What Is Your Rest of the Story?

Here is last week's notes for my sermon.

Romans 16.19-20, 25-27

                Paul Harvey is a person about whom I am asked a lot. It’s not that I am asked a lot of different questions. I am usually asked just one, over and over and over again. For a small time, I thought we were related. My adopted family comes from a Central KS town bearing the family name. So does his. But alas, Paul Harvey as well as his son today, go by their middle names, “Harvey”. Nope, not related. Too bad, too. Not for the fame, but more for who he was.

                You don’t need me to tell you that he was a master story teller who quickly grabs your attention, breaks for an ad and then comes with the Rest of the Story. Usually his stories would involve something, an item in everyday life that we have come to take for granted, and the odder its origin, the more likely he’d tell us about that story. I like his telling ability so much that as I read Louis L’Amore books, it’s Paul Harvey’s voice narrating in my head.

               

                As good as Paul Harvey is at telling a yarn or the behind the scenes that he called the “Rest of the Story”, he is different than Jesus, who was another great story teller. The difference is that Jesus never tells us what happened next. Did the woman at the well, for example, ever repent and get her home life in order before God? Or what about the woman caught in adultery, did she ever commit that sin again? Of course there is the man that Jesus healed at the pool, who he later told not to sin anymore. What sin was that lame man’s?

                I often theorize that the reason we do not have the rest of the stories is because God has given us total freedom. No, it’s not about “what does this mean to me?” rather, it is about what will we do about the truth being taught here? Will we show mercy as he did the second woman? Will we show grace to the woman at the well? Jesus’ teachings always leave us with a decision to make.

                And the Apostle Paul has learned well from Jesus. Paul wrote to the church in Rome because there were those who wanted the Romans to embrace traditionalism. Paul laid out the reason that to cling to the law was taking a step backwards in the Faith. Since the old covenant was fulfilled, there is now freedom to live for Christ.

                Now as we bring our study in this letter to a close, Paul tells us what we should do, but at the same time, there is the underlying question, “what will be the rest of your story?” Let’s read the text:

                Here is the rest of the story, what Paul says it should be: To God!! To Him be all the glory! Is your life giving God all the glory?

                A life that gives God honor and praise is one that is rooted in obedience. No, I am not talking about the Law, or a list of rules. I am talking about living a pure, innocent life. We know what is good. We should not experience what is evil. We know that God will bring justice, so we can let go of the hurts and pains in life and allow God to take care of us. It means that people see us and see our faith being lived out. How much are we really controlled by faith and how much do we control faith? Do we give from abundance, or do we give more than we can afford. Do people truly see what we do and know that it is because we love Christ for what he did? That is a goal Jesus shared in Matthew 5, let your lights shine so men glorify our heavenly Father. Do we let the church meet the needs of our neighbors, or do we allow ourselves to become the hands and feet of the church to meet those needs? And it means that sometimes we need to tell others about Jesus so that they know why we are motivated to act in grace and love.

                Sometimes we are afraid to talk about Jesus. Yet, a life that gives God honor and praise is one that is filled with strength. The main reason that we do not share our faith is that often we feel inadequate and weak; yet Paul’s words tell us that we are indeed strengthened. We are strengthened by being in Christ, being clothed in him as we see in chapter 6, so we can walk a new way that brings glory to God. We are continually strengthened by spending time in His Word. Now when we read the Word, do we keep what we find to ourselves or do we share it with our brothers and sisters? Proverbs teaches us that as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.(27.17). We do not have to be timid. If we are clothed in Christ, baptized with Him, then we have this strength already. We are able to obey in faith, living for Christ.

