FHCC
20250713 Worship

                • John 4:23ESV

                • John 4:24ESV

                              • I Sing Praises
                              • Glorify Thy Name
                              • Majesty

                                      • Romans 12:1–21ESV

                                    • Intro

                                      In the 1960’s an American professor developed and idea he called “situational ethics” that proposed sometimes harming others is a noble choice. In many ways Fletcher’s ideas paved the way for abortion-on-demand to come into the mainstream of culture which was memorialized in the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision of 1973. Situation Ethics found their way into classrooms of my generation through exercised like “bomb shelter” or “lifeboat” where there wasn’t room for everyone.
                                      About 6 years later another American philosopher who had moved to Switzerland, proposed that a morality based upon the character of God was more important than a perceived situation. After 40 years of studying culture, Francis Schaeffer released “How Should We then Live?” If the world has fallen (or jumped) off the moral cliff, how should a Biblical lifestyle be different?
                                      To the decadence of Roman culture 1900 years ago, Paul addressed the same question in Romans 12.
                                      We just finished an exhausting week of VBS and are about to send our Teens to a faith-stretching week of camp. Some of my most memorable moments from these events when I was in the emerging generation were the songs we sang. One of those songs started slow and got faster until we collapsed tongue-tied.
                                      We would start, “I’m inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time.” Then we would add motions. Then we would add speed.
                                      TRANSITION: Today’s text unquestionably calls us to upright love God, downright love the Church through service, and outright love those we seek to introduce to Jesus.

                                      Love God Sacrificially (Ro 12.1-2)

                                      If we had not made the jump ahead last week to chapter 13, we might see how 12:1-2 flows from 1-11, especially 11:30-36—since we have received mercy and placed our trust in grace, now what do we do? How do we respond to the great grace gift of God?

                                      Reasonable sacrifice

                                      reasonable (KJV)/ spiritual (NASB, ESV)/true (CSB, NIV) - literally the word λογικὴν (logican) meaning it logically flows out of who you are as a person. If the mercy we receive from God flows in and gives us life, then what reasonably comes out from the true self is obligated service. What make it logical is that He is worthy...He is worth it...it is worship.
                                      living - current and ongoing. Someone rightfully said that “the problem with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar.”
                                      I wish my Christian experience was one where the commitments that I was called to make were those that stuck with me consistently. But, my lived experience was that the rises and falls of my obedience frequently meant that at a retreat, a camp, or revival meetings I was nudged to repent and recommit to what I once held dear.

                                      Renewed thinking.

                                      The reason I needed to “recommit” was that I was maturing and deepening my understanding of what discipleship looks like.
                                      I told you that music has stuck with me since SS, VBS & camp days. One of the songs we sang at camp was “the things I used to do, I don’t do them anymore, I’ve been changed, I’ve been changed, I’ve been changed.”
                                      I’m grateful that the Spirit’s renewal is progressive rather than overwhelming me by dumping the whole load at once.
                                      A couple of years ago a particular neighbor to our West was trying to start a lawn. He had truckloads of cattle pen droppings brough in. When the trucks dumped the whole load the impact on the neighborhood was overwhelming, but when the material got spread and worked into the soil, a beautiful lawn emerged.
                                      Likewise, the Holy Spirit drops a measured amount of conviction into my life then He works it into my routines, then He drops a little more in a different area so that my whole being is made into something that more resembles what God deserves.
                                      TRANSITION: Just as Jesus taught a poignant lesson and applied it by telling His disciples to do this to one another, Living out a renewed mind also looks like treating others differently. That is the point of the next 6 verses.

                                      Love the Body by Serving (Ro 12.3-8)

                                      humility (Ro.12:3)

                                      Have you ever used the phrase, “It’s not too heavy, it’s just an awkward shape.” There is something about human self sufficiency that tries to do by one’s self what would easily be accomplished by a pairing.
                                      Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 ESV:2016
                                      Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!
                                      You can’t ever save yourself, you need Christ and you were never intended to live the Christian life in isolation. God gives His Spirit and His Body to help us along the path He intends. Too many people get the idea that it is up to God to save him, then it is up to self to stay saved through effort and persistence.

