your life with friendliness.”  The beginning of godly relationships with others is a willingness to accept anyone and everyone into your life!  How do we do this?  Paul tells us, he goes on to say, “as Christ has welcomed you”.  As Christ has accepted us into relationship with Himself, we are to accept others into relationship with us.  So, an important question to answer is How has Christ welcomed us into relationship with Him?  Our text hints at a few ways Jesus welcomed us . . .

Jesus Christ welcomed us by PLEASING us (Rom. 15:2-3) –Jesus Christ’s entire life was lived not for the purpose of pleasing Himself, but rather for the purpose of pleasing others.  Jesus always spoke and did things unselfishly that would give pleasure to others (Phil. 2:3-8).  We must approach all relationships with a desire to speak and do things, “for (their) good” and to, “build (them) up”.  Pleasing others almost always involves personal sacrifice because it requires us to unselfishly give up what we want with the personal pleasure of others in mind.

Jesus Christ welcomed us by bearing our REPROACH (Rom. 15:3-4) – Jesus Christ was the object of reproach (insult/ridicule) throughout His life.  In even the most intense moments of criticism, Jesus committed no sin and did not return insult for insult, but instead entrusted Himself to God (1 Peter 2:21-24).  We all reproach Christ with our sin, and yet Jesus Christ did not give us what we deserve but instead mercifully, “died for us” (Rom. 3:23).  There will be relationships in our lives that we must allow the reproach of others to “fall on us” without a word or act of vengeance or retaliation.  The temptation in these moments will be to reject them and shut them out of our lives.  Christ was willing to bear the reproach of our sin, therefore we must be ready to bear the reproach of others’ sin toward us!

Jesus Christ welcomed us by living in HARMONY with us (Rom. 15:5) – Jesus Christ lived in harmony with others and He established harmony between others.  Where there was once hostility and animosity between Gentiles and Jews, Jesus Christ brought peace, harmony, and unity through the cross (Eph. 2:11-16).  Oneness and unity with others (no matter how big of a social, financial, religious, or racial difference) is the result of our individual oneness and unity with Jesus Christ.  Such harmony with Christ and others will result in us together and in one voice, “glorifying God”.

 CONCLUSION

At the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Romans 16:16 he commands the believers to express their acceptance of one another in a tangible way by, “greet(ing) one another with a holy kiss”!  Whether it is a kiss on the cheek, a handshake, or a hug, there is something special about a tangible expression of acceptance in a shared relationship.  Jesus’ tangible expression of welcoming us into relationship with Him was His death on the cross for our sins.  Have you accepted Jesus’ welcoming you into relationship with Him?  Once we’ve experienced the welcoming love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, you’ll know exactly what it means to welcome others into your life!

Out of This World: Loss NOT Gain!

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor and theologian who stood against Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party.  Bonhoeffer was hung as a martyr for his Christian faith in a Nazi concentration camp at the age of 39 in 1945 for participating in a resistance against Hitler in support of the Jews.  He is most well-known for writing a book called “The Cost of Discipleship” in which he penned the famous statement, “when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”  This statement summarized Bonhoeffer’s belief that being a follower of Christ is not cheap but costly and allows us to, “live in the world without being of it”, and to be “truly free to live our lives in this world”!

Where did Dietrich Bonhoeffer obtain such a strong belief?  What was the source of his willingness to stand up to Hitler in the face of death?  

READ:  Matthew 16:24-26

Jesus Christ taught what Dietrich Bonhoeffer came to believe and live out, that life is FOUND when we LOSE our lives in this world!  It is a great and beautiful paradox in Christianity that when we lose our lives we truly find it.  Losing our lives has a specific cause, it is for a specific purpose, most significantly losing our lives is for the sake of a specific person . . . Jesus Christ!  How do we lose our lives for the sake of Jesus Christ?

We must FORBID ourselves the LIFE we want (Mt. 16:24) – Forbidding ourselves things we want is hard to do.  Our golden retriever Daisy had zero ability to forbid herself something that she wanted.  She would spend 5 straight days digging a hole underneath a fence just so she could get to a ball.  Are there things in life that we react the same way towards?  We spend our lifetimes pursuing what we want when we should “deny (ourselves)” and live for God.  Our lives are not our own to do with what we want, we are the possession of God and therefore we need to use our lives for His purpose and glory (Rom. 14:7-8; 1 Cor. 6:19b-20a)!

