Acceptable Worship

Into (CT Scan) computerized tomography (CT) scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images, or slices, of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside your body. CT scan images provide more detailed information than plain X-rays do. (Mayo.com)

computerized tomography (CT) scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images, or slices, of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside your body. CT scan images provide more detailed information than plain X-rays do. (Mayo.com)

Spiritually speaking, there is a CT scan that can help us determine the health of our worship.

There are two angles that help us determine the health of our worship.

The first angel is your, as an individual, commitment.

The other angle is your (individual) transformation.

These two angles reveal the health of your personal relationship with God…but also reveals your contribution or contamination of our, as a whole, worship and ability to discern the will of God.

Background: The church in Rome was populated by both Jew and Greek believers. As you can imagine, from the very different backgrounds of these two groups of believers, there were plenty of debates and discussions between the two. Paul, throughout the book, is pleading with the church to not consider themselves as two groups, but one body.

Verses that remind us of God’s loves for all of us are peppered throughout the letter, like “For all have sinned and fall short of God’s standard”. “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved”. These verses don’t single out one group of people, but groups all into one. All needing salvation.

You can imagine the tension in the church. The Jews who recieved all the promises of God and were called and set apart among the nations now have to grasp the reality that all, including those pagan gentiles, have access to salvation. The beauty of Worship after Jesus is the fact that all people, from all nations, from all walks of alive can find salvation by faith and together will all of God’s child worship him.

But what must we do as individuals to make that happen?

My Commitment and Our Worship

Totally Committed

My (your) Commitment begins with your offering of yourself to God. The word “present” means to offer, give, or place, a sacrifice upon an alter. In this case, the sacrifice is no longer an animal, but a believer who is willing to give it all for the sake of the gospel.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

Living Sacrifice

12 zI appeal to you therefore, brothers,1 by the mercies of God, ato present your bodies bas a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2 2 cDo not be conformed to this world,3 but be transformed by dthe renewal of your mind, that by testing you may ediscern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.4

English Standard Version Chapter 12

12 zI appeal to you therefore, brothers,1 by the mercies of God, ato present your bodies bas a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2 2 cDo not be conformed to this world,3 but be transformed by dthe renewal of your mind, that by testing you may ediscern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.4

English Standard Version Chapter 12

12 zI appeal to you therefore, brothers,1 by the mercies of God, ato present your bodies bas a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2 2 cDo not be conformed to this world,3 but be transformed by dthe renewal of your mind, that by testing you may ediscern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.4

Jesus has much to say about this type of mentality when he says, “Whoever doesn’t not take up his cross and follow me is not worth of me” (). The picture is clear, as someone who picks up his cross is carrying a reminder of the daily cost of following Jesus.

Anyone who would do this must understand the commitment they are making to Jesus. A commitment to offer myself to Jesus. Your total commitment to follow Jesus directly affects the second part…which is OUR WORSHIP.

Commitment has two parts

It’s important to notice the usage of plural and singular words in this text.

Living

Holy

When Paul encourages the Roman church to present their bodies, he’s talking to a group of individuals.

Acceptable

But, then then says, the present these bodies (plural) as ONE SACRIFICE…singular. Your commitment to offer your body directly affects OUR ability to worship God. When we as individuals offer our body, we as a group are able then to become ONE Sacrifice. This sacrifice has three descriptors.

Corporate

Living Sacrifice/”Alive”.

This has a difficult definition. It means, “not dead”. Every other sacrifice requires the death of an animal in order to appease the religious requirement.

In this case, we are not to be a lifeless sacrifice, but alive, well, working, functioning sacrifice. There is only one problem with being a sacrifice that is “ALIVE”…it’s easy to crawl off the alter.

That is why a daily…picking up your cross…forces us to stay on the alter as individuals, and more importantly, as a body of believers who are as one sold out for the gospel.

Holy - “being dedicated to the service of God” > Pure. Holiness is what allows us to approach God.

So when we come into this place, as a body, it immediately becomes holy as we worship God.

Thankfully, my holiness isn’t dependent on my good works, but on the work that Jesus has done. When I understand my part in God’s kingdom and as a beneficiary of his righteousness, then I have no other choice than to live for him.

Acceptable - When you daily live for God…when you daily pick up your cross…when you daily confess your sins…when you daily spend time in his word…then the benefit of your relationship with God affects that body that you are part of…the body of Christ…starting with all of us here.

pleasing, acceptable (s. εὐαρεστέω; in the Gr-Rom. world commonly said of things and esp. of pers. noted for their civic-minded generosity and who endeavor to do things that are pleasing

When this happens on a corporate level, then we become an acceptable sacrifice.

The word acceptable in the Romans world meant, “pleasing, acceptable and said of things and esp. of pers. noted for their civic-minded generosity and who endeavor to do things that are pleasing”. (BDAG) In a Jewish mindset, it would carry the idea of pure, perfect, worthy of God.

Illus - Ananias and Sapphira They deceived, the lied - their actions on a personal level ultimately affect or would have affected the entire church

Dependant

This is spiritual worship - Could be translated, “rational or reasonable service”

Spiritual - Back to mercies of God. It is spiritual. At the moment someone trades their personal sins and deserved punishment for the righteousness of God and eternal life…it is a spiritual moments and life to follow.

But it’s also rational - it makes since. How, or for what else, or for who else should I live if not for Jesus in light of the mercies of God and do my part to guarantee a healthy corporate worship

Appl.Corporate benefit.

