Life Group - Romans 12-13:7

Welcome to Life Group. We invite you to join

us in this verse -by -verse study through the

Word of God. Welcome to Life Group. In this lesson,

we'll be looking at Romans chapters 12 through

Romans 12 · chapter mention

13, verse 7. Romans 1 through 11 has taught us

what God has done for us through Jesus. But here

in Romans 12, Paul begins to show us what God

wants to do through us. Paul shifts from doctrine

to daily life. And he starts with one big idea.

Because of God's mercy, the only logical response

is to give Him our lives. So let's begin verse

1. And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead

with you to give your bodies to God because of

all He has done for you. Let them be a living

and holy sacrifice, the kind he will find acceptable.

This is truly the way to worship him. Here in

these verses, Paul is telling us to recognize

and respond to all that God has done, to remember

that he forgave us, he adopted us, he gave us

the Spirit, he never leaves us, and in light

of all these things, we need to give our bodies

to God. This idea of sacrifice, it reminds us

of the altar. But instead of something being

dead placed on the altar, God wants now a living

sacrifice. In this sense, we keep coming back.

We keep surrendering ourselves to God. We say,

Lord, I am yours. Because this is the reasonable

response, right? The giver of life deserves that

life in return. Picking up in verse 2. Don't

copy the behavior and customs of this world,

but let God transform you into a new person by

changing the way you think. Then you will learn

to know God's will for you, which is good and

pleasing and perfect. It's important to realize

that the world is always trying to shape us,

trying to tell us what to think, trying to tell

us how we should think. Culture says, think like

us, value what we value and define your life

our way. But here Paul is saying, don't be pressed

into that mold. Don't conform to it. Don't copy

it even. Instead, we are transformed. He's saying,

be transformed. How? Because it doesn't start

with your behavior and what you do. Paul is saying

real transformation starts with how you think.

Many believers live from their feelings, unfortunately.

Like, how do I feel today? And that determines

how my day is going to go. Or what am I do? You

know, we live from what we do. What do I need

to do? But God says, learn the truth. my truth

in the word, study my word, and then let this,

let him, by spending time in his word, change

how we think. And as our minds renew, our lives

change. We don't just learn God's will, but we

begin to live God's will and look more and more

like him each and every day. Verse 3. Because

of the privilege and authority God has given

me, I give each of you this warning. Don't think

you are better than you really are. Be honest

in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves

by the faith God has given us. Before Paul talks

about spiritual gifts, he talks about pride.

Because gifts often make people proud if they

forget all gifts are from God. Gifts don't equal

maturity. Gifts are ultimately for serving others.

They're not for elevating ourselves. Verse 4.

Just as our bodies have many parts, and each

part has a special function, so it is with Christ's

body. We are many parts of one body, and we all

belong to each other. Here Paul is telling us

that we belong to Christ, and we belong to one

another. But it is important to know that unity

doesn't mean sameness. Each one of us have different

gifts, different personalities, and different

roles in the kingdom of God. But we are one body.

And here, we need each other. The Bible identifies

spiritual gifts that are given to believers in

1 Corinthians 12 and in Romans 12. Let's take

a look at the seven gifts listed in Romans, starting

with verse 6. In His grace, God has given us

different gifts for doing certain things well.

So if God has given you the ability to prophesy,

Speak out with as much faith as God has given

you. If your gift is serving others, serve them

well. If you are a teacher, teach well. Now,

let's take a look at the first gift mentioned

is prophecy. And we're not going to make prophecy

spooky. Prophecy is simply hearing from God and

then saying what God wants you to say. whether

that be to one person or a group of people or

even to a nation we see throughout Scripture.

So prophecy is a spiritual gift, and prophecy

is listed in both lists here in Romans 12 and

in 1 Corinthians 12. So when we have the gift

to prophesy, we need to speak God's truth faithfully.

Say what He tells us to say. And it will always

be biblically what we say will always line up

with God's word. The second gift is serving others

or ministry. This is talking about meeting practical

needs. And we do this quietly and faithfully.

