November 13, 2005
"Loving God—Loving People 2"
What Makes God Smile?—Part 7
Romans 12
Relationships—the Key to Service
Relationship #1—God and Me.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
—Romans 12:1
Dedication to God involves three steps:
A. You give your body.
B. You give your mind.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
—Romans 12:2a
Conform: "To be shaped by"
Transform: "To become completely different"
C. You give your will.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
—Romans 12:2b
Note: To have a right relationship with God, we must start the day by yielding to Him our bodies, minds, and wills.
Relationship #2—You and Me.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
—Ephesians 4:15-16
The essentials for service:
Essential #1—Honest evaluation
As God's messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you.
—Romans 12:3 (NLT)
Essential #2—Faithful cooperation
We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability...serve them well...do a good job...share it generously...take the responsibility seriously...do it gladly.
—Romans 12:4-8 (NLT)
Essential #3—Loving participation
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
—Romans 12:9-12
Application
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
—2 Peter 1:5-7
Lifework
A humble attitude and a willingness to share are the marks of a Christian whose service makes a difference in the church and in the world.
What Makes God Smile?—Week 7
Personal and Group Study
Getting Started
- What is your favorite season of the year? What do you like/dislike about the time changes that happen each Fall and Spring?
- Of all the projects you have been involved in at church, which was your favorite? How did the part you helped with match your spiritual giftedness?
Digging Deeper: Read Romans 12
- What is Paul's concern in verse 3? What causes a person to think more highly of themselves than they should? How does faith play into a person's self evaluation?
- When Paul says, "each member belongs to all the others" in verse 5, what does he mean?
- Why is it important for a person's faith to grow? How does a person's faith grow?
- In verse 11, Paul says, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." How do you do that?
- What is your definition of hospitality? What is biblical hospitality? Can you think of an example of hospitality in the Bible?
- What is sweet about revenge and why are we to not seek it? How could a person leave room for God's wrath and still have the wrong attitude?
- How might a person be overcome by evil? What steps might a person take to avoid that plague?
Applying It To My Life
- As you look at the gifts listed in this chapter, which gift do you have? Who in your group has one of these gifts?
- One of the key ways we discover our spiritual giftedness is by others recognizing God's work in our life. Encourage each other in your small group by recognizing each other's gifts.
- How will you "present your body a living sacrifice" this week? What plans do you have to use your spiritual giftedness this week?