These Things We Can Control
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 35:03
0 ratings
· 24 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Chaos is all around us.
Chaos is all around us.
No relationship ever truly goes as plan. It doesn’t matter how old you are or are not. Part of the reason for the messiness is because we cannot control the other person, at least not if the relationship is going to be healthy.
Transformation flows outwards.
Transformation flows outwards.
We cannot have a transformation of mind and spirit without a ripple effect happening in our relationships. When the Spirit of God gets a hold of us our relationships cannot stay the same.
Pride gets in the way of relationships.
Pride gets in the way of relationships.
Whether this is pride or self-neglect both will ruin relationships. Pride being the more toxic of the two. This is why over and over in Scripture, NT especially, the sin which is called out is a sin of pride.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Love is hard & messy.
Love is hard & messy.
Part of what Romans 12 is teaching us is this truth. Now in our passage this morning we come to words of Paul which are said in rapid fire secession with little overt structure. He is driving home a point that cannot be put in a box.
Love is an attitude reflected in choices.
Love is an attitude reflected in choices.
Love is not a feeling. Love is not easy. Love is not selfish. Love is a hard choice which must first be an attitude towards God and others. We get to choose our attitudes.
Love is grounded in the Spirit.
Love is grounded in the Spirit.
We must be passionate people. But we cannot let our passion be separated from the Holy Spirit which will ground us in the truth of Jesus.
Together we persevere in prayer, affliction, hope.
Together we persevere in prayer, affliction, hope.
Individually and collectively these are our tasks.
We need to regain a sense of hospitality.
We need to regain a sense of hospitality.
Thanksgiving is one of these natural ways to show hospitality. Paul actually says we should “pursue” hospitality. This is what I love about our Food For the Soul and the concept/foundation/theology it is built upon.
Be people of peace—towards others.
Be people of peace—towards others.
As much as it depends on you live at peace. We have a choice in how we respond to those who try to provoke us. Paul is not saying become a doormat, no we need good boundaries, but we do not have need to provoke the bears around us to fight. This is part of what Paul means in verse 17 when he talks about doing what is right in the eyes of others. This is not throwing out Biblical convictions but by doing good, clinging to good, living out God’s goodness others are seeing who He is.
Live room for God.
Live room for God.
Sometimes my biggest struggle is getting in the way of what Jesus and the Holy Spirit want. I think “I need to be the one...” when really I just need to leave space for the One who is above all.
The struggle of humanity from the beginning was not allowing God to be God and thinking we could do a better job. The same is true today, which typically leads to more chaos. However if we live out a sincere love as outlined in Romans 12 we will continually submit to the Lord and leave room for His justice, truth, revenge, wrath and love. In so doing, I can relax knowing it isn’t up to me to do it all.