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The Greatest Asset of the Church |
This is the last sermon in our series on First Corinthians, a letter that Paul wrote to the church which, as you know, was a church in all kinds of trouble and difficulty. As I look out over the group this morning, I have to tell you every year when the Bronco schedule comes out, I always look to see how many eleven o’clock games there are because I know how it will affect our attendance on Sunday morning. This year is the best schedule we’ve had in ten years because today is the only eleven o’clock game of the whole season. Speaking of football, would you join me in a moment of silent meditation in sympathy for all the CU fans who have joined us today. And, then, there are the CSU people who are just thrilled. I walked in this morning and I saw those colors and I thought it looks very much like Buff gold out there. I don’t think that was strategic, but what a day in the State of Colorado yesterday. There are happy people and sad people and that’s why we open our Bibles. Because you know, football is not life. And God’s people said: AMEN!! Last week, we talked about money and you came back. Thank you, by the way, for that. We are going to wrap it up. This is a section often commented about: looking at how other people handle the Scripture and how other people preach through this book. This is a section that is often kind of glossed over or skipped through because it looks at first glance that all Paul is doing is talking about travel details and some friends of his. Hopefully, you have learned to this point that all scripture given by inspiration of God and is profitable--not just the parts we like or the parts that are our favorites or the parts that seem to make sense to us-- but all Scripture. There’s some reason why God wanted you to know about Paul’s travel plans and his relationships with people. Hopefully, we’ll wrap up this sermon series with this emphasis today. Next weekend, we’ll be having an emphasis on our short-term mission ministry here within our church and one of our own missionaries, Bruce Dower, will be preaching at all services next weekend and then the weekend after that I will be talking about or mission and our vision as a church. This will be a kind of refresher for some of you have been at the church and some information for those of you who are new to the church. And, as I’ve said, when we enter into the month of October, I’m going to be looking at Psalm 139. If you want to be preparing yourselves for that sermon series, you can be reading Psalm 139 during your time of Bible study and contemplation of the Word. But we have to finish First Corinithians first. Here we are at verse number five: “After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you for I will be going through Macedonia. Perhaps I will stay with you awhile or even spend a winter so you can help me on my journey wherever I go. I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit. I hope to spend some time with you if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost because a great door for effective work has opened to me and there are many who oppose me. If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you for he is carrying on the work of the Lord just as I am. No one then should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers. Now, about our brother, Apollos. I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers.” He was quite unwilling to go now but he will go when he’s good and ready to go. That’s a paraphrase, obviously. That verse is so provocative for me. And it’s tucked away here toward the end. Apollos is one of the church leaders, remember? At the beginning of the book some people were saying, I’m of Paul, some were saying, I’m of Apollos, and some people were saying, I am of Cephas. So Paul was bringing up one of these popular guys and he’s saying, I tried to tell him to come see you guys but he said no, I’m not ready to do that right now. I’ll go when I have the opportunity. Then in verse thirteen, in a series of four military phrases (maybe they don’t seem that way to you) but he borrows military metaphors and says to the Corinthian church, “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be men of courage, be strong.” And then, to balance it because he was probably sure as I am, that there were some who liked that kind of stuff and said, “ yeah, that’s right, we need to stand up and take our stand.” He says in verse fourteen as a kind of echo of verse thirteen “Do everything in love. You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it. I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition. The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.” This is a phrase you want to be very careful about presenting to our student ministries area. We’ll talk about that very briefly. Most people agree that, up until this time, Paul had a secretary or someone transcribing for him. Now Paul says, “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. If anyone does not love the Lord, a curse be on him.” The word is ‘anathema’. Then he says “Come, O Lord.” This is the term ‘marantha’. So he says anathema. Cursed be anyone who does not love the Lord. We don’t talk like that in our day. Most of us wouldn’t say something like that to someone, if you don’t love the Lord, curse be upon you. And then maranatha, “Come O Lord. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen” “Father, as we contemplate this very compelling section of scripture, thank you for it. And thank you for the fact that you have given us this Word for our profit, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that we, as men and women of God, might be thoroughly furnished, completed and made to be what you want us to be for your glory. Lord, you can do something in this room that none of us can do in and of our strength and our own abilities. You can take this Word and, by the spirit, apply it to hearts and lives and make a difference for the kingdom. We pray that you would and we ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.” They run the fastest growing website on the planet. Any guesses? They have one hundred million friends. Let me repeat it. One hundred million friends. Not bad for two guys who just wanted a place to hang out. I was reading Jan’s copy of Fortune magazine. Why she gets it, I don’t know. No, actually, it was one of those airline tickets and our points were going to run out unless we got some magazines, so I signed her up for things just in case someone saw my name on it. I wouldn’t want that. Anyway, it’s the two guys that founded Myspace.com. Anybody not heard of that? It’s everywhere. It’s one hundred million friends and growing. Out of their personal passion for the music scene in Los Angeles where they live, Anderson, age 30, and DeWolf, age 40, created an internet site to promote local acts and to connect fans and friends, who connected friends who connected friends until, by last summer, twenty million people had joined Myspace.com. The two had a friendship based on business and then they quite literally founded a business based on friendship. They had a friendship based on business and they decided to found a business that was based on friendship. When Rupert Murdoch paid $580 million for Myspace’s parent company, Anderson and DeWolf, though reluctant to do the deal, each made millions. They have a friendship based on business and they founded a business based on friendship. I couldn’t shake that phrase all week long. A business based on friendship. We are living in a schizophrenic society that is, on the one hand, deeply longing for friendship and relational connection. If there is anything that stands out among the post-modern movement in our age it is this quest and this longing, and we hear it all the time, for community and this criticism of churches and Christians for having shallow relationships and not having the kind of community that God intended in the first place. At the core, at the bottom, is the desire, a longing, a passion to be connected in community. While, on the other hand, seeming to resist and avoid movement into community such as is found in clubs, civic organizations or churches that is unlike any other generation in American history. We say, on the one hand, I want to belong. I want to be a part of a group. I want to be a part of community. But, on the other hand, I’m not joining that group. I’m not going to go to that club. I’m not going to be a part of that church. Don’t expect me to join. Don’t expect me to participate. Don’t expect me to move to a deeper level. I’m going to stay at a distance. I’m going to stay out on the perimeter and kind of be the lone ranger, or lone rangers, as we isolate ourselves from deep involvement in community. In previous sermons, I have mentioned Robert Putman’s book “Bowling Alone – The Collapse and Revival of American Community”. In his book, Putman warns that our stock of social capital, the very fabric of our connections with each other, has plummeted, impoverishing our lives and communities. He draws evidence including nearly 500,000 interviews over the last quarter-century to show that we sign fewer petitions, belong to fewer organizations that meet, know our neighbors less, meet with friends less frequently and even socialize with our families less often. And then, of course, the title. We’re even bowling alone. More Americans are bowling than ever before, but they are not bowling in leagues. Putman shows how changes in work, family structure, age, suburban life, television, computers, women’s roles and other factors have contributed to this decline. Now I know that Anderson and DeWolf in stumbling onto something with Myspace.com have raised an online phenomenon. As a sidebar, I know that Myspace.com can be a vile and dangerous online place, but the core desire for connection is fascinating. One hundred million and counting. Why am I talking about Myspace.com in church? Well, as I read Paul’s final paragraph in the Corinthian letter, I kept mulling this phrase over, a business based on friendship. And I know, of course, that the church is not ultimately a business. I say that all the time. But, if I do some minor editing, who would argue that the church is not supposed to be, at its core, an enterprise based on friendship, connection, relationship and