The Jesus Effect / Romans 12:11-13

Is your heart open to let Jesus change you? If not, why come here?

You can be entertained watching TV. You can make friends playing sports or joining a club.

I believe that you’re here because you are open to Jesus’ influence in your life. That’s why I’m here.

When we speak of Jesus, we are not talking about a dead religious founder. We are talking about a man who claimed to be the Savior of the world and backed it up by rising from the dead.

If you claimed to come to Ironbridge by swimming through a muddy river, but arrived with no mud on your clothes, I wouldn’t believe you.

In a similar way, if you claim to follow Jesus, the impact should be visible.

Tonight we are going to talk about three ways that show the effect Jesus has had on our lives.

Zeal

11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

The word “zeal” has a PR problem. When you hear “zeal” what images come to mind? I think of radical crusaders. It may be tempting to think that to be zealous is to chase people around with a bible until they convert, “hiyah!”.

For us to properly understand what Paul is teaching, let’s remember the setting of this encouragement. If you are a Christian, you are filled with God’s Spirit and have love for him. He has given you unique gifts to use to build up his church. A community where you belong.

So we are called to be zealous about teaching others love. Zealous about meeting practical needs that bring healing. Zealous about helping to organize an event. Zealous about serving.

Whatever you are gifted to do, you are called to do that well.

And it should be easy to find motivation because it is the Lord that we are serving.

One of my mentors told me a story about my dad’s attitude of serving. My dad was a seminary professor. One evening the seminary was going to host a banquet. He and his students were going to serve the guests. When the time arrived to wait the tables, none of the students moved. So my dad, their professor, grabbed a towel and began to serve the guests himself.

Jesus lowered himself to serve us, so none of us are above serving.

The word image for ‘be fervent’ is the idea of boiling liquid. Water only begins to boil when it is placed over a heat source. Our source of energy is Jesus. Boiling water is always boiled for a purpose. Our zeal is to be used for the purpose of serving others. When boiling water overflows it becomes dangerous. To be slothful is to waste your gift, but to be overzealous is dangerous for those around you.

Be zealous in your serving. But don’t let that zeal make you weary. Next we will find that Jesus gives us...

Patience

12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Let’s pause for a moment of honesty. Raise your hand if you’re going through some type of trial or tribulation right now. Thank you. Me too.

We need this verse of counsel often, because unfortunately, the constant flavor of life is bitter trouble.

Fortunately though, the Christian’s response to suffering is different than the world’s. It’s the Jesus effect.

How do those who do not have Jesus respond to hard times? Drink more. Escape through social media. Distract yourself. Endure.

Christians can respond in a totally different way.

When Jordyn was struggling with depression, there were times that hope was low, but we were never hopeless. We had trust in the goodness of God and know that a day is coming when our bodies will be free from sickness and pain. Depression sometimes felt like it would never go away, but we had patience because we knew God could get us through the wave. And even when we did not know what to do, we knew that we could talk to God.

Jesus suffered to being us hope, so we can suffer with patience.

Recently, I was studying Ephesians 1. There was a little phrase in reference to prayer that is similar to our phrase, “throat scratch”.

I love how memorable and simple that image is. Cough your prayers. Your prayers do not have to be drawn out or elaborate. God loves to hear from you. Keep the conversation going as the little troubles and blessings flow into your daily life.

Be patient doing your troubles and remember that people around you are going through hardships. The last effect helps us to bring healing to our neighbor....

Hospitality

13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

At the time that Paul was writing this letter to the church at Rome, hotels were expensive, hard to come by, and occasionally dangerous. Christians would open their homes to others to give them a place to stay. We are called to do the same for one another.

But you may be thinking, what does this have to do with me? I’m a teenager! I do not own a home. How can I contribute to anyones needs if I cannot even contribute to my own?

Hospitality is not about what you own. Hospitality is about what you give.

It’s not about entertainment, it’s about encouragement.

Have you noticed that there is a word within the word hospitality. Hospital. When we are hospitable our presence becomes a place of healing and restoration.

Let’s be people that others can come to broken walk away restored.

People come to hurting and walk away helped.

We can be a people of zeal, patience, and hospitality because Jesus was passionate about our salvation, patiently endured the cross, and now invites us to share in his resurrection life.