YOU BEFORE ME
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Paul's letter to Roman believers teaches us the two fundamentals of Christianity; doctrine and duty. Paul spends eleven chapters rooting them in doctrine and five chapters rooting them on to duty.
Doctrine roots us in the soil of God's rich mercy and these mercies root us on in our duty.
Since arriving in verse 9 of chapter 12 I have reminded us each Sunday of the connection between that Sunday’s verse and the opening verses of chapter 12. Each week our text contains a participle, a verb with a specific action, to live out.
However, these participles are impossibilities without our experience of verses 1 through 2. Only those who have experienced the mercies of God are capable of such a life. What I find interesting about these participles are their call to merciful actions. You see this living sacrifice - non world conformity - transformed life - makes us merciful for it is merciful.
Let us look together this morning at the final participle of verse 13.
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Paul uses chapters 1-11 to show us the extent God went to in order to welcome us into His family.
Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God seek to show, pursue, practice hospitality.
The mercies of God welcome us and make us welcoming.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Hospitality may be a industry of employment on earth yet for Christian’s it is a supernatural lifestyle resulting from their experience of God’s mercy.
Hospitality is supernatural.
It is a by-product of our salvation.
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.
Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
When you receive the welcome of Jesus you become welcoming. Hospitality is the out working of mercy in our life. It becomes a work that validates of confession of faith.
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,
and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”
have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?
Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
“We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.” Martin Luther
Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.
Hospitality is personal.
Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
HOSPITALITY IS PARTICIPATION IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST.
Notice I did not say imitation for that would not go the distance to which we are being called.
The mercies of God root a believer and root on a believer. His rooting is similar to Jesus teaching on grafting in
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
Apart from grafting a branch cannot bear fruit. A branch has no ability, no natural resources, it only has capacity and capability. A branch must be grafted into a vine, which provides everything needed for a branch to bear fruit.
Doctrine, what Christ has done, roots us into the divine life. Doctrine is not intended to inform our head only. It is meant to inflame our heart to duty.
Doctrine en-grafts us into divine living.
If hospitality resources itself in anything else other than Christ’s mercies it is nothing more than entertainment and at best it is philanthropy.
We have not been invited but engrafted into this life. This engrafting pushes us beyond human limitations. It pushes us into the absurd and the astounding. It makes us question even our own sanity. You see hospitality by definition is “the pursuit of the stranger in love”. Let me illustrate; it is to be chased after as one hunts an animal and delights to carry home its capture.
Hospitality is sacrificial.
Hospitality is not entertainment but investment.
It is the investment of your entire person. It is not a southern but sanctifying way of life. It does not consist of occasional large well planned events. Its a life focused on investing in others not impressing others. Hospitality is a big word built in the smallest moments.
And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’
Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
It is an on-going intrusion of every day life.
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Hospitality is more than investing in the lives of those you love but those you loath. Hospitality is more than investing in the lives of those which you share an affinity but those who are an affront. Hospitality is more than investing in the lives of those like you or those you like but those who are unlike and those you don’t like. Hospitality is more than investing in the lives of those who are easy but those who are your enemies.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Resist your human reaction to excuse yourself from such a lifestyle and obey that still small voice calling you to participation in Christ’s life. Christ died so that you could be welcomed and he is now calling and equipping you to welcome others by dying to self. Hospitality is only optional for those who profess faith in Christ but do not truly possess Him as Savior.
Savior, as I come to your Table, I confess that I do not live a consistent life of hospitality towards those in or outside the family of God. Jesus you gave everything to welcome me so that I can welcome others. Holy Spirit strengthen my resolve to reflect Christ’s mercies and bring me to repentance when I wander from such a life. - AMEN.