The 4 "One-Anothers" of Romans 12

Patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those. Rejoice. Mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do is right in the eyes of everyone if it is possible as far as it depends on you.

Live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath where it is written, it is mine to avenge. I will repay, says the Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink in doing this. You will he pay burning coals on his head. Do not become overcome by evil but overcome evil with. Good.

We're going to look at that through the eyes of Joseph and Matthew chapter one. Uh , but because of the abbreviated time today and, and just the way they structured the service when I was gone , uh, I thought I'd focus my remarks really more towards the end of this transition. You know, I've been with you two and a half years and uh , that that has seemed probably the you to be a long period of time to get where we're going.

But it's like crossing a bridge and there's the image of the bridge up on the screen there. When you think of a transition between senior pastors, it is like crossing a bridge. It's crossing a bridge from the past to the future. And that's certainly been the case with central has it, not that that central has many great things and it's passed to honor and to appreciate, but there's also painful things in those past and, and so it is cross.

We've been crossing the bridge through this transition to the future to what God has prepared in the future for central to pursue God's vision for what he wants central to until the Lord Jesus returns. A transition has also can be a bridge and I believe it has been a bridge in Central's case, helping a church get past some of its structural obstacles. It's, it's relational obstacles, even it's spiritual obstacles, obstacles to ultimum, effectiveness in ministry, ultimate impact in ministry.

And that's what we've been doing crossing this bridge for the last two and a half years. Uh , lemme let me just give you a brief summary I think of, of, of the highlights of what we've accomplished walking through this period of transition, getting you ready for what God is going to do as he brings pastor Matt into work with the elders here. The structural foundation of the church has been strengthened.

We have heavily amended the constitution making, taking it from being a really an ancient hard to read, almost unusable document to something that is alive that does speak to the times that the churches in that is a usable document. We've done the same with the charter that the document that lays behind the constitution that gives us the authority to operate as a church in the state of Tennessee.

We have amended the rules of of church discipline, which I know sounds like a weighty title, but it is simply how do we treat each other and how do we interact with each other, particularly when there's friction and problems that has all been amended to be usable. We have amended the regulations and the rules of, of order, the the , the procedures that that, that make the church operate. Many of the church policies we've looked at and we've made changes to and improved.

All of that is strengthening the structure because you can't build a house on a foundation that has a faulty structure, but beyond that we have moved closer to a more biblical model of elder leadership.

We have through our constitution, through our study, through our teaching, through our working with the elder board and our pastoral staff, we've embraced the , the model of, of elders that we see in first Peter five when when he exhorts them elders, he says he exhorts them shepherd the flock of God that is among you. We have, we have raised up that primary model that elders are to be shepherds of the flock.

There's other things that they do, but that lies at the top and we've created that as the biblical model that elder leadership of central churches to be based on. We've instituted term limits for the elder board. Something that has been needed a long time elders, our elders, as long as they are able to serve, but in terms of their actual service on the elder board, they are now term limited and that that ensures inflow and an outflow to the elder board that makes the church a healthier place.

We've made the elders accountable to the membership. Hopefully you will never have to use it, but there are now provisions in the constitution that should an elder need to be removed and the elder board is not willing to do it themselves. That the membership has a way to do that if necessary. And we've instituted leadership development and training. How do elders grow unless they are constantly being developed? How do we identify future elders?

Unless we are , we are reaching out to younger people and identifying them and recruiting them and training them and raising them up and preparing them to be the future elders and other leaders of the church. We have brought focus to the role of the senior pastor and you may know we're not even calling it the senior pastor anymore. When Matt Shackleford gets here and just a few weeks he will be the lead teaching pastor and that is a result of the focus that we've brought to his raw .

We focused his role while he does many things. The two primary things is he brings strategic leadership to the elder board and to the staff strategic leadership to discern where God wants to move the church and to take the church there. That's, that's the lead part of his title and yet the equally important part of his title is he's the teacher. He is the preacher, the primary teacher and preacher of the word of God.

