Living in God's Will - Romans 12-13
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To say that we are living in troubling times is an understatement.
Covid-19 has disrupted our lives for almost an entire year
There is unrest in our society with continue riots
There is political unrest, with anger and bitterness and vengeance being called for on all sides.
Vaccine distribution is turning out to be political, with those who need it finding it hard to get, and others who are getting it, that do not fit within the category of those who should be getting it first.
The media has demonstrated for years that they cannot be trusted. They put out what fits their agenda.
Social media cannot be trusted, with conspiracy theories, and cancellation of voices that do not follow the agendas.
Our government leaders have repeatedly demonstrated that they are truly only out for themselves, dictating mandates for everyone, and then being caught on hot mics, or out in public not following their own rules
There is fury over people who don’t wear masks, and there is fury over people wearing masks.
We are told masks work, and yet they also say masks only give you a 30% less chance of catching the virus.
Our own governor caught the virus and said that even following precautions does not mean you will not get the virus.
With all of the precautions, COVID infections rose over the last months.
There are inaccurate reportings of infections and deaths.
Yet, the virus is real, and it does spread
The riots and agendas are real
The Equality Act is coming, which is designed to remove religious liberty protections, and promote the LBGTQ+ agenda.
Who can you believe?
How should we be living?
People are anxious
People are angry
People are depressed
People need hope
How should we be living in these days, as Christians?
I am coming to you today, as a fellow believer who has to struggle through these issues just like you.
I am coming to you today to look into God’s Word
I am convinced that God has given us everything we need for holiness and godliness.
His Word is sufficient.
His Word does reveal to us how we should live.
His Word shows us what God’s will is for us, today
I want to open up the Word and talk through it with you.
We are looking at Romans 12-13 today.
Let’s open our Bibles, and begin in Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
These past weeks we have focused on the basic truths of our faith
We saw our sinfulness against a Holy God
We saw God is Just, and Hates sin and the sinner
We saw that God is wrathful, and will punish sin
We saw that God is compassionate and merciful, patient, not wanting any to perish
We saw God demonstrating His love by sending Jesus to take our sin upon Himself, that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him.
We saw that God makes our salvation possible, because it is as simple as receiving His gift of eternal life by believing Him.
We saw that God has freed those who believe from the penalty of sin, and from the power of sin — we are not to live as slaves any longer but as His children
In view of everything that is at the foundation of our faith, we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
Not just our minds. But our bodies. That gets away from the theoretical, to the practical of living in a sacrificial way.
We sacrifice our agendas. We sacrifice our desires. And we follow Him.
As Jesus said,
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
We talked extensively about this in our Fan or Follower series of sermons.
Remember Jesus said we MUST deny ourselves, our agendas and desires.
We MUST take up our cross daily and follow Him.
That is what we need to do today, with all that is going on.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The pattern of this world is to think only of what I want
The pattern of this world is to fight for what I want
The pattern of this world is to fight against what I do not want
The pattern of this world is to hate those who hate you.
Or, as Jesus described it,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.
If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
We need to not conform to that pattern.
What is God’s pattern?
We need to have our minds renewed to think God’s way
We need to know that God’s will is
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;
if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
We cannot think highly of ourselves, we must remain humble
We need to view ourselves in light of what God says.
By the grace of God we are who and what we are!
It is not because of our superior intelligence or logic.
It is His grace and gifting.
We need to remember that we are a body, we need each other
We need to use our gifts to help one another
We need to be in fellowship, encouraging and exhorting one another
God has given me the gift and role of pastor/teacher.
I need to use my gifts for the body.
God has given each of you a gift and role to play to help the others in the body.
We all need to use our gifts
As the pastor / teacher
I know that you won’t all agree with what I say, or the direction I lead us to go as a church.
However, I need to fulfill my role
I need to teach and lead
As the Lord said to Ezekiel,
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.
In the context, a watchman was one who was to give warning when the enemy was seen coming
if the watchman did not warn, the people’s blood was on his head
I am the watchman.
The enemy is coming.
The enemy is the enemy of our souls
He seeks to steal, kill and destroy
He has been heavily at work
I want to point you to the Word of God, the Truth
Please hear what God says
What are we doing?
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Just like Jesus’ words in Matthew 5
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Didn’t Jesus do good to those who wanted to harm him?
Didn’t he heal the ear of the servant of the High Priest when they came to arrest Him?
Didn’t he die for their sins?
Didn’t the Spirit continue to convict so that during the time of the apostles, many priests eventually became believers? Acts 6:7
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.
For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
We need to remember that this is flowing right out of Romans 12
This is following upon loving enemies, blessing those who persecute you
Submit to authority
God established them - all through history God has used even evil authorities to further His purposes, and in the end will punish all who do not acknowledge him - Habakkuk
Because we submit to God
Examples:
Joseph
David
Prophets - Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Isaiah
Daniel
Esther
Nehemiah
Peter
Paul
Jesus
But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Love is the standard.
Love for neighbor
Love for the Lord
That is why, in some cases, it is appropriate to disobey authorities, in order to obey the Lord and love our neighbor
So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous.
And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!
As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!
His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.