Do as I Say not as I Do

I have always struggled with those who have a lot to say about other people...Especially if the tenor of their conversation implies superiority by ignoring their own faults.

As if not acknowledging their own weakness or mistakes somehow makes them innocent.

A great story comes to mind from my Childhood about the first time I ever remember using a curse word in front of my dad.

I had recently heard the words in a movie. I had also heard my dad and his friends use it with each other all the time.

As a result I just assumed that it was ok to say…in fact I didn’t even think about it being bad...

I just thought I had learned another phrase that everyone used.

I won’t tell you what the phrase was but I will say that when I said it in front of my dad…his response was swift and painful.

Dad’s reaction to this phrase really caught me off guard…I don’t remember if I was more surprised at the fact that the words meant something bad or that I was being punished so severely for words I had heard my dad and mom say countless times.

I remember looking at my dad with a shocked and confused look after he punished me…I also remember his verbal response to my mistake contained more than a few curse words as well…

When I finally got my nerve up and asked him why it was ok for him to say it and not me…thats when he said it…the phrase that many of us have heard at one time or another from those in authority over us.

Do as I say and not as I do.

I mean even at that young age the logic of this phrase made no sense to me…yet as a 9 or 10 year old it never crossed my mind that Dad could be wrong.

It never crossed my mind that dad would cover up his weakness in order to maintain dominance over me…but that is exactly what he did.

No apologies…No explanations…Just do as I say not as I do.

Every single one of us have had moments like this where someone has ignored their own weakness or transgressions in order to maintain some sense of superiority over us.

Truth be told many of us have done the same. We have all had moments where our own hypocrisy was evident but we justified it in some way just to save face.

There is a lot of this going on in our world right now....It seems like there is an epidemic of pride not COVID that is leading us further away from God’s will for his people and the world.

You See....

People who admit their own weakness are spiritually and emotionally stronger than those that are unable to see their own hypocrisy.

Yet…many still feel like it is more important to be seen as strong, perfect and above correction even when everyone sees what they fail to admit.

Romans 1:1-6

You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. 2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?

Wow thats encouraging…It does get better.

4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done.

Paul spent all of Chapter one reminding us of what sin looks like and after the first part of this passage Paul spells out the consequences of all who choose sin over living in the Spirit.

However all of this is mute if people are not made aware of their own sin.

In todays reading Paul starts off making sure that everyone knows that no one is above the consequences of Sin and truly no one is innocent of sin.

Paul drives this idea home again in verse 11 later in the chapter

Romans 2:11 NLT

11 For God does not show favoritism.

There is no short cut or life without sin and every one is held accountable.

This is not meant to be a weight over our heads…It is a warning of the power pride has to derail our walk with God....Paul’s intention is not to make us feel like miserable wretches without hope or that where he would have stopped.

Paul’s central idea is actually verse 4 when he drives home the idea that even though we are all guilty we are all eligible for God’s Mercy.

No one is disqualified from God’s mercy no matter what they have done.

Romans 2:4 NLT

4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

God does not condemn us quickly…that is to say God does not doom us when we fail to live up to a Holy Standard we do not totally understand.

God wants us to make it…God is not impatient…God Loves is kind, tolerant and patient toward all of us.

God’s kindness is designed to turn us from our sin. This is THE truly unappreciated and often ignored but CENTRAL TEACHING IN the text.

We often focus on sin and punishment…but as I said weeks ago that is not God’s will for us…God’s will for us is mercy…forgivness…grace…and empowerment to live Holy in an Unholy society.

God is not ignoring or endorsing sin…He is making a way for everyone to repent

2 Peter 3:9 NLT

9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

Did you catch That? God does not want anyone to be destroyed…He wants everyone to repent…turn away with the power of the Holy Spirit from a life that leads to destruction.

God is being kind, tolerant, and patient for the sake everyone.

Forgiven followers of Jesus practice God’s kind, tolerant patience by being kind, tolerant, patient.

Even as I say this I can tell that the word tolerant may not be sitting well with some of you. Mainly becuase this word is often used incorrectly.

The definition for tolerance is allow the existence, occurrence, or practice of (something that one does not necessarily like or agree with) without interference.

It is not God’s way to humiliate, force or rush people into a life they do not understand. Nor should it be ours.

Tolerance does not mean to be accepting of sin, or evil…it means that we should give people the same room that God gave us in our journey.

Dan had started coming to the church solely out of pressure from his wife Elena. He was a tough Marine. He has tattoos all over, his language was rough and to be honest he held a very negative opinion of God and the Church.

He had encountered countless christians and churches that continually told him and his family how bad they were…how evil tattoos were, and if they didn’t change they would all burn in hell. All while living a life that was just as evil themselves.

Dan told me that without exception all those Holier than thou types that tried to convince him he was a dirty sinner were themselves involved in sin. Drinking, drugs or cheating on their spouse.

So when he came to our church he was not expecting any different…He had come to the Church ready and waiting for any excuse to dismiss us and leave the church…

but instead what he found was people that did not even blink an eye when he cursed, they complemented his tattoos instead of condemn him for it, and spoke freely about their own shortcomings instead of hiding them and pointing out his.

Long Story short Dan is now an invaluable part of that church and a key leader of one of the church plants from that church…

Dan is also one of the most effective soul winners in that community not becuase he is perfect but becuase he remembers his is not but he is following the lead of the Holy Spirit every day and giving others room to discover what he was able to discover.

This is what it looks like on a regular basis for a church where kind tolerant patience replaces harsh, dogmatic, indoctrination.

Picture a growing community developing deep, growing relationships with God, our world, and one another…That is what I believe our future looks like...Simply by practicing Godly kindness, tolerance and patients

This is what God is calling us to do as we seek to as we live out our mission to Connect people to God and others , creating a space where everyone can belong.

James...

When Jesus instituted the sacrament of communion He knew it would take time for the disciples to understand its significance.

None of what Jesus was saying to them made any sense…but in time this sacrament would be central to faith.

So today we as we come to the table let’s celebrate God’s kind, tolerant patience toward us and commit to live out the same.

We are an open communion Church this means that all are welcome to the table…if your a first time guest you are welcome…if you are not a member you are still welcome.

When you come to the table please give proper spacing and receive the bread and the cup from the sanitized hands of our servers…then return to your seat and we will partake of the elements together.

Servers please come forward

Silence…Lord Speak....Your Servant is listening

Communion/Closing prayer