12/9/07 - Advent 2 - Romans 15:4-13

ACCEPT WITHOUT EXCEPTION
- Just as God accepted the Gentiles
- So that we have a spirit of unity

Today is the 9th, next week is the 16th, and the week after that is the 23rd of December. In two weeks and two days Christmas will be upon us once again. And every one of us here is looking forward to the celebration of Christ’s birth. And we should be. It’s a joyous time in the life of a Christian to have the opportunity to praise God for his incarnation into this world. But doesn’t it amaze you that out of all the people on this earth, we are looking forward to Christmas? Because, if I’m not mistaken, there aren’t any full-blooded Jews in here today, are there? We are all Gentiles! And yet we are still anticipating with an eager excitement the coming of Christ - the Savior who came from the Jewish nation for the Jewish nation. That’s a miracle, my friends! That we Gentiles would actually look forward to the coming of the Jewish Messiah! We shouldn’t even know about him! Because “Christ became a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs.” The patriarchs are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God chose them. God chose the Israelites, the Jews, as his people. He promised to accept them as his children. He promised that the Savior would come from their line. He promised that his Word would first and foremost be theirs. And so what are we doing with the hope of the coming Christ? What are we Gentiles doing with faith planted in our hearts and sure salvation in our futures? What are we Gentiles doing as accepted children of the Lord? There’s only one reason: God’s mercy.
The Lord accepted us as his children only because of his mercy - only because he wanted to. He didn’t have to tell us about the Savior. He didn’t have to specifically seek us out and take the time to bring us to faith through his Word. The Lord can do whatever he wants. He doesn’t owe anyone anything - he especially doesn’t owe anything to the things he created. I think we forget how fortunate we really are that we know about Jesus, believe in him, and look forward to his coming. Because all of that is the work of God’s mercy on those who weren’t originally his people. He loved us when we were conceived in sin. He called us to faith when our sinful natures did everything to stop him. He accepts us as his own even though we are daily disobedient. If that’s not mercy - showing love, forgiveness, and compassion on the hopeless - I don’t know what is.
Now, knowing the extent of the Lord’s love for us, listen to the Holy Spirit’s encouragement to all us today: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you.” In the context of our reading from Romans 15, Paul is speaking about weak and strong brothers and sisters within the congregation. Despite the faults, despite the imperfections, despite the weaknesses, despite the differences, we are to accept without exception. We are to accept everyone here as a brother and sister in Christ - a relationship closer than any other. You are to accept each other just as Christ accepted you. That’s the model. That’s the example Christ has set that he wants you now to emulate. He has accepted you: a sinner, an outsider, a Gentle, without exception. You are to do nothing but the same. That doesn’t mean we overlook sin. That doesn’t mean we don’t still have a duty to point out when someone is clearly doing something or saying something contrary to God’s Word. It means that we are supposed to be loving and forgiving just as Christ is with us.
And don’t let yourself off the hook just yet. I’m sure many of you automatically assume that you’re doing all right when it comes to this area of Christian living. “Of course I accept others. I’m not prejudice. I know they are fellow believers. I’m not calling their faith into question.” But don’t fool yourself. None of us have accepted each other just as Christ has accepted us. Because accepting each other means more than simply being around each other. Accepting each other means more than tolerating each other. Accepting each other means more than just putting up with each other. I know you do that! I know you are around, tolerate, and put up with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. So do I! But so what? That’s not accepting others as Christ has accepted you! Christ doesn’t just force himself to be around you, he doesn’t just tolerate you or put up with you. He accepts you as his own. He loves you with every fiber of his being. He gave up his own life for you. He spends every second of every day caring for you. Everything he does he does for your good. Is that what you do? Is that how you treat your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Is that how you accept them without exception?
