Be the Welcome You Wish You Got

Romans 15:5-7

Dunkaroo Review:

What is our next youth event and what is it?

What book of the Bible have we been studying this year at youth?

Fill in the Blank Devote Yourselves to ___

What should our speech be seasoned with?

What does that mean?

What is special about next Wednesday at youth?

I remember when I was probably in grade 2 and I had this spy club that me and this good friend of mine started named Armaan. We would go run around school at reccess thinking we were smart and slick….

We were very unseccesful spies I might say, however, we thought we were the coolest kids in the school.

The truth is I was probably just spying on Claire.

However, one day he said to me I think Christian needs to join our spy club, I said what, no way, what has he done to be apart of this. I was not very inviting and welcoming and Christian was very sad

The moral of the story was I was not very welcoming, I liked the idea of the little club that we had, I didn’t want change or anything new to happen and sometimes change is hard…

I was not willing to be welcoming to accept change and to let new people in.

Next wednesday, we have the grade 6’s coming into youth. How are we to respond to that?

Are we supposed to hold our own groups, or are we supposed to be welcoming, inviting?

Tonight we’re going to talk about this community we have at youth, what is our purpose in being in a youth group, and how should we respond to new teens coming in.

So let’s open our Bibles to Romans 15:5–7 “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

1. Living in Harmony

Romans 15:5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,”

I think there is a reason that Paul is saying here that we need endurance to live in harmony with one another, it’s because it’s not always the easiest to do. Sometimes it takes endurance and patience and that ultimately comes from God.

You notice how he also says that our God is a God of encouragment. So as God’s followers let’s also be an encouraging youth group. A group that honours and uplifts one another Eph5:4 says

Ephesians 5:4 “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”

Let’s be a youth group that every word we say points to Christ, that when a new person comes they think man this place is so encouraging, so different than the world. This place is loving and kind together, I feel safe here.

In the verse I love this word harmony here becasue I immedietly think of singing.

Does anyone know what a harmony is in singing?

I wish I was able to explain it in my own words, I’m sure Brad could but i thought I’d ask chat gbt what it is: Harmony in singing is when two or more people sing different notes at the same time, and those notes sound good together. One person usually sings the main melody, and the others sing notes that match it in a pleasing way. Harmony adds depth and richness to the music.

So singning in harmony together means you’re singing seperate notes but singing the same song

I think living in harmony is similar, we’re living seperate lives but we’re on the same goal with the same focus…

We’re singing the same song as Christians… we’re living in harmony in unison.

Eph 4:3 says

Ephesians 4:3“eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

What is unity? Unity is people that are on the same mission, they’re not wavering, not going in other directions. There one mind one team, not getting distracted.

It’s this attitude that we are in Christ and our goal is to maitain unity to live in Harmony, and our identity is in Christ

I think sometimes when we come to youth group or church, we can think, these are my people and the rest I’ll kinda judge from over here. I’ll look at them with cross armed…

Or these people I’ll have grace for and these people I won’t.

This is not what I desire for our youth group I desire for our youth group to be one group in unity. This doesn’t mean that everyone needs to be best friends but we need to honour Christ.

What Paul is talking about in this verse is for Jews and Gentiles to live in Harmony. There was a majoy feud as the jews felt only they were saved, but Paul’s emphasis is the Gospel for everyone! Sp we can take the similar heart here, even people who disagree with us we’re in the same boat… we need to pursue unity together.

Let’s be a group that says if anyone is new here, we’re going to pursue unity and harmony we’re going to let them into our circles and welcome them.

We’re not going to push anyone out because they’re younger or any other reason

This is the will of God, that we pursue unity. That we live in Harmony

There’s never a worse feeling that feeling like you don’t belong, or you have no one to do life with…

If someone has ever make you feel that way, left out or not living in harmony with you… I’m sorry, that’s not what God told them to do.. but let’s not be a place that carries this on.

Being in Harmony and unity in the church is actually something that God takes very seriously. If we are people are causing splits and not unifying the body we see in Titus 3:10 it says that

Titus 3:10 “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,”

This is super serious. So let’s be a people that pursue unity that doesn’t cut people out or think “this person doesn’t belong to our group they’re too young or weird”

But a people that says if this person is coming to our group we will love them and invite them into our community of teens

Let’s not be a youth group that is causing division or we’re people who are pulling others down others. Let’s be an encouraging place!