community. Look at the personal references that Paul makes in these verses. Notice the names he mentions. Notice his comments about wanting to spend time with people. And no matter how you read it, if there is any observation to be made on the last portion of this letter, it is the highly relational part of Paul’s communication to the Corinthian church. I believe Paul is giving us a window into his heart in these closing verses, and I have to tell you I really like what I see. Paul doesn’t use these words, but the underlying message of this concluding section of the letter suggests a phrase that I’ve been saying about Foothills Bible Church for probably the last twenty years: It’s all about relationships. I chose the title for the sermon today “The Greatest Asset of the Church”. I should have quizzed you on this and had you take out a piece of paper and ask you to write what you believe is the greatest asset of the church. Certainly, some of you are thinking in spiritual categories, I’m sure, and thinking about salvation and theology. But, if you just think about it in terms of our resources and assets, what’s the greatest asset of the church? The answer to that is people. People. While I don’t believe Paul planned to provide a seminar on friendship in these final verses, he identifies at least four ways in which we can impact one another in human relationship within Christian community. I have been reading a lot and engaging in conversation with some who are very much advocates of post-modern thought. And it would not surprise you to know that post-modernism has great appeal to the young within our church community and the community at large. One of the areas I am trying to work on and trying to respond to in this quest for community is being a good listener. This desire to have a place to belong. This desire to have relationships that work. This quest to be a part of something. To be a part of a community. One of their phrases quoted to me in the last couple of weeks as I was meeting with someone is the idea of ‘belonging’ before ‘believing’. They have this perception, perhaps a misperception, I don’t know, but they have this idea that if people come to the modern church (I’m speaking philosophically, not in terms of what we have or what we look like) but philosophically, if they come to the modern church, there is this message given out that you have to believe before you can belong. And what they’re saying to us, as part of the critique, is that we’ve got to create a community, or is it possible for us to create a community where people can belong before they believe; where people can feel at home; where people can feel a warmth and a connection that there is a “friendship” there whether they buy in or not. That’s a provocative possibility. As I’ve said, I believe that as I’ve read through these verses, and I know I’m being influenced by external forces, thoughts and ideas so I’m probably projecting some into this, but I thought Paul is all about relationship at the end of this chapter. He’s all about talking about his friends, the people who helped him and the people who made a difference and he’s lifting up this young mentee of his, Timothy, who obviously has some social problems and he goes into a situation where he doesn’t feel quite accepted so he says, “Make sure you treat him in a certain way.” I want to propose to you, if this is interesting to you at all--and I hope that it is, that there are four ways that Christians can give to each other in the context of community. These should be quite obvious, but I just want to go through them here and wrap it up with some warnings and reminders when you’re not in relational harmony. Then we’ll gather around the Lord ’s Table which is supposed to be all about the family coming together and connecting with each other. Four gifts Christians can give to each other: Number one: The gift of acceptance. In verses ten through eleven, I’ve already mentioned Timothy. Scholars have debated for years why Paul had to tell the Corinthians to see that he had nothing to fear. Do you see that there? “If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am.” What’s he talking about? What would Timothy possibly be fearing? I’m going to propose, based on what he says in the next verse and the overall context in the story of Timothy in the New Testament, that he was probably fearful that if he went to that group he wasn’t going to be accepted by them. You say, where do you get that? Well, obviously, because of what he says in the next verse. “No one then should refuse to accept him.” Have you ever been in a situation where you’re fearful that you’re not going to be accepted? Paul is inviting the Corinthians to give Timothy the gift of acceptance. Everyone in this room at some level has struggled, or has been in an unaccepting setting; Maybe for you it was in your growing up years and, if so, let me just tell you that it makes it even tougher for you in your adult years because everyone in this room wants to be accepted. No one wants to be ignored. How many times in church ministry and church life have I heard this criticism: “I came to your church; I sat in the service; I stood up in praise times; I sat