Love at Lake

Study Notes

 

Re-set:  Love at Lake

Romans 12:9-13

      In our “Re-set” series of messages from Romans 12-13, the issue that I want to re-set today has to do with our love for one another within this church family.  So, here is our re-set phrase of the week:

In view of God’s mercy, let your love for your LAC family be genuine and without hypocrisy.

 

     To get to this, let’s review what the Apostle Paul has told us so far in Romans.  He’s told us:

• How much all of us need God’s mercy and that God offers the mercy we need through Jesus (Rom 1-11),
• We should live in view of that mercy (12:1-2), and
• Lives re-set on the mercy of God will always lead to us using God’s gifts to serve one another (12:3-8).

     In our passage today, Rom 12:9-13, we discover that all the giftedness in the world will do us no good if we do not love one another.  This is, of course, fully consistent with what Jesus taught.  When Jesus met with his disciples in his farewell address, his first directive was this:

My children, I will be with you only a little longer… You can’t come where I am going. A new command I give you: Love one another! As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (Jn 13:33-35).

     I think Jesus knew it would be hard for churches actually to do this so, in his one prayer for us prayed just before the died on the cross for us, this is the one thing we hear Jesus praying:

My prayer, Father, is not for these twelve disciples alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father…  May be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you love them... (Jn 17:20-23).

The Call to Love without Hypocrisy in Romans 12:9

Love must be without hypocrisy. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

     Jesus lets us know that there is a lot at stake in us obeying this command, doesn’t he?  Probably with Jesus’ words in his mind, the Apostle Paul says, in Rom 12:9, a passage calling us to love our church family members: “Let your love be genuine, i.e., without hypocrisy.”  Of all the things he could have said that our love should be -- like great, warm, bold, etc. – he says, “Let love be without hypocrisy.”

     The word that the Bible uses for “without hypocrisy” or “genuine” is one that refers to us being the same on the outside as we are on the inside. In our culture, we seem always to be encouraged to hide things about ourselves -- to sell ourselves to get a job or to get acceptance.  We tend to hide things that we’re ashamed of.  All that doesn’t facilitate transparency and genuineness, does it? It’s hard to be transparent when we think we will lose a job or lose respect from our family, friends and colleagues if we open up what is inside us. So, let’s face it, as we live our daily lives, all of us are strongly tempted to mask what’s inside and even to fake a love for people that we don’t really have for them. To all this, the Bible says that we can’t genuinely love unless we love genuinely.

     And this, of course, forces us to come to grips with the words in the Bible that immediately follow on this call to love church people without hypocrisy in 12:9b, i.e., to “hate what is evil and cling to what is good.”  These are very strong words: Abhor evil! Be bonded to what is good! What is the Bible asking of us in this?

     I think this takes us back to Rom 12:1, a verse that forces us to acknowledge that there is evil inside each one of our hearts.  We all need God’s mercy.  Here is the message: If we will love other imperfect people, we must first acknowledge our own evil and hate it.  When we do, it will eradicate the pride that keeps us from loving others. 

     But, then we remember the good too. We must remember that, when we bring our sin and shame to God, he shows us mercy. We should bask in the fact that, though God knows we need mercy, he also sees good in us, a good he can redeem.   God can take us from our paths of self and sin and put on a path of Christ-like love. 

     In Rom 12:9, God calls us all to examine our own hearts both to acknowledge that there is sin in us that is to be abhorred as well as to acknowledge that God himself has seen something good in us worthy of redemption. God’s Word teaches that abhorring evil and clinging to good will lead to us living lives of genuine love.  

     How does that work? I think it’s like this:  When we see the effects of sin in our own lives, we hate it. Then, when we see our brothers and sisters devastated by their sin as well as by the sin and injustice in our world, we will hate that too.  At the same time, because we are experiencing the goodness of the love of God in forgiving us and blessing us and changing us, we should cling to that and want to pass on this kind of love to others, i.e., we will want to love as God loves us – offering others hope, help and new beginnings.  It’s a love that that genuinely flows out of us having received mercy ourselves.  It’s a love that must start with us loving our own church family without hypocrisy.

