Morning church - welcome to the construction site.
You know I am in the engineering game – in fact, you might have driven past one of our sites on the way to church, Iman Haron Road in Claremont, even a bit closer Kendal and De Waal drive, yup, sorry, that’s partially my fault… and as you drive past these sites week by week you probably think to yourself, why on earth is this taking so long…
Why is there so much digging, what’s with all the holes, right now there’s a long excavation along Kendal road looks like a big sand pit. These silly engineers, they just like playing in the mud or what?
Church, any decent project takes a while – to get the foundations right. Layer upon layer, it takes a while to get out of the ground.
Romans 12 this morning, as I take off my village people outfit, and we are out of the ground. Took a while to get here – I wonder when Paul started writing if he knew how long this letter was gonna turn out to be. Gosh, it even took Medway a while to get out of the first few verses of this chapter! That’s fine!
This is your service, this is your worship, this is your offering, your sacrifice before the Lord.
This is the house built upon that foundation.
This is the outworking of the transformation taking place in us – this is the after effect of belief and faith and spiritual renewal that comes by Gods hand.
We start today's passage up there on the screen, with:
Love
Makes sense, it’s the great commandment, Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind, and then - love others as you love yourself. Jesus says, there is no greater commandment. In your offering to God, in your service to others, in this living out your faith, living sacrifice – title in my bible says love in action - love is key. What kind of love?
Performative love? Love coming from a place of fear? No, in just four words we get an insight into what is on Paul's heart for the Roman church. Love must be sincere.
Love must be genuine. It must be real. You cannot fake love – you can try, but you are only fooling yourself. You probably aren’t fooling the people around you and you definitely aren’t fooling an all knowing God.
Jesus famously calls out the Pharisees for the hypocrisy they show – the outward religion doesn’t match what is in their hearts – you remember what he calls them – he calls them whitewashed tombs. All clean and presenting well on the outside, but hiding wickedness and spiritual decay inside of them.
As you build these houses on all this foundational stuff, build your house of worship in spirit and in truth. Build sincerely. Build honestly and build in genuine love.
Hate what is evil and cling to what is good
Ha, I love it, so we were just getting lovey dovey and you are getting klapped on living lives full of genuine love, now Paul tells you what to hate. We must hate? But, I’m not a hateful guy, I’m a good boy. I’m a transformed Christian, all I want is peace and love all day. Cling to what is good, yes, of course, duh, but can’t I just remove hate from the equation? Sounds good doesn’t it?
Here we have, quite clearly a place for hate. So lets think about that. I don’t think what we’re talking about is that type of evil, spiteful, I’m out to get you and destroy you kind of consuming hatred. The verses later in the chapter actually get onto that whole vengeance is the Lords kind of argument… but one of the things I take from this is a warning against neutrality. Evil is supposed to have a reaction in you. A negative reaction. It’s supposed to move the dial.
We were having dinner time lively discussion/debate/fight the other day, I think it was about the use of Artificial Intelligence and my wife was on one side and the kids were opposing her, and then they turned to me as I sat there not listening and they said what do you think – and so I said, in my most peacemaker, oblivious neutral Switzerland voice I said, well, I actually don’t care… and then they all turned on me, rightfully I suppose and said, well that’s actually a worse take …. How can you not care!
We are faced with a lot of blatant, evil – daily… and you might be like me, let me raise my 6 foot five frame above it all and keep my head in the clouds and not care, not be moved…
But we must hate what is evil. The middle path - let’s be tolerant, let’s find a lukewarm position in the middle that’s least offensive to the world and hopefully we can all just move on.
That doesn’t seem to be the way to go. Just ask Ed Sheeran!
Ha! OK, moving on.
Be devoted to one another in love.
Devotion is a spiritual commitment - the early church were devoted to Acts 2 – Teaching, Fellowship, Breaking of Bread and Prayer.
If you are devoted to something, it is consuming, it is wholehearted and unwavering – it is loyal and it involves full surrender. You can’t be partially devoted. Devotion is also not driven by fear and rigid obligation - it is driven by deep love and loyalty.
To finish that verse off, it’s the type of devotion that places one’s self second to the another – OK, that’s not new or surprising – selfless sacrifice just like Jesus.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking.
We know these verses – and there’s even a bit more there – other translations have it as - outdo one another in showing honor. Almost, ALMOST like a competitive thing - strive to be the best. And I know it sounds like I’m saying – ah, be the most humble. OR be the best at being the least.. and there’s a dangerous self serving potential to that, yes of course… but maybe rather look at it like this. Putting other people ahead of yourself, isn’t just a - ok, woah, let me stop myself, you can go for it – let me just check myself, and allow some opportunity or thing to go another’s way.
Its more than just that – it’s an action – to do something – strive for something – outdo – put into practice to the best of your ability and your resources allows it. To give honour. To be honorable. To bear others up. To prefer others. I fall so short here, I’m sure we all do to some degree. The love and the honour and the preference and the time and the gifts and the investment and the patience and kindness shown to us.. and we go, cool, thanks, we take it all in, we soak it all up and go on our way.
