Keys To A Wonderful Church Life - Part 3: Building On The Foundation Of God's Love Series

Keys to a Wonderful Church Life

Part 3: Building on the Foundation of God's Love

The Book of Romans

Romans 12:9-16 (Reading vs. 1-16)

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared August 30, 2021)

BACKGROUND:

*Most of us know that Romans 12 marks a big shift in the Book of Romans. In chapters 1-11, Paul explained the truth about our terrible sinfulness and our desperate need for God's salvation. Paul made it clear that salvation can only come by grace through faith in our crucified and risen Savior Jesus Christ. This is the heart of the good news about Jesus. He died on the cross for all of our sins. But three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead, and now He will give eternal life to everyone who will receive Him as their Lord and Savior.

*But how are we supposed to live this new life we have as Christians? That's what Paul began to discuss in this chapter. Tonight in vs. 9-16, God's Word shows us how God wants us to build our lives on the foundation of His love. Let's get started by reading Romans 12:1-16.

MESSAGE:

*Over the past couple of weeks, we have looked at some keys to a wonderful church life. And last week we saw that the foundation for it all is God's love. As His Word says in vs. 9, "Let love be without hypocrisy."

*This verse is talking about God's kind of agape love. It's the kind of love we see in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. And there the New Living Translation says:

4. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud

5. or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.

6. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

7. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

*Most of all, agape love is the kind of love we see on the cross of Jesus Christ. Now our Risen Savior wants us to build our lives on the foundation of His love. Tonight's Scripture shows us how to do it.

1. FIRST: GOD WANTS US TO BE AUTHENTIC AND AFFECTIONATE.

*This is part of Paul's message for us in vs. 9-10, where he wrote:

9. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

10. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

*God wants us to be authentic and affectionate toward one another, but that can be hard to do, because sometimes we're like porcupines, and we tend to stick each other. (1)

[1] SO GOD WANTS OUR LOVE TO BE AUTHENTIC.

*Again in vs. 9, He says, "Let love be without hypocrisy." The KJV says: "Let love be without dissimulation," and "dissimulation" means hypocrisy, deceit, cheating, or double-dealing. That's why the NIV simply says, "Love must be sincere."

*Again, the original word for "love" here is "agape." It's the kind of love, affection, and good will God that has toward us, not because we are good, but because He is good. This is the kind of love God wants us to have for other people.

*This kind of love is very important to God, so it shows up over 250 times in the New Testament. It is found in John 3:16, "For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

*We also find agape love in places like Ephesians 2:4-7, where Paul wrote: "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great LOVE with which He LOVED us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

*It's also the kind of love in John 13:34-35, where Jesus told His followers: "A new commandment I give to you, that you LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that you also LOVE one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have LOVE for one another.''

*Here in vs. 9, Paul tells us to "let love be without hypocrisy." You see, God doesn't want us to be two-faced with each other. He doesn't want us to have phony love for each other. No. God wants us to have growing, genuine agape love for each other! He wants our love to be authentic, but there is much more.