What Love Without Hypocrisy Would Look Like at a Church like Lake?

     I want to summarize the way that the Apostle Paul summarizes what love without hypocrisy looks like in a local church.  It’s found in short statements in vv.10-12.  In those verse, Paul summarizes the kind of culture that should be pervasive in a loving church.  I’ll walk through them with you.  As I do, see if you would long for our church family to become more and more like this.  A church that loves genuinely will by marked by:

Unbreakable Affection -- Be devoted to one another in love (12:10a).

     The two words in v.10a are family words: 1) brotherly love (from the word, philadelphia) and 2) devotion to one another (a word of constancy and affection). These words were rarely used in the 1^st C world of the Bible of anything other than of blood relationships. But, the Bible applies them to us! When we enter a church family, we belong to each other – like a family is identified with one another.  This is call to us to love one another in church the way we think a good family should love one another.  That means that we will surely come to recognize our imperfections as family members always do.  At the same time, we will stick together and not disassociate ourselves from one another. My older brother Chuck – a football player, weight lifter, and truck driver – knew his younger brother’s flaws and sometimes pointed them out.  But, if he heard anybody else tearing me down, he suddenly became my biggest defender.  I usually walked to school with my brother – and, being in the family with the biggest and strongest kid in school meant I rarely had to deal with bullies.  Our church family should be something like that.

Mutual Respect -- Honor one another above yourselves (12:10b).

     This is the 2^nd “one another” command in this passage.  The way the Apostle Paul wrote this phrase is very descriptive because it can be taken in two ways:

1. It is a command – esteem your brothers and sisters more highly than yourself (Phil 2:3). In other words, love never says, “The most important thing in this family is what I want”.  No, the first question is, what is important to others in my church family.  I’ve preached about this often.  The only way that we will ever be able to be a unified family with the diversity of God’s family is if we will apply this command, one that is also expressed in Phil 2:3: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
2. It is a challenge to a healthy competition – The phrase could be translated, “Outdo one another in honoring others above yourself.”

     In either case, it means to show the highest respect at all times to your brothers and sisters in Christ, even when you have to disagree or confront.  And, let me say as your Sr. Pastor:  I have experienced that you do to toward me better than any church family I have ever been a part of – and I am grateful.  I pray that I might honor you as you consistently honor me.  Indeed, I want to outdo you in honoring!

Spirit-fueled Strength –Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord (12:11).

      With v.11, we’re suddenly moved into the real challenges that all churches face, i.e., we get tired of loving imperfect people.  We lose our zeal for the same old kinds of flaws and irritations that are a part of every group of people, including church people, this side of heaven.  If we will love people in a church as filled with imperfect people as Lake is, we desperately need the power of the Holy Spirit.  But, note this, that’s exactly what we have.  God’s Spirit is here and among us.  He has the power to keep us going.

     So, v. 11 tells us all to keep our enthusiasm for loving your brothers and sisters in Christ and that can only happen with the help of God’s Spirit. And, it gives us a helpful perspective too, i.e., that when we love one another, ultimately we are serving the Lord, the one who has shown us mercy. All this is to say --when you don’t want to love your church family members any more, go to the Lord and be re-set “in view of God’s mercy” – as well as in view of the presence and power of God’s Spirit.

Hope-filled Patience – Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (12:12).

     These 3 phrases in v.11 combine to say, “Family, stay on the course together.” Here’s what we should do:

• Remember our shared hope -- Always take time to remember that God is present and working all things together to make all things new. Remember that, whatever happens to you or to our church, the end of our shared journey is assured. Our Father will finish what he has started. Be joyful in that hope.
• Never give up on one another -- When there are afflictions or challenges, don’t look for a more lovable local church family. Be patient with one another even when difficulties come.
• Pray together – that love and understanding will deepen and that we will know God’s good, pleasing and perfect will for us as a church family. Be patient in prayer.

