Love and Mercy (Romans 12:13)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.080 --> 00:00:04.679 Please remain standing if you're able, and let's give our attention to Romans chapter 2 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:30.260 twelve. Going to read just two verses this morning, verse thirteen and Verse 3 00:00:30.379 --> 00:00:41.170 Fourteen of Romans Chapter Twelve. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek 4 00:00:41.250 --> 00:00:47.450 to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse 5 00:00:47.570 --> 00:01:10.829 them. May God bless his word. Please be seated. I want to 6 00:01:11.150 --> 00:01:15.269 remind you a little bit of what we're doing here in Romans chapter twelve by 7 00:01:15.349 --> 00:01:22.180 using a an analogy. I might be getting the statistic wrong. I should 8 00:01:22.180 --> 00:01:26.659 have double checked it, but I think that the average person spends two seconds 9 00:01:26.739 --> 00:01:30.700 and so, or just a few seconds anyway, between each painting at a 10 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:34.489 museum. If you go to a museum, perhaps you've done this yourself. 11 00:01:36.769 --> 00:01:40.969 Maybe some you'll spend a little longer, maybe even thirty seconds something like that, 12 00:01:41.569 --> 00:01:45.049 but a lot of them people breaze by or it's a brief look, 13 00:01:45.090 --> 00:01:49.959 a brief look, a brief look. I wonder if you've ever had the 14 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:53.959 opportunity, though, to go to a museum and spend a lot of time. 15 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:57.159 I remember the first time that I did this the Phoenix Art Museum. 16 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:04.870 I was in high school and I went and checked out a little audio thing 17 00:02:05.069 --> 00:02:07.870 that you can get a recording device and some headphones and you sort of plug 18 00:02:07.949 --> 00:02:13.509 in the number of the art piece and you can stand there for five minutes, 19 00:02:14.509 --> 00:02:20.219 three minutes, something like that, and you hear all of this instruction 20 00:02:20.300 --> 00:02:25.139 and Information and background on each of these paintings. I don't know if one 21 00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:30.530 experience is necessarily better than the other. It just depends on what you're there 22 00:02:30.729 --> 00:02:34.409 to do and your goals and that kind of thing. As we're going through 23 00:02:34.490 --> 00:02:38.810 this section in Romans twelve, we're doing the ladder. We're sort of standing 24 00:02:38.849 --> 00:02:45.919 in front of each verse or sections or phrases and thinking carefully, meditating on 25 00:02:46.039 --> 00:02:51.080 them, what they mean, how they apply in our lives. God is 26 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:54.080 giving us a lot of a specific commandments and we can read it and it's 27 00:02:54.120 --> 00:03:00.349 perfectly fine to read them as a group. I may even preach a sermon 28 00:03:00.430 --> 00:03:05.509 on this whole section at the end. There's a sort of general overview or 29 00:03:05.550 --> 00:03:08.430 a general way and feeling that we get about the lives that were called to 30 00:03:08.550 --> 00:03:15.139 live, but it's also helpful from time to time to think about the lives 31 00:03:15.219 --> 00:03:20.340 that God has called us to live as Christians. In very detailed ways to 32 00:03:20.460 --> 00:03:23.419 think about the specifics. I hope to do some of that for you this 33 00:03:23.580 --> 00:03:29.210 morning with verses twelve and, I'm sorry, versus thirteen and fourteen, and 34 00:03:29.289 --> 00:03:31.770 I hope so. You've received some of that already. But I want to 35 00:03:31.770 --> 00:03:36.449 encourage you, as we think about these particular commandments that God has given, 36 00:03:37.530 --> 00:03:42.560 don't let the don't feel like all that we can be said is said here. 37 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:49.120 Talk about them with each other within your families, ask and think and 38 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:53.120 meditate on how can we grow in these things? What ways can we improve? 39 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:58.750 What is it that's really motivating us to do this? Why am I 40 00:03:58.870 --> 00:04:01.830 afraid of that? Whatever it is, these are the things I want to 41 00:04:01.909 --> 00:04:08.629 encourage you to spend time on and thinking about today. The focus is on 42 00:04:09.870 --> 00:04:15.419 the way that we express our love in mercy, very practical ways in which 43 00:04:15.819 --> 00:04:21.980 we care for one another. Paul says contribute to the needs of the saints. 