Carmel Baptist Messages

Romans 12:14-21Senior Pastor Alex KennedyWe live in a world that pushes us into division. The word "hate" is prevalent in our culture, and it has become an acceptable way to look at others. In our flesh, this is a normal and natural response, but that is not how we, as followers of Jesus, have been called to live. With the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live peacefully with those we have conflict with.Paul is writing to the church in Rome that is experiencing some of the same love/hate culture, but the intensity is much greater because their lives were at stake.Beginning in verse 14, Paul calls us to bless (speak well of) those who persecute you; bless and do not curse (wish ill will) them. The exhortation is to bless our persecutors constantly. (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60) In other words, we shouldn't let someone else's behavior determine our behavior.Practically speaking, outside of the spiritual destruction this causes, a lifestyle of persistent resentment and hostility towards others leads to severe health problems and anxiety-related disease. Paul goes on to say, "rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." He is still talking about those who persecute you or those you don't get along with. Again, this can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit.Verses 16-18 focus on our mind. We must remember that retaliation escalates, but grace diffuses. We must be careful in "winning the argument" that we "lose the person". It is not worth it.We also do not need to avenge ourselves (v19). God sees. God knows. God will handle it better than we will. We don't forgive others because we don't think they deserve it. We forgive because we trust God with justice."If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." (v20). Why should we love, forgive, feed, clothe, and bless like that?Jesus commanded it (Matthew 5:33-34)Jesus practiced it (Luke 23:34)People will notice - that is living the gospelPaul wraps up this section by summarizing it all: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." The word "overcome" is a military word that means to "overpower". It is an extremely penetrating and radical insight. Paul says that to repay evil with evil is immediately to lose the battle to evil! The only way to defeat evil is by doing good to the one who has done harm.If you hate a person who haswronged you,that person has won!The only way to defeat the evil is to forgive and love the person.We must forgive as we have been forgiven (Eph 4:32)God loved us when we were enemies (Rom 5:10; Col 1:21)Practically speaking, this is how to live out Romans 12:I will not gossip about people who hurt me.I will not try to "get even".I will pray for people who hurt me.I will speak kindly about people who hurt me.I will not rehearse offenses in my mind.I will not poison others against them.I will do good if they need help.Remember, if you try to do these things on your own, it will not work. You will fail. But, when you are abiding in Christ, you have an endless capacity to show love. It will not run out! (Rom 5:8)Questions to Consider:When someone wrongs you, what is your first instinct—to bless, ignore, gossip, or get even?Do you struggle more with being right or being at peace?Are you more concerned with winning arguments or preserving relationships?Do you trust God to handle injustice, or do you feel the need to take matters into your own hands?Who is the hardest person in your life to love right now? What have you actually done to love them?Do you only show kindness to people who treat you well?Do your words (tone, sarcasm, criticism) create peace or tension at home?What specific “evil” are you currently facing—and how are you responding to it?

Romans 12:3-8Student Teaching Pastor Jason SalyerThe Call to HumilityThe passage begins by grounding our identity in a humble recognition. There is an insanity with pride. God warns us not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but to see ourselves through His grace. If we think of ourselves on a "path of humility", one ditch we can fall into is pride, while the other ditch is insecurity. We must recognize the grace of God in our lives and renew our minds with this kind of redirected thinking. In today's culture, the message we hear is "be true to yourself." Then, the culture trains us to look around for validation. We then remove ourselves from anyone that would question that message. There is a better way! Paul is imploring us to look up and receive our identity from Christ. Then, because we don't have to pursue our own lives, we can give our lives away. Once we think that way, we can recognize correctly the body of Christ.Members of the BodyTo explain how we relate to one another, Paul uses the image of a human body. Just as a physical body has many parts that all perform different but essential functions, the Church is one unified body in Christ. We are not just a collection of individuals sitting