Third gift mentioned is teaching. It is also

on both lists. So what is teaching? What does

it come down to? Well, it really just comes down

to helping people understand God's Word by studying

and teaching and being faithful in that gift

of teaching. Let's continue in verse 8. If your

gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.

If it is giving, give generously. If God has

given you leadership ability, take the responsibility

seriously. And if you have a gift of showing

kindness to others, do it gladly. So let's continue

breaking down the list. The first one is exhortation.

Have you met someone before who was just always

encouraging? This is a person who probably has

that spiritual gift of encouragement. encouraging

people and just lifting people, not being a load

to others, but being a lift to others. And especially

encouraging people to live out what they know

according to God's word. The next spiritual gift

is giving. And this is resourcing the work of

God in the earth and doing it generously and

joyfully. I met a man one time who told me that

his goal in his business was to be so successful

in business that he could give away to ministry

90 % of his income and be able to live on 10%.

To have a heart like that, I believe we could

agree that he had the spiritual gift of giving

because that brought him great joy. The next

gift is leading or administration. This is a

spiritual gift to help guide other people and

to lead other people in ministry. The next gift

is showing mercy or showing kindness. This is

a spiritual gift of caring for hurting people

with joy, not resentment or duty, but... That

just brings you the greatest joy is helping someone

who is going through a difficult situation. And

in these seven gifts, we need to realize that

whatever God has given us, we don't need to bury

it. We need to use it. And we need to operate

in these gifts with the right heart always. Now,

talking about these gifts. Every one of us, I

believe, can prophesy. We can speak what God

has spoken to us and share with other people.

We can all serve. We can all teach. We can all

encourage. We can all give. We can all lead.

We can all care for other people who are hurting.

And I believe we should be involved in all of

these things. Everyone should be involved in

all of these things. But this list lets us know

that God gives special gifts and anointings to

people in different areas. You may say, well,

how could I know what gift God has given me?

Well, gifts are often recognized through having

a deep concern in one or another area of ministry

or a passion for a different area of ministry.

So those are ways that we can recognize the gifts

that God has given us. Let's pick up with verse

9. 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. Here,

the Bible tells us that we don't need to pretend

and don't just put on our church face and act

like we're concerned and we love. No fake smiles.

As followers of Christ, we need to walk in real

love. Real love, kindness, and affection. But

right in the middle of talking about this love,

the Bible says, hate what is wrong. Now, as followers

of Christ, we don't approve of sin. We should

never approve of sin. And we should never excuse

sin. But in the midst of that, we need to remember

that we should never be mean or hateful towards

another person. Our society today kind of has

the idea that disagreement, if you disagree with

someone over what is wrong or what is right,

then that is hate. But that's just not true.

Disagreement is not hate. You see, a follower

of Christ can't embrace sin and approve of sin

or excuse sin because there's a problem with

sin. Sin always harms those who are trapped in

it. So we should never approve of that. We need

to cling to what honors God as we love other

people. Picking up with verse 11. Never be lazy,

but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

There's no laziness in serving Jesus. We need

to stay spiritually focused in our lives. We

need to stay passionate for the things of God.

And when we talk about serving and not being

lazy, We can also understand that serving God

also looks like serving other people. And when

I thought about that and read this verse, I thought

about John chapter 13. The night before Jesus

John 13 · chapter mention

was crucified, he gathered together with his

disciples in the upper room. And normally when

someone came into the house, someone volunteered.

to be at the door with a bowl and a towel and

wash the feet of the guests coming into the house.

But John 13 says that that did not happen. I

mean, that was normal, customary, just serving

each other. Someone would do that. And if there

were servants in the house, it was always the

lowest servant. But the Bible tells us that in

the middle of the dinner, Jesus got up, wrapped

a towel around his waist, took a bowl of water

and went around and washed the disciples' feet.

See, who knows what was going through their minds.

