The Book of Romans: Hearts on Fire

The Book of Romans 

Introduction:

Good morning and welcome to Eastern Shore Baptist Church. To our church family, it is always a joy to gather together and worship the Lord with you. And to our guests, whether this is your first time with us or you have been visiting for a while, we are so thankful you chose to worship with us today. We believe you are here on purpose, and we pray that you will experience the love of Christ, the encouragement of His people, and the truth of His Word as we worship together.

My name is Stuart Davidson, and I am the pastor here at Eastern Shore Baptist Church. I want you to know how grateful we are that you are here today, whether you are joining us in the sanctuary or watching online. We truly are better together, and it is a blessing to worship the Lord as one church family.

I also want to invite everyone, both in the room and those watching online, to take advantage of our prayer line. If you have a need, a burden, or simply something you would like us to pray over with you, you can call or text 251-222-8977. That prayer line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When you reach out, your prayer request goes immediately to our prayer team, and many times they will even respond to let you know you are being prayed for. We believe in the power of prayer, and we would be honored to pray with you and for you today.

Introduction of Sermon Title:

Church family, as we get ready to open God’s Word together this morning, let me remind you that we have been walking verse by verse through the Book of Romans for many weeks now. Week after week, Paul has been teaching us what the gospel is, what the gospel does, and how the gospel transforms everyday life. Now in Romans chapter 12, Paul turns a corner and begins to show us what a gospel shaped life actually looks like, not just what we believe, but how we live.

When I was growing up, one of the movies that made a big impression on me was Rocky IV, starring Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa. The villain of the movie is played by Dolph Lundgren, and his character’s name is Ivan Drago. The whole movie is built on this backdrop of America versus Russia, released during the height of the Cold War, when tensions between the two countries felt real and heavy. Early in the film, Rocky’s close friend Apollo Creed is killed in the ring, and that moment changes everything.

From there, Rocky makes the decision to fight Drago on Russian soil, and before the final bout, there is that famous training montage set to the song Hearts on Fire. I still remember watching that scene as a kid and thinking it was the most gripping, heart pounding, motivational thing I had ever seen. I wanted to be Rocky Balboa. To me, having a heart on fire meant purpose, mission, passion, character, and integrity. It meant being willing to shoulder the burden of others and press forward even when the odds were stacked against you. Lyrics like “Hearts on fire, strong desire, rages deep within” captured what it meant to be all in, holding nothing back.

Now obviously, my heart is no longer on fire to fight Russians or win a boxing match. But as a pastor and as a follower of Jesus, my heart is very much on fire for something far greater. My mission now is to share the gospel with a lost and dying world. My passion is to see lives changed by the power of Christ. My purpose is to serve the Lord faithfully, no matter the cost. And friends, when we come to Romans chapter 12, verse 11, that is exactly what the Apostle Paul wants for us as well. He wants believers whose hearts are set ablaze for the gospel, believers who are not drifting, not coasting, not spiritually lazy, but fully alive, fully engaged, and fully devoted to Christ.

Friends, that brings me to the portion of our sermon today as we introduce today’s message, and the title is simply this, Hearts on Fire.

Today’s Message:
”Hearts on Fire”

Introduction of Today’s Thought:

I want us to think for just a moment about something the Bible talks about a lot, and that is the human heart. Scripture never treats the heart as neutral. It tells us plainly that something is wrong deep inside of us.

Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV) says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Genesis 6:5 (ESV) tells us, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Jesus Himself said in Mark 7:21–23 (CSB), “For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, self indulgence, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

The Bible is clear. The human heart is sinful. It is selfish. It is bent inward. But it was not always that way. 

At creation, God gave humanity hearts that were pure, hearts that were unbroken, hearts that walked in perfect fellowship with Him. But sin entered the picture, and with it came pollution, hardness, and separation. Over time, Scripture even describes our condition as having hard hearts.

Ezekiel 36:26 (CSB) says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” 

That verse reminds us that sin leaves us cold, calloused, and resistant to God, but grace does the opposite. God does not just patch up the old heart. He gives us a new one. Not a cold heart, but a warm heart. A heart that is responsive to the gospel. A heart that beats for worship. A heart that is tender toward the needs of others. A heart that is alive, engaged, and burning with purpose.

