3 Chairs 2
Notes
Transcript
Moving Into the First Chair
Moving Into the First Chair
Romans 12:1-2
Introduction
Describe 1st Chair Faith-Joshua
You walk and talk with the Lord
Christianity is not just something you do on Sunday or Wednesday it influences every aspect of your life.
Jesus is your Lord
Application of Second Chair Faith-Elders
Jesus is only your Savior
You are lord.
Second chair faith is marked by compromise
Faith then is always compromised with materialism.
Faith if often worked out through religious activity but no real change in life outside of the church setting.
Even the home is religious at best often we offer prayers for meals but seldom do we get overwhelmed with the event taking place around us.
Divorce or cohabitating; living together are of little consequence because the second chair is compromised.
Children of 2d chair parents have chosen riches as their god and worship it fervently.
2d chair homes have learned to compromise on their commitment to the Lord.
Why would anyone want to remain in such a precarious existence.
That is what 2d chair faith is.
Religious people who simply survive life.
There is no joy and often not even happiness.
Busy-ness has replaced faithfulness to our Lord.
We exist to accomplish a list of things we should do.
2d chair faith is a pitiful imitation of a godly life.
Application of Third Chair "Unfaith"-They did not know of the Lord
This chair is in bitter conflict.
There is an emptiness or void within every human being and everyone wants that void filled.
The third chair person goes to and fro in life looking for that which will fill that voluminous void.
They try all manner of evil-even other religions or cults.
They look into drugs or alcohol.
They try filling it with popularity and friends.
They most often come to depend upon things to fill this vast emptiness they call life.
The third chair is even more of a case of simply existing through life.
There is no hope of even death relieving them of the misery of life.
Third chair existence is an exercise in misery.
It seldom seems that way because we believe the next thing we try will ease the emptiness.
We try marriage, children, work but nothing eases the emptiness.
Fortunately God provides the way to move from the third chair to the first chair of complete faith in the Lord.
Look at Romans 12:1-2 as we see what is required to move into the 1st chair of faith.
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Pray
Exegesis of Romans 12:1
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
God’s mercy has been illustrated in the earlier chapters of this letter to the Romans.
God has provided the only way to salvation.
Everyone knows we need salvation.
Therefore because of God’s mercies…
“Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice.”
The people Paul was talking to knew what a sacrifice was.
Pet lovers in Paul’s day did not have much say.
In fact their stomachs were turned on a daily basis.
The Israelites had a sacrifice 2 times daily at the temple.
All religions used animal sacrifice
These guys knew that what was sacrificed, did not come back.
Paul is saying to present our bodies as living sacrifices.
Our bodies do not die for the sacrifice.
Our desires, our dreams, our wants must Ps 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” (NASB 95)
God Himself becomes our delight
Nothing matters more than what God wants.
When we become living sacrifices we learn to delight ourselves in the Lord.
When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts.
In presenting our bodies a living sacrifice we worship God.
Exegesis of Romans 12:2
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
"Do not be conformed to this world"
Paul says do not do what comes natural. (When in Rome do as the Romans do!)
Being poured into the mold of this world is not what God wants for the Christian.
This world teaches trust in self.
This world teaches pride and concern for what others think.
This world teaches that things bring success.
This world teaches to take care of self first and others second.
God teaches, "Do not conform to this world"
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
"Be transformed"
Transformations keeps us from conforming to this world.
Paul knew it took much more than simply not doing something.
A transformed life is a completely different life not simply a cleaned up life.
No longer is self our major focus.
No longer will we seek what is important to us.
We become completely different.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
How? "By the renewing of your mind"
Paul knew much more was required of us than simply stopping sin.
The root of that sin had to be changed.
Our minds had to be renewed.
Every bad behavior is the result of believing a lie. i.e.
Eve eating the fruit believed it would make her like God. (That was a lie,)
Believing we can get away with hidden sin, secret sin, it is harmless. (That is a lie.)
Abortion is not wrong because it is evil to bring an unwanted child into this world where he will face such a difficult life. (That is a lie.)
Minds must be renewed so that lies are exchanged for truth.
Eve eating the fruit made her less like God for she had been created in God's image but that image was impacted due to sin.
Continuing secret or hidden sin drives a wedge in our relationship with God secret sin is not harmless.
Abortion is wrong because God is the author of all life. (Moses as a baby)
The Christian is transformed by the renewing of the mind.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Why? so "that you may prove what the will of God is"
"good" proving to ourselves that God's will is good.