This youth group anyone is welcome, so if you get bothered by new people coming in to ruin your little club ask yourself why? Don’t you want others to know Christ and to know him more?

I think we could all agree that we have poeple that come to youth, and we just think oh they can get to know people on there own…. Be the one that says hey welcome here, do you know my friends? Or do you know these girls in my small group?

Be the Christian that actively pursues unity with these new grade 6’s. That welcomes them in our community

If we read in Romans 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

This is a great way that we can live in harmony together. It’s a community that is so overcome by the hope that we have in Christ that we do our very best to serve one another, and out do one another in showing honour.

So next week let’s have this approach as the grade 6’s come. Love them like your siblings, (because they are your Christian siblings) outdo one another in welcoming in honoring them as Christ has done for us.

We are to live in harmony with one another!

So as these grades 7’s come. Will you live in harmony with them? Will you allow them to be apart of our family or will you treat them as outsiders?

2. For God’s glory

Romans 15:6 “that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is what we want our youth group to be, one voice that glorifies God.

How we treat people, how we welcome people is a big deal. God does care about we feel, but most importantly what he cares about is that he is glorifed, that we honour him and obey him…

To with one voice say our goal is to glorify God. That is my goal here at youth gorup it is to say for each teen our purpose is to glorify God.

This is our youth groups goal, to get to teens to say with there lives my goal is to glorify God. By the way I live my life people can see how amazing God is.

So how do we glorify God in welcoming others?

We reflect Christ’s character to others. In Romans 5:8 it shows us what God did for us and reflects it’s character.

Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

He loved us even while we were still sinners… So we need to love others, we need to show compassion and kidness to others and ask the question

how can I glorify God right now. How can I display Christ’s character right now. We can come to church and maybe feel or I’m at church how can I possibly not be doing the right thing but even at church we ask how can I glorify Christ

Another good principle is to ask:

“How would I like to be welcomed”

Mark 12:21 Jesus says the second most important command in the Bible which is…

Mark 12:31 “The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””

It’s easy to say, someone else can welcome, someone else can greet them well, someone else can bring them into there group of friends. We must ask ourselves how can I glorify God right now, how can I love others right now. It’s an individual question and each of us must respond

Let’s love others how we wish others would love and welcome us.

So I want you to ask the question to yourself: what is one way that I would want to be welcomed?

Maybe it’s “Hey do you want to sit with me” Hey do you want me to show you around” Do you want to meet my riends” “Do you want to play ball” “Have you played 9 square” “Maybe it’s someone standing at the door and greeting all these new grade 6’s”

What I desire for this is place is that it is so different than the rest of the world, Matthew 5:13–16 ““You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

This is what I desire when people walk in our church they say hm what’s the difference here. Why do they welcome me like that? Why even when I’m a different age or personailty do they want to do life with me?

We have an awesome oppurtunity next week by welcoming and loving about 10 new grade 7’s

So let’s make it our goal as a group to glorify God in the way we welcome next Wednesday, and every wednesday. Let’s make it our goal to glorify God in all our relationships at youth. Not to leave anyone out and to welcome

By the way we interact with each other at youth to people see God is King in your life?

3. Now we Welcome

Romans 15:7 “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Again remember the context of this passage. Paul is trying to get the Jews and Gentiles to get along. He’s reminding them, live in unity together! Welcome one one another, don’t live seperately live together in unity in harmony. Don’t seperate someone from the faith just because of there ethnicity or race….

This is what we want to, we don’t want to cut people off because they’re different than us.. But now we ask the question

How did Christ welcome us?

Christ doesn’t shake our hand on Sunday morning as we walk through the doors and say “good morning”

Christ welcomed because when we were still sinners Christ died for us.

He chose us, to be his children so that we could be with Him. So he welcomed us into his family.

He called us by name, he died for us while we were still sinners.

He died for us and we don’t deserve Him, there’s nothing that we can do to earn his love or redemtion but he has chosen to give it to us. He has welcomed us into his family on nothing that we can do or earn but only by His grace we’re saved.

Why did Christ welcome us? For his ultimate glory. So that he might make much of himself and the Father. That we are such sinners and he saved us so that he might be powerful.

