SERMON: ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW…

I.  Introduction

          -- turn in Bibles to Romans 12:9-13

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

          -- last week, we talked about living in the desert -- on those times in our Christian lives when we seem to be living in dry and dusty places, far from the presence of God -- far from His refreshing springs of life

          -- as we discussed, there are many reasons we might find ourselves in such a place -- sin -- disobedience -- physical exhaustion or spiritual exhaustion from doing too much without taking time to rest and restore our bodies and our spirits -- physical pain or trauma -- being too busy or distracted and turning our attentions to the things of the world rather than God -- moving into a new season of life and finding it difficult to adjust -- all of these can cause us to wander from our relationship with God or put barriers between Him and us and cast us into a spiritual desert of our own making

          -- but the main point of the message was that once we realize we are in the desert, what can we do to get out? -- how do we correct our course and find our way home again?

          -- and we talked about going through the steps of admitting our error that led us there -- of repenting of sin -- of turning back to God in humbleness and submission -- taking time to refresh and renew our bodies and spirits through seeking Him again in His word and in prayer and among His people -- in other words, how should we live and act and move as God’s people in relationship with Him

          -- I wanted to continue this thought today and consider what it means to be a Christian -- what a Christian should look like -- what a Christian should do -- how a Christian should act

          -- Francis Schaeffer answered all of these questions in his classic book from 1976, “How Should We Then Live?” -- and we find the answers throughout scripture, if we will but read

          -- this is nothing new -- it is foundational -- it is basic -- but it is important to be reminded of them from time to time, because we have a tendency to forget

          -- that’s why Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:12, “So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.” -- that’s why, when the people were working on the wall of Jerusalem under Nehemiah, he would gather them together every 30 days to remind them of their reason why -- to restate the vision they were striving for

          -- we need to be reminded of the basics so that we might live them out in our lives -- so that we might not find ourselves in a dry and dusty place -- living in a desert far from the presence of God

          -- with that said, I want to look at a passage here in Romans where the Apostle Paul outlined for us what it means to be a Christian -- how we should live -- what our daily lives should look like

II.  Scripture Lesson (Romans 12:9-14)

          -- we find this passage in Romans 12, starting in verse 9 -- to just give you the context of this passage, Paul wrote this letter to the young church in Rome while he was living in Corinth -- he had never been to Rome -- he had never met with this church -- they were founded about 7 or 8 years earlier, so they were an established group of believers -- but, because they lived in Rome, the seat of earthly power in Paul’s day, these believers were living in a world of constant distraction and temptation -- living in a place that called out to them daily with the lures of power and prestige and wealth and carnal living -- an easy place to become lost spiritually and to find yourself drifting from your faith

          -- so, for that reason, Paul wrote to them this letter that we know as the Book of Romans to walk them through the foundations of their faith and to lay out for them how they should live as Christians -- this book can be thought of as a Christian primer, containing all that we need to live for Christ today

          -- in this short passage we are looking at today, Paul gives us a list of 10 practices we should all adopt and follow in our lives as we seek to follow Christ daily -- we’ll go through each of them separately as we work our way through this passage

          -- look back with me at verse 9, and let’s start there

9 Love must be sincere.

          -- the first practice Paul gives us is that love must be sincere -- love must be real -- it must be free from falsehood or deceit -- it must be characterized by genuine feelings

          -- people know when your actions aren’t real -- when your actions are simply that -- just actions -- just acting -- Paul is saying here that our actions must be driven by true love and honest desires to bless another simply because we desire the best for them

          -- this is the type of love that should define us as Christians -- in John 13:35, Jesus said “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”

          -- the word that Paul uses here is agape -- the highest form of love -- the love of God -- unconditional love -- real love -- honest love -- the love that flows from the Spirit within out to the world around us -- as Barclay put it, a love like this is a pure outgoing of the heart to others

          -- before Paul gets to any other practice that we should take up in our daily lives, he wants us to know that we must put love above all else -- learn to love by knowing love -- learn to love by seeking God’s love through His word and in His presence

          -- second principle -- look back at verse 9

9b. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

          -- if there ever was a word that we needed in our day, this is it -- we live in a time in America where we are asked to not only tolerate the presence of sin in the world, but to celebrate it -- to take pride in it -- evil is applauded in the streets

