A Proper Response to God's Love
Notes
Transcript
Turn to your neighbor and tell them your in the right place.
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If you have your Bible turn with me to Romans chapter 11
Last week we learned what is in store for the Jews. Paul concluded this section of his letter by reminding his readers of a remnant of Jews that God has set aside for himself and that at the chosen hour they would rise up in Faith.
In the mean time Paul tells us that now is the time for the salvation of the Gentiles. That means that right now is our time. I want to back up to this section because I feel like it we need to really look at this.
Today’s message is Titled
A Proper Response to God’s Love
A Proper Response to God’s Love
15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,
You were once a wild shoot.
Wild shoots grow by accident and are easily chopped down or eaten by animals.
Wild shoots don’t really serve a purpose.
When they are grafted into a healthy tree though they begin to take on the characteristics of that tree.
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy.
32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
1. I Must Acknowledge The Reason to Respond.
1. I Must Acknowledge The Reason to Respond.
Romans 12:1a (ESV)
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,
You Have Been Justified by God!
You Have Been Justified by God!
Justification is the act of God whereby the sinner is given faith to believe, receives forgiveness of all sin, and is assigned the righteousness of Christ.
Justification is the act of God whereby the sinner is given faith to believe, receives forgiveness of all sin, and is assigned the righteousness of Christ.
33 Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out.
36 Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.
2. My Response Must Be Physical
2. My Response Must Be Physical
Romans 12:1 (ESV)
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
1 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
If you are no longer a wild shoot than you ought not continue to act like a wild shoot.
This mean I am no longer what I used to be I have to start off loading the old ways.
1 Peter 2:11 (ESV)
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
Romans 6:12–13 (ESV)
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.
13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
If I am going to stop acting like a the wild shoot that I used to be I am going to have to stop living in the wild shoot ways. I am not talking about following rules and regulations I am talking about doing what ever it takes to grow closer to God.
When I am offended and live offended am I closer or farther from God?
When I am striving for more money and power am I closer or farther from God?
When I am engaging in sexual activities outside of marriage am I closer or farther from God?
When I am trapped in addiction am I closer or farther from God?
So I need to keep Going?
When I am trying to keep up with my neighbors and what they have am I closer or farther from God?
Now I am Meddling.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (ESV)
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Romans 12:1 (ESV)
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
My reaction to righteousness should mean I look like the healthy tree, act like the healthy tree, even smell like the healthy tree.
2 Corinthians 2:15 (ESV)
15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
How do we get there?
3. The Proper Response Only Comes By Renewing the Mind.
3. The Proper Response Only Comes By Renewing the Mind.
Romans 12:2a (ESV)
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
The only the wild shoot out of me is to allow The Holy Spirit to continue to remind me where I belong.
Romans 12:2a(ESV)
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The World is going to try to remind you. The world will use these kind of phrases.
The Holy Spirit however whispers who are and who you can be.
If I am going to respond correctly I am going to have to stop letting the world squeeze me into the mold of what I was born out of and start allowing The Holy Spirit to transform my mind and body into what I was created for.
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Romans 12:2a (ESV)
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
Titus 3:5 (ESV)
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
4. The Results of a Proper Response is an Ability to Discern God’s Will.
4. The Results of a Proper Response is an Ability to Discern God’s Will.
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.