Living in Harmony
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 49:16
0 ratings
· 6 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Live In Harmony with One another
Live In Harmony with One another
Good morning. We are continuing our slow walk through the instructions that are given in 12th chapter of the book of Romans.
We spent months going through the first 11 chapters that discuss who God is, and who we are because of Him, and then Paul starts chapter 12 with these words:
1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
from that word, Paul inters into instructions for the church. We have been walking through those pretty slowly. If you have missed any of those messages - they are available to you online on our website and on facebook.
Last week my message was on Romans 12:14-15 and it got a little raw, at least for me.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
These instructions are in the bible because there is effort required on our part. At the very least - we are to see where we fall short so that we can ask God for help. We need to be able to pray - specifically. God you say in your word that I should be a person who blesses those who persecute me, I don’t know how to do that… Help me.
This morning we are picking up there in verse 16. Remember, we are intentionally taking this very slowly. I am not trying to speed through - because without getting legalistic - there’s a lot here for us to do and be! There are a lot of instructions. And if we are christians, if any of this matters to us, we need to see this and study this and become this. Because this is who Jesus was.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes.
18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.
20 But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.
21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.
This passage of scripture starts
How we relate to the church - also reaches into how we relate with humanity.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
In music - harmony is the notes that are added to a melody that create a pleasing sound.
Other translations of the bible use other words here - to live in one accord and things like that.
To create harmony, a person first has to understand what is already happening.
In the context of music, a person needs to hear the note that is being played, or sung.
In the context of doing life together as a church, to live in harmony we have to look at the what is happening in the kingdom.
Only once you understand what is happening - through seeing or hearing - you can add to the situation and create harmony.
When you add to the situation - add to the music that is ongoing - you can’t
Be the same
Be too close
If Eden plays a note - she can play the same note in a different octave but that is not really harmony. The notes blend together and there is no distinction.
If Eden plays a note that is only a half step away, it causes strife.
There is a disconnect between the two notes that creates a painful sound.
Not harmony.
Harmony takes some discipline. You have to hear what is happening, and add color and beauty to it.
Adam walk out to get trombone...
when we were in high school, Eden and I both played in the band. And one of the things that was said often in that context was “Wrong but strong”
And in the band, that meant that you should play your instrument with gusto so that even if it was wrong, it sounded intentional.
Blast.
Wrong but Strong - isn’t following the Jesus who loved us. Not only are we to live in harmony, which means to blend in to create beauty - but we aren’t supposed to be proud. Pride tells us we have to be right. We have to be strong. We have to take the lead. Because I am the only one who can!
I’m so good that everyone else should look at what I am doing and fall in line. That is pride.
Pride could be a person who is Self-preoccupied. This person thinks only about themselves - they don’t have time to think about anyone else. They may put off attempts to look humble, they might not even like themselves - but all I am thinking about is ME.
Pride can also come from a self-infatuated person. A person who just loves them selves so much - looking in the mirror to admire how big his muscles are and just swooning. He likes to be the center of her own attention and thinks others probably should be paying attention to her too, i Mean come on, just look at her.
There are also self exalting people - they go beyond preoccupation and infatuation to active efforts to show you how awesome he is. They want you to see them - they play louder than the group on purpose. Think 10 minute drum solo’s in every song.
Those people are contrary to the Lord.
5 Everyone with a proud heart is detestable to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.
The bible tells us not to be proud - to live in harmony. That is a beautiful way to live. And we can - because Jesus died on the cross - and in him we are a new creation.
John Piper said it this way : The opposite of Pride is faith in Jesus. The Christian alternative to self preoccupation and self exaltation is Christ preoccupation and Christ alternative.
The christian alternative to thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to is faith - thinking much and highly of Christ.
The reason for that is the reality of what our faith is.
It isn’t just a matter of Jesus makes me have better days. Jesus provides for my need. God forgives me of my sin. It is an understanding that God is the Creator of the universe. He is the supreme being of the universe - outside of time space and matter.
So the note that we are looking for - the established music of the universe - is Christ. We come alongside and fit into what he is already doing as the conductor of it all.
Paul has been establishing that for 11 chapters.
He has been teaching us that God in Heaven is above it all and we come alongside Him.
And in that - we attempt harmony with others.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
Associate with the humble - do what is morally beautiful and honorable in the sight of all.
Again - other translations word this differently - because where it says to associate with the humble - the words are neutral in the greek. Literally - in the greek it would say this “Be carried away with the lowly”
Paul is saying both - associate with humble people, and get really excited about doing lowly things.
The only other times this word that is here as associate with is used is in
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stable position.
and Galatians 2:13
13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
Indicating that we should be lead away by the lowly.
We should get preoccupied with things that others would find beneath them.
We aren’t just choosing to hang out with a certain group of people - we should be drawn to them - preoccupied with them - carried away by them.
And with all of that thinking about God and others that we are doing - we let that determine the person that we are going to be.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes.
21 Indeed, we are giving careful thought to do what is right, not only before the Lord but also before people.
Again looking to the greek - the word that is here as honorable - means literally morally beautiful.
8 Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.
As a Christian, who isn’t thinking of themselves all the time - we should be thinking about things of the Lord. We should be focused on things that are good.
And our actions follow that.
our behavior - follows that. Our behavior is determined by that.
When Paul tells us to do things that are honorable in the sight of man - it doesn’t mean that the world gets to become the final say of Christian virtue. We don’t sell out.
We look at the Lord first.
We study the scriptures first.
We pray first.
We consider the Lord first and final. And we consider the world.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
And so we add harmony - within limits.
18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Romans
Conclusion:
Being a believer - after we have a heart changing eternity changing experience of encountering God - and we begin to live like Jesus. We are born again. New creation. And then we determine and work to follow after Jesus and to be the person that He has called us to be.
Jesus moved for harmony amongst believers and with himself. We look to him for the foundation of the chord - and find harmony in that. We look at others and the world going on around us and pursue things that are beautiful and honorable in their sight.