Every day we are to WRITE another page of our OBITUARY (Mt. 16:24) – An autobiography is an account of a person's life written or composed by themselves.  If you were to write and autobiography do you think that you would choose to choose the genre of an obituary?  The apostle Paul wrote his own obituary in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”  Like Paul, by “taking up (our) cross”, we are to put ourselves to death in order that we may walk a new life in Christ (Rom. 6:3-7, 11)!  Daily we are to die to the desire to write our own story, but instead let God author every chapter of our life.

See ourselves as a FOLLOWER instead of a LEADER (Mt. 16:24) - Do you remember getting to be the line leader in elementary school?  How proud to be the ONE that marched everyone down the hall to recess or to the lunch room.  Is that not the position that we are encouraged to achieve in life?  Jesus does not call us to be at the front of the line, rather to place ourselves last and least among others and take up the humble position of following.  Jesus’ call to be disciple is an invitation to leave the world and follow Him (Mt. 4:18-22)!

CONCLUSION
Another popular Christian martyr was Jim Elliot.  Jim was one of five missionaries killed at the age of 29 in 1956 while participating in Operation Auca, an attempt to share the gospel with the Huaorani people of Ecuador in South America.  Jim’s expressed the heart of loss not gain eleven years before he died when he wrote in a personal journal, “he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lost”.  Jim understood something that we need to understand as we live in this world.  There is nothing in this world that is worth holding onto compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing and following Jesus Christ!

READ: Philippians 3:7-11

Out of This World: Light NOT Dark

We do not have to look any further than the front page of a news web site to realize we live in a very dark world.  The darkness of our world is evident in a long list of sin, evil and wickedness including things like war, injustice, oppression, murder, sexual immorality, anger, drunkenness, hatred, gossip, and jealousy.  This darkness is not just “out there” in the world, it is within each and every one of us.  Darkness is in our lives and the lives of those around us.  We desperately need a light to shine in this darkness in order for us to experience good, righteous, and true things including peace, justice, fairness, faithfulness, mercy, kindness, and love.  Where might we find the source of such a great light?

God’s Word tells us that the source of light that overcomes the darkness is Jesus Christ!  John 1:4-5 says that, “Jesus was the life, and the life was the light of men . . . and (His) light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  In John 8:12 Jesus Himself said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  Just as darkness cannot exist in the presence of light; sin, evil, and wickedness cannot exist in the presence of Christ.  How do we bring the light of Christ to the world?

READ:  Matthew 5:14-16

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells His disciples that believers in Christ are to be the LIGHT in a dark WORLD!  Ephesians 5:8 says that, “at one time (we) were darkness, but now (we) are the light in the Lord.  Walk as children of the light.”  Believers in Christ carry the Lord Jesus Christ as the source of the light of goodness, righteousness, and truth within us which can be seen by others.  How can we most effectively shine this light in our dark world?

As believers in Christ, light must be who we ARE (Mt. 5:14) – The invention of electricity has changed the way we use light.  If we want light, we turn the switch on.  If we don’t want light, we turn the switch off.  This is not how we are to understand the light of Christ dwelling within us.  Jesus said that his disciples, “ARE the light of the world”!  We do not turn this light “ON” when we want to and turn it “OFF” when we want to.  Since Jesus is light, if He dwells inside of us, the switch in our lives has been permanently turned to the ON position . . . light is who we ARE!  The light of Christ is either within us and is shining brightly or it is not within us and we are darkness.  Since light is who we are, we will only do what a light does, . . . shine.

Our light must not be HIDDEN, but SHINE for the world to see (Mt. 5:15) – “This Little Light of Mine” is a popular children’s song written in 1920.  One line in the song says, “hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it shine.”  No one lights a lamp and hides it!  Once the light of Christ is shining within us, it is not something we should be embarrassed or ashamed of and want to keep “hidden” or conceal. The light of Christ dwelling within us should be something that is visible for all to see.  He should be placed on the stand of our lives where EVERYONE will see His glory in our lives.

Our light shines before others through GOOD WORKS (Mt. 5:16) – The way that Christ will shine brightest in and through us is by the “good works” that He has created for us to do for other people (Eph. 2:10).  God created us to transmit His glory (often described as light) throughout the world.  The good works we do radiate the love and compassion that God has for all people.  We put the glory of God on display as the light of Christ shines through the good works of our lives (2 Cor. 9:8; Col. 1:10; 1 Tim. 6:18; Titus 2:7, 14).

