Partakers Christian Podcasts

Romans 12 - Living Life - Part 18

Romans 12: Living Life

Study 18: Rejoice!

v12 Rejoice in our confident hope.

Why can we serve the Lord with zeal and enthusiasm in all things we do, as we looked at last time? Because we have an assured and confident hope which should be a fantastic cause for joy and celebration! What is the assured hope for the Christian? Here it is! Peace with God takes care of the past - He no longer holds our sins against us. Access to God takes care of the present - we can come to Him whenever we desire. A glorious hope takes care of our future - which is the expectation of the return of Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes again, there will be an amazing time of glory to follow. An amazing time of glory to come, when Jesus, the Son of God, comes back for His people. Hope is the glory of salvation for all those who call Jesus Christ their Lord and Saviour! Our hope is in Him who is the object of our faith and life! WOW!

We rejoice by filling our minds with the hope of the glory to come! But as we looked at previously, don’t be so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly use! You are called to be growing and maturing in a process that is called discipleship. This will inevitable lead to your being asked the reason for which you have your hope in Jesus Christ. This hope is an unending hope, which will enable you to endure to the end and run the race marked out for you. How can you run this race? By having your focus set on Jesus Christ. Keep him in focus each day, by living each day for Him and let Him get all the glory and honour in all things you do!

Rejoicing doesn’t necessarily mean going around with a big silly grin on your face! Rejoicing is also have a quiet confident and sincere hope. Why can we be confident of this great hope? Because God is faithful and He is always true to His word! Just as Jesus Christ was raised from the dead with a new body 3 days after his death, so will all those who are Christian have new bodies! WOW! Go forward in this great hope you have with confident rejoicing! Thank you.

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 77

Psalm 77

For the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm by Asaph.

77:1 My cry goes to God! Indeed,

I cry to God for help, and for him to listen to me.

77:2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord.

My hand was stretched out in the night, and didn’t get tired.

My soul refused to be comforted.

77:3 I remember God, and I groan.

I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed.

Selah.

77:4 You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I can’t speak.

77:5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

77:6 I remember my song in the night.

I consider in my own heart; my spirit diligently inquires:

77:7 “Will the Lord reject us forever?

Will he be favorable no more?

77:8 Has his loving kindness vanished forever?

Does his promise fail for generations?

77:9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion?” Selah.

77:10 Then I thought, “I will appeal to this:

the years of the right hand of the Most High.” 7

7:11 I will remember Yah’s deeds;

for I will remember your wonders of old.

77:12 I will also meditate on all your work, and consider your doings.

77:13 Your way, God, is in the sanctuary. What god is great like God?

77:14 You are the God who does wonders.

You have made your strength known among the peoples.

77:15 You have redeemed your people with your arm,

the sons of Jacob and Joseph.

Selah.

77:16 The waters saw you, God. The waters saw you, and they writhed.

The depths also convulsed.

77:17 The clouds poured out water. The skies resounded with thunder. Your arrows also flashed around.

77:18 The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind.

The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.

77:19 Your way was through the sea; your paths through the great waters.

Your footsteps were not known.

77:20 You led your people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

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Romans 12 - Living Life - Part 17

Romans 12: Living Life

Study 17: Enthusiastic Zeal

v11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Paul here commands Christians not to be lazy but to work hard! Is Paul talking about work outside the church or is he referring to work for the church? Quite possibly he means both! Remember those gifts we looked at earlier in the series? How are you doing with them? Are you being lazy and neither developing or using them as you ought? Get up and use them and develop them – work hard at them ensuring your service of God is with great zeal and delight! Perhaps Paul had heard that some of them were just sitting around waiting for Jesus to come back again and were neglecting their care and duty to work - and therefore their families!. So Paul has had to command them to get about their work with due diligence and attitude.