          -- so Paul reminds here that we are to hate what is evil and to cling to what is good -- that word cling speaks volumes -- it means to hold on tightly to -- it carries with it the thought of holding on to something safe in the midst of a rushing tide -- when I read Paul’s admonition here to “cling to what is good,” I picture a person caught in a rushing river, holding on for dear life to a rock in the middle of the stream or a tree branch that is keeping them from being swept away

          -- that is the message here for us -- we are in the midst of a rushing stream of evil and temptation in this world today -- it would be so easy for us to just get swept away -- so we must cling to that which is good to save ourselves from sin and evil

          -- remember that these are words of instruction for us -- to instruct us in our daily lives -- although it is within our rights to call out the evil in our midst, Paul is not calling us to social justice or to proclaim evil in the world in this passage

          -- no, when he says to hate what is evil, he is speaking of the evil within -- the tendency we all have to turn away from God and His word and to follow our own evil desires -- this message is personal -- for us and no one else -- hate the evil that calls to you -- turn away from this world’s siren song -- and cling to what is good -- cling to God and His word

          -- verse 10

10 Be devoted to one another in love.

          -- earlier, Paul had admonished us to let agape love be the defining force in our lives -- here, Paul uses a different Greek word for love -- philia -- brotherly love

          -- we have done a disservice to people in our Bible studies in relation to the Greek idea of love -- as you know -- as you have been taught -- the Greek recognized several different types of love and used different words for them -- agape -- philia -- eros -- storge -- you’ve heard that in Bible study -- you’ve heard it from the pulpit

          -- but somewhere along the line, we got the idea that we could only take up one of those in our lives -- agape -- that this was the only love that a Christian should possess

          -- but that’s not true -- the other types of love are real forms of emotion and action that are part of life -- yes, agape love should be the overarching love that defines us as Christians, but the other types of love are important, as well

          -- marriages would not be possible without both agape and eros love -- the passionate, romantic love between a husband and a wife

          -- our families would not be as strong without both agape love and storge love -- the love that binds a family together -- the love that runs through our family relationships

          -- by using the Greek word philia -- brotherly love -- in this verse -- Paul is reminding us that we have been bound together into a new family with other Christians -- that our love for each other is deeper than mere acquaintances -- that our love for each other is as brothers and sisters, one to another

          -- we need to recognize this deeper love and affection for other Christians in our daily lives, no matter whether they are part of our local congregation or not -- for we share together the presence of Christ -- we share together the Spirit within -- and we share together a common mission and purpose

          -- so yes -- love all with sincere and honest agape love -- but be devoted to your brothers and sisters in Christ through Philia love, as well

          -- fourth principle -- verse 10

10b Honor one another above yourselves.

          -- just as we live in a world that promotes sin and evil as normal, we live in a world where we are taught to look out for ourselves -- to put ourselves above others -- to put our wants and desires and needs first

          -- we teach our children self-esteem in school -- we teach them self-importance -- and this has led to all kinds of problems in our world today -- we have become a people who feel entitled to everything simply because of who we are -- it doesn’t matter whether you have done what is required to win the prize, we feel everyone is a winner and everyone should get a trophy, simply because of their self-importance

          -- but this is not the case in the kingdom of God -- Jesus said that He came to serve, and that if we want to be great in the kingdom of God, then we must serve, as well -- when the disciples gathered around Jesus and asked Him who was the greatest in the kingdom, He took a little child upon His lap and told them that whoever took the lowly position of that child was the greatest in the kingdom

          -- the kingdom principle that Paul repeats here in this verse is submission and humbleness -- to honor others above ourselves -- to serve others as Christ served us

          -- I was listening to a podcast the other day, and the speaker made a great point that I have thought of many times -- Jesus never called us to be leaders -- He called us to come and to follow Him -- but you don’t find books in our Christian bookstores on how to follow -- all the books are on leadership -- everyone wants to be a leader, but in the kingdom, it is the followers -- it is the servants -- who are the greatest

          -- verse 11

11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor

          -- we find two uncommon words in this verse -- zeal and fervor -- and, unfortunately, we find such behavior uncommon in our churches today

