Auburn Church of the Nazarene
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sermons!
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December 9, 2007 am
Scripture: Romans 15:4-13
Sermon Title: Bound together by love of the savior.
1. Introduction.
Have you ever heard the old phrase: You are what you eat? There is some alarming truth in those
words. The things that go into me are what eventually will come out, one way or another. That is
especially concerning during the holidays. There is a reason why health clubs, weight-loss clinics and diet
pills start a major advertising campaign right after the holidays. That is because many of us don’t give a
lot of consideration to what goes in during these few weeks. But come January 1st, when we look down
at the scale, assuming we can see the scale, a few of us suddenly we realize that not all the best stuff has
been going in over the last little while. Makes us start asking: what have I been filling myself with?
Ever read the back of a Twinkies’ wrapper? I can’t pronounce half of the chemicals in that little cake,
but I don’t think they are doing me any favors. It is at those moments that I begin to more fully
appreciate that I need to be conscience of what I fill myself with.
Certainly that applies physically, and it does not take long to see the results. But it also applies
emotionally and spiritually as well. Think about this: How do you feel after watching a Christmas
special, where someone has sacrificed a need so another family can enjoy the holidays? It makes you
want to go out and do something good for someone else. It impacts your whole disposition. And what we
put in spiritually also has a dramatic impact on who we are as people, and specifically as Christians.
It is possible to fill our souls with the wrong things at times. I’m not even talking about what Martin
Luther would call “high handed sin”; I’m talking about the things that inform and shape my soul that
eventually express themselves in a spiritual way. Poor attitudes, inattention to spiritual disciplines, stuff
that, like junk food, briefly satisfies but before long weighs us down. But this passage from Paul’s pen
tell us quite a bit about what the Christian needs to be filled with, and on a regular basis. You see, when
Jesus came to earth, it was not merely to make a wonderful holiday, or priceless Children’s pageants.
Jesus didn’t come to bring something to us; He came to BE something to us. He came to be our
salvation, but He also came to be our center and our sustenance.
Repeatedly in John 6 Jesus refers to himself as the “bread of life”. We celebrated that this morning in
Communion. And in doing so we recognize that we are to be a people filled with Jesus in some tangible
ways, ways that are going to show up on the outside as He takes up space on the inside.
2. The Text.
As a people who are filled with the Lord…
A. We are to be filled with the cares of Jesus. What were the cares and concerns of Jesus? They were
very simple: he was concerned with all those around him, and desired to see needs met. He was
concerned with weaker, less mature brothers and sisters, and to use his strength to bless, build up and to
bear up.
Paul writes the words “we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak…” The way that
phrase ‘bear with” is presented should actually read “to lift up”. In other words, we are not merely
tolerating others, but taking the time to make those around us strong. That is a radical departure from
the society we live in, and too often the mindset that even the Church can fall into. We live in a world
where the weak are frequently seen as liabilities, a problem or a burden that bury resources and get in
the way. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the way to strengthen the chain is to remove
the weak link.
But this mindset is not reflected in Jesus. And as a people filled with His concern and care, we are
challenged to look for opportunities to creatively and kindly build others up for their blessing. By doing
so, we can’t help but become stronger ourselves. As far as I’m concerned, the people that the rest of
society throws away should be found in the Church, because we cared enough about the folks Jesus cared
about to get our hands dirty. It may occasionally sting. Jesus himself understood “the insults of those
who insult you have fallen on me.” Caring is risky - it involves a certain level of vulnerability. But
remember, we are doing this as we are filled with Jesus. And we have something to work with here.
The second thing we see as people filled with the Lord is…
B. We are to be filled with the example of Jesus. What was Jesus’ example? I’m afraid it was not one
that is easy to emulate. It was one of self-sacrifice. It forsakes pleasing the self in the interest of
pleasing God and providing for others. It was one of endurance that released rights into the hands of
God. You do realize that Jesus’ call was never for us to merely “accept him”. It was to follow him.
Look through the gospels. See how many times Jesus said accept me (there are not many!). But then
look to see how many times he said “Follow me” (that was the invitation). How do we interact with the
obnoxious: By following the example of Jesus. How do we handle the accuser: by modeling ourselves
after the model of Jesus. How do we respond to the needy? By reproducing ourselves after the pattern
of Jesus. As Jesus gets internalized into our lives, we are able to do as Jesus did.
Of course, Jesus didn’t just model suffering and surrender. He also modeled for us the vindication,
validation and embracing that we receive from God as we follow him. In due season Jesus was
resurrected, exalted, honored. We follow that too.
