Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: Romans 12:9-21

Theme: Yeah they'll know we are Christians by our love.

What made Christians distinct in the early Roman empire was their Love of Godly Character, their Love of Each Other, and their Love of the Stranger

Date: 03/19/2017 File Name: Romans_2016_37a.wpd

ID Number:

In the first century, while Christianity was still in its infancy, the Greco-Roman world paid little attention.

For the most part, the early Christian movement was seen as something still underneath the Jewish umbrella.

But in the second century, as Christianity emerged with a distinctive religious identity, the surrounding pagan culture began to take notice.

And it didn’t like what it saw.

Christians were seen as strange and superstitious—a peculiar religious movement that undermined the norms of a decent society.

Christians were, well, different.

What made Christians different in the early Roman empire was their Love of Godly Character, their Love of Each Other, and their Love of their enemies—those who persecuted them.

That’s what Romans 12:9-21 is all about.

In this passage, we see tripartite affection in action.

How will the world know we are Christians?

I. THEY'LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE FOR GODLY CHARACTER

1. when we arrived at this passage several weeks ago, I told you that one of the distinctives of the early Christians was their love of Godly character

a. their pastors taught them their lives were to be conformed to their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ

2. one moral distinctive that separated Christians from the pagan culture was that Christians would not pay homage to the other “gods”

a. for the Christian of any era there is only one Lord, and his name is Jesus

1) our primary allegiance is to him

b. this was a constant irritant to those governing officials who preferred to see the pagan temples filled with loyal worshipers (temples which earned a good deal of money from the tributes they collected)

c. from the time of its founding, Rome considered itself to be religious

ILLUS.

When its second king, Numa Pompilius took power in 716 B.C., he established the fear of the gods as one of the main principles governing city life

d.

citizens believed the fortunes of the city, and the nation depended upon the favor of the gods

1) these newcomers — these Christians — refused to socialize at the public spectacles, refused to eat meat sacrificed to idols, and refused to worship in Roman temples preferring to worship by themselves in the catacombs

2) how dare these people of “The Way” not worship all the gods

e. as the number of Christians grew, Roman leaders blamed the cult of the Christians for any disaster or difficulty in the Empire, claiming that the gods were taking vengeance for the neglect of temple sacrifices

3. a second moral distinctive that separated Christians from the pagan culture was their sexual ethic

a. while it was not unusual for Roman citizens to have multiple sexual partners, homosexual encounters, and engagement with temple prostitutes, Christians stood out precisely because of their refusal to engage in these practices

ILLUS.

In his defense of the faith, Tertullian, a mid-2nd century Christian apologist and theologian wrote, “One in mind and soul, we do not hesitate to share our earthly goods with one another.

All things are common among us but our wives”

4. a third moral distinctive that separated Christians from the pagan culture was that Christianity was a community of mutual social support

a. when you became a Christian you became part of a family

1) the terms brother and sister were more than merely endearing ways to refer to a fellow believer

b. this leads me to the second part of my message Love in Action

II.

THEY'LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE FOR GOD’S PEOPLE

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

Honor one another above yourselves.”

(Romans 12:10, NIV84)

“Share with God’s people who are in need.

Practice hospitality.”

(Romans 12:13, NIV84)

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

16 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 12:15–16, NIV84)

ILLUS.

The Romans who saw the brotherly love practiced by Christians knew how radical it was and how offensive it was.

Lucian of Samosata, was a Greek satirist of the early second century.

He lived at a time when Christianity was exploding into Roman culture, and he watched Christianity growing.

He did like Christians and delighted in mocking them and their faith.

But in heaping scorn upon the Christians, he gives us a glimpse of their lives.

In one tirade he writes: “Their founder, [referring to Jesus] persuades them they should be like brothers to one another and therefore they despise their own privacy and view all their possessions as common property.”

1. the ancient pagans watching these people called Christians, noted that they loved each other and sought to minister to each other

2. again, much could be said about these verses I just read, but let me point out the three general characteristics found in these verses ...

we are to live in harmony with one another

we are to lend happily to one another

we are to lift hardships from one another

a. the emphasis is on one another

A. WE ARE TO LIVE IN HARMONY WITH ONE ANOTHER

1. when the Apostle wrote vs. 16, he must have had Baptists in mind

“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 12:16, NIV84)

a. the Apostle would remind us that in the Body of Christ, there is no aristocracy, there is no place for an elite uppercrust in the local church

b. grace excludes boasting or snobbishness

c. a local New Testament Church ought to be the last place in the world were class, or race, or ethnicity, or politics, or economic status causes division — the ground really is level at the foot of the cross

“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”

(1 Corinthians 12:13, NIV84)

d. living in harmony with each other takes hard work

1) pride must be crucified

2) conceit must be replaced with a humble submissiveness to each other

e. if there is no partiality with God, their must be none with us

ILLUS.

The Apostle James spoke to this issue.

“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

(James 2:1–4, NIV84)

2. the apostle writes in vs. 10, Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

Honor one another above yourselves

a. it’s easier to live in harmony with each other, when we are devoted to one another

b. the first word in that sentence, be devoted to one another, is a word that describes a deep natural bond

ILLUS.

In the Broadway Musical, Man of Lancha there is a scene that describes the kind of bond the Apostle is talking about.

Don Quixote de La Mancha goes on a Knight’s Quest with his faithful “squire” Sancho Panza.

If you know the story, you know that Don Quixote sees things a little differently than others.

Most people who meet him think his sanity is not quite intact.

In their quest Don Quixote and Sancho Panza experience adventure and danger.

At a roadside Inn that Don Quixote believes to be a castle he meets Aldonza, a simple country girl, whom he believes to be the lady of the castle.

He calls Dulcinea.

Aldonza understands that Don Quixote is, as they say, not playing with a full deck, and wants to know why Sancho follows him.

In the musical, Sancho falters for a reason, but then bursts into song: I like him!

I really like him.

Pluck me naked as a scalded chicken!