                A life that gives God honor and praise is one that is proclaiming the gospel. As Jesus gave in the Great Commission in Matthew 28, so we have here. It isn’t enough to live for Christ and never tell others, or seldom talk to others about their faith. “Mr. Jones knows we are going to church on Sunday. Someday he may come around.” This is a typical attitude of the average American church. Yet Paul is talking about the actual advancing the Gospel. It means making disciples. It means that we as a church not just bring people to Christ, but that we need to also teach them. Do we? Do we talk as freely about Jesus as we do the Razorbacks? As for this mystery? It is simple: God planned to redeem not only one nation, but all nations, to restore that fellowship that Man’s sin broke. The Old Testament is full of allusions to this coming new covenant through Christ Jesus.

               

                Paul wrote this letter to give the Church a new way of living, not by rules, but with total freedom. All things are permissible, and as long as we live by faith by the strength Christ gives us, always looking for opportunities to serve, to share the message with others, then God receives the glory, and we don’t worry about it being beneficial or not. Now we come to that point, the rest of the story isn’t written yet. It is now up to you to decide which fork in the road your take. Will you come with me as I strive to live a life that brings God the glory? That, I pray, will be the rest of my story.

What Is Your Role in Church?

{The following are my sermon notes from 07.15.22}

Romans 16.1-18

Perhaps one of the most “boring” parts of Scripture are lists of names. We have the list of names of those who came out of Egypt by tribe. We have a list of those who went into the promise land, by tribe and clan. We have the genealogy of Jesus twice. And we have this list, just to name a few. And to be honest, I used to be one of those types who would gloss over this. Most still do. Yet there are some gems in here.

We could look at this section and see the equality in the faith. Of the 29 people listed, half are women. He especially emphasizes the first woman, the first name. Another way of looking at this list is to see how diversified the faith should be. We have Romans, which commentators believed to be distinguished from your Greek Gentile. You have of course Greek Gentiles, and you have Jews. Then there is the approach to see the transforming power of the Gospel. It is transforming politically, we know geographically and even theologically. Did you know Phoebe means radiant now, but once meant, according to one source, goddess of the moon? And finally there is the personal touch of Paul. He addresses many people who’ve helped in his preaching the Gospel. He took time to commend each one. Now we would do well to learn these lessons. They are valid. Yet there is another avenue that I am taking this morning. I want to look at roles that these people served in the church.

The first role that we see is of the Benefactor. This is a person who would generally underwrite a financial needs of the church. It is more than putting a share in the offering plate. This person, when the offering comes up short, puts in the difference. If there is a need that arises suddenly, Phoebe would step in and meet it. Too often today, this role, when such a role exists, comes to being known as the golden rule. He who has the gold makes the rules.  Yet this is still an important role.

The next role that I see is that of co-worker. Priscilla and Aquila were partners with Paul. They traveled with him, helped him preach the Gospel. Now that they have settled, they open their home to hosting meetings for the church. But this couple was not alone. There are others listed here that are co-workers.

There are those who are listed as being dear to Paul. I wonder how they were so. Did they serve as a source of encouragement? Were these the types who would bend their knees and uphold Paul in prayer? I wasn’t sure how to handle this role. But in verses 17 and 18, we see that we all have one role, which is to protect the church from false doctrine. They are after their own ends. This command Paul did not save for a few, but to all who would read the letter, to you to me today.

There is another role. That is of mentoring. Did you catch it as we read it? Rufus’ mom became a mom to Paul. I have to wonder about Rufus, by way of a side note. Mark lists the man who carried Jesus’ cross as the father of Rufus and Alexander. Is this the same Rufus? It very likely could be. But the main point is that Rufus’ mom took it on herself to mentor Paul, and he welcomed her to do so. Reminds me when I first met my dorm mom. Not too far from the baptistery, I told her that I could not call her “mom”. Yet, Mom Lange became “mom” to me within a short period of days.

So this brings up what is your role in the church? Each of these people served the church in some way that Paul was more than eager to list them. I truly believe that everyone has a purpose in the body of the local church. And where we best fit, only you can answer that question. I can help guide you to the best fit, but then I am only making educated guesses. I remember once having a teacher who worked well with the teens. He later told me that he always hated it. Had I known, I’d helped him transition to pre-teens or young adults, either he would have preferred.