If you do, I thank the Lord that he has given you the ability and the motivation to follow his example perfectly. If you don’t, then you’re just like me. Still a sinner. Ever a sinner. Always needing God’s mercy. And here we are again: we’re back to God’s mercy. Because of his mercy he accepted us as his children when we were his enemies. Because of his mercy he sent his Son to this earth to be born in our likeness. Because of his mercy he turned his back on his own Son while he was on the cross so that he would not have to turn his back on us. And because of his mercy he will forgive us every time we turn our backs on him. “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name,” Paul quotes in our sermon text from Psalm 18. “Again, it says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.’ And again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.’ And again, Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’” Rejoice with me, my fellow Gentiles, my fellow sinners, my fellow accepted children of God through faith! In just under two and a half weeks we will again celebrate that Root of Jesse coming into this world as a human being. We will praise him for his sacrifice and glorify him for his victory! We will join together with one heart and voice to thank him for the forgiveness he gives us through his life, death, and resurrection! And we will gather as accepted children of his mercy, enjoying the peace and hope and joy that only his accepted children can truly understand.
And so the way in which Christ has accepted us is not only our example, it is also our motivation. Because Christ has accepted us with that incomprehensible love, how could we not show that same kind of love to others? It doesn’t matter if you don’t get along with somebody. It doesn’t matter if your personalities don’t mesh. It doesn’t matter if they’ve done something in the past or if they do something in the future. That didn’t stop Christ from accepting them as his children. That didn’t stop Christ from accepting you. And it’s a good thing. Don’t let that stop you from accepting your fellow Christians as dear family members. Accept your fellow brothers and sisters here without exception “so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
And that’s one of the goals and one of the benefits of accepting others without exception. When that happens we join together as fellow believers with one heart and mouth. It’s not many different hearts and many different mouths singing four hymns every Sunday. It’s not many different hearts and many different mouths reciting the Lord’s Prayer. It’s not many different hearts and many different mouths singing the songs of the liturgy, professing the Creed, or confessing our sins. The result of this love for one another is one heart and one mouth glorifying the Lord. Together we have been accepted by Christ. And so together we praise him.
This togetherness, of course, is not accomplished by our outstanding efforts or our loving and patient personalities. If our unity depended on us, we would have no one left. We would drive each other away. This unity is only accomplished by the efforts of the one who accepted us. And so that’s why Paul prays, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves according to Christ Jesus.” As we grow together in the Word, as we join with each other in Bible studies, worship services, fellowship gatherings, and personal interactions, the Lord will continue to strengthen our spirit of unity. He will heal wounds, he will form bonds, he will weld us together as the spiritual siblings we are. He promises to help us with that and so he wants us to continue to work at accepting without exception - no matter how hard it may be at times.
This challenge and this blessing is nothing unique to our congregation. Every congregation in any denomination struggles with accepting each other without exception. But those who work at it receive the benefits. And what a blessing it is when a congregation as a whole is able to model the love Christ has for them. That is one of the best evangelism tools available. When visitors see the spirit of unity among us, when they feel that there is a family bond, when they want to be part of that connection in Christ - the door is that opened that much wider for the gospel. Is that the reason why we strive to accept each other without exception? No. But it is a wonderful side-effect.
I challenge you to work on that. I challenge you to follow the example Christ has already set - for the good of your faith, for the good of the congregation, and ultimately for the glory of the Lord. But if you’re going to work on that, that means it would be a good thing for you to force yourself to talk to those who you normally don’t talk to. Get to know them. Ask them questions. Try to understand them. Working on following Christ’s example also means it would be a good thing to make time for Bible classes either Sunday or Wednesday night. Because not only is that an irreplaceable opportunity for your faith to grow, it is also an opportunity to grow together with each other. Working on following Christ’s example means it would be a good thing to make an appearance at fellowship events as often as possible. The benefits of that for the sake of unity are obvious.
And I’m not necessarily calling people out. I’m not accusing someone or trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone. I simply want to relay the encouragement that the Holy Spirit gives all of us today: accept without exception. Just as Christ accepted the Gentiles so that we can have a spirit of unity with each other. This will be a constant activity. It will be a never-ending job wherever you are in whatever congregation to which you belong. But what a blessing that is! To actually have fellow Christians around you. To have men and women of the faith who you can call “brother” and “sister.” Do not underestimate these blessings from the Lord. These are blessings that many Christians throughout history never had. Take advantage of that! Embrace those around you. Enjoy the time you have together. After all, there will come a day when you and I and all our brothers and sisters will be together forever. That day is coming soon. The day on which we will no longer have to struggle to follow Christ’s example of love because we will forever be living in it. May the Lord grant us this unity not only in the perfection of Paradise, but right here, right now, together in Christ.
Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” - Rom. 15:13