Romans 12_1-2

Secular:

Sometimes people do crazy stuff…
The Environmentalist that chains themselves to a tree
The Teacher that walks out of the their classroom and on to a picket line
The Husband that gets out of bed at 3 am to drive to 7-11 to satisfy his wife’s odd craving…
The young woman on a bike who navigates government checkpoints to get bibles into the hands of his villagers
The old man in a could grey cell… who won’t stop declaring the glories of Jesus Christ to any who will hear
You… here this morning… instead of sleeping in… or walking around Alice Lake… or playing a sport….
Something bigger than ourselves draws our biggest response…

Our love of bugs and bark…. To protect a tree…
A pregnant wife’s happiness... to head to 7-11
And old man convinced the world needs the Gospel… despite what his government might say…

Biblical:

Romans 12:1 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.

Personal:

Can you imagine… what it would be like to be trapped in a house by a ragging fire…
The panic…
Is this the end… what do I do…
Crashing through a plate glass window to get out…

Talk about motivation…
Often our talks about faith with non-believers start out with a raging fire… and their need to escape. Scared…

Jumping out of a fire… fear unknowning…. Spurred him on to be a firefighter…

Trains…
Commits…
Not to running away from the fire… but attending to the fire… evening running to save souls….

What about our faith…

Are we happy to have got out by the skin of our teeth?
Or are we responding appropriately… what mercy has been extended to me… what do I do next…

Romans 9-11 told us about the Jews
Romans 1-8 told us about salvation…
Romans 12-16…. what do I do next…

Bridge:

We look at why… first
How does God expect us to respond…

Body:

Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God,
This is a good reason for what I am about to tell you…
Like a good novel…

Paul is disclosing the motivation…
God has blessed you abundantly!!
To the Ephesians he put it like this…

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ…
The end of hard done by…
Shall we enumerate
Like a kid after his haul on Oct 31st!

By His mercy we are “the beloved of God”

Romans 1:7 to all who are beloved of God…
Romans 5:5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are the beloved of God…
Don’t you love to be loved?
Motivation… we re-jig our calendars… spend our hard earned money… we take ballroom dancing lessons… we do all kinds of things for love…
We are God’s beloved…

By His mercy we have received the grace of God

Romans 1:7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
Romans 5:20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God extends to us unmerited favour…
Gives to us so much… when we deserve nothing!
If you have ever received unmerited favour… you are struck… warmly confused… very appreciative…

Mercies received… Love and Grace!!
And there is more…
Power of salvation…

NAU Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Kindness towards his own

Romans 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Propitiation for sin and Forgiveness of sin

Romans 3:25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;

Freedom from sin

Romans 6:18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Reconciliation

Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Justification

Romans 2:13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

Conformation

Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

Glorification

Romans 8:30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

Eternal life

Romans 5:21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Resurrection

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Divine adoption

Romans 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Indwelling

Romans 8:9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Faith

Mentioned 30x in Romans Chapters 1-11

Peace

Romans 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,

Hope

Romans 5:2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

Righteousness

NAU Romans 3:21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;

Honour

Romans 2:10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Mercy
Romans 11:30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God,
This is a good reason for what I am about to tell you…

What Paul….what!

Rom 12:1b Therefore I urge you to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

God wants you…
Not fractions…
Not pieces…
Not best efforts…
Not what you want to give…
YOU ARE HIS BELOVED…
He doesn’t want weekend visitation…
How long would a marriage stay healthy…. Even survive when they only spend 1 day a week together?
How much can love survive… if your mistress waits for you… but you give your all to the relationship once a week?
Present your bodies…

Temple of temptation…
To God for his purpose…
Easy… no…
It is about remembering your covenant with God…
It is remembering the Love and Grace…
It is remembering the mercies extended…
It is remember the worthiness of God…
NAU 1 Corinthians 9:27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Great reason to fight!
God extended his love and grace… the response?
Remember Cain and Abel…
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Cain brought his offering from his crop…
Abel brought his offering from his flock…
It wasn’t about monetary value… $
Wasn’t about lamb or grain…
It was about the heart…
Sold out or buying off…
Do we love God 1st
Confusion….
Loving God to extract something from him… what do we call that?
Loving God because He loves us… and because he is worthy of all that we are…. (and more)
Then we can be that living and holy sacrifice
Set apart… exclusive relationship (ever find out you weren’t in an exclusive relationship?)

It is about changing focus
Growing
Loving

This is what God wants…

Spiritual act of worship

Heart / Priority – Worthiness
Then living for God…

Conclusion:

We are benefactors of God’s Mercies….

Incredible mercies…

It should build within our hearts…

Love and Faith

Devotion

Intensity

Commitment

Passion

Gratitude

Response…

Living sold out vs. buying off…

Exclusive… (which is better really?)

That is our act of worship…

Recognize the worthiness of God

Accepting his Love and Grace

Living that reality