                                      Interdependence (Ro 12:4-5)

                                      I love that our church takes on events like VBS for multiple reasons:
                                      I love that children from many different faith backgrounds are exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a compelling way and given an opportunity to respond in faith.
                                      I love that there are so many different tasks that require so many different talents. There are some of us who have involvements that would make a weekly serving opportunity like worship team or Sunday School difficult, but 5 days within 1 week is something we can dip our toes into. The variety of culinary, educational, artistic, creativity, athleticism, and behind the scenes tasks gives many a chance to contribute even if standing in a pulpit and talking about a verse is intimidating.
                                      Even if a particular year does not produce a salvation decision, VBS plants seeds in fertile soil and is good for the body as we learn to work together for a common goal.text

                                      Contribution (Ro 12:6-8)

                                      Sometimes we have resources that we are unwilling to share, but if we do contribute everybody has better experience.
                                      Have you heard the folk lore of stone soup? This statue in Portugal honors this delicacy.
                                      Some travelers come to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty cooking pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the very hungry travelers. Then the travelers go to a stream and fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in it, and place it over a fire. One of the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing. The travelers answer that they are making "stone soup", which tastes wonderful and which they would be delighted to share with the villager, although it still needs a little bit of garnish, which they are missing, to improve the flavor.
                                      The villager, who anticipates enjoying a share of the soup, does not mind parting with a few carrots, so these are added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travelers again mention their stone soup which has not yet reached its full potential. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient, like potatoes, onions, cabbages, peas, celery, tomatoes, sweetcorn, meat (like chicken, pork and beef), milk, butter, salt and pepper. Finally, the stone (being inedible) is removed from the pot, and a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is enjoyed by travelers and villagers alike. Although the travelers have thus tricked the villagers into sharing their food with them, they have successfully transformed it into a tasty meal which they share with the donors.
                                      TRANSITION: This folk story uses manipulation to motivate contribution, but the call of v.8 is a cheerful willingness.

                                      Love Others Sincerely (Ro 12.9-21)

                                      Otherly devotion (Ro 12.9-13)

                                      1. I read in these 5 verses the type of people I want for my friends. If I appreciate these qualities in others, they just might find them attractive in me as well.
                                      2. It can be summed up in “be the type of person that people want to be around.”
                                      TRANSITION: How do we respond when others persecute?
                                      When our kids were young there was a purple dinosaur on TV that sang a particular song each episode celebrating love and unity.
                                      I believe if that show was still in production the dinosaur would be red or blue and would sing…
                                      I hate you, you hate me.
                                      We’re aligned for World War 3.
                                      With a Facebook post and a tweet from me to you
                                      You are not my family!
                                      TRANSITION: God’s Word says that is NOT how we respond. We are to respond to persecution with…

                                      Overcoming compassion (Ro 12.14-21)

                                      I see great crescendos in this last paragraph. V. 14 begins with a startling statement and before it can be fully digested or discarded, another clause is added until the big conclusion in v.18.
                                      Then in v.19 He regathers their attention with a vocative and builds another tower of kindness toward those who don’t really appreciate it.
                                      V.20 includes an interesting picture that requires us to travel across culture and time. I first thought that heaping of burning coals was an illustration of being the bigger man and others would see that you are better than the other guy.
                                      But someone explained to me that in the days before electric ignition or pilot lights, in the days before stick matches if one person’s cooking and heating fire went out, the easiest way to resume normal activities was to buy or borrow coals from a neighbor. How did they carry heavy items? On their heads. So the picture is a fire-pan full of hot coals being provided for a neighbor whose means of survival has been extinguished. THIS is how we overcome his evil, by our goodness.

                                      Conclusion

                                      The first 11 chapters of this book have spoken about how good God is towards sinners. Now in we begin to see for the next 5 weeks how we can be good toward God and others.
                                      You may remember that we are in a 3-year challenge. I have asked you to pray for our neighbors, I have asked you to care for our neighbors, and now I am asking you to share the gospel with our neighbors because it is the loving thing to do and it is only reasonable when we consider how gracious and merciful God has been to us!
                                      The tragic flooding in Texas Hill Country has generated 2 very different responses. One warms our hearts and the other turns our stomachs.
                                      I read of a 26-year-old rescue swimmer named Scott Ruskan. Texas was his first assignment with the Coast Guard. After graduating rescue school he directly saved the lives of over 165 people.
                                      On the other hand, I read of a Pediatrician who was fired from her Houston clinic because of the horrible disregard she had toward the victims as expressed on social media.
                                      If you have received God’s mercy be a Scott, not a Christina!

                                      Light & Lamp Application:

                                      Light for my Path

                                      Christ came not to be served, but to serve

                                      Lamps for my Steps

                                      How could something you did for God last year, look deeper this week?
                                      What is something you could do for a neighbor that he/she would have difficulty doing himself?
                                      What favor could you ask of a neighbor to make him/her feel needed?

                                        • Ecclesiastes 4:9–10ESV

                                          • Rescue The Perishing

                                              • 2 Corinthians 13:14ESV

                                              FHCC
                                              flinthillschurch@gmail.com
                                              (620)273-6777
                                              http://flinthillschurch.net
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