<Ro 12:9-12>
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal (ESV translation: Do not be slothful in zeal), but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
<Ro 12:1-2>
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
* <Romans 12:3-8> – Exercising spiritual gifts.
* <Romans 12:9-21> – Christian relationships and conduct.
1. What about slothfulness?
* <Pro 21:25> The desire of the slothful kills him, for his hands refuse to labor“.
* Slothfulness means a little bit more than laziness.
* Sloth (Latin: Acedia) → Without Care
* <Mt 25:26>: ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?’
* Slothful – Carelessness about the commands and priorities of the Master, a lack of love for Him and His ways.
2. Keep your spiritual fervor (or: be fervent in spirit).
* Fervent – emotionally inflamed, enthusiastic, or excited. (Imagery: A pot full of bubbling water over a flame)
* <1 Thes 5:19> – Do not quench the Spirit (Other translation: Do not put out the spirit’s fire).
* Allowing the Holy Spirit to manifest without hindrance ~ Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
* “What! Would you have the Lord find me idle when he comes?” ~ John Calvin at his deathbed.
* Yet, beware of the mentality of self-importance (Pride).
3. Serving the Lord
* Differentiate between serving man and God.
* Christians are salves and bondservants of Christ.
* <1 Cor 2:22> For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave.
* Learn to serve the unseen Christ. \
<1 Cor 15:10>: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
<Ro 12:12> – Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
4. Be joyful in hope
* Get the right hope – Hope in theglory of God
* <Ro 12:2> Do not conform to the pattern of this world.
5. Be patient in affliction
* Do you know the world we’re living in?
* The world will not get better but worse.
* God is calling out his people from this world.
* <Rel 1:7>: …every eye will see Him, even those who pierce him, and the scripture says all the people of the earth will morn because of him.
* <Jn 16:33>: In this world you will have trouble but take heart, I’ve overcome the world.
* <2 Cor 4:17-18>: For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
6. Faithful in prayer.
* Cultivate his presence.
