(058) Pillars of Community III: Grace & Acceptance
The Pillars of Community III: Grace & Acceptance
Romans 15:7
January 11, 2009
Prep:
· John 9, Phil 12, John 8, Com 1 & 2
· Cloud: Grace and truth
· The context of the passages
· Mere Christianity
Intro
Last week I talked about the four types of community: public, social, personal, and intimate. That sermon has impacted me, realizing that it is okay to have “social friendships,” and treasure them as well.
· One of my friend noted that I do suck at small talk.
· I also had lunch with Dave to practice small talk.
Now we now turn to vital virtues of community. These are things we need for interacting on any level in a healthy.
· This week will look at the first of two foundations to personal growth within community: Grace and acceptance.
During this sermon, we will look at:
1. Their interaction with the 2nd foundation, truth and the challenge to grow,
2. The basis for grace,
3. The barriers that keep us from giving grace,
4. How grace helps us to grow, and
5. How to be people of grace and acceptance.
Prayer
· Both remind us of the great grace you’ve given us, and challenge us to extend that grace to others.
Grace and Truth
We have defined community as a place where you belong, grow, and give. This week and next we are going to talk about two things we have to give in order to help others in the community to grow: Grace and Truth.
Marilyn has taught me an expression: God loves you just the way you are, but too much to leave you there. This is mirrored in community: We love each other just the way we are, but too much to leave us there.
There are two clear elements to this:
1. Grace and acceptance
2. Truth and challenging each other
· Notice that neither of these is “love,” because love must be at the heart of both, driving both grace and truth.
Tug of war
By nature, these two things are in tension, the desire to show grace is at odds with the desire to bring truth and confront. Human nature being what it is, we (as churches and individuals), we tend to overemphasis one or the other.
· I am inclined to emphasis grace.
But both are vital, and if either is neglected, you will have an unhealthy church. They must stay in tension, both promoted by love. Neglecting truth leads to a weak and carnal church, neglecting grace leads to a judgmental and cold church.
Ä Next week will focus on truth, because it’s dangerous to separate them too much.
The basis of grace
Grace means “gift,” and is defined as “unmerited favor.” Coming from God, it means that he loves us and cares for us as apart from whether or not we deserve it.
· It is not because we are good, but because he is.
Likewise, in the Christian community you are loved and accepted not because of what you do but because you are a child of God.
· We care more about helping you grow than judging failures.
The basis for this grace and acceptance is God’s grace and acceptance towards us. The incarnation overwhelmingly proves his grace, but his words and actions continued to demonstrate it.
Two classic examples are they way he related to the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42) and woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). He challenged them to holy lives, but first he showed grace.
People of grace
The foundation of the church is grace and being accepted by God. The struggle of the early church was against legalism trying to corrupt God’s grace, such as the “Judaizers” in Galatia.
· We are called to be people of grace, people exemplifying the grace and acceptance that God has shown us.
This applies both to our interactions inside the church and out, because we, as Gentiles, were once outsiders.
Tuesday was “Epiphany” and today the First Sunday after Epiphany. While these are not familiar to us Protestants, it commemorates the visit of the Magi.
· From Christmas up to Epiphany is a twelve-day festival, the twelve days of Christmas.
Epiphany celebrates when Christ was revealed to Gentiles, showing that we were accepted by God.
The book of Romans was written to address continuing conflicts between Jewish and Gentile Christians over various practices.
NIV Romans 15:7 ¶ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Q But is this grace for the church or the outsiders as well?
Romans 5:7-8 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.
People of grace or JUDGMENT?
This is what Christianity is all about – God extending us grace, loving us when we are at our worst, accepting us.
Given this heritage, you would assume that grace would remain the hallmark of the church, it isn’t. 87% of 16-29 year olds describe us as “judgmental,” grace doesn’t make the list.
Q Why is the church known more for judgment than grace?
I see two reasons, one better than the other.
First, a genuine desire for holiness drives us. We want to live lives pleasing to God.
This is where the “truth and challenge” comes in. But it must not only be balanced, but also preceded by grace, as Jesus did and it’s God’s preferred method:
Romans 2:4 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
I hope that we can be balanced, but if we have to err, my wish is that we err on the side of grace. Besides, the church is not really known for an excess of grace.
Spiritual pride
The second reason is simply spiritual pride. The idea of grace, of God accepting us without merit, goes against our fallen nature. We simply want to be better than that.
I have noticed that those saved from a troubled past are often the most legalistic. Why is that?
1. Seen the pain of sin, and want others to avoid.
2. Afraid of falling back.
3. Spiritual pride.
Spiritual pride is one of the deadliest of sin, because in addition to wreaking havoc on our souls it blinds us to that fact. The drug addict has no illusions about his plight.
· It also drives other away from the kingdom.
· Note Jesus was harder on the Pharisees than the prostitutes.
Accordingly, I believe genuine grace (contra being patronizing) requires humility. It’s not pretending to be worse than you are, but a frank assessment of oneself, without comparison.
· Rather than comparing ourselves to other, we compare ourselves to God’s standards.
ESV 1 Timothy 1:15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
Compared to God’s standards, each of us are “foremost of sinners.” From that, we regard each other full of humility, grace, and acceptance, because we were accepted.
Ä Now having seen the basis for grace, etc, we look at how grace and acceptance help us help others grow.
grace-driven growth
The fear that many people have is that showing unconditional grace and acceptance will lead to more sin and an immoral church. That is what the Pharisees and Judaizers thought.
· Have Ted speak.
Grace encourages growth for at least three reasons:
1. As we know that we are loved and accepted regardless of our failures, we stop trying to hide them.
It is vital that we demonstrate our own imperfections and failures, the “less wounded caring for more wounded.”
If we project that we are perfect and follow the rules, those joining us will either start pretending also, or else they will leave. If we demonstrate imperfection and grace to them, they might be willing to open up enough to grow.
· The church must be safe to be authentic and receive help.
2. Love and joy are far better motivators than fear and rejection.
· Change is more real and more meaningful when it comes internally from thankfulness than external compliance.
3. One of the gifts of grace is the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to live lives pleasing to God, so the final responsibility is God’s:
Romans 14:4 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Q & A
closing: grace and Acceptance in the four spheres
In order for us to be a healthy community, where people belong, grow, and give, we must be a church that is famous for grace and acceptance at every level:
Public sphere: Welcoming all who walk through the doors, sinner and saint. This is a safe place to meet Jesus.
Social sphere: As people become more connected to the church, whether on Sunday morning, ladies brunch, community groups, or a party at our house, they should know they are accepted.
Personal and Intimate: The closer we become, more vital grace and acceptance are, because the more you open yourselves up the more danger there is of rejection.
Community is risky, opening up yourself is dangerous – most of our hurts came from people, but through grace and acceptance (given and received) comes healing and growth.