My Vision for Emory Baptist Church...

As the pastor of Emory Baptist Church, I am sometimes asked, “What is your vision for the church?”  I’m usually very hesitant to answer that question because my answer isn’t very creative nor is it complex.

 

I am totally fine with, “My vision for Emory Baptist Church is to love God, love people, and make disciples.”  That is the vision of Jesus in Matthew 22 and Matthew 28.

 

However, Romans 14-15 has given me a wonderful picture of what I hope for Emory Baptist Church, and we’re going to see that this morning.

 

Today is our last Sunday looking at doubtful things or gray areas that Paul was addressing in these chapters.  These are issues of which the Bible does not speak clearly.  For them, it included eating meat sacrificed to idols, observing the Sabbath, and drinking wine.  For us, it includes issues like alcohol use, appropriate dress, gambling, piercings, tattoos, and styles of music.

 

In the recent weeks, we have seen two sides.  There was the weak in faith Jewish Christians who are didn’t eat meat and they observed the Sabbath and they probably didn’t drink wine.  The other group was the strong in faith Gentile Christians who did eat meat even that which was sacrificed to idols and they didn’t observe Sabbath and they did drink wine.  The Jewish Christians celebrated holiness.  The Gentile Christians celebrated freedom.  Both groups were guilty of judging and condemning each other.

 

In week one, we looked at Romans 14:1-12.  Paul’s first piece of advice when speaking of doubtful issues was to receive one another.  Don’t judge or condemn or try to change each other.  Receive one another and a brother or sister’s different opinion or preference or conviction.

 

In week two, we looked at Romans 14:13-23.  Paul’s second piece of advice was resolve or decide not to be a stumbling block to your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Instead, live according to the law of love that seeks pace and don’t participate in activities that cause brothers or sisters in Christ to stumble even if you don’t think it is sin.

 

We now come to week three and the last message in this series, and we are looking at Romans 15:1-13.  Paul has one last piece of advice and that is simply to please the other person first before you please your self. 

 

However, today, I want to begin with the end in mind.   Therefore, let’s start with the goal.

 

 

1. The Goal: Unity, Romans 15:4-6

4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the [c]patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In verse 4, Paul made a follow up statement regarding an OT quote that he applied to Jesus.  He then pointed out that the OT was for the Roman Church’s learning and could help them in being patient and hopeful for the future.

 

That is also true for us.  Paul’s letter to the Roman Church was from a very specific author to a very specific group of Christians at a very specific time.  However, through the act of inspiration and preservation, Paul’s letter to the Roman Church also has truth and application for every Christian Church to come after them including the Emory Church.

 

Verses 5-6 speak to the goal of unity.  Perhaps even in a prayer, Paul asked God to help them be like-minded toward one another and of one mind and one mouth. 

 

Does that mean that Paul was praying for them to all be vegetarians or to all eat meat?  No, it means he was praying for them to all operate out of love for one another and accept one another and please one another.  Again, he didn’t desire unity of opinion or unity of preference but unity of mind in how they treated those who were different.

 

Is unity a big deal to God?  See Psalm 133:1 and John 17:11, 20-23.

 

Psalm 133:1, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

 

John 17:11, 20-23, 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep[a] through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.

 

20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who [a]will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

 

What is my vision for Emory Baptist Church?  To be a unified picture of heaven on earth as a multi-generational, multi-ethnic, multi-socio-economic, multi-political affiliation, and multi-preference Body of Christ.

 

How do we do that?

 

2. Our Means: Please one another first, Romans 15:1-2.

1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the [a]scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to [b]edification.

 

 

We see here in verse 1 that Paul clearly identified himself with the strong in faith, Gentile Christians, and he called on them to bear the scruples or weaknesses or failings or infirmities or preferences of the weak in faith.  This idea of bearing their preferences literally means to pick up a weight and carry it, and according to the tense of these verbs, we are to do that now and continue doing just that indefinitely.

 

We bear one another’s preferences or convictions when we understand that Paul instructed all of the Roman Believers, Jew or Gentile, to please his neighbor for his good.  In this context, neighbor isn’t just any Tom, Dick or Harry, but a fellow church member.  We are to please our neighbors.

 

Before I engage in any doubtful practice or gray area, I need to think about the other person and decide to please him or her first.  Paul gave these instructions to the Roman Christians and to the Philippian Christians.  See Philippians 2:3-4.

 

Philippians 2:3-4, 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

 

Therefore, the goal is unity.  The means is pleasing others before self.  What is the rationale or the why?

 

 3. The Rationale: That is how Jesus treated us, Romans 15:3, 7-12.

3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”

 

7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received [d]us, to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a [e]servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.”  10 And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”  11 And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!  Laud Him, all you peoples!”  12 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”  13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

In short, we are to please other before self because that is how Jesus treated us.  Look at verse 3.  Jesus Christ was the sinless, perfect Son of God, and yet, He took the sins of every single, solitary, human being upon Himself without exception. 

 

Furthermore, not only did He die for the sins of the entire world, He offered salvation to both Jew and Gentile alike without reservation or hesitation.  That is what Romans 15:7-13 says.

 

The rest of the NT affirms what Jesus would do and did do.

 

Mark 10:45, 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

 

Philippians 2:5-11, 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [a]robbery to be equal with God, 7 but [b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

 

Conclusion

So let’s end today with verse 13.

 

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

So here is what that means for me.

 

Because I want to receive those whose preferences are differing than mine and I don’t want to be a stumbling block and I want to please others first, I will never drink alcohol.  I will wear a coat and tie most Sunday mornings of the year.  I will also be clean shaving on Sunday’s.  I will never buy a lottery ticket or play a slot machine.  I will never wear a piercing or get a tattoo, and I will lead attempt to lead our church to worship with music and songs that are more traditional and with music and songs that are more contemporary. 

 

What does that mean for you?

 

I pray that EBC will be a unified Body of Christ that includes those that are old and young, those that are white and black and Hispanic and Asian, those that make $20,000 per year and those that make $100,000 per year, those that have their GED and those have earned their doctorate, and those that are Republican and those that are Democrats, those that dress formally and those that dress informally, those that ok with moderate gambling and those that are not, those that have piercings and those that don’t, those that have tattoos and those that don’t, and those that can worship with any song that is biblical and singing whether it is old or new.

 

So let’s receive one another, decide not to make others stumble, and please one another before self for the glory and honor of Christ in our world today!