WEBVTT 00:00:01.899 --> 00:00:04.759 Welcome to Life Group. We invite you to join 00:00:04.759 --> 00:00:07.400 us in this verse -by -verse study through the 00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:11.679 Word of God. Welcome to Life Group. In this lesson, 00:00:11.800 --> 00:00:15.099 we'll be looking at Romans chapters 12 through 00:00:15.099 --> 00:00:22.280 13, verse 7. Romans 1 through 11 has taught us 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:26.260 what God has done for us through Jesus. But here 00:00:26.260 --> 00:00:29.920 in Romans 12, Paul begins to show us what God 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:33.659 wants to do through us. Paul shifts from doctrine 00:00:33.659 --> 00:00:38.000 to daily life. And he starts with one big idea. 00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:42.240 Because of God's mercy, the only logical response 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:47.159 is to give Him our lives. So let's begin verse 00:00:47.159 --> 00:00:52.100 1. And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead 00:00:52.100 --> 00:00:55.259 with you to give your bodies to God because of 00:00:55.259 --> 00:00:58.920 all He has done for you. Let them be a living 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:02.880 and holy sacrifice, the kind he will find acceptable. 00:01:03.299 --> 00:01:08.400 This is truly the way to worship him. Here in 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:12.120 these verses, Paul is telling us to recognize 00:01:12.120 --> 00:01:16.620 and respond to all that God has done, to remember 00:01:16.620 --> 00:01:20.420 that he forgave us, he adopted us, he gave us 00:01:20.420 --> 00:01:23.560 the Spirit, he never leaves us, and in light 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:27.799 of all these things, we need to give our bodies 00:01:27.799 --> 00:01:32.540 to God. This idea of sacrifice, it reminds us 00:01:32.540 --> 00:01:35.400 of the altar. But instead of something being 00:01:35.400 --> 00:01:39.340 dead placed on the altar, God wants now a living 00:01:39.340 --> 00:01:43.920 sacrifice. In this sense, we keep coming back. 00:01:43.939 --> 00:01:48.000 We keep surrendering ourselves to God. We say, 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:52.340 Lord, I am yours. Because this is the reasonable 00:01:52.340 --> 00:01:56.719 response, right? The giver of life deserves that 00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:02.620 life in return. Picking up in verse 2. Don't 00:02:02.620 --> 00:02:05.319 copy the behavior and customs of this world, 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:10.080 but let God transform you into a new person by 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:13.259 changing the way you think. Then you will learn 00:02:13.259 --> 00:02:16.419 to know God's will for you, which is good and 00:02:16.419 --> 00:02:22.159 pleasing and perfect. It's important to realize 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:25.120 that the world is always trying to shape us, 00:02:25.219 --> 00:02:27.960 trying to tell us what to think, trying to tell 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:31.680 us how we should think. Culture says, think like 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:35.659 us, value what we value and define your life 00:02:35.659 --> 00:02:40.159 our way. But here Paul is saying, don't be pressed 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:43.639 into that mold. Don't conform to it. Don't copy 00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:48.439 it even. Instead, we are transformed. He's saying, 00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:52.699 be transformed. How? Because it doesn't start 00:02:52.699 --> 00:02:56.039 with your behavior and what you do. Paul is saying 00:02:56.039 --> 00:02:59.919 real transformation starts with how you think. 00:03:00.659 --> 00:03:04.539 Many believers live from their feelings, unfortunately. 