To Live Peaceably With All

Christian Partnership, Local Church Commitment, and the Sermon Introduction

Hey, everybody. I'm Pastor Jeff Durbin with Apologia Church. I want to thank you all so much for watching the content right here on Apologia Studios channel. What you're about to watch is a sermon, a message from Apologia Church's worship service.

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So we thank you so much for partnering with us to send this out across the world. I just wanted to say something before you actually watch this, and that is that I'm not your pastor. Though I'd love to be, I am not your pastor.

And it's very important as you're watching this, you know that it's God's design for individual Christians to be part of a local Christian church under the care of qualified faithful biblical elders. And so as much as we love all of you watching these sermons and we're thankful to God that God uses them to bless you, to encourage you, I do want to encourage you as a minister of the gospel to get plugged into a local body of believers, particularly I think important a reformed church would be best.

But we want to encourage you to get plugged into a solid biblical church where you can fellowship, where you can worship, where you can serve, where you can be connected. That is vitally important and actually a biblical command.

And so as much as again as we love for your participation, your partnership, and we are so thankful to God that he's using these in your lives, we want to encourage you to get plugged into a local church.

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So thank you again so much for watching these and sharing them. God bless you.

Opening Greetings, Illness Update, and New Year's Reflection

All right. Happy New Year,.

Apologia Church.

Thank you everyone that was praying for me this week. I really appreciate it. And thank you to Pastor James for filling in. His story of what happened was fairly accurate. So I was up Saturday night, most of the night, and I thought it was something to eat.

I think I messaged Pastor Jeff and Pastor Zach at about 3 .30 in the morning. I was like, hey dudes, pray for me. It's not looking good over here. But I got up. I think it was like 11 o 'clock on Sunday.

I was like, I can do this. I'm just going to show up. I'm going to power through. Because I thought it was just something I ate. I thought it was a food thing. And then about three o 'clock, it hit me like a freight train.

I was like,.

Hey James, I bought that offer.

Yeah, so I was wearing my Grinch fleece, Christmas jams, wrapped in two blankets, like freezing cold, terrible headache. So anyways, thank you, James. I appreciate it. But I'm good. So thank you everyone.

So.

I'm excited because this is the first message of 2020. So I get to start off the new year. And as you guys know, we've been taking a short break from Matthew, which seems like we've been in Matthew for as long as Pastor James has been alive, which apparently is 500 years.

I just told him, I said, that explains why you know so much about church history. You've seen a lot. So it makes sense now.

Anyways,.

New Year's Resolutions and Jonathan Edwards's Example

So as we close out 2019, we start 2020. I've actually been preparing this for this message for a little while. I've been reflecting a lot on what we've learned this past year as a church and what can help us propel us into the new year.

So we're all aware of New Year's resolutions, right? You know the commitments we all make that last on average approximately three and a half weeks. Usually commitments geared towards better health, like eating better, exercising more.

And there's even those faithful Christians who take the spiritual route and commit to reading the word more or tithing more. We've all made these resolutions. We've all failed, myself included. And you don't have to raise your hands, but how many of you have already quit your New Year's resolutions, right?

Five days in, you're like, I'm done. It's too hard.

Um.

Many of you are also probably familiar with Jonathan Edwards resolutions. So he famously wrote 70 resolutions that he made a point to read every week. And about these resolutions, he said, Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help.

I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions so far as they are agreeable to his will for Christ's sake. So the topics from these resolutions range from overall life mission, to good works, to time management, to relationships, to suffering, to character, and finally to spiritual life.

There is one resolution though in particular that I want to read that speaks volumes to this message today. It's resolution number 31. He said, Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule, often when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to and try it strictly by the test of this resolution.

So looking back on this past year, there's two things that really stood out to me. One, God has blessed Apology of Church more than ever and is using this little church body in ways one could only dream of, and I praise God for that.

The second thing, at the same time, God has also refined our body through the refiner's fire, through some of the most difficult, challenging trials and tribulations to date. But through all this, we have clearly been able to see God's sovereign hand preparing us for big things in 2020.

You've heard Pastor James say it a lot. We all in leadership here are in agreement that 2020 is going to be a big year. I've even talked to people around the country, Christians, like-minded Christians, and we're all like, something big's coming this year.

