SERMON - BE ONE THAT ACCEPTS OTHER CHRISTIANS

Be one who Accepts

Other

Christians

Are you accepting other Christians or are you making decisions that are not so very Christian? Are you the member of a denomination that extends God’s loving mercies to everyone who says, “I am a Christian, “and seeks to pray with you?

To be really truthful you will have to admit that most evangelical denominations do not extend God’s tender, loving mercies to each other or to any groups that have split off from them. I have witnessed Southern Baptist Pastors, Catholic Priests, and Pentecostal Pastors that refuse to accept each others as Christian groups and sadly will not speak with an open mind about their differences.

It is not abnormal to say that a vast number of white church groups do not extend God’s love to black church groups and visa versa. Often Spanish, Puerto Rican and other ethnic groups are not seen as worthy of  God’s love from either white or black church groups nor do they, themselves, extend God’s love to churches outside of their own ethnic groups.

A white man walks into a black church and immediately feels that he is an interloper. I black man walks into a white church and is shunned. Each hears, whether spoken or just felt as if, ‘This is not your place. You are not welcome here.’ This is not only in the south, it happens everywhere.

Many Christians seek to limit God’s love and refuse to accept a prostitute, a person suffering from AIDS, alcoholics, homosexuals, drug addicts, or anyone that does not appear to conform to what they think a Christian should be or even look like.

To say it clearly, there are biases in our hearts that over the years have carved out borders of prejudice. Often we are not even aware of these prejudices until suddenly, they are in our faces. Suddenly you are confronted with a person that says, “I am a Christian,” and you doubt his words for no reason at all other than his appearance or perceived grouping.

To get a somewhat honest viewpoint why not ask those about you if you seem to be accepting of those types of persons I named. Don’t just ask fellow church goers, ask family members, co-workers, neighbors, and friends and encourage an honest response.

There is no centralized group that can be said to encompass all Christians. There are denominations that are Christian that do not accept one another, there are non-denominational groups that do not accept denominational groups, and the list goes on.

To all churches I say, if you do not accept your brother Christian, the Holy Spirit will have nothing to do with you. You will have lost the anointing God blessed you with. Any church group that will ordain or marry gays, that will preach tolerance of sin, and refuse to teach the necessity of repentance will be seen by God as ‘an old wineskin.’ Church groups that will not preach God’s gospel just as it is written in the Bible will be seen as a blind person and in need of God’s forgiveness if they will but repent from their ways.

At a time in history when we are facing the hordes set on destroying us we must regain our true Christianity. Look at what the followers of Islam are promising us. ‘Convert to Islam or die.’ That is their offer; their demand! All over the world Christians are being persecuted. They face imprisonment, torture, are debased and beheaded. All this happened as we fail to accept a Christian that we just cannot seem to accept as a true brother or sister in Christ.

Each true Christian is a part of the Body of Christ. Each person who has accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior is a brother. Each person who has made Jesus Christ her personal Savior is a sister in Christ. It is each of our Christian duty to extend love and encouragement and seek to comfort every Christian we come into contact with.

Drop your prejudices, drop your preconceived notions of failure to accept people that are not exactly like you but are servants of Christ. God is the judge of what is in a man’s heart, not us. God knows the truth and expects each of us to; love thy neighbor as you love yourself.

If your church group is visited by another Christian, welcome him/her. Love and encourage him/her and comfort that person. Accept the fact that just as you are, he or she is a sinner to! Treat that person as a guest in your own home; after all, it is your home, isn’t it?

To be clear in meaning I say to each of you, Christianity is NOT a religion as Christianity IS a relationship with Christ!

(Closing prayer)

Heavenly Father, before we ask anything of You we would first like to tell You that we thank You for all You have given us over our lifetimes and tell You how much we love You. You have given us more than we can even acknowledge in our mere human thought. Father, we praise You and sing of glory to You.

Our next request is for Your forgiveness for our sins. Cloak us in robes of white so that we can be seen as worthy of being in Your Awesome Presence. Father assist is in accepting other servants that have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and change our hearts and minds. It is Your will to be done, not ours. Be with us and strengthen us in our resolve to do You will.

Father, we ask that You send Your angels to protect our military and that You be in their hearts and deliver them from fear as they enter harms way. Be with our elected officials and enter their hearts as You direct them to perform a job that will be a benefit to their constituents. Protect our Christian brothers and sisters at home and abroad. 

These things we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is One with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever,

Amen, amen, and amen

-- 

Pastor Lee S Gliddon Jr
God's Word Christian Ministry
Conservative Patriot http://conpats.blogspot.com