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:07.740 Like, how do I feel today? And that determines 00:03:07.740 --> 00:03:10.560 how my day is going to go. Or what am I do? You 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:14.419 know, we live from what we do. What do I need 00:03:14.419 --> 00:03:21.229 to do? But God says, learn the truth. my truth 00:03:21.229 --> 00:03:26.090 in the word, study my word, and then let this, 00:03:26.189 --> 00:03:30.289 let him, by spending time in his word, change 00:03:30.289 --> 00:03:35.509 how we think. And as our minds renew, our lives 00:03:35.509 --> 00:03:39.669 change. We don't just learn God's will, but we 00:03:39.669 --> 00:03:44.610 begin to live God's will and look more and more 00:03:44.610 --> 00:03:50.860 like him each and every day. Verse 3. Because 00:03:50.860 --> 00:03:53.479 of the privilege and authority God has given 00:03:53.479 --> 00:03:57.580 me, I give each of you this warning. Don't think 00:03:57.580 --> 00:04:00.979 you are better than you really are. Be honest 00:04:00.979 --> 00:04:04.620 in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves 00:04:04.620 --> 00:04:10.360 by the faith God has given us. Before Paul talks 00:04:10.360 --> 00:04:13.659 about spiritual gifts, he talks about pride. 00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:18.040 Because gifts often make people proud if they 00:04:18.040 --> 00:04:23.420 forget all gifts are from God. Gifts don't equal 00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:30.220 maturity. Gifts are ultimately for serving others. 00:04:30.300 --> 00:04:35.399 They're not for elevating ourselves. Verse 4. 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:39.000 Just as our bodies have many parts, and each 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:42.839 part has a special function, so it is with Christ's 00:04:42.839 --> 00:04:47.050 body. We are many parts of one body, and we all 00:04:47.050 --> 00:04:51.129 belong to each other. Here Paul is telling us 00:04:51.129 --> 00:04:56.089 that we belong to Christ, and we belong to one 00:04:56.089 --> 00:04:59.529 another. But it is important to know that unity 00:04:59.529 --> 00:05:04.209 doesn't mean sameness. Each one of us have different 00:05:04.209 --> 00:05:07.230 gifts, different personalities, and different 00:05:07.230 --> 00:05:12.949 roles in the kingdom of God. But we are one body. 00:05:13.579 --> 00:05:18.800 And here, we need each other. The Bible identifies 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:21.779 spiritual gifts that are given to believers in 00:05:21.779 --> 00:05:25.939 1 Corinthians 12 and in Romans 12. Let's take 00:05:25.939 --> 00:05:29.639 a look at the seven gifts listed in Romans, starting 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:34.279 with verse 6. In His grace, God has given us 00:05:34.279 --> 00:05:36.660 different gifts for doing certain things well. 00:05:37.100 --> 00:05:40.180 So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, 00:05:40.730 --> 00:05:43.509 Speak out with as much faith as God has given 00:05:43.509 --> 00:05:47.670 you. If your gift is serving others, serve them 00:05:47.670 --> 00:05:53.569 well. If you are a teacher, teach well. Now, 00:05:53.589 --> 00:05:55.889 let's take a look at the first gift mentioned 00:05:55.889 --> 00:05:59.410 is prophecy. And we're not going to make prophecy 00:05:59.410 --> 00:06:03.850 spooky. Prophecy is simply hearing from God and 00:06:03.850 --> 00:06:07.470 then saying what God wants you to say. whether 00:06:07.470 --> 00:06:10.269 that be to one person or a group of people or 00:06:10.269 --> 00:06:12.750 even to a nation we see throughout Scripture. 00:06:13.170 --> 00:06:16.930 So prophecy is a spiritual gift, and prophecy 00:06:16.930 --> 00:06:22.170 is listed in both lists here in Romans 12 and 00:06:22.170 --> 00:06:26.009 in 1 Corinthians 12. So when we have the gift 00:06:26.009 --> 00:06:31.029 to prophesy, we need to speak God's truth faithfully. 00:06:31.589 --> 00:06:36.199 Say what He tells us to say. And it will always 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:39.279 be biblically what we say will always line up 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:45.079 with God's word. The second gift is serving others 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:49.560 or ministry. This is talking about meeting practical 00:06:49.560 --> 00:06:54.399 needs. And we do this quietly and faithfully. