Creed and Deed
6/6/99
OBC
Romans 12:1,2
Historically – tension between creed and conduct
(Vacillating pendulum)
(Eng.) Anglican Church (formalism) – Puritan movement (conduct)
(Germany) Lutheran Church (formalism) – Pietism movement (conduct)
in our day
Charismatics today (out of Episcopals, Baptists, Lutherans, Cath,)
“Spirit working in inner life”
emphasis on mysteries
The strength and wisdom of the Scriptures point us to the balance of theology and practice
eschatological significance
Summary * Happy is the man that marries creed and conduct together well
Blessed is the church that holds creed and conduct in delicate balance.
Paul in Rom. 12 unites theology with practical living, does it well!
“Therefore”…(marks 4th major division of thought)
2:1 Condemnation “ Therefore you are without excuse”
5:1 Justification “Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God.”
8:1 Sanctification “There is now no condemnation to those in Christ…
12:1 Consecration “I urge you therefore…”
struggled with looking at vss 1,2
“One more sermon on Romans 12:1,2”
-become familiar without becoming intimate with it
“familiarity without intimacy breeds contempt” lack of respect/ reverence
We assume because it is familiar that we’ve mastered its truth
When we master it, OBC will never be the same
Give me a man of God – one man,
Whose faith is master of his mind
And I will work to right all wrongs
And bless the name of all mankind.
Give me a man of God – one man,
Whose tongue is touched with heaven’s fire,
And I will flame the darkest hearts
With high resolve and clean desire.
Give me a man of God – one man,
One mighty prophet of the Lord,
And I will give you peace on earth
Bought with a prayer and not a sword.
Give me a man of God, - one man,
True to the vision that he sees,
And I will build your broken shrines,
And bring the nations to their knees.
- George Liddell
That’s the potential of 12:1,2
Consecration, commitment, dedication, the depth of your commitment determines everything in the Christian life.
I. Salvation within us will produce a life of consecration
(Read Rom. 12:1,2)
each phrase worthy of detailed consideration and devotion
-look at one concept (carry it throughout chapter)
Concept of mind renewal (overhead #1)
main thrust is that without a renewed mind your body is of little use to Holy Spirit.
-Given to God is like dedicating it to science/ nothing to do with living.
There are already too many who present body –live as they please
God desires bodies that are controlled by some minds that are being renewed and transformed.
Minds in the “renewal process”
Abe Lincoln Ill. “Every man over 40 is responsible for his face.
“Our face is the index of our soul.”
What we believe controls us. And if we believe God’s truth it transforms us.
It is not the truth that controls us, but the way we perceive that truth.
Practice of Christians (the one sitting where you are, speaking to you)
distort the theology, wrench it out of context to get it to fit our practice. Water it down.
“This isn’t true in my life! I must change! (not the truth)
ex – prayer always
-we don’t want to change our lives so we change Scriptures
ill. no mid-week service “Only time some Christians read Bible.”
It’s the Word that the Holy Spirit uses.
-if it’s not consistently applied to the false concepts we have of living we develop blind spots (idiosyncrasies)
Mind Renewal will produce in you a consecrated life (reasonable)
Mind Renewal will produce in you a humble life.
v. 3 looking at attitude toward God, others, ourselves
“Humility isn’t thinking meanly of oneself, It isn’t thinking of self at all! The truly humble man does not know he is humble” (renew your mind) break
-not this! “I’m a worm, wretch, etc.” (False humility
this! Xavier ill. self-less service (Murray quote)
4-8 “The genius of the church”
exercise of your gifts
The main function/purpose of this church is to train individuals to expand and exercise their gifts. (build each other up and iron sharpens)
training men to exercise their gift in the assembly
(not begin and end in an informal sharing time)
not a closed pulpit! Work , sweat, prayer, practice
Consuming desire – expression of gift (no false guilt… not for everyone
expounding the Word (prophesy, service, teaching, exhorting)
expanding the Work (giving, leading, showing mercy)
Everyone
sit back and do nothing – safe, secure (no criticism)
but we are anemic as a church
engrained in our heads that is one man’s job.