God’s desire for His people has never been hearts of stone or hearts that merely feel something on Sunday and cool off by Monday. He wants hearts that are on fire. Hearts that burn with love for Him, passion for His work, and compassion for people. And that brings me to the thought for today.

Which brings me to the thought for today.

A heart on fire leads to a hunger for God, hard work, and a hopeful spirit.

Do me a favor and fill that in on your outlines.

A heart on fire leads to a hunger for God, hard work, and a hopeful spirit.

Today’s Thought:

A Heart on Fire Leads To A Hunger For God, Hard Work, And A Hopeful Spirit! 

Introduction of Today’s Quote:

I want to take a second introduce today’s quote, because it comes from someone I have grown to respect. Max Lucado was one of my first…if not my very first introductions to Christian writing. The first Christian book that I ever read was written by Max Lucado. It was called "He Still Moves Stones." The book focused on hope and the power of Christ in difficult times. Max Lucado has had a profound impact, especially in my early Christianity and my early faith. He has written a multitude of books covering everything from grace and prayer to fear, suffering, and hope. Honestly, Max Lucado is so prominent in our home that I raised my kids to call him “Uncle Max,” almost like he’s part of the family..

In his book Anxious for Nothing, he gives us today’s quote. Listen to it carefully.

“Our joy is not determined by what happens to us, but by what Christ is doing in us. Circumstances change, people disappoint, and life brings hardship, but Christ remains constant. When our hope is anchored in Him rather than in outcomes, joy becomes a steady presence, not a fleeting emotion.”

That quote captures exactly what Paul is driving at in Romans 12:11. The Lord does not want our hearts driven by circumstances, emotions, or outcomes. He wants our hearts anchored in Him. A heart that belongs to Christ, a heart that is shaped by His presence and His purpose, becomes a heart that burns steadily, not sporadically. When Christ is at work in us, our hearts stay warm even when life gets cold. Our passion stays alive even when circumstances disappoint. And our joy becomes resilient, not fragile.

This is what a heart on fire looks like. It is not hype. It is not emotion driven Christianity. It is a life so rooted in Christ that it produces hunger for God, diligence in our calling, and hope in every season. Paul wants believers who live with that kind of inner fire, and that is exactly where we are headed today.

Today’s Quote:

“Our joy is not determined by what happens to us, but by what Christ is doing in us. Circumstances change, people disappoint, and life brings hardship, but Christ remains constant. When our hope is anchored in Him rather than in outcomes, joy becomes a steady presence, not a fleeting emotion.”
Max Lucado’s “Anxious For Nothing”

Introduction of Today’s Scripture:

As we turn our attention to God’s Word this morning, we come to our text for today, Romans chapter 12, verse 11. Last week we spent time in verse 10, where Paul challenged us about sincere love and genuine affection within the body of Christ. Now in verse 11, Paul keeps building that thought, but he shifts from how we love one another to how we live before the Lord every single day.

Romans 12:11 is a short verse, but it carries enormous weight. It speaks to our motivation, our work ethic, and our devotion to Christ. Paul is not describing a special class of Christians or a select group of leaders. He is calling every believer to a life that is marked by spiritual passion, faithful effort, and joyful service. This verse reminds us that the gospel does not just save us, it shapes us, it stirs us, and it sets our hearts on fire for the Lord.

I want to remind you that…

Statement of Belief:

“We are opening the living and powerful Word of God…truth without error, breathed out by Him, and fully sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. It is our authority, our guide, and our hope. In honor of the God who gave us His perfect Word, I invite you to stand with me as we read it together.”

Today’s Scripture:

Romans 12:11 NLT

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Pastor: “This is the Word of the Lord.”
Congregation: “Praise His name. Praise His holy name.”

Paul’s Perspective on Passionate Living

I. Refuse Spiritual Laziness

Friends, I believe that Paul has given us three perspectives on passionate living in Romans chapter 12, verse 11. So, let’s pull this passage of Scripture apart, piece by piece, and find out what it truly means.

Go ahead and fill in the blanks under Roman numeral one.

Paul’s Perspective on Passionate Living

I. Refuse Spiritual Laziness

After you fill in the blanks, you can see that I have provided for you an explanation of the point there in one sentence.

“Paul calls believers to reject complacency, reminding us that laziness dulls our love for Christ and weakens our witness.”