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:59.240 Third gift mentioned is teaching. It is also 00:06:59.240 --> 00:07:03.639 on both lists. So what is teaching? What does 00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:06.259 it come down to? Well, it really just comes down 00:07:06.259 --> 00:07:11.139 to helping people understand God's Word by studying 00:07:11.139 --> 00:07:15.259 and teaching and being faithful in that gift 00:07:15.259 --> 00:07:20.620 of teaching. Let's continue in verse 8. If your 00:07:20.620 --> 00:07:24.959 gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:30.399 If it is giving, give generously. If God has 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:34.100 given you leadership ability, take the responsibility 00:07:34.100 --> 00:07:38.319 seriously. And if you have a gift of showing 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:43.899 kindness to others, do it gladly. So let's continue 00:07:43.899 --> 00:07:47.220 breaking down the list. The first one is exhortation. 00:07:48.100 --> 00:07:51.699 Have you met someone before who was just always 00:07:51.699 --> 00:07:56.220 encouraging? This is a person who probably has 00:07:56.220 --> 00:08:00.699 that spiritual gift of encouragement. encouraging 00:08:00.699 --> 00:08:05.899 people and just lifting people, not being a load 00:08:05.899 --> 00:08:10.040 to others, but being a lift to others. And especially 00:08:10.040 --> 00:08:13.740 encouraging people to live out what they know 00:08:13.740 --> 00:08:17.720 according to God's word. The next spiritual gift 00:08:17.720 --> 00:08:22.480 is giving. And this is resourcing the work of 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:26.560 God in the earth and doing it generously and 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:30.529 joyfully. I met a man one time who told me that 00:08:30.529 --> 00:08:35.370 his goal in his business was to be so successful 00:08:35.370 --> 00:08:39.669 in business that he could give away to ministry 00:08:39.669 --> 00:08:45.049 90 % of his income and be able to live on 10%. 00:08:45.049 --> 00:08:49.330 To have a heart like that, I believe we could 00:08:49.330 --> 00:08:52.970 agree that he had the spiritual gift of giving 00:08:52.970 --> 00:08:56.960 because that brought him great joy. The next 00:08:56.960 --> 00:09:01.240 gift is leading or administration. This is a 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:05.559 spiritual gift to help guide other people and 00:09:05.559 --> 00:09:10.820 to lead other people in ministry. The next gift 00:09:10.820 --> 00:09:15.279 is showing mercy or showing kindness. This is 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:18.580 a spiritual gift of caring for hurting people 00:09:18.580 --> 00:09:23.779 with joy, not resentment or duty, but... That 00:09:23.779 --> 00:09:27.259 just brings you the greatest joy is helping someone 00:09:27.259 --> 00:09:31.340 who is going through a difficult situation. And 00:09:31.340 --> 00:09:34.759 in these seven gifts, we need to realize that 00:09:34.759 --> 00:09:39.440 whatever God has given us, we don't need to bury 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:44.039 it. We need to use it. And we need to operate 00:09:44.039 --> 00:09:49.820 in these gifts with the right heart always. Now, 00:09:49.820 --> 00:09:53.480 talking about these gifts. Every one of us, I 00:09:53.480 --> 00:09:58.159 believe, can prophesy. We can speak what God 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:00.580 has spoken to us and share with other people. 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:05.860 We can all serve. We can all teach. We can all 00:10:05.860 --> 00:10:09.179 encourage. We can all give. We can all lead. 00:10:09.340 --> 00:10:12.259 We can all care for other people who are hurting. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:16.379 And I believe we should be involved in all of 00:10:16.379 --> 00:10:18.860 these things. Everyone should be involved in 00:10:18.860 --> 00:10:22.710 all of these things. But this list lets us know 00:10:22.710 --> 00:10:26.610 that God gives special gifts and anointings to 00:10:26.610 --> 00:10:31.230 people in different areas. You may say, well, 00:10:31.370 --> 00:10:35.389 how could I know what gift God has given me? 00:10:36.350 --> 00:10:40.129 Well, gifts are often recognized through having 00:10:40.129 --> 00:10:43.809 a deep concern in one or another area of ministry 00:10:43.809 --> 00:10:48.690 or a passion for a different area of ministry. 