The Brush Strokes Of The Master Artist (Part 1)

The Brush Strokes of the Master Artist (Part 1 of 2)

Rom 12:9-16

As we continue today to look at Romans 12; Paul in the verses that we are going to look at today begins to paint a picture on the canvas of life

Paul gives us a picture of what the Christian should be doing to live out their faith so that others can see the picture God has painted in our lives

If someone were to paint a picture of how you and I look based upon how we act and live our lives, what would it look like?

A beautiful painting will capture the attention of the least of all who know nothing about art…but so will a painting that looks terrible

Did you know that those who really know art can pick out the artist’s painting just by the colors he uses or the brush strokes that are applied?

Yep, I can tell that one there is a Van Go or that’s a DiVinci

There are certain things that God desires for our lives to exemplify as we live for Him

He just didn’t save us for us…but that we might be an instrument in which His characteristics can be put on display for others to see

God is the painter and we are His canvas…He wants to paint these things in our lives so that all men will know without a doubt WHO the painter is

Let’s explore what the brush strokes of God that Paul says should be in our lives as we read our passage

Pray

Trans: The very first thing that Paul says people should see in our lives is the brush stroke of…

1. Genuine Love (vs 9)

Did you know that in the world of art, there are genuine paintings by renowned artists and then there are fakes or forgeries?

People are the same way in the church – there are those that are the genuine article and those that are forgeries or fakes!

How can you tell the difference? Genuine Love!

“Let love be without hypocrisy”

In other words “Let love be sincere or let it be the real thing”

Love is the very first attribute because we have see throughout scripture that love is the key element to knowing God

If you know not love, you know not God…for God is love

This word “love” used here is the “Agape” love – the God-like love

More people have been brought into the Kingdom of God because of the genuine love they have seen displayed in God’s children

When folks see genuine love and experience, they might not be able to explain it but they know when it is there and when it is sincere

John 13:34-35 (turn there)

People ought to be able to look at our lives and see the brush stroke of God’s love being exhibited and lived out

Trans: The second brush stroke others should be able to see in our lives is to…

2. Be Considerate (vs 10)

Paul says we are to give honor to one another by being considerate of each other

In other words “Put others first”

Phil 2:3-4 says “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

Again, we do this by being devoted to one another; to be look at the other as better than ourselves

God shows His great kindness for us every day; Jesus considered Himself nothing and put us ahead of Himself by dying a gruesome death on the cross

In the eternal triangle of the Christian life; God is first, others second, and self is last (J O Y) Jesus – Others – Yourself

ILL: A story comes to us out of the long ago of a king who organized a great race within his kingdom. All the young men of the kingdom participated. A bag of gold was to be given to the winner, and the finish line was within the courtyard of the king’s palace. The race was run, and the runners were surprised to find in the middle of the road leading to the king’s palace a great pile of rocks and stones. But they managed to scramble over it or to run around it and eventually to come to the courtyard. Finally, all the runners had crossed the finish line except one. But still the king did not call the race off. After a while one lone runner came through the gate. He lifted a bleeding hand and said, "O King, I am sorry that I am so late. But you see, I found in the road a pile of rocks and stones, and it took me a while, and I wounded myself in removing them." Then he lifted the other hand, and in it was a bag. He said, "But, Great King, I found beneath the pile of rocks this bag of gold." The king said, "My son, you have won the race, for that one runs best who makes the way safer for those who follow."