in the same room; we are saved into a new life and a new family of faith, being "members one of another," meaning we are truly interconnected and interdependent.We serve one another becausewe need one another.The path to unity is humility and service.Gifts to Serve Christ and His BodyWhen we trust Jesus Christ for salvation, one of the blessings that we receive are gifts from the Holy Spirit. The gifts listed in Scripture are not comprehensive lists, but are examples of ways that you can edify and build up the church.In Ephesians 4:7-8, Paul writes, "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people." This passage is referencing a conquering King that has come home and passed out the spoils of victory to his subjects. As the subjects use the gifts, it is a reminder of the victory. In the same way, we have received gifts of the Holy Spirit to remind us of the victory we have in Jesus...but we need to use those gifts!Because we have different gifts, Paul provides examples of ways our gifts can serve the community. Whether we teach, lead, give, or show mercy, our focus is to express our giftedness with the right mindset. More important than the gift is how we use it. We are called to serve not just with our hands, but with a specific kind of heart of generosity, diligence, and cheerfulness.You don't have to fully understand your gift to use it. As you give yourself away, others will point out the gift you have been given. Remember, the gift is not about you. It is first about God, and then it is for building up the body of Christ.Reflection: Do you see the true value and role that you and others play in the body of Christ? How can you better align your perspective with God’s word?Discussion Questions:Why is it sometimes easier to either overestimate our lives in (pride) or underestimate it (insecurity) rather than see ourselves "soberly" through the lens of God's unearned grace? (v3)Paul says we "belong to one another." How does your view of the church change if you see yourself as a vital organ in a body rather than just an individual attending a service? (v4-5)Paul attaches specific instructions to the gifts (e.g., give with generosity, lead with zeal, show mercy with cheerfulness). Why is the heart-attitude so critical in how we use our gifts to serve? (v6-8)Think of some people at Carmel that you know are using their gifts to serve, give, and love the body of Christ. What gifts do you recognize in them.If you are not currently serving, where could be a place that the church could use your giftedness? Come by the Carmel room next Sunday and let someone know that you are willing to serve where needed.

Romans 12:9-13Adult Pastor Brad FergusonPaul gives 13 commands in these five verses, but we must be careful that this isn't a "check the box" list. There needs to be an understanding that this is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, but there is work for us to do as well. In these ways that the Lord is growing us, we need to have a devotion to Him.LOVEIn verse 9, Paul starts with focusing on love because love lays the foundation for everything. (1 Cor 13:13; Gal 5:22; Col 3:14; 1 John 4:16, etc.) This love initiates with othersIt is undeserved, unmerited, and unconditionalIt is tethered to Scripture instead of listening to the world's viewIt is without hypocrisy - don't pretend to love...truly lovePaul goes on to say, "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good". We should be horrified at the evil in the world. We should be horrified at the evil in our own hearts. Unfortunately, as humans, we have a bad habit of normalizing evil over time. Things that once horrified us are now tolerated.We should run from sin, and run towards what is good (Col 3:2).RELATEIn verse 10, Paul moves from this general overview of love to how to implement this love with our relationships.Love one another deeply (1 Peter 1:22; 1 Thes 4:9; John 13:35) - If we show genuine care for one another, it is a powerful example of the gospel!Compete with one another in honoring each other - Be the initiator.Verse 12 says, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer,". Paul directly put affliction in the middle. We will all face trials and pain in our lives. That is a guarantee. But that affliction should be surrounded by hope and prayer.Our only hope is Jesus Christ, but He is enough!We must be persistent in our prayer life. Too often, we give up or just run out of hope. We must let affliction run it's course because we are growing to be more like Jesus through that suffering. (James 1:2-4)Questions to ConsiderWhat is the difference between loving someone because you have to and loving them because you want to?What does it mean to "outdo one another in showing honor"? How can you honor a sibling, parent, coworker, or classmate this week instead of trying to be first yourself?How can we "rejoice in hope" when we are going through something tough? What is a difficult thing right now that we can share together and pray about?