In my estimation, the most common factor for these trials has been a lack of love for one another. In fact, if I can be honest, in over a decade of ministry now, the thing that has surprised me the most, and pastors Jeff, James, and Zach would all attest to this, the biggest surprise to me is to see that the majority of attacks have come from within the church.

Given the nature of our ministry, you would think that it would come from outside the church, from atheists, from pro-abords, from homosexuals, but instead, they ultimately have resulted from Christians not loving one another, nor striving to live peaceably.

So as we get into the text, know that my prayer is that when we come away from here today, entering the new year, that we are resolved to live peaceably with all. So the text at hand is Romans 12, 9 through 21.

I'll go ahead and read that now if you want to turn there. Again, that's Romans 12, 9 through 21. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil. Hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection.

Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful and zeal. Be fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.

Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves.

Believe it to the wrath of God, for it is written, vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. And so before we pray here, I'm going to leave, I got a quote from Spurgeon that's really good. He said, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

It is barely possible, but aim at it. And if you do not perfectly succeed, try again. So let's go ahead and pray. Lord, I'm just so thankful for this opportunity to stand here today and to preach your word.

I ask that you would get me out of the way, Lord, that you speak through me. Lord, I ask that this message would be super important for our church body as we start this new year, Lord, that you would use it to glorify you and that we would come away from here, Lord, resolved to live peaceably with all.

And we ask that you would be glorified in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Okay, so a little context. The Apostle Paul is obviously writing to the church in Rome.

That these.

Very important instructions clearly apply to us today as Christ's bride. We see this specifically in chapter 12. In verse 1, Paul says he appeals to brothers and sisters to present our bodies as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship.

And in verse 3, he encourages us not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. And in verse 5, he says that we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually members.

One of another.

So even though Paul is writing to one local body of believers, his appeal extends to all members of the universal church. And before diving into the text, I want us to look at some other passages that would have possibly influenced Paul's perspective on love for one another.

Considering the fact that Paul was personally discipled by Christ, I believe we should first examine Christ's own instructions to his bride. So starting in John 13, 34 -35, Jesus told his disciples, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, and I'm going to substitute here.

It's agape. So that you agape one another, just as I have agaped you. You also are to agape one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have agape.

For one another.

And I know as I read that, Pastor James is probably squirming because that's not the appropriate use of the Greek, but I'm using it that way to make a point. Again, love here is agape. That's an all-encompassing, self-sacrificing love.

It's the same love that Christ has for his bride. And it is how people will know that we are Christ's disciples, by our agape for one another. Further down then in John 15, verses 9 -17, Jesus said this, As the Father has agaped me, so I agaped you.

Abide in my agape. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my agape. Just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his agape. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

This is my commandment, that you agape one another, as I have agaped you. Greater agape has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you.

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends. For all that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide.

So that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you again, so that you will agape.

One another.

There are three things I want us to get from this passage. One, just as Christ loved the church by laying his life down for her, we are to love one another in that same way. We are to abide or remain in this love and bear fruit, that it too shall remain.

And again, the bearing of fruit here specifically is loving one another. The second thing is Christ said that by abiding in his agape, or in his love, we shall keep his commandment. Just as he kept the Father's commandments and therefore abides in his agape.

What command is Christ talking about? Quickly, we all know this. We talk about this here a lot, Matthew 22, 37 through 40. And he said to him, you shall agape the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.

This is the first, or the great and first commandment, and a second is like it. You shall agape your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depends all the law and the prophets. So all of the law and all the prophets, or all of God's commands, depend on loving God and loving neighbor.

The third thing here then, I also believe that Paul truly understood what it meant to lay down his life for his friends. So quickly back here to Paul, in Romans 9, you'll have to turn there, but in Romans 9, 3, he said he wished he could be accursed or cut off from Christ.

For the sake of his Israelite brothers, his kinsmen. That they may too come to know Christ as their Messiah. I've actually heard others say that Paul was exaggerating. Or that he didn't really mean it.

That however, of course, would make Paul a liar, especially considering that in verse 1, he said he was speaking the truth in Christ. He said, I am not lying. He expressed great sorrow and unceasing anguish in his heart.

And I believe this to be the genuine agape for his kinsmen that we're talking about. So he understood what agape was. Now laying down that context, we can begin to examine today's passage. So we'll start in verse 9.