Maybe they thought, well, I'm not the lowest

here, so I shouldn't be washing the feet, right?

But when Jesus stooped down to wash the feet,

the Creator was stooping down to wash the feet

of His creation. Jesus modeled what it means

to serve, to be a servant. And then he goes on

to say that, you know, the greatest person in

the kingdom of God is those who serve. So we

should never be lazy in serving Jesus and in

serving each other. As a matter of fact, we need

to be the first to take up the towel. We need

to attempt to out serve one another. No, you're

not going to serve more than me. I'm going to

serve because we're not lazy. in serving God.

Picking up in verse 12, rejoice in our confident

hope, be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

Our hope, our confident expectation, is in Jesus

and all his promises. And here Paul is saying

that if we keep our eyes on him, that this gives

us reason to get happy, even in the hardest of

seasons. You see, difficult times require waiting

on hope's assurances. This is what true, genuine,

godly patience is and what Paul is telling us

here. And instead of filling this time in between

with worry, we should fill our waiting with prayer.

We should always pray. Verse 13, when God's people

are in need, be ready to help them. Always be

eager to practice hospitality. It's important

to realize here that he's talking about God's

people and what God's people are called to do

with one another. And we are called to be ready

in season. We should always be ready to help

one another. We should be always ready to open

our doors, to share our table and our supply

with one another. Godly hospitality is not just,

oh, I'll pray for you, but it's, I will help

you. It is love in action towards one another.

Verse 14, bless those who persecute you. Don't

curse them. Pray that God will bless them. How

dramatically different. Is this compared to how

our culture says that we should respond when

someone unjustly or unfairly treats us? And all

this is really impossible, like what Paul is

talking about. It's all impossible without the

infilling of the Holy Spirit and looking to him.

Because where the world cries to avenge, Jesus

calls us and his children to bless. We don't

curse others. We don't tear others down. Here,

we're being told that we need, and our obligation

is to pray for them. Verse 15. 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. How

many of you have been around somebody who just

has that air of, I know everything, right? But

God's people are not to act like that. We need

to genuinely care about other people's stories,

care about other people's lives and what's going

on. Everything is not a competition. We shouldn't

have to compete for the promotion and compare

our lives to the Joneses down the street. We

really need to genuinely celebrate others' wins,

and we need to stand with them in times of loss

and in seasons of hurt. Verse 17. 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. It's important that we trust God

with all injustice. We know that God sees and

God knows and he promises to handle judgment.

Sometimes peace with others isn't always in our

control, but what is our responsibility is to

not create conflict. Verse 20 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. Here, Paul is teaching us that evil is

defeated when we respond with Christlike goodness.

Kindness, therefore, softens others' hearts.

Sometimes kindness even convicts. Sometimes it

will even win back a former enemy. But it's important

to realize that the world's ideal of killing

someone with kindness is not God's way. God's

way is so much far above that mindset. It's the

heart of God's way is still love. We're not seeking

harm to someone else. We're seeking to genuinely

respond as God would respond, and that would

be to love one another as he loved us. despite

all the things that we've done against him, right?

He still loved us. And that's how we're supposed

to treat and carry our lives and in every arena

in our dealings with other people who seek to

even do us harm and do us wrong. Verse 21, don't

let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing

good. Here, Paul is saying that we must not give

in to the lure of pride, of hate, and now revenge.

This is not the way of Christ. Instead, though,

we must stay focused on copying his will and

his ways. So Romans 12, it's painted this picture

of a transformed life as one that is surrendered

to God. is one that thinks differently than the

world. It walks humbly. It serves faithfully.

It loves sincerely, responds graciously, and

trusts God with justice. Let's pick up in Romans

Romans 13 · chapter mention

chapter 13, starting with verse 1. Everyone must

submit to governing authorities. For all authority,

comes from God. And those in positions of authority

have been placed there by God. So anyone who

rebels against authority is rebelling against

what God has instituted, and they will be punished.