My Transformation and Our Decrement of God’s Will

12  z I appeal to you therefore ,  brothers , 1 by the mercies of → Παρακαλῶ1 ← ὑμᾶς3 οὖν2 ἀδελφοί4 διὰ5 τῶν6 οἰκτιρμῶν7 → παρακαλέω σύ οὖν ἀδελφός διά ὁ οἰκτιρμός VPAI1S RP2AP CLI NVPM P DGPM NGPM 3870 5209 3767 80 1223 3588 3628 33.168 92.7 89.50 11.23 89.76 92.24 88.80 God ,  a to present your bodies b as a living sacrifice ,  τοῦ8 θεοῦ9 → παραστῆσαι10 ὑμῶν13 τὰ11 σώματα12 → ►14 ζῶσαν15 θυσίαν14 ὁ θεός παρίστημι σύ ὁ σῶμα ζάω θυσία DGSM NGSM VAAN RP2GP DAPN NAPN VPAP-SAF NASF 3588 2316 3936 5216 3588 4983 2198 2378 92.24 12.1 57.81 92.7 92.24 8.1 23.88 53.20 holy and acceptable to God ,  which is your spiritual worship . 2 2  c ἁγίαν16 → εὐάρεστον17 → τῷ18 θεῷ19 τὴν20 • ὑμῶν23 λογικὴν21 λατρείαν22 ἅγιος εὐάρεστος ὁ θεός ὁ σύ λογικός λατρεία JASF JASF DDSM NDSM DASF RP2GP JASF NASF 40 2101 3588 2316 3588 5216 3050 2999 88.24 25.94 92.24 12.1 92.24 92.7 73.5 53.14 • Do not be conformed to this world , 3 but be καὶ1 ►3 μὴ2 → συσχηματίζεσθε3 ►4 τούτῳ6 τῷ4 αἰῶνι5 ἀλλὰ7 → καί μή συσχηματίζω οὗτος ὁ αἰών ἀλλά CLN BN TN VPUM2P RD-DSM DDSM NDSM CLC 2532 3361 4964 5129 3588 165 235 89.92 69.3 41.29 92.29 92.24 41.38 89.125 transformed by d the renewal of your mind ,  that by testing you μεταμορφοῦσθε8 ►10 τῇ9 ἀνακαινώσει10 ►12 τοῦ11 νοός12 εἰς13 → ►14 ὑμᾶς16 μεταμορφόω ὁ ἀνακαίνωσις ὁ νοῦς εἰς σύ VPPM2P DDSF NDSF DGSM NGSM P RP2AP 3339 3588 342 3588 3563 1519 5209 13.53 92.24 58.72 92.24 30.5 89.48 92.7 may e discern what is the will of God ,  what is good → τὸ14 δοκιμάζειν15 τί17 • τὸ18 θέλημα19 → τοῦ20 θεοῦ21 τὸ22 → ἀγαθὸν23 ὁ δοκιμάζω τίς ὁ θέλημα ὁ θεός ὁ ἀγαθός DASN VPAN RI-NSN DNSN NNSN DGSM NGSM DNSN JNSN 3588 1381 5101 3588 2307 3588 2316 3588 18 92.24 27.45 92.14 92.24 25.2 92.24 12.1 92.24 88.1 and acceptable and perfect . 4 καὶ24 εὐάρεστον25 καὶ26 τέλειον27 καί εὐάρεστος καί τέλειος CLN JNSN CLN JNSN 2532 2101 2532 5046 89.92 25.94 89.92 88.36

My Transformation and Our Decrement of God’s Will

z ; ; 1 Or brothers and sisters a ch. 6:13, 16, 19; [, ; ]; See 2 Or your rational service c ; [] 3 Greek age d ; [; ; ; ] e ; 4 Or what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.Renew

My Transformation is the only way we (as a whole) can be a living sacrifice that is holy and blameless. How does this happen…2 commands:

Don’t be conformed

Be transformed by the renewal of your mind

Change inwardly. Spiritual rebirth is more that just outward behaviors. Jesus had much to say about those who looked clean on the outside, but were filthy on the inside. When someone comes to a real knowledge of Jesus, the change begins on the inside and works outward.

Behave, Believe, Belong

Faulty thinking: Behave, Believe, Belong - this this case we are more concerned about outward behavior than inward transformation.

Driving by rules…do’s and don’ts.

This doesn’t mean we should have expectations and order, but it does mean when religion just becomes a list of do’s and don’ts, it becomes meaningless.

What churches have taught Revitalized pg 33

Right thinking: Belong, Believe, Behave

Community and acceptance is groundwork for the foundation of faith.

Then believe and behavior as a result of faith will come.

This change can only happen by a spiritual rebirth

Behave, Believe, Belong

This change or spiritual rebirth and transformation lived out daily in individual lives lives grants us, as a body, the ability to test and approve the will of God. The idea is not that we look at God’s will and thus “approve” it, but more like we accept what has been approved.

Illus: Taste and see if this is good vs Taste and see how good this is. We are not testing God’s will, but we are accepting what has already be tested, proven. What is this will:

Taste and see if this is good

For all to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus…not by works, but becomes of righteousness that comes by faith

Taste and see how good this is

For all those who call upon the name of the Lord…for all those who are part of God’s family…all believers…be live daily for him and thus establishing this singular living sacrifice that strives to accomplish God’s plan for redemption of man

Good…useful and beneficial to society.

Those who know Jesus (call to unity)

Those who need to know Jesus

Acceptable - to God, what he expects of those who claim to follow Him

Perfect - highest standard…nothing less (sacrifice) - At some point we will all look back and evaluate our lives…but let’t stop now for a minute:

We know that we can’t live perfect lives…but can daily live for him, the call for picking up our cross daily is important

Is our church known for being a living sacrifice, laying ourselves down to follow God?

Conclusion

Summary

My commitment and OUR worship

My transformation and Our decrement of God’s will

The corporate aspect to worship is depending upon your individual commitment to follow Jesus.