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Ordinary Christianity A Sermon Series in Romans 12-16 CONTENTS Contents.2 Introduction 3 Resources.... 4 Upcoming Events..... 5 How to Read Romans 12-16........6 Intro to the Community Group Guide...7 Community Group Guide.....8 Sacrifice, Romans 12:1-8, pg 8 Relationships, Romans 12:9-21, pg 9 Submission, Romans 13:1-7, pg 10 Love, Romans 13:8-14, pg 11 Tolerance, Romans 14:1-12, pg 12 Conscience, Romans 14:13-23, pg 13 Harmony, Romans 15:1-7, pg 14 Mission, Romans 15:8-33, pg 15 Church, Romans 16, pg 16 LS Kids Memory Verses.. 17 2
INTRODUCTION Ordinary has to be one of the loneliest words in our vocabulary today. Who wants to be that ordinary person who lives in an ordinary town, is a member of an ordinary church, and has ordinary friends and works an ordinary job? Our life has to count! We have to leave our mark, have a legacy, and make a difference. We have to live up to our Facebook profile. It s one of the new 'salvation by works. Michael Horton, Ordinary, p.11-12 For the past eleven chapters of the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul has told us through a megaphone that we are saved by grace through faith and not by any specialness we contain or achieve. Salvation is by grace, and not by works. But what sort of life does this enable us to live? What type of life does a person live who believes with all their heart that all of life is grace? Paul spends the final chapters of Romans answering this question and what we ll find is that it s extraordinarily ordinary. Grace gives us the courage to be be ordinary because it frees us from our need to stand out and be noticed. When we know that we are noticed, known, and loved by God we don t need applause, social media likes, or attention from people we admire. Suddenly, we find ourselves present to what is good and true right in front of us. The gospel of grace creates people of grace, who see God s grace in every nook and cranny of their life: in their morning coffee, making PB&J sandwiches for their kids, the music in their ears, the friends in their life, the neighbors on their street, the dishes, yard work, home work, and career work. Suddenly, we discover our job is not just a job and our callings (vocations) are found in the ordinary stuff of life. The gospel of grace creates people who after finding their identity in Christ, no longer have to build their identity through what they do or how they appear. They can enjoy the glory of God s creation right in front of them, instead of spending their days missing out on what s in front of them because they re so focused on what might be ahead or somewhere else. Romans 12-16 is where grace comes down from eternity, out from our souls and into the homes, apartments, schools, businesses, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, parks, and streets of our city. Grace & Peace, Harvey Turner Reno Church Lead Pastor 3
RESOURCES Listen SERMON DROPBOX FOLDER bit.ly/romansdropbox Sermons & teachings on Romans 12-16 from other preachers. (Dropbox account not required) Read A THEOLOGY OF THE ORDINARY - a.co/9kxegwov After returning to America, Julie Canlis was struck by the emphasis within Christian circles on being 'extraordinary' or 'radical' or 'passionate' for God. But what about the goodness (and challenge) of living our 'normal' lives for God? Her meditations led her to give three brief lectures on 'Being Ordinary' that help us understand - theologically - why our ordinary lives are the only place where our faith can be lived out. ORDINARY a.co/9zmg8ru Michael Horton believes that our attempts to measure our spiritual growth by our experiences, seeking after big breakthroughs, have left many Christians disillusioned and disappointed. There s nothing wrong with an energetic faith; the danger is that we can burn ourselves out on restless anxieties and unrealistic expectations. We need a renewed appreciation for the ordinary. YOU ARE WHAT YOU LOVE a.co/0dj6rqi James K. A. Smith shows that who and what we worship fundamentally shape our hearts. And while we desire to shape culture, we are not often aware of how culture shapes us. Smith helps readers recognize the formative power of culture and the transformative possibilities of Christian practices. He explains that worship is the "imagination station" that incubates our loves and longings so that our cultural endeavors are indexed toward God and his kingdom. LITURGY OF THE ORDINARY a.co/ac5uc3b In Christianity Today's 2018 Book of the Year, Tish Harrison Warren opens up a practical theology of the everyday. Each chapter looks at something making the bed, brushing her teeth, losing her keys that the author does every day. Each activity is related to a spiritual practice as well as an aspect of our Sunday worship. Watch GALAXY BUCK: MISSION TO SECTOR 9 - a.co/4qzrxo4 Buck Denver has a simple dream - to save the galaxy. Working for the Galactic Mission Board, Buck dreams of carrying God's love to every corner of the Milky Way! Except he doesn't have a starship. Or a crew. Or even a captain's license. He just needs a chance. But when that chance comes and Buck finds himself leading a real mission into deep space, things don't go at ALL like he imagined! Mission to Sector 9 is a wild galactic adventure that teaches kids a powerful lesson about trusting God with everything - even our dreams! 4
