The Goal of Our Ministry Part 2 | Romans 12:9-10 | Expository Sermon

Scripture

• Romans 12:9–10

About this sermon

The section that we continue to examine today has been organized a few different ways. Some have organized it into two sections, verses 9-13 dealing with our relationship to fellow Christians and 14-21 dealing with our relationship to outsiders. I prefer to organize it differently. Though there is some overlap I think it is possible to look at this entire section in four parts. LOVE EXPRESSED IN PERSONAL COMMITMENTS (Love’s first expression has to be in my own life) Love is real (9a) Love is intensely principled (9b) LOVE EXPRESSED IN THE FAMILY OF GOD Love is affectionate (10a) Love is unselfish (10b) Love serves zealously (11) Love is steadfast (12) Love is sharing (13) LOVE EXPRESSED IN ALL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS Love absorbs wrong (14) Love identifies with others (15) Love is humble (16) LOVE EXPRESSED TO THOSE WHO HATE US Love overcomes evil with honor (17) Love seeks to live in peace (18) Love leaves vengeance to God (19) Love does good to enemies (20-21) The entire section represents what is the goal of our ministry. Ministry goals can have, and must have, a practical and strategic element to them. We plan for ministry. But before those organizational goals have any appropriate meaning, the spiritual goals must be being lived out. Using an analogy that John MacArthur used many years ago, thinking about the church as a body, the skeleton and the internal systems have to be healthy before the external work of the body will be pleasing to God. So, the goal of our ministry, of our preaching and teaching and shepherding, and the goal of the proper functioning of spiritual gifts, is that God’s love would first be embodied in our lives before we seek to express it in our programs. Review: LOVE EXPRESSED IN PERSONAL COMMITMENTS (v.9) LOVE IS REAL (v.9a) The overarching commitment, the one that stands at the head of everything else we will learn here, is that our love must be WITHOUT HYPOCRISY. Our love must be REAL. That is the goal of all our teaching. ESV 1 Timothy 1:5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1Ti 1:5 ESV) LOVE IS PURE (9b) Then we saw that where love is genuine holiness is pursued. True love approves that which God approves and hates that which God hates. We saw that both the approval and the hatred are intense. We abhor what is evil and we are married to what is good.

Topics

• Service & Ministry