We are also to work hard at loving others and particularly loving those other believers that we know – as they are our family because of Jesus Christ! That is the immediate context. We are to work on our Christian lives utilising the power of the Holy Spirit as He changes us into the image of Jesus Christ! Yes that can be hard work too, but don’t give up! It will be worth it! You and I will be held accountable by God for the use and development of the gifts He has given us! Were you aware of that?
I wonder why you do, what you do and when you do it? In everything we do, we are to do it with zeal as we serve our God – regardless of what we do!

We are to do all things as if pleasing to our God. Have you been doing the same job or role for a while now and feeling a bit underwhelmed with it all? Let the Holy Spirit excite you, invigorate and enliven your attitudes and behaviour. Perhaps you are unemployed and looking for work? Do all you can to find a job and ensure that your conscience remains clear! Serve enthusiastically the Lord well in what ever you do – whether for the church or for you and your family! Let the world who is watching you know you are a Christian by the way you do things!

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 126

Psalm 126

126:1 When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion,

we were like those who dream.

126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with singing.

Then they said among the nations,

"Yahweh has done great things for them."

126:3 Yahweh has done great things for us, and we are glad.

126:4 Restore our fortunes again,

Yahweh, like the streams in the Negev.

126:5 Those who sow in tears will reap in joy.

126:6 He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing,

will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.

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Romans 12 - Living Life - Part 16

Romans 12: Living Life

Study 16: Be family!

Romans 12:10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other.

 

Paul we know is writing to all believers in Rome, those who are called by God and loved by God (Romans 1:7). So Paul here commands that the Roman Christians are to love each other with genuine affection. Yes Christians are to love all others, including those who are not believers, but are to love especially other Christian believers. After all they are all Christian! There is only one Saviour for believers, Jesus Christ, and there is only one Holy Spirit living with believers and there is only one God! So be as one family!

Paul instructs these believers to be totally devoted to each other, having the welfare of others on their hearts and minds. For example when one believer is weak, the other believers are to act and strengthen that weak member. They are all to hold onto each other as family through their committed love and faith in Jesus Christ. That genuine family affection and love between them all – without division.
How is this genuine affection for each other seen? It is seen as each believer holds in honour all other believers. Honouring others is where the interest of others comes before self-interest. However, not just honouring but delighting in the other. Where there is family love and honour, there can be no division, arguments or strife! WOW!
Could that describe the group of believers you are attached to with your church or all the believers in your town? Are they a church or group of believers who all hold each other in genuine affection, devotion and honour? Are there believers know to you, that you are not loving with genuine affection and delighting honourably? Part of loving others is to hold them in high esteem – having their interests at heart and not your own. What are you doing for the fellowship of believers you are a part of? Are you jealous of somebody else who is getting more attention than you? Are you taking pride in your own work of ministry but looking down on the work of another believer? If you are, then you are not taking delight in them and honouring them!

Go! Love affectionately all believers – not just those who are your friends or those in your own church, but all believers everywhere and take great delight in honouring them above yourself!

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 15

Psalm 15

15:1 Yahweh, who shall dwell in your sanctuary?

Who shall live on your holy hill?

15:2 He who walks blamelessly does what is right,

and speaks truth in his heart;

15:3 He who doesn’t slander with his tongue,

nor does evil to his friend,

nor casts slurs against his fellow man;

15:4 In whose eyes a vile man is despised,

but who honors those who fear Yahweh;

he who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and doesn’t change;

15:5 he who doesn’t lend out his money for usury,

nor take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be shaken.

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Romans 12 - Living Life - Part 15

Romans 12: Living Life

Study 15: Glue to good and eschew evil

  

 

V9- Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

Do you want to show you love God? Then hate what God hates and adhere to what is good! Turn away from and get rid of from all that which God hates! Instead turn towards goodness and living right with God. God cannot abide sin and evil, and neither should those who claim to follow Him. When you love God then you are clinging to what is good, holy and helpful.