We haven’t mastered this – open to Mind Ren.
New Thought:
2 attit. that keep God’s Work from Prospering
1. I’m so incompetent, I can’t do anything
tragic – long enough
can’t teach- won’t be able to teach
rather God has gifted you uniquely as you.
2. What is going on is not really up to my level of dignity.
It’s below me. I could/would do better – true!
-usually a gifted person sits back and does nothing
result: one (few) man does the work of the ministry while the majority sit back and watch.
9-21 life of love (focus on others) section of “practical gold”
v. 9 Character affected by H.S. Mind Renewal
ill. Buzz’s comment
ill. “the closer he gets, the better you look…”
-does your love look better from a distance or is it better the closer you get
-what does your wife, family think?
-“full of hole?”
ill. “Mother, Jesus was the only one who dared live his insides out!”
ill. broken rudder ill/ loving evil in our heats, “nobody will notice…”
ill. tattooed “Jesus”
“I wonder if it’s only skin deep?”
must come from the heart.
v. 10 Mind Renewed by the H.S. will affect our contacts.
“To dwell above with saints we love
That will indeed be glory
To dwell below with saints we know
Well, that’s a different story.”
piles up words love, brotherly type, one another, devoted
“let it be thicker than blood.”
-10b. “It is an amazing thing, what can get done when no one cares who gets the credit.”
Phillips – “…willingness to let the other man have the credit.”
v. 11 Mind renewal by the H.S. will affect our conduct
“not backward in zeal, boiling in spirit, serving the Lord.”
harnessed power – zeal – frequency – serving.
ill. All expense paid trip to the Bahamas - you leave Tuesday Morning.
(All the things you’ve put off for the last month have to be done or you lose the trip)
– wash cars, clean house, taxes
– flying out Tuesday having done a week’s worth of work in a day
– not lagging behind in diligence
Many go so slow
3 classes of people moveable, immovable, move the,
amazes me Those who are effectively serving the Lord, somehow find the time to do what’s necessary – same hours as everyone.
-don’t waste time talking of how little time they have
God uses busy people.
-blame it on our natures
outside of us
developed by habit
if diligent long enough, you’ll wake to find yourself an industrious person.
v. 12 Renewed mind that the H.S. give affects our convictions.
Praise! Patience! Prayer!
a. hope – “anchored beautifully to the future”
b. disciplined in waiting
c. moment –by-moment dependence
v. 13 Mind Renewal affects concern for others
(in) give to needs of saints priority
(out) “lover of strangers
v. 14 God’s way of disarming oppositions
v. 15 God’s way of discovering opportunity
matching moods
“Laugh and the world laughs with you
weep and you weep alone.”
Christian compression should change this
“When you share in someone’s sorrow, you cut them in half
When you share in someone’s joy you double it.
-good math
v. 16 Don’t be partial (Christ as example)
-Jesus treated the woman at the well with consideration, compassion, courtesy as Nicodemus (polished scholar)
-Jesus was as loving to the dying thief as to his mother
Jesus was as patient with Judas as with John.
without this in a church, you don’t have fellowship
Don’t be proud.
“I’m a self made man”
You’ve just relieved the Master of a great responsibility – Moody
v. 17 17-21 outside the church qiuckly
how subtly we violate this
we get even
18. when peace is broken, the renewed mind will examine itself to see if it’s done all it could.
- other than fret over their behavior.
v. 19 Never
Man’s wrath doesn’t accomplish God’s righteousness
Vengeance is a bitter fruit- looks sweet, tastes bitter – a deceiver
v. 20 practical psychology
v. 21 Summarizes the chapter
began – “don’t be conformed – be transformed”
throughout the chapter he’s shown us how
transforming thoughts
Are you open to the renewing ministry of the Holy Spirit?