Genuine Agape, Hatred of Evil, and Holding Fast to What Is Good

Let love be genuine, abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good. So here it's, again, it's agape. He says, let agape be genuine, or sincere, honest. Let it be authentic. As I've just demonstrated, I believe Paul truly understood what this all-encompassing and authentic agape looked like.

Matthew Henry, in his commentary, said that this genuine love is unfamed, not as the kisses of an enemy which are deceitful. We should be glad of an opportunity to prove the sincerity of our love. So the next part here is, abhor what is evil.

Or have hatred or disdain for what is evil in the eyes of God. So not only are we simply to refrain from doing evil, but we're also to hate it. And honestly, we need to ask ourselves, do we truly hate what God hates?

And again here, Matthew Henry said, we must hate sin with an utter and irreconcilable hatred. Have an antipathy to it as the worst of evils, contrary to our new nature, and to our true interest, hating all, even the appearances of sin.

The next part then is, hold fast to what is good. Or be joined together. It actually is the word for hold fast, it's almost like be glued to what is good. To what is good, specifically in the eyes of God.

I really like this idea of being glued to what is good, what is pleasing to God. It's like, super glue yourselves in righteous things, and goof off the unrighteous things. Right? It's like, oh, here's some love, there's scripture, kindness, graciousness, and you're super gluing it to yourself, right?

Like I'm, it's on me. And you see the hatred, or you have addictions, or selfishness, pride. You're taking the goof off, and you're rubbing it off as fast as you can. Contrary to his point about evil, Henry said, we must not only do what which is good, but we must cleave to it.

It denotes a deliberate choice of a sincere affection for, and a constant perseverance in that which is good. So in preparing this message, I consulted Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible, which I really like.

When I teach, I like to use it a lot. He has a lot of good stuff to say. But I discovered specifically that for this passage, he did something really helpful and insightful. And so I'm going to talk about that a little bit.

The rest of this passage really falls under the umbrella of genuine agape we mentioned here in verse 9, and is essentially then a list of practical ways to live out agape for one another. So Henry did us all a favor by placing each item on this list under a different description of love.

So as we go through this, as we dissect the list, I'm going to be discussing some of his terminology and descriptions. I hope you find it super helpful. Okay, verse 10. Love one another with brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor.

So the first part here, love one another with brotherly affection. Henry described this as an affectionate love, and said that it signifies not only love, but a readiness and inclination to love, the most genuine and free affection, kindness flowing out as from a spring.

So we see here that Paul switches the word for love. It's no longer agape. He switches to phileo. So phileo one another. And phileo is a tender, devoted, affectionate love that you would have for a family member.

A lot of times people know it as brotherly love. And then the end here, with brotherly affection, the word is actually philadelphia. So it's to have a genuine, kindly affection for a fellow believer. The next part then is to outdo one another in showing honor.

Other reputable versions say in honor preferring one another. Henry calls this a respectful love, and said that instead of contending for superiority, let us be forward to give to others the preeminence.

Philippians 2 .3 comes to mind here, which says do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. We are not to take honor, but to give it. Outdo here gives the idea of eagerly striving for superior performance.

So let us fervently and enthusiastically strive to honor or show preference to our brothers and sisters ahead of ourselves. Verse 11. Do not be slothful and zeal, but fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord.

So following up to the last point, we are to not be slothful and zeal. Slothful gives the idea of laziness or lack of ambition. A definition I read that I really liked, it said shrinking from or hesitating to engage in something worthwhile, like the opportunity to have zeal.

So zeal here can mean to be eager, ready, or willing to do something that will require effort. So we should always be eagerly and willingly, without hesitation, ready to engage in something worthwhile like showing honor to our brothers.

Similarly, we are to be fervent in spirit. It literally means to boil in the spirit, and it gives the idea of showing great eagerness or enthusiasm and completely committing oneself. So let us completely, with eagerness, commit ourselves to zealously showing honor to our brothers and sisters.

And if we do all this, or sorry, and we do all this in order to serve the Lord, and of course the word for serve here comes from doulos or bond servant, so we do all these things as bond servants to Christ in order to bring him glory and honor.

Verse 12,.

Rejoicing in Hope, Enduring Tribulation, and Being Constant in Prayer

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. So continuing this same thought, Paul told us to rejoice in hope. This is simply an outward expression of inward joy, of the hopeful expectation that lies within.

So we are to be hopeful, because tribulation will come, and when it comes, we are instructed to be patient with endurance. The idea here is to endure, to bear up, to put up with. And throughout all of this, we are to be constant in prayer.