CONCLUSION
Philippians 2:15 Paul said that we are to be, “children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom (we) shine as lights in the world!”  The crooked and twisted generation that we are living in desperately needs the light of Christ.  Is the light of Christ shining brightly in and through you?

Out of This World: Content NOT Rich

It doesn’t take too much to make us feel discontent in life.  We are discontent with our game system, we are discontent with our clothes, we are discontent with our car, we are discontent with our phone, we our discontent with our house, in general we all live in a pretty miserable state of discontent.  Why?  Because we do not possess the latest or greatest of what the world has to offer.  Discontent does not have to characterize us . . .

Writing from a jail cell Paul says in Philippians 4:11-13 that he has, “learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.  In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”  But wait, he told us he had learned the secret of contentment, but he didn’t tell us how he had learned it.  Come on Paul, don’t leave us hanging!  Thankfully, Paul wrote another letter to a young disciple named Timothy where he shared a few details about the secret behind his contentment!

READ:  1 Timothy 6:6-10

The pursuit of godliness relieves us of our need for RICHES and allows us to be CONTENT in this world (cf 1 Timothy 4:7-8)!  What are some things we need to learn in order to be content?

We will be content when we understand we can take NOTHING out of this world into ETERNITY (1 Tim. 6:7) – He who dies with the most toys, . . . still dies!  According to Paul, reflecting on the reality of our imminent death is a way to learn contentment.  Sounds a little depressing, but it is true.  No matter how much we accumulate, no matter how valuable something might be to us, whether we live 20 years or 100 years, our net worth and our stuff do not go with us.  Plain and simple, when our lives are over we cannot take “anything” with us out of this world.  That fact should shape our priorities in life and be a constant reminder of what is important and valuable.  Life is so much more than the abundance of our possessions. If we want to be content in life, we need to learn this NOW (Job 1:21; Eccl. 5:13-16; Lk. 12:13-21).

We will be content knowing our BASIC NEEDS have been PROVIDED (1 Tim. 6:8) – “There are children dying in Africa!”  This is a phrase that parents use to get their children to eat food that they are discontent with.  In order to be content, we need to be able to identify the huge difference between what we WANT and what we NEED.  By elevating so many wants in life to the level of need, we forget that our true needs do not go a whole lot further than “food” and “clothing”.  Confusing wants and needs destroys our contentment, whereas being genuinely thankful for our daily bread is a big step toward learning to be content (Mt. 6:11).

We will be content if we avoid the DESIRE to be rich and the LOVE of money (1 Tim. 6:9-10) – We are all guilty of wanting more, and more, and MORE, and MORE!  This is a serious issue, if we are not careful, we are in jeopardy of destroying more than our contentment, but our very faith in God.  Listen very carefully, there is nothing wrong with being rich, but our “desire to be rich” will plunge us into ruin and destruction.  There is nothing wrong with having money (even lots of money), but our “love of money” is the source of all kinds of other evil in our lives.  Our desire for more must be put to death, and when it is, we will be free to be content and enjoy what God has blessed us with (Mt. 6:24; Lk. 18:24-25; Col. 3:5-6).

CONCLUSION
Make no mistake about it, we are rich!  Paul has some final words for us in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, “as for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.  They are to do good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” Paul learned the secret of contentment and it was found in a relationship with God!  Let us find our contentment in Him and Him alone!

Out of This World: Strangers NOT Citizens

One of the strangest experiences I have ever had was in college.  I played basketball and studied most of my free time so I didn’t have an abundant social life.  In an effort to loosen me up a bit, my college roommate and another friend “kidnapped” me, blindfolded me, and drove 45 minutes to a dance club.  I’ll be honest, I felt about as strange and out of place as any moment in my life.  The noise, the atmosphere, the overall everything were not the environment that I would have chosen to participate in.  Nobody likes to feel strange, and yet, sometimes feeling strange and out of place is an appropriate response to our surroundings.

READ:  1 Peter 1:1; 2:11-12

In writing to Christians, Peter tells His brothers and sisters in Christ that being STRANGE is good! According to Peter, we will not feel at home on this earth because we are SOJOURNERS and EXILES in this world!  A SOJOURNER is a person who lives in a land where they have no citizenship.  An EXILE is a person who temporarily lives in a place that is not their normal place of residence.

Being a sojourner and an exile is hard.  If you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country you know what it is like to be a stranger.  The COMMUNICATION is strange, the citizens speak a different language.  The CULTURE is strange, the citizens have different values and priorities.  The CONDUCT is strange, the citizens have different behavior and habits.  Living in this world as believers will be strange.  Why do we feel strange and what are we supposed to do as sojourners and exiles in this world?

