Part 2!

As I have mentioned before, the direction and manner of this site have taken turns and directions I had never anticipated. I count it a blessing and I am in awe of how my Lord and His Holy Spirit have played a part in this endeavor.
I hope to return to my initial thought of providing a basics for the reading of scriptures and to understanding the basics of Christianity that it presents.

My intent was to leave the more heady and difficult teachings to your individual pastors and/or ministers. Almost immediately we headed into "deep water" but I see now how we may yet head back to my initial intentions but only if the Lord wills. I can do nothing without Him and I have no desire to try.

The following is the second part of a sermon I gave last year at this time. Again please remember that these are just my notes and not the whole sermon.
I am pleased to see where the Lord provided for these words to work on another level that I wasn't aware of at the time. I pray that they may be helpful to all who read or hear for their spiritual health and of course to the Glory of the Lord.
If you do find them helpful please feel free to pass them on to anyone else you think may need them or just give them this sites address. Of course if you have any questions or comments I would love to hear them. I may not have all the answers but I still like to hear the questions!

02/06/05

Every morning I tell my wife to be careful. Its not because I don’t think she knows she should be, but because she is That important to me. Please remember that as I speak today.

This morning we will be reading Romans 12. We will be reading from the 1^st through the 21^st verse. While you are turning there:

There are Three New Testament Ideas or analogies that are used to give us an idea of what a truly Christian community is supposed to be. The first idea is Family. We all pretty much know this. We seem to have no problem accepting that as the song says: “We’re all part of the family of God”. We know and have used the terms “brother and sister in Christ. Sometimes though I think we accept too easily that a family may be dysfunctional at times…

The second analogy we’re given would seem to refute the idea of a dysfunctional family because the analogy is that of the body. We are pictured in such an intimate relationship with Jesus and each other that only the organic relationship of cell linked to cell, interdependent organs and a head in loving control, can portray the reality. It would seem again though that often we assume that parts of the body – other than ourselves of course- are handicapped and that it can’t be helped.

The third picture is of a temple into which both individuals and the Church as a whole are built as a fitting home for God’s Holy Spirit.

Romans 12

Dedicated Service

¹Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

³For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. ⁴For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, ⁵so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with ^£liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

⁹Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; ¹¹not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹²rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, ¹³contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

¹⁴Bless those who persecute ^£you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. ¹⁷Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. ¹⁸If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. ¹⁹Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰“But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

In each of these ideas, intimate relationship, oneness, and unity are what is stressed. We are linked to one another as brothers and sisters, fitted together as parts of the body, joined by the Master Builder so that no cracks appear between the building blocks. The idea of Family is supposed to show us the importance of a quality relationship. The idea of one body shows us the interdependence and yet differing functions of the members. The Idea of the temple shows us our essential holiness.

In this day and age you have to wonder just how good these analogies are. A family is supposed to be the epitome of a quality relationship. In this day and age you have to wonder how many people even know what characteristics of family relationships are most important. The world we live in; we don’t have time to spend with family members. We have psychologists telling us its ok to think of ourselves first because we can’t help our faults; our parents are the ones to blame for everything we do now.

I for one am still amazed at how this nonsense is still being believed. The world says its ok to keep being selfish and self centered because of the way your parents treated you ten, twenty or even thirty years ago. Makes you just want to tell them “oh grow up already!”

If a family is going to be normal and healthy, a family needs to express love and acceptance. The family expresses these things in daily behavior and explores these in conversation. So a healthy family life is marked by open communication, by honest sharing of what is happening within each person.

The family is supposed to be a shared life, with example and instruction, correction and encouragement. If we spent more of our time and efforts on our relationship and fellowship with God we would know and see what our relationship as family members- biologically as well as spiritually- are supposed to be like.

Romans 12:10:” ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; “

“Give Preference to one another”: think of them as more important than you. If you read Acts you can see where they were able to pull that off. Christians are called to long-term commitment, shared lives and open communication.

We are to live comfortably with others and look to our leaders for an example of the kind of persons we are to become. We look to Jesus to be our example but I think too often we accept that He was perfect and we can’t be, so we don’t try to be like we should.

I know I am one of the worst when it comes to this. I have neighbors on two sides of me now and I’m thinking maybe its time to move farther out. I know that God has given me the job I have but I still hate only being able to come to Church with you once every other week. Not being able to because of my Job is not an excuse however, for not making more of an effort to keep my relationship with you more secure. I- just like you- find it too easy to let the cares of my personal life and this world get in the way of doing things the way God would have me. Once again my own laziness gets in the way and I apologize.

Of course there are other things we do that undermine what we are supposed to be too. We lose vision of the church as a family and think of it as an organization. We think of it as buildings and programs and activities instead of a network of relationships.

We tie ourselves together as a group that supports our missions instead of our mission as a support group. We neglect getting to know and supporting each other. That is when our growth in Christ becomes stunted or warped.

Just as poor family relationships and communication cause personality problems for growing children, poor relationships within the family of God cause problems for growing Christians. The difference is you won’t find a Christian psychologist who is going to tell you it’s not your fault. We have no excuse.

I have seen it over and over: Really Large and successful churches that have died or had ugly splits because their purpose died away.

Right now we have the missions that we support. We have those efforts to tie us together and give us purpose. Right now we work out our relationships so that we can “work” together. I see it at my Job were people behave properly because they have to work together but when the job is over they act like they don’t know each other. We are NOT supposed to be like that. We are Not supposed to just “get along” for the church service or the “family nights” or the after church fellowships. Certainly it is why I like having them, because it gives us a chance to get along.

It gives us a chance to really touch base with one another. We have to remember we really are family. It is not just a phrase or analogy. Blood is thicker than water and the Blood of Jesus is thicker, more powerful and more precious than anything that can be found on this earth or in our lives! We Must spread the love that is the Blood of Jesus on ourselves for forgiveness, on each other for Love and then we can spread the Blood of Jesus to the World. We can recover the New Testament emphasis on the church as a family. We can love one another as Christ commands.

This is the second sermon I have given in a row on this subject. Why? Because You are my Family and it is that important to me that you know that, and it is that important to me that you realize just who your family is and how important they are to you.

[post script: Please double check the scriptures presented and read them for yourself! Then apply them to your life!