Not the only one, but he's the one who's even going to lead in the teaching and the preaching of the word of God and there we get the lead teaching pastor. We have focused his role. We have clarified the roles and the relationships between pastors and elders, particularly the lead teaching pastor and the elder board. We have embraced what we're calling a collaborative model of leadership. No longer is it senior pastor over the elders or the elders over the senior pastor.

They are ministry partners and the elders work in partnership with with all of the pastoral staff. It is an elder led church and yet they collaboratively work in partnership to carry out the ministry of the church. They work in partnership with the pastoral staff and that means the lead teaching pastor.

You're not going to look to him as the top of the pyramid as the chief executive officer, but neither is central going to embrace the reverse of that or the lead teaching pastor and the rest of the pastoral staff. They're just higher lings of the elder board. There is a collaborative model that now defines the pastor elder relationship. Along with that, we've ensured that members have a voice.

If you, if you are come to saving faith in Jesus Christ and you are baptized and you take the step of joining the church as a member, you now have a voice and that voice, one of the primary ways expressed is through a vote. You have a vote to affirm those who are being brought on as elders. You not only can nominate men to be elders, but as the elder board vets them and raises up those that they are selecting to be elders.

You now as members have a vote to affirm or not affirm a man to be an elder and the same with the lead teaching. Pastor, formerly you met your first, you met your lead teaching pastor or your senior pastor the first Sunday he was up to preach.

Now you have the opportunity to see him ahead of time and learn about him ahead of time and hear the progress of the search committee, the search team, and the progress of the elder board and you finally have a vote to affirm the lead teaching pastor, which you've just done a couple of weeks ago. We've instituted as well, new policies and procedures for voting.

We have as well, we've strengthened what I would call Central's organizational health and there's so many ways, but three stand out to me. One, we've established a staff evaluation system.

There really hasn't been in any memory, any consistent regular fair way that staff at central church were evaluated and that has been created by a task force and endorsed by the elders and now we have a regular systematic fairway that pastoral staff are going to be evaluated and goals for them will be set and not at all in a punitive type of tone, but in a developmental. We want to help you continue to grow and continue to develop.

A second way we strengthen the organizational health is we've acknowledged what I, what I call the intergenerational imperative, that it is imperative that central a multigenerational church become more and more of an intergenerational church. Maybe you were here a number of weeks ago where we talked about the fact that there are five different generations represented in the congregation of central church. That's a multi generational church and intergenerational churches.

When those five generations are become very intentional about loving and interacting and growing in discipleship and ministering together with with each other, they don't let those generational differences divide them. Something that has been an issue in the past, it's central church. We have as well. We've acknowledged what I call the peacemaking imperative.

We've acknowledged the reality wherever there are people together and that includes Christians, there is going to be differences and those differences will from time to time lead to conflict, but how we walk through those differences and handle those differences and walk through that conflict determines much about a church and so we've recognized that Jesus calls us to be peacemakers, to deal with our differences and our conflicts.

In a way that is biblically faithful and that that ultimately displays the gospel to even get upstream from our conflict and , and to go back to even our relationships and how we were late with each other. That can head off misunderstandings that often lead to differences and conflict. And finally we have conducted a thorough and and I believe a very fruitful pastoral search.

And I can tell you from my perspective of seeing many pastoral searches now this has been a prayer saturated search and I think God has honored that prayer and , and, and the fruit of that search. We have done a high quality search process. We've really raised the bar on what it is for church themselves to search for a pastor. And we've had a candidating weekend, something that I don't think really too many people in , in , in the congregation of central, have ever experienced before.

Where we brought in pastor Matt, we brought in Ashley and the kids. We had them here for five, six days that you interacted with them and , and many various forums. You had an opportunity to question them, to hear him teach all before you voted to affirm the elder selection of pastor Matt as your next lead teaching pastor and we've had a unanimous selection of pastor Matt . The pastoral search team unanimously recommended him to the elder board.