44 00:04:24.019 --> 00:04:27.810 He has in mind the members of the Church, the body of Christ, 45 00:04:28.689 --> 00:04:33.410 and he says wherever their needs are, contribute to them. Could maybe 46 00:04:33.410 --> 00:04:40.000 be translated as share with them, take a part of yourself and give that 47 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:43.480 to them. That might be time, it might be money, it might 48 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:46.720 be sympathy, as he goes on to say in Verse Fifteen, rejoice with 49 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:54.149 those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. We are to bind ourselves 50 00:04:54.269 --> 00:05:00.949 with one another, share the burdens, contribute to the needs. He adds 51 00:05:00.990 --> 00:05:09.060 to that he says seek to show hospitality. This word seek, I think, 52 00:05:09.139 --> 00:05:16.540 can be translated even more strongly as pursue, pursue hospitality. The word 53 00:05:16.779 --> 00:05:21.889 there can be used actually a various things. It can be used negatively and 54 00:05:23.089 --> 00:05:28.850 positively. So, for example, earlier in Romans Paul says to pursue righteousness. 55 00:05:28.930 --> 00:05:34.009 Right, that's a positive thing, or here pursue hospitality. But very 56 00:05:34.050 --> 00:05:40.199 interestingly, the same word is used not only in verse thirteen but also in 57 00:05:40.279 --> 00:05:46.040 verse fourteen, bless those who pursue you. It's the same word, the 58 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:50.750 same word that is therefore seek is the same word that is there for persecute. 59 00:05:51.430 --> 00:05:55.709 It's translated differently because of the context. You know, we're not supposed 60 00:05:55.750 --> 00:06:01.829 to persecute hospitality, nor are we supposed to bless those who merely seek you. 61 00:06:02.870 --> 00:06:06.420 Right, so it's being translated rightly according to context. But the point 62 00:06:06.459 --> 00:06:12.860 is that word has this general concept depending on where it's aimed, and so 63 00:06:12.980 --> 00:06:15.819 what Paul is saying in verse thirteen is contribute to the needs of the saints, 64 00:06:15.899 --> 00:06:24.129 but pursue it, seek it in this deliberate and active way. It 65 00:06:24.250 --> 00:06:28.410 sort of lays aside any kind of excuse to say, well, I'm not 66 00:06:28.889 --> 00:06:33.199 wealthy or I don't have resources, or maybe if someone shows up on my 67 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:36.839 doorstep I'll help, or if I hear a need, I'll help. But 68 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:42.600 it's it has a kind of activeness to it. You're to go looking for 69 00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:47.110 these opportunities, he says, to pursue hospitality in the same way that a 70 00:06:47.750 --> 00:06:56.750 people might be pursuing you, to persecute you. It's a strong word and 71 00:06:56.949 --> 00:07:01.540 both of them revealed to us God's character. God, in His mercy and 72 00:07:01.579 --> 00:07:06.220 in his love towards us, is not sort of standing back and saying, 73 00:07:06.259 --> 00:07:10.339 well, if something happens to happen, I guess maybe I'll help out. 74 00:07:11.540 --> 00:07:15.810 No, God actively has pursued you, has he not? If you count 75 00:07:15.889 --> 00:07:19.889 yourself as a son or a daughter, are of God, does the Scripture 76 00:07:20.050 --> 00:07:27.329 not say that you are adopted? Does that happen by accident? Know what 77 00:07:27.490 --> 00:07:30.480 happens, because God pursues you, he sets his eye on you and he 78 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:35.600 seeks to show you the sort of ultimate act of hospitality. He brings you 79 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:40.600 into his own house, but not only his own house, his own household. 80 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:46.149 He makes you a member of his family, not because you're so sparkling 81 00:07:46.230 --> 00:07:53.990 and wonderful, so righteous and holy, but he pursued you, he sought 82 00:07:54.149 --> 00:07:59.620 you, he saved you while you were still ungodly, while you were still 83 00:07:59.699 --> 00:08:03.819 dead and your trespasses in your sins. He wasn't waiting for you to show 84 00:08:03.860 --> 00:08:09.019 him a favor, that to then turn it back. He did it even 85 00:08:09.060 --> 00:08:13.209 when you didn't deserve it, which helps us make sense of verse fourteen. 86 00:08:13.329 --> 00:08:18.370 Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse them. It's an 87 00:08:18.449 --> 00:08:24.730 activity that is very gospel based. It's Gospel driven. By Gospel I meaning, 88 00:08:26.009 --> 00:08:30.959 I mean the good news that God came to save sinners from their sin. 89 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:37.840 God's character is very practical. In other words, when we think about 90 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:43.710 mercy, when we think about love, these are not sort of abstract ideals 91 00:08:43.029 --> 00:08:48.710 floating up in the platonic atmosphere fear, which we contemplates from time to time 92 00:08:48.950 --> 00:08:58.460 and have good conversations about love mercy. No, it's actually giving money, 93 00:09:00.700 --> 00:09:05.139 it's actually having somebody in your home, sleeping on your bed, on your 94 00:09:05.220 --> 00:09:13.330 couch, on your floor, means