down; I walked out; I left and nobody said anything to me. It is not a friendly church.” What was that person saying? I didn’t feel accepted by that group. Well, how do you get people to get accepted by this group? Have everyone stand up and shake hands? We get e-mails on that, too. Please don’t have people shake hands with me. I don’t want to shake hands with strangers. We could get little containers of antibacterial hand wash in the racks. Our church will stand out because, once you shake hands, you can use the cleanser. I don’t know, everybody in this room today has a deep desire to be accepted by people. I wish, (and this is a little reflection of me) and sometimes people use stuff like this against me. So what, go ahead and take a shot. In the twenty-one years I’ve been here at the church, I’ve seen a lot of people come and go and I’ll just tell you right now, if you don’t already know it, I take it personally when somebody leaves. That’s a part of my acceptance issues. I think invariably that they’re leaving because of me. Jan always tries to encourage me and she’ll say, “No, no, no, they left because of me, not you.” And I’ll say, “No, no, no, they left because of me, not you.” And we’ll go this volley back and forth. And then I’ll see that person. I won’t say who it is, but I saw someone this morning who I thought had left our church. I saw them walking in the back and I had this little thing inside that said, “Oh, they haven’t left. Great!” Some of you are probably thinking I need to go get counseling, right? I think that church should be the place where people feel more accepted than any other place on the planet. Do you think that’s possible? Mark Horowitz is convinced that everybody needs somebody to talk to. Listen to this. This is such a revealing little episode. What convinced him were the thousands of dinner invitations he received as a result of simply writing his cell phone number on a white board when he was working on a photo shoot for Crate and Barrel magazine. He takes a risk here because the board is going to be in the magazine and he decides to write his cell phone number on it. That’s when the calls started rolling in. As an aspiring artist, Horowitz decided to turn the calls into a project so he planned a nationwide road trip to have dinner with any caller who wanted. Is this wild? He has had invitations for a mean lasagna in Georgia, coffee in Wisconsin and Shabbat dinner in Maryland. All from complete strangers. Horowitz has concluded that a lot of people are lonely and they just want to talk to somebody to reach out and connect with somebody. Do you feel the desperation in that? Don’t miss the point. Paul is saying to the Corinithan church, you have a gift can give to Timothy. The gift of acceptance. Acceptance doesn’t mean agreement on every point. Acceptance doesn’t mean approval of every action or deed. Acceptance is embracing another human being with an outlook that says, I understand that you’re trying to live life just like I’m trying to live life and even though we may have differences and even though we may see the world from polar opposite views, I want you to know that you are accepted by me. We have a friend who is the resident manager down at the Broadmoor Hotel. We were staying there a number of years ago and we got an invitation under our door to go to a manager’s cocktail reception. Now that felt a little dicey to me because, on the one hand, what if someone from the church is there and they see me at a cocktail reception. On the other hand, it is very expensive to stay at the Broadmoor and if it’s free food and all that I think I might take advantage of this. So Jan and I kind of slipped in under the radar screen and thought we were just going to get some food and go. Of all things, the resident manager and assistant came up and made a little small talk with us. One thing led to another. “We’re from Michigan.” “Oh, I’m from Michigan” and “What part of Michigan?” “ Well, from Jackson, Michigan.” She and Jan are talking now and “You’re kidding. Jackson, Michigan, really?” They found out they went to the same high school. They grew up in the same area and that spurred a relationship where the resident manager said to give a call any time we wanted to make a reservation and she would put in a good word for us. So we’ve been there several times and we watch her and the way she relates to everyone she sees on the property down there. It blows our minds because she does what Paul is saying in this verse. She gives everyone she sees the gift of acceptance; it’s an overwhelming and amazing thing to behold. Sometimes when Jan and I are coming to church, we use her name-- I’ll protect her privacy—and say, “Let’s go to church and be like_________” and we say her name. We have someone who left the church maybe two or three years ago now and in trying to follow up on what had happened and all the rest, they said, “Well, when you walk around in between services, we’ve been watching you and we notice that whenever you walk down the aisle, just when you come to our row, you always turn and walk the other way.” Man. I just want to tell you something right now. If that’s true, then the elders need to call a meeting