May 6, 2007 Romans 12:15‑16
Rejoice with those who 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.
Have the Same Mind Set
I. Think outside the self
The Christian religion is the only one which points us outside of ourselves for salvation - to Christ; while the religion of man points him within himself - to save himself. Isn’t it unique and wonderful how God points us to Jesus - who puts all of our sins on Him two thousands years ago? Isn’t it wonderful how he tells us to climb inside of His wounds and find our righteousness in His blood? Completely apart from anything we do - Christ does it all. He obeys every law that God demanded of us, and He takes every bit of hell that we deserved. Then he screams to the world, “it is finished.” All of this happens completely outside of us.
Then God - in turn - fills us with every bit of Christ’s righteousness. In our baptism He washes our sins away and puts us to death with Christ. In His gracious mercy He gives us all of the perfection which He himself He demands - not by works - but by simple faith in Christ. This holy God sends His Holy Spirit into our hearts and makes His dwelling IN us! Not only is this so - if this were not enough - God then promises us that He will give us all that we need for this life as well. Paul said it better than I could ever say it in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
The whole purpose of these promises is to encourage and embolden us to let go of worrying about ourselves. If God is indeed dwelling in us, and if He will indeed give us everything that we need - then we can be free to serve and give other people what they need. If God promises to give me food and clothing - and I have some extra food and clothing - then I can certainly give some extras to someone else who needs it. If God promises me that I will have enough to survive, then I can certainly be more than generous with my offerings as well. God even said to the Israelites in Malachi 3:10‑11, Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty. With these verses you can see how the LORD is painting Himself as generously as possible so that we in turn will also be generous with Him and others. The last thing He wants is for us to be navel gazers - only concerned about ourselves and worrying about ourselves and thinking about ourselves.
That’s a hard thing to fight, isn’t it? You can see what a raging and toxic sin this is. Just look at a toddler. It lives and breathes in my own household. Our youngest boy is consumed with his wants and his needs. If he sees you with a cell phone - he wants it. He doesn’t care whether it is his or not. He doesn’t care who he calls with it. He doesn’t care if he throws it on the ground. The simple fact that he sees it and he wants it makes him assume that he has every right to it. You have to pry the cell phone away from his hands. You also have to put up with temper tantrums - attempted hitting, screaming and kicking. His sinful nature wants what it wants - and it doesn’t care about you one bit. He is no different from any other toddler. With a sinful nature clinging to him, he needs to be trained otherwise. Even while living with baptism it still isn’t an easy thing.
Now, we can sit and laugh at the toddler and see what foolish and childish actions these are. Yet when God examines our actions, are they any better? When father gets home from work - and he is tired - yet his kids want him to hold him and play with him and talk to him. Does daddy then have a little temper tantrum and yell at his children and tell them to leave him alone because he is tired? What a giving man is he! All he is worried about is himself. When wife gets home from work does she want husband to treat her like a princess and bow to her every need and desire because she had a hard day? Does it matter to her how her spouse is doing at that point? No. All that matters to her is whether HER needs are being met. When your favorite episode of Spongebob Squarepants is on and your parents tell you to do your chores, do you whine and pout and act as if the end of the world were near? All the child cares about is sitting and watching his favorite TV show. At that moment, he or she doesn’t care two bits whether mom or dad has already worked a full ten hour day. All he or she cares about is watching that show. This kind of behavior does not stop after the terrible twos. Like the little Energizer bunny - it just keeps going and going and going. Instead of thinking about other people, we tend to only think about ME.
All of this selfish behavior flies in the face of what Paul says in today’s text. Rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Weep with those who are weeping. Have a common mind set with each other. Think about this sad contrast. We love to take two hours to sit and watch movie - exult in the laughter and success of someone who is acting out a play. We love to be brought to tears over the sadness of a good story we read in the a book. Often times, these are stories of people that don’t even exist or of people we will never meet. Isn’t it sad how we are willing to spend hours a week doing this - but then not having the time to call and congratulate someone on their 25th wedding anniversary? Isn’t it sad how we can’t call someone on the anniversary of a death - and share their sorrows - because we don’t want to get depressed? How can it be that we don’t have the time to stop by a fellow member in the hospital, call them, or send them a card? What is your excuse for not taking it upon yourself to know the name of every member of our congregation? But we can take hours to know every new draft pick of the K.C. Chiefs backwards and forwards? Why is there such a discretion? Because at the end of the day we can turn off the TV and forget about it forever. We don’t have to worry about it calling us or bugging us. It can be paused and shelved at OUR convenience. But real life scenarios do not wait for us to have the energy and interest. They call on us to care no matter what we are going through or how busy we are. So we conveniently do not want to open ourselves up to other people’s lives - because we don’t want the drain on our time and energy.
