UNITY IN UNIQUENESS: Standing in Front

Romans 15:5–9 NIV

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”

Romans 15:14–20 NIV

I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.

Romans 15:30–33 NIV

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

[There was a minister]who put sanitary hot air hand dryers in the restrooms at his church and after two weeks took them [right back] out. [When] asked why, he confessed that they worked fine, but when he went in there one day, he saw a sign that read,

“For a sample of this week’s sermon, push the button.”

We’re starting something a little different today, combining some concepts we have recently discussed to take our conversation to the next level. If you remember, we recently talked about exploring our gifted place in the body of Christ, from 1 Corinthians 12, and as we take that place and do our work for God, which Satan hates, we then talked at length about the armor God has given us to protect ourselves against his attacks. (P)

So let me introduce this series by painting a picture, since we brought up the subject of warfare, albeit spiritual, and then I’ll explain more what I’m getting at.

If you think about military formations in battle, especially in old-school wars before all the fancy machines and weaponry we have today, when virtually all the troops were on the battlefield with either their guns, swords, or cannons, never did you ever just see a single row of soldiers.

Hence the phrase we hear - being on the front lines - those who shot first, admittedly, took the brunt of the hits, but they were not the only soldiers. Often after that front row fired a round, they would kneel down and reload while the rows behind them would take their shots.

And so imagine being on the front lines of battle; you charge toward the enemy, but they are fighting pretty hard and pretty strong, and so your general calls for a retreat. And so you and your fellow soldiers run full tilt back to where you originally assembled, and as you crest the hill, what greets you on the other side is the sight of row after row after row of fresh, friendly reinforcements that are there and ready to go, and with that the support and fresh strength, the battle is won. (P)

While not a perfect illustration because we aren’t talking about any magnitude of violent battle, those multiple levels of effort and support can be found in similar ways in the church and ministry settings today. Our unique roles and positions offer fresh and varied ways of embarking on the same united mission, to do as Paul said in these first verses of our text for today.

He says in verse 5: {CLICK}

Romans 15:5–6 NIV

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, {CLICK} so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Look what Paul said as he offers the same encouragement to other churches: {CLICK}

Ephesians 4:2–6 NIV

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. {CLICK} Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. {CLICK} There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; {CLICK} one Lord, one faith, one baptism; {CLICK} one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

{CLICK}

1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

(P)

We accept one another, we support one another, and we encourage one another in the implementation of our mission and purpose, and the end result, verse 9 of our Romans 15 text: {CLICK}

Romans 15:9 NIV

and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”

Paul is quoting King David after one of his victories over the Philistines in: {CLICK}

2 Samuel 22:50 NIV

Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.

...which David later added to his song and poetry collection, and we can find stated once again if we read Psalm 18:49. (P)

How important it is to embark on the dual mission of genuinely praising God ourselves, and then trying to bring others in on the worship as we introduce them to our amazing God...bringing those who might be the Gentiles in our context, those who had never believed or never been to a church before...to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

It’s what the Psalmist says is the ultimate form of unity. {CLICK}

Psalm 34:3 NIV

Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.

(P)

So over the next three weeks we will discuss what this looks like as we consider our role and position in the church - namely, we identify three:

Do you stand in front of the congregation? This would include, as you might suspect, those who are most visible. They are the ones who offer the most direct form of instruction or worship guidance. We think of our teachers, like Sunday School or VBS. Those who offer their musical or other gifts as they stand up here on Sunday morning facilitating worship...our musicians, worship leaders, and when we do skits, those who do those things. We also think of those who fill the pulpit and bring the Word through preaching, whoever may be standing up here any given Sunday. (P)

Do you, perhaps, stand behind the congregation? As you might hear when someone supporting you says, I’ll stand behind you all the way, these folks offer supporting roles, providing wisdom and encouragement. Often these are folks who spent a lot of years working in the church; they can’t do as much anymore physically, but they can offer their wise counsel and experience to those who fit this third role...

Do you stand in the middle of the congregation? Those are the ones who give of their time and energy to oversee the church programming, or who may often work behind the scenes to get things done. You see them at the events we have - we saw many of you come out for VBS. And sometimes you don’t see them as much, but the reason we have sound, video, and the opportunity to see this service later in the week, the reason we have a beautiful facility inside and out, the reason broken things get fixed, and so much more, are those who fill those roles. (P)

Now, we must understand a few things about these positions. First, contrary to how they may sound, they are not ranks or levels of importance. They just signify the type of role it is. We are going to take one each week and break it down further over the next three weeks.

