The feelings mutual
Notes
Transcript
The feelings mutual
The feelings mutual
Intro- Romans- sneak peek of our youth services
Turn to Romans 12:15
Read & Pray
As we stand today we are about 15 days away from the end of the year
This year has brought alot of heart ache as well as a healthy bit of strange. Compared to the last several years
With the incline of issues, not just physical, there has also been an uptick in emotional struggles as well
Anxiety & stress are on the rise
Every year the Gallup group takes a November survey over the health of the nation
This year, 2020 results show 34% of Americans consider their mental health “excellent”, while 74% consider their mental health “excellent/good”, both are at an all time low
But of the groups surveyed, there was one group that remarkably seen an improvement from last year to this year- that group being church goers.- (Going from 42% to 46%)
This can show us a couple things-
In a year that has labeled businesses/organizations as essential/non-essential- This shows us that the church is essential.
This says something to the family nature within the church- We, as church members- take care of one another-
We are called brothers/sisters- a body of Christ- What does that mean? - None of us are islands- God has ordained the church to operate as a body
Different groups/ages/backgrounds all coming together under the banner of Christ
(Lightning round of instruction)
V. 9 love one another
v. 14- Bless those who persecute you-
- v. 15- Rejoicing with those who are rejoicing- weeping with those who weep
Matthew Henry quote
Sidenote- At first, these commands might seem unnecessary or trivial (It’s pretty obvious that we should love one another!)
However, it’s important to note that many of these commands go against the grain of secular human reaction- (If someone curses us, we feel like we should hurt back!)
Paul is instructing what Christian living ought to look like as well as warning us to fight fleshly reactions to those around us
Decide from the onset of our relationships to respond in a biblical way
True love will interest us in the sorrows and joys of one another, and teach us to make them our own
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
How do we begin to do this?
Keep the right perspective of who you are
“(Do) not think of himself more highly than he ought to think”
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
The challenge with many of these commands is that we will have to think of others before we think of ourselves
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less -C.S. Lewis
Remember that we are a body- many members- even though we have different functions- One in Christ- even though we are many members
1. There will be a time for both-
- Ecclesiastes 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance
This life has its fair share of joys- which bring cause for rejoicing
And this life has its fair share of sorrows- which bring mourning
A time to rejoice-
“Rejoice with those who rejoice”-
Lit- To be glad-
This command is to see the joys and triumphant of others and rejoice along with them- This is a command for a sincere joy for others
Now at first, this may seem simple- Even trivial for Paul to say, but remember, it is not just an instruction for HOW to act as a Christian, but also a warning on how we will WANT to act
What is the carnal reaction to have when we see the joy of others because of triumphant or blessing? When they have something we don’t have? When their is a success that isn’t present in our life?
That carnal reaction is one of jealousy and envy
To see the circumstances and blessings of others, ignore your own blessings, and wrongfully desire what they might have
It was envy that led to the murder of Cain
It was envy that drove Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery and lie to their father
It was envy that led to Saul’s rage toward David
It was envy that led to the failings of David with Bathsheba
It was envy that led to the Pharisees crucifying the Lord Jesus
Jealousy and envy is a bitter thing that often leads to downfall and division
But that is not how the church should react!
Paul shares with us how we combat such things- We rejoice along with them- Even when we might be in a valley in our own life- Rejoicing with those who have cause for rejoicing combats envy, and is the right Christian response to have with your brother or sister in Christ
A time to weep-
Paul says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep”
Lit. to cry with those who are crying
As is no surprise- God’s Word does not just affirm times of joy, but also times of sorrow
Where we have seasons of joy- we all have seasons of sorrow
The Christian response to our brothers and sisters sorrow is to share in that sorrow
As we have said, the carnal reaction to others rejoicing is envy, the carnal reaction to others pain is one of indifference
Indifference is the human reaction to the sorrow of others.
To see the pain of others- even our brothers and sisters!- and indifferently continue as we were beforehand.
Luke 10:25-37- The good Samaritan- A priest, a levite-
Their sin was not in going up to the wounded man and wounding him further, it was in doing nothing when they seen his pain
The fleshly reaction to the sorrow of others is to be indifferent- but the Christian response is to suffer with them- As we see the good Samaritan doing in Luke
If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
To weep with those who weep is to place our life on hold and bear up under the burdens of others
It may be an act of great difficulty, or even one that requires the sacrifice of time and money (like the good Samaritan)
Either way, it is an act of Christian sympathy that further displays our love for one another
The logic of this type of relationship
This time of the year we shift our focus more and more on the birth of Christ
As we know, all scripture points us to the message of the Gospel- This passage is no different
With our reflection of this passage, instructing us to rejoice with others and weep with others, it should brings our minds straight back to the message of the Gospel
Christ has felt our joy, and has felt our sorrows
Luke 7:11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Christ entered this world in the veil of human flesh- submitting to it’s joy, sorrow, and temptation, yet never sinning- bearing up under our burdens-
Christ seen our suffering - sympathized with our weaknesses- and paid the price of our sin- defeating death, and bringing an eternal hope
Conclusion-
The instruction to those who know Christ is to respond to each others rejoicing and sorrow in a sympathetic way
This response is counter cultural and ultimately points us back to Christ-
Remember, Christian, the reason we carry one another sorrows is because Christ has bore up under our own
Where there was despair, there is now hope
Take heart in knowing that Christ sees our burdens, sympathizes with our weakness, and has brought redemption with an eternal hope
During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