The injunction of Paul - by inspiration of the Holy Spirit - does not want this to be. He doesn’t give this encouragement to only the people who are outgoing. He says to each and every one of us with the name Christian - rejoice WITH those who rejoice, mourn WITH those who mourn. This cannot be done if you don’t know what others are rejoicing over or are too busy to notice when they are crying. Yet many parents don’t even notice when their own kids are depressed, because they’re too wrapped up in their job or their hobbies! Paul is calling on you to take the time to get involved in at least your kids’ lives. Ask your parents how they are doing. Are you really so busy that you can’t get to know some more members in our congregation? At least know their names. Pick their brains a little. Be a little nosy. How else can you rejoice or mourn with someone unless you know about them more? Even if they say they don’t like it - at least they’ll know you care.
II. Think inside the self
This verse may seem like an anchor around your neck. After all, when you reflect on your own selfishness you probably feel guilty and you also may feel like there’s no way you will ever have the time to rejoice with anyone or mourn with anyone because you have enough mourning of your own to worry about. This text is difficult because it grates against our naturally self centered natures. It makes church seem like a burden to many - because after all - we are just such busy people - and we just don’t want people bugging us about not being involved enough, etc.. The last we want is for Paul and the preacher to tell us to start getting involved in other people’s lives. Even the very revelation of this command won’t motivate us to do it either. If only there were some magic button that could be pushed - like the old pinch move of Dr. Spock that would just open up our eyes to the cares of others. There is no magic button.
But the next words give a little insight into how this kind of rejoicing and mourning might come about more. He tells the Romans, Have a common mind set with each other. Another way of translating it could be, “think the same as each other.” The NIV says to “live in harmony with each other.” I don’t like it as much, because the verb definitely conveys the thought process and not the more general idea of “living”. It really is a tall order. I mean, you can train soldiers to walk in lock step with each other. You can train children to stand in line. You can teach them how to do joint recitations in a word for word manner. But how can you get them to think alike? Surely we wouldn’t resort to hypnotism or want our people to be robots who all can be programmed to a certain brainwashing. This is the working of cults. It’s not like you can put a leash around someone’s brain and train with a few electric shocks. The mind is the most complex organ of the body. Yet Paul calls on us to have a common mind set with each other.
How can this be accomplished? Paul’s way is different. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians he was dealing with a congregation that was divided over who they followed. One said, “I follow Paul.” Another claimed discipleship to Cephas. Their minds were not unified. In order to reunite them, he reminded them that they all - each and every one of them - stood under the cross of Christ. As weak and pathetic sinners - each and every one of them were covered in the same righteousness of Christ - through faith. Each and every one of them - no matter how strong or weak - were convinced of this through the working of the same Spirit who lived in each and every one of them. As a result of this working of the Holy Spirit in their hearts and souls he said to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 2:16 that, “We have the mind of Christ.”
The significance of this is deep. Think inside of your self. You and I have a common Entity living with in us and a common Entity covering us. Each and every one of us is covered in the same Christ through baptism and faith. Each and every one of us has the same Holy God living in us through faith and working through us. Paul wrote in Romans 11:36 that “from him and through him and to him are all things.” All that we think, say, and do runs through the same filter - the filter of the Holy Spirit who lives and breathes through us and fills us with a common faith. This faith in Christ fills all of our hearts, souls and minds with the same basis for joy, peace, patience and kindness. This righteousness of Christ naturally draws us outside of ourselves. We all read from the same Scriptures. We all confess to a common faith. It is only natural that if we are filled with the same Spirit through the same baptism - that we will have common thoughts. It is only natural that if we read from the same Word - that we will have similar goals. It is only natural that if we take the same living body and blood together at the same table, that we will be united with each other.
If this is all true - then there’s still an elephant in the closet that we need to address. How come we don’t find ourselves rejoicing with those who rejoice? How come we don’t mourn with those who mourn? Paul had to rebuke the Corinthians and finally say to them in 1 Corinthians 14:20, “Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.” There’s an educational process that needs to take place in the Christian. When we are baptized, we are made 100% Christian. God looks at us like 100% Christ, 100% holy, 100% perfect. The Holy Spirit dwells in all of us - weak or strong - through faith in Chrisst. The problem comes when we don’t think about it - dwell on it - and learn more about it.