What is your calling? We often think anymore that when God will call us to do something, he will do it in an amazing fashion, like Moses saw the burning bush, Samuel heard God calling in the middle of the night, Isaiah had a dream, or Paul seeing a bright light. Yes, sometimes God may use one of these methods, but there are more practical ways. It could be something as easy as someone coming up and telling you that you are to be king, as it was with David. To determine your role, we have three questions to ask:

1.       What are you passionate about? This question is of the utmost importance. Take some time one of these evenings and review how you use your time. Think about the last 5 conversations that you have had that day, or even all the conversations that you had that day. Were they about your faith or about how the Diamondbacks have slipped into .488 average? You know people like that, right? They can tell you all sorts of baseball stats, or razorback stats. Or perhaps they like to discuss the woes of the country and encourage you to become part of the solution.  That is passion. We call them fans, but remember, fans of diamondbacks are fanatics about baseball. Are we fanatics of Jesus? Once you know where your passion lays, or get it back on Jesus, then comes the next question.

2.       What are your spiritual gifts? This question can be a bit harder to answer. It can be a bit related to the previous question. For myself, I love to teach. I love to study. I especially love to study words. For example, I can tell you how long the word ‘luck’ has been in the English vernacular as well as how it came to be. I love to share nuggets that I find in the Bible, and point out teachable moments and objects. God has gifted me with teaching because of a passion that I have. Another gift that I have is being able to counsel. If a person has a problem or trial in life, as long as they accept the Bible as the foundation of all help, then I can help him or her overcome that struggle. Those are my two spiritual gifts. But I’ve been able to answer this question because I could answer the previous question.

3.       What are your material blessings? And this is where we take stock of what we have. So often we take a look at the bank account and weigh our material blessings accordingly. If the account is at zero, we assume we have nothing. But not all of us are called to be Barnabas or Phoebe. But we are all called to use what we do have. Esther didn’t have much by way of riches, though she was a queen. Her material blessing was her location, or position. She used it to God’s glory, to the salvation of his people. Phoebe used her money to help Paul. Lydia used her home. Is what you have being used for the Lord? This is the logical question that follows up to the material blessings. So let me translate this to an example that isn’t money. Money is useful in helping others obtain materials needed to accomplish their needs. But consider your health. If you are healthy, you can go out and visit people. You can go to camp. Kids love the love, regardless what they confess. Of course you might be in a position that allows you to network together people to meet needs like compiling all the old, too small jackets from grandkids and nieces and nephews. It’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time, or knowing the right people. These are all material blessings. These can translate into roles within the body to help spread the Gospel here in Stuttgart and the rest of AR.

This morning, I hope that I have been able to encourage you so that next time you see a list in the Bible, take time to see what lessons might be connected. I more than that, hope that you have been encouraged to answer this question, what is your role? If you do need help in answering, then I do invite you to come and let us help you.

Today's Gentile

Romans 15.7-13

It would be so easy. It would be so easy to walk through this passage and focus on how Paul was stressing how important it is to accept one another, unconditionally.  I could explain how this passage was directed to the brethren of Jewish decent, that being Jewish was nothing more than God fulfilling his promise to Abraham, that they were not the end result, but were a conduit to a greater glory. Paul quoted both David and Isaiah regarding the nature of the Messiah being for all, for the restoration of fellowship. Not only will Jews be one in fellowship with God, but so will Gentiles who believe in Christ. They will join the Jews in the restored fellowship with God. And that should excite the church. God should fill us all, Jew and Gentile alike, with peace and joy because of our faith in Christ, and from that, our lives are overflowing with hope, a hope that spreads to our neighbors.

That would be the easy message. That is encouraging, has three points and is short. But as a congregation, we’ve been looking at a different kind of thinking, rather than the traditional. Sure the passages are traditional, but have we been motivated to change our thinking? The world, at least our American culture, has changed its thinking about the church. Have we adjusted our own thinking to keep up? That has been also a recurring appeal in my sermons from Romans. We are free to soar for Christ, for we cannot fail.

