Supernatural Living Part 2
Notes
Transcript
Last week we looked at the personal aspects of Supernatural living in our own lives.
This morning we are looking at the wider dimension with mostly pertains to the believers duty to fellow members inside the family of God.
not only does it matter how we live personally but it maters how we interact with other believers.
Here verses 10 through 12 speak on this.
Duty to the Family of God
Duty to the Family of God
Be Devoted in Brotherly Love
Be Devoted in Brotherly Love
Devoted brotherly love is one of the marks by which the world will know that we belong to Christ.
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
This love is not optional for believers.
It not only is required but is inescapable because of 1 John 5:1
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
Brotherly Love reflects the nature of Christians.
Also how we show love to other Christians, reflects our love for the savior.
John makes loving our brothers every clear:
9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
Prefer one Another in Honor
Prefer one Another in Honor
Another way of saying this is dealing with one another in humility.
If everything always has to be your way and you have to always be right then are you dealing with each other with humility.
To honor is to show genuine appreciation and admiration for one another in the family of God.
We are to be quick to show respect, quick to acknowledge the accomplishments of others, quick to demonstrate genuine love by not being jealous or envious.
Do Not Lag in Diligence
Do Not Lag in Diligence
In the context of Romans 12, diligence refers to whatever believers do in their supernatural living.
Whatever is worth doing in the Lord’s service is worth doing with enthusiasm and care.
No one wants to be around negative people all the time.
Do everything to the best of your ability and have a cheerful heart while doing it.
Be Fervent in Spirit
Be Fervent in Spirit
Whereas diligence pertains mainly to action, being fervent in spirit pertains to attitude.
Literally, zeō means to boil and metaphorically to be fervent. The idea here is not of being overheated to the point of boiling over and out of control but, like a steam engine, of having sufficient heat to produce the energy necessary to get the work done.
That principle is reflected in the life of Henry Martyn, the tireless missionary to India, whose heart’s desire was to “burn out for God.”
Serve The Lord
Serve The Lord
Everything we do we should do as if we are serving the Lord.
Above everything else Paul considered himself and bondslave of Christ.
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,
Rejoice in Hope
Rejoice in Hope
Living the supernatural life inevitably brings opposition from the world and sometimes even sparks resentment by fellow Christians.
Even after years of faithful service to the Lord, some see few, if any, apparent results from their labors.
Without hope we could never survive.
With Christ there will always be hope.
Persevere in Tribulation
Persevere in Tribulation
It is because we can rejoice in hope that we also can persevere in tribulation, whatever its form or severity.
Because we have perfect assurance concerning the ultimate outcome of our lives, we are able to persist against any obstacle and endure any suffering.
That is why Paul could declare with perfect confidence that “we exult in hope of the glory of God.”
Be Devoted to Prayer
Be Devoted to Prayer
One of the reasons the Lord allows His children to go through tribulation is to drive them to Himself.
The believer who has the strength to persevere in trials, afflictions, adversity, and misfortune—sometimes even deprivation and destitution—will pray more than occasionally.
He will be devoted to prayer, in communion with his Lord as a constant part of his life. So should we all be, no matter what the circumstances of our lives.
Contribute to the Needs of the Saints
Contribute to the Needs of the Saints
We must help those of us who need it.
This seems simple but is often overlooked.
We should not have to look anywhere past our brothers and sisters for help when we need it.
Practice Hospitality
Practice Hospitality
Be kind to those that need it.