     Putting it all together, Rom 12:10-12 teaches us about the kind of culture that should pervade our church family. The word in 12:9 for the love we’re to have for one another is “agape”.  It’s a word that, in Romans, is used almost exclusively for the love of God. We are to love one another here at Lake the way that God loves us.

Sure Evidences of Genuine Love -- Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality (12:13).

     In v. 13, we read powerfully about two of the ways that genuine love always shows itself in our actions.  What will agape lead us to as church people?

1. Sharing when there are needs – The word translated “share” is koinonia, meaning that a church is a fellowship of people who know one another, care about the needs of one another, and then share as we have resources to meet the needs of those in the church family who are hurting. The needs this verse refers to are surely financial – but they are not only financial.  The word for “needs” has to do with any kind of need that a church family member might have – emotional, relational, guidance, etc.
2. Hospitality to those who visit us – Writing to churches in Rome, Paul knew that there was a constant flow of Christians who traveled through the city, often on business. He wanted church people to know that we should always look for those who are visiting -- who are traveling through the town or who come and go as their work-lives allow -- and make sure they are welcomed and have a place of belonging.  I’ve never been in a church that has more people who are traveling through and stop by our church than this one.  I think this verse has direct application to us – and calls us to be a welcoming place making sure those who visit are welcomed and assured that, here, they are at home.

To Takeaway

     This kind of love can only happen, of course, when we know one another.  How can that kind of closer relationship be established in a larger church?  1) That can begin to happen, albeit not deeply, before and after our times of gathered worship.  2) Even more, we get to know needs in small group communities.  If you are in one here at LAC, please use those times to allow people to communicate their needs and to share life in those times.  In both our worship services and our small group communities, I think that we all need to approach those times with attitude of love in which we ask what another person might be facing at the time. And, one in which we’ll be willing to share our needs and burdens.

     And, we dare not miss that this call to love genuinely flows directly out of the call to us to serve one another in 12:3-8.  When we serve people out of our love for the Lord, our love for those we serve is kindled.  We begin to love them more and, I’ve found, they learn how to love and serve too.  Most of the people I know who share how they have experienced the love of God in church say that the main place they have done so is in the context of service.

     I’ll close this week by remembering that this is Sanctity of Life weekend. When we have the opportunity to enter into the life of a woman or a couple wrestling with whether they can keep the child that is inside the Mom, we must deal with each of them with a love without hypocrisy.  We must acknowledge the each bears the image of God and is a person for whom Jesus died.  We must abhor whatever evils have even led them to wonder whether the child should be born – poor choices, poverty, broken families, etc.  In view of God’s mercy to us, we should offer the hope of the gospel and a community of God’s people who will love them and walk with them so that they will not be alone if the child is child is born.  We have a wonderful partner, the Women’s Pregnancy Care Clinic (WPCC), who give leadership to this ministry. https://www.pregnancycareclinic.net/  They are now facing enormous financial challenges.  So, please speak with their representatives in the lobby after the service.  That may be a good place of connecting and serving for you.

     And, as I emphasized last week, those children grow up and it becomes our privilege to support our families in leading our children to Jesus and then to their discipleship in following Jesus.  We have life-changing opportunities for you to serve in the discipleship of our children.  There is another table in the lobby with people who will talk with you about all this if you will let them.  I assure you that, when you do you, you will both be able to show the genuine love of Christ to our children and you will experience it through them.

In view of God’s mercy, let your love for your LAC family be genuine and without hypocrisy.

Chinese Study Notes

 

重啟: 愛在教會

羅馬書 12:9-13

 

           

            從羅馬書12-13章，我們“重啟”系列的信息中，本週我們要重啟的是在這個教會大家庭裡的彼此相愛。

            因著神的憐憫，讓你對教會大家庭的愛是真誠無偽的。

 

            要明白這一點，先讓我們看看迄今為止，使徒保羅在羅馬書中所告訴我們的。他說：

• 我們每個人都多麼需要神的憐憫(羅 1-11),
• 我們應該活在那樣的憐憫中 (12:1-2),
• 在神的憐憫中重新開始就會使我們用神的恩賜彼此服事 (12:3-8)。

