HOSPITALITY: The Marks of A True Christian:

Romans 12:9-21

Romans 12:9–21 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Introduction:

I mentioned that the text should be twisted, woven or spun into our lives, so that the pages of the ancient text comes to life in our very lives. People should see the protuberating manifestation of Christs marks on us - in other words Christ’s marks on our lives should be swelling, they should be bulging protruding outwardly in our lives and in the church until folks look at Mount Ephraim, and look at you and say they have been with Christ, and because this text has become so encompassed, twisted, woven and spun into our lives that people see all of the rich characteristics of genuine love - Agape; and brotherly and sisterly love and affection through philadel-PHIA, and philostorgoi that folks on the outside began to notice that we are family, THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT MOTHERS but the SAME FATHER and we HAVE THE SAME BLOOD RUNNING THROUGH our spiritual veins and in that capacity, empowered by the HOLY SPIRIT, WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO TRANSFORM THE CHURCH INTO A SECRET PLACE!

I stopped by with a message HOT OF THE HEAVENLY PRESS, THAT THE CHURCH CAN EVINCE OR PERSONIFY THE PLACE OF REFUGE, THE SECRET TABERNACLE! Oh, I don’t know about anyone else, but I look to the church house as a place of refuge that is the personification of that place I can run to in the time of trouble! I’m at the age where I don’t want to come to church for no foolishness; I don’t want to come to the ecclesia to be beaten up mentally - I get enough of that in the world; I don’t want to the church house to be gossiped on - I can go to work and get that on my job; I don’t want to come to the sanctuary for people to be judging my OUTFIT: I want to come so I can be a BENEFIT, to help the MISFIT - PROFIT, by putting on a new spiritual OUTFIT! I want to get to the sanctuary because it is suppose to be a place of refuge, a hiding place if you will.

A Secret Place:

The Psalmist Karen Clark Sheard puts the 27th Psalm in perspective, she says, “This world sometimes seems cruel and cold, And pain doth pierce my very soul, But there's a place, a secret place, A place where I can go. A place of peace Where love abides, Where justice reigns, And God resides. There is a place, A secret place, A place where I can go. For you shall hide me in your tabernacle, From the rain and storm, And even when my enemies pursue me, You'll keep me safe from harm. And when my heart, Is filled with pain, No peace it seems, I'll find again. I find that place, A secret place, A place where I can go. For You shall hide me in Your tabernacle, From the rain and storm, And even when my enemies pursue me, You'll keep me safe from harm. And when my heart, Is filled with pain, No peace it seems, I'll find again. I find that place, A secret place, A place where I can go. For You shall hide me in Your tabernacle, From the rain and storm And even when my enemies pursue me, You'll keep me safe from harm. There is safety, in Your tabernacle, There is protection, in Your tabernacle, There is security, in Your tabernacle There is sanctuary, in Your tabernacle. Lord take me, to Your tabernacle, I wanna go, to Your tabernacle, Lord take me, to Your tabernacle Lord there You'll reign, Hide me, safely, in Your, dwelling place, There is a place, A secret place A place where I can go!”

The Church then is a Hiding Place

Not that we go to the church to fake it to we make it. No we don’t go to the church to hide from our sins and act holy. No we go to the church because we want to be Holy.

1 Peter 1:15–16 ESV

15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

But in addition to that, I want to go to the church house because I can take refuge from all the hell I’m catching out here in the world and in the church house I can lay all of my problems, all of my trials and tribulations, All of my hurts, my aches and pains and lay them at Jesus’ feet because the Psalmist says in Psalms 27:3-6

Psalm 27:3–6 (KJV)

3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

The Church is A Hiding Place! That’s why whatever you’re dealing with, you ought to come to the church, and the church should exemplify the house of the LORD and the temple that we inquire upon, because in the time of trouble - HE SHALL HIDE ME! And let me give you some advice, that’s the wrong time to talk about me, when I’m in the time of trouble - I might not be in my right mind! And so Paul says to eliminate issues at the church house and to make the church house a refuge in the time of trouble! PAUL SAYS, “LET YOUR LOVE BE GENUINE!” Watch the text, Romans 12:9-12

Romans 12:9–12 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Yes, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, that sounds like Psalm 27:3-6

Psalm 27:3–6 (KJV)

3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

The Big Idea

The New-Covenant Ethic of Love

C. Marvin Pate calls this THE NEW - COVENANT ETHIC OF LOVE! And Jesus who is our Chief Stone, anchors the Church in the Corner Stone of Love! Jesus issues a new edict of Love, John 13:34-35

John 13:34–35 ESV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Paul says, Romans 12:9-12

Romans 12:9–12 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Let love be genuine, love sincerely, Love your God, Love your fellow believers, and then watch this, Paul says, Love non believers and then Paul says, even love those who persecute the church! And this isn’t that mushy love that holds no one accountable, this is Agape love, that holds folks accountable, but recognizes they they are accountable to God and what God says COUNTS!!!! This idea radicalizes the church and the call to obedience in order to remind us that the only way this can be accomplish is if God is your dominant love, because you can only do this if God is the precipice, the pinnacle of your love! In other words, your love for others is the sacrifice you make as a visible verification and manifestation of your acceptance to the stipulation of love and a revelation of what it cost God to love you in spite of you! The only reason why I’m loving in your arrogant as can be self is because I know how much I messed up and God still loved me! The only reason why I’m forgiving your mean and low down no good self, is because I recognize, how low down and no good I was and God still extended Salvation through Christ to me, in spite of me! THE BIBLE SAYS, 1 John 1:9

1 John 1:9 KJV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And when I think about the goodness of Jesus A-N-D ALLLLLL HE’S DONE FOR ME, MY SOUL SHOUTS OUT HALLELUJAH THANK GOD FOR SAVING ME! Knowing God’s sincere love towards me, help’s me better to offer it to someone else! And here is the New Covenant Ethic of Love, John 15:12

John 15:12 KJV

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Paul uses this expectation in our text Romans 12:9-10, “9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

Verse 9’s love says be sincere, verse 10 says, be devoted to one another, verse 10b says, Out do one another in giving honor, here Paul is giving a healthy correction to our natural proclivity to self-centeredness! In other words stop focusing on you, everything in the church doesn’t revolve around you, Paul says put others first! PUT OTHERS FIRST!

Romans Interpretive Insights

Key Themes of Romans 12:9–21

■ The central theme is the new-covenant ethic of love.

■ Christians should love God.

■ Christians should love their fellow Christians.

■ Christians should even love non-Christians who persecute them

Notice Your Zeal

Romans 12:11 ESV

11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Let me unpack this and then I will get out of the way, what the text is saying is, “NEVER!” NEVER! Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor. Verses 11–12 focus on loving God. It is true that “zeal” and “spiritual fervor” should characterize the Christian’s love for fellow believers, but even that is ultimately an act of service to the Lord. Such zeal for serving the Lord comes from being “ENERGIZED!” energized by the Spirit. Behind “keep your spiritual fervor” is the verb zeō, which means “to bubble, boil.” The “bubbling up, boiling over” work of the Holy Spirit in the human spirit is the key to being faithful to the Lord.

Pate, C. M. (2013). Romans (M. L. Strauss & J. H. Walton, Eds.; p. 249). Baker Books.