What A Christian Fellowship Must Do….
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in 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 the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:9-13, NIV)
Real love is what he’s talking about—-not the saccharine type of fake smiles and meaningless quip like, “let’s have lunch”. It’s got to be real—-genuine, It’s eye to eye, with a hand on a shoulder saying, “I mean this!” It’s not just words—-it’s consistent action and a new way of living—a way of looking at people and treating people that is not “of this world”, it’s of a transcendent nature.
To hate evil is to “exterminate” it—to “kill” it. But that’s supposed to be within our own psyches first. That’s the only response to evil. Not to merely “understand it”, or excuse it or mollify or reduce it—-but to see it for what it is and to despise it—-while at the same time, if it’s evil you see in another, loving the offender! And that’s the rub. We can hate crazy, whacko liberal ideas or laws, and we fiercely despise those that hate our nation or try to denounce our faith and history. But does that lead us to hate them as well? That’s the danger.. if Christ is not sovereign in our lives and we get too caught up in policy, politics, and TV. Only the love of God in our hearts protects us from hating those that hate light and truth and those things we hold scared.
Paul goes beyond the idea of us just saying that we should have a “hidden love” in our hearts for others—he challenge us to prove it by being outwardly devoted to each other. Now why did he say that? Because back then, and for the past 2000 years, Christians talk about love and warm feelings, but they often, lazily, dd not do anything to show it! They were neglecting putting into action that professed love!
We’re devoted to political parties, football teams, TV shows, celebrities and those saints and Christian heroes that are long dead and gone—but what about to the living—to those within this room right now! Are we devoted to each other? Do we deeply care about each other???
I can guarantee you, that we will grow, as a fellowship of believers, if we do this:
Honor the other above ourselves! Did you hear that? This, in my humble opinion, is what draws people to a fellowship, and initially, to the Christian faith. A real….vibrant…genuine….authentic interest in the other person! The common man spends so much time trying to get others interested in himself and fails to realize, as Dale Carnegie claimed, that “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
If you listen to those that lost the election last week, some of those pundits leaders are beginning to understand that! Interest in others—-their needs—and not trying to get them interested in our needs!—-causes us to have compassion, pray more earnestly, and hope for better things for the other guy—not just for us and our family.
The greatest apologist of the 20th century, was undoubtedly C.S. Lewis—I quote him often, I know. But he was in intellectual giant! Yet….. his humble, common way of living had lifelong influence on his step-son who lived with him only nine years. Lewis taught him, by example this:
There are no ordinary people. In this life, remember that you have never talk to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and the lives of nations and cultures are to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals—common people like you and me— whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—we are are all immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously—no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner—no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to our Lord, our neighbor—the one sitting beside you— should be the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbor, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him Christ lives—the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.
You see, C.S. Lewis, famous and awe-inspiring though he was, never seemed to take himself seriously, but considered every eight year old that sent him a letter, asking questions about Aslan or Narnia, quite serious. He esteemed others, and their opinions, with deep respect, and he practiced what is so lacking today—-hospitality! Douglas, the step son if Lewis, recalled his mother reading The Chronicles of Narnia to him as a very young boy. When his mother told him they would be going to live with the Lewis, Douglas imagined him to be heroic, like a character in one of his stories. But in person, Douglas was initially disappointed to find that Lewis was just an ordinary man of middle age. He was a little fat and stooped over. He did not look like one of the heroic figured from Narnia—-at all!
But….Douglas recalled that busy and important as Lewis was, he never too busy to be interrupted. C.S. Lewis often said that interruptions were more important than his work, and Lewis lived that way. Douglas recalled that Lewis was always generous in taking time with people, including young him, no matter how many times he was interrupted from his work.
Who among us sees the world as Lewis did: considering the interruptions of people to be more important than the work to which we are devoted? To my shame, not me. I get upset when my early morning devotion times are interrupted, or there’s an unscheduled visitor at my door, or I get over-loaded with Tommy or Tyler’s questions. But that’s not showing love like Paul described it—or how Lewis and our Savior lived it. Jesus was never in a rush, never seem to be care about being interrupted or inconvenienced. He was God’s servant to the lowest and meanest. So should I be….
We’re admonished that we should, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8, NIV)
Loving others is a debt that I will never fulfill on this earth, but if I see it as something that I owe, it’s always on my mind. “I owe that person my undivided attention”….”I owe her some compassion and care”…..I owe him forgiveness”…..”I owe him the freedom to make up his own mind and make his own choice.” This mindset allows me to love those that are nothing like me….it causes me to see them as Jesus saw them when He walked the earth—-and they’ll notice it!
But consider the people we would most expect to be avoid Jesus when He was in Palestine—prostitutes, tax collectors, the poor, outcast lepers—and yet, they were actually attracted to him. They all knew that what they were doing was wrong—-and they were under no illusions that Jesus would tell them to “go on living just like you are”…..in fact, Jesus never tells anyone that they are living completely like God wants. No matter how clean you might think you are, or how high you think you’ve climbed spiritually, Jesus always calls us to be purer and climb higher.
And yet somehow, Jesus was able to persuade the dirty….the disgusting….the perverse….the liars and even a thief on a cross to trust Him— He showed compassion and love for them and they could sense it! Can people sense your gentleness, compassion, patience, forbearance, love??? The other great apologist of the first part of the 20th century was G.K Chesterton. He was renown for the kindness and hospitality he offered to those with whom he disagreed. In my opinion, and the estimation of those that heard him, Chesterton was smarter…. his arguments move convincing….and his command of the English language unrivaled. And yet he remained humble and charitable to those that disagreed with him. He carried on public debates and even wrote a book called Heretics, but he always politely, humbly, truly engaged with the same people who disagreed with him. When you think of a heretic, you might imagine the Inquisition in the history of the Catholic Church, with torturers turning the screws of the rack. But when Chesterton used that term, his attitude towards those the disagreed with him—-the heretics— was one of compassion and respect and good humor. If we, as a small fellowship, and if the church world-wide, could come to the same mind and conclusion, we will become the true bride of Jesus Christ. So, it’s three little points to make tonight: 1. Don’t give up on people—love them anyway! People are desperate for connection, a sense of belonging and love! A Yale Psychiatrist was on MSNBC yesterday giving counsel to those “upset” about the conclusion of the election. Her “counsel” was for people to “avoid and cut off those that voted for politicians that are opposed to their own values! Do not spend time with them over the holidays—cut them out and ignore them!” What horrible advice! We do not need to give up on those that don’t think, live or believe like we do! For goodness sakes! He has not given up on you….don’t give up on them. We need each other and those outside of Christ needs us all the more! Bring them in! Don’t push them out.
2. Share. I cannot imagine a more self-serving, materialistic, selfish culture than we have right now. The generosity, selflessness and kindness that represents Christianity cannot be assumed or assimilated by watching TV, reading the news or surfing the net! Christ calls us to get by with less—-give more—and share with those in need—-then watch and see how much at peace you are and He blesses you abundantly.
3. Practice hospitality! Well…do you? When was the last time you invited someone to your home for dinner—-for no reason, just because you loved them or wanted to remind them that you loved them! Unlike me, do you put the paper or phone down when you child or spouse wants to chat? Do you greet those that knock on your door with warm enthusiasm? Do people WANT to come into your home and have a cup of coffee with you? Are you known to entertain strangers and to pray for them?
Comments