Romans 15: 4-7 Accept each other Accept one another 170709 Sunday morning

Romans 15: 4-7 Accept each other Accept one another 170709 Sunday morning

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The Westminster Assembly, held in July 1643, held a conference of 30 members from the House and Senate and 121 devout pastors and theologians from across the UK. At the end of discussions and conferences, They made the Directory of Public Worship, Westminster confession and the small and large catechism for five years and six months, What is interesting, however, is that not all of the members who gathered at the meeting were reformer but some were representing the congregational church, others were even heretical. In other words, pure reformed documents were hard to come by. But what about the result? In the history of Christianity, the Westminster Confession, the Catechisms, and the Directory of Public Worship were created through this conference. All of this is the work of God, from the very beginning to the end. But on the other hand, God does not use the perfect angels to do the work of the Lord, but sometimes he uses those who have impure elements and political interests to work together to do good. I looked at the face of the 150 politicians and theologians who attended the Westminster Plenary and realized that God accomplished his perfect will through imperfect human beings. Many similar things are recorded in the Bible. Jesus knew Judas as the devil among the twelve disciples, and he also used someone like Peter who was fiery. It is not a good thing of fiery personality. God even uses people who have problems with this personality. Instead, these people enter the furnace of the Holy Spirit and never use God until they come out. When Peter entered the furnace of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, he turned 180 degrees and became a preacher of the ability to repent of 3,000 or 5,000 at a time.
When we look at our church today, there may be people who do not like me. If so, will a person who does not fit in my heart be in God's heart? Of course not. If so, will I be in the mind of God? When God sees it, it is the person or the me. But God is putting them into the furnace of the Holy Spirit to use those who are not in his mind. And he uses it as a man of the Spirit, a man of fire.
At this level, the apostle Paul exhorted the Roman saints to receive one another in the text today. Why does the Apostle Paul tell the Roman people to accept one another? The reason is that there were people who did not fit in the Roman church. There was an old conflict between the Jewish Christians and the Roman Christians in the actual Roman church. Therefore, they are encouraged to receive each other in the Lord Jesus, even if they have different cultural backgrounds and different personalities. Even if you have someone in your church who does not fit in with your heart, I pray that you will tolerate and accept each other.

1. If so, why should we receive each other?
In the text Paul explains two important reasons why we should receive one another: 1) The first is that Jesus is willing to accept a sinner like me, so we also have to accept one another. It is verse 7. "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." Because Christ received us, we must receive one another. Do you ever know the four-character word, "내로남불" It is a new four-character word that does not even know the Chinese teacher. ‘내’ is ‘I do’, '로‘ is romance, and '남' is 'somebody do.' and '불' is an affair. 'It is natural for God to forgive me, but do not forgive my brothers. Those who take this for granted are still a child spiritually. Until we go to the kingdom of God, we sing everyday 'Amazing grace how sweet the sound.' ' If this hymn does not impress your heart, your mind is already dull with the miscellaneousness of the world. Since God has received sinners like me, God deserves to accept other brethren as well, and it is perfectly natural that we also receive our brothers. (Amen!)
2) The reason why we should receive each other is because God is pleased and glorified when we receive each other. When the prodigal son repented and returned to his father's bosom as Jesus received the prodigal son, he was so glad that he feasted in the neighborhood and said, "My son has died and has risen again." It is Luke 15:32. "But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" I am glad, but God is more pleased and glorious when Jesus forgives and accepts me as a sin of blood on the cross. What is the purpose of our life? It is to glorify God. Therefore, if God is pleased and glorified when we receive each other, we will surely receive each other. (Solo Deo Gloria)

2. Now! If so, I told them to accept each other, but what does it mean to receive?
1) First, why did the apostle Paul use the word one another" in the sentence "accept one another"? Generally, a strong person or parent accepts weak persons and children. However, the apostle Paul tells us here to accept one another, not as one-sided parents receive their children. The word one another" used here is in Greek, "ἀλλήλων" , which appears 100 times in the New Testament. It means that there is a lot of frequency. To be honest, the life of faith should not be one way, but two way or mutual cooperation. There is reason why the Bible emphasizes one another, because no one is 100% faithful. Suppose, for example, that the proportion of faith living between faithful and weak is 100: 0. one person will be a perfect righteous person like a Pharisee, and the other person will become a dependent relationship of faith to the person. The life of the faith should not have a 100: 0 relationship, even between the pastor and the saints. This is because the pastor is not a 100-point believer. Therefore, those who are strong believe that those who are weak will receive the weak, and those who are weak will receive those who are faithful. So that spiritually dependent phenomena do not occur. The spiritual subordination is not a problem at first, but as long as this relationship continues, those who receive one-sided spiritual guidance become spiritual slaves. That is why the stronger and the weaker are to receive each other's weaknesses. At that point, I ask you to accept the weakness of the pastor. Also, please accept the weaknesses of associate pastor and evangelist. Furthermore, please accept the weakness of the elders generously. When a strong man receives a weak man, and a weak man receives a mistake of a strong man, then the church community can become a kingdom of God's kingdom. So the word 'one another' is very important here.

2) If so, what does it mean to accept it specifically in the text? In short, it means "welcome friendly." It is the Greek word for "προσλαμβάνω", which is used 12 times in the New Testament, and the apostle uses it four times in Romans I wrote. All of them used to mean accepting people with weak faith. The apostle Paul wrote this word in Philemon and used it when asked to return him to his master, the slave named onesimus whom he had met in Rome's prison, and not to abuse him, but to accept him as he treated me. It's in 1: 17,18. " So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me."
The slave who escaped his master's house was a time when no one could raise objections in Roman times. However, the Apostle Paul asks Philemon to accept a mistaken slave as if he received Paul, This is the word "προσλαμβάνω", which means to receive each other. In that sense, the Romans who are now reading the apostolic letter of Paul are clearing out old conflicts and asking the Jewish and Roman Christians to receive each other and to love one another.

