A Living Sacrifice PT. 2

Romans 12:1–3 “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.”

Everyone has went through various phases of fashion in their lifetime (emo, nerdy, mismatched, etc.)

Surely, we all have went through a phase that we regret. We look back on pictures and we realize how ridiculous we really looked. Those are the “cringe-worthy” photos we freak out about when our parents post them or our friends see them around our houses. The fact of the matter is is that whether you want to admit it or not, you got that idea from someone else. Whether it was an older sibling, your favorite music artist, or just what everybody in your school and on socials was wearing, you took the idea for that look from someone else. You probably made personal touches so it was more “you”, but ultimately you were copying a behavior and custom of the time from someone or some trend you admired. The thing is is that over time, that style began fleeting in popularity. What was “in” wasn’t anymore and if you didn’t keep up with the trend, pretty soon you would be outdated. Well whether it was in or not, you changed your mind about what you wanted to wear because eventually you got tired of it and wanted something fresh. From now on until you reach adulthood, you are going to change your mind on things concerning fashion, the world, etc. The world is going to move forward. New ideas will be presented and you will likely be swayed to change your mind on things you always thought was cool or held dear to you. You have the potential to be convinced what you always knew was wrong is now what is right, and vice versa. Your generation is so easily molded to whatever is the “thing” of the day because of all of the resources at your fingertips. Your access to social media on multiple platforms and information across the globe isn’t a bad thing, but it can become one if you are not transformed by something that is permanent and sturdy. You will always be a shifter to the next best thing the culture says is relevant and you will morph your image to fit that one if you are unaware of where your true image lies.

Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

The only way to not be conformed is to be transformed.

PRAY

This word for “transform” is the word we get our word “metamorphosis”.

To “transform” in this verse includes changing in form. This isn’t just surface-level type of change. This is getting down to the root system, the very base, and core of it.

The form of whatever is undergoing change would have to become completely different than it was previously.

Metamorphosis: this is where insects or amphibians undergoing the shift between the infant stage to the child stage (Ex. caterpillar to butterfly)

So to understand how God is calling us to transform, lets dive into the study of metamorphosis for a moment.

Metamorphosis:

There are two different types of metamorphosis and multiple animals undergo this process, but lets talk about complete metamorphosis (which it involves changing into something very unlike its infant stage) and caterpillars/butterflies.

So caterpillars come from butterfly eggs. Once they hatch, they eat and eat and eat and eat some more to help themselves grow.

As caterpillars grow, they break out of their skins multiple times. Eventually, they reach a stage where they stop eating and in this stage, this is where they become what is called a “pupa”. It is where they form this cocoon around themselves in a safe place to begin the work of transforming into a butterfly.

If you’re like me and wondering how they know its time to become a pupa, I have an answer. This natural hormone level drops, causing the caterpillar to stop eating, and know that it is time to change.

How does this relate to me?

If you are someone who comes to church (who would say they have a relationship with Jesus or not), you come on either Wednesdays or Sundays or both and are presented the Word of God (you eat, ingest, take it in)

But unlike the caterpillar, many of us are not sensing the change God is calling us to. If you are someone who doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus, you have heard Jesus’ name a lot and a lot about Him, but you don’t understand how to have a relationship with Him or what that looks like. You may feel like you feel something, like you need to make a decision to follow Jesus or not. You sense something in you that is pulling you to choose. You may not understand it, but it is the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit, speaking to you. Through God’s message, you are being drawn to a decision.

Deuteronomy 30:19–20 ““Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.””

This message was to the Israelites, God’s chosen people. But now YOU are a part of that chosen people. God wants you to choose Him. His Holy Spirit brings you the Word of God and brings you to this place of decision.

It will cost you greatly because you will no longer get to be the Lord of your life, but you will pick up a relationship with Him that will set you out on the journey of a lifetime. One that will grow you in Him, strengthen you no matter where you find yourself in life, and bring you blessings unending.

You were created to know Him because He created you. You will never find a better purpose other than knowing Him and living in His plans for your life.

On the other hand, if you do have a relationship with Jesus, you are also called to change continually. This message was originally meant for the church.

Although make a decision to follow Jesus in a moment, it is about following Him EVERY moment after that too.

Ephesians 4:21–23 “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”

You are not made perfect once you receive Him as your Savior. You begin that journey of a lifetime I just talked about, and that journey isn’t easy.

You will have to still fight against yourself and the enemy. You will still have to say NO to yourself and the enemy when you want to say YES.

Its this constant choice of growth in Him that you make daily.

But going back to the caterpillar, you also sometimes find yourself in this place of resisting the change the Holy Spirit is calling you to. Every week you hear His Word, you listen to worship, and you find yourself doing the same things God is saying to stay away from. (It is not to keep you from fun!)

So what do you do if you identify with one of statements made?

Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Many times in the Psalms we find the answer, but here is a verse that explains it all:

Psalm 25:4–5 “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.” Psalm 25:9 “He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.”

Just like the caterpillar who submits to the call to become a pupa to transform, so we have to humble ourselves to ask for God to lead us, teach us, and save us from our own way.

Notice God doesn’t start by changing what you do, but He gets to the root of it and starts by changing the way you think

Your mind and heart (the center of who you are) is where your actions flow from. Thats why Scriptures tells us to guard both these things.

Colossians 3:2 “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”

For us to understand what God’s will is for our lives, we have to elevate our thinking to His frequency.

The mic I am using tonight is linked to a frequency. For the mic to help me relay the right message to you, the mic has to be tuned to the right frequency. In the same manner, God cannot fulfill the plans, which He promises are good and perfect, for your life if you are not tuned into His frequency.

You don’t have to know how to tune into His frequency and stay locked in tonight, but ASK HIM TO TEACH YOU.

James 1:5–8 “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

Decide to put your weight on God’s Word. Once you put your weight on it (your faith), He is going to come through for you.

ALTAR:

Romans 12:3 “Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.”

The Holy Spirit, through me, has presented to you a choice today. So this isn’t between me and you, it is between you and God.

The last part of these verses we’re going to cover calls you to BE HONEST.

This evaluation He is calling us to requires us to “take note of, examine, and judge” ourselves to see if we are meeting the standard that God is calling us to and rule accordingly

The only way to not be conformed is to be transformed.