providing food that you cooked, visiting people 95 00:09:13.529 --> 00:09:18.889 and and other things. I'll get to some more specific examples of that, 96 00:09:18.250 --> 00:09:22.090 but I really want you to notice how practical it is. True love is 97 00:09:22.210 --> 00:09:31.440 more about conceptions and intentions and even feelings. Paul is saying here, God 98 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:35.960 is saying here through his apostle, that love, genuine love that he's talks 99 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:43.110 about in verse nine. Genuine love shows itself in real actions. It means 100 00:09:43.470 --> 00:09:50.830 looking for and recognizing the needs of people around us and pursuing hospitality, pursuing 101 00:09:52.350 --> 00:10:01.500 ways to fulfill them. Let's think about some of those ways and then we'll 102 00:10:01.539 --> 00:10:05.659 finish with some more of those reasons. Why? Just want to fill out 103 00:10:05.740 --> 00:10:11.049 some more of what I've already said. So who are the needy? It's 104 00:10:11.049 --> 00:10:16.730 a good question to ask. What constitutes a real need? I think we 105 00:10:16.809 --> 00:10:20.809 can break that down into various categories. First, there are material needs and 106 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:26.080 spiritual needs. You've experienced this, I'm sure, times when you needed a 107 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:31.039 drink. You are thirsty or you are hungry. It might be momentary right. 108 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:35.120 All you have to do is take your Water Cup and go over to 109 00:10:35.159 --> 00:10:37.549 the fountain and got to drink. Not a big deal. But maybe there's 110 00:10:37.590 --> 00:10:43.389 other times when you've been thirsty and water or food has not been quite so 111 00:10:43.710 --> 00:10:52.460 available for various reasons. Sometimes our needs are spiritual. We find ourselves spiritually 112 00:10:52.500 --> 00:10:56.500 hungry, spiritually thirsty, and you get a card in the mail, somebody 113 00:10:56.539 --> 00:11:01.539 says an encouraging thing and it feeds your soul. That's the language we use. 114 00:11:05.370 --> 00:11:09.610 Who are the needy? Well, some people are needy because they're unable 115 00:11:09.610 --> 00:11:13.450 to meet their own needs. It might be a temporary situation, or it 116 00:11:13.570 --> 00:11:22.919 maybe a more long term perhaps someone loses a job, perhaps a family member 117 00:11:22.039 --> 00:11:28.000 comes into the House and an income that once provided for everyone now can't provide 118 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:31.799 for everyone. People that are too simply unable to meet their own needs. 119 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:39.870 Might be temporary, might be more long term. There are also those who 120 00:11:39.909 --> 00:11:46.220 fall into a category I'm where it's almost always long term. In the Bible, 121 00:11:46.379 --> 00:11:52.779 this was typically widows and orphans, women and children or provided for through 122 00:11:54.460 --> 00:11:58.580 the means of the male breadwinners in the family, and they're often weren't as 123 00:11:58.659 --> 00:12:03.210 many opportunities and means to be able to go and make a living. And 124 00:12:03.370 --> 00:12:07.490 so if you are truly without a family, either as a widow or as 125 00:12:07.529 --> 00:12:11.649 an orphan, without protection, especially if you're if you are a woman, 126 00:12:11.730 --> 00:12:15.649 and your father couldn't take you back into your house and you're essentially an older 127 00:12:15.690 --> 00:12:20.480 orphan, what do you do? There's not much you can do. There 128 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:26.679 are people in every society that struggle, the simply struggle to survive within the 129 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:33.389 system and be able to live. There of course, sick people, people 130 00:12:33.470 --> 00:12:41.350 that have mental illnesses, people that have physical illnesses. They're powerless people. 131 00:12:41.389 --> 00:12:46.740 There are persecuted people as well. I'm in the early church there were people, 132 00:12:46.500 --> 00:12:52.740 and there are today, who confess their faith in Christ and suffer as 133 00:12:52.740 --> 00:12:56.580 a result. They're pushed out, they're put into prison, they become hungry 134 00:12:58.059 --> 00:13:03.769 on they become a day, they become needy. They're sick people. There 135 00:13:03.809 --> 00:13:09.970 are burden people, they're powerless people, there are persecuted people. We might 136 00:13:09.009 --> 00:13:16.879 also add there are preaching people. The Levites and the Old Testament had a 137 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:20.879 responsibility, a ministry to the Lord, and in such a way that they 138 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:26.440 didn't have land, they didn't have the means of typically providing for themselves, 139 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:31.429 and so the people