UPCOMING EVENTS Baptisms - Sunday, April 8th Baptism is a command of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, given to Christians, as a sign and public proclamation of faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Join us as we celebrate these new Christians joining our church community. To sign up, visit the Connect Desk or email gavin@lschurches.com Bible/Theo 103 - Starts April 22nd and Ends June 10th. The bible and what we believe about God as Christians can be intimidating, but it can make such a difference to how we interact with our world, each other, and even have relationship with God. Several leaders in Living Stones will begin going through the questions and answers found at newcitycatechism.com once a week together, for 9 week chunks over the next 2 years. If you are interested, email gavin@lschurches.com for more info. Please note that this class is only offered to individuals who are already actively involved in a Community Group. Covenant Membership Class- Sunday May 20th Covenant Members are people who are fully committed to membership at Living Stones. Members are ambassadors for Christ in our Community on behalf of our local church. If you are interested in becoming a member, our next class is Sunday, February 25th at 1:00pm. Food and Childcare are provided. You can RSVP at the Connect Desk, or by emailing adam@lschurches.com 2018 IMPORTANT DATES Please save the date for the following events: Next Community Group Leader Meeting - Sunday, June 3 Middle School and High School Camp - July 9th - 21st Women s Retreat - Friday, September 7th and Saturday September 8th 5
HOW TO READ ROMANS 12-16 The main theme of Romans seems to be encapsulated by Romans 1:16-17. This book is about the Gospel, the revelation of the righteousness of God by faith. The majority of the book expounds this. More specifically to this section, after giving a detailed exposition of Christian salvation for the last 11 chapters. Paul completely turns the discussion towards the application of the Christian life in light of the mercies of God, and then concludes His letter with his travel plans and specific greetings. AUTHOR AND PURPOSE The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Roman church. There seem to be several reasons for this, but most importantly he wishes to introduce himself to the Romans as a faithful preacher of the gospel, what that gospel entails, and to both encourage them in the gospel as well as invite the Roman church to partake in the gospel ministry work of Paul. In addition, the following things are unique to Romans 12-16: RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS Paul dramatically shifts his attention to the Christian life in the next chapters. Uniquely, he treats every topic as a relational reality between the Christian and God, the Church, the World, the Government, and the Christian you have disagreements with. It is important in this section to remember that these are not laws that you have to attain to follow God; salvation is still by pure grace. Rather, every action listed here is in view of the mercies of God (Romans 12:1). The challenge of how to live as a Christian will prove as difficult for us as it was for the Christians of the first century. THE MAIN EVENT Common to writings of this time, the main problem facing the audience is dealt with in the very last section, Romans 14 and 15. Christians were not sure what to do with their disagreements over Christian liberties in non-essential areas of their faith. This was exacerbated by differing practices between Jewish and Gentile Christians, the fact that the majority of the Jewish community was exiled and then returned to the church some years later, allowing the non-jewish Christians to adapt and create new church customs, and that in the Roman culture it was difficult if not impossible to uphold some matters of the Jewish faith (How do you keep the sabbath if you are a slave to a non-jewish owner?) Paul's writings in this section can help us immensely in our understanding of brotherhood, conscience, and harmony in the Christian community. DON'T SKIP THE CREDITS Finally, you may reach the end of Romans, sense it is wrapping up, and opt to skip it. Don't! Chapters 15 and 16 are still a wealth of knowing who Jesus is and how to operate as the people of God. 6
