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What Not To Give – Part I. Romans 12:9-13. Recap: Your Creative Purpose. Everyone has a gift (or gifts) given them by God, and therefore, everyone has a purpose.
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What Not To Give – Part I Romans 12:9-13 The Church at Mesquite
Recap: Your Creative Purpose • Everyone has a gift (or gifts) given them by God, and therefore, everyone has a purpose. • We all have the general creative purpose of getting as close to God as possible (in how we live and ultimately in going to be with Him in heaven). • We find our specific creative purpose by deciding: • What we like to do • What we do well, & • What we can do that helps others and glorifies God The Church at Mesquite
Scriptural Text – Romans 12:9-13 • 9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. The Church at Mesquite
There are some things we shouldn’t give . . . • In becoming a transformed individual with a renewed mind (v. 2), there are some traits that Paul outlines that should be reflective of who we now are (or who we’re aspiring to be) • i.e.: this is what the new you should look like The Church at Mesquite
There are some things we shouldn’t give . . . • Based on the list Paul gives throughout the rest of chapter 12, there are 10 things that he says we shouldn’t give here . . . The Church at Mesquite
There are some things we shouldn’t give . . . • 1. verse 9: we shouldn’t givehypocrisy • 9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. • Jesus describes someone who is consumed with the minor problem of his brother, but ignores the major problem he himself has (Matt. 7:5, Luke 6:42) • People should know you to be genuine in who you are, what you do and what you stand for (loving what is good, hating what is evil) The Church at Mesquite
There are some things we shouldn’t give . . . • 2. verse 10: we shouldn’t give in to pride • 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. • Also discussed in verse 16 (Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.) • Wisdom hates pride (Prov. 8:13) • Pride brings disgrace (Prov. 11:2) • Pride breeds fighting (Prov. 13:10) • Pride goes before destruction (Prov. 16:18) • Pride brings a man low (Prov. 29:23) The Church at Mesquite
There are some things we shouldn’t give . . . • 3. verse 11: we shouldn’t give in to Spiritual apathy • 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. • 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Rev. 3:14-16) • Without focus on being a transformed, we will fall back into the apathetic pattern of the world and forget what God has called us to do. The Church at Mesquite
There are some things we shouldn’t give . . . • 4. verse 12: we shouldn’t give up • 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. • 10 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. (Matt. 10:22) • 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Gal. 6:9) The Church at Mesquite
There are some things we shouldn’t give . . . • 5. verse 13: we shouldn’t give a miserly spirit • 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. • 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27) • It’s expected (Matt. 6:2-3: “when you give” to the needy”) The Church at Mesquite
What Not To Give – Part I Romans 12:9-13 The Church at Mesquite