Let’s further the different thinking. Let’s translate the letter forward 2,000 years. Let us all apply these words to us. Let us then rethink the word, “Gentile”. Let us redefine the word. Then let us look for today’s Gentiles in our daily lives.

Solomon once wrote that there is nothing new under the sun. He was right. What the church was dealing with yesterday, the church is still dealing with today. Race played a factor. Economics played a factor. Feelings played a factor in the church both yesteryear and today. Paul tells us at the start accept your neighbor because God accepted you. When we don’t accept someone for whatever reason, we are in essence defining a Gentile, stating who is worthy of the Gospel. Do you define Gentile?

A Gentile is someone who is a different race than I am.  One of the first people I met here a year ago told me that 1957 was but a couple of years ago.  Sure, you walk around the community you see all races attending the same school, swimming in the same pool, eating at the same places. But on Sunday, there’s the difference. Now a few churches have mixed worship, but no church has mixed membership.  (Now if I am mistaken and there is a congregation or two, then praise be to God, the Father. We meed more.) It is good to get along, but is that where we stop, holding one another at arm's length? No I am not bashing us alone, for this is an issue that all races are battling.  Remember we once had a lady coming last summer. She stopped because of pressure of her family attending a church like ours. You know though, she and her family need the same Jesus you and I do. Or is she a Gentile?

A Gentile is someone who is a different social class than I am. This one is a little harder to see within a congregation. But suppose there are two visitors. One comes in wearing fine clothes. The other, shorts and a tee. Who would we show favor to? Of course we are taught neither. We do not know what is in the heart of either visitor. We are to welcome both of them wholly, equally. It was a Saturday afternoon, early spring. A ragged looking man came onto the car lot. He wore torn shorts, filthy shirt, holey shoes. No salesman would go near him, but one. The man wanted to drive the new Broncos, the big one, not that littler 60’s model. The salesman, Herb, went and grabbed the key. He saw something in this man that all the others missed. He saw the Danny in the man. The next week more men wearing their jerseys, their bling, their fineries came to the lot ready to buy. All the other salesmen tried, but all were told, no, we will wait for Herb. We have time. Herb saw someone valuable under the rags. He had been cleaning the yard and remembered that he wanted to be the first to drive the brand new SUV that Lincoln was venturing. No longer just cars. So he came as he was. Danny White doesn’t look too fancy in work clothes. But for Herb, it meant selling 20 cars in a single day to the Cowboys offensive line, and eventually to the whole team. My point, God sees the valuable in each person. So should we. Who knows, the next person who comes to Christ with us may be the next Paul, Apostle to the Gentile. Or would we mistake Danny for a Gentile?

A Gentile is someone who hurts our feelings. You’ve heard the cliché: “Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me.” It’s one of the characteristics of being independent American. We are to forgive, but not to be put in the position to be hurt again. So someone slanders us. Someone cheats us. Someone steals. Someone blames. Oh, one might forgive, but according to one Biblical counselor, he should avoid being set up for that situation to repeat. But true forgiveness means just that. Doesn’t God put himself in a place where my sins will hurt him again and again? Yet he still forgives me. How much more must I forgive unequivocally as He has? Or do I call the person who hurt my feelings a Gentile?

God has meant his kingdom to be one from many. In fact that is our nation, out of many, one. Out of many nations, one nation, the United States of America. Out of many people, one people, God’s Children in Christ Jesus. When we refuse to consider someone else, then how much are we robbing the joy and peace? How much are we limiting the hope that comes from being right with God because God wants me, as He wants you, as He wants all we otherwise would call a Gentile.

How? Let me close with this thought, this reminder. We have the Holy Spirit. We received the Holy Spirit when we became clothed in Christ. Because of that, we have His power as a resource for living in Christ to honor God, to share His news. How have you been calling a Gentile? What will you do about it?