3) Then, how can this weak person, the slave who escaped the owner's house, be specifically welcomed?
If somebody swindled you and have run away, are you willing to accept the scammer friendly? Maybe you slapped him on the cheek, grabbing his neck, or you've already punched him.
There are people who have something to say. 'Pastor! What is wrong is to judge their faults?  After judging we can decide to forgive or not? But it is not the right answer. At least Jesus' forgiveness on the cross toward us did not even ask or question me.
So what do you mean, to receive each other? In other words, do not condemn. When you accept it, you must accept it without condition. Dear brothers and sisters! If someone confesses his mistake and repents, he will be received in the general public. But what about us? We do not want to forgive and accept it, even if they confess all of their sins. Dear brothers and sisters! The church is not the parliamentary hearings place. Jesus did not accept tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners in this way. When Jesus received sinners, he received no condemnation. Even Jesus was not condemned to the woman who was caught in the field of adultery. It's in John 8:11. "... Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." The law condemned, and the people tried to stone it with the law. But Jesus did not ask or answer, He proclaimed healing, comfort (Hallelujah!). Jesus did not tolerate the adultery of an adulterous woman, but Jesus tolerates a woman who committed adultery. In fact, who wants to receive someone who has committed adultery, who wants to get a murderer? But since the Lord has received a sinner like me, we too are willing to accept such a person.

4) To end each other is not simply to shake hands and embrace them, but to be one heart and mouth on the inside. This is the verse 5,6. "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." one child in a ship is different in character, and his spouse, who lived in 30, 40 or 50 years, But when we each imitate Christ Jesus, we can receive one another as one heart and one mouth.
Do you know what the people said to Moses when there was no water in the wilderness? Exodus 17: 3. "But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?" Now there is no water and the throat is burning. The only visible thing is a desolate wilderness. These people have nothing wrong to say. There is no water right now. Thirst, we and our children will die. Thirsty, our livestock will die. Is it a wrong story? That's right. But do you know what the Bible says about these words? Read Exodus 17: 3. "But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?" The bible said the word grumbling. Is not it a resounding word that you say at church, at home and at work? I would not be. That idea is 'drawing water to one's own mill'. Democracy always has the word freedom. Our country now lives in a liberal democracy. But when you see the comments on the Internet under the name of liberal democracy, this is not liberty, indulgence, and grudges. These complaints of grudge can never receive each other. What should I do? This is the verse 5,6. "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." However, we must discern whether this is my opinion or Jesus' statement. It is not that Israel died in the wilderness because of the silly voice but grudging and complaint. Please tell me what you are saying is a virtuous word from the mouth of Jesus or a word from my thoughts.

3. However, even if someone who speaks unacceptable to you is standing next to you, please do not push him exclusively. This is called tolerance.
The word tolerance is called tolerance in English and 'tolerance' in French, which means 'endure'. Therefore, 'Tolerance' in English and French is a word that is a little negative term meaning 'endure or stand' rather than 'tolerance' in Korea. I mean tolerance is an attitude that I do not like but tolerate if others like it. For example, if the somebody likes a certain political party, even if I do not support it, I accept it. it is an attitude that will tolerate the person. Also, if I do not like curry, but my Indian friend likes curry, it is tolerant to eat with the curry. But even tolerant people can explode when there is too much difference in politics, religion, opinion, and food. In the general society, this explosion praises the endurance until the moment of the explosion, but faith life is not that tolerance. The Bible's tolerance is to love my neighbor as my own body, and to forgive seventy-seven times even if he have sinned against me. Therefore, the tolerance that the Bible speaks is the highest moral level in the world.
The tolerance in today's text is to realize the grace of God that he has received and to forgive and accept others as Jesus received me. This tolerance goes beyond mere moral behavior and is God's character. Therefore, the tolerance of receiving each other in the text is the character of God descending from heaven. It is James 3:17. "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."
So some people call tolerance a "wrapping cloth". Though the brother's transgressions can be seen, when the brother's transgressions are wrapped in generosity, the Lord's command to love his neighbor as my own body can be fulfilled. Dear friends! So it is said 'one forgiveness and tolerance is a bigger prayer than hundreds of prayers.' For if we forgive our brothers and not tolerate them, our prayers will never be answered.

I'm finished now.
Today we heard sermons under the title of accepting one another. How much do you receive in churches and people with different personalities and backgrounds? There is the word 'sea' because it accepts all. The sea accepts all kinds of dirty water, garbage, and even human waste. Then, with all of that, he purifies it silently. There are some souls in our community who have a pointed mind, some are sensitive, some are good. But please accept those like the sea as well. Then the church community becomes heaven, and God is glorified.
Your judgment, criticism, and condemnation may make your brother a moral person, an ethical person. But we can not make man of grace. When you judge, criticize, or condemn somebody, will he repent of his wrongdoing? It can not be made to be a person of absolute tolerance and love. Rather, knowing all the sins, tolerating, and waiting, the relationship is restored, and the brother repent with tears and become a new person. When this kind of atmosphere is created, notices, nerves, or gossip will disappear in the community, and mutual encouragement, comfort and gratitude will overflow.
I will finish my sermon today with the story I first gave you in my introduction. The Westminster Confession of Faith and the the Small-Large Catechism are works created not by angels but by pastors, elders, and lay persons who have disagreements with each other for five years and six months. No one in us is perfect. I and our elders are not perfect either. But when we speak, when we act only when we want to imitate Jesus, then we can achieve the perfect will of the Lord and create works in us. In that sense, please accept each other. (Let's receive each other)