INTRO TO THE COMMUNITY GROUP GUIDE During the Ordinary Christianity series, Groups will discuss the text before the sermon on Sunday. How can you get the most out of Romans in your group? These steps can help. BEFORE GROUP Read the text before group. It can often help to take one of the questions from your upcoming discussion, and ask yourself that question as you read the text. Write down questions you have. DURING GROUP Begin each group time with prayer that God would reveal himself through the text. Each group discussion will look like this: Icebreaker - This is a chance to get to know the others in your group, and begin to warm up to one of the themes present in the discussion for that evening. Observation. - Anything that the group notices in the text can be brought up and discussed. In fact, our hope is that it would! This is also a good time to start asking questions that you had about the passage. Text - Pre-made questions that arise from the text specifically that may not have been brought up during observations. Application - How the message of the text applies to us practically and personally. Throughout all of this, know that your presence in group, and your participation in group matters. Regardless of where you are at in your faith or understanding of the Bible, we need each other to speak into what they are seeing, and approach the scriptures together. AFTER GROUP Now that you ve discussed the passage in your group, pray that God would make it that much more real during the sermon. 7
COMMUNITY GROUP GUIDE Week 1 SACRIFICE Romans 12:1-8 ICEBREAKER In Romans 12:1 Paul encourages us to remember the mercies of God. For you personally, what has been something about God or the Gospel that has impacted you recently? TEXT: ROMANS 12:1-8 Slow down in reading the passage together. Give your group enough time to individually read to passage for a few minutes. Have your group read ESV and then MSG Version paraphrase of Romans 12:1-8 (look it up) it speaks of God s grace in ordinary life a bit more clearly and even uses the name of the series in the text. 1. Talk about the living sacrifice. What does it mean to be a living sacrifice? 2. Are any of the gifts listed in verses 6-8 actively used in your church or group? 1. Define and discuss the word sacrifice. As members of the body of Christ, Paul is telling us to invite Jesus into everything we do instead of conforming to what the world does. Ask the question: How do I invite Jesus into part of my life? 2. Briefly share how valuing weekly Community Group attendance aligns with Romans 12:1-2. 3. Look at verse 3. In what ways are you living a "self-sufficient" life that doesn't make room for the word of God or the advice of Christian Community? 4. How do the mercies of God, expressed through the Holy Spirit and our Lord Christ, transform our understanding of ourselves and our understanding of others? Use each verse we ve read tonight in your prayer in thanksgiving, confession, and supplication. 8
Week 2 RELATIONSHIPS Romans 12:9-21 ICEBREAKER Do you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert, and what groups of people do you interact with outside of church? TEXT: ROMANS 12:9-21 What are some observations from this text? In light of the mercies of God, how do we relate to God? In light of the mercies of God, how do we relate to other Christians? In light of the mercies of God, how do we interact with the non-christian world? 1. Where do you see your actions, thoughts, motives, and attitudes being transformed by the gospel? Where do you desire to see God transform you further? 2. Are there any fellow Christians in your life right now that you can honor or take care of the needs of? How do you display honor towards others? 3. How are your relationships with non Christians? Are there any you are rejoicing with, weeping with, teaming up with, or are you being persecuted? Pray and acknowledge and worship God and ask for his help. Specifically, pray in regards to what was discussed tonight. Spend a few minutes thanking God for how he has shown who he is in what we discussed tonight. We ll then also spend a few minutes asking for the Holy Spirit to empower us this week. 9
Week 3 SUBMISSION Romans 13:1-7 ICEBREAKER: Describe a time that someone did something to honor you. TEXT: ROMANS 13:1-7 1.What are obvious observations in the text? 2.What does the text say that God has empowered government to do, and how does obeying government honor God? 3. What are other institutions that God has set up on earth? 1. Fill in this blank: I will have issues if the government tries to take away. In those specific situations, based on this text, how does God call you to respond? 2. How can treating our government with respect and honor distinguish Christians from non- Christians in our culture? Along those same lines, how do you give honor and respect to anyone who may not be so honorable or respectable (whether government, parents, spouse, bosses, etc)? 3. How is the kingdom of God that Jesus brought different than the governments of this earth, and what will government look like when Christ returns? Public Prayer - The leader will announce five prayer topics. The group will all pray aloud in unison for a couple minutes on each prayer topic: 1. Pray for our church. 2. Pray for the City of Sparks. 3. Pray and repent for any sin we need to address before God. 4. Pray for God to bring healing to our local community. 5. Pray thanksgiving for what God is doing in our lives and His church. 10
