The need for love

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INTRODUCTION

We’re going to skip review questions tonight because it has been a couple weeks since we have been in Romans.

But as way of reminder our last time together, we talked about spiritual gifts.

We’ll finish up chapter 12 tonight and just cover some random topics Paul kind of compiles in here together.

Love to those inside the church

Romans 12:9–13 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”

“Don’t just pretend to love others, really love them”

“Let love be without hypocrisy”.

A hypocrite is someone who puts on a mask and plays a part. Like going on stage and performing in a play. During that play they play the role, when the play is over they take off their mask and go back to bei g themselves.

Paul says do not love like that. We must not pretend to love others while we’re around them.

Love isn’t about feeling a certain way about someone, it is about what we do.

You can love someone you are not that crazy about by your actions.

“Strongly hate what is evil, hold tightly to what is good”

“abhor” is the translation of the greek and it means to detest something. It means to hate something with a passion.

And what are we to hate? Evil…

What is evil? Evil is doing anything that goes against God’s standard. It is anything that goes against Jesus’ preaching. It is the opposite of good. And it is what the Bible calls evil or wickedness not man

But in conjunction with that we are cling to what is good

It means to be attached to it. Be the person who always does what is good and what is right no matter what the consequences

Turning from evil will always involve turning toward good and clinging to it

These actions go hand in hand

“Be devoted to one another in love”

The word devoted here is the same kind of devotion that family members have toward one another.

It is so very tempting for us to prioritize our blood relatives over our faith family, but the opposite is true. We are to be just as devoted to our church family as we are our blood relatives.

In fact, Jesus demonstrated even more so: MATTEW 12:48-50

Matthew 12:48–50 “But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.””

“Honor others above yourself” (v 10)

(v 10) says: “give preference to one another in honor”

That is prefer another over yourself. The call here is to see others as more valuable than ourselves

What a difficult thing to do. To see others as more important than ourselves

This means we should have humble servant attitude not seeking to get honor for ourselves, but give it to others

Ex: Those who do this well will not draw attention to their good deeds, but draw people’s attention to others good deeds

Be quick to praise others achievements

Give people a listening ear because their words have importance than our own

Let others go in front of you their time is more important

Let others have the better seat in the church

An so on

“Don’t be lazy when it comes to serving the Lord, but do so with enthusiasm” (v 11)

Question: What does this have to do with loving people inside the church?

And when we talk about loving people, cant laziness do the opposite? It puts an extra burden on everyone else.

All service in the church body is done is ministry for the Lord.

Childrens church

teaching

preaching

taking out the trash

cooking

cleaning

singing

praying

leading

encouraging

All of this is serving the Lord. And our spiritual gifts are to be used to build up the church

“Rejoice in Christian hope”

What is Christian hope?

It is knowing that God controls the future. And that strictly belongs to Christians. No one else can say that.

And if God controls the future, then no matter what the circumstance we fin d ourselves in, we can rejoice

“Persevere in difficulties”

Persevere means to “endure”, “not give up”.

How do we persevere in difficulties?

Because of Christian hope. If God controls the future, then our hope is based upon God not upon the difficulties

“Be devoted in prayer”

This is also connected to the previous two exhortations because prayer is our hope expressed in faith to God.

When one is in a trial, he prays, and he prays because he has Christian hope

A diligent prayer life is the only way to handle the worries of this world

Share what you have with believers who have needs” (v 13)

Now thats pretty straight forward, and not to be overlooked. We have a responsibility to one another, to help when there is a need.

One common thing with this is that those who have needs will never tell anyone.

So we need to not neglect seeing needs and then stepping up to meet those needs

“Practice hospitality”

Invite someone over to your home, let them come over and eat dinner with you, be hospitable toward others

Today we can be so individualistic, lock ourselves inside our homes as if we are all on our own

You may never know what a simple invite to dinner can do for another person who is lonely and has no one

Love to those Outside the church

Romans 12:14–21 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

“Bless those who harass you because of your faith”

Persecute is something that makes us think happened 2,000 years ago but no one is persecuted today.

But persecute does not mean to kill though it could lead to that. It means to harass someone for their beliefs.

And if you stand firmly with Christ, you will be persecuted

And the natural reaction is to retaliate, but this says to bless

Question: What does it mean to bless?

It could mean to do something kind toward them or it can mean to ask a special favor from God upon that person

What a radical idea! Someone harasses you because of your faith, and you pray to God for something good to happen to them or do something good to them yourself

Imagine the impact this would have among those around you who are lost

How counter-culture to bless those who curse you

And bright would that light be in this dark world

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep”

QUESTION: Which one is easier for you?

QUESTION: Why do you think that is? ENVY

When good things happen to people, rejoice with them! Don’t be jealous or envious, rejoice! Celebrate! Thank God for them

And weep with those who weep. Be empathetic toward others! This is much easier for us. We are all quick to show sympathy in the difficulties of others, but very slow to rejoice when something good happens to others.

“Live in harmony with others”

We should be people who are easy to get along with. We should be people who do not cause big uproars or trouble makers. We shouldn’t be people are stirring the pot and looking for a fight. Live in harmony.

Along with that Paul says, associate with the lowly. That is the people who are less popular, less liked, less important according to the world’s standards.

God made everyone in His image and therefore we all have the same value.

To see someone less because of their economic status, or looks, or anything else is worldly and wicked.

“Be humble not proud”

Humble means lowly. Not the most important. Have an honest estimation of yourself

“Do not be wise in your own estimation”

If anyone thinks he is wise, he is probably a fool, for true wisdom requires humility

“Never repay evil for evil”

We are to never do what was done to us. That’s the world’s system. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.

But its not that way with believers. When someone does something evil to you, you never repay them with evil

QUESTION: What should you do?

“Do what is right in the sight of others”

· QUESTION: What do you think it means to do what is right??

Right is always what God says is right regardless of what culture says. We can do good and it not be right. But we cannot do what is right and it also not be good.

Christians are to be those who the world should see as always doing right. We should be known by this. It should be a shock to see a Christian do wrong

“If possible, be at peace with all men”

“If possible”

All we can do it pursue peace, but if the other person does not want peace then there is nothing that we can do and God will not hold you accountable for another person’a actions.

That being said, if it is possible for you to be at peace with all men, then do it.

Forgive…Let it go…Do not hold that grudge…Do not drag things on….Don’t stay angry

If your enemy is hungry feed him

If he is thirsty give him a drink

Make peace if you can

Matthew 5:9 ““Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

“Leave revenge in God’s hands”

And here is how you let it go, you let God handle it. Vengeance is mine (belongs to God).

When we take vengeance into our own hands, we are putting ourself in the place of God, and make ourselves the judge

“Overcome evil with good”

This summarizes this last section

By doing good to those who hate you, you may very well bring them to repentance

We overcome evil by doing good