of God were called to provide for them. The same 140 00:13:31.710 --> 00:13:35.710 is somewhat true of the preaching task today. Paul says that a man who 141 00:13:35.750 --> 00:13:41.539 preaches is worthy of his Labor. If a man is preaching, if a 142 00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:46.379 missionary is being sent and they're doing that work well, it's often very difficult 143 00:13:46.460 --> 00:13:50.460 to be doing side jobs, to be working with their hands and doing other 144 00:13:50.659 --> 00:13:56.129 work. And so throughout the history of the church, because of the call 145 00:13:56.330 --> 00:14:01.169 of the ministry, we see that those who are called to preaching and other 146 00:14:01.289 --> 00:14:05.649 forms of ministry are often supported by the church, and this is, the 147 00:14:05.730 --> 00:14:09.759 apostle say, a good thing, because they can't earn a living for themselves 148 00:14:11.320 --> 00:14:15.399 because they're engaged in full time ministry. It is good that the people of 149 00:14:15.480 --> 00:14:20.080 God contribute to their needs as well. Paul experience this many times. He 150 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:24.509 talks to the various churches. Please, I'm coming to you. Would you 151 00:14:24.629 --> 00:14:31.110 please create a place for me to stay? Or he thanks people for showing 152 00:14:31.149 --> 00:14:35.429 him hospitality. Of course Paul works with his own hands as well. There 153 00:14:35.429 --> 00:14:41.659 are various things that indicate Paul was possibly independently wealthy, and that would be 154 00:14:41.659 --> 00:14:46.179 a great thing. And we see ministers doing this as well, ministers who 155 00:14:46.179 --> 00:14:52.460 live on very small salaries or no salary at all. Because of retirement funds 156 00:14:52.580 --> 00:14:58.049 or pensions or inheritance they've received. All that to being said, there are 157 00:14:58.090 --> 00:15:03.210 different kinds of needs around us and we want to be thoughtful about that. 158 00:15:03.330 --> 00:15:07.840 In the New Testament we see money given to the saints in Jerusalem. We 159 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:11.919 see money being collected for the poor. It's one of Paul's main activities. 160 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:18.480 In addition to preaching, he's collecting money from the various churches to contribute to 161 00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:24.269 the needs. So these are some of the categories of those who need the 162 00:15:24.629 --> 00:15:33.110 churches funds, I'm in order for their needs to be provided for. There 163 00:15:33.389 --> 00:15:37.980 is much evidence of this in the New Testament and outside it as well, 164 00:15:39.019 --> 00:15:45.620 and a lot of interesting stories and examples. Aristides speaks of hospitality in the 165 00:15:45.700 --> 00:15:48.980 early church. Want to read a quote to you from him. He's giving 166 00:15:50.009 --> 00:15:54.129 an apology. He's giving something of a defense for Christianity. He's saying to 167 00:15:54.169 --> 00:16:00.370 the outside world, this is what Christians do. It's sort of a way 168 00:16:00.409 --> 00:16:03.129 of doing what Jesus says. They will know you by your love for one 169 00:16:03.169 --> 00:16:11.440 another. nearisides gives some examples of this. He says regarding hospitality, when 170 00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:17.279 they see strangers, they take him in under their own roof and rejoice over 171 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:21.470 him as a true brother. For they do not call themselves brothers according to 172 00:16:21.549 --> 00:16:26.269 the flesh, but according to the soul. And whenever they, that is 173 00:16:26.350 --> 00:16:30.070 Christians, see one of their poor has died, each of them, according 174 00:16:30.070 --> 00:16:36.899 to his ability, contributes ungrudgingly and they bury him. And if they hear 175 00:16:37.100 --> 00:16:40.700 that some are condemned or imprisoned on account of the name of their Lord, 176 00:16:41.220 --> 00:16:45.019 they contribute for those condemned and send to them what they need and, if 177 00:16:45.100 --> 00:16:49.889 possible, they even redeem them, whether it's buy them out of whatever bondage 178 00:16:49.929 --> 00:16:56.490 that they have. There are some amazing examples of this we've we've, I 179 00:16:56.649 --> 00:17:00.330 give a spoken of Paul, for example. Remember the situation in the early 180 00:17:00.370 --> 00:17:06.799 church. Rome had created an extensive system of roads which allowed the Gospel to 181 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:11.599 spread, but there weren't really a lot of ends and hotels and places that 182 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:18.150 you could stay, and those that were there were notoriously nefarious. They were 183 00:17:18.190 --> 00:17:21.069 not places that you would want to stay. There are not places you would 184 00:17:21.150 --> 00:17:23.589 want to go and be associated with as a Christian. So what do you 185 00:17:23.630 --> 00:17:29.190 do if there's no hotels, if there's no ends? Of all the places 186 00:17:29.230 --> 00:17:33.660 you can go are dangerous or bad. What would you do? Well, 187 00:17:33.779 --> 00:17:37.940 you do, what would the only thing that makes sense. You say, 188 00:17:37.980 --> 00:17:41.140 I know someone in Philip I who might be able to put you up. 189 00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:45.410 Here's a letter. Take this to them. And so one day someone knocks 190 00:17:45.450 --> 00:17:48.490 on your door and says, Hey, your friend or a friend of a 191 00:17:48.609 --> 00:17:52.690 friend said that I might be able to stay here. What do you do? 192 00:17:55.569 --> 00:18:00.400 Bible says you let them in. I have to say that this is 193 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:04.920 something that I experienced myself in coming here, but in the very early stages 194 00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:11.359 of coming to be a pastor here. I remember coming down here and, 195 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:17.349 without knowing some of you at all, on the recommendation of someone else, 196 00:18:17.430 --> 00:18:22.390 you opened up your homes to us. You allowed us to stay, to 197 00:18:22.470 --> 00:18:25.549 sleep in your bedrooms and to eat your food, not knowing me or my 198 00:18:25.750 --> 00:18:30.900 family or anything about us, hoping that we were good, hoping that we 199 00:18:30.940 --> 00:18:36.180 wouldn't do bad things, and you opened your homes to us. And you 200 00:18:36.299 --> 00:18:41.140 did this not only for me, but you remember Dave come. He would 201 00:18:41.140 --> 00:18:48.089 stay regularly every month in our homes, and some homes in in particular, 202 00:18:48.930 --> 00:18:53.170 opening up our homes, opening up our lives, making them available so that 203 00:18:53.650 --> 00:18:59.720 we could receive, as a church, the preaching of the Gospel. Now, 204 00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:02.119 of course there's ask in that. Right. When we imagine this, 205 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:04.240 least when I imagine the situation in the early church, I think that's kind 206 00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:10.069 of dangerous, isn't it? How would you know the way you don't. 207 00:19:10.150 --> 00:19:14.750 I mean there is some risk. Mean they are is recommendations. The person 208 00:19:14.869 --> 00:19:17.829 is saying they're a Christian, they're saying they go to such and such a 209 00:19:17.910 --> 00:19:22.390 church or they know such and such a pastor or friend. But it's a 210 00:19:22.390 --> 00:19:26.500 risk that the early church understood as well, and that's important for you to 211 00:19:26.660 --> 00:19:32.740 understand. These people weren't naive. It wasn't such a different society that they 212 00:19:32.819 --> 00:19:37.900 felt like there weren't dangers or things to be aware of. In both the 213 00:19:37.059 --> 00:19:44.170 New Testament and outside the Testam New Testament we hear expressions and warnings about how 214 00:19:44.289 --> 00:19:48.450 do you deal with these people that are coming into your home, and there 215 00:19:48.490 --> 00:19:53.440 are rules even given for visitors and for hosts. The Dida Key, for 216 00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:59.519 example, says don't stay more than one or two days and if you're staying 217 00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:02.240 more than one or two days, or if your guest is staying more than 218 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:04.400 one or two days, you should probably tell him to stop being idle and 219 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:11.150 move on. Right. Christianity is certainly about supplying for the needs of people 220 00:20:11.230 --> 00:20:17.710 that are needy, but it's not about promoting idleness or just giving and giving 221 00:20:17.829 --> 00:20:22.819 and giving without any with to those who aren't needy. Paul says that the 222 00:20:22.900 --> 00:20:27.099 man who doesn't provide for his family is worse than an unbeliever. I believe 223 00:20:27.140 --> 00:20:32.019 it's in the deed a key that it says that those who feed on Christ 224 00:20:32.259 --> 00:20:37.250 who have in this way and receiving the mercy of Christians who don't really deserve 225 00:20:37.329 --> 00:20:42.089 it. It calls them Christmongers. Sort of striking word, isn't it? 226 00:20:44.609 --> 00:20:47.450 So, in a similar way as we are supposed to give as to the 227 00:20:47.690 --> 00:20:51.599 Lord, we are not supposed to take from the Lord in a way that 228 00:20:51.880 --> 00:20:59.119 is greedy and irresponsible, by taking the things that aren't rightfully ours. When 229 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:02.000 we are in need, we are to receive it and be thankful for it. 230 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:06.589 We are not to be embarrassed or shy, because it's the Ministry of 231 00:21:06.670 --> 00:21:11.029 Christ through his people. But it also means that if we're not in need 232 00:21:11.109 --> 00:21:15.190 and we're taking those things, we're taking from something that belongs to someone else, 233 00:21:15.109 --> 00:21:19.500 someone who truly needs those things, and on the host side of things. 