Now let me give you a real world picture of how subtle laziness can be, and I bet a bunch of us are going to relate to it.

Most of us have a love hate relationship with one little invention, the snooze button. That thing was created to help people wake up, but it has become the great negotiator of the morning. The alarm goes off and you are awake enough to reach over and hit snooze, but not ready enough to get up. So you start bargaining with yourself, “Just five more minutes.” Then five turns into ten. Ten turns into “Well, I already messed up, I might as well enjoy it.” And before you know it, you are rushing around the house like a fire drill, because you kept delaying the moment you knew you needed to move.

Here is what makes that funny, and also a little convicting. The snooze button did not create laziness, it simply revealed it. It trained us to delay what we already knew we needed to do.

And church, spiritual laziness works the same way. It rarely shows up as outright rebellion. It shows up as delay. Drift. Tomorrow. Later. “I’ll get serious about prayer when things slow down.” “I’ll get consistent in the Word when life calms down.” “I’ll serve when my schedule opens up.” And all the while, our love cools, our worship dulls, and our witness weakens.

That is why Paul starts right here. Refuse spiritual laziness.

In Romans 12:11, the word Paul uses for lazy comes from the Greek word oknēros (pronounced ok NAY ross). It is a vivid word. It does not just mean someone who is tired or someone who needs rest. It means sluggish, hesitant, shrinking back from effort. It carries the idea of someone who knows what needs to be done but keeps pulling away from it because it feels demanding or uncomfortable.

In fact, this word was often used to describe a person who drags their feet, someone who is slow to act, slow to respond, and slow to engage even when the moment calls for urgency. Paul is not warning against exhaustion. He is warning against indifference. He is calling out a heart that has lost its edge, its urgency, and its passion.

That is why Paul starts right here, refuse spiritual laziness.

Now this is important. Paul is not talking about laziness in terms of manual labor, working hard at the office, or whether you pull your weight on the job. This is not about sleeping in or being tired. Paul is speaking in spiritual terms. He is going straight to the heart of the Great Commission.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19–20 (CSB), “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Paul is saying that we, as believers, possess life saving truth. We know the gospel. We know the way of salvation. We know the hope of eternal life in Christ. And yet far too often, we hide that light under a basket. We smother it with fear. We silence it with worry about what people might think, what they might say, or how they might respond.

Just the other day, Angela and I were watching the news, and they told a story that stuck with me. A townhouse caught on fire, and there were two children inside, ages nine and eleven. A neighbor across the street saw the flames, and a doorbell camera captured what happened next. That man did not hesitate. He sprinted across the street and begged the mother to lift her children out of the second floor window and drop them to him, one at a time. She did, and he caught both children, saving their lives. Then that same neighbor ran back to his house, grabbed a ladder, rushed back, set it against the building, and the mother climbed down to safety.

That man did not stop to wonder what the neighbors might think. He did not hesitate because it was inconvenient. He did not delay because it was risky. There was urgency, because lives were at stake.

Church, that is exactly what Paul is talking about. If we truly believe what we say we believe, that people without Christ face an eternity separated from God, then spiritual laziness is not harmless. It is costly. Proverbs 6:6–8 (CSB) says, “Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. Without leader, administrator, or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest.”

The ant does not delay when the season calls for action. And neither should we. We have been entrusted with the gospel. We have been commanded to share it. Refusing spiritual laziness means living with urgency, compassion, and obedience, because eternity is always closer than we think.

A spiritually lazy Christian is not someone who has walked away from the faith, it is someone who has grown comfortable sitting on the sidelines. It is a believer who knows the truth, affirms the truth, and even enjoys the truth, but rarely acts on it. A spiritually lazy Christian is content to let someone else do the work Christ has clearly called them to do. They quietly assume that sharing the gospel is the job of the Sunday School teacher, the responsibility of the deacon, the calling of the pastor, or maybe something better suited for a retired believer who has more time on their hands. They convince themselves that their season of obedience will come later.

A spiritually lazy Christian also plays the timing game. They say things like, “Right now I’m just trying to raise my family,” or “Life is busy, but when the kids are grown and gone, that’s when I’ll jump in.” They delay obedience with good sounding excuses, pushing faithfulness into a future season that may never arrive. 