Week 4 LOVE Romans 13:8-14 ICEBREAKER: Describe a strange dream that you had, that at the time you had thought was real life. TEXT: ROMANS 13:8-14 What are obvious observations in the text? What does the text say about God (i.e. Father, Son,Spirit, the Word of God, God s Character?) What does the text say about man (i.e. the sinfulness of man, the need of God, Community, emotions we see in the passage, a call and response to God)? Lets break down the analogy that Paul is going for in 11-14. What is he going for when he contrasts being awake and asleep, works of darkness and armor of light, and walking in daytime and not the night? 1. All of the things in verses 8-10 are things our culture would agree are good. What is different in the motivation of doing these things for someone in Christ vs. someone who isn t? 2. Has there been a time that someone loving you as themselves has led you to the gospel? 3. Verse 13-14 contains an admonition to walk in sexual fidelity in our lives as Christians. Why is this so important to God and to ordinary Christianity? How are you doing with these commands? 4. Here quarreling and jealousy are linked with sexual immorality. How are you doing with this? 5. How does clothing ourselves in Jesus keep us from gratifying the desires of our sinful nature? Thank God for what we are learning about who he is, and then praying for boldness to continue to speak God s Word. 11
Week 5 TOLERANCE Romans 14:1-12 ICEBREAKER: What are some things that you were surprised to hear that Christians could participate in as part of this culture OR what are some things you struggle to believe Christians should engage in? TEXT: ROMANS 14:1-12 1. What are obvious observations in the text? 2. Why would Jewish Christians be avoiding certain types of foods in Rome? What difficulties would a slave run across in keeping the sabbath? Does the eating of pork or not, or the keeping of the sabbath, affect one s salvation, the witness of the gospel, or the core tenants of Christianity? 3. Instead of judging each other, what are the Roman Christians being encouraged to do? 1. How do we know whether something we want to do is a freedom given to us in Christ, or not? Are there things you begrudgingly acknowledge, but don't recommend, as a freedom in Christ? 2. What areas of your life do you have difficulty, or even refuse to let Jesus be the master over? Based on this text, what did Jesus do in order to become your king in this area? 3. Where do you see the good news of Christ in this passage? Silent Prayers - Prayer brings your presence into God's presence. Have someone (other than the leader) choose a segment of tonight's reading to read aloud to the group. Meditate in silence to hear what God is telling you. Spend time in silent prayer over the scripture reading. 12
Week 6 CONSCIENCE Romans 14:13-23 ICEBREAKER: Talk about a time in your life where you had a crisis of conscience. This could have been a job change, not beating up a younger sibling, etc. TEXT: ROMANS 14:13-23 What are obvious observations in the text? What do we learn about the kingdom of God from this passage? What do we learn about the Christian life from this passage? In verse 13, Paul says not to pass judgment, but instead to keep a stumbling block from our brother. How does this shift of thought transform Christian relationships? How does it reflect Jesus based on what we know of Jesus from Isaiah 42:1-4? 1. Are there things in your life that cause weaker Christians to stumble, or are there things you see in the Christians around you that are difficult for you? What are they? 2. Do you bring life decisions and lifestyles to your community group to check your motivations for doing them? Are there things you are afraid to bring up? 3. Are you engaging in activities that violate your own conscience when you participate in it? Why haven't you stopped, and if you have, what did you notice in your life when you did? A.C.T.S. Prayer - Pray that God would use our group to be his witnesses by the Power of the Holy Spirit. Use the A.C.T.S. format to pray through the application: Adoration Confession Thanksgiving Supplication 13
