|  |  | |  |   | | | Response to the Grace John Lusk - Friday, December 15, 2000
Romans 12:1 - 16:27
He has completed the doctrinal part of his text and now is giving a practical outline. This is the Gospel according to Paul. He has dealt with so much, and it is so well written that it must be from God.
He was more concerned with the roots than the fruits. He has laid the foundation and now goes on to answer a few questions. He deals with two main questions:
1. How should the people respond to this?
2. And how do we remain under the grace of God?
1. Commitment to God
Romans 12:1
The following comments are based on the first 11 chapters:
- “Therefore” always leads into something important. It is a transition word.
- “I urge you” means he is really serious that we should do the following things.
- Why should we do what we do? In view of God’s mercy (shown in the first 11 chapters).
- Do you see Gods’ mercy? The first 11 chapters should have really laid that out. He urges them to offer their bodies as living sacrifices.
- Offer means not forced or compelled to.
- Why offer? Out of appreciation for what God has done.
- Don’t make people chase you or twist your arm, offer to change.
- Offer what? Our bodies – physically, time, strength, emotions, priorities, dreams, family, money, etc.
- God should take over our lives.
- What area of your life are you not offering? Family, kids, hobbies, money?
- You are withholding it from God not the church.
- You are cheating God.
- Is the way you’re living thanking God?
- Living sacrifices – not just once but daily. Living sacrifices try to get off the altar, which makes them much more difficult, yet much more valuable.
- Holy – set apart, pleasing to God.
- Why do we sacrifice? To clean our conscious? To try and please leaders? Because it is the right thing to do? Or to please God?
- This is our act of worship. Spiritual act of worship is the way we live each day all day.
- Living like this keeps us under grace.
- In verse 2, Paul uses the word, “conform.” The root is the word schema. An external assemblance – don’t just try and fit in on the outside.
- Don’t be a Chameleon- fitting in with whatever background.
- We all struggle with this. Not just teens, campus, singles, or marrieds.
- We want our kids to conform into the patterns of this world.
- In what ways do we conform? Patterns of purity, materialism, apathy, laziness, commitment to God, religion?
- Be transformed, not conformed. Morphe – root= the outside and inside.
- Then we can test and approve God’s will for our lives.
2. Relationship with others.
Romans chapters 12-16
All three chapters talk about relationships with people. If we are going to remain in each other we need to have:
A. A Spiritual family
- Be humble – be helped by and help anyone. Almost every problem in relationships is a result of pride. Humility is so important in all relationships.
- Be unified – It is so crucial to Bible Talks. In the eyes of Heaven, we belong to each other. People are absent when they don’t feel like they belong.
- Apply 12:9-21 to all relationships! We need to love our spiritual family and then governmental authorities.
B. Governmental authorities
- It was harder to love authorities back then because it was a dictatorship.
- God is really in control of it all. Paul didn’t try and change the social system but he tried to get them to be the best Christians within their social systems. We are in a democracy and we do have a role and a voice. We should stand up by voting etc.
C. Weaker Christians
- Read 14:1 – Don’t pass judgment on disputable matters! There is room for disagreement in some things.
- Read Vs. 10,13,19,21, 15:1,5-6, 7.
- When you are fired up about grace you give grace to others!
- People who have hurt you – Do you give them grace back like you expect from God?
- If people don’t feel grace from us and their faith is weak then they don’t feel grace from God.
D. Addresses Friends
- Ch. 16 – an entire chapter on relationships.
- Paul had never been to Rome, yet he had many relationships with them.
- He knows a lot about each one of them. He doesn’t just list them and greet them together.
- He knows both the women and men.
- Many of them are his relatives who became Christians.
- Nothing helps people get strong better than relationships.
- It encourages people so much to show them that you care about them and the work they are doing for the Lord.
- He really worked at trying to find a way to make people feel special.
- Find a way to encourage everyone. | | |
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