We have been ELECTED by God to be EXILES in the world (1 Pet. 1:1-3) – As a result of Marianne and I electing to adopt a little girl named Sarah from Guatemala into our family, she is no longer a resident of her home country.  By becoming a member of our family she moved to a “foreign land” and has accepted a different language, different culture, and a different way of living.  In a similar way, our salvation changes our resident status in the world from citizen to stranger.  As God’s “elect” we are no longer citizens of this world, but we are “exiles” who have accepted a completely different way of living!  We are now citizens of God’s kingdom who are living in a foreign and very strange land (Eph. 1:3-6).

As sojourners and exiles in this world, we are to ABSTAIN from sinful behavior (1 Pet. 2:11) – War is a battle waged against an enemy whose goal is to destroy.  As sojourners and exiles in this world, there is an enemy who is waging war against us, but unlike what we might think, it is not an enemy who is outside of us.  We are at war with ourselves!  Our enemy is our own earthly passions, our own desire and attraction to return to our old sinful way of living (James 1:14:15).  How do we defeat this enemy?  God’s battle plan to fight against the “passions of our flesh” is to “abstain”.  The word “abstain” means to, “be a distance away from”.  We can defeat our passions by staying away from those things that entice us back to our old sinful ways of living.  If we don’t, we will be defeated.

As sojourners and exiles in this world, we are to keep our CONDUCT HONORABLE and do GOOD DEEDS (1 Pet. 2:12) – It’s easy to spot someone who stands out in a crowd.  A Chicago Cub’s fan stands out at a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.  What is it that makes a Christian stand out in the crowd of the world?  “Honorable conduct” and “good deeds” are what make our lives’ stand out and captures the attention of an unbelieving world.  We declare our heavenly citizenship by the holy and upright manner in which we conduct our lives.  Such “foreign” behavior is what will give God the attention and glory He deserves (Matthew 5:16).

CONCLUSION
This world is not our home!  We should feel strange and out of place on this earth.  If we don’t, we should ask ourselves, “am I a citizen of the Kingdom of God?”  The good news is that transferring our citizenship from the world to God’s Kingdom is easy, confess your sin and believe in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10)!

Out of This World: Hatred NOT Friendship

Have you ever taken the time to read the comments at the end of a news article or a Facebook status on a controversial issue?  Wow, those comments are full of cruelty and hostility!  I think those comments often represent the hidden hatred that dwells inside the hearts of people.  Leaving an “anonymous” comment is a way for people to express their animosity toward someone or an issue that they feel strongly about.

For example, World Vision’s decision to reverse its decision concerning the hiring of individuals in a same-sex relationship caused an eruption of hateful responses.  These responses unveil some of the thoughts and beliefs people have toward God and those who are genuinely attempting to follow Christ.  What’s behind this hatred?

READ:  John 15:18-25

The world will HATE us as a result of our friendship with God!  Expect it, don’t be surprised by it, don’t try to avoid it, in fact, we are blessed as a result of being hated by the world (Luke 6:22)!  As Christ followers, understanding why the world hates us will help us be more prepared for the hostility directed at us.

The world will hate us because it HATED Jesus FIRST (John 15:18, 20-21, 25) – In other words, we are guilty by association. To be guilty by association means the world attributes guilt to us because of our association with Jesus who the world considers guilty.  Since the world hates Jesus, we who are associated with Him will be hated as well.  Why does the world hate Jesus?  Jesus was "hated" because He claimed to be God, He spent time with sinners, and He claimed the authority to forgive sin.  To the world, Jesus is a divine authority that they do not want to receive or submit to.  So, when we receive and submit to Him the world violently rejects us as well.  Is there enough evidence in our lives that others would say we are associated with Jesus?  If so, expect to be hated; if not, it might be worth considering whether we are truly associated with Him or not!

The world will hate us because God CHOSE to SET US APART from this world (John 15:19) – As long as we speak, behave, and live in a way that is similar to the rest of the world we will be loved.  As long as we “fit right in” the world will welcome and accept us.  The world loves us when we “join the party”.  In contrast, being “chosen” by God means being set apart and living a distinctly different life of holiness.  When God sets us apart and we are no longer “of this world” the world will be personally offended.  Our attempt to live holy lives will be interpreted by the world as treason and therefore we become bigoted and intolerant.