Let me use an example. Most of us have probably spoiled ourselves with digital cameras. Chances are, if you have one of these things - I would bet that most of you use only one setting on it - the most basic one. Yet the camera has many more features - panoramic, dark settings, action settings, even miniature movies that can be used. It has three different levels of clarity that it can be set to. But most of us are too lazy to read about it. We just use the most basic setting. This is where we remain in our Christianity. We don’t think about the whole deal about this baptism we have. We don’t think about the fact that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead dwells in us. We continue to cling to the cross - but leave it at that. We don’t think about the fact that God’s Spirit can work through us to tame our tongue, make us more loving spouses, more patient parents - yes - I’ll say it - “better” people. The ability to be like minded will naturally come when we dwell on the same Word and let the same Holy Spirit work through His Word. So God encourages each and every one of us to bring our brains along for the ride. Think about what you have in Christ and live with it.
III. Think under the self
When we begin thinking alike with the same Spirit working through all of our minds, it makes our goals and our minds united and completely different from that of the world. Paul said of them in Philippians 3:19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. Earthly things - that people think about - tend to be measured by how powerful or successful they are. Americans revolve their lives and their savings around how much money they will have for retirement. It’s all about getting ahead. They choose friends who are not needy - but who will help them reach their goals. Every thing that they choose to do and take time with revolves around what THEY want and whether it will help them get there. The sad thing is that this worldly mind set is even promoted within Christianity. In the drive to be successful and positive, you will read many so called Christian living books that encourage you to only hang around with positive people. The specific advice will be to steer clear of those who will drain you of your time and have lots of problems. The thinking is that these people will make you think and feel negative - and you just don’t want that. What it inevitably ends up turning into is a seemingly heavenly kind of country club - where the rich hang out with the rich and the poor are left with the poor.
Paul’s thinking is completely different from that. Listen again to what he says. He says to “think the same as each other, not by thinking about lofty things (with pride), but by submitting yourself to those who have been brought down with grief. Do not be wise in your own eyes.” Think under the self. Isn’t this a perfect description of what Christ did for us? He who came from the heavens and who had a heavenly wisdom and had the angels at his beck and call had nothing to worry about in regards to Himself. So He came to this earth to care for US. He literally put Himself in our shoes and submitted his life for us - who had been brought down with sin. Instead of condemning us as a bunch of sniveling losers - He had compassion on us and looked at us as sheep without a shepherd. He healed our sick. He raised our dead. He took on our sin. Instead of thinking about how He could be served, He served us with His own life. In the end, God raised Him from the dead and declared Him victorious - just as Jesus knew He would. His holinness and perfect faith enabled Him to serve us with a perfect and selfless dedication.
In light of that sacrifice, you have the most wonderful and lofty titles put upon you. God calls you kings and priests. Out of all of the damned world, you are now called a holy saint. You are given privileges of talking directly to God and he promises to hear you. You are promised that you will be amply provided for. This is not something to brag about or feel superior about. It’s just something that frees your mind. You don’t have to worry about trying to impress God. You don’t have to feel the pressure to meet up to a holy standard. You don’t have to cling to your goods and think that your future is solely in your hands. You don’t have to care about whether you have a prestigious position in the eyes of the world or not. Now you are free to think about those who have been brought down with grief - those under your self. You don’t need to surround yourself with successful people, because you have the greatest success in the world - the promise of the resurrection. Now you can dedicate your life to helping those who are suffering and dying. You can focus your life on bringing others to the light who are living in darkness. Instead of looking at them as people who are getting what’s coming to them, you will look at them as people who need guidance and direction. Instead of worrying about all of your troubles and trials, you can start thinking about the sorrow and despair they must have without Christ. You can begin to help other Christians bear the burden of sickness, loss and sorrow. If they ask you to go with them one mile, you can offer to go two with them.
Sometimes when people are married, they are asked whether they will stick with each other “for better or worse, for richer or poorer - in sickness and in health.” Many don’t think about the implications of this promise, however. You are pledging yourself to someone whom you have no control over. I know of a man who married a woman who ended up with a severely debilitating mental illness. A majority of his life has been spent taking care of his wife and children. Many men in his position would have run for the hills because they never would have wanted such an arrangement. Yet I’ve never heard him complain about it. Throughout these years he has not traded in his marriage for a new and improved and healthy woman. I’m sure his wife appreciates it deeply. It was part of the promise he made to his wife.
When we are married to Christ - we are also then by this connection also intimately connected to all of Jesus’ other “brides”. Some are lazier than us. Some are more needy. Some are better off than us. Yet Jesus loves us all the same and promises to provide for each and every one of us with what we need. He tells us to first and foremost look outside of our selves to Christ - to see what a wonderfully gracious groom we have who sends His Holy Spirit inside of us. Instead of segregating ourselves, our Heavenly Bridegroom calls on us to unite together and work together - to be willing to help each other - especially the weak. Instead of acting like Hagar and Sarah, He asks us to rejoice with each other. Cry with each other. Think about each other. Have the same mind set. Think outside your self. Think inside your self. Think under your self. Amen.