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All God's People
(Worshipping with Weirdoes)

A while ago someone said something that struck a false chord in my head. Speaking of a preacher they said: "And he doesn't even believe in the virgin birth; what a weirdo!?"

A weirdo for not believing in the virgin birth…

I think we've forgotten how strange some of the things we believe and do are…

When we eat bread and drink wine here in church we say we are (symbolically) eating and drinking human flesh and blood.

To any one not familiar with our custom of taking communion that's just gross.

Jesus, whom we believe is the Son of God – died on a cross and we believe that he rose again and ascended into heaven.

Friends – if you haven't yet realised that we are the weirdoes I am talking about then you haven't been paying attention.

* * *

Not only are we the weirdoes for believing and doing some very strange things we also should be known as weirdoes because we hold some strange values:

We are called to love unconditionally.

We are called to forgive without seeking revenge.

We give away money.

We believe in the sanctity of marriage.

* * *

You and I are the weirdoes I'm talking about.

Matthew 18:15-20

In this encounter between Jesus and Peter Jesus outlines protocol to be followed in settling a dispute between people in church.

If someone sins against you:

Tell them alone.
If they don't listen:
Take two witnesses with you.
If they still don't listen:
Tell it to the church (leaders)
And if they still don't listen:
Treat them as a Gentile or a Tax Collector.

Earlier on in Matthew's gospel we learn about Jesus attitude to tax collectors:

In Matthew 9:10-13 Pharisees complain about the fact that Jesus keeps company with tax collectors – his response is that he reaches out the most to people who need him the most.

* * *

In their forgiving and incorporating people into the Christian community Peter is called to act as an ambassador of the Kingdom of God… Whatever Peter and the disciples allow on earth will be allowed in heaven.

Much like an ambassador sent to represent their country in a foreign nation – with a certain amount of authority to speak on behalf of the King of the country out of which you came.

We learn…

From this scripture we learn that first of all – Church has never been perfect.

Many Christians speak of the early church as some sort of ideal state, yet right here in the gospels of the New Testament there are instructions for how to resolve conflicts in the church. Jesus has no false hopes for what the church would be…

A group of broken people working out how to be who God created them to be.

United not by the fact that they were somehow perfect – or that they agreed on everything about God – which they certainly did not.

But because they recognised the fact that God had made his love known to them through Jesus Christ, and they were called to be a community that imitated him in the way that they lived.

* * *

Churches are not made up of perfect people – but of people who need to be perfected and transformed by god.

* * *

This changes our perception of what church should be.

Perhaps you know that you are getting church right when people steal your parking space outside and give you a zap sign while they do it – or when you have to take your handbag up to communion because you don't know if someone might help themselves to what is in there.

* * *

Church is s hospital for sinners – not a museum for saints.

So in the letter to the Romans Paul addresses some of the troubles this bunch of people are struggling with.

Romans 14

Historical Context

Paul writes to the church in Rome in about 56AD. In about 49AD Jews were expelled from Rome by the emperor Claudius on account of a trouble maker named "Chrestus".

By the time Paul writes to the Romans the Jews are welcomed back to Rome and in the five years that they have been away the face of the church has changed a little.

Where there used to be Jewish leaders there are now gentile leaders. Where the church probably observed Old Testament laws quite strictly – many of those Old Testament rules have been neglected.

* * *

There are reasons that you shouldn't discuss religion and politics at polite dinner parties… People are usually very passionate about their religion and politics, and passion combined with conviction often leads to argument and even violence.

* * *

Jews and Gentiles disagree about what Jesus means and about how they should observe their religion.

* * *

In short: The Jewish Christians think that the Gentiles are weirdoes and the Gentiles think that the Jews are weirdoes.

In his letter Paul tries to help them understand how to worship together.

Scriptural Context

From chapter 1 to 11:36 (about 2/3 of the letter) Paul argues that Christ is for both Jews and Gentiles.

That we are saved because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, and our faith in his faithfulness.

We are not made right with God because of superstitious law keeping, but because God has loved us.

* * *

Paul makes a long argument which I won't cover now but he ends it exclaiming in praise:

"O the depth of the riches and wisdom and 
knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!"

- Romans 11:33

Paul – good at writing words – has thought about this issue for all of his ministry – can not fully describe what he is saying, but he gives it his best shot and ends with praise; I don't really understand why – but it works.

* * *

From chapter 12 onwards he explains the implications of this truth (the truth that God loves and redeems both Jews and gentiles who believe in him) for the practical life of the community.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds…

- Romans 12:1-2

And he goes on.

The Christian community is to be a very different one – from 3-8 we learn that it is a diverse community of people with many different gifts.

From 9-21 we learn that it is not a community that makes people great – but one in which people try to out respect one another, in which people are not to seek revenge, in which the only competition is to see who can love the most.

They are to be responsible (law abiding) citizens (13:1-7).

Love of neighbour is the only law that will fulfil the commandments.

And in 14:1-15:6 Paul addresses the matter of diversity in the church, the fact that church is a place where weirdoes gather…

Sometimes the people sitting to our left and right will be quite different to us.

Romans 14:1-23

Eating with weirdoes…

One of the things that the earliest Christians did together was eat. Imagine a diverse bunch of people from all over the known world sharing a meal…

Just imagine a shared meal here in Paarl.

Xhosa people will bring one kind of food – maybe a smiley; English another – pork sausages and mashed potatoe; Afrikaners still another – maybe skilpaadjies and scrambled egg, coloureds another – pickled fish on hot cross buns.

And we'll like some and we won't like some. And that's just a matter of taste.

* * *

But for ancient peoples, especially Jews – what you eat is a matter of religion. Some Jews would starve to death before they ate Pork.

Eating together is not so easy…

But Paul instructs Christians to:

"Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions…"

Some eat anything, while the weak only eat vegetables.

Those who eat must not judge those who don't and those who don't must not judge those who do.

Paul asks: "Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another?"

* * *

Paul begins to paint a picture of what Christian community looks like and one of its best features is the fact that people who think quite differently from one another can fellowship together and worship Christ together.

They can be together because Christians try to outdo one another in showing respect, not in trying to show that they are better than each other.

Weirdoes today…

Whether or not we follow a strict Kosher diet is not a big problem in the church today. But there are other issues over which there are a variety of opinions:

Baptism – some churches don't see the baptism of infants as valid, others do.

Divorce – some churches don't allow divorce, some are OK with it.

The roles of women in leadership – it continues to surprise me that so many churches don't allow women to be ordained as ministers.

Ways of reading scripture – and trust me there are a thousand different approaches.

And one of the big issues of today – an issue which is a source of great pain to people on both sides of the debate – Homosexuality.

* * *

No one's position on any of these issues is a casual matter, but what easily happens is that we simply continue to divide Christ's body up into little pieces that call each other weirdoes while Paul prays – as he does at the end of this section of the letter to the Romans:

"May the god of steadfastness 
and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with 
one another in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that 
together you may with one voice glorify the God and 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

- Romans 15:5-6