What If We

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:9-16

We all long to be connected to community, but community doesn’t come cheap. As we’ve reviewed this week, community requires something from us. It may cause discomfort, disappointment, sacrifice of time, and it requires commitment.

For the next few Sundays (August 22, 29, and September 12) you can attend GroupLink in the lobby at South or check out fall groups online. Find a group to try and commit to being in community with others from South, even if it’s just for this fall.

By Jessica Rust

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:9-16 NIV

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 NIV

When I was 18 I had the wonderful experience of going on a short term mission trip to Mexico with my youth group. We had done all sorts of work projects for two years to raise the money to be able to go on the trip. Working together for many hours at a time prepared us in many ways to be able to live together, serve together and get along for 10 days in a different culture, away from home. The head of the mission hospital we were serving complimented our group to our leader. He told us other groups who had come to help them had poor attitudes, interpersonal conflicts and arguments.

This trip was a time of spiritual growth for me. My family did not go to church, so living and working with 12 other Christians for 10 days was a new and rewarding experience, for the most part. We had been gone from home over a week, when the strain of living and working together constantly began to wear on many within the group. Many of us were no longer acting as if we were “devoted to one another in brotherly love,” Romans 12:10a. Nor were we able to, “honor one another above ourselves,” Romans 12:10b. Instead, each of us were allowing small comments to irritate us, we were selfishly insisting on our own way, complaining, and being unkind to one another.

Wisely, our leader recognized the problem, sat us down and talked to us about how we had been treating one another and encouraged us to pair off with the person who had irritated us the most and talk the issues through. We did that, one on one. It cleared the air, gave the opportunity for asking and receiving forgiveness and paved the way for reconciliation.

Have you ever been in a situation within a Christian community that was messy, difficult or concerning? Living together brought our situation to a head quickly. We don’t usually live together in our church community. But the principle of talking issues through, one on one, asking forgiveness where needed and seeking to honor each other, being kind to others and seeking to, “live in harmony with one another,” (Romans 12:16a) will go a long way toward resolving most difficult situations we will encounter in our church community. Consider if you might need to take steps to reconcile with someone.

By Grace Hunter

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:9-16

All historical eras of Christian culture have elevated individual faith leaders as examples to follow. Often these leaders are blessed with extraordinary energy and multiple gifts. This celebrity status encourages those around them either to give their all to glorify Jesus or to settle for being admiring and supportive spectators.The latter situation hinders development of Christ’s body. What can we do to avoid celebrity Christianity?

The above section of the exhortation in Romans Chapter 12 is a part of the “one anothers” woven through the entirety of Scripture. When each member of the body of Christ takes seriously these imperatives; we experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit Jesus has promised to the community of faith.

This chapter also fills out pragmatic aspects of a prophetic statement given by Jesus just before his sacrificial death: “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35

In Romans 12, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul illuminates Jesus’ command to love one another with much more than a to-do list: hate the destructiveness of evil, cling to the goodness of God’s intentions, practice sincere love, devotion, hospitality…have zeal, fervor, joy… associate with the lowly, don’t be conceited. These exhortations nudge us to continue our vital connection with the matchless author of our faith resulting in tangible love – visible to the world around us.

Let’s face it, why would an outsider join a community of faith lacking these characteristics? Our best invitation to a person considering following Jesus is not a one-off act of kindness. When followers of Jesus sincerely care for one another and others the way this chapter in Romans describes, the pull to be a part of what Jesus offers can be almost irresistible.

Have you been frustrated trying various evangelistic methods or just stalled out in sharing the Good News of Jesus? Have you neglected loving those already in the body of Christ? Don’t ignore loving family and friends not yet in the faith, but also prioritize cultivating the Romans 12 kind of love with other followers of Jesus.

By Kathleen Petersen

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:9-16

Love must be sincere.

Be devoted to one another in love.

Be joyful in hope.

Practice hospitality.

Rejoice with those who rejoice. Mourn with those who mourn.

Live in harmony with one another.

Looking at Paul’s list of exhortations can be both inspirational and overwhelming, can’t it? Of course we want to fulfill all these things and live the kind of soul-filling lives described by these verses. We want to live in harmony with one another and be good members of the community, building up those who build us up in return. But at the same time, it takes work and we are a tired, busy people who often fail to live up to what we truly intend to do and hope to be. How can we be the people described in these verses?

The starting point to living as the people described in Romans 12:9-16 actually comes earlier in Romans: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2).