           在我們今天這段經文羅馬書12：9-13中，我們看見，如果我們不彼此相愛，世界上一切的才能都不能帶給我們益處。這與耶穌的教導完全一致。當他與門徒告別時，他首先就告訴他們說：
           “孩子們哪，我與你們在一起的時候不多了。你們將尋找我，而且就像我曾經告訴過那些猶太人一樣，現在我也告訴你們：我去的地方，你們不能去。34“我給你們一條新的命令：就是要你們彼此相愛，就如我愛你們，為要使你們也彼此相愛。35如果你們彼此之間有了愛，眾人從這一點就會知道你們是我的門徒了。” (約 13:33-35)。

    

            我想耶穌知道，對教會來說，真正做到這點並不容易；因此就在上十字架之前，他還為我們禱告，我們聽見他這樣祈求說：
           “我不僅為他們祈求，還為那些因他們的話而信我的人祈求，21願他們都合而為一。父啊，正如你在我裡面，我也在你裡面，願他們也在我們裡面，好讓世界相信是你差派了我。22你賜給我的榮耀，我已經給了他們，使他們合而為一，就像我們是一體的。23我在他們裡面，你在我裡面，願他們能完全合一，好讓世界知道是你差派了我，也知道你愛他們，就像愛我那樣……” (約 17:20-23).

羅馬書12：9中的無偽之愛

愛人不可虛假；惡要厭惡，善要親近

            耶穌要我們知道順服他的命令會遇到許多挑戰，對嗎？保羅寫羅馬書12：9時，可能想到耶穌的話，要我們愛教會大家庭：“愛要真誠，不可虛假。” 愛有許多特質—比如偉大的，溫暖的，勇敢的等，但保羅在這裡只講到一種，他說“愛人不可虛假。”

            聖經裡用到的“不可虛假”或“真誠”時，指的是內外一致的愛。在我們的文化中，我們似乎總是想把自己的內在藏起來，去推銷自己才能得到工作或得到接納，為此我們會把自己感到害羞的事藏起來。這其實不利於透明或真誠，對嗎？當我們想到可能會失去一個工作機會或失去家人，朋友，同事的尊重時，保持透明和敞開自我是很難的。因此，我們要承認在生活中我們都會遇到極大的試探，要戴上面具遮住內在，甚至要假裝愛那些我們根本不愛的人。針對這些， 聖經說的是除非我們愛得真誠，否則我們不會彼此相愛。

            這就使我們不得不認真處理接下來12：9後半節所論到的，要無偽地愛教會肢體的一段經文，“惡要厭惡，善要親近。”這些都是嚴厲的話：要厭惡惡！要親近善！聖經在這裡到底怎樣要求我們？

            我認為我們需要回到羅12：1，這是一段要我們承認每個人的內心都有惡的一節經文。我們都需要上帝的憐憫。這裡的信息是：如果我們愛其他不完美的人，我們必須首先承認我們自己的惡並恨惡它。我們這樣做就會剪除攔阻我們愛的驕傲之心。

    

            但我們也要記住好的方面。我們一定記住，當我們把罪帶到神的面前懊悔時，他就憐憫我們。我們應該知道：雖然神清楚我們需要憐憫，他也看見我們裡面的好的方面，他可以使用。神能把我們從自我的路上帶到有基督之愛的路上來。

           在羅馬書 12:9,  神要我們檢驗我們的內心，一方面要意識到恨惡我們裡面的罪，一方面要意識到神看到了在我們裡面有可以被神使用的好的地方。神的話要我們恨惡罪，親近善，使我們可以活出真愛。

            這要怎麼做呢？我想應該這樣：當我們看見罪的果效影響了我們生命，我們要恨惡罪；當我們看見弟兄姊妹被自己的罪，被這個充滿罪與不義的世界弄得絕望時，我們要恨惡罪。同時，因為我們經歷了神赦免我們、祝福我們、改變我們的愛，我們要親近這愛，並傳遞給其他人。。。我們以神愛我們的愛帶給別人希望，幫助和新的開始。這愛是我們從神領受的憐憫的真實流溢；這愛一定要從我們真實無偽地愛我們自己的教會大家庭開始。