today and hopefully, they’ll give me a good severance package and send me on my way. What? I wrote a letter and said, “Please do not think for one moment that I have a strategy. One of the reasons that I walk around between services is that I’m trying to be friendly. I’m not trying to ignore people.” I’m trying to do what I’ve just said. I’ve seen others do that and it gives you this warm feeling that says I’m accepted here. I wish I could come down and contact every one of you in all of our services and have a connection point with you and spend time with you and get to know you and let you know that I do care, but that’s impossible. Now, let’s take it off me for a moment and put it on all of us. Four gifts Christians can give to each other. We, as Christians in this community, can give one another the gift of acceptance. And you all know the ways that you want to be treated. You can then reach out and treat others and convey that in a way that really expresses something that says with a look, with a handshake, with a gift, with an invitation to a meal, with a response to a need. We accept you. Gift number two: Tolerance. I’ve already had a little fun with this verse but look at verse twelve. We can give one another the gift of tolerance. Verse twelve actually makes me laugh. Paul says I urged Apollos to go and Apollos said no. Do you get this? Paul is saying that Apollos is going to do what he wants to do in spite of what Paul urges him to do. Paul said he just kind of beat him over the head and told him he had to go be with them. And it says he was quite unwilling to go now but would go when he has the opportunity. Years ago, when Chuck Swindoll left First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, he was interviewed by a magazine. I subsequently read that, along with many, many others, of course, of things he learned in twenty-three years as pastor of that church. One of the things--and I always remember this-- is that some people are never going to change no matter what you do or say. So, how do you deal with that? Well, if it’s not a sin requiring confrontation, you give them the gift of tolerance. You tolerate them. I’m absolutely certain that some of you have people like Apollos in your life. And I know what you’re tempted to do. You’re tempted to give up on them. You’re tempted to say I’m done. And, then, if you have a certain amount of experiences like that, particularly in church life, you move on beyond that into a mode of operating where you say I’m just going to disassociate. I’m not going to have anything to do with them. I have no doubt that there will be someone here this weekend, maybe in this service and maybe in all three, who in your inner being says, you know I’m coming to church because I want to honor God and I believe I’m supposed to do that and all the rest, but as far as people go and as far as relationship goes, I don’t trust anybody. I’m not moving toward anybody. I’m not going to risk it because I’ve been burned. I’m tempted to ask you to bow your head and close your eyes and, if you’ve experienced something like that, ask you to raise your hand because I’m guessing the majority of hands would be raised. This may seem a little bit obtuse at first but many of you probably remember the movie The Horse Whisperer. It’s based on the work of an actual horse whisperer named Monty Roberts. In the book, “The Shaping of Things to Come” by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, the authors comment on a Sixty Minutes episode that examined the life of Roberts, this horse whisperer. Somebody would be having problems with horse and could not get it under control, and they bring in this horse whisperer. Listen to this. During the Sixty Minutes episode, Monty Roberts taught the world the secret of his horse whispering. It involves his getting into the corral with the untamed mustangs and staying as far away from the animal as possible without leaving the enclosure. He also refuses to allow any eye contact between him and the horse. By moving slowly but surely away from the horse and by keeping his eyes averted from the animal’s gaze, Monty slowly draws the horse to himself. Even though the beast is pounding the earth with his foot and snorting and circling with great speed, Monty keeps steadily moving away from the horse. He won’t look at it. He won’t approach it. As astounding as it sounds, Monty can have a horse saddled and carrying a rider quite happily. When asked his secret, he said, “The animals need to be with each other so much they would rather befriend the enemy than be left alone." That’s a lesson from a horse and it’s just like man, that’s right--in the church, man. Sometimes we say, "Why doesn’t that person just leave and go away and stop bothering me?" There’s a deep--and I’m going to say God-given, God-created--passion for connection. And if you cannot give someone else the gift of tolerance because the person irritates you, drives you crazy and you just want to be away from them, this is not going to be a healthy community and you are never going to be fulfilled because God will always allow people like that in your life. They’re always going to be there. You’re never going to be