00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:53.919 So those are ways that we can recognize the gifts 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:58.440 that God has given us. Let's pick up with verse 00:10:58.440 --> 00:11:03.919 9. Don't just pretend to love others. Really 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:09.519 love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:13.899 what is good. Love each other with genuine affection 00:11:13.899 --> 00:11:20.860 and take delight in honoring each other. Here, 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:23.440 the Bible tells us that we don't need to pretend 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:27.179 and don't just put on our church face and act 00:11:27.179 --> 00:11:30.399 like we're concerned and we love. No fake smiles. 00:11:30.820 --> 00:11:34.700 As followers of Christ, we need to walk in real 00:11:34.700 --> 00:11:40.220 love. Real love, kindness, and affection. But 00:11:40.220 --> 00:11:42.179 right in the middle of talking about this love, 00:11:42.299 --> 00:11:47.009 the Bible says, hate what is wrong. Now, as followers 00:11:47.009 --> 00:11:49.730 of Christ, we don't approve of sin. We should 00:11:49.730 --> 00:11:53.330 never approve of sin. And we should never excuse 00:11:53.330 --> 00:11:58.409 sin. But in the midst of that, we need to remember 00:11:58.409 --> 00:12:01.629 that we should never be mean or hateful towards 00:12:01.629 --> 00:12:06.669 another person. Our society today kind of has 00:12:06.669 --> 00:12:10.049 the idea that disagreement, if you disagree with 00:12:10.049 --> 00:12:13.929 someone over what is wrong or what is right, 00:12:14.049 --> 00:12:17.629 then that is hate. But that's just not true. 00:12:18.110 --> 00:12:21.669 Disagreement is not hate. You see, a follower 00:12:21.669 --> 00:12:25.090 of Christ can't embrace sin and approve of sin 00:12:25.090 --> 00:12:28.690 or excuse sin because there's a problem with 00:12:28.690 --> 00:12:33.509 sin. Sin always harms those who are trapped in 00:12:33.509 --> 00:12:38.909 it. So we should never approve of that. We need 00:12:38.909 --> 00:12:45.009 to cling to what honors God as we love other 00:12:45.009 --> 00:12:50.500 people. Picking up with verse 11. Never be lazy, 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:56.120 but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 00:12:57.620 --> 00:13:01.740 There's no laziness in serving Jesus. We need 00:13:01.740 --> 00:13:06.860 to stay spiritually focused in our lives. We 00:13:06.860 --> 00:13:10.039 need to stay passionate for the things of God. 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:13.720 And when we talk about serving and not being 00:13:13.720 --> 00:13:16.590 lazy, We can also understand that serving God 00:13:16.590 --> 00:13:21.389 also looks like serving other people. And when 00:13:21.389 --> 00:13:23.649 I thought about that and read this verse, I thought 00:13:23.649 --> 00:13:28.029 about John chapter 13. The night before Jesus 00:13:28.029 --> 00:13:31.549 was crucified, he gathered together with his 00:13:31.549 --> 00:13:35.269 disciples in the upper room. And normally when 00:13:35.269 --> 00:13:38.889 someone came into the house, someone volunteered. 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:42.879 to be at the door with a bowl and a towel and 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:46.580 wash the feet of the guests coming into the house. 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:51.720 But John 13 says that that did not happen. I 00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:55.539 mean, that was normal, customary, just serving 00:13:55.539 --> 00:13:58.399 each other. Someone would do that. And if there 00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:00.340 were servants in the house, it was always the 00:14:00.340 --> 00:14:04.980 lowest servant. But the Bible tells us that in 00:14:04.980 --> 00:14:08.019 the middle of the dinner, Jesus got up, wrapped 00:14:08.019 --> 00:14:10.830 a towel around his waist, took a bowl of water 00:14:10.830 --> 00:14:14.210 and went around and washed the disciples' feet. 00:14:15.809 --> 00:14:18.269 See, who knows what was going through their minds. 00:14:18.409 --> 00:14:21.669 Maybe they thought, well, I'm not the lowest 00:14:21.669 --> 00:14:24.230 here, so I shouldn't be washing the feet, right? 