The elder board unanimously selected pastor Matt to be your next lead teaching pastor and you the membership virtually unanimously voted to affirm him as your next lead teaching pastor. I don't see that in churches. I don't see that high a degree of unanimity in the selection of a pastor. I believe that's the result of a prayer saturated, fruitful pastoral search. Let me say this, I really believe that God is about to do that. He wants to do something new at central. He wants to do a new thing.

Do you know that phrase from Isaiah 43 God says to the prophet Isaiah, do not dwell in the past. It is nothing compared to what I'm going to do for I am about to do something new and that is not to say that we ignore the past. That is not to say we don't appreciate the past of central. What it is to say is where God wants to take central is not backwards. It's not to the roundhouse . It's not to 1990 God wants to take central forward.

God has a new thing in mind that will look different, that will look new, that will reflect the what , what the needs of this hurting world around us are and that's what God wants this congregation. That's what I pray, that you embrace my heart for you as, as as you , you know , as you embrace that my heart for you, as you step forward, you've been faithful. You've hung in here.

As you step forward into this new thing, this new season that God is a nog urinating as pastor Matt comes, my heart for you, brothers and sisters is that you live out the one anothers of scripture. You know that phrase? It appears more than a hundred times in the new Testament. It's really one Greek word, but we interpret it one another. There are 59 one another commands in scripture, 59 imperatives for how we're to live with each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

How we're to relate to each other, these, these form, the basis of, of what real Christian community looks like. This is, this is what gets the world's attention. The world will not hear what we proclaim, the message that we teach and preach and proclaim until they see it lived out in the one another's . How we treat each other.

If the people of this community of Collierville, of , of the Memphis metropolitan area, if they see central church as a place where Christians live out the one another commands with each other, they'll be irresistibly drawn to central church. They will be open to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ that we proclaim. But the opposite is true as well. And I say it just to be always aware of it. If people don't see the one another's lived out at central, they'll reject this church.

They're rejected as re as irrelevant though there were rejected as hypocritical. You know, there are um, one another's that you won't find. And scripture and and sadly are too typical of many churches. Ray Artland lifts a few of these or one another's that you don't find in scripture, but you do see in churches humble one another. I'm not called to be responsible for your humbling and yet that's often what we are attempted to do. Gossip about one another.

How often does that happen in churches and how much that tears down churches. Shame one another, exclude one another. Confess one another. Sins. There are many worldly or fleshly one another's that they go against everything that we're trying to accomplish to be a glory God glorifying church. That's a light in this world. Ray Artland says this, and I think this really boils down to the importance of this. The kind of God that we really believe in is revealed in how we treat one another.

He's speaking us as Christians. Our relationship with one another reveals to us what we really believe as opposed to just what we think we believe or we say that we believe. So I don't have time this morning to go through all 59 of them, but, but that passage that I just had Joe read read, there's four of them, them and I just like to use these last few minutes to give you those four one another's. These are ways that I will continue to be praying for central church even after my departure.

The first one in other Romans 12 is seen in the first part of verse 10 love one another with brotherly affection or the new American standard puts it be devoted to one another in brotherly love. You've heard that, that, that word, that phrase before, brotherly love. That's Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love.

That's one of the forms of, of love and scripture that's specifically the type of love that we're called to have as as as brothers and sisters in Christ, ones who are not related by blood like our families, but are related by the blood of Christ. We're called to have this Philadelphia, this brotherly love for each other. You know, I didn't grow up with brothers. Maybe some of you did, but I raised three sons in and I raised three sons, Evan , Alec, and grant.

And I think of how that image helps me understand what it means to have this Philadelphia kind of love for each other. I think of how different my sons are, such different personalities, such different interests even now that they're adults, such different experiences and yet they have this common bond that they have the same father and mother and that's all of you. That's you and me. As we come into the body of Christ, we , we come with different personalities.