rid of them. Why? Because God is drawing you to connect with one another. God is drawing us to be with each other, to be connected in community. There’s some stuff we’re going to have to put up with. God wants us to be connected. Hear this point I’m making: we want to be connected too. We want to be in a place where we feel like we belong. And churches that embrace this and give one another the gift of acceptance and tolerance will fill to overflowing. I believe we can do that without compromising doctrine. Because some of the main people in the country that are doing this today and attracting people in flocks are compromising on the doctrine. We don’t want to compromise on the doctrine, but the relational part of it can be there and it can be intact and we can be connecting with each other and be connected so that people come in and say, “I don’t think those people even agree with each other on a lot of stuff, but they’re connected to one another.” Okay. We give each other the gift of tolerance. We give each other the gift of acceptance. We give each other the gift of service. The next verses, 15 and 16, say “You know that the households of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaii and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints.” Very interesting Greek phrase. It actually conveys the idea of addiction. These people are addicted to service. Strong language. They look for every opportunity they can find to serve. Our children’s ministry has people like this. Our media ministry, our ushering ministry, our music ministry, our women’s ministry, our men’s ministry, and our student ministries all have people like this who are addicted to service. They just have to serve, no matter what. Question for you. When is the last time you remember doing something in this community that falls into the category of service of the saints? I’m not asking what you gave in the offering. I’m not asking if attended the church regularly over the past six weeks or so. I’m asking the last time you remember when you did something in this community that falls into the category of service of the saints. Let me give you one great example I saw last month at the men’s retreat. I single this out because it’s my most recent experience that just hit me. Our men’s retreat is owned and operated by a team of volunteers; we do not have a paid Men’s Ministry Director. We have a strong leadership team that runs the whole retreat and it is awesome. At the last session, Gary Chapman (the Love Languages guy), our speaker, stood up and said, “Pastor Bill, you are a very fortunate pastor to have the kind of church you have and to have the kind of guys you have here watching this retreat.” He saw it. He saw men serving. He said, “You’re very fortunate to have a church like this.” And, I just kind of nodded my head and said, “Absolutely.” I’ve expressed this to them privately. I’ve written it in notes. And, I just want to say it here today publicly that our men’s ministry leadership team is doing a phenomenal job in service to the saints and, you know what? They get fulfillment out of it that comes in a way that wouldn’t be there if they weren’t serving. A pastor quoted in Leadership Journal in Spring of 2003 said, “I decided to survey my church to see if people saw a relationship in ministering to others and spiritual growth. When asked to what extent their service had contributed to their spiritual growth, ninety-two percent answered positively. None responded that ministry had a negative effect on their spiritual growth. Sixty-three percent indicated that service was equally significant in their spiritual growth compared to other spiritual disciplines such as Bible study and prayer. Twenty-four percent responded that service to others was a more significant factor to their spiritual growth than Bible study and prayer. Over half of those who were not actively ministering to others did not feel satisfied, or only somewhat satisfied, with their level of spiritual growth.” The essence of this is that if you’re serving, you will be fulfilled and growing. If you’re not serving, you won’t. It’s as simple as that. If you’re serving, you’re going to be fulfilled and growing. And, if you’re not, you won’t. Some of you might recall several months ago I started talking about this book that we are now giving to anyone who joins our church, Stop Dating the Church, Fall in Love with the Family of God. I just love it. I think Pastor McReavy found this and identified it as a great book to give because it really invites people to become part of the family. Because a lot of people are not joiners. They don’t want to be part of the family. They don’t want to sign on. I’ve used this illustration before, but I want to repeat it today. Joshua Harris who wrote the book said, “Recently I visited a church in George and met a member there named Brad. I learned that he volunteered his time with the church video team. He was very talented. He had written a software package that his church used in their video production. He volunteered several times a month and helped to train others. He gave time, energy and money to contribute to his church’s mission. As I asked him questions, I