Now there is an entire mindset that must be embraced in order to do this. So as people filled with the
Lord…
C. We are to be filled with the attitude of Jesus. Now attitudes are fun things. As Americans we take a
lot of pride in our attitudes. We show off our attitudes and we invest in our attitudes. We build our
attitudes and we stand on our attitudes. And the beautiful thing about most attitudes is even a little bitty
attitude can be built up into a great big attitude if you are willing to put in the energy. But to be filled
with the attitude of Jesus; that’s a whole different thing. In Philippians 2:5 we hear the words “your
attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus…” The word “attitude” here means “the exercise of the
mind”. In other words, we are to be filled with a mindset that is humble, God-orientated and others-
centered. Whereas it is an exercise, that means I have to expend my energy a bit. I am to be filled with
a mindset that is the same as Jesus in regard to my relationship with God and my relationship with the
world around me.
In fact it was so important that Paul prayed that they would have this attitude, that we would be like-
minded toward one another “according to Christ Jesus”… that with one mind and one mouth we would
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is one other necessary ingredient for us to be filled with. For as people filled with the Lord, it is
essential that …
D. We are to be filled with the Love of Jesus. This love is not limited to feelings, thought it may include
feelings. It is a love that accepts and embraces the outsider as well as the established. It is a love that
looks back and realizes that this was God’s intention all along - a people made up of persons from very
different walks coming together at the Cross. It is to be a people who recognize our common ground is
our sinfulness and our common bond is our savior who delivers us, changes us, and inhabits us in ways
that make all the difference in the world.
3. Conclusion.
Let me ask you: What have you been filling yourself with lately? Donuts and super-sized diet sodas
have a way of catching up with us, if you know what I mean. So does the spiritual intake we ingest. But
we are a people who are called to fill up on Jesus, on his concern, his example, his attitude and his love.
For when we are filled with Jesus, the evidence will bless all around us.
A. He came to accept. To connect with the souls and societies that were well beyond reach.
B. He came to serve. Serve God with works that brought God glory.
C. He came to embrace and enfold. Both the outsiders (Gentile) and the established (Jews).
D. He came to fill. It input in us what only God could give; joy, peace, and hope.
It is out of what He did that we get the ability to love, please and build up those around us, giving as we
have received, blessing as we have been blessed, enduring as we have been endured.
When Jesus came to the earth, it was not to make a wonderful holiday; it was to make a difference in
our lives that only a savior could do. Nothing less than the Son of God would be able to take us from
where we were to where we needed to be. It was not to make us nice, but to reach us at our point of need
that the Lord arrived, served, sacrificed, died and rose again. Jesus came not just to change us, but to fill
us.
Scripture: Romans 15:4-13
Sermon Title: Bound together by love of the savior.
1. Introduction.
Have you ever heard the old phrase: You are what you eat? There is some alarming truth in those
words. The things that go into me are what eventually will come out, one way or another. That is
especially concerning during the holidays. There is a reason why health clubs, weight-loss clinics and diet
pills start a major advertising campaign right after the holidays. That is because many of us don’t give a
lot of consideration to what goes in during these few weeks. But come January 1st, when we look down
at the scale, assuming we can see the scale, a few of us suddenly we realize that not all the best stuff has
been going in over the last little while. Makes us start asking: what have I been filling myself with?
Ever read the back of a Twinkies’ wrapper? I can’t pronounce half of the chemicals in that little cake,
but I don’t think they are doing me any favors. It is at those moments that I begin to more fully
appreciate that I need to be conscience of what I fill myself with.
Certainly that applies physically, and it does not take long to see the results. But it also applies
emotionally and spiritually as well. Think about this: How do you feel after watching a Christmas
special, where someone has sacrificed a need so another family can enjoy the holidays? It makes you
want to go out and do something good for someone else. It impacts your whole disposition. And what we
put in spiritually also has a dramatic impact on who we are as people, and specifically as Christians.
It is possible to fill our souls with the wrong things at times. I’m not even talking about what Martin
Luther would call “high handed sin”; I’m talking about the things that inform and shape my soul that
eventually express themselves in a spiritual way. Poor attitudes, inattention to spiritual disciplines, stuff
that, like junk food, briefly satisfies but before long weighs us down. But this passage from Paul’s pen
tell us quite a bit about what the Christian needs to be filled with, and on a regular basis. You see, when
Jesus came to earth, it was not merely to make a wonderful holiday, or priceless Children’s pageants.
Jesus didn’t come to bring something to us; He came to BE something to us. He came to be our
salvation, but He also came to be our center and our sustenance.
Repeatedly in John 6 Jesus refers to himself as the “bread of life”. We celebrated that this morning in
Communion. And in doing so we recognize that we are to be a people filled with Jesus in some tangible
ways, ways that are going to show up on the outside as He takes up space on the inside.
2. The Text.
As a people who are filled with the Lord…
A. We are to be filled with the cares of Jesus. What were the cares and concerns of Jesus? They were
very simple: he was concerned with all those around him, and desired to see needs met. He was
concerned with weaker, less mature brothers and sisters, and to use his strength to bless, build up and to
bear up.