Second, everyone in this congregation fits somewhere, and even if we are still on the quest to find our individual gifts, these general positions offer a great starting point and may help you eventually zero in on that gift.

Where do you find yourself fitting the most? (P)

Today, we are talking about those who stand in front of the congregation, some expectations for those who stand in front, and the responsibility we have toward those who take that role, even if we don’t fit into that category ourselves. So even if you’ve already determined, no, up front is not for me, you still need to listen because there are still some tasks for you as it relates to those who do.

So let’s get to it: what are those four expectations? {CLICK}

1. Those in front must be vetted.

To say that someone has been vetted simply, by dictionary definition, means they were evaluated, checked, or investigated for accuracy, safety, or official approval. And each part of that definition must occur.

The person who is up front leading a worship experience for our God, who’s teaching a class of students the Word of God, who's guiding a congregation into the next steps of the church with the Word of God, the person who is selecting the music that we will be worshipping with...

Is that person using the Word of God accurately to offer that direction? Are they making sure to teach the truth of those scriptures, not just try to reinterpret them for what they feel is convenient for that time?

Are they teaching the good and the bad - the reality of sin, the thing that few people want to hear about, and not just the feel-good stuff?

Are they preaching the gospel of Christ, and not just a prosperity gospel?

Are the songs and worship experiences those up front leading folks through centered around God, or self?

So the person up front must be vetted, as the definition suggests, for that accuracy, for safety - are we leading people in the right direction, and official approval...it doesn’t get more official than God - is this someone we believe God has called to the ministry? (P)

And, as I’ve suggested several times over the past several weeks, it’s hard to perform these checks, especially for scriptural accuracy, if we, ourselves, don’t spend time getting to know the Word.

And this is a scary thing that someone like myself must admit to - that we need to go through this vetting process...but it’s critical.

And it doesn’t scare me because I particularly have anything to hide or am out to see how many mistakes I can make, but there’s a degree of scrutiny there to consider. I mean, and I know this surprises you, but your pastor is not perfect. And I know Rhonda would come to my defense and say that’s not true, but I’m afraid it is.

And that may not invalidate me, but it’s something I need to be wary of and watch myself for, and not avoid repentance and confessing when I know I’ve done something wrong.

And Paul dealt with it, as well. We’ve discussed many times how we remember his background; we know the degree to which he persecuted Christians, and now he’s a key figure in the Christian Church.

But he admits that several times throughout his writings - that he struggles with ongoing sin like everyone else, if you remember his predicament in Romans 7 - I do what I don’t want to do and end up not doing what I should. Later he talks about grace for sinners, of which he calls himself the worst.

In verse 15 of today’s text, Paul considers his position as a minister of the gospel a matter of grace from a God he knows he has sinned against, but has also desired to turn from those sins, especially when he makes mistakes, to make sure he is fitting the description those standing up front should adhere to...qualifications and characteristics firmly rooted in scripture.

1 Timothy 3:1-4, for example: {CLICK}

1 Timothy 3:1–4 NIV

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. {CLICK} Now the overseer is to be above reproach (that is, blameless and not a moral disappointment), faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, {CLICK} not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. {CLICK} He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.

Coming back to verse 15 of today’s text, Paul talks about how he has spoken boldly on several occasions - that implies what I said before about not being afraid to speak those things that some people need to hear, even if they don’t want to, especially if it involves the sin in our lives that needs attention...mine included. People up front must be willing to share the full truth.

Verse 16, the central mission is proclaiming the gospel - the good news of Christ to that world of sinners...like myself.

Verse 17 and 18 say that our primary service is to God. To others as well, yes, but our service to others is null and void if it isn’t coming from the heart of Christ that we are to be carrying. And therefore, as Paul says in verse 18, when we speak anything - it shouldn’t be outside of what Christ is speaking through us.

It’s like a twist on an old saying: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Same idea for those of us up front trying to proclaim the Word of God: If you aren’t speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit, don’t say anything at all.

I constantly have to check that, and I’m working on it. But that’s the goal.

I love this in verse 20: {CLICK}

Romans 15:20 NIV

It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known.

Are those up front wanting to be there because of their desire to be part of the mission of getting the good news of Christ to others, whether through teaching, preaching, musical skill, or leading a group of people through a worship experience with their Creator? (P)

I still remember the good and important words from Terry that day I got sick a couple of years ago, and he had to jump in last minute to take my place.