discovered that he was also the owner of a very successful technology company. He said, ‘I love what I do at work, but serving here at the church is my passion.” I love what I do at work, but serving here at the church is my passion. I propose to you that Foothills needs to do a better job of getting all of us on board involved in some arena using your gifts. Not all can do the same things. I was thinking of it this morning when I looked up here and saw the choir, the instrumentalists and vocalists. In fact, someone came up to me at the beginning of the morning and said, “I walked in today and was so energized when I saw all of those people up there willing to use their gifts.” Now I realize that not everybody can come up here and play the wind chimes. (Pastor Bill is playing wind chimes here.) I think I could probably do it if you needed a fill-in. It wouldn’t take a lot of spiritual gifts to do that…not to demean the people who play it. Everybody can do something. If everybody is doing something, imagine it! I think the American church in this day and this generation is unhealthy in a lot of ways because a lot of people are just sitting back and being spectators. One of the comments I get often is that people will say they got burned out at another church and just want to get healthy here and just need to rest for awhile. They gave it all and got burned. I understand that and I know there are people in that category that here this morning, so don’t feel beat up here this morning. I’m not saying that everyone needs to line up, sign up in the lobby and get with it! However, I’m just saying that if you’re not serving you’re not going to be growing. The last one is refreshment. Paul says we can give each other the gift of acceptance. Imagine a community like this. We’re giving each other the gift of acceptance, tolerance and service and refreshment. He says in verse 17, “I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived because they have supplied what was lacking from you.” Most people agree these were the three who brought the letter from the church at Corinth. I wouldn’t die for that, but I think it makes sense that they probably did. They brought some material supplies. Then it says in verse 18, “They refreshed my spirit.” This is a phrase not found in other Greek writers. It is unique to Paul. It literally means to put the spirit at rest. Do you want to take a risk this week? Ask people the following question, the people you work with, the people closest to you, “Do I put your spirit at rest?” Dan Hawkins, the CU coach, needs people in his life this week who will put his spirit at rest. God bless his beleaguered and belabored soul today. Are you the kind of person who puts people’s spirits at rest? You know the kind of person I’m talking about. I know you do. It’s the kind of person you’re with and you’re not on edge at all. You’re relaxed. You feel energized. Let me give you a little illustration. Over the past several months, I have been getting e-mail from a friend who I had not seen in 24 years since left Michigan back in 1982. He was part of our church back there. He saw something on the internet where I was quoted in a book he was reading, so he e-mailed me and we started e-mailing back and forth. He e-mailed to say they would be in Denver the first weekend of August and was wondering if Jan and I would be available for lunch to catch up after all the years. So we arranged the meeting for the first weekend in August. After the last service we drove 39.5 miles per hour down Bowles Avenue and went to Macaroni Grill. We sat for three hours that felt like thirty minutes. I still remember the first time I looked at my watch and realized we had been together for two and a half hours. I felt the same thing I felt 24 years earlier when in the midst of a church battle in Michigan these two had taken us out for a meal and sat down and refreshed our spirits. And God sent them to do it again after 25 years. Isn’t that wild? I’m not suggesting those are the only people who refresh my spirit. I could name many people right now, but it wouldn’t be proper for me to single them out in inappropriate ways. I married someone who refreshes my spirit and what a blessing that is. I see in premarital counseling and I want to say, “You are about to marry someone who is not going to refresh your spirit.” They go ahead and do it anyway and then, five weeks or five months into it, I told you they’re not going to refresh your spirit. You’re in it now. If you married somebody who refreshes your spirit, thank God. And, if you didn’t, you need somebody. And, let me put it this way, you need to be somebody who refreshes the spirit of the people you meet and have interaction with on a regular basis. Some of those people for me are in this room right now and, again, I’m really tempted to thank them publicly and that wouldn’t be appropriate. I would probably cast some light on them that would probably be too bright right now. I want to be a person who refreshes the spirit of the people that I spend time with. Don’t you? I’m going to do that this week. I’m going to find one person and make it my goal to refresh that person’s spirit. I’ll tell you what, in