Scripture:
Romans 15:7 (NRSV)
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Open your mind and heart as you read the passage of Scripture aloud and then again quietly to yourself. Listen for God’s word to you.
Observation
As Paul comes to the close of his letter to the Romans, he made one last appeal to the church in Rome to find unity amongst themselves – both Jews and Gentiles – bound together by their unity in Christ and His work. Jesus came for the Jews – and the Gentiles. To receive one another just as they were was pure grace for they would then recognise, but accept one another’s failures and weaknesses. This was exactly how Jesus had received each one of them – and each one of us.
Not one of us is perfect, yet Christ welcomes us into His family as one of His own. He knows our faults. Yet, wanting what is best for us He covers our faults in His love and welcomes us into His heart. This is how Paul urges us to accept, welcome and receive each other. His message is as relevant to the church and to us as individuals in the 21st century as it was to the church and its members in the 1st century.
Icebreaker:
What was your welcome like when you first attended Gracepoint? Briefly share that occasion with the group. How did it make you feel?
Application
- When did you last feel really welcomed? What made your welcome so special?
- Can you accept Christ’s welcome to you and His acceptance of you? What, if any, are the challenges you face in this regard?
- Paul wrote : Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God
- How do His words make you feel about the welcome you offer to others? Does the welcome you offer in your own home to your family members and friends differ in spirit to the way you welcome strangers in your church environment? If so how and why? Does it reflect the face of Jesus? Share with the group anything you think Paul’s words encourage you to change in the way you welcome people in either environment.
- Does the level of your welcome depend on who you are welcoming? How does it change if a person is very poor; has a bad reputation; is someone you have previously disagreed with; is different from you in some way? Who do you find it most difficult to welcome? Why?
- When you see someone standing alone outside the church before or after the service, do you
– Pretend you haven’t seen them?
– Nod a greeting and move on to your own friends?
– Go up to them and introduce yourself and find out who they are?
– Invite them to join a group of your friends to have coffee and meet some people? - Why do you think you respond in this way?
- How does the idea that your welcome will bring glory to God affect how you feel about the welcome you offer to others? How can you, as individuals and as a group, be more welcoming? What would it cost you to do so – in courage, in effort, in sacrifice of your own space and time, etc?
- What would Jesus do to welcome someone new? How do you think He would respond to your welcoming attitude?
- How can the group help you with the struggles you have mentioned during this session?
Prayer
Pray for one another in regard to the issues that have been raised during your discussion time, and in regard to other needs of the group.
Service
Wherever you are this week, look for people who are new and reach out a hand of welcome to them. Ask Jesus to help you if this is a struggle for you. Remember (and memorise) Paul’s words in Romans 15:7:
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God
Report back to the group next week with how you felt and what happened.
Bibliography
Barclay, William. The Letter to the Romans, The Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, 1983
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