We don’t have to be of service to God, but we get to. And that came right out of 1 Peter 5: {CLICK}

1 Peter 5:2–3 NIV

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; {CLICK} not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

(P)

These are the qualities you’re looking for from those up front.

Too many people, some right here in this room, have been hurt or misled by those they trusted, who stood in front of them as a teacher or preacher or leader. And without our own knowledge of what God is expecting...by knowing the scriptures ourselves...it can be very difficult to tell the difference.

It would be like if you were trying to go to Zambia back in 1980, according to Reader’s Digest.

[You had to] beware of the street-corner "emerald vendors." And if you're driving, [you had to] be prepared for some confusion in the streets, [because of] stolen traffic lights. The two warnings [were actually] related: The traffic light thieves [would sell] green glass chips to unsuspecting tourists who [thought they were] getting bargain-basement emeralds.

Too many people think they are getting truth from God’s Word, especially as they tune into popular TV evangelists (though some are very good), or pastors who try to cater to those caught up in modern political issues, and they don’t base their teachings on the inerrant Word of God.

That’s what we have to be watching for. And if you ever wonder about anything you see or hear from me, please ask me about it, as I never want to mislead anyone, but I am not perfect, so to be honest, being up front gets scary for that very reason.

Are people getting from me what God wants them to be getting from me? (P)

Well, the quest for that goal is where number 2 becomes a huge and important help and expectation. {CLICK}

2. Those in front must be prayed for.

If you ever hear anyone tell you they don’t need prayer, be very worried - huge red flag in the vetting process. (P)

Paul was a huge, key, almost famous figurehead in the early church, and prayer was what he wanted more than anything.

Listen again to today’s text in verse 30: {CLICK}

Romans 15:30–32 NIV

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. {CLICK} Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, {CLICK} so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed.

We just got done studying the Armor of God in Ephesians 6, and we read those verses several times.

Do you remember how Paul closed that discussion in verse 19? {CLICK}

Ephesians 6:19–20 NIV

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, {CLICK} for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

(P) {CLICK}

It did not matter what all he accomplished, how successful he was, or how biblically versed he was; he needed prayer. (P)

John Stott says that:

Karl Barth, at [the] end of [a] long, thriving, and successful service in Basel University, said: “The first and most fundamental act of theological work is prayer.” For then the theologian who prays comes before God in humility, which is the only perspective from which to approach God.

Barth, like Paul, knew that nothing he accomplished was done without prayer. (P)

Now, sometimes we don’t say it. I’m not always great at asking for prayer only because, like many of you, I am a private person. But that doesn’t mean, and I’m saying it publicly in front of all of you, prayer is absolutely critical, if you please.

Because for any ministry to work, and for the best chance possible for those in front of you to successfully, by the grace of God, discharge the duties they have been given in a faithful and trustworthy way, it requires prayer.

And that's exactly what number 3 is about, and what this builds up to. Because if this isn’t happening in our churches and in our mission fields, we have a very big problem. {CLICK}

3. Those in front must be trusted.

Without that trust, coming to church could become a pointless, or even dangerous, experience.

In October I’m going to a pastor’s conference, hoping to gain some insight into my work. It will be a privilege for me to be under the direction, at least for part of that conference, of one of my favorite ministers, Erwin Lutzer from Moody Church.

But if I can’t trust what he or the others say, or I find that what they present on stage is not consistent with the life they live outside that setting, well then I’m just wasting my time.

If we can’t trust that the people in front of us are telling us the right thing, do we even want to be here?

If I can’t trust my Sunday School teachers to teach the lesson with a solid Biblical foundation...

If I can’t trust Rhonda or the Praise Team or Choir or Andy or Linda or any of the other musicians, or the Worship Leader to guide us through God-Glorifying worship...

If you can’t trust me to preach the Word of God with accuracy...

Or....if you can’t trust any of us to be living a life of integrity when we go home or in the community that is consistent with what we teach, preach, and worship...

...then the church has a very big problem. (P)

If we return to verses 17-20 of our text once again, we see how Paul made it his ambition to be trustworthy - he wanted people to know that everything he was doing was for the glory of God, and God alone - no selfish ambition.

That’s what he said in verse 17 - I glory in Christ Jesus.

Again in verse 18, his commitment was to not speak anything outside of the leading of Christ.