Lake教會如何體現無偽之愛？

            我要總結一下保羅說的無偽之愛在教會裡是如何體現的。我們一起來看看10-12節的宣告。保羅用這幾節經文總結出一間充滿愛的教會應體現的文化。我們一起來看看。看看你是否會像我一樣渴望我們的教會大家庭變得越來越像這樣。一間充滿真愛的教會應該具備以下標誌：
不會破裂的感情--愛弟兄，要彼此親熱（12：10上）。

            10節上半節的兩個字是跟家庭有關的：1）弟兄之愛（字根是philadelphia的愛），2）對彼此忠貞（表示有持續性和有感情）。這些詞在一世紀的時代很少用於血緣之外的關係中。然而，聖經卻將它們應用在我們身上。當我們進入一個教會大家庭，我們就是彼此相屬，像一家人一樣彼此認同。這意味著教會大家庭要像任何一個美好家庭一樣彼此相愛。也就是我們一定要像家人那樣接納我們彼此的不完美。同時，我們還要彼此親熱不分開。我哥哥查克（Chuck）是一位橄欖球運動員，舉重愛好者，卡車司機；他知道他小弟的缺點並且有時會指出來。但是，如果他聽到別人揭發小弟缺點時，會立即挺身而出保護我。我以前經常和他一起走去學校，要知道有這麼一位塊頭大又強壯的人，我很少需要處理霸淩的事。我們的教會大家庭也應該彼此保護，彼此幫助。

彼此尊重--恭敬人，要彼此推讓 （12：10下）。

            這是這段經文中第二次提到“彼此”。使徒保羅寫這句話是用白描手法，可以從兩方面理解：

1. 命令—看弟兄姊妹比自己強（腓2：3）。不要說，“這個家裡最重要的是，我想要怎樣。”不是的，首先要問的是，這個家裡對他人來說什麼最重要？我講道中經常會提到這一點。我們是否能實踐這一命令決定了我們教會是否會成為多樣性的、合一的大家庭。腓力比書2：3的經文也指出這一點：“凡事不可結黨，不可貪圖虛浮的榮耀；只要存心謙卑，各人看別人比自己強。”
2. 健康競賽的挑戰—這一節也可以譯作“在看他人比自己強這方面要勝過他人。”

           以上兩種理解都是要求我們無論如何---即使在你需要提出異議和挑戰的時候，也要給在基督裡的弟兄姐妹最高的尊重。請允許我作為你們的主任牧師說一句：我得到你們給與我的尊重比我在任何其他教會得到的更多，對此我十分感謝。我禱告，我也可以向你們一直以來尊重我那樣尊重你們。是的，我要在尊重他人方面勝過你們！

靈裡飽滿的力量--殷勤不可懶惰。要心裡火熱，常常服事主（12：11）。

           讀到11節，我們突然被推到所有教會都會面對的一個挑戰面前，比如，我們厭煩去愛那些不完美的人；我們不再有熱情面對每個小組都會反復出現的弊病以及討厭的人和事。所以，我們要想愛像Lake教會這些不完美的人，必須要聖靈大能的幫助。所幸的是，我們擁有聖靈。神的靈就在這裡，就在我們中間。他會幫助我們前行。

           11節告訴我們要保持愛基督裡的弟兄姐妹的熱情。當我們彼此相愛時，我們最終就服侍了主---那位向我們施憐憫的主。我喜歡這裡提到愛的熱情時還要加上靈的激情，我也同意，愛教會肢體不止於服務人更是服侍主。當你不想再愛我們時，請回到主面前，在神的憐憫中“重啟”。

