Mutual Encouragement

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Mutuality Leads to the Harvest of God

Focus: God calls us to participate in the advancement of the Gospel.

Function: To encourage the church to mutually edify one another for the advancement of gospel intents.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to faith and obedience for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

Introduction

  1. HGTV—House Hunters International. American agents may know the fundamentals of real estate markets, but what works at home may not translate cross-culturally, e.g., different styles and neighborhoods. An American agent begins with a huge disadvantage.
  2. And Paul is in that position with the Roman congregation. A church he had not visited, yet due to his apostleship to the Gentiles, he is compelled to serve and minister. From the last chapter we know he had several good relationships at Rome but there was even more they shared in common—and what was true for Paul and the Roman Christians, is also true for us in our relationships.

God has set us apart for the advancement of God’s cause

  1. God called Paul to his ministry to the Gentiles, and through the preaching of the gospel, God had called all the Christians in Rome to be part of his cause
  2. From the creation of the world where God created humans in God’s likeness, God has desired a relationship. God’s activity, the primary plot to God’s storyline, is God desires to be our God and we become a chosen people. We become a mirror of God to the world. So as God is, so are we. For example, as we see God’s faithfulness, we reflect God’s faithfulness.
  3. Paul, the Roman Christians, you, me, all of us are called both to do and to belong to God. We share together with Paul and the Roman Christians our place together in Christ and our mission together to serve Christ.

And God’s cause is rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ

The gospel God promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding the Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, God became flesh, one of us to accomplish this mission. Jesus Christ our Lord who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead ultimately accomplished God’s plan.

  • And you would think, built on the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, all would be well. But church history tells another story. And it wasn’t in Rome. Too many humans involved–Humans who somehow do not let the gospel penetrate their hearts. You see there was a deep ethnic rift between the Jews and Gentiles. The rift was built on the false notion that God’s favor on the Jews some how would exclude God having favor on anybody else. So, the Jewish Christians treated Gentile Christians as second class, as ugly ducklings in God’s household.
  • When you get married, you acquire another side of the family. Now I get it when we buy birthday presents for my cousins, but now I’ve got to buy presents for the other cousins. They are family too. A member of congress treats citizens in the district the same even if they live in different cities. Rain nourishes everyone’s lawn the same. So, we do not treat folks differently. Love of brothers and sisters, neighbors, and enemies emerges from the same gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • While the gospel should bind us together in our common cause, we often thwart, disadvantage, run counter to the very gospel we serve. We far too often allow our differences, to cause a compartmentalization of our worship and service.
  • So, Paul writes a letter to the Romans to call them and us to faith and obedience for his name’s sake.

So that all are mutually encouraged 

And [Paul] prays that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. Paul desires a reciprocal relationship where everyone involved gives and receives with justice and respect for one another. A place where we look not only after our own interests but the interests of others. Not in vain conceit but in humility we value others above ourselves.

  • Where economic, academic, political, national, racial, gender, social, barriers that bias and hinder our being together in worldly contexts are not just put aside for the sake of the kingdom but are transformed. It is not accommodation or tolerance but honor and respect for the other, a love that treats the other as significant and valuable.
  • Mutual prayers—Ask the congregation to write prayer notes to be put in a basket. [Re-read text to prompt similar expressions of prayer; as a model for prayer topics]
  • Paul prays that their f2f encounter will accomplish mutual fellowship. You cannot replace time spent together whether that be a meal, a work day, leadership, a ministry project, playing games, worship, prayer, etc… My arrival here as a guest speaker has the intent to edify you here in this place. Yet, you have edified me.
  • And that permeates all the strata or levels of our community: from leadership to teen activities.
  • And then we will be all mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, and that is truly a gift of God.

And as a united body of Christ, we participate in God’s harvest

Mutual encouragement, deep relationships, true friendships between brothers and sisters in Christ bring about a harvest.

  • A harvest of spiritual fruit/virtues: peace, joy, patience, courage, faithfulness, hope, kindness, hospitality, gentleness, affection, etc.
  • And a harvest of a richer fellowship where our relational needs are met.
  • Harvest in your life?

Basket of prayers: “Father, these are the prayers of your saints  … Hear our prayers.”

[Homiletical Note: My students asked me to model Buttrick’s mode of immediacy using a Pauline text. If you follow the headings, reading them as one paragraph, the plotline emerges. The plotline follows Paul’s logic and is undergirded by the narratival substructure of three narratives. 1) Paul’s story, 2) The Roman Christians’ story, and 3) God’s story in salvation history that culminates in Jesus. Finally, my sermon notes are a play script more than a word for word manuscript. The paragraphs in these notes prompt fuller elaboration in the actual preaching event.]