Sunday, December 9, 2007
Romans 15:4-13
Senior Pastor
Recently I read a story about Francis Asbury. Do you recognize that name? Francis Asbury is the father of American Methodism. He was the key leader in the colonies. He was sent to America by John Wesley in 1771. Therefore he was here all through the years leading up to the Revolution and through the establishment of our country.
The book I was reading was pointing out that Asbury was a contemporary of Ben Franklin. Yet, it said they had very little in common. Franklin was a leader in the patriot cause, but Asbury was conflicted. Asbury was keenly focused and devoted to religion and faith, Franklin was not. Yet, it said they would have agreed on Franklin’s comment: “How many observe Christ’s birthday. How few his precepts. O! tis easier to keep holidays than commandments.” (Francis Asbury’s America by Terry D. Bilhartz, p. 110) The statement amused Franklin. It haunted Asbury and therefore, he poured his life out to reach and inspire Americans to greater devotion.
For five decades Asbury labored to narrow the gap between professors and practitioners of the faith. He was serious – he was dedicated to sparking a fire within people to be servants of Christ. In our reading today Paul is writing about this same dynamic by reminding people that Christ became a servant for the circumcised [v. 8] (that is the Jews) for their good but also for the good of the Gentiles. Paul is saying to the Romans that Christ is at work for both those who were seen as insiders, the Jews, but not only for them, also for the Gentiles, i.e., the outsiders.
Paul writes in verse 5: May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus. You can hear in this passage Paul’s awareness that there is conflict in the early church. Of course, he knew that firsthand because he was in the middle of much of the conflict. Paul knew that we have trouble getting along inside the church, let alone getting along with all those outside the church. In fact, too often we are so entangled with the conflicts inside the church that we don’t even think of those outside the church.
So, Paul reminds us today that Christ became a servant to bring good to those inside and outside the church. Have you ever had the experience of walking into a place where you were not sure how to act or what to expect? It might have been going to a live theater performance for the first time or to a new school or job, maybe just to a fancy restaurant or country club. Can you remember a time like this? Think about how you felt. Recall the uneasiness, the fear or anxiety that it created within you. Now, realize that you were not any different in regard to who you were as a person, but somehow you harbored some inner doubt – you questioned if you would measure up.
I was invited by a friend one time to come to his country club to play golf. It was a place that I had never been. I drove up to the gate and spoke to the guard, giving the name of the member. The large gates slowly opened so I could drive on up the long winding tree lined driveway. I thought, “My car isn’t nice enough. At least, I should have washed it. I don’t know how to act here. I hope I don’t do anything stupid and embarrass myself. I should have practiced my game yesterday so I could play better today.” It’s amazing how many doubts can fly through your mind in a matter of minutes.
I parked and found my way to the dining room where I was to meet my host. Then he looked at me and said, “Is that what you are going to wear to play today?” I thought so. But then he said, “The rule here is no denim.” It was about this time of year and I had worn blue jeans. Okay, make it official, I am embarrassed – really embarrassed. For some entering a church or coming to worship is that kind of experience. It can happen anytime you are going to a place where you think others belong but you are just a visitor.
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (v. 7) Then Paul concludes in verse 13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Welcome others, be filled with joy and peace and abound in hope. The Good News for us is that this is all possible, as Paul says, through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is God’s work in us. This is a real possibility for you and for me. During Advent season we focus on the coming Messiah, the Christ child, but let me suggest that it is more than that. A deeper aspect is that we focus on what difference this child can make in our lives. We look at this description of what the church, the community of the faithful should look like and we see that we can be a part of a people that are full of welcome and joy and peace and hope. That’s exciting to me.
That’s the kind of people I want to be a part of, don’t you? I want to be a part of a place where I am wanted and warmly welcomed; a place where I can experience joy and peace and hope. That kind of place is what so many people need and what a thrill, that we can help make that happen for others.
It happens in our small groups here at the church. It has happened for a number of people we are going to honor today at the end of the service who have recently finished the Disciple I Bible Study. Montie Walton of our congregation was one of the students in this class and he is going to come now and share with us a little about the impact of this study on his class. I want you to notice particularly how this connects with this focus on what difference this child can make in our lives.
Montie ---
I think you can hear that by becoming more deeply immersed in God’s word, these people have been changed. They have become more deeply devoted disciples and now they will be sharing that with others in a whole host of ways. See, they are not only going to observe the holiday, they are going to be practitioners of the faith.
Welcome others, be filled with joy and peace and abound in hope. Who could you welcome this season? To whom could you reach out? May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you such a gift this Advent season. Amen and thanks be to God.
Francis ____________ is the father of American Methodism.
“How many observe Christ’s birthday. How few his precepts.
O! tis easier to keep holidays than commandments.”
…narrow the gap between professors and practitioners
of the __________.
May the God of steadfastness & encouragement grant
you to live
in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus.
…Christ became a servant to bring good to those inside
and
______________ the church.
…walking into a place where you were not sure how to
______ or what to expect?
v. 7
v. ____
Welcome ____________,
be filled with joy and peace
and abound in hope.
A deeper aspect is that we focus on what difference this
child
can make in ______ lives.
…we can be a part of a people that are full of
______________
and joy and peace and hope.
That kind of place is what so many people ________…
Montie ____________ …was one of the students…
See, they are not only going to observe the holiday, they
are
going to be __________________________ of the faith.
Kid’s fill in the blanks: Welcome others, be filled with
______
and __________ and abound in ________ .