We come from different experiences, different walks of life, and yet we have a common father. Do we not? We have a common elder brother in the Lord Jesus Christ. I think of how my three sons, you know, growing up and even now sometimes into adulthood, their , their personalities, their different personalities sometimes clash. They have different opinions on issues. They have different goals that sometimes clash with each other's goals.

So what sustains them in their brotherhood when there are these differences? It is their common commitment, their enduring commitment to each other. To be brothers and again that's you.

That's what the world will see that while you will have differences in opinion on matters, well your personalities may rub against each other from time to time like sandpaper you because of your common bond in the Lord Jesus Christ, you have an enduring commitment to each other and so you love each other with a brotherly with a sisterly love. I think of how my son is so different from each other, how they seek the best for each other.

I think of how my sons, even when there's conflict, they are committed to working through conflict and again, that's what I pray for the body of of central church that that as differences come, as conflict arises, that you are committed to seeking the best for each other among your differences that are, you are committed to working through conflict when it comes, you know, I think of that particularly between the generations and the a , this is a theme for me, this intergenerational theme, but

this has been an issue for central in the past. There is real opportunity for central to go from being just a multigenerational church to an intergenerational church, but it will take that intentional Philadelphia, that brotherly love being devoted to one another in brotherly affection between the generations. My prayer will be first SRO Thessaloniki ans three 12 may the law of may the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else.

You get that image that that our love keeps to increase between each of us and as it does, it overflows. It overflows to visitors. Visitors come and they, they sense that brotherly and sisterly love between you. It overflows to the people who live around the church and our neighbors in the apartment complexes around us. They see that brotherly and sisterly love overflowing and they're drawn to that. It overflows to the community around us. That is my ongoing prayer for central.

The second one and others in the second half of verse 10 honor one another above yourselves or the English standard version outdo one another and showing honor. I've heard Alan say this first over and over again. One of her favorite verses. What is, what is honor, honor. The noun is, is it's simply the worth the value that's ascribed to a person. So what does it mean to honor as a verb? It means to recognize another's value. Recognize another's worth, acknowledge another person's worth or value.

What does it mean for you to do this one another to honor one another. It means that every person, regardless of their , their, your difference in generational in generations, your , your difference in color, your difference in ethnicity, your difference in gender. Every person who is a brother or sister in Christ who you look at and you value them, they are a person made in God's image. They are a person for whom Christ died.

They are a person who is filled with the Holy spirit and because they have the Holy spirit, they are a person who's been gifted with spiritual gifts. They are a person according to Paul, who this body needs, the body needs their gifts. They are person that I need because they have gifts that I don't have. But that's what it means to acknowledge, to honor a person and to outdo one another and showing honor is simply to take the lead. I don't wait until someone acknowledges me.

I don't, I don't wait for somebody to appreciate me and what I offer. No, I look for what I can honor and what I can value in someone else. I look at that person who's from a different generation from me. I look at that person who find a man who's a woman. I look at that person who is a of a different ethnicity than me and I see in them what God has done and is doing that I can honor and I can affirm and I can acknowledge and I can value in my heart is that that exists.

That would happen more and more between the generations. My heart is that that would exist and happen more and more between men and women. We've done work recently.

You may have heard this and just clarifying what are the roles of men and women that scripture lays out that we're to follow in the church, and all of that is well and good, but it can be harsh and it can actually create differences unless we're committed to honoring each other unless men are honoring women and women are honoring men. The third one, another is in verse 16 be of the same mind towards one another, or the NIV says, live in harmony with one another. This phrase be of the same mind.

Paul uses it over and over in the new Testament and literally it means to think the same thing for Paul. That's not necessary. You're all to be machines. You're out to be robots. Everybody is to think exactly the same on every issue. What he is calling us to, what he's calling you to is where to have a unity on what is absolutely essential to us on the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is saved us on the hope that we have in Christ that we've been saved for.

