Offering Ourselves to God

Click on the link below to listen to sermon English Sermons Offering Ourselves to God Romans 12:1 & 2 Dr. Sidney Yuan (swyuan@ucla.edu) Preached at Hillside Community Church of the Nazarene 2804 S. Fullerton Rd, Rowland Heights, CA 91748 Other Sermons by Dr. Sidney Yuan (袁惠鈞博士) Please Click Below to Access: • Back to Chinese Sermon Site • His English Sermons • His Spanish Sermons • His Other Sermons • His Sermons on the Gospel of John • If you like his sermons, please like his Facebook page • The Speaker Romans 12:1 & 2 A. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, B. that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. C. And do not be conformed to this world, C. but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, B. that you may prove what is that good and acceptable A. and perfect will of God. A. By the Mercies of God & His Perfect Will • After spending eleven chapters in discussing the mercies of God in the Book of Romans, Paul concluded that we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice • It is God’s character of mercy of longcontinued and patient forbearance that influences us to devote ourselves to him B1. Present Your Bodies a Living Sacrifice • we are no longer our own, but rather, we belong to Jesus. • we died to our past also, by becoming new creatures in Christ B2. Present Your Bodies Holy • Holiness is without blemishes or defects • Holiness is to set ourselves apart for God • J.I.Packer – Puritans insisted that all life & relationships must become ‘holiness to the Lord’ • John Wesley had a very high standard for holiness called “entire sanctification” B3. Present Your Bodies Acceptable to God • God has been separating His people from the sinful world since the beginning of mankind. • “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’ ” (1 Peter 1:15–16). • “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). C. Not be Conformed to this World; Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind • The worldview of Materialism & Humanism is bad but most Christians are aware of them • The worldview of Tolerantism & Inclusivism on the other hand had permeated the Church • Yes, we should definitely be tolerate and inclusive in preaching the Gospel and spreading the Word • However, the danger of Tolerantism & Inclusivism within the body of Christ cannot be over emphasized. Jesus vs. the Old Testament Law Jesus taught He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her (the adulterous woman) first (John 8:7) You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also (Matthew 5:38-39) Old Testament Law The adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death (Leviticus 20:10) You shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe (Exodus 20:23-25) BUT Jesus also said “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled (Matthew 5:17-18) The Right & Wrong Approaches The Wrong Approach Personal Level Wrong Civil / Moral Level Don’t Judge. We are all sinners. The Correct Approach Right Personal Level Civil / Moral Level Don’t take the law into your own hands & condemn others. Be forgiving (Matthew 5:38-39; John 8:7) Speak the truth with love. Judge fairly (John 8:11; 1 Corinthians 5:3, 12; 6:5-6; James 5:19, 20) To Judge or Not to Judge? • Jesus said to the adulterous woman, “Sin no more” (John 8:11) • For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed… For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? (1 Corinthians 5:3, 12). • I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? (1 Corinthians 6:5-6) • Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19, 20) Cover a Multitude of Sins Personal Level Civil / Moral Level 1 Peter 4:8- And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:19, 20- Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins Reasons Why Jesus Did Not Say, “Sinners shall not Judge.” • Jesus said, “He did not come to abolish the Law” (Matthew 5:17-18) • Jesus said, “He who is without sin, let him throw a stone at her.” He did NOT say, “He who is without sin, let him judge her or point out her mistakes (John 8:7) • The Bible urges us to Judge with Christian love (John 8:11; 1 Corinthians 5:3, 12; 6:5-6; James 5:19, 20) 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 • 19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Conclusions • Love and truth should be balanced • “Truth without love” is cold orthodoxy • “Love is more important than truth” is a dangerous worldview that has permeated the church. The world has molded the church to think if we love, we should overlook each others’ sin, we are all sinners and no one can judge or point out others’ error. This way, we cannot be a holy and living sacrifice. Conclusions (cont.) • We should not mix up personal level teaching with that of civil or moral level. • On a personal level, we should be forgiving if people sin against us. But on a civil or moral level, we should hold each other accountable and speak the truth with love to each other. • Only by not conforming to worldview, can we be holy. Only if we are holy, can we sacrifice ourselves to God. This is the only sacrifice acceptable to God. Other Sermons by Dr. Sidney Yuan (袁惠鈞博士) Please Click Below to Access: • • • • • His Sermon Collection His Sermons on Church.com.hk His Sermons on JGospel.net About The Speaker If you like his sermons, please like his Facebook page