They know they should be in the Word, but the Bible stays closed. 

They know they should serve, but they stay disengaged. 

They know they should give generously, but they hold back. 

They know they should speak up for Christ, but they remain silent. 

And the danger is not that they do not love Jesus, it is that they have grown content to let others carry the weight of obedience while they remain comfortable and uninvolved.

Paul is saying that a heart on fire refuses that kind of drift into slothfulness or laziness. It refuses to pull back when God calls us forward. It refuses to grow comfortable when Christ calls us to be committed. And that is why refusing spiritual laziness is the first mark of passionate living.

Paul’s Perspective on Passionate Living

I. Refuse Spiritual Laziness

II. Embrace Faithful Effort

Now, let’s move on to our second point.

Let’s go back to our scripture this morning,

“Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord…”

Paul’s perspective on passionate living. Remember, point one was to refuse spiritual laziness. But Paul does not stop there. He does not just tell us what to avoid, he tells us what to pursue.

Under Roman numeral two, fill this in.

II. Embrace Faithful Effort

And again, you can see the explanation of this point right there on your outline.

“The Christian life is marked by intentional, consistent effort as we serve Christ wholeheartedly in every responsibility He entrusts to us.”

Paul goes on in Romans 12:11 to tell us not only to work hard, but to serve the Lord. And that phrase matters more than we often realize. Most of us have no problem with hard work. We work hard every day. We serve faithfully. The issue is not effort, it is direction. We often substitute the word Lord with something else. We work hard and serve ourselves. We work hard and serve the church. We work hard and serve our spouse, our boyfriend, our girlfriend, our kids, our careers, or our reputation. And while none of those things are wrong in and of themselves, they make terrible masters.

The problem is that when we serve the wrong thing, the payoff is always frustration. We end up stressed, burned out, anxious, and discouraged because we are enslaved to something that was never meant to carry the weight of our devotion. Paul is reminding us that true freedom and fulfillment come not from working less, but from serving rightly. Working hard and serving the Lord is an intentional act. It does not happen by accident. None of us drift into spiritual maturity. None of us stumble our way into peace, joy, or contentment. Those things are cultivated through daily, deliberate choices.

That is why so many people are exhausted and still empty. They are working hard. They are serving. But something is missing. And if we are honest, we have all asked those hard questions at some point. Why do I not have peace? Why am I not joyful? Why am I not content? I am doing everything I know to do, but something feels off. Often the answer is simple and sobering. We are giving our best effort to the wrong master.

Some of you may remember an episode of Seinfeld where Kramer, played by Cosmo Kramer, suddenly decides he is going to get a job. And he does. He starts waking up early. He puts on a suit. He rides the subway. He walks into an office every day carrying a briefcase. He nods at coworkers. He acknowledges the boss. Papers pile up on his desk. He stays late. He comes home exhausted, talking about how busy and important he is.

Meanwhile, Jerry, his neighbor across the hall, is frustrated because he never sees Kramer anymore. Kramer assures him that he is doing meaningful work. He says he is making a difference. He is tired, committed, and fully invested. And then at the end of the episode, the boss calls Kramer into the office and tells him the truth. Kramer was never actually hired. He is not on the payroll. They are not even sure what he has been doing. In fact, the boss admits that as far as they can tell, Kramer has not done anything discernible at all. All that effort, all that time, all that energy, and it amounted to very little.

As funny as that is, it hits close to home. Is it possible that some of us are doing the same thing spiritually? We are busy. We are tired. We are giving effort. We are pouring energy into things we think matter. But in the grand scheme of eternity, they matter very little. We are working hard, but we are serving the wrong master.

Paul speaks directly to this in Colossians 3:23–24 (NLT): “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” When Christ becomes the focus of our effort, our work takes on meaning, our service gains purpose, and our hearts begin to align with the life we have been longing for all along.

Paul’s Perspective on Passionate Living

I. Refuse Spiritual Laziness

II. Embrace Faithful Effort

III. Serve with Joyful Enthusiasm

Well, friends, we have made it to the end of today’s message. We have been talking from Paul’s perspective on passionate living, taken from Romans chapter 12, verse 11. Let’s read that verse together one last time.

Romans 12:11 (NLT)

“Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”

Let me cover those three points for you one more time.