The world will hate us because GOD’s PRESENCE in us reminds them of their SIN (John 15:22-24) – In my previous youth ministry I would go once a week to the public school and visit students during the lunch hour.  There were many times when I would approach a table and I would see the students whispering to one another.  I’m pretty sure the conversation went something like, “hey you guys, this is my youth pastor, let’s clean up the conversation.”   My presence made them feel guilty about their behavior.  God’s holy presence convicts and reminds the world of the “guilt” of their sin (John 16:8-11).  To the lost and dying world, Christ followers are the presence of God, so when we walk in a room, it is God’s presence in us that reminds them of their guilt.  Remember, it is not us they hate, it is the presence of God in us that brings conviction into their life!

CONCLUSION
For some of us we are not in the position of the world hating us, but rather in a position where we are the ones who hate God!  “What!?!” you might ask, “I don’t hate God.”  James 4:4 says, “do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”  Our close companionship with the world puts us in opposition to God.  As enemies of God we must repent of our friendship with the world, put our faith in Christ for salvation, and confirm our association with Him.  When we do, we will reverse our status, no longer being enemies of God, but instead friends of God who are hated by the world.

Out of This World: Transformed NOT Conformed

There are two things that most young children enjoy when they are little, . . . jello and butterflies! 

My best memory of jello as a kid was one evening when my mother made strawberry jello squares.  Rather than eat them like normal human being, I decided to impress my siblings by trying to bounce them off the ceiling and catch them in my mouth.  This did not work, the first jello square I tossed stuck to the ceiling.  At first this seemed fun, I laid on my back on the floor and waited for it to fall so I could catch it in my mouth.  This never happened and in an effort to hide this activity I scraped it off the ceiling with a spatula.  This did not work either, removing the “popcorn” texture from the ceiling and leaving a red stain that needed to be painted over!

In elementary school I had a friend name Greg who lived across the street who was a park ranger wanna be.  If he saw a creature in distress you could count on Greg to save the day.  I would often do things to antagonize Greg, one particular time I decided to swat butterflies to the ground out of the air just to make Greg mad which turned into a wrestling fight.

There is a verse in the Bible that uses jello and butterflies as an illustration of how we are to live “out of this world” lives, check it out . . .

READ:  Romans 12:1-2

Did you catch it?  The word “conform” in verse 2 means to, “mold or shape into a certain pattern”.  Does that sound like a characteristic of jello?  The word “transform” in verse 2 is where we get the word metamorphosis which means to, “completely change the essential nature of something”.  Does that sound like the process a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly?  What do jello and butterflies teach us about Romans 12:2?  I thought you’d never ask . . .  

The world wants to us CONFORM ourselves into its MOLD (Rom. 12:2a) – Just like jello can be molded into any shape, the world has a mold that it wants all of us to “conform” ourselves into.  It is a mold that shapes our thinking, our attitudes, our words, and our actions.  The world’s mold is NOT something we are to pattern our life after.  We must be careful not allow our love for the things of this world to be what shapes our lives (1 John 2:15-17).

God wants to TRANSFORM us into something completely new (Rom. 12:2b) – METAMORPHOSIS is the unexplainable and miraculous transformation a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly.  This is the type of complete transformation God takes us through when we give our lives to Him.  It is not something that we do for ourselves, but something that God does in us to change us from one thing into something completely new and different (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Where does this transformation begin?

Transformation begins with a renewed MIND (Rom. 12:2c) – New and improved!  This is a phrase that advertisers use to communicate that an old product has undergone a significant change and is now either brand new or superior to the old one.  God wants to take us through a “renewal” process where the end result is a new and improved version of ourselves!  This renewal begins with our thinking.  When God changes what we think, therefore what we believe, He will effectively change our outward actions and behavior into the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:17-23)!

Transformation results in the ability to discern the WILL of GOD (Rom. 12:2d) – With a new and improved mind and self we will have a brand new desire and ability discern and do God’s will.  God’s will for our lives is good, it is something that is morally right and honorable.  God’s will is acceptable, it is something that is pleasing to do.  And ultimately, God’s will is perfect, it is something that is exactly right for our lives.  With a transformed life we will be dedicated to discerning and understanding what pleases the Lord and doing it (Eph. 5:9-10, 17; Col. 1:9-10).

CONCLUSION

When we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, God radically CHANGES our NATURE into something different than the world!  There are 2 pre-requisites for God to do this transformation in our lives.  We must receive God’s mercy through faith in Jesus Christ and we must present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1).   Only then will we be able to step out of the world’s mold and experience the life transforming work of God in our lives!