Romans 12:1-2Senior Pastor Alex KennedyPaul's writing style typically moves from doctrine (Ch. 1-11) to practice (Ch. 12-16), so the key word he opens with in chapter 12 is "therefore". this "therefore" is there to remind us of all the mercies that God has shown us that Paul mentioned in the first part of his letter:God did not abandon us (Rom 3:23)God gives us a righteousness we could never earn (Rom 3:24)Our relationship with God is restored (Rom 5:1)God's love came first (Rom 5:8)We are given a new master (Rom 6:18)Our guilt has been removed (Rom 8:1)God becomes our Father (Rom 8:15)God redeems every circumstance (Rom 8:28)God's love is fierce (Rom 8:38-39)God's plan of redemption continues (Rom 9-11)When we realize the depth of God's mercy, Romans 12:1 suddenly makes sense, and our life in Christ is a response to mercy.The altar of our surrenderis built on the foundationof mercy.God's mercies are the motivation for our obedience. This is why we "present your bodies as a living sacrifice". When Paul uses the word "bodies", the original readers would have immediately thought of the sacrifices used in the Old Testament, which represent the totality of one's life and activities. Some offerings in the OT were "sin offerings", which were for shedding blood and asking for forgiveness. Jesus was and is our sin offering. Instead, the offering Paul points to is a "whole burnt offering", which was a valuable animal from your flock. It had to be without defect. This animal would have been very expensive, and it showed that all you had was at God's disposal. The burnt offering was always burnt totally and it represented complete consecration and devotion to God.The altar isn't a moment-it's a lifestyle.Surrender isn't a one-time decision -it's a daily decision.Paul goes on to say that this sacrifice is "holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." This word "spiritual" literally means "logical".Tim Keller says, "In short, once you have a good view of God's mercy, anything less than a total, complete sacrifice of yourself to God is completely irrational!"Verse 2 begins, "Do not be conformed to this world", which means "stop being conformed". (1 Peter 1:14-15) Culture constantly tries to tell us who to be, but we need to let God reshape us into His image.What we scroll conforms our soul.For most people, the primary reason we conform is fear. We fear not fitting in, what others will think about us, or the backlash that comes from living differently."But be transformed by the renewing of your mind". This is a change from the inside out. (2 Cor 3:18; Matt 17:2). We renew our minds through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.Christianity is not about becominga nicer version of the old you.It's about becoming a new creation.The goal in all of this is that "by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."Questions to Consider:How has God shown you mercy in your life? Reflect on the relationships, the decisions, the mistakes, and the places you've been and how He has woven them all together to bring you to where you are.How does understanding God's mercy help you want to serve Him?What does it mean to be a "living sacrifice" in your daily life?What are some "patterns of this world" that we are tempted to follow?How can we, in our home, "defend against" the pressure to be like the rest of the world?

Romans 10:1-21Senior Pastor Alex KennedyLast week we looked at Romans 9, which is all about God's sovereignty in the salvation journey. Romans 10 focuses on our role of how we believe and what role we play in the lives of others.Paul begins by talking about his Jewish brothers and their "zeal for God". Paul understood this well from his background, but zeal and passion are not enough. The Jews built their own system of righteousness, which falls short (Rom 3:23). They "did not submit to God's righteousness" (v3). Verse 4 declares that Christ is the outcome to everyone who believes. So, a Jew who sought by works to establish his own righteousness would not recognize Christ as "the end of the Law" and would stumble over him.The point of the law wasn't the law;the point of the law was to point us to Jesus.Paul goes on to quote parts of the Old Testament when writing about Moses (Lev 18:5). Paul is saying, "if you want the law to judge you, fine. Go for it. God will judge you by the law, but it won't be good. God demands perfection, so if you're hoping to be justified by the law, you had better live a life without sin. (James 2:10) Jesus Christ is the ONLY one in history that did that.Paul speaks about "righteousness based on faith" (v6-7). Faith knows that you don't need to ascend to heaven because Christ has already come down from it. Faith also knows that you don't deal with you own sins because Christ has already done that too!"But what does it say? The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart." (See Deut 30:12-14) Word hear in the Greek is "rhema", which means "the word of faith that we proclaim verbally".Paul goes on to be clear in verse 9: "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord..." Confess means to "agree". We have to agree with God about Jesus' identity that He is the eternal Son of God. There is an outward confession flowing from an inward conviction that finishes Paul's statement, "...and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (life/death/and resurrection), you will be saved." In Rome, saying "Jesus is Lord" was dangerous because it meant that you believed that Caesar was not. You had to stand on your faith and conviction.Our faith is personal but it's not private.In verses 11-13, Paul is reminding them of God's impartiality, just like he did when discussing human sinfulness (Rom 3). So, everyone has sinned (Rom 3:23) and everyone can be saved (Rom 10:13).In verses 14 and following, Paul shifts his focus to the role we play in helping others believe. He uses the word "preach" which means "herald". A herald would have been a living newspaper that made announcements in the town marketplace and city streets. We are all in the streets, and we should all be heralds (preachers) for Jesus!We are sent...to preach...for others to hear...and believe...and then called...and finally saved...to be sent...etc...We are meant to live a sent life, whether overseas, in the marketplace, or across the street to our neighbors. It is not optional.Paul then quotes Isaiah 52:7 "how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News!" So, we can:Pray - remember, someone prayed for you, so be sure to pray for the lost around you.Give so others can go - maybe you are called to the Nations today, but you have the means to help someone else who is called today.GO to the Nearest (home), your Neighbors, and the Nations.Questions to Consider:What are ways we sometimes try to “be good enough” instead of trusting Jesus?How does it encourage you that salvation is available to everyone?Have you personally confessed Jesus as Lord? What does that look like in everyday life?Verse 17 says faith comes from hearing the message. How did you first hear about Jesus?Who do you know that prayed for you to trust Jesus as Lord?Who are you praying for daily that is lost and needs Jesus?

