Untitled Sermon (4)

Romans 12:1-2 – The Beginning

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Appeal – to make a serious, urgent request

Brothers – Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome

Background: Talk about this first

1. Jews expelled from Rome by Emperor Claudius in AD 49 (about 19 years after the resurrection of Christ) for being problematic.

2. Because of the lack of Jews in Rome, congregations were heavily made up of gentiles for the next several years.

3. As Jewish Christians filtered back into Rome, tensions arose between Jew and gentile

4. Due to the Jews still desiring to abide by the Mosaic Law and being intolerant of the restriction free, under the covenant of grace gentiles.

5. Paul writes to alleviate the tension between jew and gentile, and to unite the people of God under the gospel and their responsibility to it!

The word [Therefore], is a word of reflection. A reflection on the content from the first 11 Chapters from the Book of Romans.

The Mercies of God – the story of the mercies (not getting what you deserve) of God have been unfolding since Romans 1

Paul’s selection of themes for each chapter, things like:

1. The Law and the Gospel

2. The significance of the Jew and Abraham

3. The grafting in of the gentiles

4. The future of Israel

Suggests that there are significance problems between the Jews and the gentiles in Rome.

But Paul explains to the Roman believers not to be caught up in the drama, but to live out their faith in love, because of the mercy and love that God has bestowed upon them, mercy and love that he explained in Chapters 1-11.

The word Therefore implies:

Cause and effect

Action and reaction

It is doctrine and duty

When we understand the gravity of the process that God set in motion to give us an opportunity to step into relationship with Him (chapters 1-11), then that should motivate us to live out a life of obedience (Chapter 12).

So the question is what does that look like?

Verse 1 tells us to….to present your bodies:

· As a living sacrifice

a. In contrast to the sacrificial system of the OT

· The Word [Living] implies that believers will not be put to death as OT animal sacrifices were, but are to live the Word of God in holistic obedience (body, mind and soul)

· Definition of [Living] – in pursuit of a lifestyle of a specific type.

· [Sacrifice] - an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy.

· In Conclusion the definition of a [Living Sacrifice] is the pursuit of giving up our lives for the cause of Christ.

(Acts 20:24) But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God

· Holy (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13)

· 11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

· What does Paul say renders us blameless in holiness before the Lord?

a. Love for one another and for all…

b. This love is what establishes our hearts as blameless and holy before the Lord.

c. Galatians 5:14“ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

i. The Great Commandment – Love God. Love People. (Mark 12:30-31)

d. 1 John 3:17-18 “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brothers in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in Him? Little Children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth.

i. James 2:14-17

1. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

ii. Your love for people, reflects your faith in Christ

iii. Your horizontal relationships (the way you deal with people), will tell you a lot about your vertical relationship (how God has dealt with you!)

· Acceptable to God

a. Places God back in the center of the Conversation

b. It reiterates that Christ is the only reason and motivation for being a living sacrifice and for living a holy life submitted to the Word of God.

c. He ends verse one with the imperative – This is your spiritual worship.

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

“Do not be conformed (obedient) to this world” – If conformity or obedience to God is lived out through our actions (Faith without works is dead – James 2:17),

we would be safe to assume that obedience to the world is lived out the same way, through our actions.

(In other words…Your life will tell on you. It will become obvious who you are and who you are not.)

So how do we change our actions? How do we stop being conformed to the world?

By the renewal of our minds – which is brought about through prayer, the study of the Word; through holistic, consistent worship; and by meditation on God’s acts as the Holy Spirit moves in us and through us.

“That by testing you may discern the will of God” - this is a physical testing. (Every reference deals with physically placing the subject under scrutiny –

1 Cor. 3:13 – that come Judgement Day, our works will be made known and TESTED by fire

2 Cor. 8:22 – Paul confirms that Titus has been set aside and tested before his arrival to the Church of Corinth.

1 Tim. 3:10 – The qualification and setting aside of deacons

God says put me to the test.

When you do this You are putting yourself in a position of where you have no other choice, other than to rely on God for his direction and his will for your personal life and for your ministry as a member of First Baptist Church.

APPLICATION

So what does that mean for us this morning?

1. It means that we have a responsibility as people who profess having a relationship with Jesus to respond to the Word of God this morning, in repentance and obedience. (expound)

Repentance for:

· Apathy (bred in church culture)

· Unholiness (due to our lack of love for our community) 1 thess. 3:12-13

· Lack of faith in God’s ability to reach the lost around us (James 2 – Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works - Faith without works is dead)

Oswald Smith (a Canadian Pastor and Missionary) said that any church that is not seriously involved in fulfilling the great commission has forfeited its right to exist.

How do we fix it?

2. By getting serious about loving each other and the people or our community!

a. Be casting a clear vision as the body of Christ and then being submitted to that vision and the will of the Body.

b. That involves getting a plan together and going to work. (Stop talking and start walking)

i. Figure out the needs of your community and meet them

ii. Remember, you have to build relationships before you earn trust

iii. You do what you do, so you can share what you need to share

iv. LIVE OUT – your faith in front of your community, trust God to supply what you don’t have, put yourself in a position where you are totally dependent on his movement and watch and see if He doesn’t show up in a big way!

v. God is waiting for FBC Diboll to do their little thing, so He can do his big thing!

vi. Its time to stand up FBC! Love God. Love People

“Churches may be mighty in their witness even when they look weak in appearance. Who they really are on the inside matters more to God than what they look like on the outside. And when He sees what He likes, there are no limits on what God may do for them and through them. Chuck Swindoll says it well:

“The size of a congregation, the limitations of its location, or the restrictions of its budget should never determine its vision.

Instead, churches should set their vision based on the power of their God. God is infinite, magnificent, awesome and mighty beyond description or comprehension!

When He chooses to open opportunities, the possibilities are endless. All we need to do is trust and follow Him, wherever He leads.””

- Danny Akin (Exalting Jesus in Revelation)