00:14:24.330 --> 00:14:27.210 But when Jesus stooped down to wash the feet, 00:14:27.269 --> 00:14:30.610 the Creator was stooping down to wash the feet 00:14:30.610 --> 00:14:35.509 of His creation. Jesus modeled what it means 00:14:35.509 --> 00:14:41.000 to serve, to be a servant. And then he goes on 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:43.620 to say that, you know, the greatest person in 00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:48.639 the kingdom of God is those who serve. So we 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:51.919 should never be lazy in serving Jesus and in 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:54.740 serving each other. As a matter of fact, we need 00:14:54.740 --> 00:14:58.820 to be the first to take up the towel. We need 00:14:58.820 --> 00:15:04.679 to attempt to out serve one another. No, you're 00:15:04.679 --> 00:15:06.840 not going to serve more than me. I'm going to 00:15:06.840 --> 00:15:10.679 serve because we're not lazy. in serving God. 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:15.500 Picking up in verse 12, rejoice in our confident 00:15:15.500 --> 00:15:19.799 hope, be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:26.240 Our hope, our confident expectation, is in Jesus 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:29.799 and all his promises. And here Paul is saying 00:15:29.799 --> 00:15:33.700 that if we keep our eyes on him, that this gives 00:15:33.700 --> 00:15:37.919 us reason to get happy, even in the hardest of 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:42.059 seasons. You see, difficult times require waiting 00:15:42.059 --> 00:15:46.460 on hope's assurances. This is what true, genuine, 00:15:46.460 --> 00:15:49.779 godly patience is and what Paul is telling us 00:15:49.779 --> 00:15:54.299 here. And instead of filling this time in between 00:15:54.299 --> 00:15:59.159 with worry, we should fill our waiting with prayer. 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:04.639 We should always pray. Verse 13, when God's people 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:09.299 are in need, be ready to help them. Always be 00:16:09.299 --> 00:16:13.179 eager to practice hospitality. It's important 00:16:13.179 --> 00:16:15.580 to realize here that he's talking about God's 00:16:15.580 --> 00:16:18.279 people and what God's people are called to do 00:16:18.279 --> 00:16:22.559 with one another. And we are called to be ready 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:26.679 in season. We should always be ready to help 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:31.159 one another. We should be always ready to open 00:16:31.159 --> 00:16:34.220 our doors, to share our table and our supply 00:16:34.220 --> 00:16:39.539 with one another. Godly hospitality is not just, 00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:43.799 oh, I'll pray for you, but it's, I will help 00:16:43.799 --> 00:16:46.940 you. It is love in action towards one another. 00:16:48.019 --> 00:16:53.779 Verse 14, bless those who persecute you. Don't 00:16:53.779 --> 00:16:58.480 curse them. Pray that God will bless them. How 00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:02.000 dramatically different. Is this compared to how 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:05.500 our culture says that we should respond when 00:17:05.500 --> 00:17:11.500 someone unjustly or unfairly treats us? And all 00:17:11.500 --> 00:17:14.539 this is really impossible, like what Paul is 00:17:14.539 --> 00:17:17.039 talking about. It's all impossible without the 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:19.759 infilling of the Holy Spirit and looking to him. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:24.599 Because where the world cries to avenge, Jesus 00:17:24.599 --> 00:17:29.329 calls us and his children to bless. We don't 00:17:29.329 --> 00:17:33.990 curse others. We don't tear others down. Here, 00:17:34.269 --> 00:17:37.990 we're being told that we need, and our obligation 00:17:37.990 --> 00:17:44.430 is to pray for them. Verse 15. Be happy with 00:17:44.430 --> 00:17:47.849 those who are happy, and weep with those who 00:17:47.849 --> 00:17:52.230 weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don't 00:17:52.230 --> 00:17:54.670 be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary 00:17:54.670 --> 00:17:59.480 people, and don't think you know it all. How 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:01.700 many of you have been around somebody who just 00:18:01.700 --> 00:18:06.460 has that air of, I know everything, right? But 00:18:06.460 --> 00:18:10.660 God's people are not to act like that. We need 00:18:10.660 --> 00:18:14.099 to genuinely care about other people's stories, 00:18:14.220 --> 00:18:17.279 care about other