Our ability to love God and love our neighbors is rooted in the fact that God loved us first. He has shown us his great love and mercy- a greater love and mercy than we could ever truly and fully comprehend- through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And if we are followers of Jesus we are being transformed through his Spirit to reflect his way and his heart. As we contemplate how to live well in community we need to remind ourselves that living well in community, being the kind of people who embody Paul’s list, begins with being rooted in Christ’s love that then empowers us to love others well.

What reminds you that you are deeply loved by Jesus? Is it meditating on a psalm? Listening to a hymn? Taking a walk and praying? Whatever it is, take time today to remind yourself of God’s love.

By Jessica Rust

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:9-16

How do we renew our minds? How do we transform the Church into a people that loves the world well?

Some say when we change our thinking, it will change our actions. Yet, often the opposite is true. Because when we change our actions, it actually changes our thinking.

Most Christians have heard they’re supposed to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). But if you ask people how to experience a renewed mind, you’re apt to hear hundreds of different answers. Yet, the Bible doesn’t expect us to guess. Scripture explains exactly how to renew our minds.

First, the apostle Paul reminds us that no one can do the Christian life on their own. We are relationally connected and we need each other (v. 3-8). Then, Paul spends the rest of the chapter listing the kinds of actions that will transform our thinking.
Romans 12 reminds us to put our love into action. For Christians, love is a verb, not just a feeling. We don’t simply think our way into loving actions. Rather, we act our way into loving thinking.

When we take action and put love into practice, it transforms us. We experience the feelings of love most powerfully when we take loving actions. It’s the practice of love that transforms the Church and changes our world.

If we want to experience God’s “good, pleasing and perfect will” for our lives, then we must put love into action (v. 2). Our love “must be sincere” (v. 9). Our God is love, and as the children of God, we must be people of loving actions.We need to love the people of this world better than the world loves them. We need to love with the heart of Jesus.

Admittedly, it’s difficult. Surely we can’t do it on our own. We need God’s help. But that’s also why we practice—we practice taking loving actions so we become a people who love extremely well. This is how God changes our hearts and minds to be filled with love. This is our transformation; our renewal.

What if you actually loved people with the heart of Jesus? What action can you take today to put his love into practice?

By Patrick Meyers

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise. Luke 10:30-37

More often than not, our culture associates mercy with empathetic feelings. Sadly, feelings alone extend limited help.
Have you ever allowed yourself a prolonged period of significant empathy with those affected by tragic circumstances, only to find yourself past the point of offering practical assistance? Or, if you do muster resources, is it most often for far away disasters that allow you to end your involvement when the headlines disappear?

If so, don’t get down on yourself quite yet. Take a second look at the mercy of the Samaritan traveler. Jesus was clear that the Samaritan was moved by compassion; but what is not explicit, is that the Samaritan was prepared for such situations.

The Samaritan had an adequate supply of oil to dress the wounds of the injured traveler and a donkey to transport the injured man to safety. He also had a trust relationship with his regular innkeeper. These characteristics indicate this man thought about being prepared for emergencies that might entail helping others. Also, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to him to find someone in trouble on this dangerous route . His willingness to help was enabled by his readiness to help with this emergency situation which he anticipated.

It is also a fair assumption that the Samaritan held no prejudice toward individuals who might have had some responsibility in exposing themselves to disaster. As a result, his heart was indiscriminately compassionate when he saw the beaten man’s condition.

Maybe you’ve never considered the kind of preparation and experiences the Samaritan needed prior to exhibiting true neighborliness toward the waylaid traveler. Ask God to show you some situations he wants you to experience and skills he wants you to develop so you will have a Godly response when you encounter people in miserable circumstances on your earthly journey.

By Kathleen Petersen

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. Luke 10:31-32

The priest and the Levite probably wouldn’t describe themselves as compassionless. They’re good people, holy people. Their jobs are important and require them to be pure before the Lord. In crossing over the road and walking by the injured man they were just making sure they could do their job. They were being safe. Smart, even. And yet they aren’t the ones Jesus commends in this story. In their preoccupation with cleanliness they miss an opportunity to love their neighbor and practice the heart of what God requires of them.

We probably wouldn’t describe ourselves as compassionless. We’re good people. Followers of Jesus. And yet, how many times in each of our lives have we missed out on an opportunity to love our neighbor because it was too messy, we didn’t want to “get it wrong” or the neighbor in question wasn’t as clean-cut as we might like?