"acceptable" proving to ourselves that everything God wants us to do is acceptable because he has our best at heart (Ro 8:28)
"perfect" proving that God does indeed know the perfect situation for us to be in.
Are you being transformed?
Is your mind being renewed?
Before you get overwhelmed, we do no do this alone.
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
We are not alone in presenting our bodies a living sacrifice
We are not alone in stopping our conforming to this world.
We are not alone in transforming our lives by the renewing of our minds.
Jesus sent us the Helper, the Holy Spirit to teach us all things.
He uses the HS to cause us to remember what He has already taught us.
You and I are not alone in contending with the beast that keeps us from the 1st chair.
This flesh is a beast.
But God gives His HS to teach us and show us God’s way.
Moving from Third Chair to First Chair Faith
Moving from Third Chair to First Chair Faith
Third Chair rejects faith in Christ.
This chair has totally rejected Christ.
This chair has conformed to the way of the world.
This chair has found other ways to God.
So that when judgement day comes Jesus will say, "Depart from me for I never knew you."
To move, the gift of Christ must be accepted.
Even though the first chair has not been modeled for you by your parents you can still move to it.
Simply allow God to transform you by changing your beliefs, by teaching you His way.
God has provided the perfect model for your life in the Lord Jesus Christ.
I know, what you see is so hypocritical.
But the real thing does exist you simply need to let Jesus have total control of your life.
Simply accept the gift God has given, the gift of his Son dying the death you deserve.
Accepting that gift moves you from the third chair to the first Chair.
You won't go to the second chair.
You will begin with a first chair faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Watch that you don't slip to that second chair of faith, it's a miserable place for anyone to be in.
Moving from Second Chair to First Chair Faith
Moving from Second Chair to First Chair Faith
The second chair is the chair of compromise
The 2d chair goes through the same motions as 1st chair but with very different motivations.
2d chair lacks trust in the Lord and fails to obey the Lord.
People are always watching us.
It might seem easy to act like you come to church to worship.
But in reality, you are here to please someone or to impress someone.
Those watching us are not just watching us on Sunday morning.
They are watching when we are at work, with the family or in town
1st chair people are people of integrity.
Integrity is who we are when no one is watching.
Maybe you lied about your child's age to get cheaper food or tickets?
Compromisers lack trust in a living Lord therefore failing to obey him.
1st chair trusts the Lord and obeys the Lord even if it costs extra.
Compromisers accept the values and lifestyles of the 3rd chair.
3rd chair people have no problem cheating others. (go ahead you've earned it, they say)
2d chair Christians begin to reason the way 3rd chair people reason and see nothing wrong with getting what is rightfully yours anyway.
By that I mean 2nd chair people are willing to take short cuts to get what they want.
2nd people do not trust God enough to do things the right way generally.
Out witness then becomes, "Go ahead, take the short cut, just don't get caught."
2d chair compromisers live 3rd chair lives.
Compromise must become committed to God alone.
When I mention commitment what is the first thing that comes to mind?
maybe commitment to the church?
commitment to bible study, devotions, quiet time?
Commitment that is 1st chair is commitment to God not his organization, or leaders.
Many a time I have heard the expression, "We need to support the church or the pastor, or the organization."
No, We need to obey the Lord.
To move from the 2d chair to the first you have to be committed enough to the Lord to trust him.
That is what the renewing of the mind is all about.
Everything this world has to offer is contrary to God's way.
To move to the 1st chair you have to forsake the way of this world.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Do Not be conformed to this world.
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
So that you will know that the will of God is good, acceptable and perfect for you.
All that is left is for you to decide what you will do.
Will you today leave this room while still in that miserable second chair?
Will you commit to allowing your mind to be renewed and your life transformed?
Then come and make that commitment public.
You who are in the third chair have an especially important decision.
You are conformed to this world
Will you allow the HS to transform you by renewing your mind?
Join with me as we sing Open My Eyes that I May See
Next week we will talk further about this commitment necessary to move to the 1st chair.
502
Open My Eyes that I May See
502
Open My Eyes that I May See
1. Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free:
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready, my God, Thy will to see;
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!
2. Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
Ev'rything false will disappear:
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready, my God, Thy will to see;
Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!
3. Open my mouth, and let me bear
Gladly the warm truth ev'rywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready, my God, Thy will to see;
Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!