234 00:21:19.539 --> 00:21:23.980 We are to give liberally and openly, just as Jesus does to us. 235 00:21:25.940 --> 00:21:30.579 But to those who do not teach the word of God, who do 236 00:21:30.740 --> 00:21:34.170 not live the word of God, who pretend to be Christians but are destroying 237 00:21:34.250 --> 00:21:40.690 the church, we are to turn them out. John says this and third 238 00:21:40.730 --> 00:21:47.480 Johnny, he says don't share with people that aren't teaching Orthodox things, lest 239 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:52.319 you share in their wickedness. It's one thing to help a man that's hurting 240 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:56.720 on the road and feeding him and taking care of his knee means, it's 241 00:21:56.720 --> 00:22:06.910 another thing to support an evil or wicked ministry and Anti Christian a teaching liberal. 242 00:22:07.029 --> 00:22:11.829 Hospitality of the church is respected, it's a virtue, but we're not 243 00:22:11.869 --> 00:22:18.579 supposed to support those who teach anti Christian doctrines. So hospitality means kind of 244 00:22:18.619 --> 00:22:23.740 a variety of things, providing housing, picking up at the airport, providing 245 00:22:23.819 --> 00:22:30.170 meals. And you know what happens? As we receive Christians into our homes 246 00:22:30.289 --> 00:22:36.369 and into our lives, even those who are outside of our normal congregation, 247 00:22:37.049 --> 00:22:44.359 we often receive great blessings. It's really true. I don't think I'll ever 248 00:22:44.440 --> 00:22:49.240 forget Doug class in our our secretary for foreign missions, playing this rocous game 249 00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:56.039 with my kids. It was so much fun. And also remember that same 250 00:22:56.079 --> 00:23:00.349 day in which he was very helpful to me, gave me godly counsel and 251 00:23:00.430 --> 00:23:06.950 Biblical advice during a particularly difficult time. It wouldn't have happened if he wasn't 252 00:23:06.990 --> 00:23:10.589 there. He was able to share with me the Lord, even as we 253 00:23:10.630 --> 00:23:15.819 were able to share with him the hospitality. Of course, there are other 254 00:23:15.900 --> 00:23:19.539 things. All in the interest of time, I'll move quickly through these other 255 00:23:19.660 --> 00:23:25.940 things that Aristides mentions, burying the dead, for example, caring for the 256 00:23:26.059 --> 00:23:32.210 confessors. That's an amazing thing. Christians would regularly, during times of persecution, 257 00:23:32.690 --> 00:23:37.049 go to the jails and identify with those people. The Bible speaks about 258 00:23:37.089 --> 00:23:41.640 this right, not only being the poor, but associating with the lowly. 259 00:23:42.759 --> 00:23:48.079 Can you imagine going to visit someone who's been arrested for the very same thing 260 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:52.119 you're doing and believing, Yep, this one's mine, this one's a friend? 261 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:59.309 But that's what they did. Interestingly, they would regularly bribe prison guards 262 00:24:00.269 --> 00:24:04.029 to get them to better parts of the cell or or accomplish various things. 263 00:24:04.990 --> 00:24:11.940 They would bring these people that were being persecuted in jail, food and other 264 00:24:11.099 --> 00:24:17.500 things. There's a lady Perpetua in two hundred and three, around two hundred 265 00:24:17.539 --> 00:24:22.619 and three, a d that we read about the deacons of the churches organizing 266 00:24:22.700 --> 00:24:29.849 a series of visitations, of bribing the Gulp, the the soldiers to move 267 00:24:29.930 --> 00:24:33.730 her to a better location, and then, finally, before she was ultimate, 268 00:24:33.849 --> 00:24:38.079 nearly martyred, they were again able to bribe the prison officials so that, 269 00:24:38.200 --> 00:24:42.720 instead of her being having to partake of a feast, this Liberalia, 270 00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:48.000 which was often taken by people that were going to go into the Coliseum and 271 00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:56.109 whatnot, they brought to her the Lord's supper. Gives me chills to think 272 00:24:56.109 --> 00:25:02.470 about it. Or Felicitas another woman who is going to be martyred soon after 273 00:25:02.509 --> 00:25:06.990 giving birth, and one of the women visitors who came to visit her before 274 00:25:06.990 --> 00:25:11.220 she was martyred took her newborn baby girl and promised to raise her as her 275 00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:22.690 own pursue hospitality. Well, there's much more we could say, but let's 276 00:25:22.690 --> 00:25:29.049 consider the why of this, and I've already touched on this. Part of 277 00:25:29.089 --> 00:25:34.289 it is it's this is the character of our God. He takes care of 278 