Because of the work of God, Paul was even able to perform signs, wonders, and miracles - things that can only be done by the power of God. That doesn’t mean people who can’t do that aren’t legit, or I have a big problem. But it was a good way for someone with a past like Paul’s to prove the genuineness of his conversion and resulting work.

And above all, as I mentioned already, his ambition and heart were truly focused on this work of preaching the gospel, because he genuinely cared for the people in his charge.

Because of this track record, he could say to the Philippian church: {CLICK}

Philippians 3:17 NIV

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

(P)

And if those people in front of you can be trusted...

It makes it a little easier to trust the things they say from Scripture, even if the news must be a little bad sometimes.

And we can trust what they say about the love of a God who would give His Son for us, and it’s a love that is reflected in what those up front have for the people of the church.

And we can more easily trust the judgment of the leaders when they envision from God a direction for the church to go.

And perhaps we can trust those in front when they urge us to take our place in that mission and direction, as we return to this glue that holds this entire establishment together, that unity in Christ we started talking about and that I want to be a foundational principle as we proceed the next two Sundays with what it looks like when we all do our gifted part.

That’s where we end with what number 4 addresses: {CLICK}

4. Those not in front must explore their callings.

This, then, brings us back to introducing the rest of this series, where everyone, if you are looking (as I hope you are), will find your place. (P)

Let’s look at one more verse in this Romans 15 text, going back to verse 14.

Before Paul even started talking about his ministry, this is what he said to the Roman congregation: {CLICK}

Romans 15:14 NIV

I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

{CLICK}

That is to say, within the pews or seats of that church, just like our church, are the giftings and skillsets needed to perform the function of that church.

That doesn’t mean that the people that would have been in front of that congregation were unnecessary, but it does mean that...

If it wasn’t for those who stood behind the congregation (those in supporting or mentoring roles, not third place in some hierarchy), or...

Without those who stood in the middle of the congregation (those actively performing the tasks, even behind the scenes, not second place in that nonexistent hierarchy),

...there wouldn’t be a congregation or any capacity to carry out any mission of that congregation. Those in front (not first place in that same nonexistent hierarchy) wouldn’t have much to do. (P)

So as we leave Rome to return to York, Pennsylvania, where this beautiful and vibrant congregation is gathered, at this time and this place, what is Codorus Church supposed to do [POINT TO BULLETIN], and where do you see yourself fitting into that mission? (P)

Author James Packer says that:

Paul, in his own estimation, was not a philosopher, not a moralist, not one of the world's wise men, but simply Christ's herald.

His royal master had given him a message to proclaim; his whole business was to deliver that message with exact and studious faithfulness, adding nothing, altering nothing, and omitting nothing.

And as we saw in Romans 15, and 1 Corinthians 12, and Romans 12, Paul’s charge is for all the people in that church to keep that ball rolling.

You are a herald for the gospel of Christ. But what does that look like in the context of your gifting or calling?

Some people in this room are called to be up front; I believe even among those here who have not yet tried, and yes, I can even think of a couple here who could become a pastor one day.

But not everyone is called to that position - the position of being in front...that doesn’t mean you don’t have an important place. (P)

As we unpack what it means to stand behind or in the middle of the congregation - again, not referring to hierarchy, rank, or importance- maybe one of those will register more to where you think you fit.

CONCLUSION

But one thing I am certain of, beyond the shadow of a doubt, you do fit somewhere. And as you get closer to where you think that might be, and you appreciate that in light of your identity as a member of the body of Christ, and the fact that the church can’t exist with just you, nor can it exist without you, you begin to see the beauty and the importance of unity. (P)

I love how Saudi Arabian astronaut Sultan Bin Salman al-Saud describes unity as he reflects on his journey away from Planet Earth in one of his missions.

He said:

"The first day or so we all pointed to our countries. The third or fourth day we were pointing to our continents. By the fifth day we were aware of only one Earth."

What are you pointing to this morning?

Are you pointing to an elder?

Are you pointing to a deacon?

Are you pointing to a Worship Leader or musician?

Are you pointing to Rhonda, or to me?

Are you pointing to the church building?

...or are you pointing to Codorus Church, the body of believers gathered here, under the headship of Jesus Christ our Savior, and with the mission of sharing Him with others so that this body, and the church collective, can grow...not just in number, but spiritually? (P)

My challenge is that you take this week to continue praying about how you see your role, your very real role, because you do have one, and how your uniqueness in gifting and role can function in the unity of this body.

We will pick up there next week with position number 2.