Impacting The World Around You

The Picture so far

Romans 12:1 Total Surrender to God

Romans 12:2 The Spirit comes in and life change begins - Thinking changes, a renewed mind, proving the will of God

Romans 12:3 Come to grips with the real you, looking under the mask

Romans 12:4-8 Your place in the body, gifted by God

Romans 12:9-13 Outward change contiunes in the creation of authentic community.

Authentic community where the real you shows up to meet real needs for the right reason in the right way!

Getting in a life group where life change can happen!

Today the picture will reveal how we can impact the world around us.

Romans 12:14–21 NASB 2020

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 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. 17 Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. 19 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. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

So are you ready for the message God has for us today?

Cool, let’s begin

All week our children have been learning about how they can make waves.

They learned that Jesus is the great wave maker.

Learning how our life can send waves into the world around us.

This is the subject that Paul is teaching us here.

This is the picture of how you can impact the world around you all because you gave your life in surrender to God.

Blessing and Rejoicing when it is not easy

Verses 14-15

The two blesses in this verse are commands! These are not a suggestion this action is a response to a command!

Think about this how easy is it to bless someone who is persecuting you?

Yet this is the response when your life is totally surrendered to God.

This does not mean that we can’t make a stand, but we don’t condemn them to hell either!

We don’t curse them. Think about it, I think they want us mad and cursing because they can through it right back in our face!

We should be praying for them. Praying that they would find Jesus!

Then in the same the sentence Paul says rejoice and weep with them.

It is east to to do it with those in church but how much harder those outside the church!

Back to the way we think!

Verse 16

Be of the same mind, do not be haughty, and associate with, are tied directly with the actions of rejoicing and weeping in verse 15.

Paul also brings us right back to having the right thinking about who we are and our place in the body together.

We are to be of the same mind, don’t thinking to highly of yourself!

We should be associating with the humble!

Don’t be unwise in your estimation of yourself!

This is a command!

I find it interesting that in this chapter this is the second time Paul has brought it up!

A response to evil

Verses 17-18

Think about this response, how counter cultural this response is REALLY DEVELOP THIS IMAGE

Instead as far as depends on us be at peace. This does not require anything of the other person, this is required of us!

WOW! Not that easy!

Especially when we have not surrendered to Christ!

Overcome Evil with Good

Verses 19-21

How easy is that?

It is not our place to judge and condemn people!

It is not our place to take revenge or vengeance on anyone!

It is our place though to return the evil thrown at us with good!

We are commanded here to leave room for the wrath of God.

Leave this to Him! There is true justice only with God!

The reality is what is written in the quote Paul gives, “Vengeance is mine I will repay” -

Deuteronomy 32:35 Septuagint

The Lexham English Septuagint (Chapter 32)

In a day of vengeance I will repay,when their foot slips,for the day of destruction to them is near,and their lot is presently prepared for you.’

This quote tells us that revenge and vengeance belong in hand's of God.

Instead we respond to evil with Good - verse 20

I found this interesting passage in one of my commentaries regarding the coals of fire.

William Klassen has made a detailed examination, “The interpretation so widely accepted by interpreters that the coals of fire refer to shame, remorse, or punishment lacks all support in the text.” He points to a custom attested in Egyptian literature whereby a penitent person carried coals of fire in a bowl on his head and to contacts between Proverbs and Egyptian writings and says, “In the Egyptian literature and in Proverbs the ‘coals of fire’ is a dynamic symbol of change of mind which takes place as a result of a deed of love.” Whether we prefer to go along with Moffatt or with Klassen, there can be no doubt that Paul is referring to the change in the enemy which deeds of love effect. As Barrett, Bruce, and Barclay all say in one form or another, we should use deeds of love to turn the enemy into a friend.

This really does seem to fit with what Paul is saying.

The deed of love to turn an enemy into a friend I really like that.

Conclusion

So again not one thing in the context of Romans 12 is possible without first laying our lives on the altar before God

Give him everything, hold nothing back

This is the picture of Romans 12,

The actions and responses are only possible with the Spirit’s activity in our life!

Living a life God can bless, a surrendered life is one that brings impact to the world around us!