Discipleship-Week 2
Notes
Transcript
Honoring God with our time is the reasonable, expected response to God’s mercy
Romans 12:1
‘A new orientation in our thinking leads to a new orientation in our behaviour’
We need to first respect God in the way we approach understanding and living life, and our priorities. This is what results in behaviour change.
Worshipping God is what we do every day, not just what we do on sundays
If what we do every day isn’t worship - what we do sundays isn’t either.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Offering ourselves to God is the true response to grace
Offering ourselves to God is the true response to grace
The NIV does a good job of translating this phrase ‘true and proper’. Some say ‘reasonable’. Some translations say ‘spiritual’, which i don’t think communicates the idea enough.
But Paul’s logic is - if you look at God’s mercy, the true and proper response is to offer yourself as a sacrifice to God
First off - this requires a truthful look at ourselves and our problems.
If we look at ourselves, and go, eh, it’s not that bad.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
To us, this phrase means, ‘something to die’. And there’s truth there.
But to the audience, this phrase would probably have meant - be the thing given over completely to God
The OT law was about, what do you do with animals, with grain, with oil, with drink.
But whatever it was, the generality was - you lose it.
But Paul was saying - we are the things being given to God.
We need to think differently to act differently
We need to think differently to act differently
So Paul says, the first act of true worship is offering OURSELVES, fully and completely.
But then he says after that, we can either conform to the pattern of the world, or BE transformed by God renewing our minds.
It’s an either or. Do things the way you’re used to doing them - or let God change how you see things to begin with
In many areas of life, outside change only comes after inside change
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things
By doing this, we can experience transformation in our lives
Worship is when we do what God tells us to do every single day
Worship is when we do what God tells us to do every single day
Worship that is just Sunday isn’t worship.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Worship is the way to understand God
Worship is the way to understand God
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Notice the promise in this verse - offer yourself as a living sacrifice, let your mind be transformed - then you’ll be able to know God’s will.
I wonder if sometimes we have trouble understanding God’s will because we are just wandering around aimless.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