          -- to not be lacking in zeal means to have great energy or enthusiasm

          -- to be filled with spiritual fervor means you have an intense and passionate feeling about something -- putting these together, what Paul is telling us is that we should be excited about the Lord -- we should be excited about worship and being with God’s people --  we should be excited about coming to church every Sunday and serving God daily and ministering to others in His name

          -- but our churches today are nothing like this at all -- our Christians today are nothing like this at all

          -- I had a Methodist pastor tell me one time that he is convinced there will be no Methodists in heaven -- I asked him why, and he said, “Well, in Revelation 19:1 it says that there will be a loud noise in heaven, and we aren’t making any noises in our churches today”

          -- do you remember what it was like when you were first saved? -- do you remember the excitement you had -- the zeal and fervor for the Lord? -- Paul was telling the Romans to not lose that -- I fear we have already done so -- we’ve gotten jaded in our faith -- we’ve turned church into a passive event and not an active gathering of the saints -- we’ve turned ministry into a drudgery and not a movement of God in our midst

          -- we need to pray about this and regain the passion and zeal and fervor for the Lord once again

          -- next principle -- last part of verse 11

11b serving the Lord.

          -- serve the Lord -- Barclay points out that some scholars believe Paul actually urged the Romans to “serve the time” rather than “serve the Lord” here in this verse -- but the intent is the same

          -- to serve the time means we make the most of the opportunities given us -- we seize the day -- we make hay while the sun is shining -- when God leads us to an opportunity to share His love and blessings with others, we shouldn’t take time to form a committee and pray about it -- we need to act -- we need to serve the Lord by making the most of the opportunity

          -- I can tell you that in my life I have missed this -- there have been times in my life where I knew that this meeting -- that this discussion -- was a moment where I could speak God’s word into another’s life -- but I thought to myself, “I need to wait and do this at another time -- I need to wait and do this when I am better prepared” -- and that moment never came again

          -- don’t put off serving the Lord at the moment He calls -- look for divine appointments -- for those moments in time when God orchestrates everything in your life so that you might speak His word and His blessings on others -- don’t wait -- act

          -- verse 12

12 Be joyful in hope

          -- do you remember the story of Pandora's box from studying mythology in school?

          -- Pandora had been given a box as a wedding present but had been told to never open it -- one day curiosity got the best of her, and Pandora opened this box and released evil into the world -- out of the box flew the spirits of sickness and disease -- hate and envy -- and all the bad things people had never known -- Pandora slammed the box shut, but it was too late -- the evil had gotten out

          -- in tears she told her husband what she had done -- the evil she had unknowingly released -- and as she opened the box again to demonstrate her actions, she found that one thing remained -- the spirit of hope was in the bottom of the box -- and Pandora and her husband watched as hope entered into a world gone wrong

          -- hope is the basis of our faith -- as it says in Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" -- what is it that keeps a single mother going through the hard times? -- what is it that keeps a terminal cancer patient's spirits up? -- what is it that sustains us through the storms of life? -- hope -- the hope of a promise -- the hope of eternity

          -- for those who have been sprinkled with the shed blood of Christ -- who have drawn near to God -- we are told, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess" -- what is that hope? -- it is the hope of eternal life with Christ -- it is the hope of salvation -- the hope of sanctification -- it is the promise that no matter how bad things might be here -- no matter how good things might be here -- better things await

          -- hope is the source of our joy -- hope is the reason we can continue on, because we know that the best is yet to come

          -- look back at verse 12

12b patient in affliction

          -- how easy is it to say we should be patient in affliction and how hard to do so -- when we are in the midst of trials and storms -- when sufferings come our way -- it becomes hard to carry on -- we know this -- we have lived this

          -- but we have all been through these storms in the past -- if you have walked with the Lord for any length of time at all, you know that these storms are but seasons in your life -- you know that the sun is still shining on the other side of the clouds -- that there is always hope that sustains

          -- be patient in afflictions -- remember that God has seen you through times like these before, and He will see you through these -- seek Him in the waiting -- trust that He is working all things for your good -- know that He is shaping your soul and your spirit through these afflictions -- and trust in Him in faith

          -- last part of Romans 12:12

12c faithful in prayer

          -- be faithful in prayer -- if there is one area in the life of a Christian where I feel we are lacking, it is in the area of prayer -- we have forgotten how to pray -- we have forgotten the need to pray

