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Rebels with A Cause: Trade Good for Evil? (Romans 12:9-21)

Family Meeting – God’s House & People (Heart for House)

• Reopened last June. Supernatural year! Best yet to come!
• So many new people, setting our culture (June-July Romans)
• 1. Difficult relationships       2. Difficult seasons

1. UR offended 2. You take up offense for someone (not necessarily wronged)

• Conformed or Transformed?

Romans 12:⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰ To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1.    LOVE: Romans 12:⁹ Let love be genuine.

• Not flattery/manipulation
• Religious “love” is repugnant (Judas kiss)
• Love is sometimes how you feel, but it’s always what you do (ex’s next!)

2.    DISCERNMENT: Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

• God hates evil. To love is to hate what could destroy it.

Prov 6:16-19 There are 6 things that the LORD hates, 7 that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, & hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, & one who sows discord among brothers.

• Discrimination People vs Discriminating Beliefs & Behaviors

3.    AFFECTION: ¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection.

• Love is one way grace (burden-lifter)
• 1 John 4:8, 19 “God is love” “We love because He first loved us”

4.    HONOR: Outdo one another in showing honor.

• Our culture makes rebels into heroes
• Starts our family & church family (Honor UP; Blessing DOWN)
• Pastor & Pastors conference & son story

5.    ZEAL: ¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

• Self-motivated, for the Lord (not anyone else)
• Religious Zeal criticized

6.    PATIENCE: ¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

• Hope – patient tribulation – prayer (shift burden)
• Increase pain threshold = maturity/insight/leadership

7.    GEN/HOSP: ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

• Generosity vs Manipulation (no strings)
• Hospitality – welcome stranger (ancient world travel & lodging) Life Groups

8.    GRACE: ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

• Every XN & church faces seasons persecution
• Jesus on cross could have named their sin & brought angelic army
• Sometimes saying/doing nothing
• Weakness vs Meekness “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”

9.    PRESENCE: ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

• Empathy/compassion = emotionally present

10. UNITY: ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another.

• Like a band

11. HUMILITY: Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.

• Haughty – Exec Pastor hire
• Friends? – Fruit Spirit (EM)

12. WISDOM: Never be wise in your own sight.

• Wise – Foolish – Evil

13.  PRAYER:¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

• Watching? – 1. God, 2. lost people, 3. fellow believers, 4. your followers
• Online – worst in history – appealing to angry emotional flash response
• Elderly woman years ago

14. PEACE:¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

• You cannot live peaceably with all people, but you can try.
• “If you engage, you will enrage” – Gavin Debecker

15. FORGIVENESS:¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Deut. 32:35)

• Non-responsive, non-retaliating = we want the last word & so do they by
• God’s wrath is worse than your vengeance
• Cross or Hell
• RT June 12-13

16.  BLESSING: ²⁰ To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

• Pr 25:22 burning coals ??? Killing w/kindness (e.g. hardening heart w/grace)
• Counter striker – return fire with grace

17. GOODNESS: ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

• Do good – for others & move on, ignore them, don’t lose focus
• Story I told @ men’s – he’s “ winning” but doesn’t see all he’s losing

1. This is God’s treats us & we should treat each other
2. No one gets this right all the time              (Conformed)
3. This is supernatural life in the Spirit          (Transformed)

Romans 16:17-20 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.