Love Anyways

We have reached the 6th Mark of a Vital Congregation in our Vital Congregations series. The 6th mark is Caring Relationships. Our discussion on this point must lead us beyond those relationships we might experience in a social club, it must carry us beyond the facades of concern and beyond the hypocrisy and judgments of the so called “church” and “religion.”

As I begin, I want to remind you of a sermon I preached a few weeks ago regarding discipleship. In that sermon I spoke about each one of us being the disciples Jesus loves. That’s not some sugary hope, that is the truth. God loves you. When we recall when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet we remember how Jesus told them to go and do likewise.

Last week I shared with you the words of Ian Major Thomas who said, “You will never, ever learn to aspire, until first you have learned to expire; otherwise, you will only perspire!”

Our readings today come from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, and if we were to back up to the beginning of the chapter we would read the call to offer ourselves as “living sacrifices.” We’ve unpacked that phrase often in our times together as a constant dying to oneself.

I want to share with you today from two different passages, from Romans.

The first reading comes from Romans 12:9-18

Romans 12:9–18 ESV

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Those are powerful words. And they echo the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. As followers of Christ, it is true, we are called to love everyone. Our fellow christian in the chair next to us and the one who opposes every thing any one of us stands for.

And, Paul admonishes us, this love must be genuine.

Our second reading today comes again from Romans, this time from chapter 15, verses 1-6.

Romans 15:1–6 ESV

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For 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. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We who are strong have an obligation to bear the failing of the weak, to build our neighbor up. We are called to live in harmony with one another.

Let’s be clear, this isn’t the good customer service agent who politely and tactfully continues to work while the cantankerous customer berates them, and smiles courteously throughout the exchange. That’s not love - that’s courtesy. Chances are back in the break room you would find out exactly how the service agent feels about that customer.

The truth is the love we are called to is to be living sacrifices, bearing other’s failings. Loving even the unlovable.

It is so easy to sit in judgment over others. Our culture is all about comparison. Jesus tells us not to judge, but deep down the selfish part of us likes that judgment seat. The sinner in us uses comparison to justify ourselves: “At least I didn’t __________________ like so and so did.” As if the judgment of another somehow justifies our actions.

So how are we who are in the world called to not be of the world? The church is to be a different place.

Love, Acceptance, and Forgiveness

The church is a place where we practice love, acceptance and forgiveness.

Love is not simply an emotion - it is a commitment. Anyone who has ever had a friend understands that. Because of love we stick by one another - even when the other person might be behaving in a way that feels unlovable. We in the church are called to love one another.

Acceptance - this is really a part of love. It is accepting a person right where they are, for who they are. “Warts and all,” as they say. Acceptance means I’m willing to love you right where you are and not try and change you. In the church that’s not our job. People think they need to change to come to Jesus, but Jesus never said to any of his disciples - “change this, then come and follow me.” He simply said, “Follow Me!”

Forgiveness - we all make mistakes. We all say things we wish we could take back. We all do things we wish we hadn’t. We’re all sinners, each and everyone of us.

Mission Woods Church

I think about our church all the time. I think about this idea that we’re a growing place. I REALLY like that statement. I think on it often. The way that it has been broken down long before I got here was this:

...growing closer to God.

...growing closer to one another.

...growing closer to our community.

Everything we do at Mission Woods Church should run through this filter. I believe it does.

We’re all on a journey in our relationship with God. Some of us might be considered Bible Scholars, some of us may have a Bible and we haven’t opened it in a long time, most of us lie somewhere in between. Yet we press on seeking to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus has already taken hold of us.

We know that we’re stronger together. We learn from one another. We celebrate one another’s accomplishments and we mourn one another’s losses. We are a community and we care for one another - not always perfectly, but we are committed to one another as a community of faith. We know we fall short, we haven’t arrived yet. Still, we have not given up meeting together (lately online, by phone, and through letters, cards and emails), we continue to spur one another on toward love and good deeds, and encourage each other in our walks with Christ.

In truth, we fall short, and we know it. But the great part is that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We have faith; we have doubts. We have a great God that knows that about each of us and loves us ferociously in the midst of our messy lives. We are a group of people choosing love over fear, grace over judgment, and faith in the midst of doubt.

And because of who we are, we are continuing to build up our community. We live in the Greater Milton/Edgewood area - we are seeking to shine the light of God and love our community as well.

We do not do this on our own. We are simply seeking to imitate the One who did it for us. Jesus loves us in the midst of our most unlovable-ness, in the midst of our messy-ness. In the midst of our being lost - Jesus loves us. We as Christians can identify with the disciple John when he refers to himself as “The disciple Jesus loved.” I choose to put that in the present tense, I am - as all who follow Christ are - the disciple Jesus loves!

This past week one of the men who has mentored me from a distance - through his books, and podcasts, a man who I only heard speak in person once, finished his race here in this world. Ravi Zacharias. I want to close with this quote of his.

William Shakespeare once reasoned, "Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." How do you know that God loves you? While you and I were yet wandering, Christ was wandering after us, pursuing us, even by way of the cross: love seeking the lost in human flesh. It is this sacrifice that stands as the greatest marker in all time.