Paul writes the words “we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak…” The way that
phrase ‘bear with” is presented should actually read “to lift up”. In other words, we are not merely
tolerating others, but taking the time to make those around us strong. That is a radical departure from
the society we live in, and too often the mindset that even the Church can fall into. We live in a world
where the weak are frequently seen as liabilities, a problem or a burden that bury resources and get in
the way. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and the way to strengthen the chain is to remove
the weak link.
But this mindset is not reflected in Jesus. And as a people filled with His concern and care, we are
challenged to look for opportunities to creatively and kindly build others up for their blessing. By doing
so, we can’t help but become stronger ourselves. As far as I’m concerned, the people that the rest of
society throws away should be found in the Church, because we cared enough about the folks Jesus cared
about to get our hands dirty. It may occasionally sting. Jesus himself understood “the insults of those
who insult you have fallen on me.” Caring is risky - it involves a certain level of vulnerability. But
remember, we are doing this as we are filled with Jesus. And we have something to work with here.
The second thing we see as people filled with the Lord is…
B. We are to be filled with the example of Jesus. What was Jesus’ example? I’m afraid it was not one
that is easy to emulate. It was one of self-sacrifice. It forsakes pleasing the self in the interest of
pleasing God and providing for others. It was one of endurance that released rights into the hands of
God. You do realize that Jesus’ call was never for us to merely “accept him”. It was to follow him.
Look through the gospels. See how many times Jesus said accept me (there are not many!). But then
look to see how many times he said “Follow me” (that was the invitation). How do we interact with the
obnoxious: By following the example of Jesus. How do we handle the accuser: by modeling ourselves
after the model of Jesus. How do we respond to the needy? By reproducing ourselves after the pattern
of Jesus. As Jesus gets internalized into our lives, we are able to do as Jesus did.
Of course, Jesus didn’t just model suffering and surrender. He also modeled for us the vindication,
validation and embracing that we receive from God as we follow him. In due season Jesus was
resurrected, exalted, honored. We follow that too.
Now there is an entire mindset that must be embraced in order to do this. So as people filled with the
Lord…
C. We are to be filled with the attitude of Jesus. Now attitudes are fun things. As Americans we take a
lot of pride in our attitudes. We show off our attitudes and we invest in our attitudes. We build our
attitudes and we stand on our attitudes. And the beautiful thing about most attitudes is even a little bitty
attitude can be built up into a great big attitude if you are willing to put in the energy. But to be filled
with the attitude of Jesus; that’s a whole different thing. In Philippians 2:5 we hear the words “your
attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus…” The word “attitude” here means “the exercise of the
mind”. In other words, we are to be filled with a mindset that is humble, God-orientated and others-
centered. Whereas it is an exercise, that means I have to expend my energy a bit. I am to be filled with
a mindset that is the same as Jesus in regard to my relationship with God and my relationship with the
world around me.
In fact it was so important that Paul prayed that they would have this attitude, that we would be like-
minded toward one another “according to Christ Jesus”… that with one mind and one mouth we would
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is one other necessary ingredient for us to be filled with. For as people filled with the Lord, it is
essential that …
D. We are to be filled with the Love of Jesus. This love is not limited to feelings, thought it may include
feelings. It is a love that accepts and embraces the outsider as well as the established. It is a love that
looks back and realizes that this was God’s intention all along - a people made up of persons from very
different walks coming together at the Cross. It is to be a people who recognize our common ground is
our sinfulness and our common bond is our savior who delivers us, changes us, and inhabits us in ways
that make all the difference in the world.
3. Conclusion.
Let me ask you: What have you been filling yourself with lately? Donuts and super-sized diet sodas
have a way of catching up with us, if you know what I mean. So does the spiritual intake we ingest. But
we are a people who are called to fill up on Jesus, on his concern, his example, his attitude and his love.
For when we are filled with Jesus, the evidence will bless all around us.
A. He came to accept. To connect with the souls and societies that were well beyond reach.
B. He came to serve. Serve God with works that brought God glory.
C. He came to embrace and enfold. Both the outsiders (Gentile) and the established (Jews).
D. He came to fill. It input in us what only God could give; joy, peace, and hope.
It is out of what He did that we get the ability to love, please and build up those around us, giving as we
have received, blessing as we have been blessed, enduring as we have been endured.
When Jesus came to the earth, it was not to make a wonderful holiday; it was to make a difference in
our lives that only a savior could do. Nothing less than the Son of God would be able to take us from
where we were to where we needed to be. It was not to make us nice, but to reach us at our point of need
that the Lord arrived, served, sacrificed, died and rose again. Jesus came not just to change us, but to fill
us.