people's lives and what's going 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:20.740 on. Everything is not a competition. We shouldn't 00:18:20.740 --> 00:18:23.720 have to compete for the promotion and compare 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:27.559 our lives to the Joneses down the street. We 00:18:27.559 --> 00:18:30.900 really need to genuinely celebrate others' wins, 00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:36.240 and we need to stand with them in times of loss 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:42.079 and in seasons of hurt. Verse 17. Never pay back 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:45.759 evil with more evil. Do things in such a way 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:50.720 that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:53.079 that you can to live in peace with everyone. 00:18:53.819 --> 00:18:58.720 Dear friends, Never take revenge. Leave that 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:02.519 to the righteous anger of God. For the scriptures 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:06.900 say, I will take revenge. I will pay them back, 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:13.039 says the Lord. It's important that we trust God 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:18.759 with all injustice. We know that God sees and 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:23.579 God knows and he promises to handle judgment. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:28.240 Sometimes peace with others isn't always in our 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:32.720 control, but what is our responsibility is to 00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:40.160 not create conflict. Verse 20 Instead, if your 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:44.240 enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:48.599 give them something to drink. In doing this, 00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:51.359 you will heap burning coals of shame on their 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:57.869 heads. Here, Paul is teaching us that evil is 00:19:57.869 --> 00:20:01.789 defeated when we respond with Christlike goodness. 00:20:03.089 --> 00:20:07.569 Kindness, therefore, softens others' hearts. 00:20:07.990 --> 00:20:12.730 Sometimes kindness even convicts. Sometimes it 00:20:12.730 --> 00:20:18.230 will even win back a former enemy. But it's important 00:20:18.230 --> 00:20:22.289 to realize that the world's ideal of killing 00:20:22.289 --> 00:20:27.559 someone with kindness is not God's way. God's 00:20:27.559 --> 00:20:32.799 way is so much far above that mindset. It's the 00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:37.180 heart of God's way is still love. We're not seeking 00:20:37.180 --> 00:20:41.839 harm to someone else. We're seeking to genuinely 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:45.500 respond as God would respond, and that would 00:20:45.500 --> 00:20:52.750 be to love one another as he loved us. despite 00:20:52.750 --> 00:20:55.769 all the things that we've done against him, right? 00:20:55.869 --> 00:20:58.109 He still loved us. And that's how we're supposed 00:20:58.109 --> 00:21:02.910 to treat and carry our lives and in every arena 00:21:02.910 --> 00:21:07.410 in our dealings with other people who seek to 00:21:07.410 --> 00:21:12.829 even do us harm and do us wrong. Verse 21, don't 00:21:12.829 --> 00:21:17.009 let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing 00:21:17.009 --> 00:21:21.869 good. Here, Paul is saying that we must not give 00:21:21.869 --> 00:21:27.430 in to the lure of pride, of hate, and now revenge. 00:21:28.390 --> 00:21:32.109 This is not the way of Christ. Instead, though, 00:21:32.150 --> 00:21:36.069 we must stay focused on copying his will and 00:21:36.069 --> 00:21:42.369 his ways. So Romans 12, it's painted this picture 00:21:42.369 --> 00:21:46.650 of a transformed life as one that is surrendered 00:21:46.650 --> 00:21:50.559 to God. is one that thinks differently than the 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:55.259 world. It walks humbly. It serves faithfully. 