Church: The Beauty of God’s People
- Jesus’ love for the church shines down here through Romans.
- Romans 12:1-14
- The scholar J.B. Phillips wrote a small book titled, “Your God is too Small.” Douglass Moo, a scholar who has written several weighty volumes on Romans, noted that “Our Gospel is too small.” What he meant was, we think of the Gospel as initial atonement only. But the Gospel is living out the atonement. It’s living in community with Jesus’ followers.
Why the church is beautiful:
1. We rally one another’s
- We think that getting alone with God will deepen our spiritual growth. However, isolation for too long actually inhibits spiritual growth.
- Romans 12:2 calls us to transformation. The Gospel is disruptive to the old way of life. Transformation brings forth a new person.
- Romans 12:11 calls us not to be “slothful” in zeal, but fervent in spirit. Slothful in zeal is the idea that we think we do not need to maintain our joy or passion for God; that we arrogantly think our fire will just remain.
- Bible study fuels our passion for God.
2. We Serve Jesus Together
- Romans 12:1, notice that the sacrifice is us, we give our lives to God. When I am saved, my life is dead to me, but alive to Jesus. Everything I do is to advance Jesus’ Kingdom.
- Romans 12:6-8, Paul uses the image of a body to represent the People of God. That is, everyone has a part to play. Church is not about one super star personality: it’s about the Body of Jesus working together.
3. We Care
- Romans 12:13 asks us to care about those in need. This is not just a call to emotional response, but to practical compassion.
- At Palms, we seek to do this through ministries like Feed the Hungry, Benevolence and Helping Hands.
4. We Love
- Romans 12:16 directly commands that believers not just associate with people like themselves, but that the walls of the church disappear.
- Romans 12:10, the height of theology is “brotherly love.”
5. We speak deeply
- Romans 12:17, notice the command to “do what is honorable in the sight of all.”
- Who has permission to speak into your life and relationships? It should be some trusted people in your church family, maybe a teacher or a person in your small group or your Bible Study group.
- Romans 12:16 commands us not to be wise in our own sight. This is because on our own, we live in an echo chamber of self. We assume our motives are right and often need a friend to show us where we might be thinking with the flesh instead of the Spirit.
6. We walk
- When I’m in mourning. Romans 12:15
- When I’m rejoicing. Romans 12:15
- When I’m under attack. Romans 12:12
7. We Carry the
- The whole world needs hope. The world needs Jesus.
- Matthew 16:18, Jesus said He would build His church. Realize: This is the focus of Jesus. 27/7 building church. Building it in: Singapore, Sydney, Mexico City, 29 Palms. Wonder Valley. Greatest privilege in life: Jesus says, serve me. Help me build My church.