          -- I think people read the Bible more these days than they used to -- we have so many more opportunities to get in God’s word -- even if it’s just a daily devotion or a meme on Facebook -- we generally see something from God’s word daily

          -- but to pray, that is something else entirely -- for many of us, our prayer lives are nothing more than rote prayers before meals or maybe the Lord’s prayer to start the day -- we’ve neglected the heart-felt prayers we see in the Psalms and in the red letters -- we’ve forgotten that we have a Father in heaven who longs to hear from us and to talk to us       

          -- prayer is not some mystical or magical event -- it is simply talking to God -- not just asking for stuff -- that’s not how relationships are made -- but it is pouring out our hearts and our confusions and our pains and our desires and our lives to God -- tell Him what is going on

          -- yes, He already knows -- but He wants to hear it from your heart -- He wants you to express it to Him in word and thought so that He might speak into your life

          -- talk to Him as you would a trusted friend -- a loving spouse -- a concerned parent -- tell Him what is going on -- and give Him space to answer

          -- last principle and practice for us -- verse 13

13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

          -- this is another area where the church has lost its way -- this is another area where we’ve let the world define for us who we are

          -- if you read through the Bible, you will see that the early church took care of itself -- they lived in communion with one another -- they took care of one another’s needs -- if someone had something another needed, they gladly shared it with them -- it was like family, because it was family

          -- if my parents called me up and wanted to borrow something I had, I would take it to them without any question -- and they would do the same -- that is how we are to live

          -- but somehow, we have gotten the idea that the church is to provide for the world -- that we are to give to anyone who knocks on the door -- that’s really not biblical -- that’s really not what we see in Scriptures

          -- I’m not saying we shouldn’t help others in need, but the church shouldn’t be a bank to the world -- it should be the light to the world and should meet the needs of those within

          -- that’s what Paul says here -- share with God’s people who are in need -- practice hospitality among each other

          -- Paul doesn’t say to just give to anyone who asks, but to give to our brothers and sisters who need help

          -- we reached a point with Koinonia where we had to institute a rule -- we had so many people calling us that we didn’t know from Adam -- all of them with a sob story -- “they’re about to turn off my lights -- if I don’t pay this, our kids are going to go hungry” -- and we tried to help them as best we could

          -- but not a single one of these people who asked for help were part of our community of faith -- we never saw them again -- we never heard from them again -- they didn’t come join us for church -- they didn’t call for spiritual help -- they just called because they knew we would give them money -- and our funds for ministry depleted to the point where we couldn’t help people in our church who needed help

          -- so we made the hard decision to not help anyone financially who was not within the spiritual care of the church -- that umbrella encompassed people who knew that we were witnessing to -- who were not coming to worship and who were not believers yet -- but who God had called us to minister to on a regular basis

          -- out of all the principles that Paul gives us in this passage, this is one of the hardest -- for, as Christians, our hearts are turned to help people -- we want to help them -- but we need to recognize how we should be helping them

          -- this is an area that I encourage you to truly pray about -- I’m not going to stand up here and tell you to never give money to someone in need who is not part of the church -- but I am going to tell you to pray and to be discerning before you do so -- let God lead you in this -- let Him show you what you should do when a stranger calls asking for money

          -- but, take to heart Paul’s command here -- don’t focus on the stranger outside the church -- see what he writes here -- we should share with God’s people who are in need -- we should be hospitable

          -- when someone in the church needs help -- whether they ask or not -- we must respond -- that is what Paul is telling us here

III.  Closing

          -- okay, let’s bring this to an end

          -- like I said, there is nothing I have shared with you this morning that you don’t already know -- but sometimes you need to be reminded of it

          -- several years ago, Robert Fulghum put out a book that became a best-seller -- it was called, “ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN”

          -- in that book, Fulghum just reiterated the same principles we learned in kindergarten -- principles and practices that we all knew, but we all forgot

          -- Paul does the same thing here in this passage -- he reminds us of how we should live as Christians -- of what a Christian should look like in their daily lives to the world around us

          -- so, go back to kindergarten -- go back to the start of your Christian life -- remember what you have been taught so that you might truly live it out in your life today

          -- let us pray