Love is also discerning and doesn’t let others sin wilfully but allows for you to gentle guide others back to living right with God and other people. Note I said gentle and not forceful or coercion. It’s not your job to convict others of sin. That is the role of the Holy Spirit and for Him to bring to repentance. God is love and cannot abide sin or evil. We as Christians are to turn away from all that is wrong and evil. Love God by living a life worthy of God – all that which is good, holy and pleasing to God! WOW!

Evil is anathema and poison to love. Saying that we love God, yet having known sin within our life, is akin to the love that Judas had for Jesus when Judas betrayed Him with a kiss. Judas’ love of Jesus was false, hypocritical and deceitful – it was a fake love, not real love. As a Christian you are to throw off everything that hinders your Christian life so that you can run the race of love for your God. With evil and sin there is to be no compromise or conforming!

Want to know what is right to do? Ask God and He will tell you! He may even surprise you with what He would have you do: against all your own expectations. Regularly confess your unconfessed sins to God and accept His forgiveness - turning away from that evil! Read and study the Bible. Be prepared to have a mentor and to be discipled by somebody. Part of the trouble with 21st century church, is that discipleship is a lost art and in some church circles, almost a dirty word. Go! Really hate what is sinful and wrong! Glue yourself to what is good – then you will be loving God and loving others.

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 114

Psalm 114

As read by Heather aged 8

1 When Israel came out of Egypt,

the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,

2 Judah became God's sanctuary,

Israel his dominion.

3 The sea looked and fled,

the Jordan turned back;

4 the mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs.

5 Why was it, O sea, that you fled,

O Jordan, that you turned back,

6 you mountains, that you skipped like rams,

you hills, like lambs?

7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,

at the presence of the God of Jacob,

8 who turned the rock into a pool,

the hard rock into springs of water.

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Romans 12 - Living Life - Part 14

Romans 12: Living Life

Study 14: Go! Love! Really Love!

v9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.

To have a gift or gifts, such as those Paul lists here, is a sign of God’s love for you! Therefore you are to love others – all others. If you are doing it after God’s own interests and the welfare of other people then you really do love others. Really love them! People can smell out fake love in an instant! If you are doing things for your own interest and welfare, and patronising towards others or as a means to manipulate them, then that is a fake love.


Why do you do what you do for God and for other people? Is it because you are driven by your love for God and love for others? This is love for others without pretence or hypocrisy. That is real love! If it is for any other reason, then it is not real love. That includes loving those who wouldn’t naturally be the target of your love - including those who hate you and those who have done you wrong. To love only those who love us, is what those outside the church expect as normal behaviour. But as Christian Disciples, we are to do more and to be seen to love more than any other people! That can be very hard to do. But if we use the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, then we can do it. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you and He will.


How is the invisible God seen? God is seen through Christian Disciples showing love for other people. If the Church was to be seen as loving others and loving their local community, the Gospel message, the story of God’s love, would have an enormous impact. The Christian Disciple is to be so filled and magnetized with God’s love and grace, that it is a magnetic attraction to others to the majestic goodness of the awesome God that they serve and obey. Our motive for all things is to be love. That includes gently restoring people into living a life worthy of following God if they are a Christian Disciple. There can be no excuse for sin in the life of those who claim to follow Jesus Christ.


How and in what way do we love – love God and love others? That is what Paul goes on to say! Go and love!

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Psalm On Demand - Psalm 113

Psalm 113

 

(Read by Sharona)

113:1 Praise Yah! Praise, you servants of Yahweh, praise the name of Yahweh.

113:2 Blessed be the name of Yahweh, from this time forth and forevermore.

113:3 From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, Yahweh's name is to be praised.

113:4 Yahweh is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens.

113:5 Who is like Yahweh, our God, who has his seat on high,

113:6 Who stoops down to see in heaven and in the earth?

113:7 He raises up the poor out of the dust. Lifts up the needy from the ash heap;

113:8 that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.

113:9 He settles the barren woman in her home, as a joyful mother of children. Praise Yah!

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