So let us continually and faithfully, with intense efforts, be in prayer. Verse 13 then, Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. So the first part here, contribute to the needs of the saints.

Henry calls this a liberal love, and describes it as not a mock love, which rests in the verbal expressions of kindness and respect, while the wants of our brethren call for real supplies, and it is in the power of our hands to furnish them.

So the idea is, we're not just saying, hey, have a nice day, I'll get to that, but you're actually helping them when they are in need. So if we truly agape, and or phileo our brothers, we will not merely profess it with our lips, but also practically live it out.

Again, this reminds me of James 2, 15 through 16. We all know this. If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, go in peace, be warm and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

So the context of this passage is faith and works. The point is this, if our brothers or sisters are in physical need, and instead of contributing to their needs, we simply say, I love you, brother, go in peace, have a nice day, we do not truly love them.

Our actions show, as Henry put it, that our love is a mock love. It's not real. It's fake. This liberal love goes beyond contributing to the needs of the saints and extends to seeking to show hospitality.

Henry described this specifically as a bountiful love, and said that it intimates not only that we must take opportunity, but that we must seek opportunity, thus to show mercy. So in seeking, we should actually attempt to search for opportunities to show hospitality, not just wait for them, not simply be willing, but actually pursue them.

And the new bible dictionary said that throughout scripture, the responsibility of caring for the traveler and those in need is largely taken for granted. Although examples are found right through the bible, the only specific commands about providing hospitality concern the christian's responsibility towards his fellow believers.

So again, we're not just sitting around waiting for opportunities. We're actually actively pursuing and looking for those opportunities to be hospitable. Verse 14. Bless those who persecute you, bless, and do not curse them.

So this first part here, bless those who persecute you. If I can be transparent, I have personally found this verse both challenging and convicting as I was preparing this message. As of late, considering some of the recent attacks on our church, by those again claiming the name of christ, Henry said it has been the common lot of God's people to be persecuted either with a powerful hand or with a spiteful tongue.

Now we are here taught to bless those that so persecute us. So bless carries the idea of asking God to bestow divine favor on our enemies. And those who persecute us are those who systematically organize programs to oppress or harass us.

Henry offered four ways to obey this verse. And again, to be honest, I'm just going to say it. These things kick to me square in the teeth. So I hope it does the same to all of you. Number one, speak well of them.

If there be anything in them that is commendable and praiseworthy, take notice of it and mention it to their honor. Two, speak respectfully to them, not rambling for rambling and bitterness for bitterness.

Three,.

Desire their good. We must wish well to them so far from seeking any revenge. And then the fourth one, pray for them. If it be not in the power of our hand to do anything else for them, yet we can testify our goodwill by praying for them, for which our master had given us not only a rule, but an example to back that rule.

He mentions Luke 23 -34. So with that, we are to bless and do not curse them. As sinners still being sanctified, this is very difficult for us, as we shall discuss in a few verses. We desperately want revenge on our enemies.

We desire to be the avengers of wrath against those who have wronged us. We long to distribute retribution through our hands and means.

But.

We are to do the opposite. Again, we are to bless them as we just defined it and are to refrain from cursing them. A curse here can be defined as causing injury or harm by means of a statement regardless having some supernatural power.

It's as if calling down a curse from heaven. A powerful quote here from Henry. He said, Cursing ill becomes the mouths of those whose work it is to bless God and whose happiness it is to be blessed of him.

In other words, the cursing of others should not come from the mouths nor from the hearts of those who seek to live for Christ. Verse 15. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. This is what Henry calls a sympathizing love.

As we discussed earlier, rejoicing is simply having an outward expression of an inner joy. Only here we are rejoicing not in our hope in Christ, but with our fellow brother or sister. Likewise, if they are weeping, we are to weep with them.

Weeping them would be an outward expression of inner emotion, inner sadness, or mourning. I think what is important to see here is that both actions, rejoicing and weeping, ultimately point to our hearts.

If we are truly rejoicing or truly weeping with our brothers and sisters inwardly, then we will naturally express that outwardly. And if we are not expressing that outwardly, then it shows the inner hardness of our hearts.

And as Henry clearly stated, he said, true love will interest us in the sorrows and joys of one another and teach us to make them our own. So rejoicing and weeping with the brethren is making their joys and sadness our very own.