Romans 9:1-33Senior Pastor Alex KennedyChapters 9 is a "hard left turn" from Paul celebrating the security of the love of Christ in chapter 8, to thinking of his own Jewish people. Paul is grieving that his "kinsmen" do not know Christ, and he is offering to be "cut-off from Christ for the sake of my...kinsmen according to the flesh" (like Moses did in Ex 32). Remember, the Jewish people are the chosen nation to show the covenant between God and man to the world through the person of Jesus. So what happened?Question 1: Have His promises failed? (If He failed the Jews, then how can we be sure He won't fail us?)Answer: True membership in God's chosen people is based on faith, not physical ancestry. He gives an example of Abraham and his descendants. To be a physical descendant of Abraham is not enough. God only has children...not grandchildren. (Romans 4:4). Abraham and Sarah are told they will have a son. Remember, Abraham and Sarah were old, and they "helped" God by producing an heir, Ishmael, through Gomer. God doesn't need us to intercede in His plan. Isaac is the son of promise.The second example Paul uses is Isaac and Rebekah and their twins, Jacob and Esau.(v10-13). Rebekah was told that "the older will serve the younger" (Gen 25:23). Malachi 1:2-3 is what Paul references in verse 13 when he says, "As it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'" This reference of hated is a Hebrew idiom for preference, like when Jesus says to "hate your father and mother (Luke 14:26). Again, God is sovereign and has a plan.Question 2: Is God unjust? (v14) Did God somehow do something wrong by only showing mercy to Jacob and not to Esau?Answer: Mercy is receiving something that you don't deserve. If you deserved it, it would not be "mercy"; instead it would be justice. So, if God doesn't owe anyone mercy, we can't say it is unfair for Him not to show it to someone. Paul uses the example of Ex 7:3-4 where God hardened Pharaoh's heart. We read this as if it is God's "fault". We must read the whole story because we see that Pharaoh hardened his own heart first. This is the intersection of God's sovereignty and human responsibility. They are woven together. His sovereignty doesn't excuse our responsibility, and we cannot isolate one from the other. We can't fully explain both but we can accept both. God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart was a "giving him over" to his own stubbornness.When God hardens someone,He doesn't create the hardness;He allows the person to gohis or her own way.to read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/romans-91-33/

This last section of Romans 8 is such an encouragement to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. Paul raises several questions and gives five statements to prove that there can be no separation between the believer and the love of God, and that a believer is completely secure in Christ.Question 1 - What shall we say to these things? In other words, how should we think and respond in light of all the things God has done?-There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (v1)-We have been set free from the law of sin and death (v2)-The Spirit of God dwells in us (v9)-We have been adopted into God's family (v15)-As HIs children we are heirs of God (v17)-We have received the Spirit (v23)-God called you, justified you, and glorified you (v30)Question 2 - If God is for us, who can be against us?Notice that the list of things above do not depend on us. They depend on God Himself. So no one can be against us! He goes on to say "He who did not spare HIs own Son but gave up for us all". The word "spare" is used only one other place in the Old Testament, and it is when Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac on the alter (Gen 22:12). The word "withheld" is the same word translated "spare" in v 32. God did NOT spare His own Son, and by giving Him over to death, He proved His unconditional love for us. (John 3:16)Question 3 - Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.Through the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, God declares the believing sinner "justified". That declaration never changes. Even when we accuse ourselves, or others accuse us, there is no ground for eternal charges. (Rom 6:1-2)Question 4 - Who is to condemn?"Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." Jesus is the One who died for our sins, and He is at the right hand of God interceding for us. Jesus, who alone has authority from God to judge and condemn, cannot and will not condemn His own who are in Him by faith. That is how secure we are in Christ.He is interceding for us. He is our High Priest who gives us the grace we need to overcome temptation. He is our Advocate with the Father. Jesus has you covered! (Heb 7:25; Heb 4:14-16; 1 John 2:1)Question 5 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?He lists 7 physical things that are real world issues for us living in a fallen world...tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and sword (death). This list increases with intensity, and all of them would be very hard to deal with physically and emotionally. Paul dealt with these things personally. (2 Cor 11:23-38) (Rom 8:17-18)We will all suffer, but we can have hope. We can trust in the promises of God that no one or nothing will be able to separate us from the love of Christ. Suffering is nothing new, and has historically been the experience of God's people. (Heb 11) (2 Cor 4:7-11)The purpose of our suffering is so that the life of Jesus may be seen in us through the hard times in a way that shows the surpassing power of God at work in us. This is how we are "more than conquerers" (v37). We can only do this through His power. We have the confidence that God is ever present in our trials, and this assurance is an anchor for us when we do experience those things. God loves us and He is for us.Paul concludes this section by reminding us that there is no one and absolutely nothing that can ever separate us from the love of Christ and from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all keeping you eternally secure. You can't get more loved and secure than that!

Romans 8:19-30Senior Pastor Alex KennedyOne way to expose ourselves to the Spirit is to think about the extravagant love of Christ. We must "put to death" sin. Through the Spirit, we must fight violently against sin. When we do this, we can love what He loves. Remember, we do not fight sin to "earn" the favor of God. You are already His child!Verse 15 speaks of adoption. Immediately upon Roman adoption:Old debts and legal obligations are paid in fullReceive a new name and identityFather becomes instantly liable for all debtsThere is an understood obligation to honor a please the FatherThis is the how we should see our adoption to God. There is security in this because even today a judge will say, "Do you realize that this adopted child is 'more yours' than any biological child you could have?" The reason for this is that an adopted child cannot legally be disinherited while a biological child can. Your security as God's child is secure!Verse 16 says that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. This happens through our changed life (conviction over sin, hunger for God's Word, etc..) We live differently.Paul goes on to teach how we share in what Christ has: heirship, suffering, and glory. Heirship and glory are eternal, but suffering is only temporary (2 Cor 4:16-18).Three GroaningsCreation (v20) - Through original sin, creation longs to be set free from bondage and obtain freedom.OurselvesThe Spirit on our behalfWe live in weakness, but the Spirit prays for us, even when we do not know the words to say (v26-27). Be encouraged that both Jesus and the Spirit intercede for YOU!Romans 8:28 is one of those verses that is often taken out of context or said to encourage...but can hurt. It doesn't say, "all things are good". It says that all things He works together in His understanding of the "big picture" for good.If we love God for what He does for us,we will quit.If we love God for who He is,we can endure the suffering.Suffering can make us bitter or better. We must get to a place to be able to say, "I don't understand it, but I trust You."Verse 29 shows us that "the good" He is working is conforming us into the image of His Son. It is our sanctification. WE are made in His image (Imago Dei) on purpose.Paul wraps up this section with a powerful "not yet" Truth. He uses past tense language to speak reality of not only what has happened, but what will happen. He says, "He also glorified" us. It is sure because God always finishes what He started. (Phil 1:6)Questions to Consider:How is being God’s child different from being God’s employee or servant?When do you most forget that you are God’s child?What is an area of suffering for you today? Do you trust God enough to ask, "What do you want me to learn from this?"Is there a situation in your life that feels hard to believe God is working for good?How can you rely more on the Spirit instead of just trying harder?