Romans 15:4-13 We Christians
ought to be people of hope. As dark a
day as was Good Friday, Easter Sunday changed everything. Living on this side of the resurrection we
know that darkness and death have no claim upon our lives.
The Bible says
that the one who began a good work in us WILL bring it to completion on the day
of our Lord Jesus Christ and that all things work for the good of those who
love God. In other words, no matter what
befalls us in life, no matter what we have to go through, the Lord who died and
rose for us is at work in our lives and will bring us to himself.
We Christians
ought to be people of hope. And yet when
we are caught up in some conflict with our fellow Christians, whether that is
in our congregation or family or marriage, we have a tendency to believe that
the dark cloud over our lives right now will never go away—and that robs us of
hope.
That is why the
Lord speaks to us in his word today—so that we might have the encouragement we
need to live as people of hope. The
Bible says that:
Whatever was written
in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and
through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
I
want to give you two word pictures that I hope will help you understand what the
Bible is talking about when it comes to endurance and encouragement.
First of all,
picture a weight lifter holding a barbell above his head. The weight is pressing down on him but he is
determined to hold it up. That is the
meaning of the word endurance—the strength to bear up under pressure that
weighs us down.
Now think about a
long trench full of soldiers in WWI.
Bullets are whizzing over head, bombs are raining down. The soldiers are scared to death. But there in the trenches with them, running
up a down the lines, is an officer who is calling upon them to be brave and do
their duty. That is the picture behind
the word encouragement.
Endurance and
encouragement are the spiritual resources that we need to live as people of
hope—especially when there are disagreements and conflict between us and our
fellow Christians in our marriage and family and congregation.
We are bound to
one another by a shared faith in Jesus-- but that doesn’t mean we are always
going to agree with one another about every little thing. There are going to be difficulties and
disagreements that weigh down upon us like a barbell that we have to hold
up. We need to be encouraged to love one
another even when there is conflict.
Endurance and
encouragement are going to be needed so long as we are in this world and Paul
says that we can count on God giving them to us. They are spiritual gifts that come through
hearing his Word so that we can grow in Christ-likeness and live in harmony
with one another. The Bible says:
May the God of endurance
and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord
with Christ Jesus…
The
scriptures which give endurance and
encouragement come from the God of endurance and encouragement. The God who inspired the words of Scripture is the same God who empowers our life so that we can live in
harmony with one another.
The word that Paul
uses there for harmony means like-minded—in other words: we think about things
the same way. But isn’t that that the
very problem so many Christians have with one another—that we don’t always see
things the same way?
That is why Paul
adds those important words: in accord with Christ Jesus. In other words, it is not so much that we think
about things the same way among ourselves-- but we make sure that we are thinking
about things the same way as Jesus Christ.
The true measure
of Christian harmony is not just that we get along with one another or put up
with one another or grit our teeth and get along--there are plenty of marriage
and families and congregations like that.
What does matter in our life together as
Christian people is that our harmony comes from being united by Jesus
Christ—his word and will having the final say in all that we say and do.
Where he has NOT
spoken, then it is his love that is to be evident in our lives as each of us
endeavors to put others ahead of ourselves—willingly laying aside our personal preferences
for the good of our brothers and sisters.
The Bible says that we are to live in harmony with one another so that: together we may with one voice glorify the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When there is
division and discord among Christians in marriages and families and
congregations, what the world hears is not a united voice of praise to God or a
common witness to the goodness of Jesus Christ--but what they hear instead are
the complaints of one Christian against one another. Griping and complaining does not serve to
glorify God or extend the saving mission of Christ.
Instead, we should
follow the example of Jesus Christ and treat our fellow Christians as Christ
treats them. The Bible says: Therefore
welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. And so the question is: how did Christ welcome us? Just as we were—spots and wrinkles and
blemishes.
He reached out to
the woman caught in adultery- and ate dinner with Zacchaeus- and made a place
for disciples who would fail him in his hour of need.
Our relationships
with fellow Christians becomes Christ-like when there is a place in our midst for
people who are different than us—people who have a different perspective from
ours—people from a different place in society.
If Christ has
welcomed them into God’s family by faith- we are to welcome them and make a
place for them in our lives. This is why
Christ came to earth—not only to reconcile us to God-- but to reconcile us to
one another. The Bible says that:
Christ became a
servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the
promises given to the patriarchs,
When Adam and Eve
sinned it not only wrecked their relationship with God-- it wrecked their
relationship with one another-- and not only for them-- but for all their
descendants down to the folks sitting in these pews this evening. But Christ came to reconcile all people to
himself and all people to one another.
That reconciliation
was a promise that God made first to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and
then renewed again and again with his ancient people Israel
God’s faithfulness
was proved beyond any doubt in his gift of a Son whom the Bible says become a servant of the circumcised—that is
the Jews.
Just think of the
graciousness of God in that statement! The
people who abandoned the Lord—the people who in large measure stopped looking
for the Messiah—were given the gift of a Savior—and not only for them-- but for
the world. The Bible says that Jesus also
came:
in order that the
Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I
will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name." And again it is said, "Rejoice, O
Gentiles, with his people." And
again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol
him." And again Isaiah says,
"The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in
him will the Gentiles hope."
God
the Father sent his Son into the world to show his faithfulness to his covenant
promise to his covenant people, the Jews.
But from the very beginning, God intended to save all people.
The messiah would
come from the Jews but he would be for the world. He was sent so that we too might glorify God—so
that we too can rejoice in God’s salvation—so that we too can know his wise rule
and live with him forever. And so then…
What are our petty
differences compared to our unity in the Lord who has always wanted to unite us
into one body of his Son Jesus Christ?
What are our disagreements compared to the unity we have as fellow
believers in Christ?!
The encouragement
and endurance we receive from God through his Word is the power we need to get
past differences that don’t matter and turn our eyes of faith to the future and
the eternal life we will one day share with one another. The Bible says:
May the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy
Spirit you may abound in hope.
Just
as the God of endurance and encouragement gives
endurance and encouragement to his people-- so this same God of hope gives
hope to his people. We don’t have to
wonder or worry about what the future holds for us or for our fellow Christians
in our marriages and families and congregation because the joy and peace we
have right now as God’s children-- will also be ours in the future.
The same Holy
Spirit who has brought us to faith and made us a part of Christ’s body will
continue his work among us, drawing us ever closer to one another so that we
may, with one voice, glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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