The Fruit of Worship

Romans 12:1–2 CSB

1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Worship produces obedience and obedience is an act of worship. The fruit of this circle is greater obedience and deeper worship.

True Worship Reshapes Us

Conformed

" to copy the behavior and customs of; to be shaped by; to fashion. "

Each of us lives in the same culture. In the united states geographically there used to be many distinct cultures. With the invention of social media we are seeing these distinctions somewhat disappearing. We are seeing a single pattern of thought. I would even argue we are beginning to see cultures worldwide beginning to merge into a single culture of rebellion.

This verse assumes that we are most likely heavily influenced by the culture in which we live.

For instance in the U.S. we increasingly see a culture whose chief goal is to avoid discomfort. Discomfort is the greatest evil. Difficult ways of life and inconveniences are to be avoided at all cost. This has become the greatest good in our society.

While working hard to create a better life for our families is not an evil in itself, cultural norm has infiltrated our walk with Christ. We, if we are honest, often want a comfortable faith. Our faith has been influenced by our cultural norms.

We have tried to create a faith that does not require the sacrifice of comfort in order to be considered faithful.

We are often afraid to engage in difficult conversations for fear of making someone uncomfortable or being uncomfortable ourselves.

So we spend much of our life a slave to the taskmaster of comfort.

So ask yourself this question:

How many opportunities to serve the Lord do I avoid because it is inconvenient or uncomfortable?

This is just one example of just how easy it is for us to become conformed to the pattern of the world. Being conformed to this world is less about the exact specifics of what we do and more about the way we have allowed the world to influence our pattern of thought.

Trans: So then if we are not to be conformed to the pattern of the world what then should our pattern be?

Philippians 3:10 (CSB)

10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death,

Do you see how worship produces a different way of thinking? The way of the world is to seek that which brings ease and comfort. Yet the way of the believer is seek out the very thing that brings discomfort in this life being conformed to his death, again the imagery of the a living sacrifice.

If churches want to engage in battle over worship styles this should be it. We should war against a lifestyle that gives God the table-scraps, the left-overs, of our lives and calls is worship. We often treat God more like a beggar than a great king.

Worship produces in us a willingness to accept discomfort and pain for the sake of something better, bringing glory to Yahweh, God!

Hebrews 12:2 CSB

2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Trans: Romans calls this “the renewing of your mind”

Romans 12:2 (CSB)

2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...

The word “renew” means to renovate.

Many today enjoy watching housing flipping shows. Usually the person or couple will buy a terribly run down house and with-in a 45 minute tv show make it into something beautiful. One thing that I have noticed is that they don’t just simply clean up the house and then sell it. Instead they add details to the house that make it more valuable.

In the same way renewing your mind is not just about cleaning up your sin. That is just the first phase of the renovations. Instead it is about adding something of greater value to your mind. A new pattern of thinking.

You see one can remove a sin from our lives(at least temporarily) with out losing the value we place on it. Often we still see the sin as an object to desire. In contrast when our minds are renewed through the recognition of Gods worth, beauty, grace, and holiness the pleasure of sin doesn’t compare. The battle against sin is not about trying harder to defeat it. You will lose this battle because it focuses on sin. It is like a being on a diet and leaving the cake sitting on the counter. You may be able to resist for a while but your focus will be on the cake.

Instead you overcome sin by comparing your sin to something that is more valuable, the greatness of God and the joy he promises

When our minds recognize the greatness of God and his love it causes us to exchange one type (pattern) of thinking for another. It is the return to right thinking.

When we allow the greatness of God to overwhelm us, it changes our pattern if thinking. Then in return, it produces a different pattern of living.

Trans: This pattern of thinking produces discernment

True Worship Produces God-honoring discernment.

Romans 12:2 (CSB)

... by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

If you are not allowing God to renew or renovate your mind then you will certainly lack discernment.

When we recognize God’s character it eliminates much of the complexity of our decisions.

Say a friend asks you to participate in an activity that is not honoring to the Lord. Often our thought-process may go something like this.

Well, if I say “no”, I may make them uncomfortable (notice this idea again) or offend them. So even though the task is wrong I will participate so that I can reach them later.

But you see we started off on the wrong foundational idea.

The question we should be asking is this: If I participate in this activity will I be putting the character of God on display? After all isn’t that what worship is all about pointing ourselves and others to the greatness of God.

When I recognize the character of God through worship, I also recognize that I should imitate Him in all things even unto death.

Show me one biblical example where Jesus was willing to do what was wrong in order reach people later. In fact it was the opposite. Jesus was willing to offend so that the character of God might be on display, People would recognize the father’s Holiness and people everywhere would repent.

If you want to know His perfect will. Worship him with your whole being and not just with your mouth. In this way you will have discernment. If you keep your eyes on Jesus you will see him moving and you will be able to follow.

Lastly

Worship Begins with Saving Faith.

Hebrews 11:6 CSB

6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

The word “faith” has the meaning of “trust”.

No one has done more for you than God. He sent his own Son to be tortured and killed so that you may have forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and a relationship with the very God that created you. He has demonstrated His great love.

Romans 5:8 CSB

8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

If a person refuses to recognize and believe this truth and place his trust in Jesus Christ then this person cannot be “pleasing” to God. You see worship of God does not exist outside of salvation.

God has done all that is necessary for a person to be saved, but he will not force you to accept it.

The scriptures tells us if you repent from your sins and trust in Christ you will be saved.

These are Jesus own words.

Mark 1:15 CSB

15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”