00:21:55.339 --> 00:22:01.180 It loves sincerely, responds graciously, and 00:22:01.180 --> 00:22:06.039 trusts God with justice. Let's pick up in Romans 00:22:06.039 --> 00:22:11.460 chapter 13, starting with verse 1. Everyone must 00:22:11.460 --> 00:22:16.519 submit to governing authorities. For all authority, 00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:21.039 comes from God. And those in positions of authority 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:25.440 have been placed there by God. So anyone who 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:29.460 rebels against authority is rebelling against 00:22:29.460 --> 00:22:34.059 what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 00:22:35.319 --> 00:22:38.759 Now, when we read this verse, this is not only 00:22:38.759 --> 00:22:42.099 for the good Christians or the ones who agree 00:22:42.099 --> 00:22:46.019 with the government at the time. It says everyone. 00:22:47.890 --> 00:22:51.250 Christians shouldn't live with rebellious attitudes. 00:22:52.750 --> 00:22:58.309 We aren't called to chaos. See, we live under 00:22:58.309 --> 00:23:00.849 authority, and a Christian knows what it means 00:23:00.849 --> 00:23:05.049 to live under authority. And we do it with humility. 00:23:06.069 --> 00:23:08.750 And just to remind you, during this time, when 00:23:08.750 --> 00:23:12.490 Roman soldiers would come and tell you to carry 00:23:12.490 --> 00:23:15.529 their gear, you had to. It was a law. You had 00:23:15.529 --> 00:23:20.759 to carry... They're gear for a mile. And if, 00:23:20.839 --> 00:23:24.160 you know, Jesus, the word of God says, don't 00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:26.319 just carry it one mile, carry it two. That's 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:29.779 the way Christians should act. And that's the 00:23:29.779 --> 00:23:32.640 attitude that we should have as followers of 00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:36.859 Christ. Now, this doesn't mean that every leader 00:23:36.859 --> 00:23:42.140 is godly. Here's what it does mean. God allows 00:23:42.140 --> 00:23:48.349 leaders to rise. and God removes leaders. God 00:23:48.349 --> 00:23:53.009 works through authority, sometimes even through 00:23:53.009 --> 00:23:57.509 imperfect authority. As we look through the Old 00:23:57.509 --> 00:24:00.809 Testament, God gave leaders to bless the nation, 00:24:00.990 --> 00:24:05.849 but he also allowed other leaders to correct 00:24:05.849 --> 00:24:13.079 a nation and lead people back to him. When we 00:24:13.079 --> 00:24:17.519 constantly fight against authority just because 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:21.420 we don't like it, we're not just resisting people. 00:24:22.180 --> 00:24:26.920 We're resisting what God set up. But there's 00:24:26.920 --> 00:24:30.420 a balance. If government ever tells us to do 00:24:30.420 --> 00:24:35.460 something that clearly disobeys God, then Acts 00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:39.720 4 .19 tells us we must obey God rather than men. 00:24:41.259 --> 00:24:44.359 Picking up with verse 3. For the authorities 00:24:44.359 --> 00:24:47.440 do not strike fear in people who are doing right, 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:51.880 but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like 00:24:51.880 --> 00:24:55.960 to live without fear of the authorities? Do what 00:24:55.960 --> 00:25:02.220 is right, and they will honor you. You see, in 00:25:02.220 --> 00:25:06.000 God's design, government is meant to basically 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:10.039 do three things. To protect people. To punish 00:25:10.039 --> 00:25:15.450 wrong. and to keep order in society. And if we're 00:25:15.450 --> 00:25:19.309 living right, we don't have to live in fear. 00:25:20.369 --> 00:25:23.930 If we're following the rules of law, we don't 00:25:23.930 --> 00:25:28.829 have to be afraid. Christians should be the kind 00:25:28.829 --> 00:25:33.450 of people who tell the truth, respect others, 00:25:33.750 --> 00:25:39.390 live peaceful lives, and make their communities 00:25:39.390 --> 00:25:45.160 better. Picking up with verse 4. The authorities 00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:51.079 are God's servants sent for your good. But if 00:25:51.079 --> 00:25:54.079 you're doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, 00:25:54.200 --> 00:25:57.700 for they have the power to punish you. They are 00:25:57.700 --> 00:26:02.279 God's servants sent for the very purpose of punishing 00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:07.779 those who do what is wrong. So you must submit 