Refuse spiritual laziness.

Embrace faithful effort.

And our last point this morning is this.

III. Serve with Joyful Enthusiasm

Our service to the Lord should flow from a joyful heart that finds its joy in Christ, not from duty, but from devotion and gratitude. God never intended our service to feel like drudgery or obligation. When our hearts are truly set on Him, service becomes a delight, not a drain.

I love what Psalm 100, verse 2 says.

“Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.”

Several years ago, a journalist named Tom Junod was assigned to write a profile on Fred Rogers for Esquire magazine. Junod did not go into that assignment as a fan. In fact, he went in skeptical. His assumption was that no one could possibly be that kind, that gentle, and that sincere. He fully expected to find that Mister Rogers was playing a role. Kind on camera, but different when the lights were off.

That article later became the inspiration for the movie A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, where the journalist’s character is portrayed as deeply cynical, guarded, and wounded. His entire goal is to expose Fred Rogers as a fraud. But as the story unfolds, something unexpected happens. The more time he spends with Fred Rogers, the more frustrated he becomes, because there is nothing to expose. No hidden arrogance. No cruelty. No double life. The man he sees on television is the same man behind closed doors. Kind. Patient. Gentle. Prayerful. Fully present. Fred Rogers was the real thing.

That contrast matters, especially in a culture that has seen the opposite play out so often. We have watched public figures rise and fall when it turns out that who they were in public did not match who they were in private. When the lights went off, the mask came off. But Fred Rogers stood the test because his service was not an act. It flowed from a heart that genuinely loved people and genuinely wanted to honor God.

That is exactly what Paul is getting at with joyful enthusiasm. Joyful service is not performative. It is not about image or applause. It is not about being seen. It is about a heart so aligned with Christ that service comes naturally, consistently, and sincerely. Fred Rogers served with joy because he knew who he was serving, and he did it the same way whether anyone was watching or not. That is the kind of heart Paul is calling us to have, a heart on fire that serves the Lord with gladness, authenticity, and gratitude.

That brings us to the natural question this morning. 

So how do we get there? 

How do we actually live this out? 

How do we refuse spiritual laziness, embrace faithful effort, and serve with joyful enthusiasm in real, everyday life?

It starts with intentional surrender. 

Passion for Christ does not come from trying harder, it comes from yielding deeper. 

We refuse spiritual laziness when we stop drifting and start deciding. 

We choose daily rhythms that keep our hearts warm, not cold. Time in God’s Word, honest prayer, faithful worship, and meaningful connection with other believers are not extras, they are essentials. 

We embrace faithful effort when we wake up each day asking a better question, not “What do I have to do today?” but “Who am I serving today?” When Christ becomes the focus of our work, whether at home, at the office, or in the church, effort becomes worship and responsibility becomes opportunity.

Joyful enthusiasm grows when we remember why we serve in the first place. We are not trying to earn God’s love, we are responding to it. Gratitude fuels joy. 

The more we reflect on what Christ has done for us, the more natural joyful service becomes. When our hearts stay close to the gospel, when we regularly remind ourselves that we were rescued, forgiven, and given new life, our service stops feeling like duty and starts flowing from devotion. Passion is sustained not by hype, but by a steady, daily walk with Jesus that keeps our hearts engaged and our purpose clear.

So let me ask you this as we close. Are you sold out and fired up for Christ?

Are You Sold Out And Fired Up For Christ?

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Your Word has challenged us, encouraged us, and called us to go deeper today. We confess that there have been times when our passion has cooled, when our obedience has been delayed, and when our service has been driven more by routine than by devotion. Forgive us, Lord, and renew within us a heart that burns for You.

In this moment of invitation, we ask You to move powerfully among us. For anyone here who has never trusted Christ, draw them to Yourself right now. Give them the courage to turn from sin, to believe the gospel, and to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord. For those who feel You stirring their hearts toward baptism, church membership, or a new step of obedience, grant them clarity and boldness to respond. Teach us to pray honestly, to confess openly, and to open our lives fully to Your leading.

Father, shape us into a people who refuse spiritual laziness, who embrace faithful effort, and who serve You with joyful enthusiasm. May our lives reflect the gospel we proclaim, and may our hearts remain on fire for Your glory. And all God’s people said, Amen.