Make it a competitive pursuit to pass that honour on.
Cling, devoted, outdo, can you feel the urgent call to action? Can you feel the energy?
Verse 11.
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Never be lacking in Zeal. Never be lacking – always Zealous. In the first century the Zealots were a hardcore fanatical group, passionate about overthrowing the Roman government – you might remember Simon the Zealot as one of the disciples. And it’s interesting because Jesus throws the anti government Zealot together in this group of 12 together with, say Matthew the tax collector (the government employee) and says – get along… It’s also interesting because the very next chapter of Romans we have obey your God instituted government, so I don’t think Paul is asking his readers to actually literally join that group of radicals – he is just using them as an example – of commitment and dedication, of uncompromising devotion to their cause.
Keep your spiritual fervour – fervour is a word that means to boil, to bubble over – think of those effervescent tablets that you and I take – are we full of bubbles and energy and life in our service - are we sparkling – are we fizzy for Jesus - or are we flat. Lifeless. Is there anything worse that a flat fizzy drink (Tim Bergemann, I learnt last week at a braai) cannot abide a lite beer where the bubbles don’t pop. It’s a terrible thing.
But we’re not talking about beer and coca cola and tablets – we are talking about – action.
Brothers sisters, are you still sparkling? Has the life and the energy gone out of your faith? The fizz and the zeal that you once had, many years ago has been replaced by the ordinary, day to day flatness of a middle of the road sedate, tired, slow trudge where the days go by and nothing seems to happen.
Are we in step with the Spirit? Are we feeding, growing, teaching, sharing, moving. Do some self analysis, and consider, maybe say the last year – and think of how you have put your faith in action this past year. Us Engineers like things to be measurable – if it can’t be measured it can’t be managed. If you can’t see any movement, if you can’t see any growth, if you can’t spot any bubbles… Maybe its time to ask God to give the bottle a good old shake. Maybe like those old SodaStream bottles, you remember those – its time for the Holy spirit to re-gas us.
I need a volunteer to help me please – maybe Roy, who mentioned last time I spoke that he enjoyed it when I used props, so here you go Roy, if wouldn’t mind – just coming up here and opening this fizzy drink.
You see the energy? You see the fizz? Thanks Roy.
We’re not saying you have to be up, and happy all the time, its not a single setting for all times – there are naturally seasons and highs and lows, but the call to action and life and devotion is always there.
Verse 12 seems to recognise this.
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
These are terms of continued service – through the joyful hopeful highs and mountaintop experiences, through the valley lows of affliction – 1 Cor 13 we already heard – first word used to describe love, love is p p p patient – here we have in our call to Love in action, through the afflictions, and yes, there will be afflictions. Be patient. Wait. Look to the Lords timing. Doesn’t mean you lose your energy, and your fizz… but just…wait. God’s timing is not your timing. There is a sovereign God behind the scenes working for His purposes – even in your patient season. What I like about this particular verse is, just like the verse before it talks to life, and movement and kind of talks against this flat neutral apathetic state. Just like we saw there is a call to hate what is evil and cling to what is good.
In those hopeful moments – be joyful – rise up - feel the feelings – go to that place. And on the flip-side. It’s OK, to have to wait for something. Having something delayed is not the worst thing in the world. Any parent will tell you that – giving your child everything they want exactly when they want it is a recipe for a rotten spoilt child.
Be faithful in Prayer. Continue – be committed. Pray without ceasing. Make it a part of your day to day, whether you are joyous or whether you are waiting, through it all. Let your Prayer life bubble up and bubble out. Being faithful in prayer isn’t one quiet time. It isn’t saying a quick grace before you eat.
It isn’t being even brave enough to stand up in front of a church and pray for the bread and wine. It’s an ongoing conversation with God. You seem the timescale here. Through the joy, through the affliction, committed, devoted, repeated, faithful. This is a marathon. This is a race that has to be run with endurance.
I am not a runner, not even close, but I am told that the worst thing you can do in a marathon, is to stop running. I reckon it’s the same in our Christian walk. Keep on keeping on says Paul, keep moving, remain faithful in Prayer, in service, in devotion, in putting your love in action, CLING – don’t stop, don’t let go.
There's a new buzzword in some Christian circles – deconstruction, taking apart all those things you were taught and didn’t question when you were younger and now you’re a bit older and worldly wiser and maybe some of those things aren’t so black and white anymore… understandable, and folks there’s absolutely nothing wrong with questions, and doubts, and re-examining things, and testing our faith.
But don’t deconstruct this house and be left homeless.
Sure, take apart that room, renovate that part of the home, rebuild that wall - but don’t fail to build it back stronger. Continue – finish the project, finish the race – press on.