00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:12.549 to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also 00:26:12.549 --> 00:26:17.390 to keep a clear conscience. This verse tells 00:26:17.390 --> 00:26:22.049 us that government officials are servants. They're 00:26:22.049 --> 00:26:25.410 servants of the people. Their authority, however, 00:26:25.569 --> 00:26:30.650 is borrowed. Because everyone who has a position 00:26:30.650 --> 00:26:34.710 of authority in this world is ultimately going 00:26:34.710 --> 00:26:38.849 to answer to God for how they operated in that 00:26:38.849 --> 00:26:43.329 authority. God has given government the right 00:26:43.329 --> 00:26:47.529 to punish evil and to protect society. And when 00:26:47.529 --> 00:26:51.529 government refuses to punish evil, they stop 00:26:51.529 --> 00:26:56.829 doing what God designed them to do. We don't 00:26:56.829 --> 00:27:00.670 obey and follow the law just because we're scared 00:27:00.670 --> 00:27:05.089 of getting in trouble. We obey because it honors 00:27:05.089 --> 00:27:10.430 God. It keeps our conscience clear. It reflects 00:27:10.430 --> 00:27:17.970 Christ well. We obey out of faith, not out of 00:27:17.970 --> 00:27:24.950 fear. Picking up with verse 6. Pay your taxes 00:27:24.950 --> 00:27:29.730 too, for the same reasons. For government workers 00:27:29.730 --> 00:27:33.970 need to be paid. They are serving God in what 00:27:33.970 --> 00:27:37.710 they do. Give to everyone what you owe them. 00:27:38.349 --> 00:27:41.890 Pay your taxes and government fees to those who 00:27:41.890 --> 00:27:46.130 collect them and give respect and honor to those 00:27:46.130 --> 00:27:51.069 who are in authority. I don't know if this is 00:27:51.069 --> 00:27:54.990 an exciting verse or not, but it says that we 00:27:54.990 --> 00:27:58.009 need to pay our taxes. We need to pay what we 00:27:58.009 --> 00:28:00.990 owe. Why do we pay? Because government workers 00:28:00.990 --> 00:28:06.730 serve the public. Order and structure costs something. 00:28:07.849 --> 00:28:13.670 God uses systems to maintain society. And sometimes 00:28:13.670 --> 00:28:17.630 we may not love the process, but we're supposed 00:28:17.630 --> 00:28:22.769 to live honestly before God. Give people what 00:28:22.769 --> 00:28:26.549 they're due. If they're due money, give them 00:28:26.549 --> 00:28:29.670 money. Just like Jesus said, give to Caesar what 00:28:29.670 --> 00:28:32.089 is Caesar's and give to God what is God's. So 00:28:32.089 --> 00:28:35.170 if we owe money, that's what we need to do is 00:28:35.170 --> 00:28:38.039 give the money that is owed. We also need to 00:28:38.039 --> 00:28:40.579 give the respect that is due when it's appropriate. 00:28:41.579 --> 00:28:46.359 And we are to honor when it is due. When someone 00:28:46.359 --> 00:28:50.380 holds a position that God has allowed, we need 00:28:50.380 --> 00:28:54.779 to treat them with honor. Now, we don't worship 00:28:54.779 --> 00:28:58.819 our leaders, even though some people can be accused 00:28:58.819 --> 00:29:01.059 of that, right? We're not supposed to worship 00:29:01.059 --> 00:29:04.039 our leaders when we think they're a good leader. 00:29:04.119 --> 00:29:08.420 They shouldn't be worshipped. Just like we shouldn't 00:29:08.420 --> 00:29:13.180 insult everyone we disagree with. If we don't 00:29:13.180 --> 00:29:15.680 like our leader, we shouldn't go around insulting 00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:19.819 them as followers of Christ. We need to live 00:29:19.819 --> 00:29:25.599 differently because our ultimate loyalty is to 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:30.740 Christ. Now, these verses aren't about trusting 00:29:30.740 --> 00:29:35.670 every politician. It's about trusting God more 00:29:35.670 --> 00:29:41.009 than politics. So, in trusting God more than 00:29:41.009 --> 00:29:45.609 politics, we respect authority, we obey when 00:29:45.609 --> 00:29:49.190 we can, we refuse only when obedience would mean 00:29:49.190 --> 00:29:54.390 disobeying God, we pray for our leaders, and 00:29:54.390 --> 00:29:59.470 we live with integrity. Ultimately, governments... 00:30:00.109 --> 00:30:02.730 The governments of this world, they rise and 00:30:02.730 --> 00:30:09.730 they fall. But Jesus is King forever. Thank you 00:30:09.730 --> 00:30:12.589 for joining us for Life Group. Allow God's Word 00:30:12.589 --> 00:30:15.390 to build your faith and transform your life.