What is the Church? 5 - A Community of Love

Reading: Romans 15:5-13
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6 (NIV)

I.   God Gives Unity

     A.  Endurance for the journey

           1.  We are all following Jesus on a journey and only He knows where we’re going.

           2.  Jesus endured hardship (v.3) and we will too — it’s part of the journey.

           3.  To follow for the long-haul we need God’s help.

                 a.  Anybody can have a start, but it’s the finish that counts.

     B.  Encouragement in the journey

           1.  We sometimes get discouraged.

                 a.  Hey, it isn’t all praise songs and clap offerings.

                 b.  Sometimes the evidence points away from God’s goodness and our progress.

           2.  God encourages us through the Bible (v.4)

                 a.  There is a lot in the Bible to encourage.

                 b.  Note: “encourage” not brow-beat or attack. This doesn’t mean we should pull out any verse for any situation. Sometimes reading Job when you're depressed doesn’t help.

           3.  God encourages us through His people.

                 a.  Sometimes when those people remind us of Biblical truths.

                 b.  Sometimes when those people just say, it’s OK to be confused about God right now. God walks through the water with us too—even when we don’t see him.

     C.  Unity is the journey

           1.  The goal is oneness with God and each other.

           2.  We follow together and so we get together. (v.5)

                 a.  The actual wording here is more like to have a common mind — even though we disagree!

                 b.  Our commonness isn’t in our agreement on the issues, but in our relationship with One Savior.

           3.  Jesus prays that we will be one

                 a.  John 17:20-23 (NIV)

II.  Mutual Acceptance

     A.  Despite Problems

           1.  Paul had been talking about some important problems in the Church in Rome — important theological issues.

           2.  Paul urges restraint and understanding on the part of those who believe they are more spiritual than the others.

           3.  Paul doesn’t deny the presence of problems in the Church in Rome — he simply asserts the greater importance of unity.

     B.  No matter our Backgrounds

           1.  The Church in Rome was comprised of people of many backgrounds: Jews, Greeks, Romans, WhoKnows?

           2.  Differing religious backgrounds led to differences too — about what was allowed and what wasn’t, e.g.

           3.  We have the exact same situation here — differing backgrounds that affect how we look at and understand what’s OK in a worship service, and what’s OK outside of one.

     C.  Based on Christ’s acceptance

           1.  Our unity isn’t based on agreement or “tolerance.”

                 a.  It’s not that we somehow learn to put up with each other, or ignore important things.

           2.  Our unity is based on Christ’s acceptance of us — since He has accepted all of us, we have an obligation to accept each other.

                 a.  In the same what that since we are forgiven we are obliged to forgive.

           3.  This isn’t optional, or for the gifted, this is for all of us.

III. Hope of the Nations

     A.  God is a God of Hope

           1.  All this talk of unity ends up in a blessing of hope — because if God can unite Jews and Gentiles He can do anything.

           2.  And because, if there is to be any hope for us gentiles, it will be from God.

           3.  Hope for what?

                 a.  Hope for meaning in life.

                 b.  Hope for a future that will be better than what we have now.

                 c.  Hope for a release from the pain and confusion of life in the present.

     B.  Trust yields joy and peace

           1.  As we trust, God fills us with Joy and Peace (v.13).

                 a.  It’s like sitting in your car on a winding mountain road and you’re able to enjoy the scenery because you trust the Driver — in fact it’s a lot like that.

           2.  Trust yields peace, because we remember Who’s in charge.

                 a.  I don’t have to worry, because He’s taking care of the details

                 b.  (Easier said than done!)

           3.  Trust yields joy because we remember Who God is.

                 a.  God always, always, always turns things for our good. He never stops doing good to us.

     C.  Overflowing Hope

           1.  Not just a “we might just make it” kind of hope, but a hope that spills out so that others get their feet wet in our hope.

           2.  Others will be attracted to the hope we have, and we can show them how to get hope too.

           3.  Hope isn’t something we work on, but something the Spirit produces inside of us.

The Bottom Line:

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