church life you need that big time. Now, I’m sure that some of you are cynically musing that old Pastor Bill must be living in a fantasy land if he thinks all of our relationships are going to be like this in the church. We’ll give each other the gift of acceptance, tolerance, service and refreshment and everybody will be happy and it’ll all be good. I’m glad you brought that out. Paul anticipates this cynicism about relationships as well and he balances the ideal relational dynamics of church life with a healthy dose of relational reality and he knows that people aren’t always going to get along, so he says three things. Number one: In verse 9, opportunity and opposition usually go hand in hand. He says, “A great door for effective work (opportunity) has opened up for me and there are many who oppose me” (opposition.) Folks, you need to know this. You’re not going to survive in Christian community very long if you don’t know this. Opportunity and opposition usually go hand in hand. If someone is not opposing you, you have to wonder if you’re doing what God wants you do to. I don’t wonder if I’m doing what God wants me to do, because that opposition is always present. Finally, love is every Christian’s bottom line. I could cite it in verse 14 and again in verses 20, 22 and 24. Look how Paul closes it. He closes off the letter by saying, “My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.” This is unusual. He doesn’t close any of his other letters this way. None of us are going to love perfectly. I know that. The cynics are still out there saying, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know about this Christian community. I’ve been through this all before. Our pastor at our other church preached all that stuff, too. We got hurt in that church more than anybody ever would imagine.” Well, I believe you, number one. Two, let me close with this. “When the Milpitas High School orchestra attempts Beethoven’s Ninth symphony, the results are appalling,” says Earl Palmer. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the performance made old Ludwig roll over in his grave despite his deafness.” You might ask why bother playing it then. Why inflict on those poor kids the terrible burden of trying to render what the immortal Beethoven had in min. Not even the great Chicago Symphony Orchestra can attain that perfection. “My answer,” Earl Palmer writes, “is this. The Milpitas High School orchestra will give some people in the audience their only encounter with Beethoven’s great Ninth Symphony.” Far from perfection, it is nevertheless the only way they will hear Beethoven’s message. Far from perfection, we could be the only way that the people of Littleton, Colorado, experience the love of God. What it means to be part of a loving community. We will not do it for everybody. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try. Join me in making this community a place where people want to be. A community where people feel like they can belong. A community that gives the gift of acceptance to everyone who comes through the doors. “Father, we are mindful of the challenge. It’s not easy and we know there are churches that are out of business today, that are closed because people just stopped coming. Lord, I believe that Foothills Bible Church is at a very important point in our history. We have a challenge, everyone who’s a part of this community has a challenge. To look at somebody else in this community and start talking about or speculating about what we think they ought to do. I pray that we not misapply this sermon like that, that every one of us in this room would look at our own lives and look into our own hearts and assess our own relationships, our own involvement in community and, as we do, resolve to bring whatever it takes to the loving community that we’re a part of here in this church, to invite people in, to demonstrate the love of Christ, to be what you’ve called us to be. Amen” We’ll move to our time around the Lord’s Table which is interestingly is about relationship. It’s about our relationship with God and, we’ve learned from our study in First Corinthians, that it’s also about our relationship with each other. If there’s anything in your life right now that is keeping you from fellowship or communion with a fellow brother or sister in Christ, the Bible warns us to let a man examine himself. It is possible to eat and drink in a way that brings judgment to yourself. I don’t want anybody to do that. So, if you have any questions at all, just let it go right past you. If, however, you would say that you are in communion with the Lord, to the best of my knowledge and I’m in communion with my brothers and sisters in Christ to the best of my knowledge, I want to obey the Lord in eating and drinking in remembrance of him then I invite you to come to this table. “Father, Jesus is our example and our savior. He paid the price that we might have everlasting life. He did it by dying on the cross to save us from our sins. We eat this bread and drink from these cups to remember Him and to obey You. Lord, we pray that you will be pleased with what we offer you today.”
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