充滿盼望的忍耐--在指望中要喜樂，在患難中要忍耐，禱告要恒切 （12：12）。

            11節中的三個排比句總結成一句話就是，“家人啊，讓我們齊心協力吧。”我們應該如此行：

• 心存共同的盼望—要牢記上帝與我們同在，使萬事互相效力來更新萬有；要牢記無論你或教會發生什麼事，我們同行的旅程是穩妥的。我們的父會完成他已經開始的工作。我們要在這樣的指望中喜樂。
• 不離不棄—當痛苦或挑戰臨到，不要指望能找到一個更完美的教會群體。即使在艱難中也要彼此忍耐擔當。
• 一起禱告—我們之間的愛與理解會與日俱增，我們也會越來越認識上帝要我們這些人成為一個家庭的善良， 純全，可喜悅的旨意。在禱告中要忍耐。

           總結起來說，羅馬書12：10-12 是教導我們一種在教會大家庭中應該盛行的文化。12：9節中提到的愛是“聖愛 (Agape)。” 這個字在羅馬書中特指上帝的愛。我們要在Lake教會用上帝愛我們的愛彼此相愛。

真愛的確據--聖徒缺乏要幫補；客要一味的款待（12：13）。

            讀13節我們可以確實知道真愛總是表現在行動中。教會裡弟兄姊妹的“聖愛”會帶出什麼？

1. 有需要時會分擔—”分擔“一詞原文是koinonia, 意指教會是一個彼此相知，彼此相顧的團契，分享資源，共同擔當教會大家庭中受傷者的需要。”需要“一詞可以指教會大家庭中任何一種需要，比如情感，關係等方面的引導。
2. 款待我們的客人—保羅這封信是寫給在羅馬的教會的，他瞭解那裡總有絡繹不絕的商人來來往往。他要教會會友知道我們應該隨時準備好接待客人—客人或為生活奔波的旅人，要確保他們受到款待，得到接納。我覺得這節經文在對我們說話—呼召我們成為一個好客的地方，使客人感到受歡迎，感到賓至如歸。

                                                                  帶給

            當然，這樣的愛只可能發生在彼此相知的人中間。如何建立這樣的關係呢？我認為我們需要進到一種關係中去關心他人的處境。1）這樣的關係可以發生在聚會崇拜之前之後。2）更能瞭解彼此需要的地方是在小組群體中。如果你是這間教會小組的一員，請使用這段小組時間瞭解他人，彼此分享生命中的需要。在我們的敬拜和小組交流中，我們要以愛的態度去瞭解別人此時正面臨什麼，我們自己也要願意分享我們的重擔和需要。

           我們不能忽視以真誠去愛的呼召，它源自12：3-8節彼此服事的命令。當我們服侍人是出於對上帝的愛，我們對所服侍的人的愛也會油然而生。不止如此，當我們服侍他人時，我們也會更深地經驗到上帝的愛。我聽過許多分享都會提到他們是在服侍的情境下體驗到上帝的愛的。

            在這周結束時，我記起這是聖潔生命週末。當我們有機會幫助一對為是否要保住腹中胎兒的夫婦時，我們要以無偽的愛去行。我們要記得每一個人都有神的形象，耶穌都為他死了；我們要知道是邪惡讓他們在保胎和墮胎間掙扎，把他們引入一個破碎的境地。。。因神對我們的憐憫，我們要帶給他們福音的盼望和神子民的團契，愛他們，與他們同行，孩子生下後，還有我們。我們有一個特別好的夥伴，就是婦女懷孕關愛所 （WPCC） https://www.pregnancycareclinic.net/，就做這方面服事。他們現在面對財物方面的挑戰。聚會後請在大廳和他們的代表聊聊，說不定正好可以幫到你。

            就像我上周所強調的，我們有特權支持我們的大家庭，在孩子的成長過程中引領他們到耶穌面前，並讓他們成為耶穌的門徒。我們為你門訓孩子們提供了生命改變的機會。在大廳還有另一個桌子，有人可以就此和你交談。我保證，你這樣做的時候，一方面你帶給了孩子們基督的真愛，而你也透過他們經歷了這愛。

        

            因著神的憐憫，讓你對教會大家庭的愛是真誠無偽的。