Now, when we read this verse, this is not only

for the good Christians or the ones who agree

with the government at the time. It says everyone.

Christians shouldn't live with rebellious attitudes.

We aren't called to chaos. See, we live under

authority, and a Christian knows what it means

to live under authority. And we do it with humility.

And just to remind you, during this time, when

Roman soldiers would come and tell you to carry

their gear, you had to. It was a law. You had

to carry... They're gear for a mile. And if,

you know, Jesus, the word of God says, don't

just carry it one mile, carry it two. That's

the way Christians should act. And that's the

attitude that we should have as followers of

Christ. Now, this doesn't mean that every leader

is godly. Here's what it does mean. God allows

leaders to rise. and God removes leaders. God

works through authority, sometimes even through

imperfect authority. As we look through the Old

Testament, God gave leaders to bless the nation,

but he also allowed other leaders to correct

a nation and lead people back to him. When we

constantly fight against authority just because

we don't like it, we're not just resisting people.

We're resisting what God set up. But there's

a balance. If government ever tells us to do

something that clearly disobeys God, then Acts

4 .19 tells us we must obey God rather than men.

Picking up with verse 3. For the authorities

do not strike fear in people who are doing right,

but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like

to live without fear of the authorities? Do what

is right, and they will honor you. You see, in

God's design, government is meant to basically

do three things. To protect people. To punish

wrong. and to keep order in society. And if we're

living right, we don't have to live in fear.

If we're following the rules of law, we don't

have to be afraid. Christians should be the kind

of people who tell the truth, respect others,

live peaceful lives, and make their communities

better. Picking up with verse 4. The authorities

are God's servants sent for your good. But if

you're doing wrong, of course you should be afraid,

for they have the power to punish you. They are

God's servants sent for the very purpose of punishing

those who do what is wrong. So you must submit

to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also

to keep a clear conscience. This verse tells

us that government officials are servants. They're

servants of the people. Their authority, however,

is borrowed. Because everyone who has a position

of authority in this world is ultimately going

to answer to God for how they operated in that

authority. God has given government the right

to punish evil and to protect society. And when

government refuses to punish evil, they stop

doing what God designed them to do. We don't

obey and follow the law just because we're scared

of getting in trouble. We obey because it honors

God. It keeps our conscience clear. It reflects

Christ well. We obey out of faith, not out of

fear. Picking up with verse 6. Pay your taxes

too, for the same reasons. For government workers

need to be paid. They are serving God in what

they do. Give to everyone what you owe them.

Pay your taxes and government fees to those who

collect them and give respect and honor to those

who are in authority. I don't know if this is

an exciting verse or not, but it says that we

need to pay our taxes. We need to pay what we

owe. Why do we pay? Because government workers

serve the public. Order and structure costs something.

God uses systems to maintain society. And sometimes

we may not love the process, but we're supposed

to live honestly before God. Give people what

they're due. If they're due money, give them

money. Just like Jesus said, give to Caesar what

is Caesar's and give to God what is God's. So

if we owe money, that's what we need to do is

give the money that is owed. We also need to

give the respect that is due when it's appropriate.

And we are to honor when it is due. When someone

holds a position that God has allowed, we need

to treat them with honor. Now, we don't worship

our leaders, even though some people can be accused

of that, right? We're not supposed to worship

our leaders when we think they're a good leader.

They shouldn't be worshipped. Just like we shouldn't

insult everyone we disagree with. If we don't

like our leader, we shouldn't go around insulting

them as followers of Christ. We need to live

differently because our ultimate loyalty is to

Christ. Now, these verses aren't about trusting

every politician. It's about trusting God more

than politics. So, in trusting God more than

politics, we respect authority, we obey when

we can, we refuse only when obedience would mean

disobeying God, we pray for our leaders, and

we live with integrity. Ultimately, governments...

The governments of this world, they rise and

they fall. But Jesus is King forever. Thank you

for joining us for Life Group. Allow God's Word

to build your faith and transform your life.