Week 7 HARMONY Romans 15:1-7 ICEBREAKER: Have everyone share one nice thing about the person sitting next to them (non-spouse) TEXT: ROMANS 15:1-7 Slow down in reading the passage together. Give your group enough time to individually read to passage for a few minutes. You can break longer chapters in to smaller passages and discuss the following: What are obvious observations in the text? What does the text say about God (i.e. Father, Son,Spirit, the Word of God, God s Character)? What does the text say about man (i.e. the sinfulness of man, the need of God, Community, emotions we see in the passage, a call and response to God)? 1. How does Jesus' love for you demonstrate his desire to love you at the cost of himself? Start at the cross, but don't stop there. 2. What does this text tell us about the purpose of the Old Testament? 1. Discuss the difference of thought between what is my liberty in Christ/should that Christian be doing that and how can I build up my brother/sister in Christ for their good. 2. In your walk with Jesus, how do you see yourself growing in this? 3. An old pastor named Rupertus Melendus said In the essentials unity, in the non-essentials liberty, in all things charity (love). What are the essentials of the Christian faith? And when we encounter differences of opinions in non-essentials things of our faith, how do we maintain love with each other? 4. When we live in harmony with each other, how is God glorified? Use each verse we ve read tonight in your prayer in thanksgiving, confession, and supplication. 14
Week 8 MISSION Romans 15:8-33 ICEBREAKER: Who will you be spending time with this summer that you normally don t get to see? TEXT: ROMANS 15:8-33 1. Where do we see the gospel in this passage? 2. In the following verses, there are four things listed in connection with the mission of the gospel. What are they? Discuss how these four thing connect with the mission of the gospel. 1. If you are a seeker or a skeptic, what attracts you about the gospel? Have you seen any of the things listed in verses 18 and 19 that has caused you to seek out more about Christianity? 2. How have you seen the works of the Holy Spirit in your life or others, or miracles done by God, lead to people glorifying and praising God? How has it lead you to rejoice in Christ? 3. Does anyone in our group feel a calling to go to a new place to preach the gospel, to give to that cause, to extend a hand to the poor, or to devote themselves to prayer that God would reach our city, our state, and our world? What is the action step for your group as we enter into summer? Prayer Walk - If the weather is nice and time of day appropriate, go on a prayer walk in smaller groups of 3 to people. If not, divide into smaller groups based on the neighborhoods you live in and prayer together for those areas. 15
Week 9 CHURCH Romans 16 ICEBREAKER: Who are the most influential Christians in your life? TEXT: ROMANS 16 Lets look at a snapshot of who all these people are and what they did. What do we learn about the early church from who the church was made up of? Phoebe - deacon, big giver, might have brought Paul s letter to the Romans Priscilla and Aquilla - Teachers and house church leaders Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis - hard working servants Andronicus and Junia - sufferers for the gospel Ampliatus - friend Urbanus and Stachys - slaves Apelles - faithful Christ follower Aristobulus, Narcissus, Rufus - families Herodion, Lucius, Jason, Sosipater - Jews Tertius - note taker Timothy - leader, probably in his 20's Gaius - welcoming homeowner Erastus - city official 1. Do you see in your community a diversity of believers? What perspectives of faith might you be missing from your individual and corporate faith, and who could you seek out in friendship to grow in your faith? 2. Where have you seen God at work in how you serve in our city and our church? 3. What does it mean to be a divisive person? Do you see any of those tendencies in yourself, especially in regards to pursuing Jesus Christ? Look at Jeremiah 4:22, the polar opposite of Romans 16:19. Are there areas of your life that you are struggling to pursue what is good, and be innocent of evil? Lets pray about those together! 16
LS KIDS MEMORY VERSES/QUESTIONS APRIL 8TH No Verse or Catechism APRIL 15TH VERSE: I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. - Romans 12:1 CATECHISM QUESTION - Question 19 from newcitycatechism.com (in app store) APRIL 22ND VERSE: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:2 CATECHISM QUESTION - Question 20 from newcitycatechism.com (in app store) APRIL 29TH VERSE: Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. - Romans 12:12 CATECHISM QUESTION - Question 21 from newcitycatechism.com (in app store) MAY 6TH VERSE: The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. - Romans 13:12 CATECHISM QUESTION - Question 22 from newcitycatechism.com (in app store) MAY 13TH - JUNE 6TH VERSE: Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. - Romans 15:7 (This is the memory verse for the next 3 weeks) CATECHISM QUESTION - Question 23-26 from newcitycatechism.com (in app store) 17