08.30.2020 - When it is Difficult

Scripture:

Romans 12:9–21 NLT

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Wrong Way

Do you remember the days when we had to backtrack when we got lost?

The days before “Recalculating”

Taking steps back

Now we just plunge forward and try something new

When was the last time you got really lost? How did you find your way?

Summary: Following Jesus means Loving God and Others when it is difficult.

How do we loved God and others when three road gets difficult or we don't know the way?

3 steps to living the life as a child of God instead of a victim of sin

I. LOVE and HOSPITALITY

Love

The short answer to three steps is love, love, same love some more.

However, that's not the most helpful answer to that question of how to love, especially when it is difficult.

Let's start with how Paul described that love to the Romans in chapter 12

Romans 12:9–13 NLT

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Point 1

Here is love that does not diminish in hardship, but grows all the stronger, moving toward greater degrees of hospitality.

Hospitality

When we think of hospitality, we often think of serving snacks and coffee.

That’s what the wealthy Romans may have thought as well.

How's did Jesus show hospitality?

Jesus got down on his hands and knees and washed his disciples’ feet.

Love that moves to Hospitality BECAUSE -

Isaiah 53:6 NLT

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

All have gone astray

We have been lost ourselves.

Someone got down on their hands and knees and helped us.

So we can help others.

II. LIFE TOGETHER

Romans 12:14–18 NLT

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

We all have our good days and bad days, and some days it probably seems like life would go smoother without certain people in our lives.

We know some of those people by type

We know some of those people by name

God doesn’t think that way.

God’s example of LIFE TOGETHER to witness

John 3:16 NLT

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

God so loved the world

God sends us like he sent Jesus!

Sometimes I hear about Heaven as a place that only certain people can get in.

God put a lot of work into trying to convince us to join Him there.

There’s no price you could pay to earn your way there,

but if we follow Jesus’s model, the object is to bring others with you.

Fishers of men

If we fish for men the way Jesus did, we won’t be too picky about who we share our life with and whose feet we wash.

Jesus was hurt by the choices He made in people

We can expect to be hurt by those we try to love as well.

What do we do then?

III. REDEMPTION

Romans 12:19–21 NLT

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Let God use the wrongs done to us to bring REDEMPTION

This might be the hardest part of Following Jesus in Loving God and Loving Others

It means you don’t have control

It requires faith

Genesis 50:20–21 NLT

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.

Joseph, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good."

Evil is like quicksand.

You can’t survive it by fighting it.

You cannot dig your way out of it.

You need someone to throw you a rope.

Once someone helps you out, you can see that those who throw the most sand are usually the ones trapped in it themsleves.

CTA: