14/11/2023
An Eight (8) - minute Sermonette
Rev. Jerlyn Smith-Hudson
Title: "Adjusting Your Horizontal! Loving like Jesus!"
Text: Romans 15:4-13, Focus: Romans 15:7-9
New International Version
Romans 15:7-9
Greetings
The focus scripture reads, starting at verse 7 "Accept one another then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”"
Many may remember when TV sets would have technical difficulties in viewing that would be either problems with vertical or horizontal lines. In this message we will call our relationship w/God, our vertical, and the relationship with our fellow earth occupants, our horizontal. I propose that if we want to be like Christ, then we need to work on the misalignment due to our problems with relationships in our home, in our workplaces, in our community, in the church, and in the world!
In the text Paul is asking the Jews and Gentiles to live in harmony with each other despite their traditional and religious differences so that God, the one God, could be glorified! Notice how he said "accept" not "change" one another. He reminded them of Scripture, from prophet Isaiah, written in the past, things that don't and will not change, things, words, that encourage us today on how to adjust our horizontal malfunctioning. “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.” Paul tells them that endurance will also help in fine-tuning, that God gives endurance and encouragement so that we may have the same mind as Christ.
Paul states the writings in Isaiah referencing the root of Jesse, Jesus, (some versions use the word "stump''), bringing hope, joy and peace as we learn to love to follow his example as we make horizontal adjustments.
And during this Advent season, what better time to be challenged to make horizontal adjustments. The time of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love and since the elections will be over; the democrats and Republicans need to love each other; pro-lifers and not, should love each other; rich/poor should love each other; blks/whites should love each other. The text refers to having the same mind, same voice, agreeing that Jesus is Lord, trusting that He is our Redeemer and Listening for His directions as He straightens out the
horizontal. No longer can our "isms" be greater than our God! You know the "isms" - racism, sexisms, etc...
Again it reads "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." In order to get it right we must accept each other. Eventhough we see differently, speak differently, have cultural differences with our own views, opinions,
preferences, attitudes, genders etc… - [we must] accept one another!
Another way to illustrate the horizontal/vertical alignment is the cross. Picture it in your mind as the Unblemished Lamb hung there with outstretched arms, paying the debt, realigning the vertical with the horizontal by taking on the sins of the world, our sins, and finishing only what He could finish! Our atonement! A One time sacrifice sealed it! The hope of Glory!
Accept Jesus today as we realign our will to God's will. As we learn to accept others as God accepts us through the blood of the Lamb. Once the vertical and horizontal meet perfectly then we can honestly sing "… Alas, and did my Savior bleed and did my sovereign die
Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I
… At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the Light
And the burden of my heart rolled away, rolled away
It was there by Faith, I received my sight
And now I am happy all the day
… Was it for crimes that I have done, He crawled up on the tree
Amazing pity, grace unknown and love beyond degree
… At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the Light
And the burden of my heart rolled away, rolled away
It was there by Faith, I received my sight
And now, and now, and now I am happy all the day
All the day."
