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*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.
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