Kissing In Church
Rom 16:16
(use greeter badge as object lesson)
Right now, I imagine that Paul is really disliking me. Last week he had to read all those names in
the first 15 verses, and today, Adam just has to read this verse!
My first “real kiss” was in church. I liked a girl from church and she liked me,
but her parents didn’t. They always
wanted her to get together with my little brother. So we had to be sneaky in our dating. We would hold hands on the way to youth activities and youth
rallies and I found this nice quiet storage room in the back of the church
where I got that first real kiss. Hey,
I was just doing what the Bible said!
What did Paul have in mind when he wrote verse 16? You might be a little surprised.
PRAYER
I. Bible
As Our Guide
A.
The Bible is our book of doctrine
1.
So many churches have a book of doctrine that they look to as
they talk about their church beliefs.
2.
In some respects that’s not a bad idea to have written down
you basic beliefs.
3.
Where I have a problem with these churches is that they look
at that book of doctrine either as important as the Bible or in some cases MORE
important than the Bible.
4.
We have no other book but the Bible for our doctrinal beliefs.
B.
How the Bible shapes our beliefs
1.
We believe that when God directly tells us to do something in
scripture, we need to be doing it.
a)
Matt 28:19-20 is a good example READ
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age.”(NIV)
b)
From this we know that as Christians we need to spread the
gospel, the necessity of Baptism, and the need to continue to teach once they
have given their lives to Christ.
2.
We believe we should follow the examples of Christ and the
apostles.
a)
Acts 20:7 shows us that they took the Lord’s Supper on the
first day of the week.
b)
That’s why we have the practice of communion every first day.
c)
Our desire is to follow God as closely as we know how.
C.
Interesting concept
1.
Now that I have laid out how important the Bible is to what we
do and believe as a church, let me blow you mind with something you may have
never thought about before.
2.
This isn’t the only passage telling us to greet each other
with a kiss!
a)
1 Pet 5:14 - Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to
all of you who are in Christ.(NIV)
b)
1 Thess 5:26 - Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.(NIV)
c)
1 Cor 16:20 - All the brothers here send you greetings. Greet
one another with a holy kiss.(NIV)
d)
2 Cor 13:12 - Greet one another with a holy kiss.(NIV)
3.
Wow! 5 times we are told to greet each other with a holy kiss.
..But we don’t do that
4.
Are we going against all we claim about our following the
Bible by not doing this practice?
5.
Let’s look at this greeting a little closer.
II. Greeting
With A Holy Kiss
A.
Understanding the importance of greeting each other
1.
We always look at the word kiss in this passage, blush, and
then look away.
2.
Let’s look first at the first word mentioned, “greet”
3.
Strong’s dictionary says this was a special greeting to
welcome joyously.
4.
It also said that in the East it is practiced by those of like
faith, but never between rival groups or faiths.
5.
So this is more than just saying hi or waving at someone, it
was a deeper more intimate gesture.
6.
That’s something to think about in today’s crazy world.
a)
How many of you have a cell phone?
b)
Voicemail?
c)
Email?
d)
Instant messenger?
e)
Yet with all these ways to connect with each other, we are
becoming more and more isolated.
7.
Even the way you greeted someone often showed that
relationship.
a)
You had a formal greeting of words.
b)
You had a greeting of a kiss on each cheek and was how most of
the greetings were done and still are done in the East.
c)
Kiss on the mouth that showed true affection for someone, but
not erotic affection.
d)
Most scholars believe this was the kind of kiss that Judas
gave Jesus when he betrayed him.
8.
Greeting is taking the time to slow down, touch each other,
and acknowledge each other as special.
B.
Do we greet each other as we should?
1.
Our greeter badges identify those who welcome people into our
building.
2.
It’s a nice touch, but do we really greet each other?
3.
Do we warmly welcome each other with something more than a
mere nod and hello?
4.
Do we greet everyone with a show of acceptance?
5.
We need to show a warm welcome to our guests and we do a good
job of that, but greeting each other should go beyond a warm welcome of a
visitor.
6.
We need to greet each other as close friends or family members
because as fellow Christians, that exactly what we are!
7.
It’s not based on your social standing, race, or anything but
being part of the family of God.
8.
It’s a gesture that is to be universal in the church, not just
our clique of friends.
9.
This greeting that Paul and Peter mention 5 times is about
acceptance of all within the church not just those who are like us.
10.
That’s where we can grow.
Caring about all of our spiritual family not just our little group of
friends.
C.
Holy Kiss
1.
I can see you still want to know about that kissing part, so
I’ll fill you in.
2.
First, and I know this will be a great disappointment to the
young men here; it’s not what I did in the back room of the church building.
3.
Paul defines this greeting with the word “holy.” enough said.
4.
Kissing in the Eastern world is much like our chaste hug or
grasping a handshake with both hands.
5.
Both those gestures show closeness to the other person.
D.
Conclusion
1.
Paul tells these Christians to greet one another.
2.
At the end of the verse he tells them that all the churches of
Christ greet them.
3.
Family, acceptance, closeness, inclusive.
4.
We come into the gathering of brothers and sisters in Christ
with one of two attitudes, “I am here” or “there you are!”
5.
two TOTALLY different ways of greeting.
6.
Do we need to do more kissing in church?