We're where to raise the things that are essential, where to give grace and love and the things that are not essential. It doesn't mean that we're going to set aside essential doctrinal truths or we're just going to simply try and find the lowest common denominator in issues that that need to be discussed. But it's that call in Ephesians four that I've, I've often used in prayers here. Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with wonder one another in love.

Make every effort to keep the unity of spirit through the bond of peace. That's why he says in the second half of verse 16 don't be haughty. Don't be proud. Pride is the enemy of unity. Every church with a great past struggles with pride and that's certainly part of central story is it not? God has done many great things in Central's past and God has been glorified through those great things, but that contend to make pride a stumbling point. So he says, don't be Hardy . Don't be proud.

As Charles Spurgeon says, pride cannot live beneath the cross and that's where we're called to be beneath the cross. That's where all under the shadow of the cross and pride cannot live beneath the cross. Instead of being prideful. We are and as 16 goes on to associate with the lowly were to enjoy the company of ordinary people and other translation puts it. I think this is a call in this one another to reach out, reach out across generational lines, reach out across racial and ethnic lines.

Reach out to people who are different than you. Reach out to them and love. Reach out to them and make them feel accepted. Show them hospitality. That's, that's part of what it means to practice this one another. Verse 18 presents one final one another if possible is far as it depends on you live at peace with everyone. Live at peace with one another. What does it mean to do this one another? You know this one and other acknowledges what I've already said. There will be differences.

There will be times when those differences are re-upped in conflict. That happens in every church. What distinguishes a healthy church from an unhealthy church is how the church deals with those differences when they come to the surface. What distinguishes a healthy church from an unhealthy church is how they walk through points of conflict. Ken Sandy says there are people who are peace breakers.

They are people who because of their insistence that they'd be in control or or that their agenda prevails, they suck the peace out of a church body. He says there are also people who are peace fakers who when differences come up, they, they run from them. They don't want any part of discussing them. They don't want to be at the table to work through them. They want to deny them neither being a peace breaker or a peace faker contributes to the peace and the unity of the church.

Can Sandy reminds us that Jesus calls us to be peacemakers, that Jesus has laid out in his words, and we've taught this many times. There are ways to work through differences. There are ways that honor God and display the gospel to work through conflict and so when differences erupt into conflict, we're called here in this one another there to pursue peace. So far as it depends on you.

In other words, do everything that's within your power to be reconciled to those that you're distanced from due to differences or conflict. Do everything that you can that's within your power to do, to resolve conflict, to be reconciled with one another. Again, Ephesians four three which I quoted in many times, be diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.

These for one another's , they're not the only one and others , but these will be four significant ones that I'll be praying for for you as I continue to pray for the church. These will be ones that as I come back to visit from time to time and I , I rejoice in what I see God doing here that I'll be looking for. How is the church doing and practicing these one another's ? Let me leave you with these closing words.

They are actually Paul's closing words as he closes his second letter to the Corinthians in chapter 13 dear brothers and sisters, and that's how I regard all of you. I close my ladder, I close this little sermon with these words, be joyful. That's my prayer for you. Grow in maturity and maturity in Christ. That's my ongoing prayer for you. Encourage one another. I pray that this would be a place where you are mutually encouraged in your faith by each other. Be of the same mind.

Again, focusing on what is essential, focusing on what really binds us together, live in peace, be peacemakers and the God of love and peace will be with you. Amen. Let's pray. Father, I , I love these people of central. Uh , it's been a honor and a privilege

We know that Matt is not the Messiah, but we do recognize you are doing a new thing and and bringing him at this point with this degree of unanimity, it's , um, it's an indication that that new season is right at our doorstep. So I pray for these brothers and sisters.

I pray, Lord God, that these one another's would be more and more real in their lives, and that the love that they have for each other would keep increasing and would overflow, would overflowed, or neighbors would overflow to our community, would overflow to Memphis, would overflow ultimately to the world. I pray that you would do this, that Jesus would be lifted up and glorified through the ministry of central church. Amen.