None of us can claim to perfectly love our neighbor all of the time. We’re broken people, of course we fall short. But your latest opportunity will not be your last opportunity. Ask God to open your eyes to the next opportunity to love your neighbor that he is giving you and ask him for the courage to take this opportunity to reflect his love.

By Jessica Rust

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:30-37 NIV

Today we are looking at a familiar story to many of us. Jesus tells the story of the Samaritan who had compassion on a man who was a victim of being robbed, beaten nearly to death, and then left in the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. Let’s set the stage a little bit. Jerusalem is at 2,500 feet above sea level, and Jericho about 17 miles east, is about 800 feet below sea level. When these men were traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, they would descend about 3,300 feet, in a fairly desolate, rocky 17-mile road. Robbers and bandits knew the terrain well as an opportune place to waylay travelers as did Jesus’ listeners.

Now, let’s read this story in Luke 10:30-37. First read it for content. Once you have read it through once, read it again, slowly, and imagine yourself as one of these characters in this story, or as someone who witnessed part or all of this drama. Now try reading it again using a different translation. Some to try are the New Living Translation, or the Amplified Translation, The ESV, the NIV, the New American Standard, the New King James Version or the original King James version.

What did you notice? Did God reveal something new to you as you read this story in a different version than you are used to using? How can you show compassion to someone today? Can you help someone with a task, or offer a word of encouragement to someone today? Listen to what God tells you to do or say as you reflect on this familiar but very relevant story.

By Grace Hunter

“But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” Luke 10:29

In this familiar parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus deliberately chose a desolate venue to represent a neighborhood. All four men in the parable are single travelers making their way to various destinations along the dangerous road from Jerusalem to Jericho. As isolated travelers, all four are likely targets of bandits frequenting that segment of the highway.

Here Jesus highlights the human tendency to retreat into “safe” mode when presented with a fellow, unidentified traveller who has been stripped, beaten and is close to death. This stranger needs more than a plate of fresh baked cookies and a friendly smile. He needs mercy in action.

The lawyer asked the question above hoping Jesus would endorse his generosity toward the Jewish community he viewed as his neighborhood. Instead he found himself challenged to move toward Jesus’ definition of neighborhood. The lawyer’s original question was “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”. Jesus provided the connection the lawyer needed…this world is not our final destination. As we move through this life, God places people desperate for his mercy in our path. In Matthew 25 Jesus gets right to the point:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Matthew 25:34-36

In the book of Hebrews we are further reminded that whatever geographical portion of the world people of faith consider home, we are not permanent residents.

As pilgrims in this world and citizens of the coming kingdom, Jesus has wired us to engage in merciful acts toward fellow travelers in need of redemption, wherever we encounter them.

Is this a good time to review how you’ve been evaluating your life? Have you become so invested in your worldly position that you find yourself resisting promptings of the Holy Spirit to protect your “safe space” or “comfort zone” from the needs of others? If so, Jesus is waiting to move you into a more receptive spirit toward those who need him.

By Kathleen Petersen

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” Luke 10:25-28. NIV

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18 NIV

Last week we focused on the Matthew account of the Greatest Commandment. This week we will be looking at the Luke account. In Luke, the interaction between the teacher of the Law and Jesus begins with a question. “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’” Luke 10:25. Jesus, as he often did, replied with a question of his own. “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?,” Luke 10:26. It is in response to Jesus’ question that the teacher of the law gives the “correct” answer. “He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’” Luke 10:27.

The teacher of the law quotes the Shema which are two quotations from the Old Testament. One is Deuteronomy 6:5 and the other is Leviticus 19:18. “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live,” Luke 10:28. But the original question the teacher of the law asked was, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 10:25b. Did Jesus answer his question? How would you explain eternal life to another? What does it mean to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength?

Often, we say this quickly and move on. But this statement requires commitment, complete devotion, surrender of our agenda to God’s plan. Loving our neighbor as ourselves is easy when it involves planning a birthday party for a best friend. But the story Jesus shares about a Samaritan who found a beaten and nearly dead man along a dangerous stretch of road, is entirely another matter. Jesus requires complete devotion to Him, nothing can have precedence above our loyalty to God. He also requires us to love people, regardless of how we may feel about those people personally. This is not easy to do. But, if we pray, seek God, ask Him for His Spirit to reveal to us how we can better love our neighbor, He will be faithful to reveal that to us. Listen to His leading, read His Word, respond to the Spirit’s prompting to love others as He wants you to love.

By Grace Hunter