Last verse for the morning – and maybe the hardest. I say hardest, because it might be the easiest one to measure up.
13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
And it doesn’t really come more direct than that. Do this. The earlier verses, maybe, more about your mindset, hate evil, cling to what is good, be zealous, joyful, patient, prayerful, all things you can do from the comfort of your seat.
This verse tells you to get out of that comfortable seat. This is a material thing. Do you do this? Well, you either do or you don’t – there’s no thinking your way to sharing with people in need. And I don’t think those people in need are necessarily in needs of those thoughts either. Good thoughts and intentions aren’t gonna fill an empty stomach. We don’t fill the care cupboard here at Medway with good intentions.
You can’t say hospitality, oh, you know, I’ve been meaning to ask so and so to come to lunch on Sunday, but it just never happens…
Love in action is energetic, is committed, devoted, it’s also real. Tangible. It is connected to community – the Christian life is not a walk in isolation. We had, one another, one another, now we have this call to generous giving, to hospitality, especially in the Christian community – why? So you can show off your fancy shmancy home, and your beautiful children, and put your snazzy gas braai through its paces… no – not even just to tick a box – oh, we had Andrew round again, he ate all the food and insulted my dog and left without doing the dishes - no. A real investment in others, because as you help the build the community, the community helps builds you.
I struggle with this one especially. Very few of you guys know what the inside of my house looks like.
I was chatting to Danwill here last week, he says to me, oh he saw on the prayer list my street address, he actually knows my neighbour and I was like, oh cool, cool, small world, that’s very Cape Town… and I paused… and embarrassingly had to say, I’ve just blanked, remind me what my neighbours name is again… And Dan’s face just side eyed me – like, yikes – my guy you don’t even know your neighbours name – what kind of a neighbour are you.
And I’ll pass his words onto us all this morning – what kind of a neighbour are you?
Lets put it all together
Five short snappy verses, and 2 or three themes coming through.
Firstly the outworking of the sacrificial, living service faith is in committed Love – Love that acts, real, sincere, love that takes a stand, Love that is genuine and practical. Visible and Measurable.
Secondly you would have seen the energy. The Zeal, the fervour, the fizziness – even the perseverance through the highs and the lows. Love in action is alive. Its not dead, flat, tired and weak – it is strong and enduring, looking forward, pressing on.
Thirdly you saw the community – you saw the corporateness. Putting others ahead, devotion to others in your service to God – your generosity, your sharing, your caring, your faithful prayers – your hospitable acts – for the Lords people.
To go back to our construction picture, this is perhaps the inside of the house. This is what the church, built so long ago upon those foundational truths, those many chapters is to look like inside the house. Still applicable to us today, we would say very much so. Next week we will look at what the house is to look like from the outside, how we deal with others, how we deal with evil.
And then lastly lastly – this is a case through the words of the Apostle Paul, that the state of your house matters, it matters how you live. God knows and cares about the nitty gritty, the details of your life. He cares what kind of people you are becoming and he cares about your service. You are not alone, abandoned and left without hope and instruction.
Romans 8 HE who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also – along with Him graciously give us all things…
We are not forsaken…
We sang that song this morning – Yet not I but through Christ in me. That song has been with me this week.
We’re having a lovely Sunday so far, let me tell you my Monday morning story.
Last Monday was particularly stressy to begin with, my son was heading off to school camp, so he had to be up early and packed and ready to go and dropped off for the camp bus, we got in the car late, was driving as fast as I can down the m3, past UCT, turn on the N2, and I hear a crunch in my clutch, lose all power, freewheeling on the fast lane of the N2. Luckily – no, not luck, gap in traffic, managed to veer over to the left shoulder and freewheeled to a stop.
Now, I know I seem like a big tough guy, but in all honesty it really does not take a lot to knock me off my game, I was immediately freaking out – we quickly ordered an Uber… We wait, Ashers now gonna be late, bus will leave without him…
We wait some more… the Uber doesn’t arrive, guy just drops me…
Stress levels escalate.
OK, be patient in your afflictions Andrew, we order another Uber, and when he arrives, this song, which I recognise immediately, is playing as I open his car door.
The night is dark but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Saviour He will stay
I labour on in weakness and rejoicing
For in my need, His power is displayed
Come on…
A little while later – we got to school in time by the way, thank you Jesus.
Later in the morning Lawrence sends through the songlist for this morning, and guess what song is on the list – it’s a newer song, Lawrence doesn’t always choose a whole bunch of newer songs hey.
Folks, we are not forsaken.
Five verses to live by – for our Good, for the building of our houses, for the maturing of our Real, Active, Faiths. Because God is a power hungry dictator who looks at us and tells us we need to follow the strict rules or else.
No, because of his care, his great love for us. Who are we? Just 1 of 8 billion on this tiny blue planet. We are CO heirs with Christ, we are his sons and daughters. We cry out Abba Father to the most high God.
Lets pray.