00:25:34.490 --> 00:25:38.839 the poor. How many times do we read this in scripture, that while 279 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:45.359 the rich are persecuting people, oppressing people, ruining their lives and doing evil 280 00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:52.789 things, God says I stand for those in need. Persecute the Widows and 281 00:25:52.910 --> 00:26:00.390 orphans and you will be persecuted, he says, Exodus Twenty Two, twenty 282 00:26:00.509 --> 00:26:11.339 two, you shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do 283 00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:15.140 mistreat them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry 284 00:26:15.579 --> 00:26:19.089 and my grath will burn and I will kill you with the sword and your 285 00:26:19.289 --> 00:26:26.369 wives will become widows and your children fatherless. I will take care of those 286 00:26:26.490 --> 00:26:30.089 in need. That is the character of our Lord and that is exactly what 287 00:26:30.250 --> 00:26:36.400 Christ does when he comes into the world to restore the sight to the blind, 288 00:26:36.880 --> 00:26:41.000 to heal the brokenhearted, to bind up the wounds, to bring the 289 00:26:41.079 --> 00:26:48.230 dead to life. Our God pours out mercy and we are both made in 290 00:26:48.390 --> 00:26:55.029 his image to be merciful and and we are being remade, after our sinful 291 00:26:55.029 --> 00:27:00.500 fall, to show this glorious aspect of the character of God, the character 292 00:27:00.579 --> 00:27:06.900 of Christ. So when we go into the world, we are being like 293 00:27:07.099 --> 00:27:11.859 our heavenly father. We're doing the things that he does and of course, 294 00:27:11.980 --> 00:27:15.730 in that we glorify him, which is a wonderful reason to do these things, 295 00:27:15.970 --> 00:27:22.329 but we are also acting as his children and even extending his mission. 296 00:27:23.089 --> 00:27:32.559 Jesus has these remarkable words, remarkable words in Matthew. He says, when 297 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:36.440 I was thirsty, you gave me a drink, when I was in prison, 298 00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:38.799 you came and visited me, when I was sick, you came and 299 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:44.750 helped me. I say, when did we do this? I don't remember 300 00:27:44.829 --> 00:27:47.470 doing this for you, Lord, and he says you did, when you 301 00:27:47.630 --> 00:27:52.029 did it for the least of these, my brothers. In other words, 302 00:27:52.069 --> 00:27:56.950 when we do what the Lord says to hear, we are serving our savior. 303 00:27:57.619 --> 00:28:03.019 Sure it might feel like a quick ninety nine cents card and a stamp 304 00:28:03.140 --> 00:28:07.619 and a and I hope you're feeling better, but when it's done out of 305 00:28:07.740 --> 00:28:12.769 love and true service to Christ, it's an extension of his ministry. We 306 00:28:12.970 --> 00:28:18.410 become, to use the language of scripture, his hands and his feet. 307 00:28:18.410 --> 00:28:22.210 How could you not want to be that? How could you not want to 308 00:28:22.289 --> 00:28:32.039 be so united with Christ that you are his hand, giving and helping and 309 00:28:32.279 --> 00:28:37.400 rescuing, to play a part in the mission of God in the world and 310 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:45.910 among his people? It is to be the body of Christ. This is 311 00:28:45.990 --> 00:28:51.710 a necessary thing for Christians, not just because it's commanded, but be it's 312 00:28:51.789 --> 00:28:56.980 because it's who we are. When we act in this way, we are 313 00:28:56.980 --> 00:29:06.099 acting in union with Christ and according to the spirit, the giving, that 314 00:29:06.380 --> 00:29:12.250 is described here. The similar word is used in John Sixteen. Here are 315 00:29:12.289 --> 00:29:17.890 the Gospel says that God so loved the world that he gave, he shared, 316 00:29:18.130 --> 00:29:22.089 he or can he contributed his only son, that whoever believes in him 317 00:29:22.490 --> 00:29:27.960 should not perish but have e turn a life, for God did not send 318 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:32.680 his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the 319 00:29:32.799 --> 00:29:41.789 world might be saved through him. We can look at our lives and we 320 00:29:41.910 --> 00:29:45.470 can see lots of ways in which we have not been hospitable, ways in 321 00:29:45.589 --> 00:29:49.630 which we have been greedy, ways in which we have kept things for ourselves 322 00:29:49.670 --> 00:29:53.460 when we should have given them to other people, ways in which we've been 323 00:29:53.539 --> 00:29:59.380 too much worried about money and the things that we have to be able to 324 00:29:59.460 --> 00:30:04.059 give them freely to other people, too much worried about the logistics of things 325 00:30:04.140 --> 00:30:10.009 or how it might be perceived, too much worried about the the mechanics of 326 00:30:10.089 --> 00:30:15.089 it and calculating it all out. When there's a kind of excessive generosity that 327 00:30:15.130 --> 00:30:21.799 the scriptures talk about, we think about these things, we think about how 328 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:26.480 gracious God has been been to us, and I know I feel convicted. 