Community Group Notes For Romans

READ:           Romans 2:12-29

Get Going: When has something looked impressive but the reality is different?

What made the difference in you living out what God’s Word said?

Recap: We cannot think ourselves right with God or be able to escape his wrath by our own righteousness, no matter how morally good it might seem to us.  To the person who says, “I’ve never murdered anyone”, God says, no, not outwardly, but in your pride you think you are good enough for me, whilst at the same time saying others are not as good as you”.  To see sin in others is to understand our own need for repentance and faith. To not understand this is to not understand the gospel.  As Paul goes from the external obvious signs of everyone’s rebellion and rejection of God, he now focuses inwardly on the human heart.  He’s going to begin to show us that at the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart. This is what’s going to bring about harmony amongst God’s people.

Context: In God’s desire for the gospel to go to all nations, Paul has to unpack why the gospel is needed by all people.  Jew, Gentile, wise, fool, moral and immoral. Just as those with no religion run from God into filling the desires, so those with religion run from God to satisfy their sense of self righteousness.  It is in rejecting God that both face His judgement.

BIG IDEA: Don’t try & justify yourself by the law we need for heart change.

How God wants to transform us by His Word: To cry out for a changed heart. That by The Holy Spirit we Don’t just hear the Word, but do it, to praise God from the desires of a repentant heart v.29

STRUCTURE

• Man looks on the outside v.12-13
• God Looks on the heart v.14-16
• Knowing God is not enough v.17-24
• We need God to give us a new heart v.25-29

Get Clear:

• Is there anything from the passage or the sermon that wasn’t clear?
• Is there anything from this passage that you didn’t understand?

Get Stuck Into Understanding the Bible:

• What does Paul mean by the word “Law” v.12?
• Does simply knowing the law save you v.12-13?
• Looking at verses 12-13 what makes the difference between a genuinely saved person and those who are lost?
  • V.12 What can a lost person know a lot about?
  • V.12 What ignorance can a lost person use to excuse guilt?
• Are gentiles able to escape God’s judgement by not having the law v.14?
• What does Paul mean by the law being “written on their heart” v.15?
• How does v.16 explain it is not by what we do outwardly that will save us?
  • What’s the deeper problem v.16?
• How does Paul describe where a Jew is wrongly placing their confidence v.17-20?
• What is the challenge of v.21?
  • Where is the wrong place to put our confidence of being saved?
• What is the result of when someone says they are a believer but don’t practise what we preach 24?
• What change needs to happen for someone to be a real believer v.25-29?
  • How much does ceremonial circumcision count to save someone?
  • What circumcision is the one that matters v.29?
• When our hearts are changed what comes out of us v.29?

Get on

• Do you want God to treat you justly?
• Where do you put your confidence in who is a true believer:
  • Outward Ceremony?
  • Bible knowledge?
  • Or obedience from the heart by the Spirit rooted in God’s Word?
• How do we hear the bible?
  • To just gain knowledge or to change our hearts?
• What does this passage say about me?
  • Why will you not be judged as guilty by God?
• Do you ever feel like you are a “better” Christian than someone else because of how well you know the bible, going to a “good” church or who you associate with?
• How can we encourage one another to the urgent need of daily grieving our sin to lead to repentance?
• How can Romans 2 bring unity to a church and humility to go do evangelism?

For the LOST:

• Do you desire justice when you see something go wrong?
  • Where does that come from?
  • Is God wrong to be any less just?

Get Praying:

• To meet God in His Word, by the Holy Spirit giving us a new heart

Use the songs below to engage your heart and mind into worshiping God.

Get Praising:

Purify My Heart, by Brian Doerksen

https://youtu.be/zkqJHUJlKVM

—

S.D.G.

Pastor John Geaney