So what did we see in Christ by the way he welcomed us, we see the ultimate love. The ultimate sacrifice.

He laid his life down his life for us and welcomed us into his family. So now what do we do, we don’t discrimanate against our family, even if it’s somebody we can’t stand or we feel doesn’t desrve us to welcome them we welcome. Even if they’re different views of beliefs we accpet them.

BEcause.. God welcomed us into his family… we welcome

What did we deserve from God, did we deserve to be welcomed?

This verse is telling the Jews… welcome the Gentiles into your family don’t seperate.

So I’m telling us let’s welcome the Grade 6’s because Christ welcomed us into his family

We deserved eternity in Hell. One sin and it seperates us from God… we deserve eternity in Hell just because God is so holy. He’s so holy he can’t even have us with one sin in his presence.

But he is so kind and loving and gracious that he sent his son so that we may be welcomed in his family. He’s been so patient with each one of us

So now we welcome others in God’s family. If someone is new we don’t say, “You’re younger than me’

We say God welcomed me in my family so I’ll welcome you here.

God showed me love and so I’ll show you love

Because we’re all products of God’s grace. So as we get ready to welcome these grade 6’s to our group, remember how God has welcomed you into his family. Remember how he’s treated you. He’s been patient kind slow to anger

There’s nothing you’ve done to earn it, only by his grace.

So when there’s new peopel that come this week will you welcome them here? Will you include them in our community. Or will you push them away?

Will you assure them that this is a place they should continue to come back? Or will you be distant to them?

When people look at the way you welcome people God should be glorified.

Welcome people in such a way God is glorified, that God is made big by how you love people and welcome people.

Recieving people different than you in such a way that when people watch it happen it happen they conclude God is glorious. God is king.

I think we’re thinking right now. Someone else can do this, someone else can be the one that really intiates these guys. We all have a role to play

I remeber my first youth night though… I remember I was grade 6 guy and there were these grade 10,11,12 guys who made me feel welcome.

“Do you want to play basketball” “ Do you want to sit with us” Then what did I end up wanting to do? Do the same thing for other people.

This is something each one of us can do. Let’s not seperate people let’s include

This can be tough when someone is younger than you. Howevver, are you willing to do this? Are you willing to welcome others?

God has welcomed you… so you must welcome others

If you’ve never received God’s gift before, that he is ready to welcome you into his family. He is ready to welcome you if you put your fait in Him

… PT would love to talk to you during this final song. If you’ve truly been changed by the Gospel and recognize what you’ve done against God there will be a change.

Applications:

Are you willing to live in Harmony?

Will you be devisive when new people come to our youth group, or are you going to be apart of including them in our ministry here, making them feel loved and apart of what we get to do.

Are we going to have youth as a bunch of seperate groups like the Jews and Gentiles? Or are we gong to be a family here

2. Are you pursuing everything for God’s glory?

Even in a tast like welcoming people to church are you asking yourself… “how can I glorify Christ in this moment”. Is this your over arching goal in your life… how can I glorify Christ?

Or are you often finding that you get focused on yourself, your own struggles your own mistakes.

Let’s be a youth group with one voice that says… “do everything for God’s glory” and then let’s say how can we glorify God in welcoming new people next week. In any youth that ever comes here.

It’s easy to say let me welcome or be kind so that someone likes me, but doing it for God’s glory says I’ll do it to show how amazing God is in my life, and I will do it with no expectation that you will return this favour.

3. Will you welcome as God welcomes?

Have you realized how God has welcomed you? Do you realize the amaziness of how God has welcomed you into his family?

There’s literally not an ounce of good that you’ve done to deserve it.

You guys remember that anaolgy from a couple weeks ago?

On a scale of 1-10 how likely are you if you died today to be in Heaven?

Some of you 6-7, 8-9,

If you’re not a 10 you don’t get it yet! It’s nothing that we’ve done. Only by His grace

Salvation is not in our works, this is the amazing thing that God has welcomed us. So now we’re called to welcome others.

I’m going to give you a minute. I want you to refelct on the question. What is one way that I could be loving and welcome someone next week…. Think about it actually… Then we’re going to do it togehter.

How can understanding your identity in Christ help you accept and welcome others?