329 00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:33.440 I know I think the various ways in which I should have done better, 330 00:30:33.400 --> 00:30:38.910 should do better. The good news to us, though, is that we 331 00:30:40.029 --> 00:30:42.829 don't do these things, as I say, apart art from the Ministry of 332 00:30:42.950 --> 00:30:48.910 God in us. We're not doing these things to prove ourselves to other people, 333 00:30:49.500 --> 00:30:53.779 to prove ourselves to God, to earn our salvation, to check a 334 00:30:53.980 --> 00:31:03.500 list, to fulfill mere duty. We do these things because the spirit of 335 00:31:03.619 --> 00:31:10.329 God is at work in you. And when our sinful nature fights up against 336 00:31:10.410 --> 00:31:17.009 that, when love of money and lack of generosity and lack of mercy pushes 337 00:31:17.130 --> 00:31:23.799 against that spirit that we've been given, God continues to promise us what he 338 00:31:23.839 --> 00:31:30.680 has always promised us, continues to give us what he's always gives us excessive 339 00:31:30.759 --> 00:31:37.390 and liberal generosity. He keeps pouring out His grace, more and more it. 340 00:31:37.589 --> 00:31:41.670 While you are yet sinners, Christ died for you and while you yet 341 00:31:41.829 --> 00:31:45.109 continue to sin, Christ still died for you and still lives for you, 342 00:31:45.390 --> 00:31:51.259 and still gives to you. You, as an adopted child in the household 343 00:31:51.299 --> 00:31:56.339 of God, aren't always a very good child. You're sometimes disobedient and honre 344 00:31:56.500 --> 00:32:01.329 and hard to live with. I'm that way too. But what does our 345 00:32:01.410 --> 00:32:06.769 father do? Does he turn US out? Does he reject us? Did 346 00:32:06.809 --> 00:32:10.970 he say go away, adoptions over? I know, he says, you're 347 00:32:12.009 --> 00:32:15.160 still mine. I'm still taking care of you, I'm still giving to you. 348 00:32:17.680 --> 00:32:21.960 So when we feel the weight of our sins, when we feel those 349 00:32:22.119 --> 00:32:25.279 convicting feelings, don't push it down, don't turn away from it, but 350 00:32:25.480 --> 00:32:31.109 turn to our father, who graciously gives, received from him as one who 351 00:32:31.309 --> 00:32:37.470 is in need, and then turn to others and be his hands and his 352 00:32:37.589 --> 00:32:45.819 feet, show them that Gospel. May God grant this for our church. 353 00:32:45.859 --> 00:32:53.299 Let's pray. Our heavenly father is we think about our needs, what's are 354 00:32:53.420 --> 00:32:57.500 so many, and as we think about the many ways in which you have 355 00:32:57.619 --> 00:33:01.769 provided for them, we do worship you and give you all adoration and praise. 356 00:33:02.609 --> 00:33:07.009 We confess to you are ungrateful hearts. We confess to you our love 357 00:33:07.170 --> 00:33:12.880 of money. We confess to you our inability to trust you to provide for 358 00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:19.759 our needs. We confess these things and ask that you would forgive us. 359 00:33:21.200 --> 00:33:27.950 We do desire not to be controlled by the things of this world, the 360 00:33:28.029 --> 00:33:32.549 desires of our heart, but be to be controlled instead by the Merciful Spirit 361 00:33:34.029 --> 00:33:39.269 of Christ, that our mission would be his mission and that our glory would 362 00:33:39.269 --> 00:33:45.380 be his glory, that our service would be his service. We asked, 363 00:33:45.460 --> 00:33:51.660 Lord, that you would grow and inculcate this kind of love in covenant OPC. 364 00:33:52.180 --> 00:33:57.089 We asked that the contribution to the needs of the saints would be robust 365 00:33:57.210 --> 00:34:05.170 and pursued, that hospitality would not be a thing of of convenience, were 366 00:34:05.289 --> 00:34:10.400 mere duty, but an act of love, empowered by the very spirit of 367 00:34:10.519 --> 00:34:15.280 God working in us. And when we fail, which we will do and 368 00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:20.320 have done, we has that you would continue to lift us up, even 369 00:34:20.360 --> 00:34:23.119 in this task, that you would continue to pour your grace out on us, 370 00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:27.829 as you promised to do, and we look forward to the day, 371 00:34:27.949 --> 00:34:31.389 Lord, when, one day there will be only the poor in spirit, 372 00:34:32.510 --> 00:34:38.179 but no more poverty, no more needs, except the need and joy of 373 00:34:38.380 --> 00:34:45.699 loving one another and he being united to one another for all eternity. Thank 374 00:34:45.739 --> 00:34:52.539 you for giving to US Jesus Christ himself, that we might have salvation. 375 00:34:52.530 --> 00:35:00.809 The forgiveness of our sins and union with the people of God. We ask 376 00:35:00.050 --> 00:35:04.090 these things in Jesus name. Amen.