Verse 16. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. So the first part here, live in harmony with one another. Other versions I looked at said be of the same mind one towards another.

So Henry called this a united love and said that labor as much as you can to agree in apprehension and wherein you come short of this yet agree in affection. Endeavor to be all one, not affecting to clash and contradict and thwart one another, but keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

So there's two points here I want to look at from this section of the verse. One, do not thwart one another. I specifically like this usage of thwart.

It's a verb.

And implies someone actively trying to prevent or impede.

Someone else.

So unless you're trying to stop a brother from sinning, refrain from thwartatious activity. And the second point I want to look at is keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Quickly, you don't have to turn here, but I want to look at Philippians 2, 1 through 8.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind. And keep in mind, this is the same author here.

Having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form.

He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. So let us be like Christ and humble ourselves even to the point of death. Similarly, 1 Corinthians 1 .10 says, I appeal to you brothers by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

As you can see, Paul in many places emphasizes this unity of mind. So back to Romans here, harmony obviously has a musical connotation attached to it, but also carries the idea.

Of.

Being in one accord or being like-minded, again having unity of mind. So just as the sound of two people singing the same note in harmony with one another is pleasing to the ear, so is the sound of two believers living in harmony with one another pleasing to the ears of God.

The next section here says, do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. So Henry called this a condescending love and says that true love cannot be without lowliness,.

Meaning.

That a true love for the brethren contains condescending grace. And I don't mean condescending as looking down on someone, but condescending as willing to stoop down in order to extend grace, just as Christ did in John 13 by washing the feet of his disciples.

So do not be haughty or arrogantly superior. Don't have a disdainful attitude towards others, but instead associate with or participate in life with those who are lowly, that have an unimportant or humble status.

As it says in James 4 .6, therefore it says, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. God is actually opposed to the haughty and is gracious to the humble. The next part here says, never be wise in your own sight.

Here's a great part, a quote, I mean from Henry, I think he really nailed it here. He said, we shall never find in our hearts to condescend to others while we find they're so great a conceit of ourselves.

And therefore this must be mortified. We will never be able to graciously serve our brothers if we think of ourselves more haughty than others. As Henry suggested, we must put this attitude to death. It must be a swift and permanent mortification.

Our problem is that we're viewing ourselves through our own eyes, as Paul said, in our own sight, instead of through the eyes of Christ. Imagine how much more humble we would be if we viewed ourselves through that lens.

How much more sin could we eliminate? It's high time we remove our self-colored glasses and put on Christ-colored glasses. Our view of life will become much more crystal clear. Verse 17. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

So the first part here, repay no one evil for evil. For this, Henry said, it is a brutish recompense and befitting only those animals which are not conscious either of any being above them or of any state before them.

Again, resisting the urge for retribution. We are not to return evil for evil. If you borrow money from your neighbor, you should repay him every last dime, penny for penny. This, however, is different.

You're not asking to borrow a cup of evil from your neighbor, right? This is unsolicited evil that you did not ask for, nor did you want. If someone says something vile or wicked or hateful or evil about you, the Christ-like response is not to return fire vile for vile, wicked for wicked, evil for evil.

Instead, the Christ-like response is to, as Paul says here, give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. Or respond appropriately to do what brings honor and glory to Christ in the sight of all, including Christ.

This means that we are not to be two-faced. We should not act honorably in public and then turn around and act dishonorably in private. This also means that we should always act as if all can see, especially in this day and age of social media.

Because guess what? Everyone can see. And when you think no one can see, it may turn up later. We should always interact on the internet assuming that someone at some point will see it. Therefore, the honorable thing to do is, as Paul says, verse 18, if possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Henry calls this a love that engages us. That is, we must be harmless and inoffensive, not giving others occasion to quarrel with us. And we must be gall-less and un-revengeful, not taking occasion to quarrel with them.

Thus, we must labor to preserve the peace, that it be not broken, and to peace it again when it is broken. This, of course, is the title of the message and the main point I want us to take home with us.

I believe that living peaceably with all is this agape umbrella, right, under which everything on Paul's list resides. So if possible, if you are capable, if it can be achieved, as much as it depends on you, you as the source, not someone else, live peaceably with all.

Mark 10 .50 says, salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another. So we all know and understand the importance of being salt and light to the culture, but the context here in Mark sheds a different light on this conversation.